I smile as I think about it. If we can get the dome working then the damnable heat should be reduced. I think, maybe, that the shield will not only keep out predators but give us the power to control the weather inside. Besides, the place would look almost exactly like Gallifrey! Well a worn down, beat up, crappy version of Gallifrey, but still who could pass up a chance to turn their new home into a Doctor Who set?
Well that makes the decision easy doesn't it? I go back to my room and pack a bag. In the kitchen I grab extra supplies of electrolyte powders as well as salt and potassium. I fill three water bottles and then take a big cutting knife in case I need to defend myself against whatever is out there, which is a lot, but whatever. Rosalind won't approve this project but I'm not telling her. I can look and throw a lever or turn a knob. I'm a bio-chemist, how hard could it be to look at some machine and turn it on?
I leave the barracks careful to make sure I don't run into anyone. No point in having to answer questions if I can avoid it. Lucky for me everyone is off doing their duties. Survival. Yay for crash landing on this hell hole of an empty, devastated planet. In all the episodes of Star Trek, especially the original series, every planet had eligible women for Kirk to make out with. Where's the planet filled with hunky men who want human women to adore? That's the planet I want to crash on. Is it really too much to ask that I find love?
Apparently the universe has other plans. Yay for me, I guess. Shaking my head I head down the empty street. As I walk, the sand encroaches on the asphalt piling up against the buildings where wind has slowly pushed it into the city. Decades of encroachment. Nature slowly works to eliminate the blight of intelligent life. It's early in the morning and sweat is still pouring out of me. It's well over a hundred degrees already and the sun has barely crested the horizon. I'm realizing that this was a stupid idea and I should be in my lab. The toasty ninety degrees of the dim lab beats hell out of this.
Too late now. Decision made girl! Keep your eye on the prize. Domes! Gallifrey! Doctor Who for the win! Oh Doctor, now there's a fate for sure. I could totally be a companion. I'm short, plucky, and full of smart remarks and look here, I'm already running off and getting myself into trouble. Now if I could just hear that whirring sound of the TARDIS arriving and a handsome sexy Doctor, like number ten, steps out and says 'Come with me' then everything would be perfect. That sexy Scottish accent and that smile and his hair! I could just melt thinking about the way my name would sound in his voice.
Sighing I stop to drink some water. I'm on the edge of the city looking out across the vast desert of the planet. The city is surrounded by sand dunes. Everything is shades of red but it's really beautiful to look at. The striations of color are stunning. Deeper reds lie in lines against a shade that is almost white then a line that is a shade of yellow. The sun is making the sand sparkle and shine like diamonds are laid into the dune. If it wasn't so god awful hot I could like it here.
But it is and my head hurts, my body aches, and I really really want a nap. No, no naps. I sip some more water then put the cap on. Amara said the conduits ran out from the edge of the city to something. Trying to remember what she said exactly isn't coming back to me easily. My head hurts too much to think of what she was saying. Hmm, well conduits. That means some kind of pipes or protective lines right? So that is what I'm looking for. I should have gotten more details from her last night but I didn't think of it then and now it's too late. If I go back in the city and ask questions it will be obvious what I'm doing.
So onward! When I come back I'll be legendary! The one who found the switch. They'll cheer my name, maybe put up a statue by the big fountain at the city center. That'll be nice. I pace along the edge of the city looking for anything that looks like a conduit or anything at all that leads out into the desert while I dream of the accolades today's adventure will garner.
The sun is above the dunes leading me to guess I've been at this for over an hour and still haven't found anything that looks like a conduit. I stop again and drink more water with more of the supplements. My hand trembles then my entire arm starts shaking as I lift the water to my mouth. Water spills out of the bottle as I raise it and I have to put it back down. Tears threaten to fall but I'm too dry for them. Damn it I just want to fix this!
Putting both hands on the bottle I'm able to get it to my mouth and take a long, refreshing drink. The coolness fills my mouth giving me a momentary respite from the parched feeling that doesn't stay gone for long. The pounding in my head recedes. I turn in a slow circle looking for anything that would indicate what I'm looking for. Something flashes in the distance so I raise my hands to my eyes, shielding them from the sun. There, something is there.
