by S. H. Jucha
Renée replied, bile threatening to climb up her esophagus at the thought.
Alex and the First made their way back down to the beach, where Alex squatted on the sand. The First settled down across from him, and his eyestalks turned down to observe Alex drawing the shape of a traveler. Alex pointed to the shape and himself, whistling, “Star Hunters plus travelers positive.”
The First released a strange warble, which Mutter had equated in the language database to a Swei Swee interrogative or “I’m waiting to hear more.”
Alex cleared more space in the sand and drew a more complex drawing. He roughed out the interior of a silver ship and drew an exterior view directly under the first image and to the same scale. This time, Alex pointed to the interior, whistling, “Star Hunters” and pointing to the second drawing, whistling, “Swei Swee.”
The First’s eyestalks went from one drawing to the other and up to Alex. He sent a short tweet, and the two other leaders scurried close. Such a long conversation ensued between the Hive leaders that Alex grew weary of the wait. The warm sun and sea breeze were lulling him to sleep. Glances at his people revealed that they had settled on the sand alongside the Swei Swee.
After a half-hour, Alex felt his eyes closing. Unexpectedly his back was bolstered by an older matron, who had slid up behind Alex and used her broad-shelled back to brace him. Alex looked behind him, and eyestalks swiveled to stare back. He tapped his fist against her blunt digging claw. In response, she blew a soft tweet and settled into the sand, Alex leaning against her.
Alex’s eyes popped open. Another hour had passed. Unfortunately Étienne had been optimistic. Instead of addressing Alex, their First scurried over to a small rock outcropping, the other two leaders flanking him, and he began a speech to the assembly. Alex turned to see if the matron he leaned against had been disturbed, but her eyestalks were withdrawn, her legs tucked under her carapace, and her short tail wrapped around her body. So Alex rejoined her in a nap.
A loud collection of whistles woke the humans. Everyone had fallen asleep except the twins. Alex stood up and took in the scene. Claws were being held up to the three leaders and whistling filled the beach.
<Étienne,> Alex sent.
Étienne replied,
Alex walked over to the rock outcropping to regard their First, who quickly scuttled to the ground, ensuring he was below Alex in height.
The leader emanated a long series of whistles that Alex’s application couldn’t manage. The syntax was too complex. It took a half-hour of whistles and warbles, questions asked in multiple ways, and tens of drawings for communications to be finalized. The summary of their discussion was that the three hives, who had met them today, were the only ones who would welcome the Star Hunters. The other hives, led by the Swei Swee leader, wanted nothing to do with any other “singers.”
Their First had communicated that the Star Hunters must take all the People who had assembled on the beach, including their young and the un-hatched younglings, the latter two points requiring several drawings unto themselves. The key item stressed repeatedly by their First was that the hives would be free to search the endless waters of the Star Hunters’ world. In return, the Swei Swee would build the Star Hunters’ travelers.
With the negotiations finished, Alex made a final point. He drew an outline of the cliff tops and beach west of Espero. Pointing to the cliff top, he whistled, “Star Hunter First plus mate,” and held out his hand to Renée, who joined him. Then Alex pointed to the beaches and the cliff face in his drawing, whistling, “Swei Swee seek shelter.”
The other two leaders crowded around the drawing while their First warbled and tweeted to them. When he finished, the other leaders began bobbing up and down in excitement, claws snapping.
The shrillest whistle Alex and company had ever heard emanated from their First, who stood on the full extension of his walking legs. In response, all Swei Swee, including the other two leaders, lowered themselves to the ground. Their Hive leader whirled to face Alex and whistled loudly, “Swei Swee First greets Star Hunter First.”
“Ah,” Alex called out to his people. “Our Hive Leader has been promoted. He is now the Swei Swee First of Haraken, and we have just procured three hives as new inhabitants.” This should give our Assembly something to think about, Alex thought.
The new Swei Swee First warbled, and two males ran into the waves and disappeared in a flash. Moments later, one of them emerged, scuttling up the beach to the new leader to deliver a fish wriggling on the end of his claw point. In front of his leader, the male lowered himself to the sand and offered up his prize. The Swei Swee First whistled his approval, and the male bobbed in return.
The First clipped the head and tail of the fish and stripped its skin in an efficient and coordinated movement of claws and true hands. The final preparation was the ripping of two fillets from the backbone. The First scuttled up to Alex, spreading his claws wide. In his true hands hung the two raw fish fillets, which he held up to Alex.
“I believe you are about to consummate the deal, Mr. President,” Tatia announced.
“What are you supposed to do, Alex?” Renée asked, fearing the answer.
