AFTERMATH

by: Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Appearing almost like a lifeless statue, the mouse known as Kiko Nao Rhys was sitting cross legged on her bed. Thin blue-grey wisps of incense drifted gently around her, deflected only by the movement of Kiko’s chest as she breathed slowly. Curling around the mouse they formed thin pale ropes of fragrant scent in the still air, for the ventilation fans had been turned to their lowest possible settings. One of her paws gently caressed a strangely formed, deadly looking twin bladed knife that sat bare in her naked lap, the other was spread wide before her large dark eyes. Slowly muscles contracted, then as slowly relaxed as her stubby artificial claws smoothly extended, then slipped back within her fingers. She repeated the action just as slowly, time after time after time. She had been this way nearly nineteen hours now.

Jeffary Deft had only released her from sickbay the day before, having rated her completely unfit for duty. Still no where near fit for duty was the Doctors decision. A decision that was based not on Kiko’s extensive surgical repairs, but on the mouses mental condition. Though Jeffery was more than certain something was deadly wrong with Kiko’s mind, it was simply beyond the lynx’s limited medical abilities to understand just what. For Jeffary Deft wasn’t a religious woman. While Kiko was exactly the opposite.

She had been in her quarters less than minutes before digging out her small altar. Just as quickly she had preformed one of the most strenuous ceremonies she knew. One certain to shift her mind from the physical world to the upper, spirit world. Still after all her meditation the mouse couldn't decide if her new abilities fell within her Goddess guidelines. Or if she were a freak not fit to live. Unseeing she stared at the stubby little claws, themselves no longer than her true fingernails, as they glided silently in and out of their channels.

At the soft tapping at her door Kiko hardly reacted. Arbis and Fantus had been by earlier. She had ignored them completely. Even Fantus’s futile attempts to overcome her lock had not caused her to react. Failing that Arbis had made his attempt at forcing the massive pressure system, unaware of the even more massive, and deadly and terribly simple deadbolt that had defeated every attempt to open the door. At the sound she let her mind slip, something she could only do after deep meditation, and touched the others thoughts. Understanding that this visitor would not leave Kiko woke herself just enough to reach out and release the portals simple lock with her mind. "Come in Dia she said softly, resetting the lock as the rabbit entered. Spreading her hand again she slipped back into that other world just as easily, continuing her meditation.

Dia had slipped in as quietly as her training allowed. So quietly that had the mouse not other ways to detect her while in this deep of meditation, she would never have noticed her visitor. Dai had just spent several days with Fantus studying the mechanics religion. What the ferret knew had shocked her, what he didn’t know had scared her even more. That time though had given her some idea what to expect. After all, confined to sickbay while her hand healed she had a great deal of free time. It hadn’t taken long for the rabbit to realize there was now an unbreakable bond between the muridae and herself. One she had been unaware of, yet somehow very aware of. Sniffing at the thick sandalwood incense Dia found a pillow near the bed and sat. Watching.

Hours later Kiko had to admit she couldn't ignore the Security Officer any longer. Dia’s scent had slowly worked its way into her sub-conscious, raising her metabolism above that acceptable for any serious

meditation. Lowering her hand she looked at the security officer, now sitting cross legged at the foot of her bed. Still silently watching her. "What do you need" Kiko asked just as softly as when she’d originally welcomed the other woman. Even so her voice was dull with exhaustion, its sound of one who’s thoughts were still light-years away.

Kiko’s question caught the rabbit off guard. Struggling to recover she fell back on routine. Gently she clicked open her laptop, calling up her own files on the explosion. "I need to close out this investigation Kiko, and you’re the last person I have to interview. If you would be so kind, just a few questions and I will get out of your life."

Kiko shivered, her eyes glowing bright in the darkened room. "You can't get out of my life Dia. At least not by simply leaving. Even should I turn my back on you, or you I. We are bound now" she replied. "As for the bomb. There honestly isn't much to say. I barely remember the explosion. For the life of me I don't yet how I survived."

