The sky was shot with red and purple streaks by the time they reached the next tree complex. It was larger than the last one, comprising several main trees plus dozens of offshoot trunks. Skai had to utilize their blanket rope again so they could climb up to the lowest branch capable of sustaining their weight.
"It's just over there," said Carrie, too weary to have any enthusiasm at reaching the end of their journey. She was cold and all she wanted to do was sleep. She indicated a large overgrown area between the central trunks. "The ground there is solid."
Skai snorted doubtfully and clambered from branch to branch until he reached the clearing. He probed the ground with his stick, then lowered himself until he could jump down.
While he checked the area, Carrie slumped down where she sat, head between her arms.
Vanna leaned forward. "We'll soon have the pod open and be able to rest and eat," she said quietly. "You've done well to guide us here. I know what a strain it has been for both of you."
Kusac laid his hand on her arm. "Our part is done. From now on, the rest of the crew take over."
"She's right," Skai's voice floated over to them. "We've a large area of solid ground here with what looks like your pod on the edge of it. You're damned lucky it didn't fall in the open swamp. Better get down here now before dusk falls. I just hope your craft is large enough for seven, because if not, we've really got problems when the night life starts moving."
Wearily, they got to their feet and dragged themselves the last few meters. Once down, the Captain and Guynor joined Skai by the large mound of vegetation.
"Don't touch it with your hands," warned Skai, reaching out to stop Garras. "We don't know what's made its home in there."
Using the machete, he began to hack away at the base of the growth. Clouds of tiny insects swarmed upward accompanied by several large iridescent green beetles. The beetles hovered for a moment, then headed straight for Skai.
Before Skai had time to react, several flares went off simultaneously.
"Shit! Looks like the bug deflector has died. Thanks, fellas." He poked his stick through the greenery and pulled it aside. Underneath was the dull gleam of metal.
"That's it," said Garras exultantly.
Something pale flitted past them through the lengthening gloom.
Skai glanced up again. "Keep your guns out, all of you. I want two people on guard to shoot anything that moves," he ordered crisply. "We'll have to get the hatch uncovered now, the rest can wait till morning."
"We could use the guns to sear the growth at the base," said Guynor. "There shouldn't be anything vital down there."
"It's a risk we'll have to take," replied Skai as he stood back to allow the two males room to work.
As they burned their way around the pod, Skai followed them, pulling the matted fronds down with his stick until he found the entrance.
"Stop," he yelled over the sound of sizzling greenery. "Found it!"
Garras rushed round to where he stood and began to examine the panel at the side of the hatch. A series of indentations and symbols suggested a coded numeric or alphabet system.
Skai shifted his weight impatiently. "Well, open it," he said.
Garras used a claw tip to poke a sequence of buttons and waited expectantly. Nothing happened.
"There's a lot of splashing from the water over here," Mito hissed from the edges of their little islet. "I think we ought to hurry. It's heading this way."
Garras tried again, a worried frown on his face. When nothing happened again, he began rapidly punching out a short series of keys.
"The door lock's malfunctioning and I can't get the manual override on!"
"By all the Gods, what is that?" demanded Guynor, watching in terrified fascination as a leathery green head emerged from the turbulence. The barrel chest and splayed legs were visible as it crawled out of the water, its body twisting first to one side then the other to match its leg movements.
Skai glanced round, peering across the gloom to where Mito stood. "A swamp dragon! Try and keep the bloody thing at bay, herd it away from us. Their bite's poisonous, and they move fast."
The reptile gaped its mouth and roared, showing rows of banked sharp incisors. Its long, thick tail flicked, ripping out a small bush that was in the way.
Garras was still frantically punching buttons when there was a sudden deep metallic thunk and the panel on the outside was illuminated. Reaching around his neck, he pulled out a necklace bearing a narrow metal strip and hauled it over his head.
There was another deep roaring noise followed by a high-pitched squeal, then the sounds of pursuit through vegetation.
Fumbling, Garras threaded the strip into the slot at the bottom of the panel. There was a loud clunk, then the doorway slid open with a faint hiss of compressed air.
With a faint moan, Carrie slid bonelessly to the ground. As Skai and Kusac rushed to catch her, Garras jumped into the black opening. Within moments they were blinded by the glare of the interior lights.
Guynor and Mito came crashing into the clearing.
"We couldn't contain it," said Guynor, gasping for breath. "It's headed this way."
"In!" urged Skai, virtually pushing Guynor through the opening. "We can't stay out any longer." He grabbed Mito and gave her a shove in the right direction.
He bent down to where Vanna and Kusac were leaning over Carrie.
"You get in. I'll carry her. You can't manage her with your shoulder," he said as Kusac tried to take his arm out of its sling. "Get in, damn you! We haven't time to argue," he insisted while Kusac still hesitated.
