Sepia-Hued Dangers
"Life-signs?"
"None ... I mean, none ... none sentient."
Wren nodded. Taking a step forward, eying the viewer. Eying the world on the screen. Oh, it had blues, and it had greens ... and even purples. And it had continents and oceans, and ... it had all the markings of a home.
Chester, at the helm, tapped his paws on the controls ... which made soothing little beep-be-beep sounds. As he slid Luminous into an upper orbit.
"We have four days of energy left," the captain said (to no one in particular). Putting his paws on the mouse's shoulders. "But I'm not sending us all down there ... until I know it's safe. Until ... " He trailed. "We need an away team." He turned his head.
Adelaide, at Ops, nodded ... " ... shall I go now?"
"I need you here. I need a plan ... for possible settlement. Long-term. And short-term, we need to ... harvest resources. We're not settling on this planet yet, even ... if it's capable of sustaining us. We've been through too much with this ship ... to simply abandon it ... "
"She can land, sir," said Chester, turning his head.
"What?"
"I can land her. I mean ... Luminous had landing gear."
Wren thought for a moment ... he hadn't remembered that. The issue had never come up, and ... " ... come up with a plan, then ... for planetary landing. But ... we're getting ahead of ourselves." Wren paced away from the mouse. To the right. Stopped. And paced to the left, furry, bushy tail trailing ... behind him. And pointed ears cocked.
Adelaide, at Ops, tapped at some controls ... adding, "There are all types of environments down there. Temperate ... forests, plains, fields ... woodlands. Desserts. Tundra ... "
"Think we'll avoid those last two," Wren commented, going back to his chair (but not sitting in it... as was his habit).
"Sir, if I'm not leading the team ... "
" ... Field can do it." Wren turned slightly. Raising his brow.
The mouse, who was sitting in the auxiliary chair (next to the captain's chair), raised his eyes in return. "Me?" he asked, in his wispy way ... showing surprise.
"You're my first officer. I need Adelaide here, and ... you're capable. Lead the team," Wren suggested (or ordered ... whichever one).
Field let out a breath, looking at the viewer.
"Wren," said Rella (from tactical). She was frowning.
"What is it?" Wren turned.
"I don't know ... but I do know that, though there's no one down there right now, there must've been ... at some point in time."
"What do you mean?" Field asked, whiskers twitching. Sniff-twitching. He looked at the viewer with an inherent nervousness.
"Here ... take a look."
An image flashed onto the viewer. A high-up view of ... some kind of structure.
"I can't zoom in any closer," Rella explained, "but ... that building didn't build itself."
"No, it didn't," Wren whispered, walking back to the front of the bridge. Stopping behind Chester. Squinting. "That building is ... has no symmetry."
"One side is taller than the other ... it's wider than it is ... long ... I ... don't know. I can't explain it."
"Well ... Field?" said Wren.
"You want me to go down there," the mouse whispered, staring at the building. It gave him a bad feeling. It didn't look ... right. Not aesthetically. Not artistically.
"Take the standard team ... with you," Wren said. The standard default away team (these days) consisting of Dotna, Pyro, and Assumpta ... a tactical officer, an Ops officer, and an engineer ... but Field, this time, taking Adelaide's place ... as mission leader. And, yes, he WAS first officer ... shouldn't be a problem. Shouldn't be a problem ...
The pink-furred bat, from her station, kept casting little glances ... at her mate. Kept brushing his mind. Kept ... staying close to him. Mind-nuzzling, if that was the term. Nuzzling him, cuddling him ... with her mind. Mind-to-mind.
And Field closed his eyes, letting a breath out ... through his nose.
"You okay?" Wren asked.
"Mm?" The mouse blinked. "Yeah," he whispered, feeling the bat nosing through his emotions. Feeling a warm feeling in his chest.
