Blood Brothers by Vicky Seleya

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As the whine of the approaching ATV reached his ears, Yale looked up from the embers of his fire. He watched as Cameron carefully wound his way toward his post next to the hole. After exchanging morning pleasantries, Yale indicated the colonist's leg with a nod as he asked, "How is your leg this morning?"

"Sore," the man admitted. "It kept me up most of the night -- even with the painblockers Julia left for me. It isn't bad now. I guess that must be a good sign. Julia checked in with me about midnight. She told me to stay off of it until she returned. I thought, since I can't seem to sleep anyway, I might spell you here." He glanced up at the clear sky, the stars still shining through as the sun slowly worked its way over the horizon.

The tutor smiled his appreciation to the injured colonist. "Thank you, Cameron, but Bess kept vigil much of the evening. I would appreciate the company, however."

Cameron nodded absently as he studied the aperture his fall the preceding day had created. "I'm not comfortable with the stability of the ground, Yale. Without shoring the hole up, we run the risk of another cave-in."

Yale contemplated the jagged edges of the hole. "I have been wondering about that myself. We do have a good number of building materials still in the pod. Do you think you could design something simple those few of us who are left could build quickly to support the entrance, at least?"

Cameron grinned. "Well, I am an engineer..."

Yale chuckled and the two men started planning in earnest.

________________________________________

Mazatl grimaced with exertion as he struggled to hold the swaying beam in place where it dangled from the TransRover winch far above.

"Got it," Magus asserted, as she drove the rivet home. She grinned over at Mazatl as he sighed and heavily leaned against the now stabilized beam. "That's the last one. Now all we have to do is pop the extra rivets and we're done."

The big man nodded and bent to retrieve his tools. Without another word, they busied themselves completing the scaffold.

"Well, that's it," Mazatl remarked, as he secured the last rivet and patted the scaffold paternally.

Magus grinned and nodded in the direction the search party did not go. "Don't you wonder what's that way?"

Mazatl shook his head. "Probably just blocked; we're not that far from the crater."

"Aren't you at all curious?" the crewwoman teased.

Pausing from collecting his tools strewn around the tunnel floor, Mazatl looked askance at Magus. "No," he replied simply.

Magus dramatically threw her hands up into the air and decisively stalked down the tunnel alone. Mazatl sighed in exasperation when he glanced over his shoulder to see her back disappear around a bend. He sorted through the small pile of tools, selected a heavy hammer, then followed Magus down the tunnel.

Mazatl inched around the bend, appreciating the heft of the hammer even as he rued not bringing a light. As he rounded the corner, he found Magus smugly waiting for him. She grabbed his forearm and led the way down the tunnel. As they twisted around yet another turn, the tunnel noticeably lightened. The two crewpeople slowed as the light and the unmistakable smell of Grendler both intensified. Mazatl quietly yelped as Magus uneasily peered around the next turn and her grip on his arm suddenly tightened painfully.

"You gotta see this..." Magus said as she released his arm and wandered away out of view.

Mazatl followed, only to draw up short at the sight of the Grendler's lair stacked high with plunder from the nearby cargo pod. His eyes widened as he surveyed the contents of the cavern while activating his gear. "Yale, you may want to take a look at this," the crewman understated, as he adjusted his gear for a P.O.V. scan. He exchanged an amused grin with Magus at the old cyborg's reaction, then eagerly began organizing the contraband for reclamation.

________________________________________

John Danziger awoke in paradise. Trees softly rustled overhead as a gentle breeze caressed him, taking away the heat of the midmorning sun. He lay still for a moment, enjoying the unaccustomed tranquility. Noticing something amiss, John glanced around and abruptly attempted to sit up. He groaned out loud as his back insistently refused, the muscles bunching in agonizing protest. He lay back down and rolled his head either way, surveying his surroundings.

Morgan was gone, as was Alonzo. The only sounds he could hear were the rustling trees, some small woodland animals, and the rush of a nearby stream.

"Morgan?! Alonzo?!" the mechanic shouted, the effort causing his back to tighten painfully. Gingerly, Danziger rolled onto his stomach. After resting a moment, he eased his arms and legs underneath him, rising up onto his hands and knees with a grunt before levering himself up to a standing position. Keeping his back ramrod straight, he turned in place and shouted again.

Morgan's head shot out from behind a bush. "What? Can't it wait? I'm busy over here."

"What are you doing?" Danziger asked, as he hesitantly eased himself over to the other man. "And where's 'Lonz?"

Morgan moved closer to Danziger and pointedly directed his gaze to a sunny spot nearby. Danziger's brows knitted as he noticed Morgan's bare chest and sodden legs. The mechanic followed the other man's gaze to the ground where Alonzo lay curled into a ball, wrapped in both his own and Morgan's jackets with his damp hair slicked back against his head.

"What happened?" Danziger asked, fascinated by the tableau before him. Looking behind him, he saw Alonzo's clothing spread over a bush, drying.

