Dana Cartwright Mission 1: Stiletto (24 page)

“But I have your eyes,” Dana countered.

Brandenberg corrected, “Only one blue one, but,” she added, “forty percent of all Enturians from Anestia province have blue eyes.”

“But forty percent are not also named January,” Dana answered forcing a smile.

The Major chuckled. “That is true. In old Enturian, January means ‘open spaces’ and ‘freedom’.”

Dana heard Korwin chuckle.

Brandenberg turned to him and stared.

“In old Alphan, January means ‘doorway’ or ‘gateway’.” Korwin introduced himself as Prince Korwin Kord of Centauri Prime.

The Major nodded formally. “I shall have to remember that.”

Admiral Cartwright cleared his throat and called, “Dismissed,” obviously to terminate the conversation.

Korwin caught Dana’s elbow and led to the sidewalk outside, carrying both of their orientation kits.

“Freedom?” Dana mumbled.

Korwin rolled his eyes, “Freedom doorway.”

“No!” Dana realized, “Dana means ‘superior’ or ‘first,’ so ‘first gate’,” She chuckled, “I am the first…that’s it!”

Korwin stared, puzzled. “First gateway?”

“I’m the first of the embryos.” Dana stared excitedly back at him. “That’s it! That’s why I was named Dana January. My D-A-N-A…My DNA…is superior.”

“Oh?” Korwin puzzled. “I thought January is a earthly name? A month.”

“The first month…that makes sense.” She chuckled, but then stared at Korwin’s mismatched eyes. “Two in three million…”

He laughed, “Yeah.”

“Where did you get your mismatched eyes?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea.” He sighed. “I’m starving. Let’s have some lunch and review our schedules?”

Dana nodded and they headed across the grounds toward the student union.

“You realize we will have to best the Galaxea twins at everything,” Korwin complained.

“Not so difficult,” Dana returned, admitting, “I have an eidetic memory.”

Korwin shrugged. “I don’t.”

Quayle shouted to them, “Hey, you two! Orientation over?”

Korwin nodded to the old man as they took a few steps onto the lawn near where the man rested from his weeding.

Quayle asked, “Did you meet the VIPs?”

Dana shrugged. “The twins? I know them.”

He motioned them closer and hinted, “Sometimes being the first isn’t as important as being yourself.”

Dana stared; worried that he’d somehow read her mind about being ‘first.’

Korwin didn’t understand, “What do you mean?”

Quayle just smiled.

Dana said, “We don’t have to compete with the twins; we just have to do our best.”

“Oh,” Korwin groaned.

The old man nodded and motioned them on.

Dana led.

“Dana?”

“Yes,” she responded.

“Are you a medical doctor?”

She nodded.

Korwin stopped her in the lobby of the student union. “Why are you here?”

She sighed. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you while we eat,” she promised.

But she left out some things, like about Kieran and SSID and being stabbed. “Actually,” she added, “my bartender summed it all up best. Find a new dream. That’s what I’m doing here. I want to fly.”

Dana looked to Korwin for a comment or response.

He seemed quite withdrawn.
 

“Korwin? Why are you here?”

He stared down into his soup bowl for a long time. “I never wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. My dream… My dream is to become a doctor.”

“Wow, what synchronicity!”

Korwin didn’t respond.

“But you’ll reach your dream in two years.”

“And so will you, Korwin! You can easily transfer to medical after two years here at Academy.” Dana smiled.

“My father won’t…”

Dana chuckled. “All you need is a mentor.”

Korwin frowned.
 

Dana’s mismatched eyes sparkled.

“Who?” Korwin demanded.

“Doctor Jake Ankara.”

Korwin shrugged, “I don’t know him.”

Dana winked. “I do!”

Major Captain Brandenberg crossed the room to their table. Both Dana and Korwin jumped to stand at attention.

“Please, at ease… May I join you?”

Dana nodded readily. Korwin held a chair for the Captain and offered, “Would you like some coffee or…”

“Thank you, no. I had lunch with the Admiral.”

Dana sank down into her chair, looking expectantly at the Major.

“Doctor, your question about genetics intrigued me. You mentioned a DNA mutation?”

Dana nodded.

“Is that your medical specialty?”

“No, I’m a neuro-ophthalmologist.”

“Eyes?” The Major looked interested. “Yours… Both of you have unusual eyes.”