Pyro, who had been quiet ... all this time, sitting at a supplementary station at the back of the bridge, squinted. His red, red eyes seeing (as always) things that others could not see. Seeing. And seeing the invisible heat-like ripples going like waves between the bat and mouse ... seeing the mouse's body heat spike. Those two ... had the most CURIOUS connection. He considered Field a friend, and Adelaide ... despite his messy past with mirror Adelaide ... this Adelaide, too, was now a friend. And his commanding officer, and ... whatever else ... those two provided some great visual entertainment for his glowing eyes. The wolf chuckled inwardly ... they made for a show.
"Field," Wren whispered, wanting to put his paw on the mouse's arm ... wanting to ... let out a breath. He let out a breath. "Field, take a team down there," he whispered.
"Down to that building, you mean?"
"Well ... I was gonna suggest you check out the plains, but ... yeah, we gotta figure out where this building came from."
The mouse nodded.
"Take Shuttle-Pod one," said Wren.
From helm, Chester flushed ... Shuttle-Pod one ...
Pyro, having taken (for the moment) to fur-watching ... saw Chester's body temperature spike. Blushing. At the mention of Shuttle-Pod One ...
... the mouse, at helm, smiled a bit to himself. Biting his lip. He and Juneau made, um ... well, 'use' ... of Shuttle-Pod one. Often. During the days, Chester often did maintenance on the pods, and ... sometimes, she happened to wander in, and ... well ...
"Alright," Wren announced (to everyone). "We made it here ... wherever here," he added, "is. The away team will go down and ... check out that building. They'll come back, and ... we'll send another team down ... to check out some of the environments further south."
"Why not send two teams at once?" Pyro asked.
"Don't feel comfortable doing so. We're prey ... and we don't wander, en masse, into the unknown. Not until we sniff around first ... Field," said Wren, "you'll do the sniffing."
"And the twitching," Pyro added, grinning.
Field smiled shyly.
"Meanwhile, Adelaide, put together ... plans for ... this place's potential. Chester, draw up a scheme for a possible landing of the ship, and ... everyone," Wren said, taking a breath. "Everyone just ... try not to scurry. I know we only have four days of energy left, but ... I'm sure we can replenish our power supplies. Sure there's something down there we can mine or harvest, or ... I'm sure we'll be okay," he said, taking a breath. And ... approaching his chair. Brushing his paw on the arm-rest. "Let's do it," he said, nodding.
"Aye, sir ... "
"Okay ... "
"That building's in the North?"
Chatter ... hustle-and-bustle.
"Wren," Field whispered.
"Yes?" the squirrel whispered back.
"I'm glad you ... trust me. That you have ... confidence in me." The mouse hadn't lead an away team in quite some time. Adelaide, recently, had defaulted to taking the point (so Field could stay aboard with the baby). "But I, uh ... "
"Will be fine ... alright?"
"Yeah," the mouse whispered, swallowing. Eying the viewer. And wondering, aloud, "I wonder what this place's name is ... " He trailed. "Maybe we can name it ourselves."
"Don't know what we'd call it," Wren said, "but ... you're the writer, aren't you? The artist? Think of something," he said, smiling.
Field giggled. "You want me to NAME an entire planet?"
"Our home needs a name," said Wren, with a smiling shrug.
"Well, it's ... not our home yet," said Field. The home of his youth, and ... the home they'd left ... could anything really replace it? Would this really work out? No way of knowing ... not yet ...
"Go on," said Wren, giving the mouse a nudge. "Do some exploring."
Field took a breath, and ... nodded, and exchanged a lingering look with Adelaide. Who opened her wings a bit. As if motioning an implied hug.
Field mouthed, "I love you." Smiling ... very brightly.
And she smiled ... mouthing back, "Your dimples are showing ... "
The mouse put his paws to his cheeks. Giggling.
"Aw ... look at the love-furs. They're so cute!" Pyro gently teased, giving Field a wink.
