The Atlantis Chronicles- The Kordam Party

by Michael Brown

“You do realize that the two landing sites you're proposing to examine are the places where many people vanished,” Bowen growled, “they could be extremely dangerous.”

  “We are aware of the risks, Captain,” Parker protested.

  “There's only so much we can learn from reviewing data and examining a handful of artifacts,” Dr. Bowen added.

  “Okay,” Bowen took a deep breath. “I don't like the idea of sending manned away teams down to any of the surfaces of the Kordam Formation, but you're right. We can only learn so much from remote scanning and safely reviewing data aboard our ship. I'll authorize an away mission to each of the landing sites, but they must be scouted first...and you must carry a marine contingent with you for safety and security. Our scans haven't shown any evidence of current habitation by any known intelligent species. However, legends say the Kordam Formation is the residence of some sort of 'evil'. Thus, I refuse to take chances. Marines will be on site with you to guard you from any threats. Understood?”

  “Yes, Captain,” Parker smirked, feeling pleased.

  “Thank you, Son.”

  “Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I've got to get down to the shuttle deck. We've got an important dignitary coming aboard.”

  “Really,” Dr. Parker asked, “who?”

  “Circe and Perky's grandmother, the matriarch of their clan,” Bowen eyed the two scientists closely. “She's coming aboard to officiate Perky's wedding to the father of her babies.”

  “Ah,” Parker said, “for the Kumarrin, an unmarried woman who gets pregnant is required to marry the man who impregnated her.”

  “That's how I understand it,” Bowen stood stiffly. “Now if you'll excuse me.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Parker nodded, as he and Dr. Bowen both got up from their chairs, “we will prepare for our first excursion to the surface of the Kordam Formation.”

  “Go armed,” Bowen glared, “we don't want any casualties.”

  “I agree,” Dr. Bowen said.

  With that, they all exited the Captain‘s room.

  The shuttle deck was an area of near constant activity. Because the Atlantis functioned as a space station as much as she functioned as a carrier, people were coming and going from her all the time. She had shuttles arriving and departing around the clock. Because of this, she had a large arrival and departure lounge complex with exits and entrances that led out to the shuttle deck. This was for passengers who were arriving or departing on smaller shuttles that were too small to use the large docking tube on the recovery deck. The arrival/departure lounge was a vast waiting room with rows of chairs and here and there were comfortable waiting areas that featured easy chairs and couches. One wall of the lounge featured large windows that looked out on the shuttle deck. Opposite this were a line of little shops, restaurants and cafes for the patronage of the people who were in transition.

  Perky sat on a couch near the windows that flanked one of the doors leading out to the shuttle deck. Through the window she saw the constant frenzy of activity. She was dressed in a colorful dress, resplendent in a bright floral pattern. Its spaghetti straps and low neckline showed off a generous amount of her double cleavage. She sat on the couch relaxing, her ears swiveling to catch the myriad sounds around her: snatches of conversations, public announcements on the PA system, muffled noises from the shuttle deck and the nervous padding of Circe's sandals on the deck. Perky was particularly aware of a trio of Kumarrin men waiting to catch a shuttle to Aurelius. They had been watching her intently ever since she and Circe entered. Perky knew it was because she was pregnant. Early in their pregnancy, Kumarrin women produced a pheromone that attracted Kumarrin men and drove some half crazy with desire. It was something of an annoyance for the women. Ever since she had learned of her pregnancy, Perky had had to wear a particular choker necklace with a prominent charm that signified that she was already promised to a man and was unavailable for mating. This was enough to forestall all but the most insistent of Kumarrin men. The trio of men saw Perky's choker, but this only prevented them from approaching and propositioning her for sex. It did not stop them from staring at her with keen interest. Perky made a show of ignoring them stubbornly. Instead, she watched her sister. Circe was wearing a similar dress, with a slightly different floral pattern. She wore a choker around her neck that showed all who saw it that she was married. She paced back and forth in front of Perky. Whenever a particularly prominent sound came from the shuttle deck, such as the clank of machines or the loud clunk of a shuttle being set down on a parking space, Circe stopped, and stared out the window. Her ears perked up as she listened intently, her skirt fluttering and waving as she swished her tail nervously.

