The Altian Plague
Copyright© 2026 by D M Arnold
Chapter 2: Sea Research
The groundcar rolled onto the access roadway and headed toward the coast south of Sudal. Nyk could see the other car ahead -- Andra’s white hair on the left and Senta’s red on the right. He rested his hand on Suki’s knee. She grabbed and held it. “How’s Mom doing?” she asked.
“I guess as well as to be expected. For two months after the attack I slept with her.”
“You’ve been sleeping with my mother?”
“There never was anything physical, Suki. She needed to feel someone’s warmth next to her -- someone to scare away the demons that lurk in the middle of the night.”
“I know something about those demons.”
“We stopped a few weeks ago. She wanted us to quit before Nicky started talking. She didn’t want him to blurt out that his grandma sleeps with his daddy.”
“So, now she sleeps alone.”
“We both do. I’ll tell you -- I also enjoyed feeling her warmth beside me. Now -- sometimes I lie awake and can hear her downstairs, sobbing. It breaks my heart. It’ll take her a long time to get over it.”
“She’ll never get over it.”
“Maybe not. I am wrestling with whether I should take her into our confidence. I know she’d have an easier time if she knew you were safe. I don’t know if I can take the risk. I’ve already pushed the temporal envelope farther than my comfort.” He shook his head. “Just losing George is a big enough blow for her. Your parents did love each other, Suki.”
“I know they did. I know you’ll do the right thing.”
“She has Nicky. He is, after all, half you and a quarter George, so both you and he do live on, in a way. He’s what keeps your mom going.”
“Did you bring pictures?”
“Of course -- we can enjoy them after dinner.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “You know -- assimilating into this world has taught me something about people. I have a much greater appreciation now of how closely linked are language and culture.”
Nyk nodded. “Mmm ... I suppose you’re right.”
“For example -- the pronouns in Lingwa are all gender-neutral, and that reflects the equality of men and women here. Florans have shed much of the male bias of Earth’s culture. Here, we’ve attained a balance between the sexes that won’t happen on Earth for hundreds of years.”
“You’ve no need to lecture me on Floran practices,” Nyk replied.
She smiled. “I suppose not. I’ve tried to teach my students about the power aspect of sex on Earth. It’s difficult for them to understand. And -- the freedom of sexual expression here -- speaking as an Earth lesbian, I can say it’s the sort we could only dream of.”
“That sexual freedom came at the cost of much personal liberty. I prefer the personal freedom experienced on Earth. I hate the way Floran Central Admin micro-manages every aspect of our daily lives.”
The groundcar came to a halt beside Andra’s. Nyk popped the cowl and helped Suki out. Andra led them toward a dock. Tied to it was a launch built on a pair of pontoons. It had a box-like cabin in the center and a broad fan-tail with a low rail. He held Suki’s hand as she stepped aboard.
“Here,” Andra said and handed them foam floatation belts. “Safety first.” Nyk clasped his belt around his waist. Andra hooked one end of a tether to the belt and the other end to an eye on the rail.
Nyk fingered the tether. “What’s this for? In case we fall overboard you can haul us back in?”
“Exactly,” Andra replied. She climbed to the cockpit atop the cabin and manipulated controls. “Untie that rope,” she directed.
Nyk slipped the rope off a cleat on the pier and the boat cast off, silently riding the low swells.
“This boat is so quiet,” Suki remarked. “Everything here is so quiet -- compared to Earth.”
“Most vehicles are powered by inertial sinks,” Nyk replied. “It’s a device that can create or absorb momentum. Andra pushes the stick forward and the inertial sink creates momentum in that direction.”
Andra stepped from the cockpit. “It’s on auto-pilot,” she said. “It’ll take a while to reach our spot.”
“Tell us about your research,” Nyk said.
“Senta and I are working on the genetics of the life here. It’s the first time it’s been studied.”
“The vast majority of our people have no interest in the native biology or ecology of the world that’s hosted us for five thousand years,” Nyk remarked. “The fact no one’s studied it ‘til now is proof. I think it’s a shame.”
“The native flora is fairly well studied,” Andra replied. “Senta’s thesis advisor did his dissertation on it. Ours is the first look at the animals on this world.”
“Why is that?” Suki asked.
“It’s because the animals live in the sea and Florans hate getting wet,” Nyk replied. “What have you learned so far?”
“The animal biology is based on cells, like humans or Earth plants. The cells have no nuclei -- genetic material is scattered throughout.”
“Do you mean DNA?”
“A DNA analogue,” Andra replied. “Senta has begun to figure it out. The molecule differs in structure from DNA, but the function is the same. There are twelve base units instead of four. The most remarkable thing we discovered is that each tissue structure in the animal has its own genetic signature.”
“You mean there’s a skin DNA and a nerve DNA and...”
“Exactly -- and the genetic material for a given tissue is nearly identical from species to species. The skins of two different species are more closely related than the skin and nerves of a single being. The animals on this world are more like sophisticated colonies of specialized organisms. However -- each organism must arise from a master pattern contained in the gamete.”
