by Louise Wise
There was a box on the ground, which she hadn’t noticed until he moved towards it and carried it over to the fire. Reaching in, he took out a tall, spouted white canister, which he held it out to her.
“Fill, water,” he instructed.
After she had done as he’d asked he took the filled canister from her and emptied in a powder. Then he replaced the lid and put it in the center of the fire beneath the spit. After a while, when Jenny was almost drooling, he brought out a flattened, cleaned stone as before, and sliced off several pieces of meat onto it and handed it over to her. She tucked in with a hunger that frightened her. Her stone plate was empty all too soon, and as she waited in silence, she was rewarded with more meat.
“This is delicious,” she said, and watched the alien shift his plate to his other thigh, so he could use the computer. “Were you the ship’s chef?”
She waited while her voice was translated, he cocked his head as he listened, and then spoke into the voice box. It said:
“I was an electrical engineer. My cooking expertise is limited to throwing an animal on an open fire. Anyone who is hungry could do that.”
“I couldn’t.”
He looked at her with his usual expressionless face, and spoke without the need of the voice box. “Did you evolve or de-evolve?”
She grimaced. “It sounds that way, doesn’t it? We’ve become so used to technology that we’ve forgotten our basic existence.” She paused, realizing what had been disturbing her. “You don’t seem surprised at my presence here. I think you knew about the Human
Race, already?”
“We have known of human existence from.” he studied the small computer, “Homo Erectus. But were not able to visit until your early species of Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, made their appearance.”
Jenny gasped. “Visit?”
A slight movement of his upper lip revealed startling white teeth, and the snarl was more pronounced. “That was our first and last voyage, but we continued to study you over the years from probes left embedded in the ground. But it was not a successful study.”
“Why?”
Wind carried hair to his mouth, and he brushed it away absently. “According to research you still live in mud huts, and make fires from rubbing flints. But we were correct knowing you would succeed the Neanderthals. You evolved with a rate that has probably left us behind,” he continued.
“We don’t even know you exist!” Jenny looked at him, mentally hugging herself. They were having a conversation! Because of the computer translation, it was long and drawn out, but a proper conversation all the same. It was amazing.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Flitespinter.”
Or that’s what she thought he had said. They were sounds her tongue failed to move round. Jenny tried to repeat the unfamiliar words, but her pronunciation came out all wrong. All she could seem to manage was “Fly”, and that’s what she decided she would call him.
“You are a long way from Earth to explore one planet,” the computer said after he had spoken into it.
“We’ve been studying this planet for years. Actually, this is our first manned mission away from our solar system. Is your planet near? Surely, they are looking for you?”
“The mission failed.” His words were even more clipped than usual. “To come for one is wasteful.”
Jenny felt a chill.
He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, and put his plate on the ground.
“More?” he asked, without the need of the computer.
It had been the second time he had spoken in English without it, and Jenny admired him in his ability for picking up her language so quickly. She declined his offer of more food, eagerly asking, “Tell me about your world?”
Fly looked at her askance as he sat up on his knees. “Reporting back to Earth?”
Jenny flushed. “I’ve told you, your presence hasn’t been revealed.”
“Why?”
The sudden question threw her. “Because Bodie’s embarrassed about leaving me here - in fact my absence from Taurus hasn’t been reported, either.”
His stare was penetrating. “I do not understand. You are jeopardizing your life to ease somebody else’s discomfort?”
“What good would it do? I’d still be stuck here.”
He abruptly lurched forward on his knees, and Jenny shrank back in alarm, reminding herself how nervous she was of him. But he had only moved towards the fire, and using a stick and his knife, he lifted the canister out of the flames. It was as white as when it was first placed in the blaze.
Digging into the box once more, he brought out two large synthetic looking cartons, the sort that had contained the dry food. They were empty and clean and, smoothing the ground, he placed them down and poured a reddish brown liquid into each from the canister. He gave a carton to her.
She sniffed appreciatively. It was a beverage of some kind. She drank half without taking a breath. It was hot, not lukewarm like her coffee, and had a strong, rich flavor. When she took it from her lips Fly was watching her. His eyes flickered to her hand. The cut, from the thrown bottle, was still visible.
“I have caused you many injuries,” he said with the aid of the computer.
Jenny looked across at him, licking her lips of the liquid. “The bruises are nothing considering you saved my life.”
He raised the translator towards his mouth and said, “You are a strange species. You are not blaming your companions for abandoning you, and although I sense fear, I cannot feel any animosity from you towards me.”
“Why should I feel animosity?”
“If our roles were reversed I would set out to destroy you.”
Her hands shook around the carton she was holding. She lowered it to the floor.
“I was speaking indirectly,” he said to her obvious fear. “I only meant that I would not trust someone like myself. “
“What makes you believe I won’t kill you?”
There was a silence after her words were played back, which made Jenny wish she could retract them. A low rumble of laughter amazed her, and as she watched he threw back his head and laughed.
Jenny wasn’t certain if she should feel glad she hadn’t offended him, or insulted that he obviously found the idea of her killing him so amusing.
