Relixi and Roscari

by

Sherry Norman Horbatenko

Roscari Ran Laddison looked at the seat belt swaying gently in front of his face--the one he'd neglected to fasten again--and grimaced. He moved various parts of his body, testing for damage, and sighed in relief. He'd been lucky. Some of the places hurting now were going to bruise, but nothing to call for a period of convalescence. From the sounds his shipmate was making, the case would be the same for him as well. He heard Relixi's voice raised in alarm long before his shipmate ever made it to the bridge. As Roscari picked himself up off the deck, he heard Relixi pounding down the corridor toward him.

"What was that turbulence? It threw me out of my bunk, and where in the Helz are we?" Relixi demanded as he alternately slid and scrambled through the doorway to the canting bridge deck. He skidded to a stop, eyes locking on the forward view port in dawning horror. He screeched, "We're down! Helz! But, how could we have crashed? We were on auto-flight!"

Roscari decided to brazen his way through the awful mess he'd landed them in. Not that he hadn't meant to bring them to where they were--because he had intended doing just that. The crash landing itself however, was purely accidental. It shouldn't have happened, and it wouldn't have happened if he'd been paying more attention to the instruments instead of making sure all his hidden supply of flares were launched. But this wasn't something his shipmate needed to know until he absolutely had to tell him. While his Commander knew about the landing, no one else did. Completely unauthorized, their private mission could mean the loss of everything they owned. Success, however, could mean the return of certain things beyond value. It was something Roscari was willing to risk his life on; and willing to kill for if need be, though he truly hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Fluffing his head feathers, he straightened as best he could on the now angled surface and said, "Yes, we're down; and, yes, we landed rather roughly. We fell out of the sky, as you can see... and that's how we crashed. This is Earth, Relixi. Take a look out there. Their sun is just rising. Isn't it lovely?"

Relixi gaped through the view port at the vista of wild desert terrain visible through the settling dust and steam of their violent impact. "Earth? Beautiful?" He shook his head. "No, it isn't! Do you know anything at all about this planet? The place is deadly!" Relixi's eyes darted from port to port and then across the now littered control room. Printouts and various pieces of equipment lay strewn across the deck.

Roscari watched enlightenment dawn in Relixi's eyes and waited for the expected outburst. It came. "Wait a-- how-- Earth was not on our route! Why are we here?" He turned an accusing glare upon Roscari. "What have you done?"

Roscari bent to free his long tail feathers from the base of the console seat where they'd become wedged under a joint plate. He smoothed one bent at an awkward angle. "Oh, come now. How can it be so bad? Their atmosphere is perfectly suited to our species after all. We even resemble some of their native life. I've always wanted to visit this planet and find out if those here that bear a resemblance to us are sentient. Have you never wondered?"

Relixi snapped his beak shut and straightened. Lifting his head, he stared down along his beak and snapped, "No. No, I have not. In fact, I do not at all care to know. All I want to know is why are we here?"

Roscari was relieved to hear this. He knew very well the creatures resembling them were not sentient. He’d been told the study of the life forms of other planets was not one of Relixi’s strong points. That lack of knowledge would prove to be helpful in concealing Roscari’s mission for a while.

Roscari snaked his long neck around to stare out the view port again and sighed. "Well, I have. I find this world fascinating. The variety in its resident flora and fauna is incredible."

Roscari heard the sound of Relixi's inner beak ridges grinding on each other. He couldn't help the inane thought that it wasn't good for the sharp ridges with which they ground their food.

Relixi said, "We were on scheduled flight control. What changed that?"

"Well, I did. We'd never have seen all this if we'd stayed on the projected course. It's one thing to learn about other worlds through the educational system, and it's quite another thing to learn about them first hand." Roscari folded his long legs to half sit on the side of his awkwardly tilted seat. Some of that fauna he'd mentioned moved into view, approaching cautiously, curious about the new addition to their landscape.

Relixi growled low in his throat. "So? Who wants to see 'all this'? I know I don't! You had no business changing our course without consulting me."

Roscari's head rotated to face Relixi, his eyebrow tufts lowered. "Need I remind you that you are not the boss of me? We are of equal rank. You did not consult me when you set our course. Why should I be required to consult you when I set a different one? You wanted to look at a dead moon, and we did. Then you wanted to look at some dead asteroids, and we did. Next it was a dead planet, and we aimed for that. Well, I want to look at a live one. See... that's fair now, isn't it? You get to choose two, and then I get to choose one."

