If the angel was trying to help the other one, the strange one probably wasn't a demon.
Was it?
And it was female, wasn't it?
Would an angel help a being from the underworld? He blinked at the memory that they both had come from there.
Confused by his conflicting thoughts and emotions, he studied the strange pair. As his gaze traveled over the injured one, he noticed that something long and dark was lying next to her. He squinted, trying to see the details, then swallowed hard, when he realized that it looked remarkably like the sketches of the staff of power, which Draco Shakura, his sect's founder, had used to harness the dragon-mother's power and convince Shaka-uma to lead them to this island sanctuary.
The sketch of the staff of power was in the ancient journal, right next to the entry explaining that it had been lost during a violent storm at sea, even though the sacred volcano was in sight.
It was momentous that the deity had chosen to materialize, but why did it have the staff of power?
How bad were things going to get?
~0~
As a geologist, Tem-aki Atano thought she had encountered every type of anomaly associated with geology, but discovering that someone or some unknown group had carved the walls inside a lava-tube and was using the recesses as a tomb was something she had never imagined finding. She frowned as she studied the way the bones were laid, with all heads to the North and feet to the South. Was that fact significant or had the corpses been laid that direction because the tube itself had flown molten rock that direction?
Were compass readings important, here?
Was a culture that buried bodies like this advanced enough to consider compass bearings or have a way to determine the direction, when they could not see the stars?
She shook her head and decided such random thoughts could wait. The crucial thing, for now, was to see if she could repair GEA-4 enough so that the android could walk; because, without the water to moderate the load, there was no way she could continue carrying her.
Tem-aki trained her tricorder on the android and confirmed that, despite the strange fall and submersion, there was no additional damage.
That was the good news.
Unfortunately, the bad news was still the same. Tem-aki was great at a lot of things, but electronic repair was not one of them. When she fixed the shorted out wires for GEA-4's speech circuit, she had accomplished more than she imagined possible. She chewed her lower lip. “Okay, where is the system to control your limbs?”
“The part connected to my visual, auditory and gyroscopic sensors, is in my neck. Circuitry to move arms is at the base of my skull and the main circuitry to move my legs is where you humans have a belly button.”
Rats, the android's face and belly had suffered the majority of the damage. But the back of its head didn't look too bad; at least she could tell one wire from another, instead of it looking like a half-melted slag-heap. “Um, if I can repair the damaged wiring in your neck, do you think your arms might work well enough for you to help?”
“Possibly.”
“Okay, then we have a plan.” Tem-aki began cleaning the exposed circuit board, then scanned it with her tricorder and showed GEA-4 the readings. Following the robot's directions, she carefully began repairs, but the harder she worked, the more difficult it was to see.
Glancing up, she realized that the once-bright fire had burned down to embers, but what was even more surprising was that a human and a big furry creature were sitting behind it, staring at her. “How long have you been there?”
When the silhouette didn't respond, GEA-4 said, “He was here first.”
Hmm, maybe the robot's information wasn't so suspect after all. Tem-aki sat back on her heels and studied the alien as intently as he was examining her. At least she hoped GEA-4 was correct about it being male. It was impossible for her to tell because the flowing yellow robe and ornate blue cowl camouflaged gender, height, weight, and just about everything except long dark hair, strong cheekbones and steady gaze, which seemed very male. Since GEA-4 had said 'he', Tem-aki decided to think of the stranger as male, until she found a valid reason not to.
Whoever and whatever this person was, she needed his help finding food, shelter, tools and parts to repair GEA-4. Most importantly, she needed to find Larwin, but, if the silent man's attire was any clue, he came from a very backward culture.
Tem-aki smiled at him and introduced herself. He didn't bat an eyelash or introduce himself. “GEA-4, can he speak?”
“Unknown.”
Great! Alien cultures had never been her strong suit, but she recalled that in some cultures, it was prohibited for females and males to interact unless they were either mated or part of the same family unit. “What should I do?”
“Fuse the relay.”
That was not the answer she wanted, but probably the best advice, at least for the moment. Tem-aki pulled her las-cutter from the tool pouch, which was designed into her spacesuit, calibrated it to emit a soldering beam and did her best to refasten the delicate wire to the circuit board.
~0~
Cameron watched in fascination as the golden-haired woman – at least he thought the apparition was a woman – bent over the smaller, damaged one. Was it her child? The posture of the one in the strange, turquoise outfit looked like she was trying to heal, but he didn't know how she could do that, when she was fiddling with a barely visible hair. And why was a tiny silvery hair, which appeared not bigger than an eyelash the focus of her attention? Furthermore, why was it sticking out of a cut at the base of the injured one's skull?
Surely the other injuries were much more severe than the tiny hair. With that thought, the back of his own neck began to tickle. He moved a hand to scratch it and encountered whiskers. A backward glance confirmed that Saphera was as fascinated by the two unknowns as he was.
Reaching behind, without taking his attention from the unexpected pair, he patted Saphera's neck. A soft, tentative purr came from deep within her chest. Crawling forward, she leaned against his side and together they watched the odd pair.
