by Viola Grace
“What are you so happy about?”
Poppy wiggled her body against Minerva until Minerva was forced to hold her. The softness of the little body made her smile despite her grim mood. The covering of the beast was a strange combination of feathers and fur. Enthusiasm rippled through every muscle of the small body. It was hard to stay grumpy when Poppy just wanted her to begin her day.
She got up with the cheerful ball of fluff in her arms. Images of a seed packet glowed in her mind. “Right. Your breakfast first.”
With the creature in her embrace, she crossed her quarters and looked into the supplies that had come with Poppy. The seed packets were plentiful and very small.
A small chest in her entertainment area had enough packets in it for a year. A travel pack was set next to it with a note that said, place in your shuttle.
“So, you are going to travel with me?”
Poppy chortled and pecked at the food packet.
“Breakfast first. Got it.”
Unsure of what else to do, Minerva put Poppy on the table and put the seeds in her hand, lifting it up to the rounded beak.
Poppy ate quickly and chuckled happily the entire time. Her request for water was direct as well, so Minerva fetched her a cup and held it while the beak dipped delicately in and out of the glass vessel.
Once Poppy was settled, Minerva used the in-room dispenser for a quick breakfast. Poppy stayed within arm’s reach the whole time and followed her into the lav after the meal.
“No, Poppy. You are not waiting in here with me.”
She turned from brushing her teeth and Poppy was up on the dressing table. “You heard me. Out.”
To Minerva’s amazement, Poppy dug her claws into the thick plexi she was sitting on and narrowed her eyes as she chirped her insistence at remaining where she was.
“Whoa.”
Blinking, Minerva stepped into the solar shower and got herself clean. When she emerged, Poppy followed her into the main room.
She got dressed and strapped the wide metal cuff around her belly, feeling the rise of it up her back. Poppy hopped over and pecked at the corset, apparently liking the noise it made when she smacked her beak against it.
“I am not a toy, Poppy.”
Poppy chirped in disagreement and pinged her again.
It was a relief when there was a knock at her door. She scooped Poppy up in a weird reflex and set her on her shoulder. The display next to the door showed Kibor smiling at her.
She opened the door and greeted her instructor. “Did I miss your call?”
He blinked in surprise. “You are awake and dressed? I had not thought that you would manage it on your first day.”
“I had help. Poppy, this is Master Kibor. Master Kibor, this is Poppy.”
Master Kibor smiled and inclined his head. “I knew it had arrived, but I was not sure that they would bring her to you.”
An image of Poppy pecking her way through a door and hopping down hallways came to Minerva.
“I think they didn’t have a choice. She is tremendously stubborn.” Minerva stroked the soft, fluffy fur and smiled. She felt calm and relaxed.
Waking up relaxed and continuing that way for an hour made her jolt.
“This pet is very cute and all, but why did she come to me?”
“Come downstairs and we can have tea. I will explain the purpose of the Yaluthu to you.”
“She does something beyond cuddling with me?”
He offered her his arm. “They do. One person to one Yaluthu.”
They walked the hall and entered the lift.
In the reflective surface, Minerva saw Poppy extend her stubby wings as they descended. It reminded her of flying with her parents. They would hold her tight and she extended her wings as they descended, catching air and working her muscles. The memory made her smile.
“Yaluthu were a natural species that were modified to increase in size and intelligence. They are natural empaths. They are also healers. They go to those who need help and bond to them, their minds linking to those they choose. A Yaluthu can still heal someone else, but it will always seek out its chosen partner.”
Poppy chirped in agreement then chortled and snuggled against the side of Minerva’s head.
“She is very chatty.”
“They don’t really have genders. They are asexual and are born pregnant. When Poppy decides that you can be a good grandmother, it will mature and turn into a raptor-style creature. She will have her wings.”
That struck deep. “Wings?”
“When she is ready, she will sprout wings. First, she will shed her fluff, then she will sprout her wings and have her babies. The going theory is that they use the wings for greater foraging and finding their own territories. Then, they fly their little ones to their new home. In the Citadel, they mature rapidly, but in the wild, they wait ten years or so to go from the little fluff ball into something more dangerous and far more powerful.”
Poppy nuzzled her again, and the idea of something more powerful sitting on her shoulder made Minerva uneasy. Poppy chuckled again, and the sound eased Minerva’s nerves.
They went to the common room, and Minerva had a seat while Kibor went to get them some tea.
Minerva sat in a comfortable chair and Poppy climbed down to her lap using her beak and stubby toes.
Kibor brought the tray in and settled it on the small table between the chairs. He poured and handed her her cup.
“You have a fair grasp of your talent, Minerva, so I am going to encourage you to seek out whatever interests you. You have had very little entertainment recently, and some crafting courses or musical classes might suit you for the afternoons after I run your mind through its paces.”
She blinked. “I thought I needed combat instruction.”
