Illumination

© 2019 by Walter Reimer


Thumbnail art by  steamfox



The clan lived in a quartet of longhouses set back from the dune line, and Dara was led between them into the square space the dwellings were arranged around. The otter tried not to be too obvious about looking around, but noted that other groups of buildings were set up similarly.

Other clans, perhaps.

A variety of furs, including children, came out of the other three longhouses as he was stopped at the entrance to one building that bore a symbol carved into each of the doorposts. His two guards thumped their spears against the ground and gave a series of yips, and all of the mels in the crowd bowed their heads.

Dara followed suit, mainly to hide his smile. He recognized the symbol on the longhouse’s doorposts.

Waste Reclamation.

A pair of feet came into view, followed by a slightly querulous female voice. “Who are you?” she asked.

“Dara Qandus,” the otter replied, straightening up. The canine femme facing him had traces of gray in her fur, and a necklace of twisted gold and blue wire around her neck. Like everyone else, she was unclothed.

A matriarchy? The otter thought. Nothing he’d seen yet had hinted at a social structure like that. It was intriguing, but there was no time to ask questions.

“So, an outworlder mel,” the woman said. “These little ones,” and she indicated a few children who followed her out of the longhouse, “tell me that you were in our clanhold, fishing.”

Ahh. “If I have trespassed, I didn’t know, and I apologize.”

She scowled before bending to listen to one pup who sidled up beside her and tugged at her paw. She listened, shooed the little boy away and said, “He says that you caught spadetails, by yourself, and you shared your catch.”

“I did. I had to share; there were too many for me to eat.”

She eyed him. “I doubt that.” Her eyes narrowed. “How did you manage it?” His bag was placed before her, and the contents dumped out of it. “Some fell machine hidden in here?”

Dara smiled. “No fell machines. I had help,” he admitted.

“You were all by yourself,” one small child said.

“Not really,” and the otter glanced skyward. “The ship up in orbit told me where the fish were. I just had to be in the right place at the right time.”

This caused quite a bit of muttering, particularly among the adults. The talk quickly died as the headwoman stooped and picked up the net, feeling the texture between her paws as she walked up to Dara.

She shoved the net against the otter’s chest. “Prove it.”


***


“Deus,” Aburn Jorge breathed, his gaze drawn upward. The architecture forced a person to do that.

He and his team, with a few natives, stood at the edge of the Tau Beta’s main atrium, a huge space near the middle of the liner that extended five decks to a huge transparisteel dome. Over the years, or maybe when the ship was grounded, parts of the dome had fallen out of their frames and now lay atop and amid the furniture they had crushed. The native wildlife had infiltrated the space, and the team’s intrusion startled several birds from their nests.

The hyena’s nostrils wrinkled as he sniffed. The air was thick with the smells of vegetation and underlying rot. “Stay close to the perimeter,” he warned the others, and he squinted up at the dome, the sunslight obscured under dust and windblown sand. “No telling when the rest of that will come down.”

“Surprised it hasn’t already,” one of the natives remarked, and the others nodded.

Jorge had contacted Wen, the bear who was leading the reactor assessment team, and the two had agreed to rendezvous at the liner’s atrium before leaving the ship. They’d gotten here first, and had been waiting for several minutes.

He addressed his padd. “Wen? Jorge. Where are you?”

“Deck – yeah, one deck below you, on the opposite side of the atrium. Be there in a few,” the bear replied. “We took a detour to check the turbo-encabulator. It’s worthless.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. The karadium’s leaked from the tremie pipe assembly.”

“That’s too bad, it could have been salvaged. Listen, when you do reach the atrium, don’t get under the dome.”

“Worried about it?”

“That’s putting it mildly. I don’t need a sensor to tell me that it’s likely to fall in.”

“Right.”

One of the Tempesters (some people on the Expedient had started calling them that) piped up, “But it hasn’t fallen in, and it’s been eighty-seven years – “

“That’s true, but that’s just it. Eighty-seven years of holding on against gravity, all that dirt on it, getting rained on – it’s just too risky, in my opinion,” the hyena said. He panned his padd around, taking images of the structure and the scenery. Akiko would want to see it.

“I think I see them,” another of the natives said, and a light flashed on the opposite side of the atrium.

A bear stepped partway out of the shadows and waved. “Sorry for the delay,” Wen called out. “A few of the emergency doors were closed.” He edged a bit further in and looked up. “Wow. This must’ve been a sight when it was new.”

“No doubt,” Jorge said. “We’ll meet over there,” and he pointed, “and then we’ll get out of here.”


