Symbiosis

by R S Penney

  “Oh?” he asked. “And what's that?”

  “Whether or not you're willing to share some of the other things you've thought about doing with me.”

  The apartment was dark except for a bit of moonlight that streamed in through the dining room window, passed through the narrow kitchen and left a rectangle across the hardwood floor. In the silence of night, the only thing she heard was the soft whoosh of cars as they passed on the street below.

  Anna stood in the hallway with her arms wrapped around Jack's neck, her nose buried in his chest. “So, here we are,” she murmured, clinging to him. “As dates go, this one will be pretty hard to top.”

  In the pale moonlight, Jack smiled down at her. He kissed the top of her head. “I'm glad to hear it,” he whispered. “And I think you should know that tonight exceeded my very lofty expectations as well.”

  “You had lofty expectations?”

  “Mmmhmm,” he said, nodding. “They may have included pink unicorns and little heart-shaped notes that read 'Mr. Jack Lenai.' ”

  Anna giggled, clamping a hand over her mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut and wheezed. “That's not nice!” she teased. “Making fun of me for sharing my feelings! So much for your gentle, sensitive side.”

  She understood that all too well. The whole way home, all she could think about was what she planned to do when she finally got him alone. There young women – most of them religious – talked about saving themselves for that one special person. Anna had never been one of them.

  To her, sex was neither magical nor mysterious; it was simply part of human nature, nothing more, nothing less. She might have experienced it long before, but for the fact that she had bonded a symbiont at such a young age. She had often daydreamed of becoming a Justice Keeper, but most people did not join with a Nassai until they were Jack's age or older. The last few years had provided her with very few opportunities to socialize with young men. Most male Keepers had been at least five years older than her and not at all interested in teenage girls.

  Now, she realized that physical intimacy was something that she very much wanted to experience with Jack. She just…didn't want to experience it right this moment. Telling Jack how she really felt, going on dates, passionately kissing him – this was all new to her. She wanted time to let it sink in before she moved on to the next step.

  “Anna?” Jack whispered. “My God, you're trembling!”

  “I'm sorry.”

  Jack stared at her with his mouth agape, blinking in confusion. “You don't have to be sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “Anna, I didn't mean to upset you. I really did have the most wonderful evening.”

  “It's not that,” she said. “I just…Jack, I'm sorry. I know we talked about all of the wonderful things we want to share, and I do want to experience them with you! I just don't think I'm ready for-”

  She didn't have to say another word.

  Jack slipped his arms around her in a tender hug, letting her rest her cheek against his chest. He placed one hand on the back of her head, gently stroking her hair. “It's all right. You don't have to justify yourself to me. I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far either – not yet, anyway – and I would never be angry with you for wanting to take it slow.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” he whispered. “I know this should go without saying, but even the most magical evening does not entitle me to expect anything more than you're willing to give. Sex isn't compensation for a job well done; I get that. I wasn't sure what to expect when we walked through that door, or how I would react if you had wanted to go further. I'm glad we're on the same page.”

  “Oh, it's official,” Anna mumbled. “I'm so in love with you right now.”

  His lips curled into a tiny smile, just before he pressed them to her forehead in the softest kiss. “Right back at you,” Jack whispered. “There is one thing I'd like to ask…if that's okay. Would it be alright if we fell asleep in each other's arms?”

  Covering her mouth with her fingers, Anna closed her eyes. She felt hot tears slide over her cheeks. “Yes,” she said, nodding. “Yes, I would like that very much. You have no idea how happy that would make me.”

  “Really?”

  “When I go to sleep each night,” she said, “I find myself thinking of all the people I miss. My family, my friends. It's so easy to just keep my mind busy all day long, but once I get in bed, it's just me and my worries.”

  “And then I think of you,” she went on. “I close my eyes and pretend you're there next to me, and I feel so warm and safe that I just drift off. From the very first night I fell asleep in your bed, I've always known that I was safe with you.”

  “I…” Jack shook his head. “Wow.”

  “Give me five minutes,” she said. “I'll come join you.”

  Thin curtains billowed in the breeze that came in through the window, and silver moonlight made his furniture stand out as dark shadows against the blackness. The air was just cool enough for sleep, a welcome change from the heat wave that left you warm and sticky in the middle of the night.

  Jack found himself pleasantly drowsy, ready to slip away into dreamland. Anna hadn't been kidding when she mentioned feeling warm and safe. Right now, he honestly believed that everything would be all right. Tomorrow, he would likely worry about Pennfield's next move – or the problems with his sister, or how he would tell his parents about the symbiont – but for tonight, he could put his worries aside.

  “Hey…” Anna said softly.

  She stood in his doorway in a pair of shorts and one of his old gray t-shirts. On her tiny body, it may as well have been a circus tent. Her hair was left loose in a bob that fell to the nape of her neck.

  “You're beautiful,” he stammered.

  Anna smiled down at herself, shaking her head. No doubt she was blushing like an open fire. “It's just an old t-shirt,” she said, stepping into the room. “Not exactly the most flattering thing I could wear.”

  “You still pull it off.”

