Sissness was feeling nervous, but had plenty to keep her occupied. She was condensing her notes from the strategy meeting, so they’d have a record to confirm with Gruff and Hover. She hoped they hadn’t added much in conversations on the bridge, but could always consult Jamie for any further information. She’d send them to the bears and beetles as soon as they were finished, as when she checked, she found they'd already returned to their shuttles, and were on their way back to their ships.
Jamie and Snark entered the lounge as she was finishing up. Neep was sitting silently, watching.
"I tell ye, I ha’ te go down to the planet," said Jamie.
Snark was almost spitting.
"We’ll need you up here on the ship. Even if the Valderians aren’t here when we go down to the planet, they could jump in at any time. We need a competent pilot and weapons officer to be on board."
"Patters can do it."
"Patters is well up on the systems, but she doesn’t have a PC, and you do."
Snark’s tail was whipping back and forth.
"Patters can manage. She has the Seasprite computer."
"But it’d be better with you. What have you been training for all this time?"
Jamie came up short. He floundered for something to say.
"I ha’ te be down there."
Snark checked himself. Jamie was not normally this stubborn, and always went along with things.
"It’s Anna, isn’t it?"
"Wha’ if it is?"
Jamie was now getting really angry.
"Anna has to be on the planet, but you don’t. I can protect her."
"Not like I can!" yelled Jamie.
They stopped yelling, Jamie almost puffing with anger, and Snark with his tail now thrashing backwards and forwards. They seemed to see where they were, and took in the watching Sissness and Neep. Both subsided almost immediately. Jamie slumped down into a chair, arms and legs all over the place. Snark jumped up onto the seat of a chair and perched, sitting.
"Sorry," said Jamie and Snark, both at the same time.
Sissness sat eyes wide, her ears back, and mouth agape. Neep took a breath, and looked at them both.
"There’s a way to settle this," he said carefully.
The others looked at him.
"Ask Anna what she wants," Neep said simply.
Jamie and Snark looked at him, and then looked at each other. Snark shrugged in a feline way. Jamie thought carefully, and stood up.
"I’ll go and ask her," he said, and slouched off.
Snark growled softly, put one leg in the air, and licked it roughly. Sissness went back to her notes. Neep rose, and went to check on Patters.
"I don’t understand what’s got into Jamie," grumphed Snark to the almost empty room.
Sissness looked up.
"It’s love," she said. "There’s no rational logic at all when it involves love. And from what I’ve seen of Jamie, humans have it quite badly."
Snark sighed loudly, and put another leg in the air. He started to lick this one roughly as well. Finally, he finished, and looked over at Sissness.
"Patters will be fine up here on her own," he conceded. "I know we all want to go down to the planet, but I’m sure Patters will be ok with staying on board. She’ll have the Seasprite computer, which can do most of the fighting itself, not to denigrate Patters’ skills."
"I’m sure she will," said Sissness carefully. "You seem sure there will be a fight."
Snark looked at her closely.
"I do. I think Brother Paulus will either want to capture us before we find the Stone, if the Stone is there, or directly afterwards. Either way, he’ll have the Valderians with him in force."
Sissness shivered. "I can always stay here with Patters."
"We’ll need you on the planet with us. We may need further information, or insight, when we’re there."
Sissness smiled at Snark.
"Thank you," she said.
Snark looked surprised.
"What for?"
"It was almost a compliment," said Sissness, and hefting her tablet, left the room.
Snark looked around him.
"Bloody mop heads!" he said to no one. "And bloody females!" he added for good measure.
Seventy One
Jamie found Anna in her room. He knocked, and heard her voice in the room.
"Can I come in?" he said through the door.
The door opened.
"Of course, Jamie," said Anna, and let him in, shutting the door behind him.
Jamie took one of her hands in his.
"I’ve come tea ask ye a question," he started.
Anna looked a bit bemused, and made a gesture for him to continue.
"I want to come down tae the planet. Snark wants me on the Seasprite. I don’t like the whole set up. And, well, I want tae be there. With you…tea… well…"
"To protect me?" asked Anna with a smile.
"Aye, yes."
Anna looked at him. The daft wee bugger, she thought to herself.
"I’d like you with me, yes," she said, leaned over, and kissed him.
Jamie pulled her closer to him.
"Ye understand, then?"
She smiled up into his eyes. Green eyes met green flecked hazel eyes.
"I think I do. It’s a male thing. No." She put a finger to his lips to stop him saying anything. "It’s a Jamie thing. And I do want you there. I trust you."
Jamie sniffed.
"I think that’s the nicest thing ye’ve said aboot me up til now."
He didn’t sound happy. She kissed him again, this time with more force. They stood swaying, and kissing for some time, then Jamie’s hands moved from behind her back to the front of her loose-fitting coverall.
"I dinna ken why ye don’t show off more," he said thickly.
"What?"
"Ye have such a fantastic body, why not flaunt it in a skin-tight number…"
"And drive you crazy."
"Aye. Stark. Raving. Mad."
He pushed the coverall off one shoulder and then off the other. He could tell she wasn’t using a belt suit. Anna stepped back, and shimmied, and the coverall fell down to her ankles. She was now dressed in nothing but small top, and lacy briefs.
