Syn-En: Registration

by Linda Andrews

  Nell shoved her bangs out of her face. “I think the medical clinic is closed.”

  For now. The Syn-En doctors would need to re-examine everyone once the fleet arrived.

  You did well, dear. I believe you have found your place in the Syn-En fleet. Mom’s approval soothed Nell’s racing thoughts. These people made it sound like there were billions of Humans scattered throughout the registered universe. They will all be under your jurisdiction once Humans register.

  “Billions of people to account for.” Nell tossed the medical recorder onto the table and rubbed the kinks out of her neck. “And no one seems to know if we are supposed to go and pick them up, or if their former masters will just drop them off at our doorstep.”

  “Probably a bit of both.” Elvis sniffed the plate of caprinae hooves oozing blood on a platinum platter near his settee. A string of drool spun from his jaws and he quickly shifted, allowing a nearby bucket to catch the stream.

  Sitting on a pink cushion near Elvis’s settee, Zahar dipped tiny bottles into the bucket, filling then capping them. “That’s if the aliens give up the people. We heard rumors that the Unadul kept millions of Flegatz enslaved for a hundred years after the species was recognized as sentient.”

  “That won’t happen to humans. Someone always talks, and we will always investigate the rumors.” Gagging at the ribbons of goo streaming from the full bottles, Nell covered her mouth and looked away.

  Amarook spit has many curative properties, Mom chided.

  I know, but that doesn’t mean I want the loogie lotion bottled at my dining table. Leaning forward, Nell pushed the off button on the medical reader. Say goodnight, Mom.

  Mom sighed. I suppose it is better to shut me off and conserve the battery. Of course, the embassy still has power…

  The cerebral interface avatar faded out of Nell’s brain. Alone at last.

  Elvis sent an image of himself sucking the gelatin out of the caprinae hooves.

  Obviously, she thought too soon. Nell’s stomach growled. “Would you stop that?”

  “I think there is enough Amarook salve for now.” He patted Zahar’s little brother who stirred on the settee beside Elvis.

  Nodding, Zahar corked the last of her bottles and added it to the others inside a woven basket. Then she checked the bucket. Viscous liquid sloshed a quarter of the way up the sides. “This will last longer if Pet stores it with the wine.”

  Pet. Nell hadn’t seen the little despot since she’d joined the party. What trouble was he up to now?

  Elvis flashed another mental picture. In this one, he chewed on Pet’s leg.

  So tempting. She scratched the Amarook’s head.

  Zahar rose and gathered the supplies. Biting her lip, she looked at her unconscious brother. “Will you watch Iness until I return?”

  Sunlight touched his chalky skin. But his chest rose and fell at even intervals and his forehead was warm, not feverish.

  “Of course.” Maybe Nell shouldn’t have turned off the medical kit.

  Elvis snuffled his neck, then licked the bare skin. “He’s recovering. No sign of infection.”

  “Thank you so much for fixing him.” Zahar bowed.

  “No problem.” Nell waved her off. Mom had done the heavy lifting. Nell just didn’t want to be possessed again.

  After one last bow, Zahar headed for the French doors leading into the house.

  “You should eat while you have a chance.” Elvis picked up a hoof and held it up to the light. “I think we can safely make our excuses and begin our journey to the surface within the hour.”

  “Yes, but will our journey be to the surface?” Nell pushed off the throne. Her muscles tingled from sitting on the oversized chair for so long. Motion in her peripheral vision caught her attention.

  Near the mansion’s entrance, the lanky Pet rushed to Zahar’s side. He took the basket from her and handed her a silver pouch with a straw sticking out.

  Nell’s heart sped up. Her silver pouch. The one that held the chocolate shake ration. The little fink was still trying to bribe his way into Zahar’s bed. “I really hate that man.”

  Elvis lapped up the blood on his platter. “If I was forced to eat him, I would throw him back up and not in a good way.”

  She slanted a look at him. “Is there a good way to vomit? One that didn’t cramp your insides so tight, you feel every blood cell moving through your head or make you pee your pants?”

