Amy Thomson - The Color of Distance

“We’d better,” Juna agreed. “They’re probably starting to wonder what I’m up to out here.”

“Thank you for coming, Dr. Saari,” Captain Edison said. “Please sit down.”

The captain sat behind her desk. “I want to apologize for this mistreatment. I think you’ve been through enough. If I could stop it, I would.” She spread her fingers in a gesture of helplessness. “But Bremen won’t budge. As a researcher, you’re in his chain of command. I can only advise him. There’s not a lot I can do about your situation, Dr. Saari, but I wanted you to know that I’m on your side, and that I’m doing everything in my power to help.”

“Thank you, Captain. I appreciate it.”

“I wish I could do more,” Captain Edison said. “Most people in your situation would have fallen apart, yet you’ve survived and adapted. The Survey needs more people like you.”

“Is there anything I can do to help change the situation?” Juna asked.

“Keep your head down, do your job, and hope that something comes along to help change things.” The captain held her hands up in a gesture of helplessness. “I’m afraid that’s the best advice I can give you.”

Juna passed through the final airlock and stood on the landing, feeling the refreshing bite of fresh air on her moist skin. Her sleeveless shirt fluttered in the light breeze. She closed her eyes, savoring these few moments of freedom before, the others emerged.

“It must feel very good to get out of that suit,” Dr. Tanguay remarked as she came out of the airlock. “You’re turquoise all over.”

Juna flushed brown with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” Dr. Tanguay said. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s all right, Patricia,” Juna said, looking away toward the coast.

“Could we— Could you talk in skin speech?” she asked. “I need to practice.”

“Of course,” Juna said in Tendu. “Are you ready for the negotiations?” she asked, pacing her words more quickly than Patricia was used to in order to test her progress.

“Slower, please,” Dr. Tanguay replied.

Juna was repeating the question when the airlock door hissed open. It was Dr. Wu. Juna noted a look of concern on Dr. Tanguay’s face as she turned to escort Wu down the long stairway to the boat, asking him about the agenda for today’s negotiations. She helped Dr. Wu into the boat, and allowed him to help her step in. Juna followed them, accepting Dr. Wu’s hand to assist her.

At last, the negotiation team was assembled in the boat and ready to leave. Today, the team consisted of Dr. Wu, Dr. Tanguay, Dr. Bremen, Captain Edison, and Juna. Bremen nodded to Bruce, and he cast off from the dock. As they headed for shore, Dr. Tanguay continued to work with Juna on understanding skin speech. Wu, who usually watched with interest, was looking down into the bilge of the boat. He looked a little pale, but that could just have been the reflection off the water. Juna was about to ask him, but Dr. Tanguay interrupted her with a question about skin-speech grammar. When she turned back to Dr. Wu, they were getting ready to land.

As soon as they stepped onto the beach, Dr. Tanguay took Dr. Wu’s arm. The two of them plodded down the beach, chatting amicably. Patricia stopped often to pick something up and exclaim over it. They trailed the group by thirty meters by the time the others stopped to rest at the top of the cliff. Dr. Wu was sweating profusely and breathing hard when he and Tanguay reached the top of the cliff. She’s covering for Wu, Juna realized.

He looked as if he needed a chance to rest before they continued on. Juna decided to make sure that he got it.

“You wait here. I’ll go see if the Tendu are ready for us,” she said.

Juna entered the cool forest with a sigh of relief, slipping out of her clothing as soon as she was out of sight of the other humans. Anitonen chittered at her from a branch in the lower canopy, and Moki swung down to greet her. They embraced and linked briefly.

Wu looked better when Juna returned for the team. They followed her to the stream bank where the negotiations were being held and settled down to work. There was little progress. The Tendu would not discuss anything else until the question of reparations for Lyanan was resolved. So far, Wu and the others had refused every suggestion made by Lalito, except for a set of aerial photographs and detailed topographical maps of their territory, made of indestructible plastic. Even that was pushing the letter of the law, but it was the villagers’ most benign request so far, and the humans needed to give the Tendu something in order to keep the negotiations going.

But Lalito wanted more. She kept asking for things she had seen on her trip to the ship: computers, electric lights, steel tools, plastic containers, bags, and sheeting. She even wanted some mice like the one in Juna’s room. Juna had suggested alternatives: more coils of hemp rope, beautifully woven baskets, flint-knapped arrowheads, and fishnets. All had been flatly refused. At least they were still negotiating, though Juna felt that was a tribute to the endurance and patience of the Tendu.

After an hour and a half, both sides took a break. Juna pulled Dr. Tanguay aside.

“What’s the matter with Dr. Wu?” she asked. “He’s been looking pale all morning. You’ve been hovering over him like an anxious mother hen.”

“He said he wasn’t feeling well,” Patricia replied. “Perhaps it’s a touch of the flu.” Her tone of voice was not convincing.

“You’re worried it’s something serious, aren’t you?”

“I’m afraid that it might be his heart,” Patricia confessed. “He barely made it through the health screening, and he’s been getting steadily worse the whole trip. I’ve been trying to keep him from getting too tired. He’s too important to lose.”

“Perhaps we should take him back to the ship,” Juna suggested.

Patricia shook her head. “I’ve suggested that, but he won’t go.” She glanced over at Wu. “He’s afraid that the doctors will bar him from the negotiations.”

“I’ll do what I can to help,” Juna reassured her.

Juna watched Wu as the negotiations progressed. He looked distinctly unwell. She saw some of the others watching him also. Even the Tendu seemed to notice. She was about to call for another break when Wu suddenly doubled over, clutching his chest.

“My heart,” he gasped.

Captain Edison was on the radio immediately, calling for assistance.

“What is it?” Anitonen asked.

“Something’s wrong with his heart,” Juna told her. “We’re calling for medical assistance.”

“He’s unconscious!” Patricia exclaimed.

Anitonen pushed past the humans and squatted beside Wu. “Help me get his suit off,” she told Juna. “He needs help now!”

“Let the Tendu help,” Juna told the others as she began removing Wu’s helmet.

“No!” Patricia said, pushing Juna’s hands away. “It’ll kill him!”

“The Tendu can stabilize him,” Juna told her. “By the time we get him to a medical team it will be too late.”

“But it will kill him!”

“No it won’t!” Juna insisted. “The Tendu saved my life. They can save his.” She took Dr. Tanguay’s hands in hers. “Patricia, I care about Paul too. Let me help Anitonen save his life. Please!”

“They can’t get a medical team to us for at least fifteen minutes,” Captain Edison informed them. “Let the Tendu do what they can for him.” The captain slid an arm around Patricia’s shoulders. “Dr. Tanguay, I need you to come with me to help guide the medical team in.”

“Thank you,” Juna said as the captain turned to go. She nodded at Anitonen. “All right.”

Anitonen got Dr. Wu’s gloves off, and sank a spur into the palm of his hand. Wu’s breathing eased immediately and color returned to his face.