The Amelioration Expedition
Chapter 9
It was obvious to Lori that Marlin was starting to like Donte. They were starting to work together as a team. The altercation yesterday would actually strengthen the team. It was natural to have a certain amount of friction in any group of people. Everyone had to adjust to their part. Donte had been trying to absorb all the responsibility – as he said, make it about himself. That was cute. She would never have thought of it that way. No doubt Donte would step back now and let Dr. Oriana lead.
Marlin had made a good point and Lori was glad she had brought it up. She could have done it in a less contentious way, but she had certainly put her finger on a major flaw before it became a serious problem. Donte's comment about Marlin being leadership material surprised her, but the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced he was right. Having a leadership personality and/or skills wasn't all that was required, though. Marlin approached everything from the perspective of a rebellious teen. Still, she was coming around. Maybe it would take her a while to set aside the incident with her grandfather for the good of the expedition. She hadn't made any comments about Donte not being human since they landed on Opus.
Lori was impressed with Marlin's stamina. It was obvious that she was an experienced hiker, but she appeared to have no trouble keeping up with everyone in spite of being so far along in her pregnancy. She had to be suffering, but she never complained. She appeared to be enjoying the trip – as long as Donte wasn't offering to carry her backpack. She had been concerned when Donte dropped behind and she thought he might be in danger. That was a good sign. Of course, everyone was concerned. Donte was right about the fact that he needed them to act quickly and in the way that he expected. He had a better idea of what was happening out there than any of them. On that note, what was out there that troubled Donte? He said he wasn't spooked. It was possible that he didn't understand what the word meant. Still, they had seen and photographed a lot of animals. One thing was certain. Opus was teaming with wildlife.
***
Dr. Oriana was ready for another trek on Opus. They had found nothing that would be considered harmful to them in all the samples. The plant that Donte said looked like one on Purlieu was actually something similar. That had inspired a conversation about evolution and the possibility of plant life being spread from one planet to the next by asteroids or meteors. It was all theory with no way to prove.
The second time they visited Opus they used the same method that had worked so well the first time. From the moment they landed the shuttle on the mesa, Donte was alert. Donte asked for and was granted permission to exit first. Dr. Oriana and Chandler came out behind him.
Chandler looked at Donte. "Is it the same thing you sensed last time?"
Donte shook his head. "No, this is different…equines?" He looked at Dr. Oriana. "I'd like to investigate."
"We'll all investigate." She looked back to make sure the others were following and spoke to Donte. "Lead the way."
Donte neither argued nor appeared to be concerned. It seemed highly unlikely that it was an equine, but he acted like he knew what they were going to find. He led off at a brisk pace and didn't slow until they reached the edge of the mesa. As he approached the edge, he tested with each foot before moving forward. Finally, he squatted, looking over the edge. Dr. Oriana knelt on one side of him and Chandler squatted on the other side of him. What they saw below them made them gasp.
The animals were smaller than a horse and much stockier. They were varying shades of tan on their upper bodies graduating to dark brown stripes on white posteriors and legs. They had upright ears, large eyes and a short mane. The strangest part about them was their snouts. They were like an elephant, but not as long. They were eating long grass, wrapping the prehensile snout around it to pull it up and then shoving it into their mouths.
Donte grinned at Dr. Oriana. "Equines?"
She had to smile at his exuberance. "Close enough."
"I'm going down there," he said as he moved away.
She didn't protest. They were obviously herbivores and he sensed no danger. She was interested to see if and how he expected to interact with them.
Chandler lifted his camera and began taking pictures as Donte worked his way down to the animals.
When Donte reached the bottom, he made no attempt to hide. One by one, the animals lifted their heads to look at him. He moved slowly around them until the breeze was at his back. He stood quietly for a while before moving forward a little and stopping again.
"What's he doing?" Chandler asked Dr. Oriana.
"Pheromones," she said.
"What?"
"He's letting his pheromones calm them."
Under normal circumstances, Dr. Oriana would have been annoyed at the delay, but she was curious. This wasn't something new to Donte. He knew what he was doing and his confidence was getting him close.
