“Come with me,” Akari said, her expression and tone solemn.
Lane followed Akari through the ship, falling a step behind the tall man as they silently weaved through various curving halls. Finally, Lane found herself in the command center of the spaceship. A huge holo-projection of a Human man in a United States military uniform filled the front of the room.
“You see, General—I was telling the truth,” Akari started. She grabbed Lane’s arm, pushing her forward for the General to see.
“You’re Lane Akins, correct?” the General asked.
“Yes, sir,” Lane answered.
“And have you seen any of the other scientists from Abgal Station aboard the ship?”
“No, sir.”
Akari looked down at Lane out of the corner of her eye and Lane wondered if she’d angered Akari with her honesty. She couldn’t decide if she cared or not.
“You see my problem, Nys,” the General said. “How can I know that the others are safe or that they’re even onboard your ship? You’re gambling with shadows.”
“And how do I know that you won’t use your new weapons on us?” Akari replied. “You see, General, we’re at a stand-still until we come to some sort of agreement.”
“Ms. Akins,” the General began, “have you been treated well? Have you been harmed by the Apkallu in any way?”
“They’ve been courteous to me,” Lane replied without hesitation. She felt Akari shift beside her at the admission.
“And you’re sure you have no idea about your fellow scientists?” the General pressed.
“I’m sure.”
“Let me present a proposition,” Akari said, taking a step closer to the holo-projection. “We’ll share our information about the scientists in our possession if you’ll reveal the schematics of the weapons your scientists were working on at Abgal Station.”
“That’s not enough,” the General replied. “We need to know you’ll return your hostages to us.”
“And we need assurance,” Akari replied, “that you will not use your new weapons against us. We cannot release anyone until this crisis has been averted.”
Akari took yet another step toward the General’s image, never dropping her gaze or letting up the intensity of her posture for even a moment.
“General,” she began again, “you and I both know that we tread on thin ice. Anything we do here could have drastic consequences for the futures of our respective peoples. This Cold War can erupt at any moment. We need to work together toward a common goal if we’re to avoid a Worlds War III.”
Lane watched Akari in awe, moved by the sheer power radiating off her. Her voice didn’t waver, didn’t falter even the slightest for the entirety of her delivery. Lane felt her heart thrum just a bit harder in her chest, a rush of something like respect and attraction making her face flush.
“I agree,” the General said. “I’ll send over the schematics immediately and you’ll send back the complete list of scientists you’re holding. I have your word on this?”
“Yes, General.”
“Very well. We’ll send the documents and reconvene in one standard hour.”
“Agreed. Nys Akari out.”
The holo-projection went black and Lane saw the crew visibly relax around her. They each went back to work as Akari turned to leave.
Lane followed her, working hard to keep up with her long, fast strides.
“Who else is here?” Lane asked. “And where are you going?”
“Back to my rooms,” Akari answered. “And no one. There’s only you.”
Lane stopped dead in the middle of the hallway.
“What?” she nearly shouted. Her heart leapt into her throat, a thousand horrible situations racing across her mind. It made her words sound choked and desperate. “I’m the only scientist you have? Then where are the others, if the US government doesn’t have them?”
Akari turned to face Lane, her expression carefully neutral.
“Yes, Lane, you’re the only one we rescued. As for the others—I have no idea what became of them. I believe there is another force at play here.”
“No kidding!” Lane shot back. Anger made her hands tingle and her heart race. Her voice grew louder with each sentence. “If you don’t have them and the government doesn’t have them, then something else is going on here. When were you going to tell me this? My friends could be in trouble!”
Akari stood in the hallway, just staring at Lane with a surprised expression. Lane hadn’t expected her outburst to have such an effect, but she was glad it did.
“I know all of this,” Akari said a moment later. “I’ve been working to solve these issues since the entire situation began. But this isn’t the place to talk about this. Come with me.”
Lane reluctantly followed Akari back to her quarters. Anger still banged around in her chest like a wild animal, threatening to take over her better judgement.
Once inside Akari’s apartment, Lane turned on Akari to continue the conversation only to find that she’d changed back to her Human female form. Lane wondered if she’d ever get used to the quick and constant changes.
“Akari,” Lane started, trying to keep her tone a bit calmer, “please tell me where the other scientists are. Please tell me where Maggie is.”
“Maggie?” Akari repeated, pulling her long hair back from her face and straightening her clothes.
“Yes, Maggie,” Lane said, trying to not be distracted by Akari’s low-cut shirt and short shorts. “Margaret Danes. She was one of the other scientists on Abgal Station and my best friend. We’ve known each other since the first year of University. I need to know what happened to her.”
“I don’t remember if her name was on the list of scientists that the government had declared as still missing,” Akari said. “Let me check.”
Lane felt her eyebrows raise in surprise at Akari’s willingness to answer her questions. Akari sat on the couch in her living room, calling up the holo-projection and scrolling through her files with a delicate wave of her hand. Lane sat beside her, her spine straight and tight as she waited for Akari to find the answer.
“No,” Akari said finally. “Margaret Danes was recovered by the US military. She’s accounted for.”