  “Will you relax, Pyra?” Perky groaned. “They'll be here. Honestly, you'd think you were meeting the Holy Mother, not our honored grandmother.”

  “It's not that, Klia,” Circe snapped. “I'm nervous because Norom is coming with her.”

  “So,” Perky said, “I'd think you'd be happy to see him. It's only been...what?...three months?...since you two last saw each other?”

  “Four,” Circe was sad, “our marriage has started souring, because of my infertility.”

  “So that's it,” Perky forced her sister to sit beside her on the couch, “you're nervous because you've had your infertility cured.”

  “Do you think he still loves me, Klia?” Circe asked, tears starting to pool in her amber eyes.

  “Oh, sister dear,” Perky whimpered, hugging her sister to hide that she wanted to cry with her sister. “Norom loves you with all his heart.”

  “I'm just worried,” Circe murmured, crying softly, “what if he doesn't love me any more? What if he wants to nullify our marriage and bond with a woman who is already fertile?”

  “Pyra,” Perky pushed her sister to arm's length so they could look each other in the eye, “his clan was dying out because of the infertility of their women. He married you so his clan could be absorbed into ours, and his bloodline continue. He wouldn't dare nullify your marriage.”

  “There are other girls in our clan who are pretty...and fertile,” Circe sniffled, “what if I've already lost him?”

  “You're being a silly kitten, Pyra,” Perky admonished, “now grow up and dry your eyes. Booker's ship is being brought in.”

  Circe looked out the window, and saw Booker's familiar Kalvan transport, Klia's Delight being moved by tractor beam to a parking space near the door where Circe and Perky sat.

  “Holy Mother,” Circe cried, “he's here!”

  Circe suddenly stood and turned to her sister. “How do I look?” she demanded. “Is my hair okay? How's my scent?”

  “You're hair is lovely, Pyra,” Perky said, “and you smell nervous and afraid...and horny. Norom is going to take one sniff of your scent and want to carry you off to your quarters to mate.”

  “Yeah,” Circe snapped, her fur bristling a bit in embarrassment, “I think I'm entering a fertile phase.”

  “I can smell it in your scent. Relax, Pyra. If he didn't love you, he'd have told you to stick your tail in a black hole when you invited him to move here.”

  “Here he comes.” Circe’s face lit up with happiness.

  Presently the door opened, and an elderly Kumarrin woman exited. She walked with a regal stride, using an intricately carved cane, though this was a symbol of her status as a clan matriarch. She had no walking problems. She was dazzlingly decked out in regal robes and a choker with a charm that identified her as the matriarch of a prominent clan. Booker walked a respectful distance behind her. Circe and Perky stepped over to their grandmother and knelt on one knee before her. The grandmother touched them each, with a loving two fingered stroke, on the sensitive area in front of their left ears. Feeling this, Circe and Perky stood, and only then did they hug her.

  “It is great to see you, Oba,” Circe said, using the Kumarrin word for grandmother.

  “I hear you have finally come to your senses, Pyra,” the old cat woman spoke regally, her voice rich and mu
sical, like a well tuned cello.

  “Yes, Oba,” Circe nodded. “I have had my infertility cured.”

  “I am still waiting for you to have kittens.”

  “I have prayed to that the Holy Mother will fill my womb with kittens,” Circe said, “like she has with Klia.”

  Oba turned to look at Perky sternly. “So there's my little lost granddaughter. Let me look at you, girl.”

  Perky's ears perked up, and she purred softly, as she delighted while her grandmother looked her over.

  “I can smell the Scent of Impending Motherhood on you. You do indeed carry kittens. A wonderful sign for our people.”

  “Yes, Oba,” Perky sighed, “but I am an outcast.”

  “Not while I draw breath,” Oba hissed. “Not anymore. It's high time, I told those no-tails in the Council of Elders that we are driving ourselves to extinction and all because our foremothers decided that our women should have only two bosoms. Well it stops now! You are no longer an outcast. I welcome you back into our clan, Klia, Daughter of Kuma.”

