by Layla Stone
Off to her left, the sky was painted in reds, oranges, and purples. A sun was either setting or rising. Dark blue and grey clouds hung overhead, and she could feel the light dusting of sprinkles on her face. She blinked, smiled, and then laughter bubbled out of her.
She was standing on a reddish brown rocky pathway. It led to a single house. The only structure that could be seen in the vast distance. Behind the house were several yards of grass and dirt patches that led up to a sheer-faced mountain. It immediately reminded Sasha of all the times she and Jandy flew through the ravine.
“This place is amazing. How did you do that?”
Sci stood off the path on a small patch of grass. There was a peacefulness in his demeanor that she usually only saw at night when he was with her. “This is a memory. I am sharing it with you, making your consciousness see it from my perspective.”
“As in, a hallucination?”
Instead, he said, “This is my home.” He pointed to the mountain behind them. “I climbed that mountain several times a week. This place used to be my best memory.”
“And now?” she had to ask.
He answered soberly, “You are my best memory.”
It was said with conviction. The words slipped into Sasha’s mind and soul, becoming branded there. Unable to form words that would express the same to him, she wrapped her arms around Sci and pulled him in tight. “This place is amazing. I would fight endlessly for a home like this.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I want to take you home with me, but I’m reluctant to return. On my planet, we are no one, yet we are everyone. I don’t think that anymore. I am one, and so are you. And I don’t like the idea of sharing you or your mind or the things we share with anyone, to be open to others. It’s…private.”
Sasha peered up with a grin. Touching his forehead to hers, he added, “I want to make sure that no matter where we go, you’ll stay with me.”
“I will, but just to be clear, it has to be a place for us, my mom, and Jandy, right?”
He tapped her lips. “Yes, I’ve already considered those things. And I’ve spoken to your captain about them.”
“And?”
Sci’s eyes smiled as he said, “And he knows that I will not let you leave without me.”
Not the answer she was looking for. But then again, she didn’t know what she wanted to hear when it came to Captain Rannn. Scanning the wall of the mountain, she almost didn’t hear Sci. Sasha was taking in the nooks and crannies, plotting her route.
He chuckled. “That is not the best way. I can show you—”
“Hey, it’s my climb.”
“Okay, but I will be waiting for you at the top.” He took hold of the handhold and pulled himself up. She didn’t wait another moment and followed him up but on her own path. And, unsurprisingly, she beat him to the top. Quick reflexes and all.
***
In the galley, Sasha was famished. They had spent hours in several of Sci’s memories. When it was all over, Sasha felt as if she had taken a week’s vacation. It was awesome on a scale she couldn’t compute. Sci decided to stay and recuperate, apparently having her in his mind took a lot of energy.
The same Federation Yunkin as before escorted her to the galley. She walked through the line, smiling at nothing and everything as she filled a cup with her usual beverage choice and took two food bars.
“Ah, the Lotus lady’s having a good day. What’s there to be happy about? You finally getting off the station? Or is it because you’ve worn out your cabin mate using your Lotus skills?” he said with a foul implication.
Taking another long sip of her drink, she tried to walk around him. He moved in front of her, blocking her way.
Pissed that the jerk was ruining her good mood, she said, “Move.”
He didn’t. “I wanted to say that—”
“Don’t care.”
The fire in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Sasha.
“You really should, though.” His arrogant tone annoyed her, but then he tilted his head down and looked at his watch.
She opened her mouth to throw out a few curses, but she couldn’t form the words. Her hands suddenly became numb, her ability to grip the cup crumbled, and the container slipped out of her grasp. Looking at the ground in shock and confusion, Sasha followed the item to the floor and blacked out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Silence
Sci was connected to Ansel’s mind, watching the male think and research the oddities in the tether. It was easy to get lost in Ansel’s mind when he was hard at work. It was like watching an artist but letting the art come alive.
