She stood and walked to the nearest window and looked at the stars. She was almost seventy feet off the forest floor and could see other natural apartments sticking off the side of the enormous oak — like bracket fungi back on Earth. She could already hear the forest coming to life as the bright yellow sun of Karisia rose in the western sky.
Realizing that the day was starting without her, Melaina went to the small bathroom to get herself ready. The room had a shower stall equipped with cool, filtered rainwater, and a toilet whose exhaust she assumed went towards fertilizing the tree itself. She cleaned and dried herself and, wrapped in a towel, began to choose her clothing for the day.
A loose tan skirt and matching pale blouse followed her underwear, and the whole ensemble was topped with the ubiquitous lab coat she wore at the engineering post where she worked. She slipped on her low soft shoes and grabbed her small handbag. As she walked from the bedroom into the small sitting room near the door, she spied herself in the mirror. She always kept a small brush by the door because the humid air made her hair stand out wildly when she forgot to use it. She quickly brushed her wild curly brown mane into submission and set the brush down.
As she left the tree-house apartment, she looked at the narrow walkway grown around the tree. It, too, had been engineered by the native arborists, and blended into the massive trunk of the banyan seamlessly. Melaina had always thought that her engineering skills were better than most humans, but the Karisien knowledge of botany and tree-shaping always left her in awe.
She had no need to lock the door so she walked around to a small landing near her apartment. A hovering platform awaited her. The anti-grav lifter looked somehow obscene surrounded by the natural beauty of the tree, but it beat waiting for a Karisien to lower her by rope to the forest floor. She stepped lightly onto the lift and pressed the button to send the platform downward.
There was a stone path at the base of the tree, carefully placed to look natural amid the loamy soil and moss around the tree. Karisien architects always incorporated natural features into their plans, going to great pains to make sure the placed objects looked as though nature had simply decided those things were meant to be there. She stepped from the lift and it automatically raised itself back to some distant level above her.
Melaina set off down the path to the Confederation engineering lab, buried deep in the forest. Karisia was almost an unknown world in the Confederation. Its location and jump point were a closely-guarded secret, as was the lab and all the people working there. She suspected her own identity had been quietly erased from most information databases along with the planet.
Rising from the swampy floor of the forest, a rectangular building sat gleaming at the world around it. It was a prefabricated complex, three stories tall and made of ultra-strong metal composites. The closest thing to camouflage the structure had was that it perfectly reflected the swamp it sat in, although somehow the reflection looked out of place amidst the reality of the growing world around it. The Karisiens had seemed unoffended by the alien structure the Confederacy had erected in their home, but Melaina suspected they found it distasteful to their refined senses.
Entering the secure front lobby of the building, she was met with a blast of cool dry air. She realized that, despite spending most of her days indoors in the lab, she had actually gotten used to the outside air, and found the lab cooler than she would have thought a few months ago.
A Karisien, tall and four-limbed, greeted her at the lab entrance and asked for her identification card. The native species had evolved away from a type of amphibian long ago and now spent most of their time out of the water. She had asked once and had been told that the longest period they spent back in the swamp now happened during their mating cycles. She remembered being slightly embarrassed by the comment, and then the subsequent question about blushing had begun a long explanation about human reproductive habits.
Stepping through the security gate, she walked down a long corridor to her own private lab. She was a propulsion specialist and had been making major breakthroughs in engine design that the Confederation Corp of Engineers kept telling her was vital to the coming invasion of the Ch’Tauk home world. She still had a few refinements to make before readying the project for transfer to the Edison, a C.O.E. ship in orbit right now. In fact, the entire lab seemed to be packing up to join the fleet in a secret location.
“Melaina,” said the deep voice of Tuxor, her Karisien lab partner and friend. “It is good to see you this morning.”
Tuxor was a brilliant engineer and Melaina had been so surprised when he said he would stay behind when she left. Karisiens, he told her, were homebodies and rarely left the swamp.
“Tuxor, it’s nice to see you, too.”
The Karisien engineer wore a special suit that fit his overlarge frame tightly. Made of a breathable organic fiber that was native to his home world, it kept his thin skin moist in the dry air of the lab. He also wore the lab coat like her, but with an extra set of sleeves to accommodate his alien physiology. His wide, webbed feet were bare.
“So,” she began, “what are we working on today?”
Tuxor’s huge black eyes blinked at her with what she had come to recognize as humor. She knew perfectly well what they were doing, but liked to tease him that she was the ditzy human. Because of their size, Karisiens had assumed that humans were less intelligent at their first contact.
“We are wrapping up the final calculations,” he said, as if he were a teacher to a student. “And we are packing the lab for transfer to the Edison.”
Melaina nodded at the tall alien and turned to the wall-sized computer display. Tuxor had apparently come in early to work on the calculations and they seemed to be nearly finished.
“Tuxor,” she said, “did you remember to cross index the energy coefficient for the Planck equation?
He stared for a moment at the board, tilting his head to one side in a gesture of concentration. She saw the corners of his mouth twist slightly.
