“Snowstorm at this altitude,” said Sakamura before she shouted. “Prepare the site, double time. Storm coming!” All their training in the rainforest of Eden snapped into play. Drones were released and each person went about their assigned tasks. Within half an hour panels had been placed at the corners of the formation to complete the enclosure, the grass had been cut to a manageable height and a canopy had been strung between the jumpers, as protection against the weather and attack by predators from the skies.
Sakamura walked out of the compound via the gates assembled at the corner of the compound facing the valley. She stood with her hands on her hips and surveyed the forest below. Isla joined her. “You look like a Roman legatus surveying the battlefield.”
Sakamura smiled. “I suppose it’s not unlike the deep forests of Germania Magna. Although I hope this is not our Teutoburg…”
“I guess my Roman history is limited, a defeat I assume?”
“A total defeat, three legions. It defined the limits of the Roman Empire in Germany.”
“I see, but this is a scientific mission…”
“I know, but it was you who made the Roman reference and this is just how I imagine the Alps would have looked to a legatus sent to suppress the German barbarians. Germania must have once been covered in forest,” she said sweeping her hand over the landscape.
Little flurries of snow began to fall and Isla held out her hand to watch one land on her palm. The temperature began to plummet and the gel adjusted again. She was amused to notice that her breath had become steam. “Suddenly it looks forbidding,” she said as the snowfall thickened.
“It will be warmer down in the forest. The tall canopy creates a unique microclimate. We are exposed here. The sooner we can complete our initial surveys and decamp the better. There’s a lake to the east.”
“I think we’ve got another five hours of sunlight. The weather might inhibit drone flights, so I suggest a quick lunch and then break into four teams, north, south, east and west, immediate area only. No point in lingering.”
Sakamura took a deep breath of air. “I like her already.”
“Her?”
“Calliope, the wisest and strongest of the Muses, mother to Orpheus.”
“You’re not going to break into song are you?” Isla teased.
Sakamura turned and looked deep into her with her large green eyes. Isla went weak at the knees. She wanted Sakamura to kiss her, push her down and ravage her. “I’m told I have a sweet voice and somehow I think Calliope will give us plenty of epic stories to sing about.”
On the second day they entered the lower forest in two teams, one to follow a stream, the other to explore the forest floor, drones recording every movement and exploring the canopy. The trees were enormous, reaching to dizzying heights, higher than the great sequoia of California. The forest was alive with a multitude of species: burrowers, gliders, tree climbers, hoppers, darters, crawlers, slitherers. Isla was in heaven, overwhelmed by the diversity. They found a rare spot in a pool of light, rested and nibbled on rations. Small six winged insects flittered about, unsure of these strange, new animals, and minute, four legged ant-like critters foraged for detritus on the forest floor. If they had not been covered in the gel they would have been stung and bitten many times.
Isla noticed Sakamura standing apart from the group seemingly sniffing the air.
“What is it?” she asked, walking up from behind.
Sakamura tried to smile but she looked concerned. “I think we’re being watched.”
Isla looked deep into kilometres of dense forest. It was futile. She did not have Sakamura’s enhancements. “By what?”
“Don’t know yet, but my guess is that it is territorial.”
“A middle order predator?”
“Or top order. There are larger foraging and grazing critters out there. They are shy, illusive. I’d say that they are its prey.”
“A lone predator?”
“Maybe. I think we should head back. You’ve got enough material for a month of analysis. I’d like you to confirm what’s edible as soon as possible.”
The attack came on the third day. Sakamura had been on edge the whole morning, demanding they keep a tight formation. The predators chose the moment with cunning precision. The survey team had broken out of the forest to the edge of a fast running stream with shimmering swimmers leaping out of the water to negotiate rapids. They could not help but stretch the formation as they explored the area. Isla was on the stream’s bank using a net to catch a green and red striped crustacean when she heard Sakamura yell “formation, now.” She should have dropped everything and sprinted to the others, instead she froze, her eyes darting about trying to locate the threat. All hell broke loose. Wild howling screams echoed through the forest, a call to attack. She tried to run but she was petrified by the sound, the remaining part of her rational mind telling her that the screams were designed to scare the shit out of their prey. Fortunately the defenders were well trained and a male defender, Mawa, picked her up roughly, his pistol already drawn, and hauled her to the others. She was tossed into the middle and she tumbled awkwardly. One of the other scientists grabbed her and pulled her in tight as she caught a glimpse of large, four legged predators rushing the group from all directions. For some reason her analytic mind kicked in and she watched the attack in slow motion. Her first thought was that they were wolf/cheetah/hyena beasties: fast, powerful hind legs, fearsome fangs and sharp claws with a beautiful spotted pelt of forest colours: perfect camouflage. The first shot came from her left and she spun to see one fall a mere three metres from the group, dead as it hit the ground. The second shot came from behind and she spun to see the head of another explode in blood and bone. She heard Sakamura scream and she turned to see a beast leap onto her and for them to both hit the ground hard. She pissed herself. All she could see was a tangle of human and predator limbs. There was a movement. Sakamura squirmed. She wanted to run and help but the defenders kept the formation tight, ready for another wave. It never arrived. When Sakamura gained leverage she sat up and lifted the body of the beast. She stood and heaved it over her head, clearly revealing the sword she had used to pierce its heart. Sakamura tossed the beast to the ground. She was covered in rust coloured blood. Isla expected her to be shaking; instead she seemed remarkably calm, triumphant.
