Weathering Storms

by Taborri Walker

  So when you ‘learn’ the language after recovering enough, you could say you came ashore further to the West?

  Dunno… I’m betting I’ll have to improvise after hearing a lot more. Talk will be freer while I’m dependent on their goodwill. Being helpless and hurt will hopefully spur the good side of the men’s spirit’s to aid me.

  Being a lovely, nubile young woman will help a lot in that respect. A lovely, sexy, exotic woman who’s hurt and helpless? Gem was repeating her words but trying to rub it in to force her to think about the danger she was getting into.

  Shni, I not only need the water to rescue shipmates and ship, but I have to at least try to help the malcontents, even if it’s just helping them get away!

  I had to try.

  Sesha rolled her shoulders before she bent to open the panel on the nose that held the winch, preparing to give a heave to lift it out. She figured it would be a heavy thing, and to her astonishment, it wasn’t. Taking it out, it weighed no more than a newborn baby of her species, and the line was thinner than a hair on her head. She got concerned now; maybe this plan wasn’t going to be feasible.

  But there was a small vocal unit attached, so Sesha activated it and listened as Konnar, head Mechanic on the ship, explained how to use it. Turned out that the user attached the end to the shuttle itself, plugging it into a port inside the housing – ah, there it was – and take the unit to what was to be towed. The line was extremely long; it would reach as far as she needed to go. One then set, just that, the unit on the other spot and pushed the button. It would draw off the ship’s energy tow beam and focus it, then begin pulling. No physical effort needed.

  Sesha had to smile as Konnar got wound up, vocally. “This baby is extremely powerful, Beings! We tested it… on Sularia, they have the most dangerous swamps in the Alliance – a tar-like goo that sticks to everything worse than our best glues! Engineers there are trying to find a way to refine it for safe use elsewhere; damn thing is they can’t get any samples, it’s so… sticky! We tested this device there with four blocks the weight of a standard shuttle, made sure the line was connected permanently and dropped them in. Pulled the blocks out when completely submerged, held it steady until normal battery life ran out at two lengths down, half-life at three and burned out the winch motor at four, snapped the metal block it was anchored to and drug the winch under but the line didn’t break! So go gently, okay?”

  Sesha had to use the winch to first pull the conveyance back onto all three wheels, noting with surprise that it was built even more oddly.

  Removable wheels, two in back, one in front?

  Faster traveling, even on trails. Two sit in the back, front or backwards keeps it balanced, one on that plank to steer the animal. Now take the winch up to that tree, wrap it around once and set it to 1/4th of 1 percent.

  What about the animal?

  It likes you… see if you can get those straps hanging from the metal bit in its mouth, just be very gentle. Its mouth is bloody.

  The beast lumbered to its feet when Sesha approached after settling the winch; dipping his head he sniffed her shoulder and blew out a breath. Sesha froze, fearful that she would be bit but he lifted his head so she could go by. The line was attached to the underbody of the wagon and Sesha trailed her hand along his back, up to the neck.

  Gently she lifted the leather straps after activating the winch and spoke softly. “Come on, fella… come up with me? That’s my guy,” a step at a time they worked their way up the worst of the slope. Almost to the top they paused for the next step. “Good boy,” the animal was trembling and Sesha wished she knew what his classification was, at least! “Gonna have a special treat for you after I change, okay? A sweet tasting wafer and some special water.”

  Is that wise?

  He needs the energy to make it there. Your scans show he’s dying, fast. Think one wafer will do it, or two?

  Two, to be sure. He’s a huge being despite all he’s been through. But Sesh, he’ll definitely die as soon as the energy runs out.

  Then you better made sure he gets there, Shni.

  Time to change. The day was getting on towards half over and the woman wanted to be in the camp before dark. Carefully peeling the Aga Zero off caused much hissing with the pain of the convoluted movements coupled with it pulling the scabs off her back and butt.

  Not much blood yet for the coagulation ointment the Aga coated you with.

