“Kólasi,” Ria whispered.
“To say the least.”
Ria swallowed hard. “Tell me the rest.”
“If that sliver hadn’t hit you and knocked you out, you would have died. The explosion shoved the instrument cabinet toward you. It tilted on its front edge so that the top edge hit the wall, forming a sort of tunnel with you inside. You fell unconscious just before it would have hit you with enough force to kill you. Instead, it protected you.”
“You’re angry,” Ria said, wondering why she hadn’t picked up on it before even without her empathic ability.
“I’m very angry,” Vari said. “Dr. Kannon…,” she trailed off, then took a breath. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yes, I am.”
Vari studied Ria’s expression, and nodded. “This is the story pieced together by the Katres after they concluded their investigation.
“Dr. Kannon was excited about the large amounts of liquid metal they’d collected, and immediately assumed it was Controller nano-bots in a quantity never before recovered. Her colleagues were excited too, initially. Until the results of the first tests came in. The material was not reacting in a manner consistent with other Controller nano-bots. Nor was it raw ore.
“The other scientists suggested, strongly, that she jettison the material from the Beacon. It was an unknown substance, possibly dangerous considering its origin, and therefore too risky to experiment with under the current circumstances and conditions. They reminded her that reaching Kinah and aiding her people was their mission. Not experimenting with debris from the Doftles’ ship in a lab tens of thousands of lightyears from help.
“Dr. Kannon didn’t agree that the material was potentially dangerous, and was furious when everyone refused to assist her in further experiments with it. She attempted to pull rank on them, but even though she was Chief Science Officer, ICARUS is not a military organization. They weren’t impressed with her threats and ignored her orders.
“She retreated to her quarters in anger and stayed there. Two days later she contacted Dr. Jula and requested that you be sent over a day early.”
“She used me to help her with experiments the others believed were too dangerous to perform,” Ria said softly. “Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Yes, it is,” Vari said. “I’m sorry, Ria.”
“Please go on,” Ria said, knowing there was more.
“Dr. Kannon broke so many safety protocols it’s hard to count them all. And it was deliberate.” Vari nearly hissed the last word.
“Deliberate?”
“She put the security shields up, secured the door, activated the containment field, and activated the air circulation system. You know that because you caught the air system warning, which is probably the only reason she activated it.
“What you don’t know is that she bypassed the security cam protocols which should have directed vid within the lab to an external source in the Beacon. She sent it to the general lab terminal instead. That action prevented the security system from notifying anyone that the lab was even in use, let alone what she was doing.”
“I don’t understand,” Ria said. “If she believed it to be so dangerous, why didn’t she protect herself better?”
“She didn’t believe it was dangerous,” Vari replied. “She really did think it was Controller nano-bots, and that what she was doing was no different than what had been done on other Controller nano-bots. No one else agreed with her, which was the whole problem. She was determined to prove she was right, but she needed help.”
“No, she didn’t,” Ria said. “She could have pushed that button herself. She just couldn’t have done it while standing so close to it.”
“That’s true, but that was only the first of a series of tests she intended to perform. Most of them would have required your help.”
“So, if she thought the material was safe, why did she use the Bio-Lab to begin with? Not that I’m complaining. It’s obviously a good thing she did. I’m just wondering why.”
“She used the Bio-Lab, and raised the shields, in order to prevent anyone from wandering in and catching her using you to help her with something no one else would agree to.”
Ria took a moment to absorb that. “Why didn’t the material act as she expected?”
“Because, just as her colleagues suspected and told her, it wasn’t Controller nano-bots. The material she collected was nano-bots, but they were from the Doftles’ mainframe. Not Controllers.”
“The Doftles’ mainframe?” Ria asked as a sudden memory flashed through her mind, then vanished.
“Yes. The Doftles use liquid metal for their computers. Salene and Rayne reported that when they boarded the space station to rescue the Gryphons. If Dr. Kannon had simply told the rest of us what she’d collected, as protocol demanded, I could have told her as much.”
“Now I remember,” Ria said, feeling sick to her stomach. “I wish I didn’t.”
“Remember what?”
“I was watching the vid screen since I couldn’t see the container from where I stood. After the EMP, nothing happened for a few seconds. Then a message flashed on the screen.”
“What was the message?”
“Invalid access code. Activating self-destruct.” Ria swallowed hard. “I barely had time to read it before I heard the explosion. I don’t remember anything after that.”
“There’s nothing else to remember. It does confirm my belief that the material was from the mainframe, though.”
“Yeah, it sure does.” Ria shrugged lightly. “I trusted her and she used me.”
Vari frowned at the way Ria said that. As though she wasn’t truly surprised. “Ria, as angry as I am at Dr. Kannon, there’s one thing you need to remember.”
“Which is?”
“She honestly, truly, did not believe for a moment that the liquid metal they’d collected was in the slightest bit dangerous. It was not her intention to risk your life, or her own.”
