“I found out that I’m not interested in working with you after all,” he said emphatically.
“If you say so, but I found the perfect ship for you, so that choice would be tragic.”
Both of Rex’s hands clenched as he glared at the technomage. “You’re one frustrating bastard.”
“What did you find out?” All playfulness had left his expression and voice. “I don’t have a lot of time.”
“Answer my question and I’ll answer yours,” Rex persisted.
“You didn’t ask a question. You made an accusation.” When Rex continued to glare, Kage shrugged. “My second-in-command is in a snit. He locked himself in his cabin and refuses to speak with anyone. That’s the problem with harbingers. The more talented they are, the more temperamental they are. Arton is extremely talented, when he chooses to cooperate.”
Rex wasn’t sure he believed Kage. Once trust was broken, it took time to rebuild. Still, he’d been intrigued by the Outcasts for years. In outlaw circles their success and daring were legendary. “The rebels found an interdimensional portal. There are discrepancies when it comes to the exact location, but the most probable site is under the hydroponics farm.”
Eerie disembodied laughter sent a chill down Rex’s spine. With his breath frozen in his lungs, he wrapped his fingers around the grip of his pulse pistol and released the safety with his thumb.
“I told you he’d betray the battle born.” A male harbinger stepped out of the shadows and stood next to Kage. The newcomer didn’t flash into view like someone who teleported or bio-streamed. He gradually appeared as if he’d been standing there the entire time. “He’s an Outcast already.”
Rex released his pent-up breath and moved his hand off his weapon. “Arton, I presume?” Rex looked from Kage to the newcomer and back, equally annoyed by each.
“Arton Lux, my first officer,” Kage introduced. “May I present Commander Rex Dravon.”
Nearly as tall as Kage and equally muscular, Arton looked more like a battle born warrior than a harbinger. His silver hair had been cut short and sections dyed black to further conceal the nature of his gifts. His eyes, however, were pure harbinger, smoky blue intensity ringed in silver.
“Can we dispense with the bullshit now?” Rex snapped. “What do you want with me?”
Kage’s mouth twisted into a sardonic smile as he glanced at his accomplice. “Pour us a drink and I’ll tell you a story. It involves this mysterious portal, so trust me. You’ll want to hear it.”
Part of Rex really wanted to throw them out on their presumptive asses—or at least try to—but the more rational part needed to learn what this entire setup had been about. “Have a seat.” He grabbed a bottle of g’haut off his desk and poured a liberal shot into two glasses.
“You aren’t drinking?” Arton raised his eyebrows, clearly disapproving of the development.
Rex handed each Outcast a glass then took a swig off the bottle. “I’ve only got two glasses. The 3D printers are offline. As I told your boss, the Marauder is falling apart.”
Kage strolled to the tiny table with its two chairs and sat, his massive body threatening to collapse the tubular chair. Arton sat on the other, leaving Rex the side of the bed.
“I wasn’t lying about the ship,” Kage began. “I’ve picked out a vessel that will be perfect for you. She’s just the right size, fast as lightning, and she has some interesting new features.”
Rex remained intently watchful, not nearly foolish enough to take him at face value. “And what will I give up if I choose to barter? You don’t need a spy, so why are you here?”
“I’m about to become very unpopular at Lunar Nine, so I’m recruiting as many good soldiers as I can while I still have access to them.”
Rex fought back the urge to roll his eyes. More word games. “I’m a smuggler not a soldier.”
“Soldiers need supplies,” Arton pointed out. “Your skills will be in continual demand where we’re going.”
“Which is?”
Both the Outcasts just smiled.
“Why are you about to become so unpopular at Lunar Nine?” Rex tried to sound bored and failed so he took another swig of g’haut.
Ignoring his question, Kage began his tale. “The portal was built by a species called the Envoti. They also terraformed the cave, by the way, but the cave came after the portal not before.”
Rex had heard about the “wonder cave” but hadn’t given it much thought. His interest in Lunar Nine began and ended with the transformation program. He did everything in his power to avoid politics of any kind. “Good for the Envoti. What does this have to do with me?”
“Don’t be rude.” Though his volume never changed, Arton’s tone took on a lethal edge. “He’s trying to explain it for you.”
After a tense pause, Kage continued, “The Envoti, like the battle born, are locked in a conflict that has dragged on for centuries. Their enemy comes and goes, leaving them in peace just long enough for them to believe they’re safe, and to rebuild. Then the enemy returns and tears it all down again.”
Rex bit back a sarcastic response, remaining silent instead.
“The Envoti came to the conclusion that relocation was their only option, so they frantically searched for a planet or moon that they could transform into a habitable world. Their early simulations indicted that Earth’s moon was such a place, so they created the wonder cave. But more in-depth studies revealed that transforming the moon would create catastrophic changes in Earth. The two are simply too dependent upon each other, so the Envoti moved on.”
Growing more impatient by the moment, Rex allowed his irritation to show. “It’s a fascinating story, but I’m still not sure what it has to do with me.”
