by Mara Jaye
“I love you. All of you.” I pull her closer, my throat burning with the emotions I feel for this woman. “Whatever happens, I promise to be with you always. Your life is my life.”
Chapter Nine
Xell
I’m completely in love with this man. He not only looks like a god but he, well, he makes love like one, too. I sigh, completely satisfied. That chocolate and bergamot cologne of his? I reek of it. While going down on a guy isn’t one of my fave sexy things to do, if G’nar tastes as good as he smells, I’m so there. I grin and snuggle against him. I can’t quite believe he loves me, but he seems convinced so I’m rolling with his delusions for now.
Later, when he’s cured and I’m not, I can deal. Right now, I just want to jump his bones again. His breathing shifts and I suspect he’s awake. “Good morning,” I whisper. “Are you awake?”
“Trying not to be.”
“I know. Having to spend the day on an air mattress having hot sex sounds like something I’d like to sleep through, too.”
He laughs. “And I’m up.” He shakes his head and turns over to spoon me. “No, I’m talking about notifications that people tag as emergency which aren’t really that urgent. Some of them aren’t even meant for me.”
“Okay, now I’m not missing my cellphone so much.”
“Imagine one in your head.” He moves my hair and kisses the back of my neck. “Great until people think they own you while you just want to be alone with your love.”
“Hmm.” His lips are doing things to my heartbeat. His morning wood doesn’t hurt, either. If my hip wasn’t feeling the pain, I’d be up for round two. Plus, it’s becoming more difficult to keep from blurting out how I love him, too. “You did mention coffee yesterday, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
The amusement in his voice warms me. “Do you like coffee?”
“Love it. One more kiss and I’ll make us both a cup.”
G’nar makes good on his promise, kissing the back of my neck again. He gives one of my boobs a squeeze before getting to his feet. I laugh from the tickle and roll over onto my stomach to watch him. He’s beautiful, with fluid movements, familiar with the shuttle’s layout. “Do you travel in this a lot?”
“Some.” He tilts his head, waiting for the first cup to finish before bringing it to me. I sit up as he adds, “I’m actually accustomed to my Earth vehicle more than this.”
The first sip is beyond wonderful. I didn’t realize how much I missed coffee until now. “You drove a car? How did you get a license?”
He gives me a sly grin and I’m sure he was a rotten kid. “I did and kept it under the speed limit. Didn’t want the cops to guess my papers might have been forged.”
“Ah. A lot of aliens do that.” His eyebrow raises at my word choice so I add, “Earth aliens, I mean. Did you hire someone local?”
“Local to me, yes. Not so much to you.” He pulls a corner of the blanket over his lap. “Our undercover department is the galaxy’s best. They can make me Vahdmoshi, given enough time and my willingness.”
Imagining him as anything but a sexy Gharian is awful. “Ew, no.”
“Yeah, I’m not volunteering for that assignment, either.”
“Damn.” No wonder we’re Sixth World when we can barely change our hair and faces. “There are Ghars going around as Vahds? For real?”
He takes another sip. “Classified.”
“You could tell me, but you’d have to kill me?”
“Pless, no. I merely wouldn’t tell you.”
My cup is almost empty. I want another. “How much do we have in the way of food and drink on here? Enough to last a week or two?” If I stretch it, we could probably have coffee and ice cream for a month. The idea thrills me.
“Not long. Maybe an Earth year, a little longer if we’re conservative.”
The idea of coffee and chocolate for a year sounds good, but his neutral expression worries me. “Will the nanos let us live that long?”
“I hope they extend our lives.”
“Me too.” I kiss him and he tastes more like coffee now than anything else. If we were in my apartment behind Lucky’s, I’d be in heaven. “Too bad I didn’t meet you on Earth. I’d like to have normal experiences with you.”
“In that case, I’d already be gone, disappeared, and you’d be alone.” He grabs my cup and his, refilling both. “I like the current version of events much better.”
“Trapped on a strange planet?”