“I believe I did,” he answered. “But you may need to recheck the figures to be sure.”
She smiled at the engineer. He had always had a dry sense of humor, but she could tell he was genuinely embarrassed by his own mistake.
The two began to work together on the equations, each checking the other’s work for completeness before uploading the program into the prototype engine they had designed. The engine itself was in an adjoining lab, being finished by a team of creatures native to Karisia.
When Melaina had first arrived on this world, she had been surprised by the presence of the small, pale creatures. When asked who they were, the Karisiens had explained that their native language translated the creatures’ species as “The little ones.” Tuxor had once explained that the two species were vaguely symbiotic in that the Karisiens designed things and the smaller creatures built them. Given the nature of their relationship, Melaina had decided to call the small creatures, “elves.” The Karisiens were delighted at the ancient story of Santa Claus and decided to add the word to their own language immediately.
As the day drew to a close, Melaina and Tuxor had finally finished the equations and were wrapping her personal belongings for transport to a waiting shuttle. Once again, she tried to convince the tall alien to join her, citing that the engine and the equations were partly his as well, but he refused.
“I am a creature of this world,” he said to her in patient tones. “I do not belong out there. You may have the credit and the adventure, Melaina. I will have the swamp.”
She nodded once again, knowing that his logic and his sentiment were sound. Along with the other engineering teams, the two had created something truly remarkable. If all went well, the fleet could be using their new discoveries in only a few weeks. The Ch’Tauk would be defeated almost without a battle and the Confederacy would dominate another system.
There was a rumble from outside the lab that made both engineers look to the door. An alarm sounded from the hallway and r
esearchers began to rush out. Tuxor pushed the door release and the two engineers stepped out to the corridor to join their colleagues.
“It’s an attack,” said one of the other engineering team members. “I heard one of the security guards shouting.”
Tuxor looked to Melaina in confusion.
“An attack,” he said. “Who would attack Karisia?”
Another rumble, closer to the lab, shook the hallway. Several of the engineers rushed back to their labs and started gathering their work.
“I don’t think they are attacking Karisia,” she said to her friend. “I think they are attacking us.”
Just then, a massive explosion rattled the walls, throwing Melaina back. Tuxor was already there and caught her in his wide lower arms. Her ears rang as the sound of the explosion seemed to reverberate inside the sterile metal walls.
“Get to the shuttles,” yelled a guard, hurrying along the corridor and trying to help injured engineers to their feet. “The Edison is ordering you all to the shuttles now!”
Tuxor practically carried Melaina to the lab. He placed her gently down and began gathering the few boxes and notes she would need.
“I will help you to the shuttle,” he said. “You must hurry.”
Melaina nodded, still dazed from the blast. She pulled her coat back over her shoulder where it had fallen off, and helped gather her things for transport. She looked through the big window to the next lab to see a horde of elves carrying the engine off its mounts and into the hallway. She realized that the little creatures were stronger than she had thought.
The two engineers ran back to the corridor and towards the back of the complex. There were still rumbles from outside the building that caused her to lose a step every so often, but they made good pace. As they approached the rear door of the complex, they joined a line of researchers waiting to exit. The nearest shuttle was just lifting off, carrying a full load of close to one hundred people off the planet. As it raised itself above the level of the building, a blinding white light caused her to shield her eyes and a thunderous explosion rocked the building. The shuttle had been destroyed by a great blast from above. She realized she was sitting on the floor, legs crossed awkwardly under her, crying. She had no idea when she had begun, but her eyes were stinging and her hearing was virtually gone. Screams and moans of the other researchers began to filter through her muffled ears as she looked around her for Tuxor.
He was lying flat on his back, great black eyes staring at the ceiling. She cried out to him, fearing he had been killed. She tried to get to him but found her legs unsteady. Melaina scrambled over other engineers, trying to reach her friend. As she reached him, he blinked.
“You’re alive!” Melaina felt tears in her eyes again as she saw her friend sit up. There was a trickle of deep purple blood from the corner of his mouth, but he appeared okay otherwise.
“What?” he asked.
Melaina realized that his sensitive hearing, native to Karisiens, must have been more strongly affected than even her own. She tried to help Tuxor lift himself from the floor. The other engineering teams were gathering themselves and their possessions from the floor, not caring if the items were their own, just wanting to preserve the research. Melaina and Tuxor did the same, and tried to help several of the elves retrieve the engine prototype. After a few moments, she realized that the engine had been damaged, its casing cracked beyond repair. She looked at her friend and he instructed the little builders to put the damaged part back down.
Through the smoke in the corridor, Melaina could see the back doors of the building had been blasted completely off in the explosion. Through the window, she saw another shuttle, undamaged, sitting on the landing platform outside. Although frightened of a similar fate, she started to push her colleagues towards the waiting transport. A pilot appeared from the shuttle and began to wave the researchers towards the ship.
Tuxor and the elves were trying to gather as much of the research data as they could, both paper and electronic reader cards together. She stopped to help him. He pushed her away as she kneeled to help him.
