Merker's Outpost

by I. Christie

  JG glanced at Megan. She thought there was edginess in her voice.

  "What is Lt. Montran up to?" JG asked instead.

  "Lady Harriet is being taken care of by the shamans. They have suggested that she be removed from all combat plans." Megan's contempt was not hidden.

  Oohh. Now I think I know what has her on edge. Damn. Lately she's been getting awfully vocal about the titled, and a bit nasty when Captain Montran's name is mentioned. I thought it had been for show. Maybe not. This does not feel right.

  An uncomfortable thought had her shifting her shoulders under the uniform tunic. She wondered how she would feel towards her if she found out that since her father's death, she had inherited a title and land. Why did it matter what Megan Vanster thought? JG sighed and shook her head, bringing her attention back to the conversation, which had the others looking uncomfortable from the tone of voice Megan was using.

  "It is justified Megan," her voice was uncharacteristically gentle, thinking of the captivating green eyes that she had wanted to study, as they reflected the mercurial moods of the woman. Inwardly she realizing this was not in character for JG, but she was no longer a Black Rose. She was a CO of her Shield House. "She was taken prisoner by Chaney's guard the other day. They gave her to Painmaker to get information out of her. You know after that type of treatment any soldier is taken out of combat until they get a psych val."

  "I heard she's an empath," Malchi remarked. "You know they can't do violence to another without harming themselves."

  Major Zohra flinched at what was revealed to the others…but, then, they would know sooner or later, and now would be a good time. Everyone needed to adjust their prejudices about the titled, shamans, empaths and whatever else came up, and get focused on their job…to protect the portal and Lady Harriet Montran.

  Major Zohra's thoughts returned to the orange haired warrior whose merit she found sound and desired her to be part of her team…for more reasons than what could be called honorable.

  "And she had served as a Spartan captain in the most respected troop, don't forget that! And it wasn't so respectable until she shaped them up!" Sandra pointed out firmly. "That means she earned her rank. If she asked to join our sister shield House of Athena, I would welcome her."

  JG hid her smile. Sandra had never been silent with Megan's outspoken prejudice.

  Megan was not impressed or amused. "How can she be an empath and rise to the ranks of captain, and in the Spartans, within two stan years legitimately," she challenged the others. "It's just hyped up class propaganda about one of their own. She didn't even finish off her four year contract!"

  Some of the others thought about it.

  "You are talking about something you don't know about Lt. Vanster," Major Zohra's voice reverted to an official tone. "I had a chance to skim over her records, since Guardian has a very detailed one on her…and I would imagine on us all," JG commented dryly. "You also know very well that Lord Chaney had been trying to kill her for over two years…she had every right to leave, especially after he had her entire troop set up." Her eyes narrowed and looked hard at Vanster that was not looking like she was listening. "Lt. Vanster, I will not have someone within my officer's ranks practicing character assassinations or passing on subversive garbage about one of our assignments, due to personal prejudices. If it continues, I will bust you or anyone else down a rank and assigned to another unit. Do I make myself clear to everyone here?" The Major's voice was low but her anger was evident.

  "Vanster," she resumed to make herself perfectly clear, "you need to chill out. You're a damn good friend and soldier…don't bug out on me now."

  Megan did not look penitent to the others. "So, I take my reprimand with a grain of salt. Not to change the subject too abruptly, but what happened to Captain Miller and the others?"

  "They are in a lockup somewhere around here," Zohra wondered if she should say more. By order of the General, who saw fit not to pass on the why of her orders to her, the others were to remain locked up. "He would have killed us all had he tried to take over the portal," she added.

  "That's what Jenie was saying." Clea nodded.

  "Jenie?" JG asked.

  "That was the xomoph that sat with you while you adjusted to the new programming," TeaSdak joked.

  "That's not funny, TeaSdak," JG shuddered.

  "I'm only making light of it to ease your discomfort, Jina Gari. So lighten up." She bumped her hip against Zohra's getting a bump back, but TeaSdak could see her take a deeper breath, as if taking her suggestion seriously.

  "So what are the plans for protecting this place from Fermin's takeover?" Milent changed the subject, selecting a neutral topic.

  Chapter 20

  "Alexandra. Alexandra! Alex!"

  Alexandra woke with a start. The lights in the room came up slowly revealing the quarters she had been staying in on Merker's Outpost. Or was she? Something was different. It felt different. She threw the covers back sliding out of the warm bed to examine what was raising the hairs on the back of her neck.

  If you don't locate this difference soon, you will die.

  She paused in her search. "Isn't that being a bit melodramatic?" She shook her head. This is not the normal conversation she would have with herself.

  Melodramatic? That's not even a word I would use.

