Page 157 of Pets in Space 10
She sighed and offered a small smile. “I thought the spear was sign of the importance of the platform to the vistrite and Serengeti, but it was the flyers. Two more than a dagger carries.”
“You are not mistaken about the importance of the vistrite and the platform. If it had not been destroyed in the battle, Serengeti would have used its starburst.” He gestured at the scattered containers.
“In addition to your Vortex, and the militia camp equipment for Deuce, the spear brought supplies for the Nightingale. The next spear will bring supplies for a permanent camp at this site. Every transport allowed to enter the Thirteenth System must serve multiple purposes.”
As the militia landed, he turned back toward the flyer. “We will set up camp first and then attack the containers in whatever order you devise.”
In the flyer’s open entrance, the terrier gazed at him with expectation and wagged its tail.
“Jonathan’s Justice!”
Behind him, Adele gasped. “I promise you. I did not bring him.”
Half amused, half horrified, he reassured her.
“I know you did not. I am a lackwit. These terriers are willful. Blue stowed away on a DOP-C to follow Adriana to the Nightingale. I should not have left the flyer open while I spoke with camp militia. It never occurred to me that the puppy could climb into the flyer with an injured leg.”
Reaching up, Adele collected the dog. “You little rogue. We are both in so much trouble.”
***
Setting up the camp had taken longer than Adele would have liked, mostly due to their little stowaway.
Fascinated with the strange new territory, he tried to explore on several occasions.
Adele was compelled to halt her efforts in order to chase him.
If it were not for his injured leg, she doubted she could have caught him.
Holding him in her lap, she measured a section of line provided by Corporal Miles.
The second guard, Mrs. Thyme, was in her mid-twenties and beyond thrilled to have won a place in the Thirteenth System.
With the blade from her utility tool, Adele cut the length of line to complete the harness.
The remaining six feet of line would be a leash.
“And an unusual utility tool.” Lochan’s tone held curiosity. “And a quality blade.”
Folding the blade back into the tool, she said, “The blade is only four inches, and has a safety catch.”
By protocol and stricture, any inhabitant of the Thirteen Systems was entitled to carry a fixed blade of up to six inches. Retractable or other disguised blades were restricted. Adele’s was compliant with stricture, but it was not a common attachment on a utility tool.
“I was not challenging it,” Lochan said mildly. “Merely curious. I would find one like it useful.”
Feeling herself flush, Adele set the puppy down and rose. “It was made to order. In addition to the blade, and light, mine has several tools for fine engineering.”
“You used the light for a pointer?” He motioned to the militia who rose from where they had waited.
“It has several settings.” She shouldered her gear bag and slipped the loop of the leash over her wrist. He did not seem to mind the harness, but he kept snapping at the leash.
Lochan shook his head. “He is likely to trip you.”
“Hopefully, he will get used to it. If not, I can secure him to the top of my gear bag.”
“He will get heavy.”
She adjusted the bag on her shoulder. “Unless you want to risk locking him in a flyer, we cannot leave him.”
Lochan snorted. “Where do you want to begin?”
“The north end. We will work way back toward the camp, getting as much done as we can in the next few bells.”
Lochan glanced at the sun well on its way toward the river. “Three periods, at most.”
They set out, the little terrier soon learning the range of the leash. Like Lochan, the militia had their fireburst rifles slung low at their sides, accessible for quick access. From their relaxed movements, they were not overly concerned about potential predators.
“What are the militia protecting us from?”
“The bear-sized felines that hunt the horses. They are usually active dusk to dawn, but flyers have spotted them during daylight. We are calling them tigers.”
“More mythical creatures? Is it not more likely they are a form of lion?”
“The zoologists say not. And these do have stripes, blue and gray, that blend into the grass.”
Adele gazed across the gentle swells of blue grass toward the river. “The water source attracts prey and predator.”
Lochan gave her a reassuring smile. “The fireburst rifles put us at the top of the food chain. We are safe enough.”
She had no doubt that Lochan could protect them, but as much as she was enjoying his company, it was only temporary. “In that case, I should learn to shoot. Miguel, Lynx, and Robyn as well.”
“I will arrange something when we return to Deuce.”
