Jack's Snow Day

He had a quick shave, a little deodorant, then slipped on his clothes. Not too shabby.

He went back out to the living room and settled down to wait. He probably could have spent a little more time mooching around the shopping district but recalling his security detail's plea for him to limit the chaos, hiding in his room seemed more sensible.

Chapter 6

He bid his escort to Tanz's apartment a good night and turned to face the door. The fellow had led him deep into the palace and up a few levels so he wondered if they were close to the surface as the royal apartment had been. Pulling his shoulders back he knocked.

Moments later Tanz opened the door and gave him a dazzling smile. He smiled in return.

"Come in, please! Welcome to my home!" Tanz gushed.

Jack stepped inside and she closed the door. "I never like to arrive empty handed so I brought this," he said handing her the bottle.

"Lussht! Perfect! I'll put this in a chiller for after dinner! Where are your Altarian friends?" she asked.

"They had a... work issue to deal with tonight but they did want me to thank you for the invitation," Jack replied.

"No chaperone then. Good!" she said with an impish grin. "Come meet the other guests!"

He was smiling at her enthusiasm as he followed her into her apartment. There was a large bathroom just to his left and further along on the right was an entrance to a huge kitchen with delicious aromas wafting out. His mouth watered. He caught a glimpse of the kitchen being open into the next room then he was past the doorway. When they exited the hall into the living area he caught his breath. Much like the royal apartment the room was circular and dominated by a deep pit of cushions. This time however, instead of having a window on the far wall showing a view of the valley and sky, there was a huge dome window over the pit. As Jack walked forward slowly he looked up, his jaw dropping open in awe. The night sky was filled with stars and each was twinkling back at him.

"Oh my god, this is spectacular!" Jack whispered almost reverently. He could imagine reclining back on the cushions staring up at the stars for hours.

"I'm so pleased you like my apartment and its amazing view," Tanz said warmly.

Jack was pulled back to the here and now. "Yes, your place is gorgeous!" he remarked taking in the comfortable furnishings and lovely art. He spotted three couples waiting to be... reintroduced. He did recall meeting them the night before. OK, show time. His brain went into overdrive.

"Minister Berris and Hahn! So nice to see you again! Minister Mirs and Geng, a delight! Minister Phan and Minister Julli, good to see you too!" Jack said making his way through the group. The skill of remembering names and titles he'd picked up in his job as Altarian Ambassador came in handy. Each was delighted to be remembered and their spouses were equally pleased as so often they were not.

He ran through his mnemonic patterns to recall the positions each minister had in the Queen's council.

Berris was in charge of Agriculture and Health and her husband Hahn was a doctor.

Mirs, one of the two males in the cabinet, handled the Employment and Social Development portfolio while Geng took care of their children and ran a daycare with a neighbor.

The only husband and wife team in the cabinet, Phan was the Queen's Minister of Finance and the only other male. Julli was Minister of Tourism, a portfolio which currently had no off-planet ambitions. Jack had other ideas about that.

These were people who would have deep insight into the current state of the planet.

He'd learned the population of Chrystan was holding steady at roughly 750 million. This was fifty percent higher than when they were evacuated from their original home world. Better living conditions and improved diet were cited as reasons for the increase. The Shreen seemed to have an automatic mechanism for self-regulating their population in relation to their environment's resources. A concept that eluded Humanity's grasp to this day.

"Dinner is ready so if you would come this way," Tanz gestured and led them into a comfortable dining room with a beautifully decorated round table which facilitated conversation. She quickly removed two place settings and chairs as Geng helped spread out the remaining ones. She sat Jack with his back to the wall, facing the entrance to the living room, and without Gee and Bal present they were able to use a boy/girl seating arrangement. Covered dishes on the table contained the meal and Tanz began lifting off the lids. The scents were strange but appetizing and soon everyone was scooping out their favorites onto their plates.

Tanz returned from the kitchen where she'd put his bottle of Lussht in a chiller. She sat next to Jack and pointed out the dishes that were best suited to a human metabolism. It was warmer here at the table so Jack slipped the coat off his shoulders and let the chair take it.

