Excerpt from Laughing Humans Chapter Four

Showers

 

            "What died?"

            Simple words echoed up to Hunter as she squatted in an air vent.  She was exploring new territory.  The cave she looked down into was full of 'chairs' and 'tables'.  It was a large, dimly lit room.  Three cave people sat at one table in the middle.

            Garbled words answered the understandable words.

            Hunter sniffed the air, not smelling death.  She listened carefully to the cave dwellers.  They were laughing and putting their hands over their faces.  They punched each other playfully and talked about 'bad smell'.

            Again, Hunter sniffed and smelled nothing different.

            She climbed out of the vent and cautiously approached the three, sniffing, trying to discover what caused their reaction.

            They saw her and stopped laughing.  She stood still.  Maybe one was leader and wanted her submission.  She watched their faces for signs of their rank.

            They whispered to each other.  One reassured the others.  It smiled at her and spoke softly.

Hunter smiled back.  Encouraged by their calmness, Hunter moved closer, running her

hand over the smooth 'tabletop'.  She said these words to herself.  Gods spoke

to her in the dark, telling her the names of things.  In light, she touched the items she'd learned and said the words mentally.

            One day, she would say the words out loud.

            The one smiling pointed to its chest.  "Mark."  It pointed to her.  "Hunterock.  Hun-ter-og."

            Did it sign 'same'?  Hunter came closer, about a table away.  She recognized the sound of her name.  Mark nodded and repeated its signals.

            "Mark.  Hunter Rogue."

            Hunter slapped her breast.  It sounded muffled against the material of the green outfit she still wore.

            "Yr Hunter Rogue."  The cave dweller tapped its chest and smiled.  "Im Mark."

            Hunter, Mark -- same!  Hunter was surprised.  She smiled and leaped onto the chair next to her new friend.

            "Dear God!"  The cave people at the table covered their faces and made strange noises.  They puffed out their cheeks.

            Hunter was scared.  She jumped away from them.  Mark was making sounds of anger.

            Hunter signed 'same', but as she bent to slap Mark's chest, it jerked away from her.

            Hunter slowly crept back up to her air vent.

            She returned to her troop empty-handed and angry.

            First New was there.  Hunter bowed to Bigfeet and then walked over and sat down next to her friend.

            First New touched her hair and hummed, "Hunter?"  Hunter grabbed First New's hand and held it to her nose.  She sniffed.

            First New had no scent.

            Hunter sniffed up First New's arm to her armpit and neck.  Her hair smelled like trees in summer.  Nothing else about First New smelled.  Hunter pried her mouth open and smelled.  Even her breath was nice.

            "Same,"  Hunter signed.  "Same," she repeated, hitting hard.

            "Same," Vivian signed gently.

            Hunter curled her lips and puffed her cheeks.  She took First New's hand and pressed it against her nose.  Then she pressed her own hand against First New's nose.

            Vivian gagged, like the people in the table-chair cave.

            Hunter stood up and walked away, deeply hurt.

            Vivian jumped up, then hesitated.  She clapped her hands and took a deep breath.  Slowly, she took off her outfit.

            The troop watched in habitual silence.

            Her skin was dark, hairless.  She walked to the flower and sat on it.  The water swooshed.  She stood up and walked into a niche in the wall.  She touched the wall.  Rain fell only on her.

            She smiled and laughed.  She exaggerated the motions of taking a shower.

            Hunter already had her suit off.  She began pressing the walls, asking the cave to give her rain, too.

            First New took her hand and let her stand under the rain.  Warm rain!  Like summer.  First New rubbed something on her skin that smelled like trees.  The dark layers of dirt smeared and ran down her legs.  The skin underneath was pale and freckled.  It was the most wonderful feeling Hunter ever remembered.

            The tree smell overwhelmed her own scent.  Her skin changed colors from rusty brown to shell pink.  The itches in her hair stopped.  Hunter let First New bathe her and didn't care that the whole troop was watching.

            Mark would not hold its nose now.

            Plenty of times, Hunter's scent had saved her life.  Most carnivores eat good-smelling animals, not strong musky animals like her.  But that time was gone.

            It was time to live like these cave dwellers.

