by Selina Brown
“Roger.”
As they slid back along the tunnel ceiling, Jamie was deep in thought and tried to ignore the queasiness. Would it be cheating if he told Ara about the tests beforehand? What sort of consequences would arise from him revealing the tests? He had to think about it carefully and he couldn’t trust anyone with this. Amusingly, unlike many of the twists in the actual protective duty and missions he had performed over the years where time was always a factor, time was the one thing he had going for him. It was a little odd to him but Pure-Gen perceptions about the concept of time were divergent to most.
Sub-Log XXVI
While at work thirty years later, Karan came around the door into the lab office where Ara was watching her team care for the baby bears. “Someone here to see you.”
Ara wondered at that because her friend had a funny grin on her face, and looked mushy. That wasn’t like Karan at all. It piqued her interest anyway so Ara nodded. “Thanks.” She wiped her hands and, with one last glance at the new polar bears, she gave the nursery staff a few instructions and then left. She had to go over the captive management procedures as well, they were overdue. While their animals had massive enclosures and a whole planet to roam in when not a part of the tour, they still had to be reviewed. Ara was on the committee to ensure the procedures were in place and audited regularly. There were times she had to contact the Planet of Law and often she talked to Korbet who always knew who could help her.
Slightly distracted, she stepped out and stopped in surprise, now understanding Karan’s gushing.
“He has that effect on many.”
Ara just nodded.
“Hello Ara, this is Balin.”
The Adonis, striking in appearance, with long, dark red hair smiled at her while his eyes swept down and then up her body. She suddenly felt very unkempt. Ara could feel his energy; he was powerful. The arrogant sod didn’t even mute it. Many Avatara, especially the Venararii, didn’t like giving up power. She was surprised he had no wings flapping around behind him. But she felt herself drawn to him so put up her guard. He had politely declined volunteering all those years ago, but Balin had helped.
“I know Balin, we’ve worked together.”
Karu flushed a little, maybe remembering his arrogant refusal no doubt. The dinner date hadn’t gone his way at all and Ara had continued to badger him about helping at the Saratoga Wildlife Park. For a silly second Ara thought Balin was Trickster. But at a blink of her eye he didn’t look like Trickster at all, he just had similar features. Ara wasn’t fooled by Balin, Venararii as well, he was a killer, or so she had heard from Terzon who was well into his military training. His brown hair, eyes, skin and strong face looked innocent enough, but he winked at her, putting her at ease. He was two inches shorter than she was but full of character—that was for sure. And he smiled, while Trickster never did.
Karu stared at Ara who stared back. Admittedly, she was dirty, tired, and his primary thought was that she was utterly adorable. She almost laughed and cut off her mental touch before turning back to Balin, taking in his appearance more closely.
“Say hello, Balin.”
“Yes, Master. Hello, Ara.”
Ara was shocked over the title but Balin was at ease with it, so she simply stared at his dark gold and brown outfit. After gently laughing, she blurted out, “Whatever are you wearing?”
“This was the fashion on Earth during the 1300s.”
Ara flushed, trying to contain her amusement, thinking how rude she had been but Balin’s eyes, while holding no amusement, didn’t take offense. She had only seen him in mucking out clothes at a distance. Over the years, after recruiting them at the mountain resort, her volunteers had dwindled off, but the hair twirling female was still there.
“Many Avatara have taken to adopting Earth fashions.”
“I see. What … did I miss your … err…” Rarely was she flustered but Karu’s smoky green eyes were far too mesmerizing.
“I’m sorry, Ara. This is a surprise visit.” Karu smiled, hoping to melt her heart she supposed. “We know you are busy but we’re here to see the animals in one of the sectors. Many creatures on Wilds’ southern continent exist on Earth. And once we begin restoration, we want to do it right. We have an appointment with Ser Quinlin.”
