“How do you get the fruit?” Maggi wanted to know.
“Unlike a lot of things here, people are still smarter than plants. We use a mechanical picker that you need to wash off the handle after using. The thorns are coated with a paralyzing neurotoxin. Fortunately it hasn’t evolved to throw the thorns or I wouldn’t go pick the fruit.”
“What do you call it?” Mirikami asked. “It seems worth the effort for the flavor.”
“I’ve heard it called ‘Sweet Agony,’ but I preferred ‘Death Lime’ after I tasted it. The fruit is fist sized and green, and its pulp tastes just as good.”
In a change of subject, Dillon had also seen what Maggi had tried to get them to notice about his tattoo. He came right out and asked. “Colonel, your tattoo is the only one I’ve seen here that has anything inside it, at least on a human. What does that mean?”
“It’s partly what has kept me alive, and at the same time nearly got me killed earning them. The red one represents my immunity, although that’s actually just its effect rather than what it stands for.”
“And what do they stand for, Colonel?” Maggi asked.
“The blue mark I received from the Krall when my hunting party completed a rhinolo hunt with a kill, and we were able to bring back the meat. Three other people with me on that hunt earned the same mark.” He pointed towards the door they had entered. Over the top was mounted a set of three teal horns on a plaque of wood like that of the table.
There was a three foot curved central horn that went from a thick oval base to a thin tapering point, and two shorter horns to the left and right of the big one. These were perhaps a foot and a half long each, and tapered to points that looked a bit blunted or worn. The small horns were set almost at right angles to the large one, and slanted a bit towards the floor. If the normal position of that array on a live animal were with the large horn more or less vertical, then the eighteen inchers would stick out to the sides, and forward.
“Deadly looking,” stated Mirikami. “I imagine they are truly impressive on a herd of live animals. I understand they are very fast and hard to bring down.”
“That they are. This one brought down a fifth person with us on the hunt. Because of its preoccupation with her, the other four of us had side shots that managed to take out a front leg. We killed it with belly shots under its armored hide, after it fell over.”
“You said ‘preoccupation with her’ Colonel,” said Maggi. “I take it that is a euphemism for it killing her, isn’t it? You said only four of you earned the mark for the hunt.”
“Euphemism…,” he repeated slowly. “Yes, you are quite correct. It’s still difficult to say it right out, to describe how it attacked her and what it did to Valerie.” The pain was evident in his eyes and his voice.
“I’m sorry, Colonel. I didn’t mean to be insensitive. Was she a friend?”
“She was one of the four surviving members of my security detachment; we went together on that hunt. She was my responsibility, but also a friend and companion in this alien environment.”
“I heard you say you were now the last survivor of the humans captured from your ship,” noted Dillon. “If the other three people with you were part of that detachment, what happened to them, if you don’t object to my asking?”
“I don’t object. This is part of the reason I invited you up to talk. To warn you of how things work here.” He took a swallow of his drink.
“All of them are dead now. Two died in the action that earned me the red mark that provides my immunity from future combat. They worked together with me to set up an ambush to lure and kill a warrior out on the testing grounds. I’m the only one of the three of us that survived the day.” He said this all without any sound of pride of accomplishment.
“There were six others in that combat test group with us, who all chose to hide rather than participate in the ambush. Without their guns to help us, that wounded warrior, even missing an arm still managed to kill my two companions before I could finish him off with a head shot. My survival always seems to be connected to my friends providing a ‘preoccupation’ for me.” He sounded bitter as well as sad.
“And so you don’t feel the need to ask,” He added, “My final detachment member was killed in another combat trial, trying to organize an ambush as my team had done. Except his support team turned and ran, so they all died on that Testing Day.
“By the way, Testing Day is what we call any day a human team is sent out to face a Krall hunter-killer team,” he explained.
“Is what we were told accurate, that surviving a day’s combat when a warrior is killed earns immunity for everyone on that team?” Mirikami wanted to know this.
“Oh, the Krall, bloody bastard killers that they are, honor their few promises to us. The other four surviving cowards on my team’s Testing Day were granted immunity as well. A fifth person, a woman, died from a skeeter attack while hiding, another woman was stung and eaten by kants. She was hiding in the back of a cave she crawled into, unaware of the nest.
“Kant’s are small underground colony builders, the equivalent to ants or termites on Earth I’ve been told. I’ve never been to Earth, but these are as long as your first finger joint.” He put a thumb at the crease of his index finger’s top joint.
“They have six legs and are tan instead of the blue or green of so many of the things here. It takes four or five stings to put you down, unlike a skeeter sting, but they have mandibles that can cut right through skin and cloth, and each can sting multiple times. They will swarm over you through the joints in your armor. Often when we get a kant attack victim back to reuse the armor, the bones are picked clean in a day, and even the bones themselves are eventually eaten. Everything but our teeth.”
“The survivors with you that day got immunity even though they didn’t fight?” Dillon asked.
“Yes, and the immunity granted is supposed to be immediate. The test ends as soon as a warrior is killed by any of us, so those four ass wipes that ran and hid never had to face another Testing Day. Not that two of them enjoyed immunity for long,” he ended ominously.
