Paum

Paum

By William Levy
Copyright 2007 All rights reserved. No reproduction in any format without prior permission is allowed.

One

“Don’t even think about it, bitch!” The camo-clad guard snarled, sighting down his rifle.

The blue-green pelted catmorph lay on the ground, splayed where she’d landed after his shot shattered the branch she’d been traveling on. She started to wipe a trickle of blood from her muzzle…

“I said don’t move!” He yelled, his finger tightening on the trigger.

A blur of green and brown, and the rifle jerked upwards, loosing several rounds into the air before leaving the shocked sentry’s hands.

Paum curled into a ball, certain of death.

“Bastard!”

She opened one eye cautiously.

A taller bearded human, the one who had spoken so well at her town, stood facing the sentry. He was casually swinging the still smoking rifle to and fro, frowning.

“That doesn’t seem like the sort of thing a smart person would say about the parentage of the guy with the rifle.” he said mildly. “Not to mention an officer.”

The sentry swore, clutching his right hand. “I was following orders! And you almost ripped my hand off, you freak!”

“And I’m sure that hand hurts more than steel-jacketed slugs would have.” The bearded one’s voice hardened. “Ignoring the insubordination, or worse, killing an unarmed innocent civilian with no concept of the just set-up ‘security perimeter’, past the trouble you’d start by murdering a curious local who’s also fairly young, I want you to consider this.”

He took the rifle in both hands and with one smooth motion, bent the barrel to a ninety degree angle. “I’m always careful, unlike some, you trigger-happy moron.”

Tossing it to the stunned guard, he growled. “Now, go sit down while I try to repair the political damage, asshole.”

Barret turned to the catmorph, but she was already gone, vanished into the brush.

But not far. Dark green eyes watched, with a mix of curiosity, fear, and… something else, as the tall one chivvied the shorter human back to the camp. ‘What had he meant? Why were they so different, when they looked so much alike?’ she wondered.

She wanted to know.
******

The flaming needle had descended from the sky with an eerie hiss, settling into a clearing less than a day’s journey from her village. Before her people had decided exactly what to do about it, a small pack of the aliens had appeared at the city gates.

About the same size as a person, they were smoother skinned, with smaller ears and round eyes. Their claws were funny as well, fixed and flat. Their colorings varied, mostly shades of brown, like some of the southern clans.

Fortunately, Arnoth was a trading town, and basic communication was quickly established. The alien’s tongue was absurdly easy to learn (The aliens had seemed a bit put off by this; but the little picture books they’d brought helped a lot.

Everyone in town had poured over them by now. Some of the pictures were a great source of discussion at dinners…).

The tall one had been oddly relaxed, eager to see anything anyone wanted to show him. The others seemed ill at ease, and relieved when a summons came from boxes on their belts.

Paum was disappointed. She hadn’t had a chance to talk with these strange creatures. This would be something to discuss for years, maybe decades. And personal experience counted for so much more than a mere sighting.

Pondering it for a day or so, the azure catmorph came up with an exciting idea.
She knew where the clearing they’d landed was…
******

Back at the rough camp around the starship Albion, arguments were again blazing.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?!” Barret roared at square, solid figure of a man in a flight jacket. “Sending nervous, armed inexperienced young men out to hold a perimeter against a culture that doesn’t seem to recognize violence as a valid response to trespassing?”

“Security patrols are standard procedure in hostile territory.” The commander said calmly, studying a file.

Making a visible effort at self control, Barret squeezed out between clenched teeth, “This isn’t hostile territory. We’ve barely spoken to each other. A day trip, tourist stuff. Nobody’s even frowning yet.”

“Exactly.” The commander looked up. “We have no idea what they want, what they’re up to. They outnumber us, they could have anything underway, any kind of alien plot…” His voice rose in pitch, and then subsided.

Barret felt a sick coldness in his stomach. Xenophobia, blatant xenophobia. The U.N. probably hadn’t tested for it very thoroughly, because nobody’d expected the first expedition to another star system was likely to find intelligent life.

But they’d arrived, landed, and found the planet crawling with intelligent cat morphs, most at more or less the tech level of seventeenth century Europe. Fortunately, they were in a backwater, which was giving the crew time to adjust to the surprise.

