These Intruders skin coloring was also different. It ranged from as black as lava to brown as soil, and from pale granite-pink to chalk white. Not one of them was maroon. Even their hair was different shades of black, brown, red-orange, and yellow. Some wore their hair long, but some wore it ridiculously short. Not one wore the distinguished priestly braids.
All on Akiane were born with black hair and black eyes and their skin colorings were shades of maroon. The priests wore their hair in many thin braids. All others hair was straight to their shoulders. No one was humiliated by variance. Except for Nu Venia, there was uniformity.
Only the color of her skin said Nu Venia was one of them, but her yellow eyes and white hair said she was different.
One child stood among the Intruders. That one had straight black hair and black, oddly shaped eyes, not round like the others. Why would they bring only one child? It did not make sense.
Not one of the Intruders wore gloves. Adumie did not want to think of the trouble that caused.
“Welcome,” Cameron said, with a respectful bow. “I am Cameron, this is Jecidia.” He waved a hand toward Jecidia. “And this is Adumie.”
Adumie asked, “Who speaks?” He wished to quickly be done with this. Identify the priest. Let that one make World Space Coalition demands. Deny the demands. Then all will know their place.
“Well?” Adumie demanded.
One of the tallest, with hair the color of Kahair’s morning light, stood. Presumably, this one was in authority.
“Do you speak?” Adumie asked.
“I’m sorry, who do you want?” that one asked.
“Who are you?” Adumie asked.
“I’m Jorg Krause.”
“Do you speak?”
Jorg Krause looked confused. “I don’t understand.”
“I believe you are asking for me. I’m Larry Gino.” That one stood and walked with determination toward them, but he was only shoulder high to the Jorg Krause.
Adumie held up his hand. Larry Gino stopped. Somewhere in his heart, Adumie knew this one was not the one.
“Are you from World Space Coalition?” he asked.
“Well, we all are,” Larry Gino said.
“I think he means you, Jessica,” a rounded, curly reddish-haired one said.
“Me, Olivia? Why?” That one’s voice had the sound of rocks cracking.
“I think he’s asking for the person they specifically requested,” the curly-haired one said. “That would be you.”
“Olivia is right, Jessica,” Larry Gino said. “You do speak for WSC.”
The tall one reached a hand out to the one called Jessica. Jessica took Jorg Krause’s hand for all to see—without shame!
Adumie diverted his eyes. He would not look upon such blasphemy.
The Jessica took a few steps forward. “I am Lieutenant Jessica Hewitt.”
Lieutenant? What sort of name was that? What was the significance in using Lieutenant when the others used Jessica? A name revealed a person’s nature. What did Lieutenant reveal?
At one time Adumie spoke his name as A’Dumie, which meant vitality or fullness. When he was young, A’Dumie was alive with hope and possibilities. That was another person. Another life.
Adumie meant void, empty, just how he felt now.
The name Lieutenant sounded harsh. Lieutenant looked harsh, furrowed forehead, eyes narrowed, mouth set in hard edges. This one was a little taller than Larry Gino, but shorter than Jorg Krause. World Space Coalition had sent a person of no importance.
“You speak for God?” Adumie demanded.
“What? Speak for God? No.” Flustered, Lieutenant’s face turned red. That one’s eyes darted about, looking from Adumie to Cameron then turned to those behind.
Jecidia and Cameron exchanged glances. Jecidia had requested a priest. Why send a priest who does not speak for God?
“I am Lieutenant Jessica Hewitt,” that one repeated.
So many names for such a small person, of no significance, a priest who does not speak for God. This one was subordinate, a xia ji.
“I am here to negotiate,” the xia ji said.
Adumie did not like the sound of “negotiate.”
“What is negotiate?” Jecidia asked.
“I came to speak for World Space Coalition and decide on the terms of your colony,” Lieutenant xia ji said.
“Terms? Negotiate? You mean demands,” Adumie declared.
“Demands? No. I’m here to. . .”
Adumie did not let Lieutenant speak. “I know why you are here and why you have been sent. I will not be so insulted by a xia ji.” He abruptly turned and left.
Chapter 10
Lieutenant Jessica Hewitt
Cultural Differences
SECONDS, THAT’S all it took, I’d failed in mere seconds.
Adumie had looked at me the way my mother used to. Her eyes would narrow then harden and seemed to say, “You’re not worth loving.”
One afternoon, I’d stood before her, on my best behavior, after having done all my chores. I’d made her a card expressing my love. She handed it back, saying, “What am I supposed to do with this after you used my paints? Without my permission. Clean up your mess. And make sure you put things back where you found them.” She turned and walked away.
I was broken hearted.
Adumie eyes had said, “You’re not worth speaking to.” And my insides shriveled. I’d tried to look at him while I spoke, but I couldn’t stand his disapproving glare.
I never knew what I’d done to make Mom dislike me. Now, this alien man, who had never met me before, felt the same way. What was wrong with me?
“When Adumie calms down,” Cameron began, but Jecidia cut him off.
“We will show you to your living area now,” he said.
