Bartoc Secret

by Clara Woods

  “And we had this?” Lenah asked.

  “Yeah,” Uz nodded distractedly and tried to wipe her hands clean on her shirt. She frowned when she wasn’t successful. “The smugglers who owned the Rambler were prepared for hull breaches and engine failures.”

  “It’s good practice,” Cassius said. “You never know when you’ll get shot down somewhere.”

  Lenah frowned, then changed the subject. “How long will the tests take, Uz?”

  “Huh?” The Cassidian looked up from her screen. “About five hours.” She scratched her scars. “That’s if everything will work well. Longer, if I have to fix something again.”

  Lenah nodded.

  Cassius cleared his throat. “So, we’re really going after humans?”

  “Yes, we are,” Lenah said. “It’s the only way.”

  Uz looked up. Her eyes were wide, but she slowly nodded.

  Cassius’s eyes bore into Lenah. Their gazes met for several seconds until he looked away. He exhaled slowly. “Yes, it’s the only way.” He looked back at her, a smile on his face. “Stars, I could use a coffee now.”

  “Oh, coffee,” Uz muttered.

  “We’ll bring you one,” Cassius said, then walked to the hatch and held it open for Lenah. “Coffee?”

  “Yeah,” Lenah smiled up at him, hoping her goosebumps didn’t show on her face.

  They walked in an awkward silence, and when they stepped into the common room, Lenah hurried over to the coffee machine. The sounds of heating water and dripping coffee rang loudly in her ears.

  Cassius hadn’t moved from the hatch. He stood there; arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked like he wanted to speak but had gotten something stuck in his throat. If he was going to argue about going further into Saltoc, Lenah was prepared to win her point.

  “I’ve been thinking about your offer,” he finally said.

  Lenah, who had turned to hand him two cups of coffee—one for him, the other for Uz—stumbled and spilled hot liquid over her hand. “Ouch!”

  Cassius was there in less than a second, taking both cups out of her hands.

  Lenah dried her hands on her shirt, then put them against the cold metal wall and turned back to Cassius. He approached, still holding the cups.

  “Oh, you should get this to Uz,” Lenah said.

  Cassius stopped, put the coffee down, and took Lenah’s hands, investigating them.

  “It’s nothing bad,” Lenah said, feeling nervous. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she couldn’t decide if she wanted him to explain further or not. Could Martello be right about him coming around?

  The common room door swung open to reveal Doctor Lund. “Ah, there you are! Zyr has news!”

  Cassius let go of Lenah’s hands and picked up the two cups again.

  Lenah immediately felt the loss.

  Their eyes met, his intense and hot. “This is not over,” he whispered, then turned to leave with the two coffees.

  Lenah clasped her hands behind her back. She cleared her throat. “Did Zyr find something?”

  “I don’t know. Just woke up and he only wanted to tell us once,” Doctor Lund said and led the way down the corridor and toward Martello’s and Cassius’s cabin.

  He stopped there and knocked loudly, giving Lenah some much-needed time to compose herself. Her heart hadn’t slowed down one bit, and she felt flushed.

  Martello, shirtless and with dripping hair, opened the door. An old but angry scar crossed all over his torso from the area of his heart, over his belly button, and into the seam of his pants.

  “Girl!” A smile spread over his face as he took Lenah in from head to toe. “I know that I look good for someone my age, but there’s no reason to look so shocked about it.”

  Lenah snapped her eyes upward toward his face. “Sorry,” she bleated. “I, uhm...”

  “Young Martello, our captain does not appreciate anyone’s beauty other than your grandson’s,” Zyrakath’s voice drifted over from the bunk. “She’s here to talk to me, of course.”

  Lenah made a strangled sound, but her brain registered Zyr’s true words. “Yes,” she said, too loudly. “Yes,” she repeated more silently just as the hatch opened behind her.

  Her object of interest, the one apparently everyone knew about, walked in, holding a steaming cup of coffee in each hand. He offered her the one with the handle pointed toward her. “You forgot this in the machine,” he said. His voice sounded flat but a little strangled.

  Feeling Martello’s eyes on them, Lenah took the cup. She cleared her throat, then turned toward Zyrakath.