Lane let out a long breath of relief. Her anger bled out fast, replaced with a mix of softer emotions. Before she knew what was happening, a tear fell from her left eye and her hands shook a bit.
Akari noticed and turned to her, quickly shutting down the holo-projection.
“Lane, are you alright?” she asked. The softness of her question surprised Lane all over again.
“Yeah,” Lane replied, wiping at the single tear on her cheek. “I’m just relieved, that’s all. I was so worried for a moment that Maggie was missing or worse.”
Akari watched Lane carefully, her eyes wide with curiosity.
“You build strong connections,” Akari commented. “With others, I mean. You care deeply.”
“Of course,” Lane answered, still wiping at the corner of her eye. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“This is interesting to me,” Akari said. “I’ve noticed that not all humans react as you just did. It has always baffled me that they vary in this way.”
“She’s my best friend,” Lane offered as way of explanation.
“And you love her?” Akari asked, the word sounding foreign in her voice.
“In a way, yes,” Lane answered, confused by this line of questioning.
“And you’d risk things to keep her safe? To keep her from coming to harm?”
“Of course,” Lane said. She paused, thinking through the various intentions that Akari could have for asking these questions. Suddenly, it occurred to Lane that this might be a diplomatic way to present a threat. Her anger returned and Lane felt like the emotional whiplash would exhaust her soon.
Lane stood from the couch, turning on Akari.
“Are you threatening her in order to gain my cooperation?” she asked.
“Threaten
ing?” Akari echoed. “That wasn’t a threat.”
“How can I know for certain?” Lane asked. “You didn’t tell me that I was the only scientist in your custody. You didn’t tell me that there are scientists unaccounted for. You didn’t tell me about The Ummanu, who were apparently living with me for who knows how long. How can I trust that you’re not asking me these things so you can use them against me?”
Lane walked away from Akari, feeling immensely stupid and slightly taken advantage of. She mentally kicked herself for letting Akari get under her skin.
“Lane,” Akari said softly, not rising from the couch, “I promised that I wouldn’t let any harm come to you.”
“But if I can’t trust you, that promise means nothing,” Lane pointed out.
Akari stood now, her brows close together in what Lane assumed was anger.
“How am I meant to gain your trust in this situation?” Akari asked, her tone harsher than Lane had ever heard it. “You’re in my custody. The Humans are calling you a hostage. There’s no way to build a viable bridge in this situation. Can’t you see that?”
Lane tried to match Akari’s anger with her own, but the Apkallu’s words only made Lane like Akari more. Lane felt her anger melting away, her fire put out by Akari’s earnestness.
Lane held her ground because she knew that if she stepped closer to Akari, she wouldn’t be able to control herself. She would have no idea what could happen next.
They stood there, staring at one another and breathing heavily, until Akari finally broke the tension.
“Lane, there is an enemy bigger than both of us.”
Lane blinked, unsure what Akari meant and jarred by the shift in conversation.
“What?”
“There’s a Human group gaining power on Mars. They want to end this Cold War and start a real war between the Human and Apkallu governments. I don’t know what they call themselves, but we call them The Ummanu.”
Lane’s brain nearly stalled at this new information. She’d never heard of this group and the thought of their existence frightened her more than she cared to admit.
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.
“Because they put you at risk,” Akari answered. “They put us all at risk. They were working on Abgal Station. They were the ones who started the illegal weapons research.”
Lane tried to think through all the people she knew from the station, all the people she’d worked with. Surely, none of them were anti-peace advocates?
“Why didn’t I know about them?” Lane asked.
“They’ve remained in the shadows for years now,” Akari said, “slowly gaining power. I believe this was their first full-fledged strike.”
“And you think these people, The Ummanu, have the missing scientists?”
“Yes.”
Lane’s legs went a little weak at Akari’s answer and she felt like she’d fall over. She started toward the couch, but Akari was faster. She caught Lane, keeping her upright.
“You’re alright,” Akari said softly, helping Lane sit down on the couch. Lane just nodded, still speechless from all the new information.
Akari sat next to her, watching and waiting but not touching. Lane could still feel the memory of Akari’s touch on her arms and side. She couldn’t begin to work out why a simple touch flustered her so much. She just knew that it most definitely did.
“That’s a lot,” Lane said finally. She meant to say a lot of information, but she realized that she meant a lot of information and a lot of trust in me.
The entire situation felt flipped upside-down all of a sudden. Just a moment before, she’d been angry with Akari for keeping things from her. And, now, Akari had spilled one of the biggest secrets in the galaxy. Lane couldn’t begin to wrap her head around it.
Lane looked over at Akari, trying to read the alien’s Human eyes and pretty face. She just kept getting caught up in the line of Akari’s chin and the curve of her thin lips. Lane couldn’t seem to focus on anything else.
“I’ll get you some coffee,” Akari said. Lane just nodded, still watching Akari’s face. Akari squinted her eyes in confusion and then disappeared out of Lane’s line of sight. Lane closed her eyes and tried to get a handle on everything she’d just learned.
