Close Encounters

by Katherine Allred

  “You don’t have to quote me, damn it. I know what I said.” Smart-ass ship. It didn’t help that he was right. But for some reason, I was uneasy about moving to the Buri village. I glanced at Thor to check his reaction, and discovered he was emanating a palpable air of satisfaction.

  With a sigh and a deep sense of resignation, I went to the storage room and pulled out the antigrav sled. Junior’s eyes lit up, and he immediately began transferring everything to the pallet. Not only did they load my clothes, they loaded everything from the supply section of the hut. Only the lab and kitchen units remained. Max could supply power remotely if I chose to move the entire setup, but living in one of the Buri buildings would make me more accessible to the clan. And I could always come back anytime I needed to use the lab.

  With the sled loaded, they wasted no time heading back to the village, several flocks of dragon birds trailing along in our wake. Junior and Ghost took the lead, tugging the sled behind them, occasionally exchanging comments and laughing. Thor, back to his dignified silence, stayed at my side, occasionally allowing our arms to brush as we walked, each contact sending nearly visible sparks between us. I needed to get my mind off the sexual vibrations he was sending in my direction. “Max, where’s Crigo?”

  “He’s—busy.”

  I rolled my eyes at the tinge of embarrassment in his voice. “Well, I guess if he comes back to the hut and I’m not there, he’ll figure out where I’ve gone. If he can’t, I’m sure a dragon bird will inform him.” I was being sarcastic, but to my surprise, two of the little birds immediately took off, headed in the direction of where I’d last seen Crigo. Could it be?

  Nah, just my imagination.

  We were near the village when Max spoke again. “Kiera, one of my satellites is receiving a transmission from the Federation Archives.”

  “Any idea what it is?”

  “From the size, it’s probably the information you requested on the Ashwani.”

  Thor scowled at me, but I paid him no attention. “Let me know when you have the data downloaded.”

  “I estimate it will take approximately twenty-four hours to sort through it for relevance.”

  “Okay.”

  The truth was, I didn’t care much about the Ashwani at the moment. All I wanted was some time alone to try and sort out what had happened when Thor kissed me. My reaction to the crystal building had me worried. Even now, there was a dull, hollow ache in my middle that felt suspiciously like homesickness, an emotion I’d read about but never experienced. Max was the closest thing to a home I’d ever had, and where I went, he went.

  Dammit, maybe Thor’s kiss had triggered the one major flaw Gertz left in my psyche. A need to belong, to be part of a larger whole.

  And somehow that need manifested as an image of a crystal building?

  I shook my head in disgust. Even for me, that was reaching, and all it proved was my desperate desire to find a logical explanation. The situation on Orpheus Two was dangerous enough without getting sidetracked by an emotional meltdown. It was imperative that I stay mentally healthy and alert.

  Squaring my shoulders, I pushed the inner turmoil aside and concentrated on the Buri. There were some changes in the village since I’d been there a week earlier, and I looked around in surprise when we entered the clearing.

  Two new buildings were going up, the smaller of the two nearing completion. It sat nestled among the inner circle of older structures, and when completed would look very much like its neighbors.

  The larger building was a different story altogether. It was situated away from the other dwellings and looked about ten times the normal size for a Buri home. And that wasn’t the only anomaly. Instead of adobe, they were using natural stone to erect the walls.

  Considering they’d only had a week, the construction was going amazingly fast. The walls were almost finished, and I could see flat stone floors inside. When completed, it would be a magnificent structure, proving yet again that the Buri were advanced enough to be considered a developing society.

  The building’s lines were graceful, with large, arched windows and doors to allow for air circulation. Thick pillars already stood in place, support for an overhanging roof that would create wide porches on all sides to block out the hot sun.

  Could it be a religious edifice? Did the Buri even worship a higher power? Most races did have some form of organized religion, and they ran the gamut from worshiping blades of grass to messy, bloody sacrifices. There was even one planet in the far reaches of the universe that required men to worship their mothers-in-law. Which was probably the reason their males all had such nasty tempers.