Kage started to speak then shook his head. “I think I’ve said enough for now.” He pushed to his feet, towering over Rex for a moment. “I’d like you and your crew to join the Outcasts. You’ll know freedom like you’ve never enjoyed before and you’ll gain access to a transformation program that won’t require lifelong submission. We’re a brotherhood. Each Outcast is equal.”
“Except for you, of course,” Arton pointed out with a rare smile.
“Even brothers require guidance, but I offer choices rather than issuing commands.”
“If I betray the battle born, how will I gain access to the transformation program? Unless I’m mistaken, they’re the only game in town.”
A secretive smile curved Kage’s lips and his ink-black eyes gleamed, their intensity all the more hypnotic for their lack of phitons. Rex didn’t know Kage’s exact origin, but anyone from their star system without the luminescent rings in their eyes was rare.
“Do you honestly think beings who created the wonder cave can’t replicate the transformation protocols?” The seemingly simple question was filled with import and insinuation.
“You’re working with the Envoti. That’s why you’ll no longer be welcome at Lunar Nine.” Questions flooded Rex’s mind, but his visitors were heading for the door. “Wait! What do the Envoti want if they can’t terraform the moon? Are they already on Earth or threatening to return? Why are you—”
“Three days,” Kage cut in. “You have three days to decide which team to join. The real games are about to begin.”
* * * * *
The next week passed in a flurry of activity and emotional turmoil for Emily. She’d told Vox, in no uncertain terms, that she didn’t want him, which meant she had no right to be upset that he’d done as she asked. It was irrational, and yet her depression grew with each passing hour.
A mated member of Kaden’s crew—the only sort allowed to be alone with an unmated female—shuttled Emily back to Tanzania, so she could explain to Larry and Stan where she’d be for the next few weeks. There had been no disbelief or instinctive denials after they watched her climb down from the small spaceship with a massive battle born rebel on her heels. They’d snapped out of their stupor long enough to help her pack up her cameras and the peripheral ge
ar she’d need to fulfill her promise to Lexie and load it onto the shuttle.
Emily also took her personal items, but left her clothing behind. Lexie had warned her that Rodytes were used to seeing females in skirts or dresses. If they wanted the soldiers to feel comfortable enough with them to speak freely, they needed to adhere to cultural norms. Emily found it all a little silly, like their insistence that she have an escort everywhere she went. But she agreed to go shopping as soon as she returned to the outpost. It had been forever since she bought new clothes. It might actually be fun.
After giving Larry and Stan hugs and promising she’d do her best to get them passes as soon as Lunar Nine was open for visitors, she climbed aboard one of the Phantoms and headed back to the outpost. The entire errand had taken less than three hours.
Soon Earth was gradually shrinking on the main viewscreen and Emily’s thoughts turned to Vox. Was he still at Stargazer Ranch or had he gone home to Bilarri? Lexie insisted that genetically compatible females were rare, that some of these men would search their entire lives and never find a potential mate. This didn’t keep them from having fulfilling social lives. They could form attachments and have sex with other females, but claiming a mate was the ideal, the ultimate relationship for which all Rodytes, and Bilarrians, longed.
And she was that to Vox.
Or at least the possibility of that sort of joining had been there until she coldly rejected him.
She closed her eyes and leaned the back of her head against the seat.
“Are you all right, Miss Jenson?” the pilot asked.
His name was Zartan or Lortan, something like that. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
“The middle-facing seats convert into benches. You can lie down comfortably.”
“That’s not necessary. How much longer will it take to reach the outpost?”
“Thirty-five or forty minutes.”
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I’ll be fine, but thanks for your concern.”
“Commander Lux is holding me personally responsible for your wellbeing. I’m not taking any chances.”
The protectiveness woven through these societies was refreshing. She was a strong, independent woman. However, being pampered once in a while didn’t denigrate her accomplishments.
Lexie was waiting on the concourse when Emily climbed down from the ship. “Miss me already?”
Her cousin laughed. “No, I’m just anxious to get started. I asked Raylon to assign you an apartment and you’ve already had a delivery.”
“A delivery? What sort of delivery?”
“We’ll both find out when we get there, but we have shopping to do first.” She looped her arm through Emily’s and started off toward the commerce tiers. “There are several clothing stores open now, but let’s start with the one I like best.”
“I only have one question.”
Lexie snorted. “That has got to be a first.”
Emily shot her a playful glare. “How do I pay for my choices?”
“Have you been to a casino in the past five years?”
It was Emily’s turn to laugh. “I’ve never been in a casino.”
Lexie paused and pivoted toward her. “Seriously?”
“Yes.” She smiled, amused by her cousin’s shock. “I just never understood the appeal.”
Lexie’s disbelief gradually mellowed. “As long as you treat it like any other entertainment and don’t expect to get rich, gambling can be a lot of fun.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Confused by the tangent, Emily started walking again. “Why did you bring it up?”
“Oh, right. Money. Most casinos are cashless now. You play with vouchers that you can move from machine to machine, or chips if you’re at the tables. Anyway, the shops and restaurants on the tiers work the same way. You can use a credit card or cash to buy universal credits and, if you don’t have a commerce chip implanted in your hand, they’ll give you a temporary voucher.”
“Most of the aliens have these commerce chips?”
