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Earth, Low Orbit – The Oracle
"Earth is within range, Captain. Should I message their spaceport?" the new comms officer asked Magnus. He'd promoted Zaran, a young Aderinian female, after Yolanda signed on as chief weapons officer.
Tessa still felt a little odd listening to English coming from a beak, but Zaran was good at her job, and her accent wasn't hard to understand. Some might even have called it charming. It didn't take long to get used to hawk-like gold eyes, downy feathers in place of hair and pale yellow skin.
"You can't, Zaran," she said.
Magnus looked at her, surprised. "Why not?" he asked.
"Remember, I told you that Earth wasn't technologically advanced. For the most part, they live in villages and enclaves, and their cultures are tied closely to the land."
"So, no interstellar travel?" Zaran asked.
"Not much travel, period. They trade with other villages in their region, of course, but few have occasion to go farther afield, and if they do, it's on foot, by horse, cart or boat. Not by air." Tessa dropped into the first mate's chair opposite Magnus.
"They don't even have the technology for air travel?" Yolanda's mouth hung open unattractively, and Tessa gave her a lopsided grin.
"They have it, probably. Somewhere. I'd bet the vampires have the specs stored in at least one of their libraries, but they have no need for it. So they don't build planes or spacecraft."
"So, we're talking, what? Stone knives and wooden arrows?" Magnus stared at her.
"More like a mix of primitive lifestyle and the tech advances that help keep the carbon footprint small. Lights, composting machines, climate control in their homes and facilities, cold storage so they don't waste food, medical facilities. Stuff like that. All solar powered."
"And no one wants more than that?" Yolanda asked.
Tessa shrugged. "There are no wars on Earth. And very little crime. They take care of each other. Within the rede, each person decides for themselves what they will do with their lives. What more is there to want?"
"Rede? I am not familiar with the word," Zaran said.
"Usually, it means advice or counsel, but in this case, it's more like a law. And they don't have many. The main one is, 'so long as you harm none, do as you will.'"
Yolanda laughed. "Too simplistic. There'd be theft and killing right, left, and center if they implemented that on Josan."
"This isn't Josan," Tessa said flatly. "Theft and murder cause harm. They are outside the rede." She stared at Yolanda for several moments until the silence grew tense and Yolanda turned away, muttered about Tessa being 'touchy.'
"How do we know where to set down?" Magnus asked.
"Pick a spot big enough and land," Tessa said, then frowned. "Well, maybe do a deep surface scan first. Some of the fae, like gnomes and dwarves, live underground. You don't want the headache they'll give you if you land on one of their houses."
Magnus's brows rose. "Good to know. Carl? Find us a spot and take us in."
Carl, the Lacertilian navigation officer, had been studying his readouts throughout the conversation. He didn't talk much in any case, so it wasn't surprising that Tessa had forgotten he was there.
"Sir, way ahead of you," he said now. "I have located the Blue Venture. There is enough room on the hill they landed on to take us as well."
"Good work Carl. Zaran, hail the Venture and let them know we're here. Val doesn't like surprises and, given the circumstances, I don't blame her."
"I'm going to go tell the twins we've arrived." Tessa made her way to the OPT. She reached the twin's quarters a few minutes later and pressed the buzzer. The door swished open to reveal both Syfe staring at her expectantly.
Tessa's eyes widened. Unlike most living quarters on a starship, this room was furnished with feline tastes in mind. Climbing poles led to several catwalks at varying heights. Pillows lay piled in corners while an array of mechanical chase toys lay scattered on the floor. From its shelf near the pillows, the still-small voracina plant appeared to be watching the twins. But neither the decor nor the plant surprised her.
"Hello Boss-Tessa." Hermie, the reaper Tessa had recovered on Josan, struggled out of an overly large, plush pillow to trundle toward her. "Are we there? Earth?"
"How long have you been hanging out with Pan and Dora?"
He is useful, Dr. Tessa. We like him even though we cannot read his thoughts, Pan said.
Yes. He changes the channel for us, Dora added, glancing over her shoulder at the vid-screen taking up half of one wall.
"Terrific. I didn't know you two liked vids."
