T’sala’s instinct told her to dive left, and she pushed hard with her Aamaranth as she felt the man beside her do the same. Except he went right. The result was that neither of them went anywhere, and the beast came roaring down on them. T’sala looked and saw the panic in the offworlder's eyes, and she knew his form would not stand up to an attack like her suited body could. She placed the impact suit, and by association, herself, between the clawed paw, proudly beaming at Alec. He rolled his eyes and braced himself for a hit. T’sala let her purple glow flare at her frustration, didn’t the fool see she was protecting him at her own cost? The suit reached out and cradled the blow, but T’sala still flew sideways as she did in her last battle with the roaring animal.
So did the offworlder Alec. She remembered now that they were conjoined and where she went, he did. Her suit cradled her fall, but she heard the metal man let out his air as he fell hard. The beast reared its large body and turned on them, charging back. T’sala flung the man out of the way on an arc with her Aamaranth-strengthened arm. He went like a clock hand from nine to three, and Alec landed hard again, wheezing in pain. The teeth of the creature missed Alec but snapped within inches of her face. They were larger than the knife she had left in the creature, just as sharp and attached to heavy jaw muscles. She panicked, and her purple light flared as she threw her free hand forward in a punch aimed at the creature's eye. She found her target, and the creature roared in pain. Triumphantly, T’sala punched her other hand afterward, hoping for a one-two follow-up.
All too late, she remembered Alec was also attached to that arm. He had only managed to stand when he became a wrecking ball attached to her wrist. The offworlder let out a surprised yelp that would have made T’sala laugh under different circumstances. His form made contact with the beast, and T’sala heard something crack loudly. Both Alec and the beast cried out in pain, but T’sala hoped the crack was from their foe. The offworlder waved to her in a quick motion and dropped to a knee inside the creature's blind spot. T’sala dashed forward and leaped off Alec, and he pushed her upwards as she did. It was enough that she could grab the knife, and the beast let out another roar of pain.
It dropped to all fours and took off through the snow at a terrifying speed. T’sala focused all her strength on holding onto the blade. She did not account for the man being pulled behind her. In her fear, she barely remembered he existed as she attempted to lift that arm. When it was weighted behind her, she looked back to see the offworlder standing tall with his legs splayed, dragging his boots in the snow like a sand anchor.
This time, she did laugh out loud, and the beast roared back in response and changed direction towards a thick collection of trees. Alec reached an arm out, and T’sala saw it just in time to brace herself. She felt his arm flex as she did hers, and they both pushed Aamaranth till she could feel it in her beating heart. When the offworlder caught the first tree, she turned the direction of the knife. Like undoing the back of a dress, the knife used the beast's momentum to unzip itself. The arterial spray painted the snow, T’sala and Alec alike. The beast slowed, growled, made a few fuzzy slaps at the air and then collapsed, breathing no more. She began to laugh again and felt a tug on her arm. Alec was looking unnamed with his arm stretched up in the air like he was hailing a mighty beast slayer.
She pulled the dagger and slid down from the bloody back. The offworlder hunched down as soon as he could relax his arm from the tension. “Was that you that cracked?” T’sala was serious in her question; she did not mean to hurt the man in her battle with the creature.
“Not me.” He signed back, wiping some blood from his face with his free hand. His revolver was still tucked within his belt, and T’sala looked at it questioningly. “No chance. I was busy being the weapon. The last was signed with a disgruntled look on his face.
T’sala felt ashamed, “Sorry, offworlder, I was driven by my fear.”
“No substance, we win, the man Alec signed to her tiredly. Then pointed behind her. “We fix the dance later. T’sala agreed, they could work on their movement later, and for now they were alive, so it did not matter, or no substance as the man had said. She looked to where he was indicating and saw that the thick copse of trees held a spot where it looked as if the creature had bored a hole into it. What it left was a tunnel of broken thorns and twigs that extended into darkness. The wind around them was beginning to pick up, and T’sala feared for another storm. She knew how quickly they could turn more monstrous than the beast they had felled.
She pulled him forward into the tunnel, leaving the starting gale behind them. This must have been where the beast had retreated to while her and Alec had recovered in the cave. The offworlder wiggled his fingers in a funny pattern and produced a flame from his hand. T’sala looked at it with admiration and frustration. Where was that when she was rubbing sticks together for a spark in the cave!? It did enough to light their way as the path took a small twist to the right. With the thickness of the foliage, the oncoming storm could hardly be heard.
After one final twist, the tunnel opened up into a den. It smelled of dead animals and old wet fur, but it was warm. The light illuminated many bones and stains that showed the beast had lived here for a long time. Amongst the bones were some human remains in baronhood clothing. The equipment packs that the people had carried were still attached. The man gently pulled on her arm, and T’sala moved along with him as he pointed to the bags. He held the light in his off hand, so she used her free one to open the bags.
