“Great. I’ll set a course.”
Torrak pulled out of Jenma’s docking port. Once out of the atmosphere and surrounded by the immense vacuum of space, he set a course for the Horju system. Everyone went to their rooms to unpack while he sat back and closed his eyes, letting the vibrations of the ship rumble through his body. The adrenaline rush from the past few standard hours started to recede. And yet the stillness of space taunted him. A temporary reprieve until the next battle, the next action.
The next death because of him.
Torrak forced the thought from his head. He pictured his mind as blank as space, letting thoughts drift randomly, never lingering too long on any one concept. But try as he might, they continually wandered toward Faan and hovered there. What made her so fascinating? He supposed the fact that even with all his analytical abilities and his gifts for solving any problem or puzzle, he couldn’t figure her out.
A whisper filled his ear.
“Peaceful, isn’t it?”
Torrak’s eyes shot open and he spun around in his chair. He couldn’t believe it, even though Faan stood right in front of him.
“How…?” he sputtered.
Faan laughed and sat in the copilot seat next to Torrak. “I suppose I should have told you this from the beginning, but I didn’t know if I could trust you.”
“Tell me what? You have some sort of instantaneous disappearing power?”
“Sort of. I’m a Re’Ris.”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“Re’Ris are a genetically altered species who contain an unusual mutation in their cells. We have the ability to read wavelengths of light and color through our skin and mimic them. In a sense, I can change my skin color to any shade I want.” As a demonstration, Faan placed her hand upon the grey console and it immediately became the same color, blending in almost perfectly. It looked as though her hand ended at her wrist.
“So that’s why you disappeared so quickly.”
“Yes. It’s not something I broadcast publicly. Only a few individuals know about it, including Nuis.”
“I see.” Torrak thought a moment. “Is that why Nuis wanted to stay on board? Because he knew you were here?”
“No. He doesn’t know I’m here. I was surprised he wanted to join your group, though.”
“You were listening?”
“I wanted to know the status of the situation before I revealed myself.”
Torrak paused. “Did you hear about Bewetru?”
Faan’s face paled. “I shimmered out of view when I got to the hotel and saw the authorities. I overheard a conversation about what happened.” She paused for a moment. “Bewetru didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Guilt stung Torrak. “You think Nuis is coming along to get revenge for Bewetru’s death?”
“I wouldn’t blame him if he did.”
“He certainly isn’t what I thought he’d be. At least, not according to his reputation.”
“Most individuals aren’t.”
“What about you? Your reputation is pretty scary.”
“My reputation is true. Assassin training is in my blood. I have killed many times. I am a liar, a thief, a smuggler, a cheat, and a murderer.” The look in Faan’s eyes hardened. “Remember, I’m not coming with you to save some girl. I’m hitching a ride so I can conclude my own issues.”
Torrak tilted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I don’t really care why you want to come.”
Faan started to say something, but instead turned her head as Kalil entered the cockpit.
“Um—sorry to interrupt.”
Faan stood quickly. “We weren’t doing anything.”
Kalil pointed a finger at Faan. “How did you...?”
“It’s a long story.”
“What’s all the fuss about up here?” Nuis walked into the cockpit. The half-smile on his face dropped at the sight of Faan.
“Nuis,” Faan said, her eyes sorrowful. “I’m sorry about Bewetru.”
Nuis’s face twitched and the half-smile returned, although his eyes were emotionless. “Faan! Glad you made it. I’m feeling pretty tired, though, so I think I’ll just go lie down. See you later!” Nuis rushed out of the control room.
Faan started to go after him, but Torrak held her back. “Give him some space,” Torrak told her. “I don’t think he’s ready to deal with what happened.”
“I know the feeling.” Faan turned away and stared out of the viewport into space.
“What happened, Doctor?”
“It’s hard to explain, Commander.”
Daith heard the words floating above her. They swirled in colors of red and brown.
“Try. I thought she had the ability to heal herself? Why has she been here for an entire day?”
Daith’s eyelids opened. Blurry blobs stood on either side of her. She blinked and the beings came into focus.
“Trey?” Daith asked.
Trey’s gaze turned from the doctor onto Daith. “Yes, Daith, I’m here.”
White walls surrounded her. The scent of cleaning chemicals filled her nose. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the medical bay. You passed out in Doctor Milastow’s office yesterday, but you’re doing much better now.”
Daith pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed. She shoved the thick, white blanket off her.
“Take it slow, Miss Tocc,” Dr. Milastow said.
“I’m alright,” Daith reassured her. She stretched her arms above her. “I just needed to rest.”
Trey’s jaw tightened with concern. “Daith, what happened?”
“I think I overworked myself. I’ve been practicing my telepathy so that I’ll be of more use to you once we reach Sintaur.”
“But you’ve always recovered so quickly.” Trey wrung his hands. “I don’t like this. I think it’s time we had a talk about exactly what you are doing. No more hiding. No more isolating yourself. Not if you are using your abilities.” He nodded to the doctor to leave. With hesitation, he sat on the bed next to her. “Daith, with everything you’ve been through, I think it’s a mistake I asked you to help us. I never would have done anything at the expense of your health.”
