Variant: A Sci-Fi Romance (Variant Trilogy Book 1)

by J. Q. Baldwin

  AUTHOR NOTES

  Thank YOU all so much for meeting Carne and Delilah! I honestly cannot thank you enough for reading the first in this trilogy. With the others to be released within weeks of each other! I’d love for you to review it on Amazon or even message me on social media to have a chat!

  To my Romanian readers: what an interwoven tapestry of history and culture you have! I am engrossed in the thick of it and am in awe of the proud people you’ve become and stayed throughout time and against many obstacles.

  Please, please let me know if any of my translations are out, I’d love to hear from you!

  Also, I must thank the inspiration for the concept of a new breed of Homo Sapiens - Prof. Michio Kaku. One quote never left my mind. ‘Someone in my lifetime will live to the age of one-hundred and fifty.’

  To Charlotte, the future is bright.

  And to my most loved - you are my future.

  Continue for sneak preview of Variant Evasion!

  Variant Evasion

  Book Two

  Chapter One

  The palatial estate was a far cry from the dark rooms of trading I’d encountered with human trafficking once before, where girls had been lured from dirt poor shanty villages with dreams of a life led in futuristic grandeur only to find an antithesis to transcendence in the holes of human filth and depravity they’d fallen into. But I had no doubt of its depravity.

  The narrow windows, arched in filigree gold inlay, dotted the length of the three storey white monolith were the auction was to be concealed. The hover vehicle had been through three security checkpoints, all unmanned, but from the first I’d spotted three viridian, onion shaped cupolas eating the daylight. They became bold upon the skyline and ever more crisp in their wear. The scales, almost bronzed in places, could’ve been organic colours on a mermaid’s tail.

  Extreme care and respect had been expressed with us as potential buyers but nothing negated the heavily contracted requirements we’d agreed to abide before, during and after the auction at the location allocated us.

  Nuva and Roake were our stand-ins, acting as an affluent power-hungry couple. Neither had been seen in any other public forum, and though that in itself might’ve been noteworthy, there were very few people companies that advertised their worth in our world.

  I’d bet there was an easy camaraderie in their middle vehicle right now.

  Carne bristled at the intimacy crowding ours and I surprised myself by smiling indulgently on the inside before I shut it down hard.

  Memories lied to our perception and mine stemmed from our brief secondary schooling. I should abhor the veracity in which he followed through on a simple request - made a decade ago - but it warmed me reprehensibly as he folded his broad shoulders over his knees like a cromlech, guarding a tomb. His forearms resting on those thick, widespread thighs meant my triangle of seat was hidden. Only Ella had a direct view of me.

  I was no longer that teenager, who crawled into his protection willingly, and I shucked his protection today as I sought the meditative breaths I used to Shadow instead, to avoid the minds surrounding me. Their whirlpools, viscous and unending, sounded distorted - twin conversations, layered and incomprehensible - the easy conversations dubbing over the unsaid.

  It was a punishment. He could have anchored me, even without my permission. We both knew that, despite my illusion of independence.

  Branding me with his scent before we left, and encouraging tempestuous hormones, tapped at the glass shielding my empathy. The spider web cracks crawled out in all directions and allowed my telekinesis to trespass onto common ground.

  Carne let his brawny embossed forearm brush softly against mine with a silent: are you alright? I ignored him, as I should, though it did not disrupt his concentration. It was a controlled punishment and experiment. He tested my ability to hold the empathy, shaking under the weight of Tk. He tested his own adaptability to contort, squash and control what I could not. Carne also experimented on the loyalty of his team-mates.

  Cory’s indignity seemed a little too put out for someone he’d recently met. Our leader sits calm and ready while his hostage shivers in a ball, curled up as far away from him as possible. Why in Star’s name did he bring her along?

  Are you shivering? Carne asked without looking at me. He knew I was not. Cory’s exaggeration amused him. I hugged my knees a little tighter and wrested enough control to force my muscles to relax anyway. He left physical phantoms warming my calves and thighs.