They began talking about the hot springs which led to how difficult it was to take time off from their busy schedules to go to the hot springs. This segued into talking about their different positions and areas of influence. They were all proud of their work and satisfied with the progress they believe they made every day.

While Jack gleaned a good bit of information about the current health of major components of their society and it appeared very healthy indeed, he was no closer to finding the source of the troubles Queen Elissa mentioned. Perhaps it was a class gap? He'd been spending time amongst the leaders of the world's government and those closest to it, the city residents in the world's capitol. He would be visiting the other side soon, going deep into the countryside to a village where the resort was located. Perhaps he'd discover a disconnection between the government and its people. Understandably, 750 million people were a lot of individuals to keep happy. The local residents probably didn't represent a complete view and may not be an accurate representation. He would have to see.

"Jack?"

"Hmmm?"

"We lost you there for a second," Tanz teased.

"Sorry! My mind was so busy absorbing all this fascinating information while my body is digesting all this fabulous food!"

Tanz gestured across the table where an excited looking Berris was waiting to ask her question again.

"I was wondering if you've had any jobs where you had to live in conditions like we have on the surface."

Jack's mind immediately went to his time as a Park Ranger and he smiled. The other guests at the table leaned forward unconsciously.

"I've had many, many different occupations in my life but yes, I've had to work, and live, in conditions very much like the ones above us. It was back on Earth many years ago when I worked as a Park Ranger." He caught the question on Berris' tongue before she asked it. "Earth has land set aside for public recreational use. No commercial development allowed. Natural places in a world overrun by... never mind. The point of these parks is to preserve what little natural beauty we have left. Park Rangers protect the land by working as watchmen. Solitary guardians. The job didn't pay a lot but it was a job and I was good at it. Working the winter season was brutal but paid a little more so I took the job."

"What made it brutal?" Berris asked.

"Well, it was cold. Like it is upstairs. It was starkly white. Also like upstairs. But mostly it was the solitude. The closest you'd come to another human being during those long, cold winter months was when a military air transport flew by overhead, way up in the sky. A tiny silver reflection of sunlight off metal. Those were the only moments you'd know you weren't the only human left on Earth."

"You must have had some means to communicate with the world outside the Park!" Hahn argued.

"Sure. The Ranger posts had a direct line to the Park Headquarters. We could call anytime."

"There!" Hahn blurted in relief, knowing there was no way Human's would impose such isolation on another.

"Budget cuts eliminated the permanent staff in the headquarters during the winter months. We could leave a message on an automated receiver. These would be reviewed once a month when the regional supervisor made his rounds," Jack explained.

The table went silent. Isolation was not something the Shreen endured for long.

"One of the job requirements was to be able to keep it together mentally for the four or so months it took to get through the winter. Mostly nothing happened during those months. The silence was deafening. I did a lot of reading. No electronics. Actual paper books. The Ranger post I worked out of had hundreds of them. There was usually enough food and if things got desperate we were allowed to hunt but that had its own dangers."

"You hunted for your food?" Geng asked, a forkful of something red forgotten halfway to her mouth.

The memory still made Jack flinch. "Once." He looked around and saw he had every eye on him. He sighed and continued.

"There was a weird atmospheric event that winter which drew polar air south over the ocean and down the western coastline of the country I lived in. The snow that fell crippled our transportation lines, food shipments failed to reach their destinations and the bitterly cold temperatures froze water lines and downed our surface power grid. We had shortages of water as well as fuel. People who lived in houses with fireplaces went back to burning stuff for heat. Many hadn't used the fireplaces in years what with the price of firewood being so high. Many didn't know how to use a fireplace. There were a lot of house fires and a lot of people died from that or just freezing to death in the dark. Panic set in and it took the army clamping down on the movement of people to settle the situation. My shipment of supplies never made it and I only had another month of food rations. I was going to have to hunt while I could. The Ranger post had a powerful rifle and I knew there was a herd of deer moving through so I packed up my gear and headed out wearing snow shoes." At the curious look he smiled. "Our feet are much narrower than yours so we wear special shoes to spread our weight out over the snow so we don't sink." They nodded.

