“We just wanted you to know the truth behind the rumors that we know raced through the ship,” Zander said.
“That’s it?” she asked, hiding her disappointment. She had no doubt now that they knew she was their berezi. What she didn’t understand was why they didn’t want to tell her.
“I think we also wanted to convince you that we’re not quite as bad as you might have thought after hearing the rumors,” Zach replied.
“I admit that I was curious, but my curiosity was limited to the question of how such a thing could be true. I certainly made no moral judgements on your characters based on the rumors.”
“You didn’t?” Zain asked in obvious surprise.
“No, Commander, I did not,” turning her eyes to him this time.
He stared at her for a long moment and she returned it steadily. “May I ask, why not?”
“I know exactly what it feels like to have someone think they already know who and what you are based solely on one look, or a whispered rumor, or a preconceived notion. Just like you’ve done, and continue to do to me.” She turned away from him and dropped her eyes while pushing her chair back.
“Have a good day,” she said flatly since she couldn’t think of anything else to say. Then she stood up and left the room.
“That actually went a little better than I’d hoped,” Zander said.
“I suppose,” Zach said half-heartedly.
“I think her reaction to our history is quite telling,” Zain said.
“In what way?” Zach asked.
“In the way that no woman I’ve ever known would sit quietly and listen to her intended mates talk about sex with another woman without becoming upset. She didn’t bat an eyelash. Another mark against her.”
“Another mark against her? Are you keeping score, Zain?” Zach asked, frowning.
“No, I’m just pointing out the facts.”
“And intimating that she’s lacking in some way for not being whatever you think she should be.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Zain said. “I’m just saying that the list against her being our berezi is much, much longer than the one for it.”
“Well add this to your list,” Zander said. “She did react. Very strongly. She was shocked, horrified, and sad by turns.”
“You know this how?”
“I can feel her emotions, Zain. Why can’t you?”
“I presume it’s because she isn’t our berezi. As I’ve said.”
“Then why do we feel her?”
“I don’t have any idea, Zander.”
Zander glared at his youngest brother for a few seconds as several responses ran through his mind, each angrier than the last. But this wasn’t the time or place. He shoved his chair back. “We’re due on the bridge in five minutes,” he said, standing up to leave, hands going to his temples in an attempt to rub away a sudden headache.
***
After leaving the conference room Bean took the stairs back to her room. She locked the door, put Iffon’s dishes on the table and began pacing. After a few minutes Iffon left her shoulder, flying up to a nearby perch that wasn’t so high she had to crane her neck to see him if she wanted to talk.
“At least I know what they’ve been doing to stop pheromone production,” she said suddenly. “And I know why Zain hates women. Not that it does me any good, but it’s kind of nice to know there’s a reason.” Iffon said nothing, just watched as she continued to pace for a few more minutes. “I guess they decided not to tell me that I’m their berezi because they know Zain doesn’t want me.”
“I’m not sure that’s correct,” Iffon said.
“No? Why not?”
“Why tell you the story at all?”
“Maybe because they think that’s why I avoid them.”
“Maybe,” Iffon said. “But if that’s the case, why not give you the memory crystal they spoke of? Why tell you in person?”
Bean frowned as she considered his questions. “I don’t know, Iffon,” she said, then gasped as the ship suddenly lurched hard enough to make her stumble into the table.
“What was that?” Iffon asked.
“I don’t know,” Bean replied just before the ship lurched again, then a third time a couple of seconds later. She leaned against the wall, her heart racing with fear. When a full minute passed without any further lurching, she stepped cautiously away from the wall, her mind now racing as fast as her heart. She frowned.
“Maybe I do know.” She looked up at Iffon just as her vox rang. She looked around for it, spotted it on the dresser and put it on her ear.
“Yes?” Silence. “I thought as much. I’m on my way, but you might want to consider stopping.” She clicked off and gestured to Iffon, who immediately flew to her shoulder. She hurried out of the room, barely remembering to lock the door before running to the elevator.
“What’s going on Bean?” Iffon asked after she pressed the call button.
“We just hit some mines.”
“I know little about such things but aren't we a bit close to the galactic center for a stable planet?”
“I know even less than you do, Iffon,” Bean replied as the doors opened. She stepped inside and pressed the button for the bridge. “I think we’re about to find out, though.”
When the doors opened, Bean was surprised to find Zain waiting for her. It took all of her control not to press a button and go to another deck. She glanced at him briefly, unconsciously crossing her arms tightly in front of her chest.
“Lady BreeAnna,” he greeted her politely. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”
She nodded, stepped out of the elevator, then around him before starting up the corridor to the bridge. “If you’ll allow me to carry you I can use Air to get us there more quickly.”
“It’s not that far, Commander.”
“Is that a no?” he asked, frowning slightly.
“It is.”
A few moments later she stepped onto the bridge, then stopped. It was the first time she’d been on the bridge since Captain Reynolds’ death. She swallowed hard, then crossed the dais and went down the steps to where Zander and Zach stood watching her.
“Are you all right?” Zander asked her. “You seem distressed.”
