Thursday, May 2d, 1872
Ft. Arula-Ak. Alaska Territory (cont’d)

It was Prof. Carey that woke her, though he did not intend to. He was looking for possible ways to remove the three towers from the cavern, they being the most significant remaining items here. He investigated the box which appeared to power the towers’ lights. In doing so, he discovered a series of large panels, covered by a still-larger panel that protected them. He pressed on a green panel, to try to decipher the glyphs on it, when an immense wailing horn filled the chamber. We looked, to see the lights on the tower containing the child switch to all-red, then all-amber, then all-green. Steam filled the air, and suddenly, the great glass window slid open, and the girl stepped out, confused, into the room.

A good many of us ran in fear, and Zeb shouldered his rifle. Fortunately, Capt. Jones kept his head, and ordered us all to stand down. Prof. Carey, having a boy not much younger than her, managed to calm the child as best he could, and remarkably, she seemed to comprehend that though we were small, we were still creatures of worth. Though she has a child’s spirit, she is remarkably gentle.

The girl is confused and disheartened, no doubt because she cannot find her parents. We have no way of explaining to her that they are gone, and none of us would wish to if we could. She does not speak much, and what words she spoke were incomprehensible to us all. One word she comes back to repeatedly is “airn,” or something of the sort.

We are at a loss to determine what our next steps are. While this had been the girl’s home, we think, we are not equipped to care for a child the size of a ship. We have sent Cpl. Garrett and Cpl. Blount east to Kodiak, to send a message in haste to our commanders.

“Any idea what her parents were up to?” Captain Bass had his interest sparked and was hunched over watching Sergeant Avery like a hawk now. His words were slightly muffled by his hands as he rested his chin in them. His eyes were narrowed.

“See, Capt. Jones thought there were soldiers…like on some kinda scouting mission for conquest or something like that. Prof. Carey figured they were running experiments on the land, studying the climate so ah guess’e thought they were scientists. But Zeb’n Archie were frontiersmen, ‘n they knew explorers when they saw em.” Darren sat back on the chair Aerti had provided, and rested his head in his hands. All this dialogue, he almost felt like he was on even footing with the Titan Captain.

“They all saw the giants as they saw themselves.” Aerti spoke, quietly. “The soldier saw them as soldiers, the man of science saw them as scientists, and the explorers saw them as explorers…heh.”

Aertimus, for his, part was a well-spoken and confident man, but the most stunning aspect of his personality was how he spoke with the ‘lesser species.’ Darren didn’t feel scrutinized or endangered. He felt the same as he did when he was talking with Eyrn. Darren felt like he was speaking with an equal.

“Explorers…heh.” Captain Bass sat up straight, and then pushed his chair back and stood. A few paced took him across the room to a device which distributed a hot beverage. Aertimus turned slightly. “Would you care for something to drink Sergeant Avery?”

“Sure.” Darren nodded. As Aertimus punched his commands into the device, Darren went on.

Thursday, May 30th, 1872
Ft. Arula-Ak, Alaska Territory

We received word that the USS Pensacola was en route to pick up the girl, who we have taken to calling Eyrn, after the first word she said to us. She is learning quickly, picking up a number of our words, and can tell us when she needs to eat or drink, or tend to personal hygiene. She is a danger, no doubt, but the girl tries her best, and we have become adept at dodging her as need be.

Zeb has taken to the child, and has become something of her caretaker; I cannot disagree that she is a kindly girl, but she is still a daunting logistics challenge. One major oddity is her sleep schedule; she will be up nearly two days straight, then sleep more than a full day. We are unsure if this is a result of her enchanted sleep, or a factor of her strange scale.

Nevertheless, and despite the oddities, she is a child, and we have all taken to her; she is a gay little thing, if such a mammoth creature can be said to be little, and we wonder that we ever feared her. We find it passing unlikely that she would ever harm one of us intentionally. Even when she throws a tantrum, as children are wont to do, she takes care that none of us are in harm’s way before howling in anger. (And such a howl!)

We are to bring her overland to Kodiak in the next week; it is a long journey for us, but hopefully she will not be too dispirited. I fear the voyage on the Pensacola will be difficult for her.

“I can imagine she must have been a handful to look after.” Pryvani’s voice was borderline on amused, with a slight hint of remorse.

