Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 71

 

We had to cram together in the tiny, teardrop shaped vessel to get back up to the ship, and the trip gave me a good excuse to be very, very close to Garjah. Bouncer had tried to elude us when Garjah insisted on tranquilizing him again, but the lure of food was just too great for the greedy gullet. He snoozed the entire time and was currently ignoring us in our cabin on the ship.

Fine by me. No eyes on me was how I liked it. We’d reported our tentative success, and Garjah had touted pride in his foolproof plan. I didn’t want to speak out of turn in front of his people so I didn’t mention all the worry he had about our exposure and the potential for shots in the back—no one needed to see fear in Garjah or cowardice in soldiers from my culture.

While he gave his report, recording one to send back to the resistance leaders on his planet, I carefully formulated several different messages I could send to multiple people asking for their expertise, their influence, or outright calling on long-held favors.

It was a marvel to send them while we were still traveling. The level of technology surrounding me surprised me constantly. I wasn’t a technophobe or a technophile, but I was used to knowing what was possible. Almost no devices worked while traveling through space because of the signal issues.

The corridors were oddly empty. The ship was running on a skeleton crew, but usually when we walked the corridors I saw more males and females than this. Bouncer had finally woken when I tried to leave the command center and he was at my heels. Maybe that was the deterrent. Not many liked to give him their backs when we came on them during my restless pacing of the ship on the journey to Ardra. It was hard to remember a time when he hadn’t been with me, though, or a time when I’d been afraid of him. Bouncer chirped, nudging my hip with his head, and I scritched between his oversized ears.

He closed his glowing eyes for a moment, growling in contentment, then chirped again when I paused. I headed toward the galley. My stomach was gnawingly empty too.  

Pirlev, the Four-Arm working in the galley, nodded at me but didn’t speak. I grabbed a large platter and filled it with foods I’d grown familiar with. Bouncer started dancing around my legs, living up to my name, so I knew the sedative had worn off. I grabbed a second plate to fill just for him. The cubed meat was his favorite and there was plenty of it.

“Is it fine if I take a bunch of this?” Maybe they were coming up on a shift change; I still wasn’t sure of the time, and I didn’t want to leave him short.

“It’s for him,” Pirlev said. “Rather he ate that than me.”

He said it with all seriousness, but I chuckled. “He’d never do that. Bouncer hasn’t tried to eat anyone since he tried to take a chunk out of me that first morning after I fed him.”

“Hmph.” His wordless acknowledgment made me smile. I nodded my thanks to him as I piled meat high on the plate for Bouncer then took them both to our assigned quarters. The plates were heavy enough my wrists were ached by the time I got there.

We both ate, and I left plenty for Garjah. I hoped he’d be back soon, so I stripped down out of my suit finally. Sighing in relief, I took a quick shower, wishing for a tub and real water.  It was still better than being on that steamy hot planet in a tiny can of a protective suit. I crawled onto the narrow bunk naked and sprawled onto the surface. I was more exhausted than I thought, and I fell asleep to thoughts of Garjah’s actions when he came in and saw me.

 

The bed was narrow, and low to the ground, but it was a shock to wake up to Garjah kneeling on the floor beside me with his mouth fealed over my semi-hard and rapidly thickening shaft. The wet heat and strong suction threatened to pull my brains right out of my dick. “Oh stars,” I moaned. I felt like I was floating among them, still dazed from sleep but lost in the pleasure of Garjah’s mobile tongue wrapping around my shaft as he sucked up with hard suction and then slowly slid back down.

I grunted on a hard pull when his tongue tickled the tip of my cock, probing the slit, the muscles in my thighs tightening. I ran my hand over the ridges on his head and down to his neck, squeezing the back. Not to control—I had no control—but in a desperate bid to distract myself from coming in an instant.

Then he started that vibration, and paired with the suction, the pull reached deep inside my balls and turned them inside out. I came with a shout, his name on my lips. It went on with each sucking pull, and Garjah didn’t take mercy on me until I squirmed to get away, pushing on his forehead at the same time.

I panted for air, my body one giant sensitized nerve. “What… what was that?”

“I was hungry,” Garjah rumbled. He stood, his hands going to his suit button.

“Food’s over there.” I waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the tiny table. I blinked, unable to look away. Garjah stripped off his suit then his underclothes, leaving him bare to my gaze.

“I don’t want food. I want you. Need you.”

“You can have me.” I had only gone slightly soft, and gazing at Garjah’s body was all I needed to bring me back to full hard, my balls aching with want.  

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 70

It was time to cut out the bureaucracy, and I didn’t have much tact to start off with. Garjah actually seemed to do better with his people’s politics than I did with the jockeying for favor and positions I’d faced within the Institute, but he wasn’t experienced enough to deal with these people.

Officious oafs were going to just get in the way.

“We appreciate that you have encountered a race that may have a claim to Ardra, and that we have much to learn. Rushing does not benefit anyone, however.” Dr. Margo spoke and my mother nodded her agreement, giving me a hard look. As if that would shut me up.

“I believe this goes beyond the Institute and the study of a potential new ally species. We have already made contact, and Garjah’s people have monitored Galactic space for some time. They are ready to move beyond their current isolationist views and begin discussions with the Galactic Council.”

There, I’d said it. It was recorded, and since any new species contact data was sent to the Council, they’d know a request was made. I squeezed Garjah’s hand, tugging it slightly.

“We have many files on the species that make up your Galactic; while we do not currently prefer to contact other species in your space, we have known many. This can help smooth the way, but we need to speak with those who have the ability to speak for your kind.”

“Do you have the ability to speak for your kind?” my mother asked. Her nostrils were flaring, never a good sign.

“On security matters, no one can gainsay my words. This is within my role to ensure the safety of my people.” It was a stretch, but only we knew that. “I can recall my ship, and we can travel to your planet to speak with your Council.”

Dr. Margo and my parents exchanged looks. They weren’t even a tiny bit subtle. Did they think I was stupid and Garjah was oblivious? “I would like to speak with my son. It has been some time since we saw him.”

“We are not comfortable separating at this time.” I hated saying it, knowing it exposed vulnerabilities, but I also wouldn’t let them separate us. “Whatever you wish to say to me, you can say in front of Garjah. We are very close.”

She eyed our clasped hands and the way Bouncer was pressing against the front of our bodies and how we were both touching him to keep him calm. “I see that.”

My father put a hand on her shoulder. “There will be time to talk to Essell when he comes here. In person may be better,” he said steadily. “I look forward to meeting your companions, son.”

Dr. Margo opened and shut her mouth, then took in a deep breath through flared nostrils. “I will contact the council. How long do you think it will take you to arrive?”

“I am not aware of your local time, but one rotation.” Garjah looked down at me.

“That’s slightly longer than a full day on Institute time. Tomorrow by lunch?” It was a rough estimate but unless you’d laid down a course and had the local time in your computer, it was always tricky to give a timeframe on travel.

