NanoSymbionts

by Joseph Philbrook

  Captain Rivermon thought quietly about it for a couple of subcyclets.

  “I'm not sure,” he eventually said. “On the one hand, we can't keep him tied up like this forever. Yet if we don't and if he has another fit of rage like this, it could cost all of us our lives. Yet I'm loath to just put the man down like some dangerous wild beast. What do you think about it Yolonda?”

  “I think,” She replied. “That it would be a real risk. I'd like to think that he won't have a relapse. But he could decide his hate for you is too strong. Still I can't really see him doing anything that he thinks would kill off the rest of us. Though I wouldn't recommend that you should turn your back to him. However I also think that you, yourself, would suffer great inner damage. If you don't give him a chance. Your not a killer by nature Wilber. Oh your strong enough to take a life if you have to. But you'd never be sure you really had to and that would leave you with a feeling of guilt that could eventually destroy you.”

  “Your a shrewd judge of character Yolonda,” Wilber replied with a smile. Then he spoke up in a louder voice. “Will you swear, Mr. Naville, that if I give you the benefit of the doubt. You will be on your best behavior? That you will obey my orders? And that you will not try to take any further revenge you might feel you still owe me?”

  There was a look of disbelief, and a conflicting look of hope on Mathieu Naville's face when he looked back into the Captain's eyes.

  “Yes, I swear I'll be good,” Mathieu said. “I'll do whatever you say. I still don't like you but the courts are more my style anyway. So it can wait till we get back to civilization.”

  Captain Rivermon hesitated for a moment.

  “I'm inclined to accept that promise Mr. Naville,” captain Rivermon said at last. “I'd take the risk that your a man of your word. Though you should realize, that there is precious little chance that any of us will ever get back. Yet I'll expect you to keep your word anyway Mr. Naville. Do you understand me Mr Naville?”

  The hapless man nodded vigorously.

  “Yes, I understand,” he said. “I'll be good, at least until we're rescued.”

  The captain sighed.

  “Very well Mr Naville I'll accept you at your word,” he said. “See that you keep it. If you don't, well, you won't get another chance.”

  To Mathieu's credit, he did his best to keep his word. When the time came he even volunteered to make two trips back to the wreck with George and Randy to salvage what supplies they could. Yolonda had insisted that the Captain himself shouldn't haul anything ashore except himself and that she'd hold onto his arm the whole way to insure that he didn't slip.

  While they waited for the tide to finish going out, they had packed as much of the supplies as they could into backpacks that Linda and Yolonda had fashioned from the scraps left over from the simple poncho style coats they had made out of most of the blankets. The captain hadn't been able to be much help with the preparations. So he spent the time with the assorted environmental and bio scanners he had at his disposal.

  As Yolonda helped him to strap on the small backpack that he'd insisted on carrying. He tried to make conversation to break the angry silence that she was using to voice her opinion of his decision.

  “One good thing,” he said. “All the scans show that this planet is remarkably suitable for human occupation. Right down to the genetic codes of it's sea creatures. It looks like we'll be able to eat anything we can catch.”

  Yolonda snorted.

  “Or anything that catches us,” she said. “Will be able to eat us too, don't forget.”

  The captain hid a smile. Yolonda was still angry but at least her wall of silence was broken. He was surprised how much that meant to him. Further conversation was impossible however, because it was time to leave. Once they and the remaining supplies were ashore. George sacrificed another of their dwindling supply of blankets to make several fabric straps. He used some of them, along with another of the blankets that he had merely cut a series of small slits into. To tie the strips to, in order to form a sling of sorts between a pair of crude metal poles that he had made from some pipe stock that he had salvaged for the purpose. This he fitted with a harness of sorts made from some more of the precious strips of fabric. On this he arranged the assorted supplies that didn't fit in the backpacks. tying them down with the remaining strips of fabric. The harness was made for two men, who would lift one end of the poles. As they slipped the harness over their shoulders.

