On the Rim, Ch 4: Carol "Missy" Drann
Story by comidacomida on SoFurry
Welcome to the fourth post of "On the Rim", a short story series based on a game I am playing called "Rim World". Rim World is a really cool indie game that accommodates an amazing array of mods that allow me to create a setting very similar to my story world in which several of my stories take place including "Fathom's Phantoms", "The Farlight Initiative", an "Paid in Kind".
Readers from the last chapter voted that "Missy" should be the focus of this one, thus, here we are! While a lot goes on back at base camp, we follow the survivalist of the group as she spends time away from everyone else... only, as it turns out, she is not alone. As we progress into the next chapter, as with the prior ones, I now ask readers to decide who we watch for the next one. Here's the options:
a) Sandra Simpson handles interaction with an encounter involving armed outsiders and makes plans on how to best handle future interactions.
b) Dr. Christopher Zimmerman begins the groundwork for a dedicated 'sick bay' addition to the cave system, and has a personal conversation with Duct-Tape.
c) Duct-Tape's plans for hydroponics is set aside when an ore deposit is found nearby and he's recruited to help the labor group.
d) Captain Archie begins making plans to improve the defensibility of the group's location, and the minerals discovered by Carol on one of her scouting sorties will be invaluable.
e) Corporal Grizz handles some heavy lifting during the day, and takes a play book from the Overseer and throws a party that evening, with mixed results.
Voting won't be available long and no, the decision won't change the events of the story, just how they're presented along with who we get to learn more about via their point of view.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy "On the Rim"!
On the Rim, Ch 4: Carol "Missy" Drann
2019 copyright comidacomida
Despite Overseer Simpson's skilled management style of the camp, Carol still considered the group to be chaotically underprepared. Then again, none of the rest of the survivors of the crash landing had any real skill surviving in the wilderness, a trait that Carol had spent the better part of a decade honing. Originally a coping mechanism for getting away from high society meet-and-greets, adventure had become a way of life for the young Lynx; a trait nobody else in the group seemed to share.
After a meaningful exchange and the release of a prisoner the prior night, Carol didn't know what to expect of those in charge the following morning but she wasn't interested in any of the drama that was likely to follow. She knew that the security captain didn't like the idea of releasing a prisoner, nor inviting the other one to stay. All the input the Lynx had was that she didn't want to have to deal with the fallout or the planning, and so she was up early and headed out to scout the surrounding terrain.
She, more than anyone had the skills for traversing the unsettled landscape and she had the experience to do so far more safely than even the security personnel. Sure, from what she understood Corporal Grizz had some training on hostile planet survival as part of a background regimen for when he'd been in a program to serve as a shock trooper, but simulations hardly held a candle to the real thing, and she would know.
The Lynx spent the morning gathering berries, having had Cole fabricate a cloth sack for her the prior night. Carol also spent some time hunting; she'd located a common travel route for a flock of wild turkeys shortly after coming to the planet and she wanted to make the most of the opportunity. An hour later and she was on the way back to the camp site with a bag full of berries and one dead turkey. When she got back and entered into the cave she saw that a lot had already changed.
The private rooms had been dug out, leaving Cole and Grizz to begin moving everyone's' beds down into their personal chambers from the communal area. Duct-Tape, the Fox Gen she'd rescued had apparently integrated into the group and was discussing plans for a hydroponic center in case an extended stay meant that more food would be needed. Captain Archie accepted the turkey from her and passed both it and the berries off to Overseer Simpson who, after a brief word with Cole, headed off toward a space set aside for the camp's 'kitchen'.
Although she could have stayed to help, Carol realized that her skills would be better used back out on the outskirts of the camp and, exchanging a nod of her head with Grizz as he passed, she headed back out into the wilderness. It wasn't that the Lynx was antisocial or that she had trouble dealing with others; she just had her priorities. Besides, she reasoned to herself, they all had one another, and there was someone else she knew who would appreciate her company, and she, his.
Carol found her companion lazing by a small stream a short ways from where she'd encountered Duct-Tape's crashed pod. Laying beside the water and gnawing on the remnants of a rat was a large, four legged wolf. Immeasurably far from a Geneticon, the feral creature was a true, unrestrained, feral, wild animal-- and her friend. The Lynx offered a quick whistle in greeting; the Wolf, who had obviously picked up her scent by that point didn't need the introduction, and merely acknowledged her presence with a double-thwap of his tail against the leaves covering the ground where he lay.
