She shook her head. “I’m carrying our child, our children, I haven’t lost my mind.”
Richmond and Brooklyn materialized near the smoking computer panel. We’ll watch her, Admiral.
See that you do. Bei escorted her to their side.
“Is this really necessary? I mean this is a space ship.” Nell crossed her arms over her chest and trudged forward. “I mean it’s not like I’m going to stroll out an air lock for a breath of fresh vacuum.”
Richmond fell in behind her; Brooklyn marched in front.
Bei clenched and unclenched his hands. If she starts to fade, hold her hand. The bonds between your NDA and hers should stop her from disappearing.
“Wh-What do you mean disappear?” Nell stepped out of the single file line. Spinning on her heel, she faced Bei. Color spotted her cheeks. “Beijing York, you tell me what you meant.”
The working oxygen scrubbers hissed. The vats of treated sewage gurgled.
Ugu thumped her cane on the metal deck. “Rodi and Ane, please leave us.”
The two Skaperian scientists set the pail of solid NDA on the work bench and shuffled out.
Bei’s two sentries signaled when they passed the exit.
Doc studied his charred fingernail. Coms are on a Syn-En only frequency.
Nell tapped her foot. “I’ve got a spooky soundtrack nearing a crescendo inside my head. You might as well tell me before the crashing of cymbals drown it out.”
Ugu’s mouth opened and she raised her finger.
Apollie cleared her throat. “It’s a movie reference. I’ll explain later.”
Bei planned to eavesdrop on that conversation. He hadn’t met anyone who spoke Nellese. “What do you remember after Doc ordered you out of sick bay?”
Nell blew her blond hair out of her eyes. “Davena and I walked to the elevator. Then…” She rubbed her forehead. “Then I guess we took it to our floor and got off. She dropped me at our room and went back to work. Has something happened to Davena?”
“Davena’s well and working in sick bay.” Bei hacked Nell’s cerebral interface. Her heart rate had kicked up and her palms were sweating—signs of distress, not deception. “Do you remember the elevator ride? What did you talk about?”
“I— I—” Nell squeezed her eyes closed. “I take the elevator every day. The rides just blur together.”
Bei overrode her cerebral interface, stopped it from calming her. “So you don’t remember Sweetie Cutie Pie?”
Nell’s blood pressure spiked and her skin shifted to silver. Her eyes opened and she scanned the room. “Sweetie Cutie Pie. I…I think that was a patient… I… I…”
Doc clamped his lips together. For pity’s sake, Bei, she’s not the enemy. Think of the twins.
The twins could have caused her disappearance. In four long strides, Bei crossed to his wife and slipped his hands around hers. Her skin chilled his. “I want you to watch something.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I’m not going to like it, am I?”
“I didn’t.” Bei hated it with every circuit inside him. He tugged her across the workshop to Smith’s computer screen. A video clip taken from Richmond’s memories replaced the enemy data.
The mechanic, Ugu, and Apollie inched closer for a better view.
Nell became visible over a seething mass of bodies. She sucked in a breath. “God, those bags under my eyes are carrying a five piece luggage set.”
“You’re beautiful.” His attention slipped to her stomach. His optics measured the swell of her belly under her clothes. The same. At least, he would have proof that ETs didn’t impregnate her. There had to be a video clip or two of that scenario back in the early twenty-first century.
But why hadn’t he detected the extra heartbeats?
Rising on tiptoe, she kissed his jaw. “That’s why I…” She returned her attention to the video then reared back. “Hey! Where did I go?”
Ugu leaned against the nearest table. “Let me see that again.”
“She disappeared.” Apollie traced the empty spot where Nell had stood.
Nell plowed her fingers under her hair and cupped her skull. “Could the blow to my head have been fatal?”
Ugu snorted. “How could it? You’re alive.”
Bei rocked back on his heels. “The fermites have been known to dissolve the remains of those they infect.”
And Davena had said Nell was with the Meek, their deity.
“But I woke up in our cabin. In our bed.” Nell laced her fingers through his and squeezed tightly. Her skin sparkled and her vitals returned to normal levels.