Field giggled, stepped to the back of the bridge, and nearer the lift ... and Pyro followed. The lift doors open and Field, with his shy, quiet voice, said, "Shuttle-bay." And, as the doors closed, he drew a breath ... and closed his eyes. Trying to steel his nerves ...
"You do know how to pilot these things, right? I mean, right?" Field asked.
"Course I do," said Pyro, from the helm.
"I would ... prefer if ... if Dotna ... "
The pod jolted a bit.
Field squeaked, grabbing at Assumpta, who, attention elsewhere, tensed a bit ... before she realized it was only Field. But, as a piece of friendly advice, she told him, "It is not wise to grab a feline ... when she is distracted."
Field removed his paws. "I ... sorry. Instinctual ... I ... "
"I would not wish you to get clawed." An eye-smile.
Field, not getting that she was teasing, swallowing and nodded ... letting out a breath. Looking back to the cabin of the pod (which shook again). "Pryo!"
"I'm not doing it on purpose. I'm not," he repeated, "doing it on purpose."
"You are!"
A chuckle. "I'm NOT! Seriously ... Field ... it's turbulence. Simple ... "
" ... turbulence," Field whispered, closing his eyes. "Turbulence," he repeated. His mind fished out for Adelaide, but they were too far from the ship ... always, she kept her mind ... very close to his. Always, she comforted him. Always, she made him feel safe. Always ... her support. And, now, he was cut off ... from it. From her. On his own ... no one in his head but himself. He wanted her in his head. So, he closed his eyes and conjured up ... all the thoughts of her, the memories of her.
"A fear of flying is common," Assumpta said. She was sitting with Field toward the back of the pod. Pyro and Dotna sat in the two seats up front. "However, as a mode of transportation, it is extremely safe ... as compared to ... "
"I know," Field whispered. "I'm not rational, okay? I'm not ... logical."
"I didn't claim to be logical, either."
"No ... I know ... "
The shuttle shook again ...
Field closed his eyes. Heart pounding, pounding ... hammer-hammer! Keep eyes closed. Breathe, breathe ... breathe ...
Assumpta narrowed her eyes, observing him. "Are you okay?"
A sad shake of the head.
"What is wrong?"
"Assumpta ... I'm a mouse." He opened his eyes. Giving her a tired, weak smile. "I'm a mouse," he repeated.
The snow leopard paused. "I do not understand ... are you saying your problem is that ... you are a mouse? Are you not proud of being a mouse?"
"I wouldn't be anything else," he remarked. "No."
"Then ... "
"It just comes with ... the twitching nose and the big ears, and the ... ropy tail. It ... the anxiety. The fear. The ... it comes part and parcel with ... if you ask me what's wrong, or what my problem is ... I'm prey. I'm a mouse. I'm ... you know? I love being a mouse, but ... sometimes, it's hard," he stressed. "I don't think other furs ... understand," he whispered, "how hard it is." Pause. "You know?"
"I do not."
"Well ... " Field sighed. "I just ... I just," he stammered, looking to the floor. "I wanted to explore space. I was terrified, but ... all the same, I wanted to see, and ... I didn't anticipate on being out here, you know, in space ... for this long. I followed Wren. And ... here I am. Out here. I just wanna be in the fields. The plains. The ... farmland. The ... I just ... " A pause. "I don't know." A shake of the head. A sigh. He looked to the cabin. Pyro and Dotna were conversing among themselves ... and the pod was beneath the cloud layer now. Approaching the unknown building in the North. "Snow," Field whispered.
Assumpta perked. Eye-smiling. "Snow," she echoed.
Field smiled at her ... predatory enthusiasm. It was almost ... emotional! He watched her, and when the snow leopard turned her attention back to Field, the mouse (eyes darting under her strong gaze), stammered for conversation. Asking, "Um ... how ... how's Azure?"
"He is well."
"Yeah?"
"He is ... a great help," she admitted, "to me. I ... love him," she said. A pause. "How is Adelaide?"
"She's wonderful," the mouse breathed.
"And your offspring?"
