"SAM, you better get in here, NOW!"
The loud voice broke through his reverie like a hot knife through butter. The collar com jolted him back to reality and he ran to the med room. Delack was standing in the corner yelling at Grant.
"Delack, it's me, Sam. Do you remember us saving you?"
All Delack heard was a jumble of sounds and in his current state he was combative. The familiar voices were no longer there. Grant, Sam, and Delack were at a loss. Delack felt betrayed, and Grant and Sam thought Delack had lost his mind. Back to full health Delack was a formidable foe and the extra set of arms could deal some awesome damage.
Grant was trying to calm Delack and it was making him angry. "We need to get him to the galley and get food in him."
"We need to get the food up here, and into him." Without hesitation Sam bolted from the room and ran down the hall to the lift. The doors opened immediately. Sam was relieved he did not have to wait.
"Eliot, there better be a protein drink and some fruit handy when I get to the galley."
"The drink and fruit are ready for consumption."
Sam grabbed the foodstuffs and headed back to the lift. He arrived back at the med room just in time to see Delack take a powerful swing at Grant's head.
"Where the heck did you go? I'm about to get my head ripped off and you go get a snack?"
"This is for him!" Sam offered some fruit to Delack, and then backed away slowly when he approached the table. Delack's hunger was out pacing his anger. He took the fruit and eyed Sam. Sam set more fruit and the protein concoction on the table. Not taking any chances, he backed away again. He liked his head right where it was. Sam began speaking slowly and making gestures while Delack drank and ate at a rapid pace. He eyed Sam again, as if looking for more food. The fruit and the protein drink were now gone and Delack had calmed down considerably.
Sam tried again to speak with Delack. "Delack, we do not want to hurt you. We are trying to communicate with you, peacefully."
Grant was deep in thought, when he had an epiphany. The med device had healed Delack completely and removed the organisms from his ears, the ones translating speech. He hurried over to the equipment and instructed it to take some of the biologics from his ear and place them on the table near Delack. The machine began to whir. The arm moved to Grant's ear and extracted a small portion of the small, intelligent creatures. It then swung around and placed them on the table as instructed. Grant motioned to Delack to pick up some of the substance and put it in each ear.
Delack did as Grant motioned. Within seconds he understood what was being said and apologized profusely for trying to separate Grant from his head. He was also apologized to Sam for the looks he was giving him. It was then he realized Sam was holding his clothing. It was clean and rip free. Delack blushed, grabbed the clothing, and stuffed himself into them with haste. All four arms flailed trying to maneuver his large body into the new not so stretchy uniform. With a few grunts, snorts, and dear gods he finally managed to get himself dressed and presentable. "This must never be spoken of, do I make myself clear?"
Sam chuckled in agreement; Grant couldn't look at him for fear of bursting out in laughter.
"Do you agree?"
"Yes, we agree."
"Sure."
They all looked at one another and even Delack managed a weak smile.
"Down to business gentlemen." Grant acted business-like and Sam wondered what he was up to.
"Delack, we find ourselves in a precarious position. We need to ask for your thoughts on the matter."
"By all means proceed, you saved my life, I will honor my debt."
"You may not think so when we've finished our conversation. You are acutely aware we destroyed your mining operation and accidentally killed your brother, Graeck. We are deeply sorry. You are not aware, but as we speak, your brethren are massing for an attack on the planet below. If our calculations are correct they will arrive tomorrow afternoon. We do not know their intent, but we assume they are looking for a battle with whoever destroyed their operation. We guess your brother sent a signal just before he was killed. What are your thoughts on their arrival? Will they be violent, and what course of action should we take?"
Delack sat for a moment deep in thought, tilting his head from side to side. Grant was unsure if he was thinking or nodding off. He had just been brought out of stasis and had not had the opportunity to move about and get his blood flowing, except for his attempt to separate Grant from his head. Sam waited impatiently. It was a touchy situation and he was glad Grant had broached the subject, and he was the bystander.
