The small camp that Jenora and Chimera have helped to set up for Andromeda is sheltered under a stand of trees by the old abandoned field that the Chirr'T'Thar have rented as a landing site from the Haven government. As promised, shuttles have landed ever couple of days or so, often with someone to spend some time with Andromeda. Her improvement is noticeable, but still horribly slow.
Jenora yawns, stretching, and leans back against a tree, tapping her foot.
In the early morning on this summer day, Andromeda pads out and curls up on a large rock to sun herself. Her behavior is still manic. When she remembers what has happened, she becomes quiet and withdrawn (normally a symptom of severe illness for a Chirr'T'Thar) and when she forgets, she's nearly as bouncy as Ceres.
Chimera watches Andromeda from up in tree. "Are you hungry, Andromeda?" he calls down.
Andromeda blinks and looks up at Chimera and smiles, recognizing her odd friend and purrrs out, "Of course silly. Always hungry."
Chimera hops down from his perch. "What do you feel like hunting then? :}"
Andromeda grins widely, then, after a moment, turns to look to Jenora as if asking permission?
Jenora grins. "Sure."
Andromeda churrrrrrrrs happily and bounces over and hugs Jenora, then rushes back to Chimera, "Maybe a deer this time? You going to come with me?"
Chimera says, "Of course I'm coming with you. :}"
Chimera has to make sure Andromeda doesn't go totally feral again, after all.
Andromeda grins and lies down so Chimera can get on her back, tail thrashing excitedly.
Jenora purrrrrrrs...
Jenora says, "Want me to come along as well?"
Andromeda mrrrps? then shakes her head, "We'll do fine."
Chimera climbs aboard, and nods to Jenora. "Maybe you can flush something out? :}"
Andromeda hmmmmmfs, obviously feeling she can hunt just fine on her own. Forgetting she's already taking someone with her.
Jenora says, "No, that's fine... you have fun."
Jenora grins.
Chimera blinks, wondering what's fun about hunting? But Andromeda seems to enjoy it.
Andromeda grins and leaps off into the woods abruptly, making it difficult for Chimera to hold on as she nearly roars to her prospective prey.
Jenora pads around in circles, thinking. And going mildly stir-crazy.
Chimera holds tight, and asks, "Are you sure you should roar like that??"
Michael peeks out of the underbrush, into the clearing, from the direction of Haven.
Andromeda blinks and turns her torso around, still running forward, but now looking back and purrs, "Why shouldn't I let them know that I'm coming?"
Jenora taps on the communications pad to see what's going on topside.
Chimera has no response to Andromeda's logic. What does he know about hunting?
Michael makes a peculiar face and steps into the clearing, looking around, obviously for someone in particular.
Andromeda nearly runs into a tree then turns back around, sniffing the air and ground for signs of prey.
The communications relay comes on and a way too cheerful voice comes on, "Ceres here. What's up Jenora?"
Jenora blinks, looking over at the person who walked in. "Hello."
Jenora smirks at the pad. "Just going stir-crazy, Andromeda's out hunting, and curious as to what's happening up there."
Michael turns to look at Jenora and walks over. "Hello."
Ceres' voice purrs over the radio, "Well, we got this odd fox visitor recently. My mate thought he knew him from somewhere. Sounds like you have company. I'll let you call back later."
Chimera wraps his arms tighter around the bouncing Andromeda's torso.
Jenora nods. "See you later, then." She shuts off the communicator and looks up. "Hello again."
Andromeda turns around and gives Chimera a grin, then starts slinking low in the brush, having found a fresh trail. Apparently a deaf deer.
Michael says, "I'm looking for someone...I have a problem to talk of."
Jenora says, "Who are you looking for?"
Michael says, "The trrt'to-baq...The one in charge."
Jenora says, "If you mean Copernicus, he's up in orbit right now."
Jenora says, "If you just mean down here, I guess that would be me right now, as Andromeda's in no shape to take charge right now."
Michael points to the sky. "Up there?"
Michael looks upon Jenora ponderously, as if attempting to form his words.
Jenora nods. "Copernicus is up there."
Michael says, "Well, I'm not entirely happy. Someone's...er, making loud sounds near my people. At that place I took you."
Andromeda, by sheer luck it seems, has crept up on a good sized deer like creature. Her tail quivers as she slinks nearer.
Michael looks sort of over Jenora's shoulder towards the crashings going on in the woods.