“We will be prepared.” Dr. Margo ended the transmission.

“Well,” Dr. Vikrish turned to them. “That is not what I expected.”

“I am sorry, doctor, and I appreciate your willingness to openly speak with us and bring us here when you knew so little.” He’d taken a chance, and it still might bite him if political maneuvering didn’t go in our favor. It was one reason why I’d tried to cut him out of the conversation early. “I knew our appearance might be… complicated.”

He shook his head. “Makes me glad we’re just boots on the ground to study new plants and animals.” Dismay crossed his face and slumped his shoulders. “Though now I guess we can’t do that anymore.”  

I leaned my weight against Garjah. His voice rumbled in his chest and against my side. “If you continue to limit your impact on the planet and take precautions, especially the humans, I do not see why you cannot continue to study the planet for the time being. We may share this space in the future, and knowledge shared is beneficial.”

Dr. Vikrish’s mouth dropped open. “Really? We can stay?”

“As I said, for security matters, I can speak for my people. You are not a threat to our security or to our continued use of this planet.” Clever, clever. Dr. Vikrish was beaming, and I knew we’d won ourselves an ally. Perhaps not one with any power, but his team would also be happy not to have to change assignments immediately. Researchers always loved a new challenge and Ardra was a good one.

Allies among the people had saved us with Garjah’s people. Maybe it was my turn with mine. I’d have to send some messages once we started traveling. There were a few people I could message, sons and daughters of other scientists, diplomats, and government officials who had grown up and taken jobs that may help us negotiate this tricky new alliance. 

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J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Chapter 69

 

Was that some sort of political non-talk they taught the higher ups? Dr. Vikrish and now this woman had both said it was an ‘unexpected development’ that the Four Arms claiming Ardra as a planet they had used for centuries as a resource planet in their territory. This was on the edges of the Galactic explored space, which is one of the reasons I’d applied to the Rinta. I would have far more opportunities to explore new biological environments on the fringes of society than if I’d signed onto a ship that patrolled closer to known space.

Of course I’d known the spacers on the ships that went farther out were tetchy and often had sketchy reputations, but it was an Institute and Council sponsored ship, so I thought I’d be safe.

Ha bloody ha. Literally. I’d broken a few noses before some of the more predatory types backed off. Few women enlisted, but those who did were equally forced to be a badass or carry a weapon. It was something I wasn’t sure those in charge knew about.

I was independent and tough enough to steal a skimmer after manipulating the assholes, land on an uninhabited planet, and survive first constant with an insular species who were apparently in the midst of a whole species upheaval. I could handle Institute higher ups.

“Essell? What are you doing there?”

Oh, I’d spaced out for a bit too long. My mother was standing in the room beside Dr. Margo, my father standing behind them both. How had they gotten there so fast?

“Hello, Mother. Father, it’s good to see you.” They were both dressed well, power colors and their Institute badges glinting on their chests. The Norsk looked drab beside them

“An explanation if you please.”

“This is Gar’jah. He is the leader of security for not just his ship, which is what I thought at first, but his entire planet. We met here on Ardra, but due to an unfortunate exposure to a native plant that was damaging my body, a doctor on their ship had to change my body.”

My father looked intrigued at that, but it was my mother who took the lead as I knew she would.

“My name is Dr. Adelina Deray. It is rare we meet such a technologically advanced race, if you were able to create such changes in my son.”

“It was necessary to prevent loss of limbs and potentially his life.” Garjah reached out and ran a hand down my back, and I leaned into his touch. Screw what my parents would think. I needed the comfort of his closeness, and his shoulders eased as soon as we touched too. “He is important to me, and Timok knew that. He did much research on humans as soon as Essell came aboard our ship.”

“So he entered your ship willingly?” My mother glanced at me briefly, but she stayed focused on Garjah. If she thought I wouldn’t have warned him about her not-so-subtle interrogation tactic to assess the threat level from a newly discovered alien race, she was more naïve than I thought. I didn’t have to say a word.

“No. He was with Bouncer, which is the cerops you see here.” Hearing his name, Bouncer turned his head toward Garjah. He nuzzled his lower hand, and Garjah rubbed one of his large ears.  “I wasn’t sure if he’d been harmed or not, but I couldn’t risk getting injured or allowing my presence to spook it and prompt an attack on either of us. I didn’t know he’d bonded with the creature at that time.”

“He doesn’t seem so dangerous.”

“Actually,” Dr. Vikrish broke in and cleared his throat. “We have observed one incident with this species attacking a very large animal. It appears they have a toxin in their claws or bite; I’m not sure which. Within seconds of piercing the flesh of the grazing beast, it crashed down despite being at least five times this cerop’s”—he glanced at me for verification so I nodded—“general domesticity.”

Bouncer chose that moment to let out a huge yawn, showing off the razor sharp teeth he had tried using on me when we first met.

“The toxin is in their claws. I will be happy to speak more with your researchers about what I’ve noticed is consistent with his species, but his behavior is not valid for studying. And he’s not safe to study; he’s very intelligent and he’s close to me. It would be unwise to provoke him.”

I stared right at the screen, at my mother, as I said those words even though I was speaking to Dr. Vikrish.

Siever chose that moment to speak up, of course. “We haven’t detected any other ships in the area. How do we know any of this is true?”

My father raised an eyebrow. “I can assure you, my son was not born with four arms,” he said dryly.

“What I’m saying is there’s no proof this alien comes from here. Your son is on this planet on an unapproved mission. Frankly, he’s not even here by record, he’s on the Rinta.”

I’d had about enough of this guy. My mother was treating Garjah like he was a potentially hostile race, which was bad enough. My father was clearly upset about the genetic modification if that is where he went first with his argument, or he wanted to study it, and I wasn’t sure which was worse.

“I’m here. Garjah’s people were here. They can come back, but we didn’t want to startle anyone here with what could be interpreted as a hostile approach by a more advanced ship.” I turned to face the officious soldier. “Because let’s face it, he’s bigger, stronger, adapted to heavy gravity, has better technology therefore better weapons… and he’s standing here unarmed and answering questions. How about someone gives Garjah and me the benefit of the doubt and we have a frank conversation about what happens next.” 

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J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 68

 

The rest of the team was ushered about their business while Dr. Vikrish, Soldier One, and two of his lackeys ushered us into their shuttle and further through the corridors toward the control center. We made an interesting parade for those crew who’d stayed behind. Dr. Vikrish lead the way, a soldier behind him and in front of us. Garjah and I were clearly newcomers on a planet reported to be unoccupied, and a wild animal with a lethal gait and roving gaze prowled at my hip. Soldier One and another soldier brought up the rear behind us.

That made my skin crawl, and I’m sure it was worse for Garjah.

It got better when we reached the control center. There weren’t enough chairs for everyone but Garjah and I were ushered into the seats at the edges of the room for the observers. Bouncer sat between us. I put a hand on his head and rubbed; he tilted his neck and I scrubbed the edge of his jaw and under his chin. He yawned, as he always did if I tickled him, exposing his sharp teeth.

