Love, Encoded (Selected Evolution Series Book 1)

by Sandra Harris

  “Yeah. Let’s, like, kind of ignore that one.”

  “Agreed.”

  They scrambled from their chairs, staggered and fell as another series of hard hits hammered the shields. On hands and knees Sarah crawled across the wildly vibrating floor towards the parts cabinet. She depressed the magnetic lock and the door slid open. The ship lurched sideways and time-drive parts spewed from the compartment.

  “Ow! Shit,” Tammy snarled by her side, “if I ever meet a Denacon I’m gonna lay one on him so hard he won’t get up for a week!”

  Sarah and Tammy scrabbled through the components, tossing ideas back and forth in a mad attempt to create a kind of time driven turbo they could jury rig to the main engines. Snatching bits and pieces that would meet their demands, they secured them to one side as the buffeted ship tossed around them.

  “Now all we need is . . .” Tammy searched with frantic movements through the pile of parts. “Shit! I can’t see a calibration swing arm for the tachyon stabiliser.”

  A flag lit up in Sarah’s mind. “I’ve seen one of those,” she muttered, clenching her fingers into the deck in a vain attempt to remain stable. She formed a picture of the part in her mind and scrounged through her memory.

  I’m sure I’ve seen one of those.

  Where? Where had she seen it? She sifted through images of recent days, then one sprang with glaring force to mind . . . of a partial outline of the arm silhouetted against a bright orange wall behind a big man’s shoulder.

  Oh hell.

  She stared at Tammy. “I know where one is.”

  “Sorry, Captain,” Adam growled. “They’re faster and more manoeuvrable than us.”

  “Shield integrity down to seventy per cent,” Kane informed.

  Nick bunched his fists and pressed his lips together. They were at a stalemate. Either the Denacons would finally batter their shields down, or exhaust their own supply of weapons. If that happened the bastards would probably try ramming them. Maybe he should consider that before their own shields failed. He couldn’t even attempt diplomacy as the murderous pricks wouldn’t answer hails. There was no winning this battle, they needed to escape.

  And he was at a loss as to how to achieve that.

  The internal comms bipped.

  “Captain,” Sarah’s beloved voice spoke, “we’ve a radical idea.”

  Radical? Hell, I’ll try anything at this point. “Continue.”

  He listened as she outlined her and Tammy’s plan and the inherent flaw it contained—well the major one. The very fact they had no idea if the makeshift booster would work was certainly another drawback. The possibility that activating the device could blow them to pieces smaller than moon dust certainly helped tarnish its appeal.

  “I’m afraid I don’t even know if the part is serviceable,” Sarah added.

  “But there’s definitely a very good chance our plan might succeed,” Tammy added. “If we’re lucky.”

  “What the hell would a Denacon want with a time-drive part?” Nick muttered.

  “Probably collected it as a trophy,” Kane said.

  “How far would we travel, Sarah?”

  “I don’t know, Captain. Could be a fraction of a light year, could be multiples.”

  “We’ll move into the future?”

  “No. It will be more like no time at all will pass. We’ll travel through the time it would normally take to journey a certain distance in no time at all. Time’s funny stuff—”

  “It’ll be like we’re at warp,” Tammy interrupted. “Instead of it taking a long time to move a long way, it’ll take us a short time—seconds even—to move a long way. If all goes to plan.”

  Nick stared around the bridge. “Thoughts?”

  Marnia cocked her head to one side, her eyes narrowed in consideration. “I can teleport the swing arm from the Djakaal if we can penetrate their shields.”

  “When their first attack rebounded onto them, their shield strength flickered,” Kane said. “Enough for a tight teleporter beam to pierce.”

  Nick spun his gaze to Adam. “Think they’ve heard of cricket?”

  A feral grin lit his friend’s face. “They’re about to.”

  “They’ve been careful since that first rebound to steer a course away.”

  “They’ve opted for manual detonation of the torpedoes,” Kane reminded. “If we’re close they’ll have to pre-empt the signal. With a bit of luck the torpedoes will have bounced back at them and explode against their shields before they realise our intention—if this is to succeed.”

  “And we need to ensure they’ll be where you aim, Adam. Plot a course towards them so when they fire they’ll have to divert to a specific course to avoid backlash or collision.”

  “Aye, Captain, it will be my pleasure.”

  “Marnia?”

  “Ready, Captain.”

  “Incoming salvo,” Kane advised.

  “Initiating roll,” Adam said. “Forty degree from flight level starboard thrusters, full burn. Mark.”

  The Umdya began to spin like a graceful ballerina. Then she shook as though kicked by a foul tempered mule. Adam continued the roll, took her over the back of the Denacon ship and accelerated away.

  “Two direct hits on Denacon shields,” Kane notified. “They’re destabilising.”

  “Now, Marnia!” Nick ordered. “Transport the device directly to engineering.”

  The air on the corner of Sarah’s station shimmered then a swing arm materialised. She released her death grip on her chair, grabbed the part and tossed it to Tammy kneeling on the floor by her side.

