Storm World Ch. 04

"The last time it had been used!" she said aloud.

With new focus Tem l`eth tong leaned in and scanned the display until she located a group of characters in the lower right corner that seemed unrelated to the charts. She recognized them from several experiences she'd had while analyzing CP tech captured in raids.

"Numbers," she breathed and continued to watch them. She was pleased to note that the characters on the far right changed at a regular interval. After several Taq' the characters in the middle changed.

"It is a chronometer," she purred, pleased with herself for figuring out this one small thing.

Comparing the characters in the lower right corner with some on the charts she became convinced the charts were a sort of calendar. She watched the chronometer carefully for a time, seeing how the numbers changed and figuring that if all Humans calculated time in the same fashion the numbers were appearing in ascending order. Humans used a base ten system similar to the jZav'Etch base twelve system. She did not entirely understand how they had come up with a twenty-four hour day or why they had sixty... What did they call their Taq'a? Not seconds. That was what they called their smallest whole unit of time.

"Sixty..." she hissed. "Sixty what in an hour? Sixty... Minutes! Sixty minutes in an hour. Why twenty-four? Why sixty?"

Those were not base ten. Well, twenty-four was not base ten. Nevertheless, those seemed much more in line with a base twelve system. She shook her head in irritation. The reasons were not important. What was important was that she now had a point to start from. Numbers were universal among spacefaring races and were usually the first thing code breakers and translators looked at when encountering new races. No one could launch a ship without understanding basic arithmetic. Complex equations could not be developed without simple formulae. And physics could not be understood without equations.

Tem l`eth tong looked around on the table until she found a pad of wrinkled paper and a pen. The pen was a little too thin for comfort, but it still worked. She was gratified by the sour smell as she ran the tip over the paper to burn her scrawl on its surface. Human devices were so fascinating. It was somewhat archaic to use paper and pen, but on a world so far from a supply base or primary terminal it was a very sensible method of keeping notes. After all, once written down the paper would have to be destroyed to delete the data. An electronic device could simply fall on the stones of the floor and lose everything.

She spent a short time writing numbers and making the corresponding Human character next to them. When she was certain she had worked out the correct order she returned her attention to the charts. It took more time to locate the earliest chart. She pulled it to the notional top of the virtual stack and examined it. A red line traced across the lower quarter of the chart, rising and falling but never climbing above the fourth mark on the left side. She pulled the next chart to the fore and examined it as she had the first. The red line continued its low rambling with a few peaks rising to the fourth mark. It seemed these peaks indicated some event or other, but she had no way of knowing what that might be. Studying the other charts in order Tem l`eth tong saw how the red line suddenly broke free of the lower quarter of the chart and spiked almost half way to the top. On the subsequent chart, though, the line was lower than it had been on the first and it ran nearly flat. A major event had occurred (she counted the charts) seven months or seven years ago and then the charts more or less returned to normal.

"What in the name of the Armored God can all this mean?" she asked herself.

She continued to study the charts, noting that the peaks of the red line were again gradually creeping higher on the lower quarter, and on the last chart, the most recent, there were three spikes indicating three separate events. None of them had registered as high as the previous spike, but they were well above the fourth mark. One had even risen past the sixth. Though, this information did little to enlighten her, somehow it made Tem l`eth tong feel uneasy.

*****

M`peth qHo ducked under an overhang of damp stone and finally discovered the pool she and Liat `del Qha had known would be there by the sound of gathering water. The chamber was broad with a low, sloping ceiling that disappeared into blackness beyond the pool. It was lit only with small patches of the luminous moss dispersed along the wall to the right of the opening where a narrow stretch of damp stone rose from the water. These palm-sized patches gave the chamber a much softer light than other parts of the cave system. The source of the water was revealed when she stepped further into the chamber to allow Liat `del Qha to enter. A spring flowed from between two layers of the living rock and rippled over the floor before entering the pool.

"It is quite beautiful," observed the Pah`Tht, stepping up next to the commander. "It reminds me of the springs at Aarrass on my home world."

