by L M Lacee
This Rose knew, just had to be a lie, Star Crystal did not exist. Except her eyes kept returning to it and her brain kept telling her it was possible and that this female was more than she seemed. She gave up trying to work it out, right now the female was here and may save her brother and herself but there was something… something, so frightening about her and yet Rose did not feel in any immediate danger. After the last two wekens she was on intimate terms with fear. Maybe she thought… maybe she was just so tired of being frightened, her brain could not produce that emotion any longer. A thought came to her. ‘You were not also pulled to the surface?’
‘Nope, it did not do that.’
She looked at Peyton, like she expected her to think she was crazy, as she blurted out. ‘I believe the planet is sentient.’
Peyton nodded as she agreed with her. ‘Yep, it is! The planet wanted someone to play with, so it pulled you down to his surface, he is bored and very hostile. I am guessing your brother was hurt?’
‘Yes, he is our pilot.’ She looked at Peyton and her chin notched up as she stated. ‘He is an excellent pilot but when the ship crashed, he was hurt and then the planet hurt him more. I have aided him but he needs a healer. I am not a healer!’
Peyton smiled as she said. ‘No, Rose Leesungha, you are not. You are a trader.’
Rose looked at Peyton sharply through narrowed eyes, trying to see if she was mocking her. When Peyton looked innocently back at her, she seemed to relax a fraction and gave a nod. Peyton asked gently. ‘So you have been here for two wekens?’
Rose looked around at the plain utilitarian ship, seeing for the thousandth time the drab brown uninviting interior. They had an area for work desks that doubled as an eating table with two fold down seats. A comp’ and a few storage compartments as well as a small dispenser for food and drinks. In the cabin next door was more storage and one bed, which until recently she had rotated use of with her brother. Now she slept on the floor beside him. They had a small cleansing room which did not boast a shower. Instead, they used cleansing cloths that she absolutely hated, she never felt clean. All this she and Frand called home, because they wished for more control over their own lives.
Rose sighed, and the fight seemed to leave her, her shoulders lowered, her back softened and the pinched drawn look on her face lessened. ‘Yes, our oxygen was fine until yesterday morn. He did something to it, so I would go outside.’
‘Ahah! So you have been outside then?’
Startled by Peyton’s exclamation, Rose stepped away from her. ‘Yes, more in the first few days, then yesterday to fix the regulator.’
Horror filled her mind and her heart rate picked up as sweat broke out on her skin. In seconds she was drenched as she remembered the ugly, disgusting scenes she had seen in the dark. She just stopped the hysterical giggle from escaping as she thought. Oh look I still have fear!
‘Hush now!’ Peyton enfolded her in her arms and Rose found herself clinging to her as sobs shook her body. Peyton burnt off the sweat and the scent of fear as she held Rose’s trembling body.
‘Listen.’ She crooned as her grandmother had done for her on so many nights when fear had woken her. ‘You are alright, I have you now sweet Rose of the trading family Leesungha. I think it is time you and your brother left this world.’
She released her when her sobs quietened and gently told her. ‘Gather what you need, no matter how big and we will get out of here, alright?’
‘How… how, will we leave? We cannot just walk out of here like that?’ Rose asked as she snapped her fingers, fear making her voice jumpy. Peyton waved her concerns away with a careless hand as she said with a grin. ‘Oh, I have Nikolas, so what can I do to help?’
Rose stared at her with a stunned look on her face, Peyton could feel her tiredness and confusion but at least she seemed to have resigned herself to not fight her on this.
Rose said tiredly. ‘We need nothing other than this trunk.’ She pointed to a large box that looked like a traveling chest. ‘It is all we need to take, it has all that is valuable to us in it.’
‘Really, not the ship?’ Peyton asked expecting her to have said the ship, especially in light of her defensive answer earlier.
Rose crinkled her nose up as she looked around again and suppressed the shudder that wanted to crawl over her skin. ‘No... No! There is nothing other than the trunk.’