Morgan carefully slid back into the stream which ran beside where Alonzo lay. He fished around the water for a moment before pulling his own shirt out, inspecting it critically. He glanced over to the mechanic who stood stiffly on the bank. "I just wanted to wash the blood off Alonzo in case the Grendlers came back, so I dragged him over here. Then, while I was getting his shirt off, he rolled into the stream." Morgan shrugged. "I got all the blood off."

Danziger nodded as he regarded the sleeping pilot, considering their situation. He noticed Morgan watching him closely as he thoughtfully surveyed the glade and woods beyond. Danziger returned the scrutiny only for Morgan to busy himself with his laundry. Morgan's head snapped up as Danziger eased himself down to a sitting position and a low moan escaped his lips.

"Hey, are you all right?" Morgan asked anxiously, as Danziger shifted uncomfortably.

"I guess my back tightened up while I was sleeping," Danziger observed morosely. "I can hardly move."

"How are we gonna find camp?" Morgan asked, his voice rising. "How are we gonna carry Alonzo?"

"Morgan, settle down," Danziger barked irritably, then winced at the twinge from his back. "Getting excited isn't gonna get us anywhere. We don't even know which way to go. Let's take our time and think this through, OK?"

Chastened, Morgan nodded agreement. He wrung his shirt and spread it on a bush in the sunlight. Morgan quietly considered Danziger, sitting uncomfortably on the bank. "Can you get your shirt and jacket off? They're pretty bloody, too. I'll wash them out before a Grendler sees you," he offered. "Matter of fact, maybe sitting in the stream would help your back. It's really cold in there!"

Danziger glanced down at his clothes, surveying the stains. Reluctantly, he nodded his assent and carefully shrugged his jacket off. Barely raising his arms to remove his shirt, Danziger shook his head ruefully at Morgan. "I can't do it," he admitted with a troubled frown.

Morgan hesitantly approached the mechanic and apologetically unfastened his vest and shirt, slipping them off as the demoralized mechanic watched on. The liaison then removed Danziger's boots as well and placed them out of the way. Morgan retreated with Danziger's clothing to the stream to complete his task, surreptitiously monitoring Danziger as the mechanic painfully climbed to his feet and approached the stream.

Danziger recoiled with a grunt as he stepped into the cool water. With a frustrated glance at the liaison, who was readily standing in the freezing water, the mechanic steeled himself and stepped forward again. Danziger sucked in his breath as he delicately maneuvered himself to a sitting position and the frigid water swirled around him, surging against his bare back. Carefully avoiding the slippery rocks scattered along the bottom of the stream, the mechanic settled on the sandy bottom. As the numbness set in, Danziger relaxed with a sigh.

"Better?" Morgan asked as he climbed from the stream to spread Danziger's clothes out to dry.

"Yeah," the mechanic confessed. "Thanks, Martin." He nodded towards the pilot. "How's 'Lonzo? Anything?"

Morgan shook his head. "Nope. He's been pretty quiet. I don't think he's dreaming anymore. I dribbled some water on his lips while I had him over here and he swallowed it."

Danziger nodded absently as Morgan finished his report. "You're not supposed to give anything to someone when they're unconscious, but at least he got some fluids." He surveyed the glade, hopefully looking for a familiar landmark.

His cleaning done, Morgan perched on the bank next to Alonzo.

"Martin, have you seen anything that looks familiar? Any landmarks at all?"

Morgan shrugged. "Nope. The trees are so tall..."

Danziger scowled at the trees in annoyance. "Yeah. I was afraid of that." He glanced up at the sun beating down on him. "It's so hot today. Well, our best bet is to follow this stream one way or the other. At least we'll have water and I see some of those berry bushes are growing along it."

"Would you like me to pick you some?" Morgan offered helpfully. "You should rest your back as much as possible before we have to go."

Danziger frowned. "No, don't bother. My stomach couldn't handle them just now."

Morgan nodded in commiseration. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"You don't feel good?"

"Not really."

"Me either."

"You don't suppose we picked something up, do you?"

"Let's not jump to any conclusions, it's been a long couple of days," Danziger pointed out. Changing the subject, he observed, "The brush looks a little thinner to the north. I suppose that's the way we should go. Morgan, why don't you look around for two strong poles about three meters long. We can make a stretcher out of our jackets. That would make carrying Alonzo much easier."

Morgan looked toward the forest with a sigh and nodded agreement. He rose and slowly wandered along the edge of the glade, keeping one eye on the woods beyond.

Danziger closed his eyes in frustration over his own helplessness. He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose, feeling the heat of fever on his brow even as the frigid water splashed against him. Alonzo shifted position with a snort, attracting the mechanic's attention. Gingerly, Danziger leaned partially out of the stream to rest a palm on the pilot's forehead. It was cool. He eased back into the stream with relief that whatever was afflicting him and Morgan was not compounding the pilot's injuries. Danziger looked around to check on Morgan's progress. He could see the other man on the other side of the glade, one pole in his hand. Danziger sighed and tried to relax as the water numbed his body.

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