Zealot (12 page)

“Just the one who ran the tests.” Zilor’s voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

The doctor moved closer as he asked, “Then you’re the one who marked her?”

The question seemed to surprise Zilor. “I didn’t think you could sense that sort of thing.”

“I can’t, but my technicians can and it was obvious from their reactions that she’d been marked.”

“Yes, I marked her.”

“It was a precaution only,” Indigo stressed. “I’m here as a therapist. I’m not interested in mating with anyone.” The men exchanged knowing looks and Indigo scowled. “Believe what you like. I’m here for Chandar.” She scooted off the end of the table, which brought her within inches of Zilor. The advantage of standing this close was she couldn’t see his amused expression.

“A couple of her matches were elite officers. Was their inclusion intentional or did Sental forget to purge anyone who wasn’t battle born?” Zilor and the doctor easily continued the conversation over her head.

“We left them in intentionally. They’re risking as much, if not more, than the battle born by supporting the rebellion. Do you disagree?” Irron sounded a bit defensive, but his expression remained calm.

“I understand the rational, but full-blooded Rodyte males can also mate with full-blooded human females.”

“As can the battle born. They just won’t be able to participate in the transformation program. Is our only purpose here to unlock your latent magic? I thought we were attempting to solidify an alliance with Earth.”

Tired of staring at Zilor’s throat, Indigo turned around. They weren’t technically talking about her, but she still felt excluded by their rapid volleys. “Maybe you need two different reports based on the same database. The first would identify those eligible to participate in the transformation program and the second would identify those capable of mating at all.”

Zilor placed his hands on her shoulders as he said, “It makes sense to separate the two.”

Irron nodded. “And Zilor’s right, because females with the protein marker are so rare, their battle born matches should be given priority. We can add that factor with little trouble.”

“Right now you’re only recruiting females with the protein marker. Is that correct?” The doctor nodded in response to Indigo’s question. “Will that eventually change?”

“We haven’t actually discussed it, but it’s a safe assumption.”

“Are all of the battle born willing to participate in the transformation program?” Indigo moved to Zilor’s side so she could see both men. “Isn’t it dangerous? If you’re intentionally triggering genetic mutations, can’t tons of things go wrong?”

“There are risks with any new procedure,” Irron admitted. “But we are working hard to minimize the danger.”

“That might not be good enough for everyone. I sure as hell have doubts. There could be some who don’t care enough about magic to risk their lives.”

Zilor’s brows drew together and he slowly shook his head. “It’s unlikely.”

Irron considered the possibility a moment longer then shrugged. “We need to at least ask the question.”

“Is Sental’s new program operational?” Zilor asked.

“I believe so. He was in here earlier bragging about how accurate the trial runs have been.”

“Who did he use for the trial runs?” Zilor wanted to know.

“Raina and Ashley, as well as several extrapolated profiles. Not only did Kotto and Bandar end up as their top matches, each also registered in the ninetieth percentile.”

“Is this where you ask me to answer two hundred ridiculous questions about what I think and feel?” Indigo rolled her eyes, having endured the process on three different dating sites.

“We started with direct input, but people are seldom totally honest, not only with us but with themselves.” Irron paused for a quick breath before continuing his explanation. “We’ve found it much more accurate to simply analyze a person’s digital footprint. Buying habits, entertainment sims, even the foods they prefer reveal elements of their personality.”

“But you don’t have that sort of information on me.”

A secretive grin spread across the doctor’s lips and Indigo tensed. “Don’t we? You’re thinking in terms of the capabilities of human computers. Our systems are significantly faster and more powerful than anything on Earth. We can data mine the entire NSA in a matter of minutes. Combine that with surveillance cameras, itemized purchase records, search engine results, and the delightful shift to cloud storage, and any human life becomes an open book.”

Truth rang through his words, making Indigo even more uncomfortable. They could travel through space and bio-stream from one place to another. Apparently, hacking human computers wasn’t even a challenge. “I haven’t given you permission to read my ‘open book’.”

