War Orphans (The Terra Nova Chronicles)

by Robert Dean Hall

  Once Teacher had signed, Leland pulled the tablet away quickly and placed it on her desk. She turned so she was face to face with him. Her intrusion into Teacher’s private space made him uncomfortable.

  “Congratulations, Lieutenant. Welcome to ‘Camp Swampy’.”

  “Camp Swampy,” Teacher asked. “I don’t understand. There isn’t a swamp on this whole continent.”

  Leland laughed. She became uncomfortable when she saw that Teacher hadn’t joined in. “It’s an inside joke. ‘Camp Swampy’ is the name of a fictional army base from an ancient Earth form of entertainment and political commentary known as a comic. They were often satirical and used large amounts of irony to make important points.”

  “Yes, Captain. Now, I understand,” Teacher said, although he really didn’t. He was anxious to get a start on the three days of down time he was promised before the beginning of his training. He was also becoming annoyed at Leland’s aggressiveness. He didn’t know why that was. Feline females were much more aggressive when in estrus and even the surrogates made no bones about their desires.

  When Teacher thought about it later, the only reason he could give for it was he found such a lack of restraint unbecoming in human females. Perhaps it was because most of the human females he had known up to now were much more aloof and guarded. He often envied human males. There was something to be said for the chase.

  “Will that be all, Captain,” Teacher asked. His tone was abrupt.

  Leland pulled back from him, slightly. “I guess so, Lieutenant. Unless, you have any questions.” She looked slightly disappointed.

  “Actually, I do, Captain. Could you tell me where I’ll be bunking?”

  “Of course, Lieutenant. I’m due for a break. I’ll take you there, myself.”

  Teacher fought the urge to grimace. “I don’t want to impose, Captain. I’m sure I can find it if you’ll just point me in the proper direction.”

  “Are you sure, Lieutenant? I don’t mind taking you.”

  “I’m certain, Captain.”

  “This way, Lieutenant,” Leland said as she walked past Teacher into the hall. “It’s easier if I show you.”

  Leland led Teacher out the main entrance and pointed toward the right end of the newly paved street that ran in front of the building. It’s the third building on your left. I’m sorry, but you’ll be bunking with three other officer candidates for a few weeks.”

  “That’s no problem, Captain,” Teacher said. “I was reared in a barracks.”

  * * *

  Teacher found his quarters with no problem. When he arrived, the door and all the windows were open wide. Three felines, who were engaged in various leisure activities all turned their attention to him when he walked in.

  One of the felines spoke. “It’s good to see you, Teacher. How have you been?” He stood up and put out his hand for Teacher to grasp.

  “Wolf Tamer,” Teacher said. “This is quite a surprise.”

  “You’re no more surprised than I am,” Wolf Tamer replied. “What does Morning Grass have to say about you joining the Terran marines?”

  “You should ask her yourself. I’ll give you her CEF Marines hyper-mail address.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Wolf Tamer exclaimed. “Not one word of it. The last time I saw the both of you; she had cast her lot in with the separatists—”

  As Wolf Tamer spoke, another of the felines stood up and grabbed his arm. Wolf Tamer and Teacher both turned to look at him as he held his finger to his mouth gesturing for them to be silent and said, “Teacher just got here, WT. Save the teasing for later, when he’s had time to rest a bit.”

  “You’re right, Eagle Chaser,” Wolf Tamer said, as he winced, realizing his lack of discretion. “I was excited to see him, is all.”

  Eagle Chaser held out his hand to Teacher and introduced himself. “Hello Teacher, I’m He Who Chases the Eagle over the Mountain. I go by Eagle Chaser for the sake of convenience. It’s good to make your acquaintance.”

  Teacher shook the hand firmly. “I’m glad to meet you, too. My full ceremonial name is He Who Teaches the Cubs to Hunt the Large Game, by the way. When I was younger, I was referred to as Cub Teacher, but I prefer Teacher and so do all of my friends.”

  Eagle Chaser pointed to the last feline, who remained sitting quietly on a bunk while they talked. “This is He Who Kills the Bear Empty Handed.”