Field giggled. "Cute as ever, and ... when I look at her ... I just feel ... something, you know? I can't describe it. I don't want her to grow up." A sigh. He opened his muzzle. Shut it. "Can I tell you something? I haven't told anyone but Adelaide. She knows, and she ... tries to help me, but ... you're a predator. Maybe you can give me some advice ... "
"Yes?" Assumpta squinted curiously.
Field, voice quiet, whispered, "I ... mice have ... we have bad anxiety problems. Remember when Chester had his nervous breakdown? During the ion storm?"
A nod.
"Well, I had one ... too ... after we fled snow rabbit space. I just ... at night, I woke up. I shook, and I wept, and ... the baby cried. Akira felt my fear, and she cried, and ... Adelaide had to spend a few hours calming us down. Calming me," he whispered, "down."
"I do not understand. Chester was shot. Was nearly killed. Why did ... "
" ... I don't know. I ... had a traumatic past. I ... I don't know. But it happened, and ... it's not the first time. And I know it won't be the last. At night, sometimes, I can't sleep."
"Perhaps you have insomnia."
"No," the mouse whispered, lowering his head. "No, it's ... I'm ... I'm afraid to sleep," he whispered, "cause I'm afraid I won't wake up." His breath shook. "I believe in God, in Christ, in ... heaven. I believe in it, and ... but I'm STILL afraid. Why?" he wondered, looking up, eyes hurting. "Why am I still afraid? My mate, the love of my life ... she's by my SIDE ... in bed, and ... still, I'm afraid? Sometimes, I ... toss and turn, and I stare into the dark, and ... if it weren't for Adelaide ... I think I would fall apart," he admitted. "She nurtures me, and she ... is so strong, so confident. If something happened to her ... I think I would die," he whispered.
Assumpta was quiet for a moment. Before saying, "Are you asking ... how to handle fear? How to deal with fear?"
"I want it to go away. Adelaide masks it for me. Every day, she ... puts a blanket over it. But it's still there. And, right now, she's not with me ... and ... I didn't have a chance to nuzzle foreheads ... before I left the bridge. I should've ... "
"Nuzzle foreheads?"
"Physical contact ... increases our bond. Increases what we can exchange. I mean, nuzzling ... isn't like ... her bite. Her bite is ... a total union," he explained.
"So I've heard ... "
"But ... no, I'm starting to panic. I NEED her. I need her," he whispered. "She keeps me together. She makes me feel safe. I love her. I need ... "
"Field," said the snow leopard (with a bit of force).
The mouse went quiet.
"I understand that you are prey, and that, as you have said ... mice are the most prey-like of prey ... as you will ... however, IF you are asking for my help ... "
"I am," he whispered.
"Fear is necessary," she said. "It keeps us from going too far ... from taking risks that, were the fear not there, would harm us. It keeps us in check. It makes us realize ... how alive we truly are."
"But it's bad. But fear is bad," Field whispered.
"Yes, but ... it is necessary," she said (again). "Do you think that predators do not feel fear? We feel fear," she assured. "But we don't let fear ... CONTROL us."
"I know, but ... how? How do you do that? Teach me how to do it ... " A breath. "I want to be strong for my mate. For my ... my child. For ... everyone on the ship. I'm in charge of this away team, but I'm ... I'm sitting here," he said, "and freaking out. Of the four of us on this pod, I'm the least qualified to be in charge." Again, his constant doubts ... his lapses of self-confidence. All of it, suddenly, outside his mate's telepathic range ... all of it, in the atmosphere of this alien world, coming to the fore. "How?" he whispered.
"There is no 'how'," Assumpta explained. "You simply ... fear is heavy. Like a stone. The heart can only handle so much," she said, "before it breaks ... under strain. Therefore, to prevent it from breaking ... it must expand. It must grow. To hold everything that life gives. And life does give," she stressed, "a lot. I am of the ice," she said. "I was born in a frozen wasteland. Where centuries of snow and wind and ... frigid chill ... centuries of harsh living ... numbed my kind. We have, for as long as anyone can remember ... frozen through. All predators are like this. Ice furs ... slightly more so. In many ways," she admitted, "I envy you."