“The egg and sperm,” Nyk mused.
“That’s what we’re investigating, and I believe the species I discovered will serve as a laboratory in which we can study how the genetic makeup differentiates as the creature grows and matures.” A tone from the cockpit called Andra. “We’re getting close.”
Suki inhaled. “We must be getting close to something. I can smell it.”
“Yes,” Andra called from her perch. “It’s a rather large area of underwater vegetation. Maybe you can keep an eye out for some specimens.”
“What are we looking for?” Nyk asked.
“You’ll recognize them when you see them...” She pointed. “Over there are some!” She guided the boat in that direction.
Nyk looked into the water. He reached down and grasped a melon-sized shell with a tangle of tentacles writhing from its bottom.
Andra put the boat into station-keeping. “Yes -- that’s one. I discovered this species the other day. It grazes on the sea vegetation.”
Nyk looked at the animal. Andra pointed out features. “Here are the male and female organs,” she said. “This rotary rasp is the mouth it uses to harvest its food. Here, Nyk -- put it in this.”
He plopped the creature into a holding tank. Andra leaned over and plucked some sea leaves and dropped them in with their specimen. She climbed into the cockpit and began a patterned sweep over the seaweed.
Senta and Suki approached the tank and peered in. “It’s amazing,” Suki exclaimed.
“Yes,” Senta replied, nodding. “The reproductive organs are large and easy to study.”
“Over there!” Andra shouted. Nyk and Senta headed toward the port railing. He reached down, snagged another specimen and dropped it into the tank.”
“Here’s a different variety,” Senta called. “I’ll see if I can grab it.” She leaned over the railing, reached into the water and grabbed the shell. The animal refused to give up its grasp and she fell overboard.
“Senta!” Suki shouted.
“I’ll haul her in,” Nyk replied and began drawing in her tether. Her empty flotation belt dropped onto the deck. He looked back and saw Senta floundering in the water. “Andra!” he shouted. “Stop the boat!”
“I’ll try to get close to her,” Andra replied. She began to turn the boat but Senta disappeared beneath the surface.
Suki unhitched her belt, stripped off her tunic and dove into the water. Nyk watched as she swam toward the spot where Senta sank. “Suki!” he shouted.
Andra joined him and watched, biting her knuckle. Suki tread water for a moment, took a deep breath and dove under.
Nyk looked at Andra. A tear rolled down her cheek. “The belt was supposed to save her,” she said. He gazed, slack-jawed at the sea.
Suki’s head popped above the water. She took another breath and dove under again. Then, she surfaced and began swimming a backstroke toward the boat with Senta in a lifesaving grip.
She reached the boat. Nyk and Andra lifted Senta on board. Suki shook her head, gasped and retched. “That water is NASTY!”
Nyk extended his arm and helped Suki back into the boat. She stood over Senta as she lay on the deck, turning blue. “Quick -- turn her over!” Nyk flipped Senta onto her stomach. Suki pressed down on her shoulder blades and a gout of water gushed from her mouth. “Now -- on her back!” Suki began mouth-to- mouth and compressing Senta’s chest.
Senta gasped and coughed. Her color returned. She began to sit up, retching and gasping. Nyk handed Suki her tunic. “I didn’t know you could do that,” he said.
“I was on the varsity swim team in high school,” she replied. “Lifesaving was a requirement.”
Senta regained her breath. Suki helped her sit on a bench. “Senta,” Nyk said. “Suki saved your life.”
“Thank you ... thank you...”
Suki sat beside her and held her as she trembled. “She’s terrified,” Suki said in English. “Maybe we should go back.”
Nyk nodded. Andra climbed into the cockpit and headed the boat toward Sudal. She climbed down and approached Suki. “You MUST teach me how to do that,” she said. “To be in the water with the life I study -- it would be wonderful!”
“Here,” Nyk said and handed Senta her flotation belt. “The clasp was loose. I tightened it.”
“Thanks,” Senta mumbled, fastened the belt around her waist and resumed leaning against Suki.
Andra piloted the launch into its berth. Nyk hopped onto the dock and lashed the vessel to a cleat. “Senta and I will take these specimens to the lab,” Andra said. “We’ll meet you at the house.”
Nyk stood at the edge of the bluff and looked down at the sea as the sky darkened in the evening twilight. He felt a hand on his shoulder, turned and saw Suki. “Howdy, stranger,” she said. “Thanks for sharing those photos of Nicky. I had a great time looking at them, and so did Andra.” He nodded. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “I’ve just been thinking.”
“Sometimes a dangerous activity.”
“Especially when I do it.”
“Thinking about what?”
“How when I was a boy I spent many evenings here, watching the sun set -- or, walking the beach picking up shells. I was happy then -- with my mom and dad and my two friends -- friend and a half, really. I had no idea ... none ... not a clue...”
“Idea of what?”
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