He flicked his tongue out when I stopped before closing his mouth and rumbling in his chest in displeasure that I’d stopped. He eyed Soldier One who was nervously eyeing him.

Or maybe I hadn’t observed Bouncer’s kind enough to gauge his intelligence. They’d avoided the scientists as a species, and Bouncer clearly knew the biggest threat in the room. How? I wasn’t quite sure.

“Shh.” I rubbed his jaw again and tried to calm him in a low, quiet voice. “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

I tried to stay calm as the questions began. How did I get on Ardra? The skimmer they’d found us at made that seem fairly self-explanatory, but I answered anyway. What was I doing here? I’d uploaded the data synced with the skimmer’s computer with a spare data pad I’d found, and showed them the notes I’d made before Garjah had found me.

How did he find me? Garjah fielded that one, explaining they had the planet monitored but only used it for resources. That’s why it’d taken a few days to arrive and find me. That’s when it got interesting.

“So your kind are not part of the Galactic?” Dr. Vikrish asked.

“No, we avoid socializing with your races.”

“Why?” Specialist Siever asked. He’d introduced himself, so I was no longer calling him Soldier One in my head, but I didn’t really want to know what he was a specialist of with that much aggression. He remained standing, feet spread, arms crossed over his chest. He was human but his back up pair were both Corle warriors, their orange skin with black dots and exaggerated features exposed without their suit helmets.

“A part of our culture. We have species who reached out to us when we were new to space exploration, but as a rule we do not trade much with others who are… new.” Based on what I knew of Garjah’s genetic makeup, that word was nearly an insult to their kind.

“That’s—”

“Interesting,” Dr. Vikrish interrupted Siever. He glared at him. “We need first contact specialists. I know I am not trained to handle this situation, though it appears to be very unique.”

“So it’s time to contact my family? My mother is a first contact specialist.”

“That she is,” Dr. Vikrish agreed.

“I’m going to contact my superiors.” The way Siever said that was almost a threat. Garjah and I exchanged a look, and I knew he heard it too. He was a security expert, so maybe he had a better grasp on where Siever was coming from though.

The Corle warriors didn’t move. They were a quiet, stoic race and rarely showed emotion so that didn’t surprise me.

“Here, I will bring up the call on the main screen. I believe your parents are actually at the Institute right now, so this call may serve a dual purpose.”

If that was his way of warning me that my parents would be among colleagues and this call would be more than a family message to let them know I was alive, if not the same son they’d once known, he was a bit off. We were not that kind of family, and they would never have an emotional bond like that with me. If anything, my dad would want to study me. My mom would want to analyze every second my exchanges with Garjah and his people.

Exhausting. That was the word.

I sighed. “Thank you.”

It took a few moments for the space relays to align for the signal to go through and then the alert hit the Institute’s system. A tech appeared.

“Dr. Vikrish. Dr. Margo has been waiting for your call.”

“I apologize for the extended delay. We have an… unexpected development,” Dr. Vikrish said carefully. “I believe Doctor Adelina and Corvi Deray are on the premises? We need them to also attend this meeting.”

“And why is that?” An older female Norsk appeared on the screen. Her robe was deep green and complimented her pale skin and green tinged hair. Her gills worked furiously even through she was out of the water and on dry land to draw in air lending her words a whispery quality.

“Ardra is not unclaimed as we thought; we found an institute trained biologist, Dr. Essell Deray, who had made previous contact with an alien species who claims Ardra as part of their territory.”

“Part of their territory?” She raised a wispy brow.

“Yes, they are an advanced spacegoing species previously unknown to us, but we are not unknown to them.”

“Indeed.” Her face became impassive. “That is an unexpected development.” 

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J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Chapter 67

 

“You’re not supposed to be here, are you?” That question came from the scientist who I instinctively didn’t like. I’d come across his type before. He still had his helmet on, and he kept several people between his spot in our column and where Garjah and I were walking with Bouncer by my side.

“I am,” I answered indignantly. “My ship was the closest to Ardra when the bulletin was announced. I’m a first-ranked researcher, and this was a prime candidate for new exploration with an eye toward biological research. There was no contact orders, and all the reports stated this would be a safe and potentially valuable resource for the Galactic.”

“That’s out the airlock now,” someone muttered.

“No, the planet has a prior use claim, but the Four Arms are a reasonable race about most things. There’s also the issue of safety for some of our researchers.” I nodded toward the pair of Tlgerics who had a mucous membrane between their hands and webbing their toes. “I would hate to see what that plant could do to your tissues. Or maybe the fluid on your skin would be a natural repellent to it; I don’t know and didn’t have enough time to do more research. That’s something we can negotiate hopefully.”

“Negotiations may take some time; I have researched your Galactic extensively. Some species are very good at managing their use and others are known for removing large quantities. We are very good at terraforming, but we prefer to leave planets natural and harvest only what will not harm it.”

“Admirable,” Dr. Vikrish said. “There are many at the Institute who push for similar policies when using planets for resources. Settlement planets usually come under the governance of the races of aliens who claim them, but planets being shared are not normally settled.”

We approached a rocky area that required a lot of climbing, and the suits were flexible and moved with us but didn’t make it easy. Garjah and I better able to navigate the slope with our extra arms. The humans in the group I saw were visibly drooping as well. The heavy gravity didn’t press on me the same way it did before, and I definitely didn’t miss it.

It also helped me pick out the aliens among the group. Those who moved freely, more easily climbing the slope, were probably not human. Not everyone had removed their helmets, especially the soldiers.

Most of them weren’t human.

Made sense, really, you wouldn’t send someone to protect and defend a scientific team to a planet that would be physically disabling for them. It would also explain their larger size. I was pulled from my thoughts when we got to their camp. They hadn’t landed that far from my skimmer. If they hadn’t come for me, then how had we landed so close together? That seemed improbable.

One side of their shuttle opened when the team neared.

“Oh wow.” I couldn’t help but let out that soft exclamation of envy. They had the mobile lab. It was also full of specimens. I recognized several that I’d studied and cataloged during the few days I’d had before Garjah’s ship had showed up.

Two of the scientists peeled off from the group and entered the lab. They were carrying packs with compartments that could carry multiple specimens.

“You’ve gotten more here than I thought you would by now.” My notes on Ardra would be less than useless. They had more data than I did. Well, about this planet anyway. I looked at Garjah. He was paler than normal, still stressed by the many weapons surrounding us and his inability to ensure my safety. I itched to enter their lab and take a closer look, but I stayed at his side.

“We have spread out and cataloged everything in this region we could safely. Start small and then work up to the larger animals. That’s why we landed here; it is a very rich and diverse ecosystem.”

“It is.” Maybe it wasn’t so unbelievable we’d land so close together then. That was exactly why I’d picked this general area too.

“You wouldn’t consider letting us take a couple of samples from your friend, would you?” one of them asked. “We haven’t been able to get close to… What did you call him?”

