by Brian King
“Uh, what was that for?” I asked the gray-skinned beauty.
“Another welcome to our group, Victor,” Galmine said with a big smile. “Plus, you radiate warmth, and you are hard and soft at the same time. I find it comforting. Does my contact bother you?”
Trel made a gagging sound from behind her privacy curtain, but the three of us ignored it.
“No, I really like your hugs. I just don’t think I’ve done enough to earn one.” I tried not to make a big deal of adjusting the front of my pants. Rubbing up against her had made me two different kinds of hot.
“You earned it by staying with us and giving us hope,” Galmine said while tapping into her bubbly energy. “You said it yourself: we were living day to day with no relief in sight. Sheela is wonderful with all her hunting, gathering, and survival skills. Trel is so clever, sassy, and beautiful. I love them both, and I’m sure you are going to help our little tribe with your own unique skills.” Galmine’s positivity was infectious. I almost wanted to take her back in my arms and hug her again, but she flashed a final smile and stepped away before I could make up my mind about it.
“I brought these narrow tree trunks in here when I first arrived and had a little more time and energy,” Sheela said as we moved over to the poles. “I used several to make my spears, but maybe we can also use what is left to fashion the door.” Sheela tapped her foot against the nearest one and I noticed her leather booties were surprisingly similar to my own work boots.
“And this is the primitive cutting tool I have been using.” Sheela picked up a hand-sized dark gray rock from next to the pile and made some simulated chopping motions. It looked like the blade of a small hatchet, but the rock also had a little nub of a handle. It was sharp at the blade part, but it must have taken her half an hour to cut each of these poles.
“I see your point,” I replied. “That doesn’t look user friendly. If we make some better tools, a door would be simple. It would at least stop winged dinos from sneaking in. If we are out getting water, or whatever, we have to know the other two are safe.”
“Once we make the cordage, it will be simple to wrap the poles,” Sheela replied. “We can lay them out right here on the floor.”
Solving the problem of the door would be easy for someone who knew what they were doing. I had friends in high school who could rip apart their cars and put them back together with their eyes closed, but I wasn’t that skilled. I could swing a hammer or operate a saw as well as anyone though most of my handyman skills came after watching online help videos. I didn’t even have the ability to search the internet for how to make a cave door.
Fortunately, I’d seen lots of security doors at the various LA county animal shelters. Often they had complicated metal gates that spun against a row of bars, so dogs and cats couldn’t go back through. I doubted we could build a proper turnstile, but maybe it would be enough to put up a spiked barrier instead of a true door on a hinge.
I explained my new proposal to the two women as best I could without pen and paper. Basically, I suggested a primitive teepee shape with sharp spear-ends tied up and down the front, pointing toward the outside. That way if a bird got close, it would get a nasty surprise, but we could move the barrier aside when we needed to pass through. It probably wouldn’t hold up if a bigger threat came along, but I didn’t think anything could stop a T-Rex if it really wanted inside our cave.
“That is a clever solution,” Sheela remarked. “All our buildings have swinging doors, so I was not thinking of alternative designs. We’ll need lots of cord, but this should be far easier to make and serve the same function as a small door.”
“It wasn’t my idea,” I said with a relieved chuckle. “You can thank the confined dogs and cats of LA County, although even this probably wouldn’t stop some of those strays.”
Our next issue was rope. We already had a bit of it in the cave, but we needed to make more, so I took a few steps closer to Trel’s partition. The cord at the top was a little thicker than my boot laces but supported the curtain with only a slight drop in the line.
Trel must have been watching me approach her space because she violently yanked the partition aside as if to catch me in the act. Her hoop earrings swished from side to side, along with her dark flowing hair.
“Can I get a little privacy?” Trel snapped.
