Well folks, after dealing with a lot of things in "Real Life" I'm finally back. Sorry for the long delay in updating the story. Couldn't be helped, I'm afraid. Hope you will all enjoy this installment.
*
Benjamin drifted. It felt as if he were afloat on his raft, but he could not feel it beneath his feet. More than that, there was virtually no pitch or yaw and that was impossible on Storm World.
"You need to stop being crazy, Ben," a calm, soothing voice said from behind him. He turned to look and nearly collapsed upon seeing her.
"Angela!"
"You always look so surprised to see me," she laughed.
Tall, blonde, willowy and tomboy-ishly beautiful, Angela stood before him. She hadn't aged a day. If anything she looked younger and more vibrant. A light seemed to emanate from her. In her arms was a small gray cat that looked coolly at Benjamin, though he could hear her purring from a couple of meters away.
"You brought Celia," he said, a smile replacing his expression of surprise.
"She insisted on coming, sweetheart," Angela said and stroked the cat between the ears. Celia purred louder and turned her head into Angela's caress.
Benjamin hesitantly stepped closer, not believing what he was seeing. He stretched out his hands to touch Angela lightly on the shoulders, fearful she would be no more substantial than smoke. But she was solid and warm and there. Angela stepped into his arms and he hugged her and the cat. She was there. Angela was there! Benjamin buried his face in her shoulder and his embrace became nearly desperate. He began to weep quietly.
"It's alright," she soothed, putting her arm around him, holding on gently until he could get himself under control. Celia purred and stretched up to nuzzle his cheek.
Without seeming to move Benjamin found himself lying beside Angela upon a soft bed. The indistinct place he had found her resolved into their old apartment on Tah-Sidhe Station. Candlelight filled their small bedroom and she cradled his head upon her breast. Celia sprawled languidly across them both, gently pawing his arm in search of attention. He stroked her soft fur and for the first time in many, many moths Benjamin felt safe and at home.
"I've missed you," he whispered to them.
"You've been away a very long time," Angela said softly and kissed the top of his head. The cat only purred and licked his fingers.
"I don't like where I've been," he said and turned his face to look at Angela. "And you aren't really here, are you?"
"No," she said a little sadly.
"I want to go home," he said, tears welling at the corners of his eyes again.
"Then you have to stop being crazy," she said and the cat looked at him earnestly.
"Will you be there when I get back?" he asked.
"We'll be where we always are, my love," she said, that note of sadness still in her voice. "It's time for you to wake up now, Benjamin. There are things that need to be done. People need your help."
"I don't want to go," he protested.
"I'm so sorry, my love, but you have to," she said and kissed him softly.
"I love you," he told her.
"We love you, too, darling," Angela said and gave him the gentlest of shoves. "Always remember that."
Benjamin felt himself float off the bed and glide across the room. He should have bumped into the bulkhead, but he just continued to float away, the bounds of the apartment becoming more and more vague. As Angela and Celia shrank into the distance he heard her say, "Go and be happy, my love. We'll wait for you. Be happy."
Benjamin woke slowly from what might have been hours of sleep. He remembered the dream. He remembered what Angela had said and wondered if he really had been crazy. If he had, for how long? As his senses came back to him Benjamin heard a soft movement as if something light glided over stone. He listened for it again and now could discern a nearly sub audible rumbling. There was also a scent he had not noticed before. It was different than he was used to. It smelled exotic and wild, as if a creature of the Golden Savanna had crept into his bedroom. The scent was warm and vibrant and for just a minute he refused to open his eyes, wanting to enjoy the possibility that somewhere out there was a place where it did not rain every day and sunshine beat upon the earth until it was warm and dry. A place where clean breezes flowed, bringing scents of growing things instead of the smell of wet and rot.
Something moved near him, bumping his cot and he reluctantly opened his eyes. There, sitting on the floor and leaning against his cot, was one of the aliens. Benjamin remained silent, observing her secretly.
She was larger than the one who had spoken English to him, the one with auburn fur, blue-black stripes and mane, and the white blaze on her throat. This one had no mane and her coat was red-gold with little white tufts on the tips of her rounded ears. Her feline features blended pleasantly with a very Human physique. What had they been called? Zav Etch or Javich? Or was it Davidge? Something like that, anyway. Their speech was a melodious buzzing, hissing, chirping sound punctuated with more guttural growls and rowls and coughs. In time he might be able to approximate it, but he doubted he would ever be fluent.
"Do you speak English?" he asked quietly.
Startled, the alien bounced to her feet like she'd been stung. Her dark green eyes blinked owlishly at him and her tail lashed the air in agitation. With a snort she laughed and put a hand to her mouth, perhaps to hide the large carnivore fangs he had noticed earlier. He liked her laugh. It sounded real and it sounded embarrassed. He laughed, too. She said something in her own tongue, gesturing at an electronic device in her hand and then she snickered, folded the thing up and slipped it into a white case the size of a shoebox.
"No idea what you just said, lady," he told her and smiled. She returned his smile, though, again she did not show him her teeth. He pointed a thumb at his chest and said, "I'm Benjamin."
The alien frowned so he repeated himself. This time her eyes opened a little wider, her ears rotated forward inquisitively and the tip of her tail twitched just like a house cat's when it spots prey or the dot of a laser pointer. He said his name again more slowly and she smiled.
"Ima` Nef`Tn," she said and pointed to herself with the two thumbs on her right hand. He hadn't noticed that before. It was strange. Two thumbs on either hand. Probably had made it easier for her pre-sentient ancestors to capture prey.
"Immanftn?" he asked.
She snorted good humoredly and shook her head before saying her name again.
"Ema neften?" he asked.