***


A section of the bridge decking quivered, then popped open, and a grimy husky femme clambered out. She grinned as the rest of her team laughed at her and the natives tried to hide their own mirth.

Akiko sat on the edge of the deck, dusting off her paws. “Is there anything wrong?” Tsien asked, wringing his paws anxiously.

“Doesn’t appear to be,” the husky replied, shaking her head. The feline grinned and she added, “All the data and power links from the core to here are intact. All you need to restart it is a reliable power source, which we can provide.”

Tsien’s grin, if anything, grew wider, while one of the natives who had been standing watch on the bridge asked, “The solar panels couldn’t do it?”

“The ones you have right now are very old,” another of Akiko’s team said, “and the batteries aren’t capable of holding enough of a charge. So, new batteries and solar cells.” The ibex smiled. “You know there’s a few planets who’d be very jealous of you.”

“Why?”

“These islands are the only landmasses on Tempest, but you’ve still got all this surface area out on the water, just begging to be used. And you’ve got two suns shining down on you.” He gave a short laugh. “To put it simply, friend, it’s raining soup – you just need a bucket.”

Akiko chuckled. “Now, next order of business is to bring down some generators and power this heap up,” and she patted the computer station.

“You don’t have them aboard your lander?” Tsien asked.

“They’re portable, but still take up space. We’ll have to go up to the Expedient and get one or two.” Tsien cleared his throat and Akiko asked, “Yes, Tsien-san?”

“Could . . . I mean, if it’s permitted . . . could I come with you?”

Akiko’s tail wagged. “I don’t see why not. Um, you’ll have to wear – “

“Clothes, yes. I’m sure I could find something. But I’m dying to see your ship,” the feline said.

“I don’t have any objection,” the husky said, and her ears flicked at a strangled, almost whimpering noise. She turned to see a stricken look on Matvei’s face. “Yes?” she asked the young buck.

“Um . . . Iwanttogowithyoutoo!” he yelped, the words coming out in a rush as tears came to his eyes again.

Tsien walked over to Matvei and looked at him searchingly. “Are you sure, Matvei?” When he nodded the feline said, “Your grandfather would have to be told, and he might say No.”

“I don’t care,” the buck sniffed. “I – I need to go, sir.”

The two Tempesters studied each other for a long moment, before Tsien slowly smiled. “I think – now, remember, the Conducator may still veto the idea – but I think that yes, you need to come with me.”

Matvei blinked. “I – I do?”

“Of course. I’m a member of the Committee, and you’re the Sergeant-at-Arms, second only to Security himself. You have to come along, my lad,” and the feline winked, “to make sure I’m safe.”


***


“And that’s about it,” Mari Athenry said as the holographic display went dark. She swallowed against a dry throat, and gratefully accepted a canteen of water from the Sociologist. After slaking her thirst she said, “You now know everything that’s been going on, up to the point we landed yesterday. I’ll have to link my padd to the Expedient if you want anything else, or any more recent news.”

The six Tempesters looked back at her blankly. The full presentation had taken well over an hour, and even Agriculture had been drawn to the images and sound. Now the Committee sat transfixed and trying to process everything they’d just seen and heard.

The door opened, causing the Conducator’s ears to flick as Technology stuck his head in. “I beg your pardon, Conducator, but I need to go up to the Expedient.”

“Hm? What?” the elderly buck asked. Athenry blinked and Adson looked startled.

“They wish to turn on the Tau Beta’s computer, and I wish to observe.”

“Oh. Very well,” and Calibanescu waved a paw.

“Really! Oh, jolly good – and I need to take the Sergeant-at-Arms with me – you know, for security.”

This time, the waved paw seemed to signal irritation. “Yes, yes, very well. Report to the Committee when you get back.”
Tsien grinned gleefully and, deciding not to push his luck, closed the door.

The kangaroo and the fossa exchanged glances, and Adson shrugged.

Calibanescu finally stirred in his seat. “The Chair will speak upon a point of privilege,” he said, and the other five members paid attention. “The Chair requests that Chief Athenry and her staff please leave the room until the Committee has had time to fully consider the information she’s given us.” He looked at the doe. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Athenry gathered up her padd and stood, followed by the others in her party. “Of course, Conducator. We’ll await your decision.” She ushered the others out, and was the last to leave.

When the door closed, Calibanescu said, “We will now discuss this – and then we will consider a vote of confidence in the Member for Education,” and the gaze he gave Chiuri was flinty.