Cara

To all,

Due to the interest in this series, here is part 15A.

Due to comments after release of chapter 14, I had to re-examine my processes. Yes, it was rushed, but so is my real life. I am a two finger typist (do not judge me please) and so I was trying to get a story out, of some type. Also, I did plan to throw out tendrils that I would blend in later. Well after the comments, I have decided to take a step back and do some backfilling.

Any aliens, real or imagined in this story are purely a construct of my twisted and warped mind.

I thank everyone so much for reading my stories and enjoying them.

Part 15A - Cara

***

Drew turned to the large female spider and her nervous mate and waved them inside. He herded Kitten, Goldie, and Cara to one side of the hut. The beds had already been folded up into the wall so there was much more room.

As the large spider squeezed through the door, Cara started to panic, well truth be told, so did Goldie. He put both in the opposite end of the hut near the rear door. The smaller spider came in and danced around his larger mate.

Kitten glued herself to Drew and kept her eyes on the smaller spider. His nervous movements were making her nervous. The female spider finally reached out during one of his skittering movements and smacked him. That quieted him down and made it more comfortable for all in the small hut.

Drew sent a mental message that friends were coming and they would learn to talk together. In the heat, the large female stopped most of her vibrating and she seemed to settle in and lower herself to the floor. She sent a message of thanks. He felt her gratitude was for the heat and that they would allow her and her mate in their nest.

Everyone took a deep breath and realized this meeting of species was going to be special.

***

The large shuttle landed and disgorged the motliest collection of beings Drew had seen in a while. It was mixture of species with one Avian Xeno. Eddie headed up the entourage of three scholars, several biologists, two xeno-linguistic scientists, one being Eddies mate and one slim Chinese interpreter who now governed one of the colonies.

Drew stood in front of the doorway and stopped the entourage before they crossed the threshold.

"To all of you, if you have any reservations in being in close quarters with two spiders, one being much bigger than you are, now is the time to go back to the shuttle. My hut is not large and she, the female is quite impressive." Drew stopped to look everyone in the eye. No one moved.

They all passed by him, Eddie leading them in. Drew just waited for the new governor to pass by. He held up his hand signaling for her to stop.

"Governor, I would not have expected to see you here. May I ask why you are on this mission? We are not quite ready to have diplomatic relations."

She shivered and looked up at him for a second. He finally noticed she was only dressed in a skirt, button down blouse and simple flats. Drew pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her, she grabbed the edges pulling the warm fabric close to her body.

"My first degree was in biology with a focus on Entomology, the study of insects. My Masters was concentrated on Arachnology, the study of spiders. My doctorate focused on the potential for the use of spider silk as a substitute for petroleum based plastic threads. When I landed, someone brought me the windblown threads from the jungle spiders. They are amazing." She seemed giddy, frozen giddy, but giddy none the less.

"And now you are talking to them" she said trying to clap her hands in joy through the layers of his protective coat.

***

Drew followed the gaggle of scientists into the hut. It had already become an incredibly small space. At the rear huddled Cara and Goldie. Goldie had taken the body of the she-wolf she was and tried to fold herself into being a dachshund in the far corner. Kitten just sat on the one sofa and was cleaning her paws and ignoring the circus in the main portion of the hut. The other parties, not knowing Kitten, were not about to go ask a full-grown looking puma to share the soft space.

Drew wove his way around the crowded scientists and passed by Eddie who was front and center with the female spider. He brushed by Eddie, but he felt a hand reach out to stop him.

He linked and asked, 'how is it going?'

"Absolutely nowhere. You can read symbols from her? Language?" Eddie asked.

Drew forwarded the previous communication with the female.

Eddie just shrugged and went "Huh, I am getting nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"What about all these fine science folk? And all the equipment that you brought with you?" Drew asked.

"Those of us that have the means to do direct mental contact are getting nothing. We are receiving no symbols, no transference." Eddie paused trying to think of another path, "Unless we have a basis of communication, we can't interpolate the readings on any of the instruments we brought. Which means my lord, right now, you are the only person that can help."

