Vai

I got my first real look at the Shadow as I looked out the shuttle window. When I had arrived by shuttle the first time, I was screaming from the effects of zek.

The ship was matte black, elegant, spangled with windows. And her golden accents weren’t just decorative. The gleaming horns that swept forward from beneath the ship like strange talons could direct the energy normally used for FTL jumps into searing zones of killing aether so destructive, the channels they burned into the surface of a planet could be seen from space with the naked eye. The Shadow was beautiful. It's backdrop a myriad of foreign stars and darkness of space.

It took a crew of 400-800 to operate her, depending on the mission. Most were Exploration Fleet crew and ancillary staff, but there were also 150 or so civilians, travelers, and tradespeople.

The Shadow drifted out of sight as the planet came into view and became larger as we grew closer. It looked more like Mars than Earth. There were pockets of blue instead of mostly blue.

"I am to remind you to take extra care of your manners while visiting Brist," Lieutenant Tanpo said over her shoulder. "If you are uncertain of their customs and what they would deem appropriate, just keep quiet and do nothing. Follow the lead of your teacher. Now I must confirm our landing. Hold on." Then to someone else she said, "This is Lieutenant Tanpo from the G.E.V. Shadow with the students from the G.E.F. school requesting permission to land. Teacher Miller should already be planetside."

"Lieutenant Tanpo from the G.E.V. Shadow," a male voice came on with a heavy accent. "It is confirmed that Teacher Miller is planetside and the G.E.F. students have special permission to land. Please land at Seriplom Station 1 Dock 53."

"Confirmed," Lieutenant Tanpo said. "Seriplom. Station 1. Dock 53. Landing now."

Lieutenant Tanpo was silent as the vibrations from the shuttle changed and we entered the planet's atmosphere. The vibrations changed again and the scenery outside the window changed to browns and yellows and docks - some with various ships I hadn't seen the likes of before, some empty and two with G.E.F. shuttles. We landed at a dock next to one of the other G.E.F. shuttles.

Lieutenant Tanpo stood and opened the shuttle door. "Have a safe trip," she said. "I'll just be here. Refueling. Wishing I could see Slpsis too."

Warpaint exited first. I wondered if he was already connected to my father back on the Shadow - if my father already saw and heard everything happening around me. I assumed he was.

I exited second and Owen followed me. There was a strange smell in the air. Something like dust and mint. Teacher Miller was there to great us. She looked at Warpaint, before looking at me and Owen, but she didn't say anything about the mechatronic's presence.

"Vai and Owen," she said.

We both nodded.

"Good. Rebecca and Hani have already arrived and...ah, yes. That should be Shel and Minmin's shuttle coming in now. You're the last of the students for the day. I've been here since morning."

I looked up to see another G.E.F. shuttle docking near our shuttle.

"You can go meet Rebecca and Hani at the pavillion there." Teacher Miller pointed away from the docks to a structure that looked like a canvas over wooden polls. It didn't look like much of a pavillion to me, but that's what she had called it.

Owen and I walked over and met the two human girls in person. They were on the same ship, but it didn't look like they were close. They weren't talking with each other when we arrived and they stood apart from each other. It didn't seem like there was any animosity between them, just that they weren't friends.

Beyond the pavillion were empty hills. The only vegetation were little brown plants that sprang up in random spots. There was a yellowish tint in the air that I assumed was safe or my father wouldn't have allowed me to come planetside.

"Hello, friends," Owen said.

"Hello," Hani said. She wrapped a strand of black hair around her finger.

"Hi," Rebecca said.

"Hi," I said because it felt like I should also say something.

The two girls looked at Warpaint, but I didn't feel like explaining him so I didn't say anything. Besides, my father was spying on us now through Warpaint.

"Have either of you been to Earth?" Owen said.

"I'm from Earth," Hani said eagerly. She raised her hand halfway, but then seemed sheepish and put her hand down.

"Europa," Rebecca said.

"Earth doesn't have this yellowish tint in the air, does it my friend," Owen said to Hani.

"No," she replied. Her finger tugged on the black strand wrapped around it. I wondered if it hurt her head, but she didn't act like it. It must not.

"Now we're all here," Teacher Miller said. She came up behind us followed by Shel and Minmin.

I looked at his ear. My father's words were fresh in my mind. I didn't have to worry. Shel still wore the five black studs.

"Let's go see the Slpsis. And keep in mind you will be doing a report on what you see."

"What kind of report?" Hani asked. "What are you looking for?"

Teacher Miller smiled and patted Hani on her head. That bothered me. None of us were children.

"I'm not going to give specifics," Teacher Miller said. "I want you to enjoy this experience. Just pay attention and write on your experience."

Hani frowned at the teacher. I wasn't sure if that was because Teacher Miller wouldn't give her specifics or because she patted her head. Maybe both.

"Ah," Teacher Miller said. She stepped forward. "Our transportation must be ready. Come along." She walked toward the alien that appeared at the other end of the Pavillion.

The Brist was slightly taller than Minmin and Owen, but shorter than the rest of us. His skin was a pale yellow with small ridges all over. His orange eyes were catlike with the pupils as long slits.

We followed the Brist to a large transport that would easily hold all of us. We clambered onboard - several of us had to duck to get underneath the door frame. The Brist didn't say anything as he started it up and headed out towards the hills. The transport didn't have much lift. I doubted it could get a few inches off the ground. It certainly wasn't like the old repulsor my friends and I used to ride in.

I missed them. I missed Callie. The last time I saw her was on my birthday. The day we went to see the elephants. And now I was going to see an animal that was a lot like elephants. For me, it had only been a year. For Callie, it had been 80 years. She grew up. Got married. Had children. Grandchildren. Died. I was still seventeen.