“Fair enough.” He shrugged, but she didn’t miss the calculation in his narrowed gaze. “We’re under strict orders to inform your possible matches. If you don’t want us to prioritize them for you, I’ll have no choice but to notify them all.”

“Don’t threaten me.” She crossed her arms over her chest and Zilor moved closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“It wasn’t meant as a threat,” the doctor assured her, though a hint of challenge still gleamed in his eyes. “I’m obligated to follow orders, which greatly limits my options. Your potential matches must be notified. How many we contact is entirely up to you.”

“Okay, fine, so upload my digital footprint. That will give the computer an objective idea of who I am. What I still don’t understand is how the computer will decide which personalities will get along best with each other. Some people want someone very much like themselves, while others want someone very different.”

Irron seemed unfazed by her persistence. “And many don’t know what they want. The program simply organizes the possibilities based on a wide range of information. Ultimately, it’s up to the couple to decide.”

Zilor slid his hand down to the small of her back, his voice low and intimate. “We can explore the possibilities later. Chandar is waiting.”

She should probably correct the presumption in his first statement, but he was right about the second. She had to stay focused on Chandar. “Thanks for all this. I’ll likely be back for the medi-bots.”

“And I’ll likely be here.” Irron waved them on with a friendly smile.

* * * * *

Akim checked, then double and triple checked the indicators on his control console. The best engineer aboard the
Relentless
had overseen the instillation of the covert shield generator personally and assured Akim that the shuttle was now undetectable to all known scanners and proximity alarms. Still, Akim was about to fly into the heart of enemy territory.

His choice to equip a shuttle with the covert shields was a serious gamble. Now if anything happened to the shielding systems aboard the
Relentless
, there was no way to make repairs without returning to Rodymia. Only time would tell if the risk paid off or if he’d made another miscalculation.

Once Milanni pointed him in the right direction, Akim had found the entrance to Lunar 9 with little difficulty. The question was, why had it taken a shove from the annoying female to motivate his search? He knew the answer. He just didn’t want to admit it, even to himself. But self-deception was dangerous when the stakes were this high. He’d grown complacent, lazy, and his carelessness had cost him dearly.

Twice his enemies had invaded his ship. That alone was inexcusable, but the rebels had also killed his brother and stolen Akim’s most prized possession, a female harbinger. He didn’t miss dealing with the harbinger. She’d always been a disagreeable and exasperating creature. But having her taken right out from under his nose was humiliating.

The time for retribution was near, but first he had to back off Milanni and her mysterious benefactor.

Suspecting the entrance to Lunar 9 was guarded by personnel as well as technology, he navigated by sensors alone. Oppressive darkness swallowed his tiny ship, making him restless and anxious. He made several small adjustments as he neared the unmarked entrance, then cut the engines and let inertia propel him through the opening.

He held his breath. Despite the engineer’s assurances that the ship was undetectable, Akim remained alert and ready. He didn’t exhale until he was well past the opening, then he allowed himself to relax enough to appreciate the massive scale of the complex. Outpost LA was impressive, but it didn’t begin to match the capacity of Lunar 9.

Akim’s gaze was drawn to the
Crusader
as she nestled in her berth. She was identical to the
Relentless
, so Akim easily identified the ship. The two ships docked across the wide concourse from her, however, were harder to recognize.

“Computer, identify the three ships in my forward viewers.”

“The largest of the three is the
Crusader
, a mid-size fighter equipped with—”

“I’m familiar with her specifications. What is the second largest ship?”

“She is the
Intrepid
, a research vessel with minimal armaments, currently commanded by Kaden Lux.”

He’d never heard of the commander, but the
Intrepid
was well-known for its cutting-edge technology and exceptional crew. The best and brightest of Rodymia had been recruited to participate in the research being conducted aboard that ship. Did Quinton know the
Intrepid
was here? This might be a more important discovery than verifying the existence of an operational CSS.

“And the smallest ship. What is she?”