Drew did his own interpolation. What Eddie was saying would be months of being a lab rat with spiders, along with the 100 other things he was responsible for.

"Hey," Drew said out loud, "let me take care of those two and I'll be right back," he stated pointing at Cara and Goldie.

Edie provided him affirmation and turned back to the large female spider. Drew could feel the large female looking at him, and he sent her a message of patience. He got back a 'feeling' of frustration.

Drew was not past the avian scientist before Goldie vaulted at him whining and yipping. This set off the avian scientist whose nerves were on absolute edge because of the monstrous Spider sitting not 6 feet away. She chirped and warbled in fright, which caused others to squeal and scream which set off the spider's mate who hopped down off his perch and skittered over to provide 'protection'.

The large queen came off the floor and stood taller, vibrating, causing further alarm. She shifted her whole body to face Drew.

Drew just raised himself to his full height and broadcast out in a verbal and mental yell to everyone.

"Calm yourselves...NOW!"

There was silence for a moment and Goldie, the instigator of the calamity had slunk back to Cara because she knew "papa" was upset.

"Please let me deal with family," he briefly to take a deep breath, "and then we can see if we can move this forward." No one responded except that he got a warm sunshine image from the female spider.

Drew went to the rear door and unlocked it. He pulled his comm device out and cycled his shuttle so the heat would be on and the hatch slid partially open. He touched Goldie and told her to go sleep on her bed in the shuttle where she would be safe. He turned to Cara.

He looked into her eyes, but her eyes kept shifting to the vibrating Female spider.

"Do you want to go with Goldie? You could sleep together in an armored shuttle away from this craziness?"

"No, I stay." She stated in English which surprised him.

Drew heard warbling behind him to find the avian scientist standing close.

"Can you repeat that please?" Drew asked

The warble came again and then the translator kicked in, "May I go out to our shuttle please. I thought I could handle this but..."

At that moment Cara stepped around Drew and took the feathered arm.

"Please stay. I will stay with you. Together we will get through this," stated Cara. Her translator providing both the avian and English translation.

Drew could feel something going on. Immediately, once Cara had touched the Avian, both beings seemed much calmer.

He watched them slowly head toward the large spider. He took the opportunity open the back door. Goldie bolted, never looking back and found the open hatch, scurried in, and found her 'bed' in the foot well of the copilot's seat. Goldie wrapped herself around the chair, snuggled into her blankets she had when they flew, she hated that too, and tried to forget about big ugly bugs with too many legs.

Drew snugged the hatch closed remotely and turned back to the crowd and confusion.

What he saw confused him too.

Cara was on both knees next to the female spider, she had one hand raised and the spider it seemed, very gently, had one of its foot pads set in her palm. Her eyes were closed, her face upturned, her brows raised and her mouth slightly open. Next to her was the avian scientist, her arm still intertwined with Cara, in almost the same position.

Eddie looked at Drew and shrugged. He reached out and took the other arm of the avian scientist and had his mouth drop open.

"Oh, wow," he broadcast to Drew.

Others started to link hands and touching, all ended up with the same reaction, in opened mouth awe.

Kitten had already gotten up and slid her way between the avian and Cara, sort of wrapping herself around her. She was just purring away but keeping a sharp eye on the male spider.

Drew cautiously walked up, not wanting to spoil whatever was going on, and knelt on one knee behind Cara. He placed his hand on Cara's shoulder and felt a flood of emotions and feelings. He opened himself up to try and read the others. Because they were touching and had their minds open, he could scan what they were receiving.

They were all receiving what their conduit could read, emotions and some symbolism. Drew could see and read a higher function of communication. But he felt that this could be tailored to overall communication, albeit rudimentary, between the two species. The conduit was interesting enough, Cara.

Cara was some type of empath. She was receiving and passing along the communication. And she was doing it in both directions.

The queen moved her foot pad to Drew's shoulder so she could communicate in a more precise method. She asked him for one simple favor.

"Stop killing my children."

Drew nodded and sent back acknowledgment.