“I call him Bouncer. Garjah’s people call them cerops. And no, it would be a bad idea to take samples from him.” Bouncer was definitely keyed into our mood. Garjah was stressed so I was nervous which meant he hadn’t even bounded up the rocky hillside when he could have made it up and back half a dozen times before I got to the top. “And while I have kept notes on behaviors I saw in him versus wild cerops, from what little I saw of them, he’s spent too much time with me. He’s not

“That’s not priority right now.” Soldier One was barking again. He held up a scanner. “Ident.” He looked uncertain. Which wrist would it be in? I held in the sarcastic chuckle. Did he think I grew a whole new set of shoulders, head and neck? I held out my upper left arm and let him scan my forearm for the ident chip.

“Essell Deray. Currently on the Rinta.” He had removed his helmet from his exosuit. He pursed his lips sourly. “Clearly.”

“I’m assigned to the Rinta. Like I said, I was the logical choice to study Ardra.” I crossed my lower arms.

“But you weren’t. Your captain didn’t register any assignment. Nor did he register your absence.”

It was my turn to purse my lips. “It’s not my job to make Captain Sonez do paperwork.” It was thin. There was something off, and we both knew it. I just refused to say it and he wasn’t quite secure enough to accuse me.

Might have something to do with the hulking alien at my back.

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Julie Lynn Hayes 

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Chapter 66

 

Garjah insisted on going out first, even though I was sure it was a bad idea. He was equally sure being faced with a human who didn’t look exactly human would bother them more.

“What are you waiting for? Come out! All four hands up, if you have four.”

“We are not a threat to you. Stay calm. We are coming out.” Garjah squeezed my shoulder. “Keep Bouncer calm. Maybe we should have sedated him.”

“No, it’s not good for him.” The cerops was leaning against my thigh, and I could practically feel him vibrate, but I felt shaky myself.

Not willing to argue further, or let the humans wait longer and get more nervous, I gestured for Garjah to lead the way. He squeezed past me, and I waited, my stomach in knots, for the soldiers to make the rash decision to fire.

They didn’t, but his size clearly made them nervous. They tightened ranks. I wasn’t sure if they saw me at first, but then I heard the whispers.

“I thought you said you were human.” Soldier One, as I’d taken to calling him in my head, was still looking for a confrontation.

“I am.” My helmet was off, so I knew they could see my face. “There are dangers on this planet. Our suits? Not as impervious as the Institute thinks. I touched a plant, and it ate a hole into the palm of my suit. It made me sick.” I gestured toward my second set of arms. “This is the most obvious sign of what their doctor had to do to save my life.”

“What plant? Are we in danger here?”

“No, it’s not on this continent.” Garjah waved a hand toward the plants that grew in a riotous abandon all around them, the fragrance of the thick blossoms on the vines growing between the trees heavy in th air. “These plants are not equipped with the chemicals that eat away at materials to get the soft flesh inside.”

“But I only had about two days before Garjah found me. I can’t guarantee there are not other dangers on this planet that could harm humans. There’s something about it that is different from anywhere I’ve ever been.”

“How different? The aliens?”

“No.” I shook my head. “They’re not natives. The planet is not inhabited, but they use it.”

“To do what?”

“Gather resources,” Garjah answered. “We have the ability to travel much farther than your ships, and we use many planets to harvest resources in a sustainable fashion on our journeys. It is the responsible thing to do.”

“We’re getting off the more important subject,” Soldier One objected in a loud, strident voice. “Where is his ship?”

We had to walk a fine line there. If we said it wasn’t there, the soldiers might think we were vulnerable and might attack. If we said it was nearby and the soldiers demanded to be taken to it, we’d be caught in a lie.

“The rest of my people are watching our interaction very closely to see how well this goes. My people have a policy of isolation from your many species, and yet some wish to change that. I am here, with Essell to begin that process.”

“Isolation? Even though you travel space? Most spacegoing species have long gotten over xenophobic tendencies.”

“We are a species with a… rigid society. It does not lend well to change. When I spoke with Essell he brought up many ways your Council decides laws and decrees to the rest of your planets in the Galactic, and how most of the time that is accepted. Making changes is something most of us cannot do, or are only capable of after many generations.”

I’d cautioned Garjah against mentioning their memories immediately, so he skirted that truth as well. Still, his words set off another flurry of hushed conversation.

“Stop,” the soldier said. He turned back to us. “Why are you here now?”

“We thought you’d come looking for me. Garjah’s people have sensors blanketing the planet, and after ensuring a peaceful contact was made, we wanted to make sure my family didn’t think I died here on Ardra, first and foremost. Then I thought it would be time to meet with council members, people from the Institute. Folks in charge.” As much as soldier man wanted to think he was in charge, he wasn’t. We both knew it would take one message from my skimmer to have a whole host of administrators down on top of the planet, and his entire team would be shunted to the side.

If not removed from the planet completely.

Territory in question as far as rights of use and settlement had strict laws. Ardra was a heavy planet; it had fascinating flora and fauna, but it wasn’t ideal for human settlement. The Institute wouldn’t be able to claim right of use either, if Garjah’s people could establish a prior claim.

If this team wanted to be a part of our introduction to the Galactic, they needed to work with us, not against us. I didn’t have to see their faces to watch their postures change and the subtle shifts happen as the soldiers began to ease their stiff backs and move their hands farther from their weapons. The scientists, lead by Dr. Vikrish, stood taller and nudged their way closer to the front of the group. One tiny scientist even stepped in front of the soldiers only to be caught by the shoulder.

Tiny, or a child? I squeezed Garjah’s hand. He glanced at the suited person and then away.

Was I looking at someone, much like me, brought along on missions despite their dangers? It would explain the hostility, including Soldier One’s continued interference. I was brought out of my questioning confusion by Dr. Vikrish removing his helmet. “I believe it’s time we heard a little bit more of this story and then helped you contact your family.” He raised one eyebrow. “And the Institute, of course.”

“Of course,” I echoed.

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Julie Lynn Hayes 

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 65

 

“Records from last exam?”

That didn’t sound good. Were they running in-depth scans on the skimmer? “Look, I know you were probably all over the place looking for me, but I’m here. I’m safe. I have a lot of information I can share with you, but those weapons make me nervous, which make the cerops with me nervous. If we could all stay calm, I think things will go better.”

Dr. Vikrish had turned to face the younger scientist who had tapped on his shoulder. As I spoke, he turned back toward me, his head cocked to one side. “Looking for you? Mr. Deray, we didn’t even know you were here.”

The pit in my stomach sank to my feet, and I was glad I was crouching. I braced my lower hands on the floor. “What?” I said faintly. I blinked at the mix of Institute and Fleet staff. Institute because I was one of their own, and Fleet because I’d gone missing form a ship. Surely Sonez reported the theft of the skimmer.