Relixi arched his neck. "We are on a set exploratory course. I sent in our route and, if anything goes wrong, they will look for us along the route we sent them. Well, now something has gone wrong, thanks to you, and they'll have no idea where to look for us. You've marooned us here unless we can get this ship repaired and back in flight."

Roscari grinned as well as he could with the bruised flesh around his beak. "Exploratory? You said it yourself, Relixi. Exploratory. We are exploring. I sent in the change in our course. I also sent in an alarm message when the atmosphere grabbed us and the craft's flight mechanism failed. The shipwreck beacon is working."

It wasn't a complete lie. The beacon really was working; it just wasn't turned on and wouldn't be until he's mission was completed.

"They will know where to look for us. And while they look for us, I'm going to explore as much as I can." That was the truth at least. Their Commander knew exactly where they were and would 'look' for them until Roscari signaled for pick up; at which time, they would be 'found'. Another thing his shipmate didn't need to know.

Relixi was now so fluffed; he looked fully double his true size. "You have no sense what-so-ever, Ran Laddison! Or, if you do, I've yet to see it! What they thought, allowing you to go out in an Explorer so soon after your brother's disa-- " Relixi broke off as though he suddenly thought better of what he'd been about to say. He huffed to clear his throat and said, "Just because your father's brother--"

Zoning out Relixi's ranting, Roscari gazed out the view port at the fascinating creatures approaching. He wondered, and not for the first time, what they'd been thinking when they'd put Relixi and him together in the same vessel. The two of them did not get along all that well on the mother ship. How were they supposed to deal with their differences in this small exploratory craft? Alone together? Relixi Ran Lungher was a stiff-rumped pain in the tail feathers: finicky and extremely hard to like. Roscari knew how hard it was to like him, because, for the sake of relations on the mother ship, he had done his best to do so.

Relixi's voice intruded on his thoughts: "…but, did you have to crash us here? This planet's already been researched. Could you not have arranged this 'exploration' of yours on your own time? With someone else? Anyone else?"

Roscari watched a tall creature press it's face to the view port and checked a printout he picked up off the deck. An ostrich (os_trich), as it was called in one of the languages of this planet, looked in at them. It was like looking into a mirror. "Well, I might have, Relixi, but I truly did not mean to crash us here at all. I only wanted a closer look through the scopes and, before I knew it, the gravitational pull snagged us and drew us on in." Another not quite truth, Roscari thought. Oh, well. What's a couple more lies after the dozens told over the last few months? Before he'd decided to take this risk, he may have told a total of five lies his entire life. Not that he didn't have the personality to do so if needed; he'd just never had the need.

Roscari ran through a list in his mind of those that could have been assigned to this craft with him and realized that, while Relixi might be the most aggravating, he would also be the least trouble. Relixi was a scientist of equal intelligence and length of experience as Roscari; but whereas Roscari was adventurous and inquisitive, Relixi only cared to collect facts. Dry facts about already dead things. He wanted nothing to do with living creatures of other worlds. He specialized in collecting information on what happened to them, but only after they were dead and gone. In that way, he kept the risks to his well being at a minimum. He made no attempt to understand the workings of any society while that society was still living and viable. Overly concerned with his health, he would sleep more than any of the others which would give Roscari more free time.

Relixi did a full body fluff, shaking out his long tail feathers and stamped one of his wide three-toed feet. "I don't like this planet. It's too heavily populated and it's polluted on top of that. It's rank with toxic waste, disease is rampant and the dominant species is in the habit of killing members of their own kind. What do you think they'd do to us?"

Roscari forbore to tell him what his research had taught him they did to the ostriches here that he and Relixi resembled so closely. There were places on the planet where ostriches were raised on farms for the products their bodies provided. The meat for human consumption, the skin for fine leather, the feathers for many purposes, the eggs for consumption and objects of beauty when decorated, the oil for skin care and cosmetics. Even the eyes, feet, beaks and claws did not go to waste. Instead he said, "They won't even know we're here, Relixi. Look out there. Do you see those life forms? They look very close to how we look. We will blend right in."

Relixi gaped out the view port and then glared at Roscari. "Except for one thing, you raving lunatic. Where they have feathery appendages, we have working limbs; with separate digits!" Relixi held up his own two arms and waved the four digits of one in Roscari's face. "How do you propose to hide these?"

Roscari was nonplussed for a moment, then said firmly, "Well, we'll just have to disguise them in some way. I've wanted to look at this planet for a long, long time; and, now that we are here, look at it I will!"

"And the colors, Roscari? What do you propose to do about those?"

