Stranded with the Alien (Starbound #1)

Twenty

Over the next few hours Kara’s pace steadily declined. Vahn didn’t say anything but he adjusted his stride to match hers. He knew she hadn’t taken a drink since that morning, trying to conserve their dwindling water.

Her lips were dry and cracked. She tried to moisten them but had no saliva. When she finally stumbled over a rock because she was having trouble focusing, Vahn forced her to sit down.

“You should drink,” he said. “You are thirsty.”

“I’m fine. I can hold out till tonight.”

“By Ayanlesh, are you always this stubborn?” Vahn was exasperated. Could she not see that making herself ill was no help to either of them? “I will not ask again. Drink, or I will hold you down with my serpetri and pour it down your throat.”

His tone brooked no argument. Grumbling, she fished out the last remaining canister and sipped. It was like cool nectar running down her parched throat.

She took another gulp then screwed the cap back on before she lost control and swigged the lot. She held it out.

“You?”

“I have no need. I have not yet reached the stage of dehydration.”

She eyed his tentacles.

“So those things are called serpetri? We call them tentacles.”

“An erroneous term. Tentacles are fleshy organs usually found on invertebrates. Serpetri are elongated limbs comprised of bone and muscle.”

“Okay. How come only Vraxian men have them?”

He raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“You know something of Vraxian anatomy?”

“They teach a lesson on you at the academy. It’s pretty sparse, to be honest. But I know your tenta… serpetri can produce poison.”

“It is called arak. ”

“But why only males? Why not the females?”

“It is of no importance.”

Vahn suddenly looked uncomfortable and Kara was intrigued.

“Come on, tell me.”

“It is no large matter, it is just the way Vraxians evolved. Serpetri are a defense mechanism.”

“Defense against what?”

Vahn hunched his shoulders.

“You will laugh.”

“No, I won’t. I promise.”

Now she was really curious. He studied the sky as if he would find clarity there.

“We evolved this way to protect our mates and our young.”

“I don’t understand.”

Vahn sighed.

“Vraxian females are ferociously strong. As strong as most males. However, when they are with child, they become vulnerable. So in more primitive times, females had to be protected against enemy tribes. Vraxians with the strongest serpetri could successfully defend their mates.”

“Okay. I get that. Vraxian cave-men had to be tough. But you don’t need to protect your womenfolk any more, do you?”

“No. But we still use our serpetri to protect our young.”

“How so?”

He looked away.

“Our young are not fully developed when they are born. They leave their mother’s womb still enclosed in a fibrous membrane. So Vraxian males carry them against their bodies until they are fully gestated.”

“Sorry, what?”

“We wrap our serpetri around them and hold them there for several weeks until they’re mature enough to emerge.”

Kara stared at him.

“Sort of like… seahorses?”

“I do not know of this analogy.”

“They’re an Earth animal. The female gives the male her eggs and he looks after them till they’re born. Hundreds of them, usually.”

Vahn gave a crooked smile.

“Then Vraxians are like seahorses. But only, and I cannot stress this enough, with one hatchling at a time.”

“Hatchling?”

“That is how we call our young.”

It was strange to be discussing this with a human. He fell silent, wondering why he’d told her such an intimate detail of Vraxian life.

Sensing his discomfort, Kara got to her feet and dusted off her trousers.

“I feel better now. Let’s go.”

He eyed her closely, then shook his head.

“I think we should camp here for the night. There is only an hour of daylight left. Let us rest.”

She didn’t have the strength to argue.

“Fine. Let’s get the magic tent up and pretend we’re eating a fabulous dinner. What I wouldn’t give for a cheeseburger right now.”

“Is that a delicacy on Earth?”

“More comfort food than delicacy. What’s good to eat on Vraxos?”

“Grilled vinetya with sharlik grains and madanisk sauce,” Vahn said promptly.

Kara’s stomach clenched painfully. I’d eat anything right now, she thought. Even alien food.

She watched him activate the shelter as she took a small sip of water. Her head had begun to throb persistently at the temples. It wouldn’t be long before the more severe symptoms of thirst set in.

The only good thing was that she didn’t need to pee. One of the plus points of dehydration: no awkward toilet breaks necessary.

She’d noticed the alien had relieved himself a couple of times, tactfully letting her pull ahead before he did it. So he wasn’t feeling the lack of water, not yet at least.

But he was probably much hungrier than she was. A body that big with that many muscles, he obviously needed major calories to function.

He must be starving. Yet he hadn’t said anything.

“Your turn in the tent tonight,” she told him briskly. She pulled on her jacket against the encroaching chill.

“I am happy to spend another night under the stars,” he replied. “I enjoy it.”

Kara was ready for this. She drew her blaster and pointed it at him.

“I insist. Get in the tent. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He knew there was no point arguing.

“And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow we carry on. We have to climb into the hills to set the beacon, so that’s where we’ll head.”

He nodded curtly and disappeared into the tent.

Neither of them said what they were thinking.

That they still didn’t know if the beacon would work. And even if it did, it wouldn’t help them unless they found food and water.

Because they’d both be dead long before they were rescued.