Starship X-15 Read online

Rick is boiling another big vat of water for the ship. Even though the ship has a water heating system itself, he boils it first to kill any bacteria. It seems like the more we civilize our settlement, the more work there is to constantly do. I know this is good for us in every way, especially mentally. Haley loves doing her chores, as she makes a game of sorts out of them.

  I hear Haley ask, “Daddy, can we all go ‘eeshing’ after we get our important work done?”

  “Sounds good to me, but ask your momma too.”

  “Momma, can we all go ‘eeshing’ after we get done?”

  “That sounds like fun baby, sure.” I give her my happiest smile, or rather it just appears on my face without effort.

  We have been schooling her as best as we can, and she can already read and write fairly well. Her math skills are astounding. Rick has her learning pre-calculus algebra already. Since he understands math so well, it’s easy for him to explain it so she can understand it too. I am trying to teach some basic cosmological principles, but I have a hard time explaining it myself. The computer sure helps, and is also one of her teachers in a way. This might not be immediately important for her, and perhaps never important at all, but just in case it could be; we will continue Haley’s education.

  It is late in the evening when we finally wrap up our family ‘eeshing’ trip to the river below the lake. Rick had made a fishing pole for Haley last year on her seventh birthday, and she loves catching ‘eesh’ with it. Rick and I use spears, because we don’t fish for sport. This trip Haley actually caught more than either of us, and she is excited about this fact, not gloating, just happy.

  “We’d better get back to camp while we can still see the trail, I didn’t bring the flash light.” Rick informs us.

  So we hurriedly gather all our things.

  “One of the red lights!” Haley shouts.

  I look up and see it moving right towards us from down river, and it is way too close!

  “Hurry!” Rick begins to pull both Haley and myself up the bank.

  It’s like my feet are frozen, I can’t stop staring at it. It floats above the water like a ghost, and I can see tentacles dangling below some sort of head that looks similar to an octopus, but I can see through it too, like a ghost!

  “Run!” Rick yells, as it is almost upon me. He yanks me behind him, and blocks the thing from getting to me. I am tossed to the ground.

  Now I become unfrozen, and I stand up grabbing my spear. Stepping to the side of him, I see one of the tentacles touching Rick’s chest. He looks frozen now, and I hear him let a deep moan. The tentacle touching him turns to glowing bluish white light, and it sure looks to be sucking the life right out of him. I jab and slash with the spear, but it goes right through the damned jelly fish ghost thing. It is like it is not even there.

  “Get back Momma!” Haley yells, and it startles me into doing just that.

  Haley steps right up to the glowing monster, and reaches her hand right into the thing’s head. The next moment the red glow dims greatly from the creature, and Haley’s arm glows bright red. The creature has no light coming from it now, as the head and tentacles turn to a vapor and are gone. Rick falls towards the ground, and I catch him. Haley’s arm is still glowing red slightly, as she comes to us.

  “He’s breathing, but barely. We have to get him into the ship baby, can you help me?” I beg.

  “Come on.” She grabs and lifts his legs.

  I heave on his torso, and doing this it only takes us forty minutes or so to get him into his couch. He’s still unconscious, and breathing very shallow. I want to ask Haley what she did to kill that thing, but right now I have to figure out how to best help my love.

  His pulse is weak and slow. He feels a bit cool, so I get one of the shaggy beast blankets and cover him. The only medicines I have are all orally administered, and he has to be conscious for that.

  “Is daddy going to be okay?” her voice is worried sounding.

  “I don’t know baby. I don’t know what that thing did to him.”

  “It was sucking his soul out of him, that’s how they must feed.” She tells me.

  That floors me… I can’t heal a soul, and I can’t lose him!

  “I don’t know what to do for him.” I shrug with helplessness, and cry.

  Haley frowns, and she is thinking hard, I know the face well.

  “What did you do to that thing baby?” I have to know.

  “I could feel it sucking daddy’s soul out, so I sucked its soul out, before it got all of daddy’s.”

  “How did you know to do that?”