Roscari swept his gaze over Relixi's brilliant plumage and then turned to consider the rather dull hues of the closest creature outside. He shrugged. "We'll have to dull our colors somehow, that's all."

"And how do you propose to do that? They don't turn on and off, you know!"

"Well, no, but there's dust out there and we can roll in it and get a good coating--"

"Oh, no, we can not! I am not rolling in that stuff and neither are you! They still defecate on the ground here! I'm not getting covered in bacteria from alien body waste that can kill me, and you're not going to do it and then come back in here where I am. No."

Roscari laughed. "Defecate? Do you mean sh--"

Relixi interrupted: "There is no need whatsoever to be vulgar."

"Okay. I beg your pardon, Relixi. I'm sure we can find a patch free of 'defecation' and we have disinfecting spray we can spritz it with. Then we can roll." He pulled a packet of pills from his hidden breast pouch. "And we have pills to protect us from bacteria. Our technicians know about the diseases and bacteria on this and any other planet they've already been to and we're prepared. You do trust in our own research technicians, do you not?"

Relixi scowled and clamped his beak shut.

Roscari put a pill into his own beak, tossed his head back to swallow it. "Okay, then. You can be as stubborn as you like, but I'm taking my meds, and I'm going out there to look around. I will not stay cooped up in this tiny craft with only you and your attitude for company. Are you coming or not?"

"No!"

"Very well, suit yourself then. I'll be back in a while. I want to see if I can find a way to conceal our limbs so nothing looks out of place. We need to pile brush up around this craft so hostile residents don't spot it. You watch out the ports in case I run into trouble."

Roscari strode toward the door, reaching to slap the lever that would open the hatch. He heard Relixi gasp and he stopped, held his breath and he waited. When he heard nothing further, he asked patiently, "What is it now?"

"You aren't really thinking to go out like that, are you? Aren't you going to suit up?"

Roscari turned. "Now, how am I going to blend in if I suit up?"

"But the biological parasites... really, Roscari. Think real hard about this. I know you can."

"I already have, Relixi, and I thank you for your concern. However, I'm going. I've taken the meds, I have the spray and I know, for a fact, this planet will support our species. Now turn around, watch out those ports and guard my back." So saying, Roscari slapped the lever and strode into the lock.

Relixi called after him: "But, without the suits, how will we communicate? Aren't you taking a radio?"

"I'm trying to blend in, remember? Besides, the radios were smashed in the landing. Watch for hand signals. I know you know sign language."

The door closed behind Roscari. He pressed a button that sent a shower of spray to disinfect his body, protection for those with whom he might make contact. Using the scope inside the lock and a small view port, he surveyed the outside area near the exit. Finding nothing of a threatening nature, he slapped the lever to open the exterior door.

Ostrich creatures nearby bolted away as Roscari stepped out onto sandy soil. His first sensation was of searing heat. Stretching, he fluffed his feathers outward and welcomed the warmth as it settled deep into his core. After months in a space vessel and then weeks in an exploratory craft, the fresh air was a pleasure. He caught a faint scent of copper and, inhaling deeply, followed the scent to its source and found one of the tall creatures crumpled on the ground near the rear of the craft. So, there'd been a casualty after all. Somberly, he sprayed a fine mist of disinfectant over the area and then leaned over the body and slowly examined it. He found no signs of life and murmured an apology to the unfortunate creature. He knelt to move the body into a more natural position as though it were only sleeping and then sat back to study it. As he slowly ran his inquisitive gaze over the corpse from one end to the other and back, he absent-mindedly tossed dirt over his own feathers giving them a coating of dust and dulling the glittering colors.

Comparing the body of the corpse to his own form, he found them to be generally the same shape and size, feathered in the same general pattern other than the headdresses and tail feathers of his kind. His species had a set of feathers on the top of their slightly larger heads that would raise and lower expressively, depending on their feelings. They also had longer and more intricate tail feathers and, overall, were more richly hued in colors that glowed like jewels: deep emerald, dark blue sapphire, blood tone burgundy and glittering topaz as well as a wide range of colors in between.

By moving around a bit he could see short wings in the same location on the sides where his species had limbs that ended in dexterous hands with four digits jointed in three places. Tentatively, he lifted the inert wing in front of him. A bunch of loose feathers fell away. These he gathered up and placed inside the open airlock, pushing them to the back so they wouldn't blow away.

