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.
Your guys'd just drop the supplies?" Zainal nodded. "They wouldn't come down to find out?" Zainal shook his head. "Why not?" Zainal now laughed. "You make trouble. They he paused and Kris could almost see him trying to sort through his head to find the right words, "play it safe. I play it safe, too."
"You mean, you wouldn't take the opportunity to get off Botany?" Mitford asked that in such a mild tone that Kris hoped Zainal would see he was being deftly interrogated.
"They don't take back what they put down," he said with a philosophical shrug.
Mitford grimaced. "So there's no chance we could commandeer one of their transports?" Zainal considered this and finally shook his head. "They be careful where they drop." He grinned. "Especially near you Terrans."
"How do you know that?" Zainal's teeth gleamed in the firelight when he smiled.
"Know it before, back on Barevi. Lots of talk. Hear it now from the new ones. Believe it, too. I see how you work."
"Thanks, buddy' Mitford replied sardonically but amused by Zainal's approval. "Why would they do us a favour then?"
"I tell you why." Now Zainal seemed to tense and Kris felt Mitford was pushing him too much, as if he didn't quite believe Zainal was on the level. "Keep healthy to improve this planet." Suddenly Zainal held out the slip of bark with its symbols and, with one thick fingertip, explained them.
"This says "drop"," and he pointed to the intricate hook in the centre of the first glyph. "This says "food"," and he ran his finger half round the next curlicue, "this "Deski creatures". This means." and he moved to the next glyph, "danger to the death" surrounded by urgent Fourth one says "medicines for infection". Four only.
Easy to make, easy to read from distance." His tone was cold and firm.
"OK, OK, man, I believe you," Mitford said. "Just had to ask."
"These my people, too, now, Zainal added, straightening his wide shoulders as if he, too, would assume some of that burden from Mitford.
"We are one people now, or by God, I'll know why!" Mitford said so fiercely that Kris almost recoiled. The sergeant saw her reaction and gave her a quick grin. "I could even get to like being in charge of this motley crew.
So, when will you be able to travel, Zainal?"
"Sunrise Kris started to protest but Mitford held up a hand to silence her. "If he thinks he can, he can. Those Deskis need the right food. And we can use the Deskis' abilities.
You go with him, Kris. How many will you need to carve the message, Zainal?" The Catteni waved his hand to indicate he'd go alone.
"Stuff it, buddy, man," Mitford said irritably. "You'll need help making those figures large enough to be seen from altitude. I know.
Had to do it in "Nam once. Even SOS takes time to make." He turned to Kris, an almost wistful expression on his face. "You don't happen to speak any Scandinavian language, do you?" And when she shook her head, he sighed. "New guys are all I have to send with you but you can break "em in to our new ways at the same time. And, I'll pick you one that speaks English and the rest'll be told what to do. Got it?"
"Got it, Sarge," and she rose, recognizing a dismissal when she heard it.
Zainal extended one hand to Mitford which the sergeant took readily enough and shook.
"You will not be sorry," Zainal said as he rose.
"1 sincerely hope not," Mitford replied. "Esker will have a patrol ready at first light."
Chapter Ten
Despite a broken night's sleep - since two of their room-mates were so restless any long period of sleep was impossible - Kris and Zainal were up well before the Botany dawn. They'd eaten - Bart was absent, asleep, one of the other cooks said, yawning - and were getting their travel rations when Esker came in with six people, five men and a woman who was nearly as tall as Kris.
She seemed relieved to see that Kris was in the party.
"I speak English," she announced. "I am named Astrid.
These are Ole, Jan, Oskar, Bjorn and Peter. We lived near Oslo.
Esker has told us we go with you to dig?"
"Yes, dig," Kris said, with a reassuring smile because she obviously thought it an odd job. She shook hands all round. "This is Zainal, our leader.
"You have Catteni as leader?" Astrid asked in a startled whisper.
"Good one, too, or you'd've all been eaten.
"Pardon?"
"The scavengers? The things that go bump in the night on this planet?" And Kris made a mouth of one hand and bit her other arm. Astrid reacted to that, jerking back and away from the demonstration.
"I do not always understand, Astrid said apologetically.
"We are still alive. We keep others alive?"
"Exactly! To help the Deskis keep alive we send a message."
"Someone will read?" Astrid was clearly amazed. One of the men shot her a quick sentence in the oddly liquid Norwegian language. She answered him as quickly and turned back to Kris. "I don't believe."
"Believe. We will carve the symbols on the ground to be seen in the air," and she mimed the actions.
"Oh," Astrid said and explained to her compatriots, who nodded in vigorous understanding.
"Kris?" and Kris recogni; one of the Australian nurses, hurrying into the cavern, waving a sack made from part of a blanket, the ubiquitous material used for anything from aprons to tents. "More fluff dressings for Zainal's leg." Then she shot an accusing look at the Catteni. "I knew you'd go off without them and that leg still needs support and dressings every day. I don't care if you are some kind of superman, you bleed red like the rest of us. Here!" And she jammed the sack into Zainal's hand and whirled about and ran out again.
With a half-grin, Zainal managed to look slightly embarrassed as he stowed the sack into the larger one he was carrying.
"Now we go," he said. Whether he had seen Mitford's gestures on their first trek or not, he raised his arm above his head and brought it down in the direction they were to travel.
Reassured by his manner, Kris motioned for the rest of the patrol to follow her and they left, as a good team, she thought.
But, as they left Camp Rock, Kris realized that last night both men - maybe unintentionally - had avoided discussing what would happen if the Meco Makers appeared first? Of course, with winter approaching - but it struck her as unrealistic to think that everything mechanical went down with the close of the growing season. Surely there was some sort of supervisor, or superintendant or overseer on the planet? Maybe on one of the other continents? Nevertheless, some thing must be in overall charge. When there was no response from the garages now that the solar panels were disconnected, some thing must register the lack of response. And check up.
And response was what they hoped to get. Or had Mitford's objectives changed now he was getting accustomed to being the top man here on Botany?
Well, as her grandmother used to say, why borrow trouble? It finds you soon enough.
While Zainal was not setting the pace he had on the first patrol Kris had done with him, he certainly didn't amble.
By the first rest stop, Kris knew that the Norwegians weren't going to slow them down.
Probably ski'd all winter in Norway. She kept her eyes on Zainal, though, to watch for any signs of an unconscious favouring of his inlured leg. Then she became aware that he was watching her watch him.
"You tell us names of things?" Astrid asked during the break.
"I don't know as we've named much, Astrid," Kris admitted, taking a swig of water from her pottery bottle.
Sandy's kiln worked and she'd found a glaze so the canteen, while still breakable, didn't leak. She even had a proper pouch for it, now attached to her belt.
"There're botanists going about checking plants to see if they're edible and stuff like that but I can't say as I've kept up with what they're doing."