We do. Especially the old Earth wildlife shows. They are most interesting. But now, I think you should answer his question, Dora said reprovingly. It is rude to ignore a person.
Covering a chuckle with her hand, Tessa looked at the little robot. "Yes, Hermie, we are dropping into orbit now. You three want to join me in the lounge? We can wait for Magnus there."
“Why not go up to the bridge, Boss-Tessa?" Hermie followed her into the hall with the two Syfe trailing behind.
Dora sniffed. She is afraid we will play with the prey animals–
"Aderinians aren't prey, for star's sake," Tessa interrupted. They’d discussed this several times since the twins came on board. “Neither are Lacertilians.”
Dora went on as if she hadn't spoken. Or the secretive one.
I do not want to play with the secretive one. I do not understand why you won't let us kill her, Dr. Tessa. She is dangerous, Pan added.
Tessa rolled her eyes. "You two just don't like it that Yolanda keeps wearing the mindshield. Can't you just live and let live? You can't read my mind, but you don't want to kill me." She refrained from mentioning that she didn't like the woman either. No sense lighting a match with this much fuel on display.
Hmmf. Not anymore.
Tessa startled. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Well, we did consider it, but Foster-Val liked you too much, and then we realized you are a good person despite being non-organic, so we let you live.
Shock rippled through Tessa, along with a shiver of apprehension at their matter-of-fact tone.
Hermie stared, first at one Syfe, then the other. "You cannot kill Boss-Tessa," he said after a moment.
We could. But we won't. Dora made the correction sound almost reasonable.
"You can hear them?" Tessa asked Hermie.
"Oh yes. They gave me a little star like yours, and now I can hear them, but I have to talk out loud if I want them to hear me. That is how it works, yes?"
"Uh. Yes. That is how it works." As long as they don't want me dead, she thought, but kept that part to herself. Nothing to worry about, after all. I can take them if I have to.
I hope.
It didn't take Magnus long to get to the lounge after the Oracle was safely on the ground. "I sent a message to the Venture. They are on their way over."
"Good. We need to know what we're dealing with before we head out. Do the natives know we're here?"
"Yeah. And they aren't as happy about it as you might think. Got a message from someone named Dinara saying to stay on the ship until they grant landing privileges. I didn't mention that the point was likely moot since we already landed."
Tessa laughed. "Very tactful."
"Visitors incoming." Yolanda's aggrieved tone on the commlink took Tessa by surprise.
"What's her problem?" she asked Magnus.
He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I knew the twins would be here, so I had her stay on the bridge. She wasn't too happy about it."
The twins looked at each other, their whiskers twitching with amusement.
"Control yourselves, you two," Tessa said, mock stern.
"Captain? You might want to take a look at the brow." Zaran's calm tones through the intercom held an edge of anxiety that was unusual for the Aderinian.
Magnus strode to the viewscreen. "Screen on, exterior, brow."
The image that bloomed on the screen had Tessa sprinting for the gangway, both hands morphed into blasters. Reaching the hatch, she stabbed the hatch control, barely waiting for it to spiral open before leaping through it.
Val and Tamar stood back-to-back at the foot of the gangway, blasters laying down a flaming barrage on the six metal monsters surrounding them. Tamar had taken a hit to her shoulder. Her right arm and paw hung useless at her side as she fired continuously with her left. Val had a streak of blood across her forehead, but seemed otherwise unhurt.
The attackers jumped and sidled, avoiding the incoming fire with stunning ease.
"Back off!" Tessa screamed, jumping the guardrail to land on the nearest robot with both feet, crushing its skull. From the ground, she could see that three other reapers were down. By her count, only six were still standing out of a team of ten.
Magnus fired from the brow, taking out a fifth. Val fired again, obliterating another and the remaining four scattered. One, larger than the rest, stopped just out of range and shook its hooked fist at them.
"Traitors! We will find it, and then we will bring Gaia to justice. Interfere and you will all die, by the will of Hi-Hi- the League!" It stumbled over the last few words as if trying to say two things at once. Lowering its fist, it disappeared into the forest, following its fellows into hiding.
Tessa bolted after them, skidding to a halt as Val fell to her knees. "Val!" The Venture's captain held up a hand as Tessa dropped to her knees beside her. "You're hit."
