“That,” Jane said, “is the artificial mind who runs most systems of this starship. Do your people have devices which do things for you?”
“We do,” Mellow said. “In the Mountains. They are rocky plateaus that rise above the forests of our world. Our ancestors found metal rock there, long ago. Recently we put small objects into orbit so all Mountains could speak with one another. And make possible long distance learning by way of image links. But we have nothing that talks like . . . like a person.”
“Who is the Ludeen out there?” called a warbling voice.
Jane gestured to Mellow. “Your fellow captive heard what you just said. Go ahead.”
The Alien blinked, straightened his bent over stature and looked to the white cell that lay opposite his. “Descendant of the Ancestral Forests, I am Mellow of the Mountains. I stand among other people who . . . who lack our fur but who are head-rest friendly. What is your call? Do you wish to come out and join us?”
“Ahhhmmm,” the other Ludeen warbled. “Yes! I must be free of this loneliness! My call is Happy of the Tree. Can you free me?”
Mellow looked to Jane. Who looked to Bill. He aimed the red cube at the other cell, pressed and held its Open spot. The white door whooshed up quickly. Another brown-furred, marmoset-like person stepped forward slowly, its long naked tail wrapped around pink-skinned legs. That tail pulled away as it walked to the edge of the open door. Leaning forward, its large ears fluttering, the Ludeen looked out at them.
“You must be Mellow of the Mountains,” it warbled softly as it caught sight of the other Ludeen. “The other two . . . people with little fur, who are you?”
Jane told the short person their names and jobs. “Are you male or female? Do you pursue a job of some sort?” she asked as Mellow walked along the side walkway toward his fellow captive.
“Yesss!” Mellow whispered low as he put his head on the brown-furred shoulder of the other Ludeen. Who did the same. They stood like that for a moment.
Happy of the Tree lifted its head, looked around the Containment Unit Chamber, gave a low hum, then fixed on Jane. “I am female. No cubs yet. My life work is that of healer. Do you have Humans who do what I do?” she warbled.
“We do,” Jane said, giving the second Ludeen a quick smile. “We humans have both architects and healers among our many people. Welcome to freedom.”
Happy blinked her large brown eyes, squinted them as she looked up at the bright yellow ceiling spots, then took a step forward. She stood close to Mellow who had walked back to the central walkway. Happy looked down at her wide-set feet, then up to Jane. “I feel heavier than inside the false forest room. Why?”
Jane explained quickly. “That is why you weigh more. Now, I have a question for the two of you.”
“Speak,” Mellow said hurriedly, looking aside at his fellow captive.
“Yes, ask of us,” Happy said. “Freedom from the loneliness inside that crazy place is a great gift you shared with us.”
“Thank you,” Jane said, her manner intent. “Do you Ludeen have personal weapons? Does one Ludeen group fight another? Can you be peaceful until we bring you home to your world?”
“Yes, yes!” warbled Happy, her pink-skinned tail flaring behind her. “Peaceful is our nature!”
“True,” Mellow said. “Our histories tell us that we once fought each other, when we only lived among the Ancestral Trees. We used terrible weapons then. Many died. Many families were left with no elders. Now, our world is peaceful. We . . . solve our differences by talk, by sharing or by appeal to the Mediator of each Mountain. Is it not the same for you Humans?”
Bill wished humanity had found the wisdom of the Ludeen. Jane blinked, gave him a look that said she thought the same, then she fixed on the two short-looking Ludeen. “It is not the same for we humans. We evolved among the jungles of our world. When we moved out to the savannahs, to open grasslands, we used weapons against the animal predators of our world. And against each other. We survived our violent past, but even today our groups fight with each other. Perhaps when our fellow humans learn of the Collector ships and how dangerous is this society of Buyers, perhaps we will unite as you Ludeen have done.”
Both Ludeen looked to each other, gave full body shivers, then entwined their tails with each other. “We hope you Humans find our kind of peace,” Happy said softly.
Jane looked to Bill. He understood the look. He gave her a thumbs-up Okay sign. She looked back to the Ludeen.