  Suddenly she stiffened and looked around her once more...this was not Merker's Outpost. Was this a dream? She looked around her for something that would give her a solid clue. No butler was waiting for her. The door that she had not noticed before opened and a butler came out.

  "No! Not that model!" she said exasperated.

  She was in a dream! Why this dream? What was she here for? She looked around again trying to look for something that had a symbolic meaning to her.

  There were noises coming from behind what should be the bathing area's door. She cautiously approached the door and touched the open button. A part of her pointed out that the open button is really near the bed and that it would have opened anyway as soon as she was in front of it.

  Oh, be still! she told herself critical self sternly.

  The scene on the other side of the door was a tropical forest with a swirling mist that was thicker than a bowl of ozoa. She heard an unfamiliar creature's call and then another, but they sounded from deep within the forest.

  She walked slowly, hoping not to stumble over someone or something. Her toe kicked a log that appeared out of the mist and foliage, nearly causing her to fall. She managed to hang onto her stunner and locator as she grabbed onto the top of the damp log to prevent herself from tipping over it. For a moment, she looked at the two objects in her hand as she braced herself on the log. How could she possibly have missed a log that was waist high, until the last minute and what kind of junk was this? She had never seen a stunner like this or a locator. What gave her the idea that these were what they were?

  Instinctively she spun around to see what was behind her. Her heart leaped into her throat, her breath held as she waited.

  Now don't be doing that! she admonished herself. If whatever was happening was roughly following her thoughts, she did not want to see her heart moved to where it did not belong.

  A pair of bright yellow eyes peered out at her from the mist.

  Why would eyes scare me? It just may be some small creature perched on a limb. She held her stunner pointing down, not willing to shoot at something that simply scared her. What part of her did not believe that this was something to not be frightened of? Well, her bios were getting out of kilter and if she did not step back into her body, her physical self was not going to be able to handle the situation. She had not realized she was distancing herself. Back in her body, she became engulfed with fear that wrapped around her limbs, immobilizing them, preventing her from fleeing. However, with the return of her other self brought a warm calming presence that started in her lower abdomen and spread out to frozen body parts. Once the fear was replaced with caution, she moved forward to see what
the eyes were about. The thought occurred to her that as a Spartan she would have shot first and then investigated. It also occurred to her that with all the time that must have passed she would have been dead if the yellow eyes were dangerous.

  Wow. I'm getting better at this stuff.

  The mist cleared as if pulled into a vacuum and standing with a very pleased expression on his face was a four-foot dwarf holding a pole with two eyes at the top…the yellow eyes.

  "Okay. Now, let's move on," he nodded at her.

  The scene quickly changed and Montran found herself standing on the lip of a very restless volcano, that spitting tongues of flaming liquid about. The trembling under her feet gave her the feeling it was ready to go up. There was a figure leaning over the lip with a measuring device trying to get the readings. That certainly was pushing job efficiency and dedication to the extreme, Harriet thought. The figure was dressed in a silver suit to prevent the intense heat and toxic gasses from overcoming the scientist.

  Harriet looked around for the transportation or way out the scientist would take. To her dismay, she saw the small hovercraft being dragged down by a new lava fissure.

  Harriet cried out and the figure near the lip jumped up startled and looked around for where the yell came from. A line of profanity from inside the helmet in a feminine voice came from the figure, as she saw her transportation being slowly swept away. Harriet was quickly at the woman's side as she instinctively felt the volcano prepare itself for a few stiff shakes. The roar in the core of the volcano increased. Harriet dragged the stunned woman further away from the lip. Frantically they both looked for a way out. If this was another dream, surely she could create a rescue…

  Another craft came swooping down between the vapors and smoothly glided beside the scientist. It did not settle on the trembling ground but hovered at a comfortable level. The door opened and Harriet's heart leaped when she spotted a smiling Alan in the pilot's seat.

  "No!" Harriet yelled.

  Harriet did not know if it was from her yell or if maybe the woman realized that Alan was dangerous but she leaped back from the tempting possibility of leaving the volcano's erupting top.

  Harriet looked frantically around for another way out when she noticed that there was a worn path not covered with lava. The scientist headed for it and Harriet followed behind her, terrified as Alan followed. The scientist reached the beginning of the trail before Harriet and dived headfirst down the trail. Harriet could see why, for a flash of light hit the trail before Harriet. Harriet willed herself beside the fleeing woman who was further down the barren volcano's sides. They were both on their feet and dodging around boulders and patches of molten lava that was cracking outside of the once confining cone walls.

  If this is a dream, why not just dream of a safe escape, Harriet thought. The figure that was running before her stopped, and spun around to face the surprised Harriet. She angrily pulled off her mask.

  "What do you think I've been trying to do? But I keep having this same stupid dream! And who in hades are you?" she demanded.

