by Zoey Indiana
With her mind made up she nodded in agreement, she would make him leave even if he hated her for it.
Safe House: Bash
Bash finished up his shower, got dressed, and laid on the bed. Propping an arm under his head, he rubbed his beard with the other hand. He could hear Freya talking to someone. It was probably the Resistance contact she talked about. Even though they talked last night, she still let Nova come. He didn't have words for how betrayed he felt. Freya was just like the women from the camp. Used him for what they wanted and didn't care how he felt. But she'd saved him, so maybe he could trust her.
Unsure of what he could do about the situation, he decided to confront the opposition. For the first time, he entered the situation with control, he hoped anyway. With a ragged sigh, he got off the bed and walked through the door.
There was a collective gasp as all the women saw him. Where there had been quiet chitchat, there was now complete silence. It was unnerving. Keeping his spine straight, he walked over to the armchair and sat.
"I'm Bash." As he introduced himself to the woman sitting next to Freya, a woman at the table burst into hushed giggles and whispers. He did his best to ignore them.
"I'm Nova. It's nice to meet you." Nova's eyes showed intrigue even though she acted like he was something completely normal.
"So, Freya tells me you are from the real Resistance group. Not the fake one I grew up in." Might as well start with something he was interested in hearing about.
"That's correct, we have no record of the camp. Nor do we have a record of any missing women. We have no idea where they came from."
Her words weren't reassuring. "That's odd, have you tried asking Alastor? He knows all about me."
Nova's face paled before she responded. "How do you know about Alastor? There are only two recorded male births in the last five-hundred years, Alastor and Cay'Din. We have no record of you at all."
Oh, this was really going to blow her mind. "Then how do I know both men don't have viable sperm like me?"
Nova looked to Freya who shook her head. "I didn't tell him about either of them."
Nova jumped up and paced around the room. She briskly crossed the room several times then pulled out a small device like Freya had. Pressing a few buttons, she set the device on the small table by the couch. A man appeared in the living room making Bash jump. Confused at what he was seeing, he scooted to the end of his chair. He looked over and realized if he concentrated, he could see the furniture on the other side. The man was translucent. Intrigued at the idea, Bash reached out to him, but his hand went right through the man.
"What is this?" He waved his hand through the image to emphasize his point.
"You're right Freya, he has no idea." Turning back to Bash, she spoke again. "This is a hologram. A projected image from my link. Alastor has a similar device to see us. Isn't that right Alastor?"
"That's right Nova." The image spoke! Bash sank back in his chair. He'd read a fiction novel which had mentioned holograms, but nothing to say it had been developed. When he thought about it, if a house could be fully automated and disappear, it also made sense for a person's image to be projected in a hologram. Unsure of what to do he just sat there watching Alastor.
"Nova tells me you know who I am, but I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage."
"I'm Bash. Well, my full name is Sar'Bastian, but I prefer to be called Bash."
"Hello Bash, it's nice to meet you." This hologram thing was blowing his mind.
"Yes, De'Nara said she spoke to you many times. That's how she knew to test me, and why I was told to stay away from all tech."
A deep frown appeared on Alastor's face. "I know no one named De'Nara. As far as electromagnetic radiation, it has nothing to do with your sperm count. It doesn't affect women, so in theory it shouldn't affect men." He turned toward Nova. "Do you know anyone named De'Nara?"
"Not that I can think of, but we can talk more later." Nova turned to Bash. "Is this sufficient to prove Alastor knew nothing of your existence?"
Everyone turned towards him and waited. He still wasn't sure what to believe. Looking at Freya made him feel betrayed, but for different reasons than Lux or Deja.
"For now, I still refuse to leave with you." The last thing he would willing do was give over control of his life.
"Okay, what would you propose instead?"
"I can stay here, Freya showed me how to use the security measures for the safe house. While replicated food doesn't taste great, I can eat machine food until I have a functional garden."
"What about protection? Security features work great until they don't. Do you have a cache of weapons anywhere? What level of self-defense skills do you have? Where will you relocate if this place is compromised?"
When he didn't respond right away, she spoke again.
"What is your plan if the women from the camp find you? Or ARI? Just by staying at this safe house where Freya has been puts you at risk."
"I'll deal with it when it happens. I refuse to go anywhere with you." The only way he would leave this house was dead or unconscious.
Nova turned to Freya and made a gesture with her hand he couldn't recognize. Freya's right eyebrow raised and in response, Nova's furrowed. After several seconds of this, he wondered if they were talking telepathically.
Nova grabbed her handheld and pushed buttons, "We'll come to you."
Safe House: Freya
Freya still couldn't believe Nova. After Bash refused to leave the safe house, she changed the plan. Instead of making him go somewhere safer, she brought the Resistance to him. Nova called up several members, and they were moving supplies and portable buildings here. If it had been up to Freya, she would have made him go to one of the remote camps. If no one could find him, he would be safe.