"Your people love the water, do they not?" asked M`peth qHo.

"We do," confirmed Liat `del Qha. "I miss baths when aboard ship. Misters do not remove stress the way a long soaking does."

"They are more practical, though," M`peth qHo said. She was eying the pool in a calculating manner.

"What is wrong, Commander?" the Pah`Tht asked.

"The water flows quickly and in abundance, yet the pool does not rise," she replied.

"It must flow out of the other end of the cave." Liat `del Qha stepped to the edge of the pool and peered intently at the far end some ten meters away. "I will explore if you permit, Commander."

M`peth qHo's tail lashed hard and her whiskers twitched, a sign of stress she was unable to subdue. Her reason told her there was no danger here, but her instinct warned that where there was water there was death. Still, she mastered her fear and gave Liat `del Qha a nod.

Smiling, the small Pah`Tht pulled her shirt off over her head, her large breasts coming free one at a time. An irrational flash of envy spiked in M`peth qHo's mind as she watched them sway freely. Her own breasts were far smaller than those of the petite Pah`Tht. At times it seemed every female's breasts were larger than her own. Liat `del Qha removed her gun belt then unfastened the clasps on her fatigue trousers and shimmied out of them and her under shorts at the same time, exposing her firm rump and shapely legs. As the Pah`Tht folded her clothes and set them in a pile her short tail flicked excitedly from side to side, drawing the commander's attention, perhaps unintentionally. Perhaps not.

"Take care when crossing the pool," cautioned M`peth qHo, suddenly doubting the Pah`Tht's motive was simple exploration. "There may be sharp stones on the bottom. And we do not know if there is anything alive in the water."

"I will be cautious, Commander," Liat `del Qha said, delicately putting the toes of her right foot in the pool. "It is fairly warm. Warm enough to bathe without discomfort." The Pah`Tht gave her commander a brief glance, and there was some meaning in it. M`peth qHo quirked her ears forward as if she were going to speak, but Liat `del Qha went on, "I see no sign of creatures below the surface."

As M`peth qHo watched Liat `del Qha slowly step deeper and deeper into the pool until the water was up to her breasts. The Pah`Tht leaned forward and began to swim. In a few strokes she crossed to the back of the cave. M`peth aHo held her breath apprehensively as the pilot allowed herself to sink. The water was up to her chin but it appeared she was able to touch the bottom of the pool and she did not seem distressed.

Spitting out a mouthful of water Liat `del Qha reported, "There is a wall built here, Commander."

"It is not a natural feature?" asked M`peth qHo.

"No," Liat `del Qha said. "I can feel individual stones. They are cemented together with something. The water flows over the wall and down a steep decline. I cannot see more than that. I can hear it strike another pool far below. Or perhaps it is a subterranean river. It is very far below, whatever it is."

"Very well, Liat `del Qha. Well done," M`peth qHo said, unable to keep the tension out of her voice. "Come back now. We must continue our exploration. The tunnel, I think, will take us to the surface. Maybe it will let out upon the top of this hill."

"Do you not wish to pause for a bath, Commander?" asked the Pah`Tht. She turned a demure smile upon the larger female. There was an invitation in that look M`peth qHo could not miss. "It will take away some of your stress. The swim has already done me good."

"I..." M`peth qHo began to refuse outright. She rarely bathed in pools. It was her preference to stand under a shower if one was available. Most Thahn `Den bathed in that fashion. There was that suggestion in Liat `del Qha's tone, though. A discrete hint that meant more than her words. M`peth qHo's tail glided uncertainly above the stone floor as she reconsidered. It had been a very long time since she had allowed another to groom her. After the stress of the battle and her injuries a good grooming and massage would be welcome and there was no great urgency while the storm kept the crew confined to the cave. What was more, the pilot might wish the comfort and release of grooming after the loss of her ship and her friends. "I believe you are correct. My back and neck might feel better after soaking for a short time."