Drew stood and then stumbled. He had not realized how much it took to communicate with her.

"Eddie, send out a message please. Order all communities to stop any deforestation activities and all aggressive action against the spiders. They are now considered to be native sentient species and to be treated as part of the colonization effort. There will be no grace period. The spiders are now full members of our new society and will be protected under our laws as such."

Eddie was leaning on another couch he had folded open. He stood, staggered a bit, bowed to Drew, and then bowed to the female spider. In all the information they had been privileged to absorb, her title would be equal to a Queen.

***

Goldie woke in the morning to a nightmare. The hatch fully opened, and Drew swung in to check on her. Kitten bounded in and they rubbed muzzles. Cara came in and placed her belongings in the flight area as Drew directed.

Goldie was overjoyed to have her family back until she what was heading her way. The two hairy bugs were coming toward the shuttle. She sprinted back to her bed and tried to become small under the seat.

Accompanying the Queen spider and her consort was Governor Li-Jing. She had plans to show the spiders the weaving and other products she was using the spider silk for, in hopes of creating an economic foundation for friendship.

Drew sat and began preflight checks and Cara, Goldie and Kitten all crammed into the co-pilots chair space.

Li-Jing took one of the fold down 'jump seats' in the rear with the spiders. Drew continually sent messages to the queen, that the humming and vibrations were normal.

Cara reminded him of his promise to fly over the caldera lake on his way home. Drew tried again to have the spiders recognize and understand flight. He just shrugged and lifted off. The queen was very calm as they took flight and headed up the mountain slope. Her mate, not so much. He was becoming more erratic and this caused kitted to flatten ears and really growl in warning as he danced forward close to the cockpit.

He was smacked several times by the queen before he would settle down next to her.

Drew turned only slightly and asked her to go back to the queen and make contact, "Tell her when I roll open the blast shield on the window in the large hatch, that all is safe. I want her to be able to see her world. Touch the glass to show her it's safe, OK?

Cara got excited that she was important enough to do something so important, plus she wanted to look too.

She settled next to the queen, Kitten then draped herself over Cara's legs and stared down the smaller spider. Cara lifted her palm and the queen placed her pad in her hand. The information flowed. The queen was confused but understood 'safe.' Both entities knew that there was a long, long way to go on communication between species.

"Open, please," Cara yelled up to the cockpit...in English.

Drew flipped the switch and a multi-fold covering slipped back allowing a huge window in the hatch to open for their viewing pleasure. The male freaked and starting dancing around again, eliciting more aggressive response from Kitten.

Cara was tapping the glass and then the queen mimicked the tapping. Then she smacked the male again to calm him. The queen shifted from tapping to placing her foot pad on Cara, starting more communication, and understanding.

The spiders and Cara were enraptured with the view of the partially frozen caldera lake. He swooped down low over the jungle as they neared the where he assumed from the mental pictures that the queen was from. It was eerie traveling through the mist above the jungle canopy. They crossed the transition and could see the work of man immediately. Plowed fields in the distance, solar fields laid out, and the buildings of their destination.

The menagerie that stepped off the shuttle was not something that was planned, for the introduction of a new species. It's one thing to have heard rumors that the head guy has some interesting pets, but when a full sized wolf and puma-like creature rocket out of the shuttle hatch to say 'hi' to all their new friends, people panic. The panic really started when a full sized, huge spider squeezes past the portal, followed by a very fast-moving smaller version.

Let us just say, it took a good half hour to calm everyone down.

Drew could see how respected their Governor was. He could also see the way she worked people and how she calmed the situation. It was good to know that sometimes Karma played good jokes and that he was lucky to have chosen right on that fateful day.

Drew was stuck in a quandary, he needed to get back and talk over multiple issues at the capital. But there were only two beings that were known that could communicate with the spiders, he, and Cara. He gathered Li-Jing, Cara and the queen and tried to layout the issue. Cara immediately volunteered to stay for a day or two and Li-Jing volunteered to house her and keep her safe.

"Call me when it's time to come pick you up," he commented as he turned to leave. He received a duel "yes papa," one mental one in accented English. He turned and saw Kitten glued to Cara.

