Experiment (Hybrid Book 2) (11 page)

“I’m sure she will, she was seriously concerned about you when we first escaped, we had quite a heart-to-heart about things.”

“You’re babbling again troll.” Connor was pleased to see the half smile back on his face as he turned from the horse, which snorted and stamped in protest at the cessation of the brushing. Connor returned the smile.

“Where do we go from here Tenset? Maybe seeing you will help her get over this ‘no healing’ problem and things with return to normal.”

Tenset sighed. “‘But ‘normal’ doesn’t include me, does it? ‘Normal’ means you two galloping round the galaxy doing ‘good deeds’ for all the needy folk or should I say ‘rich’ needy folk. And you’ll continue to do that until they decide otherwise. Have you ever considered that you are as trapped as she is? Neither of you have a choice about where you go, who you see, or what you do. If you kick up a fuss, do you think they will think twice about mind wiping you too?”

“If I could change it, I would. This thing between both of us and Chesara is powerful, I don’t know why, but I have no jealously for you, in fact I’m glad she met you, you make her happy.”

His genuine grin made Tenset’s eyebrows rise. “Plus it felt bloody good to have her anger pointed at someone else for a change.”

Tenset joined him in a slight chuckle, before his face became serious.

“Listen Federation, my life as I knew it here is finished, and I can’t help feeling that my future includes Chesara,” he paused, “and unfortunately you. You know that she doesn’t have a long term future with them. They consider her property and at some point will figure she’s more valuable as a breeding machine or a trade item if she won’t ‘perform’ for them anymore. We need to get her away from them.” Tenset stared at Connor intently as he gauged the other’s reaction to his words.

Connor briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the words sunk in. The Kalzirian was right, but how the fuck could they, all three of them, get away, and keep away from the Human Federation? He looked into Tenset’s one eye, seeing the resolve there.

“I agree, but I think it’s going to be fairly damn impossible to do. Got any ideas?” Connor’s heart beat a little faster at the answering grin.

“Leave it to me, Federation. Just be ready to act when you hear from me. We can communicate through Dagus, he owes me, and apparently he owes Chesara for his life.”

At Connor’s raised eyebrow, he added, “He’s Melton’s nephew, and I’ve set his family up really well over the years.”

“Well you owe him a little more. It was Melton who brought Chesara back in, but the idiot also left her in the company of Thompson, the one who raped her before she killed him.”

Tenset’s face darkened. “Thompson huh?  I never did like that spotty little shit, Tamas hired him.”

“Ah, there you are Mr Temple,” Dagus said cheerfully as he walked up to them.” I see you’re admiring some of our wonderful horses. I’m hoping to be able to spend a little time visiting with my family before the Apollo leaves. My uncle and his family work on the Shamir family estates, do you know them?” he said as he stared straight at Tenset.

“I know a lot of people lieutenant.”

It was obvious to Connor that the men recognized each other, but Dagus was obviously hiding the relationship for the benefit of anyone listening. His voice dropped as he moved closer to Connor and Tenset, patting the horse’s neck as an excuse.

“Good to see you Lord Tenset, I can’t thank you enough for making sure my Uncle and the kids are going to be ok after everything that happened with that bastard Tamas, begging your pardon, I know he was family.”

“I’ve found out quite a bit since he decided I needed a makeover.”

Dagus’ eyebrows rose questioningly, but Tenset couldn’t meet his eyes. Looking at the ground, he continued.

“I might as well tell you now, because I don’t know if we’ll get another opportunity. What you do with the information is up to you. I found a load of records where I’ve been staying. I hid out at the old hunting lodge.”

He lifted his face and looked Dagus in the eye. “I’m sorry, but Tamas killed your older brother, it wasn’t a riding accident as he said. I’m sorry I didn’t know just how warped he actually was.”

A series of emotions crossed Dagus’ face, shock, then anger, then resolution.

“Does uncle Melton know?” Tenset shook his head “It’s your decision, but Melton’s suffering with the weight of his conscience anyway. He’s a decent man who found himself in an untenable position.  I don’t think telling him the fact that he introduced his nephew’s abuser and killer to him is going to be helpful.”

