Chapter 11: Female Chauvinist

Chapter 11: Female Chauvinist

Mia deliberately walked leisurely back into the Talon, surrounded by her armed Elyran escort, taking her time to take a look at the bustling Elyran activity in the corridors. Nick took the opportunity to discreetly record more in the hidden camcorder mounted on the shoulder of his suit.

"So, Nick," she said, "what are you thinking?"

Nick minutely swiveled his suit from side to side as he walked. "Well, Skipper, everything seems to be going well." He bent backward and focused on one of the ceiling light panels. "And the Elyrans seem to be friendly sorts." He bent over and focused on the deck. "In a very nineteenth-century Victorian sort of way." He smiled.

"Their civilization is at least eighty millennia old. I find it hard to believe we're still dealing with a bunch of prudes."

"So? Age doesn't make one an automatic sophisticate."

"Notice the smell?"

Nick sniffed cautiously. "It's almost gone, now."

"I think it's some kind of natural pheromone or chemical. It comes out during stress or fear. Something like that."

"Wish we could get a sample."

"Good luck."

"Tiny little buggers, huh?"

"Just a bit. What about those other ones - they werent small at all."

"The Detterex?"

"Yeah, the Detterex. I wish we could keep one of them for tests and observation."

"These aren't pets, Nick. These are people."

"I know, I know. Just wondering out aloud."

O'Connell looked ill at ease. Though she knew the Elyrans couldn't understand what they were talking about, she couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. Their Elyran escorts looked at her somewhat in shock, but quickly looked away. Now what did that mean? She reached up to her suit collar and turned up the gain of her translator but the aliens weren't talking.

She turned to Mia. I'm being silly, she thought, and decided to join in.

"I think the princess has the hots for you," she blurted. Mia and Nick looked at her, and she laughed.

"How can you tell?" Nick asked.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

"I know. Women almost always know."

"Ma'am," Nick said, "beggin' your pardon, but this particular woman was born hundreds of light years away. Not to mention the fact that we have more in common with a bullfrog than with her. And besides, Mia's a girl, too."

"What? There are no lesbians in Elyra?"

Nick spluttered.

O'Connell tried to hide a small grin. Mia blushed, and the Elyrans looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"This discussion is getting us nowhere," Mia said gruffly. "Let's drop the subject." She tried to change the topic. I wonder where they're leading us. This isn't where we passed through before."

Nick tapped the lead Elyran and asked.

"We are going to My Lady's main audience chamber," the Elyran answered, "where we are to meet the Princess, and Prince Ren's science staff."

"That's good. Lead on, MacDuff."

The Elyrans looked at each other. "Macduff?" one of them asked the other.

-----

Tomoguchi peeked through the window of the carrier's airlock. "I don't think the Captain or Commander O'Connell will like this, sir," his aide said.

"Shut up, Lieutenant." Tomoguchi knew his commanding officers would not like the fact he left the ship in the hands of the chief engineer, But he felt he had no choice. No way would he risk someone if he could stand in for that person. He turned back to his work.

"Everybody ready?" He took a deep breath and swung open the door. He could only half see what was in front of him: barely perceptible coruscating bands of rainbow-colored distortion washed over his helmet's faceplate as his radiation shield ticked over, blocking his vision enough that visibility was cut down to about eight feet or so.

"I agree, Captain."

Another one, a Marine this time, raised her hand. "Could they be telepathic, Captain? You know, read minds and stuff."

Mia shrugged. "I don't know, Private. They could be. Gives them one hell of an advantage, if thats true." The looks that she got were thoughtful.

"Anyway, Fleet and the CETI people will investigate this and get back to us."

In the video pickup, one of the fighter pilots from the Constellation raised his hand. "Sir, mostly the thing I noticed was their fighters. They look like rocket-powered ships. Now, why would they use rocket power, when they have artificial gravity? Look at us. All our ships have gravity engines."

"That's right, Mia said. And, you know, the Detterex had two tankers? One of them was blown up by an accidental collision. They probably use the tankers to refuel their fighters and other smaller ships."

Either they know something about gravity plates that we dont, or else theyre not as smart as we thought theyd be, O'Connell said.