He pushed a series of buttons inside the lock that opened a tall and narrow door. From this compartment he took an ax type tool. He strode to a cluster of bushes. Making his way into the center, chopped several down in a scattered pattern that would not be obvious unless someone were walking among the brush and looking carefully. He didn't think it would be a good idea if a bunch of bushes were chopped down in an area that appeared to be uninhabited by the dominant species of this planet. These he pulled to the craft and, working quickly, set their ends into the soil and leaned them over the vessel to camouflage it from the air and at ground level.

The vessel had a cloaking device that made it invisible, but he didn't want to use it unless he had to. He wasn't too worried about the locals anyway as the vessel's instrument readings had detected no radar in use in the area through which they had traveled on their way down. Their main job at this time, according to procedure, was to keep themselves and their explorer vessel hidden until they could be picked up by the mother ship.

Roscari returned to the lock and closed the outer door. He replaced the tool in the storage compartment, pressed the button for decontamination, gathered up the feathers and then slapped the lever to open the inner door. He stumbled and nearly went down when Relixi shrieked.

His already frayed patience snapped and he shouted, "What! Why are you screeching?"

"Why did you bring those things in here?" Relixi backed away as he stared in horror at the large feathers in Roscari's arms.

Roscari sighed and said, "Relax. They're decontaminated. We'll use them to camouflage our limbs so we can walk among the others out there."

Relixi turned away. "I have no intention of walking among anything out there."

"Well, you're going to have to. There's a body out there and I can’t move it by myself. You're going to have to help me."

Relixi followed Roscari down the corridor to the bridge. "I don't see why we have to move any bodies around. Why would we?"

"Well, if we do not get it away from the vessel, we could end up with large carnivores here and you wouldn't like that. We'd be under siege and unable to do anything but sit in this craft and bake."

"I don’t see where we'd bake. The vessel's maintaining correct temperature and it's doing what it needs to do for us to survive until we're retrieved."

"Yes, but what if the systems in the vessel should happen to fail, Relixi? We'd have to open the doors and let air in and we'd have to scavenge for food and water." Roscari bent to sweep up a printout from among the others littering the deck and said, "We don't want any of these predators taking an interest in us, now do we?"

The printout was a graphic photo of a large tan feline with a wild mane of fur around its neck. It showed the creature rending an animal more than double it's own size. The caption said the feline could reach weights nearing five hundred pounds and more.

"We're a little on the lean side compared to our look-a-likes out there so that puts these carnivores at twice the weight of each of us. Or how about this one?" And Roscari held up a printout of another feline, this one spotted and with a caption that read it could reach weights nearing two hundred pounds and speeds of sixty-five mph.

Leaning closer, Relixi asked, "mph?"

"Yes, that means miles per hour here."

Relixi looked puzzled, "How fast is sixty-five miles per hour in comparison to us when running?"

Roscari smiled, "We do good at forty-five to fifty miles per hour in this planet's units of measure."

Relixi shuddered. "You brought us here and it's your fault a body is out there. You move it."

Roscari shook his head, "Can't do it alone, Relixi. It's a large and heavy specimen. And it can't wait. With the heat out there, it'll start smelling real soon. Don't forget it's bacteria that causes bad smells."

"Oh, very well. I'll go suit up," Relixi grouched and stomped from the room.

***

When Relixi returned to the bridge, Roscari sat motionless with his arms spread to the sides.

Roscari looked up to see Relixi gaping at him through an airtight helmet and said, "You look ridiculous, Relixi. There's no need for all that, I tell you."

Relixi snorted, "I look ridiculous? What are you doing with all those feathers fastened to your limbs?"

Roscari chuckled at how Relixi's voice sounded coming through the suit's communication vent. He sounded like he was in a metal can. Canned Relixi. Now there's a thought. "I'm camouflaging them. Look. If I tuck them just so... they look just like those others out there and I can still use them if I need to."

"You're going to catch an alien bacteria and it's going to kill you and then it's going to kill me. You know better than to trust everything our governors at home on Ratitestran tell us. They'd tell us anything to get us to go on these discovery expeditions. As far as they're concerned, we're expendable. They just want us to go forth and gather all the information we can find; and, if something happens to one of us, oh well, they just recruit another. You should know that. Didn't you lose two of your own family? Yes, I thought so. And they never were found and won't be either because the risk of discovery is too high. It wouldn't be so bad if they really needed the information we gather. But, noooo... They don't really need it. They've no intention of settling on any of these planets. They just want to know about everybody else, everywhere else. Nosy is what they are."

