“There’s enough for everyone. I have a couple of cases of rations. We can save some of them for rainy days, but right now I want you nourished properly.”
I take a bite of the chocolate fudge, and I start to cry.
The act of eating food feels the same as the fact of being loved. It’s all so overwhelming, it tastes so good, and all the happy chemicals racing through my brain are telling me that I am being deeply cared for and that is triggering a rush of emotion I cannot control.
“Hey, baby, are you okay? Are you hurt? Is it bad?” Thor is instantly concerned for me.
“I’m good. I’m just happy,” I say. “I’m so good. This tastes so good.”
“Oh. Good,” he says, confused, but otherwise unbothered now.
“I got other things as well,” he says. “Some more clothing, some weapons, batteries, lights, and most important. This.”
He pulls out a smooth round white box with a couple of knobs on it.
“What’s that?”
“An interstellar radio,” he grins. “I’ve already sent out a distress call. And I activated every transponder I could find. They might have scanned the planet already and assumed nobody survived, but they won’t think that now. They know someone is down here.”
I squeak with excitement. As I do, I look out the corner of my eye at Drako, seeing how he takes that news. I know Thor wants tocapture him, but I don’t think that’s how it’s going to go down. Drako does not look worried at all.
That’s interesting. Maybe he doesn’t believe rescue is coming, but Thor is so certain, I am inclined to believe him.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Drako says. “You have done well to get so much, but the chance of being rescued is unfathomably low…”
Just as he says that, the radio makes a beeping sound. All three of us jump a little in response.
“What is that? Does it usually do that?”
Thor grins as the radio crackles into life.
“Expedition survivor, identify yourself.”
Thor picks up the unit and speaks into it. “Thor Falkbeck,” he says. “I am here with two others.”
“Identify the two others.”
We both stare at him. He clears his throat. “Maybe I should take this outside,” he says.
“Oh, no. Do it here,” Drako says. “Let us hear how you describe us.”
“I have Selene Weltheim,” he says. “She was a stowaway on the ship. We also have Jarl Drako of the Vikar with us.”
There’s more crackling and general static.
The person on the other end of the line does not sound that enthused. I am sure it is just a military sort of bearing thing. They don’t want to sound excited. But my head is spinning. Arewe really about to be rescued? Was it that easy? It feels like it shouldn’t be that easy. But also, why would it be hard? It’s not like it’s standard procedure to abandon crash survivors. Drako said it was, but that’s because he comes from a much more brutal culture than we do. I bet he’s seeing some advantages to civilization now.
“Survivors, we will be at your position tomorrow at the zenith of the sun, midday. Be prepared to be taken off-world. Over.”
“Over what?”
“That’s the sign-off,” Thor says as the radio falls silent. “It means that they’re done talking to us. Tomorrow, they will be here.”
“How are they going to land on the side of a mountain?”
“My bet is they send down a small armed vessel,” he says.
I look over at Drako. He is sitting with his back against the wall, one leg outstretched in front of him, the other lifted so his knee is up. He’s also having a ration bar. Apricot yogurt. I don’t know why anybody would bother with that when there is chocolate to be had. And then it hits me. He saw how much I like the chocolate, and he is leaving it for me.
