Adaptation

by Kaitlyn O'Connor

  And she still felt like weeping at the thought of never seeing her true home again, never breathing the air of Earth or feeling its soil beneath her feet. It was familiar. It was dear to her heart.

  She thought that Sirius would always seem alien to her, no matter how long she lived there.

  "We go now?" Jarek asked, studying her worriedly.

  Kate forced a smile as she met his gaze and abruptly wished that he would change back to the 'human' he'd been the first time around. She supposed she should be more used to the way he looked now, but the way he'd looked before was the way she thought of him-all of them.

  Shaking the thought, she nodded and struck off toward the passenger entrance. Ronan shouldered the single bag she'd brought with her. Everything else that she was taking to start her new life had been sent to baggage the day before.

  She hoped to hell she didn't arrive on Sirius with half her stuff missing! She was going to be seriously pissed off if they had misplaced any of her crates!

  It wasn't like she'd be able to dash down to the mall and get anything to replace anything she'd lost!

  She glanced up at Ronan when she sensed he was studying her. "You remember what I told you guys about checking in, right?"

  Something flickered in his eyes. "Yes. You are worried."

  It was a statement not a question. It was amazing how easily he seemed to read her no matter how hard she tried to pretend nothing was wrong! It must be some sense that humans didn't have, she thought distractedly. Because humans never seemed to be that observant or intuitive-unless it was with someone they'd known a very long time.

  She forced a tremulous smile. "It's really unnerving to think about leaving Earth and probably never coming back. I keep feeling like I've forgotten something important and left it."

  The Sirians surrounded her as they went through the automatic doors and filed into the terminal. All three lifted their heads and surveyed the huge building packed with people for several minutes and then seemed to relax. It wasn't until they gave her more room to move that it hit her that they'd formed a protective wall around her until they could determine whether there was any danger or not.

  An odd sensation fluttered in her belly. She thought it was more than that telltale sign that they weren't human. She felt … sheltered, protected in a way she never had before-like she had her own personal bodyguards!

  She had mixed feelings about that, she decided. It was nice in a way.

  On the other hand, prisoners were also guarded and that didn't produce as nice a feeling as the sense of being protected.

  In fact, she didn't like that feeling at all!

  Dismissing it with an effort, she studied the instruction bulletins on the overhead monitors. "Draftees are supposed to report down there," she said, pointing to the other end of the terminal. "I have to check in over there. I'll meet up with you guys at the café over there when we're done … unless they want you to go ahead and board the ship. It that's the case, then I'll see you when I get on, ok?"

  Despite the fact that she'd carefully explained the boarding procedure to them when she'd found out that fully half of the passengers on this ship would be 'draftees', none of the three looked pleased at all that they were going to have to leave her.

  To her relief, Ronan finally nodded, although his expression was grim. Settling a hand at the small of her back, he herded her toward her own destination. She tried to convince herself he was just walking her to the line and meant to continue from there to the place where he and Dax and Jarek were supposed to check in, but there was a possessiveness to his body language that made her uneasy.

  Actually, she amended after glancing at Jarek and Dax-all of them had this 'mine' attitude about them, glaring at any man that happened to glance even casually in their direction.

  To her relief, though, once they reached the check-in line, they only paused briefly to stare down any men they happened to notice looking in her direction and then moved away. She watched them as they left, her uneasiness shifting to worry as to whether they were going to be able to carry off the 'disguises' she'd managed to round up for them. She'd been trying not to think about the fact that this was going to be the most dangerous part of her plan to return them to their home world. She had been trying to convince herself that they wouldn't give themselves away or that the papers she'd paid for wouldn't stand up to close scrutiny.

  The chances were that she'd be arrested right along with them if the papers weren't as good as she thought they were or she'd been told! She was very much afraid that it wouldn't take the authorities long to track the purchase back to her!

  She was clammy with fear when she turned resolutely away and focused, or tried to, on going over a mental list of her preparations for departure to make sure she hadn't left anything undone. The line in front of her had inched up a few paces when a voice finally penetrated her abstraction and she looked up to discover that Sissy was about a dozen people in front of her in the line and trying to get her attention. A surge of pleasure went through her as she recognized her friend and then abruptly did a nosedive as her mind leapt from Sissy to her 'mates'. She smiled with an effort and waved.

  Sissy waved at her in a summoning motion.

  Everybody between the two of them gave them both dirty looks.

  She smiled with an effort and shook her head. "I need to keep my place. I don't want to be standing here for hours."

  "I've already been standing here two hours," Sissy said irritably. She seemed to debate with herself and finally shrugged. Stepping out of line, she walked by to where Kate was standing. "I'd begun to think you were going to miss the ship!"

  As glad as she was for the company, Kate met Sissy's look warily. "You know me-check and recheck. I'm always convinced I've missed something. Looks like I'm still going to have plenty of time to wait."

  Sissy nodded. "You'd think the way they're going that they were worried about somebody getting on the ship that didn't have a ticket," she said dryly.

  "You never know."

