She stood, and as she bent to pick up her tray, she brushed past Fifty-one. “Two has defected. I have to eliminate her for treason.” She wondered if Fifty-one had enhanced hearing. Seventeen had barely mouthed the words.
She knew Fifty-one had heard when her brown eyes were as big as saucers, and her expression was one of horror. That was all Seventeen could manage to tell her. Communication with the other girls was so limited, and breakfast was over.
She took her tray, went through the usual routine, and joined the line of girls leaving the mess hall. Sometimes, outside during training, they managed to talk, but even then it was sporadic and barely a few sentences. They never really got to know each other, even after living together for so many years.
Occasionally, when they were younger, a recruit disobeyed and ignored the rules by forming a friendship with another girl. It had happened several times, and those recruits had disappeared. She often wondered what had happened to them. Maybe they were sent back to their parents?
Once in her room, she relieved herself, then got into the cybernetic suit and boots. She attached the wings last, pushed the button to make sure they worked properly, then pushed it again to hide them within the canisters on her back.
She recalled when she’d first worn a suit like this. It had taken her a while to master the wings, but after she finally did, it had been the most exhilarating experience of her life. She’d felt so free as she soared above the Institute.
Seventeen was one of only three recruits chosen to wear the winged suits and master the skills of flying. The two other girls still had problems with the wings, but she had conquered them with determination and grace.
She knew several girls had actual wings permanently implanted on their backs, wings that looked as if they’d been plucked from a butterfly—gossamer fine and colorful. Though they looked pretty, she couldn’t imagine being stuck with permanent wings on her back all through life. Her own cybernetic wings were made of metal, and she could at least remove them.
When she flew high across the sky, she’d often looked at the Alps and wondered what would happen if she just flew off and never came back. The wish to escape was strong, but where would she go with no clothes, no money, and no idea where she was. Yes, somewhere in the Alps, but the Alps stretched a very long way—all across Europe. She’d never discovered exactly in which country the Institute was situated. She dreamed about freedom all the time. And now she would finally be free, but it was going to be on an alien planet.
She checked her suit one last time, brushed her hair and pulled it into dolly knots, then hurried to Schultz’s office, knocked on his door, to find him ready and waiting along with Schmidt.
“Follow us. You will be leaving immediately,” Schultz told her.
Like the rest of the building, the hallway leading from Schultz’ office was stark white. She hated that everything in the Institute looked so clinical. If they had painted the walls a battleship grey, it would look like the prisons she had seen images of in her studies.
Schultz led her to a hallway marked restricted access. Wide red stripes were painted down the center of the floor. At the end was a double door flanked by two guards. A yellow radiation warning sign hung above it. The guards shifted out of the way as the doctors approached.
After completing the security protocol, they entered a cavernous room. A portion of the room was sectioned off by a glass partition where four men sat behind huge floating computer screens. Near the far wall was the portal. She studied it a moment. It looked inconspicuous, like a large oval frame made of smooth metal. That contraption will take me to another world? It was hard to imagine.
“Activate,” Schultz ordered.
Within seconds, the gray oval began to glow, tendrils of electricity darting across its surface. In its center, a colorful plasma field appeared. It resembled the shimmery silver of mercury that swirled and danced, with electrical pulses, almost like lightning, crackling over its surface.
“Here is your tracker and your weapon. Also, this wallet contains some of their currency. If your mission takes longer than a day, you will need to find suitable clothing, and you will be able to buy food.” Schultz handed the items to her. “Good luck on your mission. Step into the plasma field, and you will arrive at your destination in seconds.”
Seventeen shoved the wallet and tracker into a pocket. Still holding the phaser, she took a deep breath and stepped into the plasma. Her body felt as though it were spinning, making her so dizzy, she almost blacked out. She shook her head trying to gain her bearings, but then she felt solid ground beneath her feet. She quickly looked behind her, and only saw the surrounding land. The doctor hadn’t been kidding when he said the trip was one-way only. On this side, the mass of plasma inside a colorful circle had faded immediately. There was no tall, metal oval, no evidence of the portal at all.