"Are you ok with this?" he asked Li-Jing with a chuckle and a shrug of his shoulders.

She lightly bowed and smiled, "One must be flexible in matters of diplomacy, don't you think?"

There was a pause when Drew realized that he just became a father... he thought so anyway.

He heard something while contemplating this quandary. He turned back to Li-Jing

"I am sorry did you say something?"

'What does the cat eat?" Li-Jing asked

"Anything she wants," was his reply, which startled Li-Jing.

"Papa, no joke, you scare people!' he received in accented English from Cara.

"She has food in the shuttle Ill offload before I leave," he commented to Li-Jing.

He turned to Cara, "Come help unload and get some money to buy clothes."

LI-Jing commented "I have some she can wear. It's the least I can do to help my community with this opportunity."

"Just a day or two, ok Cara?"

"Yes papa," She said with a Mona Lisa smile.

***

His arrival back in the capital was meant to be quiet and he was so pleased that it was. He immediately called Eddie and 'requested' a meeting and did the same for the Clan queen and her human scholar Aiden. Aiden was the same human that was freed with Cara on the day of the Clan Cat capitulation.

The meeting was held in the overly ostentatious quarters he had been given in the palace. Drew did not live in this overstated museum of stolen objects. He lived in a three-bedroom suite originally created for a butler or someone or thing of that status. His living quarters were hidden behind all the drapes and hidden panels that adorned the room.

His guests arrived and he was so tired from continuous 'excitement' that he plowed right past all the pleasantries.

"So please tell me what Cara is to you? What is she?" he spoke directly to the Queen but kept an eye on Aiden.

"She was a plaything my husband gave me when we married and I kept her all these years," replied the queen.

"She is an abomination and should have been killed," stated Aiden through his translator.

"Silence dog, you will pay for that'" screeched the Queen.

"I am free now and can speak the truth. She was experimented on and changed from human to something else. A witch! She knows things when she should not. She is cursed!" yelled Aiden.

Drew sat up and leaned across the table, "You can leave now." Drew paused when Aiden kept sitting and not moving.

"You should get up and walk out now," Drew said in a low, slow voice, "because if I have to get up to help you leave, you may end up damaged." Drew could hear the words in Latin and then Aiden's eyes shot up and he almost fell backwards trying to leave.

Drew turned to Eddie and let out a sigh, "so what does her medical records show you."

Eddie was squeamish in responding, "I am sorry, this should have been flagged for my review when we did her Med review when she came to us," he kept flipping through the records on his tablet. He finally set down the tablet and let out a long breath.

"It looks like a very bad version of what my father did to you." Eddie almost had tears in his eyes remembering. "Hers was worse, there is actual scar tissue in her brain, my guess from the procedure. It's amazing she is not a vegetable."

"You did this?" Drew glared at the Queen.

"No. My Lord did," The queen would not meet his eyes, "when she lived but could not talk, mind to mind, she was given to me as a servant, I have protected her ever since."

"Well she is now my adoptive daughter," Drew looked at Eddie. He could see Eddie start to smile, "And is now only one of two people that we know of that can talk to the spiders."

Drew got up and stomped off, he was feeling the pain from so long ago, and wanted to talk to Cara to see if she remembered. But that would have to wait for a day or two, until he picked her up.

***

He dropped his shuttle down gently in the designated zone. He could see a welcoming committee and he groaned. He hated the pomp and circumstance, the hellos, the shaking of hands and the polite small talk.

He did his post flight check, and he was out the hatch. Cara came racing over and jumped into his arms. She almost beat Kitten. He hugged her back and let her know she could fill him in later because they were going to spend the night at the 'cabin.' He had left Goldie at the capital because of her reaction to the spiders. So, it would be just the three of them.

He met Li-Jing and thanked her for taking care of Cara and Kitten. She motioned for him to follow and they walked a small distance away from the others.

She turned and looked him in the eyes, "Has she told you about the headaches?"

"NO! What headaches?" Drew asked.