  “You install that, I’ll ensure the mix commands are regulated correctly.” She crossed her fingers.

  Tammy’s hands moved with swift, sure movements over the improvised parts assembly. Sarah turned back to her control panel, double-checked the tachyon acceleration commands and hoped like hell their impromptu design worked.

  Sudden force threw her sideways, the ship pitched ferociously around her. She coiled her legs around the post of her chair, flung her arms around Tammy’s shoulders and hung on.

  “Jeez it’d be nice if we got some warning of that,” Tammy growled, her fingers dancing at their job. “Almost there. Warp speed here we come!”

  “It’s not technically wa—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, result’s the same,” Tammy muttered then snapped a self-adjusting guide-arm closed. “Done!”

  “Bridge,” Sarah shouted, “we’re good to go!”

  “Engage tachyon drive.”

  Nick’s order sent a shiver, part excitement, part apprehension, across Adam’s shoulders.

  “Here goes nothing,” he muttered, prayed the course he’d plotted wouldn’t take them through the middle of a star or some other equally unfriendly environment, brought the time drive on line and resisted the temptation to squeeze his eyes shut.

  Nothing appeared to change. The Umdya maintained a smooth, stable flight. He checked his instruments. No indication of insanely fast velocity, the ship’s clock maintained its steady beat of Earth seconds. Time had moved forward only as it should. They . . . His heart flipped.

  “Astronomical charts indicate a change in position of two point three light years, Captain.” He couldn’t help the wonder colouring his voice.

  Helran stared with furious disbelief at the empty space that should have been occupied by the ship he was determined to annihilate.

  “What,” he ground out, “happened?”

  Incredulous shock and silence blanketed the bridge. Every officer remained rigid at their station.

  “Karln?” he snarled.

  His First Officer swallowed, his gaze darting over his console. “I don’t know, sir.”

  Anger burned so brightly through
Helran he thought every atom in his body might combust if he relaxed his control one iota.

  “Then what do you know?” he enunciated slowly.

  Karln’s hands flew over his instruments. “There’s evidence of a tachyon dispersion”—he rechecked readings—“trail.”

  Cold dread seized Helran’s veins. “Trail? They’ve moved in time and space?”

  “I believe so, Captain.”

  Gods of the Universe, how did they accomplish that?

  “Can you plot a pursuit course?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Do it.”

  He ground his back teeth together. Fucanol only knew what he’d find when he caught up with them, but find them he would. Wherever they were, whatever civilisation they may have infiltrated and corrupted, nothing would stand in his way of removing them from the Universe completely. His ship had the capability to destroy worlds. This time he wouldn’t refrain from using it.

  Sarah dropped her head between her knees and blew out a long, steady breath.

  “Fuck me!” Tammy shrieked in jubilation. “It worked.”

  Her friend’s happy exclamation brought a smile to her lips.

  Indeed.

  The adrenaline coursing through her system demanded an outlet and the suggestion in Tammy’s words seemed like an excellent idea. She sighed. Unfortunately Nick and Adam would no doubt be unavailable for some time. Her smile widened at the prospect of her future with them. A new world to explore and settle, the secrets of the Universe to discover and the men of her dreams by her side.

  “Hell, yeah.”

  Hands slapped her back and she looked up into the delighted faces of her team. Hybrids and Anaconians hugged and danced around engineering. She surged to her feet.

  “Well done, everybody.” She waited for their attention. “Now, not to rain on your parade, but the Umdya received some heavy hits. I’d like reports on hull and shield integrity, and systems endurance.” She grinned at them. “In between celebrations if possible. We’ve still a ways to go, but let’s make sure we’re in good shape to make it.”

  An acrid, almost boggy, odour stung her nose and she eyed the smelted remains of their ‘add-on’ warp drive.

  “Well, I think we can strike them off the serviceable parts list,” Tammy muttered.

  Sarah slowly shook her head in utter amazement. “I can’t believe that worked.”

  Two point three light years. Nick slumped into the captain’s chair, relief turning his every muscle to jelly. A more than safe margin from the Denacons—for now at least. “I am so going to kiss our woman from head to toes, then start all over again.”

  “I hear you, brother,” Adam murmured.

  Chapter 12

  Nick chewed on his bottom lip and glanced at Adam. “You nervous?”

  His friend didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands, settling them on his hips, switching to crossed arms then letting them fall to his side. “Terrified.”

  Around their private cabin, pale quartz candles scrounged by Marnia from goodness knew where, bless her, bathed the room in a gentle, romantic ambiance. Nick rubbed his palms on the soft ship-suit covering his thighs. Sarah would arrive soon with her personal effects—he grimaced in regret and disappointment—what she’d had time to collect that is. He straightened his shoulders; Adam and he would see she never lacked for anything—real or intangible.

  Was that pounding echoing around the cabin his heart or Adam’s? Both probably. They were about to begin life together as one unit, all three of them. This was a momentous occasion, so why did he feel like a planet within the blast radius of a sun about to go critical?

  Because if I fuck up I’ll hurt one of the most beautiful creatures that ever existed.

