Metal Boxes - Rusty Hinges (11 page)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Stone was back on the bridge sitting next to Doctor Wyznewski, but instead of LTSG Missimaya on the other side of him, Shorty had claimed that seat. The little piglet had stopped wearing his handmade strawhat, but his sunglasses still reflected the overhead lights. Jay lay behind them both, having won a game of dodge ball against Peebee and the daughters to earn the spot as bridge interpreter. They all wanted to be here — all except Ell and Anne, who were more than happy to suit up with the marines — but there wasn’t room for more than one drasco at a time on the bridge.

Glancing around Stone didn’t see Missimaya anywhere. He leaned across the table and spoke quietly to Major Numos. “Sir, we’ve passed through this system’s Ort Cloud, the heliosphere, and their Kyper Belt. We’re getting ready to enter communications range for the solar system with the repulsar technology. Shouldn’t the third watch commander be here?”

Numos said, “This morning, the lieutenant senior grade made a formal complaint to Captain Butcher. He claimed aliens shouldn’t be given access to a UEN bridge, the UEN was for humans only.” The major looked pointedly at Shorty and Jay.

Stone shook his head. “UEN bridge? This tangled equipment mess is half-human, half-Hyrocanian, and half who-knows-what. For all I know, Shorty understands this technology better than I do.”

“I hope he understands it better than I do,” Numos added. “Missimaya made his complaint formal, insisting it be on the record. The captain relieved him of bridge duty, putting him in charge of waste disposal.”

“Sounds like a good place for him. Even so, Butcher should have replaced him and the commander of third watch should be here.”

Numos smiled. “He is here, or rather, I’m here. Captain Butcher asked me to take over as third watch commander.”

Stone gaped in surprise. “A marine in charge of navy personnel on a navy ship?”

Numos nodded, “Well, you just pointed out that this isn’t your traditional ship, right? Besides, we all know that third watch is really just a bookmark with the watch commander trying not to let anything happen until the captain or the XO can get back to the bridge.”

“That’s crap. No one would ever accuse you of being a bookmark.”

“I didn’t say I was. I said that was what Missimaya was. I’m a marine. The gods help any aliens who attack my ship during my watch.”

Stone pointed at the planet on the monitor. The glowing orb was too far away for close up visuals, but their optics were able to pick up the planet clearly. They still couldn’t see any signs of civilization, but all four of the rocky moons were bristling with energy signatures, huge factories, and spaceports. “It almost looks like the aliens here have abandoned the planet in favor of their moons.”

Numos said, “It looks that way. Let’s not make any plans until we find out for sure. You should know by now that all plans end just as soon as someone gets punched in the nose.”

Stone leaned in closer, although he couldn’t see anything new on the monitor. “That makes sense, Major. I’d just rather be the puncher than the punchee.”

Numos stretched back in his chair. “I’m a marine. You get no argument from me.”

Whizzer patted Emmons on the hand, ending his conversation with her. Obviously having listened to Stone and Numos, he said, “Kat and I agree that these people are more xenophobic than warlike. We don’t know the technology behind their repulsar beams, but exploding mines would be much easier to build. They could have killed us, instead they just sent us away.”

Emmons nodded enthusiastically.

Jay laid her head in Stone’s lap. “
Shorty says, he wouldn’t be too sure about these people not being dangerous.
”

Stone relayed the message to everyone at the table. He asked Shorty. “You said you know these people. How well do you know them?”

Jay interpreting Shorty reported, “
I don’t know the ones in charge. Too much time has passed and too much has happened, to me and to them, to be sure of anything. We will see. I am pribit but the people in charge may not recognize that anymore.
” Jay looked at Stone as he relayed the message.
“Mama, what is a pribit?”

Stone replied, “I don’t know. Did you ask Shorty?”

Jay said, “
I did ask and he used a lot of words that I don’t know. He said it may be good and it may be bad.
”

They were joined by Captain Butcher. “Everything still good with our piglet friend?”

Numos said, “Yes, sir. Nothing we haven’t known from earlier conversations with Shorty except he told us he is a pribit. That didn’t translate through Jay. Pribit may be what they call themselves, since I doubt they refer to themselves a piglets.”