“We should send for the sleds. They won’t attack again, not today. Everybody okay?” Sakamura commanded.
A count was done. Everyone was safe. They worked silently. The drone sleds arrived and they manually hauled the bodies on and returned home, the sleds following them in a solemn, funereal procession. Isla knew they were still being watched.
Later that evening she walked outside the compound to see Sakamura standing with her hands on her hips, looking out at the forest, proud and arrogant. Isla had taken some buzz to help wash away the cortisol and noradrenaline and she felt high and giddy. The sun was setting behind them and the clouds were beginning to turn a rich yellow. Sakamura seemed to be glowing, the deep yellow light highlighting long blond hair blowing in the breeze and the glossy black of her upper body armour; her naked lower body shimmering with a coating of gel. She was standing with her legs spread and Isla had a clear view of her powerful legs and gluts, the dimple of her anus and the folds of her labia. She wanted desperately to walk up behind her and slide a finger in. She was not sure Sakamura would welcome it and knew that she could turn, grab her hand and easily snap it. This aroused her even more, but she was resigned to the fact that she might never have Sakamura.
She stood beside her, trying to retain some semblance of authority. “That was a close call. I’m sorry that I froze. We shouldn’t have let the formation spread.”
“It worked to our advantage.”
Isla was shocked. “You allowed it to happen?”
“In a sense,” she said. “I wanted to assess their attack style. They have limitations we can exploit.”
“You put the team at risk?”
“But the creature leapt on you.”
Sakamura laughed. “I waited. Looked into its eyes. They’re intelligent. I wanted to see how strong it was, the mechanics of the leap, the speed, reflexes. Don’t worry, it was dead mid air. They’re beautiful aren’t they?”
“Beautiful – terrifying more like.”
“She was a female. I sensed it.”
“We haven’t assessed their sexual anatomy…”
“They work like a wolf pack, males and females working together, not like big cats of Earth where the males often prowl alone.”
“Will they attack again?” Isla asked, looking out nervously across the valleys and mountains.
“Yes, almost certainly. Only this time it will be different.”
Isla shuddered. “Should we abandon the mission?”
Sakamura laughed as if Isla had said something stupid. “Absolutely not. When humans first walked the forests of Europe they were hunted by wolves. In time the wolves were domesticated and became their hunting companions. No, these things are beautiful, majestic, noble. We just need to assert our authority as the leader of the pack.”
“And we didn’t demonstrate that today?”
Sakamura reached out her hand and stroked Isla’s face. Intellectually she knew that Sakamura was asserting authority over her and that she had every right to resist, but she was already lost. “The beasts that died today were foot soldiers, animals lower in the hierarchy. There was another one watching. The alpha. She now understands we are another predator species. I expect she will come forward and challenge me directly.”
“You? Why you?”
“Because she watched the way we worked and she watched the way I watched and waited.”
“But surely we can scare them off?”
Sakamura seemed impatient at this suggestion. “I thought you were the biologist. What do you know of territorial behaviour amongst predator species?”
“I admit I’m more of a microbiologist, not a behaviourist.”
“Sorry to snap, but as defenders we have to study predator behaviour. We are in their territory and they will behave exactly as if another pack has invaded. If we don’t challenge the alpha and claim the territory as ours, they will watch and wait and when they have the opportunity, pick us off one by one, the weakest and smallest first, maybe months from now.”
Isla knew the comment was directed at her. “But that is how Earth predators work. You can’t assume behaviour is the same on all planets.”
“True, but it was tested today and my gut tells me they operate like an Earth wolf pack.”
Sakamura turned and left her to think things through. Isla looked down at her child’s body and understood how vulnerable she was. The gel wouldn’t protect her. She would be the first to go, the predator ripping open her throat, ripping off her limbs, tearing out her viscera. She shuddered. She wanted to run back to the compound but she stood firm. She had wanted to explore other planets and this was her lot. Sakamura was right. They had to play by the planet’s rules. She stood and watched as the light faded and the first stars came out. A small, unnamed moon rose over the crest of a snowcapped mountain, rising in the south and setting in the north; on it’s own, eccentric orbit, a perpetual half-moon. Her hands and face were getting icy as the temperature plummeted. A shooting star arched across the sky. From this day on she wanted to have the martial skill of Sakamura. She would meet this planet full on, bodily.
Back at her workstation she pulled up all she could find on predator behaviour. The more she read the more it became obvious that the wolf had evolved to become a close human companion.