  “Amarooks do not wear pants.” He chomped onto the hoof. Bits of it caught in his feathered muzzle.

  “Perhaps, I’ll mingle on the way to the buffet line.” If she took long enough, he should be done eating the caprinae hooves before she returned, and she could eat her meal without the mastication show. She stumbled toward the stairs leading to the patio.

  A shadow crept across the terrace. A moment later, strings of lights brightened, pushing back the darkness.

  Anwar emerged from the house just as Zahar and Pet headed inside. Anwar drew up short at the sight of them. Grabbing the basket from Pet’s hand, Anwar shoved it at his sister. “You don’t need him. Not for anything!”

  The silver pouch fell to the ground, splashing chocolatey goodness on the white marble. Nell’s muscles twitched. Such a waste.

  “I’ll see that this is stored someplace safe, Zahar.” Pet took the bucket of Amarook drool. He bumped into Anwar when he entered the house, pushing the man aside.

  Human and alien faces turned to watch the drama. Conversations hushed. Silence rippled across the terrace.

  Anwar raised his fist.

  Marching doggedly onward, Pet didn’t turn.

  Zahar grabbed her brother’s arm before planting herself between the two men. “Don’t ruin this night.”

  Nell collapsed on the seat. As much as she believed Pet deserved an ass-whooping, hitting a man in the back wasn’t fighting fair.

  “I take care of my family.” Anwar pounded on his chest. “I can keep us safe. You don’t know…”

  Zahar blew her bangs out of her eyes. “You don’t have to take care of us anymore. We’re going to be free. It’s just a matter of time.”

  A muscle ticked in Anwar’s jaw. Finally, he lowered his fist and nodded. Instead of looking at his sister, he inspected her basket. “You have enough serum for everyone.”

  “Elvis was most generous.” Zahar cradled it close. “He even offered to sing some Earth songs.”

  Pain clamped down on Nell’s skull. Her attention cut to the Amarook. “You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t.”

  It was bad enough she had to listen to him butcher the King’s songs, but to think he planned to howl, yip, and yowl his way through Love Me Tender would set her campaign to revive Rock and Roll back another century.

  Elvis flipped onto his back. His tongue lolled out of his head while he tossed a hoof up in the air and caught it. “Of course, I did. The complexity of Human music is most soothing.”

  Nell shook her head. Not the way he sang it. Her ears bled from his last hour-long marathon of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits.

  “In fact, I should probably offer to perform a few songs when the band comes back on stage.” Elvis flopped back onto his belly and tossed the hoof onto the platter. “Yes. Yes, I will. No time like the present to catch Humans up on a little Earth culture.”

  She grabbed his scruff and held him in place. “No. You can’t.”

  Elvis’s blue eyes narrowed and his ears folded back. “Why not? You said my rendition was unique. A one of a kind performance not even the King could manage.”

  Nell wanted to slap herself. Never, ever use sarcasm again. Ever. She swallowed the wad of truth in her throat and stuck with a little white lie. “Because they might like you so much, we’ll never get out of here.”

  “Yes. Yes, I could see that.” He shook off her touch then reached for a hoof. “I shall wait until Humans are registered.”

  “I think that would make the occasion very memorable.” And might even make a few people deaf. Nell scra
tched him behind his ears. “Now, I’m going to get something to eat.”

  Elvis stretched out along the chair. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” He gnawed on a hoof. “Seems you are worthy of being served.”

  Waving to three women on the stairs, Anwar strode over to Nell’s table. He rested his knuckles on the green silk tablecloth and leaned across. “I, um, wanted to thank you for what you’ve done for my brother.”

  “You’re welcome.” Nell scooted back on her throne and smoothed her uniform shirt. She hoped the man didn’t reissue his offer of fathering her child.

  “I noticed that you hadn’t eaten and asked the chefs to put aside something for you.”

  He waved to the women who walked up the steps. Each carried a platter, one of fruit, one of sea grass, and one with a thick slab of roasted caprinae.

  “Oh.” That was much better. Nell patted her rumbling stomach. “I appreciate that. I am hungry.”

  Anwar glanced over his shoulder and licked his lips.

