by Petra Landon
“If the gift runs in the family, the cousin’s genetic codes hold the secret to the puzzle” Zh’hir responded. “That is the good news.”
He frowned. “But how did the family acquire this ability? One that is strong enough to survive in their genes and get passed on to each successive generation.”
“Where did Sila …?” Zoran paused delicately.
“From her mother” came the candid response. “She passed away when Sseela was very young.”
The Star Captain’s communicator trilled — a different sound from its usual low hum. Zoran arched a curious eyebrow.
“It’s not an Ur’quay communicator” the Star Captain explained briefly. He pressed a control on his tech band. “It’s from your ship.”
“Juntafeyore.” Zoran was surprised. “Why? They know we’re in Empire space and must maintain COM silence.”
“Message from Dr. Uissh. Says he has something for me.”
Zoran looked hopeful. “Maybe something about the Budheya telepaths.”
“Let’s get through the security net as quickly as we can” the Star Captain muttered.
d
Sila took in the idyllic grass-strewn meadow. It stretched for miles, as far as the eye could see. The sun shone cheerfully down on it, brightly vivid after the artificial lighting on TF124. Breathing in deeply, she raised her face to the sun, to bask blissfully in its bounty. In four months, she had come to terms with everything lost, except one. She hated the lack of natural warmth on space stations and starships. And missed the sun on her. Once, she had taken it for granted as she toiled in the fields on Terra Agri. But the months away had made her appreciate anew the smell of fresh, unrecycled air and the simple pleasure of walking in a sun-drenched meadow.
Saakshi’s laughter floated in the air, accompanied by the sounds of splashing water. Sila smiled, her eyes closed as the sun caressed her face. Budheyasta was a volcanic desert and water seemed to hold a strange fascination for her Budheya friend. A small pond bordered by colorful foliage had drawn Saakshi’s immediate attention while Sila had chosen to wander the surrounding meadow bursting with a riot of vivid colors.
In a month, the Ur’quay Fleet would be in Sector Araloka. Commander Kerovac intended the fleet to keep a low profile, away from Alliance territory. Since they currently awaited the Henia’s return, the Commander had directed his Aide-de-Champ to scout for locations on this sparsely populated stretch to find a hideaway for the Ur’quay starships. Shuttles from Ishtralaya were engaged in scanning nearby planetoids in the hope of finding an appropriate hiding place. Caged within the confines of the Juntafeyore with nothing to do but wait anxiously for Zoran’s return, Saakshi had begged Commander Jolar to allow Sila and her to accompany a scouting party. The Commander had agreed on condition that they were accompanied by Hadari’Kor escorts.
This planet was the only one with a breathable atmosphere in the system ADC Tirovac’s people were currently exploring. The two ladies and their Hadari’Kor escorts had been dropped off for the afternoon while the shuttle explored the planetary system.
Her COM trilled suddenly, to shatter the silence of the wild beauty before her. Sila sighed.
“This is Sila” she spoke into her earpiece. Sila had left her Ur’quay communicator behind on the Juntafeyore for the day.
“Sila, where are you?” inquired Topar, one of the two Hadari’Kor assigned to accompany them.
Their guards had been kind enough to give both Sila and Saakshi space to explore a world their sensors had indicated was uninhabited.
“I’m in the big meadow by the pond.”
“Is Saakshi with you?” Topar asked. “She’s not answering her COM.”
“She’s by the pond. Shall I get her?”
“Yes, please. The shuttle reported seeing a craft approach the planet. Yerko and I are on our way to you. Stay together and keep your COMs open” he warned.
“Will do.”