  GEPs were pretty much left to decide the issue for themselves, since training in religion wasn’t required for most jobs. The more religious Naturals, however, were of the opinion that since GEPs are man-made, we have no souls. I could have argued with them, but I figured it was a waste of valuable time.

  I’d seen no sign of worship among the Buri. Still, except for my honor guard, I hadn’t been around them much, and it did make sense that the building was some sort of religious edifice. I made a mental note to check into it. You could tell a lot about a species from the gods they worshipped.

  “Max, any idea where they’re getting the stone?” I was back to subvocalizing again. While the Buri working in the area had taken note of my arrival, none of them seemed surprised that I was moving in, and I didn’t want to disturb them by carrying on a one-sided conversation.

  “There’s a quarry at the other end of the mountain. The stone is coming from there. It would appear they’ve been cutting it for some time now. They have a large amount stockpiled.”

  “How are they moving it?”

  “By hand.”

  Involuntarily, my eyes widened. Each block was approximately one foot square and ten inches thick. It must have taken every Buri in the village, working twelve hours a day, to carry that many bricks.

  Well, that was one problem I could solve, if Thor would allow it. I turned, only to discover that he was looking at me expectantly. “What?” I arched a brow in question.

  He gestured toward the building.

  Did he want my approval? Strange. But then, he had a right to be proud of the new construction. It was gorgeous.

  With a smile, I nodded. “It’s beautiful, Thor. I love it.” I moved closer to him, lifted my hands to his temples, and visualized Buri loading blocks onto the antigrav sled. There was no way to be sure it would work, but I figured it was worth a shot. I’d realized that touch appeared to play a part in our communication. Every time he’d reacted to what I was thinking, we’d been in close physical contact.

  “It would make hauling the stone easier,” I said, in case he really did understand me. “And faster.”

  His lips curved into a smile, and he nodded before motioning one of the females forward. Her hair was a dark gray and I remembered her from my last trip. She was obviously young, but older than Junior and Churka. She smiled at me as Thor growled a question, then answered him and pointed at a small building beside the one I’d seen him emerge from that first day.

  He gave a curt nod and rumbled a few orders at Junior and Ghost to get them moving toward the dwelling. So Thor had ordered a house prepared for me, had he? That meant he’d started out this morning with the intention of bringing me here. He wasn’t doing it because of our run-in with Frisk and company; he was doing it because he wanted me near. The knowledge made me feel much happier about relocating to the village.

  It also made me want to grab Thor and snuggle up in those strong arms. And that was scary. I didn’t understand what was happening to me, but it had to stop. Sooner or later I would have to leave Orpheus Two and Thor behind. Until my indenture was paid off, there was absolutely no choice in the matter. And why was I even thinking about it?

  To take my mind off the subject, I turned to the female and touched my chest. “Kiera.”

  She mimicked the gesture. “Lurran.” Her voice was soft and lyrical,
and she had the same exotic beauty I’d found in all the Buri. I was pleased to note her hair was pulled back on one side with a clip I’d brought, one adorned with royal blue stones that complemented her dark gray hair and eyes perfectly. They even matched the skirt she wore in the Buri style. The strip of lightweight blue material, threaded through her belt, left both sides open to expose a long stretch of smooth bronze leg and slender hips.

  Why would any Buri male, especially one like Thor, pay attention to pink, blonde me with someone like her around? It boggled the mind.

  With the introductions out of the way, she took my arm and led me to my new living quarters. Thor followed us. He didn’t make a sound, but I felt his presence in every pore along my back. Remember the zorfa’s ass, I told myself. Certainly didn’t want a repeat of that fiasco. The boss would disown me. Yes, I really needed to put a stop to whatever was going on between us. Soon.

