by C. A. Farlow
Chapter Twelve
MERILYN DID NOT HAVE time for sleep that night. Instead, she spent the few hours before dawn at her desk in the rotunda below Lauren’s solar. First she copied all the summary reports and technician notes onto a datanode, and second she copied the information from Alex’s datanode and placed the original in her sealed vault. She would have Alexandra transfer it to her weapons vault at the earliest opportunity. Once that was done, she sent an encoded message to the chief shield engineer. She asked that he review the records for any power fluctuations around the time Lauren left the Postern Gate. And finally, she ordered breakfast for the trio and summoned Alexandra to her office. Pleased with her efforts, she began to gather all her materials when a knock on her door signaled a visitor. Alexandra would just enter so this was an uninvited person.
“Come,” Merilyn said.
Shoving the door open, Oswein burst into the rotunda. “I am here with an official petition to interrogate the Comin prisoner immediately. The petition is signed by the requisite number.” He slammed a sealed parchment onto her desk.
“Oswein, you lost in your challenge of Her Majesty’s right to rule, and yet you continue to press this nonsense.” Picking up the parchment, Merilyn threw it back at Oswein, bouncing the roll off his rotund belly. “I do not accept this petition, leave off your actions. And get out of my office.”
Oswein continued to press his point. “We have every right to have access to the prisoner, just as we have every right to challenge an unfit ruler.”
“You presume too much. I will see you off the Council before this is done, if for nothing else than your impertinence. Think well with whom you continue to ally yourself. We will ferret out any treachery before this is over. Now, get out of my office!”
Oswein left as he came, with a slamming door. The petition left on the floor.
“I have better things to do than to deal with that pompous ass.” Merilyn went back to organizing the materials for Lauren.
Breakfast and Alex arrived in Merilyn’s office at the same time. Alex eyed the food, wondering who they were eating with. There were three trays on the corner of the Seneschal’s desk. “Seneschal, who is your guest?”
“All in good time. Please take the trays while I get the satchels.” Merilyn walked out the door and up the stairs before Alex could arrange the trays in a stack.
What’s up with her this morning? First I am summoned like a commoner. Now I am toting and carrying. Alex made her way up the stairs. She assumed they were eating in Merilyn’s private chambers, but they continued past her rooms and up the next flight of stairs.
Arriving at the entrance to the upper floors of the solar, Merilyn lifted the large brass knocker and let it drop on the oak surface. A distant invitation to enter could be heard through the double doors. Swinging them open, they entered.
Alex hadn’t been in this space since her early visits to Merilyn when the Keep was originally constructed. She glanced around the well-furnished room. “I always thought you would occupy these rooms.”
“Too much space for me, I prefer the close comforts of the floor below.”
A call from above interrupted Alex’s next question. A soft voice floated down “Come on up, Your Grace, I’m just getting dressed. Be ready in a sec.”
Alex froze. The disembodied voice cut to her core and resonated through her soul. Where have I heard that voice before? My journey back from the Comin Homeworld. Lauren! Lauren is here. By all that is holy, I thought her a figment of my imagination. An imagined image created in my mind by that energy blast. She is real!
“Do not drop breakfast, Alexandra, or we will all starve.” Merilyn continued up the spiral stairs to the study above.
Alex hurried after her. Arriving in the upper room, Alex saw various pieces of equipment scattered across the surface of one of the library tables, something caught her eye, and she stopped. She placed the trays on the corner of the table and examined the technology. She passed her hand over the equipment piece-by-piece. One cord dangled free. “I have the piece that goes with this charger. The eReader does not have much charge left.” She placed the cord back on the table.
“Are you guys coming up? I’m starved.” Leaning down over the baluster, Lauren yelled, “Breakfast now. Alex.”
Still stunned by the voice, Alex stilled. Lauren! I must figure out who she is.
Lauren descended the stairs, with Snow and Ice hot on her heels. “Alex. Hey. It’s so good to see you!”
