Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors CHAPTER ONE
Kai managed to part his eyelids to a narrow slit and saw the rock. He closed his eyes. There shouldn’t be a rock. Especially a rock which could talk. For a sound, like his name, emanated from it. He seemed to be in physical control of only the area around his eyes. Otherwise he could not so much as twitch a finger. He tried to analyze his lack of sensation, reassured finally that he wouldn’t have been able to think if he weren’t in his body. And managed to open his eyes slightly wider.
“Kkkkk … aaaaah … eeee!”
The sounds corresponded to those in his name but he hadn’t heard them uttered in such a fashion in a long time. He struggled to think when. And became aware that he possessed neck, shoulders, and chest. The paralysis was ebbing. Yes, he was aware that his chest was moving up and down normally, but the air that his lungs drew in seemed stale and left a curious taste in the back of his throat.
With the return of his olfactory sense, Kai knew that he hadn’t been paralyzed. He’d been asleep.
“Kkkk … aaaa … eeee! Wuuuh … aaaakkhhhuh!”
He forced his eyelids wider apart. The damned rock dominated his vision; it was now canted dangerously over him. As he watched in unbelieving silence, the rock slowly extruded a rod which split into three tentacles. With these, the rock grasped his shoulder gently but firmly, and administered a shaking.
“Tor?” Kai’s tone was startlingly similar to the quality of sound the rock had issued. He cleared his throat of a thick phlegm before he repeated the name.
“Tor? You’ve come?”
Tor made a grinding noise which Kai took as affirmative though he sensed a reprimand that he would comment on the obvious. Kai groaned as memory returned. He hadn’t been just asleep: he’d been in cold sleep. Tor had arrived in response to Kai’s emergency call.
“Reeee … pppoooorrrtt.”
Kai watched as Tor’s rod placed on his chest a small gray oblong, its grill toward his mouth. He took a deep breath because his mind was not yet clear enough to find the words he’d need to account for disturbing the Thek at its own investigation of the system’s outermost planet. His message had not been ambiguous: “Mutiny! Urgent! Assistance Imperative!” But it was possible that the entire sequence had not been transmitted before the heavyworlders smashed the communications panel.
“Dee … taaa … illlll.”
Kai felt the permaplas floor of the space shuttle sway as the rock that was named Tor settled beside him.
“Ffffuuuulllll.” Tor added just as Kai opened his mouth.
Closing his mouth abruptly, Kai wished that Tor would give him a little more time to collect his thoughts. After all, time was on the Thek’s side. But a full report in Thek terms still meant that his remarks must be succinct and limited but not the terse phrases which, in Kai’s state of mental funk, would have been hard to edit. He could also speak at a normal speed. Tor would later adjust the replay to Thek convenience.
“Rumor permeated Exploratory Unit that plantation of group intended. Heavyworld-personnel reverted to barbaric omnivory. Forcefully restricted all other members in one building. Drove large terrified herbivores toward building to effect our sudden deaths. Four Disciples effected timely 3
Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors release and sheltered in space shuttle which was buried under large corpses. Made nocturnal escape. Settled in natural cave unknown to the heavyworlders, pending assistance. After seven days, cold sleep logical recourse. End report.”
“Reeeeesssstt.”
Kai felt a feather-light touch on his shoulder, hearing a hiss, then felt the coolness of one sprayshot, an itch from a second. A curious warmth spread from his upper arm through his body with remarkable speed.
Breathing became easier and, experimentally, he began to rotate his head and shoulders. His fingers tingled. He moved them with increasing ease.
“Reeee … essstt.”
Kai complied but the order was irksome. Granted, he had to assume that Tor knew more about the cold-sleep routine but he felt clearheaded. Too clearheaded because he could remember in embarrassing detail everything that had led up to the necessity of cold sleep.