Page 70 of Cozy Prisons
His Ident chimed. It was awkward to unclip from his belt without disturbing Nataly. By the time he’d managed it, the Ident was chiming rapidly, indicating someone was desperate to talk to him.
When he tapped the response key, an image of Palathum’s face appeared. “You’re alive,” she said. He heard voices behind her talking rapidly. “We finished organizing and assessing, and I realized you and Nataly were missing. Utharium said you were behind him when he carried Hale out of the village, but he lost you. I feared the worst."
“Nataly guided us to a safe spot,” he whispered. “She’s resting right now. Once she wakes up, we’ll start making our way to you.”
“I can’t believe we all made it out alive,” Palathum said. “Nothing in any of the survey reports indicated instability.”
“You couldn't have known,” he said before Palathum could start blaming herself. “Unless you wanted to take the time to do one of the surveys that takes at least three solars to complete. We needed a place sooner, and you made the best decision you could with the information and timeline you had.”
She sounded a rumble of agreement. “When Nataly wakes up, please tell her that she’s a hero. I’ll never doubt anything she says ever again.”
“I’ll tell her. Hopefully, we won’t need to rely on her strange instincts in the future,” he said.
“I’m no longer astounded that all the humans did as Nataly said. When you first spoke to me about going along with the evacuation, I was highly aggravated. I thought it was a fruitless effort.”
“I didn’t believe her either,” Daxus said.
“I’m thankful to the other humans also,” Palathum said. “Not only did they pack their personal items, but they also included some food. If we are careful with our resources, we should have enough for about ten rotations.”
“Rescue should arrive by then,” Daxus said. “We’re not far from a major trade route.”
“That was one of the reasons I picked Arise instead of the other site I own,” Palathum said.
“You own another planet?” Daxus asked, feeling amused. He’d never known anyone as wealthy as Palathum.
“If everyone is willing, we’ll probably go there next,” Palathum said. Someone called her name. “I need to help. Keep me updated on your progress around the canyon. Be careful, the edges are unstable.”
Daxus made a rumble of agreement, and Palathum ended the communication. He set the Ident down and then worked the mass of canisters loose from his belt also. He tried to be quiet, but they clinked together anyway. Once his belt was clear, he released the clasp and pulled it off.
Now he was able to lie down and draw Nataly on top of him. He wasn’t the softest of beds, but he was better than the cold ground.
Nataly wiggled a little and then settled with a happy, contented sound. He closed his eyes and let sleep take him. A little rest would do them both good.
He woke to Nataly sliding off him and sitting up. The sun was much higher now, and the air around them was full of small bugs buzzing around.
“Ugg,” Nataly said, waving a hand in front of her face. “These stupid things taste horrible.”
Daxus sounded a rumble of amusement as he sat up. “I’m not surprised; you didn’t even let me season it first.”
She chuckled. “Sorry, next time one of them tries to fly into my mouth, I’ll make sure to wave it over to you first.”
She reached for the bundle of canisters. Dragging them close, she unclipped one and popped it open to drink deeply. He did the same with a second one. Thankfully, they didn’t need to worry about running out of water. Arise had plenty of fresh water that was easily cleansed by leaving it inside the sanitizing canister Nataly had grabbed along with the others.
Thinking about her actions last night made him sound a questioning rumble. “How are you feeling?”
Nataly set down the canister and stretched her arms then wiggled her legs a little and twisted her torso. “I feel good. Not even a little sore.”
Daxus pushed for more details. “No anxiety? No panic?”
A beautiful grin spread across her. “None! Not even the low-level buzz that was constantly in the back of my head.”
After she spoke, her smile faded. She picked up the canister. Holding it between her palms, she drummed her fingers on the shiny surface. Her expression and movements weren’t the ones of a happy human.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling something?”
She was quick to answer. “No. I promise there’s no anxiety or anything like that. I just hope Hale is okay.”
He didn’t think that’s what caused her frown, but let her change the subject.