Again she smiled, shook her head and repeated her name. She said it syllable by syllable and then as she had said it the first time.
"Ima` Nef`Tn," Benjamin said slowly. "It's like speaking Japanese. Have to enunciate clearly."
"J'a Paneez?" she asked. Her accent was strong, but Benjamin understood.
"Yeah," he said, smiling. "Nihongo."
"Nihongo?" she asked. Her eyes gleamed and her whiskers vibrated.
"
Do you speak Japanese
?" he asked in that language, his smile broadening.
"Hai!" she said, returning his smile. "
I studied Japanese
!"
"Really?" Benjamin asked, falling back into English and then catching himself. "
Where did you learn it
?"
"
I originally studied communications
," she said in slow, stilted cadence. "
When the war began I requested transfer to combat duty. My Japanese is imperfect
."
"
Mine also, Ima` Nef`Tn
san
," he said and sat up. "
What war
?"
She looked very uncertain, her ears folded down against her head and her whiskers flattened back on her cheeks.
"
jZav'Etch make war with the... I do not know the name in Japanese
," she finally told him. "
Not your Humans. Commander M'peth qHo can explain
."
"Not my Humans?"
he mused and then shrugging it off said
, "I am starving. I need food and something to drink. Did I not put some tea on to brew
?"
"
I believe you did, Ben 'Jamin san
," she said, sounding relieved at the change of subject. "
I will get some for you. Please wait here
."
"Hey!" he called, stopping her before she could leave. "
Am I a prisoner
?"
"
No
." She looked puzzled. "
This is your cave. We jZav'Etch are... What is the word? Guests? Yes. We are your guests. I will return with the tea and some food if you permit
."
"Okay," he said and then nodded his assent.
When he was alone Benjamin sat on his cot, thinking. How long had it been since he had had someone to talk too? He was not going to count the obviously imaginary creatures that had populated his mind. Had it been years? Actual years?
Dr. Grace Madan had been the last of the expedition to die. Bitten or stung by something small and extremely venomous, her wound had become infected and the damaged auto-doc had not been able to help her. After more than a week of fighting the infection Grace had slipped into fevered sleep and lingered for several more days before she'd succumbed. Benjamin had carried her up to the top of the cliff where there was actual soil rather than marshy loam. She now lay next to the others and the stones that marked those whose bodies they had never found.
"We ran out of chemlights," he said softly and scratched in his beard. "But Grace was still alive when that happened."
Too much had occurred since her death for him to recall it all. At one point he had seriously considered suicide, rejecting the idea out of sheer stubbornness. Isolation had done its evil work and without anyone to care for or protect or even speak with, Benjamin's mind became confused. One day had run into another until they all seemed the same and he lost track of time. Life became an unending series of minor events punctuated only by the storms that came and went, hammering the island for days only to leave it in peace and calm.
Benjamin had fallen into a routine, wandering out from the cave to gather food or firewood and then returning to sit and play solitaire or make points for his spears and arrows. At least, that was the way it had been until out of boredom he'd checked the computer.
"That wasn't that long ago," he murmured to himself and scratched in his beard again. "At least, I think it wasn't that long ago. I started harvesting the reeds after that. Why?"
Quite some time ago, perhaps three years, he had made his canoe in order to get around more easily. Without water transport he had to take long, meandering and dangerous routes to get certain kinds of food that were absolutely essential for his health. Even getting obsidian for his weapons and tools was easier with the canoe. To leave the island and cross the rolling sea he needed a much larger vessel, though. He had begun by harvesting the reeds from the inland marsh and binding them together in long cylindrical bundles. In short order, he had a functional raft, but to cross the open water to the next island he needed a large boat or a small ship. He'd gathered more reeds and expanded the raft's deck, including a prow. Benjamin reflected that it was fortunate for the aliens he had done so. Without the raft he might have saved only one or two.
"But what made me want to leave the island?" he murmured and scratched in his beard yet again. "Something important."
Frowning, Benjamin looked down at himself. He looked like hell. His ragged beard was a tangled mess that hung down to his sternum. He tried dragging his fingers through it and found knots and bits of twigs and leaves. His hair was pretty much in the same shape.
"Good Lord!" he swore mildly and began picking the worst of the debris out, tossing it into an old ration can next to the cot.
While he was so occupied Ima` Nef`Tn reappeared in the doorway with his cup and tea kettle, as well as a light green plastic pouch. She set the pouch on the foot of his cot and handed him the cup. He held it steady while she poured his tea. It had brewed too long, but a cup of strong tea might be in order. Of course the tea was not made with real tea leaves. He harvested a certain kind of seaweed on the far side of the island and hung it in one of the side tunnels where it would dry. It had a very strong, slightly bitter taste that suggested the flavor of tea rather than duplicated it.
"
You should have brought a cup for yourself
," he told Ima` Nef`Tn in Japanese. "
You might like this stuff
."
"
I have already eaten
and am not thirsty,"
she said and set the kettle on top of his shelf. She picked up the green pouch and tore it open. Steam rose from the packet, filling the small space with an enticing aroma. "
I think you will enjoy this. It is hot. Please be careful."
Benjamin accepted the pouch and looked inside. Whatever it was did not look appetizing at all, whatsoever, in the least. However, it smelled wonderful! She handed him a plastic two pronged fork and smiled expectantly.
"Well," he said dubiously in English. "I didn't have to kill or cook it."
Benjamin jabbed one of the large chunks and popped it into his mouth before he could get a good look at it. (No sense in spoiling his breakfast, after all.) The food practically melted in his mouth. It was some kind of dumpling and the gross looking sauce it was covered in tasted like a cross between mild hot sauce and horseradish.
"
