Sitting In A Tree

[Ritah Lowen 0]

"You're so lucky," whispered Jim, pulling her into a farewell hug at the facility's terminal. She eagerly embraced him with a puzzled smile. "Why do you say that? she asked curiously.

 

He stepped back, holding her at arms length and offered her that boyish grin he was so well known for. She couldn't get over how he never seemed to age. He was eleven years her senior but looked the same as he did as a teenager. "Because," her brother replied with a soft chuckle. "You're about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Think of the all the awesome exploits you're going to experience."

 

 

Ritah never imagined how right her brother had been. Until now, she'd dismissed his parting remarks as little more than encouraging words. But she had seriously underestimated what was in store for her once she joined the Manticore. There had been numerous exploits but this one topped them all.

 

Every muscle in her body ached, especially when she tried to move. But the nausea and dizziness gradually disappeared leaving her relatively clear headed. It was still dark but faint pools of sunlight were beginning to filter through the leafy ceiling above her. Dawn had arrived on this alien world and Ritah was still alive to see it.

 

It had been a harrowing night, not just for her but for the entire away team. They'd been attacked. She was fairly certain at least one of the team had been seriously injured if not killed. Then, while retreating to the shuttle, Ritah made a terribly stupid mistake. She couldn't resist cataloging a beautifully iridescent amphibian she spotted on a nearby tree. Unfortunately, she got too close before conducting a proper analysis. The startled frog attacked, sinking it's tiny claws into Ritah's neck and depositing a virulent poison that dropped her in less than a heartbeat.

 

But all of that paled in comparison to what was happening right now. Ritah was sitting in a tree talking to an ape like hominid who was every bit as intelligent as she was.....probably more so. And she was fairly certain she was the first of her kind to chat with a "Qin."

This definitely fell into the 'awesome' category.

 

This particular Qin was called Vai. She was female and, by her own admission, she was a healer. What's more, she knew Ritah was a healer as well. They were kindred spirits in an odd sense of the word. They shared a common calling....to heal the sick and injured. Perhaps that was the reason this Qin was so willing to chat with her.

 

The natives called their world Qin-a. Vai claimed they were simple creatures who had lived on the planet for thousands of 'cycles.' Ritah wasn't sure about the length of a 'cycle.' But it was apparent the Qin had called this place home for eons.

 

As the fog lifted and she was better able to think straight, Ritah's training kicked in. She wondered how they knew she was a healer. The obvious answer was....surveillance. The Qin were probably watching the new arrivals. For how long? That was anyone's guess but Ritah suspected the Qin had been observing the away teams since shortly after their arrival.

 

She was dubious of Vai's assertion the Qin were "simple creatures." They were definitely intelligent. One could tell by simply observing them. They may have chosen to live in trees but they were highly sophisticated....sophisticated enough to have developed powerful medicines.....and universal translators. Who knew what other technologies they possessed.

 

There was more to the Qin than Vai was willing to admit but Ritah couldn't really blame the healer. The 'Travelers,' as Vai called them, were alien strangers on this world. The Qin had every right to be cautious. As for her own doubts about the natives, Ritah thought it best to keep them to herself....at least for the time being.

 

For now, she would content herself with "shop talk." She asked about the frog. Vai called it a "Hopper," a small but deadly creature. The poison could kill in a matter of minutes. Fortunately for Ritah, one of the Qin witnessed her encounter with the Hopper.

 

That confirmed Ritah's suspicions. They did have the away teams under surveillance. It was both interesting and unnerving that the Qin were so close yet they were never detected.

 

Vai went on to explain that the Hopper wasn't all bad. The poison was routinely used to treat an assortment of illnesses among the Qin. But only those well trained in the art were permitted to trap the amphibian and extract the venom. She also described a number of other creatures, large and small, that were both beautiful and deadly. Among them was a terrifying depiction of a huge avian predator called the "lintu-saal.'"

 

Ritah pretty much knew why Vai told her about the lintu-saal. It hunts at night, paralyzing its victims while airborne then landing to pick up and carry off its chosen prey. It perches high in the rocks to feed. Even the Qin avoid those areas where the lintu-saal are known to inhabit. Vai confirmed the away teams were attacked by a lintu-saal. It did, in fact, carry off one of the Travelers.

 

She already knew the answer but Ritah had to ask if the Qin knew the fate of the lost crewman. They had saved her from certain death. Perhaps they'd been able to rescue whoever it was who fell victim to the lintu-saal. Vai sighed deeply and shook her head. They didn't know where the lintu-saal took the Traveler but they were certain he or she was dead.

 

Ritah grew quiet as she wondered who had been lost. Was it Dr. Mele? Or Vilanne? Her thoughts soon returned to the present and her crewmates. As grateful as she was to the Qin and Vai in particular, she needed to get back to the shuttle....if it was still there. Qin-a was far more dangerous than any of them realized. She needed to share this new information with the others before anyone else was lost. After that, she would gladly accept the dressing down she was sure to get from Dr. Mele for totally ignoring the protocols for cataloging alien animals.

 

It was now shortly after dawn. Ritah knew she was very high up in a huge tree. It was unlikely she could make it all the way to the ground without help from one of the Qin. She spotted her tricorder sitting on a large bough a few meters away but her comm badge was nowhere to be found. Vai seemed to sense the human's restlessness.

 

There was a flurry of high pitched clicks that were quickly converted into Federation standard by the small universal translator barely visible under Vai's fur. "Is something wrong?"

 

Ritah looked at her hostess and nodded slightly. "I need to get back. Can you help me down to the ground?"

 

Vai leaned back and appeared to smile. "You can not travel yet. For now, you must stay here."

 

"I feel okay," replied Ritah with a forced smile. "My....friends will be worried. We've already lost one. I don't want them to think I've been killed as well."

 

"Be patient." The words translated as both tender yet firm, much like a parent offering advice to a child. "For now, you must stay here."

 

Ritah opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, Vai quietly stood up and moved toward another room in the extraordinary tree house, picking up the tricorder as she left. Just before she disappeared from sight, the Qin turned once again to glance at the Traveler. "You are safe here. Stay and be patient." Then she was gone.

 

"Safe?" thought Ritah silently. "No comm badge....no tricorder....nobody knows I'm still alive...I don't call that safe." She waited a couple of minutes before carefully crawling out of the moss and bark lined bed she'd been in since her arrival. Cautiously working her way to one of the massive branches supporting the tree house, she hazard a peek over the edge. Squeezing her eyes shut, she quickly pulled back. She couldn't begin to guess how high up she was but she knew she would never get down without help.

 

As awesome as it had been chatting with a new alien species, Ritah now felt a knot growing in her stomach. She had been treated with compassion and respect but she was also a prisoner of sorts. She gingerly made her way back to the large nest and installed herself in the middle of it, a stark realization settling over her. She had no choice but to do as Vai instructed.....stay and be patient.

Edited September 28, 2008 by Ritah Lowen