~~*~~
Chapter 9
~~*~~
"The world moves of it's own volition, not to suit personal whims."
---Archives of Urlilian Drift, Destroyed by Magog Worldship, CY 9798
Suddenly, something tugged at the baby. "No!" Trance shrieked, clutching him ferociously. No killer plant would eat her baby!
"Trance!" Tyr's deep voice ordered. "Trance, let go. I have the child."
She released him; vision still clouded with flowers and dirt. Tyr tossed the child to the Rev, who scampered a safe distance away. Her free toes hit something soft, like pillows. Abruptly, she was yanked into the air by one foot. Her ankle screamed in agony. She was lifted beyond the flowers, dragged up into the air. Her trapped leg bent at the knee and she realized with terror that her leg was inside the plant. She flailed, clutched at his offered hand, digging in her nails.
With his free hand, Tyr swung his force-lance at the other tendrils, snaking toward him, wrapping around his ankles. He severed several and turned to her. He leaned back, using his body weight to keep her from slipping over the edge. Her tail whipped out and wrapped around his torso. He jumped closer, put one foot up on the side of the plant and pulled. She inched out.
He swung his force-lance at the main body of the plant. Pink goo splashed over his arm and the rocks he stood on. Angry, he gritted his teeth and yanked as hard as he could. He fell back onto his rear, pulling Trance with him. The tendril around her ankle stretched taut but didn't let go. He opened fire on it. It exploded in a shower of ooze the color of pink cotton candy.
Trance fell onto him, sobbing. He held her close, scrabbling backward over thorny flowers and slick rocks to get out of the plant's range. He rocked her for a few moments until her sobs stilled. As if she weighed nothing, he stood, holding her in his arms and scampered up the mountainside to the outcropping, where Rev Bem waited, trying to shush the infant.
They all fell to the ground on the small flat rocky outcropping, exhausted and shaking. Trance and Tyr caught their breath while he examined her ankle. The boot was in tatters and the skin underneath had black bruises, harsh against her pale lavender skin. He studied the wound.
"I believe you only have bruises. There is minimal swelling," Tyr said.
"It hurts. And it feels like my foot was asleep." She shook it, grimacing.
He glanced up at her and grinned. "Only the circulation returning. If you can shake it, it isn't broken."
"Can you walk, Trance?" Rev Bem asked. "It isn't much farther and my brothers will have medical supplies."
She tested her weight on the injured ankle. She didn't tell them of her body's healing powers, or that she'd be fine in a matter of hours. "I ... I think I can hobble along. Is it much farther?"
Rev Bem shook his horned and fur tufted head. "No, just over there."
"Through that wall of those plants," she said with a shudder.
"Ah. I see. Perhaps there is another way."
"I'll torch them and that will be the way," Tyr stated, starting toward them. It would be a pleasure to rid the universe of such horrid creatures.
"Wait," a high-pitched, child-like voice called from above them.
They turned to see a young woman in Wayist's robes on a small ledge above them. Her red hair shone like flames in the sunlight. She rested one foot up on a small rock and leaned toward them. "We need the Ixcians for protection. They keep out the troublemakers."
"I am Brother Behemial Far Traveler. The Divine has sent us on a mission of mercy to find refuge for this innocent ... until he is old enough to decide."
"I am Sister Alliay." She studied each person in turned, her gaze coming to rest of the child. "Innocence is always welcome. Follow me. Use that path of rocks then step where I step."
^j^
Beka paced the Command Deck, swiping at the high collar of her scoop-necked dress. It itched horribly, but she didn't want to miss any action to run to her quarters and change. Dylan lounged in a chair, his feet stretched out before him.
"How can you be so calm?" Beka demanded, whirling on him. "We've been waiting in this system for three hours?"
He regarded her with mild amusement. "I'm sure Rev Bem is just chatting with some of his Wayist buddies. They'll show up."
"They could have taken fire, been damaged and crashed my ship. We should scan the planets for wreckage."
He chuckled.
Behind them, Harper strolled through the door followed by Rommie. He sported a big white bandage on his forehead, held in place by a large band of white linen. His hair stuck out in wild tufts above it, making him resemble one of Trance's plants.
Dylan smiled when he saw them. "Mr. Harper," he said, standing. "Excellent work on the Drive."
"I am the greatest," Harper quipped, taking a seat.
"Rommie, good to have you back."
The avatar smiled, then looked down sheepishly. "Thank you. Dylan,Iâ€""
He gave her a quizzical look. "Yes?"
She glanced up at him, then down at the floor. "I am sorry that I failed in my mission. I let the Soltans best me and it cost you the use of two crewmembers. My dereliction of duty could have cost you the ship."
Dylan smiled, his expression soft and understanding. "It happens."
"But, Harper could have been killed."
"It was battle. We all could have been killed." He crossed to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "But we weren't. So don't worry about it."