“My ally and I control this ship. We took it from Captain Diligent Taskmaster. We used violence to obtain our freedom. We are willing to use violence in the future against any bioform or ship that seeks to harm us,” she said. “You Ludeen are welcome to roam the hallways of our ship, so long as you remain peaceful. And so long as you are friendly to other captives whom we release. Do you agree?”
“Yes, yes!” Happy said.
“Peaceful I am,” Mellow said, looking around. “When do we meet these other captives?”
“Star Traveler, send a guide for these folks,” Jane said, looking to the two Ludeen. She handed her red cube to Happy. “The ship mind who operates this ship under my command is sending us a small metal device to guide you to habitat rooms you may occupy, and to show you our Food, Water and Greenery chambers that you may enjoy visiting. The red cube will open many doors.” She paused as a whir came.
Mellow’s ears angled toward the sound. “Something approaches!”
“Yes it does,” Jane said, her tone relaxed. “It is a hover bot. Follow it and it will guide you about this ship. Ask it a question, or just speak aloud anywhere, and the ship mind will reply to you. Its name is Star Traveler.”
Happy caught sight of the silvery pod that buzzed closer on its fans. “That is different from any devices we have in my Healing Chamber.”
“Agreed,” Mellow warbled as the device moved over them and came to a hover just beyond Bill.
“Follow the device,” Jane said. “It will take you through an airlock, down a long hallway, to a cross hallway, and then up another long hallway to the chambers I mentioned. Bill and I hope you enjoy your time aboard our ship.”
“We give thanks for our freedom!” Mellow warbled back as he turned and scampered past Bill to follow the hover bot.
“You are tall!” Happy said as she too scampered past him. “Like one of our trees!”
He watched the two Ludeen run down the walkway to the giant door to the first airlock chamber where he and Jane had found their tube suits. Happy pointed the red cube at the door and it rose. To her and Mellow’s warbled delight. They ran inside, long pink tails waving wildly. The airlock door slid shut.
Bill looked to Jane. “Next pair of cells?”
She nodded agreement. “Star Traveler, what cells contain the two Mok captives?”
“The cells adjacent to the two Ludeen cells.”
She led Bill up the central walkway to the next intersection with side walkways. “Open an audio link to the chamber to my right.”
“Link made,” the AI said.
Bill moved to behind Jane. He took a position so he could cover the oval door that would open in the white cell to his right, while keeping her out of the line of taser fire.
“Mok captive, I am Captain Jane Yamaguchi, of the human species. We are now in transit to the Ludeen home star. We will travel next to your home world. My fellow human and I wish to see you directly, visit, and perhaps allow you the freedom to roam this ship until we arrive at your home world. Do you wish to come out and visit with us?”
“Freedom desired,” came a low, growling voice that sent Bill to high alertness.
Jane, standing at the intersection of the two side walkways with the central elevated walkway, looked thoughtful. “Mok captive, do you have a personal identifier you can share with me? And are you male or female?”
Another low growl sounded. “My pack knows me as Sharp Claw. I am male. Release me!”
Jane frowned. “Will you be peaceful if I relea
se you from your cell?”
“This one will pursue peacefulness,” Sharp Claw said in a hurried growl. “There is another Mok held captive. Yes?”
“True,” Jane said. “We release captives one at a time.” She looked to Bill and gave him a nod. “Open his door.”
Bill took a deep breath. He didn’t like the sound of this Alien’s voice. Nor how it spoke. But Aliens are Aliens. Not humans. Different worlds, different ways of behaving. Still, these Mok had to be intelligent enough to be worth capturing by a Collector ship. And the holo of them had depicted a being who resembled a walking cougar with yellow fur, golden eyes and white fangs. But this Mok spoke the way a person held captive would speak. He pointed his red cube at the oval door outline and pressed the Open spot.
The door slid up faster than he could blink. Inside yellow light shone brightly. The next moment the Mok came flying through the air to land on the side walkway in a crouch. His golden eyes scanned Jane, then him, then swept the Containment Chamber. “No others are present?”