Korwin shrugged. “Two in three million…”

Major Brandenberg smiled. “Well, I have never, ever, seen an Enturian with mismatched eyes.”

“It is rare, Major,” Dana admitted.

Brandenberg blinked. “It’s unheard of for an Enturian. Doctor Tracy will, no doubt, be extremely interested in your case.”

Dana shrugged as Korwin had.

“Doctor Tracy is here at the Academy today, for a meeting with Ambassador Brettes and some other friends. Would you like to come and meet him?”

Dana brightened.

Korwin sank back in his chair.

“Prince Kord, you are certainly welcome to come to the reception, too,” the Major invited, “please be my guests.”

Dana noted Korwin’s reluctance but answered for him, “We’d be delighted.”

Major Brandenberg gave them the time and the location then stood to leave.
 

“Thank you,” Dana said as she and Korwin again rose to honor Major Captain Brandenberg

“It’s quite informal,” the Major assured.

“Thank you,” Korwin added as Brandenberg started away.

Dana caught his eyes and whispered, “You don’t look too thrilled.”

They sat back down and he admitted, “Brettes is not very popular with the Alphan delegation.”

Dana laughed. “I’ve heard that he’s not too popular with any of the Republic delegations.”

“I wish no one had introduced me as Prince Kord…”

“Not to worry… Cadet Kord,” Dana said with a grin.

Dana decided, “I should change into a uniform.”

Korwin shrugged. “The Major said it was informal. Maybe I should change out of mine. My place is closer to the location the Major gave us.”

“True… Okay, your place,” Dana agreed.

They gathered up the orientation folios and headed toward the dormitory. Just outside the student union, a trio of male classmates blocked their path.

“Well, if it isn’t our VIP brainiacs,” the tallest, a dark-skinned, dark-haired Kentorian, muttered.

Dana felt her spine stiffen as Korwin casually took a step between her and the bullies.

“Now is not a good time, Sargento. See you tomorrow,” Korwin mumbled, guiding Dana around the trio.

It might have escalated, had Quayle not magically appeared on the path with a stern look to the threatening trio, allowing Dana and Korwin to escape.

“They’re going to be a problem at some point,” Korwin grumbled, as they reached the lobby of the dormitory and waited for the lift to take them up to the seventh floor.

“I’m not much good in a fight,” Dana admitted.

“I’m trained,” Korwin answered coolly, “but it could get messy.”

He pressed his thumb on the lock of his dorm room and invited her into the one room efficiency.

Unlike Dana’s bland apartment, this was festively decorated in outrageously bright colors. Korwin saw her reaction and commented, “Last year’s occupant went a little overboard.”

“I’ll say,” Dana chuckled.

Korwin set down their orientation kits and excused himself, taking a simple jumpsuit from a closet and heading into the private bath. “I’ll just be a minute.”

Dana set down her med-kit and went to the window. “This reminds me of my years at boarding school,” she commented. “Same view…” The window looked out at the dour building next door, nearly straight into someone else’s room. She felt a pang of sympathy and of regret, since her place was so much more comfortable, albeit, more expensive.

When Korwin stepped out, he was wearing the black jumpsuit and attaching his voice-badge to the collar. “Guess I should set this.” He tapped the button and said, “Set location home.”

The computer responded in a masculine monotone, “Home position set.” Then Korwin announced, “I’m ready.”

Dana took her voice-badge from the orientation kit and tapped it. “Set position: Korwin’s.”

“Unable to comply. You do not have access to this building. Nearest MAT location is in the lobby. Do you wish to proceed using that location?”

“Affirmative,” Dana replied.

“Lobby location set.”

Korwin puzzled, “I didn’t realize that…”

“It always gives an alternative. At med school, even our dorms were inaccessible. We had lobby-to-lobby transfer only.”

Korwin nodded. “Good to know.” He sat on the edge of his bunk and opened the orientation kit, spreading out the contents. “Not much in here we really need except the MAT pod card.”

Dana nodded and got hers. “I already have my schedule and campus maps memorized. So I’ll leave this here, okay?”

As she leaned near him, Korwin looked up, “May I ask a personal question?”

She smiled.

“Are you mated?”

“Enturians don’t…” She blushed.

“But you have?” Korwin said.

Dana stared, somewhat puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I can feel him,” Korwin admitted.

She blushed a deeper red. “You’re that sensitive?”

“No… His essence is that strong. He’s protecting you.”