Which was why Sci didn’t immediately notice when Sasha’s mind dropped from his. When she didn’t come back after a half hour, he did a mental sweep and found…that she was gone. His link to her was gone.
Jumping off the bed, he cut into Ansel’s mind and told him that something was wrong. That Sasha was gone from his mind, as well as the tether.
Ansel quickly told him not to worry. That maybe one of the medical team members checked her and reinstalled her cerebral blocker. Sci watched through Ansel’s consciousness as he walked into Pegna’s medical center to find out if Sasha had been there.
The medical team was defensive and didn’t answer any of the Numan’s questions. Ansel then decided to stage a fall to activate the medical visitors. With a quick scan, he saw that Sasha’s name was not there. But he didn’t get to check for earlier in the day because one of the officers cut him off and escorted him out.
After that, Ansel moved through all levels except the bridge. She wasn’t on any of them. The Numan even peeked into the bathrooms.
No Sasha.
Ansel met Sci in his room. “I don’t understand where she could be.”
“Would they have exiled her to Lotus Nexis this soon?”
Unsure, Ansel made a quick call to the captain. Several minutes later, Captain Rannn walked in Sci’s cabin. “Let’s start at the top. Tell me everything you two have done so I can mitigate this mess.”
Once Ansel told him everything, the captain winced. “No, she wouldn’t have been relocated yet. Her termination orders have not been processed.” Then he groaned. “If someone reports her missing, she could get into trouble. Walking out without permission is punishable in the FDB.” The Federation Disciplinary Barracks.
“She’s not gone, but someone must have her and activated her blocker.”
Rannn narrowed his eyes. “She’s unblocked?”
“Yes.”
Hissing at Ansel, the captain said, “You’re an idiot. If anyone finds out—or maybe they already have—they will lock her up so fast, no one will know what happened to her. They will consider her mentally unstable and a threat to the station.”
“No one knew,” Ansel said then restated, “other than me.”
The captain cursed. “Both of you are idiots. I will track her down, but you do understand that what’s done is done? If they know, I can’t do anything to help at that point.”
Sci was conflicted. He needed access to Sasha’s mind. It was a gaping hole in his consciousness that felt wrong. “She was already being sent home. Why would knowing that she’s connected to me be a problem now?”
“Not sure if you noticed, but the admiral is actively looking for anything to put in a court-martial for me.”
He didn’t know what that was. And he didn’t ask either because, instantly, Ansel was going over the meaning and the ramifications. Steep consequences for Rannn that would blow back on the rest of his crew.
“You still uplinked to him?” Rannn asked Ansel.
He nodded.
“Why haven’t you cut that off? It’s dangerous for both of you.”
Ansel shrugged as if it weren’t a big deal. “It’s an effective way to communicate. Plus, how else do you think I would have known that Sasha was missing if not uplinked as you call it? Sci’s not allowed out.”
Rannn’s jaw flexed. Back to Sci, he said, “Where did she say she was going when she left?”
“To the galley to get something to eat.”
“Main deck? Who was her escort?”
“Yes, main deck. I didn’t see her escort,” Sci said.
Ignoring the comment, the captain headed to the door. “I’ll be back. I’m going to look for myself.” Holding the door open, he called for Ansel. “You need to activate that thing before someone finds out.” And then he left.
“Does he realize the lengths I will go to for her?” Sci said.
“He knows. That’s probably why he’s going to look himself instead of asking someone else to do it.”
Sci wasn’t sure if he felt anything different with Rannn knowing that.
“Do you know anyone willing to hurt her?”
Sci paused at that thought and remembered Sasha’s concerns she never spoke about. The woman that had her mother. The madame that would punish her if she ever returned. “Sasha has wronged someone, a female from her home planet. There is no one else I know that she thinks is against her.”
“What female?”
“Sasha was supposed to pay to leave the planet. It’s the female who runs the city.”