Walking outside, she looked over the chaos. There were several hover transits parked and portable housing pods set up. To her left, there was a technician upgrading the security system. Several meters to the right revealed more transits arriving. Additional women joined the several already settled in. They couldn't bring Bash to the camp, so they brought the camp to him.
The plan to distance herself from him was crumbling around her. She went back inside the house where he was at the table talking with Alastor and Cay. She sat in the armchair and watched Nova kiss Cay on the cheek on her way outside to direct the takeover. Pain dug into her chest at the reminder that Nova had lied to her for years. While she'd know about Cay since they'd rescued him a few years ago, Nova never told her they were in a relationship. Seeing them together reminded her of something she would never have with Bash.
Freya retrieved her handheld from her vest and sent an encrypted message to Major Tas'Ki. While she managed to cover for Freya so far, she would be recalled back to base soon, or so Freya hoped. Though the women kept their distance, Freya kept picking up on lusty thoughts about Bash. Twice now, she barely refrained from using her telekinesis to disable the competition. Another woman approached Bash and whispered something in his ear. While she was leaned over, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
Anger bubbled up inside of Freya. Le'Mara needed to learn it wasn't okay to touch someone else's man. She let out a squeak and fell behind Bash's chair. All three men raced to help her up. Freya rolled her eyes, pathetic. Once the woman was on her way, Bash shot her a glare. Oops, he must be onto her.
Her link vibrated in her hand, drawing her attention from him. Reading the response from Tas'Ki only made her anger grow.
You are good to go. I got you approved to go on a deep undercover mission. There is no specified time limit right now. I'm listed as your only handler and contact. In the next few days I will send you our new rendezvous point and timeline. Nova will get everything set up for the temporary campsite.
Nova didn't waste time, did she? The camp was nearing completion, and there was no way she could distance herself from Bash now. Especially since she needed to keep curious women away. With more force than was necessary, she stuffed t
he link back in her vest.
"Freya, let's take a walk. I need to inspect the new perimeter and could use your expertise." She glared at Nova. This was an excuse to get her away from Bash and she knew it. When she didn't move to get up Nova spoke again. "Now Freya."
Freya clenched her jaw as she pushed off the arm rests. Without a word she stormed past Nova and out of the house. Nova caught up to her and pulled her to a stop.
"What is going on with you? I've never seen you out of control like this." Concern was obvious in her expression.
"I don't know, okay?" Freya shouted in response to Nova's question. "I have no idea what is happening." When she started walking away Nova pulled her to a stop again.
"If I didn't know better, I would say you have feelings for Bash."
"I have feelings about everyone. It's the result of years of experimentation on a helpless child. Way to be observant." While Freya realized she was taking it out on Nova, she couldn't seem to stop.
Nova pulled back slightly. "Wow, you must be messed up to take that figuratively instead of literally." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "You're acting like you have feelings for Bash, not about him. You're emotionally compromised."
Freya started to protest but couldn't get the words out. Nova was right, she'd let her emotions take control.
"Take a moment to collect yourself. For the time being, I need you here. You're one of the best we have and we need your skills, but you need a clear head. I'll have a pod set up for you. That way you can get some distance from him."
Nova started walking the perimeter. Periodically, she would stop and check settings.
"You are the only person we have with your particular skills, and this is the closest we've been to the inner circle."
"Do you think once I'm in I'll find anything helpful?" Freya didn't think it would be easy. They wouldn't just hand over all their secrets.
"I do, several years ago, I almost had someone on the inside. If she'd been able to read minds, she wouldn't have fallen for the trap they set for her. By the time she figured it out, it was too late."
"When do I go back to Lay'ata Base?" From what Tas'Ki said earlier, it sounded like it would be awhile.
"In a few days you have to start teaching Bash to fight. He needs some self-defense skills."
"Why me?" It would be impossible for her to think clearly while close to him. Just thinking about sparring with him made her hot. His muscles flexing as he moved in rhythm to her own movement. A sensual dance that made her heart speed up. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts.
"You know him the best. Also, you understand how important it is to not get involved with him. I trust you to not jeopardize this." Something she could only describe as shame washed over her. If only Nova knew.
"I understand."
Freya wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in her way for vengeance. Not even the man she was falling in love with.
Chapter 11
Temporary Resistance Camp: Bash
Bash couldn't believe it, this was the last thing he'd expected when he told Nova he still refused to leave with them. She brought the camp to him. Even better than that, he was meeting other men for the first time. Never in his life would he have expected this.
"It took them thirty years to decide there was nothing they could do to get viable sperm from me. Potions, serums, drinks, foods, they tried everything." Alastor laughed and shook his head.
Cay interrupted, "You think that's bad, they used this huge needle," Cay's hands emphasized the length, "to extract the sperm from me. The thing was awful."
"So if they did all these horrible things to you, why are you still with them?" Bash wasn't an expert but both of these guys seemed like they were pretty happy with their life.
