by Rinelle Grey
*****
Amelie had walked off as soon as she’d finished talking to Tyris, before Kugah could say anything. She had to know he was going to object. Kugah followed her back to her workstation, but before he could say anything, Karla arrived.
“Is Tyris okay?” she asked sharply.
Amelie nodded. “He’s had a heart attack, but it’s easing now. Of course this means he can’t go to Kugah’s home world to get the code we need. I’m going to have to go instead. Can you and Bris take care of things while I’m gone?”
Karla nodded immediately, her eyes sharp. “Of course.”
Kugah didn’t say anything as the two discussed specific patients and things that needed to be done. He just waited. Finally, the nurse left, and Amelie turned to him.
Kugah had the message typed and ready. “We need to talk about you coming to my home world.”
The words on the screen showed none of the emotion he was feeling. None of the panic that flooded his system when he thought of taking Amelie anywhere near the Gokak.
Amelie looked up at him, her face drawn but determined. “There’s nothing to talk about,” she said firmly. “We’re out of other options.”
“Kugah go alone,” he typed. “Safer. That way.”
“I know you want to protect me, Kugah, but you can’t,” Amelie said softly. “We can’t risk the AWP falling into Gokak hands. You know that.”
“Kugah destroy it before it can.”
The argument was pointless, he knew that. If he could do it all, Tyris would never have insisted on coming in the first place.
Amelie put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “How can you do that if you’re in the Gokak base?” she demanded.
As long as she didn’t leave the ship, she’d be okay. Kugah tried to convince himself of that. The Gokak wouldn’t destroy it, especially not if they didn’t know who was on it. As long as they didn’t know about the wormhole generator, they would think Amelie couldn’t escape.
“Amelie stay in ship,” he typed, and held the tablet out to her.
To his relief, Amelie nodded readily. “That was the plan, as I understand it,” she agreed. “What else?”
Kugah kept his explanation to the basic points. Only the things she needed to know. “We should be able to fly straight into their base and land. Even if they recognise the ship, they won’t suspect that there is anyone but me in it. I should be able to just walk into the base. After that, I’m going to have to make it up as I go along.”
Amelie frowned. “That doesn’t sound like much of a plan. Surely they’re not going to just let you walk out again with the code. What if something happens to you?”
“Then you leave,” Kugah typed. He watched Amelie’s face as he showed the message to her.
“I can’t just leave you there,” she objected. “I won’t just leave you there.” Her voice was firm.
The fact that her frown deepened soothed his heart a little. It also made him concerned. If he’d known Amelie was coming with him on this trip, he would never have admitted his feelings to her. Those feelings, and the fact that it would make it hard for her to leave, could put her in danger.
“You don’t have any choice,” he typed. “I won’t let them get hold of you. They’re obsessed with any new genetic material, and how it can improve their own. They would take you apart and rebuild you, Amelie, like they did to me. I can’t let that happen.”
She would see, surely?
A visible shudder went through her body, but when she looked up at him, her eyes were determined, and her shoulders set. “I won’t let you go back to that either. You’ve already been through enough. I won’t let it happen to you again. Maybe this a mistake. There must be another way to get that code. Maybe someone can crack it.”
Kugah stared at her. It hadn’t occurred to him that a description of how dangerous this excursion was would convince her to find another way.
If only there was one. “The Gokak have very advanced computing systems. I doubt there is any way to crack the system. Not in the time frame we need,” he typed. “I am prepared to take the risk, but I won’t let you.”
Amelie put her hands on her hips. “You won’t let me?” she demanded. “It’s okay for you to risk your life, but not for me, huh? And just how do you think that works?”
Kugah was glad that his armour didn’t show the smile he felt. The human body was so different to anything he had ever known, and he was pretty sure she was trying to look angry, but somehow, the expression on her face and the angle of her body were endearing.
Maybe it was because he couldn’t help hoping that her anger meant she was afraid to lose him.
But he couldn’t forgive himself if her people died when there was anything he could do to prevent it.
“As soon as they see you, they will realise you don’t belong,” he wrote. “There is nothing you can do to help, except remain with the ship, ready to bring it back to your people if anything happens to me. That is why you are coming.”
Amelie looked up at him, her lower lip trembling. “I can’t do it,” she objected. “I couldn’t just fly away, leaving you there…”
Kugah dropped the tablet and caught both her hands and held them against his chest, savouring the feeling of her soft skin. “KaGeeGee…”
He couldn’t type, he didn’t want to let go of her hands, but it didn’t matter. She knew as well as he did.
They had no other choice.
Chapter 31
Amelie stared out at the stars in front of them, her stomach clenched. The fact that her last trip through a wormhole had been anything but pleasant paled into comparison to her fear about the danger Kugah was putting himself into to get the treatment for her people.
She didn’t think she could bear it if anything happened to him.
She certainly didn’t think she could just fly off and leave him if he was captured. Even if she knew she’d have no choice. Everyone was depending on her to bring back a cure.
Kugah reached across from the seat next to her, and placed his hand over hers. “KaGeeGee k?” he asked, his voice guttural.
