All For Chance
After the Pandoran War, only two humans are allowed to remain on Pandora. Norm Spellman and Max Patel. Only, they didn't suspect the chance of anyone else. Chance is, she was right under their noses.
[Slow burn] [eventual romance] [Tsu'tey is a major stubborn prideful pain in the behind so patience is a must] [Minor language, possible blood] [Italics is the Na'vi language]
Just to sum things up. Thanks for reading.
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Max Patel's day started like any other.
The warm morning light of Pandora greeted him, just around six thirty his clock displayed. Though, it wasn't just his tired, bleary eyes deceiving him when the clock's screen flickered. The building's reserves of power were fading. It made sense, since the humans of the RDA left some time ago. And with them went all the generators and power units.
He lets his head fall back into the pillow for just a minute more. With a heavy grunt he pushes out of the single sized bunk and makes his way to the restroom, sock covered feet barely lifting from the cold tile floors. A few short minutes later he emerges from the steamy area, towel hanging around his neck. He wore a loose white t-shirt and some shorts, comfortably enough. Max eyes his messy sheets left behind and shrugs his shoulder.
No need in fixing what he'd just make another mess of soon enough anyway.
With that he makes his way through the empty facility, thinking of what needed to be done today. Each step is quiet and free- not running into a single thing. Or person. And considering Norm was already out, there wasn't anyone else. Unlike how it'd been just barely a month ago. Back then, shoulder to shoulder with countless people always rushing about…
It was a complete change.
Unbelievably for the better these days. His pace turns towards the rec room, where the smallest sound can echo across the large space. On the far side of the room with all the windows he can see a few forms moving at a distance.
"Never a dull moment." He breathes to himself, starting for the kitchens until he stops abruptly. On one of the many empty tables filling the room is a crumpled wrapper. After a moment an amused expression tugs his lips upwards. He grabs a pre-made meal, one of many countless left to accommodate the now current lack of humans, and takes a seat at one of the tables. Max is content to eat and think to himself, occasionally shaking his head.
When the door behind him opens, he turns his head and raises his brows.
"So much for that all native diet, huh?"
Norm's smile fades as he walks over. By the light sheen on his skin, he must have just finished a morning jog with the locals. "What are you talking about?"
Max nods his head over. "Wrapper. Figured you'd cave in one of these days."
Norm walks over to the table, murmuring. "I didn't cave though." As he looks the wrapper over, he suddenly tosses it away from him, dusting his hands. "It's peanut butter. I couldn't have eaten it." His friend points out, looking back at him. "Allergic."
At this, Max stops chewing and stares at him. "Think one of the Na'vi came in here?" He doubtfully wondered.
Norm dryly laughed. "The only reason they keep Hell's Gate standing and not burned to the ground is for us. We couldn't live anywhere else. Besides, they like keeping this place as a touring hotspot. It's fine for visiting on the outside and telling stories, but none of them ever touch the buildings, much less come inside. So no, I doubt any of them would come in here… And know where the food is kept, and know how to open a wrapper."
Max had stopped eating, staring down at the table. Then he glanced up to his friend's patient gaze. "Hey I know I got a sweet tooth but it wasn't me."
"Eh." Norm dismissed, turning briefly to the table and shrugging his shoulders. "No biggie. You probably just forgot."
Max nodded slightly and went back to eating. "How is that diet going anyway?"
"It has its challenges." Norm sat across from him, eyes absentmindedly resting on Max's tray. "I'm used to the basics like fruits, but the Na'vi dishes are so complex, all those ingredients blended together, it still gets me." He uneasily held his stomach and winced. "Stuff's good for sure, but for a human stomach it's tough. Too foreign sometimes." He cracked a smile, though it dropped when Max waved a slab of bacon in front of him.
"Tempting… so tempting…" Max sang cryptically, at least till Norm scoffed in his throat, amused. "You wish."
"Ah, don't be jealous man. When these reserves go out I'll be there dieting with you." Max snickered. Norm raised an amused brow towards the kitchen. "In that case…I'll see you at the Na'vi dinner table in about ten years."
They laughed before falling into a comfortable silence. Max eventually pushed his empty tray aside and leaned on the table.
"You going out with Ra'nu today, right?"
A smile broke out over Norm's face. "Yeah, that's today. She's been wanting to show off the gardens not far from home-tree. But Jake wanted to make sure all the wildlife wouldn't be a problem. Things not exactly a problem to them are still huge to us. Literally." He faltered. "So he's been clearing the path, setting up patrol in some places." Norm rubbed the back of his head, thoughtfully. "Not just for us though. Plenty little Na'vi children go on the paths." He shrugged.
