Children of Steel (42 page)

The techs split down into several different
fields with a lot of overlapping, same with the engineers. The
Tigers also doubled as Techs as did Rudy, Sheen and myself.

A Badger named Klaus was the expedition's
leader, with Franz the second in command as he was the senior
scout. The head technician was an old Wolf named Janus, the head of
security was a Tiger named Tiberius, and the head scientist was a
Bear named Jack. I was considered the person in charge of all
flight op's, but as there was just the one shuttle and the two
helicopters it didn't really mean much, I was primarily responsible
to Tiberius and considered part of security.

That was fine with me though, Tiberius liked
me a lot. Probably because he couldn't stand Marcus. Also as a
member of security I'd get to spend a lot of time with Rasha and
Sheen.

Getting back to the present, the camp was set
up about thirty degrees south of the equator and about fifty miles
east of the largest ocean on the planet. Photo reconnaissance from
space had indicated this was a likely spot for a good mineral find.
There were about fifteen other promising sites to be checked as
well, which were scattered around the planet. This one was fairly
central to the majority of sites, though two of them were a good
fifteen thousand miles away.

The climate here was cold with a capital 'C',
it got to a high of 2 degrees Celsius during the day, and about
thirty below at night. There was a constant wind and the only cover
was a low brush of some type that came up to my knee. It didn't do
anything to stop the wind however.

One thing for sure, I'd be glad when my
winter coat came in! It'd make a big difference. I envied the
Tigers, they were all Siberian derivatives, and with their winter
coats they'd be able to take it all in stride.

The first night I had to stand watch with
Sheen, which was fine with me as we were pretty good friends. Watch
was a pretty simple affair; we had surveillance cameras covering
the grounds, and a perimeter fence that would scream if anything
ran into it.

We didn't really expect to have any trouble,
but we had no idea at all what the local animal life consisted of,
or if there even was any here. So far we hadn't seen a thing, but
all the activity may have just scared it away.

Watch was pretty boring, which was about what
we expected, the hourly patrols just served to remind you how cold
it was. At least the winter lining in my combat armor was battery
powered, but it wasn't air tight and the wind found ways in.

"What are you doing afterwards?" I asked
Sheen as the end of our shift neared.

"Going to bed, why?" She asked giving me a
suspicious glance.

"Want some company?" I grinned.

"Raj, it hasn't even been a day yet, what are
you going to do months from now?" she sighed.

"Hey, it's cold around here and I think we'd
both be a lot warmer in bed together." I admitted honestly, though
I don't think she believed it. "I promise to behave, for tonight at
least."

"In that case, you have a deal. It
is
cold out there, and this building seems to have trouble dealing
with it."

"That's a fact; these temporary structures
just aren't made for this. Everybody's going to be grumbling until
they get their winter fur."

We finished our shift a short while later and
I followed Sheen through the empty corridor to her room, it was
still three hours before the day began for everyone else. We went
inside and helped each other strip off our gear and after a quick
trip to the bathroom, climbed quickly into her bed.

"Damn, at least they could keep the floor
heated during the night!" she growled as we curled up together.

"Everybody's supposed to be asleep, remember?
Why waste the energy."

"It still stinks, I hate cold feet."

"Next time try leaving the liners from your
combat boots on then," I suggested.

She snuggled a little closer, her back
against my stomach, "That's a good idea; I'll give it a try."

"If anything else gets cold let me know, I
have an idea for that too!" I said quietly in her ear.

"Just remember your promise!" she chuckled,
"Really Raj, I didn't expect you to start in for at least a week.
What's the rush?"

"I figure the sooner I start, the sooner I'll
succeed," I yawned. It had been a long day and I was getting tired
despite my suggestion.

"What make's you so sure you'll succeed?" she
asked with a hint of humor in her voice.

"Well," I said counting off the points,
"first you are a Leopard and a young one at that, even if you are
older than me. Second there's only one unattached male Leopard on
the entire planet, and that's me. Third your boyfriend Clint
isn't
on the planet and the two of you don't exactly have a
monogamous relationship."

"And you don't think I'll find what I want
among the Tiger's?"

"It's a possibility," I conceded, "What's the
matter Sheen, don't you
like
me or something?"

"You're in my bed aren't you?"

"Then what have you got against sex with me?"
I grumbled half asleep. If I had been totally awake, I probably
never would have had the nerve to say it straight out.

"I don't have sex with Leopards very often
anyway, or hadn't you noticed?"

I woke back up, "What? I thought you and
Banner had before he mated with Terease?" I asked confused.

"Well yeah, we did a few times. But I mostly
stick with Jaguars, Clint usually, but I've been with Pepe too," I
could feel her grin, "And even Tigers on the occasion."

"Why?" I was dumbfounded.

"The Jag's are just a lot more laid back,
that's all.
You
should be the first to admit that many
Leopards can be maniacs," she said accusingly. "And I prefer the
calming influence they have on me. Haven't you noticed I'm not as
hyper as the rest can be at times?"

"And all this time I thought you just liked
large men," I said depressed.

"If that was the case, you'd have been
successful a long time ago Raj. But the fact is you have a tendency
to be exactly the kind of Leopard I avoid. I've seen the way your
ears go back, the nose gets wet and your eyes dilate.

"The last Leopard I knew like you got shot in
the back because he lost it and had to be 'put down'. It wasn't a
pretty sight believe me, I had nightmare's about it for
month's."

"Who shot him?" I asked suspiciously.

"I did," she admitted so quietly that I
almost missed it.

I thought about that a second and filed it
under reason's to work on self improvement.

"So I guess this mean's sex is out of the
question then?"

