Weathering Storms

by Taborri Walker

  “Ready now?” she asked. “We have a long walk ahead of us.” And then they were off.

  The corridors were an easy walk, which was good. Because navigating the stairs presented a problem immediately.

  “Just give it a push?” Sesha suggested.

  “Mustn’t,” Ezra shook his head. “If the barrel be rolling upon its own, woulds’t smash to pieces and the waters be lost,”

  Benjamin nodded agreement and Sesha, lost in contemplation, didn’t comment on their language. When becoming stressed they reverted to the forced language. The emotional injuries went deep here; it would take a lot of work to help even the little ones grow up to meet their full potential! But for now, just get busy.

  “Okay, men,” she treated them as if they were as old as she was, “I’m going to go in front and brace myself against it. You two get it going down the stairs and I’ll keep it from going too fast.”

  “How will you do that?” Ben asked. “Ezra an’ I weigh together more than you an’ we could not do that.”

  “Give me a minute to figure this out then, guys,” Sesha sat down, tired already and the rescue effort had just begun!

  “May we look around?”

  “Sure… just be careful what you touch,” with a whoop the boys ran off, eager to see more of this new world.

  Problem is, Sesh, the water alone is more than triple your weight; you, dripping wet, weigh in at 95 standard pounds, the water is 417. Then there’s the 63 pound weight of the barrel too, dear. 5 times your weight total.

  “So… what do you suggest? You’re the brains of this outfit, my wonnerful Shni,” to which he snorted. “How about the gravity program? Can we use it to decrease the gravity of the barrel so I can lift it down? Why not float it?”

  You’d need an anti-grav unit on the barrel itself, Sesh. Turn the idea around, though.

  “You mean increase my gravity?”

  With you pushing against the barrel, gravity set at five, computer says, it will roll slowly down as you let it. When it gets on flat, your gravity returns to normal.

  “Let’s do it then,” and she got up as the suit started to armor up as best as it could. Her boots reformed, the soles rising on a cushiony substance. “Boys! Come on! We’ve an idea!”

  Moments later it was in motion, and l’larin, it was still hard! The damn thing measured 35 standard alliance inches from top to bottom, the middle bulging area was 26 across so she had to almost sit. Only one rail was reachable with her right hand this time – next set of stairs it would the other side - that hand on the steps, legs stretched out so she could dig her feet into the floor as she used herself as a brake. The boot bottoms sank, spread out and adhered until Sesha moved her foot. Despite all the assistance it took all her might and main to do this! The kre’tucken thing was fleurblugen heavy! She was almost screaming in pain from the effort of keeping the barrel from careening down the steps and shattering. The boys rushed to her, steadying as she staggered to her feet, arching backwards in pain. Once Sesha was recovered, they started pushing the barrel down the long hall and as she followed, slipped another stim pill in her mouth.

  Three more times they did this.

  “I have to rest, guys,” Sesha panted as she cancelled the field, sank to the floor and leaned against the wall.

  “Thy back… tis bleeding very fiercely,” Benjamin told her.

  “Kiddo,” she sighed as she squirmed a bit, “I know it’s going to be a tough habit to break, but you don’t have to speak that way.” She reached up and touched his hanging hand as he hung his head, ashamed. “That man did awful things to you, but you’re free. And now you’re helping me save the lives of my crewmembers, so you’re heroes! Be proud of who you are and speak your words clearly, all right, Benjamin?”

  He looked at her and blushed, but nodded. While Sesha rested a few minutes, they ran down the halls trying doors, most of which opened easily. They didn’t open any containers, just looked at what there was to see, marveling at such odd things.

  “Ready,” they came at her call and she held out her hand. “Help me up, we have a long way to go.” They left, and the end of the staircase and the wall was stained with blood that had soaked through her Aga Zero.

  As they walked she regaled the boys with tales of parties they had, the clean parts, of course, unusual things they’d gotten, and pointed out that at the end of that corridor was one of the rooms where they played with old stuff.