“Journals leave most of those details out. Archie never stuck around fer much of that. Was his brother Zeb what looked after the child. But, call it a blessing Pavarotti…if ya’ask me the twat’s own good gentle nature was really the only reason the lot of ‘em did so well wit’er.” Darren nodded his voice solemn and sullen.

“Oh?” Pryvani’s brow arose just a hint.

“Mmhmm, see as Archie wrote, the kid was a breeze right off the bat; so kind, gentle and careful…and fer one so young? Now ah don’t got no kids of ma’own but I’ve been around ‘em plenty and ah know what a toddler can do. Eyrn was wise beyond ‘er years from the get go. Rightly have her birth parents to thank fer that too.

“Mmmm.” Pryvani nodded knowingly, her lips curled into a bit of a smile. “What else do you know about them?” She asked calmly.

“Just the legacy they left behind really, a cheerful, kindly and protective lil’girl with a bright smile’n good wits to’er.” Darren shrugged. “Anyhow ya gonna let me finish this?” Darren snapped, things were getting just a little too emotional for his tastes.

“Again, my apologies.” Pryvani chuckled. “You’ve such attention to detail it is difficult not to indulge my curiosity is all.

Darren gave his head a shake and crossed his arms, leaning against the nape of her neck, the spray of the waterfall had him wet and shivering, not that he would ever admit that to Pryvani. “Well as ah was saying….”

Friday, June 14th, 1872
Kodiak, Alaska Territory

Eyrn has been loaded on the Pensacola along with a skeleton crew and Zeb, who is going to accompany her. The ship can barely remain afloat, so heavy is she. She is to be taken to Ft. Vancouver, where she can be studied safely. I do not know where she is to go from there. Some say Washington, others say Harvard University. The one thing we are all agreed on is that we shall fight any effort to parade her as a freak or treat her as an animal. She is a child, and a gentle one. She should be treated as such.

Capt. Jones and I will be sailing to Ft. Vancouver on the USS Dakotah, along with Prof. Carey. We will join them in Vancouver, before heading home.

Thursday, August 22d, 1872
Ft. Vancouver, Washington Territory

I bade farewell to Zeb, Eyrn, and Capt. Jones today, and am heading back to Minnesota. It is not that I do not wish to stay, but simply that there is no need; the girl is being taken care of, and we have all been assured by Mr. Belknap himself that no harm will befall Eyrn while she is in the care of the Army.

It was bittersweet, saying good-bye. Zeb has asked to remain on site with Eyrn. I think he feels he is her surrogate father, and to be honest, he makes a good one. I will miss my brother, but shall stay in close contact with him. I am glad that I shall find out what becomes of young Mistress Eyrn in the future.

Monday, May 2d, 1910
Ft. Snelling, Minnesota

It has been thirty-eight years since my last entry in this journal, but after all these many years, who should show up in Minnesota but Eyrn and Zeb! They have come to stay at Ft. Snelling for the summer, en route to Ft. Sam Houston. It was a marvelous reunion; Zeb and his wife, Marcy, were quite delighted to meet with Caroline and me, and swap tales of the two years since we last saw each other.

Eyrn continues her slow aging; she appears but eight, perhaps nine, despite the many years she has been awake. But she is a sweet child, with a keen mind and a quick wit; Caroline and I despair that our adopted niece should be hidden away from the world. We hope someday she may be welcomed by us all with open arms. True, she is enormous, and that is passing unlikely to change, but her size is not the measure of her. She is no monster, any more than she treats we tiny people as toys.

Zeb, Marcy, Caroline and I are agreed that we shall set aside money for the care of Eyrn in the coming years. I had the foresight to move my money into the Pillsbury Corporation, and made a pretty penny when the mills were purchased in ’89. Zeb, meanwhile, has done even better with his investment in the Washburn-Crosby Company.

I am turning this journal over to Zeb, who has promised to give it to the commanding officer when he reaches Ft. Sam Houston. We are agreed that this record should be preserved, so that someday, Eyrn may know how she was found. Alas, unless her aging changes, we shall not live to see her grow to be a young woman; indeed, we shall be long-dead before that happens. That saddens me, though I am cheered by the thought that she may remember us hundreds of years hence. It is my hope that, should she someday have the chance to read these journals, she will know that despite her unusual nature, she was loved by those of us who had the fortune to find her.

