Chapter Two: New Bodies, new Adventures…
Josefina lifted her hand in front of her face, she saw her new blue-skinned hand. The woman next to her looked so small. She heard faint voices, one calling to her asking her questions. Then she heard someone snap there fingers on both sides.
"Hearing seems good, pupils are reacting to the light…Josefina can you sit?" The woman said next to her. She was wearing all white, and a mask to filter the air.
Nodding her head she slowly sat up, she wiggled her toes, she was in her Avatar body at last. She heard Kris groan from the table next to her as she wiped her tail around. She had control, she wasn't in pain, she felt good. The pain that seemed to always linger was now gone at long last, she felt great as she followed the simple instructions of touching her fingers and moving her ears, tail. She was growing impatient by the second that seemed to be wearing on. She growled showing her newfound fangs. Kris laughed at the movement a loud voice could be herd from the other side of the room.
"Chill Josefina, chill, come on guys let them be , go on guys through those doors are the Avatar area's, run , find Grace and the new guys, there are some new clothes there, Josefina you know how the Native Na'Vi are, when you leave this room go and let Grace braid your hair." Max called as he turned from the wall as it went black, the lab techs walked out, one came in holding to packets of clothes out.
After Josefina changed and went out side, Kris changed and joined her they went bare foot, better to toughen their feet she suggested. She walked out into the sunlight, her eyes quickly adjusting as she darted around the basketball court down into the garden were she knew Grace was planting some native fruit as she grabbed on and sank her newfound sharp teeth and closed her eyes drowning in the sweetness. Kris was soon after her but stopped at the basketball court and smiled at one of the other Avatar drivers.
"Mind if I join you? Jake right?" Kris words sharp as his tail swayed behind him then stopped as he turned his head , ears perked up to hear Jake's answer.
"Sure why not? We have a couple hours of light left…" Jake's smooth voice also had the edge of the person unsure about one another, enemies or friends but they did work with each other. Jake threw the large over sized basketball to Kris, which they were made for Avatar hands. They started to play, hoots and calls could be herd all through out the Avatar bunker.
Shaking her head Josefina went out to look for Grace, she would look more human since she was one of the earlier Avatars, and here was Josefina in one of the newer ones that Grace had her say in what they did with each DNA strand to mix. Soon finding Grace over a patch of flowers with Norm, she listened to Grace explain how the flower worked and the connecting of the energy pattern around them as she waited.
"Grace, hey?" Josefina said quietly waving her hand gingerly as she stood waiting to be recognized, her tail swaying to the side and back her eyes scanning Norm's Avatar body. She loved the feel of the breeze across her skin; it seemed to be more meaningful now that she was in her Avatar.
"Josefina, you look great!" Grace clapped her hands standing; they stood at the same height almost.
"Look you don't have to look down on me anymore, and I don't have to crane my neck up to look at you," Josefina managed to say as she tried to hold in her giggles.
"Oh, Josefina have you met this fine young man, Norm?" Grace held one hand out to the other Avatar that was still ogling over the flower and studying it.
"Hey, we meet again… You look nice Josefina," Norm said his own tail waving from side to side, his ears perked up. Norm looked her over his eyes betraying him as he watched her movement then took in the sight of her bare feet.
"Aren't your feet hurting?" Norm questioned aloud his ears slowly pulling back, tail slowing at his sudden question.
"Nope… but thanks for asking, and yeah Grace. We meet when I was coming off the shuttle first thing yesterday, Kris doesn't like him though," Josefina smiled as she scratched her head as she then stopped remembering from before quickly looking at norm and shrugging.
"Grace weren't you going to help me braid my hair? You know look more native?" In reality, Josefina was eyeing some of the obstacle course made for the Avatar's size, though it looked untouched.
"Oh yes, come on follow me Josefina…" waving her hand for her to follow, as she seemed to be walking towards a hut looking building.
Josefina quickly waved to Norm and ran off after Grace trailing her like a child and mother one could say. After an hour and the sun getting closer to the horizon, Grace finished with Josefina's breads and some beads at the end as she smiled.
"Oh it looks wonderful Grace… now umm can I try out one of those courses? I think I have control of my Avatar enough. Please?" Josefina had turned her head to look behind her straight into Grace's gleaming yellow eyes with her own,
Grace nodded as she said, "Mind if some of the staff watch and take the times?" In return, she got a shrugs as Josefina was off out of the hut.
Soon at the front of the course she looked at it, it started with high bars about fifteen feet into the air, so she jumped and held on she smiled as she swung to each back then swung forward catching herself on a beam about ten feet from the ground and walked across it like it was nothing. She listened to the cheering from some of the true science nerds that never even tried it. She came to a climbing that was very tall she had to crane her neck to see it.