  She moseyed over to the bed, pulled back the covers and hopped in next to him. Rolling over, she smiled at him in the moonlight, and the look of joy on her face was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “For what?”

  “For letting me stay with you.”

  Mashing his cheek against the pillow, Jack shut his eyes. He took a deep, soothing breath. “Thank you for joining me,” he whispered. “You aren't the only one who benefits, you know.”

  Anna snuggled up to him, slipping an arm around his chest where she rested her head and murmured, “I'll keep that in mind.” After that, she was silent, drifting off to sleep.

  For a long while, Jack just lay there, stroking her hair with one hand while he stared up at the ceiling. Anna felt safe with him; that brought him joy. After knowing her for only three days, he realized she would fight tooth and nail for the people she loved. He could always count on her. It was good to know she felt the same way.

  Some time later – maybe fifteen minutes, maybe twenty – he became aware of the sound of her breathing. Slow and steady. She had fallen asleep in his arms. He could only imagine the weight she carried. Light-years from home with only a few years of training and no one to back her up. She was quite honestly the strongest person he had ever met, and he was honoured to call her a friend.

  Drowsiness came a few moments later, his thoughts melting away to be replaced by the soothing sound of her breathing. For the first time in several years, Jack Hunter fell asleep feeling perfectly content.

  Chapter 27

  Anna had never been one to spend much time musing on interior design, but even she could see that someone needed to give the CSIS briefing room a – what was that odd English word? A makeover.

  Little more than a long wooden table between four white walls: the briefing room seemed to embody the concept of blandness. There were no paintings or sculptures, no plants, not even a window.

&nbs
p; Aamani Patel stood at the head of the table in front of a white projector screen. As usual, she wore a black pantsuit and kept her dark hair tied back. “Thank you both for joining me today,” she said. “We have much to discuss.”

  Dressed in gray pants and a black short-sleeved blouse, Anna sat with hands folded in her lap. “Thanks for having me,” she said, nodding. “I assume you want our help with another operation.”

  “Not that we'd mind,” Jack added.

  He sat on the other side of the table in a brown jacket, his dark hair combed forward so that bangs fell over his brow. “The enemy of my enemy and all,” he went on. “It's good to work together.”

  Standing before them with hands clasped behind herself, Patel frowned and turned her head to stare at the wall. “We've reached a decision,” she said with some reluctance. “We're going to take out the SlipGate.”

  Anna felt her mouth tighten as she studied the other woman. “That's an ambitious plan,” she said, blinking. “As I said, it will be extremely difficult to move the SlipGate, and disabling it will be just as hard.”

  “What about destroying it?”

  Anna licked her lips, then lowered her eyes to stare into her lap. She heaved out a sigh. “It's not that simple,” she murmured. “I have no doubt that you could find enough explosives, but that Gate is located in an office building.”

  Jack bit his lip as he stared off into space, nodding to himself. “Lots of potential civilian casualties,” he said. “There's got to be some other way to disable the Gate without risking any lives.”

  “That's why I've called you here.” Patel crossed her arms, shaking her head with frustration. “Can you offer any suggestions?”

  Well…could she? There were ways to disable SlipGates, but she was no expert on Overseer code. Bleakness, the best software engineers on Leyria had learned to parse out the algorithms, but she was no programmer. Each Gate had security measures, and most multi-tools could interface with them, but…

  Pursing her lips, Anna stared into her own lap. She closed her eyes and nodded to herself. “I might have one idea,” she began. “I could put a security lockout on the Gate. A password that would prevent anyone from accessing it.”

  “What will that do?”

  “Think of it like stealing Pennfield's car keys,” Anna explained. “The SlipGate will remain in perfect working order, but Pennfield will be unable to activate it.”

  Patel was no fool; it took only a few moments for her to work out the unfortunate implications of this plan. “Won't he eventually crack the code?” she asked. “What's the use in a temporary solution?”

  Anna winced, shaking her head. “There is no use in a temporary solution.” With a sigh, she swivelled around to face the table. “Our best bet is to contact my people.”

  “My government does not support that plan.”

  “Why not?” Jack asked.

  Patel scowled at him, her cheeks suddenly aflame with anger. “You may be willing to accept them on face value, Mr. Hunter,” she began. “The rest of us are not. Is it really so hard to understand why we might fear people with such advanced technology?”

  “This might be moot in any event,” Anna cut in before the two of them could start arguing. Jack had more patience with this kind of political wheeling and dealing, but no good would come from debating something that might not even be a factor. “If Pennfield already has a security measure in place, I won't be able to do much.”

  Patel heaved out a sigh, slumping over as though a huge concrete block had been strapped to her back. “Then our best bet is to destroy the Gate,” she said. “How much of a blast will it take?”

  “I won't support such a plan.”

  “Me neither,” Jack said. “Not if civilians might get hurt.”

  Anna wanted to kiss him right then.

  “Then it seems I have no choice.” Patel spun on her heel and began pacing across the room with her arms crossed over her chest. “I will consult my superiors. If your plan is approved, Anna, we will move forward.