She managed a nod. “Yes. Let’s get this over with.”
Of course, even if they survived the trip through the wormhole, things weren’t going to get any easier on the other side. There they faced a planet full of aliens that would love to get their hands on her to conduct genetic experiments. A planet full of aliens that would love to capture Kugah again to continue their experiments with him.
And she had no control over what happened once they got there, since it was too risky for her to even leave the ship. Kugah’s plan seemed rather lacking in details, and based on luck rather than strategy. It wasn’t like she could even suggest a better one. Even if she could anticipate what he’d be up against, they had no weapons, and they certainly wouldn’t have numbers on their side.
Kugah released her hand and reached for the makeshift controls for the AWP that Nerris had fashioned onto the panel. The self-destruct explosives Folly had wired underneath it were a chilling reminder of the risks of this trip.
As if she needed a reminder.
Only her determination stopped her from backing out, insisting that this was madness.
Amelie held her breath as Kugah pressed the button.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then abruptly the stars around them turned into streaks. Amelie found herself squeezing the arms of the chair and half squinting at the view in front of her, terrified and amazed at the same time.
This view, from front on, was different to the one she’d had on board the Resolution. And, without the bumping and screaming and tearing noises, it was beautiful.
Kugah’s fingers closed over hers, and she relaxed just a fraction.
Then it was over. The stars slowed down and stopped so abruptly that Amelie half expected to be thrown forwards in her seat.
Directly in front of them was a lifeless, grey planet.
Or a moon. Kugah and Glesin had p
lanned the wormhole to exit behind the moon, to reduce the chances of anyone finding them, or realising how they had arrived.
Amelie glanced sideways at Kugah, who’s fingers had gone slack around hers.
He stared ahead blankly, not moving.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
He nodded, once. But her question seemed to shake him out of the stupor. His fingers squeezed hers one last time, then returned to the controls of the ship.
Amelie watched silently as he piloted the ship around the moon. She stared out the front window at her first glimpse of his home planet. The place where he had grown up.
It looked just like an ordinary planet, with blue oceans and green and yellow land. It could have been any inhabited planet in the Colonies.
Except they weren’t in the Colonies. They were thousands of light years away, in the midst of an alien race’s world, out to steal codes to one of their prized machines.
Even though she would be remaining in the spaceship, and was unlikely to come into contact with any of the aliens, Amelie’s heart thumped at a thousand beats a minute. She couldn’t help glancing down at the self-destruct again. If anything went wrong, it could go really wrong.
She heard Kugah’s deep inhale and exhale, then he pushed forwards on the controls, and the spaceship slowly moved towards the planet.
Doubts and reservations overwhelmed Amelie, as the alien world grew larger and larger, until it blocked out the stars.
It was too late to back out now.
She wouldn’t have anyway. They needed the code. Without it, too many people would die.
A loud crackle made Amelie jump. A guttural, staccato voice filled the cabin, saying words Amelie couldn’t understand.
The Gokak.
A shudder ran through Amelie. Even though the voice was similar in sound to Kugah’s, it was also different. More menacing. More dangerous.
Kugah replied in the same language, his voice sounding more like theirs than she remembered. Then again, she’d never really heard him talking in the alien language. Not having a full on conversation.
The sound made Amelie go cold. She was way out of her depth.
He could be saying anything. Even ‘hey, I have a human here as a gift’.
Irrational fear welled up in her throat at the thought, almost choking her. A glance over at Kugah helped mitigate it somewhat.
He had held her, loved her, bared his soul to her. He wasn’t out to betray her. He wanted to help her.
Amelie forced herself to take some deep breaths, slowly relaxing a little. As much as it was possible to relax when you were heading straight for an alien planet anyway. Bit by bit, her racing heart slowed, until she could finally think clearly again.
She was going to need her wits about her. This mission was not going to be easy.
*****
Kugah could hear that Amelie was struggling on their approach to the planet, but right now, he wasn’t calm enough to reassure her.
The research station’s reply to his landing request had been normal, standard. They’d given no indication that they might suspect that he was, in fact, a returning runaway. They had to know. They were probably preparing the Metamorphosis Device for his reprogramming now.
He touched the radio that Amelie had implanted just under the armour on his chest. At his request, it only transmitted outgoing messages. The sensitive hearing that all Gokak and Ta-Sofana possessed meant they would pick up on any incoming messages.
It didn’t matter, there was nothing Amelie could say to help him. The radio was only there so that he could warn her if he needed to.
He hoped he didn’t. The very thought sent chills through him.
Kugah shook the fear off. It wouldn’t help him now. What would help him, was to act as normal and unafraid as he could. He needed them to think he was coming back repentant. As long as they believed that, then they wouldn’t think to check his ship. Amelie would be safe. And he could walk straight into the base. They’d take him in in fact.
Exactly how he intended to get the code—now that was the real challenge.
One he couldn’t solve until he was inside and saw what the situation was. He put that problem aside, and focused on landing the spaceship.