“We are here to study the planet, and unusual energy pulses brought us to this area.” Dr. Vikrish hummed. “You can see why we are feeling so cautious.” He spread his hands and indicated the soldiers.

“You didn’t even know I was here? Sonez didn’t report me… missing?” I hesitated and then replaced the original word I planned to say. No need to implicate myself.

“If Sonez is responsible for overseeing your placement, then I am not aware of any report of a scientist of your name, description, or general location being missing. One would think the Council would have notified scientists that one of our own was stranded on a planet we were going to if they knew.”

“One would think,” I repeated faintly. Bouncer pressed against my side, and Garjah touched his fingertips to mine from where he was jammed just out of sight. I couldn’t decide if that made this easier or harder, to be honest. I’d had a little time to strategize, and one of the angles I’d thought about was using my family name.

Looked like that was going to be my number one plan moving forward. I cleared my throat. “Well. Be that as it may, whatever the miscommunication was, I am here now. As I said before, I am Essell Deray. You are probably aware of who my parents are?” Having parents who was so successful in their fields and sitting on the board of the Institute was finally going to work in my favor.

Something needed to.

“The Doctors Deray are your parents?” He sounded awed, and I wished I could see his face but none of the others had removed their helmets.

“They are. As such, I’ve been embroiled in Institute business and whisked off to locations unknown and unexplored my whole life. Ardra was my chance to discover the planet’s secrets for myself. Things went… sideways.”

“Did they?”

“No one here has touched the weeds in the desert region, right?” How many were in their party? Had they lost any to the same parasite that attacked me?

“No, we haven’t left this continent. There is too much to sample here, but we have sent drone flyovers there.”

Which wouldn’t show them the danger. “There are planets on Ardra that seem to be alive. They have the ability to camouflage themselves and have evolved into deadly predators. The wildlife is more so. For my sake, I was latched onto by a juvenile cerops who decided I was a better bet than his mother who must have recently rejected him for younger offspring.”

Bouncer huffed.

“His kind are predators, armed with claws, teeth, large ears and eyes. His skin is naturally armored. And he will not hesitate to act if we feel threatened.” He’d taught the Kardoval that. Maybe I needed to remember that and pay close attention to his actions.

“Who is we?” Dr. Vikrish posed his question again, waving away the soldier who tapped his back when he stepped forward between two of the imposing men.

Make or break moment. “Two days after I landed on Ardra, another ship landed here too. Or moved into range, because frankly I have no idea how their technology works. All I knew was Bouncer was scared, an alien showed up standing right in front of me in practically nothing, and then I was out. Knock out spray or injection or something I couldn’t feel.” I rubbed my neck. It still stung from time to time when I thought about it. 

“What?” Soldier one started snarling, and the remaining guards closed the scientists off with a high-wall of bodies.

“Quiet down. Quiet.” I tried a third time but was drowned out even faster. “Enough!” the scientist finally shouted. Silence fell over the chattingering boxes.

“Are you saying you made first contact? With this cerops?”

“I made first contact, but not with the cerops. I call them, Four Arms. I don’t quite think our voice boxes go low enough to make the sound of the word for their species in Galactic.” I took a breath, recognizing their tension and knowing this might be the truth bomb that set them off. “And they’re already a spacegoing race that knows all about the Galactic.”

“What?” That was the soldier in the lead, and he was reaching for the communicator at his side.

“Don’t do that,” Garjah said in his deep, gravelly tone. “It won’t do you any good. I’ve blocked all the signals in this area until we are sure you will not act rashly.”

Chaos descended, just what I was trying to avoid. Half the team wanted to know who Garjah was, why he could set the shields but not avoid detection in the first place, or better yet, if he was from a ship, where other ones were.

“I can only answer one question at a time!” Garjah was holding my hand now, and I had twined our fingers together in a death grip.

They whispered to each other. “I think it’s time you all come out,” the soldier said, and I couldn’t argue with hat.

Want more flash? 

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Chapter 64

 

The soldiers immediately took positions against the skimmer, handhelds away and weapons drawn. “Come out now!” one ordered.

“Hold on, calm down! I’m Essell Deray, and you’re here looking for me.” I waved one hand in the doorway, but didn’t come out.

“Show yourself. Hands out.” The leader of the soldiers harsh orders were not unexpected, but I also couldn’t follow them.

“Um, I have a cerops here, one of the lifeforms from the planet. He thinks you’re hostile to me, and I’m holding on to him because he has a poison in his claws that could seriously hurt you. I don’t want him harmed.”

“We can stun it.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t even know what a cerops is!” For all they knew, I could have given that name to any number of creatures native to the planet. “Your weapons might kill him. I refuse to allow you to harm an innocent animal!” I couldn’t believe they would rush the situation and risk that. Bouncer was much calmer than I intimated, but I would use whatever means necessary “I came here to study this planet’s wildlife, not hurt them.” I called him a number of names in my head. “Let’s just talk for a little bit, everyone calm down, and then I can come out.”

Get a few truths out in the open, and hopefully start engaging with the calmer, less likely to shoot before they think ones. The scientists had been swept behind the security team the moment I spoke and they were being corralled there now. I needed them in charge.

“There is much more to Ardra than anyone knew. I’ve learned amazing things, but I wanted to speak to the scientist in charge. They need to run point on this.” Look at me, picking up some of the security lingo I’d been subjected to being around Garjah and the others.

“Like what?” a voice called.

“The surveyors said Ardra was a heavy gravity, undeveloped planet with no indigenous population of intelligent life.”

“You made first contact with a new species here?” The excitement in the question was palpable. “Where? How? We’ve been here for multiple days in their rotations and haven’t seen anything on our scans but animals.”

“It can’t be true. He’s just trying to get out of being arrested,” said another scornful voice.

I could tell it was the scientists speaking, but I couldn’t tell which ones. The soldiers still weren’t standing down. Should I tell them I could hear the second guy? I probably shouldn’t be able to. My senses were far more sensitive now, but what would they do when they realized that?

Who was I kidding? If they could get away with it, I’d be locked in a lab the moment they saw the second pair of arms. Good thing we’d used the ship to fire off messages to the Institute and my parents; I’d be impossible to make disappear, if they tried that.

Who knew what the government was capable of? Garjah’s was suppressing their entire species’ development and they weren’t nearly as capable of change as ours. That meant they were less creative, less capable of envisioning the benefits of change.

Other species weren’t so incapable. I just had to get them to stay calm and listen to me first.

“I have a plan,” I whispered to Garjah. “Just stay out of sight for a little longer.” Crouching down so just my head and upper shoulders were visible, I inched toward the entry. “Don’t shoot, it’s just me coming to the opening so we can see each other and talk.”

Bouncer crawled next to me. I put a hand on him, using my other lower hand to help keep my balance as I awkwardly toddled out. “Stay put,” I pleaded with him. The gleam in his eyes glinted in the light coming in through the open door, and a fine tremble shook his body, but he was calm and not growling or whining.