  Unrolling her napkin, she moved her utensils to the side. The man still hadn’t moved. Uh-oh. Was there another zinger coming?

  Elvis stopped chewing and shifted on the settee. Muscles quivered under his fur.

  Nell cocked her head. “Did you want something else?”

  Anwar turned his attention back to her. “You’re right not to trust Pet. He’s only in this for himself. I can take you to the surface.”

  Nell blinked. “You can? But Ck’dow said Pet—”

  Anwar waved his hand as if to disperse her words. “The Ck’dow trust Pet because of his father. They don’t listen to a word against him. Against the rumors that Pet has found other Humans in the tunnels and turned them over to their masters to get the things he wants.”

  “He wouldn’t.” Nell fisted her fork. That was inhuman. But if those newcomers posed a threat to his de facto leadership… She’d seen how he treated her. The jerk had ordered her killed upon their first meeting.

  “If you really are serious about getting to the surface and not falling into Scraptor claws, I’ll take you after the party.” Anwar flashed his palms and stepped back.

  “Why so late?” She leaned forward. “Pet has agreed to take us in an hour.”

  “He’s changed his mind and convinced the others that you should wait until morning.”

  “No one told me.”

  “It could work in your favor. In three hours, the storm will be strong enough to provide cover from the Scraptor air patrols.”

  “Storm?” Nell’s fingers dug into the table. “What storm?”

  He pointed to the dome.

  Clouds of orange dust swirled over the force field, blotting out the sun. Starbursts exploded in fireworks of white light from the build-up of static electricity. Black shapes formed in the dust where the cloud thickened. Little by little, the storm began to snuff out the sunshine.

  For a moment, Nell traveled back in time to early twenty-first century Phoenix. She loved the monsoons—the curtains of dust that had swept over the city, and the rains that had followed. She’d curl up with a book in front of the picture window and listen to the drops hiss against the hot sidewalk.

  Those haboobs seemed mild compared to the mess pinging off the force field. Yet they always proved dangerous for those outside. “Is it safe to go out in the storm?”

  Anwar smiled. “They blow over quickly. Besides, you don’t want to be picked up by the Scraptors, do you?”

  “No. Definitely not.” She glanced at Elvis.

  The Amarook nodded. “Your uniform is not camouflaged and would be easy to spot on the dust plains.”

  Checking over his shoulder, Anwar pulled out a folded piece of paper and slid it across the table. “I’ll be here an hour after the party. If you really want to reach the surface, you’ll meet me there.”

  Nell’s hand covered the note just as the women reached her. She discreetly stuffed it into her pants pocket.

  “We brought you dinner.”

  “Thank you. That is very kind.” Nell shifted out of the way as one after the other, the three chefs slid dishes in front of her. Her nose twitched at the scent of roasted meat and exotic spices. “Thank you. Everything looks delicious.”

  Having set the meal on the table, the three took a step back and watched her. The one on the right twisted her green-stained apron. The one in the middle folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot. The last one fluttered her eyes at Anwar before tucking her hand through his arm.

  Nell picked up her knife and sliced into the roast. Juice ran along the plate. She speared the piece and raised it to her lips.

  Anwar stared at the French door as if looking for Pet.

  The despot had yet to return. No doubt he was in some dark hole, dreaming up ways to be a thorn in her behind.

  Thankfully, she had an alternative. “I accept your offer, Anwar.”

  He bowed slightly.

  The chef on his arm tightened her grip.

  Wincing, Anwar set his hand over hers. “Since your departure has been delayed, I’ll show you the best spots to quarter the rest of your team.”

  The woman had no reason to be jealous. Nell wasn’t interested. Still, since his offer helped her elude the odious Pet, she could return the favor. “We won’t be needing a very large place as my husband and I will share a room.”

  The woman tugged on Anwar’s arm, pulling him toward the stairs. “Come Anwar. I’ll help you narrow down the choices.”

  Whispering, the couple raced down the steps. An audience of two remained.

  Nell tucked the bite of roast into her mouth and chewed. The meat dissolved on her tongue, leaving behind the flavor of garlic, onion, pepper and tomato. “It’s wonderful.”

