Dulling the Pain Ch. 03

Violence warning for this chapter.

"Rise and shine, Captain!" Maria called out, and though her suit muffled her somewhat, her voice echoed over the intercom.

Davison rolled over on his narrow mattress and nearly toppled out of bed. Not even he was sure of the exact content of his grumble, but his tone contained everything he needed to say.

Maria didn't even slow down. "We had a deal, remember? For a week, me and Manuel would only wear the suits inside, and if we didn't catch anything, you'd take off your suit, too. Once we finally get Isaac to stick to the deal, we'll all be able to go without the suits, inside as well as outside. Now get up, get out there, and show everyone that the captain of this ship isn't afraid of germs."

Davison considered it a low blow to remind him of his leadership duties, but he still had some remnants of pride left. Within five minutes, he was on the other side of the airlock.

He was surprised to find himself rejuvenated in the fresh air. Within the span of a few breaths, he was no longer weary. "I feel like I could take on the world," he said.

"Well, you'll have to take on Isaac first," Maria responded. "And my guess is that you'll want to do it soon."

"It's his loss if he doesn't want to feel like this. I'll be spending all day out here, just as soon as I brush my teeth and . . . go to the bathroom . . ."

"You never asked how we handled that. Isaac's letting us borrow his trowel."

He doubted that Maria had previously heard all the profanities he used, but all she did was listen in silence and smirk.

A few hours later, she found him not far outside of camp, staring intently at a creature in the distance that looked like a cross between a deer and a spider. "I thought I ought to check in on you," she told him.

"I felt like taking a look around. I've spent way too long just hanging around the camp." He gestured at the deer-spider. "Do you know anything about that thing?"

"I haven't seen one of those before. It's probably harmless, though--we haven't found any carnivores."

"I wish I'd brought a hunting rifle. I'd love to hang that critter's head on a wall."

Maria grimaced.

"Not interested, I take it. Hunting was always my sport."Always the only thing I could control, he thought, but did not say.

Isaac was respected enough to deserve this post, but not too respected to risk on an initial mission. Manuel had been a friend of Isaac's since Procne, and personality tests had indicated that Maria would get along with them both. A team with only four members couldn't be successful without connections between all members, and normally, command would have acknowledged that.

But Davison was on the team because of a different sort of connections, as he'd been placed on (and failed to control) others before it. It mattered neither that he was a bad leader, nor that he'd never even wanted to be a captain--what mattered was that his presence would bring his family further prestige. With a life that revolved around following orders while pretending to give them, the knowledge that he had the power and the skill to end an animal's life was like nothing else he could hope for.

The deer-spider looked directly at him, and he felt a sudden shock. Something vast and ancient looked into and beyond his eyes, seeing but not fully understanding the inside of his head. After a moment's time, the creature looked away again, and it bounded off into the distance.

He told himself that he must have imagined the feeling, and he tried to distract himself. "How are you and Manuel doing? I haven't heard you two talking lately."

"I'd better get back to my work," she told him, and she left him alone amongst the flowers.

He smelled the deer-spider before he saw it again, turning his head to spot it in the distance. Though it was long past sundown, the starlit darkness did not impair his vision as the creature approached.

"I've got you now," he whispered to himself. It was easy to discard all his shame and his fear as he focused his mind on the hunt. His thoughts slowed and sharpened, even as his heart beat faster and faster, and a sudden impulse prompted him to drop to all fours as he stalked his prey.

It is difficult to sneak when one is on flat ground covered with flowers, but he moved with such inhuman speed that it did not matter. Less than half a minute's time brought him within range, and without even thinking, he pounced.

Nails lengthened into claws that tore at the beast, and sharp teeth brought forth a stream of sweet, rich blood from its neck. The creature kicked and spasmed as it died, and when at last it stopped moving, he tore into its warm flesh.

Again, he felt another mind surrounding him, trying and failing to comprehend his thoughts.No carnivores,he remembered, and suddenly he understood.It knew what I wanted, but not why I wanted it. It found this inside me, and brought it out, and now it's seeing what I'll do next.

A small voice inside him wondered why he welcomed this experiment. Why he didn't scream, or flee, or curl up on the ground and quietly shiver. Then a bone in one of the deer-spider's legs snapped under the force of his jaws, and that voice went silent as he ripped the limb free and chewed.

The predator buried its muzzle in the last of the fresh meat, strengthening itself, giving itself the power for further change. Its tail stretched and flexed as it abandoned its kill, padding farther and farther from camp. For the first time in its life, it was free.

Maria awoke, lying amidst the flowers. Flora was calling to her, confused and--to her surprise--scared.

She listened in silence to Flora's explanation, trying and failing to think reassuring thoughts.

"Flora," she began, "I think you just screwed up."