Chimera whispers to Andromeda, "Shouldn't be looking for injured or older prey?"
Jenora frowns. "I know there were a few of the Chirr'T'Thar there for a while, but I thought they would have left by now... how recently is this?"
Andromeda twists around in that bizarre way most taurs can and looks at Chimera and whispers, "Why?"
Chimera blinks, "As a predator, it is your responsibility to weed out the old and weak, or the ill and injured, to ensure that the more successful genes are spread through the prey species."
Michael says, "A quarter moon or two?"
Jenora hmmms... she looks upward at the moon, then mentally counts back, frowning...
Andromeda looks at Chimera as if HE was crazy, she turns around to refocus on her prey, only to turn face to face to her prey as the deer leans in and licks her on the muzzle.
Michael waits, being polite, but looking a bit ruffled.
Chimera hmms, "Your odd metabolism makes you not smell like a predator, apparently."
Jenora's eyes open wide... "About ten days ago? And probably a single, loud sort of 'fffoom' noise?"
Andromeda eeps and pushes back at the deers neck and...nearly cries. Her stomach is grumbling, but she can't bring herself to eat a meal who's being friendly.
Michael says, "That sounds almost right."
Michael says, "I was not there myself."
Michael says, "Tani went deaf, however."
Chimera pats Andromeda's shoulder, "It's okay, you're better off hunting.. err.. domesticated prey."
Jenora winces. "I'm sorry about that. Yes, I think I know what happened. It was... somewhat of an emergency."
Michael lifts an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Andromeda hmmmfs and stalks off after something else, this time determined to stay upwind.
Jenora nods. "You know the ancient technology site that we found up there?"
Michael nods, "Ancient for you, maybe."
Chimera begins to wonder about just how many of the Chirr'T'Thar's instincts have been tampered with..
Jenora smirks. "I meant 'ancient' as in 'built long ago', not as in the technology itself was old to you."
Jenora says, "Anyhow, the site was built by people who had once been at war with the Chirr'T'Thar. The collar we found there contained a disease that was designed to affect them: it made them irrational first before slowly killing them. There were a few Chirr'T'Thar still there looking over the site who had been infected."
Jenora says, "The loud noise was there to knock them out so that the cure could be given to them without them fighting it."
Andromeda finds a slightly smaller deer this time, and is a bit more careful about staying upwind. She flicks her tail and wiggles her haunches in preparation of her leap.
Michael says, "That was the only way?"
Chimera gazes at the deer, trying to see if it's a better specimen for hunting.
This deer is a bit smaller, but still in good health.
Michael says, "My people weren't very happy to have a nearby mountain start rumbling. That means I wasn't very happy. And to mention Tani..."
Jenora says, "Pretty close."
Jenora sighs. "I'll have to let you and Copernicus talk about this. As for Tani, perhaps we can help with that."
Michael hrmfs.
Jenora shrugs. "What else can I say? I didn't know about it until after it was done."
Chimera figures the deer is young enough to be valid prey, and waits quietly on Andromeda's back to see how fast it will be in the woods.
Michael smiles slightly. "That is why I was to talk to Coppernucks."
Jenora nods. "I'll try to raise him." She taps on the communicator again.
Andromeda springs out at the deer, racing wildly after her prey as it bounds and bounces around, trying to lose her.
Ceres comes on the radio and purrs, "Hello again Jenora."
Chimera hunkers down low against Andromeda's back. Wouldn't do to have his head knocked off by a low branch..
Michael looks curiously at the communicator.
Jenora says, "Hello again... is Copernicus around? One of the people here would like to talk with him."
A pout is almost heard over the communicator as Ceres pads off, muttering, "Everyone always wants to talk to HIM!."
Jenora chuckles.
Andromeda makes a final leap, and her arms and forelegs wrap around the deer as her jaws clamp down on it's neck.
A few moments, then, "Copernicus here Jenora. What's up?"
Jenora says, "Remember that little bomb you dropped to knock out the other infected Chirr'T'Thar?"
A short pause and then, "Yes I do Jenora. It was kind of drastic but it kept the damage localized. What about it?"
Jenora says, "Michael here wants to give you the environmental impact statement," and hands the communicator to Michael.
Chimera watches with clinical interest as Andromeda makes her kill.
Michael presses some buttons on the communicator.
Jenora says, "Don't press anything, just talk into it..."
