A Ranger's Debt © by Robert M. Blacketer 1997
All Rights Reserved
Webpage by Jilli / Kubali
A RANGER'S DEBT
By: Robert M. Blacketer aka ^Writer
A Star Ranger's life is not all adventure. A lot of the time is spent in
dull routine. For the last two months I had been on a swing through the
frontier sector, waving the flag as it were, and making our presence known.
Being a junior Ranger meant I would pull a good bit of this duty, as the
more senior men were needed for the more serious problems. Besides it
helped break a Ranger in, giving him the time to think between missions. It
was by way of being a bit of R&R for me also, a time when I could unwind
from the surprisingly strenuous missions I had drawn. It had been long
enough though that I was getting anxious for a new assignment and didn't
look forward to another month of formal dinners and state appearances.
It had been great fun at first, being treated with so much pomp and
ceremony, but it paled rapidly. Much more to my taste to slip in quietly,
do my job, and get back out again. That was not always possible, and
sometimes a show of force, albeit a force of one, was enough to head off
future problems.
I was a week out of Tantalus Two, drawing near to Darwin's world, when the
ship notified me of an incoming communication. I told the computer to route
it to the main screen. My ship was not large, consisting of control room,
lounge/galley/gameroom and a small private cabin. Putting aside the
viewfilm, I got out of the lounger and walked the few steps to the control
room. The message was decoded and waiting when I got there.
"Play message," I sent to the onboard AI. The screen came to life and I
saw Commander Andrews, a serious look on his face.
"Russ," he began without preamble, "we have an urgent request for you from
one Jarrrkkkal Brrrone, Packkkleaderrr. He says that one of your brothers,
Rrrash Jrrrkkkan by name, is in trouble on Kaylum's World. As you know the
Lupines have always been rather standoffish with humans, and we have been
trying for years to build some sort of relationship with them. Go to
Kaylum's World at once with all possible speed. Redlining the engines is
authorized." Then, less formally, he said, "Russ, burn those engines out if
you have to but get there! Good luck Ranger. Andrews out," and the screen
faded to the Ranger Seal.
I had met and befriended Jarrrkkkal Brrrone on a missions to Primus some
time back. We had become packbrothers at that time, thus obligating me to
help a packmember in anyway I could.
I formed the wish to know how long to Kaylum's World and the data came
pouring in. By redlining the engines I could be there in two days. It would
not be a pleasant trip but it would sure be fast! Giving the appropriate
instructions to the AI, I went to my cabin and strapped myself into the
bunk. The engines deep throb increased to a nerve piercing whining rumble
as full power and more was fed to them. I triggered the sleep sequence,
feeling the pressure build as the gravitic compensators struggled to
compensate for the overload.
A long time later I slowly awoke to the feeling that someone had taken a
club to me. Unbuckling the straps I went through a series of stretching and
warm up exercises to loosen the strained muscles. Making my way to the
galley, I swallowed a pot of coffee and practically inhaled a large steak
and half a dozen eggs, amazed at the appetite I had built up. Feeling much
more human, I went into the control room and sent out a call to the planet,
requesting landing instructions.
This was just a formality really, since I would have landed with or
without permission, wherever I chose, but there was no point in
antagonizing people unnecessarily. The routine reply came back quickly and
I followed the beacon down to an empty landing pad. Locking down the ship,
I went in search of the base commander.
I noted, as I strode across the plascrete, that it was rather small as
ports went, with not many ships in just now. Pushing open the dilapidated
door to the dingy little office I stood there waiting for the clerk's
attention. Shortly, he glanced up from his paperwork with the air of a busy
man and snapped, "what do you..........." and his eyes bugged as he got a
look at the five pointed star enclosed in the circle, emblematic of the
Star Rangers, which I was holding out for him to see. "That's what may I
do for you sir?" He finally managed to get out. Sometimes a little flag
waving goes a long ways!
"My ship requires servicing for one thing," I said softly, so that he had
to give me his full attention. "And I was wondering if you could tell me
anything about any Lupines who might be on the planet?"
"Not many of them around," he said as he filled out the ship service
authorization for my signature. "The Marshall does have one locked up in
the jail though!" he said proudly.
"What happened?" I prodded casually, as though catching up on local gossip.
"He ripped up one of the local girls," he said shaking his head. "Yes sir,
tore her open from her pubic bone to her throat and then dismembered her to
boot! It took three days to find him. He'd run off into the woods. Claimed
for a hunt or some such. Tore two men up pretty bad before they could
corral him. Be lucky if he makes it to trial though!" he said licking his
lips with relish and so caught up in his story he had forgotten whom he was
talking to. "More likely to get himself lynched if he doesn't starve first"
"Where might I find this jail?" I asked.
"Go out the main gate and take the third street to the right. Its about
two blocks on from there, just off the square," he said, looking at me like
he wondered if he had said too much.
