“I’m not in heat any more!” Sata announced with pride when Boro staggered into the cavern the following morning.
Boro’s head felt like it had been run over by a transport ship, or maybe the star station itself. He had to struggle to understand what she was saying, and the implications of it. “Um . . . I bet that’s a relief. Who was the lucky guy?”
Sata frowned. “Boro! I didn’t mate with anyone! When I realized you were gone, I knew I had to stand on my own two feet. And besides, Mati’s in heat now, so Rini’s very busy protecting her.”
When Sata’s words finally penetrated his groggy brain, Boro threw his head back and laughed deeply.
“So with Rini busy,” Sata continued, “I really had to think fast. I approached a group of older females. They let me sleep with them, and told me about some herbs. They made me a potion that tasted like it was straight from the Underworld, but it worked! Only problem is, it won’t work on Mati until she’s been in heat for at least a week.”
At that moment, their attention was drawn to a commotion just outside one of the cavern entrances. When they arrived, others were already crowded around, three or four deep, trying to see.
“The little blue female is actually helping the skinny gray keep others away,” they heard a tall male say. “I’d love to get my claws around that feisty girl.”
Boro stretched up on his hind legs to see. Rini was bleeding in several
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 194
places. He and Mati, side by side with their backs to a rock wall, were putting up a good fight. The large brown male, however, was not taking no for an answer.
Boro took one more breath, then muscled his way through the crowd, finally leaping into the fray beside Rini.
The brown male stopped in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Boro roared. “Don’t like a fair fight?”
The large brown reptile stood with his chest heaving, trying to catch his breath, and deal with his lusty feelings for the little blue female.
Boro glimpsed Sata appear at his side.
“What
is
wrong with you people?” the brown finally gasped out. “It’s one thing that our females are too upset to go into heat. But you idiots won’t even mate when you are in heat, and you have your pick of all the males! You don’t like the ones who came with you, you’ve had offers from the largest, the strongest, and the fastest, and you refuse everyone. The population has dropped by seven just since you arrived. Don’t you see what’s going to happen if someone doesn’t mate?”
“Don’t
you see that we’re not from here?” Sata suddenly blurted out, breathing almost as hard as the brown male. “And we’re not from some little cavern across the desert, we’re from Satamia Star Station — what you call the Rip in the universe — and we are your only hope of finding a new home!”
After Sata fell silent, grains of sand could be heard sifting down through the rocks of the simulated desert environment.
Mati wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, so she just rolled her eyes.
Rini smiled and started licking his cuts.
Boro stood his ground, but didn’t have to do any fighting. The brown male stomped away, and the crowd silently dispersed, most of them wearing frowns.
Rontilia Star Station’s only large space, Silver Hall, gleamed with shiny crystal and bright metal. No great tree wound through the station, but small trees and bushes added color in many little gardens and big planters. One balcony overlooked the large silver floor.
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So few people, of any species, were to be found in the station, that Ilika and Kibi had to fix their own lunch at one of the three eating places. Just as they picked up their trays, an ursine bustled in carrying a large carton.
“Sorry, had to run down to the storeroom, and couldn’t resist stopping at a knowledge processor to see how the Great Transformation was going. Did you find everything you needed?”
The pair of monkey mammals smiled and nodded, then wandered away to pick a table.
“Are we the only ones not following Mati’s and Sata’s every move?” Kibi asked with amusement.
Ilika laughed. “Melorania knew we’d just worry if we didn’t keep busy.”
“At least now we can catch up on news . . .”
“Actually, no. While you were getting stuff out of the refrigerator, my bracelet chimed. We have an urgent cargo run.”
Kibi chuckled and started eating faster.
When they slipped their trays into the dishwashing room, no one was working within, but they noticed a lone reptile, wearing an apron, glued to a nearby knowledge processor.
Ilika smiled when they discovered the supply room completely unattended.
“What do we do?” Kibi asked. “You said the cargo run was urgent.”
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“This isn’t hard,” Ilika replied, grabbing an empty pallet and a knowledge pad.
Kibi looked with wide eyes down the long rows of shelves. “There must be a thousand different things in here!”
“Probably more like twenty or thirty thousand,” Ilika said. After touching some symbols on the knowledge pad, the pallet began to float slightly above the floor. “Your first piloting lesson,” he said, handing the pad to Kibi.