  “Is the room too cold, do you think?” Adam worried. “Maybe we should turn the temperature up.”

  They’d adjusted the thermostat five times already. “Perhaps we should just ask her when she arrives.”

  Adam’s head jerked in a short, edgy nod. “Yeah. Good idea.”

  The door swished open. Sarah stood in the corridor, turquoise ship-suit outlining the perfection of her body, a duffel bag in each hand and a brilliant smile curving her luscious lips. Nick’s heart stopped. After a moment her beautiful, questioning gaze slipped from him to Adam then back.

  “Can I come in?” she asked.

  He leaped towards her, collided with Adam and finally managed to reach her side.

  “You’ve no need to ask,” he said. “This is your home, too.” He grabbed a bag from her as Adam did the same, then wrapped a hand around her elbow and ushered her in.

  She scanned the room and delight sparkled in her eyes. “You did this for me?”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it! Thank you.”

  She threw her arms around his and Adam’s waists and hugged them to her, then withdrew from the embrace and rubbed her hands together.

  “This is going to be so much fun.”

  They stared at her.

  Her hands landed on the delicious curves of her hips and her eyes narrowed. “Is something wrong?”

  What could be wrong?

  He shot a worried glance at Adam. His friend stood stock still, wide eyes locked on Sarah as though she were a miracle that might evaporate at the slightest motion. Nick punched him in the shoulder. Adam didn’t seem to notice the blow.

  No help there. “We’re, um, we’re just . . .”

  “Trying to decide who gets first bash at the bathroom each morning?” she asked.

  Surprise raised his eyebrows. “No.”

  Sarah crossed her arms, lifting her breasts into prominent display. She cleared her throat and he snapped his gaze to hers. A slight smile played around her mouth.

  “I have questions,” she said.

  “Questions?” God, if he could only get his brain working.

  “Yes, questions. Guys, I’m getting a crick in my neck staring up at you, sit down for goodness sake.”

  His knees folded as though she held the command switch for them. Fortunately he’d been standing in front of a chair. Adam remained unmoving. Sarah walked towards his friend, placed a hand in the centre of his chest and pushed. Apparently in a daze, Adam shuffled backward to her urging until his legs bumped into the side of their wide bunk and he collapsed into a seated position.

  Sarah moved to stand between them.

  “Right,” she said briskly. “There are things I need to say and things I need to know.”

  Nick blinked. There are?

  “I’m a virgin,” she continued.

  Finally a neuron sparked. “Yes, honey, we know.”

  Surprise flitted across her features, followed by a frown. “Am I that gauche?”

  “No! Honey, it’s just that”—he spun a glance at the still silent Adam—“we’ll explain later.”

  She nodded. “Fine, but I need to know,” her lips twisted as though she were unsure how to proceed. “I need to know . . .”

  “You need to know how Nick and I act in bed,” Adam finally joined the conversation, thankfully with an apparently functioning brain.

  A pale, rosy blush glowed on Sarah’s cheeks as she stared them both in the eye. “Yes. Not that I find myself repelled by any possible acts you understand, but that I’d like to know.”

  Relief crashed through Nick as Adam reached a hand towards her and she placed hers in his, stepping up to him. Adam’s other hand lifted and he twirled a length of her long hair around his fingers.

  “Nick and I are an unusual pair,” Adam said. “It’s almost like we’re Siamese twins of the soul. We don’t sexually gratify each other, though we did experiment with that avenue once,” he shrugged. “Wasn’t what we sought, we need a woman to complete us
—and not just any woman. You. You are who we’ve been waiting for.” He gave her a crooked smile. “We’ve been celibate for five years waiting for you, so our skills may have atrophied. Be patient with us.”

  Sarah gazed down at Adam, her heart full then she smiled across at Nick.

  Well, that’s one question answered. And now . . .

  “What about anal penetration. Do you expect me to take you both at once?”

  A shiver seemed to ripple through Adam’s entire body.

  “We don’t expect anything from you, angel, but we hope like hell that you’re willing to give us your all, as we offer all we are to you.”

  “So we’ll just take it slow? See what we all like?”

  Adam’s wide smile lit her life, but Nick’s silence loomed like a singularity at the edge of her happiness. She leaned close to Adam’s ear, his wonderful spicy scent filling her nose and calming her mind, and whispered, “What’s wrong with Nick?”

  “He’s catatonic with fear.”

  She drew back in surprise. Good Lord! Our Nick? “Of what?”

  Adam smoothed a hand up her arm, leaving a trail of warm deliciousness. “Of not getting it right.”

  A wave of relief swamped her anxiety and she huffed out a sigh. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course we won’t get it right the first time.” She waggled her eyebrows at both her men and gave them a saucy wink. “But we’ll have fun trying for perfection.”

  “I meant our life together,” Adam said.

  She ran a finger along his jaw, delighting that from now on she had the right. That they were hers, to touch, to love. “I know.”

  Adam tugged her a little closer, his mouth hovering over the thrust of her breasts and she swayed her shoulders lightly from side to side, enjoying teasing herself and him.