“Did the Krall find some way around their promise?” Mirikami asked.
“Oh no, they leave every survivor from a team alone after you kill a warrior in combat. It’s exactly what they want from us, you know. The immunity offer is an incentive to fight harder, to kill one of them on a Testing Day. Damnedest idea you ever heard, but I swear it’s true.” He sounded defensive, not expecting newcomers to believe him.
“Colonel,” Mirikami reassured him, “we had a week to pump information from the three translators on our ship while in transit here. We learned the same thing you have about them wanting us to be more successful when we fight them. In fact, they hope to use war with entire human race as a method of improving generations of new warriors.”
“Huh? What do you mean the entire human race? They only test people here I was told.” He was clearly shocked.
“They test us here, yes,” the Captain agreed, “but did you wonder what they were testing us for? They intend to invade our worlds slowly, to select the best warriors on a much grander scale. They allow only the most successful fighters to breed for the next generation. They call this the Great Path, and have done this for twenty five thousand years with other races. Before we even came out of our caves on Earth.
“Humanity is the eighteenth race they’ve found, in a series of conquests of other civilizations that they have wiped out. They intend to rule the entire Galaxy as a super race.”
Greeves shook his head in amazement. “Holy shit! I had thought it was just for their sick amusement, or something. I’ve never had more than a few words with any of their translators,” he admitted.
He explained why. “Doushan learned the hard way that people here don’t like you receiving what they see as preferential treatment from the enemy, not without risking your life to earn it. Like earning the immunity you get from a combat kill. Doushan and a few others got immunity just by teachi
ng them Standard and human history, making them very unpopular.”
“I wasn’t fond of Mavray as a person, and disliked his willingness to describe our worlds and people. Nevertheless, I respected his actions to try to save as many people as he could, to find a way to reduce the slaughters during capture. It was the diplomat’s training in him, to find a way that didn’t involve violence and killing.
“When I heard you say he had succeeded in your case, I felt pissed again at what some of those cowards down there did to him.”
“What was that?” Maggi wanted to know.
“Someone ‘accidentally’ locked him outside the north dome entrance after dark, all eight doors that face the Jungle side of the compound. He never made it to another garage entrance. His drained body was found where the skeeters left him. Cowardly bastards!” he repeated.
“I found out who had the balls to do something that might piss off the Krall. Two of them had immunity it turned out, but some participants without immunity were challenged by a Krall for some reason. They don’t normally care a damn what we do to each other, but Doushan was valuable to them.
“They were honor bound to respect their own Krall granted immunity, but it was no protection from me. We all have the right to challenge any Krall or any human. Two of the pricks that left me and my men to die, that allowed us to win their grants of immunity were two of those that shoved Doushan out the door.”
“You said they didn’t enjoy immunity for long. You killed them?” Mirikami asked.
“Not the way they killed Doushan, sneaky and in the dead of night. I faced them and called them out in front of everyone. We met in the old testing arena upstairs, which the Krall use now for exercise. They used to fight humans there, but that proved a waste of their time. I gave those men the opportunity to kill me if they could, their choice of weapons. Both knew I was a dead shot, so they picked machetes and knives. Another mistake they won’t repeat.”
“The Krall had no objection, I take it?” Dillon asked.
“Hell, they wanted to award me marks for the kills. I was repelled by the offer and they were bemused at my refusal. But it has made me basically immune in two ways, from the Krall and from my fellow captives.”
“Couldn’t someone just jump you and shove you out a door too?” questioned Maggi.
“You have no doubt noticed Good Lady that I walk around very well armed. I have had little to do with most people here for the last year, since the duels. I earned this ‘luxurious’ secure compartment because I have the highest status among the humans. If some vengeful backstabber caught me asleep I suspect Colonel ‘Grease’ might get greased.”
He shrugged. “This dome has a large amount of living space, so the main thing this room offered was a locking door and proximity to our food lockers.
“But frankly, I’m looking for someone to talk to, and you might be the folks I can do that with. I’m not going to be offended if you prefer to keep your distance. There are a lot of you, but three times as many of them if they worry you. However, I can offer you some tips on survival here, and you may want to hear those.”
Looking at his companions, Mirikami saw the subtle hints from their body language and expressions that he had learned to read when they were under Krall scrutiny. He felt certain of their opinion, and made a decision.
“Colonel, I’d prefer you call me Tet, short for Tetsuo, rather than Captain Mirikami. The latter is far too formal for what I hope will become a working relationship, and hopefully a friendship over time.” He offered his hand one more time.
“Tet, I believe I will like having someone to talk to again. Please call me Thad.” He accepted his handshake again.
“Thad, time is short right now, but let me give you a quick outline of what we know of Krall intentions, before I have to get back to my ship, assuming I get to keep it in one piece at all.”
“OK, shoot.”
“We learned directly from the Krall that they have been undecided whether to simply kill off humanity, make slaves of a few of us and kill the rest, or if testing here proves we can actually fight them, they’ll employ a slow attack strategy to weed out their weakest warriors. We don’t like any of these options, but proving we can fight gives our worlds time to try and find some better option.”
