The Portal - Chapter 6 - The Big Picture

"Where in the hell are we?"  The captain looked as frustrated, and as frightened, as everyone else.  Daria quickly got her feet under her, and pulled herself down into her seat.  She had been thrown unexpectedly to the floor, and into another console display.

"We are not back in our own solar system, and the ship we just put to our rear is not in sight."  She frowned.  "I am receiving some signals though."  She focused her windowed display on the signals.  "Its our probes.  In the system we jumped to."  The captain turned towards her.

"Wait, does that mean we are back in that system?"  Tara let out a breath of relief.  "Specialist?  What just happened?"

"I think we were spit out the other portal, captain.  It might be a fail safe feature.  If it starts to go offline, it pushes us out to the closest working portal."  She gripped her console firmly.  "The original builders of these portals must have encountered this themselves, and built in this feature."  The captain rubbed his chin.

"Options?"  Daria was still shaken, so her voice reflected that.

"Return to the other portal, and see if we can get home, sir.  Its about our only option."  He pressed a button on the arm of his chair.  It was a whim, but the builders of their ship had put the intercom functions into the captain's chair arms, just like on an old television series.  Future designs of the ship were to incorporate proper crew stations, but not like the series.  It was designed for television, not actual space flight, and crew usage.

The new designs were considered to be major steps forward for space flight and communication during a voyage. They would have displays all focusing on the center of the bridge, while the main display would be in the center, and the captain would be able to access all the information when he needed it.  His seat would also be recessed into that circular design, with safety being its key feature.

"Agreed.  Sampson?"

"Sir?"

"How is that gravity generator doing?  Is it offline?"  He heard him clear his throat.

"Yes, sir.  It appears the designers built in some capacitor banks that would allow it to operate for an extended period without power being fed to it.  The sandwiched switches were to discharge the built up power and allow it to go offline."  The captain let out a long breath and took a few more before he replied.

"So it appeared to go offline for a brief moment while the capacitor bank kicked in?  Fine, but if we want it back online, can it be turned off with complete certainty that it will not spontaneously reactivate?"  Again, the engineer cleared his throat.

"I am uncertain at this time, sir.  I am disconnecting it for now.  Until we get back to our own system, and possibly back to Earth, there are too many unknowns to keep it attached to our power systems."  The captain nodded.

"Understood.  Make sure you discharge it completely, disconnect it, and crate it up.  When we try the portal again, I don't want another wild ride to remind us how bad things can get when we're unprepared."

"Message received, captain."  He nodded, and closed the intercom.

"I'm sure it was, Sampson."  He turned towards Tara.  "Did we get any information during that trip?"  She shook her head.

"Nothing I can make sense of.  We don't know how the portal works really, so these readings will need a large amount of time to analyze.  Lets just go home, and get that stuff figured out either on the way, or let NASA figure it out when we get back."  He sighed quietly.

"Agreed.  Thompson, take us back to the original portal.  Mark this one as 2B on the map.  The other one will be 2A, and our side will be labeled as 1A.  Just in case there are others buried in the atmosphere that we missed."  Tara smiled.

"When we figure out which system this is on the star map, we can start mapping the network, add the information the probes are gathering, and really get to work."  Her smile grew wider.  "I can't believe it!  A portal network, mapped and explored!  And we are the first humans to do it!"  The captain shook his head.

"That didn't dampen your enthusiasm a bit, did it?"  She shook her head.

"It would take a lot to do that, sir."  Daria cleared her throat.

"Then prepare yourself, Tara.  A big bucket of cold water is coming up right now."  She put the portal on the large screen at the front of the bridge.  It continued to flicker madly.

"Oh for fuck sakes!"




The captain took a long slow breath, and let it out just as slowly.

"Right now, I'm kind of glad we messed up with that low powered signal.  We would never have known about how to reboot the portal if that hadn't happened."  The captain nodded.

"Too true, Specialist."  He took another deep breath.  "Damn!  Its great to be back in our own system!"  His outburst was unexpected, as was the action to jump out of his chair.  The bump to the head reminded him of why that wasn't a good idea.  "Ouch!  Dammit!  Alright, start transmitting the information we picked up, in small packets, that way it can be opened and given to the appropriate departments without having to wait for the whole thing."  Tara smiled.

"NASA is going to ape over what we brought them."  She had a small smile on her lips.  "Captain, request permission to leave out the information on the gravity generator until we are about to dock."  He frowned.

"Why?"  She smiled an evil little grin.

"Not only do I want to see their faces, but we may also want to keep this played close to the chest.  If this gets let out of the bag while we are on route, and it doesn't power up again, it could hurt us badly.  Also, I'm feeling a little gun shy.  What's been going on at home in our absence?  We've received few and far between updates from home, even though they know we are out here.  Its almost like someone else is at the helm, and he doesn't like where we've been."  The captain frowned.

"Come to think of it, you're right.  We were to receive monthly updates, but those turned to two months apart, and we haven't had one in about six months.  Almost like they've written us off as lost in space."  Daria rolled her eyes.

"We almost were!  If not for some real dumb luck with that low powered beacon resetting the portal accidentally, we would be stuck over there with no way home!  And when I get home, I'm going to get loaded, and forget that we were ever up here for about three days!"  She began to smile.  "And I'll also thank God himself for making me come up here in the first place."  She said in a low tone.  Tara smiled.

"You and me both."




"Alright, Sampson, lock the ship down to stationary rotation and parallel to the Y axis.  Once that procedure is complete, turn on the gravity generator."  He turned towards him.  "Are you sure that it will work properly, and can be discharged completely, if need be?"  Sampson turned a slightly brighter shade, and nodded.

"I've worked it out, sir.  We acquired the external discharge unit from the alien ship, hooked it up, did a test run, and there were no hiccups.  It will work as expected."  He nodded slowly.

"Alright."  He turned to Daria.  "Thompson, send the signal to the International space station.  Inform them we are an hour out, slowing down for docking procedures, and confirm that they are aware of our return to Earth."  He turned back to Sampson.  "Sampson, engage the gravity generator.  I want those vibrations to be over with before they can see us."




"I can't believe it!"  He turned to Tara.  "You were right.  Not only did they write us off, but we are supposed to be dead!"  He growled, turned away for a brief moment, and thumped his fist down on the arm of his chair.  "Now we have to wait while the bureaucracy gets their heads out of their asses so we can be granted permission to dock!"  He turned back to Tara.

"It was a good idea to keep that gravity unit a secret.  If they forgot we even exist, they would use that unit's secrets to do a real snowjob on us.  As it is, I'm not even sure we have a job to go back to right now."  Tara nodded, but kept her smile small.

"We have information on the portal that is ours alone, and the alien vessel footage.  Along with the gravity generator, we have the power here, sir.  The politicians are going to be all over us, pretending they didn't forget us, and using us as a photo opportunity.  Not just the first humans to orbit Jupiter, but the first ones to go into an unexplored star system, and return.  They won't bury us, sir."  She kept her final remark to herself.

But I will bury the one responsible for removing my former boss from the helm.





The Russian astronaut frowned as the dock hatch opened, and he found himself feeling the weight of his own body, for the first time in several months.

"What's happening?"  He said in a thick accent.  He spoke fluent English, but his confusion was easy to read.

"Nothing, Commander.  You're just enjoying the effects of the artificial gravity generator we removed from the alien vessel and installed in our own."  The commander's jaw dropped.

"Artificial gravity?  Its....its possible?"  He jumped, and smiled.  "Its possible!  I can feel my weight on my muscles!"  He then began to laugh.  "Someone down there will face uncomfortable questions, I believe."  The captain chuckled.

"Of that, commander, I have no doubt."  He turned to Sampson.  "Discharge the unit, Sampson, and disconnect it.  We'll need to get it crated and ready for transport planetside."  He looked at the commander.  "Don't worry.  As per our agreement almost six years ago, whatever technology we've discovered will be shared with the Russian Space Agency.  Maybe next time, they will want to come with us.  Go explore the other star system."  The Russian's eyes went wide.

"Other star system?"  He stepped forward, then caught himself as he realized he was going to board their ship, instead of them coming onto the station.  "Come in!  Come in!  We have a lot to talk about!  The RSA will be happy that you've decided to uphold our agreement!  Very happy."  He laughed even harder.  "And someone who thinks he runs NASA will be very unhappy."




"Captain Rainier!  We'll be holding the press conference and debriefing in twenty minutes."  The director of NASA tried to shake his hand, but the captain refused to hold his out.

"We just received a message from Specialist Tara Timmons about some important information.  She has asked us, and my crew and I have agreed, that we'll hold the debriefing in seven days."  The director looked ready to chew a few heads off.

"Can I ask why she decided to delay this?"  Sampson put a hand on Daria's shoulder, to hold her back from spilling important information.

"She just wishes to make sure that all those who were involved are present and accounted for.  She also hopes you'll be able to attend as well, Director Shelby.  She can't say enough about you."  He frowned.

"Oh?  I don't think I've met the specialist."  Sampson smiled.

"Don't worry, sir.  You'll recognize her immediately."  He put an arm over Daria's shoulder and pulled her along.  "We'll be heading to the hospital now.  Our bodies need some TLC, not the politics."

The director stood in the foyer of NASA's headquarters, and fumed.  He then turned as a former employee was leaving with a box in her hands, and the guard behind her.

"Make sure she leaves!  Not coming in for years, but still expecting a job to be waiting?  What is this world coming to?"  He turned away, and didn't hear any other conversation.

"I'm sorry, Tara.  He's a bloody fool who was able to toady up to the right people."  She smiled.

"Don't worry about it, George.  Just make sure you're there in a week.  You'll be my backup, and you'll have the pleasure of escorting him out."  She turned towards him and gave him a brief hug.  "I'll tell father that you asked about his health."  He smiled.

"That fool didn't know what kind of enemy he made when he fired you, did he?"  She smiled.

"He's not my enemy, George.  He's just a fool who found a bit of power, but we need the right person at the helm for this.  Someone who busted his ass to get it started, and made the right friends in the RSA to get things done we couldn't get done on our own.  The tech we uncovered...."  she shivered slightly at the memories of the alien vessel.  "Well, disgruntled politicians would be the least of our worries if we screwed up that relationship."  He smiled.