“The…you’re talking about the madame. Sasha didn’t pay the madame of Lotus Nexis?” Ansel breathed out, “Many, many males visit Lotus Nexis, and if the madame wants someone found, she has a long list of clients she could reach out to in order to do it.”
“In your mind…this is a very bad thing. Are your thoughts fictional, or have you…?”
“Before the Federation, I could find any species I wanted on a Lotus planet—for minimal cost. A madame is quick to exact punishment.” And then Ansel thought it: if she is unconscious and her blocker has been reactivated, then whoever took her knows you care about her and that you will hurt anyone who touches her. The traitor was on this ship.
Sci didn’t spend every waking moment watching her thoughts. He just liked that they were always there with him. He would not be making that mistake when he got her back. “I can’t remember her thinking anything about anyone.”
Ansel picked up the communicator and told Pax about what they had come up with.
“I could find her if I had access to everyone on Pegna.”
Ansel slowly looked at him. “Guaranteed death. You might find her, but then you’d be dead before you could see her again.” Then Ansel cleared his mind and focused his thoughts and words. “Best case, she’s been kidnapped and on her way back to Lotus.”
“Best?” Sci hissed.
“Worst, she was kidnapped on purpose to cause you to snap.”
“On the chance she is not kidnapped, what if she’s hurt? Is there a way to scan the ship?”
“Scan? No. Check the security logs? Yes. But I wouldn’t have access to that—” Ansel stopped and breathed a relieved breath. “I bet that’s where the captain went. He would be able to access the logs. He will know exactly what happened in the common areas.”
The door slid back, and Ansel startled. Sci didn’t like the captain’s expression. “Court marshals have been assembled. I am here to escort you.”
“What?” Ansel and Sci asked at the same time.
Shaking his head, Rannn said, “I know. Bad timing.”
“Or the other way around. Perfect timing. Sci is stitches away from going postal,” Ansel said.
Sci frowned at him. “A slang term, I assume. And one that would not describe me.”
Rannn nodded. “You better keep it that way.”
Grudgingly, Rannn walked out of the room with Sci. On the way up, he asked, “Did you—?”
Rannn snorted. Sci found it odd, but he tried again, only to be silenced by a hiss.
The captain was, with no words, trying to convey something. What he was trying to say was not translating, however. Sci showed Ansel what was going on, and even Ansel was confused. The elevator opened up on the admiral’s level. Rannn moved to a room with several electronic faces.
In the middle was a male with a screen outlined in white. Two males at his side were outlined in blue. And then, off to the side, were seven screens outlined in black. The one in the middle was the first to speak.
“I am Admiral Armsono. This court has been assembled to determine if you are or are not guilty of willingly crossing into Federation space.”
Sci opened his mouth to ask how they intended to find this out, but a quick jab from the captain’s elbow kept his mouth shut. Sci was starting to understand that the captain didn’t seem to want him to speak. At all.
He noticed that he and everyone else in the black boxes shared the same expression.
To the right of Admiral Armsono was a female outlined in blue. She spoke next. “I’ve been assigned as your legal advisor, and I will be speaking on your behalf for the court. My name is Marmri.”
Sci remained silent even though this was beginning to feel like a mockery of justice.
To the left of Admiral Armsono was a male outlined in blue. He said, “I’ve been assigned as the Federation prosecutor. I will be speaking on behalf of the Federation. My name is Pinrem.”
Admiral Armsono then added, “And those are your jurors. They will be impartial and unbiased as they hear your case.”
Sci stood still as the female began to tell his story to the jurors. To his surprise, she had all the details correct. Furthermore, she genuinely sounded as though she were fighting on his behalf.
It was an hour later when she finished, and Admiral Armsono called for a ten-minute intermission. All the screens winked out. Rannn moved his hand to his chin and pushed his face at an angle. Hearing a pop, Sci saw him moved his head in the other direction. On the last crack, Sci not only heard the noise, but he also saw into Rannn’s consciousness.