‘Alright, so your brother, he is in here?’
In here was a small room with little ventilation and occupied by a very tall male. Who was obviously hurt, she could see wounds and bruises on his exposed skin.
He was not as Peyton expected, a male version of Rose. In fact a part from the shape of his eyes and his long coal black hair which were the same as his sisters, there was nothing else to say they were related.
His color was a surprise; she had expected him to be green like Rose, but he was a mustard color, not very appealing Peyton thought. Then laughed at herself, really yellow was not appealing. She mentally shook her head, months ago the thought of a yellow or green person would not have entered her mind, other than in an abstract way.
It was amazing how her life had changed. As she looked at the male, she thought when he was not so ill he may be a soft lemon color, which could be a bit more appealing. He looked thin but for all she knew he could always look like that, even ill he had more muscle tone than Rose. Peyton thought he was quite handsome. She especially liked the small beard on his chin, she thought it was called a chinsee, which was sort of a good name for a chin beard.
She said to Rose. ‘He does not look good, we need to move him?’
Rose agreed worriedly. ‘He has not regained consciousness. I am worried.’
‘Well, let’s get him out of here. Do you have anything to transport him on?’
‘I have a floater.’ Rose told her. No idea what she meant Peyton just nodded okay as she watched the green female hurry from the cabin. Then she scrunched her nose up at the cramped horrible room and the unwashed smell that seeped into the stale air.
She already knew Rose was not the type to have allowed this to happen if she could have prevented it. This ship was just nasty. She decided she would make sure she replaced this one with a new ship for the brother and sister that was, if they left. With a secretive smile, she smoothed the hair from the male’s forehead and felt a glow of certainty enter her heart. She knew she had just found her traders and what courageous ones they were.
Minutes later what looked like an air filled brown mattress floated into the room. Rose lowered it and together they rolled her brother onto it.
‘This is so cool!’
Rose looked at her oddly. ‘No Peyton, the floater is warmed.’
Peyton opened her mouth to explain but closed it and smiled instead. ‘Wonderful, does the trunk also float?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good, then we are set.’
They maneuvered the floater and trunk to the door that would take them outside and Rose could go no further, she shook and pleaded. ‘I cannot go out there and see those things Peyton. Please leave me, take Frand. Our Parta will reward you. I will survive here.’
By now she was shaking so hard her teeth rattled and Peyton was sure she would shake a part.
‘Listen up, trader Rose Leesungha of the family Leesungha. I am not leaving you behind. Now what is a Parta?’
Rose swallowed and breathed heavily for a few seconds, she was not surprised Peyton did not know the word Parta, not many knew trader talk, she whispered. ‘Parta is name of my papa’s brother. Parta Savo.’
‘What is your papa’s sister called?’
‘He does not have one.’
‘I see. Does your Parta have a mate?’
‘Yes Unta Teelu, why do you need to know?’
‘Just curious, now do you have a strip of cloth about this wide?’ She held her hands about six inches apart.
‘Yes.’ Rose reached behind herself and pulled out some material from a storage hatch.
Peyton had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life. It was a glorious kaleidoscope of greens and blues just like an ocean, and it felt softer than silk when she hesitantly touched it.
‘You have never seen Waetera before, it is quite beautiful.’ Rose asked astonished at the female’s hesitant touch of the material.
‘I have never seen anything this beautiful before.’ Peyton told her reverently. Rose started to fold the material as Peyton watched enthralled, she folded it into a square no bigger than a table mat. Peyton knew there were yards of it, yet it looked as if the square was only a few layers thick. Rose handed it to her with a bow. ‘Please take it.’
‘Oh Rose, no, it looks very valuable, your family may need it.’ Peyton said even as her hands itched to claim the material.
‘No Peyton it is a trifle, I swear, take it please.’
Peyton reached out and took the square of delicious material, stroking it with a smile of delight on her face. Placing it in one of the large pockets in her cloak, she gave her pocket a pat as she said. ‘All secure.’
