by C. M. Kane
Brohan shook his head. ‘I don’t know, Commander. Several of the gods are looking into it, all we can do is try to sort out this end. Once that’s done the WLE will hopefully be swept clean of them.’
Shivon nodded. ‘They will be in the cells within the hour. I will personally look into the names on the third list to see where they were transferred to. I’ll have their destinations forwarded to you as soon as I have them.’
‘Thank you,’ Brohan said.
Shivon was obviously trying to be of use now that he was finally coming to terms with how serious the situation was. The attack by the satyr had finally pushed him out of his state of denial and back into the real world again.
‘In the meantime I would like to check this Hods quarters. We’ll also need someone to go over his body thoroughly, externally and internally. That includes his nanites. We need every hair on his body examined, if there’s something there that is out of the ordinary I want us to know about it,’ he said, including Shivon along with himself as part of the investigation team.
That, apparently, was all Shivon needed. He may not have been a good leader but he excelled in organizational skills.
‘We’ll have it as soon as possible,’ he said, already on his compad organizing some med techs to come straight over to collect the body. ‘Is there anything else we need to do?’
‘If you could contact the cell guards and have them ready to release the list of prisoners I’ll have for them shortly,’ he said brusquely.
‘Immediately, Commander. I’ll also organize a room for you and some food and wine to be brought to it. I’ll send the details straight to Lieutenant Tark; he can also escort you to Hods quarters while I work on these reports, if that’s alright.’
‘Thank you, Commander, that will be fine. You have been a great help.’ Brohan turned and left to go back to the cells.
Tark was already waiting for him. ‘I have the list ready, sir,’ he said, handing over another compad to Brohan.
‘Will the commander be helping with the list?’
‘Yes.’ Brohan smiled. ‘The fact that your boy Hod just tried to kill me seems to have done wonders for Commander Shivons attitude. He is now doing all in his power to follow my suggestions.’
Brohan left Tark with his mouth hanging open as he handed the companel to the guards. ‘I want these warriors released immediately,’ he said.
The guards took the list and went straight to the cells coming back a few minutes later with the fortythree warriors on the list. Tark smiled at the confused men and told them Mara’s men would explain all that had happened so far. The men nodded and headed out of the cell block, trusting to Mara’s men to inform them on why they had been incarcerated.
Brohan yawned. ‘Damn; I’m not used to this anymore.’ He sighed.
Tark frowned. ‘I don’t understand,’ he said. ‘Are you new to this job?’
‘You could say that,’ Brohan said. ‘I was a seventy year old retiree a couple of days ago. I guess I kind of forgot what a pain in the arse real work could be. Now, I need you to take me to the satyrs quarters before I get some rest.’
Tark stared at him unmoving. ‘Humans are short lived, apart from your grey hair you look to be in your thirties, not your seventies.’
Brohan grinned. ‘A little present from a pupil I instructed before she entered the Island.’
Tark’s eyes widened. ‘The girl, the one with no smell and the warrior’s knife who came in with Bralleck, she is the one who rescued Lord Loki, isn’t she? You were the one who trained her, weren’t you?’
Brohan nodded. ‘I played only the smallest part, Tae is the one who did it. Now, Hods room please.’
Tark nodded and gestured for him to follow. ‘This way please, Commander.’ Tarks surprise in, and respect for Brohan, was growing by the minute.
Hods room turned up nothing of real interest, except for a small long range communication device that the satyr had no business having. Unfortunately for the investigation, any trace of activity had been meticulously wiped from it. Brohan asked Tark to organize some techs to come and sweep the room after they left, then go over the device to see if anything had been retained in the memory chip. Tark nodded as he looked through the satyr’s companel. His head came up and he started to concentrate as his ear implant began to receive an incoming message.
‘Commander Shivon has just sent a message through, he has organized you a room in the officers’ quarters. He has some food and wine being sent there as we speak, do you want to continue here or do you wish to get some rest and start afresh tomorrow?’