Excitement bubbles up and I run towards it. I make about five steps before my knee gives out and I fall to the ground. Luckily the sand is soft but it gets in my mouth. I work my way back to my feet spitting it out. Blah!
"I hate this place!" I scream, raising my fists at the sun.
Okay, that's better. I brush sand off myself then walk towards the flash I saw. I'm running on hope that it really was something and not a trick of the eye. Something comes into view. It's mostly buried in the sand but there's a definitive blocky shape about a hundred yards outside the city proper. It's set at the base of one of the massive sand dunes and I hope that it's what I'm looking for. That's the first thing. Second of course is that I can actually do something to fix it, turn it on, or something useful.
About three inches of metal stick up above the sand. Kneeling down beside it I brush the sand away and uncover the top portion of a box that is four feet long and three feet wide. It's made of a shiny metal, the same as the exteriors of most of the buildings. This has to be what Amara was talking about. If not, well it's something and maybe useful to some other thing. There are markings on it that I take to be words though I can't read them.
Digging into my pack I find a plastic plate that I use as a shovel to dig out around the box. The sand keeps pouring back in behind each scoop making it so that I'm working at half speed. Every full scoop out half of it backfills making the job much more back breaking than it should be. It takes a couple of hours I would guess but eventually I've dug down two feet on all sides of the box and find that there are tubes running into the box from the city and out on the far side of the box.
The box itself is plain metal with no switches or levers. I sit down and the urge to cry almost overtakes me and probably would if I had anything left in me to cry with. There are bolts on each corner around the top of the box. I brought a few tools along so I dig until find a wrench. I open it up to the widest setting and it just barely fits over the nut. I pull on it and it doesn't budge. I move around and pull down putting all of my weight on it. The bolt screams and creaks then moves, barely but as it does the wrench slips and I'm thrown off and onto my backside.
"Damn it!" I cry out in frustration.
Then I hear the low growl and the sand shifts down into the hole I've dug around the box. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms stands up. My stomach tightens into a hard knot and bile rises into my throat. Stupid. I'm so, so stupid. I don't want to turn around. If I don't look it won't be real but I know. I know deep down in my bones what's behind me and just how much trouble I'm in. Slowly I reach to my side and grip the handle of the knife I brought with me. A knife. Wonderful. Why didn't I get a gun? Because it would raise too many questions. Why do you need a gun in the lab Jolie? Well you know, some of these plants around here are pretty mean. Shit.
The sand shifts once more then one growl is followed by two more. I shift my feet as subtly as I can finding purchase and getting ready. Once I have my feet pushed into the sand until it feels solid I leap forward hoping to clear the box and put it between me and whatever is wanting to eat me. My shins bark against metal as I fly over not quite clearing it and the growls become a weird howl of a dog and hiss of a cat blended into one horrifying sound.
I drop behind the box clutching the knife to my chest and hope wit
h all my might that maybe the things after me are stupid enough to think out of sight means out of mind. Then one of them lands on top of the box above me and I scream. I'm looking up into row after row of razor sharp teeth and it drools on me. Disgusting, nasty, smelly drool and breath that smells like rotten meat. It looks down at me and growls.
I'm so screwed I do the only thing I can. I thrust up with the knife gripping it tight in both hands and drive it into the throat of the thing above me. It howls now in pain and scrabbles back. I hear it's feet as it slides across the smooth metal of the box then falls on the far side. More growls and the sand is pouring into the hole from either side. I look left and right and see two more of them coming around the hole.
Guster. God damn, nasty, killer guster. I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have come out here. Pressing myself back against the box I rise up to my feet then climb backwards onto it as they slowly close in. At least they're being cautious since I wounded the other one but my only weapon is still stuck in it. Cause yeah, I'm just that smooth. What better way to prove that I shouldn't be out here?