"Envy me?" Field whispered.
"Not just you. But all prey ... my mate," she confessed, "can smile. Can laugh. Can tease. I can tease, but ... not with his abandon. I FEEL," she stressed. "But I don't feel," she said, "like you do. But I do feel. I feel, sometimes, fear ... and it is a heavy," she repeated, "like a stone. You must grow ... to accommodate it. You must grow faster," was her advice, "than your fear."
The mouse took in her words. Grow faster ... than your fear ... but ... " ... how?"
"There is no how. You don't think. You just ... do," she said. "Adapt. Learn ... "
"But I do, don't I? I mean ... maybe there's ... I don't think ... "
"You are a mouse. Perhaps ... there is simply no helping it," she said.
Field twitched. "That's my fear ... that I'm just gonna have to live with it. That it won't go away."
"But you have her. Adelaide. Does she not make you feel ... better? Does she not make you ... better?"
"She's my medicine," Field whispered, meeting the snow leopard's eyes. "She's my cure. And I wanna whisk her away ... sweep her off her feet, and ... bring her to some ... prairie somewhere. In a little farmhouse. The baby in a crib in a room with sky-blue paint ... bird feeders on the porch." He closed his eyes. "And ... " He took a breath, eyes watering (even while closed) as he spoke. "A sycamore tree beyond the way, on the other side of the fence ... on the other side of the creek. Wheat waving, and ... alfalfa, and ... we could lay on our backs in the grass, or on the wagon-tops, and ... look at stars. And whisper. And ... no one for miles. No artificial light. No noise. Just us ... on a rural frontier. We would be safe there. No wars, no accidents ... we would be safe. Our love would keep us safe," he whispered, wiping the tears from his eyes ... looking to the floor. "You know, I ... I keep hoping, more and more, that ... this is it. This planet. You know? That this can be our home ... cause we've ... been wandering for so long, and ... I know I'm a mouse, and we're prone to scurry. Our minds. Our ... but I need to take root somewhere. Cause I'm scurrying myself sick," he said, voice breaking. "I need to have my tail nailed into the soil, and ... to take root. And I need her with me. The touch of her, the smell of her ... my nose in her fur ... her wings around my back. Her whispers. And our daughter ... we're a family. And ... I'm afraid," he said. "I'm just afraid."
"Of what?"
"I don't know ... things ... everything. I just want the anxiety to stop. I want to be able to sleep without ... having Adelaide drug up my endorphin levels with her telepathy. I want to be better. I want to be ... healthy. I want to be stable. For them. For everyone. So, I can live ... and flower. And ... you know? I just wanna be good."
"I understand ... "
Field let out a sigh. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm ... being a blabber-mouse. I'm ... not making sense. I just feel TOO much. Sometimes, it's ... it's overwhelming. You say you envy how openly I can feel? Sometimes, I envy how much control you have ... over your emotions." A sniffle. "If only there was a middle ground ... between predators and prey. If only we could take the best parts of us ... and learn them, and ... "
"But are we not doing that now, as we speak? By sharing these things ... with each other. Through our advice. Through ... our words. Are we not finding a middle ground right now? Through our friendship?"
The mouse nodded quietly. "I guess so ... "
A soft shudder, and Field turned, blinked ... during the course of his conversation with Assumpta, Pyro had landed the ship. Several yards from a snow drift.
They were here.
Adelaide drummed her fingers on a console. Leaning back in her chair. Her chair was a swivel chair, and she ... swivelled to the left. Swivelled to the right. Swivelled back to the ... left. Blinked. Rella standing there.
"You okay?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," the bat replied.
"Who's watching Akira?" she wondered.
"Ketchy."