Sila shot a last glance around the sun-drenched meadow to make her way unhurriedly towards the pond. Perhaps it was the wild beauty of the silent meadow or the unaccustomed luxury of the sun or even the subconscious security of her Hadari’Kor guards — she failed to appreciate the urgency in Topar’s words. There was a quiet happiness in Sila that nothing could diminish. It was a beautiful day and the Star Captain would soon rejoin her. Commander Jolar had received a short, encrypted communique from the Henia indicating that the starship was on its way back from Budheyasta. Also, her alarm about the telepath and the potential cost to her had been almost alleviated by the Star Captain’s assurances and the events since the discovery. Thus, it was that Sila had almost reached the pond before it suddenly struck her that she couldn’t hear Saakshi anymore. She stopped abruptly, sensing danger in the eery silence from the pond that lay behind the tree line. But before she could react, Ketaari poured into the little clearing to surround her. One of the males dragged the Budheya girl with him — a meaty, blue-skinned hand covering Saakshi’s mouth while her fearful friend attempted to fight back. With an abruptness that had Sila gasping, the Ketaari officer hit Saakshi with the back of his weapon and she crumpled silently into a heap at his feet.
“Filthy Budh” he muttered in Ketar before looking up to meet Sila’s eyes.
Sila attempted to hold on to her composure, refusing to show any fear to the soldiers in the uniform of the Imperial Forces. Their Hadari’Kor escorts were on their way, Sila reminded herself. She hoped the whispers of the Hadari’Kor’s prowess were true for they would be two against the eight heavily armed soldiers that surrounded her.
The Ketaari who had hit Saakshi pointed his weapon casually at her unconscious form.
“You will come with us willingly or I will kill her” he stated matter-of-factly in very bad Alliance Standard, his very business-like manner convincing Sila that he meant what he said.
“I’ll come with you” Sila answered, her heart thundering in her ears.
“What about the Budh?” one of the Ketaari asked the officer who stood over Saakshi’s body.
Sila sent up a silent prayer to the Goddess as her Alliance tech translated the remarks in Ketar into her earpiece.
“Bring her along. She might prove useful in making the Terran co-operate.”
They know where I’m from. Have they come here for me — am I their target?
One of the Ketaari nudged Sila with his weapon in an unsubtle demand. She acceded reluctantly to his silent order and the rest fell in line behind them. She’d taken only a few steps when she heard a shout from behind her. It was the Hadari’Kor — thank the Goddess! The soldier with Sila grabbed her roughly to half drag her with him as the sound of gunfire exploded behind them. Unable to break the implacable clasp or even to glance behind her, Sila hoped the Hadari’Kor would succeed. She was dragged inexorably towards a craft hidden in a small clearing in the vast forest that surrounded the meadow.
At the craft, Sila was shoved into it with Saakshi’s unconscious body dumped unceremoniously beside her. But as she bent over her friend to check on her, Sila caught some mutterings about Hadari’Kor and an injured Ketaari. Saakshi was out cold, a little trickle of blood flowing sluggishly from her forehead where the Ketaari officer had clubbed her. A surreptitious glance around the crowded craft indicated no signs of obvious injury on any of the Ketaari, so perhaps the Hadari’Kor had managed to capture one. Sila tried to silently count the number of soldiers with her. She couldn’t be sure but it did seem like one was missing. She prayed to the Goddess that he was alive and that the Hadari’Kor could extract some useful information from him.
As the craft shuddered in a hasty take-off, Sila tried to clear her mind of the black cloud of fear. She had survived worse, she reminded herself — exile from Terra Agri, the loss of her home and even the slavers. She could survive this too. She tried to take stock of her captors. They were Imperial Forces and she was beginning to suspect that it was her they wanted. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Saakshi had merely been taken to
make Sila go willingly with them. But where had these Ketaari come from, she wondered? And what did they want with her? Taking a deep breath, Sila forced herself to think clearly. The Star Captain would come for her. But she’d have to ensure their survival until then. To do that, she must find out what the Ketaari wanted with her. Perhaps, she could leverage that to keep them safe.
“You will come with me, Terran” commanded a male voice, disrupting Sila’s panicked thoughts.
She glanced up to meet his gaze. It was the Ketaari who had hit Saakshi. The others seemed to defer to him and he was the one who gave them orders. He was their leader, she concluded.
“Come, female” he said impatiently, the pale blue eyes holding no emotion as he stared down at her with his weapon drawn.
Sila stood up slowly, allowing him to usher her to the front of the craft. The others made way to give them passage. She found herself before a display screen dominated by an image of a carefully expressionless Yaneou Tirovac. The Aide-de-Champ’s eyes flickered as he observed Sila with the Imperial Forces officer behind her.