  I loved my new quarters immediately. It was only one room, but the size made it feel cozy instead of confining. There was nothing inside that would pass for conventional furniture, just lots of colorful cushions in warm tones of yellows, oranges, and browns, scattered here and there on braided rugs. Both the rugs and cushions matched the window coverings, which were pulled back to let in light and air. And apparently dragon birds, since the contingent that had followed me from my base camp were now taking up every inch of space on the ledge, peering around the quarters inquisitively. Neither Thor nor Lurran seemed to find the little creatures’ actions unusual, so I turned to survey the rest of the room.

  Against one wall was what appeared to be a Buri-sized sleeping platform made from adobe. It rose approximately six inches from the floor and was covered with a large, comfortable-looking mat and more cushions. Compared to the cot I’d used in my hut, it was positively decadent.

  Between the windows, pegs were driven into the walls, each set holding a wooden shelf bearing pottery jars and bowls of different sizes and shapes. Together, they formed an artistic whole that was functional as well as beautiful.

  Thor supervised the unloading of my things, directing Junior and Ghost to stack the crates of supplies behind the building, under the eave to keep them out of the rain. Only my personal items and clothing were brought inside, and even that was probably unnecessary. A wide selection of Buri skirts and belts were draped over pegs near the sleeping platform.

  By the time the three males left me alone with Lurran, the sun was low behind the trees. The female Buri seemed determined to get me into traditional dress as soon as possible. She took a green skirt from one of the pegs, laid it across the platform, and motioned for me to strip. Once assured that I was obeying orders, she pointed to the skirt and began my education in the Buri language.

  “Kechic.” The sound came from the back of her throat and was clipped at the end. It took me three tries to get it right, but she finally nodded in satisfaction and moved on to the bowls, lifting pieces of fruit to tell me what they were called.

  I was doing pretty well until the construction of the kechic belt distracted me. It was actually three layers of material, sewn together on the sides but separated in the front and back to make slots. On one end was a round wooden object with a bar across the middle, through which the end of the material was woven. It had to be a clasp, but I couldn’t figure out how it worked. Lurran noticed my confusion and came to the rescue.

  She settled the belt low on my hips, and then pulled the loose end through the wooden clasp, winding it over the other material to make a flat knot. Although comfortable, it didn’t look all that secure. While she picked up the kechic, I wiggled experimentally, but the belt stayed snugly fastened. Good. I’d really hate for my clothes to fall off the first time I walked through the village.

  In front of me, Lurran made sure I was watching, and then pulled the end of the material through the slot closest to my skin. When the length was right, she tucked it through the outer slot and turned the belt so the material hung down behind me. Ah, so that’s how they did it.

  Nodding my understanding, I pulled the material between my legs and repeated the process in front. It felt a little odd, like I was wearing thicker-than-usual skivvies, but I liked the way the hem swirled around my knees. There was no mirror to check, but with the armlets and bare feet, I must have looked like a harem girl from Harum Scarum. Max loved Elvis Presley, so we had a vid of every movie he’d made in our files. Not an image I wanted to project to the Dynatec crew, but for everyday wear in the village, it suited me fine.

  Lurran stepped back, checked me out, then retrieved a pair of the moccasin-like boots and handed them to me. The buckskin was buttery soft and formed around my feet snugly, providing comfort as well as protection. When I had them on, she smiled and motioned toward the door. Guess now that I was properly attired, it was okay to appear in public. The thought struck me as funny, and I chuckled as I walked outside.

  My laughter died a hard death as two things hit me simultaneously. Four Buri were trying out the antigrav sled. They had it piled so high with blocks I was surprised they could move it.

  Which brings me to the second thing I noticed. Apparently none of them had ever heard of Isaac Newton, or his first law of motion. A body in motion tends to remain in motion at a constant speed in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force. It’s basic physics. The antigrav sled negates the weight of objects placed on it, but it doesn’t do squat for the mass. And in this case, the outside force that was about to act on the sled was the new building the Buri were erecting.

