TangleRoot (Star Sojourner Book 6) (6 page)

They both wore stinglers at their sides.

“It's indigenous to –” I began, ready to lie and say it was native to Equus.

“In fact, where did
you
trolls come from?” she squeaked.

I looked at Al. “We, uh…”

He got up and brushed himself off. Vito, Paulie and I stood as Al approached the couple. “We were hired to take samples of the Blackroot to a lab on Syl' Tyrria.” Al looked around. “But the friggin' thing attacked us.”

“Oh, the woman said and smiled,”I know scientists at that lab in Cape Leone on Syl' Tyrria. Who hired you? What is his name?"

“He runs a private business on the side, lady.” Al eyed her stingler. “His clients don't like their names advertised. You know what I mean?”

The man put his hand on the woman's arm and backed a step.

“What are you two doing on Equus?” I asked him and ventured a few steps closer.

Al glared at me.

“My daughter and I are an advance ecological team. We're here to –”

“To study possible areas for Terran cultivation,” she interrupted, “under the auspices of Alpha's Department of Environmental Colonization and the Department of Science and Technology.” She watched Zack stir and lift his massive bulk to a sitting position. “The project has a wide scope and…” Zack stood up and towered over her. “And content,” she whispered, “including nutrient cycling, hydrology…plant…plant –”

“Plant succession?” I asked. “Soil microbiology?”

“Why yes!” The man came forward and extended a hand to me. “Doctor Wallace. David Frances Wallace. Just call me Dave. And this is my daughter Gretchen. We call her Gabby.”

I smiled and shook his hand. “Jules Rammis,” I said.

“
Doctor
Rammis?” he asked. “You seem to know about plants.”

“Well, astrobiology.”

He pumped my hand. “Very glad to know you, Doctor. Are these your, ah, colleagues?”

“We're together,” I told him, “on this mission.”

“Excellent,” he said. “My daughter and I are addressing cash crops with an eye to cropping yield patterns and energy budgets for possible exportation of produce to other colonized planets.”

“Fascinating,” I said, and kept an eye on Al, who was moving closer to Gabby. I saw him catch Zack's eye and nod toward Dave.

“I would enjoy discussing it further with you,” Dave told me. “And we're more than curious about this highly aggressive predatory lifeform you encountered.”

I glanced around at the four Mafiosi. “So would I, Dave. So would I. You find it necessary to carry weapons?”

Dave chuckled. One never knows what alien faunae one will encounter on unchartered worlds."

“Good idea, Dave,” I said. “You never know what you'll run into.”

“Wait a minute.” Gabby moved closer, away from Zack, who was approaching her. “Wait a minute. Jules Rammis!”

“Yes,” I said and moved away from Al and Zack.

Gabby and Dave followed me. Gabby drew in a breath and pointed at me. “You're the tag who killed the deviant Loranth on Syl' Tyrria!”

“No, I didn't exactly –”

“And you got rid of the dream czar on Halcyon!”

“I helped, but I wasn't the one who –”

“Oh my God!” She clasped her hands. “And you stopped that lunatic Rowdinth from dragging a black hole into our solar system!”

“Well, I had something to do with that, but –”

“Dad! He stopped the BEMS from invading planet Denebria and eating the people!”

“Well, my team did most of –”

“You're
famous,
” she squeaked. “Can I have your autograph?”

Zack was approaching her from behind. “I don't have a pen and a –”

“Here!” She whipped out a field stylus from her jacket pocket. “Write it on my jacket.” She smiled through thin lips and patted her chest. “Right over my heart.”

Good old hero worship. “OK.” I reached for the stylus and grabbed her stingler instead. “Run, Gabby!” I pushed her aside and spun the ring to stun. “Get back to the ship! You too, Dave.”

I swung the weapon toward Zack. Something crashed into me. It was Paulie. We both went down. He grabbed my wrist and slammed it to the ground. The stingler flew out of my hand. “You crotefucking slimetroll,” I said. “You just got three people killed.”

Paulie had a pained expression as he got off me. “I take orders from Al.”

I stood up. “Then you're nothing but a murderer.”

Gabby and Dave clung to each other and tried to back toward the hovair. Al had Dave's gun in his hand. “Stay right there!” he ordered them. “Sit down. Now!”