Doc stopped the replay and returned the display to its former screen. “From the angle, I don’t think the blow would have been fatal. So we’re left with two options: the fermites acted on their own to protect you.”
Nell shook her head. “They’re just machines. They need someone telling them what to do.”
Doc flashed his palm, acknowledging her words. “And that someone could be the children you carry. Davena said that oracles share a root bloodline. They all have the ability to control the fermites. You have it so…”
“So our offspring will have it.” Bei finished for him.
A circuit shorted in the treatment vats and alarms flared.
Ugu frowned and shifted away from the darkened equipment. “We cannot risk the safety of us all for one person. If Nell cannot control the fermites, then she must go.”
Chapter 11
Ugu wanted Nell to leave for everyone’s safety. Obviously, the white featherhead hadn’t watched her quota of Star Trek episodes. Besides, where was she to go?
With friends like that who needed the Founders?
Nell crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. In the repair bay, the hum of the engines complemented the whine of the blades chopping up the food waste. Nothing more exploded, short-circuited, or switched off. Nell had her fermites firmly under control.
“No. Absolutely not.” Bei’s shout ricocheted off the high ceilings. “My wife stays with me.”
Nell winced. Bei didn’t lose control, not ever. His programming kept his emotions on a tight rein, and even if they weren’t, he wouldn’t reveal his soft side to nonSyn-Ens. She laced her fingers through his. Even before their birth, her children caused trouble.
Ugu’s aquamarine eyes narrowed. “Your wife is pregnant. She should be safely behind the lines, protecting the next generation.”
Nell bit her lip as her attention skidded to the side. “Apollie isn’t safely behind the lines.”
The corpses on the table meant nowhere inside Alliance Space was safe.
A blush suffused the albino Skaperian’s pale skin. “I’m forbidden to enter combat but can assist Ugu from behind the lines.”
“And Nell is assisting me.” Bei placed himself between the alien leader and Nell.
Good grief. Nell pushed on his shoulder. The big galoot didn’t move. She eased in front of him.
Ugu braced her feet on the deck and her cane in front of her hunched body, her moonpie face set in implacable lines.
With Nell’s bad luck, this could break the backbone of the alliance. Too bad her superpowers couldn’t fix stubborn. Fermites created a web between her fingers. Fatigue sucked her toward the deck and sleepy dust grew in her eyes. “Ugu is correct. If the fermites continue to infect and destroy our tech, then I will need to find someway to minimize that interference.”
A muscle ticked in Bei’s jaw.
The base of Nell’s neck tingled from the uproar in the WA. She shut the door to cyberspace, but left her and Bei’s private channel open. Not even crickets chirped in the connection. He was angry. She understood. She wasn’t happy dancing either. She squeezed his hand. “I accept that I have a build-up in static electricity, but there is nothing to suggest that this is a by-product of my pregnancy.”
She pointed to the offline oxygen scrubbers and water reclamation vats.
Ugu’s jaw thrust forward. “You admitted that you didn’t destro
y the tracker.”
Nell sighed. She hated it when facts got in the way of a perfectly good explanation.
Doc smoothed his scorched index finger. Slowly, the blackened surfaced faded to its normal tan color. “It’s possible that Nell has merged with the fermites and that the atomic machines understood her desire to destroy the tracker and did so once she relaxed.”
That so didn’t help. Nell tucked her hair behind her ear. Good Lord, if she had to watch her thoughts, the universe was doomed. “I did want it destroyed.”
She had also wanted a chocolate bar, but that hadn’t happened. Her skin itched. What was she overlooking?
“There is still the matter of your pregnancy.” Ugu’s gnarled fingers twisted on the crystal knob at the top of her cane. “Your children are too valuable to risk unnecessarily.”
Spines tented Bei’s arms. “Are you saying I can’t protect my wife?”
Whoa. Easy. Nell brushed the defensive armaments until they subsided. “What I know is that I am pregnant, and Bei and I will discuss what is best for our children alone and in private.”
She shoved a request for an additional two hours of alone time with him. No way would she allow business to be conducted on her allotment. They had little privacy as it was.
