Spindrift
Chapter 13: The Guardians

I tried to get up and chase after them, but found that Icouldn’t. I looked down to see the samesticky, silky threads that carried Ari away wrapped around my legs. I used my hands to tear at the stuff. It was like something from a nightmare. The more I tore it, the stickier and strongerit seemed to become. Finally, just as Iheard Ari scream again, it gave way and I was able to move. I jumped up and ran as near as I could to thedirection of her scream, but soon found myself lost and confused. I could see nothing of her or hercaptors. There were no more screams.

Ari awoke unable to move. She wondered why, then memory came flooding back and she panicked. She tried to thrash her tail, and struggledfiercely to move any part of her body even just her fingers, it was nouse. Eventually she stopped, calmed down and triedto catch her breath. She was upright andfirmly affixed (glued) to a vertical surface. Only her face was free. Shewanted to open her eyes, but had an unreasoned fear that they would becomestuck open, that she wouldn’t be able to close them or even blink.

Gradually she became aware that she wasn’t alone. Something large was near her, moving slowlyand carefully. It didn’t soundright. She thought she knew what it was,but it only made her squeeze her eyes more tightly shut. She had gotten only the merest glance at hercaptors as they carried her off. It wasenough. They evoked memories of the onlyland creatures she truly feared.

Ariadne’s family trip to the Amazon, when she was seven, wasthe only one from which she actually had a bad memory. The river was beautiful. The life within it, wonderful. The fresh water dolphins were playful andaccepted her as kin almost immediately. But she couldn’t get the huge fish-catching spiders out of hermind. She identified with the poor fishand had nightmares ever after of being trapped, paralyzed in a web, waiting tobe sucked to a dry husk and discarded.

Something poked her, she shuddered. Ari very badly wanted to scream, but she wasafraid of the response it might provoke. Then a thought entered her head, from outside.

What are you?

She was poked again, on the abdomen this time. She clinched her eyes until tears flowed andbit her lip to keep silent.

What are you? The thought repeated.

Another thought, this one from within her, emerged. Ariadne,you fool! You are a diplomat! Do your job! Then she tried to calmherself again and spoke aloud. “I am…Iam a Syrenkan, a human chimaera. My nameis Ariadne of Clan Spindrift.”

Syrenkan? We know neither that name nor your form.

“My people were authorized under Confederation CouncilResolution 41,432 on 15th August 3018. They were first released ontothe surface of planet Kepler 519b, since named Syrenka, on 22nd February 3019.” Ari felt it unnecessary to add that they wereprisoners convicted of thought crimes against the Directorate. “Now, tell me who you are.”

We are the Guardiansof this facility, placed here in the year 2997. It is therefore plausible that we would know nothing of you.

Yet another ‘voice’ entered her head. Someinformation has been held back, Anak, but there is no intent to deceive or harm. She is in my view, acceptable.

They can read myintentions! Ari wondered how deeplythey could read her thoughts.

Thank you, Khiel. That is who we are, Ariadne of Clan Spindrift. As for what we are, we are human chimaera aswell.

Ari’s blood ran cold. She should have known. Theancients were never able to create intelligence from mere animals. DearGod! She thought to herself. Whatcrime did their ancestors commit that they should be altered so horribly?

Please keep your eyesclosed for a few more moments. Thoughtthe first ‘voice’.

Ari had no difficulty complying. She smelled a strong chemical scent as someliquid was sprayed over her. Soon sheheard a cracking sound, like ice rapidly melting. The webs that held her in place becamebrittle and began giving way. She slidto the floor, lost her balance and fell to her hands and tail.

You may open your eyesnow.

It took a supreme act of courage, but after a few moments,she did open them. The face, only a fewinches from her own, would have been human but for the four, bright red,faceted eyes, the fanged mouth and light blue skin. The torso, with arms, hands and even femalebreasts was also very human. But therethe resemblance ended. Below the waistthe being’s body blended into a dark-blue thorax to which were attached fourpairs of segmented legs. Behind was alarge, egg-shaped abdomen. Ari tried tosuppress a shudder. Finally, shespoke. “Where is my mate?”

The main-line humanyou were with?

“Yes.”

He met the parametersand was not armed; therefore he has not been detained. He is still somewhere in the facility.

Ari was thankful that they did not seem to recognize themetal bar he carried as a weapon. “Heneeds to be told that I’m all right and allowed to join me, please.” She hoped that Anak understood her anxietyfor Dri.

I stopped, frustrated. I had been running around aimlessly for hours. Ari’s captors were as adept at climbing asthey were at running. There didn’t seemto be anything I could do. I was totallyoutclassed. They might even be watchingme from somewhere above at that moment. Withall the technological clutter everywhere, I’d never know. I sat down.