            While the other females showered, Vivian brought combs and brushes in and showed Hunter how to use them.  Hunter recognized the small branch.  Now she would learn to use it right.

            Vivian's hair was short, but the colonists were tenderly impatient with their long hair.  Vivian left the cave and returned with something covered.  She went to Hunter first.

            "Same?"

            "Same," Hunter assured her happily.

            First New lifted Hunter's hair, then ran her fingers through her own short curls.  "Same?"

            "Same."  Hunter would learn whatever First New wanted to teach her.  She sat patiently as First New put a cold thing to her hair.  Her hair fell into her lap.

            Bigfeet was too busy enjoying her shower to notice.

            Hunter's rust-colored locks fell in a matted heap onto her lap.  She caught Darkarm's eyes again.  He smiled admiringly, aware that Bigfeet could not see him.

            Then Vivian picked up the fallen hair, covered the scissors, and left the room.  Dr. Arton begged for Hunter's first hair clippings.  They are still his favorite possession.

            Vivian ordered new outfits for every female.  The five males still refused to dress or wash.

            Dr. Rivers whispered, "Can you teach me how to bathe tonight?" for which he received a bruise.

             A few other females wanted their hair cut.  But for the most, the shower was quite enough adaptation at one time.

Excerpt from

Laughing Humans

© Evelyn Rainey

Available for publication.

Excerpt from Laughing Humans Chapter Three

Clothing

 

            Uri's report began with a deep sigh:

 

            Day fourteen.

            We've noticed a rudimentary sign language, mostly facial expressions, sometimes enhanced by hand and arm motions.

            Hunter Rogue has gone into the tunnels every day for a week.  She comes back with various items she's taken from the rooms along the ventilation system.  Whatever she brings back, she takes immediately to Big Feet.  She keeps nothing back for herself.

            Most items are accepted by Big Feet -- tasted, and shared.

            Some items have been refused by the leader:  body powder, a jumpsuit, and -- God knows where Hunter found it -- a flashlight.

            Hunter takes the refused items back into the tunnel.  They've been detected by the ship's scanners.  Hunter leaves them in a pile three meters in from the colonists' air vent.

            Hunter has allowed herself to be seen by the ship's crew.  They have been briefed on responsible reactions to our little marauder.  We don't believe she presents a danger, but Dr. Arton continues to cite incidences of aggression by captured or cornered females in the past.

            The troop -- strike that.  The colonists show approval of Hunter's return by the slapping/clapping sounds. 

            Our nightly, subliminal linguistic lessons have yet to prove fruitful.  The Laughing Humans of Bicanthra III still only laugh.

            End report.

 

            Good smell!  Flowers, mating smell.  Good smell.

            Hunter watched from an air vent as a naked female sprayed perfume across her breasts, down her thighs, and behind her knees.

            Hunter sniffs.  Good smell.  White Female sat on the edge of the 'bed'.  Hunter knows many words now. Bed is for resting.

            White Female slowly steps into other skin called 'clothing'.  Hunter see many females put on clothing.  It still confused her. 

            White Female picks up small branch and rubs hair with it.  She looks at herself in big dead-eye.  Other White Female (same-but-dead) looks back.  White Female is not frightened by same-but-dead female.  She rubs her cheeks and smiles.

            Hunter crawled into the room as soon as White Female left.  Hunter finds the clear stone with smell inside.  She shakes it, presses it, squeezes it.  No smell.

            Hunter angry.  Throws down clear stone on floor.  It breaks and smell comes to her.

            On hands and knees, she puts her nose into the perfume.  It makes her sneeze.

            She touches, tastes, spits out the liquid.  Then she rubs the perfume all over her breasts, down her stomach to her thighs, and behind her knees.

            Hunter stands and faces same-but-dead-Hunter in 'mirror'.  It still frightens her a little.  The skin underneath the smears of perfume gleams a speckled white.  She smiles in mirror.

            The small branch smells nice.  Hunter rubs her hair with it, but her locks get tangled in the bristles and Hunter finally leaves it hanging from her hair.

            She looks 'stupid'.  Stupid was new word  god tells her last dark.

            Hunter goes to cave wall, presses stone, and smiles at her accomplishment as the closet door slides open.  Many colors!  Grass color is good.  Hunter pulls out the green suit and grabs two more as an after thought.         

