by Mara Jaye
The terror and helplessness shoves me back into my Fleegan childhood. Watching my mother’s funeral as if through a viewscreen. Trying to halt my father’s slow decent into death. Pushing my brother to be anything but a miner like our mother. Everything failed as much as Fleeg did. My teeth hurt and I realize I’m clenching them. My bionans would tell me the exact force on the enamel, but no. All I hear is an oppressing silence. There’s not even the lack of a connection buzz when I reach out for the Alliance datalinks. I bury my head in my hands, willing myself to be strong for when Xell returns. I don’t mind being weak around her as much as I can’t let her feel unsafe.
A couple of hard thumps, like rocks, hit against the hull. The noises wake me from my despair and I lower the shuttle to the ground to see what’s going on. I open the door, having to push a button in order to do so. Xell hurries in with a sack slung over her shoulder, her face pale. I try to smile at her. “Get everything you need?”
“G’nar. We need to talk.” She comes up to me, letting her things fall to the floor as she sinks into the copilot’s seat. “Were you going to leave me here just now? Was that why you were lifting off?”
Her terror fills me, too, as if we’re still bound by the innercoms. I can understand her point of view, but am horrified she doesn’t understand the strength of our bonding. I hurry to her. “No, Xell. I would sooner die than live without you, ever. If the shuttle is gone or hovering, it’s because I’m testing the functionality.” I take her hands. Her skin is cold and I can feel her fingers trembling. “I will never, ever, leave you for any reason. I’m yours and you’re mine for as long as you want me. I promise I will love you for all time.”
“Promise?” she whispers. “That’s a big deal. Are you sure?”
“Yes. Forever,” I reply. She throws her arms around me, burying her face in my neck, and sobbing. I snuggle into her, pulling her onto my lap. She’s so small. Curvy and luscious, but small. “Come on, no need to cry. I’m sorry I scared you.” Her sobbing continues and I ask, “Will you be all right?”
“Yeah, just say the promise again and mean it.”
I bury my fingers in her hair. “You know what a Gharian promise is, don’t you?” I feel her nod and smile. If my bionans can’t work, I’m glad hers still do. “Then you know we’re mated for life.”
“Uh huh.” She lifts away from me. Tears rim her beautiful eyes. “It’s just that people I love don’t tend to stay with me. I’m not ready to lose you.”
I wipe her cheeks with my forefinger. “Good. Don’t be. We’re a pair.” She hugs me again and I’m dying to lighten her mood. “Hey, since my nanos have stopped working at all, do you mind returning some of mine to me? It’ll take lots and lots of kissing.” I feel more than hear her laughing and add, “With tongue.”
“You got it,” comes her muffled reply. “They’re so distracting.”
“Really?”
“Oh God, yes.” She sits up straight, combing my hair with her fingers. “All of the constant messages about upgrades, Alliance news, weather from places I’ve never heard of? It’s too much.”
“You know you can adjust the settings, right?”
“And miss out on something important? What if they want to send me a significant improvement but I skip it because I don’t like Fleeg or the Vahdmoshi?” She kisses my face, saying, “I can’t let my biases ruin my brain,” against my skin.
I can’t help but laugh and pull her to where she straddles me. I’d do more but the damned probe is in the shuttle and watching our every move. “Smart woman.”
She leans closer to me. “Is it still hovering over there?”
“Yes. We’re forced to be on our best behavior until the doctor gives up and lets us die in peace.” I put my arms around her for a hug. “It won’t be all—”
“Sure.” Xell interrupts before standing and facing the control panel. “Sending signal to display.”
The interruption doesn’t bother me nearly as much as my inability to receive the message internally. Dr. RenShell is back on screen. “Hello again. Did I mention I left Ghar last week for a conference and vacation? I’m not landing on Emol but am in the neighborhood. Obviously, since I’m in orbit above you.”
Xell glances at me, frowning. I know she’s doing the math and there’s no way someone could arrive here so quickly unless… I glare at the doctor. “Or, you left as soon as you heard Emol was involved?”
