by Selina Brown
Jamie nodded. “Or someone is actually messing with the Cardinal Unit using the Mobile Unit for their own purposes. Listen, we can storm this out later. It’s not going to hurt ramping up security. Now, get on it.”
Diane watched with him while everyone got busy. “Has the trap been sprung yet?”
“This is putting Ara in greater danger but, no, I don’t think so.” For some reason Jamie worried that Aven was working against Marc in some way, that Aven was the Snakes’ helper. He watched Diane head off to her desk in the center of the activity and contacted Marc.
“We need to talk about Aven.”
“Jamie, I can’t.”
“You told me that Aven hated Ara. What lengths would she go to in order to hurt her?”
Marc’s voice was dull over the Voice. “Not kill, I’m sure of it. But maybe harm or hinder. But why would she do that?”
Jamie considered extracting from Marc. It would be painful but necessary. “I want you to come in.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Marc?”
“I can’t work against my own sister!”
“I’m not—”
“Don’t bullshit me, Jamie. I’ve known you for a long time now. Don’t play those shitty games with me.”
“Marc?”
…
“Marc?” Jamie swore again as he hung up.
Diane wandered back to him reading from an EBrain. “Jamie, this says that there has been no unusual communique from Maya—that we know of. So she must not want the trap sprung yet, and may play it down for some years until those worried about Ara’s move relax a little. But those responsible for matter growths won’t think it’s a coincidence, which makes me wonder if Maya is being dumb or very smart, so they’ll try to move whatever it is they are doing off planet, destroy it, hide it, or use it—” she frowned at something “—which may be what Maya wants. It can’t be just a warning because Maya would send down a data burst… Oh, that’s why you think it’s someone interfering.”
Jamie considered this and studied Diane’s face as she continued to read. “You’ve made good points. Contact the warlords and brief them. We’ll need to watch all the space routes. We’ll leave it up to them to bring in AM, AG, and the ACA.” He looked around seeing harassed faces. Most had been working full shifts already. “Peter?”
The blond head appeared over a table ledge. He’d been connecting something. “Yeah, boss?”
“Bring in the Fifth Wheel. We’ll need them.”
“On it. I think they called themselves the Third Wheel with Ara’s motorbi—” he saw Jamie’s expression “—never mind.”
“And I want Sacha and Ersen in here too.”
“I’ll do that.” Vicky walked into the command room with tray of steaming drinks. A few cheered her.
Jamie took his cup off the tray. “Thank you.”
“I’ll get them here a.s.a.p. and call in my logistics team.”
A few hours later, Diane entered Jamie’s office where he was debating if he should try to warn Ara.
“You know who should know what’s going on?” she said with a challenge to her voice.
“Ara?”
Diane slumped on one of the chairs in front of Jamie’s large, wooden desk. One of his early attempts. “You’ve already been considering it.”
“I’m going to—” His Voice interrupted him. He lifted it, seeing the familiar name on the screen. “Korbet, nice of you to call.” Jamie studied Diane on the other side. She was already dozing off, only a little intrigued over the timing of the call. “Uh huh. Hmmmm—” he listened carefully as Korbet talked “—alright. Bye.” Jamie saw Diane’s eye open. “We’re not to tell Ara.”
The other eye popped open with concern.
“Relax, Maya sent a data burst to Korbet.”
“Why him, and why not us? We’ve got equipment, implants—” She waved her hand vaguely in the air.
Jamie laughed. “You need to get some sleep. Write Korbet up on our Consociation of Eight.”
This time Diane did wake up properly. “He told you?”
“He said I wouldn’t believe him if I didn’t know that.”
“Well, that’s interesting. We’ve identified three now, possibly five.” Her eyelids drooped again. “Some … greater … purpose—” She yawned and fell asleep.
While she snored with her chin on her chest, Jamie organized for an Avatara spy to get up close and personal with the Adonis. He had to prepare for Ara’s Virgo as well. He didn’t want another Ike incident and at least this was more concrete, not like the crap with Ara being a honeypot.
