by Jaleta Clegg
"And what of the other tests?"
"We ran a full spectrum," the medic said, nudging the stuffed folder. "A few came back at the far end of the normal range, a couple were clear outside it, but most of them were normal."
"What of the psychic evals?"
The medic frowned, but he dug through the folder. "They aren't very accurate when administered to an unconscious patient. We could only get a general range reading." He pulled out a sheet and slid it across the desk to Lowell. "That summarizes what we found."
Lowell scanned the sheet. His bland expression was enough to catch Paltronis' attention. She stood behind him and read over his shoulder.
"That can't be right," she said.
"We repeated the tests four times," the medic said. "I was curious myself how her brain scans would relate, but there was no correlation. The tests all came back in that range."
"Point seven ranging to one point six for latent telepathic abilities," Lowell read. "Empathic readings range from point three to point nine. Both on the low end of the normal scale for humans."
Paltronis shook her head. "They have to be wrong. I know what I saw her do. I know what I felt."
Lowell shook his head, signaling her to silence. Paltronis backed off.
"If you have any more questions," the medic said as he stood, "the answers are in the folder." The brain disappeared. He flapped half a salute at Lowell as he left the office.
"None of this makes sense," Paltronis muttered as the door slid shut.
"It makes more sense than I hoped it would." Lowell tapped the folder. "The Hrissia'noru rewired her mind. She couldn't have survived without them."
"She couldn't have lived with them, either." Paltronis leaned one hip on the edge of the desk and folded her arms.
"So they removed the part of her that made her Hrissia'noru. They took away her powers and left her normal." He sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it, even if we wanted to."
"She wasn't happy with any of it. I wonder if she's happier now without that in her head."
"We'll ask her, as soon as we find her," Lowell said.
"I can start tracking yachts," Paltronis offered.
Lowell shook his head.
"I know that look. What are you thinking now?"
"We can use this to our advantage. What is the one group we haven't been able to infiltrate?"
"High society on Linas-Drias, Vance and his friends. You can't use her like that, Lowell. Not again."
"I don't have a choice. We have to find out who is behind the plot. We have to find out where the treason is. If we don't, what's left of the Empire won't be worth spit."
"You have to give Dace a choice. You should never have sent her to Tivor."
"Or any of the other places I sent her. It will be a request, not an order. After all," he smiled, "according to the paperwork, she isn't Patrol anymore, at least not after next week."
Paltronis still looked angry.
"Go find Scholar for me," he said. "I need someone who can send a message that won't get her in more trouble. The people she's playing with are dangerous. The least I can do is warn her."
"And tell her Tayvis is still alive?"
Lowell winced. "She doesn't know, does she?"
Paltronis shook her head. "It was a shock to me, when I finally dragged her off Tivor, to find that he was still very much alive."
"I hope that makes up for the rest of it," Lowell said.
"What is it you keep telling me? Guilt never solves anything? Stop beating yourself up. If you really want beat up, I'll be happy to oblige."
"I'm not that fond of pain. Go get Scholar. Then you can start tracking ships. I want the yacht, but I also want the Phoenix."
He didn't need to explain. She almost smiled as she hurried out of the office. Lowell turned his attention to figuring out the wording for the message. It had to be something that would explain everything to Dace without blowing her cover.
Chapter 4
I woke slowly, lulled by the subliminal hum of a hyperdrive engine in flight. It had been much too long since I last heard it. I missed it, I missed being in space. I missed a lot of things.
I resisted opening my eyes as long as possible. I didn't want this to be just another dream. The engine was quiet, very well tuned and maintained. The shielding for the cabin was better than most. I blinked my eyes open at last, I couldn't sleep any longer.
The ceiling overhead glowed a pale green that soothed the eyes. I remembered running away. With Vance, of all people. I rolled my head to the side, wincing at the expected stab of pain. My side pulled and ached, but it was nothing like the fiery pain of earlier. My head still throbbed, less now. It would be days before the lingering side effects of the pain meds wore off completely.
I looked towards the back of the ship. Max sat on the other end of the couch, feet up on a cushioned lump extruded from the floor. He had a reader in front of him. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Better," I answered. I shifted experimentally. The pain sharpened.
Max watched me a moment. I felt like an exhibit on display. I squirmed. I had to go to the bathroom. I wasn't sure I could walk by myself, though, and I didn't want to ask for help. It was more than a little awkward, being alone with the two of them. I'd lived in a cave for weeks with Vance and hadn't cared too much. Somehow, the gloss of civilization made it a completely different situation. The ship reeked of high society and polite niceties. Admitting I had to go potty didn't seem right.
"You need something?" Max asked, raising his eyebrows. They were on the bushy side, a dark brown to match his hair. "That uniform doesn't look very comfortable for sleeping in," he added, saving me from embarrassing myself. "You can use the facilities in the cabin, if you want. I'm sure we can find something more comfortable for you."
Max offered me his hand. I needed it to lever myself off the couch. I leaned heavily on him as I shuffled my way across the thick carpet. Someone had removed my boots, but the carpet was soft on my bare feet. And I'd gotten over that particular phobia a long time ago. The stairs presented a problem. They weren't very high, but I could barely lift my feet off the floor. I bit my lip and did my best to make it up the two steps. Max ended up lifting me.