  Sesha backed up to a tree, bit down on her tongue and rubbed her back hard against the bark. The barely healing skin ripped and shredded easily, the blood started oozing again, running in a couple places. The pain was so sharp and terrible that she fell over writhing and allowed herself more curses.

  Darling… you’re keeping your mind fairly blank, so answer this please or I’ll have to lock you down until your senses return. Why did you deliberately hurt your back again, and so badly?

  Rolling on her side, Sesha picked up a slender piece of wood that had been in the back of the cart. A piece of fine animal hide-string was still sticking to the blunt end; the point was sharp and nasty looking.

  “Because, Shni, I have to wear this outfit to appear like one of the planet’s species. There’s blood on the back of it, more on this sleeve and if I don’t have wounds to correspond, I’m sure someone will suspect.” That’s when the full scope of her situation hit her, and Sesha started to shake uncontrollably. “I have to, Gem! We’ve run every scenario, and with the computers going down, limited fuel and virtually no resources, what else can I do?”

  “How will you devise a story, my dear?” As Sesha kept switching back and forth from mind speech to vocal, he did too. It was anxiety rising in his Nestram host, and Shni fully understood. He was feeling pretty nervous himself.

  “You’re the Being steeped in the literature of a thousand species, you already had a huge imagination which the program enhanced so by Zaneo, Phenjamian God of the Mind, I’m expecting you to help me!” Sesha was still shaking.

  “I will dear. Now keep talking, tell me as succinctly as you can what you need. Don’t worry, I won’t bite. I might yell, though. If you tell me specifically what you’re planning, dear… all I can get from your mind is a jumble of confusing images that are running on emotions. Explain, and maybe I can be of assistance, like I’m supposed to.” It was good advice and calmed her down.

  “I have to appear injured by someone else. I can’t just walk into there and say I’m lost, even once I learned the language. This is a primitive and barbaric world. They would not believe such a story… this is a huge wilderness all around. A young woman simply would not just walk out of this forest and say she’s lost! It’s too huge to survive without help, like men, weapons and lots of food and water,” buck naked, her skin turning a duskier blue due to the distress, Sesha fell onto her knees, she was so upset. The rock she landed on gashed her left one and it too began to bleed.

  “You’ve gotten the data about this so-called city, Shni! It’s very dangerous, from the first time I saw them, and all we’ve heard from the people. I need to be… um, very helpless. The men here seem to like women looking to them for care. So if I’m hurt badly enough and a mystery, they’ll take me into their arms and care for me. Then maybe I can break up the camp or foment rebellion or, or,”

  “Get assistance in getting the water to the shuttle? You said yourself this is a very barbaric culture. So appearing to be beaten and injured, you will arouse their sympathies and cause them to trust you as you recover?”

  “ Exactly. Yes… beaten. Shni, I’ve no bruises except my thighs, just cuts. If I’ve been hurt this badly, I’ve been beaten, too.” She bent and started looking, then picked up a nice sized rock.

  “What are you doing?” Shni’s voice was almost panicked.

  “I have to be bruised.”

  “Your way will take hours to develop… if you will allow me, I can do it for you, painlessly, although I object to being forced to do this.”

  “You don’t have to, I can wa
it another day.”

  “No, you can’t, sweetheart. Your blood is already thicker than it should be from dehydration, you’ve lost weight and you’re giving the last bottle of fluid to the animal so he can get you there. And we know these people aren't stupid, just under the leadership of an insane man and his little monkeys. Where do you think these bruises should be?

  “Upper arms, like I’ve been held tightly,” she felt a tingle and looking, lo, there were bruises there, even shaped like fingers. “Wrists and ankles too, from shackles.” Reddish scabs appeared with her skin peeling back, as if worn off with struggling. Sesha hissed a moment as it hurt. “And whatever a beating would look like, Gem. You have that in your memory, don’t you?”

  “Sadly, yes. There, I’m finished. Look at yourself as best you can. I gave you bruises on your buttocks as if kicked, a black eye and gashed and swollen cheekbone too.”