“All right, yes.” She crossed her arms and I could almost imagine her tapping a foot. “When the Emperor asked about the nanos down there, I couldn’t resist. You hadn’t landed on the surface or even thought about doing so when I threw clothes into a bag. At the very least, I expected stranded Vahdmoshi. An Earther and Gharian both infected is vastly unfortunate but great for research.”
“Yay?” Xell says. “Glad we could help?”
“Make no mistake. I’m not happy with you two being there and ill. However, I can promise I’ll do everything I can to help you live a decent life on or off of Emol.” Her eyes cloud with internal processing. “Expect occasional supply drops of possible cures. I’ll make sure they land near your location. One is on its way now.” Her eyes clear and she give us a slight smile. “I’d prefer G’nar to take the dose, since the mixture reanimates dormant bionans. I’d planned on you both, but Xell’s system is working.”
I hear a thump outside. Xell tilts her head toward the door. “Well, let’s get started on rebooting your system before the quiet drives you nuts.”
She leads the way, getting to the box first. The outside of the container was white once but now is charred black up the sides. She stops and gives me a grin. “It’s your present. I should let you do the unboxing.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Yet, this does feel like a holiday present. I pick it up and take the medicine back to the shuttle. Dr. RenShell is still on the viewer. The package is easy to open. Soon, I’m staring at a blue vial. “Do I injest or inject?”
“It’s an air injection. Effects won’t be immediate but will be measurable. Let me know when your innercom is back online. I want to run tests.”
“Will you need me?” Xell asks.
“Yes, but later. You’re asymptomatic right now. I want to reconnect G’nar for now.”
She nods before turning to me. I give her a grin despite being a little nervous over my new status as medical test subject one. “Here goes.” I press the head of the vial against my arm. The formula goes into me with a hiss. All three of us seem to be holding our breath, waiting. Nothing happens and I shrug. “You did say it’d take time.”
Both women’s eyes cloud. I’m a little pissed they’re silently talking to each other, leaving me out of the loop. Still, I’ve done the same thing often enough. While they’re talking, I can see every emotion Xell’s feeling on her face. I can’t help but grin because she doesn’t know about dampeners. Most of us in the less emotionally driven branches of the Alliance rely on the dampening function to appear impartial when necessary. Xell would make a lovely, if easily read diplomat.
There’s a scraping noise, sharp, sudden, and echoing. I check to find the probe is still hovering, motionless, and the two women are still talking. I look out of the open door but don’t see anything. I move closer to learn what’s clawing at the hull of the ship but nothing. After doing a walk around inspection, I can’t find the source of the noise. Worse, it’s getting louder and beginning to hurt my head. The scratching doesn’t bother me as much as the flashes of light and pain behind my eyes. I go inside the shuttle. “Hey, Dr? What exactly are the side effects of this stuff?”
Chapter Thirteen
Xell
G’nar’s voice interrupts the doctor’s and my conversation. She sends What? to me before adding, Could you please scan him again? I nod as she says to both of us, “Enforcer MaKrell, I’ll need another check of your medicine’s effects.”
I do as she asks, sending the probe to scan him. The glowing circuits are broken up. Are they supposed to be dissip
ating, I ask her?
No. After reactivating the bionans, the Emol nanites have been attacking the current setup as if Alliance hardware are a disease. Biological metals are accepted in our bodies currently, but the Emols don’t know that. Eventually, the infectious nanites will shove out his additions via waste or directly through the skin. The only good thing is he won’t live long enough to endure much pain.
“What?” G’nar takes my shoulders. “What’s she telling you, Xell?”
The fear in his face matches my own. I send to the doctor, All right, try another cure because he deserves better.
I clear my throat. “There’s a bit of a problem with the Emol nanites just packing up. They see your Alliance nanos and the enhancements as something to remove.” His hands fall. “The doc will keep working on a cure, of course.”
