by Pam Uphoff
"No she's not." Ebsa hesitated. "She . . . well I guess she was fourteen when her father was elected, and deep into the horse show scene. But she's been swimming around with the sharks for years."
Ra'd shrugged. "She's too nice. She even trusted me, at my worst. She thinks everyone is trustworthy until proven otherwise. At the Directorate School she had us to keep anyone else from playing on her trust and weaseling into her life by pretending to be friendly. Now she's alone."
Ebsa thought it over, shrugged. "Better the 'play nice' tactic than the rough stuff. But I'll keep my eyes open for dirty tricks, when I get back home. Unlike a pair of walking scandals like you guys. Hope that's a big mattress I didn't happen to see in the truck."
Nighthawk punched his shoulder. "I'll have you know that this is normal witch behavior. Love them and leave them. And I happen to have a whole room in a fast time bubble in the truck."
Ra'd grinned and drew her away.
Drat, she could have smuggled Paer . . . Ebsa flipped on the recorder and told Paer all about meeting the team, about Ra'd, skipped the part about the transit problems, talked about getting the camp set up, the dinosaurs, the surprise when Nighthawk showed up, and Ra'd kissing her in full view of everyone. "So drat, not a hope for me. I guess I'll just continue to pine for you, my absent beauty, and despair of ever seeing you again. Or at least until this personnel crunch has been fixed."
Another week or two before the permanent gate goes up . . . She'll probably be Across again, but next time we'll be able to comm each other and maybe I can take a day off.
Chapter Seven
28 Jumada 1405 yp
World EM 0925
"No, everyone cannot come." Ebsa sighed. "We need lots of maneuvering room inside, because we don't know which window we might need to shoot from."
Dr. Ably frowned. "You aren't going to shoot from the top hatch?"
"No. I think our best bet for penetrating the hide will be to shoot him underneath somewhere. So we're going to get very close to him."
Ra'd was sensibly staying out of the argument, examining the air gun and the "tags." Slick-shelled little bullets with a radio inside, dragging a wire behind them to act as an antennae. Dead simple, with a battery life of a year.
"All we have to do is get within about ten meters of the most dangerous predator to ever walk the Earth . . . " Ebsa grinned, and walked back to the gun safe. "Paer did manage to stun that one T-Rex. And we have a full power stun rifle. I think we should slow him down before we tag him."
Ra'd eyed the stun rifle. "Hit and run might actually be safer. I believe Paer hit her pet at point blank range four times before he even stumbled."
"And a couple more times before he went down." Ebsa huffed a bit. "Well, we can try it."
Acty cleared his throat. "I really hope you aren't implying that the president's daughter was the idiot that jumped on the T-Rex and stunned it at point blank range?"
Ebsa exchanged glances with Ra'd, and they both started laughing.
Nighthawk snorted. "Paer told me about it, and as far as I could tell she wasn't lying."
Dr. Wkna looked over at them. "Please do take note of how fast it can run, when you're chasing it down. That's always been a point of argument among paleontologists."
"Right." Ebsa ignored snickers in the background. I suspect we'll be measuring his sprint speed as he chases us . . .
Nighthawk snorted. "I will come, just so there is some common sense to this expedition." She flashed a sudden grin. "But mostly because I've never actually seen a Tyrannosaurus."
Ebsa hesitated, looked at Acty. "We ought to be back before nightfall, but if not . . . "
"We'll camp in the mess hall, weeping over our fabbed dinners."
Ebsa drove. Ra'd and Nighthawk both sat on the roof, feet dangling through the hatch.
"I hit a bump, you're both going to take a flying lesson." He yelled up at them. Then concentrated on not hitting bumps. Grinning, probably due to the double-happy-glow from above. Or maybe just being out on a windswept plain, no humans in sight, and a rather large herd of triceratops far off to the right. He turned to parallel a steep gully, looking for a good place to cross. There was a high spot . . .
The Tyrannosaurus rose up from the gully.
"Whoops, guys, hang on." Ebsa turned as one huge foot swung up over the edge of the gully and planted itself on high ground, the whole beast lifting up. The head raising up out of his view . . . a flash of power and the head sank . . . along with the rest of the body.