"I was a couple of hours out from the Ranger post, as far as I was willing to go that day when I heard the sound of a tree falling. I got closer and I saw a man had cut down four trees, sawed them into logs and was stacking them on a trailer behind a snow crawler, like a cart with tracks instead of wheels. He was working on the fifth tree when I got there. I yelled out for him to stop and he shot at me."

There was a gasp.

"He wasn't a soldier or really good with the weapon. Just a desperate man stealing wood to heat his home in the winter. I have no idea where the bullet went but it didn't hit me. I got behind a tree and yelled at him to stop shooting. Then I heard a loud growl and screaming. I looked around and saw the man trying to shoot a very large bear with his tiny handgun." Once more he saw their question. "A bear? Well, they can get really big, this one was, and are densely muscled and heavily furred. Long sharp claws on all four limbs and incredibly strong. Wide jaws with sharp teeth. Small black eyes with poor vision but a keen sense of smell. They usually leave people alone but there are times where they become a most dangerous predator."

The Shreen conferred with each other momentarily and Jack heard 'Skrahak' mentioned. Then Tanz shushed them so Jack could continue. Her eyes were wide with excitement.

"The man never had a chance with his handgun. The bullets just angered the bear. It reared up on its back legs and struck the man's head with a massive paw. Caved his skull right in, killing him in one blow. Stupidly, I screamed. The bear turned and started to run towards me."

More gasps.

"The rifle was on my back so I dropped the pack, pulled the rifle forward, and flipped off the safety. I think I might have wet myself I was so scared. Then the bear was in front of me and the rifle went off with a loud boom."

"Did it get you?" Geng shrieked excitedly and the red stuff on her fork flew off to land on her husband's cheek.

The table erupted with laughter except for Mirs who was wiping his face in annoyance.

Jack grinned at the female who was struggling to explain what she meant while the others gasped at the silliness of her question. He held up his hand to quiet the group. "Obviously I survived but I had to throw myself to the side after I pulled the trigger as it was charging. It still partially crashed into me and knocked the rifle from my hands and the wind from my lungs. As I lay there dazed on the ground I wondered when it would begin to eat me. It didn't so I sat up and saw I'd been incredibly lucky. My bullet had caught the bear between the eyes. I searched for and found my rifle and put it with my pack. I didn't have much time before it got dark so I dumped the cut wood over the man's body as a temporary burial to protect his corpse from predators looking for a quick meal. Then I used my knife and the man's sonic saw to butcher the bear and used the snow crawler and trailer to bring the bear meat back to the Ranger post. It helped me survive the winter but I was fired in the spring when I returned to Ranger headquarters. They didn't blame me for how I handled the situation but the public was pissed off that as a public servant I didn't protect the man. My bosses fired me as 'punishment' for them. It was a bad time."

"You eat meat?" Hahn asked quietly.

"On occasion," he responded carefully. "Humans are omnivores but on Altaria and here I restrict my diet to the local food."

"Would you eat an insect?" Hahn continued.

"Hahn!" Tanz cried.

"No it's fine! This reminds me of when I was a kid and a bunch of us would dare each other to eat more and more revolting things to prove how tough we were and how much of a weeny the other guy was," Jack grinned.

"Weeny?" Berris asked.

"It's a childhood taunt. We used it on kids who were afraid of everything," he explained.

"How tough were you?" Hahn asked curiously.

"The toughest kid on my block!" Jack grinned. "Until Tommy Berretti ate a Brazilian cockroach he stole from the zoo." He gestured how large the bug was. "Then he beat me up. Fame is fickle and fleeting. I've learned it's better to keep your head down and avoid it."

That earned him some chuckles and nods.

They finished up their meals and Tanz suggested they move to the living room to enjoy some after dinner drinks. Jack slipped his shoes off before descending into the cushions.

When she brought the chiller out with the bottle of Lussht he'd brought Jack promised himself he would limit his intake tonight.

The small glasses were handed out and Tanz got everyone's attention. "There is a new tradition we will follow tonight. The Queen told me about it this morning." There were a few giggles from the group and excited glances in Jack's direction. "Nobody drink until I say to, ok?" Nods all around. She added a small amount of Lussht to each glass and put the bottle back in the chiller.