The dog swerved left, the sharp movement almost unbalancing Adele.
A dark beige furball bolted between containers, the terrier lunging against the lead.
Laughing, she gathered him up. His antics did not seem to have aggravated the injury.
“You are such a rogue. I am sorry, but hunting is not in the plan for this afternoon.” She looked over at Lochan. “What was that?”
“Rabbit. Or a close cousin. With luck there will be some in the traps when we return to camp.”
The idea was appealing. “I hope you or one of the guards know how to clean it.”
He chuckled. “We do. And you should learn.”
“I wonder if it is safe for the dog. It did not show any interest in our nutrition bars.”
“It should be. We can give a little and see if it tolerates the meat. If not, we can contact Adriana.”
***
Adele tapped her slate and nodded at Lochan. “Ready.”
Lochan aimed the CAD at the container, tilting it for her view. She was surprised at his willingness to assist her. She had expected to record all the containers and then map them on her slate afterward. Instead, he had agreed to act as an extra set of hands.
She added the container and looked up at the sky. They had been at work for a bell and had only another bell of light remaining. “This is taking longer than I expected.”
The drop field was a mile long and a quarter mile wide.
They had started at the north end with the container closest to the river and worked their way back toward the camp.
It was an erratic zigzag as she made certain they did not miss a container.
In a period and half, they mapped four containers of sixty and gained no more than two hundred paces on the return trip to the campsite.
They were in the middle of the field and the next container was a dozen paces north and as many east. “At today’s rate of inventory, we will only be half finished tomorrow. ”
“You knew a second trip to Prime might be needed.”
She glanced around, but the disarray did not change.
“Only nineteen of the crates are for the platform, itself. Another seven for the control center equipment, and three for the control center building. If aught for the Zero-Grav is damaged, the sooner we know, the better. Replacements could take months.”
“The rest of the containers? Excavation and such, like with the Vortex?”
“Yes, and those parts are readily available on Fortuna. It is only a matter of transit time.” She considered the schedule, the dependencies and priorities. “We should plan to remain until Sixth Day.”
“I will alert Raleigh when we get back to camp.” He gazed at the sky. “Let us get as much done as we can before sunset. The predators get active at dusk.”
Tucking her slate into her bag, she checked on her furry rogue. The little creature had flopped on the grass, resting while she worked. She paused and gazed out at the mountains at the north end of the basin. “Why here? Of the entire planet, why drop the platform here?”
Lochan gave a thoughtful hum. “There are valuable metals and minerals in those mountains. The basin is large enough to expand into a full-scale stellar transport center without impacting those hills. The river provides plentiful drinking water, and the far side of the river is suitable for agriculture.”
She knew there had to be a source of wealth to justify the site. “But those wooded hills will require clearing for settlement.”
“Those hills are the lower slopes of the mountains. It will not be difficult to cut transitways to the mineral-rich deposits, but there is no need for settlements. There is enough land for settlers in the basin for years to come, and the woods hold a variety of edible mammals and fruit. We can also harvest the timber to augment the temporary polymer shelters that will arrive with the colonists.”
At his reasonable explanation, she felt a bit foolish. “I am having a hard time imagining how long it takes to populate a planet. In my mind, launch platforms spring up all over the planet in the next few years.”
“Mayhap not ‘all over,’ but there will be other sites sooner rather than later.”
She had another thought and gave him a sideways glance. “Serengeti has the vistrite site on the Deuce. This one is for Matahorn?”
He laughed. “Clever. Yes, the mountains are claimed by Matahorn, but Leonardo has rights to certain metals and minerals used in stellar transport construction.”
It was all fascinating, but they had containers to examine. Putting aside her curiosity, she focused on the next one. “Come on, Rogue, let us see if this next container has more Zero-Grav.”
The next two containers were Zero-Grav. Encouraged, Adele hastened her pace. “We can get this last one.”
Lochan touched her arm. “It is too late in the day. We need to get back to camp.”
The militia guards, who had trailed them in silence, agreed. Corporal Miles added, “I prefer not meet one of those tigers Commander Lochan described.”
With a sigh, she shifted the shoulder strap of her gear bag. “As you wish.”