They sat, still clinging to each other. Gabby was shivering. Dave kissed her forehead gently and stroked her hair. He murmured something to her but he looked desolate.

Al turned to me, fury in his black eyes. “You gave me your word you wouldn't try to escape!” He strode toward me, his shoulders raised, and poked me in the chest.

I brushed away his hand and tried to back up, but I stumbled into Paulie, who had stationed himself behind me. “You were stupid enough to believe me,” I told Al. “I didn't believe you'd let me live all the way back to Earth.”

Al balled his hands into fists. I was ready to block his blows but his hands remained down. “Zack!” he called. “You're going to learn respect, kraut.”

“You need me,” I said, “to get you back to the trade lanes.”

“Are you so sure of that?” Al asked. “We've got these two cloudweavers to get us back.”

I heard Gabby cry. I felt like crying too. But I took deep shuddering breaths instead. “I'm sorry,” I told Gabby and Dave. “I tried.”

“Oh, no,” Gabby said, “we don't know how to fly a starship.” She half rose and pointed to the hovair. “It's not like an airship.”

“Sit down!” Al ordered. “How did you get here?”

“We –” Gabby started, then couldn't catch her breath.

“We were dropped off by Arcadia V,” Dave said, “one of Alpha's scientific explorer ships. They're due to pick us up in one Equus week.”

“Zack,” Al called.

“Wait a minute, Al,” Paulie whispered, “I mean no disrespect, but Jesus Christ, Zack'll kill him.”

Spirit!
I sent.

I know, Jules.

What am I going to do?

What can you do?

I'm scared!

I am here.

Paulie got between me and Zack, who was approaching like a grizzly bear on hind legs. “I'll do it,” he told Al.

I started to tremble and couldn't stop. I wanted to turn and run. They'd probably hit me with a stun setting. That wouldn't hurt half as bad as what they had in mind. I turned and slammed into Vito. Too late. Too slimeshitting late! Zack wrapped me in a python grip.

“I'm sorry, Julio,” Paulie said. “Al don't tolerate no disrespect. You gotta learn that.” He pulled off my ski hat, unzipped the top of my jacket, and shoved it inside. “Take it like a man.” He made a fist.

Spirit!

How does a man take it?
Spirit sent.

I don't know!

Paulie hit me hard enough to joggle my brain, but not enough to flatten me. The bastard was going to make this last.

I kicked back hard and caught Zack in his shin. He just chuckled.

I squeezed my eyes shut at the repeated jabs to my face, but the shock of being hit was worse than the pain. The onslaught lasted for hours. Well, maybe not. It just felt that way. After a while, the blows to my cheeks didn't hurt so much, but my mind retreated to a place of its own dark creation. Blackroot swarmed around me and reached out tendrils to drink the blood from my veins.

Spirit.

I can shut off your brain.

No. I can take this.

Like a man?

I don't fucking know!

“Take him down, Paulie,” I heard Al say.

“I'm sorry, Julio,” Paulie said.

A hard shot to my left temple snapped my head sideways. Zack let go of me and the snowy ground rushed up and slammed me. I blinked, trying to remain conscious. It became too hard and I gave myself up to a black predator of my imagination that seemed to suck my brain.

* * *

Subdued.
It was my first thought when my brain returned from La La Land. If they thought I was subdued, they were mistaken. But I'd let them think so. What was that humming sound? I'd also let them think they had knocked the tel abilities out of me, along with the stuffing, and I'd have to recuperate before guiding them out to the trade lanes. My head hurt. I tried to remember what they had done to me. I remembered fists.

I opened my eyes, but it was a blur. Gabby and Dave. Where were they, and my team, trapped in the cave?

“Jules, you want a drink of water?” someone asked in a squeaky voice.

“You got coffee?” I mumbled.

“No. Caffeine-free lime tea?”

“Never mind.”

My vision cleared and I saw Gabby and Dave sitting next to me. I lifted my head and looked around. I was lying on a bunk. “Are we in the hovair?”

Gabby nodded. Her hair was disheveled. Her eyes were puffy and red. She leaned against Dave, who looked distracted as he stared straight ahead.

“I think we're going to their starship,” Gabby said.

“Searcher,” I told her.

Paulie came into the room from the cabin. “You two,” he said to Gabby and Dave, and nodded toward the cabin. “Get lost.”

