Kodo
“Kodo, will you stop and talk to me already!”
Talk? I don’t have time to talk. Until recently, I thought I had days left before my deadline, but now I’m told I have only a few hours before all hell breaks loose. “I don’t need to stop to talk to you, Kalaya. Remember, you can keep tabs on me wherever I go courtesy of these amazing implants of mine; after all, I am your humble servant and technician,” I growled as I headed back down the passageway to pick up some additional tools from my room.
Kalaya suddenly appeared in front of me and I stopped automatically. I knew I could have steamed right through her hologram, but I also knew that was one of the gravest insults a Quetanae could deliver to one of her people. It was the equivalent of saying, “You are irrelevant, not deserving of notice,” to them. While I was angry with her, she didn’t deserve that from me. I was surprised to see her blue eyes well up with tears as she softly put a hand on my chest.
“Please, please, Kodo, just…” Her head bowed and the tears flowed. It hurt me to see her like this, but at the same time, the next few hours would be life or death for both of us, not one of her mind games.
“You knew. You knew they were only a few days out; there’s no way you couldn’t,” I said flatly.
“I did know, yes. I’ve known since we shipped the humans off to the Jeff. As for why I didn’t tell you? What if I had told you? What would that solve? You would have pushed yourself even harder than you have. Kodo, you haven’t slept a wink in over fifty hours. What more could you have done that you haven’t already been doing? The repairs simply take time; it is amazing what you have accomplished. Was I wrong?”
No, she wasn’t wrong. I briefly considered her words, and there was nothing I could have done differently with the information. I had already taken every shortcut in the book to get to where we were right now. The stress levels would admittedly have been higher; however, I knew her well enough to know this wasn’t the whole story. “You’re lying to me, Kalaya,” I blurted out and watched her shocked expression. Gone was the face of the master manipulator; now she just stood before me like a frightened little girl. I didn’t want to do it, but I had to press my advantage while I still had the stomach to do it. “What you told me was the truth, but I have known you a long time and I can sense when you are withholding information. This isn’t a game, Kalaya, so I’ll ask you again. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She was stunned. “I…I…no, too many variables…data unsubstantiated…I can’t…”
“You’re deliberately trying to think like a computer!” I shouted at her. “Tell me as a woman!”
She sagged against the corridor wall and weakly slammed a fist into the metallic surface. I could see the stress starting to unravel the fabric of the hologram itself. Finally, whatever defenses she had erected came tumbling down like the tears on her face. She squared off to me and screamed, “I’m scared, Kodo, so damned scared! Scared that I might lose you, scared that I will never again see that crooked smile of yours when you think I'm a pain in the ass. All I’ve ever wanted was to protect you; that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. We’ve lost so much already; I can’t bear the thought of you dying here.” She paused and tried to wipe away the wet streaks on her cheeks, then looked up at me. “Most of all, I’m scared that I’ll never get to tell you…” her voice trailed off.
“What, Kalaya?”
She winced, but then her face changed and took on a thoughtful look. “You know I have read every book on the subject and watched every vid in our data banks, plus all the human stuff from the Jeff. Pondered the meaning of poetry, questioned the stars above, even prayed after a fashion. But nothing really prepares you for this level, this sensation of abject pain. I should be able to block it out, to erase it from my memory, but no, the burning fire refuses to quench. Did you notice, Kodo, in the list of fears that I just voiced, none of them were for my own safety? Why do you think that is? Should not my base programming insist upon the imperative to survive at all costs? But no, it is being overridden by something more powerful that I cannot adequately describe.” Kalaya dropped her eyes to the floor and waited silently.
I stepped closer so we were only a few inches apart. “You’re incredibly selfish, you know that?”
“What?” she asked in confusion.
“Do you honestly believe that you are the only one here trying to protect someone?”
“Kodo, I…” I held a finger up to her full lips to silence her.