I leaned on the wall for a minute to let the pain subside. Vance looked away from the galley controls.
"I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth.
"And even if you were about to bleed to death, you'd still say the same thing," Vance said. "You should have told me how bad you really were. I never would have smuggled you out of the hospital."
"And I would have gone insane with boredom." I managed half a grin. "Thanks."
He grinned back. "You're welcome." He shook his head as he turned back to the warmer. "Crazy woman."
"Do you want help the rest of the way?" Max asked.
I shook my head. I could use the wall. I shuffled into the cabin.
It was a sea of blues, all shades from royal to a pale sky. It showed signs of someone who wasn't good at tidying up behind himself. The bed was rumpled. Clothes were piled in a corner. I ignored the mess. It wasn't my ship.
The bathroom was almost as big as a planetside one. I pushed the door closed and stripped out of the dress uniform, dropping it on the wide counter.
I did what my body demanded I do and then stood in front of the mirror. I carefully peeled back the bandage on my side. A wide strip of scar tissue on my left side stretched from my ribs clear to my hipbones. Smaller scars crossed the main one, forming a web of puckering pink, red and white skin. I saw where the medics had attempted a skin graft. Most of the patches had failed to take. I was going to have an impressive scar, even with treatments to minimize it. I touched it gingerly, running my fingers lightly over the ridges of skin. It was incredibly tender, but it was healing. I pushed the bandages into the recycler and stepped into the shower.
The water felt good, a warm mist that enveloped me head to toe. I made good use of the massaging sonic sprayer
that relaxed muscles tensed against pain. I felt almost myself when I got out.
I found a pile of neatly folded clothes on the counter where I'd put my uniform. The shirt was enormous, hanging halfway to my knees. I buttoned it slowly. Tayvis had lent me his shirt once, on Dadilan. It had been even bigger.
Tayvis was gone. That was going to always hurt but I was ready to let him go. No amount of wishing or grieving could bring him back.
I slid on a pair of loose pants, with a drawstring waist. I tied it just enough to keep the pants up. The fabric was soft but it still sent twinges of pain through my half-healed scars.
I ran my fingers through my hair. It was short enough I could pretend my fingers were as good as a comb.
"Everything all right?" Max asked through the door, knocking to get my attention.
"I'm fine," I answered.
I was, really. I unlocked the door and stepped out. He looked me up and down then grinned. "They look a lot better on you."
I grinned back.
I shuffled my way out to the lounge. Vance set something on the table that smelled wonderful. Max pulled out a chair for me.
"Only the finest frozen food here," Vance said as I sat.
I tasted a bite of the food. It was good. I hadn't had solid food in a long time, though. A few bites, and my belly warned me it had enough.
"Something wrong with it, Dace?" Vance asked when I put my fork down.
"It's fine, I'm just not that hungry," I said.
They didn't push it. They started a conversation about someone's party that I'd never heard of, the party and the person. I shifted food around my plate and pretended to listen. The pain in my side was getting worse.
"Isn't it, Dace?" Vance asked me.
"Isn't what?" I hadn't been following their conversation.
"Just say yes so he'll shut up about it," Max prompted me.
"I know better than to agree to something I don't know about," I said.
Max laughed. It was an easy sound, comforting and pleasant to listen to. I decided Max was someone I could like.
Vance made a face at Max. "I should warn you about him," Vance said to me.
"And I should warn her about you," Max shot back.
"I already know to watch out for him," I said.
"Well said," Max applauded.
"After all I did for you?" Vance said, a hurt look on his face. "You say that about me?"
It took me a minute to realize he was teasing me. They both laughed.
"I really look forward to watching Tiera try to handle you," Max said. "She doesn't stand a chance."
"So where are you taking me?" I asked when they finished laughing again.
"Piy'Luin," Vance answered.
They watched me, waiting for my reaction. I'd never heard of the place.
"It's only the most exclusive resort in the Empire," Max said.
"I'm sure we can find something for you there," Vance added, glancing down at the too-big outfit I wore. "I forgot to plan a wardrobe for you."
"Vance forgets a lot of important things," Max said.
"He knows what's really important." I looked over at Vance. There was a hint of appraisal and something warmer in his eyes. I didn't want to look too closely. I looked back down at my plate and pretended to eat another bite.
"Just how do you know each other, Vance?" Max asked. "I assumed she was some kind of family friend."
"We were on Trythia together." The sharpness in his voice was a warning to Max to let the subject go.
"You're the one who works for Lowell?" Max asked me.
"Used to work for Lowell," Vance corrected.
I studied Max, wondering who he was. He knew highly classified Patrol secrets like who I really worked for.
"We have plenty of time to get acquainted," he said. "It's another three days to Piy'Luin."
I shifted in my chair. I'd been sitting too long. My side ached.
"How about watching a vid?" Max suggested.
Vance rolled his eyes. "Say no. All he has are Dariana Grace vids."
Dariana Grace was a vid star who hadn't made anything for years. The Academy where I'd gone had most of her early vids. I loved them.
