by Smith, S. E.
Eyeing her badge, she leaned over the one on the table. It sported a photo of the doctor and her name, Dr. Shana Watts. Lyra’s eyes widened. Was it possible that Shana was a member of the council? With a master badge-key? Did she leave it here on purpose? Was that why she gave that weird commentary about council members and their badges?
Lyra grabbed the badge and stuffed it in her tunic.
I’m not leaving A’ryk to this fate, she said to K’mi. He is coming with us, or we’re not going at all.
* * *
A’ryk paced back and forth, glaring at every human that looked his way. The spindly human standing guard ignited a zapping rod as A’ryk’s lip curled. “Dare me,” the man said.
Maybe A’ryk would be lucky enough to see a saber-bear eat this man. It would be dark soon, the distant sun already set. He and the moghas were safe in their reinforced cages.
Smiling at the thought of the beasts eating everyone, A’ryk went back to preparing himself for the separation from his ship.
Did you tell her? H’tch said.
A’ryk looked at the ground, then at his mogha. Taking a deep breath, I told her everything.
Good, H’tch said. And quit being so doom and gloom. Give the human female some credit.
So now you’re my conscience, A’ryk said. I’m glad you’re okay, but you’ve been doing that a lot lately.
He looked around the camp, trying to spot Lyra. As H’tch had already observed, she was up to something. Her experience with K’mi and bonds must have taught her a little about blocking, because he couldn’t tell what.
The roar of a saber bear caught his attention. Screams pierced the air as a giant charged the camp, followed by all its friends. A’ryk’s grin was sinister; there were the screams he was waiting for. The guard, pulling his blaster and igniting his zapping rod, disappeared into the fray.
“Hello, Monster,” a familiar voice sounded. A’ryk jumped around to see Lyra crouched behind his cage. Both moghas were on their feet, tails and antennae twirling in excitement.
“Oh, so we’re back to that one?” A’ryk grinned. “I thought it was Asshole.”
“Which do you prefer?”
He snorted as she produced a rectangular card and swiped it over a key-reader to the right of his cage. The energy beams fizzled out as the door clicked open. She did the same with the moghas’ cages and started helping them out of their muzzles.
“Huh,” he sounded aloud. “Now that I can leave, I won’t get to hear their screams all night.”
Lyra’s eyes widened. “You really are a monster.” There wasn’t any heat behind the remark.
“They are going to kill me,” A’ryk said. “I harbor no sympathy for murderers.”
“Well, we’re getting out of here,” Lyra scratched behind K’mi’s ears. “Nobody has to die.”
Unless they’re eaten by a bear, K’mi supplied helpfully.
People ran every which way, carrying flashlights and blasters, taking up defensive positions. A’ryk figured the commandos before and the humans with blasters now were some sort of colony police force. None of them noticed what was happening at A’ryk’s cage. That probably wouldn’t last.
“The prisoner is escaping!” someone yelled. Nope, wouldn’t last at all.
A’ryk grabbed Lyra’s hand and took off, following the moghas as they bound for the frozen trees. It wasn’t long before blaster bolts zipped past them, which ceased when two more bears entered camp, the humans redirecting attention.
Movement ahead to the left, someone running swiftly on a path that would cross theirs any second. A’ryk stopped, dragging Lyra protectively behind his back. The moghas growled as the skinny guard came into view, halting in their path, blaster raised.
Out of his periphery, A’ryk saw more movement. “Get back,” he yelled to the moghas.
The guard had two seconds to bring his blaster around before a saber-beast suddenly popped out of the trees, tackling him to the ground with a ferocious roar.
“Holy shit!” Lyra screamed.
“That was fortuitous,” A’ryk said as he coaxed her and the moghas to keep running.
Then crippling pain between his shoulder blades. Turning in time to see the Marshall’s raised weapon, A’ryk collapsed, sorrow over what could have been drowning his soul.
