Growth

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

"Your certain this deal is legit?" Terry asked, again examining the transfer offer in his hand.

"I've checked with the 'Ports offices" Mimi replied. "Mark-Ton is a well known, if sometimes shady merchant. They said if he puts his mark on paper its as legal as they come." She hesitated a moment, "They also said to count your fingers when your through."

"Sounds about like what I'd expect" Terry decided. "He's got a hot cargo someone, or several someone’s want and he's picked us to try and get it through." He jerked slightly as the Starport cab came to a sudden stop. "Looks like were here." He glared at Mimi. "I'm not worried about Krystal, but you better get that hungry look off your face" he ordered the cat.

"Hungry? Me?" she asked, her voice suddenly sweet and innocent. "I'm not the one who bought a mouse a certain..."

"Shut-up" Krystal ordered, poking Mimi in the ribs. "We're in public, or had you forgotten this worlds rather strict social.... guidelines."

Mimi clammed up, having to block her feelings for Casey when in public had been rough, it must be maddening for the mouse and ex computer AI. "Where are they anyway" she asked, changing the subject.

"You know Casey" Terry answered. "She's dragged Kena into the local market, there's no telling what we'll find when we get back to the ship."

"Maybe some new... spices?" Krystal asked hopefully.

Terry groaned, the ex-AI had suddenly acquired a taste for spicy food, really spicy food. That no one but Kena shared that taste hadn't kept the woman from making half their meals impossible to eat lately. "I hope not" he grumbled, stepping out of the cab.

"Same here" Mimi agreed, stretching her long frame while Krystal paid the driver. "Sure wish Kena was here, we could use that mind bit of her's."

"Agreed" the single male said, "But aren't we starting to rely a bit heavily on her talents? What if she disappeared, or worse.. Turned on us."

Krystal's stare burned twin holes in the humans back. "If Kena turns against us, I'll 'port back into a dishwasher" she growled.

"Easy little one" Mimi cautioned, patting the smaller woman’s arm. "He was just conjecturing, he didn't mean it." She turned to Terry, "Did you" she asked, her voice dripping icicles.

"Uhhh... well yes" Terry stammered. He shook himself, Mimi always knew what buttons to push. "Sorry girls, I wasn't thinking. If I really thought she would turn, do you think I'd let her go into town with Casey alone?"

Jegall Mark-Ton, third largest merchant in the Provence and the largest dealer in 'select goods' studied his watch. Those fool cargo haulers should be arriving any minute, and his prize? Captured within the half hour. From his spies reports he didn't think the strange mouse-fem with her was going to be a problem. An oily smile crossed his face, human females were rare in this sector of space, young pretty ones especially so. After his special... training, she would fetch as much as ten years of these high risk cargos.

"Master, your guests have arrived" his butler announced.

“Send in" he ordered. Now all he had to do was drag the dickering out until the call came through.

"More than spent both we have allowance our" Kena sighed as she spotted the next fabric store. "Happy with not am I thoughts these getting am I."

"Relax mouseling" Casey laughed. "Mimi will cover my overage, and if Krystal doesn't yours after she see's you in that dance outfit, I'll arrange a loan and cover it myself." She glanced past the fabric store at a small jewelry booth beside an alley. "Don't feel bad, I'm kinda attracted to you myself" she finished, completely missing the mouses concern.

As they approached the stall Kena suddenly stiffened. "Is trap this" she screamed, pulling back on the humans arm.

Casey spun, alerted to the mouses sudden warning she dropped the first mugger at the high point of his leap. Stepping aside she let the body fly past, readying herself for the next one. A quick glance showed most of the people making with the fast vanish act. 'No help there' she realized. It was she and Kena against, she made a fast count, forty or more. Reaching down she triggered her comelink, hitting the emergency switch.

"Work not" Kena panted. "Jammer placed have they, roof that" she pointed, indicating a building fully fifty meters away. Around the mouse several figures lay. Some stunned, some slowly killing each other. Casey was alarmed to see a bright red patch on the mouses arm, someone good had gotten a knife in and Kena was bleeding badly.

"Back to back" Casey yelled, pulling her stunner. She was able to drop several more before she heard the mouseling grunt, felt her body suddenly go limp. She staggered back, tripping over the limp woman. In a flash she saw the arrow growing from Kena's chest, then several hands were one her. Moments later the world went black.

Mark-Ton smiled when the blue lamp suddenly went dark. The woman had been captured, he no longer needed to detain these three disagreeable beings. Still it was a bad idea to just suddenly end negotiations, in the next fifteen minutes he slowly let Terry finalize the agreement. Half an hour later he watched as the three headed back to their ship. They would leave this planet in less than four hours, minus one crewmate. Two, if the mouse had been stupid enough to try and stop his men. "Get transportation. Now" he ordered to his unseen servants. Now was as good as any to inspect his newest 'student', before shipping her off to the meat market.