  “Were you able to find out anything else about the message?” She stepped further into the room and away from Cassius. It wasn’t easy. With the three humans inside, the cabin was cramped, and she had to get very close to Martello to even reach the bunk.

  Zyrakath wrinkled his forehead and looked down at a stack of handwritten notes. “I was able to confirm my earlier translation of the message. It would appear they considered Corinna very precious, and the machine was going to deliver her. I don’t know the nature of the end destination, but I was also able to translate the coordinates.” He held up a sheet of paper to Lenah. It was filled with tiny scribbles in the Syrr alphabet.

  Lenah raised an eyebrow at the drone. He sighed, then took the sheet and began writing coordinates in G-Standard.

  Cassius joined Lenah, and she felt the heat of his body on her own skin.

  Zyrakath held up the note for her once more. Two sets of coordinates where written on it, both fairly close to each other and inside Saltoc.

  “This,” Zyrakath pointed at the first set of coordinates, “is on this planet, Balhudh. And this,” he pointed at the other one, “is where the construct wanted to go with Corinna.” He lowered the paper. “It’s on Kalhhok.”

  “It was going to take Corinna off-planet?” Lenah asked, once more glad they had been able to catch up to the machine and get her back.

  Zyrakath nodded. “It appears to have identified her as special. I don’t believe the construct is intelligent, which means that it has to be based on some kind of command it was given.”

  Goosebumps erupted over Lenah’s skin, and she swallowed heavily.

  “Pah. What’s so special about her?” Martello asked.

  “Only that she’s a mind mage,” Doctor Lund said hesitantly.

  “Or it’s just interested in any human. Could have been any of us,” Lenah added.

  Zyrakath lifted his tiny palms and stood up straight on the bed. He seemed unnerved by the fact that they were all looking down at him. “It could be. The message did talk about a donation. It might also just be the arrival of an unknown alien species. This construct, left to protect the planet, will escalate the situation if new species show up.”

  Lenah nodded slowly. It made sense. But somehow, she couldn’t swallow down the mix of excitement and fear that had crept up her throat with Zyrakath’s translations.

  “So, if we follow the coordinates, we might run straight into a trap.”

  Zyrakath didn’t answer, and neither did any of the other men in the room. Several seconds ticked by as Lenah made up her mind.

  But once again, she realized it wasn’t a real decision. Saltoc had nine planets. They could hardly fly from one to the next in the hopes of stumbling over the Strikers. If they now had a clue, no matter how little, they would have to go and follow it. “When Uz declares the Star Rambler safe to fly, we’ll go to Kalhhok.”

  Martello swallowed loudly, and Cassius went perfectly still. But Zyrakath nodded, though his face was marred with thoughtful lines. “I agree.”

  “Good.” Lenah took a sip of her coffee with shaking hands. “And Zyr, Lund, until we leave, try to find out something about this construct’s past.”

  * * *

  Lenah took a deep breath when she stepped out into the corridor followed by Cassius. She would appreciate some company, but Cassius hadn’t looked happy about her decision to go to Kalhhok. So, she went straigh
t to her cabin, letting him decide if he wanted to continue their conversation or not.

  Lenah, her heart pounding, stared at her bunk and the practical interior. A soft knock sounded at her hatch door, startling Lenah, even though she had hoped for it. She turned and opened the door.

  Cassius stood outside, looking down at her with intense green eyes. “Are you alright?”

  Lenah nodded. “Sure. Happy to be going somewhere.”

  Cassius cleared his throat. “Lenah,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you.” He swallowed, then looked left and right into the empty corridor. “Can I come in?”

  Lenah stepped aside to make room for him. Her cabin was the same size as Martello’s, but somehow it felt even fuller now, even though it was just the two of them. Cassius’s broad shoulders seemed to fill the entirety of the small space.

  He walked forward slowly, and Lenah pointed for him to sit on her bunk—the only opportunity for seating in the room. He sank down on one end and Lenah took a moment to take the scene in. How often had she fantasized of this?

  She gave herself a mental shake. That might still not be what he wanted, and she didn’t want to get her hopes up prematurely.

