by Darrell Bain
Travis listened almost as closely as did his chief engineer. The ferrets had an odd accent and had trouble pronouncing the hard g sounds but otherwise could have been from earth if no one were looking at their golden fur and resemblance to animals with short snouts and high-domed heads with longish fur atop them. They did skip some words here and there, making them sound a bit like they were talking pidgin but they were perfectly understandable. And in only a few days!
“They want to take a look at the tender, Captain,” Geraldine reported.
“Really? Well, hell, Terrell, go with them and see what they say. Geraldine, you go along, too, but Melanie and Sean, I want you here.”
Terrell and Geraldine went off together with her saying, “I think I know which sextant to talk to. They're short a member but still able.”
“Now then, Sean first. What's your take so far? I want to hear about the ferrets and also consider my own status.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean my status. I would dearly love to get rid of this job but I'm not sure now is the time.”
“Oh, that. Forget it, Captain. You have a big reservoir of goodwill yet. Rescuing our people will only enhance it. And not to put too fine a point on it, the ferrets are accustomed to you now. I wouldn't want to see that changed any time soon. However, I think you should go on back to the ship. There's no sense letting that goodwill go to waste. Also, if you're asking about whether or not to hold an election now, the answer is no. Two or three months from now will be plenty of time.”
“All right, I'll take your word on that. For now, anyway. The next question is for our ferret friends.”
He motioned to them and as a body they moved closer.
“Will your people follow us to our ship when we're ready to go?”
“Yes. We have already discussed this and reached consensus. We were hoping for an invitation.”
An invitation? Travis could hardly believe it. These people are ... innocents, he thought. Or are they? He tried a little back play.
“Thank you for agreeing, although an invitation wasn't really necessary. We certainly couldn't stop you if that's what you desired.”
“Perhaps not,” Siessina said diplomatically, “but we don't wish to intrude. Certainly we want to know you better. Your ways are ... very strange to us.”
“I can see where you would think so. I feel the same toward your species and I'm sure most of my fellows do as well. For instance, it is almost inconceivable to us why you apparently didn't try to defend yourselves when the convicts attacked you. Any of us certainly would have had we been capable of it.”
“But you are an intelligent species!” Siessina said almost desperately.
He gave up. Just be glad for small favors, he thought.
“There's one more thing, if you don't mind?”
“Certainly not.”
“We'd like to know how your wounded are doing. Our medical people did their best but I'm told you've taken over their care now.”
“Yes. It is more ... advanced, but we sincerely thank you for your efforts.”
“We did our best. I'm sure we'll talk more on it and other matters at a later time. Right now I must get back to business. You are still welcome to observe and ask questions if you like.”
“Thank you. We will probably simply observe for now and talk among ourselves until a later time.”
He nodded and turned back to the others, hoping his expression wasn't giving away the protective emotion toward the ferrets he was beginning to develop. He hated to even think of them arriving on earth with the kind of attitudes they were displaying. The politicians and military leaders of the nations back home would eat them alive.
“How about you, Melanie? What do you think?”
“I think we'd all do well to emulate their ways, Captain.” She came down hard on the last word.
A pacifist? He hadn't known. “Could you elaborate?”
“Yes. For the first time in history we've come across a people who not only won't but probably can't fight other beings nor fight among themselves. We should try to get them to take us home with them.”
“Curiously, that's what I was thinking myself, Melanie, although I suspect our motives differ a bit. Thank you both. Now let's get on with other business.”
* * * *
Travis could almost anticipate what Terrell was going to say simply by his expression. His frown was gone. He wasn't exactly grinning but it was the closest Travis had ever seen him come to it.
“They say they can fix our tender, Captain!”
“Great. How long?”
“Two or three days. They took me over to their ship and showed me around as well. Man! They've got some things I'd give my left n—arm to be able to play with.”
“If I'm not misreading them, they may let you. However, wait until we get back and they follow us in their ship before you start anything elaborate.”
“The tender comes first in any case. Just wanted to let you know.”
“Thanks.”
Travis was busy attending to last-minute details before taking the operable tender back to the ship. He had already sent the surgeon back in time to operate on Mary, the tech wounded in the fracas with Gordon. Sissy had gone on the same flight in order to comfort Addie and help Grindstaff with the civilians. He had one more duty here and that involved the makeshift hospital in the damaged tender. There were still two or three patients who hadn't been well enough to stand the trip back yet. He needed to see how they were doing.
One of the medics was sleeping after many many long hours of operating in less than optimal conditions.
“Let him sleep,” Travis told Sally Jenkins, the physician's assistant. She really didn't look as if she'd had much rest herself.
“Yes, sir. He was helping the surgeon the whole time he was here. He needs it.”
“I really came over to see the patients. How are they?”
She smiled. “Out of the woods. In fact, he said we could all go back when the tender arrives.”
“Good. May I go in?”
“Certainly, sir. The Smith boy has a visitor but I'm sure she won't mind.”
He stepped inside the curtained area to Thomas Smith's bedside. He looked pale but was smiling at Sandy who sat in a chair beside him helping him to eat.