Unfortunately, if the commander was going to lose it, this could create a massive fiasco. Even with an advantage of higher technology, if he insisted on presenting an aggressive front…

Best estimates were the humans on the planet were outnumbered about fifty million to one.

Barret sighed. This was one of the reasons why he was along.

A century earlier, studies had isolated a variant in the human race. These individuals were produced by the race itself, as a kind of antibody, an emergency weapon to handle a crisis and ensure humanity’s survival.

Since the dawn of time, they were the ones who held up a cave roof long enough for the tribe to escape, stopped a bear with only their hands, outfought a small army at a pass, or emerged from a flaming building with a stranger’s crying child.

Seemingly normal, sometimes just a little bigger and stronger, during stress they became something apocryphal, and quite unconcerned about their own welfare.

A popular science fiction author had tagged them after one of his creations in an interview, and through a mispronunciation they became known as the Pact.

Barret was one, discovered in his teens, and after years of training and missions had been assigned to the expedition. Given his experience, he probably would’ve been leader, but the possibly self-sacrificing nature of his abilities, combined with nervousness among certain elements concerning ‘unnatural talents’ put him at second in command.

“We can’t make decisions for the whole human race blindfolded, sir. Why don’t I see if I can find out what they’re up to?” he suggested, suddenly changing gears smoothly.

The commander’s eyes blazed. “Yes, that’d be good, excellent thinking. I’m glad you’re becoming a team player, Captain Barret.”

“In the meantime, shouldn’t we pull the guards in close and keep them near the ship itself, a natural target for theft, given that it’s the highest example of our technology on the planet?” Barret prompted.

“Now you’re cooking.” The commander nodded. “Do it.”

“Yessir.” Saluting smartly, Barret suppressed a smirk and wandered off to issue the orders. ‘Damage control duty. Oh well, could be worse…’ he thought. ‘At least I caught it small, before anybody got seriously hurt. Maybe for once in history, we can get it right.’

As he left, the sentry came over and sat down.

“Lousy freak.” he muttered.

“Yes, but a useful, expendable one.” The commander smiled coldly, beads of sweat on his forehead gleaming in the warm sunlight.
******

Paum watched from behind a dense ginkanda tree as the bearded one walked boldly into the forest, heading towards town. She followed him, gliding silently from shadow to shadow, stalking his clumsy thrashing.

Suddenly, she blinked. Where had he gone?

“Hello there. Feeling better?”

Hissing, she jumped backwards onto a branch, fumbled, and nearly fell off.

Clutching it awkwardly, the cat morph glared down at him.

Leaning against a nearby tree, Barret smiled affably up at her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to break your concentration. I’m hoping you can understand me. Your people are amazingly good at languages.” He dusted his hands, and prepared to continue his journey. “I’m headed into town. You can keep stalking me if you want, or you could come down and talk on the way, if you’d like.”

After a few steps, she was suddenly at his side.

They walked quietly through the forest for a while.

“Sorry about that nastiness back there. He’s just a nervous kid, shouldn’t have been out there with a gun.” Barret finally said.

Paum was silent, then darted around in front of him.

“You threatened one of your own.” The catmorph spat accusingly. “You harmed one of your kind in defense of a stranger. Are you an outcast? Insane? An evil one?”

He paused, nodded. “It might seem so to some. I prefer to think of myself as morally independent, hopefully preventing more damage to everyone in the long run.”

She frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. You sound like one of the crazy elders.”

She brightened, leaned forward. The perky breasts under her pale brown, light cotton-like shift rubbed against his chest. “Perhaps you did it to get sex?”

The bearded human drew in a deep breath, looking very unsettled. “Uh, no, not really. I didn’t want him to hurt you. Just… didn’t seem right…” Oh, gods, now that he had a chance to get a better look, he remembered seeing her in town, had admired her, but that wasn’t driving this, was it?

Paum ran her claws gently down his sides, and purred. “You’re lying…” Then dashed away into the forest laughing with a musical mrr.

Wiping his brow, Barret continued towards town.

“One up.” he muttered.
******

After he reached the town, Barret spent most of the day making the rounds of what passed for local leaders (The cat morphs called them ‘strong points’, for what it was worth, and they seemed to rule more by suggestion and example. He found this casual anarchy charming and annoying at the same time.)