"Butâ€""
"That's an order."
She nodded, dark hair swinging. "Understood."
Beka frowned, staring at the viewscreen. "Where are they? We dumped those Soltan losers hours ago."
"Anybody got any aspirin?" Harper asked. "Beka's whining's bringing my headache back like a tsunami."
Beka shot him a dark look.
"A Sparky might cure it?" he said with a hopeful lift of his brows.
Beka scowled momentarily then let a smile creep over her face. Same old Harper.
Rommie crossed to him, lifted the edge of his bandage and frowned. "Your wound is healing, Harper. Who's whining now?"
"Hey! Who got whacked upside the head?"
"Me," she stated.
He waggled his eyebrows, admitting defeat.
"Got 'em!" Beka called out. She pointed at the screen.
"That's just a white dot. It could be a comet. Shoot, could be dust on the screen."
Beka shook her head, her wide smile exposing large even white teeth. "It's them. I'd know my ship blindfolded."
"Verified," Rommie said.
Beka rubbed her hands together and dashed for the hanger bay. She realized with a start that she was looking forward to seeing Tyr, with all his posturing and he-man tactics.
^j^
Beka stood outside the airlock, staring through the porthole, slapping both hands on the door with impatience.
Trance came out first, looking satisfied and sad simultaneously. Beka hugged her quickly. "Trance, you made it! What's up? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing ... just ... the baby was so cute and for a moment Iâ€""
"Don't tell me you want one now?"
"Well ... no."
"She did well, Beka. She avoided a â€"" Rev Bem started to say as he came up behind Trance.
Trance interrupted, "Something yucky that I'd rather not talk about." The less said the less that needed explaining. Her bruises had all but faded completely.
"Well, I for one need food," Rev indicated, thinking fondly of the tank in his room teeming with live salmon. His stomach growled.
"And I am looking forward to a steamy shower," said the voice Beka was waiting for.
Beka's blue eyes widened and she suddenly found it hard to swallow. Her stomach clenched when she saw him, his clothes crusted with pink stuff. Unbidden, the image of him in a steamy shower sprang into her mind. Her knees trembled. Suddenly speechless, her mind raced as she tired to think of something intelligent to say. Tyr gave her a long look, his eyes twinkling, face revealing nothing. He brushed against her lightly as he passed, despite the fact that there was plenty of room in the corridor. He grinned as he walked away, knowing no one could see him.
She swallowed hard and unobtrusively watched him leave and swagger away. She excused herself from her shipmates and strolled after him, intent on getting to her quarters and changing into something comfortable as quickly as possible or just jumping into a cold shower.
"And the baby?" Dylan asked, joining them.
"Safe and snug. Tucked away in a Wayist stronghold."
"How'll he learn to rule in there? I mean, peace and love without stress won't make him that strong."
Trance shrugged. "When the time comes I'm sure he'll have to leave. Experience the real world. But peace and love make a good foundation."
"Wisdom through adversity tempered by peace?"
"Exactly," she said, "at least this way he'll have a chance. The Priests will protect him, teach him negotiation, mercy, patience, and how to grow vegetables."
Dylan grinned and tried not to chuckle. "Have to have that last one."
"Yep," she said, "working in the fields will teach him humility and the value of hard work."
Rev Bem smiled. "Spoken like a true child of the Way." He turned and strolled away.
Dylan watched him go. "So, he'll learn empathy for the meek that he'll rule. Remind me to tell Rev Bem how good this idea was."
"I will." She smiled broadly.
Dylan patted her on the shoulder and left to rejoin Rommie in Command.
Trance scampered down the corridor. She had a long overdue date with a tub full of bubbles. Her quarters were as tranquil and serene as always. Her gaze darted around the room, just to be certain she was alone. She was. Humming a lullaby, she secured her door, double-checked that privacy mode was engaged and skipped over to her bath. She swirled one finger in the water, enjoying the coolness.
She stripped quickly and slid into the bath slowly, one inch at a time. The soft bubbles caressed her aching muscles and hugged her like a giant blanket. It soothed the barely visible bruises and calmed her instantly. She reclined against the cool metal of the tub and absorbed the scents stirred up by the bubbles. The smells melded into the memory of a planet long gone. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and held a hand out, palm up and dripping. She concentrated. The hazy image of three galaxies appeared, whirling lazily, then solidified into a clear image. She examined them, feeling with her sixth sense the ebb and flow of energy patterns. The various futures of the galaxies spread out before her. She sifted through them with her mind and smiled. All was as she wanted it, as it was supposed to be ... for now.
She closed her hand and the image dissipated like fog.
Letting her eyes drift shut, Trance Gemini sighed and settled in to enjoy a long and luxurious bubble bath.
~~~ Finis ~~~
Thank you kindly for reading. If you enjoyed this story, I'm very happy. Thank you for any feedback!