“Absolutely,” Dr. RenShell adds. “I have a lot of other solutions to restore your bionans. I can’t guarantee any of them will work without issue, but it couldn’t hurt to keep trying.” She glances off to the side. “In the meantime, make yourself as comfortable as possible.” The screen goes back to window.
“Why do I not share our doctor’s optimism?”
“I’m not sure I do, either.” Shaking my head, I go for the analgesic Dr. RenShell mentioned via the innercoms. “There’s something you can take for the pain until she gets her act together.” I bring the tube to him. “Not that she’s inept. Even the nanites’ creators couldn’t contain them.” He shoots the stuff in his arm similar to the failed cure.
Is the pain reliever working?
The doctor’s voice startles me again. I need to go to settings and create an incoming message warning. G’nar’s tense expression relaxes as the medicine takes effect. It seems to, I reply.
Good, because a suffering patient is a huge distraction and I need to think.
Instead of retorting back with a snarky comment, I choose a different tone. You’d said something about eliminating his circuitry through the waste. Do you all have food poisoning on Ghar?
Ha! No. I mean, several of the colonies have had issues with spoiled food supplies. Digestive issues now happen to our undercover officers in backward worlds. Why do you ask? Is he sick or are you?
Neither, I reply. I’m just wondering if the fastest way to remove bad nanos is similar to removing bad scallops.
Bad what?
An edible Earth sea creature. Very good when thoroughly cooked, devastating when not. Remembering the last time I had food poisoning makes me queasy again. Anyway, you’d mentioned the nanos pushing everything out and I’d though why not push them out?
Can you switch to enhanced vision? Wait, no, you shouldn’t be able to without the programming.
I try and she’s right. The attempts only lead to a nope tone in my head. What would that gain me?
You’d see how thick the air is with nanite tech. It’s why we can’t bring anything back from the surface. The air in your lungs would contaminate a ship with your first exhale. It’d be easier to remove every bacterium than the nanos. They’re far more clinging. Unless, do your Emol nanos have a shutdown mode?
You all didn’t check that first? I send before searching and finding none. No. The bionans do and that’s good to know.
Even they can’t be turned off completely. A fail safe in case someone hacks another person.
That is beyond scary. But I can think about my brain being compromised later. Right now, G’nar is laying on the bench on his side, covered up with a blanket. I go to sit on the floor next to him.
He caresses my face. “Are you and the doc solving this world’s problems?”
“Trying to.” I rest my head against the seat cushion under his chin. “I can see why Earth isn’t allowed access to your tech. It’s bad enough when you know what you’re doing. We’d probably wipe out every living thing.”
“Um hmm,” he responds and I glance over at him. He’s asleep.
I could use a shower right now, wanting a chance to hide from all of this. That whole getting clean via blowdryer still doesn’t seem like I’m truly germ-free. I reach out to the Alliance datalinks on how the process works. There’s lots of quantum physics involved, oddly enough, instead of isopropyl alcohol. Physics is not a rabbit hole I want to go down, but something about spraying particles gives me an idea. Dr. RenShell?
Kinda busy.
Sorry, but I have to ask, could we melt the Emol metal like we do dirt and germs in the bathroom?
It won’t be that easy.
I almost laugh because nothing ever is. Didn’t expect it would, but is it possible?
Her excitement transmits through to me. Let me find out.
Chapter Fourteen
G’nar
I open my eyes to see Xell still next to me. It’s dark outside and my stomach growls. She’s staring with glazed eyes. “Hey,” I whisper, “Sorry to interrupt, but have you been there all day?”
She shakes free from her distraction to look at me with a smile. “Not the entire day. I snuck out to retrieve some wild nanos for the doc.”
I sit up, not happy with what she’s done. “Without me? What if you’d been hurt or covered by an exploding stem tree?”
“You forget I’ve had a lot more experience with roaming around Emol than you have.”
“Maybe so, but pain is pain, sweetheart.” I shake my head, trying to wake up a little more. “What is she working on at the moment, or do you know?”
