13 Degrees of Separation

by Hechtl, Chris

  “He wanted to get away, to get you safe. Smart boy, I wish I had been able to meet him. There wasn’t anything you could have done,” the elder said, patting Cali's shoulder in sympathy. “How bad are things? Do you know?” the elder asked.

  Cali shook her head, “I heard on the radio about the attack just as that shuttle came in. It.. it... was bad,” she gulped, fighting tears. “Everyone was excited about a ship coming in and had been flocking to the port,” Cali explained, eyes darkened by the memories.

  “Oh,” the elder said, walking over to the wall. “Get some rest,” she said pausing there. She turned to see Cali nod. The girl took a blanket and curled up with her sister. The elder frowned and then touched a control and a hatch door to the cockpit opened. She went up the ladder and through the hatch, she knew the priestess would keep the others content.

  “What are you doing elder?” Blizzard asked, looking up. She went over and looked up then climbed a ladder. She heard voices, strange voices. Her ears flattened and she sniffed, but couldn’t smell anything beyond the elder's scent and dust.

  “Checking the radio, I'll be back in a minute,” the elder said, sitting in a chair. She tapped at the controls, “I wish I had more implants,” she grumbled.

  Blizzard wondered what she meant by that. The voices however cut that thought short. Her ears flattened as what the strangers were saying registered.

  Chapter 3

  The former marine officer checked the radio, scanning the frequencies. It wasn't hard to narrow them down to the pirate ones so she could find out the news. Her actions grew grim as a clearer picture emerged. From the sound of the chatter these weren't ordinary pirates. Pirates would normally loot, pillage, rape, and then burn. Unfortunately Kathy's world had had more than their fair share of them over the centuries. These were sounding more and more like they were setting up shop and staying long term, a full occupation, not a good thing.

  Cali woke a few hours later and told her about the last ship that had come in bearing news of Pyrax. She spoke of an Admiral Irons, a legendary figure from the Xeno war who had turned out to be a sleeper. They had heard about it a month ago when the last ship came through. According to the story the admiral had been found by a passing freighter. He'd spent his time on her rebuilding the ship and training the crew before he got off in Pyrax just in time to avert a crisis of power there and then fend off attacking pirates. The story was a bit garbled, somehow he'd salvaged enough ships to ambush the pirates and capture them.

  The elder was fascinated and carefully quizzed the girl on the events. It was a pity that the girl's account was third or fourth hand, still it was something for her to think about carefully. The time of hiding in shame was over. The time for action... maybe now, she thought. She decided to help as they ate another meal. They bedded down for the night as she returned to the computer.

  “What's your name?” Cali asked as the wolves came back inside. The elder had shown them the refresher but the Neowolves couldn't handle the cabinet sized space easily so they took their business outside when nature called.

  Blizzard snorted softly, her mother looked from her to the avidly watching humans. She flicked her ears as her daughter flounced down and crossed her paws in front of her. She returned her attention to the still waiting human. “I am called priestess,” she said, sitting.

  “Priestess is a role not a name,” Cali said, cocking her head. Over the past several days the humans had exchanged stories with the wolves to keep themselves occupied and to pass the time. They'd learned that the priestess was the keeper of wisdom and the trainer of the pack's cubs.

  “Still it is my name now,” the priestess replied, amused by the little one's interest. Her own daughter had never thought to ask.

  “Now,” Cali said, picking up on that word. She narrowed her eyes, “but there was another priestess before you, so at that time you had a name,” Cali replied.

  The priestess snorted, surprised and amused afresh by the child's logic. “You might as well tell her,” little Susan said, stretching slowly. “She's always interested in stuff like that, she'll get it out of you eventually.”

  “Hypatia,” the elder said, coming into the room. She nodded to the priestess as Blizzard looked up in shock, “Tia when she was a child.”

  “I...” Blizzard stared at her mother, “I didn't know.”

  “Trust grandmother to know,” the priestess laughed softly, flicking her ears, “she knows us all.”

