The UnFolding Collection Three

by S. K. Randolph

  She woke in a cold sweat. A warm hand touched on her brow.

  Rasiana’s strained smile spoke volumes. “How do you feel?”

  “Tired. What happened? Did I shape a man?”

  Kuparak moved from the shadows and sat beside her. “You gave a malignant personality the opportunity to manifest itself through you. It granted you what you wanted most.”

  She drew in a breath. “All I want is to fight for our people.”

  “And so you shall. First, tell me what it felt like to be The MasTer.”

  “I have never experienced such overwhelming power, mentally or physically. How can I not aspire to be all he is in order to save our people?”

  “He has no desire to save the Eleo Preda. All The MasTer cares about is the adoration of those who are less than he. Beware the allure of his self-aggrandizement. It is the cry of an insecure personality scrambling for recognition.”

  Shutting her eyes, she recalled the experience of his manifestation—his takeover of her being. She sought Kuparak. “I did not ask him to manifest. I had no intention of shape shifting a man. This MasTer can induce the shift at will.”

  “Only if you give him an opening. Promise never to shape him again, Rayn. If you succumb to the temptation, you will lose yourself in The MasTer’s overblown ego.”

  She swung her legs over the side of the settee and perched on the edge. “How did I open the door for him this time?”

  Rasiana handed her a glass of water. “What were you thinking when he appeared?”

  Fluid coolness cleansed the bitter taste of sleep from her mouth. She reviewed her conversation with Daar. “I was so angry at the injustice of being trapped here while others died simply because I am a woman.” She surveyed the room. “Where is Daar?”

  “I’ve sent him to finish a project I left undone to be here.” Kuparak studied her. “Have you discovered the trigger?”

  She placed the empty glass on the end table. “Anger. My anger—” Her brow furrowed. “Wait. I have never felt discriminated against as a woman. I have fought both male and female opponents in the ring. Arden never eased up on either Rasiana or me because we’re girls.” Fighting to control the fury threatening to overtake her, she walked to the window and looked at the garden. Aquila flew to the sill. Composure drenched her inner inferno. She turned. “I remember watching women demeaned at the Children’s Residence in Chunarrie and wondering why they were considered inferior. The MasTer is a part of me, true?”

  Kuparak nodded. “An alter ego of sorts, but stronger. For nine rotations you were forced to bury the true you inside an internal fortress. Your anger festered. Your need to be recognized became a boil beneath your psychic skin. Unbeknownst to you, The MasTer’s personality began to evolve.”

  “How do you know all this, and why didn’t you warn me?”

  “Nioka feared this might occur. Because of who you are and the genetic history you carry, she surmised the possibility of multiple personalities. I considered telling you. She warned that if you were told too soon, it might invoke a takeover before you were strong enough to fight.”

  Rayn flopped down next to Rasiana. “So, what now?”

  “You are armed with information to help you keep the reins of self in your own hands. Rasiana and Aquila will help. You are strong-willed, Rayn. Remaining alert and aware of your emotions is vital. You maintained a disciplined silence for nine sun cycles. I have confidence you will be fine. As for now… While you slept, Rasiana and I arranged for Arden and Keelyn’s home to be taken care of and the samples and specimens your grandmameen collected to be prepared for transporting. As soon as we’ve eaten, we must leave for Tic Calag.”

  A prickle of excitement prompted Rayn to smile. “You have a ship.”

  “Indeed. There is much to do before she is ready, and we have things we must accomplish on El Stroma but…”

  Rayn hugged him. “Thank you, Kup.”

  “For what?”

  “Leaving everything to come here and help me. Rasiana and Daar might have pulled me back to myself but—” She shivered.

  He returned the hug and released her. “We leave early in the morning. Get some rest. I’ll be back for you then.” Shifting to smoky galee, he soared out the window.

  For a time, she and Rasiana sat in the tranquility of Osullini’s transition to night, each wrapped in her own thoughts.

  Rasiana, the first to stir, rose. “Let’s go see Mati and his mother. I think we should say goodbye.”

  The visit was a tearful one. Mati clung to Rayn until she promised to return when she could. At Ceri’s suggestion, they dined with the family, hugged them one last time, and bid them a second farewell.

