“Not to play my own tune, but I believe I’ve been quite accommodating so far with regards to opening my ship to our honored guests. That said, there are still matters of security to attend to,” Natori explained to Antoth and Ratha the day after ‘movie night’. With only a couple of high priests remaining to visit the Event Horizon, Ratha felt she’d put it off long enough and had requested to have several of her fellow hunters accompany her. Both Natori and Antoth were aware that it was hardly a request so much as a demand, and thus the Admiral had made a quick trip down to the village to discuss the matter in person. Due to Lieutenant Winters’ friendly but seemingly constant mutual antagonism of Ratha, Io’s presence had been requested as moderator and backup translator.
“If I may,” Antoth spoke up quickly as the Huntress’ expression darkened. He was relieved that they were speaking in her temple, away from most potential sources of rumor-mongering. “Is the intent not to take all of the village aboard at some point, assuming our conclusions are favorable? Surely that will be a greater imposition than a handful of hunters?”
Natori smiled lightly, something he’d become rather practiced at in various military boardrooms on Earth. “You are correct, of course,” he assured Antoth. “However the circumstances are slightly different in that situation. Over the last several days I have allowed the other high priests access to high security areas of the ship, including our main reactor, armory, and drop pod launch bays. With Io and Lieutenant Winters accompanying one individual at a time, I believe such gestures of good faith are reasonable. Your people, on the whole, will be forbidden from many of these areas should they choose to come aboard. This is for their safety, as well as everyone else’s.”
Neither of the high priests sitting across from Natori seemed pleasantly surprised at the news. Natori turned to Io, who took the signal to step in and elaborate. She produced a three dimensional model of the ship, highlighting the civilian areas in green. They made up about a third of the total interior space, though a handful of areas such as the military mess hall and gym were also highlighted. ‘What I’m showing you currently is where a normal human can go at almost any time aboard the ship. As you can see, much is barred to those without some form of security clearance. The closest analogy I can think of would be the guardsmen in the village being treated with less suspicion if they were to knock on someone’s door. I believe the point that Admiral Kaczynski was trying to make was that your people will be treated equally when aboard, but the experience will be different than what you high priests have been allowed over the past few days. We have many different designations of humans aboard.’
“Yes, quite so. Thank you, Io,” Natori piped up, regaining control of the conversation. “For what it’s worth, it’s a larger area than your village.”
“If we needed more space we would simply cut down trees and extend the palisade,” Ratha retorted, still not sold on the situation. “I understand keeping the… rabble out of harm’s way. But that should not apply to my people.”
Natori again looked to Io for aid, as the translation he’d received had been rather ambiguous on just how Ratha defined ‘her people’. The AI held out her hands, palms up. ‘In Ratha’s defense, Admiral, the hunters are known to be an overly-cautious and not particularly exciting bunch. It’s the craftsmen and guardsmen you’d need to worry about in groups.’
Antoth snorted at the description, earning him his mate’s elbow between his ribs as Io carried on. ‘If we were talking about all of Staroth’s charges or Nerazek’s craftsmen ascending to the ship, I would share your worries. I believe we can safely make an exception just this once. Ratha is pregnant, after all, which merits some accommodation. Additionally, I would say her hunters are quite used to the idea of not touching things they shouldn’t. The unknown tends to kill out there in the forest, unless you are attached to a Jumper.’
It was impossible to miss the pride in Io’s voice as she referenced her partner and their achievements. Natori, who had clasped his hands together lightly as he listened, opened them for a moment in a sign of resignation. “Well, if you are vouching for them I suppose we can consider it. How many guests would we be expecting, Ratha?”
The auburn furred Cauthan was still taking a moment to process the fact that Io had supported her position on the matter, but a quick clearing of Antoth’s throat got the conversation rolling again. “It would only be a handful, perhaps six or seven including myself. I haven’t asked them yet and some are on the hunt.”
Natori nodded to himself twice before meeting their eyes again. “Then we will do our best to make arrangements, with Lieutenant Winters and Io serving as chaperones. I do, of course, reserve the right to reign things in in the event of unexpected or unruly behavior.”
“Understand his position for a moment, Ratha. You’re getting what you want,” Antoth advised her as her feathers quivered with the seed of indignation. The Huntress grunted in accord.