“I’d chose the fight option, which I suspect you figured out just now,” he grinned.
“We have some plans concerning how those of us from our ship will organize and fight the Krall here. They require some things to fall in place, the most important of which ought to happen before this day is done, keeping our ship intact as a base of operations. We are not at liberty to discuss what we have planned yet, or how we will do this, because it carries a risk beyond just those involved.”
Mirikami looked to his friends, “Maggi and Dillon can outline some of our ideas to try to outsmart the Krall warriors, but I need to return to the ship. I have no doubt you can improve on those ideas. I’m a Spacer, and we have no professional military in our entire complement, so your advice should prove invaluable.”
“I’ll be glad to help you. Except I have to warn you that anyone showing leadership here shortens their life expectancy. I wasn’t blowing smoke about that. There are some people here who will be sympathetic and wish you well, but few will follow you.”
Mirikami was about to say something, but Jake’s voice sounded in his ear. From their listening attitudes, he was speaking to Maggi and Dillon as well.
“A Krall shuttle from the south west has been detected. It is on a course to arrive at this location in thirteen minutes forty seconds, unless it changes course or speed. It …” he cut off as Mirikami spoke.
“Maggi, you may want to brief Thad more on some of our ideas and ‘toys’, but I need to get to the ship right now and I may need your help Dillon. I’m wearing out.”
They excused themselves, and their host opened the door for them to leave.
After they were gone, Thad said, “So my Good Lady, what can we talk about? Besides those neat implants, which the three of you have. You all got an important call from somebody.” He grinned.
“You will bear some watching Gentle Sir,” she grinned back. “The Krall didn’t catch on after a whole week of watching us. Only please call me Maggi, Thad. I suspect we will be learning a lot from each other and working together, so we may as well be friends.”
With an impish grin, she asked, “I assume you know some unarmed combat techniques?”
“Sure, but it has limited use around here. You can’t kick a Krall’s butt with what I know.”
“Oh, I’m just concerned about Dillon,” she said sweetly. “He’s a brilliant scientist, and keeps fit, but he doesn’t know anything about self-defense. I’d consider it a great favor if you would offer to teach him a few things. Like throws, and such. He just might find himself up against one of your vindictive fellow captives, and the dear boy is like a son to me.”
“Certainly, as soon as you get settled in we can start. All of you will need exercise to build the muscles Koban requires. The Krall allow new arrivals some time for that but they are impatient.”
“Good. Now I don’t want you to be too easy on Dillon, a few bruises are a small price to pay for learning a skill. He likes to please me, so be sure to tell him I said to do this for me, won’t you?”
Her grandmotherly smile was at odds with the twinkle in her eyes. Yes indeed, she thought this would definitely be more fun than a verbal harpoon for the elevator incident.
27. Ship Shape
As Mirikami stepped out of the stomach-wrenching elevator, he asked for an update from Noreen. He and Dillon started a jog around the edge of the large hall to the door they had entered through, drawing some curious looks.
Noreen told them “The last of our evacuees are already under the dome overhang, and the escorts are heading back with the guns. The final drops should happen in the next five or six minutes, at least five minutes before that inbound shuttle gets here.”
Puffi
ng with effort, Mirikami said, “Dillon and I probably can’t make it back before the drops. We were able to sit briefly and cool our heels for a bit, but I for one can’t manage better than a trot. Dillon is being polite and staying back with me.”
Feeling winded, he glanced over at the big man, jogging so easily at his side. “He’s positively irritatingly fit.”
Also in the Link, Dillon had a rebuttal, “Don’t let him fool you Noreen he’s saving himself to drag away those last engine parts himself.”
“Hey, one of the haulers just started over with more food, drinks, and bedding. If he drops the pallet and lets someone there unload, he can drive you back.”
“Good,” was all Mirikami could manage.
When they reached the big maintenance room, Mirikami was so winded he could barely speak. One of the large doors was open, and the hauler was backing away from a pallet it had set on the floor.
There were seven people covering the dangerous open door with guns ready. The two men startled them as they brusquely shoved past. Mirikami muttered a winded excuse.
Chack waved them on, obviously expecting them.
As Mirikami went to stand on the step-up, Chack opened the cage door making room for him to sit on the floor of the cab and rest his feet on the step. Dillon, breathing heavier but not winded, stepped on the fork and held on to the rear brace.
Chack had his faceplate open, “Hold tight gentlemen, I’ll goose this baby and show you what it can really do.” He swung the machine around and it trundled away at a pitiful fifteen miles per hour.
“Hey Chack,” called Dillon, “try to avoid blowing my butt off, OK?”
“You could always walk, Commander Fireball,” he answered back.
Noreen was standing at the top of the ramp, having collected four of the guns from the volunteer escorts in the black bag. The eight men and women were headed back to the dome for their final trip, holding four of the guns for their own protection. The hauler was passing them at the midpoint.
“Noreen,” sounded Willfem in her ear, “are we all clear for the last drop?”
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