Pathfinder

by Gun Brooke

  She didn’t intend to deepen the kiss because neither of them was ready for more than this, but oh, the soft, sweet lips under hers did things to her she’d never felt. Her nipples hardened and the inside of her thighs clenched in sympathy as she inhaled Briar’s breath. She’d known kissing Briar would be magical but had also settled for being content with her friendship. Now, being allowed, no, encouraged, to kiss the amazingly sexy and sweet woman in her arms was amazing.

  Eventually their fatigue forced them to stop. Adina lowered Briar onto the pillow and tucked her in, careful not to touch her too much. She was tired, yes, but she wasn’t dead. “I’ll bring my computer tablet in here and write my report next to you, unless that would keep you from sleeping?”

  Yawning, Briar shook her head. “I never would’ve thought I could sleep at all after this evening. Now, though, I think I could doze through an intergalactic battle.”

  “Good. I think.” Adina kissed Briar’s forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

  It took her a little while to shed her uniform, use the bathroom, and gather her tablet. After checking on Caya, who was already asleep on the couch, she returned to the bedroom and found Briar asleep as well. She had to turn and fetch yet another pillow, as Briar had taken Adina’s and was hugging it tight to her chest.

  As she climbed into bed and leaned against the headboard, Briar stirred briefly, but after placing a hand on Adina’s hip she settled down.

  Adina used the screen to type in her report, rather than dictate it, because she didn’t want to disturb Briar and knew her report would be deemed classified when it reached the president’s secure message server.

  Tomorrow would be gut-wrenching. No other term described it better.

  Chapter Fifteen

  **Day 179**

  **Official Hearing**

  Briar stood before a long table where twelve of the top military and civilian leaders for the Oconodian and Gemosian population faced her from the opposite side. Behind her, Caya sat next to Adina and Meija. Korrian was on the panel at the far end of the table. They had asked the same questions over and over from different angles, and Briar wondered how she would manage to remain calm.

  “Tell us. How did you and your sister manage to come aboard the Pathfinder?” President Tylio—there was no chance of calling her Thea even in her mind now—loosely held on to a computer tablet, tapping it with her free hand.

  “I didn’t know I was a changer. My ability only developed a short while ago.” Briar cleared her throat. “I had connections in the health-care business. An acquaintance was in debt, and I gave them credits for the DNA resequencer they had been working on. They only gave me the prototype, but it did the job on Caya’s and my tissue sample. I was alone in the lab for a moment, and it was a quick process to change both our samples.”

  “Why both if you didn’t know you were a changer?” A general Briar didn’t recognize asked the question, sounding as if he thought he’d built a clever trap for her.

  “If I hadn’t changed both, we wouldn’t have looked like siblings from a DNA point of view.” Briar wondered how he could be this condescending. She was the one who’d committed treason—surely they didn’t expect her to be stupid?

  “Why?” President Tylio looked at her without any discernable expression on her face.

  “Why?” Briar took a moment to think of how to put it. “My sister means everything to me. Together with our parents, I shielded and homeschooled her to keep her safe. When things started to get really ugly on Oconodos, especially in the inner city of the capital where I worked, I knew we had to be part of the Exodus operation no matter what. Had Caya been the type of changer that possessed gifts that could potentially harm others, like the ones throwing plasma balls and such, I wouldn’t have done it. Caya can see the future—or at least, the future that will happen if someone doesn’t change anything.”

  “This woman committed treason in this manner for her own benefit. We can deal with this outrage only one way, Madam President. The young woman needs to be incarcerated for the duration of our journey, and as for the older sister, such treason demands we act swiftly and set an example.” The general was spitting furiously as he spoke.

  “Example, General?” Tylio spoke quietly. “What example are you suggesting?”

  “Our people have a popular new expression. Air-locking. It’s a rather crude word, but it sends a message that won’t bypass anyone.”

  “Briar!” Caya stood, but Adina yanked her down.

