Kniam: A Terraneu Novel (3 page)

When Amber woke up this time, she was no longer in the cage from camp.
She gingerly pushed herself up to a sitting position and took stock of where
she was now. The enclosure she was in reminded her of something she had seen at
the zoo once. There were three solid walls and one swinging door with bars.
There was no bed that she could see, nothing of anything to adorn the room. She
stumbled to her feet and grimaced at all the aches and pains. What had woken
her up? Just as she had that thought, Mr. Hotty walked up to her door rattling
some collar thing in his hand as he juggled to unlock her pen. That sound got
her attention.

 
She put her hands up in the
universal "stop" gesture and said, "Don't come any closer!"
He obviously didn't understand because he just kept coming. She could see that
he was holding some kind of choker or chain thing. She already had guessed that
she was some kind of animal to them, but there was no way he was getting that
thing on her. "Stop! Over my dead body are you putting that on me!"
Again he just kept stalking her, so she backed away and found herself in the
corner. As he reached for her, she did what any woman in her position would do.
She kneed him as hard as she could in a particularly sensitive area, she just
hoped he kept his junk there! It seemed he did, because with widened eyes and
with an agonized groan he went down to his knees. She punched him on the head a
few times for good measure, and bolted for the door.

Once she got clear of the cage, she was frantic. The saber cat-like
animals started yowling in their cages, and the fuzzy furry things were growling
again. She paused to let the adrenaline pump through her, she wasn't sure what
she was doing or where she was going! Only one thing was certain she needed to
RUN! She had just made it a few steps toward a door when steely arms grabbed
her from behind. She was thrown into the air, and her startled scream was cut
off when she landed across Mr. Hotty’s shoulder with an “Omph.”

He was able to lift her up...and throw her into the air...THROW! She
might have been impressed with his strength if she hadn't had the wind knocked
out of her. Stars danced around her vision, and then darkness slowly claimed
her again. This is NOT how a trip to the Highlands of Scotland was supposed to
end!

Kniam frowned over the poor creatures remains. He shouldn’t have tossed
it around so roughly. It was obviously more fragile than he had thought. When
it had hit him in a most sensitive spot he had dropped to his knees. Had the
creature aimed there on purpose?
 
Impossible! He had taken hits there during training, or wrestling
matches, so was able to shake off the pain fairly easily. Sighing he held the
creature under one arm and walked over to the door to the medical dome. (NE-1)
Again, since the caging area was locked at all times for safety reasons, he had
to use his handprint to open the lock.

The medical dome, was the exact same size and shape of the caging dome.
This one had been configured as the hospital for the compound. There were two
medical beds out at all times, with more beds available at the push of a button.
There was also a diagnostic medical unit that was able to do all kinds of
medical procedures. With a sad shake of his head, this is where Kniam placed
the creature from caging. He would request an autopsy on the remains, with a
DNA sample to be place in cryo-storage for analysis. He wasn’t holding out much
hope now that he got a better look at the poor thing. Knollig was right, it did
have really disgusting strange fur all over its body. It had obviously been
rolling around in mud and foliage, since it was covered in grime. It was hard
to make out any features the thing was so dirty! Also, it must not have been
eating a good diet, because it’s fur was different texture and color from the
head and the rest of the body. The only thing he could see was it’s nose, and
it was kind of a cute button one, and the eyes. They were a strange mix of blue
and green. He hadn’t seen that color before. All of his people had some form of
purple eyes, due to the planets suns.

Turning his attention back to his purpose, with deft movements he pushed
the required buttons. The computer just beeped at him. He pushed the buttons
again, and again the medical unit just beeped at him. Frustrated, he hit the
button for a diagnostic…then auto processing.

“There that should do it.” Kniam shook his head again. He hated to be
responsible for the poor creature’s death. It didn’t sit well with him that he
had caused it fear, he had seen that in the creature’s eyes. He had an
appreciation for all living things, as did all of his people. The years of
genetic manipulation had given them a much stronger sense of honor and duty.
They valued all life, which led them to treasure their pets, like the Sacaths.
If a species could not be domesticated, they were returned to their natural
habitat.

He moved to go back to the caging dome, the medical unit would take a few
minutes to categorize and dispose of the primate. He might as well see to the
training of the new Sacath’s. Just as he reached the door to the caging dome,
the door to the medical dome opened across from him.

“Kniam, I need to have a word with you about your pet!” Kneus stormed
into the medical dome without warning, bringing with him the fresh smells from
outside. Kniam also couldn’t miss the loud yowling of Cebat just as he caught a
glimpse of the feline face before the doors auto closed.

