by L A Warren
“Hide?” Alice didn’t look convinced.
“Look, the Vendel aren’t tied to a planet. They have colony ships. If they can survive in c-ships, then we can too. At least until we figure out the next step.”
She wanted to explain her grandfather’s process of breaking down the impossible into smaller steps, but they didn’t have time for a lecture. Something changed in Alice’s expression, as if she’d been having an inner conversation with herself, because she suddenly turned to Aomi and Chandra, who had been quiet during the entire exchange.
“It’s time to teach them our code.”
“What code?” Chandra looked between them, confused. “They already know about the damned code.”
Alice shook her head. “Elise devised a second code. We didn’t share it with anyone because we figured the Vendel would figure out the first one eventually. It was a pretty big secret for nearly a thousand to keep locked up. She and I have been using it.”
Aomi and Chandra exchanged glances.
“I feel so left out,” Aomi said with a frown.
“Me, too.”
Elise gripped their hands and gave a light squeeze. “I know you do, but you understand now? Our vlor’lords can read our thoughts. We couldn’t risk them knowing about it. And I never told Alice about what I was doing with the jump-jet. She knew something was up, but I kept it a secret to protect her if I got caught.”
“I’m not mad,” Chandra said. “I get it. I just can’t believe you were able to escape the Confinement Deck. I can’t believe you’re still here.”
“Where would I go?” While Gambit traveled in WOR-space, there was literally no place to go. They technically didn’t exist in space, but rather along an infinite line of possibility.
Aomi smiled. “I can’t believe you’re looking for a way to get all of us free, Elise. It would be much easier to free just yourself.”
“I would never leave any of you behind.”
Aomi leaned forward and kissed Elise on the cheek. “And that is why I believe you will find a way. What can we do to help?”
“Alice will teach you our secret code. It belongs just to the four of us. Don’t share it. Gregor has given me limited freedom to learn the WOR-skill by observing it. I’m hiding what I’m learning from him, but sometime soon, I’m going to have to show some progress. If not, High Tender Marcus will force me back into regular training. And despite what Carek said, I’m not giving up on the jump-jet. It’s the only way I know to acquire a ship large enough for all of us to escape in. We’re headed to Malbra. When we get there, we’ll be back in normal space. That’s when we can escape. What happens next…well, that’s something I’m working on.”
Elise had no idea what came next.
Alice stood and pressed out the wrinkles of her dress. “Then that’s our plan…until something changes. Come on girls, I’ve got a code to teach you. Elise has…” She gave a vague wave of her hand. “Elise has whatever magic is up her sleeve. We continue as obedient and subservient slaves to our masters, at least until Elise tells us what comes next.”
Aomi and Chandra rose. They didn’t say much as they left for morning WOR-skill instruction. Beneath their somber faces, however, a hint of hope ran through them.
Elise prayed she wasn’t leading them astray. There had to be a way.
She picked out one of Gregor’s favorite dresses and slipped it on. He was late and she wondered if the evolving Dunlaap crisis would keep him away for another day.
Her body craved sleep. After Carek’s revelation, a numb sense of calm overcame her. He wouldn’t turn her in, but he would consign her to the Binding Rite. Time was ticking.
This must be what a prisoner feels on the eve of his execution. All the fight gone and only grim acceptance of the inevitable was left.
We cannot admit defeat, the lurker spoke, surprising Elise. We’re not done. As long as we’re in control of our mind we have not lost.
I’m not done fighting. She gave a deep sigh. But I am tired.
The fight’s not over, Elise! Malice echoed the lurker’s words, lending a measure of her strength to Elise.
Don’t give up, Shriek urged. I’m not done fighting.
Nor, I, Malice said.
Elise pondered her next move while she waited for Gregor. He gently shook her awake some time later.
“Gregor!” She popped to instant alertness. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
He gave one of his smirks. “You’re wearing one of my favorite dresses, opés.”
The dress she wore was snow white, with layers of shimmering gauze. She liked the dress too, because the layers floated around her like a white cloud when she walked.
“I missed you yesterday and hoped it would please you.”
He frowned. “Yes, well, I was forced to be an emperor yesterday and not your master.”
“I hope it was nothing serious?” She gathered her hair and pulled it over her shoulder away from the back of the gown and the ties she’d left undone.
Gregor traced a finger up her arm and down her shoulder. He tightened the ties of the dress while they shared an intimate moment of silence.
When he was done, she turned around and placed her hand on his arm.
Gregor held still as she brought her hands to his tunic and unbuttoned his shirt.
“What are you doing, opés?”
Elise kept her eyes off his face. She opened his shirt and exposed the expanse of his chest. “Tell me about the Binding Rite.”
“Why this interest in the Binding? I thought you weren’t looking forward to it?”
Time to lie and dig for information. How much of the truth would he give her?
“We both know what happens when you touch me.” She rose on tiptoe to kiss his lips. “How much longer are we going to have to wait before we can do more?”
How much time do I have left?
“Unfortunately, longer than I had hoped. Something has come up which occupies the High Council.”