"Hmmm... Did you say all that loud enough, Relixi? Because I'm sure you know everything said and done on these explorer crafts is recorded so our scientists can assimilate all aspects of our exploration. You sound remarkably like one of those revolutionists that got rounded up not too long ago for talking against the government and inciting students to revolt against the high standards of education required in order to qualify for one of these assignments. That type of propaganda undermines our educational system and, eventually, the security of our world. Our government will not tolerate it. And of course they have no intention of settling on other occupied worlds. They do, however, want to know in advance if an aggressive society takes it into their heads to settle on ours. They want to make sure we are in a position to protect our world and our people. Part of that protection is to make sure no one here knows 'aliens' have landed. If you're not careful, you're going to make someone mad enough that when we get back someone's going to see to it you're reassigned to a waste treatment plant. Of course, at least then it'll be home grown bacteria you'll be dealing with."

Relixi choked and backed clumsily out of the bridge.

Roscari allowed himself a chuckle once Relixi was out of hearing. His uncle had been correct when he described Relixi's personality to him some time ago. Although a scholar and an excellent scientist, Relixi was not cut out to explore live worlds. His only interest the history of things a long time safely dead. He had no wish to interact with any living creature, much less the aptitude to learn protocol. He would be posted to an analyst position when they returned to their home world. Roscari was sorry to have to force him to go outside; but he truly did need his help in removing the heavy body from the vicinity of their craft.

Roscari determinedly controlled his amusement, when Relixi returned a few minutes later without the suit. Sternly firming up his beak, Roscari concentrated on the side view port until Relixi stopped beside him.

Relixi cleared his throat and held out one arm. Roscari solemnly attached feathers, tying them in place. Then he did the same for the other arm. He asked, "Did you take the meds, Relixi?"

Relixi nodded and without a word they both headed for the lock.

***

Outside, they approached the corpse and then stood for a moment looking at it. A snuffling sound brought Roscari's head snapping up and swiveling around, large eyes searching. He heard it a second time and snapped his head back around to Relixi. "What is that sound? What are you doing?" he demanded.

Relixi shook his head silently. His eyes bulged.

Roscari quickly realized his shipmate wasn't breathing. He jumped to bring his fist up from below to pound him on the chest, forcing the trapped air out.

Relixi sucked in a breath and then another and began choking and coughing in earnest.

Roscari asked, "Better now? You scared me half to death, not breathing like that!"

Relixi glared at him. "I was trying not to breathe, you fuzz brain! This air is bad here! It smells!"

"Of course it smells! It's real air. Not the canned variety we get on the ships. Um... you have smelled real air before, haven't you?"

"Yes, of course I have! But that was our air. Not air belonging to someone else."

Roscari scoffed. "The air is free, you know. It's not like we can't use it just because we're visitors here."

In answer, Relixi held a can of disinfectant out and began to soak the area with spray.

Roscari stared at him in disbelief for a moment and then bent to tie two lengths of cable to the feet of the corpse. He paused to stare at those feet and his heart gave a sudden thud. Only two toes. He looked down at his own. Three. How had he missed such a detail? Well, it couldn't be helped. He'd cut one off each of his feet if necessary; and the same for Relixi, no matter the battle that one was sure to put up. He was not going to fail in what he'd set out to do.

He handed the end of one cable to Relixi and said, "Here! You won't even have to touch him. All you have to do is pull. That should keep you safe enough."

They set off slowly, dragging their burden through the brush. Every time Roscari tried to pick up the pace a bit, Relixi would object. "I just can't go that fast, Roscari."

"Of course you can, Relixi. I've seen you run, you know."

"Well, that's different. This thing's heavy."

"All you have to do is take deeper breaths and lean into it."

"That's just it, Roscari! I don't want to take deeper breaths! I want to breathe shallow. Why won't you listen to me?"

Roscari thought for a moment and then said, "I just figured you might want to try to do this quickly in case there are any of those predators nearby. You know... the ones who run faster than we could ever hope to?"

Relixi's head swiveled on his long neck and immediately his pace picked up to a ground-eating stride. Several leagues into the brush later they stopped to release their burden and head back.

Roscari broke off two branches and handed one to Relixi. They hurried to return to their vessel, using the branches to sweep away the marks they had made when dragging the body.

Exiting the cover of the brush, they stumbled to a halt and stared in dismay. Between them and their craft was a herd of the tall creatures, milling about, pecking at the ground and dislodging sections of the camouflaging brush.

Relixi's feathers trembled against Roscari's.

