by G J Ogden
“Hello? Is anyone in here?” It was a male voice that sounded… normal. Confused, Maria lifted her finger off the trigger, but maintained her aim. Again the voice. “Hello?”
And then Kurren spoke. Loud, clear, confident. “Walk into the centre of the doorway with your arms raised,” he commanded. “Make no sudden movements or we will kill you.”
Silence. No movement from inside or outside the hangar.
Kurren repeated his command. “Last chance. Walk into the centre of the doorway now!”
Then the shadow moved, and a figure walked out and stood, arms raised, in the centre of the door arch. It was followed by a second figure with hands also raised, but only about half-way.
“We're no threat,” the male voice from the doorway said, calmly. And then he moved into the light. Maria studied him. He was quite young from what she could tell, and tall with an athletic build. His hair was dark, rough and cut short. Good looking, she thought.
The second figure stepped forward now. It was a woman, also athletic, strong and determined-looking, with fiery red hair and intense but pretty eyes.
The male spoke. “We tracked you here from a crashed object,” he said. “Something that fell from the sky, back outside the city limits. Was that you? Who are you?”
Kurren moved out from his position, weapon still raised towards them. Maria remained inside the transport, but shifted her position so that she was more clearly visible to the two people standing in front of Kurren. “That was us,” Kurren said. “What are you? Are you... like them?” Kurren gestured to the dead bodies still littered outside on the deck.
“If we were like them, you wouldn't be talking to us now,” the male voice said. “It's not safe here. We must leave.”
“Leave to go where?” Maria replied curtly. Her interjection caused the female to fix her gaze on her. She looked Maria over, obviously sizing her up. Maria felt uncomfortable and threatened. The figures both stepped forward again, now more fully into the light of the hangar. Kurren stepped back, still aiming his weapon.
“No so fast, stay where you are!” he demanded.
The male replied again. “My name is Ethan,” he said. “We are no threat to you,” he reiterated, this time more firmly. He really was handsome, Maria thought, distractedly, and then chastised herself for letting her mind wander, blaming the drugs for her lapses of concentration. “We are from a settlement, about two days travel away,” Ethan continued. “We saw something crash from the sky. We came to find out what it was, and it led us here, to you. We must go; the Roamers will be back soon.”
Kurren lowered his weapon. “Roamers? Do you mean... those things?”
“Yes,” Ethan replied calmly. “I see you've met some already. We've already lost one member of our party getting here. The longer we wait, the more we risk they will return.”
Kurren thought for a moment and then said, “What's your name again?”
“I'm Ethan, and this is my companion and friend, Summer.” Summer just glared, but not at Kurren, she was still fixated on Maria.
Kurren holstered his weapon and stepped closer, signalling a gesture of trust. “We came here looking for you, or people like you,” said Kurren. “We need your help.”
Ethan stepped closer, eager to hear more. Kurren flinched but stayed composed. Ethan sensed that the man was still a little edgy and held back from advancing any further. “Came from where?” Ethan asked eagerly, failing to contain his obvious curiosity. “From the sky?”
“Yes. Sort of…” said Kurren, not really knowing how to explain. And, concerned that their situation was very precarious, he didn’t want to get into it now. “Look, we’ll tell you everything you want to know, but, as you said, this may not be the best place to do it.”
Ethan went to speak again, but Summer stepped between them and exerted control. “Save the questions for later,” she said, assertively, directing the comment to no-one in particular, though Ethan felt it was aimed at him. “Grab whatever gear you have and follow us, we’ll take you back to our settlement.”
Summer stepped in towards Kurren with such intensity that he thought she was about to hit him, and it took a significant amount of self control to stop from raising his guard. He was glad that he didn’t though, as he didn’t want to appear threatened by this girl, no matter how formidable she appeared.