            Hunter must not look stupid.  First New wears clothes and looks not stupid.

            First New can teach Hunter.

            Hunter can teach Bigfeet.

 

            Hunter peeks out of tunnel into her troop's cave.  Everyone claps and laughs.

            First New is there.  She is 'humming'.  God is there.  He is trying to teach Notoes to wave.  They all watch Hunter as she climbs out of tunnel.

            Her perfume strikes the troop.  They clap and laugh.  They rub her breasts and smell her knees.

            Darkarm likes smell.  Hunter watches Darkarm when Bigfeet isn't looking.

            Hunter plops the three outfits in front of Bigfeet, hoping she'll refuse them again.

            Hunter held her breath as Bigfeet touches the bright grass and sky clothes.  Hunter knows Bigfeet likes clothes, but they frighten her, too.  They are like dead things.

            Bigfeet curls her lip and turns away.

            Quickly, Hunter picks up the green and the blue outfits and runs to First New.  She thrusts them at her, scared that Bigfeet might stop her.

            First New is startled.  She looks up questioningly at Hunter.

            Hunter sits.  Putting her feet into the leggings, she taps First New's legs and then her own.

            The troop quiets as they watch.

            Hunter pulled the outfit over her legs and tapped First New's legs again, this time rubbing the closing seam.

            A growl rippled through the expectant hush.

            Hunter glared at First New, hoping she'd stand up.  If she challenged Bigfeet, Hunter could learn so many things.  But First New was afraid.  Her nostrils flared.  She looked from Bigfeet to Hunter and back again.

            Hunter crawled across the floor, displaying her full submission to Bigfeet.  She held the blue suit in her hand.  When she reached Bigfeet, she kept her eyes to the ground and pushed the suit into Bigfeet's lap.  She then crawled backwards to First New, keeping her face down. 

            Hunter took a keep breath.  She was dead, but she was still afraid.  Bigfeet did not refuse the outfit.  Bigfeet was fingering the material.  She watched Hunter closely. 

            Hunter stood, her back to Bigfeet.  First New stood, too.

            Hunter slapped her left breast, then paused.  Clamping her lips tightly, Hunter slapped her breasts again, then hit the back of her hand against First New's small breast.

Excerpt from

Laughing Humans

© Evelyn Rainey

Available for publication.

Excerpt from Laughing Humans Chapter Two

Hunter Rogue

 

            They spent a week observing each other.

            Alarms sounded as Pansler and Towers were eating with the colonists.  The colonists headed for the trees and climbed as far up as possible.  Pansler and Towers ran with Arton toward the communication viewer at the gate.

            "Some animal's got itself caught in the barrier."  A guard spoke to Arton.  "Procedure says to flush the system, but my supervisor says to check everything through you now," a definite pause, "Sir."

            "Meet us at the barrier.  Wait for my orders."

            The barrier was an electronic tunnel separating two radically different biostations.  As the doctors neared it, they found a rope leaning against the barrier, obviously thrown over the top and onto the other side, where it was tied to the branch of a cactus.  But somehow, the rope was slipping, dumping slowly into the barrier a muscular figure.  Her arms were full.  She couldn't grab and pull the rope.

            "It's Hunter Rogue!"  Dr. Arton exclaimed.  "She's used leaves as a basket.  And her basket is full of fish!"

            The guard commented, "The next biostation is a desert.  Where the hell did it get the fish?"

            "Let's worry about getting her out of there first."   Towers suggested.

            The guard just stared at her.

            "Guard, did you hear Dr. Towers?  Find a way to get the -- colonist out of there."  Pansler was out of breath.

            "Great Bitugas -- talking humans!"

            "Guard!"  Arton growled.

            "Yes, sir?"  He snapped to attention, but still kept one eye on Towers.

            They hauled on the rope while the guard shut off the electricity.  Hunter Rogue went into convulsions as her body relaxed from the near deadly voltage.

            She heard the New Females talk.  The god talks.  The Second New answers him.

            And does not die!

            The First New speaks to her.  Hunter reaches up, touches the female's lips to feel them move. The female speaks, and yet the gods do not kill her.