  “Can you roll the barrel?” Ezra asked. “We want to look for something, an idea we be thinking of.” Sesha nodded and they raced off. To her astonishment they shortly brought back some long lengths of cording, which Sesha knew was lengths of very sticky tubing used during parties for a variety of reasons.

  “Were in that room earlier an’ saw this,” Benjamin slowed the barrel’s forward motion by walking backwards in front of the thing, pushing his hands against it till it stopped. “This stuff… tis – is – strong like rope but sticky. We did speak an’ think it could be used to ease it down the passage.”

  While the boys worked, Sesha went back to see if there was more; there was. The last time she’d played with this had been a pleasure party, a variation of a children’s game where one Being was Che – It, children of Earth said – only in this game, the selected Che had a length of this. All others rushed about trying to avoid the rasha but if they were snared then it was time for sex for the couple. Good exercise, lots of laughter and a wonderful activity, this game was a favorite. It warmed Sesha, just thinking of it!

  Coming out with more, she paused to see what was in progress. They boys had tied two of the cords around the narrower barrel ends, then tied them in the middle with a third one, to which they knotted on all the rest of the lengths they had.

  “Good… we talk more and need these, grammercy,” Sesha just handed it over, sat down and leaned against the wall to rest while they worked and talked.

  She craned her neck back to look at her shoulder wound. It was stinging badly, like another type of insect she’d encountered a long time ago. Called a Z’buta bug, it was from the third genetically altered moon of Ackermari First. Sesha had a side trip there to get one of the damn bugs for a collector – and it got her first, despite her gear. It was a hot burning sting as when the poison of that little wilaket spread through the muscles and blood. And not only was it stinging now, it was bleeding around the pressure pack too, the stain halfway down her breast, spreading at an angle down her front and if she could see it, under her arm, down her side. Oh, well… it would have to wait. Another stim pill went in her mouth and she ignored Shni yelling at her. Again.

  The boys were now looping the sticky lengths around the barrel as close to middle as they could, achieved by rocking it side to side, and each boy wrapped his length of rope in the opposite direction!

  “What are you thinking of?” Sesha couldn’t picture what idea spurred them to rope the barrel this way.

  “The barrel doth roll,” Ezra started and Benjamin punched him; with a deep breath he tried again. “When the barrel rolls down the stairs, it is unwinding one rope but th’ other du – does wind up. This way we keep it slow. When the ropes are done, you be the brake again.”

  “But for less time. So you will not be hurt worse.”

  Not telling them how badly she was hurting now, Sesha knelt carefully and hugged the boys, one in each arm and they happily hugged her back. They made her rest at the bottom of each staircase though, then chattered and joked and asked her questions, keeping her going when she felt like she couldn’t go on anymore.

  They slowed down at one point, looking at each other, unsure, legs shifting and Sesha got it. “That door,” they brought the barrel to a halt fairly easily; the sticky ropes helped slow it down rapidly. But they also made for a bit harder pushing. Sesha opened the door and pointed. “Just like your draughts,” she instructed. “Into there. But you can’t wash right now as the water is shut off.

  “I wish t’weren’t as I be thirsty,” Ezr
a sighed.

  “That I can help. Just wait by the barrel for me to come back.” And she trotted off.

  Each floor of the ship had what was referred to as a ‘watering hole.’ Simple coolers held all kinds of containers of fluids for any Being. And these were ‘smart’ containers. As soon as the orifices touched them the fluid inside was altered to be safe for the one drinking, even to flavors desired by the second mouthful. Sesha grabbed three identical ones. Better to not have to choose between something already unknown. They took an extra five minutes to sit and drink.

  “What’s it taste like?” Sesha asked, curious.

  “Water,” they both chorused. “Yours?”

  “I haven’t had the juice of a certain fruit since we went into TravelSleep. While this is just water, it tastes like Manya fruit.”

  “May we try?”

  “Sorry boys, no… you can’t. Once you take a drink, the fluid is only for you. But I’ll make sure you get to try all sorts of tastes before going to sleep for the trip to your new homes.” They nodded in answer and off they went again – another bloodstain on the wall.