Mustering his own courage, Roscari whispered, "Just act natural. All we have to do is amble through them, quietly and unobtrusively. Try not to look any of them directly in the eye. Try to do what they're doing. Peck at the ground a bit and keep moving."

"Okay. Um... perhaps we should put away the cables?"

"Good idea. Step back into the brush and let's put them into our pouches."

They did and then, tucking their arms into their sides to give the appearance of small wings, they moved forward. Pecking at the ground every now and then, they wove carefully between the others, maintaining a distance of several feet between them and any of the creatures.

Roscari whispered, "Have you noticed their eyes?"

"No, not in particular. I'm not interested in their eyes. I just want to get to our vessel." Relixi bent to peck at a piece of grass. He sneezed explosively and froze.

"It's okay, Relixi," Roscari assured him. "None of them are looking at you. They're all staring at the craft."

"Oh, great."

"Anyway... What I was saying about their eyes-- theirs are all dark, whereas ours are bright green."

"Now, there's a discovery for you!"

Roscari turned his head to scowl at him, "You are such a-- Hey! What are you doing?"

"That one bowed at me. I'm bowing back."

Roscari saw a lighter cream-colored ostrich take a couple of dancing steps and then bow at Relixi. Relixi returned the courtesy.

Roscari said in a fierce whisper, "No! You don't know what you're doing! Don't do that!" But it was too late. Relixi never even saw what hit him. As he went rolling, Roscari rushed to snatch him up and, dropping all pretense of blending in, they ran for the lock. Roscari slapped the lever to close the outside door as they slid up against the interior wall. They heard a squawk as a large foot was jerked back from the closing door.

They watched through the small view port, as the biggest of the flock threw itself against the door twice before backing off and moving away, still fluffed and angry; its beak moving as it continued to issue threats to the two inside who could not hear the sounds it was making.

As they leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, Roscari turned his head to look at Relixi, "Would you tell me just what you thought you were doing?"

Relixi pressed the button for decontamination and said perplexedly, "You saw what happened. One of them was bowing to me and I bowed back. At least it was greeting me. Surprised me, it did! So I was being polite in return."

"No. What you were doing, my shipmate, was a mating dance with an Earth ostrich!"

Relixi shrieked.

"That's right, you big stud, and her mate knocked you flying!"

Relixi groaned in mortification.

"So what the exterior cameras picked up, if they're still operational, and I've seen no reason to think they're not, is you offering to mate with a non-sentient Earth creature."

Relixi gagged.

Roscari was merciless. "And to think you were worried about a little dust in your lungs!" He slapped the lever to open the interior door and whipped around hiding his mirth. He used the force of his stride into the corridor to mask the hilarity shaking his body and setting his feathers to rustling. Let the inept fool think he was angry.

***

The next sun rising found the shipmates quietly running through their options. Relixi checked through their supplies and made a list of the available supplies on hand. Roscari pulled out additional computer printouts and placed them in a neat stack next to the stack of the ones he'd retrieved from various locations on the deck where the force of impact had scattered them.

Relixi entered the bridge and held out his lists for Roscari to look over.

Skimming through the lists, Roscari said, "Well, we're not too bad off as long as they hurry." He handed the new stack of printouts to Relixi and said, "Here are the local items on the food chain our biological systems can utilize without danger to our bodies and without making the local populace want to exterminate us."

Relixi browsed through the pages and grimaced. He read out loud, "Ostriches eat mostly plants, but also eat insects, fruits, seeds, nuts, and some small animals (like lizards). What are lizards?"

Roscari didn't look up from what he was reading, but said, "Look at the last page."

"Oh."

Roscari heard the flutter of feathers as Relixi shuddered. Relixi said plaintively, "What about fruit and berries?"

Roscari said, "We're in a desert area and won't find much of that here. We'll have to depend on grasses, seeds, small animals, insects and lizards. The next to the last page has a round object on it."

Relixi shuffled pages and then said, "You mean this egg?"

"Yes."

"Well, what about it?"

"Don't eat any."

Relixi slapped the stack of papers down. "As though I would!"

"And, don't touch any of them either."

"Well, I can see you're still being difficult so I'll just leave you alone to sulk. I don't feel well anyway. I'm sure I've contracted a viral infection from our ill advised jaunt last rising. I'll just lie in my bunk while it eats away my insides."

Roscari mumbled under his breath as Relixi exited the room.

Relixi froze and took one step back. "What did you say? Hypo-- what?"

"Nothing, Relixi. It's been a very trying couple of risings. Go get your rest. I'm sure you need some."