“I suppose so. We will be ready tomorrow,” she informed Kaczynski. Though the Admiral did consider himself on an unofficial timetable for departure, he did not think one day either way would prove troublesome.
“That is agreeable to me as well. Are there any other concerns regarding your visitation to the Event Horizon?” he wondered. When neither Cauthan was forthcoming with other issues he clapped his hands once. “Splendid! Now, if you don’t mind my asking, how was movie night?”
Antoth said ‘terrific’ at the same moment Ratha reported that movie night was ‘awful’, resulting in a tense standoff between the two of them and a positively pleased Admiral. “How can you say it was terrific?” Ratha demanded of her mate immediately. “That human’s goofy gait and antics are all anyone will talk about!”
“Perfect, isn’t it? They’ve stopped talking about things they don’t understand in the least,” Antoth reminded her. “From the way I hear it, it’s mainly the cubs who were taken in by the human’s strange behavior.”
“Oh yes, because his flirtations were any better?” Ratha snorted indignantly. “I don’t know what she saw in him.”
“Please tell me there will be a feature film this evening,” Natori implored quietly of Io, who mouthed ‘Ben Hur’ in response. The Admiral sat up straight in the chair he’d been provided, a look of both surprise and approval on his face.
‘I have secured Antoth’s unofficial permission for another screening,’ Io told him. The Cauthan grunted his approval.
“I’ve said this before, but there is scant little to occupy one’s time in the winter, save whatever distractions one can come up with on their own. If you are willing, another diversion would be appreciated.”
“At the risk of playing the role of buzzkill, which I am very rarely known for, I do feel the need to give fair warning that the film Io has planned is not necessarily for children,” Natori warned.
‘That may be so, Admiral, but the cubs in this village have been through worse than anything depicted in the film, at least in my opinion. We can make an announcement nonetheless,’ Io suggested. Though Ratha was uninterested, the compromise seemed to mollify the men in the room and signaled the moment of Natori’s departure. With promises that he would be prepared to welcome Ratha the next day aboard the ship and hopefully make an appearance that evening for the movie, the Admiral departed to see to the routine of his daily affairs.
“I suppose I should notify Nerazek and the others,” Antoth decided, speaking momentarily with Ratha before heading out with Io, who was waiting patiently at the door. “I can go with you, if you wish.”
“No,” Ratha declined flatly. “We will all see and make our own decisions with our own eyes.”
“You’re the only one who has cared so deeply about the opinions of others,” Antoth pointed out. She lowered her head to accentuate her annoyed expression, leering at him from under her brow.
“I’m the one who speaks for all of them, in the end. Clearly you will impart into that whatever meaning you wish. As for you, spirit, your time was appreciated,” Ratha concluded. Io nodded silently before walking from the building. “Mmm, at least she is polite.”
-----
“I swear, it’s always something with him,” Veera lamented as she and Russell picked Fenrir’s coat clean of spent seed pods and all other manner of detritus that the hyrven had picked up in his approximately day-long absence. “What am I going to do with you, Fenrir?”
“I thought he was my dog,” Russell quipped playfully as he helped out, placing everything in a bowl to be thrown out later. If there was one thing Veera disliked even more than an unruly housepet, it was a dirty floor.
“Your bringing up things like that is not one of your better qualities,” she pointed out tiredly as Fenrir began sniffing around for something to eat. “And how can you still be hungry with all that blood on your muzzle?”
“In my defense, I know how to use silverware,” Russell pointed out as he wrangled the alien pooch and began wiping down his fur with a damp rag. Fenrir was not the biggest fan of the process, but was eventually released to chew on a strip of dried meat and a bone in the corner between licking himself clean. “I’m just happy we didn’t overly domesticate him. There may come a day when we have to leave him behind pretty soon. I haven’t brought up the possibility of bringing home alien pets with the Admiral yet. Definitely going to be a touchy subject no matter what.”
“That would be sad,” Veera stated as she tended to her own needs. Even with plenty of snacking throughout the day it never seemed to be enough. It wasn’t difficult to miss the lack of overt concern in her voice. Russell knew better than to disturb her cooking beyond a gentle stroking of her feathers, but came to stand beside her anyway.
“Having regrets?” he asked simply. She looked away from him.
“I don’t know, maybe? He seems to do nothing but cause trouble day in and day out now,” she pointed out. He nodded in understanding and hummed for a moment.