“You look like you might be useful in a fight,” Summer said, gesturing casually towards Kurren, “so you pick up the rear. I'm guessing whatever that is in your side pocket there is a weapon, so be ready to use it.” Summer turned away, but then hesitated, and turned back. “Ready to use it on Roamers, I mean, not us.” It wasn’t said or meant as a joke. Kurren felt a chill go down his spine. He was impressed with Summer’s intensity and control, and her awareness. She was clearly no-one to be trifled with. “Hey, you over there hiding in that... thing,” Summer shouted. She was referring to Maria in the transport ship. “Are you coming too, or are you just going to sit in there?”
Maria bristled. She did not like this woman’s tone. “I'm not hiding,” said Maria, through gritted teeth. “And yes, I'm coming.” She stepped out from the shuttle and winced in pain. Circumstances had distracted her from her injuries, but the pain was a sharp reminder. She grabbed the door panel of the shuttle to steady herself.
Ethan looked at Maria. Her hair was a dirty blonde, or perhaps just blonde but dirty (it was hard for Ethan to determine, either way) and tied back tightly into a short ponytail at the rear. She had intense blue eyes, and a soft skin colour that reminded him of the pale honey biscuits his sister baked. She was striking, and Ethan found himself staring, something that did not go unnoticed by Summer.
“Are you coming?” Summer repeated, this time more curtly.
Maria’s scowl deepened. She had taken an instant dislike to this woman, a feeling that was clearly mutual. She took a few steps away from the ship but felt suddenly dizzy. Her vision blurred again and the room began to spin.
“Maria!” she heard a voice shout. It sounded like Kurren, but she wasn’t sure. Everything went into slow motion. She could feel herself falling. Her body hit the ground, but her head struck something soft. She tried to focus her eyes, tried to stay conscious, but searing pain blinded her. Through the fog she could make out a face set against the stark strip lights in the ceiling. A kind, reassuring face. It was the man she had just met and, she realized, he was holding her head. The man was speaking, but the words made no sense. She watched his lips move until she could no longer focus on them. She felt herself moving, being carried perhaps. And then the room faded again as she passed into unconsciousness.
chapter 11
Maria Salus opened her eyes and squinted. The room was dimly lit, quiet and warm, but still the light hurt her eyes and caused a throbbing sensation in her temples. After a few moments, the pain subsided enough to get a better look at her surroundings. She noticed that the ceiling above her now appeared to be made from wood, and as she moved her hands to rub her aching head, she discovered she was in a bed. Wherever this was, it wasn't the hangar in the spaceport. She tried to push herself upright.
“Hey, take it easy,” said a vaguely familiar voice from behind her, “you've had a rough night.” Then she felt hands on her back and shoulder, helping her to sit up. She looked behind her to see the man from the spaceport. He had been sitting in a chair to the side of the bed.
“There you go,” he said, comfortingly. “How do you feel now?”
Maria felt awkward and oddly anxious. Waking up in a strange house in someone else’s bed was not how she had imagined meeting the natives. She slowly moved her head and neck and felt the bruises on her leg and side. She still felt pretty rough, but for some reason didn't want to show any weakness to this stranger. Then she realized he still had his hands on her back, and she tensed up.
“I feel great,” she said curtly. “Now, do you mind getting your damn hands off me?” Ethan instantly stepped back, surprised by the woman's abruptness, but he also
felt embarrassed. Maria sensed his discomfort and pressed her advantage. “Where the hell am I?” she asked, looking straight at him, “And where's Kurren?”
The man looked awkward and a little red-faced, but he was not scared. He was handsome, Maria thought, and she felt instantly ridiculous for thinking this. Now it was her turn to feel embarrassed, and she looked away.
Ethan crossed his arms in an attempt to look less awkward and more assertive. He tried to sound commanding and impressive, but actually came across as a little petulant. “If by 'Kurren' you mean your companion,” Ethan said, testily, “he's fine. He's over in the hall talking to the settlement administrator, and a couple of other administrators from nearby settlements.” Then he added, with a slight sneer, “I suppose they are trying to figure out what to do with you.” Ethan hadn't intended to be so passive-aggressive. He wanted to be friendly and normal, but for some reason he found himself trying to impress her, and this made him feel a little foolish.