"Thank you, Roscari. You're quite right. I feel positively weak. And I think I'm dehydrated as well. I--"

Roscari waited until he could hear Relixi's complaints no longer and then waited a bit longer to switch on the outside speakers and start a disk he'd been playing, without Relixi's knowledge, at frequent intervals since their arrival. What was on the disk would not be detectable to anyone on the planet but for two and only then if they were still alive and their personal receivers were still operational. As long as the units were undamaged and they'd been kept charged with solar power and were actually turned on... The suspense was beginning to tell on his nerves. He knew he only had a small window of opportunity in which to accomplish his mission before the mother ship caught up to him and then it would be ages, if ever, before he had another chance. There was one other of this planet's continents he could have targeted; but, to the best of his calculations, this had to be the one. He stood as near as he could determine to the center of the bridge and turned slowly from one view port to the next, concentrating his keen vision for any sign that might show this had all not been in vain.

Six of the planet's hours later, he saw the first sign and nearly fainted with relief. A flare, faint it was true, but a flare nevertheless, streaked for the sky. Only someone from their world would use a signal in that shade of bright green as a summons on this planet. Here they used red, yellow, orange or smoke for emergency flares and fluorescent green dye for emergency water markers. He'd released several of the same shade of bright green himself on the way to the planet's surface. Roscari sank to his knees and wept.

Three hours later, he stood in the lock with his hand in position to slap the lever to open the exterior door, trembling. Only one runner was in view. Only one.

And that one was faltering, staggering. He knew it was an unworthy thought, but he couldn't help but wish it would turn out to be one in particular, rather than the other if there was only going to be one.

Roscari opened the storage compartment and removed two tools with long curving blades, closed the compartment and opened the lock's exterior door. Jumping out, he crouched, ready to do battle if need be. He saw the runner go down and he leaped into an all out run, dodging around dumbfounded ostriches that stood looking at him in confusion as he tore across the ground.

To his right he heard a shout and saw another runner converging on the one that had gone down. With a shout of his own, joy filled Roscari and, leaping a panicked desert rodent, he increased his pace. He got there in time to stop an angry ostrich from barreling into the two now hobbling quickly in his direction. He passed one of the tools to the stronger runner and they fought their way to the lock. Inside, he closed the outer door and fell to the floor gasping for air. The three of them sat, grinning in disbelief at each other, tears falling unchecked. Not one word did they need to say.

Slowly, Roscari reached up to hit the button for decontamination and then he opened the interior door. Roscari looked down at the cropped tails and bloody feet of the two runners. He knew they'd had to have run far and long to have damaged their feet so badly. He gently dragged the two into the corridor and then stepped back into the lock to replace the tools and lock everything down. In the corridor again he motioned for them to remain where they were and left to return again in a few moments with a large mat of woven grasses.

He placed the mat on the floor and lifted the weakest onto it. He dragged him down the corridor and into the bridge room and then returned with another mat for the one still waiting. As he placed that one on the mat, he felt a hand touch his and squeeze. He returned the pressure firmly and drew in a ragged breath before he bent to grasp the edge of the mat and pull.

He stepped to the console and removed the disk. He broke it into many pieces, then opened another console and pressed a button.

Turning he said, "It shouldn't be long now."

***

An hour later, the tired and battered feet of the two runners were wrapped in clean bandages and Roscari was handing each a chilled glass of Green Juice to wash down pain meds and antibiotics.

The smaller of the two runners said, "Thanks. I didn't think I'd ever taste this stuff again. We saw your flares two darknesses ago and we ran separate routes in hopes at least one of us would get through. Some of the sentients here discovered we have three toes and they've been after us ever since. They wanted to track birth defects in ostriches. It seems like I ran forever, and it was hard to believe I'd ever make it in time."

The larger runner asked, "So what's the story of those beasts out there? In all the time we've been here, I've never seen a group of them act so hostile."

Roscari laughed, "Well, it's embarrassing really. You see, last rising my shipmate made a pass at one of their females."

The booming laughter woke Relixi. He arrived in the doorway of the bridge clutching his head and complaining loudly about feeling drugged. He cut off in mid-diatribe to gape at the two additions to the crew.

Roscari grinned. "Good evening, Relixi. I hope you're feeling better." Turning to the others, he said, "May I introduce my shipmate to you? He's been asleep most of the day because he hasn't been feeling well. You see before you Relixi Ran Lungher. Relixi, I'd like for you to meet Radscari and Ladiscari Ran Laddison. Radscari is my brother--"

The larger of the two bent at the waist as best he could and Relixi bowed deeply in return.

