The Travelers - Chapter 16

*Sustainers - additives to preserve food for travel.  Sustainers also help those who consume them to stay fuller longer, but they aren't as healthy as eating "pure" foods.

*Walking Sentry - a guard who doesn't stay in one place. 

 
*****

Chapter 16

“You are one to push your luck, aren’t you, lad?”

Corbin jumped guiltily and shoved his gloved hands in his pockets.  “What?  I didn’t do anything,” he determined as a stride twice the speed he normally walked took him away from the place of temptation.

Kel rolled his eyes, not sure why the younger Traveler amused him with his ability to skirt right up to the edge of temptation, and even on occasion take that step over the line.  His longer legs quickly caught up to his young friend.

“Yes, I know you didn’t do anything…because I stopped you from doing it,” he pointed out.

“I wasn’t going to do anything…”

“Yes, you were,” Kel interrupted pointedly.  “That red water has been calling your name since the message came not to go anywhere near it.”

Corbin huffed.  “I just wanted to get a closer look at it.  I wasn’t going to touch it or anything.”

“Uh-huh,” Kel replied, his disbelief clear.

“I wasn’t!” Corbin argued. 

“Cory,” Kel said, using a nickname Corbin was starting to like.  “I’ve marched with you for the last three days and believe it or not, I’m a pretty observant fellow.  You’re a sucker for negative attention.”

“What?!  I am not!”

“Are too.”

“No, I’m not!”

Kel managed to keep a straight face as he repeated.  “Yep, you are.”

“Shut up!  You’re such a jerk!” Corbin exploded.  He started to storm away from someone he now considered an ex-friend, but was stopped by a heavy arm draping across his shoulders and bringing him up against Kel’s side.

“I’m not a jerk,” the man’s voice said with mild roughness.  “A tease sometimes, yes, but I’m not a jerk.”

Corbin’s stomach twisted a little as he realized he’d hurt the other man’s feelings, and despite his anger he wished he hadn’t.

“Sorry, Kel,” he mumbled.

“I’m sorry too, but you are a negative attention nut.”

Corbin’s eyes flashed and Kel grinned in that strange, understanding way of his.  “Well, what would you call it?  You’ve grumbled about every assignment given you since we started except the two you like…those that include your exceptional drawing skills.  You go right up to the edge of our camps every night at some point, although you manage to keep yourself from stepping over the boundaries Seren has established.  And when the message came through on what we are ordered to stay away from, the first thing you do is go looking for it.”

Corbin frowned, his cheeks heating up a little.  “I just wanted to see it better,” he tried to justify.  “And we should be getting told why to stay away from it.”

“We were told,” Kel said with a frown, wondering how Corbin had missed that part of the message.  “The red water didn’t test as pure, so we need to stay away from it and anything growing in it.”

“But Kel, we’ve all worked in purification at some point.  You know as well as I do that just because something isn’t a hundred percent pure doesn’t mean it’s automatically dangerous.  Sheesh, most of the food we brought with us on ship isn’t pure because of the sustainers that are added to it.  If they want us to stay away from something, we should be given a better reason why or be allowed to know what will happen if someone is infected with something.”

The arm around Corbin squeezed briefly, a quick but tight embrace that pulled the smaller man almost protectively into Kel’s side. 

“Have you ever gotten told that you don’t think things through, lad?” Kel wondered aloud.

“No way,” Corbin insisted.  “That’s what I always got praised about, how I could see the end result of what I wanted to build as well as all the steps to get there.  When I have an idea in my head, I can always think it through—from beginning to end.”

Kel nodded.  “When it comes to your construction aptitude or drawing expertise, I believe that completely, but I’m talking about life outside of that.  I think you’re not always quick to see or maybe comprehend the far-reaching effects of choices you make or actions you do.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Corbin admitted.

Kel nodded.  “Talk it through with me then.  We were ordered not to go near the red water or anything growing in it, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And what reason were we told?”

“Because it wasn’t pure, but that doesn’t guarantee it’s dangerous,” Corbin insisted.

“True enough,” Kel agreed.  “So how do we find out if it is dangerous?”

“By running tests,” Corbin answered with a roll of his eyes.

“Right.  Do you know how long those tests take?”

“Not really.  I’ve never gone that deep into the purification or science fields.”