The spider-woman stood next to the half-open curtain with her claws on her curvy hips. Despite being a little cooler in the rear of the cave, beads of sweat clung to her exposed cleavage like condensation on the shower door. I pretended to be interested in the silky material of her curtain, but my eyes went right back to those wet breasts. I don’t know how long I stood there with my tongue wrapped in a knot, but it was several seconds longer than I should have.
“Well? What is it, male?” Trel growled impatience. “Did you not hear me say I didn’t want to be involved in your tiresome planning?”
As much as her human features made me burn with desire, her legs hung off her back as nagging reminders of how alien she was. She was beautiful, but every time she opened her mouth she lost a little hotness.
“Um, Ms. Trel, did you make this rope? Can you make more?” I pointed to her curtain while using a friendly voice.
“Wrong. Wrong. And wrong,” Trel shot back with increasing volume. “I am not ‘Ms.’, whatever that means. The male may be in our group but is still not allowed to address me simply as Trel. And this isn’t ‘rope,’ it is art.”
I glanced back and forth to Sheela and Galmine, unsure how to handle the difficult woman. Nothing I said to her was ever right.
“But can you make more?” Sheela countered as if Trel didn’t just bite my head off.
Trel glared at Sheela for a moment, but then softened her facial features.
“I can spin the most glorious silk dresses and cloaks, as you can see,” Trel said while swishing her hands down her soaked body to show off her delicate dress. “Making garments should be my special skill, not something undignified like building useless structures. I made this twine for my divider by stringing some of Sheela’s hideous leaves together. It is artwork for what it is, but why would I bother to make more of it? And the male who refuses to use my full name hasn’t even thanked me for allowing him into my private chambers. He is so rude.”
It was clear we’d get nowhere with her.
“Thank you for allowing us to see into your private chambers,” I mimicked her words as I backed toward the middle of the cave. I couldn’t remember her full name and wasn’t going to risk messing it up again.
Trel yanked the curtain closed to dismiss me.
I was dying to ask Sheela and Galmine how they survived so long with the ungrateful spider-woman, but before I could ask I accidentally stepped on something that let out a squawk.
“Jinx!” I blurted as I looked at the blue chocobo-looking bird.
The dino-bird flapped his tiny wings and squealed while he ran around the cave floor. Maybe he thought I was going to kick him again, but it only took a few moments before he snuggled up next to my boot, apparently forgetting all about it.
I crouched down to meet the little bird at his level and was surprised when he didn’t flee. I first looked him in the eyes, hoping to see signs of intelligence, but the beady black orbs didn’t give any clues to his thoughts.
“Sorry, bud. My bad,” I said.
“He followed you again,” Sheela remarked.
I winked on my Eye-Q and saw a flashing notice on the top of the overlay. The interface said, Jinfengopteryx tamed.
“I don’t believe it,” I said with amazement.
“What is it, Victor?” Galmine asked. “Is it like the orange birds Sheela said were coming to attack us?”
“No. This one’s harmless, Galmine,” I replied with a polite laugh. “I tried to tame him earlier, but it didn't work. Maybe it takes some more time, or I have to be closer or something. The little guy is tamed now. This is awesome!”
I felt like I’d just unloc
ked a big piece of a puzzle, and relief flowed through me. However, as cool as it was, I couldn’t really imagine what I was going to do with the little roadrunner dinosaur following me around.
“That’s wonderful Victor. I knew you would figure it out. I’m so happy for you.” Galmine rubbed her hand on my back.
Jinx hopped about but never strayed far from me. What exactly did “Tame” even mean? There was only one way to find out.
“Go over there,” I ordered him while pointing to the back part of the cave.
The dino-bird with the long blue tail walked where I instructed, but he diverted at the last second and ran under Trel’s curtain.
“Your ugly bird is drinking from the disgusting puddle in the corner of my sanctuary,” Trel huffed. “Get it out of here before I wrap it up and eat it.” She let out a squeak of surprise as Jinx flapped his wings back there. I would have found it cute if I didn’t know it was Trel making the sound.
