by D T Dyllin
Blinking, the present wavered in front of me before I lost myself in another memory.
Mikla gazed down at me, disdain twisting his features. “It was an animal. Its purpose was to be experimented on.”
Crouching in front of the wire cage, I swiped at the tears and snot running down my face. Inside the tiny prison lay a small black and white hybrid animal, which didn’t even bear a name. I knew Mikla had procured the creature for experiments of some sort, but I’d grown attached regardless. Seeing its tiny body dead, and set with rigor mortis had torn out both of my hearts, much to Mikla’s disgust.
“It didn’t deserve such cruel treatment.”
Mikla grabbed me by the shoulders, tossing me across the lab. “You make me sick. The things you feel aren’t natural for a Galvraron.”
“Maybe they should be. The limited emotions you have don’t make you better than me. They make you a sociopath.”
“A sociopath?” He regarded me with curiosity. “Reading human psychology texts again? Interesting. Very interesting indeed. Although you’d do well to remember that we aren’t human, Zula. Such terms can’t be applied to our kind.”
My brother had spent much of my adolescence torturing me, although he’d never classify his actions as such. Everything he did was for science, and for the betterment of our family and people. He wanted to figure out what went wrong with me so that further birthing defects in Galvrarons could be avoided. Because he and I shared DNA, this made him especially interested since our parents had produced one perfect specimen, and one flawed failure. It didn’t matter that my IQ was off the charts, higher than his even. His lack of emotions, and ability to dedicate himself to the sciences without guilt or remorse, made him better.
“LaLa.” Warmth suffused my back, radiating outward from where Kade’s hand rested. “It’s not too late. I can turn Baby around right now, and we can light slide a few galaxies away.”
Focusing in on the present, I turned towards Kade, giving him a wan smile. “No. I have to do this. It’s just … well, it doesn’t matter, it needs to be done. I have to get this plate out of my head and I have to figure out how my people fit into the puzzle with the UGFS and Denards.”
As if my words had brought it to fruition, Baby lurched and groaned, locking into its landing sequence. We were moments away from being docked on Xianfrey.
Fresh panic washed over me, threatening to pull me under and drown me. Sweat pooled along my hairline and temples, even though I was chilled, clammy. Who will be there to greet us? Mikla? My parents? Or armed guards to escort me to them like a prisoner? And what about Kade? Surely he won’t be permitted to remain with me.
With wide eyes, I scrambled to my feet, regretting everything, and doubting if I could pull off our plan. I’ve made a mistake. A huge mistake. I can’t do this. I can’t face them.
Kade pulled me into his chest, wrapping his strong body around mine. I inhaled deeply, wanting to lose myself in him, never wanting to leave his warm embrace. “You can do this. I have faith in you,” he rumbled, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
My fingers curled into his leather vest, and I scraped them down the length of his back, tiny fibers making their way under my nails. “I’m not so sure I’ll be able to pull this off. I’m not so sure about anything anymore.”
Shifting so he could peer down at me, Kade’s gaze bore into mine, the gold in his eyes sparking with a hint of flame. He opened his mouth to speak, but leaned down to capture my lips instead. The kiss was soft, tender, and nothing like any of the previous ones we’d shared. My body sank into his, molding itself against his hard muscles. Warmth unfurled within me, stretching out through my limbs, and awakening a stark craving to forget about everything except what being in Kade’s arms could mean.
When he pulled away, a sadness swept away the heat, chilling me to the bone. I wanted, maybe even needed what Kade was offering me. He would be a partner, someone who I could share my life with … but I didn’t know how I’d feel when the plate was removed from my head.
Without a word, I turned away from him, lumbering through his ship in a daze, making my way blindly to the airlock. I paused when I reached my destination, smoothing my hair and clothes in an attempt to center myself. Notching up my chin, I stared straight ahead. “I’m ready,” I said, knowing Kade was behind me.