Brohan took a deep breath and rubbed between his eyes. ‘I think start afresh tomorrow; that will give the techs time to toss the room thoroughly. Don’t forget to have them go through his work station, there’s no telling what the little bastard has been up to, given the access he’s had.’
Tark nodded. ‘I’ll see to it. Do you wish me to escort you to your quarters?’
‘No,’ Brohan said, giving the room one last brief look. ‘I just need a room number.’
‘Five, it’s on the second floor.’ Tark pulled up a screen on his compad up and started ordering the techs to come to the room. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow then, sir.’
Brohan nodded. ‘I’ll meet you in Commander Shivons office at 0700 hours.’ He turned and left. By the time he arrived at his room the food and wine were already there. He peeled his clothes off and had a quick shower, going over the day’s events in his mind.
He’d been lucky, if Shivon hadn’t accidentally distracted the satyr he’d more than likely be dead. Ifs and buts old man, he thought, looking at himself in the mirror again as he poured himself some wine. He sat down to eat. He still wasn’t used to looking young again, even though he counted it as a blessing. He could now be with Valaria for the years they both needed, but if he wasn’t a bit sharper he wasn’t going to live as long as he would have before the de-ageing nanites.
Finishing his meal he went over to his bed. Things had been organized well, in a short time they had every known traitor in the cells, and all those that were suspect were in the process of being rounded up for questioning. Shivon was tracking down the others on the list at this very moment, and Hod was dead. As for Lieutenant Tark, Sergeant Mara, and the others … well, he was going to request they be moved to Loki’s ship for service under his command.
If Loki needed a good security team for the ship, then he’d just found the ideal men. Coupled with the trainees Valaria would acquire he was satisfied that he was off to an excellent start.
Chapter 23
Tae hugged her pillow. If she were honest, the thing that bothered her most was the bonding she would have to do with the Ouranos. She knew very well she had no choice, the ship would probably kill her if she refused. There was also the palpable threat that Jason would die when Hera destroyed the Olympus, and so would Loki and Vesh. Tae reluctantly admitted to herself that she wanted neither one of the men dead, despite her jealousy of what they had been up to with others. Yet, if she didn’t bond successfully then they would die anyway, and then all the realms would suffer under Hera’s insane rule.
Talk about pressure, I just can’t seem to catch a break.
She brushed away her tears as she sat there trying to come to terms with all she’d been told. Tae had no qualms believing Cassandra’s story, she knew she was telling the truth, she wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did.
Whether Cassandra was aware of it or not, Tae was also pretty sure the old woman had her own axe to grind where the gods were concerned. She had the distinct impression Cassandra had been coloring the gods in her own light when she had described how and why they had created the new races. She had made it sound as if they simply wanted some cheap slave labor. She was pretty sure the old woman was trying to be fair, but when it came to anything to do with the gods she thought it might be best if she sought Brohan and Valaria’s advice before anyone else’s.
There was a buzz at the door and she realize
d her food had probably arrived. She stood up and went to the door, opening it. Tae was left speechless. Standing in front of her with what appeared to be a plate of mixed fruits, was the most exotic creature Tae had ever seen.
A woman stood looking at her curiously, as if she weren’t quite sure what to do next. The woman held the platter of food before her like a gift. Tae was speechless as she continued staring at her in shock. The woman stood a little less than six feet tall and was dressed in a pale yellow jumpsuit that suited her beautiful, pale chocolate skin, and large dark eyes, perfectly. The thing that had Tae staring at her speechless was the woman’s feathers.
Instead of having hair, she had feathers, small delicate pale brown and gold feathers arched over her eyes where her eyebrows would normally be. The same brown and gold feathers also started midway along her prominent cheekbones, sweeping back and growing progressively longer until they joined the pure gold ones on her head. The feathers also adorned the outside lobe of her tiny shell like ears. Tae gaped at her.