"Dammit Raj, I'm being serious here," she
sounded really upset. "You’ve got one hell of a temper, worse than
his was! I don't know how you've managed to survive this long!
You've got several warnings in your records from your crèche days,
Balizar can't figure out why you weren't put down then. Sure you've
behaved since you almost got tossed out of advanced, but I've seen
the type before and we're both afraid you'll revert."

My ear's perked up at this, "You've read my
file?" I asked coldly, "That's supposed to be private!"

"Balizar showed me before this expedition
started," she replied coldly. "In case something had to be
done."

"That should be Tiberius's job, why'd he tell
you? And who else has he told?" I wanted to know just what had been
going on behind my back.

"He didn't tell Tiberius," she said quietly,
"other than to say you have a temper, which everybody already
knows. I suspect Herza knows too, but that's not the point!"

"What is the point?" I asked settling back
down.

"The point is, I'm expected to stop you if
you really do go crazy."

"Why you? Why not Tiberius? Better yet, why
not Herza?" I asked confused.

"Because I've done it before, and Balizar
wants this kept inside the clan, he has this hope that you're going
to learn to control yourself, and every year older you get the
better the chances. As for Herza, she's in love with you and
wouldn't be able to do it."

That last part was a shock, Herza in love
with me? I couldn't believe it. Either I said it out loud, or she
read my mind.

"Yes, she's in love with you. Except for that
damnable temper of yours, you're her idea of perfection I
guess."

The idea of Herza feeling that strongly
towards me made me feel uncomfortable, so I changed the subject.
"I've read my file too you know."

"Really?" That surprised her, "Doesn't it
worry you then that you only just squeaked by?"

"I didn't just 'squeak by'," I confessed.

"What do you mean?" She turned and faced me
in the darkness, I could see the concern on her face by the dim
light of the telltale's on the far wall.

"I was supposed to be put down when I was
eleven," There I had finally said it! Only one other person knew,
and that was Cassandra of course.

"Why weren't you?" she asked drawing away a
little.

"Cassandra isn't just in intel just because
she's sneaky, smart, and devious; she's also a good computer
hacker. She had flags on everybody's files, everybody in my family
that is. When the order came down, she erased it, as well as the
files that prompted it. She then made it look like it was carried
out to the person who ordered it, and got him transferred to
another department."

"Why?"

"So I'd make it out alive! What do you
think?" I said exasperated.

"No, why'd she do it? They could do her too
for that."

"Because we're in love, and there really
isn't any reason for one of us to go on without the other." I said
quietly. "After that incident, she made it quite clear that we'd go
together and I realized it would be my fault if we did. So I
started trying to calm down and not let my rages get me into
fights.

"I admit now that the incident on the ship
was a mistake, but after the fight I just kind of lost it. I've
been trying something new now and it seems to be helping. That's
the other reason I want to have Cassandra around again though,
besides lifemating, when she's there I have an extra incentive to
behave.

"Anyway, I've been good since then. I've
gotten mad a few times sure, I admit it. But I haven't stayed mad
and haven't done anything have I?"

"I thought the reason was the trips you've
been making to the Bars with Herza."

"They helped at first," I admitted, "But they
really didn't change my behavior," I smiled, "just made me a better
weapon."

"What did you do that they were going to 'do'
you anyway?" she asked quietly after a moment.

"I don't want to talk about it, but don't
worry, I didn't kill anyone. I've never lost it enough to do
that."

"That's reassuring at least," she smiled.

"So now that it's all out in the open, think
you might change your mind about having sex?"

She rolled back over and snuggled up again,
"No, my original plan still stands," I groaned. "But I'll tell you
about it now, I think you deserve it for being so honest."

"Well what is it?" I asked after a couple of
seconds.

"You behave, and I'll screw your brains out!
I'm not the celibate type myself you know. And Balizar does believe
in you, and you have been good. But screw up once and I'll be
sleeping with the Tigers!"

I gave her a hug, and a little nip on the
ear.

"But not tonight! I'm tired."

"Me too," I admitted, confessions and
admissions took a lot out of one. We both went to sleep then. I
dreamed of Cassandra that night and got the impression that we
shared the dream. In my dream, we were both together again, as in
many of them to be honest. But it was years later in this one, we
were both officers now and posting the same assignments.

We were serving on a ship I think, and some
of the faces in it were familiar ones from the past, but most were
the formless ghosts of dreams. As the dream continued, I suddenly
found myself young again, back at the age of eleven, but here on
the planet.

It was then that I had a nightmare that I
hadn't had in years, one where I lose all control and start to
strangle somebody only to have them turn into Cassandra. This one
ended differently thought, this time I was shot in the back of the
head by Sheen.

I woke up panting then, I usually did after
that part. I laid there slowing my breath and calming down,
thinking about the dream and its changes. Usually I was killed by
myself, in a strange split of views. It was a strange dream, but I
had always suspected that it was a post hypnotic suggestion,
planted by Cassandra. After that old incident I had allowed her
several liberties with my body and mind, in a hope to change my
behavior. The nightmare had started shortly afterwards, but as my
attitude changed it had gone away.

I guess the talk had jarred it loose; I was
surprised it was still there even. But it was amateur work, done by
one desperate child for another. We both knew that I had reached
the allowable number of incidents, and we wouldn't be able to cover
up another one. I had been getting into at least one fight a week
at that point, with a large percent of my opponents ending up
seriously injured. It was only when Cassandra had drilled it home
that I was hurting her too, that I really made an effort to
change.

I closed my eyes and went back to sleep, one
point of the dream that I guess my subconscious had supplied, was
obvious: I had damn well better behave around Sheen.

The next morning I awoke refreshed, the
nightmare not having caused any further problems. I dressed and
after breakfast headed out to check on how the shuttle had
weathered the cold. I didn't expect to find any problems, and
didn't. But it's standard procedure to do the checks, you never
know if there's something local that considers some part of the
shuttle to be perfect for it.