Maria raised her eyebrows at the veiled threat. So he has a bit of fight in him, she thought. Aloud, she said “Well, that sounds important. Let's get over there.” She flung back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was at that moment she realized she wasn't wearing any trousers, and in fact was simply in her underwear. Ethan's mouth fell open. He couldn't help but look. After all, there was a mysterious, beautiful, semi-naked woman in his bed. It was like a dream, literally. He attempted to compose himself, and tried to explain and apologise in the same sentence, and ended up just spouting gibberish. He also wanted to make it absolutely clear that he hadn't been the one to personally undress her, but nothing came out as intended, and in the end he just stood there looking stupefied, with his mouth gaping.
“Where the hell are my clothes?!” Maria yelled, scrambling to pull the sheet back over her bare legs. Her face had flushed a hot red.
Ethan scrambled over to a nearby desk and clumsily gathered up Maria's clothes. “Sorry, sorry!” he stammered, returning back to the bed with a fresh bundle of clothes from the Ranger’s stores. He was trying to look away, painfully conscious of the awkwardness of the situation, but this only served to impede his efforts, and he unhelpfully dangled the bundle of clothes just out her reach. Maria stretched forward, trying to grab them, while also trying to keep the sheet tight over her chest, but she only succeeded in sliding off the bed onto her knees, dropping the bed sheet and again exposing her semi-naked body. She let out a gasp.
There was an awkward pause that felt like an eternity. Ethan decided to drop the clothes and try to recover the bed sheet to again shield the woman's modesty. Maria, unfortunately, concluded also that recovering the bed sheet was the best course of action, and as they both reached frantically for the sheet, they inevitably collided, Maria head-butting Ethan solidly in the midriff. There was a muffled grunt and he dropped to the floor like a felled tree. Maria became tangled in the sheet, lost her balance and made a last, desperate, and ultimately futile attempt to avoid Ethan as she fell. The sheet slid under Ethan, and Maria landed heavily on top of him, her breasts squashed up against his face.
And then Kurren walked in.
“Oh! Oh! Oh, damn, oh sorry!” he jabbered, looking at them and then looking away, and then looking at them again, and then away, trying to figure out what to do.
Ethan grappled with Maria, trying to free himself. “I was just helping her to get dressed!” he blurted out, finally succeeding in rolling Maria unceremoniously into a heap on one side. She landed with a thump, becoming entangled in the sheet and the clothes, which had been scattered on the floor.
Kurren, now regaining some of his characteristic composure, naturally found the situation hilarious. “You Planetsiders sure work fast!” he said to Ethan, finding it impossible to stifle a chuckle.
From beneath the sheet and pile of clothes, they both heard a fabric-muffled cry of, “Shoot him!”
“What?” Ethan exclaimed.
Kurren laughed out loud. “Now, Sal, I know you've not always had the best taste in guys, but don't you think that's a little drastic!?”
“Get out!” was the only reply, though it was more of a shriek.
Ethan scrambled to his feet and vanished through the door and into the dusk. Kurren had never seen a man move so fast and, laughing hard, blurted out: “I hope he was worth it, Sal!”
Maria emerged from the pile of clothing. She held the mass of fabric to her chest, which succeeded in partly covering her modesty, albeit rather crudely. She looked half woman, half laundry heap. She was breathing heavily, her blood laced with adrenaline, her face red. When she spoke, Kurren was actually quite scared. “Chris Kurren, you have exactly five seconds to leave this room, or the next thing you'll see, is my fist in your face.”
Kurren knew when he was beat. He backed off, hands held up towards the wooden ceiling. “Okay, Sal, okay… I'll see you outside.” He began edging back through the doorway, still holding up his hands as if Maria was about to shoot him. But just before the door shut fully behind him, he stopped and called out, “I'll tell your boyfriend that you said he was wonderful...”