The landscape rushed by, but didn't really change. It was barren. The only vegetation were those little brown plants. I didn't know how the Slpsis could survive on those. Maybe they were carnivores. No. I wasn't paying much attention in class the day before, but I was sure Teacher Miller had said they were herbivores.

"I like your ear studs, friend," Owen said.

I tore my eyes off the window. I hadn't realized Owen had sat next to Shel.

Shel's blue hand reached up and touched the lowest stud. "Thanks," he said, but his voice was cold. Maybe he always was.

"I'm thinking of getting some like it," Owen went on.

I glanced at Warpaint. I hoped Owen wasn't being too obvious for my father. Warpaint didn't seem interested in the conversation. His eyes were on the Brist driver.

"Where did you get them?"

Shel sighed out long and low. "My mother."

"Where'd she get them?"

Shel looked down at his hands. "I don't know. She got some for herself too. It wasn't just me."

Owen smiled. "You and your mom are like a matching set now. That's cute. I didn't take you for cute."

Shel looked down at Owen, but he didn't really seem angry at being called cute. I would have been angry.

"I'm not the only one rebelling against my dad," Shel said. He smiled. He was handsome when he smiled. But as quickly as it came, it was gone.

"Your mom got these to be rebellious?" I asked.

I didn't remember much about my mother. What I remembered was that she loved my dad. My dad loved my mom. One time when she was in the kitchen making something to eat, my dad came in, pulled her away from the food and danced with her. They hadn't said anything. Just danced. I had thought one day I might try that with Callie. That wasn't possible now.

"She's mad at my dad. She won't tell me why. It all started when my dad received a package from the Captain of the G.E.V. Shadow."

"Your dad received a package from the captain on the Shadow?" Owen asked.

"Yes," Shel said. "My mom was really upset about it. That's when my dad started sleeping out on the couch. Mom doesn't allow him in her bedroom anymore. That made me wonder if my dad was having an affair with the captain on the Shadow, but would he really be so obvious about it? And if that was really the case I think my mom would have kicked him out completely or she and I would have moved out. I don't know why the package made her so angry. That was also when she got me and herself these ear studs." His hand reached up and touched the lowest one. "I don't know why other than to separate us from my father a bit. He really doesn't like them. So maybe he did have an affair? I don't know. She told me I couldn't ever remove these though. And she seems so upset about my father, I just want to make her happy."

"What did the package look like?" Owen asked.

"A little metal box." Shel sized it with his hands.

Owen shifted. Both hands grabbed his pant legs. "When did he get it? Was it after the first Monday everyone was on board the ships?"

Shel looked up at the ceiling of the transport as he thought about it. His long, blue neck seemed even longer. "Yes." He looked back at Owen. "I believe it was. Why? Do you know something?"

"No." Owen let go of his pant legs. "How would I know anything? I was just curious. That's all. That's it."

The transport stopped.

"Here we are," Teacher Miller said. "Everyone off. Remember to stick together and close to the transport."

According to my okulus, the time wasn't yet 2:00 p.m. The Brist sun was beginning to set. It didn't occur to me until that moment that Brist would have a different time zone than the Gathering.

The Slpsis were not as close as I'd like, but still close enough to see well. I supposed we couldn't get too close. They were wild creatures as large as elephants. Their noses were similar to the trunks of an elephant. They were shorter, but wider. The Slpsis had a strange sheen as if they were covered in moisture. Their skin was similar to elephants, hairless, but had more skin folds. Their skin was a dusty yellow instead of gray. I saw the first water source since arriving on the planet. A small creek ran in front of us separating us from the Slpsis. They were on the other side casually drinking or eating the brown vegetation that grew in greater numbers around the creek. Insects about the size of my finger flew slowly above the water.

I wished Callie was there. And Posha. And Emilio.

"They'd crush me if they stepped on me, my friend." Owen said.

"They'd crush any of us if they stepped on us," I said.

"But especially me," Owen said.

"And me," Minmin chimed in.

"And you," Owen conceded.

"Can we get closer?" Rebecca asked.

"I think that should be all right," Teacher Miller said. "Just not too close."

We all moved closer to the Slpsis. The biggest one squeezed by one of the smaller ones so that it was now the closest to us. I wasn't sure it did it on purpose as it didn't look at us. It seemed really interested in the brown tuft of vegetation it was eating.

I wondered if we were downwind. There didn't seem to be any wind though. It's head lifted and we all stopped as one. It didn't look at us, but behind it - beyond the rest of it's herd. I wondered if herd was the correct word.

"Are they a matriarchy like elephants?" I asked.

Teacher Miller smiled at me as if she had never heard a better question. Did she really think of us as children?

"Yes. Yes they are."

"Get out of there now." My father's voice came out of Warpaint. Warpaint's mouth didn't move. It was just through the open communication I assumed.

"Lieutenant Commander?" Teacher Miller said.

"Now!" My father reiterated. "Get the kids to the transport now, Ms. Miller, or I'll hold you personally responsible for what happens."

Teacher Miller was already pushing Rebecca and Hani back towards the transport.

Warpaint pushed me ahead of him - back in the direction of the transport. I started walking. One of the Slpsis made a strange trumpeting noise. I looked behind me, passed Warpaint. The smaller Slpsis began to run across the creek in our direction. The bigger Slpsis followed. The last one was the big matriarch that had just trumpeted. But behind them were several black creatures almost as large as the Slpsis they chased. Only these creatures had claws and teeth and red glowing eyes.