Anna
"The world moves of it's own volition, not to suit personal whims."
---Archives of Urlilian Drift, Destroyed by Magog Worldship, CY 9798
Suddenly, something tugged at the baby. "No!" Trance shrieked, clutching him ferociously. No killer plant would eat her baby!
"Trance!" Tyr's deep voice ordered. "Trance, let go. I have the child."
She released him; vision still clouded with flowers and dirt. Tyr tossed the child to the Rev, who scampered a safe distance away. Her free toes hit something soft, like pillows. Abruptly, she was yanked into the air by one foot. Her ankle screamed in agony. She was lifted beyond the flowers, dragged up into the air. Her trapped leg bent at the knee and she realized with terror that her leg was inside the plant. She flailed, clutched at his offered hand, digging in her nails.
With his free hand, Tyr swung his force-lance at the other tendrils, snaking toward him, wrapping around his ankles. He severed several and turned to her. He leaned back, using his body weight to keep her from slipping over the edge. Her tail whipped out and wrapped around his torso. He jumped closer, put one foot up on the side of the plant and pulled. She inched out.
He swung his force-lance at the main body of the plant. Pink goo splashed over his arm and the rocks he stood on. Angry, he gritted his teeth and yanked as hard as he could. He fell back onto his rear, pulling Trance with him. The tendril around her ankle stretched taut but didn't let go. He opened fire on it. It exploded in a shower of ooze the color of pink cotton candy.
Trance fell onto him, sobbing. He held her close, scrabbling backward over thorny flowers and slick rocks to get out of the plant's range. He rocked her for a few moments until her sobs stilled. As if she weighed nothing, he stood, holding her in his arms and scampered up the mountainside to the outcropping, where Rev Bem waited, trying to shush the infant.
They all fell to the ground on the small flat rocky outcropping, exhausted and shaking. Trance and Tyr caught their breath while he examined her ankle. The boot was in tatters and the skin underneath had black bruises, harsh against her pale lavender skin. He studied the wound.
"I believe you only have bruises. There is minimal swelling," Tyr said.
"It hurts. And it feels like my foot was asleep." She shook it, grimacing.
He glanced up at her and grinned. "Only the circulation returning. If you can shake it, it isn't broken."
"Can you walk, Trance?" Rev Bem asked. "It isn't much farther and my brothers will have medical supplies."
She tested her weight on the injured ankle. She didn't tell them of her body's healing powers, or that she'd be fine in a matter of hours. "I ... I think I can hobble along. Is it much farther?"
Rev Bem shook his horned and fur tufted head. "No, just over there."
"Through that wall of those plants," she said with a shudder.
"Ah. I see. Perhaps there is another way."
"I'll torch them and that will be the way," Tyr stated, starting toward them. It would be a pleasure to rid the universe of such horrid creatures.
"Wait," a high-pitched, child-like voice called from above them.
They turned to see a young woman in Wayist's robes on a small ledge above them. Her red hair shone like flames in the sunlight. She rested one foot up on a small rock and leaned toward them. "We need the Ixcians for protection. They keep out the troublemakers."
"I am Brother Behemial Far Traveler. The Divine has sent us on a mission of mercy to find refuge for this innocent ... until he is old enough to decide."
"I am Sister Alliay." She studied each person in turned, her gaze coming to rest of the child. "Innocence is always welcome. Follow me. Use that path of rocks then step where I step."
^j^
Beka paced the Command Deck, swiping at the high collar of her scoop-necked dress. It itched horribly, but she didn't want to miss any action to run to her quarters and change. Dylan lounged in a chair, his feet stretched out before him.
"How can you be so calm?" Beka demanded, whirling on him. "We've been waiting in this system for three hours?"
He regarded her with mild amusement. "I'm sure Rev Bem is just chatting with some of his Wayist buddies. They'll show up."
"They could have taken fire, been damaged and crashed my ship. We should scan the planets for wreckage."
He chuckled.
Behind them, Harper strolled through the door followed by Rommie. He sported a big white bandage on his forehead, held in place by a large band of white linen. His hair stuck out in wild tufts above it, making him resemble one of Trance's plants.
Dylan smiled when he saw them. "Mr. Harper," he said, standing. "Excellent work on the Drive."
"I am the greatest," Harper quipped, taking a seat.
"Rommie, good to have you back."
The avatar smiled, then looked down sheepishly. "Thank you. Dylan,Iâ€""
He gave her a quizzical look. "Yes?"
She glanced up at him, then down at the floor. "I am sorry that I failed in my mission. I let the Soltans best me and it cost you the use of two crewmembers. My dereliction of duty could have cost you the ship."
Dylan smiled, his expression soft and understanding. "It happens."
"But, Harper could have been killed."
"It was battle. We all could have been killed." He crossed to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "But we weren't. So don't worry about it."