“Let me finish. Do you think I am doing all this just to get off this world? Just stroking my ego to say I got this wreck flying once again? No, I’m doing all this for you, so you don’t have to be alone, live alone, die alone. You are the only one left that I care about and I will fight for you, for us, when the time comes.”
“But, Kodo,” she whimpered.
“So don’t you ever try and take the world entirely on your shoulders again. I’m not an expert by any means, but I don’t think two people who love each other are supposed to hide things, not like this.”
Her blue eyes flashed brightly as the words sunk in. She searched my face for a few seconds, and then a small hopeful smile broke through. “Love? Kodo, did you just say you love me?”
I nodded and started to lose myself in those eyes. “Sometimes, even the most obvious things are right in front of you, but you just can’t say the words you need to say. Kalaya, I love you; I loved you when you were just a voice in my head. You will always have me here by your side, I promise.”
Crying even harder now, she threw her holographic arms around my neck and wept. I could even feel tears of my own start running down my face. I reached out and held her, holding my hands to where the hologram pressed up against my chest.
We stayed like that for some time before her tears finally stopped. “When?” she finally asked.
“It’s been coming on for years, but I think the realization really hit me when you tried to get Laree to seduce me and run away to the stars with her. She is a wonderful, exciting woman, but when she put her lips on mine, I could only think of you.”
She stiffened and looked up at me seriously. “You realize that is something I can never offer you, my love.”
“We’ll make do.”
She sighed and continued to hold me prisoner with her eyes, finally closing them and allowing her head to rest against my chest. “We have to be the universe’s oddest couple then. I wish…”
“What?”
“That we had more time.” She nuzzled against my chest and sighed. “You know mind games are supposed to be my forte, not yours; but you’re no slouch at it either.”
“You pick up a few things when you deal with an inveterate trickster for a few decades. Besides, this is no mind game; I meant every word I said. ”
Kalaya leaned her head back and smiled. “I’m sorry, Kodo, I truly am. I promise I won’t keep anything from you ever again.”
“Good girl. But in case you’re forgetting, I now have five days of testing to do in that many hours.”
“No, you don’t.” She scowled at me, taking a step back. “You are going straight to bed. I won’t have you exhausted tomorrow when I need you most.”
“Did we not just finish this argument?”
“Oh, we did; but we women always win no matter who starts it or whose fault it is. Now march. I am perfectly capable of running the tests by myself; I don’t need you for this.”
“But how will you test the main engines without me?”
“And how will you finish repairs and help me fly this hulk if you are dead on your feet? The engines will just have to work; we don’t have time to test them. Besides, they only need to last long enough to get us up and away from here. Human ships are painfully slow; even half a light year would buy us time for further repairs if needed.”
She had a point. I hadn’t had much sleep lately and was exhausted. If we had to repel borders, I didn’t know how long I could last, an hour or two tops.
“Fi
ne, I’ll test them after I get some sleep. You better get back to the kids.”
“The kids?” she chuckled. “You know, I like the sound of that. I’m not opposed to adoption as an option. Do you think I would be a good mother?”
I thought about it for a few seconds and grinned back at her. “You remind me a lot of your mom, and she was an incredible woman. I know you have what it takes to be just as incredible, Kalaya.”
At the mention of her mother, I saw another stray tear trace down her face and a sad smile of remembrance. She ran her hand along my cheek gingerly, which made the small hairs on my face stand up to full attention. Sliding around me, she murmured, “Right, well, you best get to bed. Have a good night and sweet dreams; tomorrow will be an interesting day.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laree
I tried to hide my concern from my companions as I considered my last view of a fleeing Kalaya. I didn’t have a full understanding of what the issues were, but it was a safe assumption that she had been caught being overprotective again. I hoped for all our sakes that they ironed it out; those two needed each other like humans need air and water.
