Sacrifice

Chapter 13

“John, why don’t you go rest and I’ll join you in a moment,” Maureen said soothingly. 

Glancing out the observation window, John blinked at the harsh glare of the mid-day sun, and then nodded.  He was slightly tired. 

“Professor, did you not say that the Vandir might have a star map to Earth?” Dr. Smith asked from behind them.  “Why didn’t we just go to Vandir instead of coming back to this dreadful planet?”

“Because we weren’t finished here, Smith,” Don retorted, before John could say anything.  “And if you don’t like our itinerary, get out and hitchhike.” 

John looked at Don gratefully and then walked toward the elevator.  “Spare me, Major,” he heard Smith mutter behind him.

Later in the day, Maureen watched in gratification as John rested peacefully, much as he had for the previous week during their travel to the griforis planet.  Quietly slipping out of their cabin, she walked into the galley and punched in a code for the replicator. 

“The professor is still having nightmares?” Smith said from behind her.  Maureen jerked in surprise and turned toward him as she pulled the mug of dark, viscous liquid from the replicator. 

“No, he isn’t, Dr. Smith,” she said guardedly.  At the moment she was not in the mood for any of the stowaway’s gloomy pronouncements.  

“Regardless, I fear this is affecting his mind.  You know that eventually he will use one of us,” Smith said, his voice oily smooth. 

“John would never do that,” she retorted.

“He may not be able to help himself.”

“You’re wrong, Dr. Smith.  He would never do that to us,” Maureen repeated, pushing past the stowaway and quietly entering their cabin.  John was still sleeping, but it was getting close to sunset, so she put the mug on a small table and began massaging his shoulders.   A slight groan of pleasure was the only sound John made as he lay quietly under her ministrations.

After a few minutes, she knew he was completely awake. “I brought you breakfast, dear.” His answer was to roll over and pull her to him, his lips finding hers.  She felt the sharp tips of his canine teeth touch lightly against her lips. 

When he pulled back, his hazel eyes gazed lovingly into hers.  “Breakfast in bed?”

With a short laugh, she reached around and picked up the mug, handing it to him.  Sitting up, he took it, bringing it to his lips.  She didn’t see him swallow, and remembered that he ingested the liquid through his canines.  It disconcerted her for only a moment.  As he finished she pressed her head against his chest, rubbing her fingers through the coarse hair, feeling, reveling in the slow beating of his heart.  When she looked back up, he had finished and removed all traces of his meal.  His hand caressed her neck; his eyes gazed deeply into her own.

He yawned and lightly ran a finger down her cheek. “You are my anchor, Maureen,” he murmured, kissing her tenderly before getting up.  Stretching, he threw on his robe and padded to the shower. 

Maureen watched him go, and then went into the galley to prepare dinner. 

“You have outdone yourself, as usual, Mrs. Robinson.  An excellent meal,” Smith burbled later as they all gathered at the table in the galley.  Dabbing his chin with his napkin, he heaved an exaggerated sigh.  Maureen only glanced at him, not commenting.  Her attention was mainly on John, who showed more evidence of adjustment to his change.  He had joined in the banter at the dinner table, joking with Don, seemingly comfortable as they ate that which was now forbidden to him.

“Are you ready, Will?” John finally asked.

“Sure, Dad.”

“We need to go then.”

“I think it would be a good idea if Judy and I went with you to the cave to greet whoever is staying with us,” Maureen suggested.  “I suspect she will be nervous, to say the least.”

John nodded, he hadn’t even thought of that.  They reached the cave before deep darkness settled, but they saw no one.  John stepped inside the entrance, motioning the others back, and peered into the gloom.  As he pulled his flashlight out, he heard a soft sighing sound.  In the beam of light, John saw a short, slight griforis woman in front of him.  She threw her hands up in front of her eyes, drawing her shroud in front of her face.  Lowering the flashlight a bit, John said softly, “I will not hurt you, Miris.”

“They told you my name?  You are Judy’s father?”

“No, they didn’t, but Judy told me a great deal about you.  I made an assumption.  And, yes, I’m Judy’s father.”  The young woman pressed herself against the wall, her fear evident.  “Judy is just outside, Miris.  I’ll call her.” 

At his call, Judy entered, saw her griforis friend and immediately embraced her.  “Oh, Miris, you’re so brave,” Judy said, then she lowered her voice, almost whispering in the girl’s ear.  “My dad really won’t hurt you.  He’s not that kind of person.”

“But Judy, what about you?”

Judy drew back slightly and looked the alien woman in the eyes.  A niggling of irritation touched her until she remembered her own reactions to her father’s mutation.  “No, Miris, of course not.”

Miris gazed at John from over Judy’s shoulder, the fear being replaced slightly by curiosity. 

“You will be safe with my family, Miris,” John assured her.   

Turning, he called Will, and together they walked down the corridor.  At first he watched for hidden traps and hazards, but as they progressed downward, John began to relax.  He was reassured that the griforis were keeping their word. 

“What if they don’t believe us, Dad?” Will asked as they continued down the dimly lit passageway. 

“There will be nothing else we can do except leave, son, and hope someone in the future can be more persuasive,” John answered.  He put his hand on his son’s shoulder.  “They still have their agency in this, Will.  We can’t make them do anything they don’t want to do, no matter how much it would help them.”