Ebsa goosed the power pedal and got out of the way as the critter collapsed. Circled back, and stopped rather close. Ra'd and Nighthawk dropped down through the hatch.
"Like I was saying, guns aren't really needed for close work." Nighthawk was smirking.
Ebsa climbed down to join them at the door. The T-Rex was breathing, but apparently down for the count. "Was that a stun spell?"
"Yes. I may have overdone it, they have rather small brains, after all." Nighthawk jumped down and walked up to it. "Poor baby, look at the sores."
Ra'd kept his 20mm aimed at the beast as he stepped down. Ebsa took the 12mm and the tagging gun before joining them on the ground.
"This must be the one that idiot Igne shot. Couldn't penetrate the skull, but . . . " Ra'd stopped talking as Nighthawk placed her fingers around one oozing sore.
It oozed enthusiastically, and small dark chips emerged . . . "He used ordinary fragmentation rounds?" Ebsa shook his head. "Even I know better."
"Humph. Men, nothing better to do with themselves but incompetently fire away at a magnificent beast." Nighthawk switched to the next sore.
Ebsa walked around to the back of the skull, the feathery neck. "What do you think? Tracking round in this loose skin of the neck?"
Ra'd nodded. "Wait until Florence Nightingale is done with her patient, in case he wakes up."
Nighthawk laughed. "I didn't expect that from a Oner."
Ebsa sighed. "That's all right, it was way over my head. Whatever it was."
Ra'd snorted. "Pre-nuclear war. Founder of modern nursing." He stepped back as the T-rex twitched. "I hope you don't expect it to wag its tail and purr the next time you see it?"
"I doubt reptiles purr. Possibly chirp sweetly, since it could be related to birds." Nighthawk stepped away. "Better tag it quickly, Ebsa, I don't think it's going to stay down much longer."
Ebsa grabbed a fold of skin and pulled it outward. Aimed along it, and pulled the trigger. Went flying as the beast tossed its head. He rolled to his feet, grabbed both guns and retreated as the critter raised its head.
He jogged to the crawler, climbed in after Nighthawk and headed for the controls. Ra'd braced himself in the doorway, ready to shoot. Ebsa turned sharply and pushed the pace. From a couple hundred meters away, they stopped to watch the big lizard heave itself to its feet and retreat.
"Smarter than I thought." Ebsa grinned. "So, what shall we tag next?"
Nighthawk glanced between them and bit her lip. "Ebsa . . .I need to talk to Ra'd . . . could you, umm . . ." Nighthawk hesitated, looking around the dinosaur tromping ground.
Ra'd snorted. "Not the place for an afternoon stroll? What horrible thing do you have to say? Maybe we should keep him as a referee. Or to control my unbridled rage as you give me my dismissal."
"I'll be up on the roof." Ebsa grabbed the 12mm and the tagging gun and managed to get them through the hatch. Where he really missed the crow's-nest for the first time. No place to rack the extra weapon. He walked well forward and pretended to not be listening.
"I'm not dumping you. I . . . do you understand how witches advance? Do Oner women . . ."
A snort from Ra'd. "You mean puberty, loss of virginity, childbirth . . . oh. That's why you are so complex. You . . . well, it's been almost three years, and no way to know if you'd ever see me again. No reason for you to delay your advancement on my account."
His voice was flat and level, but even from this far away, Ebsa could feel the roil
ing of his aura, the anguish and loss . . .
"Don't be ridiculous." Nighthawk sounded irritated. "As if I would find anyone else acceptable. Now would you like to meet your daughter or not?"
Ebsa scrambled to not fall off the roof. To keep his laughter silent. To wipe his eyes and try to keep a lookout for anything trying to eat him.
A quick flick of bright magic he could sense even at this distance. The zing of power from touching a close relative not seen in awhile. Or ever, in this case.
"She's . . . she's so little! How long have you kept her in a bubble!"
"Most of the time since she was three months old. I wanted her to know you from the start, not meet you as a stranger when she was several years old. Poor baby! First I did the pregnancy in a speed bubble, then I stashed her and, well, went back to school in a rather disorganized way."
