Creatures of God

Life's Such Dangers

Hello there! Thanks so much for bearing through my rough draft of a story. I'm still learning, still trying to improve it. If you've gotten this far, I can't thank you so much for your support. Please feel free to vote, share, leave comments. I love hearing from you all, positive or negative.

This isn't such a bad day, Mimi thought.

She took a moment to embrace her surroundings while leaning against the trunk of a large, sycamore tree. There were a few, scattered clouds in the sky, and it was mildly humid, but otherwise it was a beautiful summer day. Late in the season was always a pretty time of the year; tall, golden prairie grass; blooming sage; wild, vibrant ironweed; and of course, bright yellow sunflowers scattered everywhere.

Underneath the shady cover, Mimi caught a few breakthrough sunrays on her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could smell a sweet effervescence in the air -- ripened sandhill plums -- confirmed by the presence of a thorny thicket nearby, filled with red and orange fruits. At any other time she might have tried the tasty edibles, maybe even collected a few for trade, but at that very moment, the dainty, female officer was hiding.

Not far away, a large grey and green lizard lay camouflaged on the flat side of an elevated boulder. Normally the cold-blooded animal sunbathed in the morning, but this day it enjoyed a late afternoon sun. It stretched and stretched, spreading its limbs, and gripped the entire surface of the heated rock. Soon the shifty reptile closed its eyes and relaxed its spine, happily undisturbed, until it sensed a faint noise close by.

The telecom at Mimi's wrist chirped and vibrated.

Mimi was a scrawny adolescent, and hiding behind the trunk of a good-sized tree was not a problem. Her noisy electronic, however, threatened her safe harbor. She quickly silenced the careless device.

Not now, she thought.

As a Human Protection officer, Mimi was often outdoors, helping people survive a world with predatory animals. There were many rules and safe practices to consider. For example, it was never smart to travel in small numbers, let alone by oneself. As such, earlier in the day, Mimi had accompanied a moth farmer to another district. Now, however, she was on her way home -- alone -- when she came across the sleeping Godzilla.

Mimi ran her hand over the strap to her backpack. The wildberry silk inside was still worth all the trouble, she thought. Its trade for services would make it a wonderful gift for Nana, an elder seamstress in the colony. Nana was like a grandmother to Mimi, and while Nana would never accept the silk as a personal gift, she would likely repurpose the lux material into clothes or blankets for other, less fortunate people.

Only love, Mimi thought, was worth life's such dangers.

Out of view, Mimi pulled a mini-viewscope from her pocket. Lizards had very sharp vision, and Mimi knew she could not afford to be discovered so easily. She used the scope to peek from behind the huge, mottled tree.

The lizard was of moderate length at six meters. Thick bodied, with stubby legs; a total lug of a beast. Deceptively dangerous. The saliva from its digestive system contained a natural paralytic which killed its prey with a single bite. Mimi hoped the animal had already eaten and was not hungry. Not that the good-sized lizard would enjoy her wiry frame anyway, she thought.

Okay, what should I do? she strategized.

Mimi knew she could not move on without risking exposure. A couple of tossed rocks had failed to create a diversion. Repeated attempts would draw attention from somewhere else. Another animal could enter the picture and double the danger. On the other hand, staying put wasted her valuable time and available sunlight. Now was as good a time as any to make an exit.

Mimi withdrew her laser gun, but hesitated. She fiddled with the power setting. The action made her think of her late father Georges.

Georges had previously been a supporter of the Science Center, but especially so after they had provided life-changing care for Mimi as a youngster. For that, Georges had been forever grateful. Thereafter, he had become more aligned with Anderson's ideology, their ways and ideas; their desire to have peace in the world, and with the Canines. Georges had wished for that, too.

Back in the present now, the thought of the sun lizard returned, and Mimi switched the power setting on her gun to low. She stepped out from behind the patchy, peeling tree.

Immediately the reptile's gaze met hers. It stiffened its neck and raised its head high. The scales at its neck turned outward, converting into a shield for the rest of its body.

Mimi side-stepped away. "Hello, friend. I was just passing through the neighborhood... "

Suddenly, from behind the first reptile, the head of a second grey-green lizard popped into view.

"Oh," Mimi said. "I didn't know you had company... "

The second lizard was a female companion. Smaller, greener, but equally dangerous. It quirped a short vocal.

"Don't get the wrong idea, darling," Mimi chatted. "Green isn't your best color."

The female lizard trilled a repetitive warning.

"Yes, yes, my dear, I hear you," Mimi chatted, "but really, we're just friends." She continued to retreat backward.

Crack!

Mimi glanced at a snapped branch at her foot.

Cursed leg! she thought.

Mimi had lost her left lower leg in an animal attack many years ago. Although lightweight, the metal prosthesis could feel like a heavy boot at times.

The two lizards charged.

Mimi fired at the male in the foreground. A low-level beam struck the reptile's head in an elongated stun.

The female lizard forged onward.

At the last second, Mimi leapt into the air with superhuman ability, dodging the initial lunge and eventual backswing of the lizard's tail. A lead weight, her cyborg leg was not.

The charging reptile passed harmlessly underneath.

Rotating mid-air, Mimi reached out and caught the swinging pendant about her neck. She landed cleanly and tucked the necklace beneath her collar.

"Sorry, Lizzie," the HP officer said. "I don't think an afternoon tea would be a good idea right now."

Mimi turned and located the male reptile slumped over in foggy unconsciousness — he was still breathing. She gently patted the lizard's head and neck.

"I'm sorry, friend," Mimi apologized.

She looked at the female lizard watching from a distance away.

"It's alright, Liz," Mimi called out. "It's just a migraine. It shouldn't ruin the afternoon plans."

The female HP officer resumed her retreat, while the second lizard advanced and checked-in on her partner.

Further away, Mimi surveyed her immediate surroundings. No other animals had been drawn to the commotion. She checked her inventory: laser gun, viewscope, telecom...

Now she remembered. There was a phone call earlier. She looked at her communicator.

From Elliot: Hi Mimi, there's someone at the Center I want you to meet.

Mimi raised an eyebrow and tightened her lips. She pulled at the pendant around her neck.

Not that you would want to see me, she thought. Elliot had acted so weird the other day.

"Okay, Elliot, who is so important that you would actually message me?"

One of the doctors probably needed the Protection Unit for a project, Mimi guessed. The Science Center was filled with a lot of wonderful people, but they could also be a little needy. They could stand to get out in the open air a little more often, she thought.

Mimi checked her tracking position and noted the sun's location in the sky. Anderson was not far away. With that, she changed course and made her way westward.