“I know, Dad.”

Finally the entrance to the griforis habitat came into view.  This time the door was open.  As they stepped through though, John felt something amiss.  There were too many people, and they had the look of an execution squad, not a welcoming committee.  One of them began to pull out a laser pistol.

“Will…” he began.  The entrance door clanged shut behind them with a sonorous boom.  Several griforis charged at them.  “Run, Will!!” he cried.

Will slipped from out of the grasp of one griforis and sprinted into a narrow corridor.  John turned his attention to his attackers.  Two were quickly flung aside, a third ended up doubled over on the ground, but more took their place.  He felt something hard placed against his ribs.  The arm that was raised to push aside another attacker fell to his side.  His legs became weak and were unable to hold him up and he collapsed to the ground. 

John realized immediately that this was the same device that had briefly been used on him during his last visit.  This time, however, its power seemed much increased, somehow managing to sap every ounce of energy in his body.  His attacker was wise enough to keep it firmly held against his chest.  Frustrated, John struggled to move and was only able to move his head slightly.  He saw a griforis drag Will back into the room, and he struggled even harder, but without success.

The griforis guard held a similar devise to his son’s side, but soon realized that it had no effect on Will and pulled it away, only keeping a steel hard grip around his arm.

John’s gaze returned to the leader, who was flanked by several griforis guards, and he saw that the alien was looking intently at him. “Why?  Why did… you betray… us?”  It was even hard to speak.

“I did not, John Robinson.  There are those among my people whose hatred of the Vandir….”

“Silence!” a griforis near the leader roared.  John saw the quick glint of the end of a pistol held near the leader’s side. 

“Let my son… leave,” John said softly to the usurper.

The second griforis began laughing.  “You are in no position to demand anything, Vandir.”

“Not demanding…asking,” John replied.

“No, the cave is once again closed.  The boy will stay.”

“No!” John cried out, struggling harder, but again, not succeeding. 

Laughing, the griforis usurper stepped away from the leader, and, in horror, John saw a slender stake in his hand.  Looking at Will, he saw anguish and fear in his son’s eyes that matched the remorse and guilt in his own soul.  “Will, I’m sorry,” was all he could say.  The griforis drew closer and partially blocked his view of his son, for which John was grateful.  Will would be unable to witness his ‘death.’  The guard at his side withdrew a foot or two, taking the device with him.  The usurper took his place.  The stake was poised above his chest.  There was a slight, slow returning of sensation and energy.  John could move his fingers, but not his arms.  Then the stake fell toward his body.

                                            ===========================

Miris clung to Judy’s arm as they walked to the Jupiter II.  Although it was almost completely dark, the sun only leaving dark orange memories across the far horizon, the twin moons were sitting high in the black sky.  They bathed the night in an ethereal glow.  The bushes and trees seemed whitewashed and pale as though life had been sucked out of them.  Nocturnal creatures chirped, whistled and occasionally groaned, making Miris start at the sounds.

“Miris, it may not seem so to you, but we have come across nothing that is harmful on this planet,” Maureen assured the girl. 

“It is so different, Judy’s mother,” Miris said with a sigh.

“Please call me Maureen or Mrs. Robinson.”

“Oh,” Miris exclaimed, stopping suddenly. 

Judy followed her gaze.  “I told you the night sky is beautiful.  You should see it when the moons have set.  Maybe we can later.”

“Is it like this in the daytime, only brighter?” Miris asked, her voice hushed in awe and fear.

Judy laughed lightly, then stopped, afraid of offending her friend.  “No, Miris.  There is so much color.  It’s even more beautiful.  And I’m sorry I laughed at you.”

“That’s all right.  So much is strange to me.”

“I know,” Judy replied.  “There.  Up ahead.  That’s our ship.  That’s the Jupiter II.”

“Oh, it’s big.”

Judy stifled another laugh.  “Not really.  In fact, it’s kind of small.  There’s my sister waiting by the ramp.  And Don, our pilot,” Judy said, pointing.

Miris followed Judy through the Jupiter II, her eyes wide trying to take in everything.  She looked out the observation window at one of the moons as it hung, swollen, near the horizon.  “And you travel among the stars in this craft of yours?”

“Part of the time.  A lot of the time we’re repairing it on some unknown planet somewhere,” Judy said wryly.

“You said that was why you were her in the first place wasn’t it?”

Judy just nodded.

Didn’t you also say that you were lost and wandering in space?  And you have no contact with your home planet?”

“Yes, for over two earth years,” Judy admitted.  “But our purpose was to colonize another world.  We were leaving our home planet anyway.” 

They continued the tour of the ship, Miris asking numerous question, most of which were answered by the Robot, who ended up being the griforis women’s unofficial tour guide. Initially the Robot had startled and frightened her, but he now intrigued her. 

Finally they ended back up on the observation deck, where they watched the second moon set.   Penny had finally gone to bed, unable to stay awake any longer.  Maureen brought up some coffee and they watched the stars.

“It is no wonder your father was willing to do anything to get you and your brother and sister back.  This world of yours,” Miris spread her arms out to include the starry sky, “is so big.  Overwhelming.  And your family is so alone in it.”

End chapter 13