  “Especially those of you who are descended from my line,” the elder replied in amusement. Fresh shock washed over the two neo wolves as they absorbed that. The two humans stared at each other in confusion. Susan shrugged helplessly.

  “We had known to call you grandmother but...,” the priestess said trailing off.

  “Moira,” the elder said, sitting down in a chair. “My name is Moira, first lieutenant Moira white wolf, Federation Marine corps,” she announced.

  The priestess's eyes went wide as she digested that, the shock...

  “Everyone had a name at one point in their lives daughter,” the elder replied. “I wasn't born elder or grandmother. Those names you and the packs fostered onto me, I bear them with no ill will,” she said.

  “I...,” the priestess began.

  “As it happens,” the elder said ignoring the priestess and turning to Cali. “Hypatia is the name of the librarian of Alexandria when it fell... or so the legend says. I named her that years ago,” she said, turning to the priestess who was flabbergasted. Moira tapped at the food replicator and replicated the evening's meal. She heard the rumble from Cali's tummy and snorted in amusement.

  “Here,” she said, passing the girl the stew. The girl thanked her but passed it on to her little sister. The girl sniffed the fragrant aroma and then sighed in appreciation. She was still having trouble holding utensils but she stubbornly insisted on doing it herself. Moira was quite proud of the child's unbroken spirit, and amused by her sister's fretting.

  “I take it the hunt turned up empty?” the elder asked looking at Hypatia, the priestess shrugged a no.

  “I thought not, the small game have either gone or have entered hibernation. With the long cold winter they may never wake at all at this rate,” she said, handing Cali a second bowl and then replicating a tray of meat for the wolves. She made herself some stew as well and sat back, watching her guests eat.

  “So what do we do?” Blizzard asked. Trust the youngest to get restless first, Moira thought in amusement. She had no experience in this.

  “I am still gathering information and there is a storm front moving in. I'm afraid you'll have to put up with me for a little while longer.” Moira said.

  Blizzard sighed, ears drooping. She didn't like the closed confines of the strange smelling shuttle, its' novelty had rapidly worn off the first day. “But...” her mother looked at her. She sighed again. “Yes, grandmother,” Blizzard replied.

  “Can we play a game? Do you have a net or something we can access Moira?” Cali asked. The wolves and Susan looked at her, She touched her chest as she swallowed. “Sorry, um, elder?”

  “Better,” the priestess growled, glaring then snorting.

  “As a matter of fact I do. Can you teach my granddaughters how to use it?” The elder asked politely.

  “Sure!” Cali said, grinning. She looked at Susan who smiled. “That'd be swell!”

  “Good,” the elder replied, setting her spoon down to pick up a tablet. She handed it over to the girl. “You can use this and the screen there,” she pointed to the large screen behind her shoulder. “It's used to keep the troops entertained or updated when we were in flight. I've accumulated a lot of files and games over the years,” she said.

  “I'll be careful,” Cali said.

  “Careful,” the wolf snorted. “I want you to take the time and try to organize all the clutter! Maybe see if you can defrag some of the drives,” she chuffed.

  “I'll um, try,” Cali said looking at the tablet. After a reluctant
moment she set it in her lap and went back to eating. The elder snorted and returned to her own meal.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “How does this machine work? Is food stored within?” Blizzard asked, sniffing the food replicator.

  Cali looked up from her tablet and came over. She had her hands together politely waiting for Blizzard to step aside. Finally Blizzard did so, sighing softly. She daren't touch the controls, she was too fearful of doing something wrong.

  “Do you want something?” Cali asked. “We have... had one working food replicator left in two leg town. Mom showed me how it worked. This one's not so different,” she said. She pointed to the screen. “See? It's a touch screen,” she explained.

  “But how does it work?” Blizzard asked.