“On the one hand, I feel the need to point out that our cubs will likely do the same when they reach a certain age. On the other hand, I think the only reason you feel this way about Fenrir right now is because we’re expecting cubs,” he proposed. Veera’s feathers wilted.
“Am I wrong for feeling this way? I feel about seven ways every day, so I’d appreciate the perspective of someone not carrying two cubs in their tummy,” she requested tiredly, plucking a cube of meat from her stew and testing its consistency with a claw tip. Russell placed a light kiss on the back of her neck.
“You really enjoy putting me in dangerous situations, don't you? Of course you’re not wrong for feeling that way. You might be wrong if you just kicked him out on his butt, but like I said, he’s not exactly a dog. He may well be deemed too great a risk to take aboard the ship for an extended period, and honestly I wouldn’t blame them. That’s uncharted territory. Why don’t we go watch the second movie tonight? Should be a good one from what I’ve heard.”
“There’s going to be another one?!” Veera asked, suddenly animated. He nodded, taking a moment to look over his rifle. There wasn’t any particular reason for his behavior, nor did he plan to use it, but habits died hard even on an underdeveloped world.
“Yeah, Io’s been tight lipped as usual. You know how much she loves surprises.”
“She gets that from you,” Veera tittered, her mood having improved immensely in a moment. Russell was staring at her.
“Me? She totally gets that from you! My ship blew up, remember? I hate surprises,” he grumbled as she handed him an early dinner.
“You just hate bad surprises,” Veera purred in his ear, a tantalizing hint of what might come later. “Thanks for helping with Fenrir.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, effectively conceding the argument regarding Io’s trait inheritance. With cool winds occasionally slipping past the chesko door cover, he and Veera both made a note of eating while the stew was hot. As an added benefit, Veera would be able to focus exclusively on the film that evening without worrying about her dinner growing cold. “Might be time to throw a second fur on the bed.”
“I could always sleep on you,” she tittered, absently running a hand over her upper arm and testing the resistance of her thicker winter fur. “Let the cubs say hello to daddy for a bit.”
Russell and Veera smiled for a moment, the trials and tribulations of ‘owning’ a hyrven seeming not so grand any longer. “Both, both is good.”
-----
Fortunately for Fenrir, he was not banned from the sequel to movie night. All the more, Xan was present for optimal head scratches.
“Hope this one’s better than yesterday’s,” he mentioned off-handedly, rubbing the animal under the chin as a large crowd of Cauthan milled around, claimed seats, and stoked fires in anticipation of sunset. The energy was substantial and positive, making Xan a bit of an outlier.
“Oh, Chaplin wasn’t to your liking?” Russell wondered. Xan shrugged.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong it was good for a laugh. But I’m not sure it was very memorable, for me at least.”
“I thought it was cute,” Veera cut in to defend the human entertainment. Winters smiled.
“This sort of conversation is why dozens of movies are made and released every year. Everyone has different tastes. From what I’ve heard, I think today’s film might be more to your liking, Xan.” The Jumper sat up straight for a moment, lifting his head above the crowd and waving to someone. “On second thought, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
There were several more humans in the crowd than the night prior, including Admiral Kaczynski. Russell suspected the man had informed the crew and opened up attendance to those interested. It was true that crew members could watch movies anytime they wished so long as they were not on duty, but getting some fresh air and social interaction was important for morale. Anita was one of the crew who’d apparently taken him up on the offer, and she slowly made her way around cooking fires, benches, and running cubs to sit next to Xan in a space vacated for her by Winters. The presence of Fenrir made her visibly unsure, but the attentions of the crippled Cauthan were more than sufficient to soothe the savage beast. “T-thank you,” she said as she took her seat, dressed much more appropriately for the weather than during the festival. “How are you all?”
“Quite well, thank you!” Veera replied in English, putting the dark-skinned woman at ease as Xan cleared his throat.
“Bad day for the leg but at least it’s not raining. Hate cold rain. Uh, what? She asked how we are, right?” he wondered hesitantly as Russell snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Human colloquialism. That phrase is akin to saying hello. Most people don’t actually expect an answer,” he explained. Anita clasped her hands together in her lap.
