My scans were good and my headache was clearing up, but Doctor Marsten wanted me to stay in the med bay for twenty-six hours, so she had a full day to observe me. This was, she assured me, standard procedure with patients she had never treated before, and she did the same for everything from gunshot wounds to stubbed toes. I wasn't sure I believed her about the stubbed toes thing, but I got the drift.
What I didn't know was what I'd do with myself for that long. I did have my wristlet—it sat on the table beside my bed—but the quiet of the quarantine room was almost too much to bear, and I couldn't focus. Not that being out in the med bay proper with other patients would have helped much.
I was just wondering if a very long nap might be feasible when someone knocked at my door.
"Special delivery," came Diver's voice, singsong and lilting.
"Oh! Uh, come in."
The door swung open and in he came, a lunch tray balanced on one hand and a holo-slate tucked beneath his arm. He presented me with the tray and I took a curious peek. There was a chicken breast on a bun, and arrayed around it all manner of toppings and condiments, from lettuce to some weird stuff that looked like it might be a type of mustard.
"Wasn't sure what you liked, so I figured I'd let you choose," Diver explained.
My heart thudded more loudly than I liked. More than ever, I was sure I was developing a crush on him. "Thanks. That's perfect."
"I also may have dropped the nutrient-bar down the nearest garbage chute. I know, I know, I'm supposed to make sure you eat them, but you're recovering from a concussion. You shouldn't have to add insult to injury."
Did I say developing? Nope, I was a goner.
"My hero," I said, hoping my tone came out teasing. "And you brought me coffee this morning. Do you slay dragons, too?"
"Just point the way, princess." Diver grinned and dropped into the chair on the other side of my bed. "Admittedly, my dragon-slaying skills are a bit rusty but!" He put the holo-slate on my bed and activated it. "My boredom-slaying skills are top notch."
"Oh, thank god. I was getting ready to climb the walls."
"Amusing as that would be, I don't think the good doctor would be on board. You ever heard of an ancient Earth game called Scrabble?"
I eyed him suspiciously as I began stacking tomato and lettuce on my sandwich. "Scrabble? Like scrabbling over rocks or something? Because I've done enough scampering around like a panicked hermit crab to last me a life time."
God only knew what I'd said. For some reason Diver started to laugh and couldn't stop. Not that I minded entirely, because he had a wonderful laugh. So full and carefree, like it didn't matter to him at all if he brayed like a donkey or revealed that he had something caught in his teeth. I could have just closed my eyes and listened, but that would've looked weird. Besides, I really couldn't figure out what I'd said.
"Sorry," Diver wheezed, wiping at his watering eyes. "Just...the imagery. I...yeah. Anyway, no, Scrabble is a word game."
"I like words," I declared, possibly the most inane thing I'd ever said.
"Good. I'll explain how it works."
It seemed simple enough, and thus we settled down to a game while I polished off my chicken sandwich and the cup of buttery smooth chocolate pudding that had come with it. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Diver, but it didn't surprise me that he was good. What did surprise me was how many obscure words he knew. He won the first round on his knowledge of Shakespearian literature and when I challenged him to a second, he utterly nailed me to the wall.
"Quixotry! How is that even a word?" I protested.
"Hey, look it up if you want."
I glowered. "I see what you're doing, you know."
"What am I doing?"
"You're taking advantage of the fact that I'm recovering from a concussion to win the game!"
"Sweetheart, your brainmeats are fine. Barely even any bruising left."
"Cheater," I retorted, and stuck out my tongue.
My heart jumped, but before I even got a chance to worry that he would see me as childish or silly, he started to laugh.
"Maybe just a little bit," he admitted with a grin. "All right, you pick the next game."
I leaned forward, squinting at the thumb-sized tabs dancing in the air. I doubt this is his personal holo-slate. There were mostly games, a store of videos—on all things mechanic, I found out when I peeked—and a browser. I pressed a fingertip to the holo and spun it slowly, studying each game in turn. Finally I paused, my index finger on one that had caught my attention.
"What is this?"
"BiomExpert? It's...well, kinda unique. Each player starts out with five advantages, and also picks two disadvantages for another player. Then you each build a biome. You can do things like send invasive species over to the other person's biome, if you get the chance. All manner of sabotage. You win by either taking out your opponent, or evolving a species sapient enough for language and tool use."
I perked up. "That sounds more my speed!"
"Very well, then," Diver said, pressing the little tab to open the game. "Since you're the hero of the day, your wish is my command."