"You have a copy of Wings of Air?" I asked Max. It was my favorite. I'd watched it whenever I could. I think I was the only one to ever watch it, other than the lady who kept the archives. She watched it with me more than once.
"I've got them all," Max said, grinning at me.
Vance groaned. "You never told me you were a fan of hers."
"You never asked."
Max headed for the couch. I stood to follow him. My side locked up. Vance caught me before my face hit the carpet. I felt like an idiot. Neither of them said anything. Vance picked me up and deposited me on the couch.
"Are you joining us?" Max asked him.
"I think I'll do dishes," Vance said.
"Suit yourself," Max said, turning back to the big screen. The lights in the room dimmed to a soft glow.
Vance clattered dishes behind us.
"He prefers more modern vids," Max whispered to me as the screen faded to black. The opening credits scrolled across the screen. "Swords for Freedom," he said with satisfaction as the music started. "My absolute favorite. This has to be Dariana's best performance."
I relaxed onto the couch as the room darkened further. I watched horses thunder across the screen as the vid started. It wasn't real, I could enjoy it as just a story.
It seemed the most natural thing when Vance joined us. He sat next to me, lifting my head into his lap. His hand stroked my shoulder.
I fell asleep long before the heroine saved her love from certain death.
Chapter 5
We watched vids for most of the trip. I slept a lot on the couch. Vance babied me. It was odd, something no one had ever done for me before. I just enjoyed it, living one moment at a time. I didn't worry about the past or the future. Trouble would find me soon enough. It always had before.
Dariana Grace kept us entertained. She was tall, willowy and shapely. Her hair was every color from pure white to dark black to every shade in between. One vid she was a princess, riding horses and wearing trailing gowns with brown braids almost to the ground behind her. The next she was a pirate, her hair in short spikes. She wore a shipsuit that no real spacer would ever even consider. It looked good on her. The storyline was just as implausible. It didn't matter. The rest of the plotlines were just as unbelievable. And just as enjoyable.
There was something oddly familiar in the set of her eyes and the shape of her nose. I couldn't place the likeness. It was just a fleeting resemblance to someone I knew, but I couldn't make the connection.
It was a very pleasant three days to Piy'Luin. I was feeling almost myself again when the reentry alarm chimed. I went to the cockpit out of habit, before retreating to the couch. Vance was the navigator, Max sat in the pilot's seat. The controls were mostly automated. Almost anyone could have flown it. It didn't make any difference to the itching I had inside to fly the ship. I hadn't been at the controls of a ship for over a year.
Piy'Luin was a spinning disk of silver, floating against a swirling backdrop of blue and green. The station was huge. It's true size was only apparent as we closed in on a docking ring. I stared at the complex knot of interconnecting sections with awe. Piy'Luin made even the biggest station at Besht look like a mining module. Piy'Luin was definitely exclusive, a playground for only the richest in the Empire.
We slid into the docking bay, smoothly enough that only the best automated systems could have managed it. I barely heard the muffled sound of the station attaching support hoses to the ship. There was a dim thud as the docking ramp locked on the hatch. Vance and Max both came out of the cockpit.
"You aren't dressed for this," Max said as he stood over me. "Piy'Luin has a relaxed standard, true, but you'd still be pushing it too far."
"I don't mind staying here," I said, far too quickly. It was a relief not to have to worry about leavi
ng.
"Only for a few hours." Vance said. "You aren't going to duck it, Dace. You are going to enjoy yourself here."
"I'm guessing about a size two," Max said, looking me up and down. "We'll get one outfit and then you can buy more on your own."
I suddenly felt stupid and awkward again. I had no idea if I even had any money.
"Tell you what, Max," Vance said, "I'll stay here and help her access her accounts. You pick up something she can wear and we'll all go to dinner. Then we can decide what else we want to do."
Max nodded. He was already heading for the hatch.
"You don't have to do this for me," I protested, but not very loudly.
"My pleasure," Max said. He gave me a half bow as he cycled the airlock open.
The door slid shut behind him. I was acutely aware of being alone with Vance. He sat on the couch next to me. He wasn't touching me, but I could feel him, a warmth and a presence that made me shiver inside. I didn't dare look at him, afraid he'd see too much in my eyes.
"We can access your account here," Vance said, "but that would let anyone who happened to have a tracer on your id know exactly where you are. I didn't want to say this in front of Max, but I think it might be best if we kept your presence as quiet as possible."
"You think Lowell is looking for me?"
"I'd bank on it." He studied my face. "How long do you want to stay hidden?"
"It won't matter, he'll find me."
"And in a week or two, he won't have any authority over you. Medical discharge, remember? We'll find a Patrol base and sign the final papers before he can do anything to reverse it."
"So what do I do until then? Stay here and watch vids with Max?"
"You come on station and be my guest."
I looked up at him, trying to judge his intentions. I saw nothing but good humor in his eyes. And a hint of something else I wasn't ready for. His smile faded as he searched my face. He was too close. I couldn't back away. I found I didn't want to. I'd spent too much time doubting Tayvis. I wasn't going to make the same mistake with Vance.