I smiled at him and said, "many thanks friend. By the way," I said my
voice turning hard. "If that Marshall happens to find out I'm coming, I'll
know who to thank!" He shrank from the look in my eyes and mumbled, "Yes
sir!" as I walked out.
Following his directions I soon found myself in front of a typical
frontier jail. From the look of it I figured they probably still used bars
for cells rather than a simple force barrier. Adjusting the needler in its
holster, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The office was neat and clean, and a burly looked up from behind a desk as
I walked in. His left arm was in a sling, and he had a cut above his right
eye. The nameplate on his desk said Henry Dobbs, and the badge on his shirt
identified him as the Marshall. "Can I help you?" he asked in a deep bass
voice.
"I hear you have a Lupine lodged in here," I said politely. "I'd like to
see him."
"May I see some identification?" he asked politely.
I passed him my credentials. He examined the Ranger identification card
and badge very closely, as though anyone would dare to fake such a thing,
before handing them back. "What brings you out this way Ranger, if I may
ask?" he inquired.
"I'm interested in this Lupine you have locked up. What might his name
be?" I asked.
"He calls himself Rrrash Jrrrkkkan," the Marshall said, confirming the
sinking feeling I had in my stomach. "He's one mighty rough customer too!"
he said, rubbing his injured arm. "He's back that way if you would like o
get a look at him," he said, gesturing down the hall.
Striding down the hall I saw there were two cells with a dark shape
huddled in the farthest corner of the second one. Looking more closely I
saw a poor bedraggled caricature of a Lupine. His fur was matted with dirt
and blood, and he was so bound in chains he could hardly move.
Angrily I stormed back to the Marshall's desk and demanded, "Why is that
prisoner chained and why hasn't he been given medical attention?"
The Marshall looked at me like I had taken leave of my senses. "He's a
dangerous animal! I couldn't risk men's lives by turning him loose and the
doc wouldn't touch him. Not after what he did to that little girl!" he yelled.
"I want him unchained, now! I said softly, pushing back the anger.
"you want him unchained so bad, you do it!" he said, tossing the keys on
the desk as though daring me in some childish game.
I could see real fear combined with determination in his face. He knew
well the possible penalties for incurring the wrath of a Ranger, yet he
honestly saw the Lupine as a more serious threat.
As I picked up the keys and headed for the cell, Marshall Dobbs picked up
a blast rifle from the rack, cradling it in his good arm and checking the
charge. Cautiously unlocking the cell door I called out, "Packkk brrrother
I am here!"
A growl answered me from the corner. "No human is packkk brrrotherrr to
Rrrash Jrrrkkkan," he snarled."
"I have shared scent with Jarrrkkkal Brrrone packkk leaderrr," I said firmly
He lifted his head then and sniffed, "Your scent is hidden from me. My
nose is brrrokkken. I have heard of one who is human, but more than human,
that is a packkk brrrotherrr. May one ask your name?"
"One is Russ Jennings, Star Ranger," I said formally.
"Welcome brrrotherrr," he replied just as formally. "One is Rrrash
Jrrrkkkan."
Stepping across the small cell, I quickly undid the locks that held the
many chains in place. He was chafed raw in many spots from struggling with
the chains. One eye was swollen shut and his nose was badly swollen also.
He groaned and stretched and then picked up the water pitcher and proceeded
to slowly drink it all. Tied up the way he was he had been unable to eat or
drink.
Setting the pitcher down he suddenly swung at me with a backhand swing
that would have put me out if it had connected. My enhanced reflexes
blocked the blow and I punched him hard under the ribs as I danced aside.
He collapsed bonelessly to the floor and I thought for a moment I had
killed him. A quick check showed him to be breathing and my concern quickly
turned to anger. "Why did you do that?" I demanded!
"This one desired to know if you were truly from Jarrrkkkal Brrrone!
Rrrash Jrrrkkkan now knows what his nose could not tell him!" he growled as
he tottered to his feet. Truly are you worthy to be called paccckkk
brrrotherrr!"
"What do you know about the girls death?" I asked suddenly.
"Just that she is dead," he answered. "She was friend to Rrrash Jrrrkkkan!"
"Where were you when she was killed?" I probed.
"Rrrash Jrrrkkkan was on long hunt!" he said proudly. The AI quickly
supplied the information that a Lupine occasionally is drawn to go on a
hunt for wild game using only nature's weapons. They say it is how they get
in touch with their souls.
"Let's get you to the doctor and get that nose taken care of," I told him.
Stepping out the door, I led the way down the hall.
Marshall Dobbs met us, the power rifle leveled at the Lupine's chest. "You
ain't going nowhere woolly," he snarled, hatred dripping from him like
venom from the fangs of a snake. I found it hard to understand such hate.
"I'm taking him to the doctor," I said calmly.
"Over my dead body!" he snapped, the rifle still centered on the Lupine.
"If that's the way it has to be!" I said softly. He gave a bit of a start
and looking me in the eye he gave a slight shudder, as though someone had
stepped on his grave, before looking quickly away.