Archibald Alexander Fitzgerald
September 2d, 1910

—

Darren sighed, he looked somewhat wistful, and “Life got tough for the twat after that. When Zeb’n Marcy passed on she was left a ward of the state. She was moved around as she quickly outgrew any facilities built for her. The kid had a natural wanderlust and gave’er caretakers a run fer their money as often as she could.” Darren chuckled with a warm smile on his face.

Captain Bass laughed as well, as he sipped his tea. Darren had been provided a smaller replicated mug as well and had finished his long before Aerti had.

“She never had any family after her adopted parents passed?” Captain Bass asked.

“Zeb’n Marcy never had any other children, Archie had a few but they never kept in touch.” Darren shrugged. “Caretakers is what we were called…Zeb didn’t like the idea’a soldier’s looken out for’er.” Darren eyed the mug he was holding for a moment before looking up to Aerti.

“You know,” Captain Bass turned on his heel and walked back towards the desk Darren was sitting on. “They may have been poachers. It explains a lot, why they were there after a majority of the empire had pulled, and why they clearly stayed behind during the withdraw order of….” Captain Bass was interrupted.

Darren stood and walked briskly to the end of the table, he pointed his finger at Captain Bass and narrowed his brow, his cigar in the corner of his mouth as he spoke. “Now you look’ere Cap’n Bass! I’ll tolerate a lot’a bullcrap but I won’t hear any’a this!” Before Captain Bass could speak in his own defense Darren carried on. “First off, the girl WAS and REMAINS one’a the kindest soul’s ya ever could meet! From day one Eyrn didn’t seem capable of hurt’n a human being. Doesn’t got it in’er.”

Captain Bass rubbed his nose in silence as Darren continued his tirade.

“If her parents had been poachers’er some kinda scum, I don’t think she’d of turned out like she did.” Darren crossed his arms.

“Well no offence, but it’s very possible her parents thought themselves good people, and treated their daughter kindly, and still captured human beings for profit. It was a very common practice in those days…”

“Well the natives Arcie spoke about, they didn’t worship that cave and the giants in it with fear’n what not…they revered that cave. Said it was the resting place’a the gods. If they were some kinda poachers don’t ya think they’d be a lil bit afraid?” Darren grinned after he made his point.

Aerti laughed and gave his head a defeated shake from side to side. “Yes, I suppose they would, wouldn’t they?” Aerti turned to face Darren once more, but his eyes shot forward as he heard the signature ‘swoosh’ of the automatic door that lead form the bridge of the ship to his ready room.

“Commander?” Aertimus stood at a more formal stance as he eyed Lemm’s approach. She was cradling something in her hand and holding it close to her navel.

“Sir, we’ve completed preliminary scans, the cloaking device has had time to rest. Current Solar cycles dictate our window for an unnoticed departure are closing. If we wait much longer….” Lemm stood close to the table, and set her hand next to it. Within seconds a timid and frightened Reese Jones leapt off her hand and stumbled across the smooth surface of the table until he was standing close to Sergeant Avery.

Darren looked Reese over a bit and turned his attention back to Captain Bass and Commander Lemm. “Wait, what’s going on?” Darren spoke up, he didn’t like being left out of the loop.

Commander Tam looked down for a moment and then looked back to her commanding officer. “Sir…now would be your only window of opportunity,” She said softly.

Captain Bass looked taken aback. “No witty remarks? No scolding me on the rules of conduct and imperial procedure Commander Tam?” He snickered. “Just gonna let me do this?” There was an impressed smile across Aerti’s face.

Commander Tam simply shrugged her shoulders, and peeked down to the two confused humans on the desk top. “I can respect the orders of my commanding officer Sir, and….” Lemm sighed. “It’s the right thing to do.” Lemm looked back to Aertimus, her composure shot back to its signature stern demeanor. “But we’d better damn well do it quickly; I can only run Grand Navarchos Zyn through the loop so many times before even he starts to grow suspicious!”

“Wait, what exactly is going on here?” Darren spoke up, his tone suggesting he was reaching the limit of his patience.

Captain Bass knelt down, so he was eye level with the two soldiers. Reese was trembling, as he had not stopped doing since his arrival. Commander Lemm stood with her arms crossed looming above Aerti, eyeing the humans carefully. “Well, we’re going to send you home.” Captain Bass said, sounding a bit unsure of himself in the process.