“No, it’s not like that. Well, it is in the United States, it’s true. Where I come from, everyone loves to talk. I’m sorry your leg isn’t doing well, Xan,” she offered kindly. Veera was looking intently at her husband.
“Did you do that intentionally to make Xan look better?” she wondered, switching to Cauthan and speaking in a whisper, he looked at her like she’d blasphemed the Mother.
“No…?”
“Ah, so you were just being a male,” she concluded smugly, placing a hand on his leg and giving it a fond squeeze. Winters didn’t quite understand what she was on about, but their sidecar had given Xan an opportunity to engage more directly with Anita, who’d been watching Fenrir closely since being seated.
“He’s being decent tonight if you want to try and pet him,” the Cauthan offered before addressing the mutt directly. “Yes, I’m talking about you. I suppose it’s not your fault for being big and full of claws and teeth but you need to be nice if you want the scratching to continue.”
Anita grinned and reached down to stroke the fur on Fenrir’s chest. “I was always afraid of the strays in the neighborhood where I grew up. They had a habit of biting.”
“Hence the muzzle,” Xan pointed out. The cage looked rather silly over Fenrir’s snout, but its large size allowed for easy airflow and for the hyrven to open his mouth comfortably. “Far as I can tell though the worst he’s done is snap at a few shen.”
“He chewed up all my idols two days ago,” Veera added quickly, casting a judgmental look at the pup. Xan snorted.
“Alright, snapping at shen and blasphemy.”
“He must have been trained rather well then,” Anita said approvingly, knowing there was nothing ‘domestic’ about the alien lifeform with the soft coat. “Like a plant that grows straight and tall.”
“I do believe I’ll take some credit for that,” Russell said happily as Veera got their attention. Antoth and Io were standing at the head of the crowd again, with Admiral Kaczynski joining. As the amber light of dusk faded to the deeper purples of night, the village chieftain once again addressed his people.
“I know we are all excited so I will do my best to make this brief. Spirit Io has informed me of several points that should be addressed before we begin so that everyone has a pleasant time this evening. The first is that this film is not silent. I would like to thank Spirit Io for her efforts in translating so that we can all participate.”
A wave of approval and chatter swelled up to congratulate Io on her work, which she drank in appreciatively with a quick wave. It gave Antoth a moment to clear his throat.
“Second, this film is apparently three to four times as long as the prior one. Fortunately-” Antoth was momentarily drowned out by a chorus of surprised and elated Cauthan, though a handful asked the important questions.
“Yes yes, I was just getting to that,” he told them with mild exasperation at the fickleness of crowds. “There will be an intermission halfway through. I am told that this is in keeping with the original presentation. Finally, and most importantly, this film is intended for older and more mature human audiences. As such, I ask that all parents exercise discretion regarding their cubs and leave in the event of discomfort or distress.”
Admiral Kaczynski could not contain his laughter as Antoth’s final warning only served to bring the energy in the crowd to a fever pitch. He leaned close to his counterpart. “I believe our peoples will get along just fine, Antoth. I would expect nothing less of my own charges.”
“I do not know if that makes me more or less concerned, Admiral. But it would appear the time for talk is well and done,” the priest of Seil observed.
“The show must go on,” Kaczynski agreed in a contemplative tone. He nodded to the expectant crowd before clearing out and seating himself with three of his Jumpers. “Private Lipper wasn’t interested in movie night, Rodrigo?”
“Oh I think he’s plenty interested in movies, sir,” Lance Corporal Mendes replied, glancing up from his sketchbook. “He’s just interested in a more private show, I think. And before you ask, no, it’s not against any rules of conduct regarding fraternization… I checked.”
“Count on Tom to make the best of a negative situation,” Natori chuckled with a shake of his head. Around them, the local population was ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ over not just the opening credits, which on their own were far more dramatic than those of Gold Rush, but the addition of audio to the experience. Natori had been more than happy to authorize the deployment of several extra power stations for the night.
“Why pick this one? It’s not like they have any context for who Jesus Christ is,” Rex grumbled quietly, earning an icy look from Natalya.
“Next you will complain about the subtitles,” she chastised him. Natori raised his hand slightly for calm.