  The chef with the stained apron sighed. “It is a recipe one of my ancestors brought from Earth.”

  “It tastes familiar. Italian maybe.” Dipping into the salad, Nell spun the sea grass around her fork then used her teeth to scrape it off the tines. The mass teased her taste buds with a hint of salt and pepper before sliding down her throat. “Tastes like spinach.”

  The cook with the folded arms straightened.

  Sheesh, why would she take that as an insult? Nell twirled up another forkful. “My favorite.”

  The cook’s arms relaxed. “It’s a very simple recipe. I—”

  Elvis rolled off his settee. His fur shifted until it looked like rhinestones glittering down his back, paws, and arms. “Since we’re going to be here for a while, I’m going to join the band. Ladies, prepare to be amazed by Earth music. You’ll be thanking me. Thanking me very much.”

  The sea grass turned to ash in Nell’s mouth. “Can I have some wine? The bottle or the barrel, whichever is convenient. And bring the corks.”

  Maybe she could wedge them into her ears and block out the torture that was to come. Then again, maybe his rendition of Jailhouse Rock would end the party early, and she could finally complete her mission.

  Chapter 19

  Nell drummed her fingers on the helmet tucked under her arm. Her headlamp cut a cone of light in the darkness. Deep in the bowels of the tunnel, water dripped. She glanced down each passage, watched her light run until it faded to black. No one there. She could have sworn she’d heard something. She should have heard someone. “Do you think Anwar forgot?”

  Sitting in a wedge of his helmet’s light, Elvis groomed the feathers around his face. Lick. Stroke. Tug. Lick. He plucked fuzz off his pink tongue. “No.”

  “Do you think he got lost?”

  “No.” Lick. Lick. Stroke. Tug.

  She checked the piece of paper in her hand. A crude line wiggled across the sheet. Every once in a while it would hit a perpendicular line and cut either right or left. By her figuring, the perpendicular lines indicated branches in the tunnel system, but maybe she’d jumped one. “Do you think we’re lost?”

  “No.” Lick. Stroke. Stroke. Tug.

  “Is that all you can say? No?”

  “No.”
Chuckling, Elvis used his hind leg to scratch behind his ear.

  “You’re a real comedian.” Nell resisted the urge to step on the Amarook’s tail. See how funny he thought that was.

  “Relax.” He stretched out on the tunnel floor and yawned. “Anwar probably had to make an excuse to the female he was with. She was in heat and not inclined to share.”

  “She can have him after he leads us to the surface.” Nell patted the sides of her backpack, felt the jagged edges of the computer parts inside. “I think we should have tried to go out the same way we came in. Surely, they have a ladder that would reach.”

  “I didn’t see a ladder.”

  Neither did she, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one. “Did you look?”

  “Nope. You just came up with the idea.” Elvis rested his chin on his paws and closed his eyes.

  “How can you sleep at a time like this? We’re this close to getting back to the ship, repairing the communication’s system and warning the fleet.” And leaps and bounds closer to rescuing Bei. She paced the width of the tunnel. Eight steps there. Eight steps back. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

  “Perhaps you should rest. It could take Anwar a while to join us.”

  She’d rest when she found Bei. Shaking the jittery feeling from her fingers, she kept pacing. “He should be here soon.”

  Anwar had left the party before her.

  By rights, he should have been the one waiting for her and Elvis to join him. Paper crinkled. “Maybe I should retrace our steps.”

  Opening one eye, the Amarook stared at her. His nose twitched and he raised his head. “Someone’s coming.”

  Nell dropped to Elvis’s side and lowered her voice. He’d shield her from view if the newcomer wasn’t Anwar. “How can you tell? There’s no draft to carry their scent.”

  “I can hear them. They are quite loud.”

  “Them?” Anwar was supposed to be alone. “He better not have brought his girlfriend. I’m a little freaked about traveling through rickety tunnels, without having to worry about her stabbing me in the back out of jealousy.”

  Elvis patted the rock walls. “The mine is quite sound, not rickety.”