One of the animals took a step toward him and lifted its nose in the air. Donte stopped and patiently waited for the animal to decide if it was safe to get closer. After a few minutes the animal walked closer. Donte didn't move. The animal gradually worked close enough for Donte to touch it. Donte moved his hand slowly, allowing the animal to wrap his trunk around it. Gradually Donte moved forward and stroked the animal's neck. It took a step back and eyed him warily. Again, it stepped forward, but this time with more confidence. Donte stroked its neck again and when it didn't move away, he scratched it behind the ears.
After a few minutes, Donte left the animals and started back toward the group. He was done with the animal, but the animal wasn't done with him. It lifted its trunk and snorted. It made a squeal not unlike an elk. When Donte turned, it walked to him and lowered its head for Donte to scratch it again. Donte obliged.
The animal explored Donte's torso with its trunk, gripping his shirt and pulling it, shirt tails and all, from his trousers. Taking the shirt in its mouth, it proceeded to jerk, pulling Donte closer. Donte didn't resist, but he did begin unbuttoning his shirt.
"I don't like this," Dr. Oriana said as she stood. "It could knock Donte off his feet and trample him." She made her way to the edge and started down; following the route Donte had taken. Behind her, she heard the others following.
As she reached the bottom, Donte pulled his shirt off. He gently tugged on the shirt, talking to the animal all the while. He was speaking in his native language, so she didn't know what he was saying, but it was obvious that he was playing with the animal. As she watched him, it made her think about Donte's statement that he wasn't completely human. He interacted well with humans, but apparently just as well with the animals.
Had it been any other expedition member touching the animal that way, she would have cautioned them about contamination, but Donte was a Mascot. Mascots had a vastly improved immune system. That was one of the reasons they lived so long. They were rarely sick. It was yet another reason that made Donte so valuable to the expedition.
Fontalo had created something stunning and then tried to destroy it to cover their crime. They had successfully destroyed the records on how the mascots were created. If Donte had not decided to come to Oriel, they might never have known it was possible to create such a magnificent creature.
Creature…was that how she had begun to view Donte? She and Cheska had called the mascots beasts until they met them. Then they were convinced they were human. His beautiful body was so contaminated with animal genes that even his blood sample couldn't be used to prove he was human. He looked like a human and he had the intelligence of a human, therefore he was accepted as human. Donte lacked one trait that would prove him undeniably human. He wasn't arrogant.
It concerned Dr. Oriana that after this trip Fontalo might want to use Donte for research. In fact, it had crossed her mind a few times to use him, but Donte wasn't a specimen. They brought him on this expedition because of his skills – human and animal.
Donte turned and waved to them; a big grin on his face. If there was danger, he didn't recognize it.
"Isn't he magnificent?" Traci spoke behind her.
***
Traci's question jerked Marlin's attention from Donte's bare chest. She wasn't sure whether Traci was referring to Donte or the animal.
"The animal?" she asked.
Traci gave her a stern look. "Don't talk about him that way."
Marlin rolled her eyes. "I was talking about the brown and white stripped animal."
"Oh." Traci shrugged. "Both, I guess."
Marlin agreed privately that Donte was magnificent. His broad shoulders narrowed down smoothly to lean hips. His chest was muscular, but not in a bulgy way. He didn't have six-pack abs, but his stomach was smooth and flat. He was the most perfect example of a human that she had ever seen. But he wasn't a human – no more than that animal he was playing with was a horse – equine, whatever. If they wanted to call Donte a human, they would have to redefine the term. The scientists who designed the Mascots knew they weren't human. That was why they called them Mascots. They were made in the image of what humans wished they could be.
Donte managed to retrieve his shirt and the animal returned its attention to feeding. Donte balled his shirt up as he approached Dr. Oriana.
"It has hair and saliva on it. Will that help?"
Dr. Oriana pulled a sack from her pocket and shook it out. Put it in here and then disinfect yourself.
Donte stuffed the shirt in the bag and accepted the bottle of gel that Dr. Oriana offered. He wiped the gel on all the places where he had come in contact with the animal and handed the bottle back to Dr. Oriana.
"I apologize for wasting so much time."
Dr. Oriana lifted the bag. "Oh, I don't think it was a waste of time. We have this – and we had a good show too."
