When the local star set each evening, all fires were put out to avoid giving away their position. Carefully banked coals in the cook pit were used the next morning to light the next day’s fires. Roughly carved wooden bowls and plates were the only dishes to be found, and it took months to create enough for everyone. With a hundred and thirty-nine mouths to feed and no wood working tools to use, it took sharp rocks and a lot of grinding to form something useable. Even then, they were crude and difficult to clean.
After they ate, those on duty kept busy with assigned chores, while the others relaxed or worked on their own projects. Collectively, much of their time revolved around food preparation – catching, collecting, cooking, and cleaning up, only to start the process over again the next day. With no chill or freezer units, it was impossible to store raw or cooked meat. Even the coolest part of the caves was not cold enough to prevent spoilage, and Lovett refused to risk making someone ill.
Their attempts to create jerky was met with limited success, as the local pests and wildlife destroyed or stole the meat left out in the sun to dry. Smoking the meat was also attempted, but it was difficult to do in large batches without a suitable fireproof container of some sort. Another hindrance was the scarcity of wood, which was hauled in from great distances, creating several safety issues. The nearby stream supported a thin line of scraggly trees on either bank, but only dead wood could be harvested there.
In some ways, the struggles they faced served a useful purpose, for it kept people busy with less time to think. Early on, several of the men committed suicide to end what they felt was a pointless existence. To help prevent it from happening again, Lovett and Osborne started regular group activities intended to entertain, distract, or impart knowledge. They shared family stories, learned foreign languages, acted out plays, recited poems from memory, played simple games, or hashed out various ways to get off the planet.
They discussed religious ideas, cooking tips, hunting methods, favorite vacations – in fact, there were few subjects they had not discussed over the years. For the most part it seemed to help, keeping the men focused on something other than their bleak future. While there were complaints from time to time, the men were able to adjust their expectations to reflect the reality they faced. They genuinely cared for each other’s welfare, and were ready to support one another when discouragement came knocking.
Following the evening meal, there still remained about two hours of daylight. Chores were finished for the day by then, and tonight most of the men assembled in the mess hall to learn a collection of Irish drinking songs. They were laughing, singing badly, and having a lot of fun. The only thing missing, it seemed, was the whiskey.
As was their practice, Lovett and Osborne met for a quick debriefing, sitting near the cave entrance to take advantage of the daylight. This was their chance to catch up on news, make plans, or work on issues without being overheard. The rest of the crew respected this and refrained from disturbing them unless absolutely necessary. Just as they finished up their discussion, sentries sounded an alarm which wafted through the cave complex. Hollow logs struck with heavy sticks created a distinctive sound which meant only one thing – danger.
Chapter 3
As the men scrambled to safety deeper in the caves, a loud whining growl filled the air. Lovett recognized the sound of a Silestri ship as it approached their position. The noise was much louder than usual, meaning the ship was not only close, but low to the ground. He and Osborne gazed through the leafy vines which concealed the main entrance, startled to see the ship hovering above the plains about 500 yards from the cliff face. Lovett assumed they were looking for his people, or perhaps simply reminding the humans they were being watched.
The sleek black craft descended slowly until it touched down. With engines still engaged, a small portal on the side of the ship opened. What looked like a body was shoved unceremoniously out of the craft and fell heavily to the ground. The portal closed, and the ship abruptly rose into the air, backwash flattening the tall grass. Within moments, the ship was out of sight, heading towards their preferred hunting grounds.
Lovett turned to Osborne and immediately began issuing orders.
“I need a team of beaters and five additional men to meet at the cliff base. We are going to need light, so have the torches ready when we get back. Have Dr. Vance standing by and make sure he has whatever supplies he may need. You are in charge while I’m gone, Mr. Osborne. Keep the men quiet and calm.”
Lovett hurried to gather up the large net they used as a stretcher, dropping it to the ground outside, and then went down after it. He was met by two of the sentries, and they moved aside as the rest of his team climbed down behind him. Lovett explained the plan to the sentries, and then turned to the others.
“If one of our people is out there, we need to get to them before the viperheads do, and the light won’t last much longer. Let’s move.”
The beaters spread out in a reverse ‘V’ formation ahead of the others and began clearing a path towards the landing area. They were moving faster than usual, but still much slower than Lovett wanted to go. As far as he knew, this was the first time the Silestri brought another human here, and there was no telling what condition they might be in. There was no movement up ahead, so it was likely the person was injured, unconscious, or both.
It was disturbing to realize the Silestri figured out their exact position, unless the ‘delivery’ they made was purely coincidental. Perhaps they only had a general idea or simply sought out the easiest place to land. It didn’t really matter in the end, or change the current mission. The beaters finally reached the area and began to spread out to create a perimeter. Only moments later a sudden volley of expletives stopped Lovett in his tracks.