Cheering in the background had stopped Jack from making the last pass, they had been playing rematch after rematch and now they herd cheering.
Kris looked and pointed to a huge crowd of Avatar drivers as he said" is that an obstacle course?"
Jake nodded. "It looked too easy so I haven't tried it but which nerd would be trying it out now?" His question soon answered as Josefina ran across the yard towards them as she came to skittering halt in front of them. She was smiling more brightly then Kris had seen in years.
"I did it, one minute and fifteen seconds….can you believe it, me? Kris, me of all people?" She was so happy that she wasn't on her knees crying in pain or just plain worn out, she was free of the trap she had called a body.
"That's amazing Josefina…. How do you feel?" Kris looked her over, no darkening, no bruising and she was just all smiles. Jake meanwhile was watching the conversation feeling a bit left out so he took the ball and was about to turn and wondered around as he herd Grace's loud voice call to them.
"I'm fine really…" Josefina nodded, her ears twitching as she herd Grace's voice.
"Come on kids, bed time!" Grace was at the open door to the hut as she watched everyone file inside the hut. She smiled as she watched Josefina bound in and find her bunk, which was next to Grace's and next to her own was Kris's who came wondering in as he smiled. After Jake followed in and gotten settled Grace shooed the rest of the non-Avatars out and said to go to sleep, so we did. Josefina closed her eyes, she felt a tug and was back through the amazing colors and before she knew it, she pushed the top of
the link chamber up and off her.
After a while, Kris and her managed to calm down on how it felt, her shoulder hurt like all hell, from what had happened the day before. Dinner was eaten and video logs taken, another shower then their own lights were out. Josefina couldn't wait to reconnect with her Avatar once more to feel the freedom the lack of pain. Josefina's thoughts wondered for a while; soon sleep over taking her as she was slumped in her chair.
Kris came out of the bathroom, hair still damp and ruffled from being toweled dry. He gazed across the room, stopping at the sleeping forum of Josefina as he strode across the floor. Kris slowly brushed the strands from her face as he put one arm around her shoulder; bending his knees, he put the other arm under her knees. He slowly lifted her small body up and carried her to her room as he placed her on the bed and pulled her covers over and touched her cheek as he thought. Soon he was at the desk making his one video logs for the day.
Early the next morning, Josefina was up and had already eaten and she hit the button to connect with the main link room. "Morning everyone!" Josefina waved as Max came into view and waved back.
"What is Grace doing today?" Josefina watched as Max opening his mouth but her eyes widen in semi shock but she was nearly doubled over in laughter as Grace came into view.
"Were going into the forest to collect some samples from the native flowers and tress in one area. Do you want to join us, it's just going to be myself, Norm, Jake and Trudy and some hired hand… We can always use you along, but Kris. He has to stay behind so if he is not up already. Like I think he isn't already, slacking on his job…" Grace spat the last part as she took in a whiff of her cigarette.
"I always would love to join you guys Grace, You should know that by now," Josefina smiled brightly as she nodded then listened to her comments on Kris as she shrugged" You know he does his job just fine to my liking, I mean I don't want to be a kept child… Yeah I'm going to go jump in the link and meet you by Trudy's Samson. The screen went blank as Grace waved her hand signaling she was shutting down the connection. Josefina quickly pocked her head in to see a half-asleep Kris and knew her time was running short while zipping back into the main room. Clearing her thoughts, but she was so excited anyway it was hard to calm down as she set the link timer and then climbed into the chamber as she shut the lid.
Waking in the hut she sat up, she and Kris's Avatars were the only ones left in the hut, 'damn these scientist get started early' her thoughts came across her mind. Checking her clothes and deciding they were fun she quickly left the hut as she zipped across the Avatar ground, locating the hanger were they kept the aircrafts and Trudy's Samson. Quickly jumping in the side Josefina pushing lightly between Jake and Norm hiding in the corner of the Sampson. Trudy laughed and gave her the thumbs up Grace climbing in giving the signal to take off. She could faintly hear the curses of a certain someone as she laughed to her.
"Did we help your escape much?" Trudy called back behind her shoulder to Josefina as they set off into the world of Pandora, Jake giving a holler of joy and excitement as Norm flashed a quick smile to her.
"Sure did, Grace's orders", She poked Grace's arm as she was given a scowl but the edges of her lips twitched as she nodded.
"We didn't need another gun happy solider around, already have two…" Grace's words spoke true to her personality but it didn't seem to catch Jake's ears.
Slowly as she waited to land, she scooted to a more comfortable position, Norm settling next to her with one of the childish smiles she had ever seen of pure joy at the wonderment of Pandora.