  Rasiana slept the moment her head touched the pillow. The soft sound of her breathing helped to soothe Rayn’s over-stretched nerves. Determination ignited. I am Rayn Jaradee Palmira. The MasTer does not control me. The silent mantra gave her the confidence to sleep.

  40

  Jaradee’s Legacy

  Part 3 - Conflict

  K uparak collected them as pennants of pale pink and teal announced the sun’s imminent arrival. He broke the long trip to Chunarrie into two parts. The flight across the Dirredaca Seâ took the better part of the turning. They landed by the light of Dyad’s solo rising and spent the night at a safe haven on the outskirts of Tahellive. Exhausted by the long journey, Rayn chose not to take a tour of the town where her mother and siblings had spent time. Instead, she curled up on a cot in a small, dark room and slept. When Kuparak nudged her awake in the gloom of pre-sunrise, she dragged her tired body to the kitchen table, wondering if she had slept at all.

  After a quick breakfast, they tethered to their tukoolos, flew inland, and headed for Chunarrie. As the sun slid past middle-turning, Toa, Aquila, and Oha swooped between two bronze-tinted mesas and alighted in the trees by the banks of a slow-moving river. Kuparak flew further into the woods and landed beneath a secoe pine. Rayn and Rasiana followed, released the tethers to their compeers, and shuffled after him along a little-used track.

  Squinting beyond him, Rayn sighed and ordered her tired legs to keep moving. Cold night air teased her lassitude into wakefulness. Total darkness had taken over the forest when Kuparak halted.

  The sting of SorTechory froze Rayn midway to speaking. Rasiana grabbed her hand. Kuparak urged them off the track. Animilero training clicked into play. Minds blanked, they moved through the close-packed trees. Long after the SorTech’s intrusive search had faded, they arrived at the river bank a short distance from the Rompeerial Mesa.

  Too tired to think, Rayn sank to the ground and leaned against a smooth barrow trunk. In the glow of Dyad’s singular light, Aquila came to rest on a branch above her head; Oha perched nearby; and Toa flew to his compeer’s outstretched arm. A harrier hawk dropped through the trees, and Daar appeared. A quick exchange of information and Rasiana hurried to her side, kissed her cheek, and whispered, “I’ll see you soon.” She shifted and flew after Daar away from the river.

  Kuparak, captured in the cool blue of the full moon, reminded Rayn of a carved obsidian statue, polished to a satiny sheen. Luminous amber eyes scanned the night dome and came to rest on her face. “I know you’re exhausted, but we can’t stay here. Too many soldiers in this valley. I wanted to take you to Chunarrie.” He gazed up at the mesa and seemed to come to a decision. “The Vasrosi have a safe haven near Lake Scarla. It’s on the other side of the Plains of Los Ateed, a goodly distance but not unmanageable. Daar and Rasiana will meet us there.”

  She allowed him to assist her to her feet. “What about the project in Chunarrie? Do you need to stay for that?”

  “Daar took care of the final arrangements. The cryogenics canisters are on their way to Tic Calag. The next step is to be there to receive and load them.” His hand rested on her shoulder. “How do you feel? Can you fly?”

  Aquila fluttered to a lower branch. She tethered to her tukoolo. “I’m stronger than I look. Let’s go.”

  The Plain
s of Los Ateed el Rida, a barren and impoverished landscape, spread below them in the light of the moon. Cracks careening in all directions presented an abstract of geometrical shapes stained varying shades of blue. Plants pushing up through the crevices in search of moisture shriveled in despair. Nothing stirred but tundi sage, quivering in the swirling currents of dusty devils, and the occasional night bird taking flight.

  Grateful for Dyad’s stable presence in the night dome, Rayn contemplated El Stroma’s two moons. Dyad, cool, blue, and consistent, circuited the planet with no deviations. Alkina, in all its radiant rose and topaz glory, on the other hand, created minor havoc with its biannual retrograde orbit and its shifts from barren to resplendent. In two turnings, it would go direct. Slack tide would still the seas and then, rising too high and falling too low, lash out against the shoreline. Cyclonic winds would whip the planet, rain would fall where it rarely fell, and harsh sunlight would beat down on wetlands and rain forests. Fortunately, the results of its return to a prograde loop lasted only a couple of turnings.