Bei acknowledged her request then jerked his head once.
Ugu’s mouth thinned. “Let us hope he is more rational and not prone to emotional outbursts, then.”
“He’ll be fine.” Nell might be crawling up the wall from worry about her pregnancy’s effect on the alliance, but Bei was her rock—solid, dependable, and trustworthy. “Now, I’m going to take a nap and recharge, while you two go over the data we acquired and come up with a plan to bring home our people’s remains.”
After one last hrumpth, Ugu shuffled toward the screen Shang’hai and Smith currently studied.
Apollie milked her fingers. Her baby bump swelled against her armor. Unspoken words drifted on the air. “I could walk you back to your cabin.”
“Apollie.” Ugu thumped her cane on the deck. “Come and examine this.”
Nell smiled at her featherheaded friend. “I’m sure I’ll have an escort.”
“Damn straight.” Bei’s eyes had darkened. He, too, analyzed the data.
“We’ll talk later.” Nell patted her friend’s arm as she passed. They could compare notes, then corner Rome’s wife for information on what she endured during her pregnancy.
“I would like that.” Apollie increased her pace and joined her superior at the screen.
Rising on tiptoe, Nell kissed Bei’s jaw. Warm, rock-hard skin touched her lips. She nibbled closer to his mouth. I would like a kiss before my nap.
You’re not leaving. Bei shifted just an inch. His skin softened.
We can’t lose our allies. Freeing her hand, she combed through his short black hair.
He angled his head until their lips met. I can’t lose you.
She fell into his kiss and lost herself for a moment. A lifetime of moments. Frenzied, frantic moments sometimes stolen just in case… Her skin tingled and warmth washed over her. Her battery charge increased by ten percent. Bei had given her a jump start. She’d jump him later.
He grasped her hips and pulled her pelvis flush against his, sandwiching their babies between. No matter what happens, I will keep you safe. All of you.
I know. With a deep breath, she stepped backward. Her thumb swept the moisture off his bottom lip. “We’ll continue this later.”
“You might want to jack into a charger. You’re going to need the energy.” After checking on the others, Bei leered at her.
Oh! Oh my! Nell fanned her overheated skin. He hadn’t done that in a long time. He’d kept a tight clamp on his emotions since the war started, except when he’d announced her pregnancy to all and sundry. “Just watch it, Buster, or you might overload a circuit.”
The leer melted away. “Buster?”
“An expression.” Nell felt the tug as he searched for references in cyberspace. Turning, she headed for the exit.
Someone had covered the mutilated bodies on the tables. Her escorts, Richmond and Brooklyn, fell into step before and behind her.
“Babies.” Richmond’s brown ponytail hung halfway down her back. The spring in her step gave away her youth. “It’s been a while since I held a baby. Do you think I might hold yours?”
“Of course.” Nell’s palm curved over the soft swell of her stomach. “Everyone can hold them.”
Her nieces and nephews had been passed around from aunt to uncle to cousin and grandparents. Her children wouldn’t know their grandparents but they would be born into a very large family. Tears swam in her eyes. Stupid hormones.
“I’ll teach them Hide and Seek.” The overhead lights glinted off Brooklyn’s black hair as they left the repair bay. “I was the best in my cohort.”
“Second best.” London corrected from her post by the door. “I always found you. You rarely found me.”
“I let you find me.” Brooklyn smirked at the petite blonde as they entered the hallway.
“Whatever you have to tell yourself.” London fingered the rifle hung across her body.
Laughing at the sibling rivalry, Nell blotted her cheeks. The Syn-En were only slightly more dysfunctional than her family. Her sons would be alright.
Once the Alliance defeated the Founders.
The elevator doors opened at her and her two shadows’ approach.
After dutifully following her escort inside, she stood at the back. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the wall. Vibrations hummed through her like a lullaby, and she rocked as the elevator rose. She could almost imagine floating away, drifting off on a fluffy cloud. Rainbows, butterflies, and unicorns abounded.
“Nell Stafford.” Richmond clasped her hand.