“The specifications of that ship indicate that she is a covert strike ship, but the CSS class is not scheduled to be released for twelve to sixteen months. My scanners must be malfunctioning.”

Mission accomplished. He flew in a wide arc, capturing images of the CSS as well as the
Intrepid.
He’d tell Milanni that the rumors about the CSS were true, but he’d hang on to the other revelation until he could use it to his benefit. He needed to determine if he would gain more by revealing the fact to Quinton or to Milanni and her benefactor. One thing was certain. He wasn’t going to carelessly squander the only advantage to cross his path in a very long time.

Indigo followed Zilor out of the infirmary, her head still filled with questions. She wasn’t interested in finding a mate for herself, but that didn’t diminish her interest in the overall concept. “How many people are participating in the transformation program?”

“Ashley was the first. Raina will be the second.” Zilor’s steps were long and purposeful as if he couldn’t wait to put some distance between himself and the doctor. “You need to understand that all of this is still in the preliminary stages. We didn’t set out to find females with the protein marker. Ashley and Raina were each recruited for reasons other than their genetics.”

“It was just dumb luck that they ended up being exactly what their mates need to access their magic?” She shook her head. “I don’t believe in coincidence.”

“All three of you were already involved in this, whether you knew it or not. Ashley’s father had been conspiring with Rodytes for years. You and Raina are descendants of Rodyte refugees. There was nothing coincidental about it.” Before she could argue, he said something in Rodyte.

The words still sounded alien, but the meaning seemed to whisper through her mind. “You just asked the computer the current location of Raylon.”

“Very good. Apparently, your com-bots have started working.”

The computer responded, informing them that Raylon was in the fitness center.

“Then Chandar’s alone,” Indigo realized. “Should we go to her cabin instead?”

Zilor shook his head. “It’s better if Raylon introduces you. When you see them together you’ll understand why.”

The fitness center was on deck four and all the way to the back of the ship. Indigo hurried along at Zilor’s side, curious yet hesitant to meet Raylon. She knew he was responsible for all of the Rodyte ships in this star system, which meant he bossed around people like Kotto and Zilor.

Not unlike gyms on Earth, the fitness center was a large, open room with equipment arranged in various stations. The equipment itself was streamlined yet unfamiliar. Most of the apparatuses weren’t in use, so it was hard to guess their exact purpose. In the back corner of the room stood a slightly elevated platform surrounded by some sort of energy barrier. The barrier undulated with random fluctuations, hazy yet transparent. Everyone in the fitness center had gathered around the platform to watch the two men imprisoned by the energy cage. They were each shirtless and gleaming with sweat as they punched, kicked and wrestled. One man tackled the other and they landed with a resounding
thunk
. A subtle bounce followed, revealing the give in the floor of the cage. It wasn’t padded, more like a super tight trampoline.

“Is this a workout or corporeal punishment?” The combatants shifted and Indigo saw one man’s face clearly. “Isn’t that Kotto?”

Zilor nodded. “This has been brewing for days.”

They neared the edge of the crowd and people automatically shifted, allowing them closer to the platform. The show of deference had been subtle but fascinating. Had the reaction been because of Zilor or her?

Kotto landed an especially forceful kick, driving his opponent backward and half of the onlookers cheered. The other man retaliated with a flurry of punches and a surprisingly graceful spin-kick. The other half of the crowd shouted encouragements and chanted a name, “Raylon! Raylon!”

“That’s Raylon?” She was nearly shouting just to be heard over the den.

Zilor grinned and confirmed her discovery with another nod. “Knowing Raylon, this shouldn’t take long.”

She didn’t understand the comment, at first. They seemed evenly matched. Both men wore padded gloves, but Kotto had managed to open a cut on the crest of Raylon’s cheek and blood smeared the lower portion of Kotto’s face, clearly having come from his nose. “What started this?”

Zilor chucked and glanced down at her. “Raina.”

“There is no way Raina was involved with both of them.” Raina lived in her lab and seldom interacted with anyone. “I was shocked to learn she had a lover at all.”