"In that case give him my thanks. I won't be able to talk to him or the others for a while. I swear there's something weird going on with the energy reserves." Max quietly admits, shaking his head. "I just gotta figure it out."
"You mean like the purified water levels dropping? Or random snack-napping's?" Norm pointed jerked his thumb back, grinning. "Could be a leak or giant rat."
"I'm serious. I have the records for our intake since everybody left, so it was just between the two of us. Then about two weeks ago I noticed it."
Norm sighed. "We don't have all the technology or the power to run it anymore. Makes sense a few things might slip by us." He shrugged. "Don't let a leaky water tank stop you from enjoying life, Max. You got plenty friends out there." Norm offered a smile and got to his feet. With that he left the room, leaving Max staring at the table. Max knew he was right. Norm almost always was.
But this… Something was just bugging him, and in his scientific mind, lacking proper tools like Norm had mentioned, it was a sure cause to steadily drive him crazy.
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Even if it was through a mask, he could clearly tell it was a beautiful day. Countless Na'vi had made the once forbidden zone of Hell's Gate a place for curiosity and the retelling of one of their greatest stories of victory and bravery. Max smiled as he leaned over a railing, watching the countless azure natives of all sizes going around. From different clans of great distances by their clothing, their ages, all sorts were here. Most curious…some stern and guarded.
All sorts of faces came through here every day. And a number of them were curious enough to point at him and gawk, or simply wave shyly. Most would stare, either harshly or blankly. Max was used to it by now. He was one of the few humans left to be admired for helping the great Jake Sully, or ignored altogether for what he was.
The man shut his eyes, listening to the sounds of everyone going about. It sounded like a theme park, minus the trash humans tended to leave…
Norm was right, he figured. He couldn't let his wonder about idle things stop him from the bigger picture. As for his friend, Max was sure Norm had definitely invested in a big picture. His 'friend', Ra'nu, happened to be an Omaticayan local that had taken an interest in Norm.
Oh sure, their story was their love for botany and the furthering of knowledge, but everyone knew better. Even with the massive height difference, old Norm would turn bright pink at any lingering smiles or looks. And Ra'nu, bright-eyed and broad smiling, would hide behind her cluster of braids.
Awkward definitely, but cute. Max wasn't sure what would come of them. Norm still had his avatar body of course, but solar-powered energy would dwindle to nothing for a transfer. And Norm still had to take care of his human body, so he never could stay out for long. At best it took about a full week to charge a transfer, but even then, Max wondered why the levels had been dropping.
Norm should be able to use his avatar by now, but he couldn't.
A sigh leaves his mask fogging up briefly. Right, there was no sense in-
Beep- Went his watch, causing him to lift his wrist. Besides the time, Max had tinkered with it enough for it to keep watch on the reserves. With it being solar powered too, it was another good reason for Norm to bug him about spending some time outside. Only now, Max could clearly see the reserves dwindling yet again. His brown eyes focused on the tiny screen, scanning for the scant amount of information it provided.
It was by a few small points, barely tipping it down from 98.5%. But sure enough, it was still lowering, and in the recreational building. Max turned his head behind him, staring for a moment at the door. Norm had left with Ra'nu some time ago. And besides that, no one else would actually go inside a building. The Na'vi adults were too large, and respected Jake enough not to when he asked they didn't anyway. And children were too skittish and respectful of their parents to disobey them.
He looked back out the crowds, growing frantic. Max knew he'd seen Jake earlier. The human turned Na'vi had been walking around not long ago, talking to a few others. Jake came out here now and then, with reluctance, only to visit his human friends. There weren't many fond memories for him here, but what it had turned into- a testament of Na'vi strength, was the only good aspect. Minus the 'sky-people' being gone.
"Jake!" He called, which was lost to the crowds. Apparently being one of the few humans had its perks. A tall, familiar Na'vi strides over to him after taking notice. The clearer Tsu'tey's features became, the more Max felt his throat go dry. The warrior's fierce golden eyes remaining on his as he walked over left the smaller human unnerved and clutching the railing.
"Jake has moved on." Tsu'tey calmly spoke, staring up at the railing from which Max was glued to. Max nodded. "I-I just-"
"What have you need of, Max Patel?" The second in command questioned in his thick, yet clear accent. His patience must have been wearing by the slow swish of his tail behind him. That or he still hated talking in English.
Max swallowed and pointed back. "I've been noticing our power supply has been dropping lately, but I'm right here and Norm isn't here. I need Jake.. Something weird is going on." He worried, doubting the warrior understood much of it. Surprisingly a guarded look flared through his golden orbs. He understood perfectly- and just what was being hinted towards.