"I'm just a grunt, Tara, but that's why you were on board that ship, and part of the whole endeavor.  You could always see the bigger picture, the potential, and the looming disaster."  She smiled and hugged him again.

"Its really good to see you again, George.  Make sure you tell your wife I'm home.  I've missed her home cooked meals, and I'd like the both of you to meet Daria.  She's a hell of a woman."  He smiled and watched her leave.

"She would have to be a celestial body in order to catch your eye, Tara.  Even noticing her is a big compliment."  The older guard smiled softly, then went back inside.  He couldn't help but chuckle about the situation, and how his former boss will love the outcome of whatever Tara had planned.

If she didn't see the big picture, there would be war on the horizon.  War between two superpowers over the failings and feeble grasping at power by a small minded fool.

The Portal - Chapter 5 - Murphy's Law

Sampson sat heavily in his chair on the bridge, glad to be off that ghost ship.  After a few minutes, he turned towards Tara.

"You were right.  We learned very little in the engine room.  There were bodies there too.  And bones.  They ran out of supplies, ate each other, then finally starved to death."  He shivered unconsciously.  "The probes will tell us if they had any stations in the system, or if this was only a stop over to the next system."  Thompson straightened up, and frowned.  She looked at her display.

"Speaking of probes, the first one has completed its survey of this gas giant."  She turned towards Tara.  "Your theory was correct.  There is more then one portal in this one.  More then one super storm spot."  Tara nodded.

"I expected as much.  The lower gravitational field on a larger planet had to have something different.  A second portal that focused the field elsewhere is that difference.  Which means that this system connects to more then one system.  We could come from our system, orbit, enter the other system, and keep exploring."  She thought for a moment.  "I wonder if Arcturus has more then one portal."

"Arcturus?  That super star with a gas giant many times larger then Jupiter?"  She nodded.  "There haven't been any sightings of superstorms there, and that's because they can't see anything around that monster.  But something like that should have at least one planet, and it should be a gas giant."

"That's because its so far away, all we can really do is verify its existence, and suppose the rest.  We get light from those places, but I suspect the actual details aren't quite as clear as they let on.  Such as a lack of planetary bodies, or even the assumptions around what kind of star it is.  We only have our star as an example, so what really is the chance that they can tell with a test case of one?  And what's the chance that all the light to make up an image is there when it arrives?  Some might be absorbed by celestial bodies all around."  Daria frowned.

"So you mean they just fudge the details?"  Tara shrugged.

"Not sure its fudging, as more supposing.  The scientific community does that a lot when it comes to data and conclusions.  Look at the Ice Age.  There is no scientific proof of its existence, yet scientists suppose that's the reason for a great many things.  Like why the dinosaurs are extinct, or why extremely large boulders are moved from place to place.  Floods can cause movement of that kind. It is supposition, but the real proof, other then glaciers that still exist, just isn't there.  Its supposition that those glaciers once covered most of the Earth.  Science is always finding out new things that make old theories invalid."  Daria thought quietly for a moment.

"That makes a lot of sense.  People assumed that if you went fast enough, time would stand still, or you could go back in time.  It was their understanding of time that prevented them from understanding the reality of it."  Tara smiled a big wide one.

"Correct.  They think that if they travel fast enough, they can travel back in time because they would be faster then the light itself.  Eventually they would be at the source where it was emitted thousands of years ago, and therefore, go back in time.  The reality is, even if they traveled instantaneously to the source, time would not have changed, and they would not travel backwards.  Freeze time.  Travel along the path of the light, and the light continues to get younger as you travel along it. It isn't reversing.  The light just gets younger.  Science didn't know they explained it when they said that the light you see now may be in fact light from a dead star.  If you travel along that path, faster then the speed of light, you won't find a star that's lit.  You'll only come to the end of the light."  Daria frowned.

"So does that mean time doesn't actually exist?"

"Time exists, but only in as much as we can measure the passage of it.  Time is not a thing.  Its a concept.  We conceive that it exists, measure its passage, and make suppositions about it.  Think of it this way.  If you take two beams of light, say a laser, shine it at a distant point in space, but along that route, one beam gets diverted by a series of mirrors that bend it along another route until it returns to its original path.  The starting point will be a bit behind the other beam, but the light is the same age.  The same amount of time passed for both beams.  Time didn't pass any differently.  It just took a bit longer due to the distance diversion."  Daria shook her head.

"Philosophical conversations that take on a life of their own over centuries, with suppositions, and mathematicians who strive to prove their theories correct will be able to force the conclusions to fit their theories.  And if you don't believe their results, that will just prove how unintelligent you are, which proves them correct on their false theory.  That just gives me a headache."  Tara chuckled.

"I don't blame you.  I got many headaches in college by banging my head against a stubborn wall made up of those suppositions.  Eventually, the most intelligent people in the world just learn to keep their mouths shut, and study in silence."  Sampson chuckled.

"Welcome to the voyage of the silent."  He shook his head a bit, then his eyes grew more serious.  "So what should we do about that ship?  If feels too valuable to just leave behind, and not have anything to show for investigating it."  Tara pursed her lips.

"Suppose you wanted to create an artificial gravity field, where would you put the generator for that field?"  He thought for a moment.

"In the bottom of the ship, near the middle."  Then his eyes lit up.  "If we go search that section, we can see if there is a unit set up at that location!  And if it was small enough to move."  He smiled wider.  "Artificial gravity would give us an advantage for all future space travel!  No need to build to simulate gravity on a small scale, more compact ships, and longer space voyages!  Even stations!  The possibilities are almost too good to give up!"  She smiled.

"Lets float it by the captain first, Sampson.  If he agrees, you should choose someone who would assist you to locate, remove, and relocate to our ship."  She looked at Daria.  "Thompson, I would like your assistance in going through our logs for the trip."  Daria frowned but nodded.

"Alright, but why?  The information is pretty self explanatory."  Tara gave her a straight, but cold look.

"I want your opinions of what you saw on record.  What you felt, your assumptions before, and your conclusions after.  When we put together a report on that ship, I want it to be thorough."  She looked over at Sampson, the engineer they all relied upon.  "You too, Sampson.  You looked a little bit shaken, and I want that on record.  Why you felt that way, and what you thought about."  Sampson rolled his eyes.

"What I thought about?  That's easy!  How could intelligent beings become so desperate that they ate each other?  That place felt like a tomb when I saw those bodies, not an advanced space vessel!  Creeped me the hell out!"  Daria turned towards him.

"You too?"  He nodded.

"I'm not made of stone, Thompson, and neither are you!  That shit was damned spooky, and less expected then space spiders!  Brr!"  He shivered.  "If you saw that on Earth, it would mark your memories, and give you nightmares.  My dad was a cop, and he saw some sick shit in his career.  Gave him nightmares too."  He smiled sadly.  "Don't even think about trying to act tough in those circumstances is what he would tell me.  Let it out.  Drain away its power, then analyze it.  If we were stuck out here, our ship immobile, and we couldn't get home, would we eat each other?"  She frowned.

"Of course not!  Most likely, we would make a decision to end it peacefully.  Like the ones in the airlock did at the end.  They might have eaten a bit, but decided not to keep going at the end.  They didn't want to starve to death, so they decided to end it properly."  Jim nodded.

"Correct.  Those were not spooky.  It was the bridge, and engineering that housed the nightmares."  He smiled again, and leaned his head back against the headrest.  "We respect each other too much to allow our bellies to overcome our good judgement.  If we were going to starve, we would send out the probe to give the information to headquarters, then vent the ship.  No drawing straws.  We came out together, we go home together.  Anyone gets it in their head to try and take a bite, they'll be spaced before we vent."  Daria smiled a relieved smile.

Her nightmares weren't over, but at least she had someone who understood the reasons she had them, and that alone alleviated her concerns about their current mission.  Everyone on board was trained, and dedicated to each other professionally.  She still couldn't quiet her mind of those troublesome thoughts.

Just how long was that species in space, and what happened that drove them to eat each other, instead of going home?  And if they couldn't go home, what happened that prevented them from going through the portal?

She knew Tara had a hypothesis, and she would ask her about it later.  Right now, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed, and have Tara tell her it would be alright.  Even if she didn't believe it herself.




"It was easier then expected, captain.  The unit is small compared to some of our components, but to tell you the truth, I can't make heads or tails about what makes it work.  It has power lines running into it, and it also has some familiar configurations with the way circuits seem to work.  They aren't circuit boards, but more like sandwiched switches, connected with fiber cables, and all are routed to one self contained unit.  It looks like the power needs might also be a direct feed."  The captain frowned.

"Wait, are you saying that we could get it working?"  Sampson shrugged.

"If we controlled the flow, started out at the possible lowest voltage, just to see what happens, and slowly increase the flow until its doing what I expect it to, then maybe.  That's a big maybe.  Its an artificial gravity unit, which means it creates a field of mass in the bottom of the ship.  We will be drawn to it, just like we are drawn to the center of the earth.  If I'm careful enough, I might be comfortable increasing our gravity to the point of the moon, which will help us a lot."  He cleared his throat quickly.  "However, not until I'm sure I have enough safety features plugged in.  Switches to cut the power, foot and hand, and a dead man's switch."  The captain thought for a moment.

"Alright, if the power flow is monitored by someone else, you have control over the amount, and someone else has a kill switch, then I'm game with this experiment.  Bottom of the ship, along the y axis while we are in transit, not upright in launch mode."  Sampson grinned.

"Agreed.  Don't want this to be like some Hollywood movie stunt."




"Report!"  The captain shouted.  The ship began to shake as the power was turned on to the gravity unit.

"The ship is developing a gravitational field in the bottom of the ship, and its creation is shaking the plates right around the others with the greater mass!"  The shaking slowed, became more gentle, then eased off until there were only minor vibrations.  "Leveling off, sir.  Whew!  I thought we were gonna be spaced!"  Thompson chuckled in his headset.

"Make sure we're not, Sampson.  That's your job, remember?"

"Aye.  Power drain is stable, and much lower then expected."  He took a tentative step, then smiled.  "Hey, guys!  Release your straps and stand up!"  Tara frowned, and stepped forward.  She had hold of a strap, and the kill switch.