Finally, he contacted Trickster who made some alteration to his cerebral implant—using some strange spidery looking piece of technology that would connect to his ISVoice—and had given him a number to call him on. Jamie had laughed at first seeing the number but Trickster was quite pleased with his joke. “No one else can use it.”
Jamie had rubbed his head from the procedure as he looked at the unsmiling man. “Any restrictions on when I can call you?”
“No restrictions, Jamie Raner.”
Now Trickster’s voice held a surprised tone as he asked, “Did Ara not tell you?”
Jamie fumed. “No, but you should have. You yourself said she was like a child at times. You are—” Jamie unclenched his hand from the paper he’d scrunched “—it’s my fault. If you want Ara to pass on messages then it’s important enough to come to me directly. I never explained that to you. Ara is my charge, and until she is trained she is considered ineffective to be used as part of the operation. Understood?”
‘I understand, Jamie. As Sentinel, I accept your decisions on this. I will not make that mistake again.”
“Good.”
After Trickster, Jamie called Merlin, Caleb’s nephew. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Are you asking me as a friend or a warlord?”
Jamie considered this and said hopefully, “Both?”
Merlin laughed. “Alright, go ahead.”
Sub-Log XXIV
Iota
Station: Kovac
Galactic System: The Eye
Planetary System: Wilds
Ara’s Home
“Home at last!” Ara parked under a tree and opened the jeep’s door to breathe in and out deeply, happy to be home smelling the sea air. It surprised her she didn’t miss mountains but her coastline view was quite rugged. Three of them had been on a conference and just arrived back having used Wilds transportal system.
Tara stepped onto their wooden pathway, which branched up, to head to her home. Kee nodded to Ara following after Tara. “I’d wave but”—he gave her a helpless look of a man sadly overrun—“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you with your two small bags, Ara.”
“No problem, Kee.” She laughed at him, with a bag in either hand, two strung on one shoulder, another—his one bag—on the other shoulder. Tara was lugging up two bags as well. It had been a little bit embarrassing checking out of their accommodation and lining up in the public terminus to get back home.
Tara yelled back. “Very funny. Come on, it’s starting to rain. I don’t want my new outfits getting wet.”
Ara waved and headed down onto the solid packed dirt path, winding around the cliff. The ocean was rough this late afternoon and curling waves crashed with great splashes onto sharp rocks jutting out from the rock platform. She headed up the path, now getting wet from the rain, seeing her home around the corner. Her view was of the ocean and cove. Tara and Kee’s was over the top on the plateau, but Ara couldn’t see them, and their view consisted of the plains and forest. Kee was visiting but Ara suspected he’d move in soon enough.
Wilds needed laboratory workers.
She opened the front door seeing leaves piled up at the base. She’d clean tomorrow. Entering the foyer, she closed the front door, and then entered the main home. It was shaped like a horseshoe, the open mid-section tucked into the cliff face and facing the ocean and cove. Glass windows adorned t
he entire right side, and she lit her gas fires, and turned on just two lights. It was all open plan. The lounge first, which was curved, the gas fire next, which abutted the left wall but stretched into the rooms forming a division of sorts, the study and reading area were next, followed by another gas place then her bedroom. The bathroom was built into the cliff, as was the kitchen, which was kind of tucked in behind the first gas fire. She still had a view there, but preferred her views from the couch, chair, or bed.
There was a knock on her door and Ara heard laughter. She went to open it finding her four co-workers with baskets of delicious smelling, hot food.
Denn said, “We knew you were coming home but we had an emergency.”
“Come in.”
They crowded in, all dressed in Wilds uniforms that were comprised of dark blue shorts, boots, and polo shirts. They hugged her as they entered. While Ara felt like a giant compared to Leoan and Karan, Xavier’s six foot one hulking form made her feel normal. He had the really dark, almost red, skin of someone from Baalop in Lustro Station. He never talked about his life before Wilds and they didn’t pry. He was a gentle man who loved animals far more than people. Xavier gave her a tight hug and made his way to a stool, his stool that he brought to her place so that it could bear his weight.