  “Air-locking.” Tylio leaned forward on her elbows, lacing her fingers under her chin. “Interesting term. And yes, crude as well as cruel, I think. Why would you choose that particular course of action, General?”

  “It will speak a language the people will understand. They will think twice about committing a crime of any sort when they see this individual hurled into space.”

  “Oh. So not only air-locking but also a public event. I see.” Tylio sounded as if she gave the matter serious thought. “What should we do with the younger sister once we reach P-105? Anyone?” She let her gaze travel the faces to her right and then her left. “General?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean, Madam President?” The general leaned back in his chair.

  “It’s not hard to figure out. You say throw her in the brig for the duration of the journey to P-105. When we get there and start our new life, what will we do with Caya Lindemay? Build her a special cell in a special prison? Ban her to an area of caves or set her down alone in an oasis in the desert?”

  Briar trembled now and regretted not being able to eat anything before the hearing.

  “Oh, please. You’ve all lost your common sense,” Meija said. “Korrian. I think it’s time you brought up what we talked about this morning.”

  Briar turned and saw Meija rise from her chair, with an arm wrapped around Caya’s shoulders. Clinging to Meija, Caya mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

  “Yes, please, Admiral Heigel. We would like to hear whatever input you have to offer.” Tylio brightened and turned to Korrian, who had chosen a chair on the far left of the table.

  “I just thought I’d let you all have your say, to test the waters so to speak.” Korrian stood also. “I was as taken aback as the rest of you by the news. I believe Briar when she claims not to know. And what is her gift as a changer? Empathy. Do we truly fear for our very lives when it comes to these women? Are we afraid Briar might smother us with her affection and understanding? And let’s not forget, this woman is Red Angel.”

  “What?” The general jerked. “That can’t be true!”

  Briar flinched as well. Hadn’t Tylio briefed her panel members about this—and if so, why not? Was she throwing this fact in as a way to disrupt their hard-nosed reasoning? Briar knew she was reaching, but any possible sign Tylio might at least consider not punishing Caya to the fullest extent of the law was encouraging.

  “I take it you’ve heard about the enigmatic nurse whose reputation precedes her in most of the cubes.” Tylio still spoke impassively. “What repercussions can we expect, Dr. Solimar, if we air-lock Briar Lindemay?”

  “Mutiny.” Meija had remained on her feet and was holding one of Caya’s hands. Adina stood close to the two women on their other side.

  “Mutiny?” The general, now flustered from rage, rose as well. “Are you trying to tell me that this…this woman holds such power over our population, they’d go against their leaders and law enforcement if we treat her according to Oconodian law?” He rounded the table and towered over Briar. “Aren’t you ashamed of your actions? Of putting our whole operation in jeopardy?”

  “Not ashamed enough to jump out an airlock voluntarily, sir.” Briar continued her meditation breathing, struggling to remain calm. “I regret fooling the system, but unless you have been in my situation, having brought up my sister as I would a daughter, you can’t know.”

  “You could have stayed on Oconodos.” The general pulled up his lip in a feral snarl.

  “So coul
d you. You could have remained behind with those of your troops who did just that. Those with changers in their family—they needed a military leader as well, didn’t they?” Tilting her head, Briar opened her mind to the imposing figure before her. “But your dedication is mainly to your wife and daughter, isn’t it? You wanted them away from Oconodos and the dangers there, as they’re both fragile and easily intimidated. You feared for their sanity when the changer situation became increasingly volatile. The Exodus operation happened at the last minute, where they are concerned. Your daughter, I think, suffered the worst.”

  The general had gone from red to white in seconds as Briar probed his emotions and some of his thoughts. She didn’t like doing this, but she had to show him they had similar reasons, even if he hadn’t broken any law.

  “This…how the hell…” He rounded on the panel members, spitting the words out like something ill tasting. “Who among you are feeding her personal information about me?”