  “I could feel it doing it, and I figured I could do the same thing to it. So I did, that’s all.”

  Holy crap! What is happening with my baby girl?

  “I know what to do to help daddy.” She announces. “We have to drink some strong glow berry tea, and then we will hold him, both of us. Then when he is strong enough to wake up, we can give him some tea too.”

  The aura glow, yes! That must be the connection right there. It has something to do with our souls. Maybe that is why Haley could feel that ability.

  We both go out into camp to get everything we need for the tea, and the flashlight, as it seems to scare the red glowing monsters away. Then we retreat back into the ship, and close it up tight. I show Haley how to make the much stronger dried glow-root tea, and we drink a couple cups each. Next we cuddle up to Rick on his couch, and lovingly caress him. I don’t remember falling asleep, but when I awaken I see Haley is sitting up by her daddy, with her hands on his chest. Golden blue light is flowing from her hands into him, and I hear that he is breathing much deeper.

  “What are you doing baby?” I ask softly.

  “When I took the soul-sucker’s soul, I also got what it had taken from daddy. I’m giving some back. I can’t give it all at once though, because I feel that would hurt daddy.”

  She stops after a moment, and cuddles up next to him again. I also lay back down, but I sure can’t sleep now.

  The next day we drink more of the tea, and stay right with him. Haley gives him back some more of his soul, and near night fall he wakes. Quickly I make another cup of the root tea for him to drink, and then another as soon as he finishes the first.

  The only thing he says to us is, “Thank you, I thought I was a goner.” Then he rolls over and goes to sleep. We cuddle him all night again. I realize we are almost out of the dried root on hand, meaning I will need to make the trip to get more in the morning.

  When I tell Haley I am going for more glow plants, she says she will come with me so we can get a bunch. Of course Rick wants to come too, but he is still too weak to get out of bed.

  “Momma, can I wear your pretty necklace today?” she asks on the way out the airlock.

  “Sure baby, here.” I take it off, and slip it over her head. “Be careful with it though baby, it means a lot to me. Here wear it under your top, like I do.”

  “Okay. Is it important because you found it on that dead alien?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “I guess I will feel the same way as you do about it then, momma.”

  She makes me so proud, in all ways possible.

  We hike up around the lake to the river feeding into it, and to the little valley with the ferns and glow-plants growing in it. There are plenty of each, as we never even dent the growth. So we stuff both our sacks full of the glow-plants, but take no ferns this trip, just the medicine we need for Rick.

  Just as we exit the valley by the river, I am totally startled by some strange beings standing around the entrance of the valley. They are bi-pedal, and dressed in animal skins, also they are brandishing spears at us. The creatures are tall, and thick, with wiry hair all over them, including their strange heads and faces. Faces like a very wide snouted goat, with a much flatter face though.

  “Hmmmmnnm.” One of the creatures emits from its wide snout. At the same instant it slashes its’ spear to knock my spear from my hand. This makes me jump, and so I s
tep in front of Haley to protect her.

  “Hmmn.” The obvious lead one, with a shiny metal spear makes a different noise.”

  I turn my head back towards Haley, and am about to tell her to run back up the little valley, when I see there are now several of the beings behind us too. They all have spears, but most are wooden ones with chipped stone points. Only the leader has the metal one that looks like steel.

  Suddenly paws are grabbing me and I scream as a rope is pulled down over my head, and then around my waist. Haley screams too, as they tie her with a rope also.

  “Hmmnm.” The lead one says, and he walks off, up the bank of the river, the others follow, with us being pulled along. Some are behind us as well. I scream as loud as I can, but I’m sure that Rick can’t hear us all the way back in camp, much less bed-ridden in the ship. It wouldn’t matter if he could.

  We are taken far up the mountain river to a narrow spot with large boulders forming a ford across it. The leader forges the way across and then the rest of us follow. I tell Haley not to worry, and that we will be alright. I think she knows I am lying my ass off though. A few more miles and we are so tired that the creatures are pretty much dragging us along. Finally the leader signals for a break.

