CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“How’d it go?” Ian asked when Wil emerged from his office next off of the Command Center.
“Well. She’s strong. I think she’ll be okay, but see if you can get Joe to give her a call, Ian.”
“I will,” he acknowledged.
“It was nice of you to call her like that,” Saera said, rubbing his shoulder.
“I know better than most what she’s going through. It was the right thing to do.”
Ian nodded. “The other courses of action are less straightforward.”
“Yes, I keep running through that conversation with the Gatekeepers, and I’m left with more questions than answers,” Wil admitted.
“Like, what did he mean by, ‘they’ll think it was us’?” Ian asked. “And there were several times he mentioned ‘others’.”
“Could he have been referencing the third race the Aesir said were mentioned in that treaty?” Saera mused.
“Maybe.” Wil shook his head. “I need to study the original text of that treaty, if the Aesir can find it. There’s too much nuance at play here to rely on secondhand accounts.”
“What about the changes to the affected planets?” Curtis jumped in.
“That will take longer to assess,” Wil replied. “Preliminary reports rolling in seem to concur that the Gate activity has ceased; it seems like they gathered up their tech and left, as promised. I suspect the changes to the planets’ environments are permanent, though, at least for the foreseeable future.”
Saera pursed her lips. “I wish we could study the tech behind the transformations. Though, even if we had access to a Gate, it wouldn’t be worth upsetting the treaty, whatever it is.”
“In any case, we won the battle,” Ian said.
Wil gave a solemn nod. “But the war, perhaps, hasn’t even yet begun.”
Ian chuckled. “I should have known it wasn’t going to be one-and-done for us.”
“Oh,” Wil said, cracking a smile, “don’t you know? Once it’s in your job description to save the galaxy, the cosmic forces make sure you’re kept busy.”
— — —
A TSS ship was the last place Joe had expected to find himself again. The infirmary seemed too shiny after his time on Earth, filled with sophisticated equipment that would only be fiction on his homeworld. Part of him had missed having access to such things, but the tech was secondary to the hole that had been left when he was torn away from Iza.
He wished he was with her now, in the way he’d been in the fantasies within his mind. It had been so effortless being together. Even now, the memories of their love filled his heart. But, he wasn’t sure where the true memories ended and the fantasies began.
Surely, their real relationship wasn’t so carefree. Nothing was that easy. It was the conflicts that made things real—working through those problems together. Going through those tests is what strengthened a relationship to last a lifetime. In his fantasies, he and Iza had only each other, wrapped in bliss. What he had with the real version of her was so much deeper. They’d faced death side-by-side and come out stronger.
Joe wished he’d been able to run to her the moment he was freed from Arvonen, but he didn’t want Iza to see him so broken. He needed time to sort out his memories from fantasies and allow his body to heal. She’d risked everything for him, and he wanted their reunion to be one of joy, not worry.
The infirmary door slid open, and Ian entered.
Joe tensed, inadvertently sending a jolt of pain through his bruised ribs from where one of Arvonen’s guards had kneed him.
“Don’t worry, I’m not here for discipline,” Ian said, sensing his mood. He sat down on the empty bed to Joe’s right.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” Joe murmured.
“I know you didn’t. Some people have their own gravity, and crazy things happen when we get sucked into their orbit. I think Iza is one of those people.”
Joe cracked a smile. “Yeah, she’s something else.”
His former mentor fell silent for several seconds. “I wish you’d had the courage to simply resign your commission rather than carrying on how you did.”
Joe swallowed. “I’ve thought about that a lot over the last few months. I’m sorry. You taught me to be better than that, and I was selfish.”
“I also was stubborn in my own ways. Your heart wasn’t in this career path, but I was determined to make an Agent out of you all the same. That’s not what the TSS is about. I should have guided you toward something that would have made you happy. I won’t make that mistake with others, and I thank you for teaching me how I can a better advocate for our trainees going forward.”
“You always were good at spinning things.”
Ian chuckled. “When you’ve been through as much as I have, you learn to look for the little wins.”
Joe stared down at his hands before meeting Ian’s gaze. “What happens now?”
“We fix you up as best we can, and then you’re free to go.”
“Free? Are you serious?”
“I am,” Ian confirmed. “It’s always a challenge, when Agents leave us. We lost a lot after the war, of course; people can only take in so much death before it eats away at them and they need to get out. Others, like you, have fallen in love and want a lifestyle other than what they can have in the TSS. Each case is a little different, and we need to weight how best to handle it. Yes, we could lock you up for violating your oaths to serve, but what would that accomplish? Ultimately, you were acting to protect people in need—and that’s what the TSS is about. Sure, you went against the mission, but from a moral standpoint, you weren’t in the wrong. So, in your case Joe, the closest thing we have to a win-win is to let you walk away and live your life.”
“Thank you,” Joe managed, barely above a whisper. The reprieve was more of a gift than he’d dared hope for.
“We’re heading back to Headquarters soon, but Iza would like to talk with you before we go.”