She moved over slowly before settling to the ground a short distance from him; although she'd spent the last three days earning his trust, she wasn't about to risk bodily injury by getting to close to him while he ate. The wolf, after all, was no pet. Sitting patiently, she waited until he had finished eating, at which point he got up and trotted over to inspect her, sniffling around at her knees, armpits, back of her neck, then her face. After that, he proceeded to lick her chin and her nose and her muzzle and rub his neck and shoulders against her strongly enough that he nearly bowled her over-- three times.
Once the 'hello' was out of the way he settled down, laying half on her as he cleaned his paws. The wolf, when she'd first found him, reminded her immediately of a dog she'd had as a cub and, despite the vaguely similar appearance, he was vastly different, and she wasn't about to make any mistake into thinking that he was anything but his own creature. Even so, with the realization that there were armed men out in the forest, and the tell-tale signs that he already had firearm scars, she realized that it wouldn't be safe for him if any pirates returned.
As the morning came and went, Carol finally made up her mind. "Hey, Roscoe... you don't like being out here all alone, do you?"
The wolf didn't understand her, of course, but her voice did get one of his ears to swivel in her direction. Despite her reaffirmation that the wolf was not her cub-hood dog, she still couldn't help but bestow him with the same name. To her best understanding, Roscoe had probably survived an attempt on his life by some tech savvy hunters and, if he'd had a pack at some point, they weren't so lucky. When the wolf didn't object to her stroking his back, she continued. "I think it's probably about time you join us back at base camp. I have a private room now, you know-- I bet there'd be a place there for you just so long as you don't go biting anyone... what'da'ya think?"
The wolf, still oblivious to the meaning behind her words, simply gave the casual dual-thwap of his tail against the ground, accentuating it with a bored-sounding. "Uf."
To her surprise, Roscoe did follow her back to camp, but he paused once he caught sight (or perhaps scent) of the others. All eyes were on her however when he finally broke from the tree line and padded after her. Before anyone could get the wrong idea she held up an arm and announced "This is Roscoe. He's our newest team member."
Cole didn't seem too pleased. "Did you check with Ms. Simpson about this? I'm not sure we're ready for a--"
Carol passed by him and she smiled to herself when he took a few steps back when Roscoe loped after her. She spoke over her shoulder "Hey... she decided that we should adopt a Fox... I'm just following her head."
Once inside the cave, however, the Lynx did have to address the issue with the overseer, and Sandra approached her in a very direct way. "You brought a WOLF in here?"
Roscoe, judging from his low, threatening growl, apparently didn't like her tone of voice. Carol held out a paw to calm him and he took the cue, licking her fingers instead but still eying the Human woman the whole time. Glancing back to the Overseer, the Lynx announced "You only have two security officers... plus me. I know I can work better if I have some support, and that's what Roscoe's here for."
The Human woman raised an eyebrow. "You named it Roscoe?"
Carol offered a pleasant smile, reaching into the hip pouch she'd managed to take before fleeing the ship. Drawing out her trip planner, she held it up for the Overseer to see. "In case you didn't know, I purchased a Luxury ticket, which does allow the bearer to have a pet."
To Sandra's credit, she surrendered the issue. "Make sure he doesn't hurt anyone, and keep him out of the food stores."
It was an easy win.
Back in what was apparently her new room, Carol admired how quickly the group had created a chamber in the mountainside for her. Carved out and already smoothed to a near industrial-level of precision, her chambers also had her bed placed in it, along with a small fabricated wooden night stand, complete with a drawer. Despite her reservations about having a bunch of know-nothings along out in the wild, their equipment certainly made the stay a lot more comfortable than she was used to.
A knock sounded from the door to her room (she even had a door!) followed by a greeting from Cole. "Hey... Miss-- um..."
Rolling her eyes, the Lynx interjected "Just call me Missy."
It was a nickname she was used to; around home and at her parents' company she'd always been known as 'Little Miss' and then, later, shortened to 'Missy'; considering the Stallion's awkward calling for her it just felt right. Cole slowly pushed open the door, other hand dragging something behind him. "I heard you're keeping the wolf."
Taking a seat on her bed, she motioned to where Roscoe was laying on the floor. "His name's Roscoe."
Cole offered an uncertain smile and stepped into the room, pulling a large, round cloth basin with him. "Well, I figured if everyone else gets a bed..."
He set the bed up and, when approached by Roscoe, let the wolf check him out and sniff him; he got a lick on the hand in payment. When Missy first met the Stallion she honestly didn't know what to think of him; after that, she came to the conclusion that he was 'good people'.