  Tears spilled out of Perky's eyes and flowed down her cheeks when she heard this. She threw her arms around Oba, hugging her in gratitude. “Thank you, Oba.”

  “Now, you must be bonded to the father of your kittens,” Oba purred. “He has generously agreed to join our clan...seeing as how he has abandoned his own clan to seek you out.”

  At that moment, Perky noticed Booker. She had already known he was there, but protocol demanded that she show her grandmother all her attention until her grandmother pointed him out. Now that Oba had done so, Perky stepped over to him and threw her arms around him. They held each other for a long while, breathing in each other's scent.

  “How wonderful to know your scent again, my love,” Perky gave Booker the traditional Kumarrin greeting between lovers.

  “Your scent is always pleasing, my love,” Booker returned the traditional response.

  They greeted each other in this way because they were soon to be married. They held each other in silence for a while, Booker drinking in the overwhelmingly pleasant scent of Perky pheromones. Circe gazed enviously at her sister.

  “Where's my mate?” Circe whined.

  Oba giggled and pointed at the entry door. Circe looked and saw Norom standing there. He was tall, and his figure was powerful, yet slender, an athletic figure built for speed and endurance. His close cropped hair was dark and perfectly complimented his bronze fur. His bright green cat's eyes gazed at Circe with obvious love and eagerness.

  “Norom!” Circe screamed. She ran and leaped into his arms. She kissed him again and again as he held her against him, and spun her around in the delighted dance of lovers who hadn't seen each other in a long time. When the elation of their reunion abated enough that Norom stopped twirling with Circe, and put her on her feet, he looked at her and smiled, twining his tail with hers, a Kumarrin equivalent to holding hands.

  “Hi, Kitten,” Norom said, a charmingly informal greeting that always had the affect of melting Circe in his arms.

  “I missed you, Norom,” Circe cooed, nuzzling her face into his chest.

  “Your scent is different,” Norom took a careful sniff of her.

  “I had the doctor cure my infertility,” Circe murmured.

  “That's what I'm smelling,” Norom grinned fiercely.

  “Does that please you, my mate?” Circe asked, looking up into his face.

  “I am delighted, my darling one,” Norom caressed Circe's face, and drew a purr from her throat.

  “Can we go back to my quarters,” she groaned, “I'm dying to mate with you.”

  “Sure,” Norom said, “anything to please you.”

  “Good,” Circe seized his hand, “because I want to go make some kittens.”

  Circe pulled Norom away, making for the nearest tram stop. Meanwhile, Bowen walked up, looking sideways at Circe and Norom as they passed him. He approached Perky, Booker and Oba.

  “That must have been Circe's husband,” Bowen gestured toward them with a thumb.

  “That was Pyra's mate,” Oba nodded.

  “And you must be the honored grandmother,” Bowen offered her a half-bow from the waist. “I've heard a lot about you. It is an honor to meet you. I am Captain Bowen.”

  “I am honored to meet the master of this magnificent vessel,” Oba purred with respect. “I am well pleased at the privilege of traveling aboard her.”

  “We do our best, ma'am. You will be pleased to know that we have arranged for you to stay in a guest suite during your stay aboard ship.”

  “I will show her to her quarters, Captain,” Perky offered.

  “Nonsense,” Bowen retorted softly, “you've got your fiancé to think of. Besides, as captain of the ship, it's my duty to show such an honored guest to her quarters.”

  “Very well, Captain,” Perky lowered her ears slightly in embarrassment.

  “You will tell your sister, that I hold a feast this evening,” Oba glared sternly at Perky.

  “I will, Oba.”

  “This way, ma'am,” Bowen gestured for Oba to follow him.

  Bowen guided Oba away. Once they were more or less alone, Booker pulled Perky against him and sniffed her neck. “It's true,” he murmured, “you do carry my young.”

  “Yes,” Perky said, “and I'm actually happy at having to marry you.”

  “That is a relief,” Booker sighed. “I feared you would reject our bonding because you're an outcast.”

  “I'm no longer an outcast,” Perky growled at her man. “Oba welcomed me back to the clan, if you had been paying attention.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “Now, you're going to show me that wonderful ship of yours...and maybe we can mate in the captain's cabin.”