“I didn’t say she was to blame, but she is the reason they’re fighting.”

Kotto drove Raylon across the cage only to have him counter with a determined series of blows, forcing Kotto back the way he’d come. They were each lean and sculpted by well-defined muscles, warriors in their prime. The right side of Raylon’s face bore a wicked scar that made him look particularly savage. The doctor had said Rodytes could regenerate flesh. Why would Raylon allow himself to remain disfigured?

Kotto was tiring and his fans cheered louder. His blows grew less focused, his dodges slowed. Maybe Zilor’s confidence in Raylon wasn’t misplaced after all.

“If Raina chose Kotto, why is Raylon still pissed?” Zilor had told her just enough to make her curious about the details.

“Long story,” Zilor muttered, but there was something odd in his expression. She couldn’t interpret the look, but it was obvious he didn’t want to talk about it.

Kotto’s foot slipped and he twisted awkwardly. Raylon took full advantage of the misstep, driving Kotto down and back until he sprawled in the corner with his arms crossed in front of his face. “Enough!” Kotto shouted in Rodyte. “Have you satisfied your bloodlust?”

Raylon held his next punch then straightened, chest heaving, expression grim. “I’d rather have a compatible female in my bed, but this will do.” He held out his hand and helped Kotto to his feet.

The crowd, both Raylon’s fans and Kotto’s, grumbled complaints as they reluctantly dispersed. Apparently, Raylon wasn’t the only one afflicted with bloodlust.

Someone on the far side of the platform deactivated the barrier then threw each combatant a towel.

“He said ‘compatible female’.” She looked at Zilor to make sure he was listening. “Were they both compatible with Raina?”

“Yes.” A guilty smile curved the corners of Zilor’s mouth and she began to understand his reaction.

“And did Kotto mark her before anyone else had a chance to…court her?”

Zilor was saved from explaining by Raylon’s arrival. Ignoring the stairs two paces away, Raylon jumped to the floor beside Zilor. “Sorry to keep you waiting. That was overdue.” He wiped his face and torso then draped the towel around his neck and held out his hand toward Indigo. “Raylon Lasenger.”

His hand was strong and slightly moist, but Indigo was captured by the shrewd intelligence in his eyes. His
phitons
were emerald green, the rest of his eyes ink-black. “Indigo Carlson.”

He swayed toward her and inhaled. The move was subtle, but unmistakable. “Your mission was successful, obviously.” He nodded to Zilor. “Good. Now she can concentrate on hers.”

These Rodytes had a tendency to talk around her and it was starting to piss her off. “I happen to agree with you, but I can’t help wondering how many cage fights are going to result from Zilor’s success.”

Much to her surprise, Raylon smiled and slapped Zilor on the back. “Let us worry about that. You’re here for Chandar.”

“Are you going to convince him of that?” She motioned toward Zilor as her first impression of Raylon continued to evolve. He still seemed savage and dangerously perceptive, but she now suspected there were depths to his personality she hadn’t anticipated.

“Has my favorite puppy been giving you a hard time?”

Puppy? Zilor was half a head taller than Raylon and even more muscular. Age was hard to determine with these guys. They all looked about thirty.

Zilor glared at him and promptly changed the subject. “How is Chandar this morning?”

The flash of playfulness vanished. “The same. Give me ten minutes to shower and dress. I’ll meet you up there.”

Raylon walked off across the fitness center and Indigo turned to Zilor. “Puppy? What was that about?”

“Garin started it years ago. Bandar and Raylon have just kept it going because they know it annoys me.” Without allowing her further comment, he turned and headed for the main door.

The occupants of the fitness center had returned to their workouts. Still, she felt their gazes linger as she hurried along at Zilor’s side. She’d always enjoyed being the center of attention, but there was an undercurrent here, something darker, something dangerous that made her tense and uncomfortable.

“Are any of them my potential matches?”

A muscle above Zilor’s jaw twitched and he stared straight ahead. “There are two.”

“Do they know? Can they smell me from way over there?” She stumbled over the word
smell
. The entire concept was so strange—so alien.