Jamie breathed in heavily, and breathed out, drinking her in.
She leaned forward, took one hand, and placed it on her breast. Jamie felt its weight, and pinched the nipple through the fabric gently. Anna gasped, stepped forward out of her pooled cover-all, and into his arms. She pulled the top off in one movement, and pulled the briefs off in another.
He kissed her gently all the way from her mouth down to her breasts, kissed each nipple, and licked around the aureoles. Anna responded by panting more rapidly. He moved one hand down over her stomach, down to the hair between her legs, and felt with his fingertips the warm wetness there.
She quivered as he swept her up into his arms, and laid her on the bed. Quickly he shifted his suit back into a belt, pulled his own briefs off so he was naked as well, and then just took it off.
She also gasped, when she saw his firm, young, male body.
"Do ye want me?" he asked softly.
"Yes, oh yes. Jamie," she said, as he lay on her on the bed.
They kissed again, and then he rolled her until they were on their sides, face to face.
"I love ye so much," he said.
"I love you too," said Anna.
Jamie sighed, and then started to kiss her again, and then all over her body. She responded in kind. By the way she responded when he felt between her thighs, he perhaps understood a little more.
"Is this your first time?" he asked.
She nodded.
Jamie felt a great wave of responsibility. He made sure he took his time, and when she seemed ready asked, "Are ye sure?" She nodded again, and pulled him even closer to her. He was as gentle as he could be, entering her, and pushing past the resistance. Anna gasped, and cried out.
They moved together, slowly
at first, faster, and then Jamie couldn’t wait, shuddered, and gasped.
"I’m sorry, I couldna’ help it. Ye’re just so beautiful."
They were both panting, and he rolled her over on to her back. He looked at her face. She was smiling, but he could see it wasn’t all roses for her.
"Next time will be better," he said firmly.
"Aye," she said.
"Aye," he said.
And it was.
After, she watched him fall asleep, and kissed him on the cheek. She didn’t take long to fall asleep cradled in his arms.
Seventy Two
The jump into the Scylla system was uneventful, much to Snark's relief. The fleet formed up into the agreed formation, and headed in system. Once Seasprite identified where the planet was in its orbit, they altered course to go directly to it. The closer they came, the more obvious it was there was nothing here to threaten them. But Snark knew this was an illusion. They were somewhere close, somewhere their sensors couldn’t see.
The fleet stopped just short of planetary orbit, and took up a high guard position. Seasprite continued into a standard orbit, and sent a comnavsat down into low orbit.
Sissness was surprised to find the terrain data was almost accurate, and the proposed landing zone was indeed suitable.
Snark and twenty combat droids squeezed into the shuttle, and Jamie flew them down to the planet to set up a secure landing zone, and ensure no-one was waiting for them down there. Snark had done some practicing with the droids on the way, and had found out the easiest way of controlling them was simply to give them orders like they were cat soldiers. With Seasprite controlling them, it was pretty much the same as giving verbal instructions to the ship, or any of the crew. The exception being, the crew didn’t always follow his orders, and the droids did.
Jamie took the shuttle back up to Seasprite to fetch the others. With Patters and Mouse left on the bridge, the others joined him in the shuttle, with another ten combat droids. A further ten were remaining on board just in case.
Snark waited for the others to land, formed up ten of the combat droids into ranks, so as the others exited the shuttle, they came smartly to attention all at the same time. The other ten could be seen out at a distance, ringed around the landing area, scanning outwards. The ten in the shuttle joined the ten outside, and Anna made a show of inspecting the 'troops'. She found them completely creepy though, since they vaguely resembled human skeletons.
Jamie set off across the plain they'd landed on, in the direction of the river according to the ship's sensors, which his PC was accessing, and they hoped, the waterfall. He had point, so had a weapon at the ready, and was scouting the way carefully. Twenty combat droids were arrayed around them, two flanking each of them, with two ahead of Jamie, and the rest acting as a rear guard. Anna followed Jamie, then Sissness and Brindle, with Snark in the rear. The other ten remained with the shuttle, to keep it safe. All of the droids were carrying pulse rifles, and had a second one slung on their backs.
Snark had tried, but the rifle was simply too heavy for him. He'd been so angry, he'd sent off a demand to Jane for a smaller version to be designed, so he could have one. Warspite and Seasprite had a good laugh over it, knowing as they did, one was already in the pipeline. The mice had already demanded one.
Jamie and Snark had changed their guns to lasers. Brindle was also carrying two guns, but they were slug throwers.
All around was the same reddish rock formations, formed over time by erosion from the weather. A dry wind was blowing, and the temperature was not comfortable, in fact quite hot, although only faces felt it, with everyone in suits. The sun was searing overhead in a cloudless blue sky. They seemed alone in the landscape, but looks could be deceiving they knew. They were all keeping their senses attuned to anything which might not be part of the scene around them. Their belt suits were set to hair trigger. Everyone had backpacks with an individual supply of water and rations, torch, knife, and anything else each thought might be useful, and Jamie carried the first aid kit.