Cameron didn’t respond. He didn’t so much as give Jecidia a reproachful look for interrupting him. Instead he stood stone faced as if nothing had happened. Clearly, Cameron was not the one in charge or the one I needed to smooth things over with.
“What was that all about?” Olivia was insulted. One might have thought she was the one who had just been rejected. She spoke loud enough for our guides to hear. Perhaps she thought to insult them further. Neither responded.
“What did he call me?” I asked, more to myself than anyone else.
“Xia ji, that’s Chinese for subordinate,” Lu said.
“Why am I subordinate?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Lu said.
“You’re only a lieutenant,” Olivia said, still not lowering her voice. “Maybe he expected an admiral.”
“No, I think it has something to do with cultural differences,” Lu spoke in hushed tones.
“Who cares?” I voiced my irritation.
“You do,” Lu said. “For some reason he thinks you’re a subordinate and I don’t think he means military.”
“Technically, she is,” Olivia retorted. “A lieutenant isn’t that important.”
“Olivia. Sending a lieutenant to speak for the admiral is the same as actually sending an admiral,” Jorg said.
“Maybe to us, but clearly not to Adumie,” Olivia said.
“I think it’s more than your rank, Jessica. I think there’s something else bothering him,” Lu said.
My thoughts exactly. He seemed to hate me, even before I opened my mouth. I cringed. If he did hate me, how was I supposed to sit down and negotiate with him?
“Bothering him?” Jorg asked. “Such as?”
“I don’t know,” Lu said.
Our guides escorted us through the habitat to the far side of from where we’d entered. We walked at Jecidia’s pace, and stopped several times so he could catch his breath. What should have been a thirty-minute walk took us almost fifty minutes. Amazingly, no one complained. The slow pace gave us a chance to examine the habitat.
We stayed on a lava path that meandered though the gardens. The inside of the dome was one large garden, with trees, bushes, flowers, and rocks of
all kinds and various sizes.
The path kept us away from the only buildings in the dome, which seemed to be the two outdated space ships. The shape of the ships was different from modern sleek ships. The hulls were no longer shiny. The paint was a faded deep gray, instead of the now classic blue gray.
I could only assume the colonists had turned their ships into their cities, and everything outside were native gardens.
We passed a mound of rocks taller than our hosts. Water spouted from the top of the pile and flowed into a large bathtub-like container. As it filled, the water descended into another pool and then another until the water filled the last pool at ground level, which was the size of a professional swimming pool. The water was clear and inviting.
Spago and Gino softly discussed the rocks and water.
“Think the water comes from the underground lake?” Spago asked.
“Yes, in which case that water at the top of the rock structure is scalding hot,” Gino said.
“Agreed. And the different layers of pools are to cool the water to a usable temperature,” Spago said.
Olivia’s voice shattered the quiet of the moment. “Notice the columns? Why use columns? Why not …”
Someone overrode her with one word and sent a shiver up my spine. “Akiane quakes.”
The colonists must have had the technology to balance a building this size without the use of columns, even if there were quakes. But if the quakes on Akiane were frequent and intense as Spago suggested, they might need reinforcements to keep the building standing. I didn’t want to think about it. Though the next time we passed one I did take a closer look.
The center of the column was hollow and wide enough for a small person, like Lu, to comfortably stand inside. Three thick metal rods the size of my wrist curled up in an S pattern toward the glass ceiling. Another set of rods circled up in the opposite direction. The columns looked like colossal springs that helped hold the dome up.
Spago and Gino stepped off the path to get a closer look. Everyone stopped to wait on them.
Jecidia and Cameron turned to see why we stopped.
“These aren’t support columns, are they?” Spago asked.
“No,” Cameron said.“They bring heat to Endurance.” With no more explanation than that, they turned and continued to escort us through the habitat.
The farther we got from our original entrance, the less the gardens were manicured. By the time we’d reached our living area, it looked as though no one had tended these gardens for a long time. The tops of trees had been chopped off so they didn’t grow into the glass ceiling. The sides along the path had been similarly chopped off so one could easily walk the path. But that seemed to be all the care they‘d managed. Here the gardens looked like a wild forest.
Lower to the ground, vines were trying to creep over the path. Saplings were pushing up through the rock path.
Something was wrong. I couldn’t imagine that these people hated us so much they would neglect their precious gardens. No, there was another reason why this area was neglected.
When Jorg and I were on the landing field getting our first look at the habitat, we’d seen six tunnels leading into the habitat. For some reason the colonists had only enclosed the area between two of those tunnels. By my navigational skills, I guessed we were heading for that room. We’d been banished to the far edges of their complex so we wouldn’t be underfoot.
The entrance to the room was the width of three normal doors. Just above the opening, someone had just freshly painted over something. The paint was black like the dome wall, but the shine was clearly noticeable. I’d bet this room had a name that had been erased because of our present occupation.
“This is for you,” Cameron said.
The room wasn’t much to look at.
It was one large room the same length as the tunnels, but only half as wide. There was a wall down the length on the left side of the room, with two doors on either end. Our living quarters couldn’t be on the other side of that wall; there wasn’t enough space for all the rooms we’d need.