Meanwhile back at Hell's gate Kris cursed, he growled, the sound very threatening as he turned stomping off back to the Avatar grounds. He ignored the yells of angry marines that moved about trying not to be stepped on or have a crash with their AMP suits. Slowly calming down he ate some fruit, he knew she would be back soon and the best he could do was wait, and he hated waiting.
After the good ride Trudy slowly landed her Sampson, Jake jumping off scanning the area quickly gun ready to fire. Josefina followed jumping off; her bare feet hurting but she told her self it was good to toughen the souls nicely. She followed Norm and Grace first as she blinked, seeing a flash of blue in the distant as she turned and started to follow it. No one seemed to take notice so she shrugging, listening faintly to Grace and Norm talk about the connection, she knew she was supposed to be interested but something just kept pulling her toward the blue she thought she saw. Stopping mid way she looked up an amazing site, her golden eyes dilating as flower like seeds came from now were and landed on her shoulder, her head.
In a split seconded everything changed, from the almost dream like state she was in it was thrown into terror as she twisted around the flower like seeds drifting away as she herd Grace scream in the distant for Jake to run, gun fire. Her stomach twisted hearing the gun fire, terror coursing through her, the tress shaking around her, she knew Jake must have started to run in her direction with out knowing it as she gulped. She braced her self, but then in a flash almost to fast for her to follow she was on the ground in the bush near by. She became very aware of a body on top of her, a cool hand across her mouth to stop her from screaming. Her tail grasped in a firm grip by another hand to keep it from thrashing around and casing the thanator to turn on her and the stranger. She herd him growl, she stay motionless, not even struggling from his grasp.
Minutes passed, feeling like decades Josefina closed her eyes , her ears flat against her head, she herd Grace screaming her name, but she also herd the rumbling growl above her. Soon she could feel the ground beneath her shack and listened to the engine of the Sampson slowly leaving the range she could hear. Josefina felt the grip of the man above her loosen, shock rolled off her like sweat.
"'`ı'awn," the deep voice spoke, and edge of disgust could be herd as if it was sun in the sky. Josefina just nodded as she kept her body in check; tail had stopped trying to free its self, ears flat against her head.
"irayo karyu "Josefina was unsure of what else to call him, she said the thanks barely over a whisper as she gulped waiting to be told what to do or if he would climb off of her. She could smell the strong scent of something she just couldn't place.
Turning his head sharply back to stare into Josefina's eyes hearing his own langue spoken back by a dream walker as he hissed, curling back his lips, watching as the woman below him winced in fear.
"atokirina' atxkxe unilt`ıranyu, eltu si aungia Ewya ftxey zong "The man slowly stood motioning for her to stand his tail twitching, he stood tall, his own hair braided, he had red thrown in in some places. The sides of his head shaved, he wore a chocker like thing, and a waistband.
"Do you understand English?" It was a wild guess she knew but why not try Josefina thought while she looked him over briefly. Slowly standing almost to his full height she bowed her head, ears still flat but her tail was starting to sway again, she was nervous, she was alone and who knew what had happened with Jake,
"I do… Why is dream walker here?" His voice still held the edge.
"I was sent here to learn…What is your name?" Josefina kept her head bowed, ears flat, her hands clasped together.
"Tsu'Tey….Your's dream walker" She listened as she herd his words through his thick accent.
"Josefina Tsu'Tey," she looked up her eyes meeting his, his lip curled back and he hissed once more then grabbing her arm and pulling her through the bushes as he walked quickly.
"Shall teach you….Ewya has blessed you, don't understand why Ewya bless a dream walker…I shall teach you then you must pass the test, once passed … Come to that when we get to it Jo…sefina," he nodded.
"Ewya… will we go to your home tree?" She blinked her ears more perked up while she followed being pulled along, learning wear to step after his steps; she watched his movement and tried to copy it.
"No home tree, you will sleep away from home tree, no back were you came from… you need your metal craft to get back…" Tsu'Tey seemed to be thinking by him self then they both turned there head to hear a loud cry from above then the engine of the Sampson as Tsu'Tey pulled her close as he snarled into her ear.
"Come to great waterfall next sunrise if you wish to learn as you say…if not then forget and never come back to our land …dream walker," He hissed out then vanished as he ran off into the underbrush.
Josefina watched as she herd the yells from Norm who jumped down grabbing her shoulder, as he seemed to be talking to her, she was still remembering the fear that she had felt a seconded ago from the man she was watching run away.
"Come on Josefina lets go… We are running out of fuel!" Norm shouted as he pulled her to the Sampson that was landed just a few feet away. Josefina tore her eyes away from the direction Tsu'Tey had run and looked into Norm's frantic ones slowly nodding as she walked and hopped into the Sampson.