As the door closed, Kurren, grinning broadly, heard her scream.
chapter 12
Maria Salus was escorted out into the main settlement square by two men who had knocked on the door of the house about fifteen minutes after Kurren had left. It had taken Maria a solid ten minutes to fully calm down after getting dressed, which she had done at breakneck speed as soon as Kurren had vacated the room. The men had simply asked that Maria follow them to the settlement hall, where she would be reunited with Kurren and the settlement’s Chief Administrator. Maria hadn’t seen any reason to refuse the request, and was in no mood to ask any questions, as she was still feeling sheepish about the escapade earlier on.
Her flight suit was missing from the room where she had woken up, so she had dressed in the clothing left out for her, which was similar to that worn by the two Planetsiders she had met, and the two men escorting her. She hadn’t noticed at the time, for obvious reasons, but Kurren had also been dressed in similar clothing. Using a heavy, thick woven fabric, the garments were well made and warm, and they fitted surprisingly well. She guessed they had been hand-made for a woman of similar build, and she wondered idly whether they had belonged to the red-haired woman who had raised her hackles back in the hangar.
They approached a large wooden structure, which Maria assumed to be the meeting hall. It was quite rudimentary in design, and Maria estimated it was perhaps twenty metres wide and twice that again in depth. The roof structure comprised two sloping sections on each side, forming a sort of rough semi-circle, about five metres high at its peak. Despite its simplicity, it was elegant and quite attractive.
As she approached it, Maria was conscious that she was being watched closely by some of the settlers. The attention made her feel anxious, as if she was still in her underwear, and she checked herself reflexively to make sure she was not. The two men escorting her looked at each other, puzzled, as she did so.
As Maria neared the entrance to the hall she spotted a small crowd at the left-hand side, and some of them had noticed her too. They were standing around a tree, around ten metres tall, with spidery branches that arced off it like wizened old fingers. There were few leaves, and it did not look in the best of health, though that could be said for much of flora on the planet. The branches were adorned with decorations of hand-made ornaments and what looked like a drawing or sketch of a man’s face. She was acutely aware of each pair of eyes regarding her with curiosity and, Maria thought instinctively, a fair amount of suspicion too. It felt almost hostile.
She made it to the hall and her two escorts peeled off and stood at each side of the archway like guards. Inside she could see Kurren. He was talking with a man and two women, who Maria estimated to be in their mid-to-late fifties. To the side of them were Ethan and Summer. She felt her stomach twist in knots upon seeing Ethan, and made a concerted effort to not look directly at him. T
his was a lot harder to achieve than she expected it to be. “Get a grip, Sal,” she said to herself, angrily.
“Maria!” Kurren shouted, waving her over. She duly obliged and walked up beside him, taking care to position herself to Kurren's left side, furthest away from the cause of her discomfort. “Maria Salus, meet Talia, the Administrator of this settlement,” Kurren said, brightly. He gestured to a thin woman, around a metre and a half tall, with greying hair, a thoughtful face, and a stoic expression that gave very little away. A politician's face, she recognised.
The woman nodded at Maria, respectfully, and then said warmly, “You are welcome here, Maria Salus.” Then she turned and with an open hand gestured in turn to the woman and man to her left. “This is Administrator Freya and Administrator Hector,” she said. “They are responsible members of the two closest settlements. They have travelled a long way to be here.”
“Why?” asked Maria. She was aware that she sounded defensive, which had not been her intention.
Administrator Talia seemed taken aback at her directness, and her expression tightened further. “Your arrival here is quite an event, Maria,” said Talia. “Naturally, your presence is a matter of great interest.”
Maria recognised the politician’s response; the manner in which one can respond to a question without really answering it. “Of course,” she said, smiling genially; she could play this game too.
Talia regarded her for a moment and then spoke again. “You were injured and unconscious when you arrived,” she said. “Your companion here arrived with you, and our two Rangers, in a transport device from the city.”