  There were bruises on her breasts, ribs and belly the most, and a couple on her thighs, which made her think. “Do you think that men here rape their women?” it made her shudder to think that, but even on their worlds the crime still happened, although it was rare.

  “Most likely… do you wish that appearance too? It won’t take much to enhance your injuries there…”

  “Maybe I better,” she sighed, and a second later felt warm wet trickling down the insides of her thighs. She bent carefully and saw a few streaks of blood.

  “You will now appear to have been raped, my sweet… I’m sorry. I really don’t like this idea you have,” the Shni construct reproved. “But you must do what you think best for a situation none of our peoples have ever been in.”

  “It’s not what I think best,” she replied, “it’s a poor idea, but all I can think of. By the way, you should stay entirely on mind-speak from now on, Gem. If I need you to do something, I’ll try to touch you first. Keep an ear,” she would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so grim, “out for words that mean danger to myself and alert me. We may have to run for our lives if this doesn’t work.”

  And in her mind he answered, I really hope you don’t. You’re already in serious danger, Sesha. Don’t forget that for a moment.

  I won’t, she thought back to it. Her body was calmer now, so she finished her disguise. The awkward garments and Sesha’s increased trembling caused her to clamber clumsily into it; with Shni helping with her fingers they managed to fasten a couple of the buttons that were left.

  “My phlanges on my feet, Shni,” she forgot and spoke aloud.

  Your balance beams?

  “My feet are too small for the shoes,” so she threw them away, “but I have some connecting tissue between the balancers,” she spread her toes, “and these natives do not. That will be a noticeable difference… what do we do?”

  “Tear strips off one of the shirts of the dead males, for bandages,” Shni was thinking fast. “If they tortured your body, perhaps they cut your balancers up as well. In healing they will… grow… together. Some.”

  Sesha limped down the hill and just rolled a corpse out of the shirt and took it away enough to not smell the decay; with the help of a tiny laser she started to tear and rip up strips which were wrapped around her toes, then she gasped and swore while Shni caused the injury there, between each one. Then she donned the stockings, holey and dirty as they were. If she were fleeing in utter fear, losing shoes would most likely happen and torn hosiery went along with the appearance of the bottom of her feet.

  Sesha already had a minor wound in her arm where the blood was on the sleeve, but from the amount of blood there, the wound needed to be larger. She picked up the crude stick missile again and sucked in a deep breath of trying to ready herself. But knowing she needed to injure herself was quite different from performing the act, and the young woman found she was in difficulty.

  Need help, dearest? Her Wrist Gem asked in a gentle tone.

  Yes, please, she requested, and without warning her arm felt like it seized up, jerking outward first, then punched in with incredible force! The tip plunged deep into her arm where it struck bone and stuck, breaking off as Sesha tore the thing out.

  More curses erupted; she slammed the side of her face – the swollen side – into a tree several times as the Wrist Gem didn’t block enough nerve impulses fast enough. Suddenly the pain was gone and Sesha fell onto her rear, gasping.

  What to do with the Aga Zero and flash tube? Are we going to take them to the shuttle along with the winch first? If so, better get moving.

  No, her lips twitched in a smile. I’ll cover the flash and winch with the Aga and you send a signal to make it look like a big rock or pile of vegetation or something. She suited action to words and in moments it was done. Keep a minor tell-where tag on it so we can find it again.

  We forgot two things, sweetheart.

  What?

  Me. The Gem. Brutal men would have stolen it. Since it doesn’t come off, your arm must look like they tried to cut it off. I think too you should reduce the Gem surface by 3/4ths and make the metal bands into Eternal twists with no beginning or end. If these people – and they will – try to remove me, I’ll allow fingers under places but they won’t be able to get it over your hand or cut it. A mystery to make them squirm, eh?

  Nodding, Sesha watched as Shni caused the adaptation to the solid hologram and cuts on her arm, from a few days old to almost new where attempts would have been made to take the jewelry off.