The two guster feint in and back out. I try to come up with a plan. Any plan. Something that gets me the hell out of this situation. I can't outrun them. I can't out fight them. I can't do anything except scream. Scream and what? Hope someone will come to my rescue? Cause that's worked out so well since the ship crashed. Brilliant Jolie. You're smart, come up with a plan damn it!
Dominance. It's all about dominance and fear. Okay. I can do this. Taking a deep breath I force myself to be calm. My heart rate is through the roof but I focus on calm. No fear. When the next one feints I'll react then. Wait for it. Wait for it.
"HAH!" I scream throwing my hands forward in what I hope is a threatening manner as the guster feints in.
I'm rewarded by it drawing back. My plan is working! I watch the other one out of the corner of my eye and repeat the action when it feints in. I get the same reaction but now then they start circling. Shit these things are too smart. They're moving out of time with each other until one of them is at my back and I can't keep them both in sight. The one in front moves in and I scream once more but as I do a cold realization hits me that the one behind me is coming in at the same time.
I duck and scream this time in fear. Pain explodes as it impacts with me and I'm airborne flying towards the dune. Sorry Calista, I really do love you. Your baby will be as beautiful as you. Darkness encroaches on my vision and I'm fading. Probably for the best as I'm sure this next part is going to hurt. Just before I make contact with the ground again I see a Zmaj running. Oh my god is Ladon coming?
Dazzling sunlight flashes on the edge of his blade as he glides in and attacks the guster. They turn their attention from me to him. His wing span seems bigger and is he a different color? Is that Ladon? Why doesn't he look the same? Good questions that all fade away as I crash and the impact jars my body. My head slams back and the last thing I see is a strange Zmaj standing over me.
4 SVERRE
I watch the city and wait. It's been a long time since I've seen one of the old cities. The fact that the owner has held on to it is a testament to his power as a warrior. I'm sure he's had more than one challenger over the years. I wonder if any of the old tech is still working. I'd love an opportunity to explore the city, to see what is working, what remains from before, but I can't risk it. If I set foot inside it will be a direct affront to his territory. If he's slid too far into the bijass there will be no reasoning.
I wait. Hoping. What else do I have? I can't get the sound of her voice out of my mind. It echoes through my memory, calling to me, telling me to save her. Make her mine. Even the bijass works against me on this, I want her to be my treasure. It pushes me to claim her. Wisdom keeps me outside the city but my drive is to storm in and take what I want. Stupid idea. I don't deserve to have things such as her. I'm unworthy of any reward, no treasures can be mine, the inner voice whispers but I ignore that. That voice speaks from the fog of the past and is not to be trusted.
Another night passes. My scales itch being in another's territory. I want to fight or leave but those primal urges don't control me. I'm not lost yet. I am in control of myself and my mind so I stay and wait. Patience is rewarded at last. A figure comes to the edge of the city. I shift under my camouflage upon spotting it and am amazingly it's her! My body stirs, desire and need awaken at the sight of her making my thoughts a muddled mess.
Is this a trap? Did he send her out to draw me out? No matter that I want to leap up and run to her I'd best be cautious. I'll follow her. It seems unbelievable that she would be out here alone and he could be watching from the city waiting to spring a trap on me. She wanders along the edge of the city and I follow carefully maintaining my camouflage by moving along the sand. It's slow and I fall behind but I am able to keep her in sight.
She stops often and drinks. Her pauses allow me to keep her close. Almost too close making me worry again that it might be a trap. It doesn't matter. If it is once I know for sure I'll figure out a way to deal with it. Right now I just need to know. She starts running towards something then falls on her face. I start to rise before I can stop myself, wanting to run to her side and protect her. I can't, not yet, it still might be a trap.
She climbs back to her feet and dusts herself off. My muscles relax seeing she is okay then she continues on her way but moving slower now. Is she hurt? Anger pulses with each beat of my hearts at the thought. If she's hurt I should go to her. Help her, she needs me, but still it might be a trap. She's too close to the city. Prudence wins and I continue to follow. She stops, kneels, then digs in her pack and pulls out a round object. She uses this to start digging into the sand. She works diligently, hard, and I'm impressed at her dedication. It's fascinating watching her work.