"Sam, is there anything you would like to add to the conversation?"
Dammit Grant, he thought, I figured I was here to observe. "I do have something to say." This startled Sam as much as it did Grant. "We did not intend to kill your brother. We were fighting for our lives and opted for the only thing we could do to save ourselves from the missile wielding drones. They nearly killed Grant on two separate occasions. I—we, are asking for your forgiveness and request you consider us your friends regardless of what transpired in the past." Sam was honest and sincere.
Delack looked at Sam with dark, penetrating eyes. "An enemy would not have reconstructed my limb and body asking nothing in return. I am deeply indebted to you. However, are you asking me to turn my back on my people in order to save you and the people of the planet below?"
"No, we are not asking you to turn your back on your people. We are asking you to provide us information we can use to avoid a deadly confrontation. We do not wish to fight. We want to build a peaceful relationship between our worlds." Grant laid all his cards on the table. It was now up to Delack to make the next move.
"I cannot assist you in harming my people. I will assist you in communicating with them towards a friendly result."
"Thank you, Delack, we ask nothing more. Can you hail your ships and converse with them letting them know our intentions were survival and not war?"
"I will speak with them in the morning as they approach the planet. At this hour the captain is most likely sleeping. Disturbing a sleeping Anotokian captain is a death sentence."
They agreed to wait until the morning. Sam still had a few unanswered questions, "Delack, what do you plan to say to the captain of the lead ship? It is important to us to know if you are peaceful or not."
"Direct and to the point Sam, I like it. I will tell the captain there was an incident, the mining camp was destroyed, and Graeck was killed. He does not need to know you were the incident, the destroyers, and the killers. I will do my best to keep you far from their suspicions. Keep in mind, they are intelligent and know about war. They can easily sniff out a liar."
"If they know you are lying what will happen to you?"
"I will be blown to bits like the rest of you."
"Direct and to the point, I like it." Delack smiled at Sam. They seemed to share a kindred spirit and felt the friendship tightening.
"I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this mission, as did Graeck. I hold no grudge against you. I mourn the loss of my brother; he was a warrior, and death was a constant possibility. He will be missed, but I will not seek revenge for his death. In truth, I have been treated better by you than my own people. Thank you!"
"Delack, you made it easy to like you. You are welcome here."
"Enough of the warm fuzzies," Grant said, "thank you for your kind words, but we have to make other plans regarding the Terra Aurai."
"Right you are, Grant."
"Delack, my friend, we'll let you rest for a while and come get you for dinner, say an hour or so?”
"I will see you in one hour."
Delack lay back as they left the med room and tried to rest, but none was to be had. He tried the door and was surprised to find he was not locked in. He left the med room and wandered down the hall finding the lift a short distance away. "Scientists are treated like royalty judging by the level of comfort and the way everything is decorated."
<
br /> His shoes lightly squeaked as he walked the hallways. The lift was a particular joy for him. Anotokian ships only had stairs to access the many levels. He made his way to the lower level to the lab with all the equipment and the survey bots. His world had nothing like this and he was intrigued. "What could one find with such state of the art equipment? This is amazing! What a wondrous society they must have to have this at their disposal.
It was nearing the hour they had agreed upon for dinner. Delack made his way back to the galley. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement and quickly turned to see what it was, nothing was there and he chalked it up to having recently come out of stasis, yet it still made him uneasy. When he arrived at the galley Grant and Sam were arriving as well.
They greeted each other with smiles, "Did you find anything interesting?"
"I found your lab, it is amazing. You will have to give me a real tour when time permits. I am enjoying the level of comfort on this vessel. We have nothing soft or pleasing. It is all metal, and a thin woven mat for our bunk."
"We will happily give you the grand tour once we are past whatever happens tomorrow. Let's enjoy some dinner, some wine, and the company of one another."