Nell’s eyes popped open. Slapping her other hand on Richmond’s, Nell hung on tight. “What? What happened? Did I disappear again?”
“No.” Richmond pried her hand free. “You fell asleep.”
“Oh.” Embarrassment scorched Nell’s cheeks. “Sorry. I’m very tired.”
“The CIC says that’s to be expected.” Brooklyn held open the door.
What else did the CIC say and how many Syn-En would know her symptoms before she did? Maybe she’d look it up, later.
Call buttons lit up the display panel.
Good heavens, how long had she been out? She could have sworn she’d just closed her eyes for a second or two. She hustled into position.
Richmond led through the empty corridor of closed doors. Her hand rested on the butt of the TorpSK69 at her hip. “We’ll patrol the deck every thirty minutes, so if you need anything, let us know and we’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you.” Nell wracked her memories. Had they patrolled the decks before? Was this new? What if she disappeared again? Would they know?
Brooklyn cleared his throat. “We’re to do a visual check on you until the admiral joins you.”
“Then we’re not to check on you at all. We don’t want to be scarred for life.” Richmond threw a saucy grin over her shoulder then flinched.
Nell’s all-knowing, all-seeing husband probably hadn’t appreciated the humor. Unless… Her breath snagged in her throat. Unless, he thought her ugly.
Bei’s avatar appeared in her thoughts, twirling a finger next to his digital ear. Remind me to run a diagnostic on your logic processors.
She was not crazy. It’s the hormones.
Sleep, love. I’ll be there soon. He brushed her mind in broad, soothing strokes.
Nell covered a yawn then pried her eyes apart. Her cabin stood five feet away.
Richmond held up a fist, indicating for them to stop, then slipped inside.
Nell pinched the bridge of her nose. If she were a horse, she’d be asleep by now.
“Clear.” Richmond marched out. “We’ll be back in thirty.”
Nodding, Nell shambled past. “Don’t wake me if I’m sleeping.”
Brookly
n snorted. “You won’t hear us.”
“Right.” The cabin door snicked shut behind Nell. Her boots melted off her feet as she walked; they reformed in the closet. Her uniform liquified on the way to the bathroom. Naked or clothed? Naked or…
She caught her reflection in the mirror above the sink. A six piece luggage set hung under her eyes. At least she didn’t have the greenish tint of morning sickness her sisters wore during their pregnancies.
When she finished in the bathroom, a soft flannel nightgown clung to her body. No Syn-En would need brain bleach from catching sight of her. She flopped onto the bed, belly first.
Dang it! She rolled onto her back and caressed her stomach. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
They didn’t answer.
She didn’t need the CIC to tell her babes in the womb weren’t supposed to converse. Exhaustion had made her a little punch-drunk. Yawning, she inchwormed onto her side of the bed. The mattress cradled her like a warm marshmallow. The lights began to dim.
Her stomach growled.
No, I’m not hungry. It’s just the pregnancy talking. She snuggled deeper under the blankets. Grabbing Bei’s pillow she pulled it under with her. Sleep now; eat later. Sleep now; eat later.
The grumbling increased in volume. Eat now; sleep later.
“Bahhhh.” Shoving aside the covers, she rolled off the bed. Her toes curled when they touched the cold deck, but her heart melted when she spied the rows of silver pouches on the desk. Bricks of cakes formed a tower next to them.
Her Syn-En family had replenished her stockpile.
God bless ‘em. Every one of ‘em. Fuzzy socks cocooned her feet as she shuffled the handful of steps to the desk. The lights bumped up. After ripping the top off a strawberry shake, she reached for the carafe of water. Her fingers surrounded the gooseneck.
A soft buzz swirled around her room.
“Thirty minutes have passed already?” If she kept missing time like that, she’d have to see if she was being abducted by aliens. She shivered at the thought. There were plenty of aliens aboard. She added the water then shook the pouch.
The buzzer sounded again.
“Geez. A verbal acknowledgement should be just as good as a visual one.” But then again, the Syn-En tended to be literal interpreters. Shaking the strawberry drink, she padded to the door. It swished open at her approach.
Syn-En: Pillar World Page 10