Her fair skin has no scales which is odd but I've seen aliens without scales before even if I only dimly remember them. She's small, compact, but strong. She moves the sand and clears off an ancient box. It says something about being a relay but I'm not close enough to read it clearly. I'm absorbed in watching her which is stupid. There is no forgiveness on Tajss as I above all should know. I don't even see the guster until it's too late.
They surround her. She becomes aware of them a moment after I do and then she leaps to the far side of the relay box. One of them leaps on top of it intent on feeding but she does something and it leaps back howling in pain with a gurgling sound. A piece of metal sticks out of its throat and it falls to the ground. The other two move more cautiously. They feint in and out as she climbs on top of the relay and holds them off with pure bravado. I leap from the sand and run towards her but I'm too late.
They separate making it impossible for her to keep them both in her sights. The one behind her leaps and hits her in the back sending her flying. I pull my lochaber. If this is a trap then let my enemy spring it on me now. I will not stand by and watch her be killed. I take the one that hit her first slicing through its rear legs in a single motion. I don't have time to finish it the other is closing in on her. I leap into the air spreading my wings to glide over the top of the box. I whirl my lochaber as I come down and hold it two handed driving it into the base of the second guster's neck. She whispers something that sounds like Ladon as I land.
I jerk my lochaber free then whirl towards the first one I dealt with. It's crawling away so I finish it before I go to her side. She lies in a heap against the sand dune unmoving. Her eyes are closed and I'm not sure she's breathing. Leaning in close I place my ear next to her mouth and hear the soft hiss of air moving in and out. I look around waiting for the trap but if it's to be sprung they're too late. No one comes.
Could I have been wrong?
Moments pass and nothing happens. At last I turn back and kneel beside her. The dark fur on her head is splayed around her like a halo for her head. She is beautiful and peaceful lying here in the shade of the dune. What am I going to do? I have to help her but how do I do that? Home. I'll take her home. She's mine. I start to sco
op her up but stop.
No, I don't deserve her. My punishment for my failures is to be alone. To suffer in my solitude and see what becomes of my brethren because of my mistakes. My dishonor haunts me from the fog of my memories.
This is now. Live in now, not then.
Hissing, I grab her into my arms and pull her close to my chest. She's burning hot against me. Unbelievably hot but I'm too close to the city to take time and decide if this is her native state. It doesn't feel unpleasant. I like the way she folds against me and there are soft mounds on her chest pressing against me that stir desires long dormant.
Shifting her weight to best advantage I run, spreading my wings and covering my tracks with my tail as I go. The distance to home is great and carrying her weight will slow me down. I don't want to stay this close to the city. The more distance between us and it the better.
I run until exhaustion sets in. The sun is low in the sky and the distance between us and the city is great enough that I feel safe to make camp. Lying her down on the sand I debate how to shelter her. She won't be able to bury herself in the sand like I would and I don't know the terrain. If I could find an oasis that would be best probably. There would be wood and things I could build something for her but I don't see anything like that in sight.
When I touch her skin she is still burning hot. She moans softly. Leaning close her breath is shallow. I rest my head on her chest and it takes me a few tries before I can find the sound of her heart. I only hear one, another oddity. Her skin is soft. Too soft, strange and alien in its exposed, unprotected nature. Trailing my fingers across it my prime penis stiffens. It's so enticing, I want to explore every bit of her but I can't let myself become distracted no matter the urges and desires that rage.
She's too hot. I'm certain of it and I think this is part of the reason she has not regained consciousness. I want to hear her voice again. That beautiful musical sound still echoes in my mind and I need it. Her arms and her face are burning and I need to cool her. My body is built to exchange heat so if I can get our skin in contact it should pull the heat from her and allow her own system to cool itself once it's not overloaded.
Dragon's Mate: A Scifi Alien Romance (Red Planet Dragons of Tajss Book 2) Page 3