"I've . . . I've never held a baby . . . "
"High time you learned." Now Nighthawk sounded amused.
Ebsa swept the prairie for threats, and eyed the pterodactyls circling. One dived . . . Ebsa hesitated, then lifted the tagging gun and tracked it. It skimmed past, three meters up and he fired. It tumbled, flapped to recover and quickly climbed for altitude.
"Ebsa?"
"Tagged a Quetzalcoatlus. Relax. Unless you just dropped the baby on her head, in which case you're dead."
"Get down here!"
Ebsa climbed down and grinned at the sight of Ra'd juggling his 20mm with a wrapped bundle in one arm.
Nighthawk was laughing. Glowing and happy.
Ebsa shook his head. "Domestic bliss among the armed and dangerous." He racked his two guns and reached for the 20mm.
Ra'd snorted. "This is my daughter Oak Nightdaut."
Ebsa peered. "Hmm, looks like a baby to me." He couldn't keep the grin in. "Darn good looking baby, mind you." She was, too. All big eyed and golden tan with wispy black hair, turning her head to study him with an intent frown. Like . . . like there was already a unique individual behind those eyes, not the wiggly mindless grub he'd always supposed babies to be.
"Wow! Congratulations! Not, mind you, that I have the faintest idea how it was achieved, but, hey, not my business, right?"
Nighthawk sniffed. "The usual way, of course. I stopped by to say goodbye after you guys cleared my name and, well . . . I ran out of time, and had to get back before the temporary gate detached, so I never saw the rest of you."
"Got distracted." Ebsa shook his head. "Ra'd. A father. Hmm. Is the Multiverse ready for a child of the pair of you? I think I'll drive on, in search of dinosaurs, while Ra'd learns how to change a diaper."
"Idiot. Why don't we check the lakeshore for those raptors? And maybe tag a couple of Maiasaura so the brains can study where they go to eat and so forth while nesting." A flashing sharp grin. "If you need any help, just yell. I'll be back here, changing diapers."
Ebsa found the game trail and followed it down to the lake. Nothing in sight. He drove into the lake, switched on the prop and cruised down the river. The Maiasauras stood up and looked belligerent. Hundreds of them.
"Let's see if just one or two will follow us. I don't want to find out how they'd react to us getting too close."
"Ebsa's so sensible, he'll probably die of old age."
Ebsa turned around to glare. Ra'd was cuddled up with Nighthawk and the baby on a lower bunk. One window open to the hot humid breeze. Enjoying the cruise. Ebsa subdued a grin and continued to cruise.
Ornithomimosaurs were drinking on the far shore, and lifted their heads to study the crawler. Ebsa turned the crawler that direction. The shore looked like they could climb out easily and he could take a look around, even though it was outside the main study area.
Fortunately the crawler was good over rough terrain, because he had to back and turn a couple of times to get through the forest and back up to the . . . well they weren't really grasslands being mostly ferns and whatevers. But the grasses and other flowering plants were starting what would eventually be a complete dominance.
I wonder if this place will get hit with a killer asteroid?
He drove up a gentle slope to a modest hilltop and stopped. "I'm going to take a look around. See if there's anything worth tagging here. Otherwise we can head back while thinking about how to tag a couple of triceratops."
Nighthawk stood up and tucked the baby into the crook of her arm. Ra'd hovered as she stepped out and they looked around the rolling terrain.
"It's so odd, to think that there are no icecaps at all." Nighthawk cocked her head. "What's that noise? Cicadas? No . . . "
"No." Ebsa walked around the crawler and frowned to the south. "Chainsaws?"
"Multiple small engines." Ra'd shrugged. "Can we go tag some Earthers? Just for study purposes?"
Nighthawk snickered. "Now, now. Although since I'm the only Disco representative on the world, perhaps I should go check them out. Can't have you lot fighting over who owns a world . . . Again." She hopped back into the crawler and . . . opened nothing at all to reveal a cradle and blankets. She added the baby and closed it up. Slapped her shoulder. Grinned at them. "Yes, I just attached a bubble with a baby in it to my shoulder. No, Ra'd. You can play with her again after we've talked to the Earthers."
"Talked?" Ra'd grinned. "I thought we could kick them off the planet."