I leaned back, making a show of cracking my knuckles and stretching my neck. "You won't think I'm a hero when I'm done with you."
*****
"Hey, Xan, what's with the face? Aren't you glad we're going back?"
"Huh?" I sat up and tore my gaze away from the window. "What? Oh. I am. I mean, I've got some things on my mind, but I'm not really upset. My face just...is this way."
"Well, can't say I'm not pleased," Diver replied. "One more round of BiomExpert and I'd be tearing my hair out."
"Hey, we're even. I've lost at enough Scrabble to last a lifetime."
It was just the two of us in the shuttle back down to Psittaca, but it wasn't as awkward as I feared it would be. Then again, we'd spent the entire day together yesterday, and Diver proved to be a good sport, considering how many times I'd won at BiomExpert. I had no idea I could be so ruthless.
I'm learning a lot of things about myself, lately. My actions during the fight still startled me, when I looked back at them. Charging in like that—it went against everything I'd learned in order to survive all these years. But damnit, they'd wanted to steal eggs! Eggs that would hatch into children, into small sapient beings with thoughts and wills of their own. We had to find out who was behind such a horror and make sure they never had a chance to do it again.
"Captain Chui has things under control, you know," Diver said softly, as if catching a glimpse of my thoughts. "And with Kiri working on it, we'll find the perps in no time. No matter how much the Titans sit on their hands and refuse to talk."
"I hope so."
"I know so. In the meantime, the Psittacans are kinda your biggest fans at the moment. If we're gonna smooth things over with them, we need you down there."
I looked out the window again, at the rapidly approaching surface of Psittaca. Part of me wondered if I really wanted to convince them to join the Alliance; it was an Alliance member, after all, that we suspected of the crime. On the other hand, that made it easier for us to protect them. To lend them aid. But I couldn't erase the worry, small though it was, that coming here in the first place had been a mistake. The thought that maybe bringing more species into the Alliance, folding them into our rules and social structures, wasn't the best idea.
Diver nudged me. "C'mon. Worrying so much will make you old before your time. Look, I think I see a hair turning gray."
I glowered.
Diver reached over as if to pluck the offending hair. When he drew back his hand and opened his fingers, a length of silver wire sat on his palm. Despite myself, I started to laugh. Grinning, Diver reached out with the other hand, drawing a brass wire from behind my ear. As he slowly tugged free the full length—a meter or more—as if he was unraveling it from my hair, I let myself relax. Let Diver distract me with sleight of hand tricks, better than any I'd seen in the gambling dens, as the shuttle made its ascent to the surface of Psittaca.
Even though I braced myself for the heat, stepping out into it after a couple days on the nicely regulated Carpathia left me breathless. I stood for a moment as my lungs clenched in protest. After only a moment, a bit of sweat was trickling down my neck. I knew I'd adjust, just as I had before, but damn, it was hard to breathe.
"I vote no more tropics for a while," Diver muttered.
I elbowed him lightly and jerked my head in the direction of the makeshift landing area. On the other side of it stood Completes The Whole, accompanied by Many Kills and his troop, and by Rain Falling Softly. Something about her looked a bit different, but I couldn't tell what. Where's the rest of the team...? For that matter, where was camp? I glanced around for signs of habitation but saw none.
"Your people are staying in the village with us," Completes The Whole informed me. "I felt it was time my people and I saw more of you, of how you live your lives."
That's encouraging. Out loud, I said, "I'm glad to hear that. I'm so sorry for what happened. If I'd realized sooner..."
"No." Completes The Whole shook himself. "You lacked information, and that was because I chose not to tell you. If we're to be part of this Alliance of yours, we need to learn to accept that not all people are like us. It had not occurred to me that anyone would sink so low as to attack eggs."
"There are many different definitions of honor in this universe," I said. "And some people don't have any to speak of."
"You will teach us these things, I hope?"
"Whatever you wish to know. I'll do my best to tell you everything I possibly can."
Completes The Whole raised his crest, not to a degree of hostility but one of contentment. He beckoned us closer, and when we stood in front of him, Rain Falling Softly stepped forward, carrying a bowl. Completes The Whole dipped a finger into the thick white paint in the bowl and then reached out to me. I managed not to flinch as he traced the first stripe across my cheek bones and over my nose.
"These are the markings of the Egg Guardian, and if you wish, you have the right to wear these among my tribe," Completes The Whole said.