Eager? I was eager for this all to be over. It was like the instructional courses all over again. Give me an unusual creature, and I was all over how to approach studying it. Give me people?

Not so great. We really should have thought this through more.

They’re not people. They’re anxious creatures that may attack at any moment. That’s all I had to tell myself. Defuse the attack. Reassure. Assess. Move forward. I could do that. The security team hadn’t moved, but I could see the scientists through the gaps between them.

Moving lower was a good start. Low indicated less threat. The door was above the level of the ground, but I wasn’t standing over them, so it was better than nothing. “My name is Essell. Can I ask who I’m talking to?” Time to see if the security or the scientists were ultimately in charge.

“I’m Dr. Vikrish from the Nautil. This is my team and our security staff.” Good, good.

“Thank you, Dr. Vikrish. I’m so glad someone came to find me, though I can assure you that I’ve been safe.” Ish. Safeish. “Ardra is an interesting planet, and there is much for the Galactic to learn here.”

An older man tilted his head, the hard glare of the suit helmet in the sun reflecting into my eyes. “Is there?”

“I did.”

“I’d like to learn why there’s two extra body signatures inside that skimmer,” one of the scientists said, holding up his handheld. It was the same waspish tone from before, though his helmet rendered his face blank.

The soldiers all bristled, weapons that had started to lower coming back up. “Hold on, calm down.” I raised my hands a little higher, the palms out and fingers spread. “No one is in danger here. I need you to lower your weapons so we can talk.”

“Who is we?” Dr. Vikrish demanded. “Is someone in there with you? What is it?” Murmurs began to spread across the group. “What? Scans… match…?” 

Want more flash?

J Ray Lamb
Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Chapter 63

 

“Where did Bouncer go?” Sedating him again had not made him happy. He’d been so close to me for the last few days, his steady presence against my thigh, it was startling for him to be gone. I’d gotten a narrow-eyed stare when he lifted his head after we touched down and I revived him from the sedation, but this was the first time I’d lost sight of him.

“He’s outside.” Garjah peered out the door of the skimmer. A vine slithered over the metal and dropped into the space, and he brushed it aside. “Pacing.”

I didn’t blame him. The skimmer was too small, and all the space inside was taken up by the two of us. I would pace if I could, but there was no room. “Have you noticed how much calmer he is?” I’d called him Bouncer, and that had been all about the way he constantly moved. He’d been stalking the Resistance members or staring them down from my side.

From even earlier than that, actually. It started with the Kardoval.

“He is maturing. He was a juvenile when you found him, or he found you. His kind are deadly predators, ones even we avoid. It is in his nature to be less… bouncy.” Garjah turned from the doorway to stare at the blips on the screen. “Is that moving?”

One of them was. My stomach flipped. I gripped the arms of the chair and swallowed. “Yes. Turning on the skimmer caught someone’s attention.” I tapped the screen, turning on the display. The extra pair of hands was nice to keep me anchored, but I needed to work. They could come in handy outside of bed as well.

I snorted.

“What?”

“Nothing, just thinking stupid jokes in my head.” It wasn’t even really a joke. Just stupid. “It’s a jumper. Capable of holding a full team, though I can’t scan for life signs. Something about this planet seems to impact the scanning.”

“Maybe that’s why they didn’t find your ship?” Garjah suggested.

“Maybe. This place is strange. The gravity and the plant and animal life is just part of it.” Clearly, just looking at me. Yes, part of what had happened to me was what Timok had done to save my arm, but the bond I had to Garjah and even to Bouncer had affected that.

And that bond had occurred before Garjah saw me. He’d felt drawn to come out and find me. I should have been scared witless, and even if I’d acted like a brainless idiot several times, I hadn’t been nearly as terrified of an unknown alien species as I should have been.

More questions I wanted to answer that I couldn’t focus on right then because the jumper was moving fast. I stood. “They’ll be here soon. Let me go first. I’ll keep my helmet off.”

“Are you sure? That will leave your head vulnerable.”

“I’m known to them.”

Garjah pinched his lips together, his narrow nostrils flaring again. “You don’t look fully human anymore. You’ve changed. It makes me nervous.”

“The crew is not made up of humans; I know you only met me, but ships in the Galactic employ humans and aliens of all different species as long as they can handle similar conditions. I won’t stand out as the only non-human.” I wrapped an arm around his waist. “Along with you, I mean.”

“And Bouncer. We should get him in here.” I went to the door and called him. He stopped mid-stalk, swinging his head around to stare at me before looking back in the direction the jumper was coming from. I couldn’t hear it yet, but we probably would soon. “Come on, boy. Stand with us.”

He bounded through the small clearing, rushing toward the skimmer. I smiled. Well, maybe he wasn’t all grown up. Safe in my suit, I grunted but didn’t push him down when he jumped up and put his front paws on my shoulders. He rubbed his head on my neck and chin. I rubbed the pebbled skin on the back of his neck and shoulders, scratching the itchy spots he had a tough time reaching. He rumbled.

“It’ll be okay. Just stay with me and Garjah, Bouncer.” Good thing he’d come in when he did because as soon as he was with Garjah and behind me, the jumper’s thrumming engines filled the quiet with their distinctive whumping whirr.

I swallowed hard again. “It’ll be okay,” I whispered.

“No one will harm you. Remember, we upgraded your suit. Just don’t let them strike your head.”

Glancing over my shoulder at Garjah’s naked chest, I narrowed my eyes. “If you can make my suit with four arms, what about you?”

“I have something different?”

“Machismo?” I muttered.

“I do not know what that means. I have a shield. It will keep me safe.”

Sighing, I shook my head. “We need to work on our communication skills.”

“We will,” Garjah promised.

I had to trust we would. That we’d get that time. All the time. Once we faced the ships Sonez sent, and the first contact teams, and my parents, and then everyone else.

“Here we go.” The jumper powered down and the door opened. Soldiers filed out. They were armed, looking around, their suits glinting dully in the sun. Then came the scientists.

How did I know the difference? Well, they were in the same suits but they were armed with scanners and handhelds. They spoke loudly, and their glances around were done with avid curiosity and a desire to wander off if the cordon around them would allow it.

“The signal came from right there. Ahh, you can see it through the vines. They must have masked the skimmer before.” There was a scientist in the lead alongside one of the soldiers. They were both using their handhelds, but I guessed for very different things.

Time to surprise them. “Please don’t shoot me when you realize I’m here in the skimmer too,” I said.

Want more flash?

Julie Lynn Hayes 

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 62

 

The resistance against the isolationist policy was fierce. I would never be that convincing but Garjah spoke after my nausea-inducing revelation, and reassured everyone that would be a good thing. I’d had to explain what my mother did, which lead to me sharing stories about other first contacts I knew with alien races.

Not all had gone smoothly. I hadn’t paid that much attention, beyond the impact to the planets and the ways entry into the Galactic could impact the flora and fauna. Most cultures were advanced and spacegoing prior to their exposure and entry into the wider culture of worlds and alien societies, so it wasn’t a complete shock.

