Touchstone 1 - Stray

Similar type to species my planet. Very intelligent animal. Very strong herding instinct.”
    “How many of the animals on Muina resemble those of your world?” Ruuel asked.
    “Hard to tell with birds, bugs. The sheep, the cats, these dogs. Domesticated animal. Otters, not domesticated animal, though did see once documentary people use them to fish. And the people, of course.” I was tempted to ask what he thought of my idea that the Muinans had originally been Terrans, but decided I could live without that being on the mission log.
    The dogs ‘saw us off’, totally like a tribe making sure strangers left their territory. That was their town, just as the first town belonged to the cats. Had belonged.
    I was thinking about that a lot and watching scenery as we flew to the rift gate when Tsaile Staben sent me a channel request, a thing which surprised me since she was back at the first town and because bluesuits as a rule don’t talk to me.
    “Devlin,” she said, when I opened the channel. “It is traditional for the person who discovers a location to name it. The town where you were located was provisionally named at your retrieval, but the new settlement now needs a label. What will it be?”
    “Pandora.” I didn’t even have to think about it, just translated it into Muinan text.
    “Recorded,” she said, and closed the channel. Bluesuits make Ruuel look chatty. A few minutes later the new name popped up on the settlement’s map, giving me a fine sense of power.
    Eeli had left me alone for the start of the flight back – I’m pretty sure Taarel gave her a lecture about bombarding me with questions, especially when I’m in headache recovery mode – but not long after I spoke to Tsaile Staben she came up to the corner of the observation lounge area where I’d parked myself and asked how I was feeling.
    “Is good,” I said, smiling at her eager expression. She really is too sweet and funny. “Would go lie down if headache drug wasn’t working.”
    She lit up. “I wanted to ask about the name of the settlement. Is Pandora the name of someone special to you?”
    I laughed at that. “Don’t know anyone name Pandora.”
    Ferus from Fourth strayed over. I never seem to have these conversations without an audience. “Do I get to guess too? Maybe it’s the name of the place you live on your world?”
    “Is creation myth from part of Earth called Greece,” I said, suspecting Ferus of wanting to make a few entertaining suggestions. “Pandora was first woman, made by the gods. They gave her a box, told her she must look after it, but never open it. No-one ever seems to invent sensible gods. Pandora couldn’t resist, lifted lid a tiny crack to peek into box. But lid burst open and all the bad things in the world came flying out – hate, misery, greed. Pandora frantically try and shut box, but too late. Pandora in tears, seeing way she wreck the world–” I broke off, because Eeli obviously had no trouble working out why I’d called the settlement Pandora and was looking incredibly hurt and upset. I shouldn’t underestimate her. “Story not over,” I said, patting her arm. “Pandora in tears, when she hear noise from box. Something still inside. A voice, pleading to be released, make her brave enough to open box again. The last thing in box is Hope, which is the thing which makes possible to endure all the bad things.”
    I smiled at her. “Is story of doing something irreversible. I unlock Muina. Bad things will come of that. But good things too. Point of name is that cannot be undone. Been feeling very small, thinking about that.”
    “What bad things?” Ferus asked, rubbing Eeli’s shoulder.
    I pulled a face. “Did you look at building they making there? Great big box. Tarens don’t know how live with outside any more.”
    That made Eeli laugh, and surreptitiously wipe her eyes. “It’s a right name, isn’t it? One that fits.”
    “Thought so when Tsaile Staben asked me. Was thinking of those dogs, and the cats at first town, and other animals on this planet. For them, would be better if box stayed shut? Even though Seventh Squad make bad joke about killing them, the cats at Pandora won’t be let stay at amphitheatre. They already starting move away because not like so many people where kittens are. That been their place for centuries. Feel sorry for them. But this world belong you. Not my place to say, no shouldn’t be here.”
    I’m pretty sure the Tarens couldn’t screw