  They could then drag the heavy load of supplies, as the other end of the poles slid along the ground. Thanks to his injuries, the captain couldn't take a turn at it and Mathieu really wasn't strong enough. That left George and Randy to do all the hauling. While Mathieu and Linda each carried one of their packs. Dragging the supply carrier up the steeply sloped rocky beach was very hard work. Especially until they made their way far enough up the steep slope near the beach to reach above the tide line to where the ground had a coat of snow. Then the footing became treacherous as they made their way to the crest of the hillside. By the time their path leveled off, they had attracted the attention of some of the islands natives. The captain held a portable scanner in his good hand.

  “They appear to be more like various kinds of dogs rather than wolves,” he said of the company that had started to follow them. “Though I note that feral dogs can be just as dangerous as wolves. I didn't see any sign of civilization when I scanned the planet just before we crashed. And the scanner isn't picking up any kind of transmitted signal in our vicinity. This suggests to me that this planet was at some point terraformed by some kind of colony ship but that the colony itself failed.

  We're going to need to take shelter soon but there isn't anything nearby. However, if you look to the side of that small mountain like hill. That's sticking up out of that cluster of large trees to the west of us, you can just see a sheer rock cliff side. My scanner indicates that the rock it's composed of is riddled with some cracks and fissures that might offer a cave or two. Even if it doesn't, some of those trees are close enough to it that we could use a few of them to build a stout lean to against the cliff.”

  Mathieu snorted.

  “On foot?” he yelled angrily. “It'll take days to get there!”

  The captain couldn't help but notice that all three of his crew tried to get between him and Mathieu.

  “Belay that!” he said to stop them from doing anything rash.

  They immediately stopped advancing towards Mathieu.

  “Mathieu swore to follow my orders,” he explained. “But Neither of us said anything about never questioning them. I wouldn't expect that from him any more than I do from a member of my crew. Besides he does have valid point. So back off so that I can discuss it with him. And that's an order.”

  They reluctantly obeyed. After a moment captain Rivermon broke the icy silence that had fallen on the group by addressing his detractor.

  “Like I said Mr Naville,” he explained. You have as much right to question my orders as any of my crew do. And as it happens I agree that we'll be hard pressed to make that distance before nightfall. However in my opinion, it's our best hope. If you've a better solution to our problem I'd like to hear it. Otherwise I'll expect you to pitch in as much as you can. To help get us there as soon as possible. Now, Have you spotted a reasonable shelter that I somehow missed?”

  “No! But it's not my job to have all the answers now, is it?” Mathieu replied sullenly.

  “Your right there Mr Naville,” the Captain replied. “That's not your job. It's mine. But under the circumstances, since I don't actually have all the answers. I have to use my best judgment. Which says that we're wasting valuable time debating the issue. Just one last thing though Mr Naville.” He paused for a moment. Then continued before Mathieu could ask what the last thing was. “Like I said, you've as much right to question my orders as one of my crew. But not more. You may have noticed that most of the time they obey me without question. And never, I say never, do they question my orders if
I use the word ‘now’. You haven't heard me use that word as part of a command yet Mr Naville. Because I only use it if a delay in obedience would be, well ‘bad’. They all know this and now that you do, know that if I say ‘now’, there isn't any time for debates. Am I making myself clear enough for you Mr Naville?”

  Mathieu was obviously seething with anger when he replied.

  “Clear as crystal captain,” he said.

  Then without another word he picked up Georges pack and started walking. They moved as quickly as they could. None of them wanted to be caught in the open when the sun went down but loath as they were to stop, neither George nor Randy could pull that heavy load all day without an occasional break. Usually only long enough to catch their breath, have a drink and empty their bladders. They were about halfway there when the Captain spoke up.