She did not find the vial that she could see he longed for with hopeful eyes. They did, however, find a useful powered light stick, a few stun-chargers, used in self-defence against equal creatures, no use against the beast. Although it appeared one of them had tried, as the spent remains of another lay on the floor. In the final pack, they found a kit that was built of a collection of small knives. They were not for the use of harm, but tools T’sala was quite familiar with. They were of her people’s make and style but with baronhood materials. The knives were used for removing fur and preserving it to be sewn. “These may be helpful, offworlder,” T’sala spoke aloud, and the softness of the lair made her words fall densely. He cocked his head to the side like an animal trying to understand something very human. She pointed to the beast outside and then pulled at the scrap work furs inside Alec's current jacket. “Knives could not pierce it, but in one spot and with much force. If we apply the force, we could make this jacket as armoured as the beast.
For the first time on this planet, she saw the hint of a smile on the offworlder's face. They gathered the tools and walked back the way they came to the beast. They made short work of it, together and with Aamaranth coursing through them. The task finished just in time for the significant howling of the wind to begin. They gathered the hide they had removed and returned to the safety of the beast's lair. They sat together, long into the night. At first, it was filled with laughter as T’sala taught the man how to be her other hand while she stitched. They used his metallic fingers to force one of the animal's smaller teeth, like a sewing needle, to stitch the armoured hide into place.
When they were done, Alec pulled it around them again with the antlered animal's hide on top. His jacket was heavier, but the fur had been cut to a perfect fit inside the black leather. The result was something T’sala felt even her ancestors would be proud of. “Much thanks, he signed to her as he admired the jacket's fit. He gave it a couple of solid hits with his hands, and T’sala felt the force dissipate across the part of the jacket she shared. This was not equal to the suit that she wore, but it was as good as any metal skin of baron soldiers or the non-man they called preacher. She turned to say something to the man, but his eyes were closed, and his breathing was heavy. As the rhythm slowed to a restful pace, his head slid sideways onto her shoulder.
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She hummed her lullaby alongside him and stayed that way into the early morning. The storm had passed as quickly as it had arrived, and it was time for them to get moving. She moved her shoulder gently, and he woke and blinked a few times. He looked in her eyes and made a move to stand; this time, she felt the intent and followed. They stood up smoothly as one and headed out of the beast's lair into a snow-filled sunny day.
The smaller animals with the sharp teeth surrounded the skinned animal. There were holes the thickness of the creatures where they had used their teeth to bore through the frozen flesh. T’sala kicked at the bravest that tried getting close to some more living meal, but they scattered quickly. They were cowardly beasts. They walked arms strapped together, sharing a jacket and fur, when the sound of a weapon firing and the subsequent sound of a ricochet where a round bounced off the rocks in front of their feet.
“I figure that there to be far enough to where we can get to talkin and no one needs to get to shootin. Tell you what, just so we are both sure why don’t you be dropping that heater you got in them drawers of yours.” It was a small silhouette on the rise where T’sala’s feet had walked just the other day. She looked to Alec, who seemed to be scanning with those eyes that gave off the faint lights like a computer process. He took out his gun, dropped it in the snow and raised his one hand. T’sala followed suit, waiting for the offworlder to do what he did and burst into action. She was ready, and yet, he did nothing. The shape walked down the rise, pointing a rifle at them that was as long as the person was tall. T’sala peered through the early morning sun behind the person and finally managed to make out details on the form.
It was a woman with blond frizzy hair that looked like curled wires stuck out at all angles. She wore rounded fur on her ears. T’sala thought that was wise; she made a mental note to take them after her and Alec had dealt with this. She tensed her muscles and took in more details as the figure approached. The short woman wore what looked like mechanic's clothes, and there was a rattle of tools that clanked when she walked. She had goggles on with dark oil smudges on her cheeks and a button-like nose that was red and frosted where her goggles met it. The last thing T’sala noticed was that the woman was smiling.
“The shot was just a warning, seeing your much appreciated compliance, I am socially obligated to return the gesture in saying that you don’t need to be holdin’ hands out of fear. I’m just makin sure itchy fingers aren’t filed by anxieties.” The woman reached them now and began to take them in. “Names Rumsfield Abbigail but that’s a mouthful. People call me Rumsey.” She had finally stopped close to them, and the final word was left abandoned with a slack-jawed look of shock on Rumsey’s face.
T’sala imagined they were quite the sight, a woman with purple skin and a man with metallic parts would be a wonder on most worlds. Rumsey began to fiddle with a flap on her jacket to reveal the wired receiver of a radio. “Rumsey on the wire, out past twenty-two of forty-six, had a little trouble and stalled out. Give me some time, and I can make it up pulling a double tonight.” The radio crackled for a moment, and T’sala felt Alec tense, squeezing the fingers of the hand he held wrapped together rightly. T’sala followed his look to the radio the woman held, underneath it, beneath the flap of fabric was the Baron Hood's company icon. She took her cue from Alec and waited, holding her breath. The woman Rumsey, looked at the two of them with a suspicious knowing look. The radio crackled back to life. T'sala hoped the man, Alec, would move soon; she did not trust anyone with that emblem marking their loyalty. He just stood, waiting.
The radio crackled back. "Base to Rumsey, Operations Major Jacklyn here. This is the third time this week. Five times last week and you already owe me a double tonight." The line paused for a while, and the woman rolled her eyes and made a gesture with her hand like a tire turning endlessly. She did not respond, just waited. T'sala wished the man, Alec, would do something. She was speaking to the baron. Were his ears broken as well, now like his voice? He seemed to be taking it in, simply waiting. Finally, the radio voice crackled back on. "Base to Rumsey, Barton can pick up the slack and says you owe him a day off. With the two you owe me, it sounds like you're workin' the next month, better stock up on Cafe". The man, Alec, whose eyes lit up at that word, but he still waited while the woman, Rumsey, stashed her radio. T'sala tensed and got ready for action.
"Well, that will have them settled and me free for a while now, Major Jacklyn is more of a majore Jackass!" The woman guffawed at this with a screech-type laughter and whistled out her breath. "Oh gosh, Rumsey, you sure do crack yourself up." T'sala did not understand why the woman was talking only to herself; did she think them dumb cause neither spoke. "Why, thank you, Rumsey." The incredibly short woman said back to herself and then bowed. T'sala then thought she understood. This woman must be the dumb one, or crazy.
"With that all settled for the time bein', I think it's time we moved on to you. Now normally most people who be walkin' about and find a glowing woman and a metal man just trapsing through the snow would call themselves crazy." Rumsey tapped herself on the head with one hand, still holding the rifle extended with the other, but paying it no mind where it pointed. "But we're not crazy, are we, Rumsey?" T'sala wanted to answer yes, she was, but still took Alec's lead. If he did not do something soon, however, she would act on his behalf. The woman carried on. "No, no, not crazy Rumsey, you're more than right there. See the reason I ain't scared or thinkin' I'm crazy is there was a man that came through here about two months ago. Helped him out, I did, said he was a doctor. Said there may be others, and lo and behold, he described the two of you." Alec's head shot up at this. T'sala felt relief. The man wasn't broken afterall.
Alec quickly signed to her with one hand. "Say nothing." T'sala was bored with that approach and, since she had the voice, decided to take her own path.
"You met our doctor?" T'sala's baronhood tongue came out with her broken accent, and Rumsey looked at her even closer.
"Didn't say you were of the Original People, though. Makes sense now more than ever, though probably to you none at all." Rumsey paused a moment and then looked at the rifle in her hands as if surprised to find it there. She pointed it down and raised a hand. "I tell you that doctor of yours fallin' right out the sky like that was nothing more than a star-sending to us. And by us, I mean more of the Original peoples, but I'm gettin' ahead of myself. See, I was driving down the..."
T'sala could take no more of the woman's meandering speech. She was eager for news and could feel the man, Alec, also tense with anticipation. "Is he here?" She interrupted the woman.
Rumsey stopped and looked up at her. "Sorry, I can go on. Comes from keepin' my own company in my transport for days on end. No, sorry, he's moved on. And by moved on I mean from this planet, not life." She added the last part as she saw T'sala's alarm and grief beginning to blossom at the thought of finding another of their party only too late. T'sala felt a frustration at the way this woman put her words together. She reminded him of the non-man that spoke with broken electronics.
"Where?" T'sala interrupted again.
"Oh, I helped him move along through the rift-station. But before I did, he helped me, well, us. See, there's more of you here, and I'm doing my best, but... oh, right. He described a handful of people to me to keep an eye out. When he was describin' you, I thought the cold-fever had taken him, but lo and behold, here you are standin' clear as day in front of me. The metal man and the purple woman. Oh right... There was a message. He said, " Find him on Detherin." Rumsey's eyes lifted upwards at the last like remembering a fond dream. "I'd go myself if I could afford it just to get lost in those eyes again..." Alec coughed, and T'sala giggled. The woman seemed to come back to herself again. The rumbling of another transport on the ice road echoed up towards them.
"Come for now, we will get somewhere safe, then we can figure out how to get you through the gate. A doctor lookin' all normal like was hard enough. The likes of you," She looked them both over, "well, it'll be a miracle, but we'll sort that later." She started off back the way she came, and Alec took a step, pulling T'sala along with him. T'sala did not know what to make of this woman, and the shock of realizing the doctor of death had also landed here had T'sala's mind dancing in the wind. If there was a way here for others, there must be a way back. T'sala focused on that thought as she followed the short, weathered woman back up the rise.