Liat `del Qha smiled through the dimness and began swimming back to where the commander stood. By the time the Pah`Tht got to the shallows where the water was only waist deep on her M`peth qHo had set aside her gun belt and was stripping out of her shirt. Liat `del Qha unobtrusively admired the commander's lean body. As the undershirt rose above M`peth qHo's ribs the white blaze on her chest became visible. Running down from her throat to her sternum it spread in a diamond shape between her small breasts, nearly reaching her prominent nipples. The white of the blaze stood out sharply from the commander's auburn fur with its narrow blue/black stripes and was very pleasant to look upon for Liat `del Qha. She was partial to stripes, though her own people did not have such narrow ones. As the undershirt came off M`peth qHo's dark mane spilled down to her shoulders in a tousled mass and she shook her head to get it out of her eyes. Liat `del Qha smiled at that, but she quickly averted her eyes so as not to offend. This was a first encounter between females not only of different breeds, but different ranks and social standings. She wanted the release and relaxation of grooming, but did not anticipate more and it would not do to be too forward.

M`peth qHo could not keep her tail from languidly slashing the air when she saw how Liat `del Qha looked at her before turning her gaze away. It was always gratifying to know another female appreciated her appearance. With a soft, unconscious purr she unfastened her trousers and slid them slowly down her legs. Though she was all but certain the pilot wished no more than a good grooming the commander thought it would not be a bad thing to tease a bit. Of course, Pah`Tht did not require more than an invitation, or so it was widely held.

M`peth qHo stepped out of her trousers and stood on the narrow stone shore in only her shorts as she took her time folding them. Liat `del Qha felt her pulse increase as warmth spread through her loins at the image of the leanly beautiful commander before her. M`peth qHo's shorts followed her trousers into the pile of clothing, neatly folded and stacked as if for inspection and then the Thahn `Den looked at the water. She hesitated only a heartbeat before stepping to the edge of the pool and testing the temperature with a delicate foot. To the pilot's mind she looked like a princess from an old tale of romance.

"The water is much warmer than I would have guessed," M`peth qHo said and stepped into the pool. "Not warm, exactly, but not tepid."

"Comfortable for me, Commander," said Liat `del Qha, holding her place while the larger female moved deeper into the pool and sat down.

M`peth qHo was not precisely happy to have this encounter in a pool of water, but she knew Pah`Tht and dTel`Qohar females both enjoyed baths and swimming and frequently enjoyed mutual grooming as well as sex at public pools and bath houses where private enclosures were available. Thahn `Den preferred steam baths and showers or even dry saunas to pools of any sort. Females of her breed certainly enjoyed grooming and sexual encounters in those places, but due to the more confined spaces they occurred less frequently. It was the uniquely Thahn `Den sun garden where most of their casual encounters took place. Males never frequented sun gardens unless specifically invited to a function of some sort and then they would remain in the party's designated area. It was one of the few places a female could see a nude male she was not related to in some way. She purred at the memory of seeing the brother of one of her closest friends at a harvest gathering some fifteen summers ago. He had been everything a Thahn `Den male should be. Long mane, battle scars, sleek muscles and those incredible blue eyes of his still haunted her fantasies. She had been far too young to entice him into a liaison, but that had not prevented her from imagining what it might be like.

Strong, deft fingers on her shoulders brought M`peth qHo out of her memories. Liat `del Qha had moved behind her and now she could hear the Pah`Tht's low, rolling purr. The fingers probed tense muscles and bruised flesh, making M`peth qHo flinch now and then, but the fingers rubbed away the knots and hurts and she began to relax and enjoy the attention.

"You have skill, Liat `del Qha," murmured the commander, closing her eyes contentedly.

"My mother taught my sisters and me how to attend such hurts," the Pah`Tht told her. "My father and brothers enjoyed sport very much. And my eldest sister enjoyed dance."

"What did you enjoy?" the commander asked politely. She sighed with relief as another hurt was rubbed away.

"Flying," said Liat `del Qha in a warm, wistful tone. "When I was very young I began building model gliders. My father encouraged me, though my mother wished I had chosen some other interest. I often spilled glue."

They both chuckled at that.