Copernicus yeeps as he gets some feedback over the speakers and purrs, "Yeeowch. That's hard on the ears."
Michael blinks?
Michael says, "Interesting..."
Andromeda starts devouring her prey eagerly.
Michael tries that again.
Chimera rubs Andromeda's back while he waits for her to finish.
Jenora says, "Michael, no, don't..."
Copernicus is a bit more prepared this time, and has put some filters into his receiver, "Michael, you're making the signal hard to read. Jenora said you had something to tell me?"
Michael looks up at Jenora. "Hmm?" He talks into the device, "Coppernucks is in here?"
Jenora says, "No. That's sort of like a window, but the other side of the window is up there. Just talk through the window."
Andromeda mrrrps and crunches down the last of the bones of her prey and swallows, feeling better now that her stomach is full.
Copernicus's voice chuckles over the communicator.
Chimera pats Andromeda again, "Ready to go back? :}"
Andromeda turns to Chimera with a hoof sticking out her mouth and blinks at him?
Michael oh's and nods, "Ee'ah R^kt."
Michael taps the thing like he saw Jenora do. "Hello?"
Copernicus purrs, "I'm actually in orbit way up above you Michael. So, what do you need Michael?"
Chimera says, "Oh, I guess you aren't finished yet.."
Michael says, "I am not very happy...You scared my people and deafened Tani."
Michael wrinkles his nose at the device.
Andromeda swallows the rest of the leg and purrrs, rubbing her head against Chimera.
The voice pauses, then replies, "Deafened Tani? You mean the concussion grenade? We did a scan for human life forms in the area before we set it off."
Chimera hmms, and scritches Andromeda's ears. "Can you say something, Andromeda?"
Michael says, "She was hiding, of course."
Andromeda's whiskers twitch a bit, and then her eyes refocus and she purrs, "Ah, yeah. Sorry."
Chimera smiles, "That's okay, you recovered much faster this time."
Copernicus blinks, "Hiding from electronic scans? Oh my. I forgot, Andromeda told me you could do magic, and we have no way to scan through that. You said her hearing is gone?"
Michael says, "She maybe was behind a rock..."
Michael says, "No, its back now...But it was gone. I think she was unconscious too. Maybe from her fall."
The communicator responds, "I'm truly sorry about that. I also realize we haven't talked to you yet about the guards still at that cave. Let me head down and talk with you in person about this mess. I'll be there as soon as I can. Jenora, anything else you need?"
Michael points the box at Jenora.
Chimera goes back to rubbing Andromeda's back, to keep her calm.
Jenora takes the box. "Not really right now, aside from some spare time..."
Copernicus's voice responds, "Ah yes. Well, I can spell you for the evening with Andromeda. I'm on my way. Copernicus out."
Michael blinks and looks around.
Jenora nods. "See you soon."
Jenora shuts the communicator off.
Andromeda looks a bit embarrassed and purrs, "Well, thanks for going with me Chimera. Shall we head back?"
Chimera nods, "Let's do that."
Jenora smiles to Michael. "There."
Within an hour, the contrail from Copernicus's shuttle can be seen in the sky as it heads towards the field.
Jenora points up to the sky, and nods to Michael. "Here he comes."
Andromeda motions for Chimera to get on her back again.
Michael leaps into a nearby tree.
The shuttle circles in to land, and does so a fair distance from Jenora's camp, the repulsors kicking up a little wind as it finally settles onto the ground.
Michael hops down as he sees the craft land some distance away.
Jenora leans back a bit.
Copernicus pads out as the shuttle doors open. Three other Chirr'T'Thar wave and bounce off into the woods for some free time and some hunting.
Copernicus pads over to Jenora and Michael and purrs, "Hello. Where is my sister by the way?"
Jenora waves to Copernicus.
Michael nods hello.
Jenora says, "She's off hunting with Chimera. Don't worry, they're fine."
Copernicus chuckles and hmmms, "I'm sure they are, not sure about the rest of the forest." He gives Michael an odd look.
Michael does his best to mimic the expression.
Copernicus chuckles softly then purrs, "Michael, I'm extremely sorry about Tani. I think I have an idea of why she was overlooked. Are you and Tani of the same race?"
Michael looks a little baffled. "Um...I think so...What else would we be?"
Copernicus hmmms, "Well, the humans in your settlement show up normally, but when we just scanned you, the readings flickered between a reading of 0, 1 and half a dozen humans. The sensor tech in charge of the bombing run had a similar reading and thought it was an error. We had no idea about your and Tani's race."