Alex could not believe her eyes, or her heart. Lauren placed her hand on her right chest over her injured shoulder and a warmth filled Alex from this simple touch. “I know you, yet I do not know all of you.”
Lauren nodded. “Merilyn explained. I know you don’t remember everything about me, but I hope at some point you will.”
Alex searched Lauren’s eyes, noticing the swirling flecks of blue in her emerald gaze. “I remember glimpses of you, of our journey and its trials. Merilyn says we are bound. I can feel you, but I cannot hear you within my mind. Or anyone else for that matter.” Looking down, Alex chastised the wolves. “I searched for you last evening, but I see I am supplanted by the beautiful Lauren. I can hardly say I blame you.”
A blush covered Lauren’s face. “I’m just glad you’re healing. We’ll work out the rest together, okay?” Lauren paused, looking down at the wolves. Alex arched an eyebrow. Lauren laughed at something and gestured at the stack of trays on the table. “Better get these upstairs before Ice starts without us.”
Realization hit. Frustrated by her lack of abilities, Alex spun toward the wolves. “You can hear her?”
Circling Alex’s waist, Lauren leaned in. “It’s ok. Yeah, I can hear them. Remember, I use to be able to hear you, too. We’ll get through this and work it all out. Together.”
Lauren’s touch and her quiet confidence settled Alex’s nerves. “Fine,” she huffed in Ice-like frustration.
“Let’s have some breakfast, and we can talk.”
The three shared a full breakfast and enjoyed the warmth from the open hearth in Lauren’s private room. After cleaning up the debris from the breakfast trays, the wolves stayed close to the fire. Alex settled on the large sofa, the only piece long enough for her tall frame. Merilyn curled into one of the overstuffed chairs while Lauren moved to the smaller sofa.
Merilyn tilted her head at Lauren. “Before we get into the specifics of your ideas about the Comin bioweapon, perhaps you could summarize your travels with Alex and the companions. Reviewing a bit of that journey may jog more of Alexandra’s memories.”
“Of course.” Alex stiffened and tried to hide it, but Lauren noticed. “No need to worry, Alex. If something sparks a memory let me know, and we can discuss that specific part in detail.”
Alex nodded and closed her eyes, trying to relax into the sofa. Lauren retold their journey from the Zirkels to Fuar Ćala. Her summary took the better part of three hours.
As she wound down, Merilyn said, “Thank you, I know this is not easy for you. Alexandra, are you all right?”
“Yes, Seneschal. I am fine.” Alex sat up and turned to Lauren. “I, too, want to thank you. I appreciate your time and efforts. I do remember bits and pieces of what you shared. I do have the scars on my shoulder and that matches your telling. I remember a snowstorm, the Teton cache, and the warm springs.” And our pleasant activities there. “I know I was injured by a disruptor as I passed through the Keep’s shield and then that I was healed using—”
At this point Merilyn interrupted, “Alexandra, let us focus on what happened when you were with Lauren. Experiences that you shared with her which might help you remember.”
Alex gazed at Lauren. “Of course, Your Grace. Lauren, I do feel strongly about you. When I heard your voice the first time, I knew I knew it from somewhere. Knew you. And your ability to talk to my companions is a key piece of evidence that we have a relationship. A strong relationship.”
Merilyn sipped her tea and turned to Alex. “Ad
d the fact, you have used several idioms, over time since your healing, idioms that match Lauren’s speech pattern. And your use of contractions, which is not common in our language. I have noticed that although Lauren is fluent in our language, patterns from her own have crossed over, too. I recommend that you two spend time together. Something is going to trigger your remaining memories, and I feel Lauren is the key.”
Alex felt a calm settle over her with this suggestion. She saw Lauren smile. Maybe she feels this, too.
“Perhaps I can work on my ideas about the bioweapon while we hang out. I’m hoping that the information you have, Your Grace, will provide a framework for my ideas.” Alex noticed Lauren pause, and she turned her head to look closely at her. “But sooner or later, I’ll need to talk with your healing technicians. Any potential treatment will need to be tested, and I won’t be able to continue any research in isolation.”