  “All right people,” he said. “It's time for another break.” Then as everyone set down their loads he added, “I also think that it's about time we spent a couple of subcycles to have something to eat. Randy, I hate to impose on your well earned rest but could you coordinate the preparation. We need something quick and hot, that'll stick with us the rest of the day. While the others were busy helping Randy turn some survival rations and a few other ingredients into a tasty stew. George got the captains attention.

  “Them pooches are making me nervous captain,” he said.

  “I'm not happy with the way they're shadowing us either,” the captain replied. “It's hard to get a good count because their just too good at using what cover there is around here. But I know I spotted at least a dozen different dogs. The way they're watching us, I figure their just waiting for nightfall.”

  “That's what Randy and I think as well sir,” George reported. “At the rate we're moving, I think we'll reach the cliff side by then,” he said. Then he quickly added, “But that won't leave much time to build any kind of shelter sir.”

  “That's my take as well George,” captain Rivermon replied. “I'm still hoping we might find a suitable cave or crevice you know. But if not, then at least there we'll be able to put our backs to the cliff side. So they can't come at us from behind.”

  The daylight was fading when they got close enough to the crack filled cliff side, for the captain's scanner to locate a cave that might do them. The captain had decided not to worry the ladies or Mathieu, with his growing concerns about the dogs. Which he noticed, had begun to follow them much more closely than before. Even so, he'd noticed Yolonda checking the charge on her sonic stunner. So he was fairly certain she realized the danger. They had almost made it to the cave, that they could now see was there, before the dog pack attacked.

  The evening twilight was beginning to fade when the pack leader made his move. He'd been watching his prey all day. So he knew how much less maneuverable the two legged bulls were while they were tied to their burden. He jumped on George's back, diving him to the ground. That was his last mistake. While the pack leader was trying to get at Georges throat, Mathieu ran in panic into the cave. The captain was busy trying to keep the rest of the pack off the girls with his pellet gun. These dogs were hard to kill however. It took two shots to take down his first target. Meanwhile another beast tried to circle around to jump Linda from behind. The captain got that one also but he'd had to rush his first couple of shots. So it took three of them to take it out.

  He was so busy defending the girls that he didn't notice the dog that was preparing to jump on him, until it was too late. The dog was smart enough to go for the Captains hand, to stop him from shooting any more pellets. Meanwhile another dog went for his unprotected throat. Later the captain said that all he could remember after that was an excruciating pain that vibrated his very bones before he passed out.

  Yolonda had seen the dogs starting to take down the captain and tried to stop them with her sonic stunner. She did stop them. Unfortunately the Captain had attempted to roll out from under the dogs that were attacking him and received as much of the maximum intensity sonic blast as his attackers did. Worse still, that prolonged burst of focused hypersonics depleted the stunners limited energy reserve.

  Things would have gone from bad to much worse if it wasn't for the pack leaders initial mistake. If he had chosen to jump Randy, his mate could have got to George. Before George could get to one of the axes he'd finished forming during one of their rest stops. Yet as quick as the leaders mate was, Randy didn't have to go far to lay his hands on his best cleaver and boning knife. He sunk the cleaver into the back of the skull of the leader. Then as the leaders mate landed on him he slipped his boning knife into her belly and gutted her as he would have a fish. Randy didn't have time to retrieve his best cleaver from the former pack leader's skull. instead he quickly sliced the strap holding him to the dead weight of the supplies.

  As he did so his other hand was busy pulling his other cleaver from his apron. It wasn't as big as the one he'd spent saving George but it served him well as more dogs tried to take him down. Randy was normally a sweet kind hearted man who hated the fact that some animals had to die to put meat on his menu. He was nonetheless an efficient butcher. Now however, he was angrier than George had ever seen him. He killed every dog that came close to him but some of them got close enough to sink their teeth in first. By the time George dragged himself to the one weapon they had left that might turn the tide of this battle, Randy was bleeding from a half a dozen serious wounds. Including one in his neck that had just missed his jugular.

  George had to look away from his brave friend, to unfasten the strap holding the plasma cutter down. George could hear his heart pounding, so he knew that it took him less than three heartbeats to pull the cutter free but in that time one of the dogs had managed to knock Randy off his feet.