“I’m fine,” she said, struggling harder than she ever had before to hold on to her composure. Not because of her memories of the last time she’d been on the bridge. But because she was having a sexual reaction to Zander and Zach. It wasn’t strong enough to be overwhelming, but she’d never felt anything like it in her life and dearly wished she wasn’t feeling it now. She wondered briefly why she was feeling it now when she hadn’t an hour earlier, then dismissed the thought. It really didn’t matter.
She looked at the floor, afraid of letting them see her eyes. She did her best to ignore the unfamiliar sensations in her body; the hardened nipples, the ache low in her belly, the increased sensitivity that caused her clothing to feel heavy and irritating against her skin. “What can I do to help?” she asked, nearly wincing at the slightly husky sound of her own voice.
“We don’t know,” Zander said.
Bean was relieved that he sounded as he always did. A little tense, but that was to be expected considering the current situation. Whatever that might be.
“Can you tell me what’s happening?”
“We’ve been traveling at normal speed since coming out of a new Door last night. That’s standard procedure until we can make another one.” He paused and she nodded to let him know she was following.
“A few minutes ago an alarm went off on the scanners, warning that there were a number of the tiny clusters ahead. We veered around them, then the alarm went off again. We veered again, but the clusters followed us. We came to a stop, scanned around us, found a clear area and turned toward it. A mine came at us that we couldn't avoid. We turned a different way and two more hit us. Deliberately.”
“And now?”
“Now there are sixteen of them out there, surroundi
ng the front of the ship. If we attempt to move, one or more will hit us. We’ve got three shields down already and can’t risk one of them hitting us directly. They’re too damn powerful. We’ve exhausted every option we’ve been able to think of in an effort to get us out of this and, obviously, haven’t had any success. We’re hoping you know something that’ll help.”
“There should be several pair of macronoculars around here that have been specially configured to make the mines visible.”
Zander looked up at Sark, who gestured to someone. A few moments later she, the Falcorans, Sark, and Kyrus Bearen stood before the viewport with what appeared to be ancient reading glasses with exceptionally thick lenses. After adjusting the settings, they were able to see the small clusters of nano-bots in the center of each mine.
“Commander, is Blind Sight active?”
“It should be,” Zander said. “Standard orders are to keep it on at all times.”
“Please check.”
Zach turned and went to the Captain’s console, slid back the cover over the Blind Sight controls and growled. “It’s off.”
“Don’t turn it back on yet, please,” Bean said, not quite knowing why she said it until the words were out of her mouth.
“Why not?” Zander asked.
“Because if you do, if the ship suddenly vanishes from their sensors, they’ll immediately come at us. All at once.”
“How do you know that?”
She lowered her glasses and gave Zander a significant look. “I just know it, Commander.”
Zander nodded. “Very well. What should we do?”
“One moment, please,” she said softly. “Iffon? Am I getting this right?”
“I’m sorry, Bean, I don’t hear them the way you do. I just get the gist of things. Is what they suggest possible?”
“I suppose. I was considering trying to make them hit each other.”
“I was, too. It seems it won’t work that way.”
“Well, this is good news, right? I couldn’t make them move fast enough anyway.”
“Yes, it is,” Iffon agreed stoutly. “Don’t worry, Bean. You can do this.”
“Thanks Iffon. Okay, here goes.”
Kyrus, Sark, Zander, Zach, and Zain wondered what Bean and Iffon were talking about, but they didn’t dare to interrupt. When they fell silent, the entire bridge fell silent as well.
Zander looked through the viewport at the clusters that marked the location of each mine and wondered what, if anything, Bean could really do about them. He was so worried that he managed to forget, for a moment, the intoxicating aroma of Bean’s arousal mixed with her light floral scent. He knew she was embarrassed by it, and was glad that neither Zain nor Zach had given any indication that they’d noticed either.
He focused on the mines, adjusting his glasses while ignoring the flip of excitement he felt nearly every time he breathed in. It took him a few moments to really concentrate on what he was seeing. When he did, he realized that one of the clusters was moving.
It wasn’t moving a lot, but it was moving. Up several inches. Then down. Then up. Then down. After the fourth time it moved up, he noticed that the cluster looked less…solid.
He adjusted the lenses on the glasses a little more, grateful that they were so powerful. He had a very good view of the cluster despite its size, and it became obvious rather quickly that the nano-bots were jittering out of control. Suddenly there was a faint puff of pinkish light and the cluster was no more.
“That worked!” Iffon exclaimed.
“It sure did,” Bean said, relieved. “Okay, one down and fifteen to go.”
“Wait, Lady BreeAnna,” Zander said, “I’m sorry to interrupt but would you mind telling us, please, what’s happening? We’re a little in the dark here.”
“Of course, Commander. I’m sorry. I just got a little carried away. Those clusters, as you know, are at the center of tachyo-matter mines.”
“Wait,” Zain interrupted sharply. “How dare you reveal information you’ve sworn to keep secret? Have you no honor at all?”