Jane, who stood just ten feet from the Mok, moved her taser tube so it pointed directly at the crouching Mok. Who wore a belt with long fringes that hung halfway down to his recurved knees. A carrybag hung from the belt. Sharp Claw leaned forward, both arms outstretched, with brown claws on each of five fingers. His paw-feet showed similar claws. Inside his white-toothed mouth, a purple tongue moved as he spoke.
Jane licked her lips. “No one else is present in this chamber. Although the ship mind computer responds to both me and Bill. Why do you ask?”
The crouching stance of Sharp Claw relaxed slightly. He rose up until he was nearly as tall as Jane. “I had hoped to see the other Mok held captive.”
“You can. In a few moments,” Jane said. “Do you Mok know how to be peaceful with people who are different from you?”
Bill let up on the red cube. The cougar’s cell door closed swiftly. The Mok showed no reaction to the sound.
Furry eyelids swept sideways over the critter’s golden eyes. “On our world of Challenge, there are only other Mok. We cooperate with each other. We have . . . tools and devices to make easier our lives. We have spaceships that have traveled to our nearby worlds and to our Rock Field. We understand about other stars, other worlds.”
“Answer my question,” Jane said, her tone commanding.
The Mok looked quickly to her. “You hold a weapon? Why? I know how to be peaceful.”
“I do,” Jane said. “It shoots a red beam similar to the one that paralyzed you. Do you wish to speak to the other Mok captive?”
“Yes!” Sharp Claw said in a hissing growl, his eyes looking over Bill, the central walkway, the chamber and then back to Jane. The walking cougar reached down and untied his waist carrybag. He held it in one paw-hand.
Jane noticed the move. “What is in that bag?”
A purple tongue licked quickly over four long white fangs. “A device for recording. I wish to make a record of this encounter for when we are returned to our world.”
Jane nodded slowly. “Star Traveler, create an audio link to the other Mok cell. Allow the words of Sharp Claw to be heard inside it.”
“Link established.”
Sharp Claw glanced upward swiftly, then back down. He resumed his crouch. “Mok! Outside are two beings who control our fate. Their teeth are small and they have no claws. I am Sharp Claw. What is your pack name?” he growled low.
“Hungry Heart,” came an answering growl. “Sharp Claw, I wish to return to my cubs. Will that happen?”
“A female,” Sharp Claw hissed. He fixed golden eyes on Jane. “Yes, the two beings with me say that will happen. When you come out, be as I am.”
Jane caught his attention and tipped her head toward the other cell door. “Cover her.”
Bill, standing back a bit, moved closer to Jane and aimed his taser tube at the white cell to their left. “Covered. You have the other one?”
“I do.” She paused a moment. “Use your cube to open her cell door.”
Bill lifted his cube and pointed it at the oval cell door. He pressed the cube’s Open spot.
Out bounded another yellow-furred cougar person. Like Sharp Claw, she landed in a two-footed crouch, her arms outstretched with brown claws extended and white fangs showing. Hungry Heart looked around the chamber quickly, then over to Sharp Claw. “Strange these beings are. I arrive as commanded,” she growled low.
Bill did not like either the voice tones or the look of these two Alien people. Who resembled an Earth predator. Different behaviors he expected. The Mok were far different from the Ludeen tree people. Which made sense, coming from another world.
Jane’s attention on Sharp Claw wavered a moment as she took a quick glance over her back at the new arrival.
The attack happened then.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sharp Claw threw his carrybag at Jane’s taser tube, knocking it from her grasp. Then he sprang into the air, clawed hands and paw-feet extended to rip her open.
He reacted.
Bill touched the taser tube firing spot. A red beam shot out and hit the crouching Hungry Heart in her gut. He did not see that as he was already jumping to intercept Sharp Claw before the critter could reach Jane, who was stumbling back, her right hand going down for her holstered semi-auto. Her reactions were good, but not as quick as those of a SEAL.
Impact.
Bill felt the pain of finger-claws cutting into his shoulders and paw-feet clawing against his knees as he hit the Mok critter just before it reached Jane. Going for his own semi-auto would not have stopped its forward momentum. So he’d jumped.
He lifted his jaw up and bit into the yellow-furred neck of the Alien.