Once, when it looked like the taller one was having difficulty trying to move the smaller one, Cameron considered offering his assistance.
But he realized that if she/they wanted his help, they have would asked, so he stayed on his mat, without seeing anything more earth-shattering than the pair emerging from the underworld.
Then, as the sun climbed high in the sky and the embers began to die, the smaller one suddenly sat up and clasped the taller one's face between her damaged hands. Saphera shivered so hard, as she leaned against his side, that Cameron nearly fell over.
The pair remained motionless for so long that he began to worry that he should do something. But what? Chant? Without being sure if they were sent by the sky creators or from the underworld demons, he couldn't decide what they were doing here.
How could he know what to pray or which chant would be appropriate, when he couldn't even decide if they were friend or foe?
His entire body began to feel stiff and cold, but he stayed still, watching.
Abruptly, the small one let go of the other's face, then with a swift, fluid movement stood upright, raised her hand in friendship and said, "Greetings."
Assuming it was her word for salutation; Cameron bowed with the respect due an injured child and responded in kind.
Unexpectedly, the taller one stood, then bowed deeply to him. She pointed to her chest. "I am Captain Tem-aki Atano," then she pointed to the small one, "and this is GEA-4." She gestured to the shorter one. "I am looking for my brother, Colonel Larwin Atano, can you direct me to him?"
Cameron blinked in confusion and looked from the possible demon to the possible angel, wondering what to do and what had been said, after what was obviously an introduction.
Saphera nudged him.
Belatedly, he remembered his manners and introduced himself and Saphera, then, deciding it was wise to give them the benefit of the doubt, with a grea
t deal of pantomiming, he invited them to his frigate to share a meal.
When he was halfway back to his dory, it occurred to him that ones who healed by fiddling with nearly invisible hairs at the skull might not survive on the same things he did. But, by then, it was too late to back out on his offer, so Cameron continued forward.
Captaintemakiatano lagged behind when their path went by an octagonal-shaped rock, which his faction believed to be the birthing pod for a young dragon. He paused and watched her move the black box over it, as she had over the smaller one. Was she checking the dragon's health?
Had she come because a dragon was ready to return to their needy island?
If so, that would explain why she had brought the staff of power.
Hope bloomed in his soul.
Chapter 5
Tem-aki's fingernails dug into the craft's golden sides, as she held on for dear life. With each stroke, the tiny craft moved forward, the front point dipped down, so water sloshed over GEA-4's bedraggled form, as she perched in the small bow. Tem-aki looked over her shoulder at Cameron, whose back was toward their destination and wondered if she should bring his attention to the problem.
But how could she ask him if it was safe to have GEA-4 sit there?
Would GEA-4's weight sink them before they got to the big boat?
Seated on the bottom, in the middle, and getting damper with each stroke, Tem-aki's stomach cramped against the flimsy little boat's unsteady motion, and her fingers dug deeper into the fragile reed sides. She shut her eyes tight so she didn't need to look at all the water surrounding her.
What had she been thinking, when she allowed a man wearing a long, flowing dress to talk her into getting into this unstable thing?
And, had she understood him properly, when he pointed to the other boat and explained that was where there was food?
How would she possibly be able to eat anything if the other vessel also felt like it would flip over at any moment?
Cameron knelt in the stern and hummed a cheerful-sounding tune as he propelled the unsteady thing backward.
Hearing a big splash, Tem-aki risked a peek, to make sure that GEA-4 had not fallen in, but the 'droid was fine and to her surprise, the big furry animal was swimming next to their craft. For some reason, she had thought it would stay on the safe solidity of the rocks.
Obviously, she had been incorrect.
She glanced forward and was surprised to see that their destination was much larger than she had expected. In fact, it looked like it was at least two stories tall. She frowned and wondered why anyone would float a building. Then she remembered all the odd roundish things on Kalamar, which she had determined were homes and shops, so perhaps if a world had water, having buildings float was common.
The good news – or perhaps it was the bad news – was that their destination did not resemble anything she had observed on Kalamar. So wherever she was probably was not in that quadrant. Now that she thought about it, she realized she had not catalogued any volcanic activity, old or new, on Kalamar, and she certainly hadn't observed anything with the bizarre readings like the big, rocky, octagonal-shaped things on the land.
Her tricorder had given similar readings to the octagons as she had gotten from the walls of the old salt mine, but the truly strange part was that there was also a reading that indicated life signs.
Where was she?
What happened to Thunder and Raine?
Would she ever see Larwin or their parents, again? Not that she'd ever seen much of them to begin with; Guerreterre culture evaluated children on their third birthday and then sent them to the appropriate training facility. She had only been a year old when Larwin had left the security of home for military school, and did not have memories of him living at home. But she cherished her memories of the four-week-long breaks they had shared each solar revolution, when they went home to their parents.
A thump brought Tem-aki back to the present and the reality that she was surrounded by water. Fortunately, they had arrived at the sleek golden side of the big boat. Unfortunately, Cameron was gesturing for them to precede him up a weak-looking rope ladder. Tem-aki swallowed, but the lump of fear remained. "GEA-4, can you climb that?" she managed to ask.