“I would presume I need to eat one,” Alex replied, eyeing the pieces of flesh. If this is the worst I have to do to secure a future for our people, it’s an easy price to pay, Alex thought. Before he could think any more about it, Alex took one of the small fillets and popped the piece of cool flesh into his mouth. He was surprised by the delicious taste and tried not to think about what he was eating … just focused on the pleasant flavor. Alex signaled his enjoyment to the leader, who quickly stuffed the other fillet into his mouth parts.
As the sun neared the horizon, a final set of drawings, accompanied by simple phrases, communicated the lifting of the Swei Swee hives tomorrow morning. Alex and his entourage left the Swei Swee on the beach, and a half-hour later were closing the shuttle gangway ramps and lifting for their ships.
Renée watched Alex visit the shuttle’s refresher. When he returned, he glanced briefly at her and ducked his head before looking to the front of the shuttle.
“Were you ill in the refresher, Alex?” Renée asked.
“No,” Alex replied, “just washing my hands and my mouth.”
Alex was gazing anywhere but at her, and Renée was replaying recent events when it clicked. She would have pulled Alex around to face her, but she wanted expediency. In a tick, she was out of her seat and straddling Alex. Cupping his face, she said, “Never fear that what you do for our people will ever push me away, my love.” In proof of her words, she planted a kiss on Alex’s lips, her tongue working deep into his mouth. Never once did she think of the fish he had eaten.
Alain, sitting beside his twin and across the aisle from their charges, sent to Étienne:
* * *
Early the next morning, hours before morning meal, shuttles were launched from both ships. The transport shuttles were stripped of seats, except for the one carrying Alex and his people, who landed a half-hour ahead of the transport shuttles. Descending the gangway ramp, Alex found the cliff top deserted, but the Haraken’s Swei Swee First soon appeared at the top of the cliff trail and whistled for Alex’s attention.
At a trot, Alex led his small group over and down the cliff, following the leader down the steep path to the sands below. When they gained the beach, Alex stopped to look up at the Swei Swee dwellings. In the early morning sun, their homes glistened in blues, greens, and pearl whites. The view held the humans’ attention for long moments.
The beach bustled with the activities of the three hives. One of Alex’s apps kept count as he surveyed the Swei Swee on the beach. His tally matched Julien’s count of the Swei Swee who had occupied the cliff top yesterday. Sadness swept over Alex. He had hoped others might join the three hives, but their conspicuous absence was a strong message. The other hives desired isolation. I understand how you feel, thought Alex.
Young Swei Swee packed onto the backs of older females, and any of them that sought to leave the safety of a matron’s back received a sharp reprimand. Younger females wielded woven seaweed baskets and were packing un-hatched younglings into the baskets. The weaves of the baskets were so tight that the oblong eggs floated in a small pool of seawater. As a basket was filled, two females would grab a side, making their way across the beach and up the cliff’s path. When the last females exited the egg dome, the First whistled a sharp command and the remainder of the Swei Swee began the trek up the path.
Alex and company stood back to allow the Swei Swee to navigate the twisting cliff path unhindered by human legs. The last Swei Swee to leave the beach was the First, who scuttled over to Alex, bobbing up and down excitedly. He held up his claws, and Alex smacked down on the top of them with his fists, which elicited a sharp whistle. Then the First raced after his people.
It was not the response Julien had hoped to elicit, but it was the one he had expected.
* * *
A welcoming committee of humans stood in the bay as the first shuttle, floating on grav-sleds, slid through the Freedom’s catch-lock doors. Two small pools, one for the un-hatched younglings and one containing food for the Swei Swee, were located next to the huge swim pool.
The First was the first down the shuttle’s gangway ramp. His eyestalks swiveled around, taking in the huge bay. When the First spotted Alex, he crossed the intervening twenty meters in mere ticks, causing many of the crew to reflexively step back. Standing beside Alex, it took all of Renée’s control not to flinch at the furious approach of the three-meter-long Swei Swee. Alex’s broad grin helped her remain firmly in place.
Alex invited the First to test each of the pools. To the humans’ amazement, the leader ignored the ramp that led up to the swim pool’s rim and simply leapt into the water over top of the frame that stood a meter and a half high. He cycled around the pool underwater. When the First surfaced, he whistled to his hives. The males exiting the shuttle raced across the bay, jumped the frame, and splashed into its waters.
In the meantime, the First climbed out and scurried over to one of the small pools. Finding it empty, two eyestalks swiveled toward Alex, while the other two kept searching the pool. Alex pointed toward two females coming down the gangway ramp with the first basket of un-hatched younglings. The First issued a series of tweets and warbles, and the females whistled back. Other females picked up the message and passed it back to the females in the interior.
Scuttling to the other small pool, the First whistled his excitement and grabbed a small crustacean, cracking its shell with his hunting claws and picking out the flesh with his true hands.