“Are you alright?” he asked her, careful to not use her title.
Sila nodded mutely, not quite trusting her voice to not betray her fear and panic.
“And Saakshi?”
“Enough questions, Iovac” interrupted the Ketaari leader.
He pointed his weapon at Sila’s head. “I know how much you value this one. Let my craft pass or I kill her.”
Tirovac flashed a quick and unreadable glance at Sila before gesturing to someone behind him to let the Ketaari through. Sila hoped the glance’s silent message was to hang on while the ADC sent a rescue party after them. She’d had little chance to interact with the Aide-de-Champ though the Star Captain had implied that Commander Kerovac thought very highly of him. Zoran Hadari-Begur-Kor would never abandon Saakshi to the Ketaari — Sila was absolutely certain of that. But would the Alliance come after Saakshi and her or would they wait for the Star Captain and Captain Hadari-Begur-Kor to mount a rescue like they had done once before.
Escorted back to the rear of the craft, Sila was left alone with her unconscious friend. She pondered her options furiously, even as she kept an anxious eye on Saakshi. Think, don’t panic, she admonished herself fiercely. What must she do, aside from keeping Saakshi and herself alive until the Star Captain could get to them? What had she done the last time she had been in danger? She had transmitted an SOS to the Star Captain.
Calmer now, Sila unclasped the communication abettor from around her neck. Relegated to the back of the craft, the Ketaari ignored her — Sila sent a silent thank you to the Goddess for it. She had a golden opportunity to transmit a message. This craft, cramped as it was, had a communication system for it had just been used to threaten Aide-de-Champ Tirovac. The abettor would work just fine here, piggybacking on the craft’s communication technology. Sila turned away to whisper a message into the abettor, before carefully hiding the device on the underside of a panel, like she had on the Keeyori ship over Terra Agri 5.
Once done, she sat down next to Saakshi, to lower her mental shields slowly. As the voices started drifting in, Sila focused on the leader to ignore the others. She had done this before on Terra Agri to read the Keeyori traders’ intentions for her people. Since then, her mind had become stronger, her daily exercises with the Examiner and the occasional running the gamut on the Henia making Sila more confident of her mental discipline.
It was hard to decipher the officer’s thoughts in Ketar but Sila paid careful attention, picking out repeated words to whisper them into her translator. Her captors had left them both with their tech bands. Sila supposed it was to interpret any commands from their captors in Ketar. But their communicators were of no use since any activity would be picked up by the craft’s equipment.
By the time the craft landed on a large hanger, Sila had a good idea of what the Ketaari intended for her. As she had suspected, Saakshi was merely collateral damage. This threatened her friend’s well-being. Mindful of how brutal the Ketaari were to their Budheya prisoners, Sila knew she had to convince their captors that keeping Saakshi unharmed would be to their advantage. She pondered the matter carefully. The Ketaari needed her and that gave her leverage.
d
“You wish to discuss something with me, Dr. Uissh?” the Star Captain inquired.
The Henia had just crossed the Ketaari border security net into neutral territory and the Star Captain was responding to the message the doctor had left him.
Dr. Uish took in his Captain lounging in the background.
“I would like a few words in private with you, Star Captain” the doctor said tactfully.
“Feel free to speak before Zoran, Dr. Uissh” the Star Captain responded, his manner easy.
The doctor hesitated. “It’s about the genetic strain from the three Budheya I couldn’t match before.”
“Yes, I remember. You told Commander Jolar that you’d seen the strain before. Have you been able to identify it, Doctor?”
“Not quite.” The doctor shook his head. “But I know why the strain seems so familiar.”
“Yes?” the Star Captain prompted encouragingly while Zoran, who’d been following the conversation rather desultorily, stirred beside him at the doctor’s cryptic words.
“Sila Gatherer has the same strain in her genetic code. That’s why it seemed so familiar.”
“Sila” exclaimed Zoran in stunned surprise. “She shares genetic code with the Budheya?”