A chill ran down the rabbits spine. Not that Kiko's words were exactly what she had hoped, and feared she would hear. But that the mouse was well aware she was in love with her. Closing her eyes Dia centered herself as best she could, unconsciously assuming a highly provocative position as she prepared to interview yet another witness. "Three questions" she managed, her voice rasping for an instant. "First. Why did you evacuate the bay before you reached safety. That is a suicidal maneuver and your not a suicidal person."

Kiko shook her head in disagreement. "A third or more of the bay was in flames. If I waited until I was safe the shuttles atomospheric fuel tanks would have failed. That explosion would easily have engulfed the entire bay, setting off explosive materials I have... had stored in the back section." She paused, absently running her free hand across the beds sheets. A soft ripping sound followed the movement, though the mouse didn’t seem to notice it. "Then I have been in vacuum before, many times. I knew I had time to reach the emergency chamber next to my office. Until that is, I realized what kind of bomb it was. After that my friends lives were more important than my own life."

Dia winced as the mouses sharp claws shredded the beds rough sheets. As she typed in comments to the mouses answers she noted that Kiko was oblivious to what she was doing. She had again extended her claws as she spoke. It was obvious that she was agitated, but at what the rabbit was afraid to delve in. She would have too, that Dia knew. She was simply afraid to. "All right, that makes sense. Second question. What made you realize the green vapor was dangerous."

Kiko winced, remembering the horrifying revelation. "There was still some atmosphere in the bay when my sight cleared" she whispered, obviously reliving the experience. "The gas was flowing over some stock material stacked near where Michael Aribis parked the shuttle. That alloy can take a Tigers direct afterburner exhaust and I watched them melt. That kind of heat would have burnt the flesh from my bones instantly. At five times the distance between us. Yet I was fine. It could only have been a corrosive."

Nodding in agreement to herself Dia entered her observations below the machines automatic recordings. What Kiko said made perfect sense. Yet she wondered to herself how many people in the same position would have had the control to observe, and understand what they were seeing. ‘Sometimes she scares the life out of me’ Dia thought, bringing up her last question. ‘’And the way she is talking right now, if I hadn't seen the operations myself I would think she was a machine.’ Looking back up at the patently waiting woman Dia keyed up her last entry. "What made you decide to throw the bomb out. You knew that it could kill you in an instant" she asked.

"I don't know" Kiko admitted. "I just don't know."

Dia started. This had been the answer she wanted to know, and the mouse had answered in exactly the same words she had heard from others in the same situation. Softly closing her laptop the rabbit stood to leave. "Thank you for your answers Sgt. Rhys. I'm quite sure you answered as truthfully as you could." Looking down at the mouse she tried to smile. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, her voice hollow with hidden emotion.

Kiko looked up at Dia. Her jacket was twisted, another button had given up the fight, granting Kiko an impressive view. "Yes" the mouse replied. "Answer me why you went after these prosthetics. Even though you knew you might bleed to death before you could get back."

Dia leaned against the chambers wall, laying her laptop on the mouses dressing table. "You’re my friend. You would do the same for me."

Kiko slowly uncrossed her legs, stretching them slowly. "No” she disagreed. “I would not have done such for a friend" Her voice was still flat, almost emotionless. "I would do it for someone I love or for duty, but not for a friend." She stretched her hands out, throwing her chest forward as she moved. "I would do it for you."

Kiko’s movements had caused the rabbits blood to rush. She started to move forward, then a flash of light caught her eye. Kiko’s left hand held a Herish knife. A deadly blade few off-worlders had even heard of. Stopping her forward movement the rabbit pressed herself back against the chambers cold walls. Dia knew she could beat Kiko in any hand to hand or firearms combat. But she had watched the little mechanic practice. Even the few feet between her and the chambers door would mean death, if the mouse decide to use that blade.

