Tenerea

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

A Tale of the ARCHIVES

She had once gone by the name Sandy, but that was years ago. It was a harsh name she had not much liked. Not after a few years of wearing it. Since then she had changed her name to Tenerea, for no other reason than its sound pleased her. It had been over ten years since she had escaped. Escaped, or run away. By now there was no real difference. In the least she had come to deal with her hero love, understanding what it truly was. Now, had she the courage she could stand before all involved. Accept their punishment for her childish actions, perhaps then she could move on with her life.

Yet in truth what life was that? Fragmentary dreams, memories that started and stopped without rhyme or reason. An emblem some of those she met either backed away from in fear, or bowed with respect. Yet none would speak a word to her. To date all she understood was that she was in the wrong time, and the wrong... not reality no, but place. Spacial position. Whatever star navigators called it she wasn’t where she should be. Still the most important thing was she was in the wrong time by at least three hundred years. Though she hadn’t all the puzzles pieces and would never have them, she now knew where she belonged.

Setting her diary aside the mouse now known simply as Tenerea pushed back from her desk. There had been a time when simply earning enough money to afford her air charge had been difficult. It had not helped that she had also been running from those who were really her friends. It had been a foolish thing to do. Still at the time her heart was as fragmented as her brain. Foolishly she had believed herself in love with the man who had saved her from death. Now she knew better, and she still wished he had let her pass beyond the veil of all tears.

That too was past. As Chief Engineer of the Star Liner Epsilon Eridani III she was in part responsible for over two thousand four hundred souls. Souls of thirty or more species, most she had never dreamed of before her flight. This was her last trip, though her Captain was unaware of that yet. They were approaching the very same planet she had first run from. Those few code words she had been given might still be useful. As were the symbols she must locate. In all it really did not matter, she knew what little mind she had grown in the last ten years would be wiped. That she would be thrown back into that place and time she belonged, with no memory of what she had been. That hurt. Her heart burned in the knowledge of that loss. Yet she would be home, even if she never consciously recognized it.

One always knew when one was home, and when one was not.

Seven hours later, in full duty uniform Tenerea watched as the people she had guided these last three years moved through their duties. They had made her proud, for Eridani had completed this long leg of her journey without so much as a clogged feed line. If one were going to vanish from their position it was always best to do so during good times, not ill.

“We have finally entered orbit Chief” a rough looking human male notified her. “Captain should be sending done with engines soon. You gonna stick around again?”

“As always Jake” she admitted. “Until I am certain that there will be no emergency requiring our engines.”

“Until all tha passengers are offloaded you mean.”

“I am third in command Jake. What kind of commander walks away from her duty until properly relieved?”

“Damn poor one Chief. Right, I’ll hang around with you then.”

Tenerea smiled at the human’s back as he walked away. He was older than her, at least that was what the gene counters claimed, and he was human. But she liked him. If he hadn’t been under her command. She licked her suddenly dry lips. It had been six years since she’d scratched that itch, it might be never before she did so again. Moments later, as Jake had foretold the done with engines signal came through. She acknowledged it as a matter of course. Up on the bridge a retired ROE Captain would know she would still be available. A milk run. A good way to end her career. Perhaps her life.

Three weeks later and a lightly dressed mouse approached a fruit vender just outside one of the Starports side gates. “Can help yah miss” a bored coyote asked as Tenerea walked up to his stall. He was selling grapefruit, though why humans called it grapefruit he hadn’t figured out yet. It was neither purple, grew on a vine or tasted anything like grapes. But that was humans for you.

“I have little time and a twisted problem” the older mouse fem answered. “Is Kala here? I was told to ask for her, or her younger sister Mint.”

Hiding his surprise the coyote let his stool drop, sliding off it in such a way that his tail slid over it like a snake. “Never hear of either” he answered. “Yah sure yah have tha right stall?”

Turning her gaze to the hourglass symbol within a sunburst behind the coyote Tenerea nodded yes. “I am certain that time is not immutable, that I have been found wanting.”

Certain now that whomever this woman was she knew enough to be taken in the coyote triggered a signal hidden, in all places, under one of his toeclaws. “If yah will wait by tha fountain, someone’ll come for yah.” He watched as the mouse moved away with just the right sway to her hips. The soft yellow dress she wore moved in such a way that, for a moment or two he forgot that he didn’t like rodents. That was a class act he decided, before returning to pushing flies out of his face while he waited to sell another of those weird fruits, or deal with another agent coming in from the cold.

“General Pattel retired, as did his sister” a rather rough looking human male informed Tenerea. “Mint is back with her ship, won’t be around here for at least a year. Maybe more. So tell me one last time. Who are you young woman and how did you know to find us?”

Still standing after nearly three hours of interrogation Tenerea could no longer manage a smile, still she held what temper her patched together brain allowed her. “General Pattel , as a Captain, recovered my dying body from an Earth battle trench. Era, The Great War. Someone had put a bullet in my brain, thus removing quite a large section of it. Yet even so my body would not die. Historically I was found, taken to a French hospital and lingered for not quite three weeks. During that time my existence changed the course of human history. By bringing me back before I was stumbled upon Captain Pattel, as was his duty, stopped a rather convoluted twist of time. I was rehabilitated. That part of my brain that was missing regenerated as such things are done here. Yet the memories were gone.”

She paused, letting her dry mouth regain some moisture. No one had offered her water as yet, nor did she expect such to occur. “Testing showed that I had an aptitude for engineering. I was trained and worked in the motor pool for some time. Eventually I came to realize that I was in love with Captain Pattel, though later observation proved this to be simple hero worship. Still, his Ladies were I thought my friends. I could never allow myself to disrupt their lives so I ran. I have now returned to face whatever punishment you determine I deserve, then to be returned to where and when I belong.”

“I see” the human replied as he settled into his chair. “And just what miss, do you expect from us?”

“Mindwipe” Tenerea admitted. “Then to be returned to my fathers castle on Helmsbridge 311 years before now. My clan name is Darkhawk. It should not be a difficult procedure. Unless of course you wish to simply complete the mission of those unknown assassins who first shot me. At this time neither choice truly matters to me.”

“Miss... Darkhawk then. What were you doing before you arrived here? And what kind of name is Tenerea?”

“I was Chief Engineer and third in command of the Star Liner Epsilon Eridani III. She broke orbit four days ago. Tenerea is the name I chose for myself. Chosen simply because its sound pleases me.”

Growling at something the human pressed a button. Seconds later his office door opened and a young fennec female in spotless Archive uniform stepped in. “Sergeant. This is Tenerea Darkhawk. Find her a room in the secured section. Get her some food, water and a change of clothing. Then check HEINLIEN STATION and see if Epsilon Eridani III left her gear behind. If they did, have it shipped down here.” He spun his chair around as though to look out his office windows. “And get a message to General Pattel. This is his problem, not mine.”