"Take me to this…this power drainage." Tsu'tey glanced at the watch, eyes flashing back upwards. He was more perceptive than Max gave him credit for. With a hasty nod, Max led him around the building. Though more like he had to run so Tsu'tey could just briskly walk. The railing around the building went down towards the main entrance, making the warrior that much taller as Max jogged down. The front doors were large, and just enough for the tall Na'vi to duck under and through.
Max stole a glance at his watch, still briskly walking and not wanting to keep him waiting. "I'm tracing it to the sanitation department. The thing is these drops never last long."
"Then I suggest we hurry."
With no warning at all, Tsu'tey pinched the back of Max's shirt between his fingers, easily lifting him up. Then, bending, he ran through the halls with the human, following his guidance. Poor Max would shout out left or right, all the while trying to read his watch. Luckily there was no need to tell him to hurry. Even bent at the shoulders for the human-sized hallways, Tsu'tey was swift and effortlessly agile. Though he didn't like being in here at all. His golden eyes glared at any and everything, especially at the coldness of the unnaturally smooth tile floors.
"There!" Max let out a hard breath. The hallway across from them had a pair of double doors, and a lack of windows for obvious reasons. The sanitation department was basically the public restrooms and showers. Meant mainly for staff and the soldiers who had to share rooms. Max was placed down and held open the door, eyes looking around.
"Hang on- thanks for getting me this far." Obviously Tsu'tey couldn't get through the doors, leaving Max to hurry through. The men's and women's sides were on far sides of the room. Max found nothing apparently wrong on the men's side, so he briskly started for the other, brow furrowed. Waiting obviously wasn't his strong spot; Tsu'tey crouched, frowned, and looked around the area. His tail was wildly whipping behind him, mentally cursing himself for acknowledging the human in the first place.
It was quiet until a yell echoed- Max's.
Instantly Tsu'tey crouched lower, eyes blaring on the other side of the glass doors. "Max Patel!" In one swift move of his hands, Tsu'tey broke through the doors, glass shattering. Nimbly he was able to squeeze through, not getting cut with his feet used to all sorts of terrain. Max came running out, flushed red and holding his right cheek.
"Up in the vents! Don't let them escape!"
It registered to the warrior that tiny amounts of blood were seeping between the man's fingers, and, the sound of thumping above him. Tsu'tey's ears flicked upwards, twitching as the sounds grew closer. Slowly, he pushed upright on his feet, as much as the low ceiling would allow. Then, in a split second he shot his hand up, causing the panels of ceiling to collapse. Among that debris and paneling was a larger blur that crashed straight onto the ground.
Tsu'tey and Max withdrew, eyes wide, though the Na'vi was the one to whip out his knife and take a stance. Amid their rushing hearts, they soon realized the source unveiled wasn't moving. They shared a glance until Max hurried over, stepping around the debris and glass shards. Max grabbed a large piece of panel and tossed it back. Instantly his breath caught and he snapped upright.
Face-down in the mess was a woman, an unconscious human more exactly. After a still, stunned moment, Max snapped out of it and rolled her over. His eyes glanced up and he felt his heart rush. "Damn it, she's bleeding from the head. I have to get her to the clinic." As Max struggled to pick up the woman, with the floor being wet from a now leaking pipe somewhere and the coated ground, his grip fumbled and he grew more frantic. At least till Tsu'tey reached down, picking the woman up by her middle with one hand.
"Show me to this clinic. Jake must know about this." Tsu'tey stated, frowning massively and stiffly glancing at the human in his grasp. Of course, Max could tell he wasn't happy about this discovery. So he showed him to the clinic, and after dropping the strange woman off on a bed, the warrior was quick to leave. As for Max, he'd done his best to wrap up the woman's head and access her injuries, but unconscious, he couldn't do much for her. So he sat back in a plastic chair, finally breathing. But all he could do was stare at the ceiling and sit.
There was another human on Pandora.
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The small group briskly walked down the halls…although crouched. Their expressions ranged in severity of seriousness. With Jake taking the lead, he was all too familiar with the route to the clinic. Only his frown worsened by the fact he was in these buildings again when he swore never again. Neytiri followed at his side, glancing at him rapidly aside from her distrust at being in this place.
It was only minutes ago Tsu'tey had found his leader, halfway between the new Home Tree and Hell's Gate. He and a few others were returning home. At least until he saw the expression on his friend's face. Tsu'tey had pulled him aside, away from any curious ears, minus Neytiri. Before any question could be asked, Tsu'tey gravely spoke four words.
"There is another human."
And with that they were here again. Jake had to speak as they went, frustrated and anxious. "I thought we rounded them all up. We checked every nook and cranny."
