The next thing Kristin knew something cold and wet was dribbling into her parched mouth. She could feel the cool liquid coursing through her lips then between her lips and gums. Her mucus membranes absorbed the water like a dried sponge. As the hydration process began she felt herself spinning in and out of consciousness. As the fluid stopped she tried to lift her head to get more water, and as she did the darkness came roaring back from the fringes of her
consciousness. Then more water arrived and she tried to swallow but her throat was still dry, she felt like she was choking, automatically she coughed and struggled to sit up. As she did the darkness receded leaving behind a thin fog and she began to wake up.
A voice softly spoke, “Nied, nied, Treiek asumel cornad treib.”
Kristin felt strong arms gently support her head up as more water arrived at her lips. This time she was able to swallow, and she gulped the water down greedily. She had no thoughts of where she was or who the voice belonged to. She was totally focused on getting more water into her body. Little by little she began to hydrate and her head began to clear. She opened her eyes and as they focused she could see she was in a cave. She turned her head and a young man’s face came into focus and he smiled.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“Comel dree astak,” he replied.
She sat up all the way, now confused.
“Who are you?”
Carl shrugged his shoulders; he did not understand what she was saying. Then he remembered he had picked up a translator from the damaged troopship. They were carried to enable the troops to communicate with prisoners during interrogation. He held up his hand in a gesture for her to wait. Kristin’s heart skipped a beat when she saw his fingers. He’s Kaedian, she thought. What is he doing here? She watched him sort through a bag against the wall. Don’t panic; he just saved your life. But for what?
Finally, Carl found the translator, opened it, and activated it by placing his thumb on the pad facing him. He turned and pointed it at her. She cringed and automatically brought up her hand defensively, thinking it was some kind of weapon. Seeing her reaction Carl smiled, reached over and gently took her left thumb and placed it on the second pad.
“What is that thing?”
A tingle flashed up her arm, causing her to react by pulling her hand away.
“Keple blaske E shede ko,” translated the box.
Carl reached out, took her hand, and placed her thumb back on the box.
“This is a translator. It translates what you say into the language of the persons holding the box. Over time the translator teaches the brain to understand each other’s language. Then it is no longer needed.”
With the explanation, Kristin felt better and kept her left thumb on the device.
“Who are you?” she asked.
Carl thought on this; if he admitted to being a Kaedian Officer it may cost him his life, but he did not want to lie. There was something about her. He decided on a close version of the truth. He straightened up to a position of attention
“I am a Kaedian Officer. I was knocked
unconscious during the battle to liberate this planet from the invading Erthers. When I revived, I saw all my fellow soldiers were dead. As required by my duty I evaded capture. I have not seen or been contacted by any others of my battle group and so I have come to believe I am the sole survivor. You are the first person I have spoken to since then.”
Kristin smiled at the disheveled young man’s attempt at formality.
“I meant, what is your name?”
Carl looked perplexed, then realized she was being friendly.
“I am Carl Jank.”
Kristin held out her right hand.
“I am Kristin Duvalle,” she attempted to smile but her lips were still cracked, “an invading Earther. Where I come from, when we meet someone for the first time we exchange names and shake hands as a gesture of friendship.”
She saw the confusion on Carl’s face.
“Hold out your right hand as I have done; then we grasp hands and move them up and down at least twice.”
He did as she asked and for the first time in their lives they each held the hand of someone from another planet. Sitting up for so long had made her feel dizzy, Kristin drank more water then lay back down. She fell asleep immediately. She awoke to the smell of roasting meat. Her stomach began to react and growl loudly. She was ravenous. She sat up then tried to stand without success knocking over Carl’s makeshift table as she tried to steady herself. He turned and saw her fall. He walked over to her with the translator in his hand. She placed her thumb on the correct pad.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“I am fine just stood up too fast. What are you cooking? It smells delicious.”
“That is because you have not eaten for a while. Once you are recovered fully it may not smell as good. I have no skill as a...” There was a pause as the translator searched for the word. “…cook,” he said smiling.
Kristin attempted to stand once more. He gently took her arm and helped her up. This time she didn’t feel as dizzy. He walked her over to the fire and gently helped her into his stick and hide chair. She looked up at him and smiled.
“Thank you. For a warrior, you are very
considerate.”
He handed over a piece of meat. She bit into it and groaned with pleasure. It was delicious. He looked at her and laughed, his dark eyes reflecting the firelight. He held out the translator and she placed her thumb on the pad.