At times, he caught glimpses of her, from across a room or in a crowd, too often for coincidence.

The captain smiled wryly. ‘I’ve got either a fan or a stalker.’ he thought, shaking his head.

But that night, at the inn, after he washed up in the communal bathroom, he returned to his room to find her curled up in his bed.

She smiled seductively at him. “I am yours to command.”

Several layers of his forebrain threatened to burn out at the sight of her nude azure furry form, calves tucked under the yellow sheets. An agile tail flicked back and forth over the curve of her hip, and the candlelight reflected glittering points from her almond eyes, sharp canines, and pink nipples.

The back of his brain screamed warnings about violating cross-cultural taboos, even as his groin urged him forward. He staggered to the only safe seat in the room, the far edge of the bed and sat down, clutching the towel around his waist like a lifesaver.

“Sh… should you be here?” he whispered through dry lips.

“You saved me. I’m yours.” Paum said simply, then frowned. “You don’t want me?” Her lower lip quivered.

“Oh, no, I mean, yes, oh, do I ever, but…” He was navigating through some exceptionally murky waters here.

“Do aliens not have sex? Or do you only do very perverted things, that you’re ashamed to tell innocent young girls about?” Eyes large, she drew the sheets up to her throat in fear. “I’ve heard stories about aliens who come from the stars to eat pretty girls. Is that why you saved me? To eat me up later?”

He stared at her, then burst out laughing, falling back on the bed.

Paum watched him, uncertain, feeling slightly hurt. This wasn’t working the way it was supposed to, at least not how she’d imagined.

Finally regaining control, Barret wiped the tears from his eyes. “Boy, do you have that one wrong. If you only knew how universal…” He chuckled again. “Poor kitty…”

“Wrong..?” She cringed into the sheets a little further.

The lanky human sighed. “Yeah, I… Look, what’s your name?”

Still tucked safely behind her cloth barricade, she squeaked, “Paum.”

“Paum. That’s a pretty name.” He smiled reassuringly at her. “Okay, Paum, rest assured, I’d like few things better than trying to break this bed with you. But I’m not sure it’d be fair.”

“Why not?” she asked, lowering the sheet a little.

“Well, I’m not free to stay here, and I’m not the sort of guy who casually wanders into that sort of thing.”

”You don’t want me? I’m not pretty?” she began to wail. “I’m horrible…”

“Oh, no, that’s not it, please, don’t cry…” In a flash, he was next to her, pulling her close, comforting the catmorph.

The amazingly soft, warm, very female catmorph...

Before he knew what was happening, they were kissing.

Pulling back the barest amount, she nuzzled his chest and purred. “Oh, seems like you do want me, don’t you?” Paum stroked a rising section of the towel.

He answered with an exasperated growl of lust.

This was followed by giggles, purrs, and many moans.
******

The next couple of days passed in a glow. Barret went about his duties, smoothing relations with the local inhabitants. But everywhere he went, Paum was there as well, draped on his arm, holding his hand, sitting close. Not just decoration, she was invaluable with translation and kept him from getting lost in the maze of Arnoth’s streets. And at night, well, the innkeeper moved them to the room down at the end ‘cause some folks are trying to get some sleep around here’. (This was said with a wink and a pinch at his wife’s tail, who growled at him and smiled maternally at Barret and Paum.)

They were walking through the market in the late afternoon, having just left a leisurely lunch with an influential trader. The lithe catmorph was curled into Barret’s arm drowsily, content.

Suddenly she was pulled away, tossed into a pile of blankets.

Barret turned. “What the fuck?” he started angrily, then paused, cautiously evaluating.

The crowd had melted into a rough ring, watching curiously. At the far side was Paum, apparently unharmed but dazed. Between them, facing him was a slightly larger, darker green female cat, in a leather jerkin.

“Alien wizard!” she snarled, crouched. “Leave this place now, or die!”

Frowning, Barret flexed his arms loosely, regaining his center. “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but if you’ve hurt Paum…”

“She’s unharmed,” the angry feline growled, “And will be better when you leave.”

The human raised an eyebrow. “Is this about some rule we’ve broken? If so, I’ll happily apologize, or work something out. I don’t want to cause trouble.” He edged slowly around to her left.