“Hello, Tom. How are you?”
“Captain? Oh! Hello, sir. I'm doing fine, sir.”
“I would be too, if I had such a good-looking woman taking care of me,” he said and took the PFC's hand to shake. “I heard what a fine job you did stopping the murder of the ferrets, son. That was an incredible act of bravery. We're all in your debt.”
Tom blushed but managed to return Travis’ smile. “Thank you, sir. I just did my duty. And my brother did, too.”
“Yes, I know. I've already talked to him. Now you hurry up and get well. We're sending you back to the ship so you can't get hurt again. I know one of you is a spare but I'm really not interested inn finding out which.” He was sure the twins had heard the expression before but he really did mean it.
“Jerry's the spare, sir.”
“Hmm. He told me you were. Well, let's just be happy we didn't find out this time. I have to go now. Be good and mind your boss, here.” He winked at Sandy and went on to see the other two. He left just in time to see the other tender come in for a landing.
[Back to Table of Contents]
* * *
Chapter Nineteen
“I'm sorry, Addie, God knows I am. It should have been me in there, not him,” Travis said. He felt incipient tears beginning to gather at thoughts of his friend. He had missed Brandon's funeral and gone to see Addie even before Sissy.
She bowed her head for a moment while sitting on the couch in her stateroom then looked back up. “No, Captain. He was doing his duty just like you were. I could wish it to be otherwise but he wouldn't have been the man I fell in love with if he hadn't been willing to die for the rest of us. Just like you would.”
/> “I sincerely hope I would display such courage in a similar situation, Addie. We're all in his debt.”
She nodded acceptance of his condolences then asked, “Are you back for good?”
“Yes. I haven't even seen Sissy yet. I wanted to come to you first.”
She burst out crying. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. He knew nothing else to do and felt as helpless as a child while she cried herself out. He felt certain it wasn't the first time nor would it be the last. Hell, he felt like crying himself and had, late at night.
Later in his own cabin, he and Sissy celebrated his homecoming in the way they knew would best reinforce their love for each other. During their lovemaking she clung to him with a fierceness he knew was a reaction to how close she had been to having to submit to the convicts. It made him feel both better and worse. Better that he had been able to prevent it for her and worse that there were those whom he hadn't been in time to keep from the horrid experience. After their heart rates slowed to something approaching normal, they were able to exchange data on affairs from each site.
“I was amazed at the welcome I got when I stepped off the tender,” he said. “I felt as if I were an imposter of some sort. You know?”
“Just keep feeling that way and none of us will have to worry about you becoming a power-mad dictator.”
He laughed gently. “No chance of that. But I am going to set a date for an election soon.”
“Good. I'll vote for you.”
“What!?”
“I said I'll vote for you. And yes, you're going to run. You'll be elected, too. In fact, I doubt anyone will even run against you.”
“Is that an order? I have to run?” God, why would she want him to keep this thankless job?
“Yep. We need you and you know it.”
And somehow he did know it right then. Regardless of how he had come to have the job, it was his and he was doing it as well as he thought anyone could have despite his mistakes.
* * * *
A week later Travis declared a combination holiday and outside picnic to celebrate the return of the repaired tender and the ferret ship which accompanied it. It had taken a bit longer than he'd been advised but he was satisfied. There was a lot to celebrate, in his opinion. And that didn't even include more knowledge brought back by Geraldine, Melanie and Sean that they were waiting to relate. He decided to go ahead and get all the leaders together on the night before the picnic so he could pass on anything of note while the people were partying.
“Are we all here?” Travis glanced at the group present in the conference room. All his senior officers were present as well as a few other advisers.
Nods came from around the table, including the quiet ferret they knew as Seissina and the two remaining members of her sextant. He thought they looked perfectly natural being there for some odd reason. Perhaps it was an indicator of how quickly they were becoming used to the pacifist beings. He declared the meeting open.
“First up are Geraldine and Melanie then Sean. They have lots to tell us. Go ahead, ladies.”
They exchanged glances and Melanie got the nod.
“It's hard to even know where to start. First of all, I suppose I should mention the ferrets’ name for themselves is not ferrets.” She had to stop for a moment to talk around the chuckles. “However, they are perfectly satisfied with that since their name is rather hard for us to pronounce. With that out of the way, I can relate that Sissy has visited the ferrets’ ship, and with their help, discovered where we are in relation to earth's spiral arm. It's damn near on the other side of the galaxy! Well, maybe not quite that far but a long way from here.”
“We suspected that, didn't we?” Sissy said. She smiled at the ferret in the room who was standing and holding a small instrument that resembled a shiny copper-colored pendant around her neck, which she understood was relaying all the data in the room back to the rest of the ferrets. “Siessina and her people simply verified it.”