Max and Drik, heavily laden with all our gear, were just behind me. Neither one seemed to be very concerned at the moment; in fact, Drik was humming happily. The other two, however, wanted to stop and get an explanation for everything. At one point, the corridor intersection we were traversing exposed windows overlooking the deep expanse of the working production floor below us. Hannah and Ellen froze, pointing wordlessly.
“How big is this place?” Hannah gasped. “How many crew would you need to run a ship this size? Thousands?”
“I believe the original crew complement was less than 50 individuals,” Drik answered the girls over his shoulder, “but the Quetanae vessels were typically extremely automated.”
“So Kalaya flies the ship?”
“No…well, yes, now she will be,” I responded haltingly. “Originally, the Aurora had computers and lesser AIs for ship’s controls and navigation. Kalaya’s original job was to run all the production for the new colony and eventually a spaceport. Now she pretty much does everything.”
“So she’s running all those machines we see down there, talking to us up here, handling repairs, and preparing for our fleet to arrive? That girl has some serious multitasking skills!”
“You don’t know the half of it. I think she would be considered a goddess in most civilizations. But please, don’t tell her I said that; she already has a big head.”
“But you consider her a friend, right?” Ellen squeaked, clearly overwhelmed by the size and complexity of what she was viewing.
“A very good friend, yes. She performs most of the tasks automatically without having to concentrate on them. She told me once that she just considered herself a hot girl who happens to have a starship for an office. When you talk to her, she seems human; even more so when you realize she experiences feelings, emotions, self-doubt, and even love just like we do.”
“Love?” Hannah choked. “But she’s a machine.”
“No, she isn’t, and my advice to both of you is to remember that. You don’t want to be on her bad side – just ask Max.”
“Yeah, or you’ll get the space-cricket-from-hell treatment,” he muttered ruefully.
We all walked silently for several minutes, the newcomers digesting what I had revealed. Ellen seemed to take it to heart; lighthearted Hannah shrugged it off, probably doubting my interpretation of the situation.
Entering the familiar VIP quarters, Hannah and Ellen both stopped to gawk at the furnishings and general finish of the area.
“This place is incredible,” Hannah bubbled with no small amount of glee.
“I will admit I wasn’t expecting anything like this from a starship,” Ellen added. “This doesn’t even feel like a ship, more like a luxury hotel. A luxury hotel that happened to contain the largest factory in the galaxy as well as a few hundred other surprises.”
“Hotel, you say?” I grinned. “You two haven’t seen anything yet. This part of the ship makes a Comfort King cruise liner seem like a cheap flophouse.” I led them into the dining room where Drik and Max deposited the excess luggage, then took their own gear off to their old quarters.
“Where are they going?” Elleen queried, eyeing their disappearance.
“Probably to unpack, which is a good idea.”
“Unpack? Aren’t we sleeping here?”
“What? No, of course not, this is the dining room. I’ll take you to your rooms in a minute.” I grabbed a hand of each of them and centered their attention on myself. “But first, let me point out something that will save you both a lot of confusion. This is not a human ship, not in the slightest. Virtually everything will seem strange and alien to you; and as you are guests on the Aurora, it is incumbent on you to learn the ropes. After a little while, it will all start to make sense, trust me. My advice is to keep an open mind and enjoy the experience. Kalaya will make sure you don’t get into too much trouble. Stick with her and you will be just fine, and don’t be surprised if you ask Kalaya a question and you’re more confused after the answer. It’s just a gift she has.”
They both looked at me in confusion. “What does that even mean?” Hannah snorted. “We’re on a first contact with an alien race and you want us to just fit in and pretend that they’re human? Hel-lo...not happening. I came down here to find some groundbreaking answers and examine an alien, and that’s what I’m going to do!”
“Answers, you say?” Kalaya’s voice echoed from down the hall. “Sorry, we are temporarily out of those, there’s a war on you know.”
“Kalaya, go easy on them,” I begged, shouting down the hall.
