Chapter 19
With a contented sigh, Smith set Artemis on the ground. As soon as her paws hit the dirt, she headed out of the cave and he quickly lost sight of her. Smith followed, intending to retrieve his clothes and set them near the fire to dry faster. As he was pulling his tunic off the tree branch, he spied Artemis in a branch higher above, a fresh kill in her mouth that she had stashed there before entering the cave earlier. She gracefully bounded down a few branches, then the trunk, to the ground and trotted off into the cave. Smith gathered the rest of his damp clothes and joined her.
Smith set his clothes on the rock he'd been sitting on earlier, spreading them out to dry in the heat of the fire. His interest then turned to fixing his evening meal. He took the kill from Artemis and butchered it, setting aside the hide and brains for later. His current uniform was torn in places and the material was thinning from use, so he planned to tan the hide and use it, with others he'd collected, to make a new outfit for the winter.
The doctor had learned a particular tanning technique as a lieutenant in the Air Force when his commanding officer had invited him and several colleagues on a camping trip. Always the sycophant, Smith went along to score some points with the boss, even though he had no real interest in the event. The colonel took a few of the boys hunting while Smith sat around the fire drinking coffee. He'd faked a sprained ankle to get out of the activity. When the hunting expedition had returned, Smith watched with feigned interest as the colonel butchered his kills and described in detail how his father had taught him how to tan the hides. It was a long process, not for the faint of heart, part of which involved mashing the brains into a paste and smearing it on the hide.
With Artemis' help, Smith had already amassed and tanned enough hides that he he'd soon have enough to start making a new pair of pants. With winter almost upon him, he'd need warmer clothing. He'd kept small animal bones which he'd made into needles and harvested sinew to use as his thread. He could use some larger hides, but he wasn't sure his hunting skills were adequate enough for that task yet.
Smith's stomach rumbled again as he began skewering the meat and placing it over the spit to roast. He tossed a raw chunk to Artemis, as was their usual routine. Rummaging through one of the packs, he pulled out a plastic container and opened it, removing a portion of the dried herb-like plants he'd found near the river. Their taste was completely foreign to his palate, but did an adequate job of enhancing the flavor of the meat. He dampened the herbs with water, ground them into a sort of pesto, and then rubbed it on the meat.
As the meat cooked, he gazed into the fire, musing at how experience and knowledge he had once thought useless was now essential to his survival. Fortunately, he had paid attention when it counted. If only the Robinsons had paid attention to him... when it counted.
Will awoke to see his mother's concerned face hovering over him.
"Is he gone?" Will asked weakly.
"Is who gone?" Maureen asked quizzically.
"Kai. Did the plan work?"
"Yes," Maureen replied, placing a reassuring hand on his arm.
"Good," Will answered. "I hope..." He left the thought unsaid.
"You hope what?" Maureen prodded.
"I hope... he dies out there." Will began to sob as the sense of betrayal hit home. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Maureen squeezed his arm. "It's alright." She knew how he felt. Though she had taught her children reverence for all life, she had no compassion for Kai. She did not care if he lived or died after what he'd done to her family.
"Are you in the mood for some visitors?" Maureen asked. "I know a few people who've been very worried about you."
Will smiled. "Sure."
Maureen slid open the door and announced visiting hours had commenced. Penny and Judy were the first to enter the room and regale him with the ending of the battle to evict Kai. Will expressed pride in the Robot and, of course, his father and Don.
While the kids were talking, Maureen went to sit with John in the galley.
"How is he?" John asked, concerned.
"I think he's going to be fine. Why don't you go in and visit and I'll get dinner going."
The Professor stood, gave her a peck on the cheek, then went to Will's cabin.
After dinner, Smith donned his fire-dried clothing. He relished the warmth for a few moments before he got down to the business of tanning hides. That's how he would spend the next several days, making bricks and building his home by day, tanning hides for his new clothing by night. Within the week, he had finished the brick structure. All that was left was to thatch the roof and make a door.
While Smith was busy, Artemis hunted. The doctor had come to rely on her kills for his daily protein. Some hunts were more successful than others and some days they went without meat.
Every few days, Smith would take a break from his projects and stock up on whatever berries, nuts, or edible vegetation he could find. He also began drying and preserving a portion of meat from each kill to get them through the winter. It was difficult, having to handle so many tasks and responsibilities himself. He was so used to the Robinsons pulling all the weight.
It took two days for Smith to find and gather the tree fronds, vines, rushes, and branches he'd need to make the roof. It was another two days of frustration, trial, and error before the structure had a secure roof. Two more days passed until Smith had figured out how to make and hang the door.
As he stood admiring his handiwork from inside the new room, a stiff breeze blew, causing the door to clatter. He frowned, knowing the door would not suffice as it was. He'd have to cover it with something, most likely hide, to block the wind. He knew he didn't have enough for both the door and his clothing. With winter coming quickly, he chose to make clothes.
For the first time in weeks, Smith entered the cave and didn't have to secure the entrance with rocks. He smiled, "It's finished, Artemis. Come see."
