gamma world Red Sails in the Fallout

by Paul Kidd

  The door was open, the lock apparently shorted out by Shaani and her magic sparks. Inside, plants had grown up through the floor. Shaani had hacked the more annoying ones out of the way, clearing a path into the hull.

  The junk-prospector in Xoota’s soul was immediately enthralled. Her antennae rose. “Ooh, was there anything good?”

  “Well, there are no power systems. Plants seem to have jiggered up all the engines and controls. But we do have this.”

  In the back compartment of the vehicle, there was a weird box, a sort of cupboard, perhaps enough to fit a loaf of bread. The door had a set of controls beside it. The whole thing was made of green metal, all looped with things that looked like veins and muscle cords. All in all, it was damned peculiar.

  There were markings on the controls. Xoota looked at them and frowned. “Can you read the runes?”

  “Nope, afraid not, old thing.” Shaani rapped on the box. “But look here: What do you think this was for?” Shaani opened the cupboard door. She shoved some plant matter inside then closed the door.

  The machine glowed blue, hummed, then fell silent. Shaani opened up the little cupboard’s door and gestured at the space inside.

  The plant matter had gone.

  The cupboard was completely empty. There was quite simply nothing there, not even the merest fleck of bark. Xoota sniffed and could no longer even detect the smell of fresh-cut weeds.

  “A disintegrator?”

  “Perhaps.” Shaani scratched her head. “I thought it might be some sort of mass-energy converter, but there’s no output of power.”

  “Good thing it didn’t. You might have gotten yourself fried.”

  “Fried.” Wig-wig clung to the ceiling, unscrewing the overhead light in case it might be useful. “Rattie take care.”

  The rat seemed happy. “Oh, evolved for science, remember? Radiation, electricity, EM fields. None of that bothers a true lab rat.”

  Xoota kept a careful eye on the forest. “Well, true lab rat, do you know where Benek is?”

  “No sign of him. He must have gotten up before I did. He might have been tromping around up here for hours.”

  “Well, I don’t want anyone doing that from now on.” Xoota spoke clearly, looking authoritarian. Behind her, several earwigs mimicked her stance perfectly, wagging admonishing legs at Shaani. “Omega terrain is terribly dangerous.”

  “Right you are.” The rat brightened. “Shall we see my surprise?”

  “I thought this was the surprise.”

  “No, no, this is just an old wreck.” The rat put her hat on straight. “Come along.”

  Xoota hung back. “What about the disintegrator cupboard?”

  “It will still be here when we get back.”

  The rat led the way, threading through the nearby trees. She moved with gentle confidence, heading toward a strange, ongoing gushing noise. The noise had a hypnotically peaceful rhythm—soft and gentle, ebbing and flowing. The air filled with the scent of cool, clear water.

  They came to a place where the trees opened out on the side of a rocky hill. Water welled up somehow from the rock, flooding into a shallow stream that spread and fell in a silver curtain over the lip of an overhang. Shaani took Xoota by the hand and coaxed her onward, bringing her to the lip of the waterfall.

  From atop the rock, the women looked out over the whole surface of the sky isle. The vantage point showed a green, tangled wilderness of trees. Vines roped through the treetops. Here and there, strange, white palm trees jutted up into the sky.

  There was a lake, a huge body of cool water covered in lush, floating plants. They saw a tower at the far shore, the top stories ruined and overgrown, but its windows and door were still intact. After an entire lifetime in the desert, Xoota was stunned. Never had she seen so many green plants, so much water, so much cool.

  She sank down to touch the rock beneath her. It vibrated softly, wonderful to feel. “It’s humming.”

  “Some sort of ancient pumping system.” The rat’s voice was a whisper. She took Xoota’s hand and coaxed her down to the bottom of the little waterfall. “Come.”

  They walked down the rocks beside the waterfall. It spilled in a big, broad curtain, falling onto the smooth, green rocks below and forming a lovely, clear pool. The pool overflowed into a little creek that spilled down in another waterfall then ran off to feed the lake.

  There was a gap behind the waterfall. Shaani led the way, ducking to clear the great silver gush of the water up above. The air shivered, filled with little water droplets that sparkled on their fur. Xoota’s whiskers quivered as they felt the kiss of spray.