"Oh ... course ... " A pause. "He'll be okay," the squirrel said, of Field. "He's got a good group of furs with him. Besides, sensors say there's no one down there. Shouldn't be anything dangerous."
"That building LOOKS," Adelaide insisted, "dangerous. Looks like a ... maze of problems. Waiting to happen."
"You can't feel his mind?"
"No ... our link can stretch a few miles, even, but ... he's well out of range. It's strange, you know. Cause I'm so used to him being in my mind ALL the time, and ... now, he's down there, and I'm up here, and I can't ... my mind feels empty. I want him back."
"I'm sure he feels the same way ... for you."
"I know he does," Adelaide whispered. "I just ... I don't know. I'm normally the one to lead these missions. And he's leading this one, cause ... I'm needed here. But I would feel so much better if he stayed here ... and I was down there."
"Don't you think he's capable?"
"Oh, he's ... capable. He's just ... I'm the protector in our relationship. I'm the dominant partner, you know?"
Rella nodded quietly.
"It's my job ... to keep him safe." A sigh. "I don't know ... I love him so much," was her whisper. Eyes going to a close.
"He'll be okay," Rella assured again. Lingering. "If you need me, I'll be at tactical. If you need to talk ... "
Adelaide nodded. And turned her attention back to her read-outs. Unblinking.
The four furs, before leaving the pod, bundled up in winter coats and ... appropriate attire.
Pyro, giggling from behind a wooly scarf, pointed at Field ... " ... it looks like ... heh ... balloons are eating your ears!" A chuckle. The wolf's eyes glowing. Contrasting so sharply with the white of all the snow, and with the icy-blue of this Northern air ... trust whoever built this damn building ... to build it in the most inhospitable region of the planet.
Field flushed, shrugging. He was wearing big, green ear-muffs ... which completely swallowed both his ears. More like ear-mittens, really ... " ... I know," he admitted, not bothering to offer a defense. His tail also had a green tail-sock on it, covering all of his thin, bare tail. He also had a scarf round his neck, which his muzzle hid behind.
The others all wore gloves on their paws ... and ear-muffs, too, and ... despite all of them having fur, they NEEDED ... extra protection from this kind of cold. They weren't built for the Arctic regions. Assumpta, however, was ... and she breathed deeply of the windy air. Eyes shining. Body primed. In her element. Her visits to the snow rabbit world had been equally invigorating, but ... most of her time there had been spent attending meetings and functions. She hadn't had much time to explore the greater nature of that world ...
"Alright," Field said, voice tiny, muffled. Wispy. "Um ... building," he said, "is right there. Let's get inside, run some scans ... figure out what it's for, and ... get back to Luminous." He was not going to spend more time in this place ... than he had to.
The other furs nodded, and ... Pyro took the point, with Dotna at his side. Field in the middle of the fur-train, and ... Assumpta at the rear, scanning all around. The horizon distant and white and ...
... the building before them was in slight contrast. Was a sepia-hued color. Looking old, rustic ... worn-down. Like a burnt-out factory. But a factory for what? And who in their right mind would build an asymmetrical building ... of this size? Of any size, really?
They approached an entrance ... and forced their way in.
Field breathed out ... in ... the air was sterile. The air was dark.
Flick! A paw-beacon ... Pyro's paw-beacon ... which flashed around (like a flashlight). "No one home," he said.
"The scanners concur," Assumpta said, holding one in her paw. A scanner.
Field, in the middle of it all, sniff-twitched at the air. "What was this place for? There's NO other sign of habitation of civilization ... on this entire world. NOTHING. Except this building ... why is it here? What's its purpose?" He shivered. He didn't like this ...
"There are lots of doors ... they look like ... automatic doors," said Dotna, venturing toward one.
Pyro reached out ... to try and stop her from venturing too far, but ...
... she was already opening one of the doors. Which swished open when her paw touched the door-pad. Dotna scanned inside, phase rifle in her grip. "Nothing in there," was her announcement. "Room's completely barren. They can't all be like that ... " She went to check another door. Pressed the door-pad, and ...