G’nar chuckles. “Are you talking about here or Earth? Both are alien to me.”
I take the cup he holds out. “You have a point. At least we didn’t have flesh eating plants at home.”
“Not unless you’re an insect.”
“True.” I drink deeply, intending to enjoy every ounce. “What else can we get from Earth without interfering with them? Do the Vahdmoshi have a black market for goods produced at home?”
He pauses, licking his lips. “They don’t sell goods, but abductees.”
“Slaves?” I’m not stupid. I know slavery in some form or another still exists on Earth in various countries, including my own. Still, to be taken out of the solar system with no way to return if you managed to escape? “How many?”
“Not every missing person on your planet, but enough that we keep busy moving Earthers and others from Fifth and Sixth worlds to a sanctuary planet.”
“We have to tell—” I begin before realizing the idea is dumb. “Never mind. What can we do? Call up the world leaders and say, hey, you don’t know me but some bad guys are kidnapping people to distant planets.” The coffee doesn’t taste as good now that I know about the abductions. I set down the cup. “We’d be lucky if they didn’t listen. Otherwise, they’d nuke everyone in a fit.”
“I agree.” He scoops up his discarded pants. “Do you mind if I get dressed?”
I give a dramatic sigh. “Yeah, I do, but go ahead if you insist. I stay naked in case you want that whole sexy time thing again.”
He’s half-dressed, grabbing my shirt and tossing it to me. “I happen to like keeping you naked, but in case the drone comes back?”
I know a good point when I hear one. I shrug into the shirt and stand, helping him put away the bed. The mattress deflates as fast as it inflated. “I could have used one of those while camping.”
“Did you go out around Albuquerque?”
“Of course. One of my foster families were big into the outdoors. We went all over.”
“You don’t sound happy about the experience.”
“I liked it.” I hand him the pillows. Somehow I missed when he puffed them up because they fold into small squares. Weird. Shaking off my distraction, I continue. “I hated leaving the family as early as I did. They were one of the good ones.”
“What happened?”
“The father’s job transferred him. We kept up for about a year before things tapered off.” I don’t want to talk about me and especially not my upbringing. “What about your family? How do your parents feel about your traveling around the galaxy, righting wrongs and rescuing quarantined damsels?”
He freezes and I realize I’ve hit a sore spot. Before I can take the words back, G’nar turns to me with a slight smile. “My family is gone. I might have aunts, uncles, cousins, but I don’t know them or even if they’re alive.”
Oh shit. We’re both orphans of a sort. Me figuratively, him literally. “You don’t have to talk about anything if you don’t want to.” I’d give anything to wipe away the pained expression on his face. “Seriously, I didn’t know and was just making casual conversation.”
“Not a problem and since we’re here for a while, there’s no reason to keep quiet.” He sits on one of the long padded benches and pats the seat beside him. I comply, sitting close but not touching. He kisses my forehead. “I was born on a failed colony of Ghar’s. It’s called Fleeg and people from there are Fleegans.” I must have given him an amused look because he grins. “I know. A bit goofy but an explor
er named CharnKrell Fleeg discovered the planet. He was proud of his first name. Fleeg also died before fleegan became interchangeable with bastard, only worse. The Earth word doesn’t convey the same disgust.”
“Maybe asshole would work? Or fucker?”
One of his eyebrows arch for a moment. “Love, you’re not helping.”
“Sorry.” I interlace my arm with his. “Go on. I think it’ll help you to confide in someone who accepts you as you are.”
He gives me another grin before staring ahead, recalling events. “The colony was known for its natural resources. The main and expensive one being Proth. You’ve never heard of the stuff and for good reason. It’s a highly votile fuel from underground.”
“Like oil maybe?”
“More like uranium without the radiation but all of the explosiveness.” He swallows. “I’ve seen small bits of Proth up close. Not big enough to wipe out a city, but enough to kill someone. Anyway, our colony hand mined it carefully and prodigiously for years. Metal caused the reaction, so I do mean hand mined.” He glances at me and I nod for him to go on. “Accidents happened because rock needs to be chipped away even if carefully. My mother was a casualty right after she’d had my younger brother. The three of us were good, I thought, until my father committed suicide.”