Stone said, “Captain, as we’ve reported through Jay, every time we ask Shorty or any other piglet what they call themselves, their response is always “the people”.”

Stone patted Shorty on the shoulder with a friendly gentle tap. Smiling at the piglet, he said, “Pribit may mean that he is a long lost monarch or a leper of some untouchable caste.”

Jay said, “
Shorty said, that neither is correct, but anyone touching him as you have would have lost their hand.
”

Stone yanked his hand back. “Tell, him I meant no offense.” He repeated what Jay had said to his human companions.

Butcher shook his head. “That doesn’t tell us anything. You could lose your hand touching a monarch or someone from an untouchable caste.”

Shorty slipped the sunglasses down his stubby piglet nose and looked over the top at Stone. His eyes were clear brown with a hint of humor around the edges.

Jay laughed. “
Shorty says that he forgives you for touching him. He says he will forgive you one touch for every piglet life you saved from the Hyrocanians.
”

Stone laughed, “Wait! Shorty’s been around me for a couple of years. I can’t remember how many times I’ve touched him — or Sissie for that matter. Not to mention we never got a good count on the piglets we saved from the Hyrocanians.”

Jay looked from Shorty back to Stone. “
He says not to worry. He’s keeping count and will let you know when you’ve reached your limit.
”

Everyone laughed in sympathy at Stone as he relayed the information.

Numos added, “That warning should be a comfort as long as you get a decent countdown.”

Jay added, “
He says that you can touch Sissie all you want. He says that since he owns her as a slave, he wants to know if you want her for your own?
”

A stunned silence settled around the table as Stone relayed the information.

Jay broke the silence. “
What is a slave, Mama?”

“It’s a person who is owned by another person. It’s something that humans have worked to erase from our societies for centuries, but it still exists on a few worlds.”

Emmons nodded, “As a doctor studying behavior, I can say that it exists more often than most humans want to know about. Some world governments put people into slavery over debt, some for crimes. Some can earn their way to freedom, some are given specific terms to serve, and some die as slaves. The slave must do what they are told, when they are told, and can be sent to their deaths at their owner’s command.

Jay nodded and wonked in understanding.
“Sissie is like your enlisted navy and marines.”

Butcher sputtered, “Of course not. Our military are all volunteers.”

Jay asked, “
But they must do what they are told, when they are told, and can be sent to their deaths at your command, correct? What happens if they want to leave or say no?”

Butcher said, “They can be …” His voice faded away.

Numos finished, “Court marshal and a death penalty in time of war.”

Stone said, “She’s got us, Captain. I don’t know how to explain the difference.”

Jay said,
“Not me. I’m happy to be Mama’s slave. It’s Shorty asking the question.”

Stone asked, “Did Shorty say if Sissie asked to be his slave?”

Jay interpreted, “
I took her by force and claimed her as my slave
.”

Shorty put an end to the conversation by tapping the monitor on the table with one of his three opposing fingers. “
I know this place and I know these people. Contact them and I will speak with them.
” His tapping fingers enlarged the picture.

Everyone could see a trio of massive warships heading toward them. The ships were growing larger with each passing second, their speed in normal space much faster than Rusty Hinges could manage. If pursuit was the warship’s goal, Rusty Hinges couldn’t run fast enough. If a confrontation was the warship’s goal, it didn’t look like Rusty Hinges had what it took against three ships that were each twice their size. If a genial greeting was the plan, the inhabitants wouldn’t have sent warships.

Butcher sprinted back to his seat and said, “XO, sound red alert.” The ship was already at general quarters for the solar system insertion, but the alert would wake up any drowsy personnel. “Tactical, shields up. Navigation, is there a jump point near?”

“XO, Captain. Aye, aye, sir. Red alert.”

“Tactical, sir. Aye, aye. Shields up.”

“Nav, Captain. No, sir. We’ve picked up a few signatures, but we can’t reach them before those ships reach us.”

Butcher said, “Helm, full stop.”

“Helm, Captain. Aye, aye, sir. Full stop now.”

Butcher tapped a finger once on his forehead. “Comms, no message, but keep all channels open for incoming.” He glanced over at the table. “Doctor Emmons, in your opinion, if these aliens are severely xenophobic, what would be their reaction to seeing a human?”