Kena woke to the smell of long dead fish, slop and rotting garbage. Her first movement was restrained, it took some time to pull her arms from under the rubbish that had been tossed over her. Only luck had kept her nose clear or she would never have woken. She grasped the arrow still protruding from her chest. It had hit her where the majority of beings had their heart, and had gone more than deep enough to have stilled it. Using both hands she snapped the shaft off close to her chest. She might not have her heart there, but resistance told her that it had gone through one of her ribs. Breathing was going to be... interesting.

Dragging herself from the pile of rubbish she found herself in a deep grotto behind the poor area. Figures were digging through the refuse, moving away from her. It only took a moment to discover she had been picked clean, then left to die. ‘Casey’ she thought to herself. Images of what the men had planned for the human washed over the mouse, involuntarily she shuddered. "Casey must rescue I" she whispered. Taking several slow shallow breaths she started up the refuse mountain.

"Where are they" Terry demanded, glancing at the clock. "We have to lift in an hour and I can't even get a response from their com-gear. Something’s not right."

"I'm still checking the nets" Krystal answered from her station. "There isn't anything on them, they haven't been arrested."

Mimi stood, turning to leave. "I'm armoring up" she stated bluntly. No one even bothered to make a sound.

Terry turned back to his station. Like it or not, it was his turn to pilot and nothing he wanted to do could be of any more help. Silently he entered their flight plan, at the same time bringing up SHREVEPORT's ground defense programs. Whatever had happened it was big. Kena had a clock built in her head, she was never late. Casey was always back, why several boxes had already been delivered for her. He was worried.

It had taken Kena two hours to find the hideaway. If it hadn't been for her powers she'd have spent a lifetime and never gotten this close. Before her was a non-descript middle-income family house. Nothing strange, a yark in the yard, children's toys and a small wisp of smoke in the chimney promised supper for a returning provider.

Except there were two snipers with silenced weapons in hidden positions, armored men in the living room, and the basement went down to caverns hidden deep below the city. She leaned against the wall behind her. Although she'd long ago blocked the pain, washed off the stink and located clothing infection had set in. Nothing was more fertile ground for infection than rich bone morrow. Combined with her blood loss, the mouse was nearing her normal limits. She bit her lip, tasting blood and walked towards the house.

Two soft thumps told her the snipers had just eliminated each other. By the time she reached the door it was unlocked, the alarm dealt with. Sweat plastered fur against her forehead. She was straining and hadn't even reached the caverns yet.

Mimi stood at the SHREVEPORT's ramp, waiting. Clad in full combat armor, most of which was illegal on the planet she held the largest hand-held weapon anyone at the port had seen. Not so strangely the ramp was empty, no one could be seen for over a mile. There was a soft thump, Mimi glanced behind her to find Terry, himself fully armored, standing just behind her. "You watch" he said over the short range maser link. "They've picked up some dancer or something and forgotten the time."

Mimi nodded in agreement. "That better be why their late, and their comm-links are offline" she growled, fear underlined her words. For once the port in their immediate area was silent. Reality was holding it's breath, and no one wanted to make the first sound.

Kena was in very bad shape, someone had gotten a shot off and now she was limping. Only a crease, but still another drain on her limited resources. Before her a heavy door stood open. Its guardian had somehow managed to smash his head against the wall, killing himself. She smiled, a horrible little smile. She had limited herself to broadcasting horrors, she could never have taken over each mind individually. The energy demand was simply too great. Looking up she nodded as if answering some unheard question. Casey was only a few hundred meters away.

Mark-Ton stared at his monitor in pure fear. Whatever that little mouse-fem was she had pierced his strongest, most secret training facility like it was a morning stroll. He'd watched amazed as men who had been with him for years had torn each other apart, acting as if the other were some horrible creature. Thankfully no one at the facility knew who he was, or how to contact him.

He turned away, to another monitor. This one showed Casey hanging from chains. Several of his best men had been working on her since her arrival. She was close to breaking, he knew it having watched women break before. His men were specialist and the one woman currently working on Casey had never failed. With luck the human would break before her inhuman rescuer arrived. It would take only minutes to spirit her away, then flood the chamber with lethal nerve toxin. So what if he lost a few trainers, they were replaceable. Flipping a switch he listened to the humans screams. It delighted him.

"I've got something" Krystal suddenly announced. "Blackmarket secrets, someone’s offering a new toy, a human female."

"Where are they" Mimi and Terry demanded at the same instant.

"Tracking" Krystal announced. "Launch now, I'll give you the data as I get it."

With a roar the two battlesuits lifted into the air. Behind them the ramp slowly rose, closing off all access to a battle-ready ship. Inside Krystal worked feverishly. For the first time she truly wished she was still an AI, the limits of flesh and blood was infuriating "Now I know why this sectors warned off" she cursed. "We're never coming here again."

Kena stood at the last door. Locked electronically her powers were useless against it. Beyond she could feel Casey's mind falling. She had broken a short time ago and they were already readying her for transport. With a growl of pure rage the exhausted woman stared at the massive door, concentrating her mind in a way she had never attempted.