“Makes sense,” Kel stated.  “But tell me, within your world of construction and building, when you’re testing a new product or wood to see if it is conducive to being an adequate building material, how long do your tests take?”

“It depends,” Corbin explained.  “Some only take a few hours, but depending on what I find, additional test might need run, and I may even use some samples for small models to see how they hold up.  That can take a few days to a few weeks.”

“Would you let someone build with a material that you weren’t sure could hold or handle the stress it would be put under?”

“No way!  If the wrong material is used, roofs could collapse on people, or water dams would leak, or bridges would give out!  I’m responsible with what I do, Kel,” Corbin insisted with a tinge of insult in his voice.  “I won’t put anyone in danger!”

“Exactly.”

“Huh?”

“Corbin, if you have tests that can take hours or days to verify that something is safe, don’t you think that the purification and science teams sometimes have to wait that long as well?  And if they do, doesn’t it make sense that while they can’t say exactly what might happen, they can say that there is a potential risk and it is better to not try anything until the tests can verify things one way or the other?”

Something clicked for Corbin and he finally caught on to what Kel was explaining.  “Oh,” he murmured.  “I didn’t think about that.”

He was silent for a few minutes and only seemed to remember to keep walking because Kel still had an arm around his shoulders.  When he did speak, his voice was thoughtful.

“A lot of the time I thought that orders were given as a power trip.  I mean, I don’t think anyone was giving orders just to give them, but sometimes I thought maybe they exaggerated things just to make it sound like it was more important than it was, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, and I even know some people who would be guilty of that, but I think that’s more the exception than the rule.”  He paused and then asked, “Do you think Charge Seren would do that?”

“No way!” Corbin answered immediately.  “Charge Seren wouldn’t do something like that!”

Kel chuckled to himself, thinking not for the first time how there was definitely some hero-worship on Corbin’s part for their Charge Pilot.

“I don’t think he would either.  Just keep in mind for the future that there’s usually a good reason for a decision or order that is made, even if you don’t always see it.”

At his side, Corbin grew thoughtful and didn’t have as much to say the rest of the day, but he stayed away from the red water.

*****

Seren gave the ok for the Travelers to remove the splash gloves and any other protective gear when the group stopped to set up camp that evening.  He knew there would be relief at that announcement.  The day had been hot and the extra protection, while necessary, was uncomfortable and not pleasant to be worn in the heat. 

Seren had made sure to be very aware of their surroundings before he made that announcement though.  The group of them was still within the wooded area they’d been marching through, and he knew that there could be a greater risk of danger hidden in the density of trees and brush: plants they were unfamiliar with, animals concealed amid the trees and foliage, etc.  He’d taken advantage of Charge Amrynn’s expertise and had her accompany him around a large enough plot to host the Travelers for the night before deeming it safe to make camp.

Everyone was starting to settle in now, and Seren’s eyes scoured the area for a good spot to stand guard for the first part of the night.  It was harder to determine an advantageous viewing area now that they were within the Nevean woods.  From the looks of it, he might have to be a walking sentry instead of an overseeing one. 

“Charge Seren?”

He turned and gave his attention to Pilot Sabik, feeling glad to see her face.  He’d missed having the woman nearby to bounce ideas off of as they had on board ship.  She was a good right-hand.

“Sabik.  What can I do for you?”

“It’s more what I thought I could do for you, sir.  I think you could use a full night’s sleep as much as the rest of us.”

Seren’s lips quirked up slightly.  “Do I look like I’m suffering from sleeplessness, Sabik?”

“Look it?  No, sir.  But you’ve taken first guard watch every night thus far.  I’m volunteering to take the watch, sir.”

Seren was about to graciously decline—he had a hard time turning over something he saw as his responsibility—but he stopped his refusal as he noticed Backer Kemp just a short distance away.  It was only a moment, but there was something in the Traveler’s look that gave him pause. 

“You have someone guarding you, Pilot Sabik,” he said softly.

Sabik’s collected gaze showed a flash of uncertainty.  “Sir?”

Seren didn’t answer the inquiring look she gave him.  Instead, he asked a question of his own.  “Has Backer Kemp given you any problems since we left the ship, Sabik?”

“No, Charge Seren.  He and the others have caused no problems.”

Seren nodded once.  “I believe you.  Does he know that you were going to volunteer tonight?”