NINE
Jenny sat cross-legged on the passenger seat of the buggy, and finished off one of the large greenish fruits, which she had labeled melon because of the texture of its flesh. She sucked her fingers free of juice, threw the stone out of the window, and then contacted Bodie. “At last!” he cried. “I’ve been trying to reach you for ages.” “Bodie, I’ve had an amazing time,” she burst out. “His name is Flitespinter or something similar. His race is violent and unfeeling, that’s the message I got anyway. But he was amicable enough towards me - and has been for several days now.” She paused, feeling his shock. “I’ve been making tentative offers of friendship towards him, and it’s been working! He’s been sharing his hunt with me, and has offered to again, as well! I can barely believe it,” she added.
“I’m glad that you’re sounding more like yourself, but not glad you’re offering friendship with this alien. Christ, Jen, we don’t know anything about his species!”
“I think he really wants to help,” she said. “He seems genuinely concerned about Taurus’s predicament -”
“Of course he’s concerned,” Matt cut in with a scoff. “You’re a hostage, and we’re his ticket out of there.”
“I’m aware of that. But I’ve been thinking… we can take him home, his home I mean, not Earth. Think of the rewards in discovering a planet full of intelligent life.”
“Shouldn’t that be discovering a planet full of violent, unfeeling, intelligent life?” Matt said, using her words against her. The contact crackled loudly, and when he spoke again his voice appeared fainter. “Put your brain into gear, and think about what you’re saying.” “I’m trying to make the best out of a bad
situation,” she said, raising her voice against the interference. “Unless you abandon me completely we’re stuck with him. Fly won’t let you leave again without him, and I can’t imagine any of us overpowering him. Also, I owe him my life, and I’d like to be able to thank him by taking him home.”
There was silence at the other end, and for a moment Jenny thought contact had broken down.
“You’re allowing gratitude to cloud your judgment,” Bodie said. “We’re discussing an alien. A being with a different perception and culture, and known to be violent. I can’t allow him on my ship, Jenny, and when we collect you we’ll be ready if he tries to gain entry. “
Jenny pursed her lips, but she wasn’t disappointed. She really hadn’t expected anything more.
“Apart from the wolves, are there any other animals?”
“The forest is, or will be, teeming with them,” she answered following his lead and changing the subject. “The planet is coming out of its long winter hibernation. So far I’ve encountered not-so-cute monkeys, shelled creatures with hundreds of legs. I’ve seen distant flocks of brown, wool-covered animals with long skinny legs. There’s evidence of another herd, which the wolves send into a stampede every night. Beautiful butterflies, like flying patterned carpets, and -”
The contact between them crackled loudly, hurting her ears.
“Bodie?” She listened, and received no answer, “Matt?” and replaced the handset.
She sat watching the sunset. The largest star had already disappeared, causing the horizon to appear pink; the other twinkled in the aureate sky overhead. It was spectacular. It was a shame there was no one to share it. She looked across at the spaceship. The door had been left semi-open.
He could either be inside or out.
She tried contacting Taurus but the static was too high. The radio ran from the buggy’s battery, and it could only mean the battery was low, and she cursed again for their stupidity in forgetting the solar pack. She switched the engine on, and pumped the accelerator several times to charge it, and with the engine running she tried the radio again.
“Come in, Bodie. I need reassurance here.”
“Jen—? Bad con—tion. So—y. Try lat—. “
She switched the engine off, and with the blanket around her she huddled in the driver’s seat. It was like waiting for doom, and when the light faded into twilight and the bone-chilling howling began, it was as if she had been dropped into the deepest part of hell.
Fly woke. His eyes flared open. His body was on fire; still on fire from the erotic dream he had been having. The dream-memory of the woman, naked beneath him, still burnt deep into his brain. He took off his helmet, its warmth appreciated while he slept, and stretched lazily, enjoying the last lingering memory as the dream faded.
Flinging off the foil-cover, he rolled off the cabin bed to his feet. Outside he was surprised to see the buggy. He thought the woman had made her camp by the river.
He approached the vehicle silently, and stretched out on the rear seat was the woman with the blanket kicked off, as if her dreams had become nightmarish. Her green eyes were shuttered from his view by pale lids, and a fan of red eyelashes rested upon her cheeks. Her long red hair was tangled, and her face appeared small beneath it.
His eyes travelled down. Her grubby spacesuit was torn in places, and he saw a small part of her shoulder, paler than her face but as smooth. Lying flat as she was he could see the outline of her breasts. His gaze lingered on them for a moment before lowering even further. The suit distorted her narrow waist, but it fit snugly around the flare of her hips. Lower still; thighs, and the “V” shape where they joined, then lower to travel the length of her legs until they came to her feet.
Nearing impulsively Fly could see she was dreaming, and by the racing of the eyeballs beneath her lids he doubted if it were a peaceful dream.
He remembered his own, and closed his eyes as a flare of heat surged his body so powerful he had to grit his teeth. He imagined his swim in the icy water, but it failed its purpose. He wanted her, and he wasn’t certain he could hold off for much longer - he didn’t think he even wanted to try anymore.
She jerked in her sleep, and beneath an eyelid a trickle of water seeped out and ran down her cheek.