"Well, I'll be damned."  She said softly.  "It feels like I'm back on Earth."





The captain looked at the screen, stood up and stretched.  He smiled and took a short jump, just to be sure he didn't bang his head on the low ceilings.

"What do you think?  Time to go home?"  The crew smiled.

"Yes, sir!"  Tara looked at her screen for a moment.

"Captain, I would recommend that we disable the artificial gravity while we traverse the portal.  We don't know how it would react to the unit, or if it would collapse it accidentally.  I don't want to find out in the atmosphere of this monster."  He grinned.

"Agreed.  Sampson, lower the power until its turned off, then flip the switch to cut off the source.  We can power it up on the other side, but for now, it should remain off."  Sampson obeyed the order, and waited.  The field slowly released its hold, the ship shook for a minute, then slowly eased off again.

"I think that we should keep it off, sir.  That unit will need to be examined completely by a team of engineers, and we don't have the resources on board to fix the problems we don't anticipate.  The salvage team might also find out how they compensated for this particular problem."  The captain grunted.

"Yeah, which is too damned bad, because that gravity felt really good after two years out here!  Alright, Thompson, plot our course, and take us home!"

The Earth vessel turned away from the alien ship, and headed directly for the portal.  The captain frowned.

"Sampson?  Did you turn that generator off?"  He turned and looked at his chief engineer.  He lifted his hand and still felt the pull.  Sampson pressed a few keys, and then looked panicked.

"It felt like it went off, but its still on!  Turn us away from the portal!  Turn us away from the portal!"  He got out of his chair, and rushed down the hall, and all the way, his feet thumped on the plating.  The gravity generator was not off.

"Oh shit!"  Thompson yelled out.  The portal was dead ahead, they were already caught in the gravity well of the gas giant, and the portal just flickered.

Like a light about to go out.

The Portal - Chapter 4 - Ghost Ship

"It looks like....a blimp?"  The captain frowned.  "Can we get that image enlarged?  I don't want to get any closer until I'm sure its safe to proceed."  Tara took additional readings, but shook her head.

"Lieutenant Thompson?  Can you direct a probe to do a close fly-by?  I'd like a closer look at those lines in its hull, and the rear.  Also, can you use the on board sensors to detect radiation?  Or heat signatures?"  Thompson nodded.

"All those functions are now integrated within the standard probes we have on board."  She pressed a button.  "Probe launched.  Directed to the ship, and to do a slow orbit."  She pursed her lips.  "No readings of any kind.  No heat, no radiation, and no signal emissions detected."  She looked at the captain.  "Sir, its dead cold."  He frowned slightly.

"How long would it take for that to happen?"  Tara looked at her screen, and took a few moments.

"We've never run the numbers before, sir.  I would hazard a guess, if they are warm blooded creatures like us, that humanoid bodies would take a few hours to cool, and that is after death.  The hull itself would be cool as long as there were no internal heat sources, but a fusion based engine?  Thousands of years, depending upon the fuel used, such as plutonium or uranium, it could take thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of years to fully decay to an inert state.  That ship could have been made impervious to standard scans like ours, or it could have lain dormant for fifty years, or five hundred thousand years.  Even if we board that ship, we would have no way to unlock its secrets.  This ship was not made for such an investigation."  The captain nodded.

"Agreed.  Take all necessary readings, and formulate a possible plan to recover that ship.  Calculate possible tonnage, thrust needed to tow it through the portal, or push it, and get it home.  Its a theoretical plan, and if we present it, and the possibilities, the brass will come up with their own answers."  Tara nodded.

"I'll get right on it, sir.  Time to do some system scans, and exploration before we head back?"  He smiled.

"You're damned right!  I want to know if the closest planet has life."  But the captain kept his eyes on the most lucrative prize right in front of him.  An alien ship that had something all explorers lust after.

Something new, and unseen by human eyes.




"Sir.  It might be possible to link up with that craft right there."  Tara pointed out a hatch that had a similar configuration to their docking hatchway.  The captain shook his head.

"I would authorize a two man crew to take internal scans, and inspect that ship slowly, but only in suits.  Limited search, limited time.  Lots of footage.  Understood?"  Tara thought for a moment.

"Who do you recommend for the mission, sir?"  He smiled.  "What?  Me?"  He nodded.

"You, and Thompson.  She would keep you safe as she is highly skilled in hand to hand combat, and completely professional."  She thought for a moment.

"You are aware...."  He held up his hand.

"I know of it.  There is no reason to remove either you or her from that list.  We need the rest of the crew here, but we can spare you for a short period of time."  His eyes grew serious.  "However, there are to be no foolish risks!  We can not complete this mission without the both of you, so don't put us in that position!"  She nodded, but couldn't quite quell her excitement.

"Aye, sir!"  This wasn't what she was here for, but it was an incredible bonus.  The first and second pair of human eyes upon an alien ship.

It was beyond a dream, but she knew that sometimes, dreams can be nightmares.





"Steady as she goes, Tara.  Don't wander ahead of me, or fall behind."  Tara smiled, and nodded.

"Understood.  I'll use my brains and follow appropriately."  They were already at the hatch, and looked for the panel that Sampson had spied early.  It wasn't as easy to spot when they were outside the ship.  When Daria finally found the panel and pushed on it tentatively, it moved inward, and was able to be pushed down.

"Captain, Sampson was correct.  The panel is exactly as he expected.  It pushed in, and down out of the way.  There is a handle to pull, stirrup styled.  I'd almost say that the beings who made this ship were humanoid by the way it was designed."  Sampson spoke up.

"When you're inside, you may be cut off, so go carefully, and keep an eye out for panels with readings on them.  Touch nothing, but if we can take a look, we may be able to send the information back for analysis, and have the next ship on its way before we even get home."  Sampson rubbed his hands together.  "I wish I was there with you, Thompson."  She smiled.

"I'm sure you do.  Cameras are on.  Recording to thumb drives for security purposes.  Pulling the lever now."  She pulled it carefully, and at first it wouldn't budge.  She pulled harder, and it creaked along its pivot point.  "Frozen from lack of use.  The door has moved as the bolts were disengaged.  Manually moving the door now."  Tara held onto a suction cup on the side of the ship's hull as the door opened slowly.  "Oh fuck me."  Tara peered inside and saw what her lover had seen.  Three emaciated, and long since dead creatures were in the airlock.  They had decided to vent the atmosphere, to kill themselves quickly.

"Captain.  There are three alien bodies in the airlock."  Daria didn't give the captain a chance to ask what she saw that made her swear.  "Semi humanoid, quadraped, with a pair of humanoid arms mid torso.  Skin is dried and sallow.  These people either starved to death, the vacuum sucked all the moisture from their bodies, or this is their natural appearance.  They have been dead for a long time, sir, but there was no atmosphere released when the door was cracked.  It appears they vented the air."  The captain took several seconds to reply.

"Understood, Thompson.  Move the bodies out of the way, open the inner door, and continue to inspect the ship.  If you find more bodies that are different, or more fully fleshed, take good footage of their appearance.  The doctor will want a look at it.  Do not bring a body back though.  We don't know if they died naturally, or from a disease.  Decontamination will be required."  She sighed.

"Understood, sir."

"I can smell that from here, Thompson."  Sampson smiled.  Daria rolled her eyes.

"Then you're going to love the stain I left on this white suit, Sampson."  A few chuckles were spread about on the bridge before Daria spoke again.  "Entering the ship now."

Tara followed carefully, being sure not to jostle the dead aliens when she passed, just in case her movement caused the body to break.  Daria spoke ahead of her.

"There are no lights in the airlock.  Emergency lever....is stuck.  Just a moment."  She pulled hard, and it eventually moved.  "Frozen from lack of use.  The door moves much easier then the lever did.  There is no telltale sign of atmosphere inside though.  Might have been struck by micro-meteors in the time it was inactive though."  She moved through the now open door.  "There are no bodies in the corridor, and no lights."  She focused on a panel.  "There is no power to any panel within range.  The symbols are unfamiliar, as we expected.  The corridor is rather wide, to allow such beings to pass easily by each other without bumping into one another, and quite high.  They must be really tall when they stand up."

They continued to follow the direction of the corridor to the center of the ship, then forward.  It was indeed a ghost ship.  Not one single living thing remained aboard, other then themselves.

"Power is a no go.  We are heading to the forward part of the ship, just to see if that remains the truth."  Tara continued to follow along behind her, remaining quiet, and keeping her thoughts to herself.

"There are other doors along the main, most likely living quarters.  Nearing the front part of the ship.  Its not much larger then our own ship, and doesn't have the signs that they had gravity problems.  Might be artificially generated."  Tara spoke.  Daria nodded.

"Agreed."  She turned towards her.  "This bothering you?"  Tara shook her head.

"Your assessment is spot on, so I didn't feel it necessary to speak.  I don't expect that to last when we get to the bridge. "  She smiled.

"Agreed."





"That was an experience."  Daria said softly, and her eyes looked haunted.

"I need to make a report, Thompson.  I'll forward my thoughts to both you and the captain.  It might give you something to think about."  She nodded woodenly.  "Come to my quarters tonight.  You need me."  Daria nodded, and turned her head slightly towards her.

"You have no idea."  She turned away, which made Tara shake her head.

"I do, love, but your mind can't see it yet."  She went to her computer, and began to record her thoughts.  "The bridge was a real nightmare.  There were bones all over the bridge.  Most likely the strongest of their crew ate the others as they began to starve.  We found no indication of food anywhere on the ship, so they must not have been able to resupply.  That gives us many questions, and not enough answers.  Disease is out or they wouldn't have eaten each other, unless it was a mental disease.  They were outside the portal, so they wanted to pass through.  There is no sign of damage to the ship, so it wasn't an attack, but it might have been an attack on their home world.  There is not enough data to say.  Did the portal go offline for a period of time?  If so, why?  Might it be something they did, just as we did?  Or is there a flaw in the system?  It was quite smooth for us, and that is many centuries after this species' time.  I have no conclusion, other then a recommendation that we study this portal thoroughly before we decide if we need a presence in other star systems.  And the doctor is going to go ape over the information we have on this species.  Absolutely apeshit!"