“Stay away from her!” The darker catmorph screamed, lunging forward. Her claws blurred.

“Col! No!” Paum cried out.

Distracted by her cry, Barret pulled back, but not quickly enough. A tearing sound and streaks of red gleamed fresh in the golden sun.

The human grimaced, clutching his shoulder. He gingerly tested the arm while triggering the mantra releasing his first level. “No more, mister nice guy…” he sang softly, as his body responded, heartbeat slowing slightly. Everything seemed to pause, then resumed in crystal clear focus.

“Paum? You know her?” he called, cautiously watching his opponent.

“She’s, she’s Col, my sister…” Paum replied, trying to sit up. “Barret, she’s a hunter, she’s deadly…”

“Okay, then I’ll try not to hurt her too much.” Barret said lightly, wiping the blood from his hand on his pants.

“What?” The sisters said, practically in unison.

Paum regained her footing, started forward. “Col, don’t…”

Col stepped back for a moment. “He’s mad from pain. I’ll put him out of his misery, then we can go home. You do what I say, stay put.” She pushed her sister into the pile of blankets again.

“Nooo!” Paum cried, flailing about.

“That was a mistake.” Barret frowned. “Even if you are family, I don’t like bullies.”

“I hardly think what a mad wizard likes matters.” Col sneered. “Especially after he’s cold.” She leapt forward, claws sweeping in a complex attack pattern.

And found herself spinning through the air, sideways. The darker catmorph landed hard on the mortared courtyard, rolling to absorb the impact as she’d been trained.
Pulling herself up, Col stared at the human.

He stood there casually, his alien expression undecipherable. But had she felt his hands meet hers, for just a moment..?

“Take my advice.” He pointed a long pink finger at her. “Talk. Or listen. But think.”

She snarled, and rushed him again, but cautiously.

This time, Col could almost follow it as he reached out, grabbed her arms with unnatural strength and speed, twisting them and tossing her away. But this time as she flew, almost as an afterthought he slapped her upper belly with a backhand blow, driving the air from her lungs.

She hit the ground flat, dazed, fighting to retain consciousness. Through a haze of pain, she saw him helping Paum out of the blankets; saw her hugging him and crying.

Then the two of them approached Col.

Paum took her hand. “Are you alright, Col?”

Barret crouched nearby. “I hope I didn’t hit you too hard. You’re pretty tough, you know.”

Col slashed feebly at him. “Get, get away from her, you soul stealer…”

The human shook his head. “I don’t know what to say, to convince you that I wouldn’t hurt Paum for the world. Please…”

“I chose him, Col, you must believe me.” Paum begged.

The older catmorph closed her eyes. “It’s all tricks. You only believe that. But I know, I can see it…”

The younger sister sighed, and then gasped as she noticed her lover’s wound.

“We must get you to a healer!” she insisted.

“No, just back to the room. I’ve got a kit.” he replied confidently.

But he did let her help him walk as he turned off the mantra.

When they got back to the room, he removed the torn shirt, and she wept. Four red grooves had dripped crimson down his shoulder, across his chest.

But while gently washing the wounds, Paum was shocked to discover fresh pink
flesh already in place under the dried blood.

“Your people are amazing…” she murmured.

“Not really; I’m kind of a special case. I heal really quickly, and I’ve got a few other tricks.”

She looked troubled.

He laughed ruefully. “Yeah, that’s how some of my own people feel. But I promise you, they’re all physical, very scientific. No magic, I can’t read minds, eat souls, or control people.”

“Okay.” Paum smiled nervously.

“Look,” he said impatiently. “If I could control you, would I let you feel unsure right now?”

Paum shook her head slowly.

“Or if I was a powerful wizard, would I have allowed your sister to stay pissed at me? Let alone cut me up? I mean, yeah, I heal fast, but that still hurt like a son of a bitch…” he complained.

Her eyes large, the catmorph stared silently at him.

“Oh, hell. Go on home. Nobody should make you chose between family and a stranger.” He hung his head morosely. “If you don’t trust me, maybe you shouldn’t.”
Barret fell back on the bed, closing his eyes. “Sometimes it feels like nobody does…”

He felt her crawling on top of him. Opening his eyes, he saw her studying him intently, biting her lip absently.