“Sir! Over here!”
Lovett and the others moved quickly through the waist high grass towards the upraised arm which was waving to get their attention. More muttered curses filled the air as he stepped into the small clearing of flattened grass. The body they found was not human at all, but a beaten and bloody Silestri male with a writhing viperhead attached to his leg. Lovett was momentarily stunned. This was certainly not what he was expecting to see.
Training quickly took over and he ordered the men to kill the viperhead. Once it was safely dead, it took two men to carefully pry open the jaws and throw the carcass off to the side. Lovett kneeled down to get a closer look, and could see the Silestri was unconscious but still breathing. He was badly beaten, and there were oozing cuts everywhere.
Though they normally wore a loincloth and shoulder sash, this one was naked, and Lovett gasped when he saw the male was freshly castrated. The ugly jagged gash was still bleeding, coating the sleek black coat of his pelvis and upper thighs. It was anyone’s guess what the poor bastard did to merit such extreme punishment. The way his own people treated him might actually work in their favor down the road. One of the men finally voiced the question on everyone’s mind.
“What are we going to do with him, Sir?”
Lovett quietly weighed his options and came to a decision.
“I’m guessing this is some sort of punishment, but they must know he would not survive out here without help. We’ll patch him up, and if he lives, he could provide us with valuable information. I know his people are our enemy, and he may turn on us as well, but I can’t just leave him here to die.”
The men said nothing, but Lovett could tell they were not entirely convinced this was a wise decision. At his direction, the body was rolled over onto the stretcher net and with three men on each side, lifted off the ground. The beaters reversed direction and began the trek home.
The heavy Silestri was still unconscious when they reached the base of the cliff. With daylight all but gone, it was a race against time to get him and the others inside. It would never work to try and carry him up the rock face, so several long vines were tossed down and tied to the stretcher net below. Pulling in unison from above, the body slowly lifted from the ground and inc
hed its way up. Lovett followed and tried to keep the net from getting caught or swinging wildly from side to side. With a final heave, the Silestri was pulled into the mouth of the cave and dragged out of the way. Lovett was met by Osborne and Dr. Vance, who looked at him with confusion and concern, but waited quietly for their orders.
“Doctor, take him to the small back cave with the narrow opening. Have the men bind his hands and feet securely and then clean him up and treat his wounds the best you can. Make sure you tie a loincloth on him before he wakes up, and have a bowl of fresh water handy. Make him as comfortable as possible, and keep a supply of freshly cut catnip grass nearby. I want torches going day and night inside the cave and the passage leading to it. Mr. Osborne, assign four armed men in rotating shifts to watch him at all times. Send the rest of the men to bed as usual, set the night watch, and then join us. Let’s move people.”
With torches ahead and behind, they made their way to the small, seldom used cave at the rear of the main cavern. Lovett stood back out of the way, giving the guards room to work. The injured Silestri was lowered carefully to the bare floor, and rolled off the net onto his stomach. While hands and feet were tied, clean water was brought in, along with rags made from scraps of old clothing. Dr. Adrian Vance treated many people during his career, but never an alien, and certainly not an enemy.
Whatever his personal feelings, he began to immediately assess and clean the most obvious wounds. There were no instruments, bandages, or medications at his disposal - only fresh water and choke berry juice. The fruit itself was impossible to eat, hence the name, but after some trial and error the Doctor found the bitter juice served as a mild antiseptic. Anyone being treated with it had to be restrained, as the burning sting in a raw wound was almost worse than the injury itself. Regardless, it was the only thing available, and he proceeded to swab every laceration he could see with it.
The patient began to twitch and move slightly, though his breathing remained shallow and his eyes closed. When Vance finished with the backside, the floor was quickly covered with a thick layer of catnip grass before turning the Silestri over and lifting him onto it. After a quick assessment, the Doctor started treating the deep gashes on his face, quickly moving down the torso before tending to his arms and legs. Some of the wounds were superficial, others deep and bleeding freely.
The groin area was saved for last, and the Doctor warned the guards the patient may not react calmly to his ministrations. Since the wound here would be the most sensitive, he diluted the choke berry juice with water and began wiping away the clotted blood and scraps of tissue. With the first swipe, the patient began to growl softly, jaws opening slightly to expose more of his large fangs.
Vance moved as quickly as possible and finished just as the Silestri opened his large green eyes and began hissing and growling. Sharp claws extended, he thrashed about in pain and confusion, finally managing to roll himself off the soft grass and onto the cold hard floor. He lay there for a few moments trying to get his arms and legs loose, and then with a pathetic mewling, gave up the struggle and lay still.