  Sissy's lips flattened with wry disgust. "You aren't serious?" she responded, nudging her chin in the direction the Sirians had disappeared. "I guess that means you didn't notice the long, long line over there of 'draftees'."

  Relieved that Sissy obviously hadn't seen her arrive with three of the draftees, Kate glanced in that direction with pretended surprise. "You mean they really are forcing some people to colonize?"

  "Tut tut! Our government wouldn't do that! It's a free world! No, no, no! They just didn't realize they wanted to colonize until the military picked them up! And they're under guard because the government is worried someone might try to take their place."

  That comment startled Kate. She actually hadn't noticed the military presence. She'd been too focused on Ronan, Dax, and Jarek to notice the armed men pacing the area around the draftee station!

  Oh my god! Guards, she thought! What if the real owners of those names she'd given the guys had been picked up! She hadn't been able to check-hadn't considered that she needed to make an effort to see if they had been!

  They are here.

  A wave of dizziness washed through Kate when she heard the voice in her head. It wasn't just a voice, though! She knew it was Ronan.

  Disbelief followed-the certainty that she was imagining the voice and a refusal to accept the fact that they were all in deep trouble.

  They are here. I have scanned the thoughts of the guards.

  Kate didn't just feel dizzy that time. She felt a wave of nausea that was terror inspired.

  She could worry about the fact that Ronan seemed to be telepathic later!

  Leave! Go! As casually as you can, step out of line and … uh … pretend you think you got in the wrong line and look around and then leave!

  You will leave also.

  Sissy was talking to her, making it nearly impossible to concentrate on the danger they were all in! Closing her mind to Sissy's chatter, she focused on trying to resolve think of a way to resolve

the situation.

  You're going to have to think of a way to take the place of the men whose papers I got for you! There won't be another ship leaving for Sirius for almost a month! And we'd run the same risk next time! I'd have to get more papers for you. You can't go without papers!

  A few moments passed before he responded. We will find a place to watch and then we will remove the others if there is an opportunity.

  Kate felt like she was going to throw up for several moments. You don't have to … hurt them. They don't want to go. If you could … just … knock them out …."

  "Are you ok?"

  The sudden concern in Sissy's voice finally penetrated Kate's abstraction. She smiled with an effort. "Just feeling a little weak. I was too nervous to eat this morning before we … uh … I left."

  Sissy didn't seem to notice the slip-thankfully!

  "Good thing for you I'm a nibbler!" she said, digging through the bag she was carrying. "I have snacks!"

  Kate thought she would throw up if she tried to eat anything at all with her stomach in knots, but she took the treats Sissy offered and smiled with an effort. "Thanks!" Can you see what's going on?

  The guards are sending everyone into a pod-a room with doors. I cannot see but I hear the thoughts of those inside. They are thinking it is a jail. There are no windows and no door except the one they entered through.

  Ronan studied the flow of humans into the room they believed was a jail cell. He, Dax, and Jarek had moved out of the line as Kate had suggested. After a few moments thought, he had joined the longest line near where they had been before, relieved when he discovered that Kate had not betrayed them. The guards had watched them, but then had dismissed them when they got into another group.

  This did not solve the problem, however, if what Kate had told them was true and he saw no reason to doubt it. They still had to find a way to take the place of the men whose papers she had given them.

  Unfortunately, he saw no way to do that when those men would be locked inside with the others and were watched so carefully now.

  He had at least managed to locate the men, which was something.

  What are going to do now, Jarek asked grimly? The papers are no good if the men are already here.

  We need a distraction, Ronan agreed tightly.

  It might have been better if we had attracted attention then, Dax pointed out. Then we could have run and drawn the guards away. We can still do that. We can attack the guards and then flee. They will chase us and then we can change ourselves.

  Ronan considered it, mostly because he was angry and frustrated enough that it appealed to him to attack the guards. He reluctantly dismissed it, however. We would run the risk that they would realize we are the ones they call the bigfoot and the Sirians. That might cause more of a distraction than we would want. We need to find a way that will not draw as much attention.

  The guards will escort the prisoners onto the ship, Jarek pointed out. Maybe it would work best to replace three of the guards and then take the place of those men? At least if we take the place of the guards we would be able to get onto the ship.

  Good point, Ronan agreed. Still more risky than I like-and we do not know that we can do that--but I cannot see an alternative.

  We will have to kill the guards, Dax objected. Otherwise they will alarm the others and then they will search for us. And Kate will be distressed if we do that.

  Ronan frowned, thinking, trying to dismiss the reluctance he felt in the pit of his belly at the thought of distressing Kate in that way. She seemed to have accepted them-finally. If they killed again …. The idea that was taking form in his mind also did not appeal to him a great deal, however, and he examined it as the pieces slowly fit together.

  They will panic if they see us as they have come to think of as our true appearance, he finally said slowly. All of the humans will panic and that will create a very big distraction. I do not like it but think we must risk doing that and then change ourselves again and remove the men we must replace and allow ourselves to be taken.

