Ktheg!lik got another idea and asked Petra a few questions, privately. She didn't want to get Odaual's hopes up or worry the others. Flicking her left ear for luck, she gave an order, then waited.
It was not many zegs at all before they heard the whine of the damaged carriage. “Uh...Ktheg!lik...?” Odaual called uncertainly.
“It's all right, I sent for it.”
“You did? Ah. Are we sending someone ahead?”
That's not a bad idea, either. Possibly a better one. “My intention was to put it behind us and have it give us a push. Petra says that would be equivalent to two more engines. What do you think? You're the engineer.”
Odaual was quiet for several moments, then mused aloud. “Stopping and starting will put a bit of extra strain on the engines. Pushing is more likely to damage the carriage. Plus, the sun is up, and we'll have to find a good spot where the door is in shadow. But removing two people would lighten the load...Wait. Ktheg!lik?”
“Mmm?”
Odaual lowered his voice a bit more. “Where is the alien's body now?”
Ktheg!lik's eyes and ears widened. “Kazz! I didn't even think of it! It must still be in there. Even if someone is willing to ride, there's only room for one person...let me check.”
< Petra, where is Nik!eh? >
< Nik!eh is on Level 4, in arboretum. >
Ktheg!lik froze for a moment, then clicked softly, twice. She closed her ears over her face and took a breath. You put him with his beloved “apple trees.” That was...considerate of you, Petra. With effort, she kept from clicking any more for the moment.
Intellectually, she knew that Petra was probably just being efficient and consolidating the alien contamination, keeping germs away from everyone else. It still felt like a punch to the gut. We never held a funeral or any burial rites for Nik!eh. We don't know what the customs of his race are. We're so focused on survival... She swallowed. Maybe I'm reading more nobility into the alien than is warranted, but...I'd like to think that he wouldn't mind us neglecting him for a while. To pay him proper respect, first we need to survive.
Pulling herself together, she told Odaual, “The carriage is empty. We could take two people off, or push. It's your call.”
Odaual paused, then said, “Do you think you could shift over while we are moving? Because there's a straight stretch that would serve coming up.”
Ktheg!lik felt galvanized into action upon hearing that. “Let's find out how good Petra is at piloting. Geh!aoa, come here!” She told Petra to come up alongside, matching speeds and aligning the doors on the two vehicles. “Everyone else, be careful, we're opening the door while we're moving.” She stood up, squeezed past a few people, and unlocked the door, sliding it open. The bright glare of daylight nearly blinded everyone.
By the time Ktheg!lik could see again, the carriage was alongside. The gap was about two naza. Like jumping from one mount to another at a gallop. She waited until Geh!aoa was next to her and staring out at the carriage. “It's not far. Think you can—?”
Before she could even finish asking the question, Geh!aoa had eagerly leaped across. Well, that answers that. Now, do I send someone else or go myself? I'd better go myself just in case of surprises.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Half a zeg until the turn, Ktheg!”
“I'm going, I'm going...”
Geh!kin had joined her. “I've got the door. Go.”
Ktheg!lik jumped.
She could easily jump that far, but nervousness made her awkward; she landed badly, fortunately without serious injury. “Get to the shade!” she ordered Geh!aoa, gesturing for her to get beside the hatch on the forward side even as she scrambled to the rear side of the door. “Petra, move away and close the hatch!”
She felt the carriage shift, and too-bright sunlight stabbed into the interior for a moment before the hatch slid into place with a mechanical click. They were plunged into darkness. Unable to see her ear in front of her face, Ktheg!lik called out, “Petra, move the carriage into the carriage house!”
“Yes, Ktheg!lik.”
“Petra, can you turn on a light in here?” Geh!aoa asked.
“Yes.”
The darkness remained and Ktheg!lik smiled a little. “Petra, slowly turn on a light in here.”
“Yes, Ktheg!lik.” A light in one corner slowly gained brightness, giving their eyes time to adjust.
She felt the carriage pick up speed and the whine of the engine got a bit more labored. The floor rocked slightly as they rounded turns and shifted to steeper inclines. As she looked around, she noticed that the interior was fairly banged up and dirty. Imagine being in here while it flipped over and rocks flew everywhere. She shuddered. I'm grateful that Nik!eh survived long enough to give Petra instructions she could follow.
Meanwhile, Geh!aoa was excited. “Is this the original carriage you rode in with Nik!eh when he took you to his home?”
“Yes.”
“What was he like? The alien, I mean.”
"...Alien. Very alien," Ktheg!lik declared unhelpfully.
She started to settle herself on the floor, but Geh!aoa protested. “No, you're the elder, you should take the seat.”
Ktheg!lik flared one ear slightly. “I'm only two years older than you, that's not that old. Don't worry about it.”
Geh!aoa didn't object further, instead eagerly settling herself in the seat. She probably wants to imagine that she's the owner-pilot. Let her have her fun.
“Petra, call Odaual, please.”
“Yes, Ktheg!lik.”
“Odaual?”
“Here. Are you on your way?”
“I believe so. Is the omnibus handling any better?”
“Not enough to tell, but I'm sure it didn't hurt the situation. Are you going to keep going back and forth, bringing people ahead one at a time?'
“Haven't decided yet. I might send it back empty. How is everyone back there?”
“I've explained a bit to them, but they're understandably agitated. There aren't going to be many more straight stretches with the right orientation to block the sun, so we might not be able to repeat that trick before we arrive ourselves.” Ktheg!lik noticed the optimistic assumption, probably meant for the others listening.
“In that case, after we get off, I'll send the carriage back empty to help push the omnibus.”
“Sounds good, just warn a guy before it happens.”
“I'll tell Petra to alert you. Signing off for the moment.”
“Thanks. Talk to you soon.”
“Petra, end the call.”
“Yes, Ktheg!lik.”
Geh!aoa asked, “Petra, how long until we arrive at your base?”
After a moment of silence, Ktheg!lik said, “Petra, please answer all of Geh!aoa's questions from now on.”
“Yes, Ktheg!lik. Geh!aoa, you will arrive in the carriage house in twelve zegs.”
“Thank you, Petra,” the younger woman replied. She glanced at Ktheg!lik, as if expecting to be criticized for being polite to the golem. Seeing no reaction, she relaxed.
Ktheg!lik had been answering everyone's questions all along, so Geh!aoa didn't have to ask any obvious ones. After a few zegs, though, the other woman asked quietly, “Petra, have you found any more survivors?”
“I don't understand, Geh!aoa.”
“Did you find more fuak!a yet?”
“No.” The women shared a look.
“We'll keep looking,” Ktheg!lik assured her.
“I know. I hope we find someone.” Geh!aoa sighed. “I don't care for any of the men in our group.” A moment later her ears flicked over her face. “I mean, of course I want us to find as many survivors as possible, I just—”
“I understand. It's a reasonable concern to have. No one knows what kind of future we have left, or if our species will survive this. I'm sure some will pressure you to bear children by different fathers. But, you don't have to do that if you don't want to.”
“It feels very selfish, though.”
“It is selfish. You're allowed to be selfish sometimes. Make whatever choices you want. Just...realize that you're choosing from fewer options than you might like. Don't expect or demand the impossible.”
“What's 'impossible' is in need of an urgent update, though,” Geh!aoa murmured, caressing the display in front of her.
“That much is certain,” Ktheg!lik agreed with feeling.
