Stranded with the Alien (Starbound #1)

Eighteen

They stopped at sundown before reaching the spindly outcrop of trees, not wanting to spend the night in the hunting ground of the arachnids. Kara looked round the scrubby vegetation. There was no shelter anywhere. Not even a shrub big enough to crawl under.

“Shall I make a fire?” she asked. “Might keep the nasties away.”

“A fire is always welcome,” said Vahn. “I shall set up camp.”

Kara laughed.

“Camp? Are you going to magic a log cabin out of thin air? Maybe a luxury marquee?”

He ignored her.

Finding a relatively flat area of ground, he removed something from his belt and placed it at his feet. Kara saw it was the thing he’d found on his Viper. She’d assumed it was a bag or a pouch, but now she saw it was a brown square of fabric with a small black disc in the centre.

A handkerchief? She opened her mouth to say something scathing – and stayed that way when he pressed his thumb against the disc.

Like an optical illusion, the fabric began to move and grow. Slim rods erupted from all sides, lengthening and curving to meet at the top until they formed a semi-circular frame. The fabric flowed up and around the entire structure, creating a perfectly enclosed domed shelter.

Kara realized her mouth was still open and closed it hurriedly. Where there’d been a tiny scrap of cloth was now a sturdy-looking tent.

Vahn raised a brow.

“What is wrong? Do you not have expanding nanomaterials on Earth?”

Smug bastard.

“Of course we do. In a variety of colors.”

“I am sure.”

Kara stalked off to find some largeish rocks. She arranged them into a circular fire-pit, then put whatever twigs and brush she could gather in the centre. A low setting on her pulse blaster ignited it immediately.

As the suns disappeared they sat next to the comforting warmth of the burning embers and sipped from the last canister of water. By mutual consent they didn’t eat their remaining rations. They both knew their last meal was coming and they wanted to put it off for as long as possible.

Kara shifted uncomfortably on the stony ground.

“No comfy chairs hidden in your pocket?” she quipped. “Couple of sleeping bags, maybe?”

The Vraxian frowned.

“Your questions are clearly nonsensical, human.”

“I’m joking, obviously. Jesus. Don’t you evil alien overlords have jokes?”

“Jokes? Hmm. My translation microbes define jokes as ‘something said to provoke laughter, humorous untruths, or ludicrous exaggerations.’ I see. Yes, we have jokes on Vraxos.”

“Then tell me one. A Vraxian joke. Anything. What jokes do your kids tell?”

He thought for a moment.

“Why did the grekel cross the hyperpath?”

She stared.

“Oh come on. Seriously? Even on Earth that’s the lamest joke in the book.”

“You have grekels on Earth?”

She gave up.

“I’m going to bed. Um…” she looked at the tent. “I’ll sleep out here.”

“I advise against it. The nanomaterial of the shelter is designed to withstand most animal attacks. It will also protect against the nocturnal drop in temperature.”

“It looks a little small for the both of us.”

Vahn paused. The human was right. In a confined space, her scent would be harder to ignore.

“I will sleep outside. I do not feel the cold and animals are unlikely to come close to the fire.”

“That’s not right. It’s your tent.”

“And I am giving it to you.”

“I don’t want it.”

“You are more vulnerable than I.”

“Are you suggesting I can’t hack it out here at night?”

“I am suggesting it is safer inside.”

“Fuck you, snake-boy. I can take care of myself.”

Vahn was starting to get angry. Could the small human not see he was trying to protect her?

“By Vannla’s Sword, do you argue about everything? ”

“Only about matters of sexism and misogyny.”

“Take the tent or by the Fountain of Zandarr I will put you in there myself.”

She drew her weapon.

“Try it. Go on, try it, I dare you.”

“Ayanlesh give me strength.” He sighed in exasperation. “We are supposed to have a truce. Put the gun down.”

Reluctantly, she lowered her weapon. He held out his hand.

“We will compromise. I will stay out here tonight with the gun for protection. You take the tent.” She started to protest again and he stopped her. “My reasoning is purely logical. I was unconscious for a long time last night while you remained awake. Therefore you need more rest. Tomorrow, we will reverse places and I will take the tent. Agreed?”

When he put it like that…

“Fine. But we take it in turns, okay?”

She gave him the gun.

Vahn opened a flap and Kara crawled in. The inside of the tent had cushioning on the floor and gentle illumination in the roof, enough so she could see to take off her boots. She removed her jacket and bundled it into a pillow. It was warm and snug.

Damn. The SDF needs to get some of these. She wondered what ‘nanomaterial’ was. More technology Earth didn’t have.

Was it odd that a species which had been painted as war-like and uncivilized was capable of inventing stuff like this? Did her mother – the President – know?

She tried not to think about it.

Instead her mind drifted to Vahn outside in the dark, trying to make himself comfortable, sleeping fitfully with one eye open. Giving her the tent. His tent.

It was actually quite sweet.