"It's our compromise," Many Kills explained cheerily. He flapped a wing-arm in Rain's direction. "Egg Guardians, even foreign ones, may wear paint among our people even though they are not chief."
So that's what was different. Rain Falling Softly still wore paint, but the pattern was that of the Egg Guardian. As Completes The Whole striped my arms and legs with paint, then moved on to Diver, I realized there were differences in our pattern and Rain's. Well, of course, that made sense. Ours has been developed for creatures without feathers. Even so, many of the markings were similar enough that there could be little mistaking their purpose.
"I have no idea what to think about this," I confessed to Diver over private comms.
"Look at it this way: He didn't do it in front of the whole tribe. So maybe it's special, but I'm thinking it's not that special, or there'd be a whole shindig attached. You know how they like to party."
"You realize there'll probably be a party anyway."
"Yep. Can't say I'm complaining."
"There," Completes The Whole said, as he finished Diver's markings and stepped back. "I'm sure you'll be wanting to speak with the rest of your team. But first, I have a surprise for you."
"Oh." Sweet Mother Universe, I hated surprises. "That...but you've already honored us so much..."
Completes The Whole scoffed, though it sounded more like he was trying to hock something up. "That was not an honor. This is merely who you are to our tribe."
"Besides, you'll like this," Many Kills assured us. He turned to Completes The Whole. "Shall we get them?"
Completes The Whole nodded, and Many Kills shot off, his team behind him. Day Dawns Red peered back and opened her beak at me in an attempt at a human-like grin, before following the others.
A moment later a pair of blue-gray shapes emerged from the treetops and I gasped. Sky rays! They bobbed along gracefully, tied together by a tether and bearing basket chairs beneath them. The front chair was occupied by a much smaller Psittacan, a dark green creature with sprigs of yellow feathering on its legs and wing-arms. It even had flourishing yellow "eyebrows" above its eyes, a detail I noticed as the sky rays drifted down towards us.
They paused about a meter from the ground and for the first time I got to see just how huge they were. From wingtip to wingtip—inasmuch as you could call those wings—each one was almost half as long as the shuttle. As they settled in place, they inhaled and grew rounder, until they drifted and bobbed gently like balloons.
"They're beautiful," I murmured.
"They're slow and lazy, is what they are," retorted the smaller Psittacan as it jumped down from the basket chair. "But they'll get us where we're going."
"We'll meet you back in the village," Completes The Whole explained. "Enjoy your ride. Seeker, treat them kindly."
"As if I'd do anything but," Seeker said, ruffling its feathers. "All right, you two, get in."
I won't lie: I forgot every single worry and doubt as I headed to the basket chair hanging from the second sky ray. It sat atop the branches, where it was easy to climb into. As I settled in, I caught a glimpse of Diver's grin; based on the way my face ached, I imagined mine was just as big. I tilted my head, looking up, and saw the tracery of organs in the semi-translucent body above me. This is so freaking amazing.
The ray made a great sound above us, what I imagined a furnace would sound like if it could inhale, and suddenly we were rising. It went straight up and with another puff leveled itself out above the trees. My stomach lurched with excitement.
The ride wasn't very fast, but it was glorious nonetheless. Up here I could see so far. The trees stretched and stretched, making the forest seem endless. A curving strip of blue hung on the horizon, far from our reach. Birds skimmed the air for insects, and small primates climbed high into the branches to stare after us in curiosity. I laughed and kicked my feet, and spread my arms out to my sides. It felt like being a bird, unfurling its wings for the first time after a long injury.
"So," Diver said, as I let my arms drop, "glad you joined us?"
I laughed and leaned against him. I thanked my lucky stars that Captain Chui had showed up in that damnable gambling den, because for the first time I could remember, I couldn't wait to see where my life would take me next.
Author's Note:
So Testing Pandora has come to an end, and I'd like to thank everyone who has come along on this ride with me. Stories are one of my favorite things in the world, and they're always best shared.
But this prequel novella is only the very beginning of the story. Xandri's adventures continue in a series of novels I've already been working on for some years now. My initial thought was to query the first novel, despite my hesitations. But that might not be the right route for this series.
So my question is: If I published Xandri's novels independently, would you want to buy them? Among other things, it would mean that there'd be more more adventures with the crew of the Carpathia before the year is out.
Let me know what you think. You can leave a comment or send me a message, or you can find me on my blog, neuroatypically-speaking.tumblr.com.