"Many of the traits of her Telepathy Talent are similar to ours, but she has them to a greater degree. As to her other Talents, there appears to be a degree of crossover to me. I am finding I can do things that have nothing to do with Telepathy."
"What's she like as a person?" asked Vanna abruptly, putting her head to one side.
Kusac looked slightly startled at the question. "Partly what you see, Vanna. Young, scared, and ready to fight because of it. The gentler side only I know. I love her— and she's returning," he added, moving forward to meet Carrie.
* * *
The next few hours were long ones indeed. There were now two distinct camps of people. Those outside who knew something about electronics, and those inside who knew nothing. For the latter, there was little to keep them occupied. Skai moved between the two groups, trying to offer advice and keep abreast of any progress that Mito, Guynor, and Garras were making.
Vanna tried to keep herself busy by checking and redressing Guynor's and Kusac's wounds. The brief scrutiny which was all that Guynor would allow was enough for her to tell that he was well on the mend. Kusac was another matter.
"Pity those Talents of yours don't include Healing," she grumbled, swabbing the wound with an antiseptic pad.
"What, and put you Medics out of business?" teased Kusac.
"There'll always be plenty of work for us, never fear," she said, taking a fresh dressing and bandage from Carrie.
"Don't you have Healers?"
"Very seldom. It's an erratic Talent," replied Kusac.
"There were all sorts of Healers amongst our people on Earth, our home world, but they weren't always successful."
"Then why don't you try?" suggested Kusac. "The limits to your Talent may only be those set by you."
"Are you still in as much pain?" inquired Vanna, rummaging in her medical kit as Carrie ran her hands lightly over the site of Kusac's wound.
Kusac and Vanna's voices began to recede as Carrie found her world narrowed to encompass only the wound. She perceived it as an angry dull red glow surrounded by a faint ambient green. She could sense the shattered nerve endings and their electrical messages of pain.
Placing her hand on his shoulder, she looked for the damaged nerves and slowly dimmed their power, noticing as she did that the redness began to recede. Slowly, very slowly, the green glow took its place. She let her intuition guide her and as the last flicker of red died, she turned her attention to the damaged tissue.
What she wanted here was to increase the speed of regrowing tissue. Again she let intuition take over and allowed the energy to flow from her into the wound. She knew when the time was right to remove her hand.
Abruptly, she returned to the world of the pod.
She was aware of Kusac's strong grip catching her as she stumbled.
"What did you do?" he asked, concern and confusion flowing from him on every level. He guided her down onto the bunk beside him.
"I don't know," she replied, rubbing her hands together. "I just did what seemed right. My hands feel hot and itchy," she complained, holding them out to Kusac.
He massaged them gently for a moment. "I'm not surprised," he said. "The amount of energy that's coming from them is unbelievable. I've never come across this before, but I know you'll have to control it or you'll drain yourself completely."
"How?" she wailed, rubbing her palms against her trousers in obvious discomfort.
"I think if you shielded yourself that would work. I'll show you how later. For now, just hold my hands."
She did as he asked and gradually the discomfort passed.
"I don't know how you did it, cub," he said, pulling her closer, "but the pain in my shoulder has stopped."
"By Vartra, Carrie, you have some Talent there," swore Vanna. "I take it you won't need an analgesic," she said to Kusac, fumbling a little as she loaded her hypoderm, "but I'm going to give you some Fastheal. I don't like using it unless I have to, but I'm unhappy with the way the wound is not responding fully to my drugs. At least with that in you, I can be sure you're on the mend."
"Somehow, I don't think I'll need it," said Kusac, resting his chin on Carrie's head.
Vanna grunted and pressed the hypoderm against his shoulder. "I'm giving it to you anyway," she said.
Skai came over and Carrie was aware of a flash of disapproval as he caught sight of them together, but it vanished almost immediately in his desire to tell them his news.
He squatted down beside them as Vanna got to her feet and retreated to the food area.
"Garras has just finished coding the message for the Khalossa, and guess what Skinner's authorized him to do?"
"No idea," replied Kusac with a lazy purr.
"He's given your people the access codes to wake the crew on Erasmus. Apparently, once they've dealt with the Valtegans on Keiss, they're going to send out some FTL tugs to bring the Erasmus here."
"Makes sense," said Carrie.
"Ah, but that's not all," he said triumphantly. "You know that the second wave contains mostly trained mechanics and technicians and such like? Well, Garras is going to try and persuade his people that it would make sense to give us the technology necessary to defend our area of space from further attacks by the Valtegans. They can show us how to build anything from scout ships to star ships! Now we've got a real stake in space."