The captain looked at the report and nodded.

"Her instincts are top notch, and right in line with mine.  We'll put in our recommendations, and let the brass make the decision."  He put his hand over his eyes.  "But I already know what decision they will make.  Humans always jump first then ask for a parachute."

"Will this have the same result for us as it did them? Is it an elaborate trap, or something no one ever anticipated?  Or is it much simpler then that?"  He rubbed his chin.  "Greed is common among humans, so maybe its just simple greed that allowed them to ignore the warning signs."  He thought for a moment, then added his own thoughts.

"Message recorded, and set to transmit once we are through the other side."  He clicked a button on the intercom.

"This is the captain speaking.  First thing in the morning, we are returning to our solar system, and will allow the probes to continue on their journey, to map and record information for us.  Once their journey is complete, they will return to the portal, pass through, and transmit their data.  As for us, I plan that we should either be well on our way home by then, or sitting at our own table back on Earth.  Get a good night sleep.  Captain out."




Daria curled up into Tara's side, and wouldn't let her go.  She hadn't been able to stop her tremors since she got into bed, and now that she could relax where she felt the most comfortable, she couldn't.

"We'll be going home in the morning, love.  No more aliens.  Just us."  Daria gripped her hip harder.

"And when we do, that will be it, won't it?"  Tara smiled softly.

"Still unsure, even after these last six months spent together?"  She kissed the top of her head.  "Where ever we end up, I want us to end up together."  She looked up in surprise.

"Really?  What if....they send me back up?"  Tara smiled.

"They will.  You are the first one to see an alien species and not be mentally ill, or have some sort of hallucination.  You will have to insist that its a package deal."  Daria smiled.

"And if you get sent back up?"  Tara slipped lower in the bed and kissed her softly.

"As if that would happen without you.  You belong to me, and I'm never letting go."  Daria blushed, but smiled.

It felt really nice to be needed like this.  To belong to someone special.  But she couldn't stop the image of those dead aliens, and the piles of bones, from playing through her memories.

The Portal - Chapter 3 - The Other Side

"So, what does happen during the trip through the portal, specialist?" Tara smiled, and didn't give any indication that her lack of a proper title bothered her.  She was the operative whose very existence would preserve theirs.  If she had questions, or doubts, everything would stop until those were cleared away.  She knew her value, even if those with titles didn't like to admit it.

"A couple of possibilities are that we are traversing a bridge.  A short bridge through space that allows us to travel from one point to another without going the astronomically insane speeds we would need to travel to get there.  It could be a catapult, moving us at those speeds, or there is a final option that I don't want it to be."  He frowned.

"And what is that option?"

"A time displacement.  We don't actually go that speed, but are locked on that trajectory, and seem to travel there instantaneously, but in reality we are time frozen for the length of time to get there.  We could be physically active, and even age, but appear to travel from here to there in only a few seconds."  He grunted.

"I don't care for that option."  She nodded.

"Its unlikely, as the probe still has power, and the trip to that other system would take hundreds of years, if not more.  It is a possibility, but a remote one."  She cleared her throat.  "The most likely scenarios are still dangerous on their own.  A bridge.  Or a catapult.  I don't know about you, but the catapult doesn't sound appetizing to me."  He grinned a bit.

"This ship wasn't made for those speeds, and we have no way of testing our materials at those speeds either.  We don't know if it could take the strain."  Tara smiled.

"The probe survived, and the new probe is almost to its target, so we should be able to make a fairly good guess on the stress factors of our materials."  The captain nodded his assent, but wanted to wait for the results from the probe.




"Okay, so we won't do that again."  The captain closed his eyes.  "How long will it take to come back online?"  Tara was already hard at work on the information she had to work with.  Once the probe was on the other side, it was programmed to send a low powered beacon signal through the portal, which would allow them to lock on.  That caused the portal to collapse.

"If I'm reading this correctly, the portal is already reestablishing itself, but is nowhere near as strong as it used to be.  If my calculations are correct, it should be fully operational within ten days."  She pursed her lips.  "The lower powered signal might be similar to the original builders signals that sent it into a shut down mode, or reboot mode.  We can not use that signal in proximity to the portal ever again.  We'll need to come up with different methods of communication.  The higher frequency bands don't seem to effect it, but the AM bands are trouble."  The captain cleared his throat.

"How can we be sure its fully active again before we use it?"

"The probe.  We'll send it a signal to come back through, collect it, check its logs, then send it back through.  It will need to take sensor readings, to verify the size, length of journey, and location its at."  She closed her eyes, and hit the console in frustration.  "Two years!  We nearly fucked up two damned years of effort with a simple choice!"  The captain turned towards the specialist quickly.

"Six years.  Two years to design and build the ship, along with training, two years travel to, and two more travel back.  We invested a lot of our lives in this, right along with you.  The teams assigned to build those probes had no idea what would happen with low powered frequencies, as we use them extensively back on Earth."  He turned back to the screen.  "Don't allow other people's mistakes to overshadow what we have accomplished so far.  We are at Jupiter.  No one else has ever done that before.  We've found proof of intelligent life besides ourselves, and we've found a way into another star system.  Ask yourself how much of this was possible because you made it that way, Specialist." Tara lifted her eyes, and saw the eyes of the entire crew on her.  There was no pity, or disgust in their features.

She was a part of the crew now, and they were proud of that fact.




"You were quite angry today."  Daria said softly, her arm possessively and firmly planted on her hip.  "You surprised us all.  We didn't think you knew how to be angry."  Tara turned towards her.

"I was more angry at myself.  I thought I should have known, or been able to plan for all contingencies."  Daria gripped her tighter.

"And how could you have foreseen that outcome?  This is new to everyone.  Isn't it better to find out now then when we try to cross over?"  Tara thought for a moment, and sighed softly.

"I'm glad you're here."  Daria smiled softly.

"On the trip, or 'here' here?"  Tara rolled towards her, pressed her back against the mattress, and kissed her how she liked to be kissed.  Warm, passionately, and making her the center of her attention.

Daria had her answer.  Both.




"Everything is ready, sir.  Hatches are closed.  Cargo is stored, and locked down.  Everything that can be nailed down, is."  The captain nodded.

"Thank you, Thompson.  Sampson?  Everything clear on your end?"

"Affirmative, sir.  Engineering is as ready as we're going to be."  He looked at Tara.

"Anything unusual to report?  Out of the ordinary readings that weren't there before?"  Tara had poured over the information from the probe for the last ten hours, and the portal was just as strong as it had once been.

"No, sir.  From a theoretical point of view, and from the data analysis, we are ready, sir."  He nodded, and pressed a button.

"Then its time to green light this operation.  Thompson, its a go."  Tara, and the rest of the staff, were in their flight suits, and ready for the worst, but hoped for the best.

It would take five hours to get up to speed, but during this part of the acceleration, they would need to be strapped in.  Even though the crew liked to be in the gravitational part of the ship, it was also locked down for the acceleration, and for the trip through the portal.  A ship with a moving outer hull could create untold problems, so it was designed with that in mind.

Five hours was more then enough time to create an atmosphere of tension that ate at everyone's nerves.  Even the captain's.





"Tell me when we pass the point of no return, Thompson."  She turned towards him and frowned.

"Sir, as soon as we started to accelerate again, that was the point of no return.  This is a gas giant.  This trajectory is impossible to abort.  We are locked in."  He turned towards her with a snap.

"Why didn't you tell me that!"  He snapped out.  She kept her calm, though right now, all Daria wanted to do was to smack that look off his face.  With a lead pipe.

"Captain, you were already aware of this."  Tara spoke up, calmly and precisely.  "When we had to stop short to wait, we were stationed at the zero mark.  Once we passed it, we entered its sphere of influence.  The only way to negate that is to do a one hundred and eighty degree turn, and fire our engines at full."  He lowered his eyes.

"Which this ship is not capable of.  Then why does it feel like we are not being drawn in hard?"

"The portal, sir.  Its warping the surface of that field.  We are in the eye of the storm."  He closed his eyes, took a slow breath, and opened them again.

"Recommendations?"  He asked.  He looked right at Thompson.

"We go full steam ahead, sir.  Specialist?"  She looked at Tara, who nodded her assent.

"We don't want to be stuck in the middle of that thing, sir.  If we do not have enough thrust to exit out the other side, we won't exit.  We could be crushed in the gravity well, or get stuck and pushed out, right into the gas giant."  He grunted.

"Any readings from the probe that tells us what a good speed to attain is?"

"Negative, sir.  The lower mass will throw every reading off.  Lets just go all out, and plan for the same on the other side.  We can adjust the parameters in future trips."  He took a long slow breath, then smiled wide.  That was something they didn't expect.

"A new star system, and without fictional warp engines, or hyperspace!  If this is real, we can roam about in the galaxy, and not have to worry about straining our home world's resources!"  He smiled wide at Daria.  "Thompson, don't spare the pedal!"




"That was unbelievably smooth."  Daria said in a low voice.  The trip to the portal was faster then expected, as the gravity well of Jupiter still drew them in, but as soon as the ship entered the portal, everything was smoothed out.  The ship stopped its vibrations, and all the gravity was in the center of the ship.  They felt drawn down, but not oppressively so.

"Don't let down your guard!"  The captain called out.  "Just like the trip in, the trip out will not be smooth!"

He was correct.  It wasn't a catapult, but a true portal.  It was like a car on a new bridge.  Smooth as glass, but the entrances were the rough transition points.  On the other side, the gravitational forces were extreme, but not unendurable.  It took nearly half an hour for the ship to enter the portal, and half an hour to exit the gravity well of the gas giant on the other side.

"We're out!"  Tara said loudly over the noise the engines transmitted through the ship.  It wasn't the cone, or the burn of thrusters they heard.  It was the force that it exerted on the ship itself they heard.  The creaking of the superstructure, and flex of the deck plates, as the ship pulled itself out of the sphere of gravity of the gas giant.

"Report!  Any damages?"  Thompson and Sampson quickly ran some computer programs, and shook their head.

"Ship's navigational systems are responding as normal, sir."  Daria called out.

"Affirmative, sir.  All ship's systems are responding as designed.  We've safely traversed the portal!"  The captain allowed himself another uncharacteristic smile before he set about to the business at hand.

