Freedom's Landing
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Catteni Sequence #1
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Freedom's Landing». Краткое содержание книги:
The alien Catteni value strength and intelligence in their slaves—and Kristin has managed to survive her enslavement while hundreds of other humans have not. But her trial has just begun, for now she finds herself part of a massive experiment. The aliens have discovered a new world, and they have a simple way of finding out if it’s habitable: drop hundreds of slaves on the surface and see what happens.
If they survive, colonization can begin. If not, there are always more slaves.
"I'm a potter…Sandy Areson. Yeah, I know what you're thinking," and she grinned at the dubious expression on Mitford's face, "arty-farty stuff you'd call what I used to produce but I know how to make up pitchers, mugs, plates and useful things. That is, if this planet has produced clay."
"We'll keep that in mind, Mitford said, knowing that something as simple as pitchers and plates could be a morale booster.
Now in the cool predawn, Mitford began to plan the day's activities. A good hot meal in everyone's belly would make them optimistic, too. So hunting was the first order of the day. A detailed search of the immediate area and the rest of the cave system was next. And torches were needed to light the corridors that had already been explored.
That herbal guy could see what he could find edible in the vegetable line. There might even be berries.
There were two miners and they could look for ore deposits.
He'd send out patrols, keep everyone busy, and Arnie could do latrines. That made him smile. And anyone who complained about anything would join Arnie in that duty. With so many people, proper hygiene was of prime necessity.
One of the few pluses was that they were all healthy: the ones who weren't had been left on the field.
He set about waking up men he had tagged the day before as those with some hunting experience back on Earth. He'd have them look out for any wood that could be made into bows, arrows and spears. And slingshots. Mitford grinned as he pulled on his boots.
He'd been a crack shot as a kid: could stun a jackrabbit at forty yards.
And what was the name of that paramedic? Ah, Matt Dargle. Damn, he'd be glad to have writing materials.
Mitford shook Taglione, Murphy and Zainal awake and started handing out the orders of the day.
It was the stink that woke her. She started coughing and couldn't stop. She wasn't the only one coughing, either.
Everyone around her was. Then a whiff of cool, clean air wafted across her face and she tried to go back to sleep again. It was much too soon to wake up. It was still dark outside.
Outside of where? That question did it: she pushed herself to a sitting position to find out where she was.
Inside a cave. The fire in the centre was down to embers, although someone was trying to revive it by putting lumps smell-producing lumps - on it.
"I think I'd prefer the dark to the smell," she murmured, realizing that folks were still sleeping around her. In fact, she recognized Patti Sue's frail body next to her. Kris was chagrined.
She hadn't even made sure she still had her trek buddy when she'd gone to sleep. Zainal? Zainal. Hmmm.
She looked around but she couldn't find his body among those in here with her. She considered going back to sleep and then realized that first she'd better find the latrine.
"Where's the latrine?" she asked the figure feeding the fire.
"From here?" The man paused briefly. "Hmmm. Go left, take the third right-hand opening."
"Can I see where I'm going?"
"Oh yes." Although torches had been spaced out along the walls, she found the right cave as much by a certain smell as following the directions. She was amazed at what had been accomplished. Or, how long had she slept?
A toothbrush!
When she thought of those handy little pouches handed out by airlines if you went Business Class she wished she'd had one to hand: toothbrush, comb and nail-file, not to mention toothpaste, breath neutralizer and face cloth, would be very comforting right now. And something to eat. She passed by "her' cave on her return because she smelt something scrumptious - well, by comparison with what she'd lately had to eat.
She followed her nose, passing other side passages and peering into caves filled with sleeping bodies. She took a wrong turning and ended up in a cul-de-sac which smelled not at all appetizing, but nasty, old-mouldy, dead.
Her nose led her to the source, and the largest of the caves. It was a-bustle with activity; men, women and aliens - Kris was glad to see the resurgence of whimsy in herself - coming and going. Though what they were going to and coming from she wasn't sure until she saw a group of men, each triumphantly brandishing their spoils. They'd been hunting and, although the creatures resembled oversized rats without tails, if they were what was being grilled over the fires, she'd forget the resemblance.
She went over to the nearest griller and paused by the rock on which two cooked fragments had been laid.
"How do I get in line?" she asked the dark-skinned cook.
"I wouldn't stand on no ceremony was I you," he said with a grin.
"Don't mind what they look like: they taste good and that Cat said they wouldn't kill us."
"He did?" and Kris tried to act casual as she reached for the. meat? Food? It wasn't too hot to handle and she brought it to her lips, inconspicuously licking the part nearest her to get a taste. The taste confirmed the notion that her stomach needed this no matter what else happened. She took a good bite, inhaling air to cool the morsel, hot against her teeth. But she chewed it well she had to; the meat was tough. It chewed good and tasted great and fell into a grateful stomach.
"Only one a customer," the dark man said, carefully inserting his knife point to check the state of the portions on the spit.
"Understandable. I've got ration bars to fill in the spaces, but this hot " She paused not only to take another bite to follow the first one but also to give what she ate a proper designation.
"We're calling it meat," he said, grinning.
"Well, whatever it's called, it hits the spot. Thanks - and she left her voice on an upnote for him to supply his name.
"Bart," he said. "You're Kris."
"How'd you know that?"
"Cos you carried that girl fer two days and you know the Cat."
"Oh!" Such glory was unexpected. She looked around then, rather embarrassed. She saw neither Zainal nor Mitford. "Where's the Sarge and the Cat?" "Out.
Hunting, I think, and seeing if there're more caves." He wrinkled his nose. "This place isn't really big enough for us all. Good idea to spread out anyhow, iffen you asked me. Only nobody did." He spoke amiably.
"Better if we had running water' "Oh, we do, but the way down to it's no picnic"Oh?"
"Underground lake and river. Probably feeding some of the streams we passed." Kris licked the thick bone that had been covered with meat.
"Crack it open. Marrow makes good eating, too." Kris scrutinized the bone with reluctance to take his advice.
"Marrow's got a lot of good in it, Kris," Bart said solemnly.
"Crunch down quick to break it open and then suck." Rather than appear squeamish, she did so and the marrow was not at all unpleasant. She made sure she had cleaned both halves and then looked around her.
"In the fire," Bart said. "We burn everything we can find."
"So I'd…smdt," she said with a grin.
"Yeah, do get kinda rank, don't it." Depositing the bones on the fire and hearing them snap as the flame caught, she also got a whiff of the "burnt bone' smell. She licked her fingers so she'd remember better the way the meat had tasted. Then she untied her cup from its place on her belt. "Where's drinking water?"
"Over there," and Bart nodded his head towards the side where she could recognize the symmetry of the water crates, stored against the cave wall.
She had no sooner taken a drink when a woman, with her dark hair roughly chopped to a short length, tapped her on the arm. "You wouldn't know how to skin and clean a dead animal, would you?"
"Yup," she said with considerably more willingness than she actually had for the task. But she'd skinned squirrels and rabbits on her practical for the survival 8o qualification and now was a much better time to display her abilities.
"I'm Sandy and I got put in charge without knowing doodly squat.
I used to be "and she gave a droll grin, "a potter."