"Weren't you satisfied with the colony?" asked Carrie.
Skai gave her a disgusted look. "I was never cut out to be a sod turner. I don't know what I'd have done if the Valtegans hadn't turned up," he said frankly.
"It's certainly more romantic being a fighter pilot than a farmer," Carrie observed.
Skai frowned. "Aren't you surprised at my news?" he demanded.
She shook her head. "No. We discussed this possibility several days ago, when I first met the rest of the crew."
"Bloody women!" he muttered, stamping back to the hatch. "Think they know it all. If that's your attitude, then I won't bother to keep you informed."
"No chance of that," murmured Kusac. "That one enjoys bringing news if he feels it gives him an advantage."
"Mm," said Carrie, beginning to doze off in the warmth of Kusac's arms.
Two trail bars landed unceremoniously in her lap, bringing her back to wakefulness with a jolt.
"I'd just fallen asleep!" she complained, sitting up and brushing her hair back from her face.
"Just?" said Vanna, pointing through the hatch at the sky. "See where the sun is? Feel the chill in the air?" she asked, watching Carrie shiver. "That was over an hour ago. Mito and Guynor are bringing their equipment inside now. It's too near nightfall for them to continue working outside."
Kusac let her go, stood up, and stretched, each muscle group rippling sinuously in turn from his head to his tail. Carrie picked up his surprise as he began to touch his shoulder, at first gently, then more firmly.
"It's itchy," he exclaimed, "and I've got most of the movement back again." He grabbed both Vanna and Carrie and hugged them tight, swinging them off the ground before he put them down.
"You two make wonderful Healers. I can't believe how much better I feel."
"Let me see!" demanded Vanna, reaching for his bandage, but Kusac danced away.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow," he promised, heading round the other side of the central column.
"What's up with him?" Carrie asked, bemused. "He looks like the cat that's got at the cream."
"Uh?" said Vanna, trying to puzzle out the analogy.
Carrie picked up the two fruit bars and rose to her feet.
"Here," she said, "you may as well have one. It doesn't look as if Kusac needs any extra energy."
Munching their bars, the two women followed him. He was busily punching buttons on the keyboard of the pod's computer.
"Don't disturb me for the moment," he said. "This is important."
Hurt, Carrie reached for him mentally and found his mind closed to her for the first time. Confused, she let Vanna draw her away to th
e galley area.
"Once again when the technical staff have work to do, it falls to us to do the cooking. Not that the others don't take their turns," she continued, "they do. Now Garras, he's a good cook," she prattled on. "He's been around long enough to know the restorative qualities of a really well cooked meal rather than ship's rations served as they are packed."
"I've been preparing a stew for us tonight. I packed a few of the local roots and plants that we found growing near the cave, and they really taste quite palatable in a stew— if you like vegetables," she added, her jaw dropping in a grin.
A few minutes later, Kusac joined them. "I found the answer to that small problem we were discussing earlier, Vanna," he said, draping his arm around Carrie's shoulders and dipping a cautious finger in the stew. He wrinkled his nose in dislike.
"I hate to say it, but it doesn't taste very good."
"It isn't cooked yet, give us a chance. So what's your solution?"
"Can't tell you yet. You don't know how to set up an automatic transmission from here to the Khalossa when it gets within range, do you? I've got a personal message I want forwarded without delay."
"I think so," she replied. "Have you coded it ready for transmission?"
"Yes, I just need the transmit codes put in."
"It shouldn't be any different from sending a status report from the scout vehicle," she said. "I take it you haven't cleared it with the Captain?"
"No, but I'll tell him when we leave the Valtegan base."
"I'd better do it now then, before anyone else returns," she said. "Just a slight detail, but have you checked that our main transmitter is working?"
"Mito checked it out. As far as she can tell, it's still functional. There isn't any obvious sign of damage. Once the Khalossa is within range, it will pulse out all the recorded data it hasn't been able to transmit, my message included."
Vanna moved over to the main console by the hatch.
"Thanks," said Kusac.
Guynor, Mito, and the Captain came in festooned with various bits of electronics. Mito laid hers on the floor and pulled down one of the sleeping benches, sweeping the bedding onto the floor. They then proceeded to set up their workshop. Mito picked up several of her tools, and, going over to the tower, pulled open one of the cupboards and set them into their slots to recharge. She looked round to where Kusac, Vanna, and Carrie stood.
"I'm afraid we'll have to work into the night," she said. "Guynor managed to solve the groundcar problem, so Skinner and his men will be here sometime tomorrow."
"Wouldn't they be better off traveling at night?" asked Kusac.