  Lastly, you need to be unconscious. I can hold you in that state but if my power starts to run low before you recover enough, something your caretakers might do would cause a reaction.

  Well then, give me a head injury.

  Can’t. The computer won’t do it as it’s against every Law of Self there is. But if you go back down where you dumped everything, there’s a dark, metal pan-like thing with a handle. Bring it back, and a bunch of branches to shove in the cart. I’ll take care of you.

  No questions this time, Sesha just did as told, going for more vegetation until Shni said stop. “I figure,” she panted, “being as there’s water stain everywhere on this thing, I’ll just point towards the ocean and let them come up with surmises. Let the locals tell my tale and as I learn to communicate, we can piece it together. That way there’s no technical mistakes. Just wish I had a Quarrin Time-Scope, to see back and learn the story behind this.”

  Forbidden technology, darling.

  Sesha took a moment to stroke the animal’s face again, letting him smell her breath and rub against her body, then took the leather strings and led the large thing the rest of the way up the easy slope to the game trail. Her temper flared as she wrestled the over-largess of material as she climbed.

  You’ll keep him going? Sesha asked. She listened to Shni’s explanation as she fed the horse the 2 wafers and poured the special water in the metal pan and let him drink it all. He snorted after and shook his head, feeling the energy run through him.

  Shocks to the flanks. It works on other non-forebrained Beings, it’ll work on this one. Get in the back, darling, burrow into those parts of trees and stay sat up. The animal was already moving. I’m closing your eyes and shutting off pain receptors for now. I… I love you, Sesh.

  I love you too, Shni.

  Sesha didn’t feel her hand curl around the handle of the metal device; nor did she feel the hard blow that knocked her senseless. It would have been odd to see her unconscious body moving as if normal, her arm flinging the pan so hard it arched over treetops and vanished. While blood ran down her face, hair and Gem arm, her hands took dirt and other foulness, smearing it all over until she was not only bloody and unconscious, but filthy.

  Shni laid her down carefully, covered her with the vegetation, curled up under as if hidden by someone else. Her arm was over her head against a crack in the wood and the program shot out a thin beam. The beast let out a noise and sped up.

  Four more times he had to prompt the animal, and then the tower came into view. Shni shut down the program except for the beautiful
bracelet disguise and hoped that Sesha was going about breaking the rules the right way, this time.

  9

  The Most Holy Lord Reverend Peter Allway was in his private chapel, on his knees in prayer agonizing before The Need Meeter. Sweat was pouring down his brow as he anguished; there was sackcloth wrapped around him, which he tore and the man threw ashes on his head.

  “Doth not Thy Word speak ‘And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes?’ Daily Thou dost daff thy Servant, verily I fain no discontent, but my Lord, there is a need and Thou doth not answer! Dids’t not They Servant Job say ‘I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.’ Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak: I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me!’

  After a long time he wiped his eyes, put off the sackcloth and picked up his Bible, a precious edition. The black cloth cover slipped off easily, revealing soft tan-colored leather. He had bound this one himself when a younger man, of fleshes that were precious to him, inking the whole tome himself with fluid that had sustained life. So every time he opened the Word, he was also in communion with his parents. Those were wonderfully Godly people who had given birth to him so he could carry forth the Will of Almighty God himself.

  The Reverend stroked the cover, made from the flesh of his mother’s breasts. Both nipples that had fed him were lovingly sewn on, one as the O in Holy and the other as the O in Word. He turned it over and ran his fingers over the skin of his father’s life-giving organ. His prayer-thoughts from earlier were interrupted as he remembered the year it took to create the book. His beloved parents, bed-ridden from the Consumption, living in their comfortable living quarters in the basement, kept alive by his tender ministrations while he carefully bled them for his ink, and finally removed the skin he needed to tan for the covers. How they prayed when he did this, praising the Savior for their part in the making of God’s most powerful preacher! The fortune of his father’s had financed the rising of The New City, Praise Be to God! And it would sustain them until they could garner enough followers to make them independent of any pagan business.