Daith patted his hand. “Really, I’m okay. I didn’t want to tell you.”
“Why not? After everything we’ve been through, I thought we trusted each other.”
“It isn’t about trust. It’s about embarrassment.” Daith expelled a breath. “After I realized the Controller had been in my dream, I felt tainted, used. He made things seem so real—other crewmembers, conversations, even my abilities. I didn’t know who to trust, who to turn to, or even if what I experienced was true.
“So I decided to probe the minds of each crewmember. I needed to make sure they were real and that they wouldn’t betray us. After what happened with Doctor Ludd—I trusted him. We all did. And he abandoned this ship and the mission. He told the Controllers where we are headed. He told them how to find me. I mean, he even had me go off of the dream-deflectors so the Controllers could reach me better.”
Anger clouded Trey’s eyes. “I can’t believe you did this. You should have told me.” He stood from the bed. “I could have helped you. I could have brought each crewmember to your quarters so you wouldn’t have to work so hard to find them throughout the ship. I could have had Doctor Milastow monitor your progress to make sure you weren’t overstimulating yourself.”
Daith’s head swam. “I’m sorry…I didn’t think—”
“No, you didn’t,” Trey snapped. He paused, unclenching his fists. “Daith, I know you want to help, but I don’t want to lose you. You are an important member of this crew, but I won’t have anyone harming themselves to make this mission work. The Controllers may be ruthless, but we can rise above that.” He called for Milastow to return. “As soon as I’m free, I’ll send you a message to come to my office and to give me a full report on your findings.”
“Yes, Commander.” Daith’s shoulders slumped.
> Trey started at the formality. He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’d still prefer it if you call me Trey.”
Daith nodded and Trey left the room. Milastow took her vitals, told Daith to take things slow, and released her.
Daith meandered through the corridors to the floor below and entered her quarters. Her room reeked of vomit. The floor, still covered with bile and blood, made her sick to her stomach. What had she been thinking? Every time she tried to help she messed things up more.
Her chest ached. She missed Dru. She wanted to talk to him so badly it hurt. Gathering a moistened, soapy towel from the washroom, she began to scrub the carpet. Dried vomit came up and the smell reduced. Red splotches lessened, but she knew the blood stains would never truly vanish.
With an exhausted sigh, Daith threw down the towel. She sat on the bed and fingered through the datapads with the clues Dru had left her, as if she could glean some sort of remnant energy from them. But they remained cold.
Her communications chime rang.
“Yes?” she answered.
“Hello, Daith, it’s Trey. I have some free time if you are ready to talk about what you experienced?”
“I’ll be there shortly.” Daith ended the call, took one last look at the dirty room, and sighed. She grabbed a clean pair of black pants and long-sleeved blue shirt from the small closet, changed out of her soiled clothes, and left her quarters. Two floors down, she rang the chimes to Trey’s office.
“Enter.”
The door swished open and she entered. Trey’s state of being matched his immaculate surroundings. Poised, clean, and alert.
“Please have a seat. I’m very interested to hear what you’ve discovered about my crew.”
Daith sat. The bare walls and polished desk mocked her. Dru had been so messy.
She forced the thoughts away. She couldn’t keep dwelling on Dru. She had to move forward, though how many times she’d thought that already she couldn’t count.
Daith methodically recited all she learned from the crew. She left out the images she had of Dru. She wanted them only for herself.
“General tension runs throughout, but loyalty is foremost in everyone’s minds. A few have their doubts, but nothing serious. They are all excited to reach Sintaur, certain that they can make a difference in stopping the Controllers.”
Trey’s shoulders relaxed. “That’s wonderful to hear, Daith. I tried my best to choose a good crew, but after what happened with Doctor Ludd, I worried I’d overlooked something. Your insights are invaluable to me.” He paused, tapping his chin. “Since you felt comfortable enough to probe the minds on this ship, how would you feel if you focused some of your efforts in the same area for when we reach Sintaur?”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ve been thinking about how you could help us. One of the things that could be most useful would be to know what the Controllers are thinking beforehand. A way for us to have the advantage.”
“Would I be going down to the planet?”
“I’m not sure. Do you think you could do it from orbit?”
Daith frowned. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of distance between here and a planet. I seem to do better when I’m closer to someone.” Her stomach clenched at the thought of trying to read someone’s mind so far away.
“Hm. Maybe that would stretch you too far. I have a better idea.” Trey pressed the com panel. “Lieutenant Commander Cenjo, please report to my office.” He returned his attention to Daith. “Truth be told, your skills would probably be more valuable onboard. I know you and Dru worked on reconstructing inanimate objects. How would you feel about focusing on repairs?”
“What kind of repairs?”
“We aren’t sure what sort of resistance we might encounter, now that the Controllers have an idea of what we are up to, though I don’t know how much Doctor Ludd told them. I’m not sure the extent of what he knew. But in case the ship is attacked, your assistance with repairing any of the systems would be very useful. We will have other ships to help, but I’d rather be prepared than not. What do you think?”
Daith’s hands shook. “I’m not sure… I feel like every time I try to help, I make things worse.”
“That’s why we will have you practice.” The door chimes rang. “Enter.”