"Butâ€""
"That's an order."
She nodded, dark hair swinging. "Understood."
Beka frowned, staring at the viewscreen. "Where are they? We dumped those Soltan losers hours ago."
"Anybody got any aspirin?" Harper asked. "Beka's whining's bringing my headache back like a tsunami."
Beka shot him a dark look.
"A Sparky might cure it?" he said with a hopeful lift of his brows.
Beka scowled momentarily then let a smile creep over her face. Same old Harper.
Rommie crossed to him, lifted the edge of his bandage and frowned. "Your wound is healing, Harper. Who's whining now?"
"Hey! Who got whacked upside the head?"
"Me," she stated.
He waggled his eyebrows, admitting defeat.
"Got 'em!" Beka called out. She pointed at the screen.
"That's just a white dot. It could be a comet. Shoot, could be dust on the screen."
Beka shook her head, her wide smile exposing large even white teeth. "It's them. I'd know my ship blindfolded."
"Verified," Rommie said.
Beka rubbed her hands together and dashed for the hanger bay. She realized with a start that she was looking forward to seeing Tyr, with all his posturing and he-man tactics.
^j^
Beka stood outside the airlock, staring through the porthole, slapping both hands on the door with impatience.
Trance came out first, looking satisfied and sad simultaneously. Beka hugged her quickly. "Trance, you made it! What's up? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing ... just ... the baby was so cute and for a moment Iâ€""
"Don't tell me you want one now?"
"Well ... no."
"She did well, Beka. She avoided a â€"" Rev Bem started to say as he came up behind Trance.
Trance interrupted, "Something yucky that I'd rather not talk about." The less said the less that needed explaining. Her bruises had all but faded completely.
"Well, I for one need food," Rev indicated, thinking fondly of the tank in his room teeming with live salmon. His stomach growled.
"And I am looking forward to a steamy shower," said the voice Beka was waiting for.
Beka's blue eyes widened and she suddenly found it hard to swallow. Her stomach clenched when she saw him, his clothes crusted with pink stuff. Unbidden, the image of him in a steamy shower sprang into her mind. Her knees trembled. Suddenly speechless, her mind raced as she tired to think of something intelligent to say. Tyr gave her a long look, his eyes twinkling, face revealing nothing. He brushed against her lightly as he passed, despite the fact that there was plenty of room in the corridor. He grinned as he walked away, knowing no one could see him.
She swallowed hard and unobtrusively watched him leave and swagger away. She excused herself from her shipmates and strolled after him, intent on getting to her quarters and changing into something comfortable as quickly as possible or just jumping into a cold shower.
"And the baby?" Dylan asked, joining them.
"Safe and snug. Tucked away in a Wayist stronghold."
"How'll he learn to rule in there? I mean, peace and love without stress won't make him that strong."
Trance shrugged. "When the time comes I'm sure he'll have to leave. Experience the real world. But peace and love make a good foundation."
"Wisdom through adversity tempered by peace?"
"Exactly," she said, "at least this way he'll have a chance. The Priests will protect him, teach him negotiation, mercy, patience, and how to grow vegetables."
Dylan grinned and tried not to chuckle. "Have to have that last one."
"Yep," she said, "working in the fields will teach him humility and the value of hard work."
Rev Bem smiled. "Spoken like a true child of the Way." He turned and strolled away.
Dylan watched him go. "So, he'll learn empathy for the meek that he'll rule. Remind me to tell Rev Bem how good this idea was."
"I will." She smiled broadly.
Dylan patted her on the shoulder and left to rejoin Rommie in Command.
Trance scampered down the corridor. She had a long overdue date with a tub full of bubbles. Her quarters were as tranquil and serene as always. Her gaze darted around the room, just to be certain she was alone. She was. Humming a lullaby, she secured her door, double-checked that privacy mode was engaged and skipped over to her bath. She swirled one finger in the water, enjoying the coolness.
She stripped quickly and slid into the bath slowly, one inch at a time. The soft bubbles caressed her aching muscles and hugged her like a giant blanket. It soothed the barely visible bruises and calmed her instantly. She reclined against the cool metal of the tub and absorbed the scents stirred up by the bubbles. The smells melded into the memory of a planet long gone. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and held a hand out, palm up and dripping. She concentrated. The hazy image of three galaxies appeared, whirling lazily, then solidified into a clear image. She examined them, feeling with her sixth sense the ebb and flow of energy patterns. The various futures of the galaxies spread out before her. She sifted through them with her mind and smiled. All was as she wanted it, as it was supposed to be ... for now.
She closed her hand and the image dissipated like fog.
Letting her eyes drift shut, Trance Gemini sighed and settled in to enjoy a long and luxurious bubble bath.
~~~ Finis ~~~
Thank you kindly for reading. If you enjoyed this story, I'm very happy. Thank you for any feedback!
Anna