"They'd have to use lights. As it is, they will have to travel above tree level because of the dense undergrowth. At least there is a form of radar on board so they will have some warning of any Valtegan air activity. Apart from that, we have to trust to the Gods."
"Is that food?" she asked, her nose twitching as she sniffed the air.
"Yes. It'll be ready in a few minutes," replied Vanna.
"Good, I'm starving!"
"What are you doing with the transmitter?" asked Carrie.
"Hey! Doesn't anyone around here speak English?" demanded Skai, sealing the door. "You can all understand me, but I can't make head nor tail of your damned purrs and growls."
"We were talking about food," said Vanna in English. "It will be ready shortly."
"Good. Anything to drink apart from water?"
Carrie threw him a mug.
"Careful," he said, just managing to catch it.
"There is c'shar in the packs over here, and water in the purifier," she said. "Help yourself. You can have the heater when we've finished cooking."
Skai ambled over to the purifier.
"Come over to the bench and I will tell you what we are doing," said Mito.
Carrie turned to Vanna.
"Off you go. There really isn't anything to do but wait for it to cook."
Carrie and Kusac followed Mito back to the bench where Guynor and Garras were working with various circuits.
"We're redesigning certain areas of the computer so it will be able to link up to the Valtegan equipment that Captain Skinner is bringing tomorrow. We don't know exactly what fittings we'll need until they arrive, but we can do the groundwork now."
"Then what?" asked Kusac.
"I design a program that will interrogate the Valtegan computer in such a way that it won't be noticed until too late. Once we have their access codes, we can patch into the transmitter itself, masquerading as their computer."
"Then you order it to transmit the signal?"
Mito gave a negative head movement. "No, we can't do that until the transmitter is pointing to the correct quadrant of the sky. To move the antenna we have to put it into a Search mode. Considering the amount of traffic they deal with, they will probably have frequent Search routines. We are just starting our own one."
"And hoping the Valtegans don't notice," murmured Carrie.
"You noticed the flaw, eh?" said Mito. "If we do it in the dead of night, the chances are there will be a bored operator on duty and he will assume it's routine. I've done enough night shift duties to know that he'll probably be too tired to question it."
"We stop the Search when the antenna is pointing toward the Khalossa, then our program will override the transmitter and send the message in a high speed burst. With luck, it won't even register on their monitors. That's the plan. However we have a problem."
"What's wrong?"
"The software. Given long enough, our computer could break into the Valtegan system, but there are so many options to contend with that by the time we succeeded, our presence would have been noticed. What I really need is some Valtegan software to work from."
"Food is ready," called Vanna as the appetizing smell filled the small room.
With obvious relief, the group around the makeshift workbench broke up and headed to the galley area.
"I guess that none of us will get much sleep tonight," sighed Carrie, helping herself to a ladle full of stew from the dish.
"It will give us time to talk," said Kusac. "We need time to be by ourselves."
"As well as time to plan and practice our part in this raid," said Carrie wryly.
Kusac growled. "I forbid you to mention work until tomorrow!"
"I don't think I heard that," sniffed Carrie, pulling down the nearest sleeping bench to sit on.
* * *
After they'd eaten, Kusac spread Carrie's blanket more comfortably on the floor by his bunk and turned off the personal light. Then he fetched her hairbrush and looked hopefully at her.
Carrie laughed. "You're incorrigible," she said, taking the brush from him and sliding off the bunk to sit behind him.
He unbuckled his belt, taking off the jacket and putting it to one side.
"I itch all over," he complained as she began to brush him.
"It's because you've been ill, I expect," said Carrie. "Your fur has gone dull and you're shedding."
"Mm," said Kusac, his back arching slightly to meet her brush strokes.
She watched the muscles move, fascinated. Through their Link, she could experience for herself the pleasure that Kusac felt.
As a species, we're more sensually oriented than you, he sent, turning round to face her. He leaned forward, tipping his head down so she could reach it.
Your fur's longer there.
It can grow as long as yours when it isn't cut. His mental tone was amused.
"Well, how was I to know?" she asked.
It is as I said, we need the time to get to know each other, he replied, moving his head to one side so she was brushing his ear, too.
Carrie concentrated on his ears for a moment, then stopped.
Do you want to do the rest yourself?
"It's much nicer when you do it," he purred, his voice like liquid velvet.
She gave him a long look. "I'll tell you what, you used a bloody good glamour back at Valleytown to make me believe you wer
e a forest cat!"
He put his head to one side, flicking his ear.
What is different now?
"You know," she changed to mind speech, damned well! You're not an animal, you're a person.
He reached for her hand and brought it and the brush against his good shoulder.
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