She is going to stay, then. Alex’s smile broadened.
Merilyn nodded. “I realize the limitations your situation puts on doing research. But, you must realize that real threats exist outside of this solar. No one must know what happened to Alexandra, or what she did until we can present a concise summary to the Council. If we can propose a potential treatment for the children, all the better. I am hoping once that happens, the Hebridean bloc will be neutralized, and things will settle down.”
“I’ll do the best I can. And I’ll stay put here. Seeing Alex every day will help more than I can say.”
“Thank you. Now, I have a matter to attend to in my office, so I will leave the two of you to your own devices. Have a good morning.” Merilyn stood and hurried down the stairs.
Lauren chuckled. “Is she always like that?”
“Like what?” Alex eyed the woman.
“That.” Lauren pointed at the empty stairwell down which Merilyn had disappeared. “Always going mach twelve with her hair on fire.”
“Her hair was not on fire that I noticed, but if you mean does she always move that fast, then yes, she always is on the go.” Chuckling at the image of Merilyn with flaming hair, Alex settled back onto the sofa. “Tell me when can I charge the eReader with the cord you have on the table downstairs?”
“Oh, you have it? I couldn't find it when I repacked my electronics, and I thought we’d lost it in the rush to get you to safety.”
“It was among my personal belongings but has almost no power remaining.”
“I should think so. I know once you discovered the joys of reading with it, it quickly became yours. Bring it over and let’s get it charged up for you. You can indulge in a reading marathon while I review the information that Merilyn provided. That should keep you entertained while I get up to speed on this plague.”
Alex’s heart skipped a beat as she thought about the future, here every day with Lauren. Maybe being deaf, won’t be so bad after all?
Over the next several hours, Lauren began the laborious process of digesting the information Merilyn provided. Not only did she need to translate the technical terms into ones she understood, she also had to decipher the unique technology used to gather some of the data. She decided that she would set up a flowchart to show the progression of the Terran’s research and the evolution of their understanding of the disease through time.
Returning to the upper floor with her computer and some graph paper she found on one of the shelves, Lauren saw that Alex hadn’t moved from the sofa, but Snow had cuddled in beside her. “Snow, if you get hair all over my sofa, I’ll make Alex clean it up.”
“Snow is fine, and I am at a good place in this story. I must find out what happens next.”
Merilyn had the eReader delivered an hour or so ago. I’ll need to charge the solar battery pack if she keeps on at this rate. “Of course, Alex, don't let me interrupt your leisure reading. But we’ll need lunch soon. Aren't you hungry.”
Startled, Alex jumped up, dislodging Snow in the process. “Is it lunch time already? I need to meet with the boys for weapons drill this afternoon. I do not have time for lunch today.”
Lauren tried to hide her disappointment. “That’s okay. I’ll ask Merilyn to send something up, while I work on organizing this data.”
Alex approached Lauren and tentatively reached out a large hand to cup her cheek. “I will be back tomorrow morning. We will again have breakfast and share time together before my other duties require my attendance in the afternoon. If I miss too many things on my agenda, or I am not seen around the Keep enough, it will be noticed.”
“I didn't think of that. I like our time together.” Lauren turned her face into Alex’s hand, and placed a soft kiss on her palm, feeling the jolt of connection down to her toes. Alex jerked her hand back as if she, too, felt the jolt. Lauren leaned away. “Whoa there, that’s the third time I’ve been shocked. The static electricity round this place is killing me.”
“Right, static electricity.” Alex seemed lost in thought. “That must be it. Have a good rest of your day. Until tomorrow.” She disappeared down the stairs almost as fast as Merilyn had.
“Enjoy the rest of your day. Be safe.” Lauren waved. A glint in her pack caught her eye. “You forgot to take your sword!” But Alex was out of hearing range. Lauren turned to the wolves. “What did I say?”