"Well, yes. But we do it politely. Now, how long ago did you guys discover this world?"
"Oh, ages ago, its catalog number is under a thousand, and we're up to fifteen thousand worlds now. I'd say at least seventy years ago. Mind you, the first long term study was only two years ago." Ebsa climbed into the driver's seat. "And we built the first permanent facility last week."
"Huh. Well, let's go talk . . . " Nighthawk squinted through the window. "Ah. It looks like they're coming to us."
Ra'd frowned. "Those don't look very practical around dinosaurs."
Indeed they didn't. Small one man vehicles. Four large tires and a roll cage. "They look like doodle bugs. Fun for off road, more agile than the crawler, but I wouldn't want to play with a T-Rex riding one of those . . . noisy, too."
"Gasoline powered." Ra'd turned and walked back out, Nighthawk on his heels.
Ebsa reached for the radio . . . hesitated. Hate to be paranoid, but Earth makes us look like nice guys. Perhaps we should pretend that we're the whole exploration party. And not call home to warn them.
He hopped out of the seat and headed for the door. Hesitated, then grabbed the stun rifle. I will not start a war. Besides, Ra'd's probably got enough weaponry for all three of us.
He strolled out to join the others, and watched as the noisy carts topped the next hill. Squinted and enhanced his vision. The vehicles stopped there, the riders standing up to stare back at them.
Odd uniforms. White shirts, dark brown pants, lots of long guns sticking up from racks. The men themselves looked dark-haired, olive skinned . . . a few lighter, a few darker. He tried to enlarge his vision further, see features . . .
Nighthawk hissed. "Damn. Those aren't Earthers . . . those are Helaos."
Chapter Eight
28 Jumada 1405 yp
World EM 0925
"We're in trouble." Nighthawk sounded appalled.
"Oh, the cannibal world people." Ebsa looked over at her. "Do you think this could serve as neutral territory? Maybe we can actually talk to them. Prevent . . . well, not that I believe half the lurid tales in circulation . . . but perhaps we can coexist."
Nighthawk looked at him in astonishment. "Are you sure you're a Oner?"
Ebsa grinned. "Err, yes, pretty sure. And now that I think on it, I do recall hearing that the Helaos had dimensional travel of the conventional sort. Instead of just caroming across the multiverse, occasionally merging with other worlds."
Nighthawk stared across at the other hill. "It's only been two and a half years since the merge. I need to let Dad know that they have their gates working again . . . and maybe we can get invited back to their base and see for ourselves. This co
uld be an excellent data collecting and diplomatic coup."
On the far hill, the Helaos soldiers pulled weapons out of racks, revved their engines, screamed loudly enough to be heard over the engines, and charged toward them.
Ebsa sighed. "Or not."
Ra'd shrugged. Checked his two rifles and slung the 12mm.
"Guys, look, the Empire is not at war with Helaos. We can't just kill them. Avoid them, yes. Collect intel, definitely. Stun them if they attack us, sure. But give them cause to attack us? Either here, or on a larger scale? No. Starting a war is definitely above my pay grade."
Ra'd snorted. "Fine. If they get nasty, we stun them."
A soft glow surrounded them. Ebsa looked at Nighthawk.
"Yes. It's a soft physical shield, slows things down gradually, so I don't kill any idiots who run straight at us."
Ebsa nodded and raised an energy shield. "In case they have lasers."
"Do they have any magic?" Ra'd had the muzzle of the 10 mm low and unthreatening, but his stance was confident and assertive. "And if not, do they realize what it is?"
"That's an interesting point. Why don't we act like everything we do is tech driven?"
Nighthawk raised her eyebrows. "And this is a force field? Where's the generator?"
"In the crawler." Ebsa straightened his shoulders and stiffened his spine as the Helaos roared up the slope, and split to race around them, around the crawler, and spin to toss dirt at them and finally drive into Nighthawk's shield and bog down.
A flick of power from Ra'd and the engines died abruptly.
A couple of curses—from context, the language wasn't anything Ebsa'd ever heard—then silent appraisal.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. We are a scientific expedition from the Empire of the One. I am Ebsa Clostuone Montevideo."