“I’m so sorry, G’nar, truly.” I put my arms around him. “You said you have no family, yet your brother? Did he survive childhood?”
“He did and went to mining like our parents. I tried to talk him out of it but Proth was where the big money was. When his mine caved in, killing him and several hundred others, Proth mining was outlawed. Fleeg wasn’t the best of places to begin with but after losing its main income?” He shook his head. “I left for a grunt position in the Intergalactic Alliance and never looked back. People say they’re homesick. They miss their family. Want to spend holidays with loved ones. I understand the sentiments but don’t share them.”
“Did everyone leave Fleeg, too? Is that why it’s considered failed?”
“Many did. There are new and almost habitable planets found all the time. People can be trained as terraformers.”
“Wow,” I can’t help but interject. “That’s so far beyond us. We’re doing good to keep the species on our own world alive, never mind cultivating other places.”
“Thus the Sixth World designation. Earthers are smart and as quick to learn as any other humanoid, but haven’t made the leap from staring only at their sun.”
I’d like to argue with him but he’s not wrong. I hug him. “I’m sorry for what happened to you. Grammy had a saying, I cried for shoes until seeing someone crying for feet. Or something like that. It’s been a while. I feel like that’s me and you.”
“Grammy is trying to translate as grandma. Is that right?”
“Oh, yes. My mom’s mother. She took me in when Mom disappeared for the last time. Like you and your dad, we were good until she died.” I glance at him and see the stricken expression he’s wearing. “No, she died of old age. I also have siblings, half ones, but they’re scattered and with their fathers or grown.” G’nar and I are quiet for a few moments before I quip. “Should we cry it out and then go back to having sex or what?” He laughs, which is exactly what I wanted, so I add “Sex it is, then!”
“Maybe after I send in a report on our status?” He pulls me to my feet. “The benches are barely wide enough for a repeat of last night’s position.”
I have to wonder if the rest of the galaxy just isn’t as inventive as we are on Earth. Maybe that’s why our population is exploding. G’nar’s giving me a wicked grin so I offer, “Or I could sit facing you.” Before he can say anything, there’s a sharpness in my stomach. Like I’ve eaten a tortilla chip without chewing. “Ow.” I sink to the bench.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just a little growing pain, I think.” My torso gurgles like one of the stem trees. “Or gas. Did the coffee have extra fiber or something?” I head toward the bathroom. “Because I feel like I’m full of sharp bubbles.”
“No, it was water and flavoring.”
A cold sweat from the pain covers me in an instant. I sink to the floor so I don’t fall. “G’nar, this really hurts. I don’t think anything is supposed to do this to a body.”
“Lie down.”
I do as he’s instructed, the fear in his voice scaring me. He comes over and holds a small device over my torso. “Not seeing any air bubbles.”
The sharpness eases for a moment and I stare at what he’s doing. The fear on his face worries me. “How are you seeing anything on such a small screen?”
“It’s transmitting to my bionans,” he says in a distracted voice.
A fresh wave of agony sears across my entire body. I turn to my side, fetal position. “Whatever it is, make it stop. I need drugs.”
“Infection?” He puts a hand on my forehead, talking to himself more than to me. “Can’t be, but it is and not from Emol or the Alliance. Odd.”
“G’nar, give me drugs,” I growl as the Emol nanos begin shutting me down.
Chapter Ten
G’nar
I push my processors to work faster because she’s dying before my eyes. Nothing comes up besides normal. I don’t understand why she’s been unconscious for the past hour and her pulse is weak. “Come on, baby. Stay with me.” She moans, spurring me to find a solution within my own system. Nothing works. I’m relying on my Alliance training to keep down the panic. Otherwise, I compulsively check her heart rate both as a reason to touch her and to ease my fears.