Joe shook his head. “No, not like this.”
“She made the request straight to the High Commander.”
“What? How—”
“Talk to her, Joe.” Ian set down a handheld on the bed next to him. “Take care of yourself.” He got up and left without another word.
Joe took a deep breath, letting the words sink in. Upon reflection, he was being self-centered to deny Iza contact. She’d risked her life for him. It wasn’t fair to rebuff her, but it remained that he didn’t want her first sense of him, after so much time apart, to be of him in such a fragile state. He wanted to be a hero in her eyes. The trust and vulnerability could come with time—not like this. Perhaps there was a compromise.
As soon as he got up the nerve, he put through a voice-only call to her private line.
“Who is this?” Iza asked as soon as the call connected.
Joe’s heart leaped at the sound of her voice. He cradled the phone to his ear. “I know you tend to get into trouble when you’re left unattended. But the brink of galactic war? You’ve outdone yourself, Iza.”
“Joe…” The relief and love poured from her voice as she said his name. It was everything he’d dreamed of hearing over the past three months.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he said as tears stung at his eyes. “I’m sorry for all the trouble.”
“I should have come for you sooner.” She sniffed, her voice cracking slightly. “So much has happened, Joe.”
“Soon, we’ll have all the time in the universe to talk about it.”
“I want to see you,” she said.
“I know, and I can’t wait to have you in my arms. But I need some time to recover, Iza. I need the kind of treatment that only the TSS can provide, to help me get over what Arvonen did. Right now, I can’t be the partner I want to be for you. I need to get the help now, while I can. Then, I’m all yours.”
She took a shaky breath. “I’ve learned it takes a lot of courage to ask for help. Take the time you need. I’ll b
e here whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m looking forward to coming home.”
— — —
Iza had hoped to see Joe, but hearing his voice had revitalized her, filling the void in her chest that had been there for months. The love was still there, as strong as ever. She respected him for recognizing he needed time to recover, so she would give him that space. But stars, she hoped she wouldn’t have to wait long.
In the meantime, she had other important conversations to have. The encounter with the Gatekeepers had given her new perspective on her aunt’s death, and she needed to share the loss with her cousin.
When Iza returned to the infirmary, Jaidyn was staring up at the ceiling. He spoke without looking at her. “Interesting crew you have here,” He’d no doubt been listening to everything the crew had been saying out the corridor.
“Yeah, well, we didn’t find each other in the traditional way.”
Iza climbed up on the vacant bed next to him and lay back, staring at the ceiling in the same way. She became fixated on the pattern of tiles she’d never noticed before.
“Your mother reached out to me when you went missing,” Iza began. “She told me more about our history and our fathers.”
“That’s how you got the necklace.”
As much as she wanted to pursue the story tangent, she needed to tell him about what had happened to his mother. He deserved to know the truth before they discussed anything else.
“No, I already had this one. The one in your pocket I got from your mother,” she said.
He pulled it out of his pocket and tied it around his own neck wincing with the movement.
“She should have kept it.” There was more frustration in his voice than anger.
“Reagan was worried about you, and she made me take it just before—” Iza gathered her courage and spilled the rest. “Before the Gatekeepers killed her.”
“I know,” he said, his expression unchanged. “I knew the moment she was dead.”
“How? Were you there?”
“In a manner of speaking. I had this very vivid dream. My mother was there telling me that she was going to save me no matter what.”
“You have the dreams, too? What do they mean?” she asked as she shifted to one side so she could look at him.
Jaidyn’s head turned to meet her gaze. “They only started once I was near the Gate on Hubyria. Before that, I’d never had one. Then, when you got angry a few minutes ago,” he pressed a fist to his chest. “I felt it here. I think it all might have something to do with them.”
Iza turned her head to face the ceiling again. “When I was near the sphere, I would have these dreams. Some of the things happened, but not in the way I dreamed them.”
“I don’t think it’s precognition, but more like intuition. Dealing with things happening in our world but not always as they really are. I had a dream about chasing someone, for example. It didn’t happen the way it did in the dream, but it did happen.”
Iza nodded. She knew what he meant, but it seemed he didn’t understand it any better than her. “Is that why you were following me?”
“No, not at first. I wanted to see you. See what kind of person you were. The dreams came later.”
That made sense. She continued, “There was a Gate sphere there for a while. It seems to have an effect on electrical systems and our dreams. It emits a humming or buzzing like on the ship, only more focused.”
“Yes.” Jaidyn’s eyes lit up as he spoke, “I could feel the energy on that ship coursing through my body as if I could control it myself.”
Iza understood the feeling but didn’t have a clue what that meant. It might have had something to do with the Gatekeepers and their technology, but since none of it remained, they wouldn’t be able to test that theory. Neither of them was going to have any satisfying answers, it seemed.
“Your mom said something to me about our fathers—that they might be alive in some way. Do you believe that, too?”
“No,” he said, but the way he bit down on the word too quickly made her suspect he hadn’t always thought that way.