Fly felt crushed. Her vulnerability touched something inside that he had never experienced before. But he continued to excuse his own weakness: loneliness had crippled him.
Jenny was woken violently. The noise wasn’t just in her head; it was all around, like a violent wind that had been whipped into a mad frenzy. It surrounded her in an iron wall of alien, soul-destroying cries. Controlling her panic with effort she sat up; moving her legs stiffly she peered outside. The forest was a black mass, so was the spaceship. She picked up the headset and tried Bodie.
Static.
“Hello, Jenny.”
“Oh, Bodie. I… I was afraid I’d lost contact.”
“… battery’s low. Don’t worry, Matt’s working on T as we sp “
The message broke up, and she replaced the handset as a shrill, demented howl sounded just metres away. She covered her head with the blanket and sat low in her seat.
A heavy tread caused her to pull the cover away from her face.
She blinked, her eyes focusing in the eerie twilight.
Not far from where she sat in the buggy, a wolf beast was meandering down the hill towards the spaceship. It was almost identical as the one that had chased her. It portrayed gorilla-like characteristics; had the bulk of a bear, the grace of a cat, and a humanoid face. The animal was sniffing the ground, dog-like, around the spaceship.
She held her breath, her heart stalling for a second before thumping in a panicked frenzy. The beast raised itself effortlessly onto two legs and began beating its huge, human-like hands against the ship’s door before dropping onto all fours and lumbering away around the side of the ship, and she expelled a breath of relief.
She looked at the vessel; the door was half-open. Had the alien been out? Was he outside now? Hunting?
The whole buggy shook, and the roof above her pressed inwards. Jenny clutched the sides of her seat, her heart a flare of pain.
“What the hell.” she began before she realized.
Hard nails clattered over the exterior, and the buggy rocked beneath the weight.
It’s on the roof! A wolf’s on the bloody roof, for Christ’s sake!
Jenny, hands shaking, reached for the handset. Immediately she turned it on the static flared into the confinement of the buggy and beyond. She switched it off quickly, her mouth dry.
The buggy shook violently as the beast jumped off. Out of the window she could see it sniffing the ground. It wasn’t alone. Two were frolicking like puppies a short distance away, but they were not cute. Definitely not cute. They looked like creatures from the far side of hell.
Her window darkened, and Jenny couldn’t control the scream that sprang from her lips. She slid across the seat, away from the window, and fumbled on the dash for the flick-knife, but judging by the size of the creatures she knew the knife would prove useless. The creature threw back its head and howled. The noise filled her head and her brain. She covered her ears and whimpered.
Other animals, summoned by the howl, joined their comrades, and the windows of the buggy were completely blocked by their dark images. They were snarling; the saliva bubbled from their over-large square jaws and was smeared against the windows.
Jenny grabbed the handset again.
“Bodie! Help me!”
Interference answered her and the animals howled at the noise. One of them leaped onto the bonnet, its fierce eyes level with Jenny’s. She moaned, then slipped to the floor and shared the small space with the brake and accelerator pedal. She curled up as tightly as she could and closed her eyes.
The buggy shuddered. Her body was rattled, and her head became lodged between the wall of the buggy and the pedals.
More static.
“Jen! Jenny, are you th—? Ar
e y— all right?”
Jenny half laughed.
“Jen, c— you hear m-?” Bodie sounded frightened.
She moved her head and the pedals grazed her temples. She reached up for the handset but, on seeing her, an animal outside launched its body at the buggy.
The buggy was tipped sideways and for one moment Jenny believed the vehicle was about to be pushed completely over, but it fell back with a crash and her head made painful contact with the floor. A strangled scream locked in her throat.
A beast gnashed its teeth against the window; its humanoid face was flat against the glass as it tried to force its way inside. Hot breath spilled over the pane, and then something on the exterior of the buggy broke.
Jenny opened her mouth and screamed.
“Jen! Start the bu–! Use — horn! CAN Y— HEAR M-!”
Jenny had heard but she hadn’t listened. Her fear was too great.
Fly’s hand was raised to an animal’s throat for the final kill when her scream pierced the air. Instinct caused him to swivel around and run in its direction before any thought could register.
He cursed as he crushed into low branches, and cursed louder when the grass flayed his bare chest and back.
Jenny was terrified. The buggy rocked as though it were a tiny boat on rocky waves. The growling of the animals was as low as thunder, and seemed to vibrate in the very air she breathed. Hands shaking, her body racked with shivers, Jenny fired the buggy.
The wolf-beast on the front snapped at the glass. It had two rows of teeth, one behind the other. Both long and pointed. Its jaws smashed against the window screen, it cracked but held.
Jenny’s teeth began to chatter. She fired the buggy again but nothing happened. Above, the roof indented, and the natural parting between roof and buggy appeared. Jenny felt the cool air sweep the top of her head.
She looked up.
Two large flat feet, with nails that were feline, appeared in the crack.
She slapped her hand against the horn. The beast on the roof jumped off, and Jenny’s hopes rose. She smashed her fist against the horn and left it there. The animal on the bonnet streaked away. Jenny exhaled. She licked her lips, feeling the salty taste of sweat on her tongue.