Ria knew that was true not only because of her ability to hear lies, but also because of Dr. Kannon’s disregard for her own safety. “You said the Katres performed an investigation.”
“Yes, they did,” Vari said. “They were suspicious when they realized most of the protocols had been ignored, and others bypassed.”
“And you all saw the security vid.”
“Yes, we did.”
“Tell me please, what did the tox screening on Dr. Kannon’s remains reveal?”
“What makes you think there was one?”
“I spent two hours with Dr. Kannon once a week for sixteen weeks. She was always happy and energetic, but that day she was hyper, almost manic. I put it down to excitement but now I suspect she was a little inebriated.”
“You’re right, she was,” Vari said reluctantly. “And not a little, either. There were several substances found in her blood that should not have been there.”
Ria nodded again, but didn’t ask what the substances were. It didn’t matter, and probably wouldn’t have meant anything to her anyway. “Vari, do I have any other injuries?”
“No, you don’t. That cabinet protected you a great deal. You have one small cut in the back of your head from the sliver which has been sealed. Other than that, you had just a few bruises and scratches that are already healed, or close to it.”
“That’s something, anyway. What happens next?”
“That’s up to you. One option is to enter a hibernation tank until we get home.”
“No, I don’t want to do that,” Ria said, instantly horrified by the thought. “Well, not now, anyway. I may change my mind later.”
“That’s fine,” Vari said. “It’s not like they’re going anywhere.”
“Is there a…I don’t know…a device or something I can use to help me get around?”
“I’ve been doing some research on that,” Vari said, pulling a chair close to the bed and sitting down. “Since there are a number of causes for blindness, there are
quite a few devices available.”
“That’s the good news,” Ria said, recognizing the hesitant note in her sister’s voice. “What’s the bad?”
“We’re a very long way into the middle of nowhere. The few devices that the medical fabricator can produce are designed to overcome damage to the eye itself, not the brain. They won’t work for you.”
And my luck continues. “Isn’t there anything that’ll help me navigate?”
“All I’ve been able to come up with so far is a cane that you use to sweep the area in front of you as you walk. It has sound wave technology that emits different tones for different objects it encounters. Walls, furniture, stairs, empty space, that sort of thing.”
“That’s it?” Ria asked in surprise.
“I’m afraid so.”
“Kólasi,” Ria breathed. “I guess I better start learning how to use a cane, then. Assuming the med fabricator can produce one.”
“It can,” Vari said. “I’ve already checked. Ria, don’t take this wrong, but you seem to be accepting this a lot better than I expected.”
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Ria said. “And there’re the unavoidable facts that Dr. Kannon lost her life, and a piece of that container actually entered my brain.” She shuddered. “I figure losing my sight is better than losing my life. Or worse.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“Since I don’t have any other injuries, there’s no reason for me to stay here, is there?”
“I think Dr. Jula wants to keep you here for another day or two, but after that, no, you don't have to stay here.” Vari paused, but Ria had the feeling she wanted to say something else.
“Go ahead and say whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“It’s just…,” Vari paused, bit her lip, then spit it out. “Even if no one can heal the damage when we get home, I want you to keep in mind that hope isn’t truly lost. One day you’ll find your Rami. When you do, conversion will almost certainly repair the damage and restore your sight.”
It took a lot more effort than usual to hide her reaction to Vari’s suggestion. “I’ll try to remember that,” she said finally, unable to come up with any other response.
“Good,” Vari said, noting that Ria had become pale and drawn. She stood up and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. “Rest until your lunch gets here, Ria. I’ll go let Dr. Jula know you’ll be wanting that cane.”
Ria listened to her sister’s footsteps as they crossed the room, then the sound of the door opening and closing. She waited another few moments before allowing herself to think about what Vari had said.
She was shocked that Vari would even suggest something so underhanded and selfish. She also didn’t believe for a moment that Vari would ever do such a thing herself.
Does she think I’m that selfish? She thought for a moment, then sighed. Of course she does. Otherwise, why make the suggestion? That made her sad, so she pushed the thought aside and focused on the suggestion itself.
Could I do that? Could I tell the Katres that I’m their berezi just to regain my eyesight?
Ria considered the question seriously. She knew what it meant to soul-link, and she knew the process by which that took place. It wasn’t something she really wanted to think about, but she needed to know if her sister was right.
She had no idea what the Katres looked like, and except for the eldest, she didn’t even know their names. She knew their rank, of course, but aside from that all she knew about them was that they hated her.
She didn’t resent them for it. How could she when her own parents had reached the same conclusions they had? She wasn’t angry or insulted, either. She’d had many weeks to think about the situation, and she’d come to the conclusion that their hatred of her was actually a good thing. She didn’t want Rami, and they didn’t want her. It worked out for all of them, even if they didn’t know it.
