Marooned - Christie Golden [41]
"Wait a minute," said Paris. "We've only got one communicator working."
"Make do," said Janeway.
Paris gave her a wry smile. "Yes, ma'am," he replied.
"They will be all right," Hrrrl assured her. "Rraagh and the technicians will let them do their jobs. Now, you wish to learn about us, then? So you shall. But first, let us share g'shaa. You have passed our inspeotion, and we would make you welcome into our family."
Janeway wondered what kind of inspection it was they had passed, as one of the Mishkarans began to pass out bowls of the g'shaa. She tried not to look directly at the contents of the bowl; the maggots were all too visible. None of her crew said a word, though there were looks of great distress on their faces as they accepted their bowls.
"It is kind of our friends to share their food with us. We'll need to keep up our strength, and we are nonored to share this rite of fellowship," she said, pitching her voice loud so that the rest of the crew could hear. In other words, eat up, people, and smile while you're doing it.
Hrrrl graciously inclined his head and scooped up a bite of the g'shaa. He chewed noisily, with the same gurgling, licking sound as when he had drunk the water Janeway had offered, and the mouthful vanished. "Delicious, as always, Grrua," he said, and the preparer of the meal bowed its head in acceptance of the compliment.
Janeway took a deep breath, imitated Hrrrl by making a spoon of her hand, and dipped up a mouthful. Quickly, before she could change her mind and dishorror her host, she ate, swallowing the mouthful whole. The thought of masticaling the small white worms was intolerable. The slippery glop slid easily down her throat. It wasn't unpalatable, actually; kind of earthy tasting. She forced herself to concentrate on the nutritional value of the meal rather than its appearance, and continued to eat. The rest of the crew did likewise. Neelix was even smiling and nodding his head, and Bokk looked pleasantly surprised.
Hrrrl snorted with approval. "A delicacy, in this harsh place. We will teach you what is good to eat and how to find it. You will need such knowledge, now that you are here."
"Thank you, but we don't intend to stay very long," said Bokk hurriedly.
"Hrrrrrmmmmm," murmured Hrrrl. "No one ever intends to stay. Yet somehow, everyone does. Do you think we would stay in this merciless place if we could leave?"
"Your race is not native to Mishkara?" asked Tuvok.
Hrrrl dipped his muzzle into the bowl, emptied its contents with a few quick swipes of his long blue tongue, and placed the bowl aside. He straightened with dignity, and Janeway was suddenly aware again of theornate decorations with which he had clothed himself "We are the Sshoush-shin," said Hrrrl gravely, with quiet integrity. "Many years ago, our father's father's father's father's fathers were convicted of crimes on our homeworld of Harm. We are not a violent race. There was not a taker-of-lives among them. Nor would we, as a people, dream of taking lives as a punishment. Mishkara was discovered, and it was decided that all those who transgressed would be brought here, away from the others of their race." His voice softened. "A fitting punishment, for we are a social people.
"So, here they were brought. Mishkara could support life of a sort already, and we used terraforming technology to make it more fruitful, better suited to our needs."
"The distortion field, was that part of taming Mishkara?" asked Janeway. She finished her meal and set the bowl aside. She did not, however, lick it clean with Hrrrl's obvious relish. Enough that the food stayed down.
"Yes, that was our doing. At first, our great-manypast fathers and their guards lived in a place called New Hann. It protected us from the worst unkindnesses of Mishkara. You can see the ruins of it if you look toward where the light is greatest in the mornings."
"The broken dome," said Janeway. She had a brief flash of memory, of the dead fields, the empty streets, the buildings that housed nothing