She looked up and saw Rose had a strip of plain brown material four inches wide in her hands, calmer now she asked. ‘Will this do?’
‘Yes, thank you.’ Peyton took the strip and said.
‘I am going to wrap this around your eyes, and you will not see anything. I promise I will look after both you and your brother.’
‘And the trunk… Do not forget the trunk!’ Rose pleaded.
‘I will not.’ Before she could think of anything else, Peyton wrapped the material around her eyes and covered it with a starlight. ‘Can you see?’
‘No Peyton I cannot.’
‘Good, here is my hand, hold on to it and I will lead you.’
‘Alright!’ Rose whispered, terror in her voice and shaking hand. Peyton unlocked the door, and they stepped out, she flared her light around them both and the floating bed and trunk. They walked that way for a little way with Rose’s quickened breaths easing when Peyton asked. ‘So what is so valuable in the trunk?’
‘Traders memories.’ Rose’s voice came out strained but calmer.
‘Oh, is that like ledgers and records of trades, things like that?’
Rose shook her head no. ‘It is our papa’s personal trade journals and gifts to each of us, his young. We are to receive them on our wed day.’
‘That is nice.’
‘Yes.’
‘I am guessing he has passed through the gates to the afterlife?’
‘Yes!’ Her voice was strained again, quickly Peyton reassured her. ‘We are almost there, Rose. I swear only a few more steps. I am waving to Nikolas. He has seen us.’
When he saw them he opened the doors and made to get out, she halted him by calling. ‘No, Nikolas, it is still unsafe, stay there. We will come to you, a few more steps Rose.’
Nikolas nodded as he called. ‘Alright, Madam!’
Peyton walked a further five feet or so and said to Rose. ‘There will be ten steps to climb, Rose, Nikolas is a very nice male when we reach the shuttle, he will take your hand and help you up.’
As her shakes increased, Peyton said to the fearful female. ‘You have trusted me this far. I need you to trust me just a little longer and you will be in my shuttle. Trader Rose Leesungha. You and your brother have been extraordinarily brave and are almost gone from this world.’
Rose swallowed and said in a shaky voice that tried for firmness. ‘I will trust you.’
Peyton took the last steps to bring her to Nikolas and passed him Rose’s hand. ‘Nikolas, this is trader Rose and her brother.’
He said. ‘Trader Rose, I am Warrior Nikolas please come on board.’
She lifted her foot and felt around until she located the first step, after that it was a matter of lifting each foot. Then she was on the last step and walking into the shuttle, only then did she remove her blindfold.
‘See very brave.’ Peyton called out to her as she floated the bed and trunk in. Nikolas went about securing them as Peyton remained on the surface of the planet. Rose asked, ‘You will not come with us?’
‘Not yet.’
FIFTY-ONE:
Peyton told the couple. ‘Stay inside, I will be back. I have to talk to someone. Nikolas dearle rise to about twenty paces please.’
‘As you wish Madam.’
He showed Rose to the navigator’s seat.
Slightly bemused she gave him an enquiringly look as he handed her a tube of water saying. ‘Please sit here, so you can see what Madam is going to do. Her conversations are always entertaining.’
Then he sat and moved the shuttle the required paces from the surface. Rose murmured. ‘I do not understand, you call her Madam?’
‘Madam. Yes! She did not say?’
‘No, about what?’
‘She is the Star Daughter. We call her Madam Peyton.’
‘Oh no! She did not say?’
‘I think, Madam is not happy?’
She looked at him. ‘Your words are strange as are your Madams.’
He smiled. ‘They are words from Madam’s world called Earth.’
‘Earth, she said it was in another universe?’
‘This is so.’
‘Oh! So Maikonia must be true as well?’ She mumbled to herself but Nikolas answered her, anyway. ‘It is, Madam never lies.’
Rose cynically stated. ‘Everyone lies.’
Nikolas frowned. ‘Madam does not, or I should say she tries very hard not to.’