It was tough going, even with the temperature controlled suits, part of which was stout walking boots.
Brindle was thinking it was largely overkill, and they wouldn’t have to fight off anyone. She was betting on a fight in space rather than here on the planet. However, she was glad to feel the weight of her guns on her suit, and the spare clips in her backpack.
They'd been going for an hour, when Jamie signalled to the others. The river. They formed up around him for a break, as well as to view the river below them.
"At some point we must descend, but to a break where the waterfall could form," said Jamie.
Snark jumped up on a rock so he could see the river better, and compared it to the satellite display on his tablet.
"There," he suggested.
"Aye," agreed Jamie.
Snark contemplated the state of the team.
"Once we find the waterfall, we’ll need to find a place to bring the shuttle closer. We may need a quick getaway."
Jamie nodded, and plotted a route he thought would get them to where they needed to be. After resting, they continued, now on a descending path. After a short while, Anna cried out.
"There!"
She was pointing to a rock formation.
"If we move around a bit, it could be the archway through which the view of the pool and the waterfall was seen."
She closed up with Jamie, and they and their escort droids moved around, so they finally could see through what was definitely an archway of stone.
Anna gasped.
It was like the picture 'Monifieth' at Mac’s Manor on the Scots Homeworld, the mural at Perdita, and from her vision. Only, even more vivid in real life. The three waterfalls falling with blue water, and white cascades over the rocks, met in the centre, and fell as one white curtain into the pool below. The iridescent water of the pool kept changing. Green, greenish-blue, blue, and a purplish teal, ever-shifting, ever-changing with the light. She could see stepping stones just beneath the water, and what she hadn’t noticed before, the walls around the waterfall, with some shockingly green plants hugging the rocks, and softening their rounded but still rough edges. Where the water cascaded into the pool in one curtain, she could see shadows behind the water.
Jamie came close to her, and held her hand. They stood there while the others caught up.
Jamie let Anna’s hand go, and scouted around for a way down to the pool. It didn’t take long to find a series of steps carved or created out of the surrounding rocks into the cliff itself, leading to the lower level of the pool. The steps seemed to be too steep and wide spaced for a human’s stride, and difficult to navigate for cats, who were going to need to risk jumping down each one. The combat droids also might have some trouble with navigating the erratic staircase.
"There must be an easier way to access the pool," suggested Snark hopefully.
Jamie looked around.
"Perhaps it will be easier to see from below," he replied.
With no other way apparent, Snark sent the point droids down. They found no difficulty with them, running down instead of stepping. At the bottom, they checked for enemies or dangers, and found none. Seasprite relayed the news.
Snark dropped down the first step tentatively, and almost lost balance.
"Stuff it!" he yelled, and with a shout the translator turned into "Geronimo!" he bounded down the remaining stairs, avoiding balance issues by spending most of the time in the air. Brindle whooped, and followed him down the same way. Their escort droids followed them at the same speed.
Jamie led Anna down the ‘stairs’, taking each step carefully, closely followed by their four droids. It was awkward. If they were attacked now, they'd be horribly exposed. Still, they reached the bottom without incident.
This left Sissness. They waited what seemed to be an age for her, and when she appeared, they gaped as the salvage droid she'd asked Seasprite to send down, carried her and her escort droids down safely. Two combat d
roids remained on the plateau above, to cover them as they descended, and to give cover if they needed to retreat in a hurry, the rest racing down the steps after Sissness.
"Spoilsport," said Snark, as Sissness stepped off the grav sled.
She mimed hitting him, and they all laughed.
Seventy Three
At the pool level, the temperature was much cooler. The team took a brief moment to catch their breath, and sip water from their bottles. The pool seemed to beckon them. The shadow behind the curtain of water seemed inviting.
Anna remembered her dream of the sea monster, and wondered what lay below in the pool. Looks could be deceiving.
Snark started to look for a way out of the pool area, and scanned the rock walls. It seemed the stairs were the only way out. This was not good, as it meant anyone climbing the stairs would be exposed. He decided the only way to defend the pool was to place combat droids on the plateau above. He wasn’t sure he could get any of them across the pool itself either. What a security nightmare. He should have studied the photos from Perdita in more detail.
He thought he'd a location to move the shuttle to though, and it was at the base of the cliff. Would it be worth the effort, and would it leave the others exposed as he went all the way back to the Shuttle? In hindsight, they should have scanned first, and landed as close as they could, rather than walking all this way. But then, hindsight saw all. But at least he had a better way of getting the shuttle now. Scans showed no life signs around this area, so there should be no nasty ambush surprises.
He, Jamie, and Anna conferred, and he left on the salvage droid sled, with two combat droids. Jamie, Anna, and the rest of the team had decided to wait for Snark’s return, before moving into the pool, and beyond the waterfall, as enticing as it seemed at the moment.
They rested under an overhang of rock, drank more water, and discussed their next steps.
"Jamie and I should cross over to the waterfall," said Anna. "It will bring the visions to life."
She didn’t mention her dream about the sea monster. Sissness nodded.
"Once you’ve scouted out what’s behind the waterfall, we can all cross over."
Destiny Stone (A.I. Destiny Book 4) Page 28