They seemed to be only interested in Ari. The reason for their curiosity about her wasobvious. What seemed odd was their totallack of interest in me. Evidently, I wascompletely under their radar. Would theybecome more interested if I started banging away at things with my stick? If I was a prisoner too, at least I would bewith her and together we could figure out a way to escape. On the other hand, if I started activelycausing damage, their reaction may be…well…very unpleasant. I wouldn’t be of much use dead. Perhaps, on the other hand, I can derive someadvantage out of being effectively invisible. First, I would have to get in contact with Ari. If I’m close enough (about fifteen meters?)she can pick up my thoughts, if she’s conscious. I sighed. Two very big ifs!

I looked up. Aboutfifteen meters over my head was a catwalk. That’s convenient. I should be able to cover twice the area fromthere. There were no ladders. The way up wasn’t hard, but I’d have to leavethe metal bar behind. Having a weaponwas comforting but probably no longer of much use. I propped it against some compressors andbegan climbing.

About ten meters up, I started pulling myself onto aplatform and came face to face with a blue woman with four gemlike red eyes. At least she was a woman to the hips, belowthat she was pure nightmare. Before Icould react, she hissed, flipped a bulbous abdomen between her multiple legsand hit me full in the face with a mass of sticky silk. Confronted with suffocation or falling,instinct made me choose the latter. Ilet go of the platform and tore at the fibers covering my mouth and nose. Before I could fall, more webs hit me fromdifferent directions. Fangs pierced myshoulder. I became instantly limp andsoon lost consciousness.

I awoke from a dreamless sleep to see Ari’s head floatingabove me. A light in the ceiling made asort of halo effect through her hair.

“Are we dead?” Iasked.

“No, silly.”

“Are we prisoners then?” I looked around. We were in asmall, featureless, gray room. A trapdoor,near the ceiling light seemed to be the only exit.

“I’m not sure. I’mafraid I asked them to fetch you. Werethey rough?”

“Let’s just say I have much more sympathy for fliesnow. You know, if they had just asked, Iwould have come quietly.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m sureyour experience was just as bad if not worse.” I lifted my head from Ari’s lap and sat up. Other than a slight headache and soreshoulder, I was fine. “What are thesethings? Are they people?”

“They are human chimaera, like me.”

I didn’t replace that very flattering to Ari. “I’ve never heard of such chimaera before.”

“They’re very restricted. I don’t think they exist anywhere else. They have very strong mental programming, probably built into their DNA,like instincts. They cannot leave thisfacility without triggering extreme depression and death. They can’t harm the colonists (that’s theRii) or other humans unless they threaten the facility. They will also, without question, give theirlives to keep the machine functioning. ”

“Sounds rather sad.”

Ari shrugged. “Theydon’t see it that way.”

“What was that first thing we saw? The one that ate the skitter.”

“It was a helper, a cross between a dog and a servant. They do most of the physical labor.”

“Not exactly cuddly.” I stated. “Just like theirmasters.”

“Mistresses, they’re all female.”

“Then how…”

“They each have semen stored in pouches in theirbodies. They pass some of it to theirdaughters when the latter are near maturity. They impregnate themselves, when ready to bear young.”

“But won’t the semen eventually run out or, pardon theexpression, go ‘bad’?”

“Yes, eventually it will run out, but I’m guessing a littlegoes a long way, twenty-five centuries so far,” said Ari. “As for going bad, they have a stronginstinct implanted in them to kill mutations among their offspring.”

“Hmn…That would also serve to eliminate any anomalous malesthat might turn up. A set of XYchromosomes and male genitals would seem like a mutation to them. Ari, I get a strong impression that thesepeople were designed to eventually go extinct. Their creators wanted them to be a biological dead end!”

Ari lookedthoughtful. “That is so very sad. I’d never realized before just how cruel andevil gengineering could be. I’m glad mypeople weren’t treated like that.”

“Me too.” I stood upand walked around our cell. It was acube about five meters in all three dimensions. Except for the light panel and trap door, it was totallyfeatureless. “Do you think you couldbalance on my shoulder while standing on your tail?”

Ari looked very doubtful. “I don’t know. Maybe, for a shortwhile.”

“They may not lock that trapdoor, thinking we can’t reachit. It’s just something to consider, ifthey decide to try and keep us.

“By the way, you seem to have a nice, chatty relationshipwith these folks,” I continued.

“With one of them, named Anak. She’s the only one I’ve seen so far, but notthe only one I’ve talked to. They’reskillful and strong telepaths, so watch your thoughts. In fact, that’s the only way they’vecommunicated with me so far. I don’tknow if that’s just their preference or if they’re otherwise speechless.” Ari raised herself on her tail and whisperedin my ear. “They may not know I’m atelepath.”