  “Well... you put raw material in tanks up here,” Cali pointed to the panels above the unit and below. “Then when you want something you touch here,” she touched the entry sequence. “Then you put a bowl or cup or something in here,” she pointed to the recessed box where food came out, it was dark. “Then you select what you want here,” she tabbed the controls and then showed her how to pick through the menu. She showed Blizzard how the scroll bar worked and then how to select something. “When you've picked what you want then you hit the green enter button and it will fill the container with what you want. It's not as good as a real caribou steak, but it's still good,” Cali said.

  “I wasn't going to say anything,” Blizzard said softly, glancing towards the cockpit.

  “It's okay, I think she knows,” Cali whispered back conspiratorially. Blizzard flicked her ears. “But you can help her supplement it with real game if you want,” Cali whispered.

  “I... that's a good idea actually,” the wolf said. She looked at the hatch.

  “Hey hang on, there's more,” Cali said. Blizzard turned back. “Food replicators aren't just for food, you can make parts and stuff too with the right materials. I think that's how your, I mean the elder has been making these plastic things. See?” she pointed to icons in the menu list. “There're all sorts of things here, maybe even parts for the shuttle,” Cali pointed out.

  “What about weapons?” The priestess asked.

  “No, oh no, don't do that,” Susan said, sitting up. She stretched and yawned, “even I know you don't do that,” she said sounding smug.

  Cali glanced at her sister with the wolves and when the wolves turned their eyes to her she shrugged. “She's right, you don't make weapons or some things with replicators, if you try they blow up,” Cali warned.

  The wolves' ears went flat at that news. “Perhaps you shouldn't play with that then,” the priestess warned.

  “Yeah, good idea,” Cali sighed, “but I think we can do a few other things since the weather sucks right now,” she said. She picked up a tablet, “that is if the elder doesn't mind,” she said respectfully.

  “I think she's busy so let's not disturb her to ask,” Blizzard cautioned.

  Cali looked over her shoulder to the flight deck and then nodded. “Yeah, good idea. Do you want help hunting?” Cali asked Blizzard.

  “Why don't you show me what you have there,” Blizzard said, chuffing an amused laugh, “I'm curious about it.”

  “Sure...”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Susan and Cali taught and played with Blizzard and Hypatia while the elder was busy listening to the radio and taking notes. The elder was amused to see the two humans teaching the Neowolves about basic technology. As they learned they moved less and less like their wolf ancestors and more and more like the sapient people they were, even walking as a biped from time to time.

  They exchanged stories of their lives and how they lived, going into more detail than before. Blizzard at first wanted out but soon settled down and took an interest in the lessons and the movies. Cali assembled a file detailing the history of their people and their world. Moira nodded, she'd give the girl an A for her efforts.

  Little Susan had found another tablet and had put together a short feature about the colonization and history of Kathy's World. It was a little off, but the girl had done a good job with the material on hand in the database. She'd even taught Blizzard how to use the tablet. They would sit together, sharing the tablet and each other's warmth. Cali curled up next to the priestess and put a blanket over them both and did the same. She felt the priestess's arm wrap around her in a brief hug before she handed the tablet over. The priestess chuffed a laugh and took it with a soft thanks.

  “How do you keep them on the farm once they've seen gay paree?” The elder muttered amused. Susan seemed to bond with Blizzard. The two Neowolves were changing before her eyes. She was gratified, too long had they devolved into a subsistence life.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  When the storm broke the elder sent Blizzard and the priestess out to bring messages to their pack and others. They were to call all the clans, something that excited them. They were to meet here in less than a week's time.

  Cali had busied herself with keeping the shuttle and cave clean. As little Susan adjusted and recovered she too started insisting on taking on small tasks. Cali moved out to gather materials from nearby. The elder gave her a hunting rifle and ordered her to bring in what game she could, but to be careful. Cali had gulped but had risen to the challenge. Each day she'd used the sled harness to drag back a carcass, sometimes a deer, sometimes a dead calf. The elder taught her the grim task of gutting the carcass and then they packed each cavity with ice and snow for later. Their guests would need food she had told them.