  They give us water, and offer us some of their food, trail food anyhow. A little ball wrapped in a leaf is handed to each of us. I unwrap it to find a ball of some sort of grain mixed with some specks of herbs or something. It actually tastes pretty good. I see Haley agrees as she is already finished with hers. This break gives me the chance to observe the beings more closely. Their faces seem oddly familiar to me somehow, but I can’t place it. Maybe I dreamed of them. They aren’t belligerent, other than capturing us and forcing a march on us. At least they aren’t beating us, or poking us with the spears. I sure hope they are herbivores.

  The break is fairly short, and onward we go. The thought of trying to escape comes to mind, frequently, but always ends with the realization that Haley probably couldn’t out run them, and maybe not me either. They look pretty strong. We cross a ridge at the base of the granite spires of the peaks, and I swear it looks like we are following an old trail. One that hasn’t been used in years it seems.

  Towards dusk the leader stops at a previously used camp site, with a freshly burned fire pit. They give us two of the grain balls each, and as much water as we desire. I figure that we may have a chance to slip away in the night, and casually mention this to Haley as if part of our light dinner banter. She’s good, and plays it off like I didn’t say anything important, but she agrees. Unfortunately they point to a flat spot where we will sleep, and one of the beings that Haley has named ‘Hum Drums,’ stands guard near us, and is holding onto the ropes around us.

  I do try to take the rope off of me once, but right away the guard raps my legs with its’ spear shaft lightly, and says, “Hmn.”

  They sure are interested in us for some reason, I hope it is just curiosity.

  Morning comes early, and we are rousted well before the sun is up. A bathroom break, which they insist on observing, followed by some more water offered, then we are off again. Our journey takes four days moving as fast as the ‘Hum Drums’ can drag us along. We go over many ridges and across many valleys as we march north.

  Finally we crest a ridgeline, and in the high valley below us, I see structures which are very familiar to me. Stepped pyramids, as found in Central and South America. There are a number of them, and I count the ones I can see. Seven of varying sizes, all thickly over grown with vegetation.

  “Those are just like the pyramids in the computer’s database, of the ones on Earth, aren’t they Momma?”

  “Yes Haley, those are pyramids alright.”

  They don’t let us stop and gawk for long. We go down into the valley, and the city of pyramids.

  I am disappointed right away as we enter the city, as it is obviously deserted, and most of it is in ruins. I see two smaller pyramids between the bigger ones, that I didn’t count, and one of them stops me in my tracks. It is brilliantly gleaming metallic gold, or some metal that looks like gold. Bismuth? There is no growth on it.

  “That gold one is prettier than any I’ve seen in the computer.” Haley giggles at the sight of it.

  They take us through the city, and into the forest on the other side, following a small stream that began somewhere else in the ruined city. It is another five clicks or so, before we exit the woods onto vast wide open plains. The stream seems to disappear just ahead, and the ‘Hum Drums’ bring us up to the edge of a deep canyon. The stream becomes a tall waterfall cascading down below. There is a trail down into the canyon, and down we go. I see many mud like huts comprising a village along the banks of the stream far below, and there are many of the ‘Hum Drums’ waving in a peculiar manner at the returning party.

  By the time we get to the canyon floor, several hundred of the strange beings are lined up to greet the returning party, and to see us it seems. They hum curiously, at least that’s how I interpret it. Our captors lead us to a smallish hut made from mud bricks with some straw like stuff mixed in with it. It looks just like an igloo, without the entrance tunnel. Instead there is a doorway, covered by the shaggy beast’s hide. They take the ropes off of us gently, and motion for us to go in. So we do, me first, and it is pretty dark, but no ‘Hum Drums’ are inside. There are some thick furry hides laid out as beds on the dirt floor. So we have a seat on the hides.

  “Daddy must be worried sick about us.” Haley reminds me. The thought has crossed my mind more than once. I know Rick will be going crazy.

  “At least they didn’t capture him too.” I offer.

  “How are we going to get back home to him?” She starts to cry, so I hold her close, rubbing her shoulders and back.