Andromeda pads back towards the field, not noticing the previous deer following behind her.
Michael says, "Our race?"
Michael looks baffled.
Copernicus purrs, "Yes. We have readings on the humans in your colony. Had we known that you and Tani were different, we'd have been more careful."
Michael says, "We're human...like the rest."
Michael says, "Ah...OK..."
Michael wrinkles his nose.
Copernicus looks rather confused at this point, and purrrs, "Either way, my apologies. I didn't mean for anyone else to get hurt, it was a rather dire emergency."
Michael says, "Did you really need to blow up the mountain?"
Chimera waves to people from Andromeda's back.
Copernicus blinks, "I didn't blow up the mountain. We set up a concussion explosion, basically an overpressure bomb to knock out the Chirr'T'Thar there. A few trees got toasted too, but the mountain is ok."
Michael mutters something in his own language.
Andromeda bounds over and tackle snugs Jenora, licking her face with a slight smell of deer on her breath.
Jenora eeeeps!
Chimera falls off Andromeda's back!
Michael dodges out of the way.
Jenora tickles down Andromeda's sides.
Copernicus smiles at Andromeda, then goes back to Michael, "Either way, I'd like to negotiate with you for permanent access to that cave, and I guess some way to apologize for having to set off that explosion."
Chimera gets back to his feet. "Hello Michael."
Michael says, "You are very lucky Tani was of us, or she would have died, you know."
Michael waves to Chimera.
Copernicus nods, "Had she been human, we would have found her and gotten her out of there first. Again, I'm sorry about Tani."
Andromeda curls up around Jenora's feet and snugs, before suddenly becoming aware of the people around her.
Michael wrinkles his nose. "You be more careful in the future, yes?"
Copernicus nods, "Definitely Michael. Now that we know about your odd readings, we can correct for that and keep you out of the line of fire. Though I doubt we'll ever have to do that again. This infection nearly killed my sister Michael."
Jenora flops down on the ground.
Michael says, "Oh? Which infection? From her leg?"
Andromeda snugs Jenora and lick grooms her ears.
Copernicus shakes his head, "No, not her leg. That slaver collar was designed to infect us, and, without a cure, kill us."
Jenora giggles.
Chimera says, "Andromeda made a friend in the forest. :}"
The deer pads out of the woods and noses Jenora's other ear.
Michael says, "That is curious. Perhaps it came from somewhere else? Sickness doesn't last so long on things."
Jenora blinks at the deer.
Copernicus looks as his sister scritches the deer's ears too. He sighs and shakes his head, "It was kept inside the collar, It was designed to last a LONG time."
Michael notices the deer too..."And speaking of...Deer don't do that, normally...
Jenora says, "No, they don't."
Chimera says, "I'd like to have a sample of the disease if possible."
Copernicus hmmms, "I think her pheromones are off too. And I'm sorry Chimera, but I can't give you a sample of this disease."
Chimera nods, "It was all destroyed then?"
Michael steps over towards the deer, looking at it curiously...
The deer gives Michael and Copernicus a nervous stare, but sticks by Andromeda.
Michael says, "If this animal has the head sickness, it should be killed."
Chimera blinks at Michael, unsure if he's referring to the deer or to Andromeda.
Copernicus nods, "I certainly hope so. Michael, I need to give Jenora a break this evening by keeping my sister busy. I'm going to keep a guard by the cave from now on, but I'll make sure no more loud noises. What else would you like in compensation?"
Andromeda blinks and glares at Michael, protecting the deer.
Michael says, "Condensation?"
Jenora says, "Compensation. Things we give you to make up for the damage."
Michael blinks, confused.
Michael says, "Payment? What for?"
Copernicus chuckles and nods to Jenora, "A way of apologizing for the trouble we caused, and paying for the cave."
Chimera rubs the side of his head in confusion. What are they babbling about?
Michael thinks.
Michael says, "One year."
Copernicus blinks at Michael, "One year?"
Chimera says, "Which year?"
Michael says, "Huh?"
Michael nods a Copernicus.
Copernicus watches his sister finally shoo the deer away and blinks, "I don't understand Michael. What do you mean by one year?"
Jenora sits up slowly.
Michael says, "One year of food?"
Copernicus blinks, "Oh. Ok. That should be reasonable. I assume you mean one year for your entire city? Can we pay month by month?"