"Alright, take us to a safe distance away from the gas giant, then lets identify the monster in the rear view mirror, and if there are any other portals in this system.  Also, start to identify the planets that are visible, and send out probes to these planets.  We need information, and a lot of it!"  Tara smiled.

"Sir, we should send a probe back through the portal, and send a data package back to earth.  It will get there before us, and we'll be able to send a few more packages as soon as we go back, but a preliminary report could make them start to salivate, and plan."  He smiled.

"Good idea.  We need to grease the wheels of this runaway train, and that information is going to be more then they need to keep moving forward."  He thought for a moment.  "Any further information on what makes that portal work?"  Tara smiled.

"No, sir, but that ship dead ahead might have some clues."

The Portal - Chapter 2 - Complications

"How did you know?"  She asked languidly as she held Tara to her side.  Tara smiled, and trailed her fingers up and down her arm.

"I didn't, not until you came into my room, and looked like you wanted to ask me something.  I saw something in the meeting, but you gave it context when you were unsure.  Thompson isn't unsure, and without words to speak.  But Daria is someone completely different.  That hidden woman, correct?"  She nodded and kissed Tara's chest softly.

"Its what people expect from me.  Strength."  Tara smiled.

"And its why you've excelled at your chosen field."  She smiled and kissed the top of her head.  "I like this side of you too.  Soft, and feminine, with needs and desires.  Two sides of the same woman.  Complex, and someone I'd like to explore in more detail."  Daria frowned.

"You make it sound like an experiment."  She said flatly.

"I didn't mean to make it sound like that.  Its not.  I didn't say investigate, or experiment on.  Although..."  She tweaked a nipple.  "There are certain things I could test for.  Such as a fondness for certain things."  Daria lifted herself up on a elbow.

"Are you teasing me?"  She was pushed down to the mattress and kissed harder this time.  It was almost a punishing kiss, and it rekindled her desire.

"No, but only actions speak to you.  So now I will act."  Daria was not able to question her further for several hours.  Tara had many things she wanted to know about this lovely woman, and how she would respond to specific stimulation.

They had a long time ahead to explore each other.  If Tara had anything to say about it, much longer then the mission allowed.





"Sir, the course correction has been plotted, and will take several days to complete."  The captain nodded.

"Well done.  Any unexpected variances?"  Thompson checked her readings.

"Negative, sir.  I would suggest we check the telemetry of the probe that was sent ahead of us, just in case there is something about the portal we don't yet understand, like speed, or gravitational pull."  He thought for a brief minute.

"Send a note to our resident expert, and have her reevaluate the information.  Make sure she checks the speed at which the probe went through the portal.  That may have been something they didn't look at, as the probe went through without problems.  A full sized vessel is quite different from a probe.  And check the velocity from the other side out and back in again.  I want no surprises."  She nodded.

"I'll send the request through now, sir.  She'll have plenty of time to study the information, and help us not to fail."  The captain smiled a slightly off kilter smile.  He knew Thompson was sweet on the scientist, and that she slipped quietly into her room every night, but she was always professional when it was time to work.

He liked that in his subordinates.





"Good call, captain."  She said quietly as she read the message.  Going right to work, Tara lost herself to the information, and analysis.  She was so lost in the work, she heard her stomach grumble only a few seconds before the door opened.

"He was right, I see.  You would work long into the night before you came up for air, wouldn't you?"  She looked up and smiled slightly.

"What time is it?"

"Eleven."  Tara's eyes popped wide open.

"What!  Oh damn!  I missed lunch, supper, and....I'm so sorry, Dar....."  She held up her hand to halt her apology.

"Not outside your room, remember? I brought you some supper, with the captain's permission to interrupt you, that way you could work as long as you wished."  She put the plate in front of her.  She looked up into her eyes.  "Will I see you tonight?"  Tara blushed slightly.

"Can you stay here with me?  I'm onto something, and I need to see it finished before I shut down for the night."  Daria sat down in a chair in front of Tara's desk, and stretched.

"Eat then.  Between mouthfuls, can you enlighten me as to what you've found?"  Tara gratefully swallowed the cooked rice with soya sauce, and cleared her mouth before she spoke.

"There is a definite speed increase before entry, with massive speeds at exit, but deceleration  as well.  I think that the portal uses the gravity of the gas giant to create the portal, but once it reaches the other side, the gravity well of the other one either isn't as strong, or it acts slower then this one.  It might be that Jupiter is larger, or they have more then one portal in operation, and that its taking some power from the gravity well."  Daria frowned.

"Taking power?  You mean it reduced the gravity well of a gas giant?  Just how powerful is that technology?"  Tara smiled.

"Very powerful.  Not only is it able to stay in orbit deep within the atmosphere, and well within range of its gravity well, but its able to withstand the pull, and use it to its advantage.  If we go through, we have to be sure we do not slack off on the speed, or try to reverse while in the portal.  We may not have enough momentum to get to the other side, then slingshot back through, and still not have enough to get out on our side."  Daria closed her eyes.

"I see.  We would be a cork in the middle of two opposing forces.  Stuck in the middle.  What would happen if we get stuck?"

"Crushed?  Pushed out of the stream and into the atmosphere of Jupiter?  I don't know, but we should never want to find out.  We may want to investigate that possibility with a probe, but not with a ship."  Daria grinned.

"Agreed.  That would mean the end of my stellar record.  My entry procedures are top notch."  She licked her lips on the inside, with just the tip of her tongue, and very discreetly.  Tara colored lightly, and pushed another spoonful of rice in her mouth.

She was correct.  Daria was really good at it.




"All preparations have been made.  We've studied it for the last two months with greater and greater magnification, and we're ready to go through."  Tara took a deep breath.  "I think we should send out a probe, just to be sure, and to wait for us on the other side.  When it gets through, it can send us a signal back, and we can use it as a beacon to follow."  The captain thought for a moment.

"Is it necessary though?  We may need that probe to explore that system in one direction, while we explore and do all the necessary tests before heading back through.  I'm loathe to part with a probe we might need."  Tara took a steadying breath.

"I wouldn't suggest it unless it could prove beneficial.  The trip itself could be all we accomplish, but as long as we get through the portal, and back safely, this mission will be a success.  No if's, or what if's.  Just in one side, and back through, and we have successfully completed the mission.  All the data we've collected up to now is really important, but the data from one side to the other is the most important.  It will help us with new trips, new technology, and improvements to existing ones."  The captain nodded.

"Correct.  Exploration is a bonus, but not the mission."  He looked over at his chief engineer.  "Sampson.  Prepare a probe for launch."  He turned to Daria.  "Thompson, slow us down a bit, and give the probe the time it needs for launch, and to traverse the portal."

"Aye, Captain."  She smiled and fired the retro rockets.  "Feels like we're getting set to open a treasure chest buried thousands of years ago!  This is so exciting!"  Tara smiled slightly.

"Lets just hope its not a bucket of bad rum, or poison."  The captain took in her more somber mood.

"Is there something bothering you?"  She shook her head.

"This is the greatest discovery of all time for humankind.  It can do what our collective will cannot.  I am trying to keep my excitement in check, just in case."  He frowned.

"In case of what?"

"Were you ever given a prank gift?  Its exciting, until you open the box.  I just can't help but be a bit pessimistic about this, even though I know its potential."  He nodded, and kept quiet for a few minutes.  His response echoed inside the ship, and their hearts.

"If its such a great thing, then where are the builders?"

The Wolf Queen - Chapter 5 - Village Raid

"They seem to stay away from our area unless they are hunting for runaways."  Eerika said in a low voice.  "I wonder why."  Calla jogged beside her on the path.   The snow had not yet started to fall, but the chill of the season had already entered the air.

"It might be that they are afraid of the Blind Queen's forces."  Eerika grunted.  She didn't have such strong distaste for the Blind Queen as she did for the Blind King, but it was still there.  "She closed her borders to this country years ago, which irritated my owner a lot."

"She should have invaded and removed the king here."  Eerika said with a low growl in her throat.  "If she had, the misery would have ended before it started to get really bad for us."  Calla couldn't dispute her logic, so she didn't try.  Life was miserable for them in this country, and if they were refused entry to the other country that was close, what were the women here supposed to do?  Just lay down at die like their mothers before them?

As they got closer to the village, the air grew heavy, and smelled like an old manure pile.  It was faint, but the scent of shit still lingered.

"I hate this place!"  Calla growled angrily.  She gripped her spear until her knuckles were white.

"What's our plan, Calla?"  Eerika asked, unsure of what they should do first.  Calla turned towards her, not used to the sight of such indecision in her lover.

"The gate guards should be killed, and the tower guards.  They could raise the alarm quickly if we are spotted."  Eerika nodded, and took a deep breath.

"Then we need to get up over that palisade, kill the tower guards, then drop down on the gate guards."  She smiled as the excitement pumped her blood faster through her veins.  Her muscled arm bulged as she gripped her sword.  "Do you want the left, or the right?"  Calla grinned.

"We'll have to be quick, love.  Kill them, drop over when they look up, and make sure we hit them with either the shield on the way down, or the spear."  Eerika nodded.

"Gut the tower guard with the sword, drop down and use the shield to halt your fall, and use him as a cushion.  Then spear him to the ground.  Got it."  Calla disappeared to the right, which made Eerika swing to the left.

Though it was unpracticed, they visualized every step before it happened.  But reality was quite a bit different then a hastily drawn up battle plan.




Calla used a close tree to climb up over the palisade, and was thankful for how truly lazy the men of the village were.  She watched the man in the tower for a few seconds, and realized that he didn't care which direction he looked in.  All he cared about was the next mug he would lift to his lips, and his pathetic excuse for a manhood.

Calla climbed the ladder, and quickly realized her mistake.  As she poked her head up, the man there had aimed his gaze down.

"Who are you?"  He asked gruffly.  She thought quickly, and since her head was still attached to her shoulders, she knew he didn't expect an attack from a woman.  She smiled saucily.

"I'm your entertainment sent by the mayor.  If you're quiet, no one will ever know I was here."  He smiled an evil smile.

"Can you keep quiet?"  She nearly gagged.

"If you put something in my mouth, then you know I'll be quiet."  He chuckled and dropped his leggings.