“Urrrr,” came a low growl as the two of them hit the hard metal of the side walkway.
Biting deeper and then reaching up with his hands even as the Mok’s finger-claws ripped down his biceps he got hold of the creature’s eyebrows, pushed inward with thumbs against the golden eyes and ripped outward with his teeth.
“Yayeee!” Sharp Claw squealed as part of his neck came away in Bill’s mouth.
Smashed eye sockets spurted red blood.
Moving his hands down, he got a grip under the long, narrow jaw of the Mok and lifted upward with both hands, forcing its head backward against the metal floor. His knees came up and pressed down on the belly and ribcage of the Mok, who lay under Bill.
Sharp Claw gave a sudden twist of his body and threw Bill to one side.
In a second the eyeless creature was on top of him, reaching down with brown claws for his own face.
Bill blocked the claw-hands with his arms and pressed them apart.
Pain flared in his legs, which he’d pulled up to his belly, as the feet-claws of the Mok ripped down along his calves.
“Fuck!” he grunted as he grabbed the arms of the Mok and pushed them out so the claws could not reach his face. Sharp Claw’s head lowered, white fangs reaching for him.
A red beam flared above the Mok.
His body spasming, the blind critter gave a growling yowl, gnashed his fangs as his purple tongue ran red with his own blood, then he fell against the railing of the side walkway.
Bill kicked away the spasming body, blinked and looked up.
Jane was leaning over him, one hand reaching down to pull him up even as she pointed a taser tube at the jerking body of the Mok cougar.
“Thanks! That bastard had a lot of strength despite the damage I did to him.”
Jane grimaced. “You’re welcome. You saved my life with that leap of yours. Never saw anyone move so fast!”
Bill stood, felt the pain in his calves, biceps and shoulders, and realized he was dripping lots of blood on the gray metal of the walkway. He looked beyond Jane. “The other Mok. She down for the count?”
“Yes! Thanks to you.” Jane put one of his arms over her shoulder and pulled him toward the intersection of the cell walkway with the central walkway. He saw the other Mok cougar jerking wildly on the
opposite walkway.
He grabbed the side railing and nodded ahead. “Let go of me. Put that bitch back into her cell. Then the bastard behind us into his cell. Only way to be safe.”
Jane scanned him, frowned at the sight of his wounds, then let go of him. “Agreed. But I’m your captain. And I order you to let me take you to the Med Hall so that damned device in there can fix your wounds! I don’t want you to bleed out on me!”
Bill watched as Jane used her own red cube to open the other cell door. Keeping it open with one hand, she reached down, grabbed a yellow-furred arm of Hungry Heart, and dragged the Mok back inside her cell. She stepped out, let go the cube’s Open spot, the door whooshed down and she repeated the opening and storage of Sharp Claw in his cell. Coming back to him, her taser tube under her left arm, she reached out, grabbed his arm, pulled it up onto her shoulder and began frog-walking him down the walkway and back the way they’d come.
“Damn glad the Med Hall is just beyond the airlock!” she grunted as he leaned more on her due to the drop in adrenaline and shock from the wounds.
“Me too.” Bill pulled loose from her, took a deep breath and walked on his own toward the distant airlock door. “I can do this. Had worse wounds during an insert in Afghanistan. Up in the mountains. Rolled down four hundred feet of sharp rocks after I got shot in my leg. The Taliban who hit me did not survive my return fire.”
Jane put her taser tube into her backpack, then pursed her lips as she walked alongside him, hands on her hips. “I’m sure you have. But wounds are wounds. Blood loss is blood loss. And keeping you alert until we get you into that wraparound healing unit is my main concern right now.”
He chuckled. “I’m still alert. Your cute bod motivates me!”
“Men!” she said it like a curse. Glancing over to him, her dark brown eyes bored into him. “Don’t do the macho thing with me. I’ve known you long enough to see you have some depth. Both of character and of integrity. Now, first, we get you healed up. Then, later after we’ve eaten, rested and chatted with the Ludeen people, maybe we can come back here and talk to some other captives.”
Escape 1: Escape From Aliens Page 15