The Amelioration Expedition
Chapter 23
The additional men Donte had requested would not arrive until evening, so Marlin decided to do some field work of her own. She packed a bag of diapers and bottles for Gezant and had Rianne pack some food. Marlin put her paperwork and some sample pouches into a satchel and requested Paden fly them to the area near the mesa where Donte had seen the equines. The other two infantry troops, Lucas and Akida, would stay at the permanent camp in case they were needed.
Dr. Oriana, David, Chandler, Traci, Donte and Saar had left early in the morning in the Spero shuttle to do field work, leaving Lori, Quade and Akira to work in the lab. When Marlin told the lab crew what she was going to do, Quade glanced at Akira and Rianne, but he didn't say anything. Lori turned back to her work without a word. Rianne didn't question Marlin's direction. She merely lifted Gezant into her arms and followed them to the Lyra shuttle. Marlin didn't like using Donte's equipment and men. Later she would request another Spero shuttle, but right now the only Spero shuttle they had was being used by Dr. Oriana and Donte.
Marlin instructed Paden to take a different route than they had when Donte was with them. She wanted to examine the country north of the mesa. On the map, it looked like there might be a large area level enough to land and unload the shuttles from the cargo ship. She wanted to get some soil and grazing samples. The other thing she wanted to search for was a nearby water source. Judging from the topography, it was possible.
Paden flew the craft low so that they could examine the country as they passed over it. Some of the country was rocky and forested, but as they neared the area she had targeted, the terrain became more level, with sparse trees. They flew a circle around the area, searching for the best place. Marlin instructed Paden to land in an open area.
"I want to take some soil samples back to the lab. I'll only be out for a few minutes. I want all of you to stay in the shuttle and keep an eye out for me."
When they agreed, she opened the shuttle door and stepped out in the tall grass. Using her pocket knife, she dug up some of the grass and tucked it, soil and all, into one of the containers. As she stood, she had an intense feeling that they were being watched. She closed her eyes and relaxed, allowing her senses to roam the area around them. She had never sensed the presence of animals, nor had she sensed the apes in the cavern. Was this something different? It was the same feeling she had when they flew over the mesa and saw something moving.
She opened her eyes and looked toward the trees. Something was there but she couldn't quite make it out. She moved forward several steps and knelt again, digging up a different plant and tucking it in another bag.
She slowly stood, looking in the direction where she had seen the animal. It had moved out into the open, but the grass covered the lower half of its body. The ape appeared to be male. It had a graying beard and gray hair on its chest.
For a moment, they stood looking at each other. It was probably more frightened of her than she was of it. She turned and walked back to the shuttle. When she looked back, the ape was gone.
"Did you see it?" she asked Rianne.
Rianne frowned. "See what? I was watching you." She glanced around the clearing.
Marlin looked at Paden but he shook his head. "I was watching, but I didn't see anything. What was it?"
Marlin climbed into the shuttle. "It was another ape." She slid the door shut. "Take the shuttle over those trees," she said, indicating the area where she had seen the ape.
"I wonder how many there are," Rianne mused.
If they hadn't been searching for the ape, they might not have seen the little lake in the trees. It wasn't pink like the others.
Marlin looked at Paden. "Do you think you could hover over it while I lowered a rope and collected a sample?"
Paden got into position while she found a rope in the back. She tied it to a sample bag and lowered it through the trees. It sank into the water and filled. She carefully pulled it up, sighing with relief when she finally had it firmly in hand. She poured some of the water out and sealed the bag.
She slid the door shut and buckled into a seat. "We know there is water and grazing for the stock, and it looks like there is plenty of room to bring a few shuttles in to unload." She looked at the samples. "If all this turns out to be safe, I think this would be an excellent place to build the station."
Paden took the shuttle higher and turned back toward the mesa. That was when they saw the mountains.
"Look!" Marlin gasped. "Mountains…and they have snow on the peaks! I wondered if this was the only climate on the planet – and if it had different seasons."