"We did." Tsu'tey spoke, face scrunching in disdain. "We had our best hunters search everything for hours. Just so we could avoid something like this."
It being too late now was an understatement. Amid that anxiousness, Jake was fearful inside. What if it was a soldier? There'd be no protecting them from the natives. Not even if Jake ordered peace. Neytiri took his hand at one point, but he didn't register it. His golden eyes were darkened with thoughts swarming his mind. When they rounded the last corner, Max stood waiting outside the clinic. His head snapped up and he met them the rest of the way.
"Glad you're here. She's sleeping right now-" Max looked back, seemingly struggling to gather his words with his tall friend here. "So you know about as much as I do right now."
Jake's ears flickered back against his head. He was hesitant a moment. "Injuries?"
"Yeah, concussion at least. I don't know how bad. I think one of her ribs might be broken from the fall. It'd hurt about any human."
"Anyone we know?"
Max shook his head. "Not that I could recognize, anyway… Definitely not in the Avatar program, or military."
Jake looked at him quickly. "What makes you think she isn't?"
"Doesn't meet the physical requirements. There were other departments though."
It was true enough, Jake just didn't consider them. Human Resources, kitchen, cleaning, maintenance, there were many possibilities. At his side he feels Neytiri take his arm. "Jake, we have to hope in the chance she will not be like them. Word must not spread to our people."
This was something he knew all too well. Only, he didn't want to think of peoples' reaction. So he turns his head, meeting Tsu'tey's quiet expression. The warrior merely nodded. He wouldn't be telling anyone. Jake took a moment to breathe and collect his thoughts. "I still want to see her." So Max stepped aside and gestured. It was a tight squeeze, as it would be for any Na'vi, but he was lithe enough to manage. The clinic was smaller than he remembered, since the only time he recalled being here was a small closed off area that led to the outside. Here though it was tidy and white, unused for a good while now. Laying in a bed across the room was the small figure of a human.
Under normal circumstances, there would have been an I.V with all the stats, or at least some machines going. Only a few lights now hummed to remain on- all that was on in the area. Electricity use was very scarce. But the fluorescent lights allowed Jake to see clearly without the natural light. The woman was about average sized, maybe five foot five at best. A hundred twenty to thirty pounds. Mid to late twenties. Her skin was pale and ghostly from an apparent lacking of decent sunlight- which made sense if she were to be undiscovered. A mop of damp, dirty blonde hair was sprawled out on the pillow under her head, limp and straight. Covering her forehead entirely was a bandage wrapped snug, and up to her chest a white medical blanket was pulled up over her. Dainty. It was what came to mind as his eyes roamed her features. Thin brows, straight nose, and a lower lip a touch larger than her cupid's bow. But most of it was cut and bruised. The woman's cheeks were flushed pink though, and for a human under a blanket, it was fairly hot. Jake slowly pulled it down enough it would cover her lower half. At once he stopped.
Little Band-Aids covered her arms, a few bandages here and there from the glass. There would undoubtedly be bruising in some places. Only then did he see why Max had pulled the blanket up so high. There wasn't much else under the woman's white t-shirt. Jake, recalling humans tended to be a bit more…well-endowed, cleared his throat and cut his eyes aside.
He'd have to learn more when she was awake. The others were waiting outside, perhaps patient as he needed to think and decide judgement. Or hold off, in this case. Visibly calmer now, Jake lowered his eyes when he stepped out.
"Max, let me know when she wakes up. Tsu'tey will be here so word can be relayed to me." He turned, meeting his brother's surprised look. "I need you here in case she tries anything. If she did that to Max," he gestured to the man, who remembering his cheek winced, "we need someone here to keep the peace. Or enforce it. I wouldn't have anyone else doing this."
Tsu'tey nodded at once. "I understand." He held his leader's gaze till he and Neytiri left together. The warrior clenched his fists, realizing he didn't know how long he would be stuck in this cold, alien place. His gaze must've been something awful. Max winced and turned away. "I'll be cleaning the sanitation area then. Give me a holler if… yeah you get the idea." With that the unnerved human hurried off, not once looking back. Tsu'tey puffed out a breath through his nose, slow to sit on the ground and stare into the clinic.
Dare the stranger so much as breathe the wrong way or fidget, it would never escape his notice. As tedious and boring as it was, it couldn't compare to the disdain he felt from the environment around him. He could smell them still. Hear the sound of the sky-people's boots echoing and the loading of their guns.
Tsu'tey's lip pulled up as he settled his gaze back to the sleeping human. And now, just when he can barely stand that Norm Spellman and Max Patel, here another had popped up. Much like the annoyed vein throbbing on his temple.
One could only hope her reaction to such a face wouldn't worsen her health when she would wake...