‘I am Xirra. I have bought you something to eat if you should feel hungry,’ said the bird girl in a soft, sing song voice. ‘May I come in?’
Tae stood aside and nodded, still staring in stunned silence.
‘You have feathers’ she finally blurted out in shock.
Xirra smiled. ‘Yes, it is a characteristic of my race, but other than the feathers I think you will find we are not so dissimilar.’
Tae realized with a start she was still staring at the woman with her mouth hanging open.
‘I’m sorry if I’ve offended you in any way, you just took me by surprise a little, unfortunately I have a tendency to say whatever’s on my mind. My brother says I have no filter between my brain and my mouth; if I think it, I generally say it. It makes me seem like a really rude bitch sometimes.’
She sighed. ‘And please, call me Tae.’
Xirra laughed. ‘I do not know what this bitch thing is you are speaking of, but I am not offended. I was equally shocked the first time I saw Adam and Cassandra. Hair is quite a novelty to us, and as for you saying whatever is on your mind, well, I would rather an honest appraisal than an insincere lie.’
‘What are these?’ Tae picked up a bright yellow fruit she had never seen before.
Xirra looked at the fruit Tae had just picked up. ‘We call them Souva, but Adam calls them lemon apples. He says they taste like apples do on Terra, but with a more citrus flavor. He enjoys them so I put a couple on the platter for you.’
Tae looked at Xirra’s expectant face and bit into the lemon apple. She was right, they tasted like a very crisp apple, but with the slightest hint of lemon about them; they were delicious. She smiled and took another bite.
‘Thank you,’ she said through her chewing. ‘I didn’t realize how hungry I was, these are delicious.’
Xirra smiled. ‘If you should need anything more please don’t hesitate to ask. Just ask for Xirra on your companel and I will come directly. When you are finished simply leave the plate, I will be back to collect it after you have rested. It is an honor to meet you, Miss Tae.’
She gave Tae another brief smile, bowed slightly, then turned and left.
Well that was a bit different, thought Tae, but at least it had taken her mind of her other troubles for a moment.
She sighed and sat down at the table to eat her meal. When she finished she had a quick chem shower. Finally clean and full for the first time since she had begun her flight from the Olympus, she decided to dress and get some sleep. She stood in front of the wardrobe with a sinking feeling. She’d had no luck so far with the clothes others had picked for her, she grit her teeth and opened the wardrobe, prepared for the worst. She reached in to look at the assortment of clothes that had been left there.
Not too shabby, she thought, smiling at her good fortune. There was mainly the same type of fitted jumpsuits that Xirra had worn, except hers were in black with a deep red slash coming down from the shoulders across the chest where the garment folded back from the neck in a large one-sided lapel. Apart from the five jumpsuits there was also a dress. She frowned as she pulled it out to look at it more closely. It seemed to be more an assortment of straps than a dress. It had a wide band for the skirt that Tae thought would be lucky to cover her arse, and two crossover bands at the chest with one encircling the two to make sure she didn’t fall out. She thought this might be designed to make the most of her cleavage. She shoved the dress to the back of the wardrobe and continued her exploration. Next she found three short, loose fitting multicolored robes in a soft silky material. They seemed to be shorter at the front and back and longer at the sides. She saw a drawer and opened it, inside was a small variety of underwear in various colors, in much the same style as she was wearing now. Although she was slowly getting used to them, she would still have preferred something a bit more substantial.
She grabbed a jumpsuit and got changed, leaving her leather pants and shirt folded neatly on the table. Once again she thought that despite her tiredness her adrenalin would never let her sleep, so she sat back on the bed and leant against the ship. A vague feeling of contentment stole over her as she closed her eyes; she opened them with a snap. That wasn’t her contentment, it was coming from the wall. It was the ship she could feel.
Now this is a bit disturbing. Tae thought sitting up. She looked at the wall for a moment before relaxing against it again. She closed her eyes and let the barely discernible feelings flow through her. She found that if she ignored where they were coming from, they were actually quite soothing, like she had finally found a place she belonged.