"I cannot be responsible for anything that happens," he said, reluctantly
lowering the rifle and stepping out of the way.
"NO one expects you to," I said, leading the Lupine out the door. There
was a general gasp and then a mutter of voices as we walked down the street
to the doctor's office. I was in no mood to pamper anyone by now and when
the receptionist tried to bulldoze me with the old, 'you can have an
appointment in two weeks' bit, I just walked on back. I accosted the doctor
when he stepped out to see what all the fuss was about, and ushered him
into an examination room with the Lupine. He made no motions of false
bravado, just set in to examining the Lupine in a most professional manner.
"This nose was broken days ago!" he snarled at me, no fear in his eyes at
all. "Why wasn't I called to attend this man?" he demanded, like an
avenging angel.
It was a pleasant surprise to note that he was one of those who strove to
see no difference in race, treating any sentient creature in the same
manner and taking his Hippocratic oath seriously.
"Marshall Dobbs said you refused to see him," I said.
"I never refused to treat anyone in my life!" he snapped. "But I just
might make an exception in that Marshall's case. All the while he was
talking he was carefully poking and prodding about the Lupine, trimming the
hair away from the worst of the cuts and checking the nose. It turned out
the nose wasn't broken but it was dislocated, if you can imagine that. I
braced the Lupine's head while the doctor took a firm grip on his nose and
gave it a sudden yanking twist. The Lupine barely whimpered as with a snap
of cartilage grating, the nose slipped back in place.
By the time the doctor had finished stitching and cleaning, Rrrash
Jrrrkkkan was beginning to regain his sense of smell enough to realize how
badly he was in need of a shower. The doctor was kind enough to let him use
the one in the private office. Rrrash Jrrrkkkan came out looking like a
drowned puppy, all his hair slicked down, and the lean muscles showing
through. The doctor had meantime run his garment, a simple singlet, through
the office cleanser. Rrrash Jrrrkkkan looked like a new wolf once he had
brushed out his fur and dressed.
The doctor also acted as the local coroner and I knew the time had come
when I could no longer put off the task that I so dreaded. The body had
been stored, as per regulations, and I could not complete my investigation
without viewing it. The doctor led us to the back, where a small
refrigerated morgue was located. It was empty except for the one pitiful
little body.
She appeared to be in her early twenties, and had been a very pretty girl.
Pulling back the sheet, I had to distance myself and let the analytical
functions take over. The body had been ripped from just above the pubic
bone to the throat, appearing to have been ripped upward by one long slash
from a clawlike instrument, such as a Lupine's foreclaw. The heart had been
savagely torn out, along with the liver. Then someone had gone to the
trouble of ferociously ripping off the arms and legs. It would have
required tremendous strength to do that. It was in this manner, the AI
supplied, that Lupines on the long hunt killed their prey. Things were
looking bad for Rrrash Jrrrkkkan!
I looked up to find him studying the corpse intently, the glimmer of a
tear in his eyes. Seeing me looking at him he said, "The creature who did
this must be punished!"
"He will be," I sighed. "No matter who it runs out to be."
Rrrash Jrrrkkkan looked at me searchingly for a moment, thinking over the
implications of what I had said. The fur on his head bristled and he
snarled, "No Lupine do this. All wrong!:
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Lupine run prey down. Rip out throat to kill. Not like this!" he growled,
waving his forepaws through the air.
The paws slashed from side to side as he demonstrated what he meant. I
could just see those claws ripping across a body. Ripping across! "Doc, did
you treat the men who were injured when they captured Rrrash Jrrrkkkan?" I
asked quickly.
"Sure did," the doctor almost chuckled, and a sorrier looking bunch you
never saw. They were slashed and ripped, and Marshall Dobbs had a
dislocated shoulder."
"Did any of the cuts look like this?" I gestured toward the body.
"Actually, they didn't," the doctor answered, wrinkling his brow in
thought. "Some of the cuts were at an angle, but they all went from the top
down or across. Nothing this severe either."
"Just what did the autopsy show was the cause of death here doctor?" I
asked curiously.
"Why I think that would be obvious!" he snorted.
"But what did the autopsy show," I pressed .
"Marshall Dobbs said one wasn't necessary, he said thoughtfully. Before I
could say anything else he frowned and said, "I'll get right on it!"
I took the Lupine across the street to a cafe for something to eat, while
the doctor got busy with the autopsy. Rrrash Jrrrkkkan ate like there was
no tomorrow, and I was beginning to wonder where he was putting all the
food long before he had finished. By the time we were ready to leave, a
crowd had gathered outside the Cafe. One man was standing on the porch
haranguing the crowd, and trying to stir them up. A rough looking fellow
was standing off to the side, suggestively playing with a rope.
"Stay right behind me," I told Rrrash Jrrrkkkan.
"There he is!" a cry went up from the crowd.
"What are we waiting for?" yelled the rabble rouser.