“It’s unlikely.” His stride lengthened, forcing her to jog until they passed through the doorway and into the hallway beyond.

“Slow down.” She grabbed his upper arm as he veered into an adjacent corridor. “I didn’t even ask you to point them out. Why are you so…agitated?”

He suddenly faced her then advanced. Her back hit the wall and she tilted her head so she could still see his face. His hands splayed to either side of her head, trapping her with his arms. “Your interest in other men insults and challenges me. As long as you wear my scent, you should see only me.” One of his hands moved to her neck, his long fingers curving against her nape as he captured her lips with his. The kiss was brief yet intense, then he whispered, “Think only of me.” His lips brushed over hers as he formed the words then he kissed her again.

She raised her hands, meaning to shove him back, but his aggression suddenly melted into aching tenderness. His mouth caressed, easing hers open so his tongue could play. She allowed the silken invasion for only a moment then turned her head sharply to the side. “This isn’t why I’m here.”

“I know.” He bent lower, exploring her neck, teasing her skin with his lips and tongue.

“I’m here for Chandar.” But her body felt hollow and her blood rushed through her ears, making her lightheaded and weak. She eased her hands higher, circled his neck, then rocked onto the balls of her feet. She needed to be closer, wanted more of him.

His arm wrapped around her waist and pressed her against his body. “We’ll go in a minute,” he promised, but his other hand slipped into her hair and his mouth returned to hers.

She didn’t wait for him to seduce her this time. Her lips parted for the first brush of his tongue, warm and welcoming. He groaned into her mouth and took the kiss deeper. Their tongues slid and curled, moving smoothly from her mouth to his as she became more aggressive.

Suddenly, he broke away and pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re here for Chandar.” Frustration and longing twisted through the reminder, making the words harsh yet also sad. He pushed off the wall and stepped back, motioning her onward with an unsteady sweep of his arm.

They walked for a while in tense silence. Her lips felt bruised, her breasts tender and he hadn’t even touched her there. Why did Rodytes have to make things so complicated? If two people were this attracted to each other, they ought to be able to scratch the itch without turning a simple biological need into something mystical.

Even in her mind the argument sounded superficial. The only reason their attraction was so powerful was because they were craving something far more important than sex. She didn’t understand exactly where it all led, but one night in Zilor’s bed had showed her that it was a destination she’d never visited before.

Needing a distraction, any distraction, she asked, “Why does Garin call you puppy?”

He ushered her into an elevator and said, “Deck One,” before he answered her question. “After our father died, I was terrified Garin was next, so I followed him around like a shadow to make sure nothing happened to him. He’d had enough of it one afternoon and snapped, ‘Are you my protector or my puppy?’ Bandar thought it was hilarious and I’ve been stuck with the nickname ever since.”

“How old were you? How old was Garin?”

“I was nine, so Garin must have been nineteen. That makes Bandar fifteen at the time.”

She wasn’t sure if asking a Rodyte his current age was rude or not, so she hedged the actual question. “How long has your father been gone?”

He looked down at her and smiled, obviously not fooled by the roundabout approach. “My father died thirty-four years ago. By human standards, I’m much too old for you. But Rodytes live considerably longer than humans, so age is relative.”

“You clearly age slower too. You barely look thirty, much less forty-three.”

He nodded as the elevator door slid open, then waited until they were walking again to clarify. “Our life cycles are similar. A Rodytes just takes longer to complete.”

“Then Kotto will still be young and virile when Raina is using a walker.” Her agile imagination provided a visual image and she shuddered. “That’s sort of creepy.”

“The transformation triggered by their bonding will at least double Raina’s lifespan. She’ll still be young and vibrant when you are using a walker.”

The underlying message was obvious. The same longevity was available to her, if she simply stopped resisting him. The possibility was intriguing, but she wasn’t willing to bolster his hopes by exploring the subject with him. She’d get Raina or Ashley alone and find out exactly what all this transformation business was about. “How does Raylon know Garin?”