I couldn’t think of a single time a species was as advanced as Garjah’s who had shunned Galactic inclusion, though.

“How will we get off planet?” I asked Garjah. We were settled in a bed in the home of one of the resistance. We didn’t know their name, but we’d been passed along through two different cells showing they weren’t ignorant of the risk they took. They’d set up protocols to prevent the complete discovery of their entire group if any were taken.

Leaving Chaintrik behind was disappointing; as much as I disliked bugs, I felt a strange kinship with him and his bond with the althea. Bouncer was across our feet on the narrow bed, rumbling and twitching in his sleep. “Will it be safe to take Bouncer?”

“Would you leave him behind?”

I hesitated. “No.” I didn’t think I could.

“He will stay with us. We will continue to pass along with groups until we are smuggled onto a ship. That will take us back to the planet you call Ardra. From there, we will return to the small transport that you crashed on the planet, and we will use that to call your people.”

“Vague, but probably good just in case things go wrong we have room to be flexible.” I sighed and snuggled into Garjah’s chest when he pulled me closer. Not that I could move far in the bed that was almost a cot. “When will be we get to a ship?”

“A day or two. I’m unsure.”

Closing my eyes, I listed to the thump of Garjah’s heart and Bouncer’s snores. “Okay.”

 

Sneaking onto the ship had felt like the most nerve-wracking moment of the whole journey. I thought we’d take the cover of night, but Garjah said the lights made it just as bright and the security was even tighter. The best time was during last meal when half the security staff were on break and the other half were cranky and lacked observational skills because they were distracted by hunger and being tired by their long day.

He should know; he’d arranged the schedules as the head of the planet’s security. My only fear was that the Kardoval would realize that he might try this and change their pattern.

Maybe they weren’t so good at being ‘the all’ since they had so many people to do individual roles because as much as my heart raced, we’d made it on the ship without being seen and there was no challenge to our take off.

The bunk was even smaller than the beds we’d been sleeping on while in hiding. Bouncer slept on the floor, and I slept partially on Garjah. Fully on him when the relief sent my libido rising, and I’d stripped us both for a celebration of our escape into space.

Ennui soon set in. Nothing to do, I took to walking the corridors with Bouncer at my heel. He stayed close to me at almost every moment, and his head was on the swivel constantly, ears moving, eyes tracking.

The contrast of the fear, then boredom, and now terror exhausted me. We were rocketing toward Ardra in a tiny teardrop shaped vessel. I’d assumed we’d touch down with the entire ship. Bouncer was sedated and strapped down. I was in an adapted suit, which shocked me how quickly the Four Arms had changed human technology.

“If they can alter my suit to deal with my bone density and extra limbs, why can’t we take the ship to the planet?” Sensors were blazing yellow already. It was hot out there in the atmosphere as we streaked through.

“Your ship has left many sensors in place. We wish to reveal ourselves via the plan. This is foolproof, but altering their sensor data is not.”

I opened my mouth then closed it. “Foolproof? Absolutely no risk we won’t die?” I would swear I could hear the wind screaming by as we hurtled toward the ground.

Garjah reached over and gripped the hand that was wrapped around the straps holding my shoulders to the chair. “I promise.”

 

“See, I told you I could find it.” My sensors will still working, and I led Garjah to the skimmer. It was camouflaged, and I didn’t see any disturbances that looked like the humans had found it. Why hadn’t they followed the beacon? Sonez should have been all over it.

“Help me out here.” I asked him to pull down the camouflage over the door. The living vines shivered and the leaves curled when Garjah pulled it down.

Crawling inside the skimmer, I flipped the switches for the beacon and turned it on. The light flashed red, then showed me two yellow lights within the scan range. “Two?” I figured after all this time there’d only be one human ship left on the planet if they hadn’t given up and left a babysitter behind with a life signs scanner.

Considering some of my DNA had changed, it was a good thing there wasn’t just a DNA scanner. I wasn’t sure if I wanted them to have that much data.

“They will come soon?” Garjah leaned in the door, his wide shoulders filling it.

“Yeah.” I sank back in the chair. “Way quicker than I thought. We better be ready for this.” 

Want more flash?

J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 61

 

Bouncer growled, but the large creature ignored his threat display. It blinked slowly, shuttering those glowing yellow eyes before it opened them again and twisted back around. Delicate feelers extended from the thick mandibles protruding below those large eyes and swept across Swintik’s hand, tasting the acoji nuts before it scooped them up. It tilted its head and swallowed the entire handful.

“Yes, you like that, don’t you?” Swintik chuckled when the segmented insect vibrated under his touch, clacking its mandibles together.

I really didn’t like insects. Usually they didn’t grow too large; their numbers were so great that they’d consume a planet’s resources if they were to grow oversized. Natural law prevented humongous bugs.

Usually. This thing was right there beside legless animals for sheer creepiness, and I didn’t like to picture it traveling with us in these dark tunnels with that flexible body and those thick mandibles that looked capable of shearing off a whole hand if it wanted to.

The way Bouncer was digging at the ground beneath his feet, he was picturing taking his own bite out of it.

“No.” I stroked his head but grabbed a good hold on the back of his neck at the base of one of his ears. “You will not try to eat that bug. It’s not food.” Not with the way Swintik was feeding and touching it.

“The althea dig pits underground and secrete a substance that masks their dens from all sensors to protect their young; this works for predators of their kind as well as for our technology surprisingly well. I didn’t think it was possible to train them to allow humans to be near their larvae without inducing an attack from the entire colony.”

“There’s a colony of those things?” I glanced behind me and then shifted so my back was to the wall. “Where are they?”

So far it had been silent, just the shiver of its body under Swintik responding to the food and his touch. This tunnel had a colony of giant, silent segmented bugs with huge mandibles. Great.

Chaintrik shrugged. “The colony lives in the opposite direction we will go. We can use these tunnels because the queen was rescued by one of ours and given refuge in a bolt hole built beneath his house; she quickly created a colony of servant althea and then laid another queen egg. She’s been curled around that for a very long time, waiting for it to mature and being tended to by the others. She doesn’t see us as a threat, so neither do they. We found out early she has a weakness for acoji nuts, so they are a favorite to treat her.”

Swintik snorted, looking at Chaintrik. “You’re too modest. You are the one who saved the queen and gave us these bolt holes, and you’re the one she allows to bring her a personal offering of acoji nuts. Only you.”

“The others like everyone enough.”

“If we bribe them.” Swintik shrugged and gave them an amused look. “It’s one of the reasons acoji nuts are part of the entrance price. We cannot buy too many without gaining suspicions, but newcomers are fine.”

“Why? Who is tracking what you buy or don’t buy?” I asked. The market hadn’t seemed like there were guards or anything watching the transactions that closely.

“Everyone. Anyone. The Kardoval have made sure of that; it’s nearly impossible to tell who might be innocent of machinations, complicit, or downright deceptively supportive of their plans and against ours.”