Dana frowned. “How? Can I stop it?”

“You can’t,” Korwin said, “unless you go through some training.”

“I’ll have to,” Dana sighed.

“In the meantime,” Korwin got up and dug into a backpack on his desk and pulled out a small square trinket on a leather thong. “This will dampen the telepathic field. It’s called an N-link. Wear it around Alphans and they can’t read your energy.”

He dropped the necklace into her palm and watched as she slid it on over her head and tugged her braid clear of it.

“Better?”

He nodded then showed his own. “I keep mine out of sight usually.”

“Will it impede my empathic senses?” Dana wondered.

“Should…” He answered. “I didn’t realize you were an empath?”

She showed her wrists. “It’s part of my DNA mutation. And why I’m no longer practicing medicine.”

“Oh…” Korwin nodded understandingly.

“Guess we should go,” Dana suggested.

“Are you sure you want me along?”

She winked, “Never know who might be there. I hope I get to chat with Doctor Tracy.”

Korwin tapped his voice-badge, “Two to MAT to McKay Hall lobby.”

Dana stood beside him as the MAT pod energized.

McKay Hall held a dozen small and comfortable lounges, unlike the huge conference room where the orientation lecture took place. They had no trouble finding the correct room. It was the one with four, well-armed security officers standing at the entry doors. The security detail wore the traditional Galactic Colonies of Enturize Star Service uniforms, with black, wrap-jackets that had silver sleeves and their rank insignia on the silver sash.

Korwin addressed one of the men. “Lieutenant, we’re guests of Major Brandenberg.”

The Lieutenant asked for their names, but the Major Captain appeared and nodded approval for them to pass.
 

“Welcome, Cadets…” She was wearing the gold and black tunic-jacket of the GCE.

Korwin whispered, “Thank you for the invitation, Major.”

Dana echoed her thanks as they were led forward to meet the dignitaries.

His stark black robes, with a silver sash tied at the waist, easily identified the Enturian Ambassador to the Republic. He was smaller than the other two men, much smaller, and nearly completely bald, but for a small tuft of silver-white behind each ear.
 

“Ambassador Brettes, a pleasure to see you again,” Dana said, bowing her head formally.

“Ah, Doctor Cartwright,” The elder acknowledged, “how is DOC?”

“Well — thank you for asking.”

The other two men, younger by perhaps thirty years stared as Major Captain Brandenberg introduced them. “Elders, these are the cadets I spoke of. Doctor Dana Cartwright and Prince of the Elect Korwin Kord.”

Korwin bowed as Dana did, though he looked a bit sheepish.

The Major then introduced, “Master Surgeon Kris Tracy and Major Captain Nicholas Gage.”

The two were in civilian gray tunics and stood at ease. Both had long hair pulled back into queues, but Gage’s was yellow and Tracy’s white.

Tracy looked from Dana to Korwin and back. “Are you twins?”

“No, sir,” Dana assured.

“He’s Alphan,” Tracy acknowledged, “but your eyes are…”

Dana chuckled. “I’m Enturian.”

“Fascinating…” Tracy muttered, motioning her closer, inspecting her mismatched blue and brown eyes. “How old are you, Doctor?”

“Twenty-four Earth standard.”

Tracy’s ice-blue eyes narrowed. “You weren’t born here on Earth,” the Master Surgeon guessed.

Ambassador Brettes interrupted, “She’s DOC Cartwright’s girl. Her records are sealed, as I recall.”

That only served to make Tracy scoff. “Nonsense, I gave no such order when I was in charge of the fleet.”

“I was not born on Enturize, Doctor Tracy. I believe it was at Station Four genetics lab,” Dana corrected.

Tracy groaned. “Ah…yes, the year after I retired then.”

A hush fell over the room, and in the silence, Dana felt a palpable tension. “May I ask, Doctor, why do they seal the records?”

Tracy gave the standard response, “To protect you, of course.”

“Please, forgive me if this sounds disrespectful, but I need to know. A geneticist here has detected a mutation in my DNA. I must know from which parent it came. As a medical professional, I must know.”

Tracy exhaled a sigh. “Well, I can understand your interest. Only Station Four can help you with that. However, if I can be of some assistance, I will gladly.”

Dana stared. He was lying. She knew it.

Korwin casually nudged her and interrupted. “Doctor Tracy, I understand it is quite uncommon for Enturians to have mismatched eyes. Why is that?”