Нэнси Кресс - If Tomorrow Comes

Leo conferred briefly with Kandiss. They went away from the burning shuttle, in opposite directions along the base of the hill. The sun rose orange, and it wasn’t just the bright colors of dawn; it stayed orange. It looked larger than the sun on Earth. All the strange plants, broad-leaved and spicy smelling, were dark purplish. Leo felt himself adjusting to the lighter gravity.

Still no natives. Fields, with some sort of strange dark animal grazing in them. One raised its head, looked at Leo, and went back to chomping the purplish grass. Another trotted slowly toward a clump of brush and Leo saw a splash of pink paint on its rump.

A few of the dark, long-haired animals grazed on the hill, these with pale blue splotches on their necks. Choosing a spot with cover in case of ambush, Leo climbed partway up the east face of the hill. Light-colored, curved buildings in the far distance. A road, with something moving on it, too far to distinguish but the traffic was light and slow. In the very far distance, smoke rising from whatever the Stremlenie had destroyed.

And in the sky, two moons: one setting on the horizon and one fading in the growing sunlight.

He reported back to Owen. “No one in the area. Natives two klicks off on a road paralleling here, not approaching us, moving at approximately ten klicks per hour. Animals which appear to be similar to sheep”—unless you counted the fact that they had three eyes—“that don’t appear dangerous. Buildings two klicks away at eleven o’clock.”

Kandiss returned from the other side of the hill. “Settlement about half a klick away. Two dozen houses, people in the streets talking, agitated but not armed. No military installations visible.”

“Okay,” Owen said. “Someone’ll spot the shuttle fire soon, if they haven’t already seen it. Just so we are all clear: This is now the Kindred squad, Second Platoon, Bravo Company, Seventy-Fifth Regiment. The mission now is to secure the area and let them come to us. If approached with hostile intent, defend as necessary. If they want to send in a negotiator, he—”

“There won’t be hostile intent,” Bourgiba said, and Owen spun around. Leo caught the brief flash of chagrin on Owen’s face that he had not heard the doctor approach.

“Doctor, this is a military conference. Please return to—”

“There will be no hostile intent,” Bourgiba said, just as if Owen had not spoken. “Kindred have no tradition of hostility, let alone war. Their society is peaceful, matrilineal, with its first principles those of—”

“I have read the briefing materials,” Owen said stiffly. “Return to the others, please. Now.”

Bourgiba did not move. He said softly, “I know your duty is to protect us. But with the deaths of both Ambassador Gonzalez and her second, Wayne Henry—”

“My charge is to protect you,” Owen said. “And I am going to do that. Kandiss, escort Dr. Bourgiba back to safety.”

Kandiss, looking startled, took a step forward. Bourgiba said quietly, “That won’t be necessary. But, Lieutenant Lamont, bear in mind that this is a peaceful diplomatic mission to establish international and trade relations with the government on World. It is not about anything else, despite what happened here. It is especially not about what the Stremlenie desired, which was revenge. Against anybody, for any reason.”

Bourgiba walked back under the overhang.

Zoe walked up, her face stiff with, Leo thought, determination to hide weakness. Owen said, “Secure the area. Report any movement at all to me. Brodie, you take the top of the hill. Berman—”

Under the overhang, Bourgiba was talking to Marianne Jenner. Dr. Jenner turned her head to stare at Owen.

Oh shit, Leo thought. The last thing they needed now was some kind of military-civilian turf war.

For two hours, nothing happened. Leo lay in his listening-observation post on top of the hill, rifle ready. He was glad for the Army’s latest tech, a scope that could switch from a narrow field for accuracy at range to a wide angle like a spotting scope—especially good since he didn’t have a spotter. He spent the time sweating in the growing heat under his gear and thinking over possible scenarios, knowing that Owen was doing the same. The Kindred might blame them for the attack on the city. After all, how would the planet know which ship had fired on them? They might send their own ship, or more than one if they had it and why wouldn’t they, to sweep that red beam over this area, in which case all nine of them were toast. Or, Dr. Bourgiba might be right and they would send a negotiator to find out what happened. If they did, the negotiator might be a trick. Everybody in every city might be dead and the Rangers would have to defend the five civilians against looters or people bent on revenge or who-the-fuck-knew-what.

No, not five—four. The geologist, Dr. Sherman, was unconscious, and Dr. Patel said he would die of his burns.

Then what? The eight humans had no food or water, and couldn’t eat or drink what they found without risking disease.

Bright spots: Dr. Jenner’s son was some kind of high brass here. He wouldn’t want his mother dead. And the Kindred had starships, or a ship. If this could be straightened out, maybe the Kindred would take the eight Americans home. The scientists and doctors agreed that with such advanced civilization, the Kindred would all be vaccinated already against the spore plague, so if they could be made to see that it was the Stremlenie and not the Friendship that had wasted that city…

Leo was a little surprised to realize how much he wanted to go back to Earth. Being away for a few months had been one thing. Even going back to an America twenty-four years later would be okay; the Army was still there and it was the Army he wanted. They were his family, his brothers, his purpose. But if this played out so that he never got to go home…

Don’t think about it until it happens. And anyway—

Movement below.

“Group approaching north side of the hill,” he said through his wrister. “Five people. No visible weapons.”

“Transport?” Owen’s voice said.

“Bicycles.” That was a new one on Leo: enemy on bikes. After a moment he added, “Bicycles now abandoned. Group heading toward me.”

Owen said swiftly, “Brodie, motion them to halt until I arrive, and cover me. Kandiss, with me until the natives are visible and then hold position at the base of the hill. Berman, stay with the civilians.”

Brodie raised one arm and yelled, “Halt!” The people below him halted. Brodie sighted. Whenever Owen appeared, if any of the five Kindred raised anything like a weapon, Leo would take him out.

But—

Where would they carry weapons? The five people all wore dresses, even the men, pieces of pale cloth twisted around their bodies. Sandals on their feet, and carrying nothing. But again, this was an advanced civ and who knew what weird shit they had for weapons. Three men, two women. All tall, with coppery skin and black hair and huge dark eyes—too huge, like those sappy paintings of big-eyed kittens and dogs. Then one of them turned his head and through his scope Leo saw that the man’s eyes were not dark but light gray flecked with gold.

The man called up the hill, “I am Noah Jenner. Please lower whatever weapon you have, we are no threat. I’m here to welcome you to World.”

So this was Dr. Jenner’s son. He looked just like the Kindred, except for the eye color. Owen came around the base of the hill with Kandiss. Kandiss took a position behind a boulder as Owen went forward. Both had drawn their Berettas.

The hill was small and Leo had exceptional hearing; he missed nothing. “I am Lieutenant Owen Lamont, United States Army, in charge of this expedition. Are you here in an official capacity, Mr. Jenner?”