A group of Humans trying to start a war—that didn’t surprise Lane. She was more surprised that they’d stayed hidden so long, that they’d worked on the same station with her and she’d never noticed. How could that have all been happening right under her nose? How could she have been so oblivious?
Akari returned a moment later with a mug of coffee. The liquid was sufficiently lightened with cream and when Lane sipped it, she found that Akari had sweetened it enough as well. Lane was sufficiently impressed.
“Thank you,” Lane said.
Akari sat down beside her, watching Lane as she sipped the hot drink.
“I know this is a lot of new information,” Akari started, her voice calm, “but I know you’ll be alright in the end. I’m confident that I can work this out and save both our governments from another war.”
“I know you’ll try your best,” Lane agreed. “Whether or not you can single-handedly stop a war…that might be out of any one person’s control.”
“I know,” Akari said. Her voice was soft and tinged with an emotion that Lane couldn’t quite place.
They sat in silence, side by side, for another moment. Lane found, to her bewilderment, that she wasn’t on edge anymore. She felt at peace in a room with an alien she hardly knew. It was definitely a new experience for her.
“So, what’s next?” Lane asked.
“We wait for the General to send the schematics. Then, I’ll get back on the line with him and tell him that you’re the only scientist we have. I know he won’t like that. But then, I’ll reveal my proof about the involvement of The Ummanu and we’ll go from there. There’s nothing like a common enemy to bring two people together.”
“And what can I do?”
“Nothing,” Akari answered curtly. “You’ll stay here where it’s safe.”
“But I don’t want to just wait around,” Lane insisted. “I want to help.”
Akari let out a long sigh.
“I had a feeling you might say that.”
Chapter 7
Lane and Akari waited hours for news from the General.
“I don’t understand what’s taking so long,” Akari said, her tone gritty with frustration. “I hope he doesn’t think he can get me to cave if he waits long enough. He should know better than that. Apkallu live for hundreds of years. We’re very good at being patient. We’re far better than Humans, at least.”
Lane sat on the couch, watching Akari rant as she stood in the middle of the room.
“I’m sure he’ll get back to us soon,” Lane said calmly. The last thing she needed was an agitated Apkallu.
“I’m not so sure,” Akari answered. She turned to look at Lane, her eyes darker than Lane last remembered them. The change started alarms in Lane’s head. She sat completely still, waiting to see what would happen.
“Are you keeping something from me?” Akari asked, taking a step closer to where Lane sat on the couch. “Do you know something that would make you certain of the General’s plan?”
Lane hesitated, unsure how to answer. If she admitted that she didn’t know anything further, would she still be valuable to the Apkallu? But if she pretended to know more than she did, would Akari interrogate her further? What would they do to her? Was it worth it?
Lane shook her head. She was intelligent, sure, but she’d never done well in delicate social situations. Deception had never been her strong suit.
Anxiety leapt into her throat, closing the pipe there and making it hard for Lane to breathe.
“Why would you say that?” Lane decided on.
“Because you Humans can’t be trusted,” Akari answered. “Just when you think you can, they turn on you. Haven’t you noticed that about your own kind? It’s infuriatin
g.”
“Sure, not everyone is honest,” Lane admitted, “but that doesn’t mean that we’re all untrustworthy.”
“You Humans,” Akari continued, taking yet another step closer to Lane. Lane felt herself pushing back into the couch, putting as much space as possible between herself and the angry Akari. “You are all so dishonorable. How can you live your lives that way?”
“That’s not true,” Lane said. “I know plenty of honorable Humans. Maggie, for instance. She’d do anything for her friends. In fact, she’s probably out there fighting to get me back right now.”
“So, you do know things about these people,” Akari said, planting her hand on the back of the couch and fully leaning over Lane. Lane felt her breathing go shallow. “You know what they’ll do, what they’re thinking. Tell me what you know, Lane.”
“I already told you that I won’t betray my people,” Lane said softly. Her heart hammered away at full speed in her chest. She wondered if Akari could hear it.
Akari leaned forward, putting her mouth right up against Lane’s ear. Her breath was warm as she said, “If you don’t tell me, there are ways to find out without technically harming you. Humans always survive the procedure to become telepath-abled.”
Lane’s entire body froze up at the threat. She couldn’t figure out when things had changed so drastically, had started to go from playing house to playing for her life.
“You wouldn’t,” Lane whispered.
Akari pulled back so she could see Lane’s face. Akari’s eyes had gone impossibly dark, her pupils huge.
“I wouldn’t?” she asked, the final consonant flipping off her tongue like a knife.
Akari held Lane’s gaze for a moment more, a sick smile pulling at her pretty lips, and then she walked away. Lane watched her every step, waiting for the other shoe to fall.
“Do I scare you?” Akari asked, her voice low.
Lane couldn’t open her mouth, because she knew that a “yes” would slip out.
Akari smiled cruelly in the silence.
“I thought so,” she said.
“Where is this coming from?” Lane asked. She winced at how strained her voice sounded.
A New Reason To Fight: An Intergalactic Romance Page 54