Emmons said, “It could be anything from shoot first to run away. We don’t know enough to even guess, Captain.”

Butcher nodded, “I don’t think running away is their plan.” He pointed at the main monitor displaying three warships bearing down on them. “Do you think they will—”

Jay interrupted him, “
Shorty says they will try to chase you out of the system. He isn’t familiar with their repulsar technology, but he thinks they may have their ships built with the same thing. Showing yourself is not a good idea.”

Butcher said, “Comms, keep visual off until further notice.” He looked at Stone. Can we trust Shorty?”

Stone nodded. “He hasn’t cut my hand off yet, Captain. He’s had more than one opportunity to do so over the past couple of years. Maybe he can be our front man?”

Jay said
, “Shorty has called for Sissie to come in. She’s been waiting in the corridor. He says that showing his face may be good or it may be prejudicial. What does prejudicial mean, Mama?”

Stone answered “Bad, very bad.”

Jay said,
“Play music to them.”

Shorty tossed a memory stick to the Captain. It sailed across the bridge, Butcher caught it, shoved it into a slot in his command chair, and hit play. “Comms, broadcast this and allow us all to listen in.” A tinkling of instrumental music filled the air. There wasn’t any rhythm or beat to the sounds, but the jingling sounded like wind blowing through well crafted wind chimes. Stone thought it was almost like the fairy music he’d piped into the his shower gazebo: restful, calming and soft.

Shorty stood when Sissie entered. He took her by the hand and the two piglets went to stand in front of the video pick up by the main monitor. Both looked at each other, pulled their sunglasses off, looked deeply into each other’s eyes and nodded in agreement. Either they were quiet or Jay didn’t interpret their speech.

“Nav, Captain. The three warships have halted outside of weapons range.”

Butcher snorted, “Nav, do you mean out of our weapons range or out of theirs?”

Nav laughed, “Yes, sir. I mean ours. Sorry, Captain.”

Jay said, “
They say go away. They say go away, please.”

Butcher said, “Tell them we can’t without getting access to one of their jump points. Will they allow us to use a navigation point?”

Jay said
, “They say, go away or they will make us go away. They are sorry, but it won’t be pleasant if they have to make us go away.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Stone said, “Captain, can we try running for a nav point?”

Butcher shook his head, “Without proper calculations, jumping into a random navigation point is just as dangerous as jumping out of hyperspace without a destination in the equation. Calculations will take more time than those warships will give us.”

Numos asked, “Jay, ask Shorty if he knows what weapons those ships have.”

Jay said,
“The last time Shorty was here, they didn’t have ships like these. They only had freighters and exploration craft, nothing that massive.”

The XO said, “Captain, if we back out of this system we’d have to backtrack months to get to another system that may or may not have usable jump points.”

Butcher said, “I’d rather not plan on months that could turn into years or generations if we can work something out. Maybe we can convince them that we aren’t a threat?”

Shorty said through Jay,
“That might not be possible since we are in a Hyrocanian ship. They’re more than familiar with the Hyrocanians.”

Butcher said, “Are you willing to try talking to them for us?”

Shorty said,
“That is why I’ve asked Sissie to join me. A female, even a slave, will show them we are not on a mission that is a danger to them.”

Butcher said, “Comms, on Shorty’s command.”

Shorty said,
“Show a video of just Sissie and me. No one else, certainly not Jay. No sound, please.”

In three heartbeats, a return video flashed on every bridge monitor. A lanky, red in the face piglet glared hatred at Shorty and Sissie. Suddenly, spittle hit the video pick up.

Jay interpreted and Stone repeated for the humans.
“Pribit! How dare you —”

A second voice said,
“Enhance your calm, Captain, my friend.”
Another piglet stood at the angry piglet’s shoulder, a light hand on the piglet’s shoulder.

The first voice replied,
“But you don’t understand what he did, Priest.”

The priest said,
“I understand that this pribit stole from you and threw your home farms into turmoil.”

Stone made the connection that pribit was a piglet word for a criminal or pirate. He liked pirate better and began correcting Jay’s translation.

The piglet captain replied,
“My elder greatfather lost his lands and now works as a lowly field hand for his cousin. This pirate did that and he flaunts his piracy even now.”