“I… I trust you…” Paum said softly.

Barret raised his head slightly, kissed her stubby muzzle, and then relaxed.

“Thanks.” he whispered. “I trust you, too.”

She laid her head on his chest. They lay quietly for a long time. He thought he felt a tear roll on his chest, but he wasn’t sure.
******

In the moonlight, Paum watched his chest rise and fall slowly. Her fingers, so thick and stubby next to his, rested on his pale chest, nesting in a thatch of reddish black hair.

She smiled. Some spoke of the ‘hairless aliens’. But up close, Barret had far more hair than most of the people she knew. It was just longer, with a few bare patches, but sensuously wild and long, like an animal...

Animal...

She thought of Col. Her sister, a hunter. ‘Was that why she distrusted him?’ Paum wondered. ‘Couldn’t she see past the strangeness to the person I...?’

The chitters outside were momentarily silent, and she could almost feel her sister looking down at them disapprovingly.

‘I love.’ The cat finished the thought defiantly.

Almost immediately, sadness washed over her. Somehow, she knew Col would not, could never accept her little sister’s new relationship.

It would cost Paum the only family she had left. Their parents and brother had died a decade ago in the Green Plague, the last of the great sicknesses to come out of the east. Col had been the firstborn, and naturally raised the younger by a decade child.

At times, all they’d had was each other.

Rising from the bed, Paum padded softly to the open window. Leaning against the side, she stared at the full moon, shivering a little in the night’s coolness. A tear began to form, then her face hardened.

‘If a door is shut, I’m not the one who closed it!’ she thought angrily. ‘I won’t feel guilty for following my heart...’

“You’re so beautiful.”

Surprised, Paum turned to find Barret sitting up in bed, arms across knees, contemplating her.

“I’m lucky, I suppose.” He smiled at her. “I could’ve fallen in love with someone who was merely pretty.”

“You...”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Been thinking about it. Knew I cared about you a lot, liked you... But when I thought you were in danger, might have gotten hurt... For the first time in my life, I knew I’d do anything to protect just one person. And somehow, it wasn’t duty, or honor.”

“What about your parents? Your family?”

“Everybody’s my family.” Barret said softly, wincing a little as he shifted.

‘Another one of those strange things he says.’ Paum thought. ‘My sister would call them mad, but I’ve heard the elders say words like that, and people will argue for years over the wisdom.’

Approaching, she sat next to him. Her hand traced the pink scars from the afternoon’s fight, already fading into white. She gasped, suddenly realizing what the thin trail of pale lines all over his body must be.

“You, you’ve been hurt before..?”

Glancing into her wide eyes, he grimaced. “I’ve had some relationships, but nothing... Oh, you mean the...” A chuckle. “My mistakes. Bookmarks in the story of my life.”

Taking her hands in his, he explained about Pacts.

“You’re a hero?”

“More or less. Kind of a safety measure for the race, really.” he said sheepishly.
They’d had ‘hero’ knocked out of them during training, right after ‘superior’ and ‘better’. It was healthier for their emotional stability. “But even the best of us don’t usually survive more than a couple of events, as we call them. So the cheering doesn’t mean much.”

The moonlight caused the scars to stand out, an irregular silver web on his pelt.
Resting her head against his shoulder, Paum whispered. “How many times have you... survived?”

“It’s not important.” Barret muttered.

They listened to the chitters for a while.

“I don’t want you hurt ever again, Barret.” she said quietly. “Please be careful. I love you.”

She could feel the tension melt out of his side as he pulled her close with an arm and rubbed her nose with his funny, pointed one.

“Then it’s even more lucky that I love you, too, isn’t it?”
******

They were sitting in an outdoor café the next day, when Barret suddenly spoke.

“Y’know, seems like I’ve been taught forever only to think about my responsibilities. I’ve been pretty faithful to them, but it’s about time I thought about me a little. I’m happy here with you. Like never before, I think.”

Paum sighed and leaned against him.

“I’m not going back.”

She looked up at him. “What will your people say? Your mad captain?”

“Don’t know. He won’t like it, that’s for sure.” He thought for a few moments. “I may be able to trick him.”