  After the introduction, the feline stood and offered his hand to Teacher. “Bear Killer for short,” he said as he gave Teacher another firm handshake. “You can just call me Bear if you’re feeling lazy. It’s damned fortunate I was born a male. I’d hate to go through life as a female named Empty Handed.”

  All four of the felines burst into laughter. Once they were finished, Wolf Tamer pointed to the only bunk in the room with a bare mattress. “Put your gear there.” He then pointed to a small hallway at the rear of the quarters. “There’s a closet with some bed linens and pillows next to the latrine and showers.”

  Teacher thanked Wolf Tamer for the information and went to pull some linens and a pillow from the closet. When he returned, the rest had gone back to what they were doing before he arrived. Eagle Chaser was sitting at a desk tapping on a tablet, Wolf Tamer stood looking out the door and Bear Killer was lying on a bunk reading some sort of colorful paper pamphlet.

  As Teacher made his bunk, Wolf Tamer turned to watch him and asked, “So what do you think of Cat Woman?”

  Eagle Chaser and Bear Killer both chuckled.

  “The Cat Lady, WT,” Eagle Chaser said. “Cat Woman is an entirely different concept.”

  “What’s the difference,” Wolf Tamer asked. “Lady and woman mean the same thing.”

  “Cat ladies collect strays out of obsession,” Eagle Chaser said, “Cat Woman is a femme fatale from a—”

  Before they could go any farther, Teacher broke in. “Who are you talking about?”

  “Captain Leland, of course,” Wolf Tamer said.

  “The Cat Lady is the nickname the grunts have given her,” Bear Killer said. “All of us call her that except WT. He can’t seem to remember the difference. He talks about her enough, though. I think he’s obsessed.”

  “It’s a fitting epithet,” Eagle Chaser added. “She’s ‘collected’ just about every male feline here. Isn’t that right, Bear?”

  “No comment,” Bear Killer replied. “She’s no Cat Woman, though, I will say that much.” He opened his pamphlet and held it up so Teacher could see.

  Wolf tamer looked disgustedly at the exaggerated secondary female characteristics practically jumping off the page. “Who’s the obsessed one? Say what you will, I think Leland’s kind of nice.” When the other three turned to look at him with morbid interest, he added, “Once you get to know her.”

  Teacher looked once more at the colorful tabloid Bear Killer displayed. “I assume what you are looking at is a comic?”

  “Yes,” Eagle Chaser replied. “Bear has quite a collection. One of the humans on New Australia gave it to him. If you ask nicely, he may share.”

  Bear Killer looked at Eagle Chaser with contempt in his eyes.

  Eagle Chaser chuckled. “Well, maybe not.”

  “So tell me, Teacher,” Wolf Tamer asked. “What made you decide to join the Marines?”

  “I admitted to myself I didn’t have the disposition to go back to farming after the resistance was over. This seemed like the only clear path forward if I wanted a career.”

  “Aren’t you worried about how this may be looked upon in the settlements,” Eagle Chaser asked. He pointed silently at Bear Killer and Wolf Tamer and then to a couple of the open windows. The pair moved immediately to close them.

  “Cooler heads in the settlements will have no problem with my decision,” Teacher answered. He was confused about what the others were doing, but silently indicated he would play along. “It has to be obvious to anyone the future of the felines is entwined with the Terrans, at least in the short-term.”

 
“Bear and I have lived our whole life on New Oz,” Eagle Chaser said, as he pointed at various locations in the quarters. Bear Killer and Wolf Tamer walked around silently as if doing an inspection. “We couldn’t agree with you more. We’ve never talked with any separatists, but we’ve learned a great deal about them from WT. We don’t understand their reasoning.”

  Bear Killer and Wolf Tamer looked at Eagle Chaser after finishing their inspection and shrugged.

  “Have you been given a tour of the facilities, Teacher,” Eagle Chaser asked. “If you haven’t, there is just enough time before lunch to show you around.”