She took in her surroundings. In the distance stood a castle perched on the edge of a cliff. Everywhere she looked, there were miles of dense forest. She took the tracker out of her pocket and turned it on. It spluttered, crackled, but she got nothing.
Great. How am I supposed to find them if this thing won’t work? It’s been weeks. Maybe they’re too far away already. I’ll have to fly and see if the tracker picks up their signal. Schultz also didn’t give me a communication device. It all happened so fast, I didn’t have time to think. How the hell do I get in touch with anyone? How can any of their contacts here get in touch with me?
She had no idea what time it would be on this planet. It looked like early morning by the orange-pink color of the sky or maybe late afternoon. Recalling the pictures of the planet on her tablet, the sky was usually a grayish color. Of course, it could have been a rainy day when the images were recorded.
Okay, Seventeen, here you go. After placing the phaser in the holster, she activated the wings by punching the buttons on the small module around her wrist, spread her wings, and soared up. Without the tracker functioning like it should, how could she spot Two and Four if they were traveling through the dense forests? And which direction should she go in? She hovered and used her enhanced vision to zoom in on the forest below her. She thought she saw movement among the trees, so she descended and landed in a clear spot far enough away from the area so as not to be seen.
She folded her wings into their containers and using trees as shelter, she crept from one to the other toward the place where she’d seen movement. Branches crackled behind her. She spun to face who or what was following her and jumped back. What the hell is that? I don’t remember seeing such an animal when I read up on Brevona.
Yanking her phaser from its holster, she aimed it, but the beast was too fast, and she hit a tree trunk instead of turning the creature into dust. Okay, I’ve just become dinner for a giant gorilla. Its humongous hand reached toward her. How am I going to get away from it? I can’t activate my wings. I’ll get stuck in the branches above. Damn, I’m much smaller and fast. She jumped back, away from the reaching claws, and ran. The ground beneath her trembled under the weight of the animal as it followed her.
It was hot on her heels. She could almost feel its breath on her neck. Suddenly she broke free of the forest to face a raging river. The current looked strong, but she had little choice. She waded into the water. Thankful for her enhanced strength as she managed to keep her footing, even though she felt the current pulling at her body. When she was well away from the riverbank, she dared to look behind her. The gorilla giant stood on the bank with several others.
“I see you’ve called your tribe,” she muttered. Activating her wings, she spread them and lifted off. The gorillas jumped up and down making strange sounds as she flew in the opposite direction.
She continued to fly above forests and several cities, but her tracker did nothing. How am I ever going to find them? Two and Four had become the proverbial needles in the haystack. She changed direction, being quite sure that Two and Four would stay away from cities. She concentr
ated on another forest near the palace.
Flying slowly above the trees, she spotted a village. I wonder if I land, will the people that live there freak out when they see me? The tracker hasn’t given me any signals. I need to find out if anyone has information. Schultz told me not to approach anyone, but damn, how else can I find out where Two and Four are unless I talk to these people? It’s possible they saw them. That’s even if they’re still alive. Hell, maybe the giant gorillas got them.
Landing near the forest border, she retracted her wings, then ventured closer to the village. “Oh my God. Small people,” she said softly. She’d read about the general population on Brevona, but there had been no information about miniature people or elves. The people were the size of the younger trainees—the six-year-olds. They all had white hair, and she could see pointed ears protruding through their locks. The women wore their hair braided, so their ears were more prominent. They’re elves. How cute. She had seen pictures of elves when she had been allowed to study some of Earth’s mythology, but elves weren’t real on Earth.
A child wandered away from the other children and approached her slowly, then shouted out a warning. “Mother, Father, there is a stranger here!”
In seconds, a troop of tiny people surrounded her, mainly men that stood no higher than her waist. They had bows and arrows ready to fire at her. Not that their small arrows would hurt her. They would be merely like mosquito bites. Nothing much could penetrate the suit she wore.