She buried her face in his chest. “No! We can just run away, into the forests, they’ll never find us there…”

Barret held her, patted her. “I’m sorry, but they’ll come looking for me. He’ll assume I’ve been kidnapped or brainwashed or killed. And when the townspeople can’t produce me, he’ll attack them.” Hugging her, he continued, voice tight. “I can’t let folks get hurt, yours or mine, just so I can be happy.”

Tears crossed her muzzle as she looked up at him. “It’s that mad ‘hero’ part of you, isn’t it?”

He gave a half grin. “’Fraid so, pretty kitty. Gotta try, no matter what the odds are.”
******

That night the noise from the room at the end of the hall was particularly loud.
******

The next day, Barret showed up at the clearing where the starship was located.

He strode up to where the commander was again seated, looking over files in the warm sun.

“Sir!” He practically barked. “I’ve returned, with my reports.” He handed over a sheaf of papers.

The commander squinted at him. “You’ve been gone some time, captain.”

“Yessir, I had to build up their confidence in me.”

“And?”

“And you were right, sir.” Barret tried his best to look abashed. “They’re plotting, sir, to take over the ship.”

“I knew it.” The commander leaned forward, glancing from side to side. “When?”

“Tonight.” Barret whispered.

“Damn. Not much time, then. Well, we can put together an ambush with…”

“Oh, no, sir. They have secret weapons.” Barret shook his head. “They were laughing at our guns. I tried to find out, make friends, but they wouldn’t tell me.”

Sitting back, the commander paled.

“Our only chance is escape, before they realize we know, get back to earth and warn them.” Barret suggested.

Slowly, the commander nodded. “Of course. Undignified, but our responsibility is to humanity.” He clapped Barret on the shoulder. “I should’ve expected a Pact to
remember that.”

Barret nodded. “With your permission, sir?”

With the commander’s assent, Barret began calling out orders.

It hurt, a little, all things considered.
******

Everything and everyone was aboard in snap time. The commander’s paranoia had helped. He’d been keeping most of the crew close at hand as the captain had suggested.

Barret’s plans had taken the most time.

First, a computer virus he’d previously designed as a privacy shield now had a more serious function. It contained his evaluation of the mission, the planet, and most importantly, the commander. It was set to take over the Albion’s communications system after the all-clear on the jump drive, and transmit a pulse report directly to a dozen U.N. controllers, as well as several reliable news outlets. No sense having an armed ship coming back to avenge him based on the commander’s fantasies.
And jumps were expensive, the GNP of a small nation. They wouldn’t waste two on a runaway.

Second, a packet of literature, music, and movies, on discs, with three solar powered hand-sized players. Gotta make a living somehow, and until copyright lawyers arrived, he could carve out a niche as a storyteller.

Finally, the escape.

His place during launch was right behind the commander. No way to get out of that for more that a moment. But if he could claim to need to check on a malfunction…

Rewiring the lowest hatch was nervous work. All the hatches were monitored from the main board. So he had to wire it so that it would open for him without flashing an alarm during the launch, and close on its own after he dropped through.

And then call up on a suit mike to go ahead and launch, he was braced. They’d be in orbit, and jumped, before anyone double-checked.

As the engines began their whine, Barret started to get out of his seat. “Forgot to tie down the sample racks in Seven.” he said, matter-of-factly.

“Don’t worry; I’m sure they’re fine.” The commander said, as someone behind Barret rammed a hypodermic home in his side.

“What…” Barret stared, as the control room began to swim.

“Couldn’t leave even a freak with the know-how to fly a starship behind, could we?” The commander chuckled. “We had an informant, traitor.”

Barret screamed angrily, instinctively triggering the full levels of his mantras, snapping restraints the crewmen had attempted to fasten. He nearly made it out of the chair before the drug hit, tossing him into the black pit of oblivion.

Stroking his chin, the commander stared down at his slack second-in-command. “They told me 10 ccs of that stuff would kill a whale, but it probably wouldn’t do you in. Be interesting to find out.” He turned back to the board. “Launch!”
******

Outside, in the clearing, Paum watched, waiting for Barret to drop from the silver needle as the flames carried it into the sky. She kept watching, even after it disappeared into the stars.

Not the end....