"So I have your mother to thank for your skill," sighed M`peth qHo and leaned slightly forward to give Liat `del Qha better access to the long muscles of her back.

Liat `del Qha ran her fingers down M`peth qHo's spine slowly working the tension away. She marveled at how little fat was on this female whom she had assumed would spend most of her time at a desk or computer terminal. She had expected to find flab and comfortable flesh. Instead she discovered firm, healthy muscle.

"How do you keep yourself in such good condition, Commander?" she asked.

"Hmm?" M`peth qHo asked, startled at the words. She had been on the edge of dozing off in spite of sitting up to her chest in water. "Oh. Your pardon, Pilot. I was lost in your attention. I... well, I suppose you imagine my duties require little in the way of physical exertion."

"Not at all, Commander," Liat `del Qha lied.

"Really?" M`peth qHo asked slyly and glanced over her shoulder with her whiskers bristling forward good naturedly and a twinkle in her eye. "I certainly thought that would be the way of it. Instead, I find myself almost constantly on the move. I am required to stay in fighting trim if only to keep up with my assignments. I prefer to run and climb when I can. Aboard ships I generally use a sparring hologram."

"Most of the crew of the Char`Noth favored those," Liat `del Qha said. "Vil t`IIen Mi and I would spar when..."

The Pah`Tht fell silent and her hands stopped moving, though her fingers remained in contact with M`peth qHo's back. The commander intuited what was wrong and she turned to face the smaller jZav`Etch, taking her small hands in her own.

"I am very sorry for the loss of your friend, Liat `del Qha," she said softly. The pilot looked up into her eyes briefly and then down. "I never intended any of this to happen. If I could bring her and the rest of the crew back, I would."

"It is not your fault, Commander," whispered Liat `del Qha. "It is war and we are jZav`Etch."

"But it is my responsibility," M`peth qHo countered. Her eyes dropped to look at the water. "It is my mission. So many dead and it is not completed. It should never have happened."

"Commander, you shared the same dangers we faced." Liat `del Qha rotated her hands so that she now grasped the commander's. "You must not blame yourself."

Uncertainly M`peth qHo looked into Liat `del Qha's crystal blue eyes. The two females were so close their whiskers touched, but Liat `del Qha blinked and withdrew very slightly.

Taking no offense, M`peth qHo said with a friendly smile, "Come, you have done wonders for my neck and back. Allow me to attend your fur."

With an embarrassed flicking of her ears and a bashful, relieved smile, Liat `del Qha nodded and released the commander's hands. M`peth qHo moved to sit next to her and with extended claws she began gently raking the smaller jZav`Etch's fur. Pah`Tht have longer fur than either Thahn `Den or dTel`Qohar and shed more regularly with the change of weather. With only a dozen strokes of her claws M`peth qHo removed several handfuls of Liat `del Qha's winter coat. For whatever reason they both found it amusing and laughed as M`peth Qho swished her fingers in the pool, sending a tiny raft of fur on its way to the back of the cave.

They spent another sixth of a Taq'a Mowl* grooming each other before M`peth qHo sighed and said, "I wish we could remain here."

"Duty," said Liat `del Qha with a regretful nod.

The pair rose and began scraping the water from their fur. It poured in rivulets onto the damp stone and then flowed into the pool to join the water course far below.

"If we put our uniforms on they'll be wet for ages," grumbled M`peth qHo, picking up her undershirt.

"We need to explore the rest of the tunnel before we return to the lower chamber," observed Liat `del Qha with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

The commander paused and regarded the pilot for a couple of heartbeats.

"We may even come across more water we must investigate," add Liat `del Qha.

"So we may," agreed M`peth qHo with a blossoming smile. "And the males will be busy with their inventory for quite some time."

"I imagine they will, Commander," the pilot agreed deadpan.

With their hearts lighter than they had been, the two found themselves laughing like misbehaving children. They took up their gun belts and left the pool and their uniforms behind.

*****

Notes:

*Taq'a Mowl (Tacka ah Mowl) -- Roughly two and a half Earth standard hours.