* * *
Lyra heard the blaster discharge a split second before A’ryk hit the ground. There was searing fire in her back just as H’tch yelped in pain.
You are not hit, K’mi said. The pain is from A’ryk.
Acting fast, Lyra grabbed the blaster from A’ryk’s limp fingers and turned it on whoever shot him. It was the Marshall, hollering and eyes widening as H’tch rammed him, fingers extending around the man’s throat.
H’tch has a score to settle, K’mi grinned maliciously.
Lyra dropped the blaster, kneeling, “A’ryk, wake up. Oh, please no.”
His clothing was burned away, scorched puffy skin exposed with twisted circuitry sparking. Her heart felt like it had been ripped through her back.
As some new threat moved along their path, Lyra picked up the blaster, breath in ragged spurts. It was over; it was all over.
I got this one, K’mi said, charging a bear as it bore down on them. She didn’t attack, taking a swipe as she ran past in the opposite direction. The beast gave chase. Don’t worry, I’m faster than these guys. Get A’ryk to the ship. I’ll meet you there.
There was no time to argue as A’ryk groaned to consciousness. Tears poured down Lyra’s cheeks.
“Go,” A’ryk said between gritted teeth. “Use the code.”
“No!” Lyra’s body became electric with resolve. Slipping her arm under his shoulder, she stood with renewed strength, pulling him to unsteady feet. “I can’t do that. I won’t.”
* * *
H’tch stood on hind legs, extended fingers punching buttons on the side of the cylindrical healing chamber in A’ryk’s ship.
K’mi paced, From what I understand, his organs were grown right here in this chamber. It heals those parts when his natural nanites can’t. This is the worst wound I’ve seen him with. The mogha whimpered.
Lyra wanted to whimper, but she stayed strong, helping A’ryk into the chamber.
H’tch turned to Lyra and barked.
K’mi stopped pacing, He says you need to enter the code.
Her blood froze. “I’m not putting in that code.”
“Different. Code,” A’ryk wheezed, H’tch barking again.
It’s another code, K’mi said.
“I don’t know another code. Why don’t you put in the code?”
A’ryk was fading fast, small whispers escaping his lips. Lyra leaned over him. “7-9-5-2-0-1-7.”
We can’t enter it, K’mi said. Our fingers aren’t precise enough. One wrong digit and he might grow another ear.
H’tch moved out of the way as Lyra punched in the 7-digit code, wondering why this particular code was more complicated than the ‘kill’ code. Not that much more complicated. “When this is over, we’re changing these codes.”
“Sometimes simple is best,” A’ryk said as he lost consciousness, the healing process beginning.
Suddenly, the ship lurched and Lyra steadied herself against the wall. What the?
H’tch says it’s time to leave, K’mi said.
She looked around, realizing H’tch was no longer there. The mogha was flying the ship?
When she first woke up on this world, she never would have guessed how things were going to turn out. An idea popping into her mind, Lyra called to the front of the ship, "H'tch, take a detour to my ship," K'mi barking in translation.
11
Subroutine 582 Initializing. Consciousness reclaimed in Three…Two...One…
A’ryk felt warm fingers wrapped around his. Eyes fluttering open, he saw the fuzzy outline of a face above him. Blinking, he focused until he could see Lyra’s beautiful brown eyes.
“You didn’t tell me H’tch could f
ly the ship,” she said without preamble.
“Anyone bonded to me can fly the ship,” he shrugged with a grin.
“I want to feel you like I could when I flew it.” A thrill zipped through him.
Pulling a hand free of her warm grasp, A’ryk cupped her face, “You will, if that’s what you really want. A mate bond is different than the mogha companion bond.”
“It is what I want,” she said and he released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “How do we make the bond permanent?”
He swallowed, breathing in the air she exhaled, “Intimacy.” His body reacted to a zip of tingling energy that erupted through her, but little blinking lights distracted him. A dozen tiny satellites lay against the bulkhead. “What are those?”