“Can you help me? I am from Earth. I’m looking for a man and a woman. Their names are Two and Four, and they are from my planet.” She gazed down at what appeared to be the leader. He was taller than the others and had an aura of authority surrounding him.
He cocked his head and gave her a hard look. “You are here to kill them?”
Now she was getting somewhere. He wouldn’t have asked her that unless they had seen them. “They are fugitives and have committed treason against our government. I need to take them into custody.” It was a lie. But what else was she going to say? Yes, I am here to eliminate them? I am a virama? An assassin sent by Earth’s leaders?
“We cannot assist you. You must leave.”
Several of the men pulled back the strings of their bows as if preparing to fire their arrows. She almost chuckled at the sight. Did they not realize that they couldn’t really hurt her with their pint-sized weapons?
She took a step back and held up her hands in supplication. Maybe a change of tactic would help her gain the information she needed. “Please, you must have seen them? They look like me. One of them is a man. I mean them no harm.”
She was going straight to Hell for telling such lies. She knew it. Lies? What about your mission, to kill two innocents of your own kind?
Recruits were taught that religion was a farce, a crutch for people to lean on. Even though Hell and Heaven were a farce, lying so blatantly made her uncomfortable.
“We have seen no one resembling your strange appearance.” The leader stubbornly held his ground.
She felt deep down that they had seen Two and Four, but why were they protecting them? Could it be the intimidating way she was dressed? Two and Four hadn’t been wearing a cybernetic suit. Shultz had said Two was in a gown and Four wore a uniform.
“You must leave. There are no such people here.” The leader aimed his bow and notched his arrow.
This wasn’t getting her anywhere. She sighed and stepped back, deciding to continue her search on her own. Maybe the tracker would finally kick in.
“Thank you for your assistance.” Turning, she walked into the forest and continued until she could no longer see the village. When she found an open area among the trees, she activated her wings and soared up to begin her search again.
The view was breathtaking from the sky. So many different terrains, the green of the forests, sparkling blue lakes, and craggy mountains. Even the cities were beautiful. She longed to fly free and just ignore her mission, but she couldn’t. Earth, the WLO, and the Institute were relying on her to do the right thing. Eliminate the traitors. She activated the tracking device again, hoping it would finally home in on her targets. Nothing. Frustrated, she shoved the malfunctioning equipment back into her pocket. What the hell is interfering with the signal?
She turned her attention back to the landscape. Below her, a small speck appeared, gradually growing larger and larger. At first, she thought it was a large bird, but soon it became huge, and she had to do a double take. Was that a dragon? Her mind had to be playing tricks on her, but there was no mistaking the reptilian shape of its body or the golden scales that glinted in the sunlight.
Oh my God! I’m going to be his next meal! It never said anywhere in the archives that there were dragons on this planet. Or giant monkeys. Or little people. Maybe they sent me to the wrong planet. No. Don’t be stupid. You spoke their language, and they understood you. You just didn’t read enough last night.
It freaked her out when the beast soared up toward her. She knew she was a goner, that the beast would gobble her up at any moment. She tried to fly faster, but it was no use. The dragon dwarfed her. He didn’t ingest her but used his gargantuan body to force her down onto a field. Shaking inwardly, she retracted her wings and took out her phaser, aiming it at the brute. “Don’t come anywhere near me or I’ll shoot.” Yeah, like dragons can understand what I’m saying...
The dragon laughed.
What the hell? A laughing dragon?
Suddenly, the dragon was gone, and in its place, stood a very tall, handsome man. He was taller than any of the men at the Institute. He had long auburn hair, and the most incredible eyes she had ever seen. They were golden with flecks of emerald green. His lips were full and perfectly formed, and when he grinned, her skin heated, and an odd fluttering started in the pit of her stomach.
He crossed his arms over his chest and clucked his tongue. “Your weapon cannot harm me or my dragon, lady.”
