Daughter of Destiny (24 page)

Before the commander could
say anything in response, she put a hand on his shoulder again and
the world dematerialized. She took them directly to the med bay on
Vrion's ship. Their entrance triggered the medical droid's
activation. Assisted by the droid, Commander Vrion placed Zane on a
diagnostic table where the droid began diagnosis and
treatment.

No matter how many times
Vrion or the droid suggested she leave, Katarina refused. She stood
by Zane’s side for the full three hours it took the droid to
stabilize Zane and complete treatment.

"The patient will recover,"
the droid finally announced.

Katarina’s shoulders sagged
and her knees wobbled.

"I have placed the patient
under sedation while the nerve, muscle and dermal regenerators
work. All visitors should leave now."

Katarina opened her mouth
to tell the droid where to go, but Commander Vrion placed a gentle
hand on her arm. "He’s safe and sleeping now. You need your rest as
well."

She pulled her arm back as
quickly as she could without appearing rude. In her weakened state
her walls were iffy at best. Touching him might overwhelm her.
Katarina ran her hand over her face and it trembled when she
lowered it. She admitted to herself that sheer willpower kept her
upright. "All right."

Commander Vrion offered her
an arm to lean on but she waved him off. He followed her to her
bunk and after she sat down, he handed her a meal pack, already
heated and opened for her.

"Thank you."

"You aren’t
human."

Katarina swallowed a bite a
food and then laughed weakly. "I’m more human than you
are."

"I read the data brought
back from Earth. There is very little difference physiologically or
psychologically between Earth humans and humans from our portion of
the galaxy. I don’t believe Captain Gratig or Lieutenant Plaswer
falsified their reports. That means you have to be something else.
Your telepathy, while explainable, is beyond phenomenal in power.
Besides that, I have never seen human eyes turn luminescent like
yours did earlier."

Exhausted, she barely
listened to the commander, but his last comment
penetrated.

"What did you say about my
eyes?"

"They glowed."

"What color?"

"They shifted through the
entire visible spectrum."

"Like father like daughter,
I suppose."

"What?"

She sighed. "I'm tired,
Commander. Can we discuss my odd genetics later?"

"I apologize. Rest now. I
need to send an update on what’s happened, anyway." He turned to
go.

"Commander."

"Yes?" He paused at the
door to the corridor.

"Could you please hold off
on that report?"

"But--"

"How about you let command
know where the Goloth base was and that they’re headed for Earth.
Give me some time with Zane, please."

"I really should…" His gaze
wandered down the corridor in the direction of the med bay. "I
won't mention yet that we extracted Captain Gratig."

***

The medical droid met
Katarina at the door. "Greetings. How may I help you?"

"How is he?"

"I’ve decreased the
sedative and provided intravenous nourishment. The patient’s vitals
have improved, but he will remain unconscious for a while
yet."

Katarina walked around the
droid so she could stand beside Zane. She ran a hand over the
bristly new hair growth on his head. The skin underneath still
looked bright pink, but no blisters remained. Deep bruising marred
his face and shadows painted circles under his eyes, making them
appear sunken. The skin not healing from burns had regained its
normal color. She found such a spot on his cheek and pressed a
gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Is there a chair or
something to sit on?" Katarina asked the droid.

"No. Visitors are not
allowed to stay with the patient."

Katarina scowled and opened
to her mouth to argue, but then the metal box like face reminded
her that she might as well argue with her toaster.

"Let me know if he
wakes."

"Affirmative."

Katarina left the med bay
and went to a smaller room across the corridor outfitted as an
exercise facility. It took her several minutes, but she managed to
figure out the alien version of a treadmill. She hoped exercise
would quiet her mind and expel her anxiety.

"Seven days and seven
nights of wonder. The water's rising and I'm sinking under. I think
I fell in love with the eighth world wonder...." She sang one of
her mother's favorite songs. She nearly forgot how much she loved
singing with her mother when she was very small.

She walked briskly on the
treadmill. Up until about five months she managed a jogging pace,
but she couldn't handle more than a brisk walk now. Unfortunately
the exercise didn't banish the heavy looming feeling that something
waited right around the corner, ready to throw another grenade into
her life.

Private Driglok walked in
and Katarina stopped singing mid-word. "Yes?"

"There is an incoming
message for you from Earth."

"Thank you." She turned off
the treadmill, grabbed a towel and a pouch of water. She followed
him to the cockpit, noticing that he didn’t even glance at the
closed med bay doors. When they entered, she addressed the
commander, "Driglok says there is a message for me."

Commander Vrion handed
Katarina a memory card. "It's from your sister. I could run the
translator program, but I presume that you can translate it more
accurately."

It took Katarina a moment
to realize Vrion's motive. He meant to occupy her. Maybe it was
altruistic and he thought it would make her feel better, or perhaps
he hoped she wouldn't consider the implications of remaining on
course to Yopmar.

She glanced down at it to
make sure she could operate it. The knowledge popped into her head
so she smiled at Vrion. "Thank you. I’ll bring you the translated
copy as soon as I’m finished."

Katarina took the memory
card back to her bunk for lack of any better place to read it. She
secured her privacy curtain and leaned back to read the
message:

Kat,

Robert and I got the info
you sent. We’ll do our best to prep on this end, but any help from
out there would be welcome. We have a press conference scheduled
for tomorrow. We’ll keep you updated.

Zane’s identity and your
relationship is going to be public now, Kat. Sorry, but we can’t
see any way around that. Have you found Zane yet? Y’all are in our
prayers. Take it easy as much as you can.