  Your presence still serves a purpose despite being far from where I wanted you, Carne pressed upon me as we both considered Cory’s confusion.

  You bowed low to Troy as far as I can tell, how’s the floor feel under your knees? I asked frankly, without any real heat. I wondered at Carne’s further motivations for allowing me here. Although here, was better than locked in his bedroom I supposed.

  Bowed? No. Allowed Troy his figment authority. It suits my purposes to do so. He made a point of anchoring me, shocking my system as it wobbled and collapsed without the strain I’d been constantly carrying since the Tk hijacked my empathy.

  And I was grateful.

  Now sickened too at my knee jerk gratitude.

  I had two huge detours to locating my sister now: Telekinesis eroding my emotional firewalls and leaving me vulnerable to capture from Carne, and this ‘family matter’.

  I had to be dogged in my determination, I promised myself. Tonight. That’s all the time I’d allow for the auction. All the time I’d allow for this forced respite. I was suspicious of Carne’s plans post auction.

  I set my mutinous thoughts to the very dark recesses in my mind and let only the void represent my face as I peddled back to the light.

  I could not see Keota and Cory now as we wound around the private gardens that sheltered greener lawns than most appreciated personally, but their curiousness snaked around the airspace from the front driver and passenger seats, lighting softly upon the blossoming burdens welling as Carne set block upon block back on me, evaluating.

  I’ve only ever seen her kick his arse, Keota pondered my last association with him on the training mats. It bothered him morally that Carne had dumped me from his shoulder at their vehicle with only a ‘Move out!’ as an explanation.

  I should not have tried to run once the taxi had dropped us under the canopy of the first floor parking complex. Might not have sliced his bicep with the teeth of my knife either...

  Carne’s gaze shifted to me and he knew where my thoughts led. He felt the currents of Tk stream out candidly but briefly enough that only he and Ella were made aware. It was like slicking oil back in and Carne analysed the tributary. Snaking along it, prodding it. I grew nervous and curled deeper into my corner.

  Cory shifted around catching Carne’s gaze, if not mine. I did not know if Carne caught: What’s this chick’s damage? Still... could fuck it.

  Carne jerked. He’d missed nothing. Bending lower and closer he laid a rare display of public affection to my thigh.

  Carne’s team: PsiHawkI hadn’t had any idea of our relationship so I tried not to take their first impressions personally. Only Ella witnessed some depth. It embarrassed me but it was harder to hide with her. She’d been with us since we were all teenagers filled with angst and issues but ardent dreams for the future. Time had progressed. I hadn’t. I remained isolated.

  I worked with Carne’s earlier team but that was years ago now and those team members had progressed to other endeavours, but even then I was only the sniper. Set apart purposefully from the breviloquent killing.

  In those moments of intimate death Carne worried I took into me the horror and anguish of the victim.

  I did.

  So deeply it ate at my marrow. Sniper or Spartan’s pet, they were an act of rebellion against myself. I had a weakness I sorely wanted removed and those positions forced those emotions on and through me.

  Eventually I’d desensitize.

  But it was actually my own feelings rebounding off
Carne that had me wound to the last right now. Without him I struggled to maintain equilibrium, especially now. But with him, with him I had a mirror in constant slow reveal of the intricacies and fault lines of the past fracturing inside me.

  A fountain, bronzed and magnificent cried its own fractures down its worn cheeks, though she still maintained a healthy strength of showers into the mosaic pool, wreathed in ivy, laid at her feet. I let my gaze follow her as we pulled up to the entrance we’d been given coordinates for. Our vehicle was the second in a line of four.

  Carne bodily shuffled me from the car after Ven’s economical exit from the vehicle in front. I did as expected and warmed my arse on the sun baked vehicle while Carne signalled his team into position ahead of us.

  Ven coordinated our infantry of security around the centre vehicle where Roake offered a hand to Nuva. Their pseudo personalities were stark contrasts to the yoga bending, wave riding elementals I knew of.

