Delvik stood in shock at the turn of events, he had fully expected to die fighting to buy the human, who in his mind could be the greatest asset to his people, especially as it seemed to know how the old machines work, time to flee to safety. He did not expect the Human to pick him up and flee.


    Then the second realization hit him, he was inside a living, underground burrow. Something he didn''t think any of his people had ever experienced. Oh they had found dead ones, long since destroyed and reclaimed by natures or other creatures he thought.


    Delvik looked around, taking in the hallway, the glowing bars on the ceiling and Thomas, taking deep, gulping breaths as he leaned against the massive great metal door. “Why save me?” he asked the Human.


    Thomas turned his head towards Delvik, “beceause…..it felt like…..the right thing to…do” he said as he tried to get his breathing under control.


    Taking several deep breaths, Thomas could finally feel the hammering in his chest begin to subside, and he once again made the mental promise to start exercising. Stepping back from the door, he watched Delvik stare around in seeming wonder at the shelters entrance and made peace with his actions. Thomas had planned to eventually bring Delvik into the shelter, if not so soon, but what''s done is done, and he should make the best of this situation.


    “Well, i guess welcome to my home Delvik” Thomas said, “and since its likely neither of us will be leaving for a while, let me show you around.”


    The two walked in a sort of awkward silence down the long entrance hallway, descending into the earth towards the shelter proper. Both beings stuck in their own minds, but thinking along similar lines. What now? Being the main though, followed by a niggling worry of fear over the other attacking.


    It was Thomas who broke the silence first, “so, um what were those creatures?” he asked. Delvik was startled out of his thoughts by the question and answered automatically, “Drunga and Arvo,” he said “big angry bird monster, like to drop down on prey from sky.” With a visible shiver, he continued, “Arvo are mean, dangerous hunters. Thick skin and sharp teeth. Even Humans avoid them”.


    Delvik saw Thomas repeating the names back to himself, as if memorizing their names and descriptions. The Human suddenly got a glimmer of excitement, “A database” Thomas said loudly and turned his head to face Delvik. “We can make a list of all the dangers, oh and even of the condition of the base and maybe even the surrounding area” he continued, voice getting more and more excited as he continued.


    Thomas’s smile faltered as he noticed the look of confusion on Delviks face, “what is database” Delvik said, and Thomas realized one problem they were going to have. He had been taking for granted the fact that Delvik could speak English at all and had forgotten that it was self taught. Thomas explained his idea as they walked, until they arrived at the shelter proper.


    Delvik had agreed readily at the Humans suggestion, especially after hearing that it had maps of the base and surrounding areas. His people had some crudely drawn maps that they had made, mostly showing dangerous areas and where food could be easily found. The idea of a book with all of this information appealed to it, once again affirming its decision to investigate this Human.


    As the Human showed him around the burrow, Delviks mind raced with the possibilities. If he could ally this Human to his tribe, it would change everything. Just the access to the room of healing alone would ensure that sickness wouldn''t ravage the tribe. This whole place was more than Delvik could have dreamed. Thomas had gotten him settled into a large room that had many tables and chairs and after promising to return, disappeared deeper into the burrow. He wanted to follow, to see what other wonders awaited, but he cautioned himself to be patient. The Human wasn''t going to leave, not with the Arvo waiting outside, and it was unlikely that Thomas was going to kill him.


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    So Delvik waited, taking every detail he could and even imagining his people living here in peace, thriving and growing. It was only when he felt dampness in his fur around his eyes that he realized that he was crying. Scrubbing his face with his paws, he swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to bring his tribe here, to shelter with the Human and finally be able to live, rather than simply survive.


    After about twenty minutes, the scent of food preceded Thomas’s return. He set two large trays on the table, along with a few glass bottles. Taking a seat opposite Delvik, “I don''t know how well your people can handle alcohol, but I looked it up and it isn''t toxic to your base species” Thomas said with a smile and lifting one of the glass bottles, “but after nearly being killed twice, I figured we deserved a drink or three”


    After taking an explorative sniff and sip, Delvik found that he liked the bitter-sour taste. The two discussed a great many things in between bites of food. Thomas excitedly helping Delvik fill out his vocabulary with new words and ideas, while Delvik explained the various dangers of the world and the many creatures that now inhabit it. Eventually however, the conversation began to wind down, and as the tension from earlier wore off, exhaustion began setting in.


    Thomas showed Delvik to a truly massive sleeping chamber, filled with beds much softer than the mats of moss and leaves he was used to. He was also shown a strange room, he had seen their like before but never in this pristine of a condition. His eyes went wide when Thomas described its purpose, a whole room devoted to leavings and cleaning, but as Thomas continued, he felt that he understood the concept.


    With a wishing of good sleep, Thomas departed to a different part of the burrow, leaving Delvik to build a sleeping nest of his own. Delvik was asleep on the comfortable mattress as soon as he lay down.


    Thomas returned to the central control room, and after making sure the door was shut and locked, collapsed into the throne-like chair. What a day he thought, not at all what he expected. The talks with Delvik were eye opening, the world had changed so much. Thomas looked to the monitors for the external cameras, still covered and showing only dark smears. That will be a problem, he thought.


    He looked to the internal cameras, focusing on the sleeping space and saw Delvik sprawled out on a mattress. The blankets still folded neatly next to it with pillows sitting on top. Thomas chuckled softly, feeling the urge to close his eyes and let sleep take him.


    He shook his head, pushing the desire back for the moment. Sitting up, he began typing on the terminal''s keyboard. Noting down the events of the day and what he learned. These Arov are going to be a problem. They could wait them out, but their presence put Delviks people at risk. Hell, everything put Delviks people at risk, and he was really starting to like the guy.


    The memory of them sitting in the cafeteria, sharing a meal and some drinks popped into his mind making him smile. Might be something to that, if they could make the area safer. Delvik had admitted that food in the area was getting scarcer, especially with the cooler season rapidly approaching.


    FInishing his work, Thomas stood and went to where he knew Alex had kept an old army cot stashed away for when he worked late. As he pulled it out and began unfolding it, an old comic book fell out. Picking it up, a sudden idea struck him. Thomas wasn''t a fighter, he knew that, but Delvik was, and while those Arvo were bigger, tougher and stronger, they had science and technology.


    Thomas lay down and quickly succumbed to sleep, but even then, his mind whirled with possibilities. On the table beside him lay the faded comic book, with an iconic red and gold colored figure on it.