I figured I’d use my connection to try to get Jinx out of Trel’s space. I first tried to point the Eye-Q toward the curtain and gesture for Jinx to come, but I couldn’t really see him through Trel’s partition, so he couldn’t see me, either.
Next, I tried to call him without the Eye-Q, but that didn’t work.
“Uh, can you please open your curtain?” I asked Trel. I was unsure how to address her, so I left her name out of my request.
She huffed, but the curtain opened about halfway. Just enough so that I could see Jinx.
“Come to me, Jinx,” I commanded in my professional talking-to-animals voice. My words brought him right out of Trel’s area and almost into my arms.
“It’s safe. I won’t hurt you,” I added.
Jinx allowed himself to be picked up. I expected him to be light like a bird, but he had a little heft. He weighed about as much as a small house cat, which is what I’d expect if he was more of a feathered lizard than a modern bird. I brought him up to my face, and we regarded each other while Sheela and Galmine watched.
“I’ll take good care of you,” I said, echoing many similar statements I’d made to animals I’d cared for over the years. Only this time I couldn’t place him in a protective cage until I found him a good home.
He and I already shared the same cage.
“Great, we have another mouth to feed,” Trel said with her trademark sneer. “If you could tame something useful, it might be a skill with some potential. But taming birds is good for absolutely nothing.”
“He is so cute. Can I hold him?” Galmine asked, almost begging.
I heard Trel huff, and I laughed to myself. Galmine seemed to be kryptonite to Trel’s superhuman efforts to be mean. It totally fit since she kind of looked like she was made of granite.
I honestly didn’t know if Jinx would let me hand him to someone else, so I mentally assured the bird he would be safe in the hands of my new friend. Then I gently held him until he was right on top of Galmine’s outstretched hands. Once I dropped him, he sat in her gray fingers and began cooing quietly.
“Yay! It likes me,” Galmine said as she gently ran her hands over Jinx’s blue coat. The cooing sound grew as she caressed it, and she let out a small giggle. Her fingers were actually disturbing the feathers enough for me to see that he had an undercoat of white down beneath the blue outer coat. He really was a handsome looking dinosaur.
“I think everyone likes you, Galmine,” I said without really thinking.
She looked at me with puppy dog eyes.
“Oh, Victor. That is so nice of you to say. I know this world is harsh and dangerous, but I’m so glad I met Trel, Sheela, and now you.” Galmine beamed a smile at me before looking at the bird. “And you, too, Jinx. Hello!”
We stood there for a few moments before my thoughts soured and returned to our numerous problems. I’d made myself out to be a great planner, and I’d have to deliver. The lingering smells of the turtle soup reminded me of my hunger and the need to hunt. The pot of water meant another trip to the stream tomorrow so we could get more clay. And I couldn’t forget numerous birds were coming to claim our temporary home. We had a door to figure out. And building a walled fort would be even more daunting.
But all that began tomorrow. Right now, the daylight from outside was nearly gone, and I had to fight my eyelids to stay awake.
“So, I think we know where to start,” I said as I looked at the two women. “Tomorrow we’ll have to get some clay, water, and ferns to make cordage. What do you think, Sheela?”
“Yes,” She answered. “We will also need to hunt for more firewood and food.”
“Yeah, and we need to build some axes,” I went on as the pieces fell into place. “Build axes. Build a door. Cut down trees. Then the fort.”
“I will have to teach you both how to make the cordage,” Sheela added, sounding as tired as I felt.
“It never ends, does it?” I asked.
“Not if we want to do more than barely survive here, as you said,” Sheela replied.
“That’s exactly what we need to do. Survive until we’re picked up,” Trel exclaimed from her nook.
Sheela shook her head in clear disagreement with Trel.