He picked a landing space as near to the main building as he could, setting the ship down with no difficulty.
Kugah took his hands off the controls, and put them on his knees, drawing a deep breath. This was it.
The cabin was silent for a moment. Then Kugah turned his chair around, and looked at Amelie.
He drunk in her face and her worried expression, memorising every inch.
Just in case he never saw her again. His heart ached at the thought. The life he wanted, loving her, was within his reach. It was right here. And he had to walk away from it.
Just for a while. He promised himself that. If he made it through this, then it would be his.
There was so much he wanted to say to her, but his voice was inadequate. So he settled for staring into her eyes.
They misted up, despite her having a perfectly adequate vocabulary. Instead of trying to talk, Amelie threw her arms around his neck. Her lips pressed into the armour on his neck, and in a choked voice she said, “Take care, Kugah. And make sure you come back to me.”
He’d do everything in his power to make sure he did.
Kugah returned her hug, gently, afraid of hurting her.
Then Amelie pulled back, swiping a hand across her eyes, and nodded to him.
With no more excuses, he turned his back on her, refusing to look back, and walked out the door.
They met him as he walked down the stairs, two guards falling into step beside him. Kugah could have taken them easily, both were natural Gokak, smaller than he was.
But they were unafraid. It never occurred to them that he might attack them. The Sofana never had. Not even the Ta-Sofana. Never even tried.
Nor did it occur to them that anyone else would be in the spaceship behind him. He’d left alone, it didn’t even occur to them that he wasn’t still alone.
That’s what would protect Amelie. They didn’t even suspect her presence.
He just hoped they wouldn’t inspect the ship, check out the damage, too quickly.
Even if they did, Amelie would see them coming. He’d warned her that if anyone other than him walked towards the ship, to leave immediately.
He might be trapped here, but she would escape. That was the most important thing. Even though his heart ached at the thought of losing her.
The Gokak on his left growled at him, and pointed through the door. Kugah didn’t have to look to see where he pointed. He knew.
It was hard to walk back into this room. This was where it had all started. He’d come in here Sofana, and left Ta-Sofana. Genetically altered. His mouth couldn’t even say the words anymore. Couldn’t even say his people’s name. That was how different he was.
Kugah steeled himself, forcing his steps to keep going at an even pace. Not that the Gokak would care if he faltered. The last escapee he’d seen brought in here had collapsed in a blubbering heap. The Gokak had stayed long enough to help the Sofana on duty put him into the machine. Then they’d left.
That last bit was what he was counting on. If he didn’t collapse. If he just stood here obediently, then they would leave.
Leave him alone with only one, small, Sofana.
Who from the expression on her face, was already afraid of him, even though she was doing her best to hide it.
He’d have no trouble getting the code off her.
A twinge of guilt at the thought of using his people’s passive nature against them tugged the skin away from his armour. He ignored it.
It was the Sofana’s fault they were in this mess in the first place. They hadn’t fought, hadn’t even objected to participating in experimenting on their fellow people.
That he’d once been part of this, helped do it, no matter how remote his role, twisted the guilt even fu
rther.
And when he’d realised the horror of it, it still hadn’t occurred to him to fight. He’d just run. If he hadn’t crashed on Semala, he might even have come back, tail between his legs, like they obviously thought he had.
“Let us know when it’s done,” the Gokak growled at the Sofana.
She nodded immediately.
Then they left.
The young woman turned away, and Kugah winced at the fact that she couldn’t even look at him. At the horror of a body he wore. “Climb into the machine please,” she said, reaching for her notebook.
Kugah inhaled slowly, glancing towards the door where the two Gokak had disappeared, but there was no sign of them through the glass door. They were completely gone. He put a hand on the Sofana’s shoulder.
She swung around instantly, her eyes wide. “Ta-Sofana! Remember your upbringing. Disobedience will achieve nothing. Do as you were told.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Kugah couldn’t help growling. “They turned me into a fighting machine. What do you think they sent me out there to do, pick flowers? With this?” He lifted his arm, extending his spur and bringing it right up in front of her face.
So close her eyes crossed as she tried to focus on it.
He felt a little guilty at the fear in her eyes, but reassured himself with the fact that he had no plans to hurt her. He wouldn’t have to. She’d give him the code easily. Her fear promised that.
Then it hit him. The Sofana’s peace wasn’t a higher calling. It wasn’t because they were better than the Gokak. It was because they were afraid.
They didn’t fight back because they didn’t believe they would win.
Well, he no longer feared that. It wasn’t that he thought he was invincible. He’d just found something that was more important than fear. Bigger than fear.
Hope.
“What do you want?” the Sofana woman asked breathlessly.
“The code to the Metamorphosis Device.”
“I can’t do that,” she said immediately. “It’s against regulations.” Her eyes dropped. “And if I do, they’ll prosecute me.”
Kugah knew what that meant. The Gokak had learned early on that physical punishment did little to the Sofana. Instead, they hit individuals where it counted—in their wallets. A breech like this, giving away the code, would cost this Sofana all she had.
