'You're doing well' came a tiny voice in Davidson's ear. Samuel was walking him through the code by radio. It didn't matter that often the contact didn't themselves know the codes of contact, they had been designed for exactly that situation. A global understanding of expectations and intentions. The first step had been to come out of a defensive situation. The next to acknowledge the contact. When acknowledgment had been in return received, both would show their intentions, hostile or not. That was the tricky point. There was no way to know what the otherside wanted to do. Luckily for Davidson the contact showed the sign of non-aggression. Davidson sighed in relief at that point and had responded in kind. Asking the contact to join him brought him to his current step.
'Offer the food package with both hands.' Samuel's voice said.
Davidson lifted one of the food packets in front of him, and extended it with both hands. Using both hands allowed the contact to concentrate on what was offered, rather than be wary of what the other hand might be doing. The man hesitated for a moment then accepted the packet, also with both hands. There was a let-go of breath through Davidson's ear piece.
'We're lucky. This man seems to have some concept of contact. Perhaps it's just common sense; even better. he probably doesn't know what he's holding. Judging by his clothes, he's pre-artificial fibers. Open your pack and eat it'
Davidson did as he was requested, offering words of encouragement. "Food" he said "Good". Davidson opened the packet, showing how as he did so, and slowly ate the contens. He patted his stomach and mumbled "mmm" for extra effect.
'Don't over do it'
The man opened his packet and brought the contents to his mouth. He delicatly sniffed then placed a small amount between his teeth. He chewed slowly and thoughtfully, a slight grimace crossed his face, quickly to be removed. He swallowed the piece, nodded his head and spoke a word in his native tongue.
In the shuttle Kay was excitedly scanning the word the stranger had said through her data mine. There was no match with any stored language. She sighed and entered the word with the possible translations of "good", "food" and "thanks". It was a start. She shrugged her shoulders at Samuel.
'No language match. Too bad. Ok the next step... What is it?'
Davidson smiled at the man as he waited for the next step to be relayed to him. He could hear the others arguing, their voices muffled by their distance from the transciever. Samuel came back to him.
'We've got a problem'
Sparhawk chewed on the remainder of the food the stranger had given him. He studied the other mans face, trying to keep his own calm and friendly. The strangers eyes seemed to focus in and out, as if his concentration was being shared between himself and something else. Sparhawk knew what that was like, having talked with Aphrael or Sephrenia through his thoughts. He wondered if a similar thing was happening. His suspicion drew his attention to the ship where undoubtedly others were waiting out of sight. Sparhawk compared this to having Berit and Talen remain unseen, and decided there was no inherent hostility in their hiding at the present time. Looking back at the stranger, Sparhawk began to reconsider that notion. THe stranger's eyes had grown very wide, whatever else had his attention was causing him significant distress. The stranger focussed in again on Sparhawk and spoke out loud again. These words were not given in the same friendly manner as before. Though not hostile, there was a sense of urgency. Holding his hands out in the sign of holding no weapons, he got to his feet. Sparhawk was immediately on his own. The stranger reached out to him and Sparhawk yanked away, startled. The man was still talking, his effort to remain calm failing. He reached for him again and turned him away, to face the crater wall. Sparhawk had had enough at this point. He stepped back and drew his sword. "What do you want?" he demanded.
The stranger sighed and spoke again, though not to him. Out of the hole in the vessel three other strangers emerged. Two of them held small boxes in outstretched hands. Though he didnt' know what the objects were, the way they held them indicated weapons of some sort, and they were ready to use them.
"Khalad, get them in your sights, but don't fire" Sparhawk yelled. The situation was bad, but perhaps it could still be resolved. THe man he had sat with still held his hands out stretched in the sign of no weapon from before, and was talking to him as if urging him to move up the crater.
A woman holding one of the weapons yelled out. The man before him turned to her quickly, a not of pleading in his voice. A third, another stranger holding the strange weapon barked back and a light shot out from the object he held.
"Sparhawk, " Talen's voice rang out from above "They've shot my brother!"
Sparhwak looked quickly up to see Talen and Berit sliding down the crater, weapons out. One of the strangers yelled out. The force of his voice and the destruction of a small patch of earth before them stopped their advance. Looking back at the stranger Sparhawk found himself the target of the female strangers weapon. The other weapon was trained on Berit. The stranger with which he had originally sat with was calling out to all of them at once it seemed, his arms still held out. Talen was watching him closely.
"Hey. What is it. Tell me if you have something to say" he yelled at the man.
The stranger turned to Talen. He seemed to size him up then began using his hands and a weakening voice in effort to communicate something apparently very important. Talen watched the man, squinting in concentration. The stranger pointed back at the ship then shot his arms out in a violent random motion. He accompanied the arm gesture with a sound. Not words, Sparhawk figured, but a sound effect. It sounded like...
"An Explosion!" Talen yelled "Sparhawk, I think something really bad is going to happen soon with that ship!"
Sparhawk agreed. He sheathed his sword then called out to Berit and Talen. "Get back to the horses." The strangers were already starting to clamber up the side. Berit and Talen reached the top first. Talen bent over his brother "He's unconcious, Berit help me." The husky young man bent and picked khalad up, throwing him over his shoulder. Sparhawk was soon at the top with them and turned to watch the progress of the strangers. Three of the strangers reached the top and began to ran down the other side. Their fourth companion still struggled up the side, already obviously winded. The stranger he had sat with stopped and called back to his companion, he also was panting heavily. The struggling woman feebly called back. The climb was steep and high but Sparhawk was surprised at how much difficulty it was providing to the strangers. The others had already reached the horses. The two strangers were running further, calling back over their shoulders. Sparhawk swore then bent down, grabbed the struggling woman's arm and pulled her up the remaining distance. Throwing her over his shoulder he ran towards the others.
"Lets get on our horses and get out of here. These strangers will probably let us know when we've gone far enough. How is Khalad."
"He's allright, seems to be unconcious though" Berit replied. He was already slinging his friend across his saddle, then jumped up behind. Sparhawk placed his own "package" across his saddle and mounted behind her. Talen was helping the other man get up with him. "Let's go after those others" They had come to a stop some distance away, but now seeing them all mounted, they had started running again. Sparhawk and the others chased after them. As they were pulling up just behind them a huge explosion rocked the ground, and the following shock wave threw him from Faran's saddle.