Michael says, "No, for one person..."
Copernicus blinks, "Oh, that's easy enough. Is that all you want?"
Jenora stands up, brushing herself off.
Michael says, "That part of the mountain isn't worth much...Its for the leaders to draw a shield on you."
Copernicus pads over and helps Jenora, "A shield on us?"
Chimera watches Andromeda while listening to the negotiations.
Jenora grins at Coper. "Ah, the wonders of a complete lack of cultural referents."
Michael says, "To keep you from bothering us, and us, you."
Chimera says, "You don't like visitors, Michael?"
Copernicus smirks and grins, "True Jenora. Oh, I see Michael. Well, we will keep very few Chirr'T'Thar there, and no more concussion grenades. Please pass on my apologies to your leaders. And just tell me how you want the food delivered."
Michael nods, "I will, later."
Chimera looks at Copernicus, "Why don't you just scoop up the cave and bring it to the station to examine?"
Michael turns to chimera, "Well, visitors can carry sicknesses...and they have the power to destroy our culture."
Copernicus hmmms, "We're talking about moving it piece by piece Chimera, after we study it."
Andromeda pads back and snugs Jenora.
Jenora says, "This particular sickness, at least, shouldn't be communicable to your people."
Jenora purrrs, and scritches up under Andromeda's chin.
Chimera hmms, "You should allow small groups in, to help build up your culture's resistance then Michael."
Michael says, "Why?"
Chimera says, "Because it is better to make yourself stronger than to hide your weakness."
Andromeda mmmms and snugs Jenora.
Michael smiles at Chimera. "We have been here a long time...These others," He nods to Nexus, "Have come and died off, and come again, long after we came here. Strength is not an issue."
Copernicus nods and pads over to his sister, and snugs her and purrs, "Let me know when you want to be "paid" Michael, and again my apologies. I'll try and apologize to Tani personally."
Michael nods to Copernicus, "Alright."
Chimera hmms at Michael, "When did your people come here? Were you alive then?"
Michael smiles and laughs at Chimera. "No, I am not that old. But it was a very long time ago."
Jenora says, "So I gather... you predate the landing of the spacers that eventually became Haven?"
Copernicus leads Andromeda off into the woods a bit, "I'll see you tomorrow Jenora, ok?"
Jenora waves to Coper. "See you."
Chimera hmms, "Then it is possible that you and the Chirr'T'Thar have a common ancestor?"
Michael looks to Jenora, a little confusedly. "I think so."
Michael says, "Anything is possible."
Jenora hmmms...
The two felitaurs slip into the woods and disappear.
Michael blinks off into the woods after the two.
Jenora says, "Don't worry, I don't understand them either."
Michael smiles and sits on a rock.
Chimera says, "You and Tani are different from the others in your village, aren't you Michael?"
Michael blinks at Chimera. "Yes?"
Chimera says, "Are there anatomical differences?"
Michael says, "Anatomical?"
Jenora says, "The structure of your body."
Chimera says, "Are you different inside?"
Michael says, "Oh...Er, well, there are differences...I don't have a big chest, you see."
Jenora says, "I think he meant between you and the others, and between Tani and the others... not between you and Tani."
Michael says, "oh! Then no, not really."
Michael says, "We all work the same."
Michael smiles. "Do you?"
Chimera says, "No.""
Michael stretches.
Chimera smiles, "I'd like to examine you someday, if you are willing. How long will you live?"
Michael blinks?
Michael says, "er..."
Michael says, "I don't know."
Chimera hmms. They always say that..
Michael says, "How long will you live?"
Chimera says, "My cells will remain cohesive for another 50,487 years if I do not get regenerated."
Michael says, "But something else might happen."
Michael stretches out on the ground.
Chimera says, "Yes, something could happen to this body. Then I'd need a new one. Would you like something to eat?"
Jenora waves to both Chimera and Michael. "I'm going to do a bit of poking around. I'll see you both later!"
Chimera says, "Bye, Jenora! :}"
Michael says, "Well I was on my way to find something to eat..."
Jenora smiles, and pads off into the forest until she disappears from sight.
Michael says, "What have you got?"
Chimera invites Michael over to the tent that has the more 'conventional' food supplies.
Michael just follows along.
The evening finally winds down, Michael fending off Chimera's endless supply of questions, while Copernicus keeps his sister Andromeda company in proper Chirrr'T'Thar fashion.