Artemis trotted over. She wandered around the room, sniffing, then rubbed up against the door, which, to Smith's surprise, withstood her weight. Seemingly pleased, she weaved in and out between the doctor's legs.
Another breeze blew in and Artemis mewed and chattered.
"I know," Smith responded, "but it will have to do for now. I need those hides for clothes."
Artemis seemed satisfied with his answer and trotted back into the cave. Smith barred the door with a large branch and followed her.
Don stared out the viewport, willing his eyes to pierce through the blizzard. "Robot, any sign of Kai?"
"I do not detect Kai's life signs in the vicinity," the Robot reported.
"Is he dead?" the Major's voice betrayed his eagerness to be rid of the dangerous alien once and for all.
"My sensors detected him moving away from camp last night. I do not believe he is dead. I believe he has moved out of range of my sensors."
The Professor soon joined them, catching the last bit of the conversation. "Robot, if you detect him again, notify Don and I immediately." Turning to the pilot, he ordered, "I don't want anyone going outside alone and I don't want anyone going outside without a weapon." He gestured back and forth between the Major and himself. "That includes the two of us. Is that clear?"
"Crystal, John. In fact, I was thinking our weapons might need an upgrade. I'll work with the Robot and Will to boost their power. Stunning Kai will not be enough if he attacks," the Major insisted.
"Good idea," the Professor replied. "We can use all the firepower we can get."
With the anteroom finished, Smith decided he could use a day of rest. At first, Artemis found it strange that her human was not up bright and early and working on something. It had become the routine for many weeks. She plopped herself down next to him and mewed.
"Not today, my dear. I'm simply exhausted," Smith mumbled inside the sleeping bag.
The cat seemed to get the hint, as she allowed Smith a few more hours of sleep. When he awoke, Artemis was curled up next to him. He threw the sleeping back open and yawned and stretched, as was his routine. Artemis flipped onto her back and yawned and stretched too, earning a laugh from her human.
"Today," he announced, "we simply enjoy our day. No work at all," he said as he grabbed her face between his hands. "It will be glorious." He ruffled the fur on her head.
Artemis meowed in agreement.
After a quick breakfast, Smith washed up and packed a few provisions in one of his bags. He grabbed his spear, which often doubled as a walking stick, and donned his jacket. Artemis followed him out the door, which he latched behind him.
The cool air stung his face, but after days of sweat and toil, it was invigorating.
"Where shall we go, pussycat?" Smith asked. He cringed inwardly, instantly remembering his run in with Zeno.
"Rawrr," Artemis responded and bounded ahead of the doctor.
"Alright then," Smith followed his feline companion. He had a good idea of where she was headed.
The cat led Smith a few hundred yards through a field and up a small hill to a craggy rock formation they'd been by many times on their hunting trips. Artemis jumped up on the rock wall to a broad ledge above. Smith tossed his bag and spear up onto the ledge, then climbed up the rocky wall. Lifting himself up over the top, he turned and sat atop the wall.
"The view is spectacular," he exclaimed. He reached over to run a hand through her fur and she began to purr. "The perfect spot for a picnic... and later, a nap."
Smith stood and picked up his bag. A stone served as a seat for him as the two ate lunch.
The doctor popped a handful of berries into his mouth. As he chewed, he began to reminisce. "You know, Artemis, I used to go on many picnics with my human companions, Will and Penny..."
Artemis could sense his sadness as he spoke of the Robinson children. She picked up the smoked leg of some small beast that Smith had given her and plopped down next to him. She continued to gnaw on it as he stroked the sleek, black fur on her back.
"I was very fond of them," he continued. "Despite my... flaws... they accepted me, made me feel like part of the family."
Artemis dropped her bone. She went over to Smith and stood on her hind legs, placing her front paws on each of his shoulders. She looked him straight in the eyes. We're supposed to be having fun today, her look seemed to say.
"I know," Smith apologized, "I'm sorry."
Artemis sat back on her haunches. Images of Smith rescuing her as a tiny cub filtered into his mind, but they weren't from his perspective. They were from hers. Smith tilted his head to the side and stared into her eyes, mesmerized by the deep black orbs. After a few moments, he shook his head.
Get ahold of yourself, Zachary, he told himself. Your mind is starting to slip. You're cracking under the emotional strain.
The alien cat rubbed herself against his chest and feelings of security and love washed over him. His anxiety and sadness melted away, overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude that eminated from Artemis.
Sudden realization hit him. He wasn't imagining these thoughts. They were coming from Artemis. Somehow, she was transmitting them to him. It made sense, how the two had wordlessly communicated on hunts, how he knew instinctively what she wanted, how she could sense his moods. Her species didn't communicate with each other using sound. They communicated with thought, with images, with emotions. She had done it before, recently, but he was so wrapped up in what he was doing that he gave little attention to the random images and feelings flitting into his head. Now that he had taken the day off and his mind wasn't preoccupied, it had all became clear.
"It's because of you, isn't it, my faithful feline friend? These stray thoughts in my head?" Smith asked.
Artemis purred and rubbed her head underneath his chin.