Leoan said, “We would have cleaned and warmed your place but the cubs came.”
“Oh, I didn’t want to miss that!” Ara looked at the lanky, freckled redhead. She had a fascination for Leoan’s hair, reminding Ara of Caleb’s. His was a little darker red though, and straighter. Leoan was like her, with hair that leaned to the frizzy variety.
“We took lots of images,” Leoan promised her.
Within moments, they had put food in her cooler and cupboards. Karan, her athletic friend, was unpacking the hot meal. She was heavily into weights and worked out with Xavier every day. Her blue eyes met Ara’s. “We won’t stay; we have to get back. The lion cubs were having problems breathing.” Karan finished setting up dinner on Ara’s breakfast bench.
They chatted for a little while but assured Ara they’d call her if needed. Ara sat down, inhaling the stir-fry they had brought.
“Interesting conference?” Denn asked, raising his eyebrow, still annoyed he couldn’t go. His brown hair was tied back, as usual, while his pale brown eyes were trained on the food. He had a sharp, intelligent face and loved eating as much as Ara did. He reached out and plucked a green sugar pea from her plate.
“They recorded the entire thing but, between Tara’s shopping and Kee’s obsession with sightseeing, I’m exhausted.” Ara lifted her fork and began to eat; the vegetables were slightly crunchy, the meat melted in her mouth. “Hmmmm, this is good.”
Leoan groaned. “Not another dinner and film fest coming up?”
“I’m afraid so, just bring a lot to drink.” Tara and Kee liked to entertain and drag out their holiday shows. “It’s okay for you lot, I was there this time!”
Xavier said, smiling at her, “Twice the drink for you then.”
“Amen to that.” Ara leaned down and rummaged through an unpacked bag she’d dumped in the kitchen to unpack her chocolate snacks, and handed Denn the thumb drive of the recorded conference. “How’s Heather?”
“Great. Next time I’ll ask my wife to break her leg on a boring week.”
They commiserated.
“Where’s our chocolate, Ara?” Karan asked.
“Oops, almost forgot.” At their incredulous looks, she handed them their gifts and treats. “I did forget!”
“We’ll let you off this time because you came through.” Karan blew her cheeks out. “We’re glad you’re back. See you in two days. Get settled in first, there’s a pile of work waiting for you.”
“I will. But call me…”
“We will.”
Chatting with each other, they left. Xavier gave her another hug and smile before he joined them. Ara closed the door, sat back at her kitchen bench and ate the very tasty meal. She shivered a little so she moved and sat on one of the low benches that surrounded the rounded gas places. Her back warmed up quickly as she balanced the plate on her lap.
It was with some satisfaction that she made her bed, and lay down that night. Sleep came easily but it always did for some reason there. It was the first time ever she felt really good and at peace. Ara almost began to think of forgetting about planet engineering and finding out about an apprenticeship on Wilds. It depended on her connection with Maya and she had discreetly asked Bel and Tekko to help her find a way to disconnect herself from the Cardinal Unit.
Ara sat bolt upright and looked wildly around.
Her Voice was blaring at her. She rubbed her eyes and picked it up. “Hello?”
Denn said urgently, “We need you. I’m coming to pick you up. Be ready.”
Ara turned on her outer lights, dressed, ran up the path in the rain, and jumped into the pickup truck. Denn drove them fast to the main breeding installation, which was a good ten minutes away. While they drove, Ara used a small light and read the latest obs. By the time she was in, and holding a cub, Ara knew it was too late.
Xavier’s deep voice reflected his pain. “We should have called you sooner.”
Ara squeezed his arm. “There’s not much I could have done that you haven’t tried already.” Even as she said the words, Ara wondered. The tiny body sat in her hand, and she stared at him while the team cared for the remainder. Could she connect to the Maya, should she? Xavier remained by her side, watching her carefully.