The roaring was getting nearer.
He hoisted Carrie into his arms as the other two tumbled in, then passed her to the waiting Garras. Several arms grabbed him and hauled him inside.
As the door hissed shut behind him, the swamp dragon hurled itself against the side, making the pod reverberate hollowly. Teeth grated on metal, and even from inside they could hear the angry roars.
"You'd better pray to your Gods that this pod is whole, otherwise it could be our coffin," said Skai, untangling himself from the Sholans.
He looked round for Carrie. She had been handed shoulder high to the back of the craft and was now lying on a pull-down bunk with Vanna bending over her.
"God, but that was too close," Skai said, wiping his sweating face on his sleeve. "What's wrong with Carrie?" he asked.
"That's what I want to find out," replied Kusac, trying to edge his way over to her. "I know she's utterly exhausted."
"I want a medical opinion," frowned Skai, also moving forward.
Vanna looked up. "Kusac gave you the medical opinion," she replied sharply. "You forget that what she experiences, he experiences. She needs to be left to sleep now. Go and do something useful with the others," she ordered, then watched to see he went.
"Kusac, you sit with her while I look at your shoulder again. Most of Carrie's exhaustion is due to your suffering," she continued reprovingly.
"Guynor, you and Skai locate the galley area and find us something to eat and drink," ordered Garras, squatting on the floor. "Mito, you check out the pod's life support, engineering, and communications. See what's still operational— and open an external air sphincter if the filters are still functioning. No point in depleting the internal air supply when we don't need it," he said, lowering his head to rest it tiredly on his forearms.
"Aye, sir," replied Mito, moving over to a glowing bank of lights on one of the walls.
Displeased, Skai followed Guynor. He was able to get a better view of the interior of the craft now— his first look at Sholan culture. It surprised him. Although cramped, it was roomier than he had thought from outside. There was a central pillar with what appeared to be various computer or control modules set into it. Surrounding the column was a narrow circular bench seat. Round the outside walls were several more of the pull-down bunks, plus more of the display panels, their dials and lights winking urgently now that Mito was punching in commands at a
terminal near the hatch.
Guynor abruptly reclaimed Skai's attention by shaking him. "We aren't sightseeing! Check these hatches over there. See if you can find anything that looks like food," he said brusquely, pointing to the section of hull behind him. "I'll check the central column."
"Sure," murmured Skai, squeezing past the Captain.
Meanwhile, Vanna was concerned about Kusac. His inner eyelids were nearly closed now that the danger was past and he was able to rest. She touched his arm gently.
"Just how much pain are you in? Truly, now. You'll do nobody any good in your present state," she admonished. "I need to know so I can assess Carrie's condition."
He sighed. "Quite a lot," he admitted, shifting his arm slightly in his lap to give it more support. "I have been doing my best to block it from Carrie, but some must have got through. I couldn't say anything..."
"I know," interrupted Vanna soothingly, "but we're safe now for at least a day or two. Let me see your shoulder." She moved round behind him and began loosening the blood-soaked bandage.
The wound had reopened. Though it was clean, there was some swelling.
"Have you come across the medical supplies yet?" she called out to Guynor.
"Yes," he said, passing them to her.
She opened the case, quickly going through the contents.
"Wonderful!" she said. "At last I've got a reasonable selection of drugs and instruments. We'll have you both right in no time," she said with satisfaction.
She wiped Kusac's arm with an antiseptic pad before placing a freshly loaded hypoderm against it. "This might sting a little," she warned as she depressed the trigger.
Kusac winced.
"Just one more, then I'll dress the wound," Vanna said, taking out another ampoule. "You should have a fever because of a minor infection in the wound. You haven't, but Carrie has."
After injecting his arm, she sprayed more of the antibiotic sealant over the wound and rebandaged it securely.
"I didn't get a chance to tell you, but Carrie pulls the pain from those she cares about without knowing she's doing it," mumbled Kusac.
"Tell me about it tomorrow. You should feel a lot better by then," she said.
Kusac rose to his feet, then staggered, nearly falling over.
"Careful now," warned Vanna, catching hold of him.
"What have you given me?" he groaned, trying to focus on the medic.
"A hefty dose of antibiotic and analgesic, plus a mild sedative. I want you to sleep properly tonight."
She gestured to Skai to pull down the bunk beside Carrie's and helped Kusac weave his way over to it. As he sat down heavily, she swung his legs up for him.
"Now sleep," she ordered, pulling the blanket over him.
Kusac grabbed her arm urgently as she was about to move away.
"Watch Carrie for me," he whispered.
Vanna frowned, glancing over at Skai. "Don't worry," she whispered. "I'll keep an eye on you both."