  Harriet put out a hand to touch the orange haired woman on the shoulder to calm her down. It was as she rested her hand on the woman's shoulder that Harriet picked up the foreign energy emanating from around her.

  "A sonic hydra. Someone has set one around your sleeping area," she murmured to the woman.

  The woman's eyes opened wide but Harriet had not time to say anything more as she felt herself jerked back to the emptiness where she usually began her dreams.

  The pause was brief before she found herself standing on a wall facing a spectacular view of a sundown on a Wield world. Now how did she know it was sundown? Her breath caught for the scene was all too familiar.

  Which Wield world is this? If you limit your experience to the one you're more familiar with you'll limit the potential of the dream, she reminded herself.

  Sharon was sitting on the wall.

  "It is sundown on MageWield, my home planet." Smiling, she patted a space near her for Harriet to join her.

  "You are from MageWield?"

  "Yes, Harriet. You already knew that, you just don't remember a previous visit you made here."

  Her smile was warm but it was not that of a lover.

  "No. Those days are past, as you have already noted. We were good for each other when we were with each other. Now we must move on and share our lives with others."

  Harriet blushed as her thoughts went to Carol, but that was in the past too.

  Sharon nodded. "We opened up parts of each other that only the love that we could give could open. Do you understand that? Yes. Love is very important in all relationships, just as commitment. We can no longer commit to each other because our paths have parted and will not cross as they have in the past. You blush when you think of Carol…but you are mistaken that it was just a fling, for want of a better word for something you felt you had no control of. Nothing is wasted if you remain present in the experience. Chaos is an important part of the life experience. You must try to remain in it and not organize it…it will give meaning when it has finished its process." Sharon watched the colors change around Harriet's head. It may seem like new information to her but it was not. The difference was that now she was ready to take it with her back into her conscious self.

  "You gave Carol something in your relationship with her, just as she gave you something in return."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Have you asked Carol if she felt you were taking advantage of her?"

  She nodded. "But…I'm not sure if she was just saying that because it was part of her program."

  "You gave her permission to speak her mind. With metrapeople the behavior chips cause them to see things as yes and no, do and don't. Their life is not in color or shades of gray even if it seems they are acting 'normal.' In the technical term of what a metraperson is, I was never one. I never had the chip implant."

  Harriet lifted her eyes to look into the amused slate gray eyes of a…lover. How did she know that that was something that weighed heavily on her mind?

  "I will hold you very close to my heart, Harriet. You had shown me what I was missing in my own single-minded purpose…opening my heart to share with another was just as important as having a purpose."

  Harriet nodded numbly, tears stinging her eyes.

  "You have been questing for a meaning to the Dance." Sharon smiled, at the increase of Harriet's pulse, and the change of colors around her. "The Dance you witnessed as a cadet was a dance of Attachment. It is a commitment to join destinies on a higher level. It's the second dance of four. It is very sacred and powerful in that if the two people who become involved were not destined to walk similar paths…it would evoke a change. That is why the first dance, the Dance of Invitation has to be danced. In this dance, the guardians of this ritual for bonding, are called upon to find one's lifemate in this life time. Then in dreamtime, the two souls meet and decide whether they want to be lifemates in this life. You had already accepted the Dance of Invitation when you were a young girl, just before your first menses. In your dreams you had requested to see who this was and one day, when you were visiting a temple to honor your moon time, you had met her. Do you remember that time?"

  "Yes!" Harriet looked at her surprised. "I…I had dreams of her that night…they were…embarrassing to me at the time."

  Sharon nodded, "When you had witnessed Cadet Zohra dancing the sacred Dance that she had thought was going to be a practice dance to bleed off the energy your nearness was creating, you both had pulled each other into the sacred energy. As strong as your life source is, if you did not wish for this attraction to take place…you would never have witnessed the Dance of Attachment. The guardians of this ritual would not have permitted it." Sharon smiled as she watched Harriet think about what she was telling her. The colors that shot out from her aurora told her that Harriet was pleased with this information.

  Harriet shook her head. "I wasn't sure just what I was feeling so soon aft
er being exposed to the pheromone gas."

  Sharon's eyes sparkled with laughter. "That certainly did confuse a lot of what was going on around you. It is time for you to dance the next Dance of commitment to this person. You know the Dance already. Your master at AltaLA had taught you the Dance but under a different name to keep its higher purpose hidden from the uninitiated. Remember the four dances of the seasons?"

  Harriet nodded, imaging the dance steps in her mind and feeling the energy the movements generated.

  "Connect all four in one dance and that will be the dance you will dance after Zohra dances hers." Sharon leaned toward her, "Remember." The breath from her whisper tickled Harriet's ear. "After this meeting, we will not contact each other again."