The shuttle transfers continued without incident, and the return trip to Haraken was only marred by two issues. The hives gorged on the specimen pool, emptying it in three days, and they left the remains scattered across the bay. For the latter problem, there was no tidal action to sweep away the debris, and the Nua’ll disposal method was not in evidence to the Swei Swee.
On the second day following the loading of the Swei Swee, with fish offal and crustacean shells stinking up the bay, a young and courageous tech who serviced the pool filtration units had stood with her hands on her hips surveying the mess. She walked up to the leader and gave him a stern reprimand, her finger wagging in front of four eyestalks that attempted to follow her digit. The tech picked up several fish heads and dropped them into a recycling chute. When she stepped back, her legs were clipped from under her by the First, who had followed her. She sat down heavily on his carapace, struggling to scramble off. Before she could apologize, she was struck dumb by the giant claw poised in front of her face. A fish skeleton dangled from it. The young woman timidly accepted the refuse and dropped it in the chute. A series of whistles from the First had Swei Swee scrambling out of the pool, racing over the bay and snatching up specimen debris. It took everything the young tech possessed not to scream when the Swei Swee assembly rushed at her.
An enormous, scarred female was first at the chute, large amounts of detritus in her blunt claws. The tech opened the chute, and the female Swei Swee deposited her collection down its throat. Swei Swee after Swei Swee passed in front of her. The entire bay was cleaned of debris in less than a quarter-hour.
The tech was privy to another human-Swei Swee first contact peculiarity when she released a cleaner bot into the bay to scrub the floors, and young Swei Swee had their first adventure aboard the Freedom. It became a game to ride the disc-shaped bot, which could fit two of the smaller young comfortably. One youngster after another tried to jump on the bot and push one or more of its siblings off, which constantly knocked the bot off course. Cleaning the bay should have taken the bot two hours. Instead it ran constantly until its charge dissipated, attempting to finish the job just once.
Once it became evident that the Swei Swee had no concept of rationing the fresh seafood, Alex contacted Cordelia for ideas. She searched her database and located a food-stock engineer and a bio-engineer. The two individuals hatched an idea to create fish shapes from the Freedom’s stores. Unfortunately the pale, bland shape didn’t interest any of the Swei Swee. Cordelia recruited an artist who worked with pigments, and she applied colored food additives to the fish shapes.
The crew reported that the Swei Swee were still uninterested in the painted fish and suspected that it was because their prey was not actively swimming. When Alex went to investigate, he sat on the deck across from the First, picked up one of the painted fish, tore off a chunk of the imitation fish, and popped it in his mouth. Then he peeled off another chunk and offered it to the leader, who bobbed up and down and accepted the offering with a true hand, chewing delicately on the morsel. Alex shared the entire fish with the leader and then pointed to a huge tray of the other painted fish behind him. The First’s signals brought the other Swei Swee scurrying, and the faux fish were quickly parceled out. More trays were brought until Alex called a halt to the feeding.
In a humorous twist, the Swei Swee were still snipping off the heads and tails of the painted fish despite their edibleness. The adventuresome and ignorant young often tasted a fish head or skeleton, looking for a morsel. When one of the young discovered his fish head was tasty, he searched for another. Soon it was a free-for-all as the young scurried around the bay scar
fing up the faux heads and tails.
The female tech was thrilled that she didn’t have to man the recycling chute anymore, and the Swei Swee young kept the bay clean of heads and tails. But there was one duty she did take particular pleasure in performing—she ensured there was always a replacement bot ready when the youngsters play toy was nearly out of charge.
-38-
Shuttles, transporting the Swei Swee, landed on the temporary runway near the cliff tops west of Espero. Alex waited at the bottom of his gangway ramp for the First and many of the males to disembark. He was prepared to lead them to the cliff edge, but as the Swei Swee descended their ramp, they halted. Eyestalks extended fully and mouth parts quivered, tasting the air. Then at a run, the Swei Swee males shot past Alex and made for the cliff edge, where they skidded to a halt, snapping their claws and whistling loudly.
Alex caught up to the group and directed the First’s attention to a small mound several hundreds of meters away. He whistled, “Star Hunter First dwelling,” and the leader whistled his affirmative.
Matrons disembarked and, unlike the males, took their time reaching the cliff edge. Ignoring the excited males, the females spread out along the cliff, tasting the rock and soil, whistling and warbling their findings to one another. One matron’s signals caused the other females to halt their work and hurry to her position. Immediately the matrons began cutting a trail at a shallow angle in the nearly vertical cliff face. As the heavy claws of the senior matrons gouged rock and dirt, the younger females scooped it out of their way.
Alex had ordered the building of temporary pools near the cliff’s edge. A smaller tank was stocked with live specimens from the waters below. Males lounged in the swim pool while the females worked to cut a path to the beach. The females occasionally took breaks, eating, swimming, and resting, but their pace was relentless as refreshed matrons constantly replaced those at the forefront of the digging.