  “We intend to go in through the parking garage. The two of you will be responsible for getting the rest of us in the front gate. I assume getting over the fence won't be much of a problem.”

  “It shouldn't be,” Anna replied.

  “Good,” Patel said. “We meet back here in three hours. I should have a final go-ahead by then.”

  A fence of green metal bars walled off a line of pine trees that swayed softly in the wind. Beyond that, Jack could see the Penworth building rising up toward the night sky with lights in the windows.

  They were on a small street behind Wesley Pennfield's property, and if he strained, he could just make out the top of the parking garage. Going in the back way had seemed like a good idea, but now that he saw that fence, he wondered if he could actually make that leap.

  Crouched on the sidewalk in black cargo pants and a Kevlar vest over a matching t-shirt, Jack let out a groan. “Can we jump that high?” he asked. “I know we bend gravity, but there has to be some kind of limit.”

  Anna stood beside him in identical gear.

  She turned her face up to the sky and blinked a couple times. “The only limit is time,” she said. “Can we hold a Bending long enough to make it over those trees? It will tax our Nassai.”

  Jack sucked air through his teeth, staring down at the sidewalk. He felt sweat break out on his forehead. “Can't say I like that idea,” he muttered. “We'll need them both at full strength if we come up against resistance.”

  Anna chewed her underlip with a thoughtful expression, nodding when she reached a conclusion. “There may be a way,” she said at last. “If we stand close enough and make a Bending together, our Nassai can share the load.”

  “Let's do it then.”

  “Whenever you're ready.”

  Jack stood.

  Closing his eyes, he focused and imagined a small dent in space-time that lessened gravity's pull. His Nassai responded with a burst of encouraging emotions that told him she could make such a Bending. He felt Anna beside him, felt that odd warping sensation as she got to work.

  It was slightly different from the Bending that he had imagined, but Jack's Nassai assured him that she could improvise. He formed the image in his mind – this had to be a team effort, symbiont and host working together – and felt space warp around him.

  He nodded.

  Bending his knees, Jack sprang off the ground and shot up into the air with Anna right beside him. They crested the fence together, and the tree line beyond it, dropping to a grassy hill at the edge of the parking lot.

  He landed in a crouch, hanging his head from the mild throbbing in his temples. “I guess that wasn't so bad,” he muttered, releasing the Bending. “How you holding up over there, Anna?”

  “Fine.”

  When he opened his eyes, he saw an empty lot that stretched on to the three-level parking garage behind the building. Tall lampposts at even intervals shone cones of light down on the yellow grid that stretched across the concrete. There were a few cars – most of them near the front – but they would be exposed as they crossed the open ground.

  The parking attendant's booth was near a gate in the fence off to his right. People entered this lot through a side street to avoid slowdowns in traffic on the main road. “You ready for this?” he asked.

  “Ready.”

  Anna was up and racing across the concrete in half a second, remarkably fast for someone of her short stature. Well, all right then, he thought. I'll just bring up the rear and watch your six.

  Jack started after her.

  Clenching his teeth, he winced and shook his head. You're so bloody impetuous, my love, he thought. It doesn't seem to occur to you that Pennfield might have snipers up on his rooftop.

  Office building or no office building, he wouldn't put it past the man to do such a thing. Pennfield was obviously willing to rely on black-market assistance for his security needs. As he considered the possibility, however, he felt a burst
of information flood into his mind. A gift from his Nassai.

  He could sense the rooftop – there were no obstructions in the way – and he felt nothing up there. Of course, his perceptions couldn't be trusted at this range. Even Nassai had their limits.

  Anna ran straight toward the passenger side of an old SUV, then fell to her knees right next to it. She was doubled over, drawing that fancy Leyrian pistol from the holster on her belt.

  Mopping a hand over his face, Jack shut his eyes. He tilted his head back, breathing deeply. “How do you want to play this?” he asked. “It's probably smarter if just one of us takes out the attendant.”

  Anna glanced over her shoulder, strands of hair falling over her face. She blinked sweat out of her eyes. “I'll get up close and stun him,” she said. “You watch my back in case he has help.”

  “Got it.”

  Anna held the pistol in front of her face, squinting as she studied it. “Stun rounds,” she ordered, causing the LEDs to turn blue. Only she didn't say stun rounds. The pistol only responded to commands in Leyrian.

  “Anna, let me ask you a question,” he said, startled by the sensation of new words on his tongue. “What language is this?”

  She smiled into her lap, her cheeks flushed to a soft pink. “It seems your symbiont has taught you to speak Leyrian,” she said, eyebrows rising. “Be glad. It took three days of sounding like a toddler for me to learn English.”

  As if that wasn't a miracle in and of itself!

  “Come on,” she said. “Let's move.”

  Anna got to her feet and ran around the back of the SUV. The only thing he could do was follow. Have a little faith in your best friend, Jack told himself. She's been doing this a lot longer than you.

  Anna went charging toward a small booth where a man in a white shirt stood with his back turned. He seemed to be reading a newspaper. Jack had to give his partner this much credit: she was fast and quiet.