  Several days later she went out and met with the packs as they began to stream in. The elder's order pulled in Neo packs far and wide. Other wolves were amazed and annoyed at the inclusion of the bears, selkies, otters, and cats. The occasional dirty look was exchanged but the elder's presence put any thought of fighting aside. One didn't do that when the elder called them all. It had been nearly twenty years since they had last had a great meeting of the clans. For some, they murmured it was long overdue, they needed to settle disputes over poaching in each other's territories.

  Others were sure something else was afoot, they had heard murmurs of events among the humans. Momentous events, terrifying ones that may have implications for them soon.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Pyotr, still alive I see!” the elder said, hugging the old bear to the amazement of the others. She pounded on the old bear's back enthusiastically.

  “As I live and breathe you of all people say that to me! Rocks are younger then you!” The bear rumbled shaking his head as he chuckled. “Still into chess?” he asked. She waggled her ears in reply.

  “Still drinking the old vodka I see?” she teased, poking his massive belly.

  “One must keep up appearances,” the bear laughed patting his midriff. His girth jiggled with each rumbling chuckle, it felt like a minor earthquake.

  “Well, not for much longer,” she cautioned.

  “Oh?” he asked.

  “The Horathian pirates old friend. They are here to take it all away,” the elder wolf told him, now serious.

  “Let them try,” the grizzly growled. Others looked up and gave an answering growl.

  “They have and they have done it. All,” she shook her head. She held his forearms with hers, eye to eye. “They hold the port and towns. Their ship holds the high ground and they intend to stay,” she growled.

  “Oh?” The bear asked, “I would think they would move on to newer hunting grounds.”

  “Yes. They announced it over the radio. They are here to stay,” the elder said, voice pitching to the others around them. Cali looked, unsure and both afraid and excited. The elder took her time, explaining the situation from the beginning. She pitched her voice so it would be heard by all in the cavern. Many tails and ears twitched as she dispassionately broke down the events.

  “So? That's the human's problem, not ours,” a tig
er growled giving the two interloper humans in their midst a dark look.

  “Is it? Are you sure Bengali?” the elder asked as she turned to look at him. “The humans trade with us. We provide fur, meat, herbs, and wood for their goods. Fair trade, honest trade. In return we get medicines, tools we can't make and vodka for old bears,” she said slyly looking at the bear. Pyotr rumbled a laugh from his seat on the side.

  “And you say they won't trade?” a snow lynx demanded.

  “Oh they'll trade all right. Trade for our pelts. They have a shoot on sight order. They'll kill any alien, any Neo they see. They are even organizing hunting parties to come here and kill us when they're done with the humans,” the elder warned.

  “They would do that? Why? We've never bothered them!” the snow lynx yelled.

  “Let them try! We will slaughter them on our own lands!” Bengali snarled.

  The old bear looked thoughtful. The elder realized he wasn't ready to weigh in on this. “They have guns. We don’t so they have the range advantage. They hold the high ground and can see our body heat so there is no place to hide,” the elder sighed. She shook her head as that sunk in to the group and they talked.

  “Ah. yes. But we can blend into the forests. Even a black bear can blend into nothing if they are behind enough foliage. And me a polar bear? White on white,” a hybrid bear said.

  “Which matters little with thermal detectors,” the elder said shaking her head. They blinked at her in confusion but Cali understood. “They have machines that can see heat, our body heat.” she said.

  “Oh. Are you certain?” the snow lynx asked dubiously.

  “Yes, of course.” Cali replied. She picked up a camera out of her pouch. “See for yourself,” she showed them the heat signature of others, going around the room.

  “That isn’t the only problem,” Blizzard said, daring to speak up. The pack's alpha gave her a dirty look.

  “Oh?” the other leaders turned to her. She gulped, now a little afraid about speaking up. “The humans. Our humans from here.” she said, looking over to Cali. “They flee to the back wood. Some will come here, some are already here. They will hunt and they waste the food they get. Hunting is already hard enough, but with many humans as well?” she demanded, ears flat.