“I just want to get out of here,” Trel began, sounding defeated. “I’m not going to live forever. And where am I? In Hell! The cave stinks. The forest floor is essentially made of poop and dead things. Proper beauty sleep is impossible. I’m eating little bowl-shaped creatures like a commoner. And worst of all, I have to listen to a lowly male get himself voted into our cave and talk endlessly about planning and doing chores. Uhhgg. This is terrible. I want to go home.”
Trel didn’t speak again for a few moments, and I shared a confused look with Sheela and Galmine.
“And everything in this lousy place is sharp. Like this!” Trel’s arm popped out from the side of her curtain, and she tossed a rock that came to rest near Galmine’s feet.
The stone-skinned woman picked up the stone, and her emerald eyes opened with surprise. She handed it to Sheela, who held it out above the firelight.
It was made of the same gray rock as the rest of the cave, but it was naturally contoured like a simple axe head wedge. All we’d need to do is find a way to put the rock on a handle and sharpen it.
“Are you helping?” Sheela asked Trel with uncontained surprise.
“Helping? What? No!” Trel interjected. “I care even less than I did before. The rock was bothering me in my private chamber, and I wanted it gone.”
“Thank you for giving it to us,” I said to Trel, still conflicted on whether I should use her name.
“I would never do anything for you, male,” Trel replied. “As I said. I hate this place, and you, and that rock. So there.”
“I’m sorry you hate me,” I said with a sigh.
I waited for her sarcastic reply, but she surprised me by saying nothing more. She just remained behind her curtain, leaving the rest of us to gather around the fire. We sat down, and I swayed under the flame’s calming spell.
“Please rest now, Victor,” Sheela said. “I will keep watch until it is time to wake Galmine for her shift. She and I take turns.”
I was tempted to curl up around the fire and go to sleep, but we all probably felt the same way. My new friends honored me by voting me into their group, and I needed to share the load equally with them. I wanted to prove I could hang with the tough blonde but I was also driven to convince the more difficult spider-woman she had me all wrong.
“I’ll take first watch, Sheela,” I said with as much energy as I could muster. “I can tell you’re even more tired than me. You’ve been at it for too long. More than all of us. It’s time you took a break.”
She narrowed her eyes for a moment, but then I saw her shoulders relax some. She might have been the stronger warrior based solely on stats, but she’d been on high alert for weeks and was wrecked. If she had a rating for fatigue, it would be maxed out right now.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “You have earned your rest, too.�
� Her voice wasn’t very convincing.
“I’m absolutely sure,” I replied. “All I need is for you to show me where you keep guard.”
I followed her to the front entrance of the cave, but before the feline woman could show me where to keep watch, she reached to my face and held her hand over my mouth. Her movement surprised me, and I looked into her eyes as she muffled my involuntary gasp.
Sheela pointed down the hill toward one of the open clearings between the large trees. Six or seven shapes floated back and forth in the deep shadows. Even in the washed out light of dusk I recognized the outlines of the vicious little green-feathered raptors I’d met when I landed on this world. If they came up the ramp, they could end my grand strategy game with a few lazy chomps. We couldn’t stop all of them.
The pack of dinosaurs nosed around like bloodhounds in search of a lost scent, and I worried that they would smell Sheela and me. I also worried Galmine or Trel would call out and accidentally give us away, or that the dinos would hear my heart hammering in my chest.
Then I thought about my new pet.
Jinx woke me up from my hole this morning, and I now wondered if he knew Sheela was stalking me. Jinx ran into my foot when Sheela and I first saw the pterodactyl. Then he ran into me again, tonight. Did he know these guys were out here? Was it a warning, or did he come to the cave because he was scared shitless? If I lived long enough, I was going to study my blue friend and find out exactly what “Tame” could do for me.
The pterodactyl belted out strange chirps at the green raptors when they got too close to the base of its tree. The raptors replied with their own shrieks as they nosed around the trunk. It was dark before they finally ran off into the night, following the yippy call of the alpha male.
Long after they left, Sheela touched me on the elbow to get my attention, and I released all the stress built up in my chest with one long exhale.