  Cassius patted the bunk next to him, and Lenah sat on the other end. “What about?” she said to break the silence.

  Cassius sat still for several seconds, then looked at Lenah. “I’ve been thinking.”

  Lenah swallowed but forced herself to hold still and not interrupt. Whatever he had come to say, it was obviously very important for him.

  “I—” Cassius let go of a breath. “I think I was being stupid.” He fell silent, then leaned over to grasp Lenah’s hand. It was his c-nano arm, but he gently lifted her hand and put it into his other hand. The heat of his skin surrounded her, and Lenah couldn’t suppress letting go of a soundless breath. “I should not have pushed you away on New Earth,” Cassius finally said, looking down at their united hands. His thumb stroked circles on Lenah’s palm.

  Silence fell around them again as Cassius kept looking down, but Lenah stared at his face. When he looked up, she saw fire in his eyes. Yet, he didn’t move.

  Without questioning further, Lenah leaned over and put her free hand on his chest. She felt solid heat and the quick beating of his heart against her hand. As if he were nervous. Yet, he didn’t pull away, instead, he leaned into her palm, then dipped his head to kiss her.

  Their lips met in a kiss of pure need. Lenah met him all the way, not feeling particularly tender. She wanted her share of Cassius.

  His hand let go of hers, and he pulled her over until she sat on his lap.

  Lenah lay her arms around his neck as his tongue darted into her mouth. Time stopped, she was only living for this moment, for feeling him close. But after a while, seconds or minutes, she wasn’t sure, Lenah pushed Cassius back onto her bunk. He let her easily, then his hand found a way into Lenah’s shirt, carefully stroking her back and slowly finding its way upward.

  Lenah tucked her hand under his T-shirt, feeling the hard ridges of his abdomen and the softness of hair that lead all the way up to his chest.

  When Cassius started pulling at her shirt, Lenah complied, hastily breaking the kiss and pulling it over her head as fast as she could. Cassius let his eyes roam over Lenah’s body, and his lips broke into a grin. His arm lifted toward her hair, and he pulled out the band holding it together in a bun. Her shoulder-length waves fell all around her head.

  “I love the way your hair looks like this,” Cassius said in a raspy voice.

  “Messy?” Lenah lifted an eyebrow.

  “Untamable,” he answered, stroking out the waves.

  “Huh.” Lenah pulled his shirt up with her two hands. “Equal treatment.”

  He instantly complied, and Lenah took a moment to stare. Really stare, not pretend to look elsewhere. He had a flat belly with broad shoulders, one of them natural, the other one intertwining bands of human skin and c-nano strands. It was a powerful mixture, and Lenah found beauty in it.

  “I can put the shirt back on,” Cassius said, his voice was pressed.

  Lenah took one look at his face, then looked back at his implant and reached out her hand. She began stroking the transition, then down his arm, over the ridges of the c-nano. “Don’t you dare,” she whispered and kept her gaze on his arm.

  After a moment, she could feel him relax, and he reached out to her again, his fingers stroking down her sides.

  “Do you feel this?” Lenah asked when her hand had traveled all the way down his arm.

  He nodded. “Yes. It has sensors to pick up the slightest touch, just no pain sensors.”

  Lenah hadn’t known that. “Does this feel nice then?”

  He didn’t answer at once. “It’s not unpleasant, mainly because it’s you. I usually don’t let anyone touch it nor do I feel like it’s a part of me.”

  Lenah intertwined her hand into his metal one. “But it is. For good or bad.”

  “For good or bad,” Cassius echoed. Their eyes met, and his took on a mischievous look. “But that’s not what we’re here for.” He grinned lazily.

  Lenah leaned back and enjoyed how his eyes roamed over her body, feeling fully like a woman—appreciated and beautiful.

  “This is what we’re here for,” Cassius said and grabbed Lenah by the waist to hoist her down onto the bed.

  22 Waiting

  Lenah woke up from the grumbling of her belly. Squished between the wall of her bunk and Cassius’s back, her arm resting on his side, she lay still, listening to his even breaths.

  “Feeling hungry?” Cassius’s sleepy voice rumbled.