I need to contact Dr. RenShell. She worked with Turkh and Lin when we left the Vahdmoshi mining camp. She also has the most experience besides the Emperor, his son, and me with Earthers. I send a databurst to her explaining our emergency.
Yes? Your problem sounds interesting. I’m running additional tests now to see how Earthers are different. How are you feeling?
Her concern is nice but I don’t care about me at the moment. I’m good. Is there a way to hurry?
There’s a limit to how fast things happen, Enforcer MaKrell. Try running the scanner over her again.
I do, and the information goes to both of us simultaneously. She’s full of my antibodies, sent to her by my bionans. “Damn.”
Yes. She’s fighting you and you’re fighting the nanos, shutting down her organs and brain in the process.
How can we stop my bionans? Wipe them out entirely?
We don’t because I have a better idea. Sending instructions to your system now.
A mandate comes in through my innercom, spreading new programming throughout me. Instructions say to transfer bionans to Xell, but I hesitate. Even mentions of the tech is illegal, Doc. Are you certain about this?
Now you care about illegal? Your landing on Emol is already a death sentence. Who’s going to censure you now?
Good point. I move into a position to kiss Xell. She’s so beautiful, even this pale. I feel odd about kissing her while unconscious, but barring a transfusion or injection, romance is the fastest way. Her lips aren’t cold and yet not warm. I swipe my tongue across her teeth, intent on sending every bionan I can spare.
The effect won’t be immediate, Dr. RenShell says. They need time to work. And of course she’s too cool for my liking. Her blood flow is significantly slowed. Speaking of blood, only one sexual encounter? Going by your breaking the law to be with her and the level of attractors in both of you, once is surprising.
Her intimate knowledge of us is a bit embarrassing, or would be if Xell were awake. I’m glad there are privacy laws.
You should be glad I don’t break the law, ever.
I am. Thank you. Xell’s moan stops me from adding anything else. “Dearest?”
Scan again, please. I want an update.
I do as ordered. Information is sent to both of us and the fix corrects the overzealous antibodies. The bionans are also altering her much like they did Turkh’s Lin and the Emperor’s Pax. Both men are going to rib
me to Tunsa, making me eat my own words. She’s breathing easier, I send to Dr. RenShell.
She is improving. I really prefer to never need to give another human bionans. We just don’t know the long term effects of Earthers and the technology. Their evolution is different enough to worry me.
But she’ll live for now, right?
For now.
Still, if you can solve this problem, why not the Emol nanos, too? As well as you command our bionans, why can’t you eradicate the infection?
I appreciate your faith in me, but the solution isn’t there. I’ve run every test possible, including a few that kill the host along with the nanos. Unless you’re willing to die in order to be rid of them, there’s nothing more I can do beyond the occasional patch.
But this seems to work. Why not make bionans for everyone in the galaxy?
You know, this new technology is for people who can deal with it. Not for just anyone and especially not for unsophisticated races. All of you with the advanced tech think it will magically cure Earthers after a kiss or two. Bionanology doesn’t work that way. It’s far more complex than you’re giving it credit for.
I know a rant when I hear one and besides, Xell’s blinking and giving me a slight smile. The doctor is as frustrated as I am. Maybe more since healing people is her life’s work. I suspect the answer but ask anyway. Still, you’re not going to give up just yet, are you?
Of course I won’t. Bionans do work at first, but in every simulation I’ve run, the Emol nanos take over and kill the host. There’s a short pause before she continues. You need to know something else. Even with both of you having the advancements, you’ll die within a sas without regular infusions of the antidote. Store some extra, if possible. The sample Enforcer BaKrell sent shows the liquid is stable for several Ghar length days.
What else can we do to help?
Nothing for now. Ping me as needed. Also, I wouldn’t count on a cure and enjoy the time you have left.
The disconnect tone sounds and I stare blankly at the command center. I’d hoped that even trapped here, we’d have a long life together. Now, I’m doubtful we’ll have a decent decade.