“Calm, Captain. You will do more damage to your eternal heart by this anger than the pirate ever did by his theft, kidnapping, rape, and plunder.”

Stone couldn’t help but smile as he repeated the conversation through Jay. Jay’s voice quivered at the word rape as she’d experienced it firsthand. It wasn’t Jay’s response that amused him, but Shorty’s shrug. The way he rolled his eyes said wonders about what he thought of the charges. Stone patted Jay on the head and told her it was going to be okay. He wondered if things were really going to be okay. Apparently, letting Shorty speak for them was making things worse.

“Tactical, Captain. One of the warship’s weapons just went hot. They — no. Scratch that, sir. They’re cold now. What the —? Weapons hot, sir. We’ve been targeted — no, cold again.”

The piglet captain’s face lost some of its redness. From the looks of it, he dissipated his anger by sheer willpower.
“Pirate, you should have stayed gone. There are those who have not forgiven you. Your piracy against other races was atrocious. Your actions brought the Eaters into our system to plunder and kill us worse than you ever could. That could be forgiven, but your kidnapping and enslavement of Sissie is unforgivable by my family and by hers. You must leave with your Eater friends now or we will be forced to take action. Now!”

Sissie said,
“I will say two things, Char-tim-Lous.”

Stone was surprised that she knew the man, but her tone made it obvious they’d met more than once. He was also surprised that she spoke. She rarely spoke unless spoken to by Shorty or Stone. He realized that was probably due to her status as a slave. Her tone now was anything but submissive.

She said,
“The ones running this ship are not Eaters. These creatures are not my enemies nor yours. They’re from a great warrior race who has beaten the real enemy and wrested this ship from them. They hunt them, even now, in their own ship. It’s only by their hands that I and many more piglets are alive.”

Char-tim-Lous dipped his head in acknowledgement.
“You wouldn’t lie to me, Sissie. You never did when we were children, and I doubt you would now if you could help yourself. How do I know you aren’t under the Eater’s control?”

Skipping over to the table, Sissie grabbed Stone by the arm and tugged him into video pickup range.
“You’ve seen Eaters. They are not as ugly as this creature, but
—” With strength Stone didn’t know she had, she spun him in a slow circle, mainly by grabbing his butt because she couldn’t reach much higher.
“You can easily see this creature only has two arms, not four. Look! His ears, if that is what you call those strange flaps, are not hinged. Show them your teeth, Boss.”

Stone obeyed her command, happy that she was too short to reach into his mouth and hold it open for inspection. He peeled his lips back, giving Char-tim-Lous a clear view showing he only had two sets of teeth, not the four sets the Hyrocanians sported.

Sissie said,
“You may be angry with Shorty, but these humans have rescued not only us, but hundreds of our fellow piglets. Hundreds, Char-tim-Lous. Hundreds that are on this very ship you wish to send back into deep space to be lost again in the stars. Shame on you! I know that is not the way your family priest taught you to behave
.” Jay managed to get Sissie’s emotional content translated to Stone, but he didn’t do as well translating Jay’s interpretation into Empire Standard.

Char-tim-Lous looked at the priest at his shoulder. The priest piglet nodded back. He sighed and waved a hand.

“Navigation, Captain. Two of the warships are peeling off. They appear to be heading back to the nearest moon base.”

Char-tim-Lous said over his shoulder,
“Get me a communication line to base. Have them hook me into to the Thrizlet Farmstead on Home.”
He glared back at Shorty.
“Whatever the outcome with Sissie’s elder greatfather, pirate, I will see you arrested and in your family’s own humiliation stocks. Piracy of other races is one thing, but the kidnapping and rape of Sissie is unforgivable. Nor will I have truck with any who protect him.”
The last was addressed pointedly to Stone
.

Sissie said,
“I said I had two things to say. I have said one. You will forgive me if I point out that you are judging another without hearing all the facts. You have already found Shorty guilty and passed sentence, yet you’ve never given him leave to explain. You condemn these humans without learning their heart or seeing their actions. Is this our way now? Have we so lost the path to harmony in my absence?”

Shorty shrugged and looked up at Stone.
“I ain’t got nothing to say, Boss. Turn me over to them. I can take the humiliation stocks if that is what it takes to get you home again.”