  Unfortunately, a Buri male was currently standing between the sled and the solid stone wall. Since the effort it took to get the sled moving while loaded with blocks was directly proportional to the effort it would take to get it stopped, the job required the strength of four, fully grown male Buri. Or me.

  Adrenaline exploded through my body, sending me into overdrive. In less than the blink of an eye, I crossed the clearing, braced my feet, and planted my palms against the front of the sled. Teeth grinding and every muscle tight with strain, I shoved with all my strength. The sled halted as though it really had slammed into the stone wall, leaving the endangered Buri gaping at me in surprise.

  Immediately I wilted to the ground, my breath coming in hard, short gasps, sweat dripping from my skin. Newton’s third law. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and now I’d pay for the massive amount of energy I had expended. I desperately needed food and liquids to replenish that energy.

  It seemed to take forever for the Buri to reach me, and I didn’t realize I was hurt until Lurran, babbling hysterically, tried to soak up the blood streaming down my leg with the edge of her skirt. I must have cut it on the corner of the sled.

  “It’s okay, really.” I did my best to calm her, but to no avail. She continued screeching until the entire population of the village surrounded me.

  Damn, damn, damn. Tears filled my eyes. I’d so hoped that the Buri would accept me fully before they discovered I wasn’t “normal.” Now there wasn’t a chance in the thirteen hells. Even as Thor pushed through the crowd and scooped me into his arms, the deeply torn, jagged flesh on my thigh was healing, the sides knitting together with a speed that couldn’t be mistaken.

  Shouting orders, Thor took me to the building that served as a communal kitchen and dining room and placed me gently on the low table, hovering over me protectively. Auntie Em was waiting with a bowl of water and a clean cloth. She pushed Thor aside, swabbed the blood away and then blinked at my leg as a resonating silence fell over the Buri.

  Instead of the gaping wound they were expecting, there was only a thin pink scar. In an hour, even the scar would be gone. The truth is, only a direct shot to my head or heart will kill me. Anyplace else, and my body will heal itself before the shooter gets a second chance.

  Along with empathy, superfast reflexes and immunity to diseases, my body’s ability to repair itself is one of the “improvements” we were sure Gertz, the rogue geneticist, had made when h
e created me. Other less certain alterations lay in wait, ready to pounce on me like a villain in a horror vid.

  “It was just a scratch, honest,” I lied. “Nothing to worry about.”

  You could have heard a leaf hit the ground, it was so quiet.

  From the back of the crowd, a whisper erupted, soon joined by another, and yet another. The sound swept over the Buri until it took on the cadence of a chant. One word stood out above all the others. It sounded like shushanna, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. Sweat poured from my body to pool on the surface of the table. If I didn’t get food and liquids fast, I’d go into shock.

  Pushing Thor’s hands away, I sat up and reached for the bowl nearest me. It contained several types of fruit, and I grabbed the first one my hand touched. It was round and red and juicy, and I ate it in two bites, then picked up another one. With my free hand, I mimed drinking, and someone shoved a cup in my direction.

  The relief was immediate. I could feel strength flowing back into my body, and sighed. Another minute and I’d be back to normal. Well, normal for me, anyway, although I was still hungry enough to eat an entire herdbeast in one sitting.

  Scooting to the edge of the table, I put the cup down, stood and dusted off my hands, a big smile plastered on my face. “See? Good as new.”

  Lurran paused in her frantic narrative, and the silence descended again. As one, every Buri in the room bowed from the waist, and I heard Shushanna murmured again. Only Thor was still upright, and I turned to him. “What’s a Shushanna?”

  One corner of his lips twitched in a half smile, and he caressed my cheek with one strong finger. “Shushanna.” He was feeling so smug and vindicated that I scowled.

  “Me? I’m a Shushanna?” Maybe it was Buri for “GEP.” I glanced back at the group, despair curling in my stomach. I should have known they would find out. But why were they bowing? It would make more sense if they threw me out of the village.