Donte smiled as he rubbed the remaining gel on his abdomen. "Yes, I guess it was quite a show." He hesitated as he noted the twinkle in Dr. Oriana's eyes. His smile faded and he looked uncomfortable. "I guess I'd better get a fresh shirt on and then we can do some more exploring."
Marlin followed Donte. He was still tucking his shirt into his trousers when they left the mesa and climbed down the slope. They were headed for one of those pink lakes to see if the water was potable and what made it such an unusual color.
Donte led them through a thick forest on what looked like a well-traveled path. Was this the route the…equines…took to the lake? Did they drink the water?
At first, they traveled fast but about the time Marlin's back started hurting, they slowed. Did Donte know, or had he merely anticipated? It was hard to guess how much he sensed and what degree of his response was due to experience. Had Rianne ever hiked with him when she was pregnant? Even if she hadn't, she had been pregnant four times, which would give him some experience about her endurance – if he was observant. The only reason it mattered now was that she might be slowing all of them down.
Donte called a halt for a rest and Chandler shrugged out of his back pack. He looked exhausted.
Donte, ever the caretaker, looked at him. "Would you like me to carry that for a while?"
Chandler looked uncertain.
Donte smiled. "It won't tire me the way it does humans."
Chandler gave him a troubled look. "I wish you would stop referring to us as humans. It makes me feel inferior."
Donte looked surprised. "I apologize. I certainly don't think of humans that way."
Marlin rolled her eyes. "Yes you do. You're always telling us how you can run faster, leap higher, last longer…of course you think you're superior. You are. Just don't keep reminding us of it twenty thousand times a day."
Donte's face turned red. He didn't look like he was angry; more like he was embarrassed, as well he should be. Maybe it would make him think before he started…what…offering to help? That was all he was doing. His comment was intended to prevent Chandler from feeling guilty about burdening Donte with his backpack.
Donte was silent a long time. It occurred to Marlin that she might have hurt his feelings. When they got ready to start out again, Marlin grabbed Chandler's bag and handed it to Donte. She gave him a wry smile. "Here, you carry this for a while."
His eyes expressed humor that never touched the rest of his face. He put one arm through a strap and swung it to his back. Slipping his arm through the other strap, he glanced at Chandler.
Chandler lifted his brows and shrugged. "Thanks. I'm having an off day."
Donte shrugged. "The atmosphere is a little different."
Marlin hadn't thought about it before, but that might be why the walk was more strenuous to her as well.
Dr. Oriana studied Chandler for a moment before turning to follow Donte. Did she suspect he was coming down with something?
They reached the lake in a few hours and Dr. Oriana immediately began taking samples of the water. Donte shed the back pack and began walking around the lake, looking at the ground. When he returned, he went straight to Dr. Oriana where she was squatting beside the lake.
"I sense a presence again, but not close."
Dr. Oriana stood. "Like you sensed the last time?"
Donte nodded. "I'd like to take a look."
Dr. Oriana shook her head. "No. Let's stay together. Where are they?"
Donte frowned. "There are two groups." He pointed in different directions. "They are moving toward each other."
"Do you think they are converging on us?"
Donte thought about that for a moment. "No. I don't think they know we are here."
To Marlin, none of what he was saying made sense. If he didn't know what they were, how could he know they weren't aware of their presence? She frowned.
"Do you think they are humans?"
Donte's expression was distant for a moment before focusing on her. "I don't know. I've never sensed anything like it before."
Yet he had sensed the presence of what he thought to be equines, and they were certainly similar. He had sensed the presence of other animals when he didn't know what they were. He merely brought them to someone's attention. This was something different. He didn't appear to be afraid. He even wanted to go investigate on his own. Still, he was cautious. He said he had never sensed anything like it before. Another thought occurred to her. This was as baffling to Donte as it was to the rest of them. Donte wasn't afraid of the beasts, but he was concerned for the safety of the expedition members. Why? And why couldn't she sense anything? She wished she could sense things the way he could. From everything she had read or heard, the ability wasn't something given to the mascots by Fontalo. Was it a mutation or was it something like her psychic ability? He said Celyn was a seer. Was he, and had he merely honed his skill? Could she do the same?