Kiko stood, setting her blade on the tiny alter next to the bed then walked up to the larger woman. "Prosthetics are known in my world, bone replacement ones are allowed by my Goddess." She paused, holding up both hands, extending the deadly little claws. "But claws? None of my race has had claws in seven thousand years."

Dia shuddered in barely repressed terror. Her friend was obviously close to losing control, losing her mind. Though Dia had been in deadly situations before, in truth she had never been so close to death from one she loved. Then Dia had only once before allowed herself to love. In this life, and that had ended on a sour note. Yet without the blade it would now be a simple matter to escape. But Kiko was more than her friend. Much more. Dia dropped to her knees, bringing her face more in level with the shorter mechanics. "Jeffary gave us the dimensions for your bones. We searched over twelve thousand files that night and took everything even close to your requirements."

Reaching out she placed her hands flat against the mouses, palm to palm. Kiko's stubby claws pricked her fingers. That gentle pain bringing a somehow excitement, along with the sharp scent of blood. "Your unique, you know that. Nothing that would fit your race would fit you. We kept searching and found these. I know the feline claws are strange, you don’t know it but Jeffary ruined two sets of prosthetics trying to remove them. She couldn't." Taking a breath the rabbit played her trump card, her last bit of knowledge gleaned from studying the history of Kiko's religion. "I’ve been studying your religion my love, with Fantus’s help. Didn't Jelur Mrath, the great prophet, have claws as well?" she asked.

Kiko nodded, dropping her eyes from the rabbits exotic violet ones. "As Merithel takes from our hearts, she gives back what we will need in the future" she intoned in a voice with more emotion. "Yes, Mrath had claws and the Kyfleer Chim tore them from his hands. Yet they grew back. Later he took the Kyfleer's heart from her, using only his claws." She turned her back to Dia. "Thank you. I had forgotten. For all pain there is a reason, as there is a reason I am on this ship. You no longer need fear I may kill myself. Merithel has a task for me. I have lost no honor. And Dia? I could never kill you. No matter the time or situation. I could never kill you. That fear will never be yours."

Dia let out a heavy sigh, relaxing for the first time in days. Stepping over to her friend she reached out, putting her hand on the others shoulder. "Whatever you need..." she started. Kiko suddenly spun, throwing herself at the rabbit. Dia found herself desperately fighting off the little mouse, trying to capture both hands yet not let Kiko slash her with those deadly little claws.

"What.. " she stuttered in confusion. "Wait."

Kiko paused suddenly, as if coming out of a mad dream. Her eyes quickly filled with tears. "Sorry" she moaned, "I..." Abruptly the rabbits fist caught the mechanics jaw, lifting her from the floor and dropping her on her bed. Kiko landed on the bed face up. Her dark eyes were filled with tears as she started crying. "I'm sorry love" she whispered between sobs. "I can't stand to lose you. We both know I can't have you and I don't know what to do. I want, I need you so much." She turned away, crawling slowly up the bed. Moving away from the surprised rabbit.

Dia shook herself. Her jacket was in ruins, her pants a shredded rag on the floor. Damn, she thought as pain washing over her in a tide. I've never seen her move so fast. She could feel the thin shallow cuts slowly bleeding as her blood scent filled the small room, slowly overcoming the incenses heavy odor. Sliding onto the bed she enfolded the sobbing mouse within her arms, feeling the little women's body shudder with each bout.

Eventually she felt Kiko begin to calm down. Moving away for a moment she removed her shredded clothing, watching silently as the mouse slowly fell asleep, her body racked by the occasional heavy breath as over stressed muscles relaxed. Damn she decided. She's going to be an expensive love. I just hope she's told me the truth and isn’t going to be my death as well. Returning to the bed Dia held the tiny muridae tightly to her chest, surprised moments later as the mouse unconsciously began nursing. Closing her own deep eyes the rabbit sighed in relief. Now that she knew the worst was over she relaxed, releasing all her stress..

Within minutes both were asleep.