  “Yeah,” Lenah answered. “You were not supposed to hear that.”

  “Not a chance.” He swung himself out of bed, leaving behind a bunk that felt too empty. “I didn’t get those hearing implants to leave my woman hungry.”

  “Oh.” Lenah leaned on one of her elbows and watched him pick his pants up from the floor. Next, he rummaged through her bra and shirt, before picking up his own T-shirt. His metal spine glistened in the semi-dark. “You’re a light sleeper then?”

  He shrugged. “I am. But, as you will soon find out, it has its uses.” With that, he opened the hatch, then closed it softly behind him.

  Lenah lay back against her pillow and couldn’t help but grin to herself. Cassius as a lover had been all she had hoped for, and more. And it seemed that he also brought food. Maybe she could work on him bringing her breakfast to bed every day.

  The hatch opened once more, and Cassius walked in, balancing a steaming cup of instant rice in one hand and two cups of coffee in the other. He carefully set down the cups on her small closet that also served as a nightstand, then handed her the meal.

  “We’ll have to share,” he said apologetically.

  Lenah nodded, carefully chewing her rice and hoping that would make it last longer. “I can’t wait to leave.” She held the spoon out to Cassius who took it and fed himself a bite of the meal. They ate in comfortable silence for several minutes, then Lenah accepted the hot cup of coffee from Cassius.

  “What time is it?” she finally asked. “Is it even time for morning coffee yet?”

  “Just after four a.m. But I heard Uz roaming about. She must be done with her work.”

  “Right.” Lenah leaned down to find her clothes and put them back on.

  “Too bad,” Cassius grinned but helped by handing over her pants. “And just in time,” he said. “She’s coming.”

  “Uuh,” was all that Lenah got out before a knock sounded from the hatch. Cassius jumped off the bed and positioned himself at the wall right next to the hatch.

  “Come in!” Lenah then jumped toward the door to meet the visitor halfway.

  Uz peeked her head in, grinning widely. “Lenah!” She sounded a little out of breath. Her hair stood in all directions and she was still—or once more—smeared with brown paste. “We’re ready. The engine is up to eighty-six percent power and should stay that way.”

  �
��That’s wonderful!” Lenah said, painfully aware of Cassius standing just centimeters away from Uz. “I’ll be right out, and we’ll wake everyone up.”

  Uz nodded, then looked to the nightstand behind Lenah. Her eyebrows lifted. “Did you have a rough night?”

  Lenah’s eyes quickly met Cassius’s. “Why do you ask?” She tried to sound as innocent as she could. While she wouldn’t mind if her crew knew about her involvement with Cassius, it didn’t mean she wanted to be caught after their first night together. Even on a small ship, there had to be some basic-level privacy.

  Uz pointed a dirty finger at Lenah’s nightstand. “Two cups of coffee. You usually just have one in the morning and another in the afternoon.”

  “Oh.” Lenah glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah. I, uh…slept late and felt really tired.”

  Uz nodded. “Me too. I might have two at once myself.” Suddenly, she looked very tired. “I’ll see you in a bit when we take off,” she said, then turned to walk up the corridor toward the common room.

  Lenah closed the hatch behind Uz, letting go of a breath.

  “That was tight.” She grinned at Cassius.

  “The problems of living on a spaceship,” he answered, grabbing his cup of coffee. “Do you still feel like making this your life?”

  Lenah shrugged, remembering a conversation they’d had a month ago. Cassius wanted a quiet life in a cabin, while Lenah dreamed of exploring the galaxy on her own ship. She pushed the thought away. Who knew where they would be a month from now? It wasn’t time to plan for the future.

  After a small trip to the lav unit, Lenah made her way into the cockpit. Uz was already sitting there, holding one coffee and drumming her fingers of her free hand on the console.

  Lenah slid into her seat, then hovered her hand in front of the button to initiate the starting sequence. “Should I?”

  Uz nodded.

  Lenah pressed the button, listening to the familiar humming of the Star Rambler. As her screens came to life, Lenah sat back in relief when no red lights started blinking. Just the engine was giving a yellow alert that it wasn’t at full capacity.