  “Sure thing,” Teacher said, with a nod. “I would enjoy that.”

  Bear Killer closed the rest of the windows while Wolf Tamer and Eagle Chaser led Teacher toward the door. When the quarters were secure and locked, the four walked toward the center of the compound.

  “We aren’t sure, but we suspect the command is listening in on us,” Wolf Tamer said as they walked. “There’s quite a bit of paranoia about the separatists.”

  “Rightfully so, I’m afraid,” Eagle Chaser said. “We’ve had a few incidents and some equipment and weapons have gone missing.” He waved his hand at the foothills where Hayes had already told Teacher some separatist encampments were. “The war council is getting quite annoyed with them, too. They behave for the most part when they come into New Phoenix, but they’re getting bolder with each trip. They aren’t allowed in most of the taverns in the marketplace, anymore.”

  “How do they survive,” Teacher asked. “I’m familiar with those hills. They can’t sustain themselves in the rocks. There’s no level land to farm or raise livestock.”

  “Flyovers have shown they’ve all but abandoned their villages further south in the higher plateaus. They must have slaughtered all the livestock before leaving,” Eagle Chaser said. “But, that would have only been a few days’ worth of meat at most for a group that size. You can add to that what was taken during the resistance, but those supplies have to be exhausted by now.”

  “They haven’t resorted to raiding the farms on the outside of the settlements because they don’t want to anger the war council, but that’s coming,” Bear Killer added. “They have no surrogates, either. I sure as the Devil wouldn’t want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere without surrogates, especially when the females come into heat. How they’ve put up with it so far is beyond me.”

  “If they had surrogates what would they do with them,” Wolf Tamer asked. “Can you imagine what it would be like, listening to surrogates complaining about the harsh conditions day and night?”

  The group stopped walking when they found themselves in a large open area on the opposite side of the compound from their quarters.

  “I think we can speak openly here,” Eagle Chaser said.

  Bear Killer, Wolf Tamer and Eagle Chaser formed a semi-circle in front of Teacher.

  Eagle Chaser gave him a suspicious stare. “When the humans decided they wanted to send you here, Teacher, they asked us what we knew of you. Bear and I had nothing to say because we didn’t know you. Wolf Tamer claimed to know you, but said little to the command. He did, however, tell us quite a bit about you.”

  “I hope he was kind.”

  “He was pragmatic,” Eagle Chaser said. “Frankly, we were surprised when you showed up. We would have thought that being joined to a female separatist might have concerned the humans more than it apparently has.”

  “Morning Grass’ politics were never mine,” Teacher said. “I have often taken her to task myself for her leanings and pointed out to her she was making life difficult for herself and me. If that is what concerns you—”

  “What concerns us,” Bear Killer said, “is the possibility someone will come in here and ruin a good thing. Eagle Chaser and I have no desire to be involved, even superficially, with the separatists. We realize those of you from here on the continent have no choice in the matter, but we do.”

  “What are you saying,” Teacher asked. He puffed up and approached Bear Killer, only stopping when they were toe to toe. His face was barely five centimeters from Bear Killer’s when he added, “Are you telling me you have a problem with me?”

  Bear Killer didn’t flinch when he replied. “I’m only telling you trust is very difficult to come by around here. It has to be earned.”

  Teacher’s stance softened slightly. “That isn’t an anomaly of only this day and age. It’s always been so.”

  “But, it’s never been more important to remember than it is here and now,” Eagle Chaser said.

  “I’m not your enemy,” Teacher said, still face to face with Bear Killer, “unless you choose to make me so. Now, if you would please excuse me.”

  Bear Killer stepped aside to let Teacher pass.

  As Teacher walked away, Eagle Chaser spoke to him. “Who is my enemy, Teacher and what does he look like?”

  Teacher stopped and turned to face his bunkmates once more as the reality of the statement hit him.

  “I know the felines out there in the hills would kill me as a traitor and not think twice about it,” Eagle Chaser said. “I also know there are felines in the settlements who haven’t made up their minds. They are even more dangerous.”