Val waved her off. "It's nothing. A scrape. Just. A little. Dizzy. Is all." Her eyes rolled up, showing white before closing.
Magnus pounded up as Tessa held her hand to Val's chest, using her nanocytes to scan Val for injuries. "Concussion," she said. "Her own nanocytes are already repairing the damage, but she's going to need rest." She looked up at Magnus. "Can you get her to the Venture?"
He nodded, and she turned her attention to Tamar. "How bad is it?" she asked, gesturing to the Werosian's limp arm.
"Is bad," Tamar said through gritted teeth. "Hurts."
Tessa pulled a knife from her boot and carefully cutting through the shoulder seam of Tamar's weapons vest. A blaster beam had punched a hole in her shoulder, leaving the flesh around the wound black and smoking. There wasn't much blood, but Tessa wasn't as familiar with Werosian physiology as she needed to be for this.
"We need Dash. Where is he?"
He is coming, Dr. Tessa, Pan said.
Magnus reappeared, arms empty. "Alex has her. How can I help?"
"We need to get Tamar to the Venture. She isn't bleeding much, but that wound doesn't look good," Tessa replied. Leathery wings flapped as Dash, the Venture's medical officer and a lesser Daemon, flew toward them.
"Tamar?" Dash fluttered to a landing, his medical case in his hand.
Tamar sank to the ground, and he hurried over, his wings folded tight against his back. "My arm is hurt," she said.
"I can see that." Dash's voice shook only slightly as he took out a mini-scanner and ran it over her shoulder. Opening a wound pack, he placed the bandage over the injury. "This has antiseptics, analgesics, and an emollient. But I need to debride the wound before it can really heal. You have bits of uniform in the gash that will cause an infection if I leave them there."
She bared her teeth in a weak grin. "Tell truth. You just want to see what is inside Werosian body to allow shape-shift." She pushed herself painfully to her feet.
He forced a smile. "You have found me out, I see." He glanced up at Magnus. "Can you carry her to sick bay on the Venture? I have my instruments there and–"
"Carry!" Tamar said indignantly. "I am not needing to be carried. I can–" She stumbled, her knees giving out.
Magnus caught her and hoisted her into his arms, ignoring her protests. "Do me a favor and relax. I've never carried a Werosian before. It's on my bucket list."
Tamar chuffed a laugh and relaxed. "Since you are putting it that way," she said, but trailed off as her eyes closed.
Tessa watched him walk away, knowing he would be angry over what she was about to do, but unwilling to put him in danger, or wait for him to come back. "Is she going to be all right?" she asked Dash.
"I think so. What happened?" he asked.
"Reapers," she replied shortly. He nodded and launched into the air, following Magnus and his patient. "Pan, Dora, you're with me." Tessa faced about, heading for the woods.
"Wait, Boss-Tessa! You will need me!" Hermie trundled down the gangway, almost wiping out near the bottom in his haste.
Tessa closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to look down at the android. "We have to move fast," she said. "They are already ahead of us."
"But Hermie can track the bad ones for Boss-Tessa. We will find them together." Hermie shot a quick, dubious glance at the twins, then leaned close to whisper. "The Syfe are fun, Boss-Tessa, but they have stubby fingers and no thumbs for fighting. Hermie will protect you."
She repressed a laugh and nodded. "All right, but you'll have to keep up."
I will carry him, Pan said. We can move faster that way.
Tessa thought about objecting, but Hermie was already clambering onto Pan's back, his eyes wide with excitement. "That way," he squeaked, pointing to a miniscule break in the brush.
Pan loped into the forest with Dora at his side, following the ex-reaper's directions.
They had taken too long. Tessa felt it in her gut, but she kept pace with the trio, hoping that Hermie really could see something she couldn't.
Half an hour later, it was clear that the reapers had lost none of their stealth abilities in the reprogramming.
"We aren't going to find them," she said.
"Hermie is sorry, Boss-Tessa. They are too clever." The little android hung his head.
"Not your fault," Tessa replied. "They had a head-start, and they are rocket fast. Let's head back to the ship. See how Val and Tamar are doing."