  They came into a beautiful cave—a curving rock face overhead and the silver waterfall to the front. The floor was made from more green rock. The whole place echoed to the rush and bubble of the waterfall.

  It was cool, so wonderfully cool.

  It was the most private, peaceful place that Xoota had ever seen. Cool, clean rock walls, all mottled gray and green. And there, in the middle of the cavern, spread a beautiful pool.

  Shaani laughed.

  She threw off her hat, her boots, and her clothes and jumped into the water. She splashed at Xoota. “Come on. Get in.”

  It was a deadly world. Mutants and predators; radiation and poisons; enemies and weird, unimaginable disasters. The ship was damaged. The mission at a total standstill. Any sensible person would be thinking only of the grim tasks of survival and defense.

  But Shaani dived like an eel, laughing. “Come on. You have to try this.”

  Xoota tore off her armor and her clothes. She left her weapons within easy reach by the edge of the pool. Tiptoeing on pink feet, she eased herself ankle deep into the water, shrinking from the cold.

  She had never swum. There had never been so much water that she could try. Xoota blinked at the weird, wonderful sensation then slowly eased herself into the water. A look of pure, wondering delight spread slowly across her face.

  Beside her, Shaani looked at her and smiled. “Life is full of surprises.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Swimming was the most ridiculously wonderful thing. Xoota floated in shallow water, propelling herself slowly along with her fingertips touching the bottom. She cruised with just her snout above water, utterly at peace.

  Shaani lounged naked on a rock, wet and comfortable. She wriggled her fine, pink toes. “That was an experience. Swimming in water. Really swimming in it. Oh my.”

  She lay on her back with her long, white hair spread across the rocks to dry, her pink tail coiled in sensuous delight.

  “I declare myself to be a fairly happy rat.” She sighed contentedly. “The ship needs repairs, but it can all be done. Science always finds a way. That swim was just what I needed to get the brain going and raise the spirits. I could spend a lifetime lying like this, right here.”

  Xoota agreed. She floated a little more, loving the sound of the waterfall, the echo from the rocks, and the wonderful sense of pure privacy. She wrung out her antennae and waded for shore. “I’m getting out.”

  Shaani kept her eyes closed, smiling as she raised one finger. “And I am not looking at the sacred pouch.”

  Xoota made a prim face. “Just because some of us have modesty …”

  “An outmoded concept. Unscientific.”

  Wig-wig came bustling into the cave. The earwig swarm carried several remarkable objects along with them—round, yellow, egg-shaped things, each bigger than a pair of clenched fists. The bugs seemed happy. “Gleee. Nice eatings in forest. Good things. Eat. Eat.”

  Naked, free of sand encrustation and wonderfully lazy, the two women reached for the fruits the earwigs offered them. The fruits were heavy, slightly soft, and smelled seductively sweet. Xoota sniffed and let her antennae test alternative futures to see if poison might be in the offing. But she saw nothing but a flash of happiness and joy.

  “So, Wig-wig, any sign of Benek?”

  “He be around. Saw footprints and fruit skins.” The bugs began swa
rming around one of the fruits, eating heartily. “Yummy.”

  Xoota had a knife piled over with her armor. She reached out and used it to slice a line around her fruit. Juice went everywhere. While she cut, she looked out through the silver curtain of the waterfall. Images of the fig trees, the white palms, and the distant tower shimmered far beyond. Xoota had never seen anything like it in her life.

  “So what is this place?”

  “A garden?” Shaani peeled her fruit with her utility knife. There was no way to do it cleanly. “The water is being pumped to the top of the rocks; then it all runs down to the lake. So there has to be an operating power supply somewhere near.” She sniffed at her fruit then tested it with her tongue. She made a face of astonishment and started eating. The incoherent noises of enjoyment were enough to overcome Xoota’s caution. She carved off a slice of fruit and tasted it then ate like a starving dingo.

  It was delicious.

  They ate the fruits then reached for more. The mess was horrendous; juice went everywhere. Xoota scooped out the seeds inside the fruit and put them carefully aside. She was going to have to plant those things at home.