Donte led them away from the lake, toward a distant butte where they were supposed to rendezvous with the shuttle for their evening camp. Marlin tried to stay close to Donte, hoping to pick up on something he was feeling. She wanted to take his hand in hers to see if they would share something the way they did when they first met. Would he object? Of more importance was probably how the others would react. She was beginning to like Donte, but not in a romantic way. Her attraction to him was primarily an intrigue, and that was due to his unusual skills.
When they reached the top of a rise, they all looked back. There was nothing in sight except the lake and forest. The scene was beautiful, totally unlike anything on Oriel, and yet serene.
A feeling of foreboding suddenly washed over her. She glanced at Donte and he looked at her. His expression was troubled. Was she sensing something out there or was she picking up on his mood?
Dr. Oriana looked from one of them to the other. "What is it?"
Donte frowned. "I sense malevolence."
Dr. Oriana looked at Marlin. "And you?"
"Mine is a feeling of foreboding. I don't know whether I'm picking up on Donte's concern or something else."
Donte looked into Marlin's eyes for a moment before reaching for her hand. She immediately surrendered her hand. She closed her eyes, for the first time actually trying to connect with him.
After a few minutes he released her hand. She had no idea what he took from the exchange, but she had detected nothing.
"He smiled at her." It took a while for Celyn and me to learn to work together. At first our connections were random, with neither of us able to initiate contact on command. Later we could do it miles apart at will."
She looked up at him. "But I'm not a Mascot."
He shrugged. "I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact that we were Mascots. We were destined to work together."
Marlin frowned. "Do you think we are destined to work together?"
He merely nodded, returning his attention to the problem at hand. "I still don't think they know we are here. I think the groups are fighting with each other."
Dr. Oriana lifted her brows. "That's interesting. What animals work together in groups?"
Traci answered her. "Lions, wolves, insects…maybe the better question is what animals make war in groups – other than humans. Donte says he can't identify them. Given his earlier ability to identify the equines, I'm inclined to think he probably knows it isn't humans. The only other animals I can think of that war against each other are ants." She looked up at Donte. "Is it possible you are detecting some kind of intelligent insect?"
The idea of intelligent insects watching them from the forest gave Marlin goose bumps. She looked up at Donte. He was studying the forest.
He shook his head. "I don't think so. I've never sensed insects before. This is almost like…." He shook his head again. "I don't know."
"What about an ape?" Marlin asked Donte.
He looked confused. "A what?"
Dr. Oriana smiled at Marlin. "They don't have apes on Purlieu." She turned to Donte. An ape is like a monkey…." She released a short laugh. "They don't have monkeys on Purlieu, either." She thought about it. "They are kind of like a human, but not as intelligent."
Donte thought about that for a while. "I don't know. I've never been around an…" He frowned and carefully pronounced the word. "Ape?"
Dr. Oriana grinned. "Yes; an ape or a monkey – something kind of like us."
He sighed. "It could be. They were curious about us. Do apes think like humans?"
Dr. Oriana lifted her palms and shrugged. "Some scientists say yes, but others disagree that they are any different than any other animal that can learn to perform on command."
Donte studied her for a moment. "Who's command – humans?"
Traci smiled. "I like the way he thinks."
David studied Donte. "Maybe they are connecting with Donte the way he is connecting with them."
Traci caught her breath. "That's a possibility I hadn't thought about." She looked at Donte. "I'm glad Dr. Oriana asked you to join us."
Marlin was too, but she was reluctant to reveal that fact. That thought troubled her. It wasn't because she didn't want to admit she was wrong…was it? When she first joined the team, she had felt hostile toward the other members and she had no idea why. Lately she had begun to wonder if it was because she felt academically inferior. Now that she was getting to know them, she realized they were like anyone else. They didn't disregard what she had to say. In fact, Dr. Oriana appeared to be almost as interested in her input as she was with any of the others – except Donte. Everyone was in awe of Donte – and she had resented that. She was beginning to see a side of herself that she didn't like. She pushed the thought from her mind as Dr. Oriana spoke.
"Well, they are behind us right now. Let's put a little more distance between them and us."
Soft Science Fiction