Private Jones suddenly felt weak at the knees and stumbled backwards, catching himself. The relieved smile on his face was proof enough of his sentiment on the issue.

“Are ya now?” Darren spoke suspiciously. “Jus’ the two of us?” Darren sounded a little disappointed.

“Are there any more of you we should know about?” Aerti asked, half serious.

“Not that ah’m aware of.” Darren answered earnestly. “What’s gonna happen wit’Eyrn?” Darren asked quickly.

Captain Bass paused looking to Commander Lemm, the two of them exchanged looks before Aertimus was once again looking at Darren. “Well, she’ll be handed over to Titan Station for medical care…after that I can assume she will meet with an imperial Berator to assess her mental fortitude, doctors will assess her physical state…which I can tell you right now is not in question…and after that well I assume she will be given residence and allowed to carry on with her life.” Aerti shrugged casually. “She has committed no crime, so she has nothing to worry about legally. It’s simply a matter of how easily she is able to assimilate into Archavian Culture.”

Darren rubbed the back of his neck. “Well that don’t seem too bad I guess…so long as she’s happy and cared for ah mean….” Darren was cut off by a persistent and nagging tone.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Aerti stood to his full height and turned towards a console behind his desk. “Captain Bass here, go ahead.

“Did you hear that sir, they’re going to send us….” Reese began, but Darren waved his hand dismissively and took a few steps close to the edge of the table, watching Captain Bass diligently.

Darren could only understand one side of the conversation, but what he could understand made him cringe just a little. When Captain Bass moved away from the console to Commander Lemm, Darren had already made up his mind. The conversation that followed only helped seal the deal.

“So she wasn’t happy when she woke up it seems, nearly had a repeat of our little song and dance.” Aerti spoke quietly.

“Do you need me to go down there?” Commander Lemm looked all for a rematch.

“No Lemm, I want you right here where I can keep my eye on you. Security was able to sedate her before things got too bad. I don’t think she feels safe around all these new strange faces…once we are finished with the drop-off I’ll head down there and….”

“Cap’n….” Darren spoke up.

Commander Lemm and Captain Bass both paused and looked to Darren, who had his arms crossed over his chest.

“While ah thank you fer yer kindly offer. Ah’m afraid ‘m gonna have to decline.” Darren never sounded more sure of himself than he had at that moment.

Private Jones’s eyes nearly bugged right out of his head, he began to attempt to persuade Darren frantically to change his mind, but Sergeant Avery kept his eyes locked on Captain Bass.

“I ain’t going anywhere wit out the twat. Now since I don’t imagine you’re gonna agree to send’er home with me…and ah don’t think I’d do that to’er even if you were…it means I’m staying right here wit’er!” Darren sniffed staunchly as he looked form the face of one shocked giant, to the other.

Captain Bass was the first to step forward. “Darren, I don’t think you quite understand the implications of what you are suggesting….”

“Sir please you have to reconsider…we can’t just….” Reese took a timid step forward as well.

“Nonsense, I understand jus’fine Cap’n.” Darren looked back to Reese; he studied the disheveled man for a moment and then motioned to Aertimus. “Can you still send Private Jones here home?” Darren looked back to Aerti, as if the matter had already been settled.

Commander Lemm simply gawked at the brash little human, it was hard to mask the look of respect she carried on her face at that moment.

Aertimus thought of a thousand different things he might have said, the idea of forcing Darren to leave against his will even crossed his mind. But rather than do all of that, rather than argue and waste precious time, the Captain of the Gyfjon simply nodded and turned to his first officer. “I want you to get me the package Niall entrusted to us. Make sure Dayun has it with him at the departure pad…if anything I tell you has ever been taken with the strictest sense of urgency, Lemm, please let it be this…don’t arrive at that pad without the cube.” Aerti paused to emphasize his point, before looking back down to Darren.

“Sergeant Avery, you’ll need a translation circuit installed…I’ll have one replicated. After drop-off, we will arrive at Titan station in less than 20 minutes.” Aerti turned to Reese, who had been silent since he was cut off. “Reese…I wonder if in exchange for your ride home, you’ll entertain the idea of doing me a small favor?”