  Dax looked at Jarek to see what he thought of Ronan's plan and finally shrugged when he saw that Jarek looked as dismayed as he felt, deciding that he preferred to agree with Ronan than to agree with Jarek. This is a good plan. What do you think we should do?

  What we must not do is allow them to see us change, Ronan said decisively. We do not want them to know that or they will check everyone more carefully. We will try to leave without drawing attention to ourselves and then change into the beast forms that they are searching for and allow them to see us. If we cannot leave without attracting attention, then we must elude them long enough to make the change so that they do not know that we appeared to be humans before.

  Dax frowned. They will try to shoot us with those rifles they carry.

  I had thought of that, Ronan retorted dryly. I do not, however, see another way and we cannot let Kate get on that ship without us. I am almost certain that she is carrying our young in the nest of her body. We must protect her and them.

  I would be more happy if we could think of a way that would not stir up the humans so much, Dax responded. But I think you are right and there is no other way.

  Which direction, Jarek asked tautly.

  We will go to the men's room, Ronan said decisively, having been giving that particular part of the plan a good deal of thought. There are many going in and out. That should not attract unwanted attention. He hesitated and then reached out to Kate again since she seemed not to have had any ill effects from their communication before-at least not anything that unnerved him. We must create a distraction. I do not see another way.

  What kind of distraction, Kate responded, the question laced with enough fear that Ronan was almost sorry he had decided that he must warn her.

  He decided to ignore the question. Instead, he stepped out of the line where he had been standing and headed directly toward the men's room that he had pointed out to Dax and Jarek. They followed him-and it instantly drew the attention of several of the guards. He moved unhurriedly, hoping they would lose interest once they realized that he and the others were only headed toward the men's room.

  They had almost reached their destination and Ronan felt his tension easing when he realized that one of the guards had decided to follow them-just to be certain they didn't plan to sneak out the window.

  It was unfortunate, because that had been his plan exactly.

  There was no window he discovered when they went inside and the room was occupied by humans. Only a handful, but any was too many for them to shift forms without being seen. There were small pods within, however. Jarek and Dax had already followed him through the door one the one he chose before they discovered the pod was too tiny for all of them to fit comfortably and still shut the door. Ignoring the stares of the men inside, gritting his teeth, he wedged the door shut just as the guard reached the outer door and began to push it open.

  There was no hope for it. They would have to shift forms or formulate a new plan and he did not think they had time for that.

  Focusing inwardly, he summoned to mind the image of the form they had taken when the humans had captured them, struggling to make the full transition before the guard reached the door of the tight pod where they had hidden themselves. He could tell from the mixed signatures of excitement and fear that the man was close even if he had not been able to hear the stealthy steps. The others who had been in the room darted toward the door as the guard entered.

  Ronan hesitated, knowing that neither Jarek nor Dax had completed their transformation, but he did not want the three of them wedged so tightly together that they could not fight either. When the guard was nearly upon them, he summoned every ounce of strength he possessed and slammed his palms into the door. The hinges broke and the entire door flew outward and across the room, slamming into the lavatory and shattering it.

  "What the fu …?"

  Bounding out behind the door, Ronan seized the surprised guard and his weapon, lifted the man from the floor and pitched him toward the exit. The door cracked as the man struck it and flew outward. Uttering a challenging bellow, Ronan charged behind his victim, leapt over the unconscious man and headed for the nearest exit. The commotion of the flying guard and door had drawn the attention of everyone within the building. Either the bellow he had uttered or the sight of him created total pandemonium.

  Humans began to shout or scream and run in every direction. Ronan was a little stunned at their reaction. He had hoped, indeed planned, to create disorder, but he had not anticipated the violent eruption he got. Screaming humans flew toward the exits and piled upon each other in their frantic haste to escape, blocking every exit.

  We will have to make a hole, Dax growled grimly as he surged from the room behind Ronan.

  Kate! Ronan called to her, in a panic himself when he saw the results of his plot to create mayhem.

  Run! For god's sake!

  You are alright? I cannot see you!

  I'm ok! Go!

  She did not sound alright to him, but he realized he could help her more by leaving and allowing the humans to settle than to charge toward the already terrified humans and perhaps stir them up more. In any case, the guards began to fire upon them, driving the humans even more crazed with terror. Whirling abruptly, he charged toward the opposite side of the building from where he had last seen Kate. The humans fighting one another to get out by that route spotted him and surged away, thankfully. Shoving the slower moving people aside and leaving over the fallen, he cleared the way for Dax and Jarek and crashed through the door when it did not open quickly enough.

  His memory of their first flight from the humans served him. There was a garden area on that side and beyond that a narrow strip of woods. He had not even covered half the distance to his goal when he felt a burning sensation along his side that almost knocked the breath from him. Dax caught him beneath one arm as he charged past him and curled an arm around his waist, assisting him for several steps until he managed to catch his breath. One of the blasts caught Jarek on one shoulder just before they reached the wooded area, pitching him into a forward roll that took him the remainder of the way.

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