"What do you eat? I have no idea what you would like for dinner." Sam hoped they had something similar to meet his dietary requirements.
"We eat a lot of root type foods as well as the offerings of animals and birds. For a beverage, we drink something similar to your wine I believe, it is fermented with high alcohol content."
"We're going to get along fine!" Sam was sure he had the right combination for Delack, one that would satisfy them all. "Steak and potatoes it is, with a side of roasted carrots, a simple salad, and all the wine we can consume in one evening. It may be our last meal, so let's enjoy ourselves."
Grant had no problem with Sam's meal choices and hoped Delack agreed. "Go for it buddy! Let's get to eating!" The synthesizer quickly created three plates of perfectly cooked steaks, potatoes baked to perfection, and roasted carrots.
"For the wine selection I believe we will have a nice Cabernet Sauvignon, full bodied with a smoky hint of dark chocolate and red berries." It was the perfect choice for their meal.
Delack watched Grant and Sam cut into their steak. His brow furrowed and he raised one eyebrow. "What are you doing to your food?"
"What do you mean?"
"You are dissecting it before you eat it?"
"How would you eat such a meal?"
"With my hands of course, like this." Delack raised all four arms, taking the steak in two hands, a handful of carrots in another, and lifting the wine glass with the remaining hand. He tore into the steak with reckless abandon and shoved the handful of carrots into his mouth. Food flew everywhere, and juice ran down his chin and over his hands.
"How disgusting, you'll need a bath after eating this meal." Sam was appalled at the carnage he was witnessing. He wasn't a prude, but this was off the charts disgusting.
"This is how we eat on my world. We eat fast and plentifully. We may not get another meal for days."
Grant decided to be a bit more diplomatic. "In our culture, we do not eat in such a manner. We are more delicate with our food. We take one bite at a time, and we do not eat with our hands unless the type of food calls for it, such as bread or a sandwich. "He sliced off a piece of the steak, placed it in his mouth with a fork, and chewed the food thoroughly before swallowing.
"How disgusting! How can you eat in slow motion? It would take you all day to consume a meal."
They all laughed, they chose to respect their differences and continued with the meal. Grant and Sam both tore a chunk of steak off with their teeth and Delack daintily sliced off a piece of steak using a knife, and chewed.
"Last meal gentlemen, enjoy the wine. We will be asleep in no time only to wake to a new day and a new adventure."
"Sam gets this way when he drinks, don't pay any attention to him."
With a shrug Delack polished off his glass of wine and requested another. Grant showed him how to access the synthesizer and the wine began to flow. Delack was seven glasses deep when he began to feel the effects of the wine. It took a while to hit him, but it hit him like a garbage truck driver late for dinner on a hot summer day. "I think I need to lie down." Delack passed out and fell to the floor.
"Shit, I hope he didn't over do it. He has to talk with the ship's captain in the morning."
"We'll give him the hangover cure in the morning. He should be good as new—I hope. Our best hope is for him to communicate with the captain and ask him not to destroy us. What were we thinking, getting him drunk?"
They looked at one another, shook their heads and shrugged. "Time for bed, Sam." Nothing more was said. Delack was left lying on the floor, passed out like a college kid on his first real bender, snoring like a mongrel dog growling at a unlucky cat crossing its path. They went to their quarters and quickly fell into restless, dream filled sleep.
Sam dreamt of a huge battle, dead alien bodies littering the ground, a flash, a world on fire, and all life snuffed out in a swirl of flames.
Grant dreamt of Tayana riding her C-Rex, decked out in her black battle gear ready for all out war, and her people tripping and falling as they hurried to get into the shuttle. Small children separated from their parents were crying and screaming. He was surrounded by people asking what to do as he desperately tried to manage the chaotic scene in front of him, and was failing miserably.
Tossing and turning in their sleep, the visions they saw and the impending confrontation with the Anotokians made for a restless night. Deep sleep finally over took them, but morning came shortly after, too early for Grant.
