by L M Lacee
Finally, she came to a ship, unlike anything she had seen so far on her journey. It was like a squashed box, obviously the craft had crashed on its nose and then toppled over. One side looked like someone had used a sledgehammer and banged deep dents all along its length. The other side lay on the planet’s surface, she could only imagine the condition it was in.
It appeared as though no one was home but Peyton had it on good authority, two people were alive or at least one was. She had been seen on the surface, running around the ship. Peyton knocked on the door. It was after all only polite. No one answered, so she knocked again, harder this time, a tired voice reached out to her.
‘Go away poho. I will blast you. I swear I will.’
Peyton grinned, at least the female wasn’t crying in a corner. She knocked again, but this time she called out.
‘Greetings. It is me, Peyton, I have come to rescue you.’
‘Liar, go away.’
‘Oh okay, see I cannot go, I really have come to rescue you. Well, it is not just me; I mean there are heaps of us but they are up in the ships. Only Nikolas and I came, he is my pilot. I had to enlist him to help me as I do not know how to drive a ship, or is it pilot? Either way, I cannot do it. So Nikolas my pilot is with me and he is very nice. Anyway, we snuck away from our Warship because you have no idea the amount of trouble I would have had if I had not. Seriously, my people, the ones up in the ships, they would have wanted me to take guards and there would have been crying.’
Peyton screwed her face up as she thought about what she had said. ‘Well, okay, not crying, but the drama. That sometimes is so much worse.’
‘Please stop talking!’
‘Well that seems a little rude, although if you have had no one to talk to for a while, I am sure my voice would be unnerving…’
‘Please stop.’
Peyton grinned as the door cracked open and a female’s voice said. ‘You are glowing?’
‘I know it keeps the darkness away, he does not like the starlight.’ Peyton answered softly.
‘How do I know you are not a poho trick?’
Peyton looked down at her body, she was glowing soft starlight and then looked at the face in the doorway and blinked. ‘You know, I do not know.’
The door opened wider as the female said tiredly. ‘You must be real, he would have had an answer.’
‘Good point.’ Peyton agreed, as she walked in, she turned when she heard the female slam the door close and hit the button to lock it.
‘How are you doing?’
The female’s face went through several expressions, finally settling on bewilderment. ‘I am not doing well.’
She was taller than Peyton by an inch or three and was very much like a female from Asia. With her fine coal black chin length hair and black eyebrows over oval amber eyes, which should not have worked with her skin tone of light green. On Earth, she would have been a pretty green Asian woman. Peyton almost broke out her rusty mandarin on seeing her. Instead, she looked around and was quite disappointed at what she saw. The ship had the most basic interior she had ever seen, sadly it was as depressing as the outside had been. Ugly was the only word to describe it.
‘Wow, you guys don’t go in for decorating much.’
‘We are traders; this is a trading vessel, not a luxury cruiser.’ The female shot back, defensively.
Peyton bowed. ‘I apologize, no business of mine. I am here to take you off the planet and see you are returned to your people. You have people, right?’
‘Yes, I am Rose Leesungha of the trading family Leesungha. My brother Frand and I crashed here two wekens ago, and it has not been good. I know you told me your name, but I do not recall it.’
‘No problem.’ At Rose’s confused look, she introduced herself again. ‘I am Peyton St. Hill, recently from Earth, on my way to Maikonia. So trader Rose, how did you crash?’
‘Where is this Earth, I have not heard of it?’
‘I am not surprised, it is in another Universe.’
‘I see, well where is this place Maikonia.’ She asked, and Peyton could hear the suspicion in her voice.
Peyton grinned. ‘It is a hidden solar system far, far away from here. It is a long involved story which I will happily tell you, but we really should leave first. How did you come to be here trader Rose?’
‘Oh.’
Peyton let her think, Rose brushed her fine hair from her face and finally said. ‘I do not know how we crashed, we received a comm saying we could trade with a trader on this planet. When we came into land, we were pulled onto the surface and crashed.’
She eyed Peyton, her clothes, hair and the crystal rope in her hair, which gave her pause. Peyton could see her trader mind ticking over, evaluating and costing her outfit, just as a trader would. With even more suspicion in her voice, she asked. ‘Do all your people look like you?’
‘Oh no, we are all very different.’
Rose kept her eyes on the strange female but her tired, fear filled brain was unsure if she should be frightened of the small pale female, with the long white hair and clear green eyes or not. Even though she wore what appeared to be Star Crystal.
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 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.’
‘Aha! 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 a
s 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 considering 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. He 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, apart from the shape of his eyes and his long coal black hair. There was nothing 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, 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, it did not surprise her Peyton did not know the word Parta, not many knew trader talk, she whispered. ‘Parta is the title 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 as she watched, enthralled. Rose folded the material into a square no bigger than a table mat. Peyton knew there was 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 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 vow 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 and said to Rose. ‘There will be ten steps to climb when we reach the shuttle. Rose, Nikolas is a very nice male, 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 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.’
SEVENTY:
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. 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.’
‘No. She did not say.’
‘I think Madam, is not happy.’