“I think there is always something interesting to be gained from a fresh perspective, but I don’t mind telling you that the chariot and naval warfare scenes will be the likely highlights over religious iconography. For now, let us be polite and enjoy the film. My guess is most of you haven’t seen it,” the Admiral wagered. The silent nods from his soldiers confirmed. “Well then, you all can determine whether the tagline of ‘Entertainment Experience of a Lifetime’ holds true almost a hundred years later!”
-----
While the Cauthan were certainly living through an entertainment experience of a lifetime, the tightly-knit, communal structure of their village made for a viewing experience that would not be found in human theaters. Just as they had rapidly formed collective opinions and groups during the brief but violent battle between Antoth and Tarn, whose sword arm was still confined to a sling, the village reacted strongly to the buildup of antagonism between Judah and his former friend Messala. Fortunately, given the history of the village and their ancestors’ flight from civilization in pursuit of religious freedom, the square became something of a unanimous Judah cheer squad as the main character, whom Io had chosen Winters to voice, began his long journey of retribution and justice around the Mediterranean.
“I think you look better in person,” Veera said to her husband, not needing to whisper as Io had caved rather quickly and turned up the volume to accommodate the perpetual low-level chatter in the crowd. “But she obviously holds you in high regard.”
“I’m never going to hear the end of this from Alice,” Russell groaned in reply, though he was sure Io would explain it away by saying she had the largest sampling of audio from him, or something along those lines. The Cauthan had of course noticed the same thing as Veera, and were wondering at Io’s choice. All became clear as the character Quintus Arrius, Roman consul, made his appearance, however. Assuming him to be a positive or ‘good’ character, many cheered when the man opened his mouth and Antoth’s voice came out. The excitement refused to abate as the relationship between Quintus and Judah culminated in the grand spectacle of Roman era naval warfare on the silver screen. A fever pitch was attained during the ramming of Arrius’ ship, with villagers crying out that Judah should flee and swim to safety, or urging him to hurry as he unshackled as many of his fellow rowers as possible. Natori smiled from his seat as viewers rose to their feet in their passions, and some mothers attempted to cover their cubs’ eyes. Others were completely absorbed, like the guard force and the other young males of the village who had never seen such a spectacle before. If anything, the Admiral estimated a significant majority of the village was on their feet by the time Quintus attempted to fall upon his sword in shame, only to be informed that his forces achieved a sweeping victory.
“A timely intermission, that is,” Mendes observed as the sound of the movie faded to light ‘elevator music’ after approximately two hours of jaw dropping cinema. Given the length of the average Cauthan muzzle, their jaws dropped a good deal further than a human’s. “Do you think this will win hearts and minds, sir?”
Admiral Kaczynski turned to his soldier with an inscrutable look on his face. “Of course it will, though that’s hardly my intent, Rodrigo. Is my reputation truly so Machiavellian that I would trot out the bread and circuses, literally?”
“I do not believe you want us to answer that question honestly, Admiral,” Orlova opined calmly. The man broke into a smile.
“Well you know what they say, you cannot build and helm your own starship without breaking a few eggs.”
“Only you say that, sir,” Rex pointed out gruffly, standing up and raising his hands above his head. None of them were particularly cold on account of their gear and underlayers, but that didn’t stop muscles from growing tight after spending so much time seated on a wooden bench. “Good movie though.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Rex. There’s about a third of the film left as I recall, including the chariot racing.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m going to go find somewhere to take a piss, maybe in the woods,” Rex said as he stepped out of their ‘aisle’ and headed off towards the nearest gate. Natalya clicked her tongue and shook her head in his wake.
“Of course he feels the need to inform us of such things.”
“And of course you feel the need to complain about it,” Mendes joked with her. “Give him a break, Natalya. After the festival he’s probably just covering his ass so no one makes jokes about him running off after some village girl. Not that I think he actually has any sort of intent in that area, sir, but you might want to think about alien fraternization rules beforehand.”
Natori cocked a brow in good humor. “Fortunately we have an expert or two on Cauthan fraternization to advise us on the matter. Tell me, Rodrigo, what did you think of the film so far?”
Though there was little in Natori’s voice that suggested reprimand or disapproval, it was clear that the man had no desire to discuss such matters as creating a new set of rules and regulations during recreation time. The Jumper was happy to follow suit. “I think it’s stood the test of time rather well, all things considered.”
-----
“Hurry, Rex! It’s already started back up!” Rena called to him, causing the Jumper to almost jump himself as he walked back through the north gate of the village.