Paden looked at her. "Donte said this area has a moderate climate, like Libertad on Purlieu. That was why he chose this area to explore first. He said it would be easier for the colonists to adjust."
Marlin looked at Paden. "Have you ever been here before?"
Paden shook his head. "I served on the Baigh before I joined the Premier Infantry. The Lyra is the only spaceship that has conducted practice runs on Opus."
"Was that why they sent the Lyra to rescue us…Donte?"
Paden glanced at her. "We came to rescue both of you. Donte was already with you. We had no idea that Donte was so weak or we would have come down there after you." He glanced at Rianne and back at Marlin. "The Lyra was best equipped and could leave with the shortest preparation." He shrugged. "In any case, everyone thinks of the Lyra as belonging to Donte – with the exception of Donte. He doesn't want to be tied to a spaceship." Paden waved a hand at the country. "You can see why. He knows where he is best used. This kind of work is where his heart is."
Marlin looked at Paden. "The Lyra was one of Fontalo's best space ships. He obviously knows a lot about that, too."
Paden nodded. "He does. Adriaan wanted Donte to be his replacement. Still, Donte wasn't the one who chose the Lyra. He let the commander of the Azar make the choice."
Marlin rolled her eyes. "Not another Mascot."
Paden grinned. "No, Vidal isn't a Mascot. He was the first spaceship commander who wasn't a Mascot. Donte believes that Purlieu needs to be given back to the colonists. That's partly why he stepped down – and why he lent his considerable influence to the election of Barclay as president of Lochfowk.
Rianne caught her breath. "I didn't know that. I thought Sima…I didn't know that had anything to do with the fact that he resigned."
Marlin frowned. "Who is Sima?"
Rianne's shrug was too nonchalant. "Akira's sister. She used to be president of Lochfowk. Donte went on a campaign tour with her." She sighed. "It doesn't matter."
Marlin turned her face to the window and looked out; afraid Rianne might see amusement in her eyes. Rianne was usually as good at Donte at hiding her emotions, but it was obvious that Rianne was jealous of Sima. Did she have reason to be? Was that why Rianne left Donte? Marlin suddenly sobered. What would Rianne think if she knew Donte had kissed her - twice?
Marlin directed Paden to several other locations on her map, but none of them looked as promising as the first. When they got back to the camp, they discovered that Dr. Oriana's crew had already returned.
Donte walked out to meet them after they landed and he didn't look happy. He probably didn't like the fact that she had used the Lyra shuttle and one of his men without asking for them. In retrospect, she should have.
Marlin stepped down from the shuttle and reached up to take Gezant from Rianne. She turned with Gezant in her arms and apologized to Donte.
"I'm sorry. I should have requested a shuttle from the Spero – and one of our own people."
For a moment he looked startled. "You are welcome to use the shuttle and the people, but…" He folded his arms across his chest and gave her a stern fatherly look. "Didn't the last time you decided to explore on your own teach you anything? I wish you had let me know what you intended to do."
Marlin stared at him. Not only was he scolding her publicly, but he didn't have a clue that he was being insubordinate. More than likely, if she had been a male, it wouldn't be necessary to have this conversation with him more than once – or publicly, for that matter. Since he chose the audience, she felt vindicated in using it. She met his gaze.
"I'd like to remind you that it isn't necessary for me to ask your permission to go anywhere."
Dr. Oriana looked mortified. Rianne studied her boots. She probably didn't like the fact that her boss was putting her mate down in front of everyone. Akira's smile was encouraging. Quade folded his arms across his chest and ran a hand across his mouth as he looked at Akira. He might have succeeded in covering the smile on his lips, but it was still exposed in his eyes. Paden lifted his brows and looked away. Saar clearly didn't know what to think. Obviously, some of them thought it was in poor taste to remind Donte that he wasn't in charge.
Donte's face turned red. He dropped his arms to his sides and grimaced. "I guess I had that coming."
