Khorii nodded as she took it all in, not knowing what to say. Between shovelsful of dirt, Hap continued. "Anyway, we couldn't just space them. For one thing, it's kind of gross because you can see the body float off into space from the ship. It doesn't seem respectful somehow, especially not with the dead person's daughter watching. And also, I would think that the Federation might worry about bodies in space being time bombs for future epidemics. Say everything gets back to normal and we go about our business. Jaya would be held responsible for the ship and what happened to the bodies by both her company and the Federation. We could cremate them, I guess, if we could land somewhere, but we can't right now. And it costs too much in power to refrigerate the room all the time to a temperature that would stop decomposition. We're definitely not storing them in the galley freezer. We don't know how long we'll have to stay on this bird or try to keep it flying. So this seems like the thing to do, you know?"
Khorii smiled and nodded. Only Hap would think something so odd and work-intensive was the logical alternative, but he meant it with a kindness that was almost selfless. She caught a fleeting thought image of him holding Jaya, comforting her, kissing her hair. Boys! Mating was certainly a big part of their thoughts. At least Hap had settled on a girl close to his own age for his fantasies and was doing something nice for her. But she also knew that one reason he was talking so much was that he was afraid it was not the right thing to do. Maybe Jaya would be offended. Maybe her people didn't bury their dead. Maybe she liked being able to look at the husks of her parents and the other crew members. He tried so hard, and yet he felt like he never quite did the right thing to make other people like him. Under his enthusiasm and outer cheerfulness, Khorii felt a great void edged by intense sadness. His life before Maganos Moon-base lay within it, she thought.
"Can I help?" she asked.
"Yeah, we've got the graves about dug now. You want to go get Jaya and let the captain know what's up?"
Elviiz said, "I will help inter the remains of the crew members, then take the helm, if Captain Bates likes, so that she may make the gestures considered culturally appropriate in this situation. She did say that she knew Jaya's parents." Khorii nodded and trotted down the ramp, heading for the crew cabins. She passed the first cargo bay at a run, half-afraid Marl would jump out and remind her of her promise. She exhaled with relief when she came to Jaya's cabin, but the smaller girl was no longer there. Khorii found Marl, Sesseli, Captain Bates, and Jaya on the bridge, staring at the viewscreen. A huge Federation ship drifted past, broadcasting the same kind of mayday pulse as the Blanca.
"What shall we do?" Khorii asked.
"We can't do a bloody thing," Marl said. "They're done for."
"I might be able to help, in case anyone is alive," Khorii said.
"No," Captain Bates told her, the tone of command firm in her voice. "It's too dangerous, and it would take too much energy. That won't be the last derelict we see before this is over, is my guess. Let's save our energy and your skills for one that shows some sign that somebody has survived."
To Khorii's surprise, Jaya agreed with them. "Anybody can use the com unit. If they're not well enough to get to it to answer our hail, they would not live until you could board, Khorii."
Khorii didn't argue. She closed her eyes and opened her mind and tried to feel if there was any life aboard the ship. Whether there was someone and her psychic skills were unable to perceive them, or whether there was nobody left alive there, she couldn't tell, but she nodded. If she had been able to sense anyone, it would have been different.
Jaya looked away abruptly, and Khorii touched her shoulder. "Jaya, Hap and Elviiz have prepared a resting place for your parents and friends in cargo bay two. They'd like you to come and see now."
"Me, too?" Sesseli asked.
"Yes, you, too," Khorii said, hugging the youngster to her side. "Captain Bates, Elviiz will relieve you so you can come back, too, as soon as he's finished helping Hap."
Captain Bates nodded, just glad Khorii hadn't made more objection about the derelict. "I would be honored to attend."
"Well, I'm coming too. I wouldn't miss this for the world," Marl said.
He almost choked on his own laughter when he saw the man-and droid-made hillock, but Elviiz took one step toward him, and he shut up abruptly. Khorii felt certain Elviiz wouldn't attack anyone just for laughing, but she wasn't sure that she could have stopped herself from smacking Marl if he didn't stop ridiculing other people's efforts to be helpful.
Hap offered Jaya a last look at her family and fellow crewmen before putting the lids on the coffins, then he and Elviiz lowered them into the holes. Elviiz filled them in with such speed and energy it detracted a bit from the somber tone of the event, but Hap helped Jaya place the markers he had made at the head of each grave. She knelt between the graves of her parents, looking lost. Khorii had an idea. She ran back to cargo bay one where she had made her 'ponies garden and gathered some of the gold and orange blooms already growing on the flowering edible species she had cultivated. Returning to cargo bay two, she climbed the hill and handed the flowers to Jaya.
Jaya stopped crying and looked up at her in surprise. "Marigolds! How did you know? These are the traditional flowers for funerals and weddings for my people."
Khorii smiled. "And they're delicious, too, so they're the traditional flowers for grazing for my people."
As touching as the makeshift ceremony was, she hoped the memorial garden would have little chance to blossom before the ship reached LoiLoiKua, then Paloduro, and she saw her own parents again. Jaya's grief made her nervous, and she couldn't help wondering where her mother and father were and what they were doing.
The gymnasium had been transformed into a makeshift clinic and emergency shelter for anyone well enough to get there. Most of the people were not actually sick, or not very sick, but did need to be decontaminated before they mixed with the others. Finally, after three days of healing, with only an occasional break for one of them to eat or sleep while the other continued to tend the new arrivals, the flow of patients seemed to be stanched.
Aari and Acorna worked tirelessly until every last person who came for their help had received it. Then they made an announcement.
"We need to let any other survivors in the city know that we're here and this is the place to come for help. We also need more supplies to take care of you all. Could we have some volunteers to come with us to try to reestablish the communications systems so we can broadcast to anyone who might be left and also to acquire enough supplies for the people here until we know it is safe for them to return home?"
"I helped design the emergency broadcast system for the entire city grid," a thin, older man with a shock of white hair told them. "I can show you where the station is, and I'm pretty sure I can get the equipment going again."
"Great. Thank you," Acorna said.
"I will help you hunt for supplies," Abuelita said.
"We can go to my son's store," a woman said. "He sells-sold- camping supplies, sleeping bags, cots, tents, dehydrated food, that sort of thing. It's quite a large place. He was leading an expedition into the jungle when the plague broke out. I-don't know how he is. But I know he would be glad to help, even if he has to start all over-if he can, I mean, I-" Flustered, she broke off as the impact of her words sank home.
"Excellent," Aari said, smoothly filling the sudden silence."! will come with you. We will need more volunteers to load and carry things."
"I own a fleet of florries. Some of my drivers-died in them. If you can make them safe enough to drive again, we can pick up stuff all over the city." This was from a tiny bird-like woman. Despite a huge, sculpted, and lacquered wave of blond hair, now a bit bedraggled, and extremely tight skin on her face with eyebrows that looked as if they'd been drawn on with ink, she looked to Acorna to be about the same age as Uncle Hafiz.