Now, though, she brushed all of that aside and tried to determine, honestly, if she could use them to get her eyesight back. She even tried to imagine herself doing it. When her entire being recoiled from the idea, she leaned back against the pillows with relief. She could never link herself to men who hated her for any reason. Not for her eyesight, nor even for her life.
She was glad to know that she was neither that callous, that self-centered, nor that mercenary. She wondered why Vari thought she was. She could ask her, straight out, and no matter what Vari’s answer was, she’d know the truth. After a few minutes she decided that was something she probably didn’t want to know.
Chapter 13
Ria made her way slowly up the corridor from her room toward the elevator, her cane sweeping the floor in front of her while she trailed the fingers of her other hand along the wall. The cane had sound-wave technology that emitted different tones for different types of obstacles, but after two days she’d turned it off.
She wasn’t completely tone deaf, but close enough that she had to concentrate hard to differentiate one tone from another. The result was that she kept forgetting what each tone meant, and couldn’t focus on using the cane at all. Since turning it off she’d made steady progress learning to navigate with the cane.
She walked at a normal pace, counting her steps, then smiling to herself when her hand felt the end of the wall just as she reached the right number. She turned into the elevator bay, found the call button, and pressed it.
“That was well done,” Pandora said from her shoulder.
“Thanks, Pandora,” Ria said, pleased with herself. She heard the elevator doors open, used her cane to guide herself into it, then turned to face the button panel. She waved her hand absently as though swatting at an insect in front of her face, then ran her fingers lightly over the buttons, counting them silently. She pressed one, then stepped back, swiping the air in front of her face again. The elevator doors slid shut and she grinned.
“I assume I hit the right button this time since you didn’t say anything.”
“You did,” Pandora agreed. “I’m impressed with how quickly you’re adapting, Ria.”
“It’s not like I have a choice,” Ria said with an uncomfortable shrug of the shoulder Pandora wasn’t sitting on. “Without you, and all the time and effort you’ve put into helping me, I’d probably still be walking into the walls of my room.”
“Not having a choice has little to do with it,” Pandora insisted. “Many people in your place take months to accept such a devastating change. Some never do. It’s only been two weeks since you left the infirmary.”
“I really don’t think I’m all that special, Pandora,” Ria said, waving her hand in front of her face yet again. “I just don’t want to spend the next year or two sitting around with nothing to do but listen to entertainment vids.”
“I wouldn’t consider that a hardship, but I see your point,” Pandora said.
The elevator came to a stop and Ria stepped forward, waiting for the doors to open. When they did, she left the elevator, paused for a moment to get her bearings, then crossed to the opposite side of the elevator bay before heading for the cafeteria. She counted her steps as she walked, stopping directly opposite the cafeteria door.
“Perfect,” Pandora said, then added, “There’re a lot of people in there. I think I should call for Vari to come help you.” Ria hesitated. “If you go in there and trip, you’ll lose the confidence you just gained.”
“You’re right, Pandora. Yes, please call Vari.”
A few moments later the cafeteria door opened and Ria felt Vari touch her shoulder.
“This is fantastic, Ria,” she said, leaning in to kiss her sister on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Ria said, smiling. “I’m not quite ready to navigate a crowded cafeteria though, even with Pandora’s help.”
“All in good time,” Vari said, moving to stand beside her. Ria reached up and placed one hand on her sister’s arm, then allowed herself to be guided across the cafeteria to the table in the back corner that t
he Dracon-Bats preferred to use.
“You’re looking good, Ria,” Declan said once she was seated.
“Thanks, Declan,” she replied, knowing it was Declan since they always sat in the same places. She waved the air in front of her face yet again.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Pandora asked from Vari’s shoulder where she now sat.
“Doing what?”
“Waving your hand in front of your face.”
“Because there’s something flying around in front…of my…face,” she trailed off as she realized what she was saying.
“You see something in front of you?” Vari asked with carefully controlled excitement.
“Sort of,” Ria said, consciously focusing on whatever it was she could see for the first time. “It’s like a little flash of something not as black as everything else. Not exactly light, just…different.”
“When did you first notice it?” Vari asked.
“I didn’t really,” Ria replied. “It didn’t penetrate that I was seeing something until Pandora asked what I was waving at.”
“She started that about half an hour ago,” Pandora said.
“Vari, how is this possible?”
“I don’t know,” Vari replied. “How about we have lunch as planned, then you and I’ll go see Dr. Jula.”
“Okay, that sounds good.”
Ria ordered her lunch, then sat quietly listening to her sister and the Dracon-Bats talk while hiding her impatience as well as she could. Despite her efforts, she was so distracted by the tiny flash of whatever it was that she barely ate her lunch. Afraid to get her hopes up, she reminded herself firmly that Dr. Jula was an excellent doctor, and that it was extremely unlikely that she would have made a mistake in her prognosis. On the other hand, maybe the wound in her brain had begun to heal in some small and unexpected way.
Ria's Visions (Hearts of ICARUS Book 6) Page 16