  Our show of force and entourage was to be expected within such an elite and explicit environment, and the security alluded quietly to a covert and well trained one.

  With an all clear from Ven’s end, Keota and Cory using Tech, then the further firewall of Ella, who discerned inanimate objects from the enemy with a telekinetic tide, we marched onwards. I let a small slip billow out in hopes I could learn from her.

  Carne turned sharply, his stony face aggressive as he stomped in close. Automatic fear hitched my breath as he easily lifted command from me. It still broke like a violation no matter how many times he did it, no matter how tender.

  Not here Honey, he said gently and sweetly as he overrode my soul. ‘Honey’ dripped with the loss of me and acted as the cushion that caught me. I preferred ‘Delilah’ or ‘Deli’, at least then I had some semblance of identity.

  I couldn’t nod or acquiesce in any way but the rip washed me from the wave and I forced my body not to sag and alert any enemy to the state of my waking. I scowled deeply, internally swatting at his residual glow.

  After scanning the perimeter around the vehicle he rubbed a thumb between my eyebrows finding the small dent in my eye socket, softly hidden behind my long dark fringe. It was a reminder to listen to him. To trust his protection. One that I’d squandered once and learnt harshly from.

  He smoothed the skin again and it did absolutely nothing for my mounting anger. I gorged on his molten amber eyes and his jaw clenched with the promise of forever.

  This was why I left, especially when he was away on a mission. He could take everything from me, and make me forget not to give him more. To be so close to him again was enthralling and shameful.

  I never voiced aloud my internal fight, not to others, not in front of others, but in our connection I was jockeying for free reign.

  If you do that again, my fingernails bit my fists as they shook, I’ll be fucking gone before you feel my breath gone from your back. And no, you wont find me next time, I’ll be like a fuckin' mistral in a tempest.

  It was one thing to experiment in relative privacy, forcing me to take control over my abilities bit by bit and allowing me the respite he had, however it may have suited his purposes. It never meant I’d voluntarily ceded my overall right to self.

  You’d never be able to hide from me Delilah. I would drag you from the depths of space-time itself if I had to, now quit trying to use telekinesis; it’s too much of a variable here. Come on, he coerced me then, none too gently by my elbow, my ponytail bouncing against my back.

  Melodrama was new for me and Carne acted as if it was a bit of a lark. In his mind I’d never leave indefinitely. I could even feel a little pride burst from him as I scorned him because he believed I’d learn his lesson and not require his ‘support’ as much, or as the rest of the population would call it: enslavement.

  He was delusional. A package wrapped up in the charm of Troy, the shrewdness of Ava and the starkness of Ven but hid the welling depths of a sociopathy all his own.

  I felt like I was nothing but an extension of Carne, an aspect of his life he kept away from the normal confines of his work life but sequestered in plain sight even in our personal lives. I wish I could hate Carne, truly bemoan the control he had over me but I simply could not. He was a permanent resident within me and the bond was linked like the rope on a maritime combat vessel; strands as thick as myself twisted and entombed, anchored deep for her support.

  Slavery and support had little between them and I told myself I was truly misguided if I had thought for a second: he’s right, he’s never taken that control so completely unless danger was present, whether myself or foreign. Stele, I had drunk coolade at some point hadn’t I?

  Ella found a place beside me as I followed the bane of my existence toward a destiny I longed to shape differently.

  “We’ll get a bit of girl time shortly once were in Sug,” she promised sympathetically.

  “Girl time? Someone actually used those words to describe us?”

  Ella laughed softly, under her breath so as to not bring unwanted attention. She looked the part at least. Ella had the deceiving appearance of a fine lady, delicate pale skin, with wheaten hair, icy blue eyes and cheek bones that that came together like an artist had painted her with traditional European aristocracy in mind. But then she spoke, and I loved her for her gruff and sarcastic manner.

  “Boss wants you and I to practice for a few hours pre auction so your focus is not splintered. We can call that girl time. What,” she mocked playfully, “you want to order mojito’s?”