Withholding his surprise, Sci looked away as if bored. He didn’t want to say anything until they were alone and Ansel could fix it.
Sci? You there? How the hell does this work?
Sci was almost floored at hearing Rannn speak those thoughts into his mind. Sci sent him a picture of himself.
Oh, yeah. I forgot that you can only send pictures.
Sci sent him a picture of Rannn talking to him.
That’s not how I speak. I don’t shake my finger at you. Rude. And, to be honest, this is an interesting way to communicate. But back to the point. I need you to send a message to Ansel.
Sci sent him a picture of himself nodding.
Tell him to find Pax and Sands. Tell them they need to follow the flight plan of a sloop checked out to Benelt. Tell them the master-at-arms is the one who took Sasha, I figured it out when I ran a check to see who hadn’t checked in for their shift. He was the only one that as unaccounted for.
At that, Sci frantically looked at Rannn’s consciousness, verifying the truth and the information’s authenticity.
Sci connected with Ansel and gave him the message.
Rannn added, Let me know when they leave the station. Make sure they do it soon so that it looks as though they have done so without me knowing.
Sci sent that message also.
With luck, she will be back before anyone notices.
The screens winked awake, and all the faces were back. Admiral Armsono was the first to say, “Welcome back, everyone. Let’s get started with hearing from the prosecution.”
Sci noticed with rapt interest that Rannn’s mind was structured like building blocks. He was able to control his thoughts better than anyone outside a Cerebral. The male was also mentally buttoned up.
At least look like you’re paying attention, Sci.
Adjusting his stance, Sci returned his attention to the fabricated and twisted inference of the prosecution. And even though his fate would be determined by these individuals, Sci’s one and only concern was for Sasha. She had been kidnapped, and it had been on purpose. Why had she been taken?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Liv
ing Terror
Sasha was in an electric cage identical to the one Sci had been in when she first met him. Knowing the pain and possible death if she touched the bars, she moved very slowly when maneuvering from a prostrate position to a sitting one. She felt like a prisoner and wondered why she’d been such a cow for not making Sci’s cage time easier.
“Pulling into port in a few minutes, so you’ll need one of these.” The creep pulled out a dart shooter. “Can’t have you fighting me when I open your cage.”
“We’re at Lotus Nexis?” She couldn’t believe that she’d been asleep for that long.
“Almost.”
Sasha felt the stone-cold reality settle in her gut. She was going to suffer, long and hard. Madame Allure had put a bounty on her. Sasha should have known the horrible female would do something like that. With the countless cutthroats and clients that passed the madame’s booming industry, she had the contacts and money to find someone who could find Sasha and return her.
The dart hit Sasha’s arm, and she pulled out the small, fingernail-sized vial and moved herself to the ground before she inadvertently fell into the bars.
***
Spread eagle on a stone table, Sasha watched the door for the madame. When the door opened, it was Sasha’s mother. Red-eyed and crying, she raced down the steps to Sasha, calling to her and finally reaching out to hold her face. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Her mother saw the ropes holding Sasha down and tried to pull them off.
The door slammed shut, and Sasha watched as her mother cringed. The madame herself stood in a revealing, sheer blue dress. She was freakish looking with a series of cybernetic additions and implants that could be seen through the dark black outlines beneath the skin of her face and torso. Her eyes glowed a neon blue, and her fake lips were filled with neon blue gel with silver sparkles.
“I have to tell you, little imp, that I was surprised it took so long to get you back. But, no matter, you’re back now. I’m much better. And,”—Allure pointed at Sasha’s mother—“your mummy missed you, too, didn’t you, Joan?” Allure grabbed Joan’s hair, yanking her back until her neck looked as if it would snap. “So…so ungrateful.” Then the madame laughed coldly. “But, no matter, I found a new seamstress, so everything I’ve got planned will go splendidly, and I will be much better. Much, much better.” The singsong voice grated on Sasha’s ears.