Someone else signaled for attention - the chief navigator on the Constellation. Sir, how about military tactics? Seems to me, our guys were able to run rings around em.

I think it was more technology than anything else, lieutenant, Mia answered. Naturally our ships were faster and more maneuverable.

The lieutenant raised a slightly dubious eyebrow. Well, maybe.

O'Connell turned towards Mia, a questioning eyebrow raised. She was wondering if they should talk about the meeting. O'Connell decided to shut down the meeting instead. "Well, sir, OConnell said. After all of this, what now?"

"We'll wait for our people that are investigating the Arachnian derelicts, and, unless Fleet Command has other ideas, we will escort the Federation ships back home."

"Back home, sir? Back to Earth?"

"Yup. Also, have the Quartermaster replace all issued translators with ones that can also broadcast English-to-Elyran.

OConnell nodded. "What about the other aliens, sir? The Detterex?"

"Theyve changed course and seem to be headed the same way, Commander. Along with the rest of their fleet."

-----

Tomoguchi gave terse instructions to his pilot, and their carrier smoothly took off from the ruined alien ship. He felt his back prickling but suppressed an urge to look back.

On his ship were twenty-one of the bugs (Excuse me, he thought to himself laughing, I meant extraterrestrials. The captain wouldnt like it if he made such a mistake out loud.), which accounted for roughly two thirds of the surviving Arachnians. Another shuttle carried the remaining third, along with a load of their equipment and personal effects. Both shuttle-carriers were headed to the Seeker.

He listened with more than half an ear to the chattering and clicking alien talk and tried to sense some meaning in them. He could not shake the vague impression he had of the aliens being familiar. He thought of spiders but they werent that similar to strike a chord. He snapped his fingers and thought, Aha!

The aliens curiously looked over to him, and he turned and automatically shrugged, as if to say that he didnt mean anything. Unexpectedly, the other aliens shrugged, too. Almost as if imitating him. One of the scientists they had on board who was trying to converse with the only alien that was wearing an Elyran-language translator raised a curious eyebrow, as the aliens started chattering to each other with renewed vigor.

Whatever it was, Tomoguchi thought, I missed it. Hope it didnt mean anything. He turned to face front and thought back to the idea that made him go Aha.

I know what they remind me of now, he thought. Crabs!

Once he was at the Fishermans Wharf in old San Francisco, and he remembered the delicious crab that they had for lunch then. Despite their general appearance as big overgrown tarantulas, the aliens shininess and spotty orange-on-white coloring made them look like big crabs fresh out of the boiler, and reminded him that he hadn't had lunch yet. Their lemony scent reminded him of shrimp in lemon sauce, and he tried to hide a grimace.

The scientist talking with the aliens bent his head lower and tried to understand the alien and answer his questions better. He again tried to explain that they were on their way to Seeker, and then to Earth.

The alien, whom he found was referred to by the others as the First Ambassador, apologized for being too much trouble.

It is our pleasure, sir, he said in a very poor, accented Elyran.

The curious alien started pointing at the fixtures on the wall again, and he did his best to explain the function of each without missing details.

After a few minutes, they cruised into Seekers landing bay and felt a soft bump as their carrier landed on the bays deck. Tomoguchi felt the artificial gravity push his feet against the deck, and walked quickly to the back of the cabin. He opened the carriers doors and escorted the aliens down the ramp. The aliens stood on hind limbs and gingerly walked down the gangplank.

Mia was at the bottom of the ramp. Tomoguchi gave her a crisp salute and a short verbal report. Mia nodded, thanked Tomoguchi warmly, and faced the Arachnians. Mia bowed Elyran-style, with fist over heart, and the First Ambassador gave her a salute, a pretty good imitation of the commander, but using two front limbs instead of one. The others did the same thing, and Mia tried not to smile too widely.

Welcome to the Seeker, Ambassador, she said in her best Elyran. I wish we could have met in better circumstances, but nevertheless, we hope that you will find your stay with us to be a comfortable one. I am Amelia Steele, captain of the Seeker.

Thank you, Captain, the ambassador said through his translator.

Friendship found in war is as welcome as a drink in the desert. I cannot say our thanks enough. You saved us from sure death.

Just doing our job, sir. If you care to follow my people..."