“Oh, you do, but I think you will need to adapt to your new companion first. Give it a few weeks and you will be worked off your feet.” His smile was considering.
“That doesn’t sound right. I should be exercising daily.”
Kibor looked like he was debating something, and finally, he said, “You are not cleared for physical duty. Psychic duty, yes. Physical, no. You cannot go out on your own quite yet. The stability in your back has not been confirmed.”
She scowled. “In that case, I had better get to Medical and have them clear me. I need to be doing something.”
Kibor sipped at his tea. “Then, take a course.”
Poppy chortled in agreement.
Sighing with her brows drawn together, she set her tea down and started her wrist unit up. The schedule for classes displayed, and she flicked through them until she found an afternoon class that was to her liking. Psychic clay shaping followed by making the mundane useful. They looked like interesting classes, and she made the indication that she would attend, linking them to her calendar.
“May I ask what you chose?”
She picked up her cup and tickled Poppy under the chin. “Some sort of clay class and another on household improvisation.”
Kibor smiled and nodded. “Good. Today, we will have you scanned in Medical and begin to work on expanding your talent.”
“What kind of expansion?”
“I am here to tax you to your limits, to see what you can withstand. Making sure that you are physically stable is the first step, and working you to exhaustion is the second. Your afternoon events should help you decompress.”
She finished her tea and set the cup down on the tray. “It sounds like a plan. Ready when you are.”
He smiled. “You are a glutton for punishment.”
“I am eager to do something. Fixer understood it.”
“Of course she did. Her own father was taken in an act of violence and she had to hide her mother from those who would have sought them out and killed them.”
“Is that common knowledge?”
“No, but I have met Fixer before, and her husband is a bit of a talker when
he is bragging about his wife. That is the only point in which Shadow is a little chatty.” He chuckled.
“His wife?”
“And his children, but only with authorized Citadel or Sector Guard personnel.”
She chuckled. “He is sensible and very pretty.”
“Indeed. He is a rare one.”
Kibor finished his tea and rose to his feet. “Shall we?”
She stood and tucked Poppy back on her shoulder. Minerva picked up the tray and brought it back to the dispenser.
After a clear scan at Medical, Kibor took her through the public pathways to a workshop where an arrangement of wires was all she could see.
“What is this?”
“A test. Around the facility, machines have been stationed. I wish to see if you can set them off without seeing them.”
Poppy chirped enthusiastically.
“Oh no. Not with you on me. I don’t want to take anything from you while I do this, Poppy.”
She lifted her little buddy and put her down on a chair in the corner of the workshop.
“So, what do I do?”
“Whatever you can to figure out the machine and set it off.”
The challenge was down, and she picked up the first cable.
One hour later, she finally figured out how to send a signal down and have it bounce back again. Once she could feel what she was aiming at, she pulled the pin, loosened the cog and set a windmill spinning.
Poppy chirped in triumph, and Minerva made her way through the collection of cables, idly watching the lights on the wall turn on.
“What are those?”
“Acknowledgements. Anyone who sees the machine operating is to push the button that activates the light.”
She nodded and kept working. When all twelve had been activated, she just had to wait.
Kibor was feeding a cookie to Poppy when the last light flicked on.
“Bravo, Minerva. I am impressed. I have never seen anyone try to lick the power into anything.”
She sighed and walked to crouch next to the chair where Poppy was delicately munching away. “It was harder than it looked.”
“And yet, you managed it. Tomorrow, we will begin speed drills.”
“Why not today?”
“Because I have checked your schedule and you have enough time to eat and no more before you head off to your clay class.”
“Oh.” She smirked. “Am I dismissed?”
“You are. This will be your classroom while you are here at the base. Come in to practice anytime you wish.”
“Just for me?” she looked around.
“Yes. The tech talents will resituate the machines this afternoon. You should have a new challenge every day.”
She blinked. “That sounds like you are amusing yourself at my expense.”
“Nothing of the kind. I am simply trying to keep your talent limber and ready for action.”
Minerva snorted, stood and put Poppy back on her shoulder. “Sure you are.”
He grinned. “Go to lunch, Specialist Minerva. You have earned some peace and quiet.”
She bowed, one hand going up to steady Poppy, and she left the workroom.
The sun of Ohkhan was bright on her skin. Poppy lifted her head up and they walked off in the sunlight in search of lunch.
Chapter Five
Several members of the Citadel came over to meet Poppy, and it was a busy lunch until her wrist link chimed and she had to attend her class.
The map on her wrist took her out of the commissary and to another satellite building around the huge tower.
She introduced herself to the only other person in the room, and when Poppy chortled, she threw in that introduction as well.
“Hello, I am Minerva. This is Poppy.”
The man standing in the shadows stepped forward, and she stifled a gasp. He was her fantasy and nightmare come to life.
“I am Astien Akhiera. I will be instructing you on psychic sculpture.” His wings rustled as he approached, and he smiled.