“Ahh…Hello Kneus. It is nice to see you too brother!” Kniam tried to hide
his smile and failed.

“Don’t you hello brother me…I’ll have you know I had to get replacement
furniture for every room of my home. That pet of yours is a menace!“ Kneus was
interrupted in his rant, as Knollig opened the doors, followed by Ailech.

Both men were waving their arms and legs, saying “No Cebat. NO!”

YOWL! His pet was not happy at being kept out, and there were answering
yowls from other Sacaths.

“Your pet is going to start a riot Kniam!” Ailech walked to Kniam, bowed
low for a second and then did the forearm shake.

Kneus, deciding he might as well get over his rant, moved in front of
Kniam and also did the low bow, and forearm shake.

“Where is the primate specimen? Are there any results yet?” Knollig asked
excitedly.

Kneus and Ailech looked confused, “What primate specimen?” they both
asked at once.

“Knollig you explain, I need to check the medical unit.” Kniam hurried over
and played with some buttons on the wall, not really paying attention. He would
have to explain his amazing bad luck in killing the creature, he just wanted to
wait until Knollig had shown them the primate first.

Knollig got silent, and both Kneus and Ailech got concentrated looks on
their faces as Knollig “showed” them his previous conversation with Kniam. They
got to “see” the new specimens coming into the caging dome, from the port dome.
They got to see the primate specimen Kniam was talking about. The two newcomers
grimaced over its condition, then all caught up, the three turned to Kniam
questioningly.

All Kniam could do was make a helpless gesture and point to the medical
unit.

Amber could hear voices, and she actually understood what was being said.
Was she in Heaven? Hell?!

"Dammit, Kniam you killed it?”

Another husky voice sounded next to the second..."It wasn't my fault
Knollig, it hit me in a very painful spot…” there was a pause, then she heard,
“and proceeded to beat me about the head when I fell to my knees. When I
grabbed it to try to subdue it, how was I supposed to know that would kill
it!"

“It hit you in a sensitive spot? On purpose?” this voice was someone she
hadn’t heard yet. Just how many people did it take to get checked into Heaven,
because she refused to believe she had gone the other direction!

“I don’t think on purpose Ailech…” Kniam said frustrated.

 
"Protocol is to put it into
the medical unit for autopsy and DNA retrieval. I’ve checked the records and
you have it doing a diagnostic with auto-processing.”
 
This voice was different, coming from much closer.

Wait...put her where? She opened her eyes and tried to look around. Then
it hit her, a
utopsy
??

"I did set it for autopsy, but it wouldn’t work on the creature,
something about its chemical composition…I’m not sure. In order to process the
remains, I did a diagnostic with auto-processing.” This was the husky
voice…Kniam was it?

Wait a damn minute...remains? Amber really worked on focusing now...what
she saw when her vision finally cleared was not reassuring. She was in a
box...there were some lights flashing around her. The voices she heard were
talking about her death, so this had to be a coffin! Now she was really pissed
off. That brute had killed her, and was talking about getting rid of her
remains.

"You killed me you jerk! I am so going to haunt your ass!" She
started pounding on the box in frustration, and yelled out again..."You
big, freaking, barbarian..." She stopped suddenly when she heard confused
yelling.

"What in all..."

 
"Did you hear...?”

Suddenly the "door" of her coffin opened and she was staring up
at Mr. Hotty, and three other faces she didn’t recognize. She didn't really
care as she jumped up and put the box between herself and the four men! Nice,
if she could vault around like this, being dead might not be so bad.

"You stay away from me, you damned brutes!" She screeched and
they just stood there stunned, with their mouths hanging open.

"What happened to the creature you put in the
medical unit?" This from Knollig and he sounded confused. “I saw the
creature in the cage, and this is not it!

"I think this is the creature I put into the medical unit."
Kniam sounded just as confused. "How is it possible that we can understand
it?"

"I have been talking to you idiots ever since I was taken by those
'Ant' things. It isn't my fault you don't understand English. What do you mean
by the medical unit, and why all of a sudden can you answer me... hold on...
you
are answering me
!" She was so excited she ran around the box unit when
she remembered she was an "it" to them...some kind of specimen…and
hurriedly put the box back between them.

"This thing looks different...it can't be the same creature. The
hair covering the head is much longer, and a different color...its fur is much
smoother, also the folds are not the same."