“I was never meant to be a soldier. I studied engineering in school and had ideas that I might go into artificial intelligence but my father reminded me of the obligation of all Kaedians to serve but he at least used his influence to find me a posting as an Administration Officer in a reserve unit. Unfortunately, my unit was in the wrong place at the right time.” His eyes took on a faraway sad look. “So many died that day. By rights I should be with them, but here I am.”
She stopped chewing and looked up at him.
“I haven’t thanked you for saving my life.”
She reached up, took his hand, and looked deep into his eyes. “Thank you, I am in your debt.”
Many years later Carl Jank would remember that was the moment he fell in love. His face flushed with embarrassment and he could only stammer out, “it was nothing; anyone would have…”
His voice failed him as she pulled herself up and kissed him. It was meant as a gesture of thanks but the minute her lips touched his she knew it meant more, much more. She quickly sat down in confusion. What just happened? What are you doing? she wondered.
“Is that another Erth custom like shaking hands?” he asked. He looked down a little sheepishly. “I like that one better.”
With a full stomach, she began to feel sleepy again so he helped her to the bed and she fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.
Farmer Robert Dunston parked his vehicle outside of the building that served the dual purpose of being Kristin’s residence and her clinic. His dog in the back was whimpering and licking his ankle. He had been chasing deer that afternoon and in his enthusiasm, had managed to wedge his foot in between two rocks and his momentum carried him onward breaking his ankle. Dunston was concerned that the place looked deserted. He walked around the house calling Kristin’s name. He checked the front door to the clinic; it was locked. Peering in the window he could see nothing. He checked out the barn and the other out buildings, nothing. He had checked her page on the community web site. It said she was going away for the day but would be accepting patients after that. The page entry was five days ago. In light of the recent abductions by the Kaedian deserters, he began to worry and called the Sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Henry Olsen found nothing at the house to indicate foul play, and subsequently talked to the neighbors. They lived several miles distant but even with rapid transportation they visited each other infrequently. She had visited ten days ago and had mentioned her intention to make a day trip to check out the wild h
orse herds on the other side of the desert. He was concerned that something had happened to her. The Sheriff had read the reports on the successful rescue of the Verens family and considering the area that needed to be searched he called the Earth Defense Brigade at the Military base for assistance. Once again Tom gave the assignment to his second in command, Commander Frulé, who put together a strike team just in case, then contacted Kris.
The Brigade Barque landed at the veterinary clinic half an hour later and a cursory look around confirmed the Sheriff’s report. There was no sign of anything suspicious. The location of the horse herds was known to the Sheriff. So, they gave the information to the Barques Central Information System and it
recommended a course. With a couple of hours of daylight left and with the local Sheriff aboard the Barque headed out. Its search screens ranging one hundred miles ninety degrees either side of the bow. Keeping the speed at minimum it took just two hours to find the wrecked transport mostly buried under the sand. A fiveman detail quickly removed most of the sand and found a veterinarian’s bag inside the overturned vehicle with the initials KD on the side but no body.
Looking around at the shifting sands Kris said, “She could have gone in either direction; these shifting sands have covered any tracks.” Frulé's communicator came to life. It was the Barque Pilot.
“CIS has isolated two contacts, large mammals, possibly human, nine-point-three miles south of us at one hundred and eighty-nine degrees.”
“Two contacts,” said Kris to Olsen. “Did she have anyone with her?”
35
Rescued
Kristin woke the next day feeling fully recovered and refreshed. Carl was nowhere to be seen in the cave so she went outside. The light from the rising sun was blocked by the high cliffs so the shadow was coinciding with the surf line. She could barely see Jank sitting on a rock staring out to sea. When she sat next to him she looked over and saw that he had shaved. She noted he was quite a nice-looking man without the long unkempt beard. He had attempted to cut his hair. It was shorter but hanging in clumps of different lengths. She brought the translator out with her. She placed her thumb on the pad and he did likewise.
“I like you without the beard but is that how you wear your hair on Kaedia?”
He smiled and said, “No, usually it is worn to military standards which very short, easier to keep clean and the helmet fits better. I wanted to clean up but I do not have a reflector so I could not see what I was doing.” She realized he understood her teasing.
“If you like I will trim your hair.”
“Thank you, I would like that.” He went to one of his packs and came back with a comb and odd shaped shears. “I found these onboard a damaged troop carrier.”
“Would you like a short style?”
He took his hand off the translator while he thought. He was making a decision that would alter the course of his life.
“I am done with the military for the foreseeable future, why don’t you cut it to a length that pleases you. Are you sure you are up to it?”
She guided him into the chair.