  Teacher nodded to indicate that he understood Eagle Chaser’s dilemma.

  “They realize we used to be beholden to humans who would have eliminated us once we had outlived our usefulness to them,” Eagle Chaser explained. “They’re afraid to take the word of the Terrans at face value, but lack the resolve to stand against them.”

  “And you have a solution,” Teacher asked.

  “As I see it, all felines have an important choice to make. They can side with the Terrans and find ways to remain useful to them, or join the separatists and hope for a miracle to drive the Terrans from this planet. There is no middle ground.”

  “Things are not always black and white. There’s always a middle ground.” Teacher turned and continued his walk back toward the center of the base.

  As Teacher walked off, Bear Killer said, “He’s going to be a problem.”

  “Don’t be so negative, Bear,” Eagle Chaser replied. “My first impression of him is quite favorable.”

  “He acts like a man with something to prove,” Bear Killer said.

  “Let the humans sort that out,” Eagle Chaser said.

  “Do you think Hayes will set Cat Woman on him,” Wolf Tamer asked.

  Bear Killer and Eagle Chaser replied in unison. “The Cat Lady, WT.”

  Chapter 33

  Russo asked the feline child to open his mouth so she could inspect his teeth and throat. His throat looked fine, but there were signs of cavities in a couple of his teeth. Russo made a mental note to request a dental clinic. “How old are you,” she asked.

  The child looked at his mother to be sure it was okay to talk to the human doctor. When she looked at him and smiled, he turned back to Russo and said, “I’ll be three in two weeks. I get to start school next term.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Russo replied. “If I had to guess, I’d say you’re looking forward to it.”

  “Not as much as mummy is,” he told Russo, who fought the urge to laugh out loud. She gave his mother a knowing look.

  “He’s in very good health,” Russo assured the boy’s mother, “except for his teeth. I would like to put him on the list of patients to see when I can arrange to get a dentist down here.”

  The boy’s mother agreed and Russo took down his information. She then went to a cabinet and pulled out a new toothbrush and some anti-cavity paste.

  “This won’t fix any cavities he already has, but it will help prevent new ones until the dentist can see him.”

  Once the mother and child left, Morning Grass spoke up. “The supplies in this part of the settlements are drying up. The war council’s decision to break off relations with the Zunnuki has really hurt the women and children. I hope she doesn’t take the toothbrush and paste and sell them.”

&n
bsp; “The commissaries in the moderate held regions are almost rebuilt and should be stocked in less than a month,” Russo assured Morning Grass, “Every effort will be made to help the local representatives rebuild their economies,”

  The two looked at the shuttle’s outer hatch as Haley brought in a female feline and a surrogate who was toward the end of a pregnancy.

  “This is She Who Climbs the Rocks to Raid the Eagle’s Nest during the Summer Rain,” Haley said. She pointed to the surrogate. “This is Esther Zero-Eight-Five. She and Summer Rain are part of a stable family.”

  “How may I assist you,” Russo asked.

  “We want to be sure Esther’s pregnancy is progressing satisfactorily,” Summer Rain said.

  “Of course. Please climb up on the table, Esther.”

  Russo pulled some disposable gloves from a box and was putting them on when she turned back around to see Summer Rain gently lifting Esther and placing her on the table.

  Russo pulled a pair of stirrups from a drawer and inserted them into receptacles at the foot of the table. “Please lie back and put your feet in these,” she asked as she covered Esther’s lower body with a sheet. “I would like to do a precursory pelvic exam before scanning to check on the baby’s progress.”

  Once Esther was in the stirrups, Russo’s eyes were immediately drawn to pink scars on Esther’s thighs and hips that were obviously made by claws. They were healing well, but looked like they had originally been quite serious.

  Russo brought Morning Grass to the foot of the table. “I need you to assist me with something, Captain. Please grab a couple of swabs.”

  When Morning Grass came to the end of the table with the swabs, Russo pointed out the scars and motioned for her not to say anything. Morning Grass acknowledged the scars, but gave Russo a look that told her the feline considered them nothing to be concerned about.