I feel like I’m finally home, she thought vaguely. She lay back down on her pillows, letting her hand rest against the ship as her eyes fluttered closed.
This feels right, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Tae woke with a start and sat up, instantly alert as someone entered the room, it was Xirra.
‘My apologies miss Tae. I have come to collect your tray and to see if you wish for something for your breakfast.’ She peered over at Tae in concern.
‘I can come to the mess hall if you like.’ Tae held out her hands, indicating to herself.
‘I’m all ready and dressed.’ She smiled.
‘If that is your wish miss Tae. Cassandra is still resting, but she and Adam want you to have free run of the ship. There are some areas it keeps permanently sealed, like the bridge and the weapons stations, but with you … who knows? We can only pray.’ She smiled.
Tae put away her worries and fears. She could do nothing about what had happened to her, so she should make the most of where she was and have a look around before making any judgments. She’d get all of the facts before she formed any plans. She spent the rest of the morning exploring the ship and meeting people. After asking Xirra to call her Tae, and drop the miss, she had insisted she remain as her guide, which seemed to please the young woman immensely. Tae was constantly surprised as they went about exploring and meeting the extraordinarily friendly people. She was fascinated by the Tuvarnan, especially when one young teenage male’s head feathers stuck up in a crest when he noticed Xirra.
‘What in Hades’ name is that?’ Tae pointed at the young man’s head as she looked at him in surprise. The teenager went scarlet and looked as though he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him; he stood still, looking shamefaced and embarrassed, not knowing where to turn. Tae knew instantly she’d gone and stuck her foot firmly in her mouth, yet again.
Xirra giggled as she explained. ‘When a Tuvarnan is attracted to another, or if one of us is angry and ready to fight, our crest becomes erect. An older person can control it, but the younger ones find it difficult when they first hit sexual maturity.’
Tae felt herself reddening. She had inadvertently humiliated the young man in front of the surrounding people with her thoughtless comment.
Damn it, Tae, think before you open your big yap, she thought. Somehow she was going to have to make amends for her gaffe, and qu
ickly. She walked over to the young man.
‘Have you a name?’ she asked.
‘Dishon,’ he said, his head downcast.
‘Well, Dishon, at least you didn’t come into fang like I did.’
Dishon looked up at Tae and she dropped her fangs, to the surprised gasps of many around her.
‘My father was a vampire–human half-caste; he died before I was born. Well, I had no idea of the intenseness of the feelings that could overtake me when I hit my sexual maturity; it was only because my aunt had not long told me her own embarrassing story that I realized what was happening to me. Would you like to hear our stories?’ she asked, smiling.
Dishon nodded, his crest finally subsiding a little. Others around moved a little closer, trying to pretend they had work to do nearby.
‘Please,’ Tae laughed, ‘if you want to hear my stories you’re welcome. It’s a natural part of growing that we all go through.’
Some of the older Tuvarnan nodded as another dozen people moved within earshot. She told them all both hers and Valaria’s stories, making sure she added a few embellishments to her own story to make the young man feel better. By the end of her narration the little crowd was laughing along with her, and some started to recount their own embarrassing stories. Soon Dishon had forgotten his own embarrassment and was laughing along with everyone else.
Xirra excused herself to attend to Tae’s lunch. Tae felt spoilt but agreed to meet her back in the mess hall in an hour’s time, leaving her some time to explore a little on her own. Laughing, she walked away, leaving the happy milling crowd. As an experiment she let her hand trail along the wall and went where she thought the ship was leading her. She wandered around a few more corridors before finally entering a lift.
Well, they said the pulse cannon stations are blocked, as is the bridge. What the hell, she thought, let’s try something.
She closed the turbo lift’s doors and, instead of pressing a button, simply said, ‘Bridge’.
She waited to see what happened. The lift took off and travelled upward with Tae holding the wall in shock.