* * *
"Preliminary checks finished, Captain," Mito said, turning away from the console. "Do you wish a status report?"
Garras looked up. "Carry on."
"The interior of the pod and the life-support systems are stable, therefore the inner hull has not been breached. I've opened the sphincter valve and we are now on an external air supply. Air filters are sound, so no indigenous life can enter."
"What about the state of the transmitter?"
"The automatic transmitter linked to the scientific programs is not functioning. Without the benefit of an external examination, I presume that the outermost hull, containing the experimental packages, has suffered damage sufficient to shut down the experiments. As for the transmitter, I have no information at present. We cannot gauge the extent of any damage until morning, but we seem to be in no immediate danger of being overrun by anything from outside."
Garras rose stiffly to his feet, supporting himself against the hull. "Well, we knew that the pod had ceased transmitting, now we know why. I assume that the Valtegans have destroyed our satellite, which leaves us with only the manual emergency transmitter. Have you located that yet, Mito?"
"No, sir, but I have located an inventory and procedure check for anyone having to use the pod. It should be listed there," she said, returning to the screen.
"Have you found the galley area?" continued Garras, peering round the column to where Vanna was dressing Guynor's tail while he continued to check the panels.
"I've located the food heating unit," Guynor replied, "but no food."
"Is this what we're after?" asked Skai, holding up several packages. "I've also found what looks like the water purifier, and it's full."
"In that case, I suggest we all eat and sleep before doing anything more," said Garras, rubbing a hand across his scalp and scratching his ears. "It's been a long day. Is there an electronic alarm system, Mito, or do we have to post a watch?"
"The alarm is already set and functioning, Captain."
"Stand down from duty," said Garras tiredly, moving over to one of the bunks, but Vanna was there before him and had it pulled down and waiting.
"Will you be able to sleep tonight, or do you want a sedative?" she asked, concern showing in the angle of her ears and the flicking of her tail.
Garras shook his head. "I'm so tired that I don't know if I can stay awake to eat," he confided. "It will be tomorrow when I'll really need those pills and potions of yours, especially one for that most tenacious of all diseases, age." He groaned as he swung his legs up and lay down.
Vanna laughed. "I haven't got anything for that, I'm afraid, but I should be able to do something for the minor aches and pains."
"What about Kusac and the girl? How are they?"
"He's got a minor infection in his shoulder and all the signs that he should have a fever," said Vanna, "but it's Carrie who has it, not him." She hesitated. "I've treated them both for the fever symptoms, but this link of theirs worries me. It's so unlike anything we know. I've never heard of a crossover of physical problems to this degree. Their link seems so much more intense." She shrugged. "Perhaps I'm wrong, after all, between us we know next to nothing about Leska Links, and Kusac seems to be plucking what he knows from thin air. It's almost as if the Link is telling him."
Garras took hold of her hand. "You've really taken to these two, haven't you?"
"Yes," she said. "Before we crashed here there was a..." she searched for the appropriate word, "... vulnerability about Kusac. He didn't seem to have much experience of life. Now, well, you can see for yourself. It's as if he's a new, stronger person now he has the responsibility of Carrie."
"As a Telepath he should have been incapable of fighting Guynor," said Garras, "but since he returned, there is little that is typical about him. The things he's doing now with Carrie make me sure that he's a much higher Grade than his official military listing says. I wouldn't be surprised to discover he's well placed in one of the Telepath Clans. That young man is used to giving orders as well as obeying them."
"What about Carrie? What do you make of our young Terran?"
"She's good for him. I like her. As a species, I think we're not too dissimilar in outlook. As a Telepath, in my humble opinion as a non-Guild member, I would say she's as powerful if not more so than Kusac, and I agree with you about his rating. He's certainly not a Fifth Grade, judging by what he's been doing lately."
Garras' eyes were closing with tiredness. "You should have spoken to Kusac sooner, Vanna. You are always underestimating your own worth." He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before releasing them.
"I have a feeling all hell will break loose over these two once the Khalossa arrives. They'll need all the friends they can get. How would you like me to insist you are seconded from me to the Ship's Medical section as the only Medic with a working knowledge of Terran physiology? I know you want to work in xenobiology. This could be your only chance."
Vanna was stunned, unable to think of anything to say. What Garras was s
uggesting was not only a chance for the career she'd always wanted but an advancement in rank as well.
"I take it that means yes," said Garras, yawning. "Now go and get some food and rest, that's an order."
Chapter 8
It was dark in the pod when Carrie woke. She felt for Kusac, sensing him nearby, but he was still deeply asleep. There was a brief moment of panic until she remembered that she had passed out as the pod hatch opened.
Her head still throbbed as she tried to move it to look around her. She ached all over. She began to shiver, finding it difficult to breath. Pain flared agonizingly in her shoulder, making her whimper.
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