Rebecca

The lethal cloud of super-heated steam drifted across the river and swept into the thickly wooded jungle that covered the banks of the Sandy River.

Tina scrambled ashore, swinging on low branches to reach firm ground. Within seconds she was running along the river bank, leaping fallen trees as if they were only small branches, and smashing branches out of the way as if they were but harmless twigs.

An hour of strenuous running found her several miles from ground zero. For the space of a second the jungle was bathed in a harsh white light. Tina dived behind yet another fallen tree and waited for the blast. When it came it shook the trees, deposited millions of leaves on the ground or into the river, caused the treetops to whiplash, and a thousand dead branches to come crashing down. Above the tree line Tina could see a narrow mushroom cloud reach towards the heavens. The warp drive of her now non-existent space shuttle had imploded. A low tidal wave, resembling a bore in a narrow river channel swept past, and then all was still.

Tina waited for the birds to resume their singing before standing up. She removed her tattered gravity suit and felt the late afternoon sun on her back. A hairbrush fell from a utility belt; she retrieved it and stood perfectly still breathing in the highly oxygenated air of this sparsely populated planet known as Sword World.

She began running downstream towards the nearby sea. A feeling of déjà vu over came her. How many times had she been in this situation? Running naked through forest or woodland, or across deserts and wasteland. In the past Tina was always fleeing her pursuers, but this time it was to reach civilisation and sustenance for her ever increasing hunger.

Dusk would soon be upon her, but this held no fears for Tina Aurora. She leapt another fallen tree and skidded to a halt. There was someone swimming in the river. Slowly and with the patience of a predator she crept forward. The swimmer pulled herself out of the river and began to casually dry herself off.

The woman was slim, fair haired and attractive, in fact a slightly smaller version of Tina in appearance.
‘If the other women on this miserable planet resemble you,’ thought Tina, ‘then I shall fit in perfectly.’
Tina closed her eyes and scanned the immediate area.

The woman was alone.

The hunger began to take over Tina. Her canine teeth lengthened, and became sharper. Men were always her preferred prey, but at times like this the woman would suffice. Claire the second in command of the freighter Aurora, had been her last female victim, a worthy opponent, but that had been decades ago.

Tina moved closer while the woman stretched out on a blanket and closed her eyes. It was all too easy.
‘Don’t be afraid, I shan’t hurt you!’
Tina glanced around looking for the speaker.
‘You don’t need to hide I’m not on a contract.’
Tina stood up and in three enormous strides she straddled the prone female. The woman opened her eyes.
‘Good grief, you could have worn some clothes,’ gasped the woman.
‘You’re naked too,’ said Tina, watching the pulse in the woman’s neck.
‘That’s different,’ the woman replied, ‘I’ve just been for a swim.’
‘Enough of this talk,’ said Tina, ‘close your eyes and don’t struggle, it will all be over quickly.’
‘You can’t hurt me with that,’ said the woman pointing at the hairbrush that Tina still held in her left hand, ‘you want one of these.’ She gestured towards a sword that lay in its gold encrusted scabbard.

Tina launched herself at the woman and prepared to sink her fangs into the others neck. Suddenly she was flying through the air; the river water was bracken this close to the estuary and Tina gulped down several mouthfuls before struggling back onto the riverbank. Tina coughed, took several lungful’s of air and reviewed this new situation. Somehow the woman had grabbed her and had thrown Tina at least twenty paces. A strong man could not have achieved this let alone this slim woman.