  Thank Stars Ella was here today, I thought, as we marched in formation. I could relate to her stray brokenness.

  Every room was systematically swept for malware, trackers and bugs. Even the refrigerator had it’s screen and camera disabled to prevent hacking and all the while I soaked in the comfort of my anchor and Ella’s friendship no matter the circumstances.

  Chapter Two

  Carne.

  My gaze followed the dimples at the base of her spine. Her T-shirt had ridden high and I quickly glared at Cory to turn his attention elsewhere. Delilah followed Ella inside a guest suite within our vast apartment and I compartmentalised all of their awareness elsewhere in my mind. Cory and Keota had kept their curiousness to themselves all the way here but both had the eating desire to ask aloud who exactly Delilah was to me.

  Keota was stationed at the barracks but had rarely been inside Onyxeal proper, and never on a personal visit, only to the Control Room, which hid below ground level of the manor. So he’d seen Delilah in the combat training environment, though the last time was eight months ago.

  Cory had never been inside the CR, only the barracks and surrounds, including superiors offices.

  I despised that they now saw a personal part of my life I kept sheltered. I didn’t simply allow Delilah years of anonymity for her own reasons. I myself experienced an extreme range of detrimental and destructive emotions while she was with me publicly. I’d admit my motivations were simple selfishness in the least, protecting the public from me more than Delilah in the extreme.

  Delilah was a responsibility I took and wore very seriously and I was not prone to sharing her with others, not only for that selfishness, but because Delilah had always required as little personal interaction outside work and home due to the continuous strain she endured psychologically. I did my best to assure her over the years that she could rely upon and trust in me for that solace.

  Having her here simply for her talent as a recogniser did not sit well. She deserved the time and practice to allow the Tk to flourish but she was not safe until she learned control and it burned that Ven and Troy knew to play on my fears.

  Yes, I feared. Logically, she remained safer with me, where I could tutor her, hone her abilities - until I watched Spartan march into our temporary control centre for the auction taking place in a matter of hours. Logic very quickly dissipated.

  “Boy,” Spartan greeted coolly, his arms crossed in a bulky move across his obscene chest.

  “What
’s your thick head got in this Spartan?” I knew he’d have it in the Genetic Manipulation Tech. Ven had closed in on the pharmaceutical company and a wizened old scientist who dabbled in the auctions but I knew Spartan would be walking in the dark alongside more degenerate quarries. I had grown to revile Spartan and the crazy he hid but I also aspired to parts of it - and he knew it.

  “Been utilising a military brat with weak but charitable intentions to save the poor from sickness, among others.”

  Others inferred Delilah. I grit my teeth.

  “You have her involved in this?”

  “Yes and no,” he answered belligerently.

  Charged and brimming, we both rode testosterone as it peaked in one another’s company. In a silent agreement we slid into a corner of relative privacy where the scent of our animosity formed a barricade between us.

  Spartan was not as big as he was when I was the boy he called me, and I saw a borderline masochist instead of a hero now.

  “You leave her vulnerable,” I seethed, bunching up close, coming closer to eye level than he’d have remembered anyone being big enough to do.

  His chest expanded and he made to stare down at me. “I make her strong.”

  “You think torturing her makes her strong? I can still taste the dirt she coughed on the last time you buried her alive!”

  “What are you worried about Boy? She wont let you cut her meat anymore? I do for her boy, what you haven’t the guts to do. You want to coddle her until she lets herself grow. See, I know she cant grow until she’s been broke down so low that she has to dig for the grit it takes to survive.”

  My fist bleached of colour and I burned to reach in and rip out the crazy fuck’s throat.

  Ven stepped into my peripheral and both Spartan and I straightened at his solid presence. “Team convenes in ten for briefing.” Ven’s voice was rough and simple, very much like the man.

  I rose a centimetre and breathed upon Spartan’s face intimately. “Stay away from my Mate. You understand that concept don’t you? You understand the lengths I’d go for her? Don’t get in my way,” I warned.