“Where the hell did you come from?” he exclaimed indignantly, causing Rena’s small feathers to quiver with mirth.
“I followed you, obviously. You know if you wanted to use an outhouse there’s one right over there,” she informed him, pointing to a simple wooden structure at the end of the blockhouse that also contained Veera’s home. Rex rolled his eyes.
“You have any idea how weird it is to have someone follow you to the damn bathroom?”
“What’s a bathroom?” she asked curiously. Rex rubbed his temples between his thumb and middle finger.
“Oh for the love of- just forget it. Don’t you want to go watch the movie?”
“Well of course! Don’t you?” she wondered. Rex shrugged, but found himself walking back towards the square anyway. From their approach they could easily see the screen, even if the audio was a bit hard to make out.
“I guess? Not really. Never been a big fan of movies. And this one’s pretty old,” he complained. Rena seemed shocked at his reply.
“How could something like that be boring?! How many humans must have died for that!”
Rex found himself snorting with laughter. “Now that might actually make it interesting. It’s a movie, Rena. Everyone you see is acting. It’s a story, fiction. No one died making it. At least I don’t think so,” he allowed. If anything, that revelation seemed to surprise Rena even further.
“But there was that huge battle with the boats on the great salt water! And they were all chained up!”
Rex closed his eyes and sighed heavily, his boots leaving faint prints in the hardening, well trodden ground of the village’s dirt roads. Wind whistled faintly as it blew between the rows of wooden homes to either side. “You’ll just have to take my word for it that it’s an act and no one actually died. Don’t know how else to explain it.”
“Ok, I’ll trust you,” Rena agreed quickly, bidding him farewell to bounce off back to her family. “Next time let’s do something that you like!”
Rex was left grumbling in her wake. “Why does there have to be a next time?”
-----
Nearby, Xan and Anita were experiencing a far more fruitful viewing experience. Neither had seen the film, and Russell was certain that the only reason they weren’t holding hands was because it was customary for human males to take the lead when riveted to a movie screen. He’d still not gotten over the fact that his own vocal patterns were being used to voice the main character, but he approved of Io’s decision to create something not immediately recognizable for the main villain, whose end in the middle of a chariot race caused the crowd to explode with righteous energy and delight. As the final hour of the film wound down to its conclusion, featuring the crucifixion of Christ and the miraculous healing of Judah’s family, Veera’s poking of his thigh with her claws became incessant.
“When it’s over, I’ll explain,” he promised in a whisper. A few minutes later he threw a thumbs up to Io, who stood at the head of a cheering crowd before it began to finally disperse. Many of the adults in the village had no such intent, but between the elderly, children, and various individuals seeking out food or a restroom, the square did quiet down a short while after the final credits. Natori could not help but revisit his discussion with Ratha and Antoth from earlier in the day as he waited for the arrival of his shuttle.
“Was today’s feature more to your liking, Ratha?”
Given that it was too late to advise the Admiral against asking her opinion on anything, Antoth allowed his mate to offer her perspective in full. “It was certainly better than the first,” she allowed. “Though listening to that damn human’s voice the whole time was grating, to say the least. Not sure what I should have expected though.”
“Improvement is always welcome,” Natori concluded in his almost perpetual, upbeat attitude. “Given the late hour I bid you both farewell, and I look forward to receiving you and your hunters tomorrow, Ratha.”
“Mmm, we’ll be there,” she confirmed, her tone softer and polite. There was no reason to be thorny in response to getting what she wanted. “Good evening to you.”
“Selah,” Antoth added out of caution, watching as the Admiral rejoined his soldiers and a couple other members of his crew to walk to the landing zone. When they safely left earshot, he glanced at Ratha. “You can tell me what you really thought now.”
“I’m not political, like you. And you’re bad at it, by the way. It was good, especially the part where the betrayer met a violent and bloody end. We should be careful though. Too many of these and no one will want to work any longer,” she warned. Antoth shook his head.
“Then they will die. The charity of the Mother only extends so far,” he said. She ruffled her feathers in agreement and took his hand.
“If we end up going with them, we should force them to teach us how to make those.”
Antoth looked down at her in surprise. “Assuming violence isn’t required, for what purpose?”
Ratha had a keen glint in her green eyes. “I won’t live forever. Someone will need to teach future generations how to hunt.”