Roscari continued the introductions, "--and Ladiscari is the youngest son of my father's brother."

"Your father's brother's youngest son? And your father's brother is the Commander of the mother ship," Relixi said wonderingly.

Ladiscari acknowledged Relixi with a dip of his head. His eyes rolled and closed. He slipped sideways. Relixi jumped to catch him and lowered him gently to the deck, placing his head on a stack of printouts.

Radscari said, "He's exhausted. At first it wasn't too bad; but, when they found our footprints and started tracking us and setting traps, things got rough. After the four-hundredth rising, we were seriously considering removing one toe off each foot. A few more risings and we would have had no choice. It was that or death in such a way they would not discover our bodies because how could we have hidden these?" He flexed the hand now holding his drink and then continued; "To let them trap us would have meant things many times worse than death."

Roscari asked, "And the others?"

"All burned up in the ship upon entry to this atmosphere. Nothing left but the pod we escaped in. We dismantled that and buried the pieces in various locations."

Relixi's brow tufts lowered and rose; he opened his beak.

Before he could speak, however, lights on the console began flashing and the vessel's intercom came to life. "Mother Ship to Explorer 2175. Please hold for Commander Ran Laddison."

The mother ship had arrived to retrieve her missing.

Roscari toggled a switch and said, "Explorer 2175. Ran Laddison here."

The deep voice of Roscari's Commander and uncle spoke, "Ran Laddison... report!"

"The Explorer itself is wrecked, Commander. The landing was rough. Our crew is fine and unharmed. Two of our MIA's located our craft and are aboard. One Radscari Ran Laddison and one Ladiscari Ran Laddison. Slightly battered, but whole."

There were long moments of silence from the other end, and then the intercom came on briefly. Wild yelling was heard in the background and the intercom cut off suddenly. It switched on again to silence and a husky voice spoke quietly, "Commander Ran Laddison here... I would speak with the one named Ladiscari Ran Laddison."

Roscari and Relixi exchanged looks and then Roscari apologized, "We're very sorry, sir, but he's asleep."

"Wake him up."

"Um.. Sir-- You see, he ran for two darknesses and two risings, sir. His condition is a bit rough."

The Commander barked, "Roscari! Have you spoken with your brother?"

"Yes, sir. I have."

"Well, I'm glad you had that opportunity. Now I have a need to hear--"

"Of course, sir! One moment, sir." Roscari searched through the piles of printouts and tools on the console until he located a hand mike. This he plugged into the intercom and went to his knees beside Ladiscari. He gently shook his cousin until the bright green eyes opened. "It's your father, Ladiscari. He would speak with you right away."

Ladiscari's voice was weak, but it was clear. "Father?"

"How--" The Commander coughed. "How is it with you, Laddis?"

"I want to see you, Father, and I want to go home. I want real food and I want sleep. Lots of food, lots of sleep. And I never want to see another 'lizard' again."

The Commander laughed and then choked. He coughed, cleared his throat and said, "We've got you now. We'll have you up here in just a few moments. You get some sleep now and we'll do the rest."

There was the loud clanging of metal on metal. The craft shook and tilted.

Relixi shrieked, "No one's belted in down here!"

The Commander laughed more heartily this time. "Just hang on to something, Relixi, and don't let anyone slide around. We'll be as gentle as we can, but we've got to get your craft up here as quickly as possible and get the Helz out of here before someone comes looking for us. And, Roscari?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"The craft's recording tapes?"

Roscari's laughing eyes met Relixi's anxious ones and Roscari said, "I'm sorry, sir. The cameras and recorders were damaged. None of them have functioned since the landing."

"Well, that's a shame. It would have been instructional for new recruits to see how to blend in with the local residents."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

"No matter. We should be grateful for what we have." The Commander broke off with what sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter.

Roscari turned to speak to his brother, but Radscari was slumped over and snoring gently. Roscari straightened him into to a reclining position and placed his own body as a block to keep him from rolling and sliding about as the ship rocked.

Relixi glowered at Roscari and said, "You could have told me, you know. I'd have helped."

"Thank you, Relixi, but this way you were protected by your innocence if something went wrong."

"Are you trying to tell me that crash was on purpose?"

"No, Relixi. A landing would have been on purpose. The crash was an accident."

"And the cameras and recorders?"

Roscari grinned. "Another unfortunate accident, I'm afraid."

Roscari and Relixi laughed as their craft was jerked upwards and into the belly of the mother ship.