Vance waited a full minute before directing the guards to return the patient to his grass pallet. He appeared to have lost consciousness again, though this time his breathing was a bit stronger. With assistance, the Doctor managed to secure a loincloth around his thick waist, and then turned to Commander Lovett to give his report.
“I don’t know, Jack. I’ve never had a patient like him before. I treated all the wounds I could see, but he may have broken bones or internal injuries. If he cooperates, I can examine him further after he regains consciousness. We’re going to have a hell of a time trying to communicate with him, though. I hate to keep him tied up, but until we know he won’t attack us we really don’t have any choice. I can’t make any promises, Sir, but I will do my best.”
Vance gathered up his things and left the cave, passing Logan Osborne on the way in.
“Everything is squared away, Sir. I’ve been waiting to come in, and heard the doctor’s report. I have to tell you, some of the men...”
Lovett cut him off before he could say more and turned to address the guards.
“I want two of you to remain in here and two in the passageway. I want four-hour shifts rotating through the day and night until further notice. Keep your conversations to a minimum. We don’t yet know if he understands what we are saying or can communicate with us. Your job is to keep him from injuring anyone or escaping. If he wakes up, I want to be notified immediately – understood?”
Lovett gestured to Osborne to follow him, and the two grabbed an extra torch and made their way through the caves towards the bathtub, where they could speak privately.
It was obvious Osborne was concerned about the wisdom of aiding the enemy, but Lovett had his reasons and he wasn’t about to explain them in front of everyone else. Osborne looked chastised, as if he’d been caught passing notes in class.
“I’m sorry, Jack. I wasn’t thinking back there when I spoke up. I must admit I’m not sure what you hope to accomplish though.”
Lovett acknowledged Osborne’s apology with a quick squeeze of his shoulder.
“One of your jobs is to provide a reality check for me, Logan, but always in private. I understand your concern, and I know some of the men will think I’ve lost it this time. It wasn’t an easy decision, and I admit there is a risk, but we have an opportunity here which may never repeat itself. If we can befriend him and get him to trust us, he may provide the information we have sought all these years. Where are we? What happened to the women? What are they doing with the ark? Is there a way to escape this place?”
“It may turn out he doesn’t have any useful information at all, or he may refuse to tell us. We might not even be able to communicate with him, so it would all become a moot point. There are dozens of possibilities, but we won’t know anything unless we can talk to him, and he won’t be doing any talking if he’s dead. Whatever he did, he’s obviously considered expendable by his own people. They did everything except actually kill him, and by dumping him here they have put him in the same boat we are in.”
Osborne listened carefully without interrupting, waiting for Lovett to finish before speaking.
“I follow you, Jack, and your thinking is sound. Even if we get nothing out of him, helping him was the right thing to do. The fact remains, however, we have a powerful being in our midst who could kill us all or even sell us out to his own people. Suppose he doesn’t cooperate or have any intention of repaying our kindness? Do we take the risk and let him go?”
Lovett nodded in agreement.
“Your concerns are all valid, Logan, and ones I have already considered. I will do nothing to risk the safety and welfare of my people. If it means the Silestri must die, the responsibility will be mine alone. Until we have a better idea of where things stand, he will be closely guarded, but treated honorably as our guest.”
He paused to rub the fatigue from his eyes before continuing.
“You have to be as tired as I am, my friend, so I suggest we both get some shut eye. In the morning, inform the men I will speak to them after the noon meal and answer their questions. Perhaps by then I will have more information to share.”
####
The night passed without incident, the Silestri resting peacefully amidst the change in guards and the doctor’s cursory checkups. Breakfast, Lovett noticed, was much quieter than usual, the men exchanging furtive glances at each other and studiously avoiding eye contact with their commanding officer. Still, no one challenged him regarding the whole affair, and they were prepared to wait for him to address them all later in the day. Until then, Lovett was left alone with his thoughts and his scant meal. He finished quickly, and was about to head for the cave when one of the current shift guards came rushing into the mess hall.
“Commander Lovett, the Silestri is awake and asking for you!”
All conversation died as the surprise made its way around the room. Lovett was just as sta
rtled as the rest of them.
“He asked...what?”
The flustered man just shook his head and tried to explain.
“He woke up a minute ago and asked for a drink of water and then to see ‘the one who leads you’. He refuses to say any more until you come and talk to him.”
Lovett set his bowl down and began following the guard.
“Are Mr. Osborne and Dr. Vance already at the cave?”
The guard assured him they were as they paused to grab a couple of fresh torches. They arrived to find the cave crowded with all four guards, Osborne, Vance and finally Lovett himself. The patient was still bound and laying on the catnip grass, eyes open and observing warily. Lovett looked at the nearest guard, raised two fingers, and pointed them at the corridor. Two of the armed men slipped through the narrow opening and took up their positions outside the cave.
Exploration (Galactic Neighborhood Book 3) Page 4