“Abuser?” Both Connor and Tenset looked away from the angry young man, which gave him his answer. Dagus turned and punched the post the horse was tied to, causing it to crack and the horse to pull back, whinnying in alarm.

Tenset grabbed his arm, and held on as Dagus tried to pull away.

“Listen, what’s done is done, if you make a fuss now, I’ll be caught, and I won’t be able to finish setting Melton and your baby cousins up. Hopefully, the documents I left at the mansion confirming your eldest cousin as my heir will mean Melton’s son will inherit the Shamir estates, it’s certainly better than it going to the Harmon’s. We all have reasons to hate, don’t let it control you Dagus, you’re a better man than that, a true Kalzirian, unlike him.”

Dagus breathed deeply for a few moments then came to a decision.

“Don’t tell Melton, and get rid of that record. What you do with the rest is up to you, he was your uncle.” Tenset nodded.

“I owe you both.” Dagus turned a serious face to both of them. “You’ve secured my family’s future on Kalzir, and you, Connor have rid this planet of a blight it’s endured for decades, both Tamas and Harmon. Just ask and I’ll do anything I can, I swear on my brother’s memory.”

After looking into both men’s faces to make sure they knew he was sincere, he turned on his heel and walked stiffly back to the shuttle.

After a moment's silence, Connor was conscious of the time he was supposedly talking to a groom. If he dallied any longer after his pilot returned to the shuttle, it’d look a little suspicious.

“Have you got a plan?”

“Wait and see troll. What you don’t know, you can’t reveal. But be prepared, you’re going to see a great deal of me over the next few years.”

Tenset straightened from where he was supposedly examining the horse’s knee and stuck out his hand.  Connor took it and pulled a surprised Tenset into a one armed hug, thumping him on the back. He released him quickly when he felt Tenset wince.

“Back to?”

“Bugger off troll, before I start losing what’s left of my manly reputation, you son of a Kackbad.”

Connor laughed. “She never told you what a ‘Kackbad,’ is either did she?”  He held a hand up and started to walk away after Tenset had given him an immense grin, despite the pain it must have caused to his healing face.

As he walked back to the shuttle, he was surprised at the feeling of loss he felt, and wondered when or if he’d see the man who’d come to mean a great deal to him again.  Despite his promise and bravado, Tenset was from a backwoods, low-tech planet, and Connor doubted that there was anything he could come up with that would fool the mighty Human Federation.

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S
everal hours into her research into agricultural colonies, Chesara was disturbed by a knock on her door. Still munching on the giant cookie in her hand, she checked the spy hole and opened the door to Dr Henderson.

“I’m not changing my mind; I’m not healing anymore, so if that’s all you want to talk about, you can go help some other poor traumatized soul.”

The councillor gave her normal condescending smile and sat on Chesara’s purple sofa. “The Captain has asked me to come and talk to you again.”

Chesara ground her teeth, but a request from the Captain couldn’t be ignored, so she decided to just grit her teeth and bare it.

“We’ve discussed things with the people back at your clinic, and they suggest that if you ‘get back on the horse’ as soon as possible things will be easier, so if we could...”

Chesara interrupted her. “I hate horses, and I’m not getting back on anything. I’ve had some good ideas for my future role, personally I can’t think of a better person to explore and make first contact for humanity than a human alien hybrid, can you?”

“Chesara, I’ve read your file. You love horses, and the Federation has lots of diplomats and explorers but only one person with your talents, they need you to do what only you can do.”

“Not going to happen. If the captain wishes to downgrade my quarters, let me know I’ll be happy to move. Now, as I certainly don’t wish to be rude, I think this conversation is over, have a terrific day,” and she stood, looking at the woman expectantly until she rose to her feet and swept out the door.

A few minutes after the annoying woman had left; she heard shouting and the sound of furniture being over turned in the VIP lounge outside her door. Feeling nervous, but confident with her door security she looked out the spy hole.

Sofas had been overturned, and a wild-eyed man in civilian clothing she didn’t recognise stood over something on the floor. Hitting the panic button beside the door caused the lights to flash, and a siren to go off. The man looked around in panic and ran out of the room.  Chesara trembled as she looked out the spy hole until the alarm system cut out. She strained her ears trying to determine if there was anyone else out there. At first, there was nothing, and then she heard a very slight whimper. Sweat immediately prickled over her back.