"Oh, I've got something for ya to stuff there alright."  Calla nearly gagged again.  The smell was horrid.  She took one more step up, grabbed hold of his crotch, and smiled her own evil smile.

When he fell to his knees, she drove the bloodied blade up through his jaw and into his brain.  She climbed into the tower and looked over at Eerika.  She looked concerned, but Calla held up her prize.  She covered her mouth to smother her laughter, then pulled her spear and pointed to the gate guards.

Calla smiled, lifted her spear, and took her shield off her back.

One.  Two.   "Three!"





Calla's fingers trembled as she wrenched her spear out of the gate guard's chest.  It wasn't flawless, but it did work.

"We have to practice those kinds of maneuvers, love.  I can't stop shaking!"  Eerika nodded.

"My knees went weak when I leaped out of the tower.  The shield did the trick, but I nearly soiled my leggings!"  She looked up, then down at the bodies.  "Lets drag them to the side of the gate, and pin them up with their own swords.  If anyone sees them, they will be standing, and appear to be on duty."  Calla nodded, and with some difficulty, she dragged her victim to the side of the gate.

"I think I need your help here, love.  I can't carry him and pin him through as well."  Eerika nodded, then frowned.  She didn't want Calla to believe she was too weak, so she made a quick decision.

"I need yours as well.  I can lift him, but holding him in place with only one hand makes it difficult.  Grab his sword, and ram it through his chest.  I'll wedge it into the wood."  Calla nodded, picked up the fallen guard's sword, and smacked Eerika's bottom with the flat of the blade.

"I know you need me, love, so don't patronize me."  Eerika smiled.

"I'm sorry.  I forgot how proud you are."  Calla smiled.

"I'm proud of you, and your strength.  I may need help from time to time, but don't downplay your strength for me.  I have my own kind of strength that you need from me."  She drove the sword through his ribs and into the wood.  Eerika changed the angle and drove it deeper into the log.  "That should do it.  Shall we go rescue a fair damsel, my lady?"  Eerika chuckled, and drew her close.

"You scared me when you didn't appear right away."  Calla smiled.

"We're women.  They don't respect us, or expect us to try to kill them.  I used his own weakness against him.  We need to remember that.  As long as they don't see us use our swords or skills, they will just believe we are slaves who might have escaped, or are on the way to our master's place."  Eerika pursed her lips.

"Never thought of that.  Don't rely on it too much though.  Distractions are fine, but it may come back and bite you."  She pulled her close.  "If it ever does, just know that I will come for you.  Every time.  I'll kill any man who tries to hurt you, and who has hurt you."

"I know.  Now lets go!  We have some stocks to destroy!"




"Ginnie, be quiet!  We have to save your sister!"  A young girl was trailing behind her father, tears running down her cheeks, and her sobs easy to hear.  "I said be quiet!  Do you want them to hurt your sister?"  Ginnie sniffled.

"No, father, but what are we gonna do?"  He turned and growled at her.

"I should have left you back at the house!  If you get us caught, I'll never be able to rescue her!"

"Father?"  He heard a pitifully weak voice and felt a sadness shoot through him.

"Aura, I'm here.  I'm going to take you away from here, that way your mother can rest easy."  He turned.  "Dammit, Ginnie!  Shut up!  You'll alert them to our presence!"  He took the heavy pry bar and was about to use it on the lock when the door to the slaver's auction house opened.

"George, you fool.  I told you before, she doesn't belong to you anymore."  George lifted the bar defiantly, and gave an angry look to his youngest daughter.  If she had stopped her bawling, he might have been able to sneak Aura away from this village.  Now, he would have to fight.

"She doesn't belong to you either!  I never agreed to sell her, and she is my daughter!"  He shook his head.

"Fool.  That bar won't save you, and I paid for that girl.  You can have her back at the end of the month, just like the rest of the slaves.  Broken in too."  George lifted his bar in an overhand strike.

"You can't have her!  Her mother already laid down because of the likes of you, and I won't let you have her!"  George frowned as two heavily armed women appeared behind the two slavers.

"That girl doesn't belong to anyone!"  Eerika ground out through gritted teeth.  The slaver turned towards her, then back to George.

"Sorry, George, you leave me no choice, and now you'll never have her back."  He stabbed forward, and ran the blade into George's stomach, but saw him smile.  The slaver looked down.  A spear now poked out through the center of his chest.

"Neither will you."  He willed himself to speak with the last of his strength, and looked the two women in the eyes.  "Save my girls.  Please."  Eerika nodded, and watched the second slaver draw his sword and turn towards them.  He didn't have any respect for women, or how dangerous they might be.  Until now.

"You shouldn't have done that!"  He said as he tried to make himself appear larger.  The problem was that Eerika towered over him, and was much more muscular.  He shouldn't have taken his eyes off of Calla though.  She may be smaller, but her rage for the slavers was just as great as Eerika's.

"Don't even look at her, you filthy pig!"  Calla rushed forward, her shield taking him out of his defensive stance, then drove her spear up through his middle and out through his collar bone.  She then drew her sword quickly and ran it across his throat.  The gurgle made her smile as he fell away from her.

The smile dropped from her lips as she heard a whimper to their side.  The slavers now forgotten, Eerika picked up the pry bar, knocked off the lock, and helped the young woman to straighten up.

"Can you walk?"  Aura tried, but fell quickly.

"I'm so cold!"  Eerika swept her up into her arms.

"Love, grab their things.  I'll have to carry her home."  She looked at the girl who had finally stopped her tears, but was obviously in shock.  "What's your name?"

"Ginnie."  She said softly.

"Ginnie, I need your help.  Your sister needs your help.  Pick up whatever Calla strips off those two, and help her to carry it.  We need to get home, to our home, before the others come to look on these two animals."  Ginnie nodded slowly, and did as she was told.  Calla smiled softly.

"I hope Fae can help her, and herself."  She smiled at the young woman, then blinked.  "Oh, before I forget, there is something Fae needed done!"  Eerika nodded, put Aura down near her sister, then took her ax and smiled.

"Time to make some firewood!"




"You're back?  I didn't think....who's this?"  Fae stood near the door, her features full of worry, but calmed and became full of concern as she saw the young woman in Eerika's arms.

"Its Aura, and her sister, Ginnie.  We found her in the stocks."  She didn't shrink back in fear, but instead went to the fireplace.

"I'll get her some stew.  That will warm her up."  Calla smiled.  Sometimes, if you had a spot to focus on, and not your own trauma, that one spot could end up being a place she propped herself up on until she was able to stand on her own.

"I didn't know you could cook, Fae.  Um, when were you able to make bowls?"  Fae smiled.

"I didn't look for swords in that cellar of yours.  I wanted to find dishes, spoons, forks, and pots.  I used a bit of sand and water to scrub the tarnish off, rinsed them, and made a nice stew from some of the root veggies, and meat.  I also used a bit of the salt to add flavor.  Was that alright?"  Calla smiled.

"Its a big help, Fae.  Thank you.  Just watch the salt levels.  Its all we have until we find a source.  It must be close though.  Salt is expensive, and heavy.  It would be easier to cart it from here, rather then transport it and store it here, then cart it elsewhere for buyers."  She turned and frowned slightly at the actions of her lover.

"Why are you undressing her?"  Fae asked in alarm, and watched Eerika strip off too.

"She's too cold to get heat from inside herself.  She'll need to absorb my heat for a bit until she warms up."  She put a fur about her shoulders, and shrouded Aura with it.  "When she saps my heat, you girls will have to take my place.  When she starts to shiver, she should be warmed up enough to eat that stew."  Aura looked around.

"Stew?  I haven't eaten in almost a day!  Father kept us fed, but once they took me from him...."  Fae closed her eyes.

"I see.  I'll feed her while she stays under the furs."  She pinned Eerika with a hard stare.  "Are they dead?"

"Both her slavers are.  And the stocks have been turned into just another pile of splintered firewood."  Fae felt a warmth go through her as she fed Aura a spoonful of stew at a time.  Her skin was pale white, lightly freckled, with such light blonde hair, she wasn't sure if Aura was one of those sky spirits the old women used to talk about.  When the fur accidentally slipped, she felt something she's never felt before.

Desire.

The Portal - Chapter 1 - The Giant's Eye

"Sir, I think you should see this!"  The scientist looked up from his laptop, a deep frown on his face.

"Didn't I say not to bother me?"  His assistant smiled.

"If you don't want to see an artificial structure in the atmosphere of Jupiter, that isn't man made, then I'll go talk to Watkins.  I'm sure she would love this."  As she was about to step away, her boss got to his feet.

"Wait a fucking minute!  Did you say 'artificial'?"  The smile grew wider.  Tara turned away only to hear footsteps that quickened to a jog.

"Al, put it up on the big screen."  Tara said as she reentered the room.

"You got it!  I can't believe it!  We were only scanning the red spot...."

"Al, screen.  Now."  Her boss entered the room.  "Enlarge."  The red spot appeared, then was focused on a certain area.  "We almost missed it in the vastness of the storm.  If it wasn't for that black spot in the center, we would have."  Dave looked at the screen, and even with the new telescope's enhancements, they could barely make it out.  A black disc, surrounded by dark metallic material, with something even more odd then an artificial structure.

"Tara, is that what I think it is?"  She smiled.

"We're not sure, sir.  We can't get a good enough angle on the telescope to see right into the center.  It might be the glint from the sun, or a reflection."  Tara smiled.  "Or that center might just be empty space, and that pinpoint of light might be a star."  Dave looked dumbfounded.

"But that would mean....."  His mind refused to comprehend what her own did almost instantaneously.

"Yes, sir.  It might not be a ship, or a station.  It might be a portal, or a bridge to another star system."  He leaned back against the door frame.

"So....what do we do now?  We don't have the resources to explore this further!"  Tara rolled her eyes.

"We have SOP's, sir.  I've already informed our liaison within the government of our discovery.  We should be hearing from their offices within twenty four hours."  She looked up as someone knocked on the door.  "Or sooner."





"Who built it?"  She was asked in the very first question.  The astronaut was serious, so she didn't take offence.  This was a common question she answered in every single press conference, and meeting with government officials since she discovered the portal.  Her former boss was unable to adapt to the situation, but since she was, she was appointed by the government as the head of all further studies, and investigations of the portal.