“Remember, if everything goes sideways, I’ll be there for you. I’ll get you out no matter what I have to do.” He tugged me into his side, his arm winding around my waist.
I stepped away from him. “It’s probably best if you act … if we act like there’s nothing between us, even a friendly rapport.”
“Yeah, probably a good idea.”
We moved in sync towards the door, Kade halting near the exit to open a small panel in the wall, ripping out a few wires and reconnecting them in different spots.
Bewildered, I tilted my head. “What are you doing?”
“Normally, they’d pay me upon delivery and send me off world immediately. But since Baby is having a bit of a malfunction and needs repairs, they’ll be forced to let me stay until she’s fixed.”
The corner of my lip twitched up. “Clever Talsen. I hadn’t even considered that part.”
He puffed out his chest and tugged on his vest, preening because of my compliment. “You’ve had other things to deal with. I’m sure if you were your normal self you wouldn’t have missed something so simple.” Kade hunched over, brushing the backs of his knuckles against my cheek. “Remember, no matter what happens, I’ll be there when you need me.”
As much as I hated to admit it, his reassurances bolstered my confidence. It was terrifying how quickly I’d come to depend upon someone I barely knew. Terrifying and insanely stupid. But that was the thing about letting one’s emotions run the show, they didn’t care about things such as logic and sanity. They only cared about what felt right, and whether I wanted it to or not, my hearts said Kade belonged in my life.
As soon as we stepped outside of Baby, five Galvrarons donning full military regalia, marched forward to greet us. It was a reception I hadn’t been expecting. Not since I’d run away and had only returned under duress. Maybe my family was actually going to play nice with me for a change.
The officer in charge, on older male, his skin a pale blue, washed out from age, brandished a pair of laser cuffs, addressing Kade instead of me. “Will these be needed, or is Telfazula, first and only daughter of—”
“You’ve got to be—” Kade pressed his hand to the small of my back, his message clear. I bit my tongue and deferred to him. It was an insult, one I’d have to ignore. Overlooked, and referred to by my full name, minus my earned title of Scientist Supreme level green, only acknowledged in regards to my parents, with laser cuffs added to the mix … Okay. At least I know what to expect now.
“Those won’t be necessary. Zula, or Telfazula, won’t need to be restrained. She is quite willing to be here.”
The officer nodded once, hooking the cuffs on his belt, and regarding me with uncertainty all the while. “Very well. Follow us then.” He spun on his heels, marching a half a step ahead of the other four soldiers, two on each side in a V formation.
I ground my teeth together, forcing myself into motion. My parents had hired Kade to bring me back before I’d been captured by Telvin or discovered the lie that was Zeffrin. Why after all these years were they desperate enough to hire a bounty hunter to bring me home?
The soldiers led us to a small shuttle, where I was unceremoniously locked in the back like a common prisoner, while Kade was permitted to sit with them in the front. My pride combined with shame, and I turned my gaze to Xianfrey’s landscape as we lifted off. Zooming around the outskirts of the capitol, brightly colored trees and plants intermingled with angular glass structures, the combination familiar and strange at the same time. My people were always looking to the future, striving for the latest and greatest technology. In the time I’d been absent from Xianfrey, the buildings had probably been
remodeled a half a dozen times, their structures much changed from the ones in my memory. But the rest remained the same. The row of familiar dolfa trees, their orange and yellow leaves as big as my head, stood tall and proud at the edge of town, acting as a clear demarcation between the city and rolling open fields, left unsettled to keep the planet’s local wildlife habitats intact.
Surprisingly, as much as Galvrarons focused on technology, there was a fear of disturbing the ecological system on Xianfrey. Great lengths were gone to in order to keep things balanced. Of course, the same courtesy was not extended to other planets and species.