‘I hope I didn’t hurt you,’ said the woman, ‘but I could hardly let you bite me. My name’s Rebecca. What’s yours?’
For the second time that day Tina squeezed the water out of her waist length hair.
‘You don’t need to answer,’ said Rebecca, ‘you’re the one they call Tina Aurora.’
‘How could you possibly know that? Can you read my mind?’
Rebecca shook her head. ‘I can tell when people are close by, that’s all. Anyway I’m sure you prefer to be known as Kristina.’
Tina moved forward warily and knelt down on the leaf-covered earth. ‘You could not know that name. Even I only became aware of it a few weeks ago.’
‘You resemble Miracali very closely, but she did not have any sisters; therefore you must be her daughter Kristina. It seems very logical to me.’
‘You knew my mother?’
‘We were travelling companions for some fifty years.’
‘Then that must mean…’
‘Got it in one,’ said Rebecca with a giggle, ‘I’m Rebecca Karnstein, a somewhat distant cousin.’
‘I apologise,’ said Tina with a weary smile, ‘this life has coarsened me.’
‘Nothing to apologise for,’ said Rebecca, ‘I hope we will be good friends and travelling companions just as your mother and I were.’
‘Now I realise why my mother was so insistent I come here.’
‘Miracali,’ said Rebecca, ‘was always the most sensible of women.’

* * * * * * *
‘I’ve had lovers,’ mused Tina, taking a mouthful of red wine that Rebecca had brought with her, ‘probably too many, but never any friends or companions. Yes! Yes! I would be honoured to be your friend and companion.’
‘Good, it’s settled then, but firstly you’ll need a sword. I’ve several more in my ship so that won’t be a problem.’
‘What’s all this business with swordplay,’ said Tina, drawing Rebecca’s double-edged weapon from its scabbard and then thrusting and parrying at an imaginary enemy.
‘It’s a way of life here, for all men, and most women too. There are judges, lawmakers and a nucleus of law enforcers, but in the main the people do their own enforcing.’
‘That sounds familiar to me,’ said Tina, slicing down her invisible foe.
‘This is different to other worlds. Anyone who commits a crime of sufficient magnitude has a contact put on them by the judges. All the adult population take turns at arresting or terminating the criminal. Everyone must do their part at least once every five years, although some people, myself included are regularly called upon to carry out this reasonably simple and sometimes quite exciting task.’
‘How often?’ said Tina replacing the sword in its scabbard.
‘Four times this year, and it’s only early summer.’

* * * * * * * * *

‘I’ll get the airlock open,’ said Rebecca hurrying on ahead.

The short trek to Rebecca’s ship had confused Tina. Although Rebecca had said it was in full view, Tina had yet to see it, as only rows of tightly packed jungle trees were visible. Without warning Rebecca disappeared from sight.

Cautiously Tina moved forward, and became aware of a tingling sensation, then abruptly she was standing in front of an open airlock. Tina glanced around.
‘It’s encased in a gigantic hologram,’ said Tina.
‘Right first time,’ said Rebecca, ‘all clever stuff, isn’t it. They call this craft a Trajan Attack Ship.’
‘Trajan?’
‘A rather warlike planet that your mother and I visited some time back. I got rather friendly with the captain. I hope they didn’t court-martial him after we took it.’
‘It’s bigger than a normal deep-space shuttle,’ said Tina climbing aboard.
‘And with enough armament aboard to take out a small planet. There’s close in boarding lasers, canon and plasma guns, and missiles for long-distant fighting.’
‘Fantastic,’ said Tina, entering the small, but very compact control room. ‘What’s that buzzing sound?’
‘It’s the message alarm,’ replied Rebecca, grabbing a large, rather antiquated looking, microphone. ‘The Trajan’s love this type of equipment. Hi there, this is Rebecca Karnstein, how may I help?’

For the space of half a minute Rebecca just nodded at the console without actually saying a word, then answered: ‘Consider it done.’
‘Who was that?’ Tina said, almost absent mindlessly, as she was examining the multitude of swords that were clipped to any available piece of wall space.
‘It was a Judge call. Two men were involved in a fight at a bar down the coast. It appears they killed the barman. There’s a death warrant out on them. Fortunately for us they stole a vehicle and abandoned it at the jungle’s edge. They were last reported following the river inland… right towards us. They’re only freighter crew, not locals, so no one’s going to miss them. You’d best choose a suitable weapon and put on one of my dresses.’
‘Sounds good,’ said Tina, slipping on a flower patterned summer dress, ‘when I get in close enough I’ll use my teeth. I can just taste that red nectar splashing everywhere… marvellous!’
‘You sound,’ said Rebecca, endeavouring not to laugh, ‘just like your mother, but seriously… try not to ruin the dress.’