Stone was about to say something when Butcher spoke up. “Shorty, we don’t give up our own without a fight.”

Shorty said, “
Thank you, Captain —”

Sissie interrupted him,
“Shut your mouth, Shorty. You too, Char-tim-Lous. I wasn’t kidnapped. I was —”

She was interrupted by a screech as the monitor split showing two pictures. The piglet captain was on one side and the other showed a trio of piglets.
“Sissie! You’re alive? It has been so long.”

Sissie sighed at the interruption, but was obviously pleased to see the group.
“Mother, I am more than pleased to see you well. Greatmother, you are looking blessed. Elder greatfather, I am sorry to see your body hasn’t been fed to the compost pile.”

The elder greatfather snorted in a typical Earth piglike manner.
“Impudent as always.”
But everyone could tell he was happy to see her.

Sissie said,
“I was just —”

“Pirate!”
the elder greatfather shouted, pointing at Shorty.
“Someone arrest that piglet. He kidnapped my younger greatdaughter and raped our land.”

Stone put a hand on Shorty’s shoulder. “You really are a popular fellow.”

Shorty pointed at Stone’s hand.
“That’s one more time, Boss. I’m still keeping count.”
He smiled in a bizarre imitation of a human grin.

Stone said, “Wait! You raped their land?”

Shorty shrugged, “
That was the only thing I could think of as a distraction when I kidnapped Sissie.
”

The elder greatfather shouted,
“Even after all these years that land still doesn’t produce fruit.”
He appeared to harrumph exactly like a human politician.
“Well, not like it used to anyway.”

Sissie shouted,
“Everyone shut up
.” Strangely, everyone became silent.
“I have something to say and you will listen. Shorty did not kidnap me. I paid him to help me get away. He rescued me from you. That land he raped was mine. You gave it for me to garden on my thirtieth birthday when I became a young girl.”

Shorty said,
“You don’t …”
He let his words fade away under Sissie’s glare.

She continued,
“Elder greatfather, you betrothed me to Char-tim-Lous’s elder greatfather; a man hundreds of years older than I am, a piglet too old to grant me children. All in exchange for a few more fields of gardens.”

Char-tim-Lous sputtered,
“Elder greatfather? I was told you’d been betrothed to me.”

Sissie laughed,
“That sounds like a face saving lie. Our betrothal wasn’t ever likely. You always said you wanted to go into space, as I see you have. You weren’t a farmer, a gardener, not even a rat rancher. You had no land to trade for my hand. As the youngest greatdaughter in the family, such a trade for land was the best my elder greatfather could hope for. I expected nothing less, but never to marry such a man. Such a marriage would take away my womanhood.”

She looked up at Stone.
“I don’t know your human laws, but the damaged land was mine to keep or to give. I gave it to Shorty in exchange for rescuing me from a marriage to an old pig. He raped the land for me and left it fallow for me.”

Stone said, “Because he loves you, right? That’s what he means when he made you a slave.”

Sissie looked shocked.

Shorty sputtered and shook his head,
“No, Boss. I’m even older than the old piglet she’d been betrothed to. I may be a pirate, but I’m not a pervert to take a child to my bed. Not that it mattered, the Eaters captured my ship and crew along with every piglet they could get their slimy hands on. I’m afraid I led Sissie from the compost pile into the manure.”

Sissie said,
“I asked to be his slave. That meant that any male who wanted to have sex with me would have to ask Shorty for permission. A female alone — without even a greedy elder greatfather to protect her — would be fair game for any male who asks. With Shorty’s protection, I could choose my mates as I wish.”

Sissie’s mother spoke up
, “Daughter, have you returned to us with heirs? The Eaters and the space corps have taken more of our young men than we can afford to spare.”

Sissie nodded. Stone was surprised when she said,
“I have a dozen children of my own with me, counting my own younger greatchildren. We lost a dozen more to the Eaters before this human set us free. A dozen more have stayed with humans on one of their homes.”

The elder greatmother spoke,
“Praise the harmony. You’ve come home with family to help us garden the land, to bless and keep it.”

Sissie shook her head, her voice cold and hard.
“Not freakin’ likely. I’m here with the humans to hunt down and kill as many of the Eater S.O.B.s as I can kill.”