  Sesha lost count of the time it took to get the barrel to the BrainPan and then the boys were totally in awe of the room despite it being almost dark. So many things, so much to take in that they just turned around and around looking. No matter what Sesha did or said moved them from the stunned state they were in. Understanding the culture shock was now at its worst, she parked the boys in chairs and gripped their chins one at a time, making them focus on her.

  “Do not, for any reason, touch anything on those panels, understand me?” They both managed dry-mouthed “yes, ma’ams” to her, and she knew they’d be all right.

  Sesha maneuvered the barrel by herself across the grid floor, her Aga Zero again adapting her footwear to assist. When she got to the fluid bin it took a lot of shifting and pushing to get the small corked area almost to the floor. The screens were laid over the opening she’d made. Weary, sore, weak and horribly hungry she picked up the ancient prybar she’d left there and pulled the cork from the side.

  “This is going to take too long,” she sighed as the thin stream gurgled into the hole. Inserting the prybar, Sesha yanked and pushed until the hard wood cracked, then her Aga tightened up and gave her muscles a boost, ripping apart the wood.

  “Things are going to happen quickly, guys,” with a lot of gurgling, the seawater poured into the nearly dry tanks of the BrainPan and as the water ran through the large tubes, then the smaller ones, lights began to come back on everywhere. The console started making noises as it started working again.

  Scared, the boys leaped from the seats and slammed into Sesha thumping her off the BrainPan mainframe to land hard on her back – again – on the grid, almost knocking her out from the pain the new stab wounds gave her. “Whoa, guys, it’s ok,” came out in a gasp as she fought for breath, then put her arms around them and held them tight until they calmed down. “The machines are starting up again. We’ll have a lot of light, like your lanterns, only much brighter. I need you two to sit or go up the stairs because this room looks really yukky in here, even I don’t like it.”

  “Thou dost not?” Ben was still shaking a little, his face nestled in her neck.

  “No, I don’t. I don’t think you will either, neither one of you. But I’m sure you’re going to look. If you feel sick, the room like the one you voided in is on that side of the stairs.” She lifted her left arm, pointing. “Use me to get up; this floor is sharp and rough.”

  After the boys looked – and ran for the void chamber – then out of the room, Sesha rose, the Aga tightening around her wrists and hands to armor against the small spikes. Her back and head sort of… peeled… off the grid and not only did the Medical program rush painkillers to her but what clotting factor it could make her body produce for the new and reopened wounds.

  Aga didn’t have time to tighten up before the boys jumped on you… even though the suit wasn’t punctured, the floor drove the material into you and the force of your fall split the suit over your shoulder and down the front more. The pressure pack lost 15% of the suction, the computer is rerouting again but you have to get done and get to Harnan. This is bad, Sesh.

  Staggering to the well-lit panel, Sesha entered several commands. Then she dipped into an open food box that was still sitting where she’d left it months ago, took several packs her computer said were safe for any bipedal specie to eat and joined the boys where she led them elsewhere.

  The Head woke up as her bed opened. For a long minute she lay still, collecting her thoughts, getting her senses together. The first minutes were always slightly disorienting for her even though the Medics said they shouldn’t be. She finally rolled to her side and got the shock of her life – Sesha was sitting quietly on a chair watching her.

  The first thought was that she’d never seen such a nênînê amount of blood on a Being before, ever, second was that her 2nd Ranked Pilot was wearing clothes – clothes! And to top it off, the extremely expensive specialty Aga Zero Suit was torn!

  The woman was sitting skewed, her left leg tucked under her, her right bent away and tucked on either side of her, snuggled close and sleeping were two aliens. Seeing Head’s eyes open, she nudged the pair and their eyes flew open. The three stared at her as she stared at them.

  Head sat up and pulled her blanket around her, noticing the pieces of packaging on the floor, food from the purchases the three had eaten recently. “You know you’re going to be on report again for making contact with an alien species, charged with theft of,” she began, but Sesha surprised her.