  As the warm light of the rising sun chased Dyad’s coolness from the plain and behind the Chaporticas Mountains, Kuparak touched down in human form on a rugged trail through a high mountain pass.

  Rayn hovered and at his signal glided a lazy line to his side. Their tukoolos perched on the upper branches of a dead tree, telie-eyes searching.

  Kuparak scanned the distant plains. “We’ll rest soon.” He began to climb.

  She trudged after him. “How much further?”

  The broad shoulders shrugged. He kept climbing. She groaned and pushed to keep up. When they had almost reached the peak, he flashed her a smile and rounded a hairpin-sharp corner. Her brow wrinkled. The trail continued along a narrow ridge. Kuparak was nowhere to be seen.

  “In here.” The muffled voice came from her right. A narrow shaft of sunlight picked out an upwelling of rock and earth. To one side, the light exposed a waist-high opening though which Kuparak peered.

  “In here. Scooch in on your fanny. The entrance is steep, and the ceiling is low.”

  Gripping the rock ledge above the opening, she lowered and, feet first, inched ahead. A hand torch sketched a path. She soon found herself in an underground expanse twice as wide as it was tall. Black and burnt orange sand covered the ground. No boulders or protrusions marred the unbroken regularity of the rounded ceiling and walls. Kup smiled at her obvious surprise.

  “Interesting, isn’t it? Arden directed me here several sun cycles ago. I haven’t been back since. Wasn’t sure I could find it, or if it would still be here. These mountains are prone to slides.” While he talked, he scooped out a shallow hollow in the sand. “Suggest you sleep while you can. We’ll fly to the safe haven tomorrow as the sun sets.” He stretched out in the pit, wiggled around to mold the sand to his body, and slept.

  Rayn scooped out a sleeping hollow. Try as she might, she could not get comfortable. Muscles twitching from fatigue didn’t help. Rambling thoughts pulled her one direction and then another until she sat up and rested her head on her knees. A series of yawns brought tears to her eyes. Curling up, her head on her arm, she drifted at last into dreamless slumber.

  Afternoon coolness woke her to an empty cave and a moment of panic. Footsteps on the trail and Kuparak’s hand-light washing over her, cancelled it.

  “Good, you’re awake. Come on. I found water.”

  Scrambling up the incline, she crawled into a mountain landscape awash from a recent shower. The air felt damp on her skin and smelled fresh and invigorating. Kuparak led her to water puddled in a rock basin. It tasted of minerals and sunshine, quenched her thirst, and left her revitalized and ready to fly.

  The trip took them over mountains drenched in the sun’s farewell light. Above them, fleecy clouds soaked up teal, fuchsia, and rich royal blue. A lake up ahead reflected the soft-hued colors.

  Kuparak flew along the western edge of Lake Scarla, circled above the northernmost shore, caught an air current, and skated to a landing in a grouping of sgàile aspen.

  Rayn touched down a short distance from him. “You look like a god surrounded by angels.”

  A soft laugh accompanied the dip of his head. He motioned her to follow and made his way to a rustic, white-washed cabin, well-hidden among the white-trunked, white-leafed trees.

  The door opened a crack. A dark face peeked out. Rasiana pulled the door wide, jumped from the low porch, and hugged Rayn. “Oha told me you were here. I am so relieved to see you. Daar has gone to Tic Calag, Kup, to find out what’s happened since you were last there.” She stepped back. “I bet you are hungry. I’ve a meal ready.”

  The inside of the cabin proved to be less rustic than the outside suggested. The aroma of stew cooking on an oil stove made Rayn’s mouth water. After relieving herself in the lean-to out back, she sprawled on a patched sofa and sipped hot, fragrant tea from a large mug while Rasiana set the table.

  Restless for no reason she could put her finger on, she set her mug on the floor and wandered to the door. Kuparak stood in the clearing, watching the stars wink their way across the dome. Rangi glided to a landing on the steps. Daar landed at the edge of the clearing, shifted, and jogged to Kuparak’s side.

  “Ship’s here and hidden. Vasrosi are beginning to gather. Supplies and ‘secrets’ will start arriving in a couple of turnings.”

