conserve your energy, that's fine by me, because it'll surely keep you warm enough. But you don't have to."
She snuggled up next to him. "Okay."
She was a warm glow in his arms. Veddin chuckled. "On the other hand, if you want to be added to the collection, that'll keep you warm, too, and—" Veddin swallowed hard as Autumn jabbed him in the stomach.
They eventually dozed into fitful slumber.
As he rolled away from the sunshine, he choked on a dew-laden clump of grass. With a moan, Veddin extricated himself from Autumn's death grip. He stretched.
It was a mistake. He was cold, damp, and very very stiff. His stomach was hungry. And his brain was dead tired.
He turned to his companion, shook her gently. "Hm?" she mumbled. Veddin pulled her to her feet, ran his hand through her hair in a futile attempt to remove the worst tangles. Still she was beautiful in the morning light.
"Leave me alone," she yawned.
Chuckling, Veddin shook her.
"Cretin. I've committed mass murder on a dozen planets for lesser offences," Autumn mumbled, her eyes closed. "It's unhealthy to get up when you're asleep."
"Arise, arise," Veddin told her as he slung her right arm over his shoulders and half guided, half carried her down the road. "Kill me later. At the moment, we have a planet to save."
Her mumblings subsided. The sun rose, the people warmed, and soon Veddin could again see the spires of spacecraft in the distance. "Hail the miracle! We've been going in the right direction!"
"Great. When do we eat?"
"As soon as we arrive. As soon as we get within shiplink range of the DareDrop , I'll tell her to start cooking breakfast. I suppose there'll be enough food for two. Of course, the ship's awfully small, so you'll have to eat outside." Veddin wisely told her this from an adequate distance; when Autumn lunged at him, he dodged easily.
"You're an evil man," she told him, though it was her joy that flashed, not her anger.
As they came within broadcast range of Veddin's shiplink, Veddin told Autumn what news the ship had to offer. "Nothing's changed, Autumn. Your parents are still half way to the control tower, out of control."
"Have they eaten yet?"
"No."
"Let's get them aboard your ship and take them with us."
Veddin pursed his lips. "There isn't room."
"Well, it would be kinda crowded, but—"
"No! If we have to fight, they'd die without acceleration couches."
"What fighting?! Who could you possibly wind up fighting?"
He looked at her quizzically. "Don't you remember? You were going to kill the jammer."
"I was joking."
"You may think so now, but you were serious then. Think, lady. How did this happen? It's sure not a natural phenomenon. You said yourself that plenty of species hate us."
"Nobody'd dare attack us!"
"The Squishies dared to attack me, even though I was on my way here."
"What?!"
Veddin told her about the ambush. "This jamming would be a brilliant coup de grace for them. I'd swear this was their doing, if I knew how they could have done it." He shrugged. "I don't know how anybody else could have done it, either. I still bet it's the Squishies."
Autumn was silent.
The DareDrop was clearly visible now. "I'll race you to the ship," Veddin offered as he began trotting. Autumn passed him in a flurry of blonde hair, and he was surprised to find himself gasping for breath when he caught up with her. "Men are so weak," she sniffed as they climbed aboard.
As Veddin plunked down into his chair, he glanced up at Autumn. "I'll bet we don't know how to get to your research island, do we?"
Autumn groaned. "No, you're right."
"Um. Fortunately I have given this matter some thought. You say the machines here know how to get around?"
"Yes, but they all use transmitted power. They're all shut down."
Veddin laughed. "Not all. Just the ones in this island cluster, that are powered by the deactivated reactor. Which reminds me." He closed his eyes for a few seconds. "There. I've called some of my senships into planet orbit, to
She snuggled up next to him. "Okay."
She was a warm glow in his arms. Veddin chuckled. "On the other hand, if you want to be added to the collection, that'll keep you warm, too, and—" Veddin swallowed hard as Autumn jabbed him in the stomach.
They eventually dozed into fitful slumber.
As he rolled away from the sunshine, he choked on a dew-laden clump of grass. With a moan, Veddin extricated himself from Autumn's death grip. He stretched.
It was a mistake. He was cold, damp, and very very stiff. His stomach was hungry. And his brain was dead tired.
He turned to his companion, shook her gently. "Hm?" she mumbled. Veddin pulled her to her feet, ran his hand through her hair in a futile attempt to remove the worst tangles. Still she was beautiful in the morning light.
"Leave me alone," she yawned.
Chuckling, Veddin shook her.
"Cretin. I've committed mass murder on a dozen planets for lesser offences," Autumn mumbled, her eyes closed. "It's unhealthy to get up when you're asleep."
"Arise, arise," Veddin told her as he slung her right arm over his shoulders and half guided, half carried her down the road. "Kill me later. At the moment, we have a planet to save."
Her mumblings subsided. The sun rose, the people warmed, and soon Veddin could again see the spires of spacecraft in the distance. "Hail the miracle! We've been going in the right direction!"
"Great. When do we eat?"
"As soon as we arrive. As soon as we get within shiplink range of the DareDrop , I'll tell her to start cooking breakfast. I suppose there'll be enough food for two. Of course, the ship's awfully small, so you'll have to eat outside." Veddin wisely told her this from an adequate distance; when Autumn lunged at him, he dodged easily.
"You're an evil man," she told him, though it was her joy that flashed, not her anger.
As they came within broadcast range of Veddin's shiplink, Veddin told Autumn what news the ship had to offer. "Nothing's changed, Autumn. Your parents are still half way to the control tower, out of control."
"Have they eaten yet?"
"No."
"Let's get them aboard your ship and take them with us."
Veddin pursed his lips. "There isn't room."
"Well, it would be kinda crowded, but—"
"No! If we have to fight, they'd die without acceleration couches."
"What fighting?! Who could you possibly wind up fighting?"
He looked at her quizzically. "Don't you remember? You were going to kill the jammer."
"I was joking."
"You may think so now, but you were serious then. Think, lady. How did this happen? It's sure not a natural phenomenon. You said yourself that plenty of species hate us."
"Nobody'd dare attack us!"
"The Squishies dared to attack me, even though I was on my way here."
"What?!"
Veddin told her about the ambush. "This jamming would be a brilliant coup de grace for them. I'd swear this was their doing, if I knew how they could have done it." He shrugged. "I don't know how anybody else could have done it, either. I still bet it's the Squishies."
Autumn was silent.
The DareDrop was clearly visible now. "I'll race you to the ship," Veddin offered as he began trotting. Autumn passed him in a flurry of blonde hair, and he was surprised to find himself gasping for breath when he caught up with her. "Men are so weak," she sniffed as they climbed aboard.
As Veddin plunked down into his chair, he glanced up at Autumn. "I'll bet we don't know how to get to your research island, do we?"
Autumn groaned. "No, you're right."
"Um. Fortunately I have given this matter some thought. You say the machines here know how to get around?"
"Yes, but they all use transmitted power. They're all shut down."
Veddin laughed. "Not all. Just the ones in this island cluster, that are powered by the deactivated reactor. Which reminds me." He closed his eyes for a few seconds. "There. I've called some of my senships into planet orbit, to
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