Just then we heard footfalls above us. Something about the sound and pattern of themraised the hairs on the back of my neck. The trapdoor opened. A blue headand torso entered. Multiple pairs oflegs squeezed through followed by a large oval abdomen. Unlike Ari, I’m not afflicted witharachnophobia. Nevertheless, it wasdifficult for me to stand there and watch. Ari had to turn away. A strongthought intruded into my head.

Is this your mate,Ariadne of Spindrift?

“Yes, Anak. His nameis Rhodri Morgan. I call him Dri,”replied Ari.

Greetings Rhodri ofMorgan called Dri. We know of suchrelationships between humans, but not humans and chimaera.

“We recognize human chimaera as also being human,” I said.

Anak raised both sets of eyebrows. Do youthen see the Sisters as human?

“Yes.” I managed notto hesitate.

Yet you feelrevulsion.

“It is instinctual,” said Ari. But we still know that you are human.”

You resist yourinstinct. Anak seemedimpressed. She had entered carrying abundle in her arms. She passed it toAri. Foryou and your mate. Inside was alarge carafe of water, some unknown vegetable matter and the scorched remainsof a skitter. We understand you eat solids and that you prefer them ‘cooked’. We hope this meets your needs.

“Thank you!” said Ari. Proving her once again to be a true diplomat. “This will do nicely.”

Anak backed to one side of the room and squatted, evidentlyintending to stay for a while. Withgreat curiosity, she looked from me to Ari as we ate and drank. I stuck with the vegetables and let my matehave all the skitter. My grandfatheralways said that hunger makes the best sauce. There’s a lot of truth to that, but I still wanted nothing to do withthe skitter. We carefully split thewater fifty/fifty. Ari was still intentto prove she needed no more water than I did. When we finished, we both felt much better. I was even ready for a nap.

“Thank you very much, Anak,” said Ari. “We were quite hungry and thirsty.”

“Yes indeed. Thankyou,” I said.

The woman/spider turned up her palms and bowed. She then turned to me. My daughter, Sharak, asked meto give you her apologies for biting you. She was afraid you would injure yourself while struggling.

I bowed my head. “Apology accepted. You can tellher that I’m unharmed.”

“What happens to us next, milady? Are we prisoners?” Ari must have decided that it was a good timeto be direct.

Anak was silent for a few moments, then responded. We havedetermined that you are not direct threats, but we must know where you camefrom, who sent you and why you are here.

“We will, of course, answer your questions freely and to thebest of our ability. Do you wish us tostart now?” said Ari.

She shook her head. We are gathering the Sisters. You will give your answers before them. I must go now to complete preparations. I shall return for you shortly. At that Anak climbed up and out of ourcell.

“Sounds like a trial,” I said.

Ari shrugged then shook a few more drops out of the carafeand onto her tail. “I expect it’ll beless confrontational than that. Nevertheless, we should try to make ourselves a bit more presentable; welook awful.”

I had to agree, we looked like castaways who’d washed ashoreonto an island inhabited by angry weasels. Ari’s dress was no more than tattered ribbons; my uniform was heldtogether mostly by military discipline and wishful thinking.

Ari’s efforts on her dress only made things worse. Her left breast insisted on peeping out everytime she moved her arms. We both got thegiggles over that. Finally, she gave up,tore the dress off and wound its tattered sash around her chest. I thought about getting rid of my jacket, butit was the only thing holding my shirt together and covered an embarrassing gapbehind me. I resigned myself to lookinglike a drunken pirate.

We tried to relax as we sat down side by side to wait.

Ari poked my thigh. “You know I’ve sometimes wondered what it would be like to have legs; torun and walk across dry land. Have youever wondered what it would be like to have a tail?”

“Not really,” I said. “You’re the only Syrenkan I’ve ever known and I’ve not sat down andthought about it yet. I have to saythough, now that you mention it, there’s nothing more graceful than you whenyou’re swimming.”

“Thank you! And youlook so graceful when you walk.”

“Me? Graceful? You shouldn’t tease!”

“I’m not teasing! I’mserious! Especially compared to what Ilook like on land. I flop and drag mytail around like the beached sea mammal that I am!”

“I’m a gangling frog in water. And I’d rather see you flopping than aballerina dancing!”

“Now that’s an interesting image. Maybe I could flop and drag to Swan Lake!”

“Hmn, come to think of it, an all Syrenka cast, staged ina lake, with the right choreographer, you would be beautiful.”

“At least you admit now that I need water to begraceful. Actually, we do haveaqua-ballet and ballerinas on Syrenka. I’ll take you to see a performance someday. You’ll see what real mer-grace is all about!”

At that, the trap door opened and Anak put her head in.

We are ready. She lowered a ladder.

“Care to carry a beached sea-mammal about some more?” Asked Ari.

“’It would be my pleasure!”