A male approached from her right, hovering in the open doorway Ara had come through. She was a little suspicious of Karu’s motivations for being here since her Virgo was coming up and she was sure Dad had been arranging something since she couldn’t be bothered. The latest news broadcasts hinted at possible restoration so Karu could be a precursor to start the process.
“That is quite correct, Persephone.”
Startled, Ara looked up at him but refused to communicate with him using ArT. “Yes, he’s in charge of restorations.” She sounded a bit brusque but was busy and distracted as she saw the male with a tablet in his hands trying to gain her attention.
“Please, we’ll go,” Karu said apologetically.
“Would you like to have dinner tonight?” She signed off on a document regarding the polar bears’ feeding times but glanced at Balin, directing the question more at him than at Karu. But Karu responded.
“We’re staying at the Drumland.”
“I can meet you there if you like, around seven?”
“That would be lovely.” He bowed slightly.
She nodded, a little self-conscious, and turned to find another young recruit hovering. “Please show them to the waiting room, Jan.”
The teen nodded, relieved, and flushed a little seeing Karu smiling in their general direction. Ara left them thinking of what Terzon had told her—that Balin was very good at getting information. She could offer a contract to find about Pen’s baby dying under unusual circumstances. It was a long time ago, but Ara was dissatisfied with the queries and investigation. And it might be a clue to her enemy who seemed to have all but disappeared. What could they possibly be doing? Ara had addressed Queen Silvia who asked Ara if she wanted to try to resolve it herself. That annoyed her a little, but she agreed. Ara knew it was gentle grooming for her royal duties one day. Silvia had assigned staff to be available to Ara. Queen Silvia also responded to her as if there was nothing unusual with her request, while those with shorter lives looked at her as if she was strange. To Ara, the incident wasn’t that long ago. In fact, she contacted the local city authority who said, “It’s a cold case.”
“What do you mean it’s a cold case?”
“Lady Katron, it was a long time ago. The case was archived and marked as ‘cold’ as in—”
“Never mind.” She cut him off rudely.
After a long day, Ara showered and dressed at work while she read up on the captive management procedures. She usually kept a change of clothes at work. Packing away her documents in her office drawers, and feeling refreshed and satisfied, she drove a buggy to the restaurant.
She was dressed in slacks and a softly folding, gaping top, and sensible shoes. Karu stood and bowed slightly, which increased her discomfort, while Balin gave her a knowing smile. Karu was drawing looks from women and men of all ages. They noted his deferential treatment of her and she was thankful that most of the people in the restaurant were guests and not co-workers. Ara made sure she was friendly, but not too friendly. She saw Balin’s smug look before he resumed studying the menu. They ordered their meals and chatted about her work and life.
“How are things on Earth?” she finally asked over dessert. Her stomach was bulging but it was hot chocolate pudding with clotted cream. “The freeing of Earth is exciting.”
Karu looked at her with a puzzled expression. “No, it’s not being freed, just restored to extend the time.”
“I see,” she said tightly. “How are the Avatara managing such a large project with the internal antipathy?”
He cringed a little at her tone. “The Avatara dissention is growing.”
She had noticed his pained look and changed the topic. He seemed relieved and talked in
stead about their visit and restoration. He was amazed at her knowledge and promised to contact her when he was ready to begin. Ara felt more sick than excited now and wasn’t sure she wanted to help.
“You’re meeting Kavela next?” Karu inquired politely.
“Yes, hopefully to talk about my apprenticeship.” And Virgo. Korbet was insistent she be careful as she had higher than normal, even for a Pure-Gen, energy levels.
“It’s due, yes.”
She took a second to realize he was referring to her apprenticeship, even though he knew he was a Virgo candidate. “I have a favor to ask.”
Karu smiled and Ara had to admit there was a stirring at his appearance, interest, and smile. “I’m listening.”
At least he didn’t say “Anything for you” without hearing what she had to say.
“I’d like a list of all the animals on Earth, not just those that are still present and suffering or thriving.”
