The DrearGyre
Page 27
similar to the Beloved Nephew’s shuttle. And perhaps they were set up for the Beloved Nephew since they were plainly labeled.
She sat in the main chair, then slid her finger along the activate control. Nothing.
“Computer,” Kari said.
“ID unknown.” A male voice.
“Do you take orders from the Beloved Nephew?”
“Affirmative.”
“Do you take orders from the entourage of the Beloved Nephew?”
“Affirmative.”
“Do you recognize me as the First Whore of the Beloved Nephew?”
Time. Paused.
She wanted to faint with terror.
“What are your orders, First Whore?” the computer asked. Kari almost fainted with relief.
“Get us out of here!” she yelled. “Take us to the Neutral Zone. The Federation border!”
“There are a number of courses to that area. Would you like to choose one?”
“The quickest fastest most direct route. Fast! Make it fast.”
“Course laid in.”
“Engage, engage, engage!”
The white ship folded its wings backwards silently, reconfiguring itself into a crouch. Then it leaped into the sky, blasting out of the Tal Shiar compound.
“We are on route, First Whore.”
The inertial dampeners whined as the ship tore through the atmosphere. The turbulence buffeted them until the sky turned indigo then black as they hit space. Warbirds and other ships orbited the planet.
“Why aren’t we at warp?” Kari shouted.
“Warp safety protocols due to planet proximity are in place.”
“Override!”
“Please confirm override.”
“Dammit, make it so right now!”
The engines rumbled then the ship warped out. Kari gasped as the feeling she’d willed herself to forget washed over her. The strange FTL glow outside the windows was something she’d tried to never remember. But here. To be in space. Again. To be on a starship. Again. To be free...
She tore herself away from the window almost afraid the FTL glow would disappear if she took her eyes from it. “Computer, warn me if there are any other ships in pursuit or in the area. How long until the Neutral Zone?”
“At maximum warp, we will arrive at the Neutral Zone in twenty hours, First Whore.”
“And from now on just call me... Call me captain!” She laughed.
“We are being hailed, captain.”
“Tell anyone contacting us that we’re on the business of the Beloved Nephew. No other communication, understood?”
“Affirmative, captain.”
“Where is the medical equipment?”
She retrieved the kit and ran to Syll. The Romulan had regained consciousness. She was holding a cloth to one of the wounds seeping blood. Kari opened the kit and located the healer. She pulled the cloth aside and moved the device over the wound. The Romulan pressed the disruptor against Kari’s temple. At this range, even the stun setting would kill her.
“Stop that,” Syll whispered.
Kari moved to the next wound. Slowly, the edges of the wound knitted together. She would never tire of seeing that magic. She shifted to a burn. The healer adjusted and she had to move even slower.
“I hate you and all that is Federation. Despite everything, I would kill you now. You are the enemy.”
Kari concentrated on the wounds. “With respect, Mistress Syll, you are lying like a Human.”
Syll’s eyes blazed, then she coughed, “You should let me die.”
“The Beloved Nephew would have been most irritated to find you amongst the living, Mistress Syll.” The ghastly blisters finally faded and the flesh lost some of it’s blackness.
“As you say,” Syll chuckled. “I feel we have traveled this path before, Ensign Kari Wu.”
“Captain, Mistress Syll. Remember? You made me a Starfleet captain.”
She stood and went to the replicator. The Romulan let the disruptor fall.
“Cool water,” Kari said, and retrieved the glass when it appeared.
She held the Romulan to let her sip the water. “Careful. Slowly, please, Mistress Syll.”
“Thank you. Screaming for a week does make one’s throat a little raw.”
“I wish the doctor was here,” Kari muttered returning to healing the lacerations.
“He would try to kill you. He is a good Romulan. As are my students. Make no mistake, Captain Kari Wu. They see you as the enemy. It is only in their interests to have assisted you in helping me escape.”
“Bullshit.”
“Language, Human!”
She laughed. “They love you, Mistress Syll. They’re loyal to you. You”
The Human finished what could be done to the cuts and burns, then transfused new blood into her.
“How strange. I am now your prisoner, Kari.”
“I’m still your prisoner, Mistress Syll. You have the disruptor.”