For long moments nothing happened. Then reality abruptly twisted, as if a huge hand had grasped the door it began to bend, twist and deform. There was a hush from the other side as those who had been working suddenly stared at thirty tons of ancient bronze twisting in mid-air. The door collapsed, becoming a ball of metal less than a foot in diameter. It dropped with an earth shaking thump to the ground.

"Her release you will" Kena gasped, her voice hardly audible. "Now!"

Everyone stepped away from the bound woman, everyone except the female. With a lick of her tongue she picked up a metal rod, blue fingers of electricity danced around it's tip. "Fun yeesss" she hissed. "Fun fun play we will, you and I."

"No" Kena answered, her voice suddenly as calm as a spring breeze. "Die."

The woman stopped, blinked, then vanished. A hard ringing was heard as the rod fell, followed by several pairs of feet heading for emergency exits. Kena fell to her hands and knees, panting. Slowly, painfully she moved to her friend. Reaching out she touched unresponsive fingers, grasp them tightly, then passed out.

Several minutes later two figures in battle armor crashed through an emergency door. Both figures were covered in soot, their weapons smoking from use. "Found them" Terry screamed into his radio. "Ready for launch, we'll be back in less than ten." Stepping forward he lifted Kena. Mimi already had Casey.

"If I pull any harder I'll break their fingers" Casey cursed. "It's going to be an interesting flight." Turning slowly, the two launched themselves, heading home.

"You shouldn't be out of bed" Krystal complained. "You should heal first."

"Time not is there Casey for" Kena whispered. Her voice was paper thing, her fur had lightened at the roots. She was going to be white in a few months. Laying beside the comatose human she slowly wrapped herself around Casey's body. "Matter what no break apart us" she whispered. "Broken mind is hers, mend must I or gone she is."

Krystal sat, watching as Kena's breathing slowly matched Casey's. Behind her the clock moved slowly, as time does.

"How much longer" Mimi asked. "It's been five days already."

Krystal rubbed her eyes, "I don't know" she replied "I put Kena on life support three days ago, her bodies failing and Casey's not any better. If my eyes didn't tell me differently I'd believe they were one being right now, there's no difference in their medical readouts."

"Then we just wait, wait and hope your lover knows what she's doing" Mimi sighed, taking a seat on the floor next to Krystal. "You get some sleep, I'll watch over them for a while."

Krystal just nodded. Closing her eyes the feline was asleep in seconds.

Kena floated just above the bottom of hell, around her things appeared, withered and faded. She had been searching for Casey since her arrival and finally had found her. Drifting over the horrors below she landed softly next to the huddled figure. Reaching out, she grasped the woman’s shoulder.

"Kena?" Casey asked. "How did you find me?"

"You don't want to know little child" Kena replied, grasping the others hands. She concentrated her untrained abilities, battling with brute force what had been planted into her friends mind. "It's time to leave now, I've dealt with those who hurt you."

Casey blinked standing. Around her horrors slowly gave way to soft fields, firestorm skies became clear and bright. "You learned to talk straight" she gasped, a smile coming to her face. "How?"

"We're talking mind to mind, there isn't the problem of making the sounds." She laughed. "Everyone has some part of their brain that doesn't work right, mines the language interface. Everything comes out... scrambled."

Casey looked around her, all the horrors she'd been cringing from had vanished. She felt.. comfortable. "Are we in your mind, or mine" she asked.

"At this level there isn't any difference" the mouse answered. "Really, I'm using my mind to help cure your mind, so I guess we really are of one mind."

Casey laughed, a sound suddenly pure and bright. "Since when have two women been of one mind" she asked, the smile on her face broadened. "Terry would go nuts if he knew this."

Kena nodded. "It's time to wake up now" she urged softly. "I'm very tired, and if you don't wake up I can't get any sleep."

The human sighed, looking around her. "Its just so peaceful now" she whispered. "I really have to wake up now?"

Kena nodded, the strain finally too great for her to speak any more.

"All right. If I have to wake up, I guess I better wake up." She leaned over, kissing the startled mouse. There was a flash, generations of memories passing between the two. Casey broke away suddenly, staring quizzically at the mouse. Her eyes suddenly closed, an instant later she vanished.

Kena sighed, drifting slowly away from the peaceful glade. It was time to return to her own mind, and her own brand of hell.

"Casey's awake" Terry yelled, jumping from the chair. Kneeling over the barely lucid woman he held her hands between his. "How are you darling" he asked.

Before Casey could answer Terry was knocked aside by the other two women. In seconds the little medical bay was filled with laughter and tears. Finally Mimi picked Terry and Krystal up by the backs of their shirts. "Casey needs to sleep now, and Kena still hasn't woken. So lets all just go do our jobs" she ordered. As she was closing the door she leaned in for one last look at Casey. "And be thankful your back with us."

Casey stared at the door for a few minutes, then reached down to grasp an arm still tightly wrapped around her. "Thank you Kena" she whispered. "When were both well I'm going to dance for you... Privately." She sighed, slowly falling into a dreamless, and healing sleep.