“Survey beacons.” Lyra leaned close. “What do you say we find that tropical world you were looking for, mark it as uninhabitable,” lips brushing over his, “and mark every world around it as uninhabitable.”
A’ryk licked his lips, heart skipping. He wanted to taste more. “I’d say the fishing is probably pretty good on that world.”
Lyra’s lips were on his again, soft laughter making his heart soar.
* * *
K’mi watched H’tch as he flew the ship, her sire very comfortable in his sphere of holograms, feelers on the ends of his antennae glowing bright blue.
“Mute your bond with Lyra,” he said after a moment.
“Already done,” she smiled. She’d give her alpha total privacy for at least two days.
“And K’mi?”
“Yes, sire?”
“Thank you for convincing me to go on that meteor chase.”
Author’s Note and Dedication
I wrote this story during late winter, early spring 2018, when my husband and I lived in Upstate New York. Being from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, it was my first experience living in such deep winter conditions. And I loved every second of it, doing everything from snowshoeing to snowmobiling (thank you, Andy Lim) to ice fishing.
Some of these experiences influenced how I wrote this story. One of the craziest sounds I’ve ever heard is ice as it strengthens over a frozen lake. I encourage all readers to type “the sound of ice” or “frozen lake ice sounds” in a search engine and find a video for an idea of that sound. It is exactly as you will hear it and to be out there in person is something to behold.
I want to thank the organizers of Pets In Space. Being part of this anthology is a dream come true. I also extend thanks to Beth and Randy Mann, who listened to early ideas for this story and were a second and third pair of eyes for an early version of the manuscript. Thanks also to Matt Barber, who allowed me to join his ice fishing group. Thank you to my Dad, my biggest supporter, who didn’t bat an eye when he found out I was writing romance, who also instilled my love of fishing. And thank you to my husband, Mike, without whom none of this would be possible, as he is my biggest inspiration.
Thank you, readers, for being here. I aspire to write entertaining stories for years to come.
Also by Kyndra Hatch
Aliens in the Barn - Short story collection
About Kyndra Hatch
Kyndra Hatch grew up with a fascination for science fiction and a deep interest in ancient civilizations, a combination which fuels her active imagination. After twelve exciting years as an archaeologist, Kyndra has decided to take a break from her career to have more time with her husband of sixteen years. She pursues a passion for writing and has discovered her works have a decidedly science fiction romantic flair. She is an active member of the SFR Brigade and her debut story, "The Stranger," won the 2014 SFR Galaxy Award for Outstanding Debut Story.
Kyndra also writes science fiction, horror, and dark humor short stories as L.K. Hatchett. You can learn more about Kyndra here.
Copyright © 2018 by Cats, Dogs and Other Worldly Creatures
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
HEART OF THE CAT, Copyright © 2018 by S.E. Smith. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the author.
DESERT HUNTER, Copyright © 2018 by Anna Hackett. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
QUASHI, Copyright © 2018 by Ruby Lionsdrake. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER, Copyright © 2018 Jean D. Walker. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
OPERATION ARK, Copyright © 2018 Pauline Baird Jones. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
CATS OF WAR, Copyright © 2018 Carol Van Natta. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
HUNTER OF THE TIDE, Copyright © 2018 by Tiffany Freund and Robert Freund Jr. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
STARWAY, Copyright © 2018 by Alexis Glynn Latner. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
THE BAJO CATS OF ANTEROS XII, Copyright © 2018 by Elizabeth Walker. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
OUT OF THE SHADOWS, Copyright © 2018 by JC Hay. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
AFTER THE FALL, Copyright © 2018 by J.J. McLeod Dooley, writing as Kyndra Hatch. All rights reserved. Used with permission of author.
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Thank you!
The authors of Pets in Space, both past and present, would like to thank our cover artist, Fiona Jayde, and our pets sketch artist, Nyssa Juneau, for their artistic contributions to these anthologies.