The only response was two wolfy eyebrows raised in unison.
Chapter Thirteen
THE SMELL OF FOOD roused Lauren from her slumber. Her bed was covered in piles of graph paper filled with scribbles, and balls of crumbled paper covered the floor. She’d spent her night immersed in the data.
Reaching the top of the stairs Merilyn eyed the paper explosion “I see you are making progress. Should I have another tree cut for more paper?”
Stretching where she sat in the window seat, Lauren laughed and rubbed her growling stomach. “I’m trying to correlate the data from your technicians with those from Alex’s datanode. If I can plot it all into a matrix, I may be able to see the evolution of the technician’s theory. And then I can overprint the matrix with information Alex brought back, to see if it impacts the direction your technicians are taking.”
“Would it not be easier to use the holographic projector built into the analyzer downstairs than continue to litter your room?”
“What holographic projector?” Dumbfounded, Lauren knew at some point she would need to access the computer in the desk but hadn’t considered the need immediately urgent.
“I will show you.” Merilyn disappeared down the stairs. Lauren followed, forgetting all about breakfast.
Alex found Merilyn by the holographic projector when she arrived. “What is all this?”
Lauren stood inside a holographic projection of a three-dimensional cube, with data plotted on all six sides. She was physically moving the data from one part of the cube to another within the cube. This action then caused a cascade of colored numbers and symbols to ripple throughout the dimensional construct. Data flashed in various shades of blue, and resulting calculations in yellows and reds. After a few more manipulations, a few green-shaded results popped up in a far corner. Lauren pulled on those results, dragging them out of the corner and pushing them through the three-dimensional matrix. It was like watching a conductor lead a symphony orchestra through a difficult musical passage. In fact, Alex could almost hear it.
“Lauren, what is going on?”
“Quiet. Do not break her concentration,” Merilyn warned, standing next to Alex, mesmerized by Lauren’s actions.
“But what is she doing?”
“I showed her the holographic projector and how to use it. She input all the data I provided from the healing technicians and added the information from the Comin datanode, building a master data file in the analyzer. She then uploaded those data into the projector. I have never seen it used in this manner. With each new calculation, the results are shown in red—not successful, orange—somewhat successful, and green—successful. But it appears to me that the data are acting as though they are alive. They seem to flow
around Lauren, using her energy as they flowed through the algorhythms. The results of her calculation are physically impacting the matrix of the cube.”
“Do you hear anything?” The sounds were getting louder and falling into a distinct repeating pattern.
“I do, but I do not know what it means. The projector does not have any audio output.”
Lauren pushed and pulled at the few green resultant data points that appeared to be multiplying in the one corner. But then their growth stopped, and they shrank back. “Oh come on! The answer is in here somewhere. You’ve all gotta play nice with each other.” Lauren dropped her arms and the matrix disappeared. “Something is off.”
“Lauren?” Alex said, moving forward.
Lauren jumped, nearly falling over. “I forgot you guys were here. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” Alex reached out a hand to steady Lauren.
Merilyn gave her a look. “Really, Alexandra, has your vocabulary gone the way of your memories? I can hardly understand you anymore.”
Lauren grinned. “I understand Alex just fine. Maybe we need to have your hearing checked the next time we measure your height?”
Alex gawked at her. How could she talk to Merilyn in this manner and retain her head on her shoulders?
“Oh really, you now disparage my hearing as well as my height? We are going to have to discuss the proper way of addressing the Seneschal of Fuar Ćala.” Alex saw the small smile curling the edge of Merilyn’s lips.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before.” A loud rumble from Alex’s stomach interrupted their verbal sparring, and both turned toward her. “I’m hungry too, Alex. Let’s see what we have for breakfast. Shall we?”
The trio headed up to Lauren’s private quarters and the waiting meal. Snow and Ice sat at the end of the table, eyeing the breakfast trays. Lauren rubbed both their heads.
“You two are not getting my meat today. I’m starved this morning.”