"Affirmative." The droid surged to her feet, which sent the boat wildly rocking. Tem-aki screeched and dug her broken nails into the small boat's sides. GEA-4 grasped the woven fiber and bamboo ladder and hoisted her weight out of the boat. The tipsy craft bucked like an unbalanced mordike and she was sure she would be pitched into the deep, dark water.
Instead, the motion calmed. She opened one eye, then both and looked around, only to see Cameron's hazel eyes looking at her as if she was the oddest thing he had ever seen. Would he find her reaction as strange if it was his first time in a boat, which moved in unpredictable ways, all threatening to pitch him into unbreathable water?
At least he wasn't laughing.
Tem-aki took a deep breath and told herself that if the flimsy ladder had held GEA-4's weight, it would hold her. And if the droid could climb it, even though she was still severely damaged, so could she. She took another deep breath, then loosened her grip on the small craft with the hand closest to the ladder and grasped it. In reaction, the small boat moved. Quickly, she half stood and grabbed the ladder with her other hand, then, before she had a chance to let her fears overwhelm her, she climbed as fast as possible, while wearing a space suit and chunky boots. Which meant that she slipped with every movement, until the ladder miraculously moved away from the golden side of the big boat, so that she could get a secure foothold.
Glancing down, she realized Cameron was holding it out, and anchoring it. Smiling her thanks, she turned her attention to the climb. Once she got to the top, flat deck, she threw herself aboard, kissed the smooth golden surface and vowed that if this boat was as stable as it seemed, she would never leave it.
With that plan in mind, she began removing her space boots and suit.
~0~
Cameron took his time securing his dory to Sirocco's side and wondering why the deity had left Draco Shakura's staff of power in the dory. And now that he saw it in the light of day, he was positive it was Draco Shakura's lost staff. Reverently, he leaned forward to touch the magical wood. Immediately, power raced up his arm.
Why would she leave something so important behind?
He pondered that mystery so long that Saphera heaved herself onto the dory, gave herself a good shake, which soaked him to the skin. Then, she stood on her hind legs, braced her front paws on Sirocco's deck and vaulted aboard.
From above, there was a scream.
Catching the ladder, as the dory shot backward, he scrambled to the deck to see what the problem was.
Saphera's sudden appearance was probably what had startled Captaintemakiatano, but he couldn't be sure.
Once Cameron could see above the deck, he stopped transfixed by the sight of the strange turquoise skin hanging from her body as she stared at the open doorway to his cabin.
Saphera was nowhere in sight, which meant that she was probably hiding under the table in his galley.
Now he could see that the turquoise layer was some strange form of clothing. And, since it was half-torn away, he was positive that Captaintemakiatano was a female. Thankfully, he could also see that she appeared uninjured, so he assumed her scream had been a response to Saphera leaping aboard.
Captaintemakiatano's scream had apparently terrified his dear companion, and she had probably done what she always did in such a situation. Hide.
Taking her attention from the galley door, Captaintemakiatano calmly began pulling at the strange azure layer. There was no blood and her expression didn't appear pained.
Obviously, the stuff was removable.
Clothing?
Judging by the methodical way she was moving, he was inclined to think it was the most likely possibility.
The shedding of the turquoise layer revealed a glimmering silver layer, which was very similar
to the ill one's attire, which made him wonder about their relationship. Were they from the same group, or was the silver layer coincidence?
As he silently watched, Cameron was reminded of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, except for the fact that she didn't appear wet or have wings. At least none that he could see from his vantage point.
Knowing that she was all right, he quickly stepped back down, grabbed the staff of power, then climbed aboard, nodded to Captaintemakiatano, as if seeing a creator's emissary disrobing on Sirocco's deck was normal, and hurried to the galley to check on Saphera and prepare their mid-day meal.
Chapter 6
Thankfully, the larger boat was steadier than the small one had been, so Tem-aki was able to eat the food the strange man offered. As she chewed the dark bread and chunky whitish thing, which he called 'sandwich', she studied Cameron. If he put on normal clothing and got his shaggy hair cut to a normal length, he would probably be quite handsome. For certain, his food tasted wonderful. Perhaps long hair was typical here. Thunder's hair had been worn long too, but Cameron didn't have any tiny braids with beads and feathers, so the style was different. Perhaps the braids weren't as important as the hair's length and it fashionable, on this planet, for males to have long hair.
And if so, she might actually be on Thunder's world, but that didn't explain why GEA-4's language program hadn't worked.
Again, she thought of Thunder's dark hair, which was well past his shoulders with four small braids, two near each ear, which blended in with the rest of his thick hair, except for the beads and feathers decorating them. She studied Cameron's hair, which was a similar dark brown/black color, but there was no sign of any tiny braids. Aside from the color, there didn't seem to be any similarities, so she might be wrong about being on Thunder's world.
Fire Island: Book 3 of The Chatterre Trilody (Chatterre Trilogy) Page 4