  “Nobody.” Tylio shook her head, looking back and forth between Briar and Caya. “Sit down, General. I’m sure Briar can sense emotions from all of us, as that’s her…gift.”

  Briar knew she had to keep the initiative. “Basically, Madam President, General, sirs, it is a matter of trust. Just as people trust me with their newborn children, it’s about trusting me to never misuse what information I come across. The oath I took when I became a nurse still stands. My integrity is the same.”

  Tylio nodded slowly but didn’t speak.

  “Trust.” The general snorted, a thoroughly contemptuous sound. “A changer? Why would we do that?”

  “Regardless of what you may believe, sir, changers are ordinary people for the most part. If someone wants to blow up this ship, and from where I stand, that’s what it looks like, they don’t need to be a changer to get their hands on white garnet.”

  “And what about you, Caya?” Tylio asked. “Are you as benevolent and trustworthy as your sister claims to be?”

  Her tears drying at the mentioning of her name, Caya rose and let go of Meija and Adina. “Claims? If anyone has anything negative to say about my sister, I challenge you to produce them. I know my sister would never hurt anyone or betray a confidence. As for me, my gift is erratic even if I have been able to control it somewhat lately. I have my visions, which used to make me quite ill. Yesterday shows how quickly I recover nowadays, which is good. I used to be really nauseous for hours beforehand.”

  “And have you used your gift to your own advantage?” Another woman to the president’s left asked the question.

  “My own advantage?” Caya frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Oh, come on, Miss Lindemay. Let’s say, the answers to a test at school. Things like that.” The woman sneered.

  Caya pressed her lips tight together. “Are you kidding me? You think any of my visions, particularly those that made me sick for days, were about a math test or something like that?” She stood next to Briar, who could feel the anger radiating from her.

  “It was just an example,” the woman on the panel said, cringing.

  “A dumb one.” Caya took Briar’s hand. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” Briar turned back to the president. “I’m in the wrong here, if you intend to issue a punishment for this transgression, you should focus only on me. I’m the one behind this act. Not Caya.”

  “Sis—”

  “Shh.” Briar squeezed Caya’s hand.

  “On the contrary. I think we need you to keep working and doing your duty among our people. You will do more good out there than locked up. Air-locking you is not an option, as we are in the process of eliminating capital punishment from our law altogether.” Tylio’s face grew serious, and Briar could sense the strong sense of remorse radiating from the president. “You, Caya, are an entirely different matter. We cannot allow you to retain your freedom aboard the Pathfinder. Your ability is potentially dangerous, and as you also exposed yourself in such a public manner, I have no choice but to incarcerate you.”

  Briar thought her heart would stop. “No,” she whispered, inadvertently lowering her mental shield. Caya’s fear blended with Tylio’s surprising pain, the general’s triumph, and behind her, Meija’s anguish.

  “I understand,” Caya said, her lips tense. “Right away?”

  “No, you need to be debriefed by security, and I will allow you to go back to your quarters and pack a few items.”

  “Thea,” Caya whispered. “Have you asked your husband to disclose all the corridors he travels that have a blue-colored deck? Time is running out on his part and—”

  “What?” Tylio snapped. “What do you mean, Caya?”

  “You can still do something about this situation. You can save his life. You cannot have it both ways, Madam President. Either you believe my predictions are true and act accordingly, or you don’t believe me at all and thus have to let me go.” Caya tilted her head. “See what I mean, Thea?”

  Briar disregarded her knee-jerk reaction to scold Caya for being too informal with the president but conceded that her sister had a valid point. Either people believed her to be a clairvoyant changer—or not. Caya had pulled herself together in a remarkable way. For some reason, it wasn’t easy for Briar to read Caya’s emotional state, perhaps because she was also a changer, but right now it wasn’t hard to realize that Caya was serious.

  “I see.” President Tylio slowly stood and tapped her communicator. “Tylio to head of the guard. Where is my husband?”

  The answer came back within seconds. “Madam President, Mr. Tylio is at the diplomat club in cube one.”