Cay answered first. "I volunteered, I mean Nova is relentless, but she never did anything I didn't agree to. I think that's why I fell in love with her. She's headstrong. At the same time she is the nicest person you will ever meet."
"Speak for yourself, I was tired of women constantly begging me to have sex with them. If I went through all the testing and experiments, they could prove it was pointless." Alastor waved his hand. "For the most part, it worked. Now the occasional woman comes by just for the experience, and they leave when I refuse."
"Wait, you're telling me," He paused unsure of how to ask his question. "you're free to live how you want?" They all had their own hardships though they were different kinds of hardships.
"I wouldn't say free exactly." Alastor grumbled.
Cay waved a dismissing hand at Alastor. "What grumpy over here is saying is that none of us are free. Just being born a man means we will never be truly free. As long as the Sovereign uses ARI to suppress the Resistance, men will never be free." The mood turned somber.
"Why did the Sovereign kill off all the men?" While he knew men had gone extinct, Lux refused to give him more than vague. It was one of the things he wanted to know the most. One time many years ago, she told him a story about how the Sovereign created a virus to kill men. To him, it didn't make sense, but she refused to elaborate.
"Pick a theory, any theory. They all have their appeal."
"Aliens!" Alastor pounded his fist on the table. "I'm convinced it the aliens."
Cay shook his head and turned back to Bash. "Ignore him, no one actually believes in aliens. That was disproved a long time ago."
"Wait, what does the word mean, alien?" He'd never heard the word before. Searching his memory, the word alien had never been in a dictionary he'd read.
"You've never heard—" Cay cut the sentence off. "Right, I keep forgetting. Alien is a term used to describe someone from a different planet. After the theory was disproved, the Sovereign went to extensive steps to remove the idea from the public. Even deleting certain words from databases and uses, including the term Earth, where we live. There's no need for a name when it's the only one. The theory Alastor keeps going on about is that there is some alien entity playing with us."
"Playing with us?"
"Yeah, you know, they are running experiments on different planets to see how different life forms react to certain things. These superiorly intelligent beings are roaming the galaxies for less intelligent beings to conduct experiments on them. The whole idea is ridiculous and was debunked centuries ago." Alastor glared at Cay as he spoke.
"How was it debunked?" Bash was in shock, he'd never heard of anything like this.
"Look up at the sky, do you see anything beyond the blue? No. At night, do you see anything in the dark? There's nothing. So many things were used to try to prove the existence of space. Telescopes, imaging, it all ended when someone managed to launch a craft. Actually a few, and they always exploded. It's like there is a shell out there and we live inside a walnut. There's nothing out there."
"That's what the aliens want you to think!" Alastor stood up and his chair toppled over. "Keep believing the lies, I'm out of here." He left the house.
"Wow, does he always do that?"
"Yeah, he had a hard time. Most of the time he's okay, but don't bring up romantic love or aliens. Both set him off, he'll come back later."
"So, you said there are a bunch of theories, but what's the truth?" He was curious what other outlandish theories there were.
"That's the thing. It was so long ago, no one really knows. Officially, there was a plague or virus only men were susceptible to. It killed off every man in existence, hence why they created a way to reproduce from just women. Every scientist within the Sovereign's boundaries agree it was the virus. Scientists within the Resistance have a lot of theories but haven't proven anything yet. The only thing they agree on is the virus was a cover up for something sinister." Cay shrugged.
All of this was so bizarre, Bash didn't know what to think. "So now what?"
Nova walked through the door. He waited for Freya to follow, but she didn't. Nova joined them at the table next to Cay. "See what this pretty lady is up to and watch the Sovereign crumble in h
er wake."
Bash looked at Nova, she was staring intently at him. There was something else going on, but he had no idea what. He just hoped both he and Freya would survive whatever it was Nova was planning.
Temporary Resistance Camp: Freya
Her foot swung out, connecting to the back of his knee. Continuing the motion, she pulled her leg back and resumed her fight stance ready for anything. Bash managed to stay on his feet, but had to take a few steps to regain his balance. During those few precious seconds she mocked another three attacks that would have knocked him on the ground.
"Again!" She shouted. If he couldn't adapt as the fight progressed, he would be useless.
"Give me a minute to catch my breath." He bent forward resting his hands on his knees.
"Your attacker doesn't want you to catch your breath. They will attack until they find a weakness and focus on it." He just waved a few fingers at her dismissively. "I'm serious, it only works if you train like you would fight."
She waited again, but he still didn't move. Wanting to prove her point, she lunged for him. Still bent over, he took a few steps forward and lifted her. One arm pinned her to his shoulder while the other pinned her feet.
"Let go of me!"
"I'm sorry, that's not how real fighting works." He carried her as he walked.
"Dammit Bash, I mean it." She pounded on his back a few times but he still didn't let her go. The man was ripped from working out. She couldn't over power him. While she still had her telekinesis, in the last few days she'd learned he could over power her mental abilities as well.