Rose smiled, at his adamant defense of the female she knew a person who adored another when she met them, she had been liked that with her papa.
‘I see.’
They both turned to the window as they heard Peyton calling. ‘Come out, come out, wherever you arrre?’
‘Amazing!’ Rose said, astonished they could hear her without the aid of technology.
‘Madam is amazing!’ Nikolas agreed as they heard her calling again.
Peyton sang as she walked away from the shuttle. ‘Come out, come out, wherever you arrre! Come out, come out and play with meeee!’
Suddenly a male was in front of her. He stood eight feet tall and was very thin and young. Peyton looked him over critically and thought he seemed unhealthy, there was no substance to him as though he was unfinished. His face was humanoid with large round eyes that seemed to take up most of his face and like his hair were multi-colored. It was as though he was not sure what form his body should take and he had meshed several types and colors into one. He pulled his face into a caricature of hatred as he yelled at her in a hard unyielding voice that reminded her of boulders rolling down a mountainside.
‘Who are you? You took my toy away, give it back! I was having fun. Now I will be bored again. Give it back!’
The planet shook, the wind howled as deep fissures opened up around the area Peyton stood upon.
‘Someone’s throwing a tann... trrum?’ Sang Peyton, instantly everything stopped. The silence was as unnatural as the being standing before her.
Quietly she told him. ‘I am the Star Daughter, the ones you caught, are not toys.’
He stamped his foot, and the ground rumbled. ‘I do not care. I rule here. I say what happens here! Give them back.’
Peyton calmly said as one would to a child. ‘No. You are answerable to me, and I say stop this.’
He stamped his feet again and screamed. ‘I do not care. I hate you… go away!’
‘Well, that seems harsh. We have not really met and no I cannot go away. I said I would help you.’
‘I hate you, go away and give me my toys back or you will be hurt!’
Peyton shook her head. ‘See… that is just mean.’
He snarled as he stepped toward her. ‘I will kill you. Leave me alone!’
‘You can try, now stop being naughty, grow and learn to control yourself. I will help you.’
He screamed loud and long and then hurled everything he could at her, rocks, dirt and water. He blew sheets of dust as he
shook the ground, then made the wind hammer hard against her shields. Peyton yawned and cartwheeled her arms as he screamed louder.
Rose looked between Peyton and Nikolas with an expression that alternated between bewildered and fascinated, finally she had to ask. ‘Why is she doing that, is it an Earth way of warding against evil?’
Nikolas shook his head as his eyes squinted with suppressed laughter. He had seen Madam do this when talking with Lady Darby about something scientific, usually when she did it. Lady Darby would narrow her eyes and sniff loudly, then walk away, causing Madam to smile. ‘No, I think she is just bored.’
Rose looked at him to see if he was mocking her, when she realized he was indeed serious, she could not think of what to say except. ‘Oh!’
Peyton looked up at the weak suns and trembling moons overhead and tapped her foot hard on the surface of the planet several times. Each tap made the male flinch, but he still raged on and she yelled out to him. ‘Are you finished yet?’
He slapped at her shields with large balls of dirt and then with ice shaped into spears. Annoyed she stamped her foot and asked again. ‘Are you finished yet?’
He roared loudly until it rattled the ground, making rocks tumbled down the small ridges and cracks appear on the developing mountains.
The shuttle rocked gently thankfully Peyton’s shields protected it from the worse of his anger. Unfortunately, the movement drew his attention away from her and toward the shuttle, and then everything stilled as he spied Rose and Nikolas.
Suddenly he directed a ferocious attack on the craft hoping to drive the two occupants from the shuttle. He shot dirt balls the size of small boulders at the craft only to have them smash up against Peyton’s shields. Then he directed a funnel of hard packed earth at the shuttle all to no avail as it also fell against her shield.
‘See that was just wrong, very wrong!’ Peyton growled at him.
He sneered back at her. Give me back my toys.
‘No!’