"Fascinating," he said aloud. The scientist in him was intrigued. "Inter-species telepathic communication..." He stroked his whiskered chin. "I've run across telepathic humanoids in my space travels, but never a telepathic animal." He sat deep in thought, trying to recall all the times Artemis had communicated with him.
It occurred to him that this telepathic ability probably became stronger as the cubs of Artemis' species matured. Her communication was subtle at first, but today... Today it was undeniable. Artemis was the only kind of her species the doctor had met. He wondered if they hunted alone or in packs. With telepathic abilities, he suspected it was the latter.
A wild pack of sleek black cats stalked their prey, quickly and quietly surrounding it. The scene played in Smith's mind as Artemis projected it. She may have lost her pack, but she instinctively knew that is how her family hunted. The scene changed and the pack was replaced by Smith and Artemis, stalking small game through the tall grass. Smith was her family now and she communicated to him the way she would have with her family pack.
Smith nodded in understanding. "We've both lost our families. You're my family now," he said. "I don't know that I can communicate with you as effectively as you can with me. Humans aren't a telepathic species, but I will try."
The doctor tried experimenting, attempting to project his thoughts the way Artemis did. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. His eyebrows furrowed, his nose scrunched, and his eyes closed tightly as he concentrated. For several minutes, he sat there imagining his thoughts floating through the air to Artemis' brain. Then, he felt a sensation tickle his mind. It took a few seconds for him to recognize it as laughter. She was laughing at him. His eyes flew open and his spine stiffened as he glared at her. Realizing he felt insulted, she purred apologetically and rubbed her head underneath his chin.
When she felt Smith relax a bit, she tried to explain how she was able to communicate with him. She projected an image similar to Smith's imaginings. Thoughts floated from her to another larger cat of her species, whom Smith surmised was her mother. The other cat's thoughts floated back to Artemis. The scene then changed to show her and Smith. She pushed her thoughts towards him and they entered his brain. She swiped a paw at his head and grabbed his thoughts, pulling them towards her. She repeated this with a complete stranger she wasn't bonded to, only there were barriers preventing her thoughts from reaching the stranger and retrieving thoughts from them as well.
In a matter of seconds, Smith understood. "Ah," he said, "you can only communicate with those you are bonded with. With those who are not telepaths, you not only transmit thoughts, but you read them as well." Artemis nodded. "But, how can you read thoughts?" Smith asked nervously. Artemis responded telepathically and Smith visibly relaxed. She could read his thoughts because he trusted her. Any mental barriers he had were down and his mind wide open to her. She further explained that, should he want to, he could hide his thoughts from her. For a moment, Smith's face flushed, embarassed that he would even entertain thoughts of hiding anything from her. But the truth was, he had plenty to hide.
Smith stood and walked away from her. He sat down at the edge of the ledge, dangling his legs over the side. Artemis had felt the mental wall go up between them. It startled and saddened her. She followed him and sat down next to him near the ledge. When he didn't acknowledge her, she put her head in his lap. Unable to ignore her now, and needing comfort, he began to stroke her head.
"I'm sorry, my dear." Artemis could feel the sorrow in his words. "I have done things in my life that I deeply regret. Things that, should you learn of them, I fear would change your feelings about me."
Artemis tried to tell him it wouldn't change anything, but his mental barriers were still up. So, she climbed into his lap.
"Oof. I do believe you're getting a bit too big for this."
Artemis ignored him. She sat in his lap and just purred. He continued to stroke her fur, lost in thought. Slowly, Artemis' purring tranquilized him. She felt him relax and then, she felt his mental barriers go down. Seizing opportunity, she blasted him with her feelings, before he had the chance to put the walls back up again.
Smith brought a hand to his head, as the sudden influx of foreign images nearly made him dizzy. His brain tried interpreting them into English, but he could only decipher a few. "You've always shown love to me and taken care of me. I don't care what happened in your past. What matters is our survival. We need each other."
He suddenly felt ashamed again.
The images kept coming, along with strong feelings of unconditional love. He continued to interpret them in English, struggling with a few, but gleaning the essential messages. "Even if I knew your deepest, darkest secrets, who would I tell? Would knowing them change how you've treated and cared for me? No. Neither would they change how I feel about you." She could sense Smith's anxiety and stress. He felt as if he should "come clean", but his fear was too great. She continued, "They are your thoughts, yours to protect. I do not need to know them."
Immediately, she felt his tense muscles relax. He released a shuddering sigh and embraced her in a hug so tight, she thought she might pop. She felt his body convulse with laughter as the image of her popping like a balloon entered his head. He released her and brought his hands to either side of her face, scratching behind each ear.
"Thank you," he said. "You remind me of the family I lost." She saw the images in his mind of the Robinsons and felt the fondness he had for them. "They were kinder to me than I deserved." He was silent for a moment. "I do believe if you were human, your last name would be Robinson."
Immediately, he felt in his mind what he could only interpret as a smile. "Artemis Robinson," he heard. "I like that." A moment later, he heard, "But Artemis Robinson Smith I like better."