Cenjo walked in, eyebrow raised at Daith. “Reporting as ordered, Commander.”
“Lieutenant Commander, I’d like you to work with Daith. She has had a tour of the ship, but I’d like you to get her more familiar with the intricacies of some of our primary systems. You can start this evening after your scheduled class in engineering.”
“Yes, Commander. Daith, I’ll be at your quarters at twenty hundred hours.” Cenjo exited.
Daith’s chest tightened. “Are you sure, Trey? Maybe I’m just not ready.”
“You are only going to be looking at the systems. You’ll be supervised. Everything is going to be fine. I promise.”
Daith patted her face dry, wincing at the pain in her head. She’d scrubbed her floor with some cleaning chemicals she requested from Dr. Milastow. The vomit had been cleared away and the blood stains barely noticeable. She grimaced at her reflection—pale skin, red-rimmed eyes, puffy cheeks. She wondered how much longer she could stay functional.
Her door chimes rang. With a forced smile, she answered them.
*
“All set!”
Cenjo stopped short at the sight of her. She looked much worse than she had just a few hours previously. “Are you okay?”
“Of course,” she said, letting the door close behind her. “A little tired. I think I’ve been cooped up in my quarters for too long. It’ll do me some good to stretch my legs.”
Cenjo hated seeing her so worn out. A reminder of his sister came into his mind, when she’d stay up too late studying, pushing herself beyond her limits.
“Daith…”
“I promise, I’m alright. And I won’t do anything strenuous. Just poking around the ship a little bit, right?”
“If you say so.” He gestured for her to join him and the two of them strode down the hallway. They took the stairs down three floors to the lowest level and headed for the center of the ship—into engineering.
“Lieutenant Byot?” Cenjo called out.
“Over here!” Byot’s voice carried across the clanging mechanical sounds. “By the engine!”
Cenjo took the lead and headed down a black walkway toward the center of the room. He held onto the rail to compensate for the ramp’s steep decline. They reached the center next to a pool of amber liquid that swirled in random patterns.
“Is this a good time?”
“Definitely.” Byot scurried over. “Any time for you and M-Miss Tocc.” Byot’s words skipped when he saw Daith. “How are you?”
“Fine. A little tired, I guess,” Daith said. “I’m happy to be working in here today. The silari trees smell so nice.”
“Well then today is an excellent day indeed. The trees are flowering.” Podlike sacs clung to the trunks. Many of them were open, revealing crimson flowers, circular in shape, with bright orange centers. A couple crewmembers carefully collected the petals into containers.
“The seed pods will be preserved until we can deliver them to some of the planets on which we are trying to grow the trees non-natively.”
“Do you think it’ll work?” Daith asked.
“It hasn’t so far, but we’ve only recently begun the process.”
“Don’t you find that difficult? I mean, I assume you don’t stop very often between fights.”
Byot wrinkled his forehead. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Cenjo intervened. “Daith, I’m not sure what you believe goes on here, but we don’t fight all the time. In fact, the Aleet Army has spent several years simply trying to survive, checking on old army members, and recruiting new ones. Since then we’ve mostly done intelligence gathering and cargo runs. Commander Xiven has been more patient than most of t
he crew before he finally decided we needed to step in and deal with the Controllers. He may be strict—sending crewmembers away if they don’t stay up to speed—but he didn’t rush into this confrontation lightly.”
Daith chewed her nail. “I would never have thought that about him. He seems so driven. I can’t imagine him waiting.”
“Well it’s true. I’d say we were ready over a standard year ago, but he insisted we wait. And even with all his precautions, he couldn’t predict Doctor Ludd betraying us or his brother being murdered by a Controller spy.” Cenjo winced. He hadn’t meant to bring up Dru. Especially since Daith had recently spent several days in her quarters trying to deal with the loss.
Daith rubbed her face. “Well that’s why I’m here, right? To give you guys back some of your advantage. So let’s get me to know these mechanisms so I can be of some kind of use during the battle.”
*
Daith grimaced. Her headache had not abated all day. Her work in the engineering room went quite well and she felt confident she could help with repairs if need be, but the dull ache that pressed on all sides of her skull made it difficult to concentrate.
Bidding Cenjo goodnight, Daith entered her quarters, popped a dream-deflector pill, and crawled into her bed.
Her quarters.
Her bed.
She stared at the ceiling, thinking how quickly she’d come to accept this place as her home. At least, the only home she knew.
She needed to get a grip. She couldn’t let herself feel so tired and sick. And she knew Cenjo and Byot noticed. She knew they’d pull her from helping if they thought she couldn’t handle the intensity.
Daith dropped her arm off the bed and scooped up the datapads on the floor. She didn’t want to miss Dru anymore. She wanted to be able to do things on her own. To show she had the strength to help. But what else could she do?
Curled fingers wrapped around the cool edges of the datapads as she drifted off to sleep, her mind churning into deflected dreams.
Daith awoke and stretched—her body arching with the movement. Her blanket, damp with sweat, tangled between her legs as she kicked it off her. With a clatter, the datapads fell to the floor.
Eomix Galaxy Books: Identity (Book 2 of 2) Page 15