She cast him a sidelong glance. Had she really just witnessed a dragon turn into a man, or was she hallucinating? “And you are sure of that? It can turn anything into dust, including whatever in the hell you are.”
He chuckled, his gaze traveling the length of her body and then back to her face. Her skin began to prickle, and her blood rushed through her veins. It was almost as if she had an adrenaline rush like when she was flying, but this was so much different. Her body was flushed with heat, and all she wanted to do was to reach out and touch him. Focus on the mission Seventeen!
“What is your name?” That crooked smile was still on his face, and his eyes sparkled with mirth.
Did he sense the havoc he was creating within her body? Him? No, it had to be an after effect of the plasma. She was sure of it. “What business is that of yours?”
“My name is Edrian. You can put your weapon away. I will not harm you.” He stepped forward and placing his hand around her upraised arm, he lowered it.
His touch was like a jolt of electricity sending hot molten lava straight to her groin. She sucked in a deep breath to slow her pulse and placed her phaser back in its holster. I’m losing it. I’m actually going to listen to this hallucination. Hell, maybe the illusion can answer my questions.
“Nice to meet you. I am searching for a man and a woman from my planet. Have you seen them?”
“Tell me your name.”
Fuck. Okay, I’ll play the game. “It’s Seventeen.”
“That is not a name. It is a number.”
Was that a look of compassion that crossed his face? From the time she could remember, she had always been called Seventeen. What difference did it make anyway? That was the only name she had ever known.
“Then I am a number, but that’s who I am.”
His expression changed, his gaze becoming hard as steel. “My friends told me you are here to kill the man and woman you are seeking.”
She raised her chin and repeated the lie she had told the elves. Her mission came fi
rst. She had to complete it, then she could be free. But why did the thought of killing Two and Four make her feel sick to her stomach? It shouldn’t. She had been trained to push her feelings aside. Emotion had never been permitted unless it was anger. Anger could be used to your advantage.
“I have to take them into custody. They have committed treason, which is a serious crime on Earth.”
“You are lying. You are here to kill them. You cannot lie to a dragon.”
Yes, she was. And she was trained to use whatever means available to succeed. “Have you, or have you not, seen them?”
“What makes you think this couple has committed treason?”
“Look, I am here to do my job. I didn’t ask anyone questions when I was sent here.”
Well, she did, sort of. She questioned herself. She wondered why she had to kill them. Schultz had said they’d completed their mission successfully, so what proof did Schultz have that they had committed treason? That they had defected? To what? To the governing royals on this planet? Not likely.
She scrutinized the guy from head to toe. Man, he was magnificent. Standing much taller than her, he had the physique of a bodybuilder. Muscular, tanned, wearing tight leather pants, knee-high boots, and a body-hugging shirt, he set her heart racing. It was an unknown sensation that ignited her blood on fire. She felt like reaching out, touching him, raking her fingers through his silky-looking hair, and tracing the strong outlines of his face. Tiny shiny scales dotted his forehead and temples. The dimple on his cheek enthralled her, his mesmerizing eyes were fathomless depths and his beautiful lips... oh damn, what would it feel like if he kissed her?
What the hell was wrong with her? And where were these forbidden thoughts and reactions coming from? She had been nothing but a hormonal mess since the beast had changed to a man.
Recruits were taught from very young that they could never become romantically involved, could never have children. Her monthly cycle had been stopped, terminated before it even had a chance to begin. Her reproductive system had been made dormant. Since they never met boys or young men, it hadn’t been a problem. The guards were all stern, older men, and the male medical staff always wore hats and masks. There had been nothing in the Institute to stir her imagination or her body. She’d seen pictures of bodybuilders, both male and female, and occasionally she’d felt an unfamiliar stirring when admiring an image of a hot male pictured in the online health journals that they were allowed to read. Those feelings didn’t hold a candle to what she was experiencing looking at this man.
Virama Page 2