She couldn’t stop staring at the black wings and midnight skin. He had the skin tone of a Selna and the wings of an Enjel. It was not a common blend. The sapphire blue eyes added to the magical nature of his appearance.
“Is there anyone else?”
He chuckled. “No. You are my only pupil for this class. It is simply something that I like to play with and enjoy teaching others how to do. This is my third time with a pupil. It is best taught one on one or the clay gets a little crazy.”
To her surprise, he inclined his head. “I am pleased to meet you, Poppy.”
Minerva laughed as her new friend fluffed herself and posed for Astien. She caught images of focus on the silky black feathers of his wings.
“Oh goodness. She is coveting your wings, Instructor Astien.”
“Just Astien. I will have to help direct your mind and that doesn’t leave much space for formality.”
He beckoned her to follow him further into the room where a large box was on the centre of the table and a halo was waiting for her.
“Put on the halo and reach out for the clay, carving, squeezing and twisting it in any way you want. This isn’t about a reasonable product; this is about experimentation and stress relief.”
A ring of chairs surrounded the table so that is where Poppy was settled.
Once her friend was set, Minerva put the halo on and it sprang to life.
“Wow. That is fast. I usually have to turn them on.”
She sighed. “Apparently, things turn on when they touch me.”
He grinned and came up behind her to help her focus. “I would have to agree with that statement.”
Minerva concentrated and tried to take a strip of clay off the block. A minute curl twisted away and fell to the table.
“May I touch your head?”
She blinked and nodded.
He leaned in close and he murmured. “Focus on the image you want to pull out of the clay. Picture it and stare at the clay to see what needs to be removed or added to the structure.”
She could smell the warm, spicy scent of his wings and his skin. She tried to focus on the clay, but it was difficult.
To her surprise, the clay took shape, twisting upward into an image of an Enjel woman in a long gown holding a laughing baby with stubby wings.
Astien removed his hands from her head, and he stepped back as she filled in the details of her mother’s smile.
“You have a natural knack for this. It is a beautiful sculpture.”
She stared at the clay as her mind filled in the details. “Yes, she was very beautiful.”
Tears streaked down her face as she watched her memories sculpt her mother. She whispered, “Can I have another block of clay, please?”
Astien moved around and he shifted another block of clay next to the statue. Without his help, she carved and pulled it into the strong and caring figure of her father. His wings swept out to protect both his wife and child. He got more and more handsome the more she worked on his face until, finally, he was the image of the man she remembered and her family was complete.
“That is amazing for your first time. Did you know them?”
She nodded and swallowed, removing the halo. “I did. They died on Decla.”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
She got the feeling that he meant it. “Thank you. They were amazing people, and they could have had so much more life ahead of them if not for that mining consortium.”
She wiped at her cheeks and smiled weakly. “What happens to it now?”
He looked from her to the sculpture and back again. “If you like, I can have it altered to a more solid form and delivered to your quarters.”
The statues were four feet tall. “Can you make them smaller?”
Astien smiled. “Yes; yes, I can.”
He reached out and touched the base of the clay. The statues shrank and formed into a g
littering white gathering.
“Is that your talent?” She was surprised.
“One of them. I just shrank the statues and increased the density. They are still the same weight, but they are much smaller.” He chuckled. “I have never seen someone take to psychic sculpture as well as you have.”
She wrinkled her nose and lifted Poppy onto her shoulder. “I used to be good at finger painting.”
He brushed his hands off and smiled. “Well, I hate to rush you, but I have another class I have to teach.”
Minerva blinked. “Oh. Well, thank you. That was very refreshing. My mind feels clearer, cleaner.”
“Good. That is the purpose of this sort of artwork. You think of what you want to create and you keep working on it until you see what is in your mind.”
She nodded and hesitated. “Can I do this again?”
“You don’t need me to be here, but yes. This is an art space. A quick check on the schedule can tell you if it is available.”
Poppy chirped and her wrist com pinged. Minerva was flustered. “Well, thank you, Astien. It was a good experience.”
She nodded and followed the map’s instructions on how to find her next class.
Poppy was surprisingly quiet as they travelled through the base. When Minerva checked on her, her mind was humming happily and enjoying the sun.
The second course was in a small auditorium, and there were six other students in the class. All female.
The women waved at her to come down and sit closer to them, so she did. Introductions were made and everyone was excited to see Poppy.
One of the other women commented. “It isn’t like him to be late. The instructor is normally very prompt.”
Another one sighed. “And fun to look at.”
A shadow emerged from one side of the small stage with some small bots trundling along with a variety of targets. This was going to get interesting.
“Good afternoon, class. I see we have a new face in the…hello, Minerva.” Master Astien inclined his head.
She blinked. “I am sorry. I didn’t know that you were teaching this course as well.”
He waved it away, and the other women looked from her to him and back again.