He nodded straight away. “We can help with that. We have detailed records of Earth critters and the ones you want are public. You know it was in a time field until Kavela’s time. I spoke to him recently and he remembered when it came out of the field.”
“That was around two thousand years before Christ then?”
Balin nodded. “He remembered it when he was ten, so it was two thousand, two hundred, and seventy-three BC.”
“And it was tested for what? Creation | Evolution?” Her mind wandered off something nagging at her, some repressed memory or data. She struggled to access it.
“Are you alright, Ara?”
“Sorry.” She smiled. “I’d like to do something for humans when they are freed from the test.”
Karu raised his eyebrow. “Freed?”
“Yes. If you think this test will go on indefinitely then I think you need to reconsider your positioning.” Ara was determined to help those stuck in the test site. She would use her queen status if she had to. It was evident that those in power had the most say and that thought confused her. For some reason, in her mind, she was sure that wasn’t how it was supposed to be. The Aryan structure seemed almost strange to her, alien. Everyone should have equal say; she was sure that was how life was supposed to be. The longer she stayed on Wilds, the more she was convinced she had someone else’s memories. What had Maya done to her? But Ara didn’t want to endanger anyone and there was no one she could talk to. Since everyone was trying to watch and protect her, there was one last option—find her supposed enemy, but her only real lead was the false claim that someone killed Pen’s baby and then the baby deaths. Admittedly, the baby killings might have been some nasty game against the Aether but Ara had a hunch. She needed more than a hunch to move forward. She considered her actions as being selfish, rather than altruistic and a true desire to right a wrong.
“Ara?” Balin touched her arm.
“Sorry.” Ara sipped her coffee, eyeing off Karu’s unfinished pudding.
He leaned towards her, pushing his plate over to her. “The contract allows for the test to run until … the end.”
“I see.” What the hell was “the end”? The death of humans and destruction of their planet? She couldn’t say those things at the restaurant although she desperately wanted to vent. She picked up her spoon and ate his dessert.
“I’d like to talk more about this, but most of what I know requires security clearance.”
She smiled tightly. “Very well.”
He didn’t ask her any more questions but Balin looked with some interest at Ara. She knew then he wasn’t just deadly, he was exceptionally clever. She doubted most saw past the Adonis though. She enjoyed their company more than she cared to admit, and any suspicions that Kavela sent her Karu to inspect for Virgo were put to rest. Balin walked her to the buggy because Karu found some female of interest at the bar.
She turned to him, amused now. “How is Earth really?”
He leaned on the buggy as Ara stopped in front of him.
“Disgusting. There’s a plague moving like wildfire and medicine available but the royals won’t distribute it, mortality rate is around thirty years—”
“That’s unconscionable.”
“—agreed; that’s what Karu said. See you have something in common.”
She gave him a sly look. “Clever aren’t you?”
She moved past him to climb into the driver’s seat.
He lifted a hand and triggered a little orbed device.
“Mini-Bulwark, why not ask me what you’ve been burning to ask me all night?” He leaned in close to her, almost leaning on her shoulder. “Look at me and murmur your request.”
“I have someone I need to know more about.”
“Alright.”
“I’ll draw up a contract—”
“No. Allow me to do you this favor. Contracts are lodged at the Planet of Law. Some things you need to be … private.”
“Okay, it is—”
“I’ll contact you.” He lowered his arm and took her hand. “It has been a lovely evening.”
“Thank you, Balin.”
He kissed her knuckles.
In that simple interaction, Ara learned about awareness, covert actions and gathering intelligence. She tucked it away in her mind, in her “Baby Girl” file, not offended by Balin’s blunt directives.
***
A few years later, Ara was invited to be a part of the Wildlife Rescuers and Rehabilitation Unit, WRRU, or WAR Unit as they liked to call themselves. Like all moves, it meant starting from the bottom and working up, something she had no problems with. Nor, apparently, did her team of Denn, Xavier, Karan, and Leoan. Ara suspected now they might also be doubling up as some kind of protection unit but when she asked them they just laughed at her. Xavier, who rarely talked, was the one to recover first. “Ara, we like you. And, we work well as a team.”
