Chapter 2:Desertion

7 Norns sat numbly. Each blamed them self for the tragedy

"It could be worse," Saskia attempted to lighten the atmosphere, "We could have been on that planet when it blew up."

The other Norns looked at her coldly with a stare that said: shut up.

Rufus leant over and whispered in her ear, "That is not really the best thing to say to people when their whole world has been destroyed."

The 8th Norn suddenly dashed in with an expression somewhere between terror and rage.

"What is it Kwani?" Rhiannon asked, alarmed.

"The Shee have found something aboard, two things, that are not Norn or Shee, but Grendel and they have no idea what the other thing is!" she stuttered

"Great!" cried Rufus, "That's just what I wanted to hear! Thanks!"

"It gets worse," Kwani continued, "The Shee are worried about those Grendels 'cos they're not like typical Grendels and...."

"Yes, yes?" the 7 inquired.

"And that's all I could get from eavesdropping" Kwani replied sheepishly. Deanna marched forward. "I'd like a word with the all powerful Shee," she hissed, "Anyone else coming?"

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Lethia punched a few numbers into a computer and waited for the results.

"There!" she said pointing to the screen, "Do you see the difference between normal Grendel DNA and this Grendel's DNA. It's completely different!"

Kwani opened her mouth to ask a question but the Shee interrupted her.

"You're gonna ask how we can tell it's a Grendel aren't you? Well the truth is we couldn't tell until we saw the surveillance video." She pressed a key on the computer and a video of a small hunchbacked shape appeared on the screen. "I know the picture isn't too good but that, to us anyway, looks like a Grendel."

"What's going on then? asked Galen.

"I've no idea." Lethia shook her head sadly, "my best guess is that the DNA has mutated somehow and the ways it has mutated does not exactly fill me with joy."

"What are you saying to me?" Galen replied, not entirely sure he wanted the answer to this one.

"I'm saying you'd better like Grendels a lot because a) these guys can breed and b) they have got constant PMT, and not just the females either!"

"Sooo, what will you do?" Deanna queried.

"Ah..." Lethia responded, "Now there's a good question"

"Now that either means 'I haven't got a clue' or 'I know but the Norns won't like it so they won't be told.'My marvelous sense of intuition tells me that the latter is what it is. Am I right?" Saskia said tapping her foot.

Lethia flinched and nodded. "We have to leave you behind, again, because the escape pod isn't big enough for all of us with all of you as well."

Rufus closed his eyes,shook his head and opened them again. "So let me get this straight. You destroyed our home and brought us here to save our race from Grendels and all you've succeeded in doing is take us out of the frying pan and drop us, head first into a completely identical frying pan! You lot are a complete joke!"

The Shee nodded again, meekly.

"I'm sorry, but this has to be done." The Captain announced.

"Well OK then. I for one couldn't care less about your pointless apologies because, thanks to you, we have no-where else to go and I refuse to accept this as home!" Rufus answered right back.

Matkah suddenly screamed out from a corner, "You can't say we didn't try!"

"Yes we sodding well can!" Saskia was really getting into the argument now, "And we wouldn't be lying either!"

"If that's how you feel! We shouldn't have bothered coming to get you!" Matkah also seemed to like a good arguement

"You're right...You shouldn't have bothered. Not only did you kill everyone we knew and torched the planet as a precaution, you dragged us on here and now you're gonna leave us on this...thing..with no-where else to go except forwards! Even by your standards Matkah it's a pretty dire cock up!" Saskia could really hold her own in a debate.

"We the Shee refuse to take this abuse from our own creations...." Matkah announced grandly.

"And dispense with the fancy speeches. I've heard it all before." Everyone's favourite argumentative little blue Pixie Norn retaliated.

Matkah scowled and followed her superiors out.

"Oh and Matkah," shouted Saskia, "Don't forget to shut the door on the way out."

Matkah actually audibly growled that time.

5 of the Norns gathered round Saskia with cheers and 'Well Done's coming from all sides.

The other 2, Laird, resident mechanic and all round techie, and his apprentice, Rowan were staring at the computer screens trying to make sense of all the gibberish. Laird's hand suddenly moved to his face.

"Guys I think you may want to see this." he said.

They crowded round Laird and ,not being as gifted as Laird in the computing business, asked him what the problem was.

"You see those little blobs there?" he said as everyone nodded, "They don't seem to be a welcoming commitee so therefore I can only deduce that we are in seriously deep crap indeed."

"Oh dear..." began Galen.

"How long have we got?" Deanna said.

"Uh...actually, I don't know but I think we've got a good night to go first." said Laird

"In that case..." said Rowan and took a running jump at the nearest soft thing in the room, which just happened to be a beanbag of some description. The beanbag was huge and could probably have fit about 10 Norns on it no problem, so 8 was even less of a problem. The endless stars watched as one by one the Norns fell asleep.