“Yes, I am fine now.” He sat and she went to work. She had paid her way through veterinary school by working as a hairdresser. Although she hadn’t cut hair in a couple of years she was soon in the swing of things deftly coordinating the dance between the odd shaped shears and comb.
As she worked she began to talk about her family on Earth, her work as a vet and her decision to emigrate. He told her of his life on Kaedia, about being brought up in a disciplined family. His father had served Kaedia his entire life as had his father before him. In fact, the Janks’ had served Kaedia for thousands of years. He explained that he had never relished the military life style and had elected to go to engineering school rather than the military academy as all his brothers and sister had. Although that had not prevented him from completing his obligated service. They chatted for about ten minutes before either of them realized they were not holding the translator. The secondary function of the translator was complete; they now understood each other independent of the device. They spent the rest of the day walking along the beach and climbing up the chalk cliffs to retrieve birds’ eggs for their supper. That evening sitting around the fire they both knew a relationship was building between them. She reached out, took his hand, and examined the mutilated fingers.
“Did it hurt?” She was having difficulty
understanding such a barbaric custom.
“Yes, but to take something for the pain is considered weak. There are a few who fear the pain and try to avoid the procedure but they are found and forced to submit.”
He looked at his hands as if it really made no sense any more.
“One such man had appealed to the Lord Commander to spare his young son from the process. His petition was denied but it was significant that it had made it that far.”
Kristin looked closely at Carl while he talked. His face white where the beard had covered his face was in stark contrast to the exposed part ruddy from the constant exposure to the elements. The fire light accentuating his boyish good looks. She wanted to spend more time with him. Was it because he saved my life or is there more to it? she wondered.
Carl seemed to be feeling the same as he leaned towards her. As their lips met they melded into a tight embrace that soon left them both trembling. They took a breath, looked into each other’s eyes, and collapsed together on the soft, sandy shore of the ocean. With the sound of the surf in the background, they spent the evening sharing their love, eventually moving into the cave to escape the chill of the night air.
After several days of this kind of intimacy and talking, they fell very much in love. Kristin, however, had many questions about the differences in their backgrounds.
“What are your plans for the future?” she asked.
“I have difficulty seeing a future for me. I have been abandoned on what I assumed to be a hostile planet. There is no indication of a rescue; in fact, I am sure they think I am dead. I cannot reveal myself as I will be tortured and killed by your military, or so I have been informed.”
“In our culture, enemy combatants that surrender are treated well as prisoners of war,” she said. “We have rules governing that.”
He smiled a little. “There seems to be a lot of misinformation about how prisoners are treated on either side. I was to make this my home but as more and more of your colonists arrive it is inevitable that I will be found.”
“Why don’t you come stay with me until you sort things out? You could ask for asylum, and I could use the help around the farm and…” Suddenly, the shoebox shape of a Barque materialized, silhouetted against the large red orb that was Altis settling into the ocean. Jank scuttled back into the cave, reappearing with his weapon, and placing himself in front of Kristin.
A voice came out of the dim light, “Kristin this is Sheriff Olsen, we’ve been looking for you. Are you okay? Who is that with you?”
“Kraz adct yumo astile Jank. Par usover Kaedia baerns ungeor,” said Jank.
“I don’t understand you. What language are you using?” asked Olsen.
Kristin was confused for a second, she could understand him perfectly. Then she knew, the translator gives one the ability to understand the other language but not to speak it.
“He says he is Fourth Officer Jank of the Kaedian Forces.”
The Sheriff pulled his side arm but did not raise it.
“Kristin, are you okay?” asked the Sheriff.
“I am fine, Sheriff. This man saved my life. He carried me from the desert and took care of me. He can understand our language, but cannot speak it.”
“Fourth Officer Jank, is Kristin free to come over here?”
Jank nodded.
“Kristin walk toward me.”
As she began to move she saw other men in uniform with weapons up leave the Barque. She paused, then stepped in front of Jank. “No, he saved my life; I will not leave him”
“Kristin go to th
em, you are putting yourself in danger,” said Jank.
“No, I will not.”
Jank stepped to the side of her, placed his weapon on the ground, and raised his hands. “I am Fourth Officer Jank, and I surrender to you as a prisoner of war and request political asylum.”
He turned to Kristin, “Please translate.” Glancing at her, he added, “I hope you are right about your laws.”
As it was now clear who had jurisdiction; Commander Frulé ordered the area illuminated and stepped forward and picked up Janks’ weapon. “I am Commander Frulé of the Earth Defense Brigade. I accept your surrender. Do you have other weapons?”
Altis-5: Book #2 of the Sleeper Series Page 32