Ara closed her eyes and triggered her implant to send a query pulse to the Cardinal Unit. She needed more than just a connection; somehow she needed to allow for the CU to help. Ara knew the implants had some kind of projection ability; she had never used it deliberately. She followed it all the way, determined to watch the process this time and take an active role in it. An image appeared in her mind. It was a lab. There were many workstations with lights flicking on and off. Machines and robots were moving around turning eggs that appeared to be damaged somehow, and caring for a range of sick or injured species. Ara had never seen this place before, only flashes of labs in her dreams and connections. A robot moved up to her projection, and lifted a mechanical arm. She felt a connection to her implant, and detected nanites injected into the particle stream that created her projection and the plasma link that led all the way back to her real body. As the nanites traveled, Ara was able to read the data package that came with them. They had been specially programmed for the cub in her hand. A flash of instructions seared on her mind, and she left, opening her eyes again to the cub, now wiggling in her hand.
“Ara … he’s getting stronger!” Xavier’s voice, while quiet, reached Denn, Karan, and Leoan.
“How did you do that?” Denn sounded amazed.
“I connected to the Cardinal Unit, using my implant, and they have a lab for the injured and sick. They must have millions of packages for all kinds of emergencies.” Ara struggled to explain what she saw and her friends saw it as wondrous rather than freaky. It was the first time since Gralten she had done anything like that with people around. “They send nanites using the standard plasma lines we have with Maya.”
After quite a few questions, Ara almost fell but Xavier gripped her arm and transferred the cub to Denn. “Ara?”
“I’m okay, just feel weak and disorientated.”
“And pale.” Karan took her by the arm. She gave the team a sharp look. “You lot look after the cubs and I’ll look after Ara.”
Grateful for the help, Ara was supported by Karan to the small kitchen and barely managed to lift the warm cup of hot chocolate to her lips after Karan made it from her personal supply. “Wow, you really are crashing.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’ll be doing that again. I don’t think the Mobile Unit is supposed to transfer nanites like that.”
Karan’s blue eyes met hers and she said casually, “We forget you are the Mobile Unit. Whatever that is.”
Ara smiled and sipped. S
he put her drink down. “You know damn well what it is, as much as anyone … and, no, I’m still in the dark as much as anyone.”
Karan nodded, and sighed. “Do you miss the life you could have had? I mean as a potential queen?”
“Absolutely not. I love my life and love my work. I love my friends too; they take good care of me.”
“Don’t get mushy on me, Ara. I like you just as you are.”
Their eyes met and they both laughed.
After her drink, Karan returned to work. Ara just managed to get up, and Denn collected her to take her home.
Sub-Log XXV
Jamie followed along behind as Denn drove Ara home. He turned up the comms and brought up a visual in the pickup truck to listen and watch. Like Ara, he had caught sight of a blinking light.
“What’s that?” she was saying and pointing to her right.
Denn slowed down and looked. “Don’t know. It’s on the ocean by the looks. I don’t recall any shipping deliveries or passenger ships on the way in.” He pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the pickup truck slowly in the dirt.
Jamie pulled in and waited. He tapped on his EBrain to activate the secondary team. They were checking Ara’s home, and the route Denn and Ara had been driving down.
“I’ll see if I can pull up any information on it. Are you okay or shall I take you home first?”
“No, I’m fine. More interested in the vessel at the moment.” Her voice was slurring so much Jamie was concerned.
Denn was pulling out his tablet from the middle console but Jamie was already checking the traffic that should be on the ocean. There wasn’t supposed to be anything sailing.
“According to the registry they aren’t supposed to be there. There are no emergencies listed either. Back to the installation?”
“Yeah, we better check this out.”
Jamie cursed. She should be telling security.
“Ah, maybe we should just alert security. I’m pretty bushed and it’s not our job.”