“I assume she’s tearing apart the nanos, figuratively speaking.” Xell nods at the probe while getting to her feet. “She had me open the drone for samples and has been quiet ever since.” She opens the food dispenser. “Are you hungry?”
I have to think for a moment. “My stomach says I am even if I don’t feel it.”
“Then you’ll want something light”
I look sideways at her while she sets up our meals. “We haven’t spent any time in the Vahdmoshi ship. Are you homesick at all?”
She gives me my food. “No. My home is with you.”
“I feel the same.” The answer seems so inept, yet I still don’t think at a hundred percent just yet. Despite how fast our dinners cook, I wait until she’s seated and eating before I begin. “What did you study today.”
Xell settles in next to me. “As much as I could about ordinary Alliance life.”
“You know different parts of the Alliance have different customs?”
“I do, and concentrated on Ghar with a little bit of the best of Fleeg thrown in.”
“Best of?” I snort. “There’s nothing good about Fleeg except not being there.”
“Maybe, yet I found a couple of holidays worth celebrating. First Child Day is sweet. Founders Day, too, is a great time to pig out on some seriously crazy desserts.”
She’s right. The first child born on Fleeg benefitted all of us kids. For one day out of Fleeg’s long year, double Earth’s, we were spoiled rotten. “First Child is like your birthdays but on only one day a year.”
“Pleasant memories for you?” she asks with a side-glance. “Don’t answer if you’re not comfortable doing so.”
“It’s fine and as a kid, yeah.” Lots of memories, but before my nanos so all I have are organics. She’s wired so there’s probably no need to tell her how faded those are.
“Good. Tell me how you liked Founders Day. Is it true the only ingredients you all had were shortening, flour, and sugar?”
“That happened before my time. The refrigeration stopped working. Fleeg is as warm as here and whatever was organic rotted. We had salted meats and canned vegetables, but very little. Animals died in the heat, along with a lot of people. When the food storage was fixed, the settlers wanted to celebrate but only had a few ingredients. Someone came up with a meal of desserts and a holiday was born.”
“Sounds like your parents didn’t celebrate.”
“They did, just not enthusiastically. My mother was usually too tired and my father would forget to bring home anything special. My b
rother, Chin, who isn’t named after a body part, and I would make cookies as an improvisation.”
Her eyes cloud and she nods. The command screen brightens and it’s Dr. RenShell. “Sorry for interrupting but I thought you might want preliminary results.”
I smile. “You guessed right.”
She addresses Xell. “The shower idea didn’t work with any corrosive substances we tried.”
“We?” I ask.
“My team back on Ghar is helping as is most of the galaxy. You two being trapped has revitalized everyone’s love for puzzles.”
I exchange a glance with Xell before saying, “Maybe it’s just as well. After the stem tree acid ate through one of my uniforms, I’m done with corrosion for a while.”
“Stem tree?” the doctor asks and Xell must have sent her a mental image. “Oh, and there’s acid in the trunks?”
They’re speaking out loud for my benefit and I appreciate it. “A lot. Thick and the moss here neutralizes it.”
“Interesting. I want a sample. Our uniforms are nearly indestructible.”
“Not against the acid,” I counter.
“Hmm.” She taps a fingertip against her cheek. “I’d have to solve the problem of killing you with the cure or dissolving the shuttle and everything in it.”
Xell snorts. “I’d like a solution to both, please.”
Dr. RenShell smiles. “Understood. Gather a sample, giving it the probe. I’ll run preliminary tests this evening. Set your access accordingly for sleep.”
“Yes, doctor,” Xell replies and when the screen fades, she turns to me. “I know where some good and fat trees are. Won’t take me long to have the drone take a taste for the doc.”
I set my plate aside and stand, my legs a little unsteady. “Not alone you won’t.”
“Yes, I am.” She takes my upper arms, trying to maneuver me into sitting down again. “I’ve been all over this area and know where everything is. I’ll be back before you know I’m gone.”