“They do, but don’t call them aliens. They find it rude. If you don’t know their planet of origin, ask.”
“Got it.”
Shopping didn’t take long. Emily had never been one to care about fashion, so she quickly found practical garments that fit her adequately. Each time Lexie tried to talk her into something more stylish, Emily wrinkled her nose and pulled out another sturdy skirt.
“We’re not going to hike through the mountains or go spelunking,” Lexie objected when Emily refused another attractive dress. “What if someone invites you out to dinner or offers to buy you a drink?”
“I’m not here to find a boyfriend. This is work.”
Lexie returned the dress to the rack and crossed her arms over her chest. “What if Vox returns?” Challenge raised her chin and compassion made her eyes shine.
“He won’t. He can have any female he wants and I humiliated him.” She shook her head, throat suddenly tight. “If he returns to Lunar Nine, it won’t be to see me.”
Lexie sighed. “I think your underestimating the importance of being a possible mate, but I don’t want to argue about it.”
“Good.” She took her selections to the cashier and paid for them with the voucher she’d purchased at the tender conversion kiosk.
Their mood remained somber, strained as they left the commerce tiers.
“So where’s my apartment?” She refused to spend the next few weeks bemoaning her hasty decision. Her life had been fulfilling before she met Vox, and she’d be just fine once she returned to Earth. This was an amusing intermission, a fanciful break from reality that would allow her to spend some time with her favorite cousin.
“All unmated females and bonded couples are assigned to residential village one, or at least the ones who don’t have living quarters aboard one of the ships.”
“Where do you and Kaden stay?”
Lexie’s smile was slightly sly. “He’s a commander, so he needs to be aboard his ship as often as possible.”
Emily nodded, not wanting to pry too deeply into her cousin’s love life. “And how many villages are there?”
“Ten. Merchants and their families are assigned to village two, medical personnel are allowed to stay in village three because the Intrepid never leaves port. The others are being remodeled.”
“At one point ten thousand people lived inside our moon? That boggles the mind.”
“I think it was more like seven or eight, but I know what you mean.”
Lexie led her to residential village one and they took an elevator to the highest level. The floor indicators were in Rodyte and Emily didn’t care enough to count them. They stepped out into a nondescript corridor. It looked similar to countless hallways in apartment buildings and hotels on Earth.
“A facial scanner will verify your identity, which unlocks the door,” Lexie explained as they walked down the hall. “You can also trigger the door with a voice command once you’re inside, but out here you have to prove who you are. Voice prints are too easy to replicate.”
“Which one is mine?”
“Second door on the right. Try to memorize the symbol in case you get turned around. All of the apartments on this floor are occupied.”
She wasn’t sure if she was comforted or unnerved by the knowledge. “But the door will only open for me?”
“Absolutely.”
She saw the scanner in action a few seconds later. A bluish beam of light passed over her face and then she heard, “Welcome home, Ms. Jenson.”
“You can alter the greeting to whatever you like. Just tell the computer what to say.”
Unsure what she meant, Emily asked, “How do I do that?”
“Say, computer call me cutie pie whenever I walk through the front door.”
She rolled her eyes. “As if. Computer, please call me Emily whenever I walk through the front door.”
Lexie chuckled. “You don’t have to say please, Em. It’s a machine.”
Ignoring Lexie’s criticism, Emily looked around. The apartment was small by American standards, yet everything was sleek and rounded, very different from anything she’s seen on Earth. She crossed the main living area, glanced into the small guest bathroom, then walked into the bedroom. The closet, dresser, even the headboard and nightstands were built into the walls, creating a relaxing flow Emily had never seen before. She piled her shopping bags on the bed, poked her head into the master bathroom, then returned to the living room.
“I found your delivery,” Lexie called from the kitchen, the only room Emily had yet to enter.
Her pulse sped and so did her steps. Could it be… She slid to a stop in the archway separating the eat-in kitchen from the living room. A massive bouquet of flowers was centered on the kitchen table, but they were unlike anything Emily had ever seen before. Each bloom fanned out from the stem with multi-colored, rippling petals. Each petal had a similar blending of colors, yet the shape was unique. A deep purple streak followed the primary vein that seemed almost like a spine. The purple flowed into vivid blue, bright yellow and finally an artistic blending of orange and red.
“What are they?” She couldn’t take her eyes off the mesmerizing blooms.
“Bilarrian calidrill according to the card,” Lexie told her with a wicked smile.
“Bilarrian? They’re from Vox?” She crossed to the table in a daze and took the card from Lexie’s hand.
The message was simple, The flowers are called calidrill. They grow wild near my home. I’d love to show you someday soon. Vox.
She read the words twice then looked at Lexie. “What does this mean? Is he not angry anymore?”
“I don’t think he was ever angry. He was hurt that you wouldn’t even give him a chance. I think that’s what he’s asking for, a chance to get to know you.”
Tears blurred her vision and anguish welled inside her. “He doesn’t understand… You don’t even know why I push people away.”
Lexie moved closer, her expression compassionate yet cautious. “I know, Em. I’ve known for a long time.”
“You know—everything?”
Lexie nodded.
“But how? When? I never told anyone.”
Mage Page 12