Straining to see more of the room through the spy hole, she tried to find out what the problem was, but she couldn’t see or hear anything. She’d never been a ‘hide behind the sofa’ type of person before, and she was determined her recent experiences wouldn’t change her personality along with her job.

Kalzir had done enough to her already without taking anything else. One day she’d morn Tenset, but she was too fragile to think about him yet. She pulled what little courage she had up from her toes and knowing that security would be here in a few moments, she opened the door carefully.

As she rounded the up-turned sofa, she was confronted with a small body lying on the floor, facing away from her. The child was wearing an all in one unisex red suit, and had shoulder length blond hair.

She heard another whimper and looked frantically at the door to see if help was about to arrive. She ran over to the entrance to the VIP section, scanning the corridor up and down for the help that should be arriving, actually it should have arrived already due to the alarm. Why wasn’t anyone here? Her level of anxiety went another few notches higher, as she looked at the child on the floor.

A child that was hurt, frightened and alone. When the whimper came again, she forced herself to move until she could see the child’s face. Big dark eyes, narrowed by pain looked back at her.

“Help, he sh sh sh shot me..” the child gasped, and Chesara saw a growing dark stain underneath the girl’s hand which was clutched to her abdomen.

Chesara panicked, this child was badly hurt, and she could help or could kill her with one touch. The child reached a hand towards her. Chesara’s mind shut down, unable to deal with the thought of her touch killing the beautiful little girl just as she’d killed the young man. She could see the light going out in the little girl’s eyes, pleading to live as she killed her.

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T
he watching team, consisting of the councillor, the chief medical officer, and the captain saw Chesara shrink back against the wall, her eyes wide. Sighing as the view screen showed the hybrid sink to the floor, grasp her knees and start to rock, her eyes tightly shut, head shaking as she muttered ‘no, no, no’  constantly. The Chief Medical Officer voiced their combined disappointed.

“Well that didn’t work as well as you thought it would Dr Henderson. It seems that forcing the issue may well have pushed her back into her previous state. When is Mr Temple due back?”

The captain touched behind her ear, murmuring. “About twenty minutes. The pilot is reporting that Mr Temple is quite agitated, but nothing more than that. Is there a point in continuing this charade any further? I must admit that the child is a superb actress. I’ll arrange a bonus. We’ll reconvene here in my office To discuss our next move, in shall we say an hour? Dismissed.”

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C
onnor could see her stress levels spiking as he sat in the shuttle, and felt his own fight or flight response activate, a flush of heat shooting over his body. Trying to keep his voice calm, he called to Dagus and his co-pilot. He knew he couldn’t speak to Dagus about anything concerning Chesara or Tenset with the co-pilot around.

“What’s our ETA lieutenant? I’ve got quite a bit to do today, so could you speed things up?”

“We’re about twenty minutes out, going as fast as we can Sir, we have to fit in with the schedule I’m afraid.”  Connor wondered if his teeth would actually explode in his mouth if he ground them any harder, and he did his best to relax. Touching his communicator button, he tried to contact the chief medical officer and the councillor, both of which had ‘busy’ tones sounding.

“Calm down Sir, we’ll be there shortly; I’m sure whatever it is will wait for a few more minutes. Is there anything you need me to do?” Dagus asked pointedly as he picked up on Connor’s anxiety.

“Nothing right now Lieutenant, aside from getting us back to the Apollo ASAP.”

“Will do, Sir.”

Connor exploded out of his seat when they reached the docking bay, and was practically bouncing up and down in frustration whilst Dagus set the shuttle down extremely quickly and released the doors. Connor took off across the shuttle bay.

“What the fuck’s wrong with him?” said the co-pilot.

“I know that look,” said Dagus, who winked before announcing “woman trouble.” The co-pilot let out a bark of laughter before starting the post flight checks.

Connor’s speed increased as he left the transport tube on the VIP level, when he heard Chesara shriek. She’d trusted him, and he’d left her alone, he’d never forgive himself if anything had happened to her. As he barrelled into the lounge he took in the scene in a moment, Chesara was crabbing backwards along the floor as nurse Clara moved towards her with a hypo spray.