  The fruits were damned delicious. Both women flopped back on the rocks, enjoying the afterglow. They had been definite messy fun. But time was wasting, and the ship needed repairs.

  Finally Shaani gave a dutiful sigh. “Benek.”

  Xoota groaned. “I suppose we have to look.”

  “Well, he is a shipmate, albeit an annoying one.”

  The quoll forced herself back to her feet. “Benek. Yes. And check out the tower … and fix the wheel.” Xoota stood under the waterfall and washed herself of sticky fruit juice. “All right. Duty calls.”

  They doused themselves clean and gathered up equipment. Their newly washed clothes, already dry from the hot sun, had gone stiff as boards. Shaani rolled her clothing up and vigorously pummeled it into submission before dressing. Xoota just wore the damned stuff raw: chafing was the gods’ way of letting you know they hated you. The explorers grabbed their weapons and tools, filled water bottles, then reluctantly left the peaceful beauty of the cave behind.

  The sun was climbing toward midday. From somewhere, a mist of water sprayed over in the trees. Xoota and Shaani walked down toward the tree line, heading for the lake. Shaani collected specimens of flowers, herbs, and soil while Wig-wig scuttled all around them, helpfully scouting the terrain.

  The air began to take on a heady, perfumed smell—part sap, part fallen figs, and part pollen drifting from the stark white palm trees.

  The trees that bore the big, yellow fruit were in evidence all over the forest. The sweet scent they gave off conveyed a feeling of sheer goodwill. Xoota looked around then headed for the lake shore, keen to see such a marvel right up close.

  There were some fruit skins on the grass near the water. In the bushes, something slobbered horribly, snuffling like as beast gorging on carrion. Xoota halted, put up her crossbow, and pushed back her head scarf.

  “Benek, there you are.” Xoota was relieved. “You’ve been exploring?”

  “I have.” At that moment he was eating the irresistible yellow fruits. “I made some excellent finds,” he said between mouthfuls.

  He seemed to be racing to eat every fruit in the forest. Xoota raised her brows. For once she reserved comment.

  Shaani and Wig-wig emerged from the forest and took a look over the lake. Marvelous. Simply marvelous. They watched what they thought were birds move effortlessly between the treetops and the bottom of the lake. Xoota watched the animals out of the corner of her eyes as she spoke to the juice-slathered Benek.

  “Had a good morning?”

  The man nodded, his mouth full. Worn around his helmet were a set of strange goggles, weathered but apparently in working order. “Found goggles.”

  “Goggles?”

  “See in the dark.” The man was pleased. “Still have a power cell.”

  That was interesting news. The island was clearly a treasure trove. Xoota examined the goggles from a distance. “Where did you find them?”

  “Body. Skull.” Benek snuffled yellow flesh from the inside skin of a juicy fruit. He reached for another one, but Xoota stopped him.

  “Okay, enough fruit for now, Benek. You found a body?”

  He glared at her resentfully for interrupting his feast. The man sniffed then washed his face and hands in the lake before pointing to the far shore. “I found a head over there. Just a skull. Had these on him, though. Useful.”

  Benek seemed to be of the school that wanted to race ahead of the rest of the party and seize any nifty treasure. It was usually a good recipe for an early death. Xoota shook her head. “All right. So you found some cool, new goggles, and you spent two hours eating fruit. Did you get to the tower over there?”

  “No, not as of yet.”

  “Fine.” Xoota hefted her crossbow. “Right, well, let’s go check it out. But everyone keep together and keep sharp. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

  They moved on.

  The team kept a careful watch on the trees and the undergrowth. Xoota, wary of ambush, quested cautiously back and forth with her antennae as she took point for the team.

  From the center of the party, Shaani had more time to enjoy herself. She flitted off to the side to gather specimens, always accompanied by Wig-wig, who was sharing her emotion of innocent delight. The rat gathered seeds, saps, and cuttings of different varieties of plant, labeling her finds swiftly and carefully. Her backpack rattled with sample vials.

  Just off the path, the rat found a beautiful stand of mint, rich and lush and very refreshing. Shaani took up some plants, roots and all, storing them away, then rose, looking carefully ahead.