This meeting with the team of astronauts who would be in the first manned mission to the portal was the next logical step.

"No one knows.  Is it the beginning of a network, or are the two we found the only ones in existence?  We know, from the probe we sent through, that there is one other portal.  Its the way back.  But we don't know if our portal is the end of a network, the beginning of it, or a branch.  We don't know if this was a unique setup, if its a commercial gateway, or a military one.  We only know two things.  They exist, and they work.  We don't know how."  The astronauts didn't look impressed.

"So, if we get to the other side, and we can't find any other portals, and that one malfunctions, we are stuck there."  She nodded.

"Correct.  Our technology level only allows us to go there.  We can't send through rescue operations, repair the portal, or even power it.  If it wasn't in operation, we wouldn't even be able to see it.  The portal somehow either negates the atmospheric disturbances, or is powered by them."  Another astronaut put up his hand.  Tara didn't know their names, but she should try to memorize them.  She would be spending the next two years traveling to Jupiter with them, so the least she could do is try to be friendly.

"Is it causing the red spot storm?"  Tara smiled.  A good question.

"It might be, or maybe the red spot storm is the sign that this gas giant is the right place to put a portal.  Our scientists have theories on the storm, how long its been spinning, and how long it will last.  They've been wrong on the last part several times already.  Maybe the portal is the reason why."  She took a deep breath.  "As we approach Jupiter, and the portal, we'll be able to observe, and check our readings to figure out what really is going on at the portal.  At the time of entry, and exit."  She smiled a wide excited smile.  Her lips refused to stop trembling.

"This is the greatest discovery of mankind ever!  Proof of intelligent life that isn't human!"  Another hand shot up.

"So where did the creators of this portal go?  Why haven't they been around to introduce themselves?"  She shook her head.

"Another great question, but I have no answers for you.  Some disaster, war, or genetic condition that removed them from our system, and maybe all systems.  We just don't know.  There are many theories, and no real answers.  That is where we come in.  We are the tip of the tip of the spear."  A quiet voice spoke, but all heard her low ominous words.

"Or the sacrificial goats."





"So, what is the potential here?"  The NASA director asked her point blank.  It was the day before the ship was to leave Earth's orbit and head for the largest and most dangerous part of their space.  The gas giant known as Jupiter.

"If I were to make a guess, sir, endless possibilities.  Derelict vessels or stations.  Unlimited resources.  New technology.  Industry off planet even!  If our society were to become a space faring race, most industry would be groomed to support that, which would mean rapid economic growth, wealth, and the removal of pollution from off our planet."  The director frowned.

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Think about it!  Resources out there would need to be acquired.  If its already out there, there is no reason to bring it back here.  Just refine there.  Industry would adapt, and change to follow where the resources were being mined.  Its a simple approach, but our planet could recover if we halted our industrially driven economy.  The only way to do that now and not harm our economy would be to do it elsewhere.  The planet could be completely agrarian based!  It would supply the agriculture needs, while space provides the industrial needs."  The director nodded.

"Alright.  I'll send a report to Washington.  The environmentalists will love it, and so will the industrialists."  After Tara left the room, a wide smile broke out on the director's face.  "And NASA will be poised to be at the head of the line in all things.  Heavy funding, ship design and manufacture, colonization, scientific exploration, and even military dominance.  The funding diet is over!"





"How much do you think they invested in this?"  Lieutenant Thompson asked over the mics.  This was setup for internal communications only.

"The whole wad, Thompson.  Every dime they could scrounge went into the design and manufacture of this ship, and its up to us to make sure its not wasted."  She rolled her eyes.

"Captain, could you loosen up a bit?  We have this in the bag!"

"Keep it in the bag, Thompson!  I had direct orders that this has to succeed.  That portal is the key to the future."  She frowned.

"Which future, sir?  NASA's?"  He shook his head.

"No.  Everyone's future."  She turned her head, but could barely see the edge of his uniform.  This was launch day, and they were strapped in for the ride into orbit.

"Did that come straight from the director?"

"No.  The only voice who really matters.  The big desk."  Thompson straightened up in her seat.

"Understood, sir.  If you heard it from him, then there is more at stake then I know."

"Correct, Thompson.  A lot more.  A real briefing will occur once we are underway.  The scientist, Tara, will show you what that briefing means the closer we get."  The lieutenant shivered in her seat.

The President.  That means a series of possibilities.  We are alone.  We are not alone, and things will get a bit friendly, or things will be very unfriendly.

"Geri was right.  We are the sacrificial goats."




"We've just been watching, and doing course corrections until now."  Tara said to the assembled astronauts.  The first ones to ever come out this far.  "However, over the next six months, the ship will head to an alternate heading, then swing back towards the planet.  Its to adjust our trajectory, and make sure we are heading right towards the disc in the super storm on Jupiter.  That will also allow us to either verify the center, or at least get more clear imagery of the object."  She looked over at Thompson.  The lieutenant was professionally cold, but she had reasonable questions.

"So we still don't know if this is real or not?"

"No, its real.  We could tell it was built, and not a natural phenomenon before we left.  They wouldn't have invested so much capital if it was just a flight of fantasy.  We can also see individual panels on the structure and some depth.  However, we have no idea how it works, what its fueled by, or what it actually does."  Sampson, one of the engineers, raised his hand.

"So what does the brass expect of us?"  She smiled.

"At the very least, we need to verify its existence, how its built, and if we can get any useful technology from it.  Its surviving deep within the atmosphere, shearing away the layers of atmosphere above it, and not being crushed by the gravity.  That is powerful technology that we could use."  Thompson's eyes lit up for only a brief second, which drew her attention slightly.  She tried not to make it obvious as she wasn't sure what it meant.

"Any other questions?"  The captain stood up.  "Alright, get ready to go to our next stage, then we can relax like we have been for the last year.  Keep it easy though, people.  These are close quarters for a long period of time.  If you need assistance, remember to talk to your superior officer for help.  Dismissed."





"Do you have a minute?"  Tara lifted her eyes from the book she had in her hands.  Thompson had just stepped into her room, and closed the door.  Unlike the movies, or missions to the red planet, Mars, this ship had a few separate crew cabins, cramped as they were, but there were still some privacy when needed.

"Of course, Thompson."  She tilted her head.

"My name is Daria."  Tara smiled slightly.

"I know, Thompson, but I wasn't aware you wanted me to use your first name."  Daria blushed a bit.

"Well, I wanted you to know that I'm impressed at how you handle yourself."  Tara frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"  Tara slid to the edge of her bed.  The air felt heavy, and slightly awkward.  There was also something there she didn't expect.

"You...well, you can talk to the men and the women equally well, and not try to dominate, or submit to them."  Tara smiled slightly.

"I see."  Daria blushed a bit brighter.

"What I mean is....oh boy, this is difficult.  I mean, you treat everyone equally."  Tara smiled softly.

"Of course I do.  They are people, not men or women.  Just like I treat you with respect, and do not push you around when you ask me questions, or treat you like you're stupid.  You're a person to me."  Daria frowned slightly.

"A person?  Just a person?"  Tara stood up, walked right up to her, and pushed her against the door frame.  She laid her lips right on Daria's, and kissed her softly, then pushed it to a much firmer kiss.  By the end of it, Daria murmured at the way she was dominated, and the attention she was given.

"No, but you've never made it this obvious before."  Daria blushed.

"I never...I mean..."  Tara kissed her again, pulled her away from the door, and guided her to the bed.  She pushed her down on it, and turned up the heat.

"I hope you understand, Daria, out there, you are Thompson.  In here, you are mine."  Daria moaned as she was dominated, and kissed like she had never been kissed before.  Daria liked to be dominated like this for only one reason.  Her strength of character and refusal to bow down in her work life took its toll on her personal life.  All of her previous lovers preferred her to be dominant, but she wanted to be treated and loved like she was a woman.  Only Tara had seen that about her, and right now, alone with her in her room, she felt like a woman.

All Daria could think of now what how pleasant the next year was going to be, and the following two years on the return trip.  If this first night was any indication, it would be an incredible trip.

The Wolf Queen - Chapter 4 - Fae

"Why are all these things in good shape?  I've heard that underground is damp, but that place is as dry as an old bone!"  Calla said in wonder as they carried several furs up into the cottage.  Tonight would be one of the most comfortable nights for sleeping they had ever experienced.

"I'm not sure, love.  I did scrape a bit of the dirt away from one of the walls, and it looks like it was sealed with tar."  She sighed softly, and put her armload of goods on the floor near the fireplace.  It was a copper pot, a copper tea kettle, a skinning knife, a saw, a two handed draw knife to peel logs and do finer woodworking, and a bobbin for making rope.  "When I first got here, this place felt like it held its breath.  That's when the wolves started to come around.  Not before.  There were bird droppings, but no deer came to eat the root veggies, or the fallen apples."  Calla thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I can't understand it, but that doesn't mean it isn't true."  Calla had brought up an armload of rolled furs on the first trip, and went back down for two spears, two swords, and two wooden shields.  She sighed as she sank down onto the fur pile, and smiled.  "We have to start to train tomorrow.  Neither of us can hit an ancient oak tree, let alone take out a deer or wolf with a bow.  And bows are ideal when trying to kill from the shadows."  Eerika smiled softly.

"Do we have to talk about killing tonight?  Its just us right now, and it may not be that way for long.  If we go hunting and raiding, we'll steal away some of their slaves, and that means no alone time anymore."  Calla grinned.

"Then what are you doing standing up there then?"  She crawled up onto her knees, grabbed Eerika about her muscular thighs, and pulled away her new fur leggings.  Eerika's eyes narrowed and her breath caught in her throat.

"Where did you learn to do that?"  She said softly before her knees weakened and Calla was able to pull her down to the pile.

Both ladies learned two things that night.  Neither of them knew what real sex was until that night.  And that it could also be good for both of them.




"How did you do that?"  Eerika asked in amazement.  On her third shot, her arrow sank deep into the tree she aimed at.