... swish ... it went. Opening.
And out came a buzzing, spindly bullet. As if it had been lying in wait. As if ... and they hadn't detected a trace of them. Of course. Wasps were impervious to scanners ...
" ... wasps!" squeaked Field. Stumbling backward.
Dotna aimed her phase rifle, but it was knocked from her paws ... skitter-scattering across the floor, hitting the wall. Assumpta dove for it, rolled, picked it up, and ...
... CHOOM ... CHOOM ...
The wasp squealed ... falling back, back ... but another door opening. Another wasp. Two more wasps. Three.
"Out ... move out. Fall back!" Pyro shouted, taking over (seeing that Field was paralyzed with fear, and ... Dotna and Assumpta were both on the ground). The wolf skidded on the frozen floor, reaching down, picking the chipmunk up ... while Assumpta fought off the wasps with her phase rifle (or, rather, Dotna's rifle).
The four furs had collected themselves, were moving out the door, back into the open snow, when ...
... FLASH!
Field squeaked in pain, pulled at by spindly, spiky legs ... and vanished. The attacking wasp ... and Field. Vanished.
Dotna stumbled in the snow, spinning round. "Field!"
"They've transported him," Assumpta said, scanning around. Using the same flash device ... that the Arctic fox terrorist cell had been using. It had been lethal to the foxes (with repeated use). But the wasps had a different bio-chemistry. And though transporter technology was very rare, they somehow ... had attained it. And used it safely. Field being flashed away ... would not hurt the mouse (only repeated transporter use would hurt furs), but ... that wasn't the issue. Was not the point. The point was that ...
" ... Field's gone," Dotna said again. Fear in her voice. "What are we gonna do?"
"Go!" Assumpta shouted ... above the wind ... to Pyro and Dotna. "Return to Luminous. Tell them of the wasps' presence. Have them send an armed tactical team down ... " The snow leopard moved off.
"Assumpta, wait ... where the ... hell," panted Pyro, trudging through the snow, trying to stop the feline from moving off. "Where are you going?"
"I can survive in this environment. You may have a better nose, but the cold ... renders it useless. I can track Field's scent."
"You need help! You can't do this alone ... "
"I will not abandon him ... "
"The wasps could've flashed him off the planet, for all we know ... "
"He is in that building. I will find him. Come back with reinforcements," she said.
"Assumpta ... "
"That is an order, lieutenant."
"We're the same rank. You can't give me orders."
"By nature of my time served aboard Luminous, by seniority ... I can. Go," she ordered, clutching the phase rifle.
"We're not leaving," Dotna insisted. "We'll go to the pod, send up a comm signal ... warning Luminous what's happened, but we're not leaving you. There's no time. Field needs rescued NOW ... before they hurt him. We're coming with you."
Assumpta breathed, breathed ... her breath showing in the frigid air. An exhale. "Very well," she said.
"Send Wren the message ... let him know that we will get our mouse back."
"And then what?"
"And then we will determine what the wasps are doing in the frozen north of an uninhabited world." They had no choice. Luminous had four days of power left. Not enough energy to make it to another world. They were stuck here. They NEEDED this planet. If the wasps were trying to claim it, too, then ... the snow leopard's predatory instincts flared. She was in her natural environment. Her friend had just been taken by the enemy ... she huffed for breath. "Then ... now," she announced, "we hunt."
Pyro swallowed, heart beating nervously.
Dotna, chittering, was already stumbling back to the shuttle-pod to get a message to Luminous.
And Assumpta, eying the sepia-hued building, declared, "We will have to find a secondary entrance. This will not be easy."
"If it was easy, it wouldn't be this much fun," Pyro said sarcastically, eyes glowing like embers. He felt a dark feeling ... about all this ... and he prayed, quietly, fervently ... for Field's safety. For Dotna's safety ...
For the dark feeling to go away.