            "She doesn't make a sound!  She's in agony and doesn't cry out."  Towers held Hunter in her arms.  Hunter brushed her fingers across Towers' lips.  "What kind of taboo would give her that much will power?"

            "Katargans believe one only speaks to praise God."

            "Katargans?"  Arton felt Hunter's pulse.

            "It's a long story, Munsi.  Let's get Hunter to our ship's sick bay."

            "What about her fish?"  the guard asked as they walked away.

 

            The smell woke her up.  It was wrong.  It was like winter -- cold and odorless.  But this was not winter.  She swam in the lake yesterday.

            Memories slowly bounced across her mind:  the fire tunnel, fish, much fish, slippery fingers.  The fire tunnel snatched her wet feet.  The New Females spoke to the gods.

            She touched her own lips and sighed.  The god had heard her singing to the Sphardiclarkin.  He had caught her in his fire tunnel because she sang, and singing was much more like speaking than laughing.  And now she was dead.

            She sniffed the air again and opened her eyes.

            Gray.  Clouds were gray.  She was in the clouds.  That made sense.

            She sat up.  Her body hurt.  Her feet tingled; the hair was gone from her legs.  She nodded knowingly.  You must give up something to go to heaven.  She had given up her hair.

            Still forms snorted in the grayness.

            Other dead animals?  She hadn't thought about that.  She didn't like dead things.  They smelled.

            Maybe she would smell, too.

            She sniffed again.  A change in the wind.  It made her head swim.  She lay back down and succumbed to the anesthetic.

 

            Uri Pansler typed into the computer:

 

            Day five.  We've played subliminal linguistic tapes while the colonists sleep.  We sit with them every chance we can.

            The colonists are not adapting well to their new environment.  Most have refused to eat.  Four Fingers has mated repeatedly with Climber; the poor man is exhausted.  Puffy nurses constantly.  Some of the older colonists seem catatonic.

            This move on board has been much more traumatic than we anticipated.

            Dr. Arton suggests we keep them sedated until we bridge the communication gap between us, but our time is limited.  In five and a half months, we must arrive with repatriated Katargans, not sedated aborigines.

            As Dr. Arton had surmised, the female Hunter Rogue has adapted better than the others.  However, she paces the confines of the room constantly.  She's discovered the cameras and broken two of them.  Dr. Arton cited incidents of similar previous behavior.

            We must begin with attempts at verbal communication.

            Dr. Towers and I have decided to use basic behavior modification using food.

End of report.

 

            Pansler held up a shiny green disk.  He licked it and laughed.  He put it in his mouth, took it out and laughed, put it in again and chewed slowly.

            Towers picked up a yellow disk.  She repeated Uri's procedure, but as she laughed, she said the word "food" softly, as part of the laugh.

            Startled, the colonists paid closer attention.

            Pansler's laughed "food" was more pronounced.

            Bigfeet growled.

            Uri and Vivian looked at each other.

            Hunter stopped pacing.

            Vivian picked around the pile of colored dehydrated disks of food.  She picked an orange one up, laughed the word "food" and placed it between Pansler's lips.  He laughed "food."

            A deep-throated growl preceded Bigfeet.  The huge female leaped onto the pile of food disks, glaring at the pair.  She flung chips over each shoulder, growling.  The pair could not seem to move.

            Then Hunter sprang between the doctors and the fierce leader of the troop.  She had her back to the doctors, protecting them.

            The troop were all on their feet, slapping their chests and thighs, arhythmically.

            Hunter slowly squatted on the pile of colors.  Her eyes never left Bigfeet's face.  Sweat sparkled on her top lip.  She took a deep breath and released her bladder.

            Hot yellow urine splashed onto the pile of food.  The colonists and doctors gasped in surprise.

            Bigfeet looked around Hunter at the doctors and curled her lip.  She turned back to her mate and sat down, facing ninety degrees away from them.  The slapping became clapping as the room rang with laughter.

            Hunter turned and leaned towards the astonished scientists.  "Food," she said in a whispered laugh.

Excerpt from

Laughing Humans

© Evelyn Rainey

Available for publication.

Excerpt from Laughing Humans Chapter One

Excerpt from

Laughing Humans

© Evelyn Rainey

Available for publication.