  “Fine by me,” Booker chuckled.

  Perky pushed him out the door to the shuttle deck.

  On the port side landing deck, Black Eagle Three emerged from its hangar. It lifted off the deck, retracting its landing struts. With a blast of blue-white energy from its engines, Black Eagle Three took off into space. In its cockpit, Glitter sat at the pilot's controls. Dan Dockweiler sat behind her.

  “You sure about this, Dad?” Glitter asked cautiously. “I could have taken one of the other Wizards with me for this mission.”

  “I had to get off that ship for a while, Rose,” Dan grumbled. “I was getting tired of sitting in my cabin wallowing in grief.”

  “I thought mother was spending time with you.”

  “She's working with Lovandiel,” Dan sniffed with annoyance, “learning about her new job.”

  “I see,” Glitter said, “well this isn't likely to be a very interesting mission. We're just scouting a location for hostiles and threats.”

  “A nice, simple threat assessment is preferable to sitting and thinking. This is work that I can throw myself into and forget about my grief.”

  “Isn't the remembrance crystal helping?” Glitter asked.

  “Yes,” Dan sighed, “but it's still going to take time.”

  “Okay, Dad,” Glitter smiled hopefully. “So long as it is helping.”

  “So how's the poker tournament going?”

  “Pretty badly for the Screaming Eagles,” Glitter snickered. “Between me and Archmage, we beat their squadron leader pretty badly. Raptor was pissed. He would have demanded we play more hands had I not had to leave for this flight.”

  “Sounds like you take after your old man when it comes to playing cards,” Dan managed a half smile.

  “Maybe you should come down to my squadron's rec room for a game. You can try to beat me at Fizzbin.”

  “That sounded like a challenge,” Dan smirked.

  “It was,” Glitter nodded.

  “You're on. By the way, speaking of games, your half-sisters wanted me to start including you in our family game night.”

  “What's that?” Glitter asked.

  “It's something their mother came up with,” Dan smiled. “Once a week, we'd sit down as a family and p
lay a holo-game.”

  “Sure,” Glitter shrugged. “Why not. They're my half-sisters. I should get to know them.”

  “Good,” Dan said, “they'll be happy.”

  Meanwhile, on the U.S.S. Atlantis, Bowen entered the ship's botanical garden. He was garbed in his full dress uniform, complete with medals that clinked and clanked as he walked. The botanical garden was equal parts live plants and simulated holographic ones. The holographic plants were so life-like, using textured force fields to give the illusion of being solid, that one could not tell what was a live plant and what was a hologram. To add to the tranquility and beauty of the botanical garden, the ceiling featured a virtual sky and holographic animals, mostly birds and squirrels, though other animals could be simulated. As soon as he entered, Bowen spotted Circe and Norom standing near a pavilion that had been erected beneath a willow tree. Norom was dressed in the traditional dress of a Kumarrin male, which consisted of a loose tunic, a warrior's kilt and leather guards over his lower legs. His tunic was made of a fine, linen that was dyed a deep blue. His kilt was actually a sarong, wrapped around his waist as in a short kilt. His leg guards were heavy leather and featured sheathes for throwing knives. Strapped across his back was what the Kumarrin called ‘the Hunter's Blades‘. This was a set of weapons consisting of a scimitar, drawn from over the shoulder; a curved dagger drawn from the opposite end of the sheath; and six throwing knives sheathed at various places on the strap. Circe was also dressed according to the traditions of her people. In her case, she was wearing a sarong, which was wrapped around her waist and tied at her right hip in such a way as to show a lot of leg. She had a strip of cloth wrapped around her chest as a sort of bandeau bra. She had a large blue flower in her hair. Around her neck, she wore a choker collar, which featured a charm that indicated that she was married. Bowen noticed that Circe's sarong skirt featured a sash, and the handle of a long knife stuck out of the sash at the small of her back, within easy reach of her right hand. The pavilion was simply a chair set beneath a fabric canopy that stood beneath the willow.

  “Well, Lieutenant,” Bowen said, “you look unbelievably pleased.”