Recognizing the route we took, I knew I was being taken to my family’s personal laboratories, which were several massive buildings kept behind a small house in comparison. My brother resided in the labs, no desire or need to find himself a mate. At some point, he would be pressured to reproduce because of his superior genetics, but even then he never had to be intimate with a female. His offspring would be created in a lab, and raised by someone other than himself; the contribution of his DNA enough to satisfy that his duty to Xianfrey and his people was done.
The shuttle landed gently on the scorched concrete pad behind the labs, the engines whirling to a stop and the cooling fans kicking on. Kade stood behind the officer as he opened the door to let me out, his expression carefully blank. I averted my gaze as I climbed out of the shuttle, shuffling along with Kade at my back, and the officer leading the way. As if I didn’t know exactly where I was going.
Standing just inside the outer security doors—a barrier meant to keep things in rather than keep them out, something I knew from firsthand experience—were my parents. My gaze danced back and forth between the two of them. My mother hadn’t aged a bit since the last time I’d seen her. Although her hair might have had a few more streaks of silver in the dark auburn. My father, on the other hand, seemed to have aged several decades, his skin nearly all white, barely blue at all anymore. Both wore the nondescript grey pants and top combo most Galvrarons preferred. Fashion wasn’t high on the list of important things for my people.
The officer halted in front of my parents, crossing his right arm over his shoulder and bowing his head. Before he could speak, my father said, “Leave Zula and the bounty hunter with us, and you may go.”
Hitting his shoulder with his fist again, the officer turned sharply on his heels, marching out of the lab without hesitation.
My hearts pounded erratically as I waited for someone to speak. I sure wasn’t going to do it first.
“Well, here she is, delivered in one piece as promised,” Kade said, his voice booming in the small corridor.
My father raised his hand palm up, a small card resting in his palm. “Your payment as promised. The credits can be used directly at any UGFS sanctioned depot across the Universe, or they can be transferred into your bank of choice to be used with your bank cuff or implant. Whichever you prefer.”
Kade took the card, shoving it into the inside of his vest without so much as a thank you. “My ship needs some repairs before I leave.”
My father nodded. “You can return to the city’s center and I will have one of my best people meet you there. She’ll let you know how long the repairs will take. If you must stay for any length of time you may stay on your ship, unless it interferes with the work, and in that case we will offer you accommodations.”
“Sounds good to me.”
My gaze dipped to the floor as I listened to Kade’s footsteps retreating. I wanted to call out to him not to leave me, but I knew it wasn’t an option. I wiped my palms on my shirt, fidgeting.
“Second-in-command to a bounty hunter, and a hu-mutt at that? And on a Chimay grade ship? Have you no pride?” My mother’s voice was sharp, cutting me to the core.
My nostrils flared as I forced myself to raise my gaze to meet hers. I flinched when I saw the disgust burning in her eyes. No matter how I tried to suppress it, there would always be a part of me that wanted to make my parents proud. At one point in my life, they’d been everything to me, and I’d thought if I could just be what they wanted then maybe they’d love me. But I couldn’t be, and they’d never love me the way I loved them. “My pride is what forced me to leave. I carry—or did carry the title of Scientist Supreme level green, but we all know I was nothing more than Mikla’s personal science experiment. If not for him I would have been able to pursue another vocation on Xianfrey, one that was better fitted to my personal strengths, not Mikla’s.”
My father snorted. “There is no vocation for a Galvraron who is strong with emotions. Mikla was merely trying to help you. We all were.”
I twisted my fingers together behind my back. “By torturing me?”
“It was a means to an end.” My brother’s cool tone washed over me, causing an involuntary chill to run up my spine. “We’ve been over this more times than I can count, sister dear. I couldn’t help you until I figured out what makes you tick. Then, and only then, could I have fixed what’s wrong with you.”
Vibrating with anger, my eyes widened as I stared at my brother, his visage not having changed at all since the last time I’d seen him. His dark eyes studied me coolly, as if I was something slimy on the bottom of his shoe. “There’s nothing wrong with me! There never was! I scored higher than everyone in my class on the IQ assessments. I—”
“Was crimpled by emotions … emotions that no Galvraron has experienced in millennia. There was a reason they were selectively bred out of the populace,” my mother interjected. “I knew something was off with you as soon as you were born by the way you craved so much affection. But we did what we could.”