  Something was lying in the grass nearby.

  “Chaps? Over here.”

  The others came to her. Shaani nodded to the left. A body lay on the ground beneath a tall, white tree. It was an old, old corpse. Benek kept watch while Shaani and Xoota carefully approached the skeleton. It sat against a tree, dressed in ancient overalls and some sort of armored vest. The skull’s jaw was missing, as was one arm. The bones were furred green with moss. It wore a bulky helmet that had been blown open at the top. The entire top of the skull had simply vanished.

  The palm tree overhead had a sharp, herbal smell. The silence in the grove was horribly oppressive. Xoota poked the body carefully with a stick. Shaani leaned over to inspect the wound in the head and looked rather pained.

  “Oh my …”

  Xoota carefully examined the body. “Human.” She checked quietly to see if the body was uninhabited. She didn’t want a sudden fight with carrion worms or centipedes. “Same tech level as the ship we found. Could it have been the crew?”

  Benek stalked over to another nearby tree. “Here’s another one.”

  The second body lay facedown. A hole had been blasted clean through its chest, front to back, melting the skeleton’s armor. Shaani examined the damage, seeing the seared, burned edges of the wound.

  Benek scowled. “A hit from some mutation?”

  “More likely a weapon blast.” Shaani tilted her head as she examined the body. She looked from one corpse to the other then rose. “Just a moment.”

  She searched the weeds that grew beside the first corpse. Carefully parting the vegetation, she found first more bone then finally something else.

  It was a tool, a pistol. The seated corpse had been holding a gun, and the arm had dropped away to be eaten by scavengers. Shaani lifted the pistol with care, producing a brush from her equipment belt to whisk it clean.

  Xoota’s whiskers quivered with interest. “What is it?”

  “It’s called a gun.”

  “I know it’s called a gun.” Xoota’s ears went flat. “There are two laser pistols back at Watering Hole. I mean, what kind of gun?”

  “Not sure.” Shaani looked it over carefully. “The battery is dead, but they’re rechargeable. Mechanism might still be intact. Omega tech. Very intere
sting.”

  The rat sat down beside the seated corpse. She looked from one body to the other, clearly intrigued.

  Xoota raised her antennae. “What?”

  “It’s this chap here.” Shaani pointed to the seated body. “Do you see? I think he shot the other one. Look at the angle.” Shaani crouched, looking from the seated corpse to the other. “See? He shot this one in the back. Then killed himself. Fired up under his own chin.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I’m not sure we’re in a position to ask him.” The rat inspected the bodies again. “Maybe they had a bit of a tiff.”

  “Does the other one have a gun too?”

  He had a holster, and his hands were under his body. Shaani carefully rolled the fallen corpse over onto its back and made a face. “Hmm.”

  “What?” Xoota bustled over to look. “A gun?”

  “No.” Shaani carefully examined a cluster of dead, dried stems held in the corpse’s skeletal hand. “Flowers. Roses, in fact.”

  “He was carrying roses?” Xoota blinked.

  “Yes.”

  “And then this one shot him in the back.”

  “Seems so.”

  “My, that was a tiff.” Xoota scratched her head. “Well, clearly this was the site of a great tragedy and a firm lesson to us all. Now let’s loot these things down to the last gold filling and get a move on.”

  Shaani wanted to say more, but Xoota was already busily rummaging around the bodies. Shaani carefully removed a colored wristband from each corpse—blue with one gold stripe. She examined them quietly then bagged them for later study.

  The rat knelt and reverently removed a small case from one body’s belt. She opened it carefully, finding it full of small, multicolored, plastic vials.

  Xoota was at the seated body, merrily shaking all the bones out of the suit of armor. “Whatcha got?”

  The rat held up the vials. “I believe these are drugs. There’s a skin applicator in the case.”

  “What kind of drugs? Would they still be all right? As in nonpoisonous?”

  “Might be.” Shaani read one of the vials. “ ‘Healing accelerant’ … ‘antibiotic agent’ … ‘antivenin zero one’ …” She pulled out a few blue vials and made a face. “Oh. And this one’s an antiradiation serum. Not really useful.”