"I....don't really know.  I saw how it went wide, looked at my hands on the second shot and realized that I was moving my hands while I released the bowstring, like I wanted to throw the arrow instead of letting the bow do it.  I directed it wide."  She looked at her shot, then frowned.  "It still went quite low though.  I think the arrow falls as it is flung by the bow.  I have to aim higher."  Eerika watched as she drew the bowstring back, then aimed a bit higher.  Her hands stayed still after she released the string, and the arrow flew to the tree.  It hit a little bit to one edge, but was nearly at shoulder height for a wolf.  Then she shook her hand.

"I think we need to wear some sort of glove.  I wonder if those two fingered gloves were meant for archers."  Eerika nodded.

"Maybe.  But we should look for something to protect your arm too.  Look.  The string has already scratched the inside of your wrist."  Calla felt her arm.

"It hurts too.  So we keep practicing, and we need to use those spears!  If we can figure out how to fight with spears, that will keep those swordsmen off balance!"  Eerika smiled.

"Just like your...."  Calla shook her head.

"He was never my father, just my owner!  A real parent doesn't do that to their children!  Mom didn't, and she hated him!"  She growled.  Eerika put her hand on Calla's shoulder.

"We'll fix it, love.  We'll kill as many slavers as we need to, and that is in order to rescue as many slaves as we can.  We can't get them out quietly, or their owner will look for them.  We'll have to kill them."  Calla nodded.

"And we'll have to kill all of them in that village.  Or that mayor will call for the Blind King's aid."  Eerika growled.  For some reason, just the mention of him made her livid.

The Blind King.  The one who made a law that said women were not people, but property.  Property can be sold, bought, or stolen.  That is what that law did.  It enslaved all women of his realm, and made them hate to be alive.




"When do you think we should go out?"  Eerika bit her lip.  It was nearing on the winter months, and they still had a bit of preparation to do.  The roof was finally fixed so it didn't leak anymore, but they needed some more firewood.  She looked around the cottage.

"Its finally home, Calla.  A bed, a table and chairs, cooking pots, and a supply of meat and veggies down in that cellar.  We finally have a home."  She closed her eyes.  "I'm not sure we're ready to defend it, let alone defend ourselves if we go out against them."  Calla got up and put her hand on her shoulder.

"If we don't go after them, they will come for us.  Not today, or maybe not even this year.  Some day, they will stumble upon us, and either enslave us once again, or kill us when we aren't ready for them."  She looked at their bed, and sighed sadly.  "How many of them don't have a safe bed to sleep on?  How many of them go to sleep with the whip putting them there?  And the girls not yet a woman?"  Eerika nodded.

"I know, Calla.  I can still feel that place.  A sore on the land.  It smells like they do.  Sour, and reeks of body odor that they don't even care to clean away."  She sighed sadly.  "We'll go out and search the woods tomorrow.  Its half way through the harvest months, and only two more before the snows hit.  We could use the extra help to dig up the root veggies we might have missed, and pick some of those apples to preserve in honey."  Calla smiled at how she made it seem practical to start saving a few of the captives in that evil place.

It wasn't heroic in Eerika's eyes to save those women.  It was practical.  They had to do it, so it should be practical.

"Come on.  Supper is finished.  We'll have something to eat, then snuggle under the fur."  Eerika's cheeks flushed red.  Every time Calla suggested that they snuggle, things became heated and passionate between them.

Calla didn't have hero worship in her eyes anymore, but she did see Eerika as a heroic figure.  The woman she loved so very much was a powerful and amazing woman.  Almost mythological.





"Run yourself out finally?"  The girl looked up, and pushed herself away from the tree.  The chill in the air has sapped a lot of her strength, and the lack of real clothes just helped to drain more of her body heat.

She even slipped a couple of times, forced herself to her feet, only to run deeper into the woods, and further away from the village.  The slavers and their laughter followed her, striking her just as surely as the whip they carried.

"Why did I run?"  She said to herself.  "There's no way they are still alive, and now I'm going to pay for this feeling of hope!"  She fell against another tree, and smiled.  "But it felt really good for a while."  She started to giggle as they approached her.

"Get the rope.  I think she's lost it, and I want to be back in the village before they try to sell our other girls."  He laughed, but frowned and looked down.  "Don?  What's going.....holy...."  He saw a spear sticking out through the chest of his comrade.  A face appeared behind Don.

"He can't answer you now.  He's busy being judged for his evil deeds!"  She said, anger etched in her features, as well as glee at the man's death.  The glint of metal flashed overhead.

"Well said, love.  But he's not the only one."  An extremely tall and powerfully built woman stepped out of the shadows, her ax raised overhead.  The force of the impact drove him to the carpet of leaves, and the slightly manic eyes of their slave glared down at him in immense satisfaction.

"Ugh, these things just don't bathe, do they, love?"  Calla pulled her spear out of the slaver's back, and smiled.

"Calla?  Is it really you?"  Calla came closer.

"Hi, Fae.  I'm glad we came this way and found you.  Although it wasn't difficult considering they didn't try to cover their laughter, or tracks.  We could have slipped in front of them before they noticed us."  Eerika nodded, and gently scooped for cold woman up in her arms.

"Grab their stuff, love.  Let the wolves choke on their stench."




"Eerika?  Can you get her some food while I sort through her belongings?"  She smiled and nodded.  She turned her head slightly so she could hear the conversation.

"My belongings?  I only have the clothes on my body, and these aren't very good anymore."  Fae shook her head sadly.  "I wish I had grabbed something!  Anything!"  Calla chuckled.  "What's so funny?"

"These are your belongings.  You have one bow, one boot knife, a dagger, a short sword, two pairs of boots, two shirts, but the blood stains will have to be cut away and mended.  And washed.  Ugh, men never bathe, do they?  Bloody pigs.  And two pairs of pants, two belts, two belt pouches, and....yes, a few coins.  Not a bad start, Fae."  She frowned.

"I don't understand."

"Its something we discussed before we found you.  Whenever we find a slave that wants to be free, and we kill their slavers, all the property on their bodies now belong to them.  Its a simple way to give you something to start out with."  Fae bit her bottom lip.

"Start out where?  I have no home, and that little bit of coin won't buy my freedom.  They would only sell me again if they found me."  Calla sighed softly.

"Do you think we went to the trouble of saving you only to turn you over to them again?  You'll stay here, with us.  You're not a slave any longer, so if you don't want to stay, you don't have to.  We would like you to stay though.  Right, Eerika?"  She came back with a slab of wood that had several pieces of roasted meat on it.

"She's right, Fae.  You're safe here, with us.  You're home."  Calla sighed.  She knew what those words would do, and she was right.  Fae started to cry, and found powerful arms lift her up, put her on the log framed bed, and two warm bodies melded to her, for comfort, and strength.




"So...what happens now?  Do I pay....what did I say?"  Fae said in surprise, and fear.  Calla had become angry at her words.

"You're free, Fae.  You don't pay us for that freedom, either with your body, or your coin."  She said coldly, and sat up.  "Me and Eerika have had sex together, but that doesn't mean we're going to press you for sex."  She shivered, then felt Eerika's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be angry, love.  She doesn't understand yet.  Just let her experience what being free is like before you get angry at her for not understanding."  Calla lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Fae.  She's right.  It will take some time, and you'll make mistakes, but the wonderful thing about mistakes is that you can learn from them.  And not get whipped for it either."  Fae's eyes opened wide.

"Really?  No pain?"  Calla turned towards her, and smiled.

"No pain.  Eerika's been here nearly a month, and I came here four days after that.  We haven't slept so well in our lives!  But...."  Calla's eyes turned sad.

"What?  What's wrong?"  Eerika felt that sadness, and knew what she was about to explain.

"Now that the pressure is off, all that evil is going to come out.  When it does, you won't be able to stop yourself from being mean, or hateful, or frightened."  Fae sat up and hugged her.

"You can't stop it?"  Calla closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Its inside you.  We can't stop what we have no control of.  What you don't have control of.  All we can do is stay close, and help you when you need us."  But Calla had no idea just how bad it could get.  She knew her own mind, but not the mind of someone who has endured over a decade of abuse.

The tapestry of the mind was a fragile thing.  There was no way to tell what damage was done until it started to unravel, and she tried to repair herself.




"So this is what you went through."  Calla said softly as she gently held Fae, let her find her calm, and eventually cry herself out.  "I didn't know it would be this hard, not being able to find the things that hurt her because it was her own mind's responses to the past."

"And she isn't finding her feet, love.  If anything, she's getting worse.  Maybe she should sleep alone for a while."  Calla frowned.

"Does it bother you that much?"  Eerika shook her head.

"I think we are making it worse for her.  We support her, let her cry, and show that we are there for her.  She's never had that.  Is that making her rely on us when she should rely on herself?"  Calla frowned.

"I don't know.  I didn't go through what she did.  When I started to become a woman, and he started to 'train' me, my mom laid down.  Then it was only me and my thoughts.  It was all I could do to not lay down myself."  Eerika laid her hand on Calla's shoulder.  "Don't worry.  I don't want to lay down anymore, other then to sleep."  Eerika smiled softly.

"Then you had it worse then she did, love.  We were sold when we were sixteen, or a bit later.  You were younger then she was."  Calla shrugged.

"I'm not counting years.  Besides, look at her.  She's almost vacant inside."  Fae lifted her head.

"The stocks!  They're going to put me in the stocks!  I'll never be free!"  Calla growled.  Though she had responded, it was to what was inside her head, not to Calla.  She kept reliving her life in that hell, put in the stocks to be sold, and shown off for eager buyers.

"I hate those things!  They display us like meat, to soften us up for our new master, often whipping us to show how much we cry out in pain!"  Fae nodded, while Eerika struggled to control her temper.  Just the thought of Calla being whipped put her hackles up, and made her want to kill someone.

"I don't want to go back!  I got out of the stocks just before I ran!  If they find me, I'll go right back in!"  Eerika couldn't stand to listen to anymore.  She stood up, picked up her ax, along with a shield and spear.  She couldn't wait to bury the ax in someone's skull.

"Love?  What...."

"Fae?  Can you cook something for us to eat?  We are going to go raid that village, and destroy those stocks!"  Fae's eyes filled with life, and hope.  This time, it wasn't the hope that she would escape.  It was the hope that she would never have to go back.