My father shook his head, murmuring to her, “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. If we would have started the treatment when she was an infant we may have had better results.”
“Stop! Just stop it!” I shouted. “How many times do I have to hear this? Yes, I know. If you would have treated me when I was a baby then maybe I could be more like Mikla … but you didn’t, and I’m not.” My chest heaving, I sucked in a few calming breathes before speaking again, my family watching me warily, even my brother. “Why am I here? Why did you hire a bounty hunter to track me down after all this time? I would have thought you’d be relieved to not have to deal with me anymore. And I kept a low profile so no one would know what had become of me. So why? Spit it out already.”
Mikla pushed forward between my parents, the corner of his lips twisting up. “It’s come to our attention—and when I say our, I don’t mean the three of us, I mean the ruling body of Xianfrey, the High Elder’s council—it’s come to our attention that you and the crew aboard The Pittsburgh actually stand a chance of stopping the Denards, and we can’t let that happen.”
I was stunned into silence. There it was. All the cards lay on the table, confirming my suspicions. The Galvrarons were working with the Denards to further their agenda. Swallowing convulsively, I found enough saliva to speak. “What exactly would we be stopping them from doing? Genocide, the destruction of entire cultures and species? What is their ultimate goal? And why … why would you help such a deranged race? I-it isn’t logical. Galvrarons don’t believe in war. The destruction it causes doesn’t align with our beliefs.”
“Your emotions are clouding your judgment,” Mikla said. “Of course it’s logical. The Denards are crazy enough to turn their aggression on us after they’re current fixations have been annihilated. But that won’t happen if we help them, unite with them, and while they’re focusing their attentions elsewhere, destroy them.”
For a moment—an instant in time—relief washed over me, causing me to stagger and sag against the nearest wall, the cool metal a welcome sensation against my flushed skin. The Galvrarons weren’t actually on the Denards’ side; in fact, my people wanted them neutralized as much as we did.
But … but …
Pressing a shaking hand against my sternum, I inhaled several raspy breaths. But the Galvrarons planned on letting other species be collateral damage, a
useful distraction to achieve their objective. It was completely self-serving, and exactly the type of behavior I’d come to expect.
My mother shifted, folding her arms across her chest. “I can see by your over-the-top reaction that you understand. We couldn’t let you stand in the way of what progress we’d made. So we hired a bounty hunter to bring you here. Once our goals are accomplished, you are free to leave. Until then you will remain here on Xianfrey in isolation.”
“My allies don’t need me to stop the Denards. Me being sequestered here isn’t going to do one bit of good. Valiant effort, though. And besides, why not just kill me? It’s not like any of you care for me at all.”
Mikla clicked his tongue. “Oh, dear little sister, you’re wrong on both accounts. Again, and as always, your emotions cloud your vision. If we hold you here long enough, your friends will come for you, and we’ll be ready for them. In the end, you’ll all be safe because of your temporary imprisonment, but there won’t be much you can do for the rest of the Universe. And we do care about you. You’ve mistaken our wanting what’s best for you for hatred or disdain. We want to help you reach your greatest potential. Simply because you never will, doesn’t mean we wish to see you injured in any way.”
I choked back a laugh. My brother had been my personal tormentor up until the day I’d fled home. Who does he think he’s kidding? Not that it mattered. I was determined to get the answers before my family grew bored and stuffed me away wherever they planned on keeping me during my stay on Xianfrey. There were too many pieces still missing to the Denard puzzle, and I was determined to find out what they were. “But if you know so much about the Denards, then why don’t you stop them yourselves? I know Galvrarons don’t care much for intergalactic politics, but I also know we don’t support the pointless destruction of—”
