Michael Siemsen - Exigency

Snake things drew riverbears.

Hynka apparently enjoyed riverbears. And warmth .

The closer Hynka studied Minnie once more before turning to the farther.

LIVETRANS: It home. Not we.

Farther replied, angry—sounding much more like a typical representative of its people—gesturing at the one on the ground.

LIVETRANS: [unknown] with! Hot [unknown] [unknown]!

These guys clearly had their own regional dialect. Minnie wondered if they’d even understand words from Ish’s DB. Fascinated by the relatively composed discourse before her, she elected to attempt communication over all of the other sketchy options she’d thrown around. She linked Livetrans to her suit PA and prepared for an unexpected response. Hell, Livetrans might speak to them in the accent of their mortal enemies’ clan. There was no way to predict their reaction.

She composed a greeting and watched Livetrans simplify it, paring down 33 words to the 10 that conveyed the basic sentiment.

She waited for their current exchange of countless unknowns to end, then sent the message through her PA.

“No kill. Hot stay. Home mine. Home we. Down we.”

Their gawking stares sent chills down her legs. Even the sick one’s eyes widened and found Minnie’s face as all stood in awestruck silence.

The one on the ground lurched and began breathing heavily once more, then murmured.

LIVETRANS: [unknown] speaks.

Without a single step taken toward her over the past two inexplicable minutes, Minnie dared a weakening of her position. She slowly lowered the MW (that they wouldn’t know to be threatened by, anyway), and began a gradual squat, repeating the end of her message.

“Down we.”

The one closest to her began bending its legs, then shot a look at the other standing Hynka, and growled the same words.

LIVETRANS: Down we!

The other complied and Minnie’s head buzzed with delight as all three standing individuals eased into seated positions around the heater. The Hynka still towered over her, losing a mere quarter of their height while Minnie reduced to half. She felt like a mouse sitting with cats.

Minnie had rehearsed this moment since she was 14 years old. She readied Livetrans and stretched an arm out sideways, bringing her palm back to her chest.

“Call Minnie.”

The one closest to her worked its long mouth around, trying the sounds, then said carefully, “Nn-neee.”

Right, no M without lips. Ninnee will do just fine.

Minnie heard the sick one faintly say it as well, before resuming its labored breathing. The farther, largest Hynka scooted closer to its ill comrade and pressed a hand on its back.

The Hynka beside Minnie shared its own name.

“Call Fitchsher .”

Trying her best to remain present in the moment, head above the surreal, Minnie felt her chest quaking as she attempted it on her own. “Fitch-sher.”

Fitchsher’s head rolled around, fingernail tips poking the frost excitedly. Fitchsher pointed to the groaning Hynka on his other side.

“Baby in. Call Leeg .” Not sick. She was in labor. Fitchsher pointed to the last of the three. “ Leeg… Onjr. ”

Minnie looked at the female and said, “Leeg.” She turned to the male she guessed was the baby’s father. “Onjr.”

Leeg began howling from deep inside, like wind from the far end of a tunnel. Onjr continued playing the supportive birthing room husband, tapping Leeg’s back and pulling her arm up, then dropping it to her side… helpfully?

Fitchsher placed his fists on the ground, rotating on his backside to face Minnie. Somehow, despite this killing machine’s size and weapon array, in that instant he appeared as a kindergartner.

“Nnn-neee.”

“Yes,” Minnie sent via Livetrans, hoping no one would notice the difference in voices or the fact that her mouth didn’t move.

“Greater you? Lesser you?”

Did he think she was Hynka? Minnie also noticed the sudden lack of unknown DB hits in his speech. Coincidence, or had he adopted whatever dialect she’d spoken? So how to answer? She couldn’t tell their breed in this light, and all covered in riverbear furs. Was there a right answer?

She decided.

Her PA spoke the reply. “Greater no. Lesser no.” And then she said aloud, “Hooman.”

“Hoonan,” Fitchsher repeated. “ Hooo nan.”

Minnie returned the question. “Greater you? Lesser you?”

“Lesser Fitchsher,” Fitchsher replied without hesitation, then gestured to his comrades. “Lesser Onjr. Greater Leeg. Two Lesser. One Greater.”

“Two Greater,” Leeg moaned. “Baby Greater.”

Both Fitchsher and Onjr appeared troubled by Leeg’s statement, their eyes rolling about, tongues moving in their mouths. Minnie had seen in Ish’s game that Greaters could birth Lessers, and vice-versa, but hadn’t realized the two breeds actually interbred. She’d thought of it like a black dog giving birth to both black and golden puppies.

After several moments dominated by Leeg’s wheezing, Fitchsher stared at the heater for a time, then broke the silence. “Fire in?”

Minnie knew no better way to explain the device. “Yes.” Mindful of an even exchange, she decided she could now ask another question. She wished to know why they’d traveled so incredibly far from a village, but was skeptical of Livetrans’ simplification, unsure if her meaning would be grasped, “Fitchsher far. Village far.”

“No kill,” Fitchsher replied, and Onjr echoed a second later.

“No kill.”

Reasonable. They didn’t want the two Lessers of the group to die. But they could’ve settled 1,500K south of here, and remained safe—probably safer , given environmental concerns.

“Cold kill,” Minnie continued. “Hot there.” She pointed south.

“Yes,” Fitchsher agreed, and Minnie noted the vague body language of an affirmative: a subtle shoulder dip, elbows moved outward ever so slightly. “Greaters there. Greaters come.”

They were being followed? Were more Hynka on their way? And why weren’t the two males concerned about the Greater among them?

“Greaters come here?” Minnie asked.

Leeg piped in again, a single word between each labored huff. “Greaters… no… stop.”

Minnie emulated the affirmative gesture. Apparently, Leeg was as worried about Greaters as her friends, and all three believed Hynka would never stop spreading, so they’d continue heading north. Forever, it seemed. She wondered if they realized that their unwavering drive for survival was leading them to certain death. Then again, they seemed to be doing okay so far.

Onjr twisted and reached behind him, hand returning with a drape of solidified meat, sheets and dots of frozen blood flaking off. Minnie’s eyes conjured a skinned human, and Ish’s mangled body flashed in her head. Onjr tore off a small piece, exposing what looked like a scapula or pelvic bone. He hunched over and placed the portion before Leeg’s mouth, wedging it in as if force-feeding her. She opened a crack, displaying a live reminder of all those teeth, but quickly hissed and spat a series of unknown words mixed with others.

“…hard… no… bad.”

Onjr took the piece back and slipped it under his armpit.

“Onjr,” Minnie said, and pointed to the metal disc beneath the heater. Onjr appeared startled to hear his name again. “Hot here.”

Fitchsher agreed, “Yes. Put.”

Onjr snorted and threw the hunk in front of the heater. Perhaps a little too close, it sizzled and steamed. She didn’t know how they’d feel about cooked meat, but it smelled damn good.

“Grarlar?” Minnie asked. Fitchsher and Onjr stared at her. She pointed at the meat. “Grarlar?”