  “We will, just pay attention to everything, remember where any tools you see are, and try to get some of them without being caught.”

  She goes to a light sobbing now, “Okay Momma.”

  In a few minutes the hide door is opened and a ‘Hum Drum’ brings us a bucket of water, some cups to drink with, and a basket with some of the rolled grain balls and some other possible food items. Then it leaves again without a word, or hum, but it does leave the hide flap open to give us some light.

  “Hungry?” I ask her.

  Haley nods and wipes the last of her tears away.

  I pick up a grain ball and hand it to her. “We know those are good. I’m going to taste test some of these other morsels.”

  “I want to try them too Momma.”

  “Oh you will sweetie, if they are good to eat.”

  There are two guards outside the hut, so we don’t try anything that evening or night, thinking we may have to lull them into complacency first. The next morning after we’ve eaten and taken care of pressing business, a different looking ‘Hum Drum’ comes into the hut. It is smaller than the others, and its’ face is much more elongated, and not squat at all. Now I remember where I have seen their heads before. This one has the same shape as the skull that I found in the cave on Destiny.

  “Hmnm.” It says, and covers its lower torso with its paws, then it opens the paws outwards. “Hmnm.” It says again, and this one’s voice is much softer and lighter than the others. I figure she must be a female of their species.

  “I think it’s greeting us.” Haley mimics the motions with her hands.

  The ‘Hum Drum’ repeats the hum and the gesture towards Haley specifically. I then mimic the motion too, and she repeats the seeming greeting to me as well.

  “Hmmnmmn. Hmn.” She points to me.

  “I’m Devon, pleased to meet you.”

  She tilts her head both ways as if confused.

  Next she hums and points at Haley.

  “Haley. Pleased to meet you.” Haley repeats the same motion.

  The ‘Hum Drum’ again repeats the greeting to Haley. Then it hums something very long, and points at my chest. It takes the soft supple looking animal skins off of it, and points to her four
teats, and then at mine again. Next she mimic taking something… a baby from her obvious vagina, and makes like she is licking it clean.

  “Yes.” I nod. “I am a female as well. So I take my flight suit off, and show her my two teats, and my similar sex organ. I imitate taking a baby from myself, and then licking it clean as she did. Then I touch Haley’s shoulder, and pat it; next I pat my womb.

  I watch the ‘Hum Drum’s’ head go in a circle, and then she puts her clothes back on, as I do too following her lead. Even though the entry flap is wide open, there are no gawkers. Then she points at Haley again and hums. Neither of us understand, and we shrug at each other. So she comes close and points at the gold chain of the necklace that she can see on her neck. She hums again.

  “Oh, look. It’s a pretty necklace, that’s all.” Haley pulls the pendant from inside her own soft hide clothing.

  It takes a second, then the female’s eyes fly wide open, and she gets on all fours, hiding her face to the ground.

  “HMMMN!” She whines loudly.

  The guards both come in quickly, and they see her on all fours and then they look us over. Both of their eyes also fly wide open when the see the necklace, and they also kowtow, or hide their faces, or whatever they are doing. After a moment, one of the guards hums something, and then he crawls from the hut. He gets up and runs whining to warn the others. I hope we’re not in trouble.

  I take Haley by the hand and we exit the hut. Just then a large crowd of the ‘Hum Drums’ are running up to us, they all fall to their faces, as if in worship.

  “Maybe they will let us leave now?” Haley offers an idea.

  “I like the way you think girl. Let’s try it, let’s just start walking on out.”

  They don’t try to stop us at all, and as we are about to mount the trail back up out of the canyon, one of the ‘Hum Drums’ comes running up to us and bows some paces from us, offering a water skin bag, and some grain rolls in a large pouch. We take them, and smile as we leave.

  Once out of the canyon we both laugh about that whole strange encounter. The thought that there is a definite connection between the ‘Hum Drums,’ and the skeleton I found, runs through my mind on replay mode. They recognized the necklace alright, but they sure don’t seem like a star faring race.