"Sam we need to get moving, give Delack the hangover cure and be on our way. We have lots to do before we can find some version of calm."
"Yeah, the calm before the storm, looking forward to it. Maybe I can get in a nap."
Thick sarcasm signaled Grant not to push Sam. Neither had had any coffee or breakfast. Entering the galley they were surprised to see Delack nearly half way through a large plate of breakfast, more chipper than they had ever seen him.
"What on Earth? How is it you are not hung over and feeling like death warmed over?"
With a smile Delack replied, "We Anotokian's have very high metabolisms. The alcohol is metabolized quickly and the result is a feeling of euphoria. It is the best part of consuming too much alcohol. By the way, why did you leave me sleeping on the floor?"
Sam and Grant chuckled, "You were passed out and snoring so loud we had to leave. Besides, the two of us could not carry you anywhere. You are about a foot and a half taller than we are and most likely outweigh us by nearly a hundred pounds."
"Seventy-seven point five pounds to be precise," said Eliot.
"Eliot, is this another exercise to see how to fit in or did you truly feel the need to interject a random fact to show us your intelligence?"
"I was assisting you in relating to the weight difference between the two species, nothing more."
"Thank you Eliot, the information was useful, as always," Sam had a soft spot for Eliot and gave him room to grow. "We need to get moving as soon as the gasses rise and the way is clear."
"Delack, would you like to join us? We have some things to accomplish this morning?"
"Yes, by all means. It would be an honor to work alongside the two of you."
"Settled then, we leave in approximately thirty-five minutes. Meet us here in the galley and we'll make our way to the planet's surface."
"Sam, do we have the tools we need and do we have torches? We will need them once we board the Terra Aurai."
"Ready and charged, tools are in the lab."
"Get cleaned up, we meet back here in thirty minutes."
"Yes, Sir." Grant looked crosswise at Sam, but proceeded to his quarters. A quick shower and a fresh change of clothing would do him good.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Thirty minutes later Grant arrived back at the galley
followed closely by Sam and Delack. "Gentlemen today may be our last, so let's make it one of our best." Grant had never been good at speeches, but this one was direct and to the point. "May this be a day that makes the history books. May our names be logged in the annals of time. May women see us as gods."
They laughed and Delack added, "May what happens today, be what is supposed to happen, today."
They nodded in agreement and headed to the shuttle. "Strap in Delack, we're going to be moving quickly and maybe not gently. We have a limited amount of time and lots to do."
"Agreed, I will stay out of the way and let you do what you have to do."
"Eliot, detach us from the Ebony Belle."
"Yes, Sir, detaching in five, four...Shuttle detached. Ready for flight."
“Make for the planet's surface, pronto, please."
Eliot accelerated to max speed and charted a course for the surface.
"Bring us to the crash site first thing. We need the fuel cell out of the GEMO 2 and into the Terra Aurai as quickly as possible. Once we have that completed, we need to get it installed, get her running, and we need to crank up the heat. The villagers will need it, space is very cold and I'm sure the Terra Aurai is, too. They are not prepared for cold temps so it needs to be as comfortable as possible."
"Grant, not to be negative, but we don't even know the condition of the Terra Aurai right now. She may be worthless and inoperable."
"Sam, please keep your crappy thinking to yourself. I have to believe the Terra Aurai is operational and will function perfectly once the fuel cell is installed. It's what's getting me through this morning."
"Heard and respected, sorry Grant."
"Are the two of you brothers? You squabble like brothers, yet have fun as brothers do when together."
Sam answered, "We are not brothers, but we might as well be. We have known each other for many years, since we were young. We squabble and argue, but we both know each other so well we forgive and forget, it's nothing personal, usually."
"Beginning entry into the atmosphere, hold tight gentlemen." Eliot, in an offbeat but familiar tone sounded just like one of the guys, for the first time ever.
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