Karan added, sounding annoyed, “We can’t work as a team straight away though because we will be divided to work in separate teams as we are learning.”
Ara put her worries to rest. Now, armed with nets and tranquilizers, she was allocated to a team and they set off using transportals, something they had to teach her upon her first arrival because most of her life had been spent on Saratoga and her Aryan Pure-Gen training had been limited. Because it still excited her, they gave her charge over the device. While thrilled with the responsibility of looking after the team’s travel it annoyed her that she was able to use many of Caleb’s techniques he’d talked about to capture the animals. On a rare visit, Caleb fixed her strawberry looking techcon and Voice, with some amusement, and she worked to save the wretched animals caught in floods, fires, some abused, and other natural disasters. It was rewarding work and they used slow release techniques to reintroduce animals to the wild. However, some were too injured or old to release so they lived with the teams in special enclosures.
Caleb wasn’t her only visitor over the years, and she saw Bel, Terzon, even Jadan once or twice, family members, and friends. Jesran came a few times, once with his latest girlfriend. Her biggest surprise had been when Jesran bumped into Karu. Jesran was into females and, as far as she knew, Karu was too. So they both turned red and got busy at the bar, with females. Ara and Balin had watched with some amusement. She’d even kept in contact with Vin, and the others from the bar Ersen had taken her to visit after Tricia’s Virgo. Unfortunately, thinking of that particular visit to the bar triggered memories of Ike attacking her. She rubbed her arms unconsciously feeling the pain from where he gripped her. Ara shuddered and tried to move her thoughts along. Mum and Dad often came and stayed for a week at a time, Dad usually helped out with some of the farming animal enclosures they had. As she worked her way up, she kept in contact with Korbet, requiring advice about prosecuting abusers and those negligent. She also helped set up special technologies, which Wilds was becoming famous for, that tracked released animals and followed up complaints from those concerned over an animal in need.
“Are you sure you want to go down this path?�
�� Korbet asked her over the Wilds ISVoice system as she sat in her office. She had him on speaker.
“Yes. Thank you for your advice.”
“You are gaining a few fans here on the Planet of Law.”
She laughed. “Nice to know.”
“Everything is signed off. Your campaign can begin.”
She ended the call from Korbet and set aside her ISVoice. Why did he always seem a little amused over her “Save Earth” idea? But he was so helpful and supportive that she knew whatever his reasons, they were honorable. Her WRRU team gave out some woots and they called up the Aryan Broadcasters Association. The ABCA arrived and the team leader was given a makeover. Sacha had been disappointed that her team couldn’t come.
They began to film in what was usually an emergency operating room. It was being renovated but the lighting was exceptional. Then they went out into the Wilds parklands with a woodlands backdrop.
“This is Tasha Cain reporting direct from Wilds. Today we are meeting with the Wildlife Rescuers and Rehabilitation Unit, or WAR Unit as they like to call themselves. They have begun a new campaign to help restore the planet Earth to its former glory.” She turned to Denn. “Tell me about your new campaign. We didn’t know the Earth test was near completion.”
He smiled into the camera, his light brown eyes looking darker. “It’s not complete, Tasha. But what we are doing is preparing for the day when Earth is to be welcomed back into Aryan Society. Won’t that be a day to remember?”
“It will.” Tasha smiled into the camera.
“What we are doing is ensuring we aren’t going to greet the humans empty handed and we call on other special fields to do the same … but let me show you our first critter. It’s a mammal from the Americas and it’s what we call a Zoion Template, a process that has been carefully developed by our resident specialists, Ara Katron from Saratoga Perza, zoologist, Tara Delario from Xoria Prime Avalon, biomechanical developer, Robia Latun from Vage in King’s Horn, specialist in breeding and seeding and…”