Syll pushed the weapon in her direction. “I officially free you from Tal Shiar custody. And I accept you as my captor.”
“You are not my prisoner, Mistress Syll. You never will be. But thank you for freeing me. May the Stars of Wisdom forever illuminate your path.”
Syll raised her eyebrows. “What a good student you are. I have been fortunate. May the Stars of Wisdom be with you forever as well. Now turn around and lift your hair. How ridiculous it is to wear it as such a length.”
Kari turned her back.
“This might hurt a little,” Syll said.
“I’ll try to manage.”
She made an incision, deactivated the module, then removed it from Kari’s neck. The healer closed the wound. She handed it to the Human
“I thought these modules could not be removed.” Kari examined the device. So small and harmless looking.
“We tell that to all our prisoners. Apparently an error on our part.”
Kari laughed. “Thank you...Syll.”
She sighed. “Do not forget, Kari, never forget that I gave the order to kill your shipmates those many years ago.”
“I’ve never forgotten who was responsible. I never will.”
“Well, assuming we can reach Federation space, I will be in the care of your Starfleet intelligence. Or perhaps they will turn me over to Section 31.”
“Section 31?” Kari frowned. “What’s that?”
Syll smiled a little.
“Well, whatever this Section 31 is, they won’t be torturing you.”
Syll patted her on the head. “I am Tal Shiar. They will assume I know many things. They will be correct. They will invite me to share with them what I know as I would do if I had one of them as my guest. There is no evil too great when we believe we must do what we must do.”
“No one’s going to be touching you,” Kari scowled. “Are you hungry?”
“Hmm, I think I am. A little soup perhaps.”
She returned from the replicator with a bowl. Sitting down next to her, she spooned a little into the Romulan’s mouth. Slowly, she fed her the soup. Syll could only manage half a bowl. Kari gulped down the rest.
“You are dressed differently,” Syll observed.
Kari looked at her reflection. Many mirrors adorned the bulkheads in the main cabin. “My assassin’s outfit. I think I shall keep it in case I need to kill again. I need new shoes though. Do you think he liked it?”
“As the last thing he saw, I am sure he was most pleased.”
Kari nodded. “How much more time, computer?”
“Eighteen hours, captain. I have detected one ship in pursuit. More may be cloaked. They are gaining but will not intercept us before we reach the Neutral Zone. There are ships in front of us.”
“How many?”
“Three. There may be more which are cloaked. More ships are moving to intercept us where we will enter the Neutral Zone.”
“I think we’re kind of doomed,” Kari sighed. “Computer, grant Syll command control access equal to my own.”
“Access granted, captain. Shall I refer to her as Second Whore?”
Syll jerked awake and pounded the table. “Computer! You shall refer to me as... as... as first officer!”
“Affirmative, first officer.”
Kari had collapsed. Her body shook with laughter. “I can’t breathe,” she wheezed, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t breathe.”
“Stupid Human! This is no time for laughter!”
Kari rolled on the deck. “Your face... You should’ve seen your face!”
Syll glowered at her and leaned back onto the couch. “I see no humor in being called Second Whore.”
Kari howled. Finally, she was able to join the Romulan on the couch.
“I don’t think I’ve truly laughed in years.” She pulled the Romulan against her.
“What are you doing, Human? I am unamused.”
“Enjoying the feeling of being the captain of a ship. Doesn’t rank have its privileges?”
“I suppose.” She flopped her head on to Kari’s shoulder.
“I haven’t forgotten what you told me in the cell, Romulan.”
Kari carefully arranged Syll onto her side. The huge couch accommodated them both. A corridor from the main cabin lead to the bedroom. Then a very large bathroom. Oddly, there were no other accommodations on the ship according to the plans she’d seen on the control console. The Beloved Nephew had furnished the main cabin with garish opulence, at odds with the elegance of the shape and color of most of the ship. She surmised the Beloved Nephew had stolen the craft from someone else.
“I recall only saying that you should not be concerned.”
“Not even close.” She pulled a comforter over the drowsy female.
“Allow me to sleep no more than two hours. I do not want to miss my execution.”
Kari let her drift off then climbed back to the console. She questioned the computer about different options. Most were terrible and the others were worse.
She dropped her head onto her arms. They were so close. And so