“You need to get out,” he said, his usually calm demeanor now near panic. “We will bring this in a moment. Go!”
Melaina clutched the objects she had collected and started down the nearly empty hallway. She paused to help another Karisien engineer as he staggered towards the door, carrying a sheaf of papers. She realized for one strange moment that she was trying to drag a two and a half meter frog down a metal hallway. The image in her head almost made her laugh with panic. The Karisien made it to her feet and staggered after her.
She leapt out of the doorway onto the landing pad and raced towards the shuttle. Debris and body parts had crashed down on the area, but Melaina tried to put it out of her head. She reached the shuttle just as the pilot was ushering the last of the engineers on board. He looked at her with a deadly serious expression.
“I have to go,” he said. “Is there anybody else?”
She looked back at the building, still smoking as flames came from the top floor. The explosion had torn a huge hole in the composite structure. Smoke trailed up into the angry sky and mingled with the late afternoon clouds. She searched for her friend.
“One,” she said. “A Karisien.”
“I have to go now, lady. I cannot wait,” he said, shoving her back into the transport. As soon as she was in, he ran back towards the cockpit door.
Just then, Tuxor rushed out of the building, trailing paper and elves in his wake. He looked almost comical with the small, pale creatures scurrying around his massive frame. She saw a trail of blood behind him and realized his bare feet were being shredded by the debris littering the field. As he approached, she held out her arms to him. He began to pass over the data, but was thrown violently forward as another explosion rocked the building. He landed heavily inside the transport on top of Melaina and another engineer.
The shuttle began to shake as the pilot activated the lifters and began to take off. Melaina screamed as she saw several of the little elves leap at the door that was starting to close. About seven had followed Tuxor’s entrance and five more were trying to get in. Three made it just as the door slammed shut. The group of little creatures chittered wildly at the door as the shuttle took off. The ship shuddered as the pilot evaded the orbital bolts of their attackers. A silence fell inside the cabin as the engineers and aliens realized what they had just escaped.
As the ship ascended though the deadly hail, a low song began to drift through the cabin. The elves had formed a circle around the door and were singing. Melaina thought the song sounded like sorrow and loss. She realized that the elves were singing a funeral song for their lost home. Melaina wondered if she should be singing as well.
6
Now
Pearce stepped from the corridor into the ship’s infirmary. It was smaller than what he was used to on military vessels, but was painted in softer tones. The lighting was soothing and the chairs and beds were padded with a thick, conforming foam. He noticed that they even had a potted plant in the lobby area. The air smelled vaguely antiseptic, but was flavored with a slight floral scent.
There was a nurse sitting behind a glass window and she looked up as he came in. She was pretty, he thought, but looked stressed. He supposed the idea of encountering Ch’Tauk in a cruise liner had stressed both the crew and the passengers beyond what they were used too.
“Can I help you?” she asked in a soothing tone.
“Probably,” he said in his most charming tone. “But I’m supposed to meet the captain here.”
“Oh,” she began, “he’s already here. You can go on through. They are down the hall, second door on the left.”
“Thanks,” he said, smiling at her again. He walked past the reception desk and through the door. The Princess had been equipped with private rooms for the higher paying passengers and they had placed the woman named Melaina in one to keep her under observation. The other escaped prisoners had either
been treated and released to cabins in the ship, or had taken up residence in the lower deck pool area. It seemed that the Karisiens, as the one calling himself Tuxor had informed them they were called, had been out of water for too long and needed a good soak.
Lee approached the door where a security guard stood at attention. The guard looked at his Confederacy uniform and straightened. He reached to the door panel and activated it, allowing Pearce to enter the private room. Lee nodded his thanks as he walked past the guard and into the clean-smelling room.
“The Edison was small and fast and was able to get to a jump point before the bugs got us.”
Pearce looked at the woman in the hospital bed. She was being monitored by a series of medical scanners that beeped softly in the quiet room. She had been cleaned up and treated and looked as if the natural olive coloring had returned to her skin. She had large, almond shaped eyes that had deep green irises. Her hair had been cleaned and now hung in long curls around her shoulders. She looked back at him with an expression of surprise.
“Commander,” she smiled up at him. “I’m so glad to see you again.”
Lee smiled down at her as he walked to the bed side. She reached her hand up to his and clasped it strongly. He was taken aback by the woman’s emotion towards him. He looked at the captain standing by the other side of the hospital bed.
“Commander Pearce,” the captain said, with a slight smile. “Miss Petros was just telling me about how she came to be in the company of the Karisiens.”
She looked back at the captain and quickly dropped her hand back to the bed. She appeared slightly embarrassed herself at the outburst.
“If you don’t mind,” she said to the captain, “can you tell him the story later? I’m not up to recapping the whole escape just now.”
“Of course, Miss Petros,” he replied, nodding slightly. “I will fill him in after we finish.”
Lee looked back at the woman and tried to understand what she had been through. He had also just barely escaped the Ch’Tauk invasion. Perhaps they could trade stories over dinner. He shook the thought from his head.
Resolute Omnibus (The War for Terra) Page 5