The floor was a dingy faded blue, worn with age. There were no windows, offices, or cubicles. The only light came from a glow radiating from the stone ceiling. The room was empty except for the piles of luggage and crates of equipment the Britannia crew had delivered for us.
There were another two doors in the right wall near this end of the room. I had no idea what they were for.
“I thought our things were supposed to be in our offices and labs,” someone said.
“I think this is our offices and labs,” another said.
“Better not be,” Rona said, angrily. “I can’t work in here like this. I need dust-free workspace.”
“So do I.”
“Me too.”
“Well, I’d better get one.”
One person speaking an opinion wasn’t enough. Every single one of them had to voice their opinion, even though it was the exact same thought as everyone else.
“Enough!” Gino bellowed before they had all spoken.
To my surprise, they abruptly quieted.
Lu, Rona, and a few others walked over to the crates and began to inspect the pile.
“I think we should deal with this first,” Zhoa said.
“What?” I turned to see what he was referring to.
Behind us, just to the right of the entrance were several large hooks. Hanging from one of those hooks was a piece of meat the size of a polar bear.
It had been skinned, beheaded, and gutted. Its four legs hung lose. At one time it must have been a magnificent animal.
“What is this?” Zhoa asked our guides.
Jecidia turned to face him. “Who are you?”
“I’m Zhoa. My brother, Vong, and I are cooks.”
Jecidia nodded. “Will you not be eating meat?”
Zhoa blinked. The question stumped him. “Yes, we eat meat. But why is it hanging on the wall?”
“As a courtesy,” Cameron said.
“I don’t understand,” Zhoa said.
Cameron said, “We are unaware if you have the skill to hunt.”
Vong chuckled. “These people are brilliant, but I don’t think they’re very good hunters.”
Our guides didn’t acknowledge his humor. “This meat is tupilak,” Cameron said.
“Tupilak?” I said.
He nodded.
“Where I come from, tupilak is an Inuit mythical creature that lives under the ice,” I said.“It is sent to kill one’s enemy.”
“Here tupilak live in the ocean under the ice. We hunt it. Eat it. Blubber is used for heating and lighting when one is outside at night. Its fur is used for warm clothing,” Cameron said.
“Will you always deliver the tupilak like this?” Zhoa asked.
Cameron said, “We will provide you with meat, yes.”
“What about fruit and vegetables?” Zhoa asked.
“Your ashag is there,” Jecidia pointed to one of the doors to the right of us. “The room here, you will prepare your meals.” He indicated the other door.
“Excuse me,” Vong said, “but what is ashag?”
“It is the fields where food is grown,” Jecidia said.
“I’m thinking hydroponics,” Zhoa said.
“Are the bees in there, too?” Vong asked. “Will we have honey hives?” His face brightened at the thought.
“Bees?” Cameron asked.
“Yellow and black insects that fly around with tiny wings. Bees to pollinate the flowers of vegetables, and fruit,” Vong explained.
“Ah,” said Cameron, with a nod of understanding.
“Yes, there are brushes,” Jecidia said.
“Brushes?” Vong croaked.
“Brushes,” Cameron agreed with a slight nod of his head.
At Vong’s look of dismay, Cameron asked, “Is something not to your liking?”
“You don’t have bees?” Though Vong spoke politely, his voice sounded a bit strained.
I di
dn’t understand why the lack of bees would stress him.
Zhoa caught his brother’s arm before he could say more. “Brushes are fine,” he said.
“But. . .” Vong started to object. Zhoa shook his head.
Softly, Vong continued to express his feelings, “If there are no bees, someone will have to pollinate each individual flower.” Clearly he was not looking forward to the tedious task.
“We will make do,” Zhoa just as quietly said.
“I think everyone should help,” I said.
All heads turned towards me and groaned.
“We don’t have time to pollinate flowers,” Olivia said irritably. “We have projects.”
Several people took a step away from her, not because they disagreed with her, but because she was so loud. Her voice bounced off the walls.
“You do if you want to eat,” Gino said. “We will all help Vong brush flowers.”
Olivia glared. “I didn’t come all this way to brush flowers. It’s not my fault they won’t share their bees with us.”
“It’s not that they won’t share,” Zhoa told her. “I don’t think they have bees.”
“That’s still not my fault. I have a job to do. I’m not going to squander my time futzing with flowers.”
“How about if we discuss this later, after our hosts have gone.” I didn’t want our hosts to know that Olivia had come to study marine life. If they objected, Olivia would be the one to start the first intergalactic war, not me.
She rounded on me. “Don’t cut me off like that. I will not be quiet just because you tell me to. Who do you think you are to order me around like that? I have an opinion and I have a right to express it. You don’t have any authority over me. I’ll. . .”
I stepped up to Olivia, got in her face and said, with full authority, “Enough!”
She stiffened, shrank back, and blinked several times no doubt finding it hard to believe I’d just yelled at her, but she kept her mouth shut.
“Please continue,” I said, politely to our hosts.
After a light nod, Jecidia said, “This area is yours. The rest of Endurance is ours.”
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