"Now, we raise our glasses and one of us makes a statement indicating something or someone we are honoring. Everyone repeats what they said and we drink." She looked at Jack. "Am I doing it right?"

"Perfectly."

She beamed a smile at him. "Could you do the first one?"

"I would be honored," he said formally making her giggle.

"I would like to toast our wonderful host for making us an amazing meal and for gathering us together in a home as welcoming and beautiful as she is. To Tanz!" He looked at the stunned expressions on the faces around him. "Uh, you only have to say that last part."

"To TANZ!" they cheered and Jack grinned at the woman who was looking just a little overcome but happy. They tossed back the liquid.

This time he paid especially close attention to determine what it was about the taste that was so tantalizingly recognizable. Ice down the throat and boom! Heat in the belly. He sighed. He'd missed it again. Maybe one more. He was ok after two.

The bottle went around the glasses once more and Phan, who had been quiet all night leaned forward. "May I make the second toast?"

Tanz nodded and gestured for him to proceed.

"Thank you." He smiled bashfully to the others. "In light of the renewed love between our Queen and King I would like to make a toast to their love, may it serve as an example for all of us to follow, and inspire us to rekindle our own relationships! To love!"

"TO LOVE!" they bellowed and down went the Lussht.

Jack closed his eyes and felt the bloom of heat fill his being. He wasn't sure but he thought that happened much later in his drinking the night before. He opened his eyes and smiled at Phan. "You know, you really have the heart of a poet." The male dipped his eyes bashfully but his wife rubbed her face against his and he smiled lovingly at her.

Seeing the love in the couple's eyes Jack glanced conspiratorially over to Tanz. "You know it's the quiet ones that hide so much passion inside."

The group burst into giggles and Jack couldn't stop a brief snort of his own from escaping.

He looked down and saw the small glasses were suddenly half full. He was going to protest but this small amount would be fine.

"Who would like to make the next toast?" Tanz asked.

"Oh! I have one!" Geng said excitedly. She lifted her glass and looked at Jack. "To the love doctor!"

Jack's hand wobbled in surprise and he spilled some of his drink onto his hand. Before the liquid could drip from his fingers he transferred the glass to his other hand and licked his fingers clean. The slippery stuff had gotten between his fingers so he had to chase it with his tongue. When he glanced up after sucking his fingers clean he saw seven pairs of eyes locked on him. The bloom of warmth was making him tingle so he just smiled. "Sorry, what were we toasting again?"

Tanz burst into giggles which triggered the others. They raised their glasses and slammed them back.

Jack shrugged and finished off his glass. This time he really felt the rush and his head was drifting up into the clouds.

"Jack?"

"Hmmm?" he said turning his head towards the smooth voice.

"How did you become a sex specialist?" Tanz asked.

He snorted in amusement and shook his head. "That's silly. I'm no such thing!" he said with a grin.

"Is love doctor the right term?" she continued.

He focused on her lovely dark grey eyes, looking into his curiously. His mind was caught in a loop with that term. This wasn't the first time he'd heard it. When had he heard it first? Oh! In the shop today... but...

"Where did you hear that term?" he asked her.

She grinned and the others did as well. "It's on the entertainment news. You were in a shop and some ladies heard you say it. The title is very popular!"

Jack groaned. "I was teasing! I don't consider myself a love doctor or a sex specialist or even that knowledgeable on the topic. I like sex. A lot! I appreciate beauty where I see it but that doesn't make be special or unique and certainly not an expert. I just know a few things."

"Teacher," Julli gasped, eyes twinkling with excitement.

"To learning new things!" Tanz said lifting her glass.

Jack looked in his glass and it was full. He didn't recall anyone pouring but he tossed it back with the others.

The stars were so beautiful and he was so fortunate to be flying amongst them. So warm and comfortable.

"Jack?"

There was that delicious voice again. He smiled and turned his head to the side. Large soft eyes were looking back at him.

"Will you share your lessons with us?" Tanz asked gently. She was so sweet he thought.

"What little I know I will gladly share," he said with a nod and heard a trilling sound. He pushed himself up on the cushions to a seated position and saw the happy faces of the other guests looking back at him. "Hello!"