“Yes, they confirmed the position,” Melanie agreed. “Furthermore, we happened to land just at the edge of the area currently being explored by the ferrets. And while we're on the subject, Seissina is relaying all our actions back to the ship where the others can listen and watch. Her sextant is sort of the leader of their expedition. They have been authorized to pass on all the information she gathers about us to the rest of them. They are a somewhat older race than us and have an entirely different set of ... social parameters, I guess we could say. I'm sure everyone has wondered why they didn't even carry personal weapons when exiting their ship that first time and thereafter. Now we know.” She paused dramatically, knowing she had their attention.
“First off, all the ones we've seen are females. Their males are secluded inside the ship. But here's a salient point: the software of their personal weapons is able to recognize and specifically precludes firing on anything which shows signs of using tools or artificial materials. Further, when they landed at the convicts’ camp, they didn't even carry weapons outside because first, they assumed the area was safe from dangerous animals and second, they were afraid to offend the first intelligent species they have ever met. They had no idea whatsoever that an intelligent species would deliberately harm them! Even if they had had weapons they wouldn't have used them. They would have been willing to accept casualties rather than mistakenly hurting intelligent beings, and of course you all know they did just that. Very heavy casualties and they didn't try to fight back because they were certain it was a mistake of some kind!” Her eyes were watering and her voice had risen in indignation at what the convicts had done. When she got herself back under control, she continued.
“Still, they hold no grudge because they are presently incapable of harming other species of sapient beings. It's their nature. Whether it is sociological or biological is something we haven't determined yet. And one other thing. The males have no place in their society so far as making decisions binding on others. They are primarily what we might describe as ‘ivory tower’ thinkers. Sometimes what they dream up will be used but they never offer unless asked. Their males are what we might think of as ... the center of a harem of six females, except the only decision they can make is refusal of sex. I'm told that happens very rarely. So you see, their sextants are actually septants in our terms but sextants in theirs because they don't count the males. They are treated sort of like sex toys, believe it or not, and they are perfectly satisfied with their role. They like being coddled and kept in relative seclusion. After they were civilized, but before they discovered faster-than-light travel, males were relatively useless other than for sex and philosophy. Now, however, the males may be in the process of evolving into the pattern of providing more direct input. I don't know and I doubt they do either.” She spread her hands in an apology over her last statement. “I'm not sure about that, though.”
“Of course we don't think of sex in the same terms as you do,” Siessina said after a long pregnant silence. “For instance, we control the sex of our offspring.” She said nothing more, simply allowed them time to digest the information.
Travis laughed nervously. “I can sort of see why you wouldn't think like we do. But what I really have a problem with is the unarmed bit. You say your males were there? And they didn't come out to help you?”
“No, that is not their function.”
Travis waited but she said nothing more.
“But they couldn't have wanted to, that's the point,” Melanie said with a frown directed solely at him. “They are not a confrontational species and the software of their armament precludes firing on other intelligent beings. They never evolved a territorial instinct such as we have. Probably they had conflicts with other animals while evolving but not with each other! They have a hard time even visualizing what takes place in our society, such as the individual contentiousness and the racial, nationalistic and religious conflicts and wars we have.” She waved her arms excitedly while speaking, as if she had found a treasure.
>
“My word,” Grindstaff exclaimed. “God, what if they'd been in the path of our exploration? I don't like to even think about it. They'd have been wiped out.”
“It's a possibility they would have been but they won't be from us so let's move on to another subject,” Travis said, ignoring Melanie's attempt to say something else and not pausing to wonder at the ferrets’ reaction. They might as well know. “Do you concur, Sean?”
“Yes, but with a grain of salt. Geraldine has stated flatly that while they are mastering the words of our language rather easily, she thinks the context bothers them a great deal.”
“They know enough not to want to be like us!” Melanie burst out.
Her adamant advocating of the ferret lifestyle without knowing more about it bothered Travis but he didn't let it show.
“Let's move on. Mister Terrell?”
“Right. They've had a chance to examine our ship now, FTL drive and all. Here's the great part, folks. Not only can they replace the main computer but they can refine the ship's operating system so it can take off from a planet without tearing itself to pieces. Further, they are willing to work on our drive and improve it enough so that we might, and I emphasize might be able to get back to earth. I'll know more as our crew works with them but bear that in mind. Regardless, it would be a long and dangerous journey of many years, no matter what they come up with and even if we made it—never mind. That's for later.” He exchanged glances with the two at the conference who knew about the sabotage. “For the present, they say we can follow them to their homeworld much sooner than that and without the danger.”
“Wow!” Sean exclaimed, ignoring the last sentence of Terrell's. “I'd just about stopped thinking about earth.”
“Put it out of your mind for now. Thanks, Terrell. Geraldine, did you want to add anything else to Melanie's report?”
“Yes, a very important point that just came up yesterday evening. In line with what Mister Terrell's just said, the ferrets have extended an invitation to not only go back with them to their homeworld but to live with them as well. That offer includes making their technology available to us as rapidly as we can absorb it. We can either settle on their homeworld, which is fit for humans, or they will let us choose a nearby planet that's not occupied as yet, but also suitable for us. From that invitation, you may disabuse yourself of the notion of a high population because of their sexual arrangements. They don't reproduce anywhere near as quickly as we do.” She smiled happily at the laughs from around the table.