She chuckled as she got used to the controls while the pallet bumped into nearby shelves, but soon had it moving down the first aisle.
As they began loading cartons and canisters onto the pallet, they heard someone else come in and prepare another pallet. Soon a large fanator was coming down the aisle behind them, lifting cartons with his beak through the loop at the top of each item.
Kibi hadn’t really thought about it before, but could now see that every package had half a dozen ways to lift it. “There’s so much to learn in Nebador.”
“Little things and big things, bok,” the huge bird said after placing a carton on his pallet. “It’s your kind in the Great Transformation. How are you taking the bad news?”
Kibi swallowed and felt her entire body become tense.
Ilika glanced at her and chose his words carefully. “We’ve been very busy, and haven’t had a chance to follow the news.”
“The observers are saying it looks like a complete failure,” the fanator revealed with a sad voice. “Bok.”
Ilika could see the tears on Kibi face, and feel the huge knot in his own stomach.
“Bok. I’m sorry,” the bird began. “I didn’t realize you were emotionally involved . . .”
“They’re our friends,” Kibi whispered through her swollen throat.
The fanator came close and wrapped his large wings around the pair of grieving monkey mammals.
Kibi began crying freely.
“Don’t give up hope,” Ilika whispered. “Strange things can happen during Great Transformations . . .”
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Silmula Sorafax trembled slightly as she waited in a small chamber near the Mission Assignment Room. It was unusual to wait so long for a conference with Kerloran, especially when he himself had requested the conference.
But the white cat knew a lot was happening in the star station. Dozens of visiting students were grumbling about all the things going wrong with the Great Transformation. Most members of the briefing team were asking for new assignments in the deepest, darkest corners of the star station, or even, if possible, off-station.
As the leader of the mission, Silmula Sorafax knew she could not hide from her responsibilities, and what now appeared to be her failure. She was a fully-trained graduate of the Psychic Development program, and about twenty other specialized programs, so she had no temptation to even try to avoid facing . . . whatever judgment was about to descend upon her.
Kerloran appeared suddenly, as if in haste, a green swirling cloud that filled most of the little room.
The cat nearly jumped out of her skin, then instinctively licked her paws and hung her head while purring.
The master of Satamia Star Station smiled to himself.
I . . . I was so ashamed, she began, when Boro left Sata alone, still in heat, to fend for herself. I have made a list of training points that need to be emphasized in the future if any monkey mammal . . .
Boro went off to play games and get drunk, the towering non-material presence said flatly.
The big cat flopped onto her belly with shame, and was about to cover her head with her paws, but stopped herself. Yes, I was so tempted to open an access door, jump in there, and give him a good slap. I’m not sure I would have kept my claws retracted!
You believe he should have stayed at Sata’s side no matter what . . .
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Silmula Sorafax rolled onto her back and presented her soft belly. He promised to, and the need for them to support each other was stressed many times during the briefing. I don’t think Rini ever left Mati’s side . . .
And then Sata broke one of the most important rules of the Great Transformation.
I have been going over the records of the briefing, the cat responded, sitting up on her haunches and hanging her head again, and I cannot see how she missed the importance of non-disclosure, but I take complete responsibility for the failure of the mission, and plan to . . .
Relax, little one, Kerloran said in a soothing tone, shrinking down to a small green ball.
Silmula Sorafax looked up into the swirling presence, and sensed a depth of intelligence and wisdom she could not even begin to understand.
The green ball continued to speak to the cat’s mind. The visiting students will need to see the entire process unfold, but you, as leader of the mission, do not have that luxury. Know that Boro’s decision to cease protecting Sata was the best thing for both of them, and for the mission. Know also that Sata’s disclosure was the only possible path to the success of the mission.
Ponder these things. Hold your head up and do not grovel. You work for me, and I am well-pleased with your work. In you I place my trust.
The green presence faded and was gone, leaving Silmula Sorafax blinking, trembling, and knowing she had a lot to learn.
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 199
Deep Learning Notes
After seeing the outcome of Boro leaving Sata alone, what is your opinion of what he did the night before?
Why did Sata reveal their true nature?
What public events in our culture cause as much interest as the Great Transformation caused in Nebador?
When Silmula Sorafax met with Kerloran, what submissive behaviors did she show? Which of those are unique to felines?
What was Kerloran telling Silmula Sorafax about “following the rules”?