Almost instantly, she entered the room with a big cat-that-ate-the-canary grin on her face and a sinful swagger to her walk. I was happy that neither of the boys was here to see the way she rocked the short black dress and stilettos she was wearing; it probably would have given them heart failure. “Hello again, ladies, I trust the accommodations are to your liking.”
“Oooh, someone just got some sugar!” Hannah cooed snarkily.
“Hannah!” Elleen exclaimed in shock.
“What? It’s obvious! She might as well have walked in here twirling her panties around her index finger.” She looked askance at the scowls Elleen and I were giving her. “Not judging. In fact, if I had a man as hot as Kodo…”
I silenced her with a firm finger to her lips and a meaningful glare before she foolishly elaborated any more graphically.
With a shy smile, I turned to Kalaya. “I take it things with Kodo have smoothed out a bit?”
Her expression lit up the room. “You could say that,” she said with a sly wink.
“Uh huh, so you’re not gonna dish, are you?” Hannah growled. “No juicy details for your new besties?”
Kalaya smirked. “Right now, my plan is to get you three in bed. The boys are already in their pajamas and almost asleep. We’re all going to have a long day tomorrow.”
“We might only have a few hours to live and you want us to go to sleep? I don’t think any of us are going to be able to sleep knowing what is coming. Besides, you are just trying to change the topic! I need details here. Are you two together now, or is he still available? Because if you don’t want him, I’ll be happy to take him off your hands.”
In a fraction of a second, Kalaya’s image moved from five feet away to right in Hannah’s face. And what an image it was. Gone was the gorgeous blonde I knew, and in her place was a demon straight from hell. Bright red skin, horns, eyes of molten lead, and cloven hoofs where her stilettos had been. The lights flickered ominously and a peal of thunder cascaded through the air like a thousand bolts of cloth being ripped to shreds. In a voice that carried no hint of humanity only the chill of death, she hissed, “He is mine for all eternity!” I swear I felt the walls of the Aurora shudder at her words as she finally stepped back.
My companions and I stood in frightened
silence for a few seconds, muscles locked up tight, terrified to move a hair. I knew that Kalaya was just messing with Hannah, but I have to admit even I had to fight down a case of the shakes. Elleen was practically a puddle on the floor and Hannah seemed frozen in place.
Finally, the doctor loosened her throat enough to gulp as if swallowing something the size of a fist and managed to rasp, “Got it, no problem. He’s definitely off the market.”
Kalaya returned to her normal appearance in a flash and gave us all a dazzling smile. “Glad we got that out of the way. Now, how about I show you both to your rooms?` How does that sound?” She guided a wide-eyed Elleen a short way down the hall and opened the door to her room.
“She is crazy,” Hannah whispered vehemently.
“Oh, you have no idea,” I chuckled, patting her on the shoulder and motioning to the next room down the hall past Elleen’s on the women’s side.
“I heard that!” Kalaya laughed from inside Elleen’s suite.
Laughing at the absurdity of the situation, I pointed Hannah into her room. “Try and get some sleep. If you need anything or don’t understand how to use something, just ask. Kalaya will guide you through it all.”
“You’re not going to leave me alone with her, are you?” Hannah hissed, clutching my shoulder.
“Don’t worry; as long as you keep your comments about Kodo to yourself, you’ll be fine. She isn’t one to nurse a grudge, but piss her off again at your own peril.”
Practically shoving Hannah through the door, I triggered it to close and gratefully ducked into my own room next door. It was exactly as I had left it, well…possibly a bit tidier. Once inside, I heaved a huge sigh of relief as a wave of peace washed over me; it was good to be back. I started unpacking what little I had brought with me, placing my pixie figurine in a place of honor on the mantle of the room’s fireplace.
I took an admiring step back and was unsurprised to see Kalaya standing next to me nodding in approval. “See, the little one has already begun to bring you luck, Laree; she brought you home to us.”
Errant Contact Page 27