The autopsies revealed a sophisticated animal. The internal organs had evolved slightly differently. There was still a heart and lungs, but the digestive and purification systems were different, the bladder and kidney one organ and the liver and spleen another. It was also oviparous, with Sakamura’s female carrying a litter of eight eggs. A dissected brain revealed a complex neural network far beyond anything on Eden. It would be difficult to assess its intelligence but some species of Earth canines had been shown to understand a simple vocabulary of signs and sounds. They didn’t have limbs to manipulate tools but their attack had clearly suggested communication and planning. It raised the tantalising possibility that other species had evolved that could handle more complex symbolic logic. There had been no signs of civilisation, but perhaps there was a species set aside to fill the same niche as the great apes, even humans.
The challenge came two days later. There had been furious debate back at camp with some of the scientific team furiously disagreeing with Sakamura’s plan. Isla settled it by siding with Sakamura.
The predators chose the time and place. A clearing under the branches of a broad, oak like tree (with much larger leaves). A natural auditorium. Sakamura had sensed them and was waiting. They came out of the woods snarling, but rather than encircling them they approached from one side, the alpha taking the lead, showing her fangs. At Sakamura’s command they fell back, their weapons drawn, ready to defend Sakamura should anything go horribly wrong.
Sakamura advanced, lowered her fangs, and extended her claws, her left hand holding a blade. Isla was fascinated. There was clear intelligence in the beast’s eyes as it assessed Sakamura. Was it considering a strategy? Sakamura got down on her haunches, her powerful legs preparing to propel her forward. It looked like she would attack first. It happened quickly. Sakamura leapt and the beast dodged, swiping at her blade hand, fully aware of the weapon. A claw ripped through Sakamura’s upper arm and blood spurted. The gel acted quickly to seal the wound but it was muscle deep and Sakamura had clearly lost full function.
But she did not recoil. Instead she attacked again quickly, shifting the knife to her right hand. The beast tried another dodge but Sakamura countered and lunged at it, wrapping her arms and legs around its body, riding its back. The beast twisted and turned furiously, trying to shake her, but Sakamura held on. It backed into a tree and tried to crush her, but she was too strong. The beast began to tire, knowing it was defeated and Sakamura struck, driving her fangs into the beast’s neck, releasing the neurotoxin. The beast staggered and Sakamura pulled the knife across its throat, severing the head completely. Then she stood and roared, holding the beast’s head high.
The pack began to moan and back away. Another beast began to move forward, the next alpha in line, but Sakamura simply walked forward on her two legs and jumped at it and it cowered and retreated. Then she did something so shocking and powerfully animalistic that Isla almost fell to her knees with a cunt-wrenching pang of desire. Sakamura pissed where she stood, turning to spray it as far as she could, marking her territory. When she had finished she unsheathed her sword and sliced away a thick branch to create a spike. She mounted the head, still dripping with blood.
The other defenders could not contain themselves and began to dance around, yelling and hooting. Isla couldn’t help but join in. Something deep and primal had happened, something buried deep within their genetic memory. People began to piss everywhere, drenching the ground with their scent (in the future they would piss wherever they went, leaving their human pheromones to mark their territory). The beasts would never return to this place.
One of the science team ran to look at Sakamura’s arm. The gel had stopped the bleeding but the wound was deep and long. “Let’s get you back and seal this before it scars.”
“Let it scar,” said Sakamura. “She deserves to be remembered.”
“Is that the end of it?” someone yelled.
“Until we enter another pack’s territory,” said a male defender.
“And we go through this again?”
Sakamura laughed. “No, next time we just make sure we shoot the alpha first.”
“Why didn’t you just shoot this one?”
“I had
to know what they were made of. Now I know.”
“And what happens to them now?” asked another.
“They scatter, maybe form another pack or try and become accepted into a neighbouring pack. If not they will probably starve or be killed by other packs. It won’t be easy.”
“It’s sort of sad,” said one of the scientists.
“Yes,” said Sakamura. “But nature isn’t concerned about human sentiment.”
It caused a scandal back on Eden. Drones had been hovering overhead and captured it all. It had been a profoundly cathartic act that somehow redeemed the sacrifice of Pangaea. Philosophers debated the ethics of Sakamura’s decision and factions formed around the various arguments. Politicians and justices debated if a crime had been committed but could find no precedent. No action was taken against her. Instead, by popular will, she became a hero.
Later that night Sakamura pulled Isla aside to thank her for her support. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed,” she said as she kissed her.
“Why me?”
“I don’t know, there’s something about you. A fire.”
Isla dropped to her knees. Sakamura was standing before her. It was hers and she did not hesitate.
81
Nuku and Biyu
She didn’t know what to think when she heard the Calliope mission had departed without Isla saying goodbye. She thought she should be at least a little miffed, but couldn’t muster the energy. The truth is that she had been so absorbed in her own preparations she had almost forgot the departure time. Her guardian had said Isla had tried late at night but she had been preoccupied fucking Prax and Biyu. Perhaps she had been the one to betray Isla, even though no exclusivity promises had been made (or expected). Instead she wondered what it had all been about.
When she had the chance she watched some of the vid of Calliope with Biyu. They commanded the AI to reconstruct a 3D overview and watched the sequence of Sakamura fighting the alpha. Biyu was fascinated with Sakamura’s tactics.
Paradise Reclaimed Page 58