Folds? Amber looked down at herself and almost passed out. She was naked,
but that wasn’t what had her holding her breath. She didn't remember her body
looking like this even when she had been in decent shape. Her breasts were back
to pointing in the right direction, full and rounded, with rosy nipples. Her
stomach was flatter then she ever would have been able to get it with a million
sit-ups. She would have sold one or both kidneys to get a body like this! What
the hell was going on? She spun around to try to check out her backside, and
started shrieking...what was on her head? She started running in tiny circles
slapping at her head. "Get it off! Get if off!" Was it some kind of alien
pet, or worse…maybe one of those fuzzy fur balls with a million teeth!? Every
time she threw her head it swung around and waved over her. Oh my god, she
froze! It was her hair! She grabbed a fist-full to look at it. It was the same
color as when she was younger, only more highlights and lowlights. It was ash
blond, with darker blond highlights and mocha lowlights. The length is what
made her start shrieking again, this time in excitement. It reached her lower
back, and from the weight you could tell it was thick! She had never been able
to grow her hair this long! She had tried but always ended up cutting it short
in frustration.

Amber heard, "Make it stop!" a second before Knollig tried to
get to her from around the box. She snapped her mouth shut, and stared at him
with fearful eyes. "You just stay away from me..." he kept advancing,
so she did the next best thing to kneeing him. She let out a scream for all she
was worth!

Amber was screaming all the obscenities she could remember, and some she
made up. Knollig, Ailech and Kneus were yelling

“Enough!” Kniam roared. Knollig had managed to grab her, and she was
hanging there with his arm wrapped around her waist. His other hand was frozen
in mid-air reaching for her mouth. Ailech was stopped mid-step toward where
Knollig was standing. Kneus who had been pacing in front of the computer
diagnostic on the wall froze.

Ailech, Knollig and Kneus all bowed down suddenly,
and outside she heard a great yowling noise in response to Kniam’s yelling.
Amber was brought into the bow with Knollig since he still held her, and all
she could get out was, "Ooommmmppppp." As being bent in half forced
the air from her lungs.

When she managed to peek up from her bent position against Knolligs side
her breath caught in her throat. She felt electricity fill the room and the
hairs on her arm stood on end. Kniam was standing with his legs spread, why
hadn’t she taken full
notice
of him before? Okay, passing out, and being
mistaken for dead, then put in a machine that made her look 20 again, with
this
body, might tend to scramble your brains. But not anymore! She was looking now,
and her body yelled,
me likey
! Her eyes roamed over his 6 ft. plus
frame. His feet were encased in those black boots. His legs sheathed in black
pants that molded to his corded thighs, and...She would just come back to
that
area later to see if her eyes were playing tricks on her. His chest was covered
in the same type of black vest. She was seeing a trend here with the black
material. The vest covered his stomach and chest, but she could see his well
defined biceps. It didn’t take her imagination long to fill in what his abs and
pecs would look like under that vest. His face was chiseled perfection, with
high cheek bones and full, plump lips. His eyes, which seemed glued to her,
were an electric purple framed by long black eyelashes. Her dreamboat sundae
was topped off with silky, black hair that fell to his shoulders. Yum!

 
Amber had a really bad habit.
When she was nervous she laughed. She couldn't help it, she just did. This was
a situation that had her beyond nervous, so what to do? Laugh. Full, deep belly
laughs that she couldn't stop. The absurdity of the situation hit her and her
mind just chose that moment to snap. Which was unfortunate as she got dumped on
the floor by Knollig. Her laughter must have reminded him that he was holding
her. After the shock of hitting the floor washed over her, she just laughed
harder. She laughed until tears ran down her face.

"It is broken! I can see it leaking." Knollig let out a
frightened whisper, "It is doing a weird death rattle…the medical unit
must have only done a temporary fix."

That got her laughing harder, "I- am- not-dying –you- idiot!” She
gasped in deep breaths, wiping at her face. Taking a long minute to control
herself, she finally got out…”I was laughing because I found the situation
humorous!" She pushed herself from her prone position on the floor to
sitting. Thankfully her hair managed to give her some modesty. "Is anyone
going to help me off the floor?" She looked around at everyone, but her
gaze stuck on tall, dark and extra hunky.

Amber kept her eyes on Kniam as she waited for someone to help her off
the floor. His eyes swept her from her hair and lips to her now
thankfully
not too plush body. He paused in his perusal of her every now and then to
swallow hard. His eyes, which started as electric purple, turned a smoky and
deeper shade and what she thought was electric before, became just plain
shooting sparks. His mouth moved to say something and he swallowed again. What?

She was shocked when he said, "We might have a problem. This
creature is making me sick." That threw her off, wait, what?! At those
words all hell broke loose.