“Just this one strain” the doctor explained. “She is seventy percent Terran with other genetic material mixed in, unlike the Budheya who are very pure at ninety two percent. Like them, the unknown strain is a small percent of her genetic makeup.”
The doctor turned to Zh’hir. “I couldn’t match it before either, Star Captain, but it didn’t seem that important when I was examining her genetic code.”
“You have access to Sila’s genetic material?” Zoran asked, with even greater incredulity. There was no reason for Dr. Uish to have such information about Sila. She was an Alliance citizen and worked for them while the doctor was employed by Zoran.
The doctor looked uncomfortable, glancing uneasily at the Ur’quay Captain.
“I asked Dr. Uissh to take scans of Sseela” Zh’hir said briefly to his friend. “It was for a personal matter.”
Zoran piped down, correctly guessing why such a scan might be taken of the Terran the Ur’quay Captain was enamored of.
The Star Captain contemplated the doctor silently. The genetic marker that had been insignificant when testing Sila for inter-species compatibility with him seemed much more significant now. It matched the strain in the Budheya cousins they suspected had telepathic abilities — something Sila shared with them.
“I wanted to speak with both you and Miss Gatherer about this, Star Captain. Her genetic data was provided to me in confidence for a very personal matter. As far as I’m concerned, it is up to her to decide what she wants to do with this information” the doctor said carefully and precisely.
“Thank you, Dr. Uissh” Zh’hir acknowledged. “I will talk to Sseela.”
“Until you make a decision, no one will hear of this from me” the doctor assured him again before signing off.
Zoran turned to his Ur’quay counterpart. “What the hell’s going on, Zh’hir?” he exclaimed.
“No, no, this is starting to make sense now” the Star Captain interjected. “Sseela and these Budheya possess the same unique ability. There are signs the Budheya inherited it from their ancestors — at least a few generations seem to have possessed it, going by the rumors. We know Sseela inherited it from her mother. And now we know that all four possess an identical marker in their genetic code that Dr. Uissh is unable to match. What do all these bits of information tell us? It is an inherited trait and moreover, one that can be determined by a unique marker in their genes. We even know what this marker looks like. All we have to figure out is where it came from, Zoran.”
“This is better, Zoran, than having the ability crop up mysteriously without explanation. Now, we have a reasonable explanation for it though we don’t know which species injected this strain into their genetic code. We even have a way to identify mind-readers.”
“You think a species injected this ability into both Sila and the Budheya?” Zoran asked, his astonishment obvious.
“Yes, I do. It’s the only explanation that makes sense” the Star Captain said confidently. “It is not evolution, Zoran. If it was, we’d see more Terrans and Budheya evolve too. But it was introduced a long time ago, going by how small a percentage it represents in their genetic material. It is also a very dominant strain for it makes up only five percent of the genetic makeup for the three Budheya and yet is powerful enough to give them this rather unique ability. And clearly, it did not come from an Aralokan species.”
The Hadari’Kor Captain’s expression blanched.
“Zh’hir” he said abruptly, his voice strangled. “Who do we know that meets your criterion?”
The Star Captain’s arrested gaze zeroed in on his friend.
“Which race not native to Sector Araloka has every member born with this unique ability?” Zoran enunciated precisely, unable to believe what he was saying.
It was the Ur’quay male’s turn to look incredulous. “You think it is Ur’quay genes that gave them the ability, Zoran!”
The mercenary merely stared at him steadily, looking directly into disbelieving gold eyes.
“You’re suggesting the Ur’quay injected the genes that bestow the gift of communication of the mind to races native to Sector Araloka?” the Star Captain asked again, precisely laying out what he thought his Hadari’Kor friend was suggesting.
“When you say injected …?” Zoran inquired cautiously.
“Mating” the Star Captain said baldly.
“That’s what I thought” Zoran assented. “Think about it, Zh’hir. It adds up. Your ancestors were here a long time ago. When they last visited our sector, Budheyasta was the ascendant world here. And the Ur’quay, by all accounts, were tight with the Budheya. These telepathic cousins are descendants of Budheya diplomats. The chances are high that one of their diplomatic ancestors mingled with the Ur’quay on their last stint here.”