-----
“What do you mean he came back from the dead? You can’t do that!” Veera insisted as she, her husband, and Xan sat around a fire and discussed the movie. While the film had been a crowd pleaser overall, the conclusion had confused Veera, steeped as it was in Judeo-Christian mythology.
“Well, when you’re the son of God you do get to do those sorts of things,” Winters explained as simply as he could. “According to scripture Jesus was crucified, which you saw part of. It’s said that several miracles occurred around or during that time, and the one depicted on screen is a reference to that, the healing of Judah’s family. The largest miracle, of course, was his resurrection three days later.”
“So that’s the story then?” Xan mused, explaining further that there had been a couple of moments since beginning his apprenticeship when Thantis had made reference to a human of divine nature. Russell figured it was probably a result of one of the many conversations he and Io had had with the elderly death priest over the last year and change. “Where is Io, by the way?”
“I think she went up to the ship after the movie, wanted to give her body a bit of love and care,” Russell explained. He waved as her projection shimmered to life in its usual location in their home. “Speak of the devil.”
‘Hardly,’ she laughed before waving back to everyone. ‘Did you all have a good evening?’
“It was pretty awesome. I suppose you’re the one who translated the whole thing?” Xan guessed. Io nodded happily.
‘It was a task I was happy to undertake. And you, Veera?’ the AI wondered.
“I was just explaining the ending a bit more,” Russell cut in. “The miracle of healing and the crucifiction.”
Veera shook her feathers lightly and cleared her throat. “I didn’t realize how late it had gotten until it was all over. Is the story true?”
‘It is not,’ Io confirmed, taking a ‘seat’ and procuring a large, leatherbound copy of the Holy Bible in her virtual space. ‘Though I suppose one could say the story of Christ’s death and resurrection is no more or less true than your own mythologies, Veera. What we do know for certain is that Jesus Christ did live, and his preaching and teachings eventually formed the basis for one of the largest religions followed by humanity to this day. I suppose that’s the most that I can tell you, that there is a man behind the myth.’
Russell, Veera, and Xan looked on curiously as Io suddenly vanished. “Where do you think she ran off to so fast? Io?” the apprentice priest of Kel called out. No answer returned, confirming she was well and truly occupied somewhere else.
“Huh, she doesn’t do that very often,” Russell agreed, scratching his head. “Anyway, does the ending make a little more sense now, Veera?”
“Yes it does,” she confirmed happily, standing to rummage around for one last bite before bed. “I can’t wait to discuss it all with the other guards tomorrow.”
Knowing that he was already spoken for, Russell could only nod and wish her well. “I guess we’ll see if Ratha’s crew has anything to say. You wanna come along, Xan? I could always drop you off at Anita’s.”
“Oh come off it, would you?” Xan groaned. “If I wanted to see her twice a day I’d find a way. No need to be like that though. Too clingy.”
Veera just smiled. “I think the two of you looked very cute together.”
-----
“We will be hosting a rather large contingent tomorrow. Are you sure you don’t need more sleep?” Natori asked Io, unable to put his curiosity to bed after seeing late night activity in the laboratory that housed the relics from Kel’s Forge, including the defunct Cauthan robot. Io turned to him from the nearest panel.
‘I should be asking you the same question. It’s nothing important, Natori. I just wanted to ruminate on a few things,’ she told him cryptically.
“What sort of things, if you don’t mind my asking?” he pressed. Io took her chin between her fingers.
‘You could say inspiration struck as I was discussing the end of Ben Hur with Russell and Veera. It made me wonder about the Cauthan gods.’
“How so?” Kaczynski asked with intrigue, pulling up a chair. Io shrugged her shoulders.
‘I don’t know how I would even begin to go about interrogating the question, but the theory is rather simple. As with Jesus Christ, what if there is some mortal, Maran truth behind the story of Kel and the coming of the first winter?’
The Admiral sat back in his chair, a contemplative and serious look on his face. “I can certainly think of one way a nuclear society could create a winter severe enough to become legend. You don’t think-”
‘I think nothing, for we have no hard evidence,’ Io reminded him curtly before opening up her Bible again. ‘But, where is the line? Ah yes, Matthew 5:5, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’
Natori narrowed his eyes. “Inherit it they have.”