  “When you take him back to the presidential quarters, take him via backup route four.”

  “Affirmative, Madam President,” the woman on the other end said. “Backup route four.”

  Tylio rounded the table and stood before Briar and Caya. “There. You see I believe in you. Gather the belongings you will require initially. The guards will bring you back here in one hour.”

  “Madam President,” Briar whispered, her heart in so much pain that every beat hurt until she could barely breathe. “Don’t do this. Please. She’s no danger to anyone. She truly isn’t.”

  “Guards.” Tylio waved four of the presidential guards forward. “Take Ms. Caya Lindemay to her quarters and return with her in an hour. She’s in your care. If anything happens, from her actions or to her, I will hold you responsible. Is that clear?”

  “Absolutely, Madam President.” The female guard motioned for Caya to follow her. Caya didn’t look at Briar or anyone else. She kept her eyes rigidly forward as she left the room.

  “No. No, no, no…” Briar’s knees gave in and she fell. Before she hit the floor, strong arms caught her from behind. Adina. Briar clung to her, groaning as the pain washed over her. “They took her away. I’ve lost her. I’ve lost her…” Overwrought with emotions, blended with those around her, Briar couldn’t move.

  Adina’s arms shifted around her and suddenly Briar was floating. It took her a moment to realize she was being carried. She hid her face against Adina’s neck as they walked through several corridors. “Gone,” Briar murmured brokenly. “She’s gone.”

  “Shh. Don’t give up, Briar.” Adina’s voice was strained, mainly because she was carrying Briar. “Hold on to me in the meantime.”

  Needing an anchor, Briar did just that. She clung to Adina, her arms so tight around her neck, she half expected Adina to start wheezing. Vaguely she noted the presence of steps before them and behind them. Someone else was walking with them. Briar didn’t really care. She’d lost Caya despite doing everything possible to keep her safe.

  What a failure she was. Their parents would have been so disappointed. Caya had been their common denominator. Homeschooling her, keeping her safe, vetting potential friends. More than anything else, this had made them a family. Now only Briar was left. Caya would only exist in a cell in the brig. They would keep her in isolation, not allowed to even see any other inmates
. Briar trembled and curled up closer to the strong woman who carried her.

  “In here,” a voice said, and they changed direction. “Put her down over there.”

  Listening harder as she was being lowered onto a soft surface, Briar refused to let go of Adina. Was that Tylio’s voice? Surely, it couldn’t be? Briar blinked a few times and then slowly turned her head and kept her eyes half open.

  The room was huge by Pathfinder standards. They were in the living-room area of the rectangular room, sitting on a cream-colored couch. Adina sat close to Briar, her arms still around her. Meija sat next to them, and farther away on the other side of a narrow, oval table, Korrian and President Tylio stood, both looking somber as they murmured to each other.

  “Where are we?” Briar asked huskily. “Adina?”

  “The presidential suite.” Adina touched the back of her fingers to Briar’s forehead. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m all right.” It was hardly true, but at least she could breathe now. “And you can’t feel someone’s temperature accurately like that.” Instead, Briar leaned her cheek into Adina’s palm. “Not like this either.” She shuddered.

  “Briar?” Meija stroked Briar’s back. “Don’t give up yet. Korrian is on your side, as am I. We do carry some weight around here.”

  “As do I,” Tylio said and took a seat on the couch across from them. “Listen to me now. I had to put you through the hearing to satisfy the other members of the cabinet and the military. I knew we had leverage when it came to you, but your sister is proving more difficult.”

  “Leverage?” Confused and with a headache hindering her thoughts from lining up correctly, Briar fought to understand.

  “I was certain your reputation as Red Angel would keep the others from sticking to their claims for capital punishment, or even incarceration. Caya has no such reputation, and her ability appeared rather dramatically yesterday. By her own admission, she informed everyone present of her changer status. And those present are all influential, powerful people. They saw her seizure-like vision and heard her threaten my husband.”