TRUTH OR DARE.

By Peta Hewitt.

August 2007

So what do you do to fill in time during a boring a seven hour flight between the vulpine planets Newspring and Cliffhaven.  Eating and sleeping seemed like perfectly reasonable alternatives to the ferin boy Terinu.  He’d already managed to successfully avoid reading lessons with Gwendolyn due to his instruction pad going on the fritz.  Well, it didn’t exactly go on the fritz all by itself.  That little jolt of bion, a unique biological energy ferin can produce at will, delivered to its central processor probably had something to do with it.  Of course the downside now was putting up with that annoying human girl prowling the lounge trying to rally everyone to join in with some crazy earth game.  The problem was she seemed to be having a fair degree of success.

The flight path followed an established and well insulated course negating the need for much in the way of actual navigation.  The shuttle, a semi luxurious vulpine clipper used by nobility, was well stocked with good food and wine and a tastefully decorated living area.  Ru’ofanius Brushtail, Viscount to the high ranking House of Brushtail popped open a second vac bottle of winter vintage chardonnay.  He leaned across the bar to refill the glass of his sleek, red pelted companion. 

                “There you go m’dear,” He purred as he redirected the amber stream into his own glass.  “One of Fleetfear’s finest.” 

                “Thank you,” replied Melika Softpaw smiling.  She fingered the stem of her glass and swirling the wine about the cup.  “Friends of the family?”

                “Very good friends of my late father,” Replied Rufus giving the wine an experimental sip.  “The old boy shared an interest with Winemaker Fleetfear about the noble use of grapes.  We’ve quite a number of casks laid down in our cellars at Brushtail Hall.”

He held the bottle up invitingly towards the two humans on the circular couch sunk down from the bar.  “Refill anyone?”

A well built dark haired man looked up from his reader pad.  He raised a hand holding his glass up to Rufus.  “Wouldn’t say no,” he drawled in an Australian accent. “You Vulpines know your way around a nice drop.”

“Ah, worthy compliment coming from you, Lance,” smiled Rufus showing off his sharp canine teeth as he recharged the man’s glass.  “I’m happy that our simple fair measures up to your earth beverages.” 

“Lee,” Lance prodded the woman sitting next to him who was currently engrossed in a hyperdrive engineering magazine.  A pair of hazel eyes reluctantly tore themselves away from the latest power injection system set to be released from Coreward industries to look quizzically at their cousins.

“Want a top up?” Lance thumbed her half empty glass.

“Uh, what, no, I’m good,” Leeza looked up at Rufus.  “Thanks.”

“At your service,” Rufus nodded.  He looked up as the slight wheeze of a door caught his attention.  “Ah, Miss Freeman.  How did the search go.”

The young brown haired teenager beamed back and flourished a small data card in her hand.  “I knew I’d packed it.”

She strode over to Terinu who was currently warming a spot on the ledge, his nose almost pressed against the plexiglass separating him from the magnificent star field outside.  He had been enjoying watching his breath alternate mist and evaporate from the glass while idly eaves dropping on the conversations taking place behind him.

“Come on Teri,” she said giving the boy a prod.  “We’re waiting for you.”

“Good for you,” muttered the motionless ferin. “Keep waiting.”

“Oh don’t be so boring, the stars aren’t going anywhere,” Gwen pouted.  “Come on, it will be fun.  I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Surprise me by getting’ out of m’ face,” Terinu answered.

“There’s no need to be so rude,” Gwen’s hands straddled her hips indignantly.  “And I’m not going until you come with me, so there.”

“Hey kids,  a bit a quiet,” Lance responded to his little cousin’s slowly rising tone.

“Don’t go off at me,” snapped Terinu raising his head to glare at the big human.  “She’s the one making all the racket.”

Lance met his stare.  “Why don’t you two kids play somewhere else and gives us adults a bit of a break, aye?”

“You wanna’ break,” Terinu hissed. “I can help you with that.”

“Terinu!”  Leeza rested her reading tablet on her lap; an irritated look creased her face.  She gestured firmly at the door.  “Go.  Join the others.”

Terinu snarled in annoyance.  Had the woman forgotten that he was bonded to her and thus subconsciously driven to obey her direct commands.  He looked at her stern face.  Nope, she hadn’t forgotten.   He swung his legs down from the ledge and landed squarely on the floor and glowered at Gwen’s triumphant grin as he followed her out of the door.

Lance raised an eyebrow at his cousin.  “I didn’t expect that.”  He said referring to her deliberate order.

“It’s quiet,” clipped Leeza.  “We don’t get much quiet.  And I don’t feel like sacrificing the next hour to play referee. And as I can’t order you both to leave the room…”

“Point,” Lance grinned sheepishly.  “Sorry luv.”

He took a sip of his drink. “Not bad.  So what’s little missy up to anyway?”

Rufus replaced the stopper on the vac bottle.  “Apparently she’s organizing some kind of game for the young folk to play.  You have to admire the resilience of youth.  Even after all they’ve been through they can still loose themselves in simple pleasures.”

“What sort of game?” Asked Melika.

“Um, an earth one, I believe.  She did tell me the name but I can’t remember it”

Melika thought for a minute. “I seem to recall earth games often require bouncing spheres of one kind or another and require a lot of room to play.  I don’t think the Solar Breeze is really equipped for that.”

“More’s the pity,” said Lance.  “The pups could use a bit of a run around to get the tickle outta’ their feet.  After all we’ve been stuck in transport for half a day now.  No offense mate, she’s a beaut boat here.”

“None taken, my friend,” replied Rufus.

“There are other games that don’t involve jumping about,” Lance mused.  “Don’t suppose you’ve got a monopoly set hidden somewhere here.”

“Monopoly… no, but there is a deck of cards in the coffee table drawer.”

Lance set his glass down.  “Draw poker?”

Rufus grinned.  “You’re on.”