“What are you going to do now that they’re gone?”
“I don’t know.”
“The Verity’s not so bad,” she said. “We’ve got hauling work to keep us busy most days. The ship belongs to me, and the crew follows my lead without a lot of complaints. It’s not much, but you’re welcome to stay here.”
“I don’t think so. I need to go home.”
“In my cabin, there’s a duffle bag your mother gave to me. I think it’s meant for you.”
Jaidyn didn’t say anything, but she could feel his gratitude to know that. She wondered if that’s what telepathy was like to those who had that ability. Everyone they had ever loved now was gone. I wonder if he feels as close to me as I do him.
“I won’t be here long. I like being on my own.”
Iza sighed. “I used to feel the same way, but if you change your mind, you can always come back here.”
“Thank you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
After a week of tests, probing, and mental repair Joe was finally able to keep his thoughts in the present. The ‘dreams’, as the doctors had referred to them, were remnants of the time he’d spent in Arvonen’s machine—a device designed to create false memories with the end goal of gathering information about real people and places.
He’d walked Arvonen and his people into the TSS and showed them who he’d given the sphere to and where he thought it might be. Thankfully, getting into TSS Headquarters was more difficult than robbing a bank. Arvonen wasn’t able to get to the sphere, but his end goal wasn’t only the sphere but getting to Iza. That meant more time in the machine while they crawled over every piece of information they had on Iza that they could use against her.
“How are you feeling today?” the doctor asked him from the plush chair across from him.
Why did they always ask the most redundant questions? He put one arm up on the back of the couch where he was sitting, trying to look casual. “I’m fine.”
“There’s a bit of hesitation there. Was it the question, or is there something you want to share?”
The telepaths in medicine were beyond belief. He hated to have them prying into his thoughts. It was another form of the machine. It forced out the feelings he didn’t want shared. But it was a necessary process if he was ever going to be allowed to leave. They had to believe he was compliant.
“I abhor the question. But I’m fine. I feel as good as I did three days ago when I said the fog in my thoughts had lifted.”
“You’ll forgive me for going over old territory, then,” she said. “You understand we need to be thorough, and as much as I’d like to accept your assurances, let me be the judge of whether or not you’re well enough to be discharged.”
“I’m not an Agent and I don’t work for the TSS. I’m here so that they can see I’m a Taran citizen with nothing to hide. I’ve given you everything I remember of the incident, and now that Arvonen is dead, I don’t think there will be any more issues.”
He was getting sick of the temporary quarters where he had been recuperating within TSS Headquarters. The suite was identical to his former residence as an Agent, but the tiny cabin on the Verity was the only home he wanted now. These house calls to check on him had become tedious.
“You said once that you’d kill Arvonen yourself if you got the chance,” the doctor observed. “That could put you on the path to hurt anyone connected to him.” The doctor looked at him intently, waiting for a reaction.
“Yes, I’m aware of transference, but I don’t have any of those inclinations. Arvonen was the one who ordered me into the machine and demanded that the scientists he’d abducted do his bidding. In fact, his son and I are good friends.”
“What about the archaeologist? Raquel,” she flipped through her notes on her tablet, looking for the name all too familiar to Joe, “Raquel Calveras. Do you have any residual feelings tow
ard her?”
“Of course I have an issue with her. She helped Arvonen capture me and hold me hostage. However, when she realized I had nothing more to give, she was there to see that I spent little to no time in the machine, and when they forgot to feed me, she was there. She helped in my escape. In the end, I owe her my life.”
“You understand these questions are procedural in nature. You seem upset by them, but you needn’t be.”
The doctor’s soothing tone was giving Joe a headache. He reached his hands up to his head rubbing at his temples before dropping his hand back into his lap.
“Does your head hurt? I can give you something for it.”
“No, I already took something; I’m just waiting for it to take effect. Is that all?”
“Are you going to be able to work with Raquel when the time comes?”
Joe’s jaw tightened and he forced his teeth apart to keep from grinding them. They’d saved her life, wasn’t that enough? They wanted more out of her—out of him. The deal was simple, and he’d do whatever it took to get back to Iza.
“I’ll do what I must,” he said, his tone even.
“I suppose that settles things, then,” the doctor said. “I will warn you that the false memories will take time to fade. They became a part of your conscious mind and no doubt appeared as real as the conversation we’re having today.”
More real.
“Does that mean you’re going to sign off on my treatment?” he asked, keeping the eagerness out of his eyes.
“Yes. However, I would like to continue to see you for a monthly check-up. Nothing too serious, and I’ll do my best not to ask you how you’re doing.” She smiled. “You do have some visitors here who have been waiting patiently to see you. I suggested that you all meet here just in case it became too overwhelming for you. Can I send them in?”
Iza, would they let her in? Did she come to see if I’m still alive? Joe nodded. “Yes.”
On the Run (Verity Chronicles Book 3): A Cadicle Space Opera Adventure Page 29