  “Shut up,” was said softly as Sesha leaned forward, her Wrist Gem on Basic as she pressed it on the Head Being’s of the ship. It was the work of a few seconds for the woman’s Wrist-Gem to download the human’s language and adapt her brain for using it. “Now get your clothes on. This species – Human – isn’t used to nudity.”

  While she dressed, she listened.

  “Shoulds’t not have let us sleep, Sesha,”

  “It took two hours for the machines to start working, kiddo. Rest, food and a comfy spot makes for sleep after hours of hard work so don’t gripe. I was fine, Ben, Ezra.”

  Head got further shocks as she rushed along beside Sesha listening to her report as they fast-walked the many levels. The boys stopped outside the entrance to the very bottommost level, making her wonder why. The start was horrible when Melena saw the crude repairs to the BrainPan. Sesha waited for her to blow up, but surprisingly, the woman stayed calm.

  “Brr-enna good job,” she admired after inspecting every centimeter of it. “Especially since no one has specific training for this contingency. And since this has never happened before, you did even better.”

  “Now that you are awake,” Sesha moved to the console and pressed her arm on a long, blank area with just a black square in the middle. In a moment her Wrist Gem told the computer to wake everyone else, give the absolute basics of the story and full use of this language called English. Sesha didn’t answer the compliment, she wasn’t sure how to, as this was the first she’d ever gotten. “I figure if we get everyone up the problem will get fixed faster. While the humans strained the water at the source first and I did it again here,” she nodded down to the meshes still laying there, “we’ll need to empty the Brain and strain the water to get the rest of the impurities out. And we need a lot more water to fill it all the way, recharge the shuttles and get more to take home.”

  “The main systems should filter out and expel most of the waste before it can clog a smaller tube and cause a malfunction. But yes, we need to. Everything you said.” Sesha led the way towards the Bridge and Head looked at the boys trotting along quietly behind the women without complaint. “Good kids.”

  “Abused kids.” She said grimly. “They helped me get the water up here, into the Pan, and I owe them. I have to figure how to bring all people who want asylum up and take them with us.”

  “Tell me. You didn’t
download that.” While the boys stood at the front screen Sesha gave some details as she turned on systems next in line to be activated. The gist was there – all around bad luck. From the micro-meteors holing the Pan to the shuttle failure, half-crash and reconnaissance, Melena learned what pushed Sesha in the direction she went.

  Head sighed hugely. “You can’t go back on your word, so we’ll figure it out.” She came around the board and grabbed Sesha’s left arm. “But I take no responsibility as to what the Interstellar Governing Board is going to do to you.”

  “I had to save your lives, Melena!” Sesha yelled emphatically. “That was more important than any kreetuken laws the Board has, and besides, after I present all my evidence Amnesty Alliance of the Civilized Worlds should come to my defense – I hope.”

  “For your sake I hope so too. A mind-wipe isn’t a pleasant punishment to look forward too. Come on… my comp just told me Harnan’s been up for ten standard minutes and just sent out a request for us.” They left the Bridge with Head still gripping Sesha’s arm.

  “Please,” Ezra tugged at Sesha’s arm. “What is a mind-wipe?”

  “They erase all your memories, kid, and give you different ones. Then you never do the bad things anymore.” Head answered for her.

  “But she’s not doing anything bad,” the boy protested. “She’s helpin’ us get away from the loonies who fooled our moms and dads.”

  “Th’ Most Holy Lord Rev’rnd was gonna beat our…” Benjamin gestured, shuddering. “Just cuz he said we was lyin’ when we wasn’t.”

  “Voiding and reproduction outer organs,” Sesha filled in. “He did it to male and female alike for any reason he wished. You don’t have to call him that anymore, Ben. ”

  “Yea, and Anna almost died from hers.” Ezra inserted.

  “And Jeremiah is still limping.” Benjamin added. He gripped Sesha’s hand a bit harder, and she squeezed back.