  To make the plasma cutter ready to use as a weapon, George quickly finished disabling it's safety circuits. He had previously done most of the work necessary to bypass it's safety protocols while they were stranded in the cargo container. Then he cranked its power control to maximum. He had to take the time to fry a couple of dogs that had noticed that he had moved and were in the middle of leaping towards him. Before he could turn the cutter on Randy's attackers. Then it took all the skill the technician had, to burn four dogs off of Randy without cooking his friend in the process. The hunting pack that had attacked them was large in numbers and nearly fearless. but the jet of pseudo fire that incinerated flesh on contact was a bit too much for them.

  They had anticipated an easy kill. Then sensing their prey's intention of using the cave as a defensive fortification their leader had been forced to make his move before darkness had fully set in. Then their prey had proved to be far more dangerous than the hunting pack expected. They had already lost nearly half their numbers. Including the alpha couple that lead them, when fear of this new weapon broke their will to fight. So they retreated to go lick their wounds. They didn't quite go empty jawed however. When George reached his wounded friend he saw that there was only a bloody stump where his right leg had been. It had been gnawed off at the knee. At least one of the dogs had gained a meal from this tragedy. George was surprised to find that his friend was not only still breathing but conscious. As he started to apply a tourniquet to the remains of his friends leg, Randy found his voice.

  “Don't bother George,” he said though it's doubtful he could see who was trying to tend his wounds. “It's too late, George. Besides we both know Miss Heroner is out of those fancy medpacks of hers. There's no way I'm going to get either my sight nor my leg back. I wouldn't want to live crippled up like this.” Randy coughed up a wad of blood, then continued. “But hell, I showed them mutts a thing or two didn't I?”

  Then Randy coughed up some more blood.

  George, realized that his friend was at deaths door. There was nothing he could do for Randy except to stay with him and hold his hand until it was over.

  “Yeah, buddy you sure showed them,” George said. “What's left of them won't be back any time soon.”

  “Good
!” Randy gasped. Then having kept his ships crew and passengers fed for so many years, his last thoughts were about what they'd have to eat if he didn't provide for them.

  “Promise me George,” Randy gasped. “I just butchered a lot of dog meat.” He hacked up some more blood. “Your going to need it,” he whispered. “Don't let it go to waste...prom...s...meee...”

  As his friend gasped out this plea with his very last breath, George found himself answering.

  “Alright, you win,” he said hoarsely. “I'll do it.”

  He wasn't ever sure if Randy had heard his answer or not. Though that didn't much matter. He'd made a deathside promise to a fellow crewman and dear friend. Besides that, as much as the idea revolted him, George knew Randy had been right. They would need the meat. George reluctantly let go of Randy's hand. Then he stood up and surveyed the carnage. There were the remains of nearly twenty dead dogs strewn around Randy's body. There were a few more around where Linda and Miss Heroner were ministering to the captain's prone form.

  “Void no!” he cursed as he ran towards them. “Not the captain.”

  “He'll live,” Linda said as she looked up. “He's just got a bad case of stunner shock”

  “Stunner shock?” George repeated in disbelief as his gaze shifted to Miss Heroner.

  “I'm afraid I missed,” she said.

  “Not completely,” Linda corrected. “You also got the two bitches who were on top of him.” That's when George noticed that two of the fallen dogs were still breathing. A situation that he quickly remedied by savagely twisting their necks, until he felt and heard a satisfying crunch.

  “I need your help Linda,” George said. “Miss Heroner can tend to the captain for a subcycle or two.” He gestured outwards towards the gathering darkness. “I managed to put the fear of fire into these beasts. But they're night hunters by inclination. We're going to need to keep a fire burning. To keep them away for the rest of the night. So I gotta get us a big pile of firewood, before it gets too dark to find it. That means I'm going to need you watching my back with this.”