  “Good work. How many Eleo Preda are left to transport?”

  “Of those willing to leave their homes, one more large load for the cargo ship.”

  Kuparak motioned him ahead. “Food’s ready. We can talk more as we eat.”

  Daar shot her an easy smile. “Saw Katareen in Tic Calag. She sends her love.”

  Rayn walked beside him to the table. “What’s she doing there?”

  Kuparak pulled out a chair. “She’s in charge of assembling what we need for the cryogenics lab. You’ll be seeing her soon.”

  Rasiana placed a loaf of fresh bread on the table. Bowls of steaming stew followed. Daar and Kuparak were on their second bowl when their conversation turned to events in Tic Calag. Cimondeli was no longer safe. Awinta was already aboard the cargo ship. Drue and Dyna would be there tomorrow with a group of younger Vasrosi to finish loading and preparing for the final liftoff from El Stroma.

  Daar wiped his bowl clean with a crust of bread and followed it with long drink of water. “The Vasrosi who remain are making their way here. We’re only a handful, Kup. We need to leave soon.”

  Rayn’s secret hope that the tides would turn in the Eleo Predan’s favor, dissolved. Winning is truly no longer an option. Escape has become the goal.

  Her vision blurred. Where have I been? Protected and pampered when I might have made a difference. A seed of anger sprouted. He stirred. Set me free. The words lurked in her mind like a forbidden caress. His restlessness chaffed against her self-will. Every moment of the turning, his power prodded her self-discipline toward submission.

  She looked up to find her companions observing her: Rasiana with dreaded anticipation, her hand clutching something hanging on a chain around her neck; Daar with the inscrutability of a warrior; Kuparak with absolute calm. Gripping the table, she brought her chin up, soaked in the Vasrosi leader’s tranquility, remembered his love for her maman…his love for her as Jaradee’s daughter. Love for him, for Rasiana, for Daar and Katareen pushed The MasTer away, removed the finger from the trigger. Air gushed into her lungs.

  Kup smiled. “Well, done legacy of Jaradee. Use your mother’s strength to enhance your own. Let love be your savior.”

  She swallowed. “You were in my mind?”

  He did not falter. “Only close by in case you had need of me. The longer you can keep him in check, the less potent will be his hold on you.” He lifted his mug. “A toast. To Rayn and the power of love.”

  Later that night she and Rasiana curled up on their small cots and discussed the happenings of the turning. Rayn propped her head on her hand. “What are you wearing around your neck?”

/>   Rasiana touched a spot between her breasts. “Kup told me not to tell you. Well, you aren’t the problem, but The MasTer must not know.”

  Rayn rolled onto her back and focused. “He is not present.”

  Rasiana cleared her throat. “It is a gift from Nioka. That’s all I’m willing to share. If you want more detail, please ask Kuparak.” She pulled the blanket up to her chin and pretended sleep.

  “Can you tell me how you got it?”

  A soft expletive and sound of fists plumping a pillow preceded a short silence. “We stopped in to see her when Kuparak and I took a quick tour of the Tahellive. Go to sleep.”

  Swaddled in the night’s quiet, Rayn pondered what Nioka might have given to her friend that The MasTer could not know about. She thought about him, his power, and the actions that provoked his appearance. You do not get to control me. She yawned and gave into her fatigue.

  The next morning Kuparak accompanied Rayn and Rasiana to a deserted factory center at the edge of the Dirredaca Seâ to meet the captain of the Capese , the old, battered cargo ship procured by the Vasrosi. Captain Cammoll, a man in his medial cycles, greeted them with an appraising look in his intelligent brown eyes. His no-nonsense manner suggested to Rayn that he knew his job. The obvious respect shown him by his small crew—the second in command/communications officer, the engineer, and the science officer/med tech—confirmed it. The solid bond existing between them suggested they worked together well.

  For the next moon cycle, Rayn and Rasiana received, catalogued, and packed samples and specimens of the flora, fauna, and microbial life into Capese . Cryogenics canisters arrived in small, smuggled batches along with the equipment required to create a fully functioning lab at their final port of call. Katareen had done a thorough job of collecting what they would need.