So they did have some sort of a plan.

“We hope that you can help us with that, make it safer for us to operate.”  Swintik looked at Garjah. “As head of security, you have to have information we lack.”

I snorted. Treason would never be safe.

“Are you all right, Essell?” Garjah stroked my back.

“Sure.”

I was better after the althea left and we started moving toward their meeting place. Chaintrik lead the way and Garjah stayed between me and Swintik who brought up the rear. I didn’t expect the opening to be quite so large or for there to be so many in the room waiting for us.

Bouncer crowded into me, and I leaned into Garjah. Sandwiched between them I felt a tiny bit better, but I couldn’t watch everyone. We were lead to a slightly raised portion of the room and flanked by our hosts.

“All of you will recognize Garjah. He is the leader of security, and he has had some dealings with our group before, turning a blind eye if no one was harmed. He is a male of his word.”

“He is a sycophant of the Kardoval.”

“I am not. They have proven they are willing to endanger not only the best course for the whole planet, but the personal freedoms and safety of individuals I hold dear to remain in power and control.” Garjah combined our fingers. “I have joined with a human, though he has been changed, and his people look for him. He has a family. They are scientists, learners. I had hope to reveal ourselves in stages, first with people Essell trusts, then to the wider universe.”

“And you would help with that?” Someone from the back spoke up, and I couldn’t see them clearly in the dim light.

“I would. You deserve the freedom to grow as a people, and the universe is a vast place full of space and ready for anyone willing and able to learn how to cooperate to create a better life for all. You have much to learn, but you also have much to offer.” First contact specialists would have a field day with the entire race.

I blanched.

Garjah’s hold on me tightened. “What is it?” he asked quietly.

“I just realized, my mom is going to scrutinize every single thing I’ve done.” My mouth watered and the nut milk threatened to make a reappearance. 

Want more flash? 

Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 60

 

“Aren’t you hungry?” Cheisumn asked. “You must have traveled a long way.”

“We did. But these pleasures are not meant to be eaten alone. Please, can we have the use of some cups and a bowl?”

She rolled a table over, the dishes upon it clattering on the bumpy rug. “Anything else?”

“No, but thank you for the hospitality of your shop.” Garjah flicked something from his pocket to her, and she caught it and winked.

“What was that?” I hissed.

“Cred card.”

“A what?” I scritched the bumpy skin behind Bouncer’s ears, but he barely flicked them in annoyance.

“I paid her. A good sum, but then it was for than the nuts and milk. You had a good eye, Essell. Are you sure you haven’t taken part in intrigue and espionage before?”

“What?” I glanced at the pair of men on the other bench. They weren’t even pretending not to listen to our conversation. How rude! “No, of course not.” I nudged Garjah, lifting my eyebrows and glancing at the men when he looked my way.

“Ah yes. Now that I have everything prepared. Gentlemen, can I interest you in a little snack?” I gaped at Garjah. What? These were who we had to give it away to? The two stood readily enough, but I noticed, with dismay, that there were four cups on the rolling table. Garjah picked up two, handing me one.

“Thank you,” one of the men said politely. He lifted the cup. “To generosity.”

“To curiosity,” said the other.

“To audacity,” Garjah said.

They all looked at me. “What am I supposed to say?” I lifted the cup nervously. “Um, to humanity?” I mean, all their words rhymed. It was all I could think of. The second Four Arms snorted.

“It fits.” He tilted his cup toward me, and I could tell he had a lot more in there than Garjah had put in mine. Thank the stars! From the look on Garjah’s face, I couldn’t get out of drinking the swill. I gagged the second it hit my tongue, the burning acid stripping away taste buds before the funk coated my teeth, tongue, and cheeks.

I desperately wished for some plain water.

“Great,” Garjah choked out.

“Pure heaven.”

“Delightful.”

They all looked at me again. Damn Garjah for not giving me enough information to go on. Then again, I probably would have insisted on staying in the shuttle if he’d told me I’d have to drink this stuff. “Tastes great…” The tip of my tongue touched the roof of my mouth, and I gagged. I clapped a hand over my mouth and swallowed convulsively, not wanting to vomit.

It was close.

The men were smiling, clapping Garjah on the back. The first one spoke up. “I am Chaintrik. This is Swintik. Teams were sent out when you were noticed.”

“I thought they might be. We stopped at the first seller with the sign on her stall outside.”

“Sign? What sign? And why are these guys so friendly all of a sudden?” Gone were the blank expressions and standoffish postures. They were smiling and leaning against the table, looking for all the world like they were old friends with Garjah instead of strangers.

“You drank the nut milk and appreciated it. We know you’re safe.”

I blinked. That made no sense. “What?”

“Lying is almost unknown in our culture. Some word play, sleight of tongue, perhaps, but outright lies? No.”

“But to be a rebel means to embrace many new things,” Swintik said. “Anyone who can drink nut milk and compliment it clearly is a liar.”

“And we like liars.” Chaintrik grinned.

Narrowing my eyes, I considered their logic. “Mereval lied to me.” How did Garjah explain that?

“Did she? Or did she just not tell you the whole truth?”

Stars! He had a point. She had evaded revealing her true motives by revealing ones that I wouldn’t like but that would make me stop looking for deeper deceptions. “But that doesn’t mean she can’t like in action instead of words.”

Chaintrik shrugged. “There is a difference,” he insisted.

Garjah clamped a hand over the bands on my arm. “Agreed.” I clamped my lips shut and let him speak. This was his show, after all.

“Shall we go? Perhaps get a real meal and drink?” Swintik piled his cup on the tray with Chaintrik. The bag of acoji nuts were tucked into his belt.

“Lead the way.” Garjah watched him intently. Chaintrik hurried over and peeked through the doorway into the main room.

“It’s clear.”

The pair of them grabbed the rug and pulled it back. Underneath was a wooden floor and several of the slats were discolored. A trap door.

We had to go underground? I shivered, and Bouncer pushed against my hip. I dropped a hand to his head. He’d hate this. I didn’t like the idea of it either.

Swintik lead the way, stepping onto a panel that slid smoothly down before it rose again, empty. “I will go first,” Garjah said. “Stay with Bouncer.”

“Like he’s going anywhere.” My cerops shadow was close enough to press against me and force me to lean into him so I wasn’t pushed over. His claws were also out, scraping lightly on the wood floor.

Apprehensive, I listened as Garjah went down, but nothing happened. Snorting I shook my head.

Bouncer and I took the pad down next, and I knelt to be closer to him just in case. Not hiding, just… a precaution. My head wouldn’t be where someone expected it to be.

But the pad stopped in a small room light with adaptive lights. They highlighted shadows, throwing Garjah’s strong features into relief and emphasizing the strong muscles of his torso as he captured me in a hug.

“We made it,” he said. “And we’re getting in.”

Swintik was feeding something the acoji nuts. It turned in half, bent over its back, and blinked large, yellow eyes at Essell.

Want more flash?

J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes