Fear is often our first reaction to things we don’t understand. Sometimes, those things don’t understand us, either.
Miles Lewis sat in Hendrickson’s office, trying to ignore the stink of the man’s cigarette smoke and focus on the recording of the survey team’s final transmission. The video was too snowy to make out anything, even after several attempts to enhance it. The audio wasn’t much better. “…dead! The ground is alive! You hear me Control? It’s…”
Hendrickson lit another cigarette. “That’s all we got back. What do you make of it?”
Miles coughed. “Can’t you wait until I’m gone to light up another one?”
“It relaxes me. The transmission, Lewis. What happened to my team?”
“Sounds like they came under attack.”
“Not possible.” Hendrickson tossed a folder across his desk. “Preliminary scans showed no signs of sentient life. No tech, no structures, not even a damn road. And no one else entered the system, either. We would have detected a ship.”
“So what do you want from me?”
Hendrickson took a long drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke in Miles’s face. “I want to be able to tell my superiors this planet isn’t another dead end because of some tribe of lizards.”
Miles scoffed. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that? Just because a race isn’t human doesn’t make them lesser beings.”
“Whatever. All I need is one system. If I can find one colonizable system, I’ll be able to buy a whole fleet of scout ships. If you clear Canis Zeta IX for me, there’s a huge bonus in it for you.”
“You’re not trying to bribe an agent of the Office of the Mediator, are you?”
“Oh, no, no,” said Hendrickson. “I just thought you might do me a favor. For old-times’ sake. You owe me.”
Miles leveled a gaze at Hendrickson. “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t work for you anymore. I’ll find out what happened to your crew, and if it’s serviceable, I’ll bring your ship back. That makes us even. You’re still going to have to certify Canis Zeta IX yourself.”
“You always were a tight-ass.”
His partner, Fiona Longclaw, was waiting for him at their ship’s berth. “How’s old Smokey? Did you punch him?”
Miles smiled and kissed the Ursan. “Of course I didn’t punch him. He’s still a racist little frack weasel, though.”
“Glad I didn’t come with, then. Are we taking the case?”
“Yeah, it looks legit. Is the crew ready to fly?”
“Always,” said Fi. “We’re just waiting on you. This isn’t an emergency thrust situation, is it?”
Miles shook his head. “No. Hendrickson waited a whole week to call OM-Cygnus. They’re either fine and in need of new comm equipment, or they’re beyond help.”
“What the actual…” Fi trailed off. “I’m glad we’re not under his thumb anymore.”
“You and me both.”
Under normal thrust, the flight to Canis Zeta took just over a week. It took over two weeks of scanning the surface of the ninth planet to find any trace of the survey team.
“You’re sure they were exploring IX,” said Byrd.
“Hendrickson was adamant,” said Miles. “None of the other planets had any life at all, though he was hopeful about mining colonies on the eighth and tenth planets once IX was established.”
“Did he really think he could own a whole star system?”
“Technically, he does own it,” said Bon Mot. “As long as there is no indigenous sentient life in the system, he has the right of first discovery. He’d be a fool to try to colonize it by himself, though. He’d be better off selling it to Cygnus or putting it up for auction.”
“I think I’ve found something,” said Byrd. “I doubt it’s Hendrickson’s ship, though. The jungle’s so overgrown around it, it would have had to be there for years. Maybe even a decade or more.”
“That would undermine his claim of first discovery,” said Fi. “Please let me be the one to tell him.”
“We’ll have to verify, but sure.” Miles looked at Byrd’s screen. “It’s the right shape for the survey team’s ship, though. Any signal, Helen?”
Helen Simpson looked up from her console. “I’m picking up a Res Net channel and a transponder code. That’s definitely the right ship.”
“I’ve never seen foliage grow that fast,” said Byrd. “I wonder if it’s a characteristic of the flora, or some unique nutrient in the soil.”
“Maybe the planet passed through a time warp,” said Rayner. “I’ve never seen one that big.”
Byrd cocked his head. “How many time warps have you seen, Ray?”
“This one would be my first, but I knew a girl back on Polaris who I could have sworn was over eighteen…”
“I’m going to stop you right there. I don’t want to know the rest.” Byrd looked back at his screen. “There’s a clearing where we can land, but it’s 4.86 miles away from the site.”
Fiona sighed. “There’s naught else we can do, Miles. We’ll have to hike it.”
Miles ran his fingers through the fur on the back of Fiona’s neck. “I don’t mind a hike. I’m sure I can keep up with you.”
Fiona purred. “Aye, in bed. Through the jungle, I think not.”
Miles kissed her. “Challenge accepted.”
Once they had landed, Miles briefed the crew. “All right, folks, keep your eyes open. If hostiles did attack the survey team, they might still be around. Byrd, can you be our eyes in the sky?”
The Avian spread his wings. “It’s what I live for, Boss.” He launched into the air and tested his comm. “Can you hear me now?”
“Loud and clear,” said Miles. “How does it look up there?”
“Very green. It’s actually quite lovely. Hard to see the ground, though. I’ll fly out toward the ship and back, and let you know if I see anything.”
“While Byrd’s flying,” said Helen, “Bon Mot and I will start hiking.”
Miles nodded. “I don’t have to tell you to keep your eyes open.”
After a few minutes, Fiona’s ears perked up. “Something’s not right.”
Miles looked up from his panel. “What is it?”
“I heard a sound. Simpson screaming, but it was cut short.” She suddenly bolted down the ramp.
“Damn it, Fi, wait for backup!” Miles grabbed a plasma rifle. “Ray, you’re with me.”
Once they got outside, Fiona stood near the edge of the clearing, looking at something on the ground.
Miles put a hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”
“I smell blood. Human and Aldebaran.” She pointed at the couple’s machetes, lying twisted and misshapen on the ground. “What the hell could have done that to glassmetal, Miles?”
Rayner took out his scanner. “Don’t touch them, guys. They’re almost hot enough to glow. Never saw glassmetal bend like that. I’ll bag them for analysis as soon as they cool down.”
Miles took out his comm unit. “Byrd, are you there? Return to base immediately.”
“What’s up?”
“Simpson and Bon Mot are missing.”
“Understood.”
Fiona stalked toward the edge of the jungle, then disappeared into the overgrowth.
“Dammit, Fi! Stay where I can see you!” Miles followed her into the scrub, wishing he’d taken a machete instead of his rifle.
“Over here, Miles. I think I found them.” The tone of her voice unsettled Miles.
“What do you mean, you think?” Miles caught up with Fiona and followed her gaze downward. “Oh, by the One.”
All that remained of Simpson and Bon Mot were fragments of blood, bone, and skin.
The remaining crew sat around the conference table.
“Whatever did… that… to Simpson and Bon Mot,” said Rayner, “I don’t think it was hunting for food.” The Polaran seemed even greener than normal, if that was even possible. “All of their mass is accounted for.”
“Are you telling me something was able to bend their glassmetal machetes and completely pulverize their bodies in less than the time it takes to say that’s what happened to them?” Miles pulled out his phone. “I’d better call the Director.”
Director Rita Coltan answered almost immediately. “Good to hear from you, Miles, I was starting to worry… what’s wrong?”
“Simpson and Bon Mot are dead,” said Miles.
“Sorry to hear it. What happened?”
“We’re still not sure. Something attacked them. I’m sending a report, but I warn you, it’s not pretty. It took whatever it was less than two minutes to destroy them and vanish. None of the rest of us saw a thing.”
Rita looked at the report and gagged. “By the One! Were those tools glassmetal?”
Miles nodded. “We located the missing ship, but we couldn’t land any closer than five miles from it. The jungle is in the way.”
“How the hell did it land there, then?”
“Still unknown.”
“You’d better abort the mission and come home,” said Rita. “Mr. Hendrickson will just have to write off his losses. I’ll advise the Mediator, and King Demetri, that Canis Zeta appears to be unsuitable for colonization.”
Miles nodded. “We’ll lift off first thing tomorrow morning. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to be the one to inform Hendrickson.”
“I understand. You really do dislike the man, don’t you?”
“I dislike his type. Profits before personnel, not to mention complete disdain for any nonhuman sentient being. He once called the love of my life a furbag.”
“I find that completely unsurprising,” said Rita. “Stay safe. When you get back to OM-Cygnus, we’ll mourn Helen and Bon Mot over a bottle of Denebian Hart.”
“See you soon, Rita.” Miles tapped the call button. “Fair warning, all: I’m calling Hendrickson next.”
“I’ll be making myself scarce, then,” said Rayner. “C’mon Byrd, I’ll beat the feathers off you at Cribbage.”
“That would be a first,” said Byrd. The pair disappeared into their quarters.
Fiona remained with Miles, but she made sure to sit outside the phone’s camera field.
“It’s about damn time you called,” said Hendrickson. “I expected to hear something about a week ago! Where’s my ship?”
“Well, we’ve located it, but it’s beyond our reach. Director Coltan has ordered me to abort the mission. I’ve already lost two of my crew.”
“Abort? What about my ship? What about my system?”
“Well, the system is still yours; for the time being, at least.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Canis Zeta IX is never going to be certified safe for colonization. Something lives here that can bend glassmetal and reduce a being to goo in seconds.”
“You’re lying!”
“No, I’d be lying if I said I was sorry for your loss.”
“I’ll get even with you, Lewis, if it’s the last thing I do. You and your furbag.”
“As far as I’m concerned, this makes us even.” Miles put the phone in his pocket. “The One bless the day Rita bought out our contracts to that ass.”
Fiona scoffed. “Furbag, indeed.” She slid closer and put her hand on his thigh. “The man has no imagination. I’ve been called far worse, and that by my own kind.”
“That’s what you get for hooking up with a naked ape.”
“Totally worth it,” said Fiona. She took him by the hand and led him to their quarters.
The following morning, they began preparations for liftoff.
“Is it just my imagination,” said Rayner, “or is the clearing smaller than it was yesterday?”
Byrd took wing and circled the area. When he returned, he nodded. “There’s no question about it. The jungle is definitely closing in.”
Fiona shrugged. “That would explain why the survey ship is all overgrown. We’d better lift off while we still can, Miles.”
“Agreed. We can secure the rest of the gear once we’re in orbit.”
“We can’t just leave,” said Rayner. “What about Helen and Bon Mot? Don’t we owe it to them to find out what killed them?”
“It won’t bring them back, Ray,” said Byrd. “They’re beyond caring about closure.”
“Well, I’m not. They were our friends.”
“If I were to be torn to pieces by an invisible entity,” said Fiona, “I would not wish any of you to join me in death. I would want you all safe.”
“You would want nothing,” said Rayner. “Like Byrd said, you’d be beyond caring. But I bet Miles would want closure.”
Miles sighed. “Yeah, I would.”
“And if the roles were reversed,” said Fiona, “I would want to avenge you. What fools we are. How do we investigate without meeting the same fate as our friends?”
“The final transmission of the survey team said the ground was alive,” said Miles. “Maybe that wasn’t just a metaphor.”
“If the ground is alive, how do we appease it? Do we sacrifice a chicken or something? No offense, Byrd.”
The Avian laughed. “None taken… furbag. You and Miles went out and came back safely, and so did Ray. What was different between you and them?”
“I was unarmed,” said Fiona. “So was Ray, I’m sure.”
“I had a plasma rifle,” said Miles.
“But you didn’t use it,” said Rayner. “Helen and Bon Mot had machetes to clear away scrub. Maybe the ground interpreted that as an attack.”
“Then I ordered them to their deaths,” said Miles. “Damn.”
“How could you have known? We’ve all cleared brush before without pissing off some jungle god.”
“Let me scout the area,” said Byrd. “I’ll stay in radio contact the whole time, and I’ll leave all the rest of my gear behind.”
Miles nodded. “All right, but at the first hint of trouble, you get your tail feathers back here. We’ll be set to lift off immediately on your return.”
“It’s a deal.”
Byrd radioed back within minutes. “There’s a clearing about a quarter of a mile from the survey ship site. I’m fairly certain we would have noticed it if it were there before we landed.”
Fiona looked to Miles. “An invitation, perhaps?”
“Or a trap. Come on back to the ship, Byrd. We’re going to move the ship to the new clearing.”
“It would take less time for you to just lift off now, I’ll fly clear until you land.”
“Good thinking.”
Byrd landed as the loading ramp lowered at the new landing. “The old landing site is already overgrown. We’re definitely being led in.”
“Led,” said Rayner, “or lured. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
They stepped out of the ship. The new clearing offered a clear path into the jungle.
“Lured,” said Rayner. “Definitely lured.”
Miles sighed. “I guess someone wants us to see something. All right, then, I’m in charge of the expedition. I’m going. I want the rest of you to take the ship out to orbit. I’ll stay in radio contact. If you lose my signal, return to Cygnus. That’s an order. Someone has to punch Hendrickson in the face.”
Fiona frowned. “You are not going alone.”
“I’m not losing any more friends.”
“Neither am I. If you go, I go. I don’t care if you write me up for insubordination.”
“I don’t have time to argue,” said Miles. “Ray, Byrd, get out of here, now. It’s been an honor serving with you.”
Reluctantly, the two returned to the ship. After a moment, it lifted of and disappeared into the sky.
Miles took Fiona’s hand. “Well, then, let’s meet our destiny.”
They hadn’t gone very far before the comm buzzed and Rayner’s voice came over the speaker. “Are you two still alive down there?”
Miles answered. “Yes, why?”
“The clearing is gone.”
Miles looked back to find only jungle. “Huh. I didn’t even hear movement.”
“What should we do?”
“You have your orders. If you lose my signal, we’ll probably be dead. And even if we’re not, it would be suicide to try to land again without an invitation. Someone has to live to punch Hendrickson.”
Rayner sighed. “All right, Boss. We’ll remain in orbit for as long as you continue to transmit.”
As Miles put the comm in his pocket, Fiona asked, “What do we do now?”
Miles pointed. “I guess we follow the path.”
Before long, they came upon a twisted piece of metal.
“Glassmetal,” said Miles, placing the tool in an evidence bag. “I’m pretty sure of it. Looks like the remains of another machete.”
“It’s like the jungle is presenting evidence,” said Fiona.
They walked along the path until it began to get dark. “It feels like we’re moving in circles,” said Miles. “I should have brought a compass.”
“Miles, did you mean it?”
Miles stopped walking. “Mean what?”
“When you were talking to Rita, you referred to me as the love of your life. Did you mean it?”
“I thought you could tell what I’m feeling.”
“I can smell your desire for me,” said Fiona. “I can’t read your mind.”
Miles chuckled. “I sometimes wish I had a nose like yours.”
You’d look funny with a nose like mine. I like yours. It suits you.”
“No, I mean I’d like to know what you’re thinking sometimes.”
“You can always ask. I would never lie to you.”
Miles gave her a half smile. “It’s not always appropriate to ask. Besides, what if I didn’t really want to know the truth? I’ve been in love before with someone who didn’t love me back.”
“We sleep together,” said Fiona. “That would not happen if I didn’t find you desirable. But you still have not answered my question. Do you consider me the love of your life?”
Miles sighed. “I do. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He looked around. “Though I had kind of hoped that it would be a longer time than it’s looking right now.”
Fiona smiled. “In that case, I accept.”
“Accept?”
“I love you, too, Miles. If this is to be our last night, I would have it be our wedding night.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’ve never been more. Didn’t I just say I would never lie to you?”
“You did. But what about tradition? Witnesses?”
“We have two crewmen in orbit above us, and whatever entity has been leading us all around. Does that not satisfy your Denebian tradition?”
“It doesn’t satisfy Ursan tradition.”
“Given the circumstances,” said Fiona, “I don’t care. We are on a new world. We can create our own traditions.”
“Okay then,” said Miles. “Fiona Longclaw, will you marry me?”
“Haven’t I just said so?”
“Please, Fi.”
“Yes, Miles Lewis. I will marry you.”
As if on cue, the comm buzzed. “Are you two still alive?”
“We are,” said Miles. “Is Byrd with you?”
“Yeah. It’s not like we have a whole lot else to do.”
“Good. We need witnesses. Fiona and I are marrying. Now.”
“About fragging time,” said Byrd.
“You’re not just doing this because you’re about to die, are you? OW! What did you do that for?” said Rayner.
“It’s their wedding night,” said Byrd. “We shall focus on the positive.”
Miles laughed. “Excellent. Okay, then. I, Miles Lewis, name Thee, Fiona Longclaw, Maiteakren.”
“I, Fiona Longclaw Lewis, name Thee, Miles Lewis, Maiteakren.”
“We’re only two witnesses,” said Byrd. “That’s okay, I hope.”
“It’ll do,” said Fiona. “We’re not about to anger the planet by killing an animal, either. Thank you, gentlemen. Now, please leave us alone until morning.”
“Congratulations,” said Rayner. “We’ll talk to you in the morning… I hope. Ow! Byrd, cut it out!”
Fiona placed the comm on the ground. “Now, husband, let us begin our first night as one.”
The first thing that Miles noticed upon waking was that they were still alive. Fiona lay in his arms asleep, purring like a kitten. He kissed her forehead and she awoke, smiling. “I owe you an apology, husband. You most certainly can keep up with me in the jungle.”
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced, Fi. You’ve been holding back.”
“We were only casual partners, before. It would have been inappropriate for me to fully surrender to my desire for you. Now that we are bonded, we are free to enjoy one another to the fullest.” Fiona wrapped her arms around him. “Would you like to enjoy me again?”
“And again. By the One, you’re beautiful.” Miles kissed her neck. “I suppose we should contact the ship. Let them know we’re still alive.”
“It’s early, yet. I want more of you, now.”
As the daylight broke, Miles lay panting beside Fiona. “I love you, Mrs. Lewis. I will die satisfied.”
“As will I, my love.”
“We should probably call the ship now.” Miles looked around. “Have you seen the comm?”
“I put it on top of our clothing.”
“Ah, yes. I remember.” Miles looked around again. “Have you seen our clothes?”
Fiona sat up. “They’re gone, too?”
“Everything’s gone. Even the evidence bags.” Miles gazed at Fiona’s form. “We’re isolated, stranded, and naked. I used to fantasize about this very thing.”
Fiona smiled. “Is the reality all you had hoped it would be?”
“It is, and more,” said Miles. “I would enjoy this a lot more if we weren’t being watched by some invisible entity that could pulverize us on a whim.”
{Not on a whim, Miles and Fiona Lewis.} The voice seemed to come from everywhere.
The two lovers jumped up and stood back to back, looking for the source of the voice, but all around them was foliage. Nothing more.
“Since you know our names,” said Miles, “may we know yours?”
{Names are only relevant when there is more than one. I have always been one. For your convenience, I shall adopt the name you have been using. To you, I am The Jungle.}
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” said Fiona. “What do you want from us?”
{Information. Why have you come?}
“We were sent to find the ones who came before us.”
{They are no more. They would not stop injuring me, so I stopped them.}
“How did they harm you?”
A path opened up through the foliage. {Come. I will show you.}
Miles grasped Fiona’s hand and they moved on. As they advanced, the jungle opened a path before them, and closed behind them. Eventually they came to a place where the ground was covered in ash and charcoal. The jungle drew back to expose a large blackened area.
Fiona gasped. “They set fire to the jungle?”
The Jungle howled in rage. {First, they cut me with metal tools. When I took them, they tried to destroy me with fire. I stopped them.}
“They didn’t know,” said Fiona. “They couldn’t possibly have known!”
{They refused to learn. I showed them what I am, and still they would not stop. I stopped them.}
“You killed Helen and Bon Mot without any kind of warning!”
A pathway opened up through the foliage beyond the charred ground.
Miles took Fiona’s hand. “I guess we follow the path.”
Eventually they came to a stream flowing out of the ground. Fiona bent down and sniffed the water, then cupped some in her hands. “It’s safe to drink, I’m fairly certain.”
“I’ll trust your nose.” Miles drank. “That is just what I needed. Too bad our equipment’s gone. We could have filled our canteens.”
{Water is essential for life. You may have your containers back.} There was a rustling in the foliage, and the canteens dropped to the ground by their feet.
“Thank you, O great and powerful Jungle,” said Fiona. She filled the canteens and gave one to Miles.
{Simply Jungle will suffice. I do not require worship.}
“Sorry. Hunger makes me cranky. What do intend to do with us?”
{Why did you come?}
“We already told you we had to learn what happened to the survey team. The ones who came before us.”
{You did not know before you came.}
“How could we possibly know? They died before they could tell us.”
{You are not one.}
“What do you mean?”
A face appeared in the foliage. {This face is mine.} Another face appeared, then another, and several more. {So is this one. As I speak to you, I am observing lesser creature climb ashore on the other side of the world. It will lay its eggs and return to the sea. I am watching another creature build a nest in one of my limbs.}
Fiona sat down. “Whoa. You’re not just the Jungle. You’re the whole Planet.”
{I cover the Planet. I am one.}
“You have no companions? How do you reproduce?”
{I do not need to reproduce. I am one. I have lived for many thousands of thousands of years. My companions are the lesser creatures that inhabit the world.}
“But isn’t there another entity like you?”
{I have never known another. I am one. You are not one. You are more like the lesser creatures, aware only of your own individual selves. I should have realized that.}
Miles crossed his arms. “We are not lesser creatures. We’re sentient beings, same as you.”
{You may be sentient, but you are not like me. I learn.}
“We learn.”
{You do indeed. I thought it was not so when your friends attacked me, even though I had destroyed the others. I understand now that you cannot know what others of your kind know.}
“We can,” said Miles, “but only through communication. Like this conversation.”
{This I witnessed, when you conferred aboard your vessel. You reasoned that I would not destroy you if you did no harm. You showed a capacity to learn. Parasites do not learn.}
“Some of our kind don’t learn, either,” said Miles. “Every one of us is a different individual, with different temperaments and personalities.”
{I have seen this, as well. The others who came before would not learn. They followed the commands of one called Hendrickson, even when I tried to prevent them. You, however, do not seem to obey the Hendrickson.}
“He is a moron,” said Fiona. “A detestable sort of man.”
{You dislike beings of your own kind.}
“Certain members of our own kind,” said Miles. “It’s the price of diversity. Inevitably, some are sufficiently different that coexistence becomes difficult, at best. Hendrickson wants this planet, and he’s willing to destroy anything that keeps it from him. I used to work for him. So did Fiona.”
Miles was immediately thrown to the ground. Fiona screamed as vines bound her hands and feet and lifted her several meters from the ground.
“Please don’t hurt her! If you have to punish one of us, take me!”
{You would sacrifice yourself for her sake. Interesting.} The vines lowered Fiona to the ground and released her. She scrambled to her feet and limped back to Miles.
Miles hugged her tightly. “Thank the one. Are you all right?”
“I will be. Twisted ankle is all. I don’t think it’s broken, but I’m probably going to have to lean on you to walk out of here. Assuming Jungle chooses to let us go.”
“No problem, my love. If necessary, I’ll carry you. May we leave, Jungle?”
{Why did you come here?}
“How many times are you going to ask us?” Fiona rubbed her sore ankle. “We needed to find out what happened to the others.”
Miles tilted his head. “Perhaps you want to know why the others came. Is that what you mean?”
{Yes. Why did you come?}
Miles sighed. “I’m afraid you won’t like my answer, but I’ll answer you truthfully. We—I mean the others of our kind—want to build a colony here.”
{I cannot allow that. I have seen the destruction your kind are capable of. If I destroy you, will they stop coming?}
“Destroying the others is what brought us here. Someone else will come looking for us. Eventually, they might get the message, or they might send warships with the ability to rain down destruction from orbit.”
{That is an unacceptable outcome.}
“You might not believe me, but that would not be a desirable outcome for us, either. I can offer you a far better solution. There are laws to protect the autonomy of indigenous sentient life forms that reside on planets without spacefaring civilizations. You are a completely new kind of life form, at least to us. I will present a petition on your behalf before the Council. I’m pretty sure the Mediator will want to meet you.”
{Your offer intrigues me.} A pathway through the jungle opened up in front of them. {This will take you to the vessel you seek. I will not prevent your departure. If you return with your Mediator, I will accept you in peace, if in peace you return.}
Miles bowed. “Thank you, Guardian Jungle. I will relay your message.”
“There is just one more thing before we go,” said Fiona. “May we have our clothes back?”
The path back to the survey vessel was less than a quarter of a mile. Fiona leaned on Miles, favoring her ankle. When they reached the ship’s open hatch, Miles lifted his bride in his arms and carried her into the lounge, where he placed her gently on a bench. He found a medical scanner and examined her ankle.
“Nothing broken,” Miles said, relieved. “You can sit and rest here while I make sure the ship is spaceworthy.”
“You should probably check the comm, first,” said Fiona. “Let Ray and Byrd know we’re alive.”
“Good point.” Miles headed up to the cockpit. He punched in his access code and breathed a sigh of relief when the panel powered up. Hendrickson was nothing if not consistent. The code had been three users old when Miles had received it. “This is OM-Cygnus agent Miles Lewis. Is anyone receiving?”
After a minute or two, he repeated the callout. About halfway through, Rayner’s face appeared on the viewscreen. “By the one, you’re alive! What happened?”
“I’ll tell you all about it when we rendezvous. It looks like Hendrickson’s ship still works. I’m going to perform a pre-flight, and if everything’s green, we’re out of here.”
“Where’s Fiona?”
“She’s down in the lounge, resting a sprained ankle. Other than that, everything’s just about perfect. Once we get home, I need to arrange a meeting between the Mediator and the Jungle. Like I said, I’ll tell you the rest once we rendezvous.”
“I can’t wait to hear the story.” Ray wiped his eyes. “We’re really glad you’re alive, Miles.”
“Not half as glad as Fi and me.”
“Do we still get to punch Hendrickson?” Byrd preened his feathers. “You know, for Simpson and Bon Mot.”
“Better than that,” said Miles. “His claim on the system is null and void.”
“Best thing I’ve heard since hearing your voice,” said Byrd. “I hope we get to watch you tell him. Enjoy your pseudo-honeymoon.”
Once the ship was underway, Miles activated the autopilot and headed down to the lounge. Fiona was brewing a pot of coffee.
“You’re supposed to be resting your ankle. I could have done that.”
Fiona smiled and rolled her eyes. “I’m not in too much pain to make coffee, my love. I smelled the beans and couldn’t resist. It’s Columbian, from Sol. The good stuff, Miles. And here I thought Hendrickson had no taste.”
Miles shrugged. “I doubt he’s ever actually been on his own ship. Davies probably smuggled it on. I guess we ought to toast his memory.” He looked at Fiona. “You’re beautiful, do you know that?”
“Do you really think so? I feel like I need a long bath.”
“Oh, you’re a mess, to be sure. I bet I am, too. Still, I see you, and you are beautiful. I hope that you still want to be my wife, now that we’re not going to die.”
Fiona limped over to Miles and put her arms around him. “Miles, I love you. I chose you to be my mate long before last night.”
Miles kissed his bride. “I love you, Maiteakren. How shall we spend these next three days, completely alone together in space?”
As they made their way to a stateroom, they left a trail of clothing behind.
Rick Rossing is the author of The Umea Bakearen series, The Dragons of Phelios, and a number of short stories. When not writing, he’s a crafter of duct tape and a fairly decent cook.
A version of this story first appeared in the anthology e-magazine Far Horizons, October 2014