“Possibly.  I was telling Eris of my intentions a short while ago and he was nearby.  He could have overheard.”

Seren offered his single nod again.  “I appreciate your offer, and your concern, but I’ll still take first watch tonight.”

Sabik looked like she disagreed, but she wasn’t one to fight his authority.  She wasn’t one to withhold her questions though either.  “If that’s your choice, Seren, but why the inquiry about Backer Kemp?”

“I believe you’ve made an impression on him, Sabik.  A good impression.  Settle in for the night now.  I’ll be fine.  I feel better being the one to stand guard.”

Sabik’s eyes narrowed slightly in scrutiny, but she nodded and turned toward her shelter, her eyes darting only momentarily to where Kemp stood a short distance away.

Seren waited only until Sabik was in her shelter to go to where Kemp was standing.  The man was bigger than him, but he stood at attention respectfully when Seren approached.

“Backer Kemp, walk with me,” Seren ordered crisply.

The Backer immediately fell into step with Seren.  The Charge Pilot started leading them through the camp.  They weaved among the canvas shelters and trees, and occasionally acknowledged Travelers as they passed.  Eventually Seren led them more along the outer camp areas and addressed the man with him.

“You heard Pilot Sabik offer the guard duty to me tonight,” he said forthrightly.

“Yes, sir.”  Kemp didn’t deny it.

“You didn’t like the idea of her in that role.”

Kemp hesitated before responding.  “Is that a question, sir?”

“More an observation.  My question is why you don’t like her in that role?”

“I…don’t know, sir,” Kemp answered haltingly.

“Is it because she’s a woman?”

There was a moment when it looked like Kemp was going to shrug, but he held himself back.  “Partly, Charge Seren, but I know she can hold her own.”

“Mmm,” Seren murmured in casual agreement.  “Is it because you’d like that job instead of her?” he further questioned.

“I’m not in security, sir.”

“No, you’re not, but every Traveler has had required training in offense and defense…and you didn’t answer my question.”

“No, I don’t want the responsibility of guard duty for everyone, sir,” he said obediently, but Seren caught something in the way the man answered.

“You wouldn’t mind the responsibility of guarding Sabik though, would you?”

The slightest of flushes appeared on the Backer’s cheeks, but that was the only thing that gave some of his inner turmoil away.  “Yes, sir, I would mind.  I don’t need a woman around.”

“We all need a woman around,” Seren countered easily.  “Just as we all need some men around too.  Think about that, Backer Kemp.”

They had stopped their walking during the last couple minutes of their exchange, and Kemp stared off into the growing darkness within the woods.  Seren placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and squeezed gently.  “Bitterness doesn’t suit you, Kempley Jenns,” he stated, using the man’s proper name.  “Let it go.”

Seren walked away then, continuing in his guardianship over his people while Kemp continued to stare into Neveah’s unknown.

*****

Corbin, his partly completed map in hand, sucked in a breath as he watched the Charge Pilot affectionately squeeze the Backer’s shoulder.  With Kel’s encouragement, he’d wanted to show Charge Seren what he’d done so far in his assignment to map out Neveah, and he’d looked forward to having a few minutes alone with this man he admired so much.

Pilot Sabik had been talking with Seren when Corbin first sought him out, and he’d tried to wait patiently for her to finish; but then she had left and Seren had immediately gone to one of the other Backers and started walking around with him.  Corbin told himself it was nothing, but seeing Seren touch the man several minutes later cut more deeply than he could say out loud.

Refusing to watch anymore, he turned back to head to the canvas he was sharing with Kel. 

The bigger man looked up with a smile when Corbin returned, but it faded quickly when he saw the storm on the young man’s face.

“What’s the matter, lad?  Did something go wrong?”

“It’s fine,” Corbin said harshly, not looking at Kel.  “Charge Seren is a busy man.  He has other people to attend to.  I’ll show him the map when it’s done.”

He disappeared into the sheltered and Kel looked sadly as he went in.  He wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have encouraged his friend to show the Charge Pilot the map, but he knew that Corbin was aching for praise from the man and Kel had been sure that showing even the partially done map would get it.  It looked like things didn’t quite work out that way.  Hoping to cheer Corbin up, he poured two cups of nectar and followed the younger man into their shelter, determined to make his friend smile before the night ended.