He certainly did, but she probably could and should have said it privately and in a less contentious tone. The fact that Donte had started the discussion in public didn't give her the excuse to continue it that way.
"I apologize," she said. "This should have been a private conversation."
Donte shrugged. "I didn't give you much choice."
When Donte looked at Rianne, it finally sank through Marlin's thick skull that Donte's reaction was out of concern for Rianne.
Marlin glanced at Rianne before addressing Donte. "She was with Paden and Gezant in the shuttle at all times. I wouldn't risk her safety any more than I would Gezant's."
Donte nodded. "I appreciate that."
Enough had been said on the subject, so Marlin changed it. "I think I've found the perfect place to build the initial landing and unloading structures. I'd like to discuss it with all of you."
While Rianne cooked the evening meal, Marlin unfolded her map on the table and explained what she intended to do. She told them about the lake and the samples she had collected, and finally, about the ape she had seen. She looked at Donte.
"I wondered if he was part of the group that was hanging around during the rescue, or if he is part of another group. Maybe the two groups were the ones you sensed fighting."
Donte nodded. "Possibly. Maybe they are fighting over territory. If so, they may resent our intrusion."
Dr. Oriana released a frustrated sigh. "So might the equines, and all the other animals on the planet. We are going to colonize it, though. The apes will simply have to adjust. We'll make every attempt not to disrupt their habitat, but since they don't need flat land to grow crops, raise livestock or land shuttles, we will use that space as best it fits our needs, not theirs."
Donte's expression became suddenly and thoroughly unreadable. He definitely wanted to say something, but wasn't going to repeat his mistake earlier that day. Marlin had reason to know that the fact that Donte wasn't saying anything didn't mean he wasn't planning anything. It was possible that what he was planning on doing was leaving Opus while he still had a way of doing so. If he left, they would lose Rianne and all Donte's men. They couldn't afford that loss.
Dr. Oriana was the expedition leader, which was not part of the actual colonization process. Her attitude about the Opus natives didn't necessarily represent Fontalo's and it was decidedly discriminatory.
Marlin gave Dr. Oriana a level look. "To some extent, I agree with you. We are here to colonize and I see no reason we can't share the territory with the Opus Natives. In fact, we might be able to teach them to grow or raise their own food. Whether or not they are as intelligent as we are, and if that is even relevant can be decided after the colonists arrive. It's our job to make sure the war between these natives doesn't spread to a war with us and create an unsafe environment for the colonists."
When she looked at Donte, his eyes expressed approval. She turned back to Dr. Oriana and continued. "I think Donte has a plan that might encourage peace. We should at least let him try."
Dr. Oriana squirmed in her chair and glanced at Donte. "Of course we should be thinking of the colonists first, and Donte has a long history of peacemaking." Her gaze came back to Marlin. "You were the one who claimed he wasn't a peacemaker."
Marlin ignored the fact that Dr. Oriana had turned the conversation back on her. She nodded. "Yes. I said that and a lot of other inaccurate things. I have since changed my mind. Let's not get distracted by my past mistakes. We have a lot to accomplish in only a few months. We've got to work together if we expect to achieve our goals."
Marlin glanced up as Rianne approached the table.
"The food is ready," Rianne said.
They all filled their plates and Rianne sat at the table when Donte and Saar headed for the wall again. Donte stopped and turned back to Rianne.
"Aren't you going to join us, or is it too uncomfortable?"
Without a word, Rianne lifted her plate from the table and followed him over to the wall. Donte held her plate while she sat in the floor and then handed it to her. He squatted beside her and started eating.
Marlin viewed it as progress. No doubt, Rianne did as well.
That evening, Donte's troops arrived in two shuttles from the Lyra. Both shuttles would stay on Opus and the Lyra was scheduled to leave sometime during the night. Some of the men slept in the shuttles, and some on the open ground. They planned to set up their tents the next day as soon as they were instructed where to put them.
Soft Science Fiction