Gabby helped her father up and guided him into the cabin.

Paulie sat down. “How you feeling?”

“Never better,” I said.

“You know, I probably saved your life. Zack's a fucking animal.”

“Send me your bill.”

“You want coffee?”

“You've got coffee?”

“Zack has the ingredients for Demitasse in his backpack. Vito made it in the ship's sous chef.”

“You have a sous chef onboard?”

“That's what I just said.”

The chef was an indispensable appliance that turned ingredients into a variety of meals and drinks.

“You like Demitasse?” Paulie asked.

“OK. You got a cannoli?”

“No.” He got up and grinned. “A little anisette in the coffee?”

“Whatever.” I rubbed my eyes. “I gotta pee.”

“C'mon, I'll help you to the bathroom.”

I had to make this look good. I got up as though I were much weaker than I really was. I staggered and Paulie took my arm and guided me to the bathroom. When I was done he helped me back to the bunk. I sat down heavily, leaned against the wall and sighed. “There's something you should know.”

He walked toward the cabin. “After I get the coffee. I want a cup too.”

“Take your time.”
Crotefucker,
I thought,
because you're going to love this!

He came back, handed me one of two small cups, sat down and sipped the other one.

“Can't you tags afford bigger cups?” I asked.

“That's how you drink it, kraut.”

I sipped the hot, strong brew. It had a hint of liquor. “I can't do it anymore,” I said.

“Can't do
what?
”

I brushed a hand over my swollen left temple. “I tried to read the girl's thoughts, but it didn't happen.”

He looked worried. He'd look more worried before I was finished. “Maybe she wasn't thinking nothing,” he suggested.

“There are always subliminal thoughts.” I stared at the cup. “It's more than that. This happened before, after a couple of so-called friends put out my lights.”

He leaned forward. “So what's wrong?”

“I can't probe.” I stared him in the eyes. “I don't know which way is home, Paulie.”

He sat back. I thought he was going to drop his Demitasse. “Earth?”

I nodded. “It's like…” I touched my left temple. “It's like the road signs are down, you know?”

Damn, I was good!

He looked around, as though searching for an answer to this dilemma. “How fucking long does this last?”

I shook my head, carefully. “Last time it happened, it lasted about an Earth week. But…but I don't know. All of a sudden it's like the fog lifts and my tel is back. I just don't know.” I ran my hands through my hair to get it off my face.
Eat shit and die, mother fucker!
I heard a chuckle in my mind.
Spirit? Is that you? Taking a break from world building?

Ah, Jules, my Terran paisan, we all need some entertainment.

You think this is funny?

Sorry. No. Back to work. I'm manipulating the DNA of a small lizard to give his offspring wings. Just a matter of turning on the right triggers.

Sounds fun! Good luck.

Gracie.
There was that chuckle again as he broke the link.

I bit my lip.
Prego, you crote.

Paulie looked distraught as he got up and headed toward the cabin. “I better tell Al about this. He's gonna want to know.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “You'd better tell him.”

I sent out a probe toward my team and held my breath that the root hadn't gotten them. If I could steal this hovair, with Gabby and Dave still onboard, I could get to the cave, rescue my team and fly us to Sojourner. As Joe would say, it was a thin plan with lots of holes. But it was all I had. After that, let Spirit do his work and wipe the planet's slate clean.

I projected my tel into the cave for a visual on my friends, and gasped. Bristra filled the entrance like a closed door. The cave was lit only by their comlink lights. Oh, Great Mind.

We can't burn it, Chancey!
I heard Joe say.
The cave will fill with smoke. Bat, how are your batteries holding out?

About forty-eight percent left, Joe. It's my last one.

Chancey?

I've got one more after this baby. Then that's all she wrote.

I felt Joe's fear, not only for himself. The crusty leader of our team doesn't shake easily, but this was enough to do it. I wished he were a sensitive and I could tell him that I was doing my best to rescue them. I pressed a hand to my mouth and felt tears burn my eyes. What was that? Someone…something was responding to my send. It wasn't the bristra. Then what? The mind pattern was familiar. I wiped my eyes. Probably some indigenous animal with rudimentary tel powers and a mind similar in ontology to ours.

Al strode into the room, followed by Paulie and Zack. I guess Vito was steering the boat.