Page 47

The moment she was in her small home, she powered up the lights and headed for the shower. Just because she could survive without a hot shower didn’t mean that she didn’t enjoy them.

When all her outside gear was gone and her underwear was in the hamper with everything, all that was left on her body was the Tokkel torture straps that kept her upright.

She stepped under the hot spray, breathing in the mist of the steaming water as she ran soap over every inch of her before she lathered her hair.

With the straps wet, she could twist in them, getting water under them to clean off any grime or oils. They were a prison and a memory of pain, but they were also the only way she could get around.

The bands held her upright, restricting movement but going around her spine and giving her the movement that the blast to the spine had taken.

Five years. It had been five years since she and her cousin had discovered the wreckage of the Tokkel ship and the crewmember still alive inside it. Emharo had gone for help, but the remaining thug had come out of stasis and shot her in the back before binding her in the torture harness to control her.

As she towelled off, Nik bet that the Tokkel had not had any idea his little sadistic game would cost him his life. It wasn’t the first throat she had slit, but it had left her with a body to destroy before her cousin came back with reinforcements.

Ularica had taken in the harness and modified it for Nik’s use. She wore it every moment of every day.

Whistling, she dried her hair and picked out clothing to take with her during her next jaunt. She was going to need a few changes of clothing and far more knives from what she had seen of the Wilders.

Tomorrow was going to be a fun day.

Four men looked at her with surprise. One was huge and silvery grey, one was smaller but of the same species, and two had the ferocious countenance of the Wilders.

She smiled brightly and said, “May I please see anything you brought with you?”

They blinked.

“I am Niika Baker, your guide and master hunter of Gaia. Please, your supplies?”

Bemused, they opened their packs, and she rifled through them as quickly as possible. “Fine. What are you seeking in the wilds of Gaia?”

One of the Wilders spoke. “I am Morro, this is Tidae, and we are biologists in search of some protein species that can be easily propagated in captivity.”

She nodded. “How many people are you feeding?”

Tidae cleared his throat. “Fifteen hundred? They need an animal-based protein at least once per week. Grown protein only gets us so far, and it has a detrimental effect on our instincts.”

Niika nodded, a list of species beginning to form in her mind. “Fine. I can show you a few things that may suit you. Do you have a measurement of the facility you would keep them in? I am assuming that you want them to be self-propagating.”

Morro cocked his head, “Not necessarily. We can butcher and store the larger animals quite easily.”

She nodded. “Very well. There are a few species I will point out not to touch, but other than that, I can find some likely herds that could use some culling. Stompers are especially easy to harvest if you don’t mind dealing with huge swaths of flesh.”

Morro and Tidae looked at each other and nodded. “That will be a good start. We have records from our ancestors, and I was wondering if the same species still run free here. I will show you when we camp for the night.”

The taller of the two grey men stepped forward and bowed low. “Miss Baker. I am Cavos vi Whyaner of the Stone Folk, this is my companion, Trusk er Vasku. We are historians in search of one of our ancient homes. I have heard that certain Gaians have a knack for locating the homes we once called our own.”

She shrugged. “Fine. Where do you want me to take you?”

They all huddled around a map of the area, and finally, Cavos circled one spot about fifty miles in circumference. “In here, I believe. What do you think?”

She closed her eyes and reached out to press her hand on top of his. His city, she was looking for his city. His hand moved with hers to the north, and when she opened her eyes, the point on the map was glowing with red ferocity. She dug her finger to the precise spot. “There. That is where we will start the search. It is rich in plains and forest animals as well as some of the more esoteric plants that are probably on your list. We have to go in by skimmer. It will take too long otherwise, and with that crevice there, we would never be able to hike it.”

The Wilders looked disappointed, but Morro nodded in agreement after he and Tidae shared heated looks. It was all that Niika needed to get things going.

In ten minutes, the flight was registered, the gear was stowed and Niika was ready to give her companions the final word. “Gentlemen. We are going into the wild areas of Gaia. Only one word matters there. Mine. If you do not like to take orders, stay here. I will get you in and out alive and in one piece. This is your final chance.”

The men looked at each other and filed into the skimmer, taking seats and strapping in.

Grinning, Nik jumped in and took the pilot station. “Let’s get this party started.”

She fired up the engines, checked the backup power cells and lifted off, taking them to the area that glowed red in her mind. There was nothing else for it, she had begun a hunt, and she had to see it through.

It was a three-hour flight that landed them right in the centre of the pulsing red zone. She set the skimmer down near a stand of trees and a fall of water from the nearby rock face. They would have what they needed close at hand, and Nik knew from experience that that water was icy cold.

Without a word, she left the skimmer and started to pull her supply packs and bedroll from the hatches. The men followed her, and when they had cleared the skimmer, she activated the seal. “That will only loosen when we are on our way out. It will keep the skimmer safe, dry and charged. There is a code to open it under duress, but it is rare that it gets used.”

Cavos shrugged and looked longingly at the cliff face. “Can Trusk and I go for a climb? It has been too long since we have been on a world with gravity that matches our needs.”

Morro and Tidae smiled hopefully. “Can we go for a run?”

She held up her hands. “Set up camp, and then, you can go running and climbing.”

She had to stifle her amusement at the events that turned fierce warriors into little boys wanting to go out and play.

The camp was set in record time. She set up her own tent, bedroll and then she hoisted her supplies up into the trees, but she kept them on the thinnest branch that would support the weight. Kilash were tree dwellers with an intense curiosity. They would ruin anything they touched with the bacteria they carried on their little hands.

To her amusement, the Wilders and Stone Folk followed suit. They copied her placement exactly, and as they worked together on the fire pit, one of the little scavengers tiptoed down a branch and squawked as it was tipped to the ground by its own bodyweight.

Morro reached out and caught the Kilash by the scruff, holding the little shrieking creature at arm’s length. “Okay, so that makes sense now.”

Nik laughed. “They are notorious for digging into foodstuffs and leaving their digestive bacteria behind. It rots what it touches. Don’t leave any food out, and if you do, burn it. They can only eat what they have corrupted.”

The men were staring at her in horror. Morro walked to the edge of the forest and let the Kilash run back to the trees.

When he returned and they resumed work on the fire pit, Nik paused, “Welcome to Gaia.”

The slow laughter around the pit made her smile. It might just be an okay trip after all.