Iffon hissed as his form changed from the red and blue bird to what looked like an enormous, solid black eagle with golden eyes and gleaming talons. He hopped onto the railing in front of the viewport, his size doubling as he glared at Zain, head down, wings tense and ready to spring. Behind her, the entire bridge erupted into growls, but when Bean turned to face Zain, chin up and shoulders back, silence fell.
“What I reveal, to whom I reveal it, and when I reveal it, are all at my discretion, Commander Zain, a fact you were made aware of by Prince Garen your first day aboard the Askara. Happily, my honor is fully intact which is a great deal more than I can say about yours.” She turned her back on him and continued speaking.
“As I was saying, the clusters are nano-bots at the center of tachyo-matter mines that are invisible to our eyes. The nano-bots prevent the tachyo-matter from leaving the shell, or casing of the mine, and they act as the mine’s brain, guiding it to where it’s supposed to be.
“Our Blind Sight is off, which has allowed them to detect us, and the nano-bot brains have set sentries to keep us from moving. Destabilizing the nano-bots causes them to lose control of the tachyo-matter, allowing the individual particles to do what tachyo-matter does naturally, zoom off in random directions faster than the speed of light. They zip right through the mine’s casing and disperse in space. No more mine.
“If no one else has questions to ask or unfounded declarations and allegations concerning my honor to make, I need to destabilize another fifteen mines. Preferably before the Doftles arrive to see what their sentries have trapped.”
“Of course, Lady BreeAnna,” Zander said quietly. “Thank you for the explanation. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help.”
Bean nodded, but didn’t look at him, or anyone else. She put the glasses back on and did her best to focus on destabilizing the next set of clusters. It was just so difficult to not think about Zain. She kept seeing the disdain in his eyes, and hearing the contempt in his voice, over and over again.
He didn’t like her and never had. She knew that. She didn’t like him much, either. The Falcorans may have been Fate’s choice for her, but it was perfectly clear to her that they would never be her Rami. Not only because Zain didn’t want her, but also because she didn’t want him. There was no point in feeling hurt, and definitely no point to her physical attraction to Zander and Zain.
As soon as she was done with the mines, she was going straight to the infirmary and demand that they do something, anything, to prevent her responses to them. Particularly the physical responses that had just begun. She didn’t care what they had to do, either, so long as they did it soon. Today would be good.
That decision made, she was able to push the issue aside and concentrate on the task before her. She manipulated the nano-bots in the second mine, focusing as hard as she could in an effort to keep herself from thinking about anything else. After the third one she started to wonder if it was her, or if destabilizing the nano-bots was becoming more difficult to do with each mine. After the fourth one she was sure it wasn’t her. She took a short break, gratefully accepting a bottle of water from Zach while she pondered the matter.
“Iffon,” she said, turning toward where he still stood on the railing. He’d reduced his size to about fourteen inches which he generally preferred, but she knew he was still angry.
“Yes, Bean?” he asked, projecting so everyone could hear him.
“Each successive mine that I destabilize is more difficult than the last.”
He studied her for a long moment in the steady, penetrating manner of large raptors, then launched himself from the railing to her shoulder. He lowered his head and studied the mines through the viewport. “These clusters are quite small,” he said, turning to look at her as he spoke. “They shouldn’t be difficult for you to manipulate.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought, too.”
“What are you thi
nking?”
“I’m thinking about Ria’s nano-bots.”
Iffon straightened suddenly, then turned to look at the mines again. “You really are quite brilliant, Bean. I never even considered that.”
“Do you think it’s possible?”
“Without a doubt. They learn very quickly, as you know, which means that the sooner you’re able to destabilize those that remain, the better. At the same time, I’m concerned by how many there are and how much energy it will take if they continue to strengthen their resistance to your efforts.”
“There’s no help for it unless there’s someone else onboard who can do what I’m doing.”
“I think I should meld now and save my energy in case you need me. Or in case I’m needed to claw the eyes out of a certain Falcoran.”
“All right, Iffon,” Bean said calmly. She didn’t know why the thought of him harming Zain made her sick inside, but it did. She held one arm out and watched as he spread his wings and dove straight at her arm, melding instantly with her skin.
“That’s so interesting to see,” Kyrus said. Bean gave him a tiny smile, appreciating the fact that he didn’t ask her what Iffon was.
“Wouldn't it be easier to just fire a weapon at those things?” Sark asked, causing all the blood to drain from Bean’s face.
“Apparently not,” Sark said. “I’m sorry, Bean. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I know,” she said. “What I’m doing is only working because the mines can’t detect any movement or weapons fire from us. If they did, they’d come right at us, all at once, and so would a few hundred more that are lurking out there.
“As it is, the nano-bots haven’t figured out why the other mines are exploding. There’s nothing in their programming that matches the data they’re getting, so they’re categorizing the explosions as internal malfunctions.
“They aren’t acting against us because they have no reason to suspect us of having anything to do with the malfunctions. Once all of those sentries out there are gone, we can turn on Blind Sight and get out of here.”
“And find out why it’s off in the first place,” Zander said with a warning growl as he let his gaze sweep over the bridge.
Bean's Heart (Hearts of ICARUS Book 7) Page 27