Love,

Naia and Robert.

P.S. I tried calling the
number. It's a pub in Ireland and I couldn't understand a blasted
word the owner said.

Katarina laughed as she
imagined Naia with her thick southern twang trying to puzzle out a
thick Irish brogue. She reread the letter and sighed. Katarina let
the memory card fall to her lap. Every time she managed to
readjust, reality kept turning her on her head. When had a normal
boring life become nothing more than a wistful dream? Had she
always been destined for this, or was it her choices that brought
her here? The enormity of it all weighed on her, and that ominous
cloud hanging over her grew bigger and darker. She pressed her
fingers to either side of her head where a headache lurked, ready
to pounce. She debated going to the med bay again, but didn't know
if she could tolerate watching Zane lie there so still. As she
picked up the card again she said a silent prayer.
Please let
Zane come back from wherever he went inside his
head.

"FOOLS!" Karglock's bellow
echoed through the doorway and a moment later his voice yelled over
the comm, "ROTVRAOQ!"

Rotvraoq forced his
shoulders to stoop and his eyes to take on a docile expression
before entering Karglock’s suite. Rotvraoq moved with graced
despite his quick pace and the slouched posture he affected. So
far, Karglock had yet to see through the facade.

Rotvraoq flicked a pitying
glance to the female on the bed. She laid still and mute, no longer
concerned with reality. She wouldn't live long enough to see
freedom. Only a step higher than her, a member of the servant
caste, Rotraoq loathed Karglock and his ilk, but if events played
out fortuitously, no more slaves or servants would suffer
needlessly.

He bowed at the waist.
"Yes, your highness?"

"How many ships did we
leave on Drudidia III?"

"We left one squad of
single pilot fighters, one squad of reconnaissance ships, one
transport ship, and one light duty freighter, sir."

"Were they new or old
models?"

"The transport ship is only
a year old, but the other ships are much older models,
sir."

"That’s not much of a
loss." He tapped his flexed talons on the duratanium desk. "Send an
order to Drudidia III for the best two pilots in the compound to
take the transport ship to Dreadmog. Have them take food or some
such thing so they easily pass IGCF inspectors. We may need the
ship, but the others can stay on Drudidia III. Let IGCF have
them."

"Yes, your
majesty."

"Dismissed."

After turning around,
Rotvraoq spared a disgusted look at the waste of wealth displayed
in the room. Enough soft green and gold fabric decorated the walls
to clothe an entire village. The platinum and gold embellishments
on his furniture could buy enough food for that same village for a
six lunar cycles, perhaps more. Rotvraoq waited to hiss until the
door closed behind him. Karglock's time grew shorter than the fool
knew. He had plans of his own to attend, none of which included
following Karglock's orders.

***

Naia awoke with a hand over
her mouth and a whispered command. "Homeland Security. Get out of
bed. You're coming with us. You can get dressed, but make a move we
don't like and we will shoot you. No lights." She nodded her head.
The shadow released her and stepped back. She glanced at Robert and
held her breath until the figure over him also stepped
back.

"What the fuck is this?
Where's your goddamn warrant?" Robert said.

A laser site focused on
Robert's chest and Naia grabbed the covers to keep her trembling
hands still.

"Homeland Security
intercepted two unauthorized transmissions; one received and one
sent to an as yet unidentified source beyond this planet. This is a
matter of national and global security and as such, no warrant is
required."

"Normally I'd say fuck that
bullshit. However, since I have no desire to be shot and there's a
bigger threat here than y'all walking all over my civil liberties,
I'll cooperate."

The laser site blinked off,
but she suspected a less obvious weapon pointed in their direction
under the cover of darkness.

She coughed. "Uhm. Pardon,
but I'm rather naked under here."

The shadow closest to her
walked over to the rocking chair in the corner, snatched up her
robe and flung it in her direction.

"Hurry up. We haven't got
all night."

Robert mumbled a curse, but
got out of bed using slow obvious movements. Naia did the same
after donning the robe. She grabbed her clothes from the day before
and wiggled into them as best as she could without flashing anyone.
Granted they wouldn't see much in the dark, but enough random men
saw her naked as a kid. She couldn't be cavalier about her nudity.
Thinking about the two strange men in the same room with her with
just a robe and darkness between them set her hands shaking and her
breath coming too fast.

"Lady, if you don't get a
move on, I'll drag your naked ass out of here."

The man closed the distance
between them and the past came rushing back. She shrieked and
folded up into a ball on the floor.

"What the hell?"

"Get the fuck away from my
wife."

Robert's gentle arms
enfolded her and chased away the nightmares of the past. "Shh. It's
all right, baby. I'm here. No one will hurt you."

"Look up her damn file and
you'll figure out what the fuck her problem is," Robert growled.
His body vibrated with anger, but the hand that rubbed her back
remained gentle. With Robert's assistance Naia got to her feet. She
let him aid her in pulling her sweater over her head. Her shaking
hand couldn't manage the button on her jeans so he fastened it for
her. His quiet reassuring patience comforted her as it had for so
many years. She took a deep breath and forced her panic down.
Robert took her hand in his and led her to the closet.

Out of the corner of her
eye, the dull light of a handheld computer flashed and the black
clad figure let out a low stream of curses. The light winked out as
he pocketed the computer. "Listen, ma'am. I apologize we freaked
you out. That was not our intention. You and your husband look like
solid citizens, but you're mixed up in something and the brass
wants answers."