“Do I have anything to fear from this ritual?”
Gregor’s expression became an impenetrable mask. He released her waist. “The consummation of our bodies is merely the final step in union of master and s’vlor. Nothing more.”
Beast, bastard and devil. This man was all three if he was one.
“Will you swear on that?”
“Masters never take oath with their s’vlor. Come.” He buttoned his shirt and led her toward the door. “Today will be interesting, opés. Let’s see if you can put any of that genius intellect to use.”
“I will try, Gregor. I am trying very hard to learn.” Elise followed him out the door. She’d given him an opportunity to reveal the true purpose of the Binding Rite and he refused to share what it would do to her.
She hated him for that.
His plan for the day was another round of tours through the Conclaves. Each Master explained how their First Rank WOR integrated into their Conclaves. First Rank WOR, she learned, underwent the Blood Rite with the Conclave Masters, not a lord from the Ruling caste, and did not undergo the Binding Rite. When control of the Conclave passed hands, the WOR underwent another Blood Rite with the new Master. These women lived in relative freedom, compared to the s’lor or s’vlor. Relative freedom, but they were far from free.
The Conclave Masters introduced her to their WOR, who showed Elise how they used the WOR-skill to assist the Conclave.
Out of habit, Elise compartmentalized the training. She had to show improvement by the end of this cycle, or else High Tender Marcus would revoke his training plan. She followed each WOR as they practiced their WOR-skill and tucked all that knowledge away to chew on it later. Shriek and Whimper helped. Elise even felt the presence of the lurker absorbing knowledge of the WOR-skill.
When she realized why the Conclave First Rank WOR were so eager to help, Elise shouldn’t have been surprised. Whether by Gregor’s decree or High Tender Marcus, failure by these women carried with it a full hour of Tender Trai
ning for all Gambit’s Conclave WOR.
With that knowledge, she focused on learning, rather than her plans for escape. No way would she be responsible for any woman’s pain.
A mantra continued in her mind. The words never stopped.
A beast. A bastard. A devil. I hate him.
The Vendel Two Days Mourning passed while Elise made steady progress with the First Rank WOR.
Time passed.
Gregor’s oath had yet to be released. The High Council remained engrossed in the Dunlaap disaster. Elise passed her time training, and enjoying what she viewed as her last days.
On the final day of her two-cycle trial, she found herself in High Tender Marcus’s office for an assessment.
“Good morning, s’Lissa,” the High Tender said.
“Good morning, High Tender Marcus.”
Elise stood within his personal office full of odd holographic plaques displaying wire diagrams that shifted and moved as she watched.
He sat at his desk, busy working at the gel interface. “I will be with you momentarily.”
No invitation to sit on either of the two leather chairs facing his desk, or the two couches facing one another. This left her to watch him in silence. Her attention wandered to the odd plaques hung around the room.
The wire diagrams represented each of the WOR skills progressing from Bar to Rod to Wheel in a progression around the room.
She looked at each, filing the images away with her eidetic memory. This was the first visual representation of the WOR-skill she had seen. It was wrong. They were missing key dimensional folds and some of the vectoring solutions were wrong.
Strange that they have it wrong, the lurker said.
Yes, she agreed. How is that possible? They’re supposed to be the experts.
Displayed along the left wall, the five skills of the Bar sat in a neat line just above eye level. Beneath the Bar skills, three rows, with ten holographs each, displayed the first three sets of the Rod skill. The back wall had similar holographs, and she recognized the fourth and fifth Rod skill sets arrayed in ordered rows.
She walked over to the right wall, to what must be the skills of the Wheel. So far, none of the women had progressed past the second set of Rod skills. Wheel skills remained the domain of the high ranking WOR, the s’lor and s’vlor. Elise scanned the wall. It was arranged in the shape of a wheel, with five spokes radiating out from the center.
The High Tender remained occupied with his work and continued to ignore her. She glanced at him and then moved over for a closer inspection of the Wheel skills.
A central non-holographic plaque had the Roman numerals two through five inscribed in a deep ebony wood. The number two filled the center of the plaque while the other numbers, separated by concentric white rings, spread out toward the edge. The number five lay at the outermost top edge and seemed to float unsecured on the black wood.
Five spokes radiated out from the central plaque. One headed up, one each to the left and right, and the last two headed down to either side, sloping a little to the floor, slightly off-center.
Each spoke held ten holographs and three white rings encircled the entire display, encompassing two of the plaques from each spoke. The final four holographs of each spoke floated outside the last ring.
At the current rate the Vendel were training their WOR, it would be an incredibly long time before they got started on the Wheel skills, let alone begin work on the Fifth Rank rung.
Elise looked at each of the Wheel skills on the plaques. By the time she finished scanning the Wheel skills, and testing her recall, she felt the presence of the High Tender behind her.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” His deep bass rumble filled the room.
“Daunting is more like it.” She spun around and gave a polite smile she did not feel. “If these are what I think they are, and I’m sure I’m right, I’m stuck way over there.”
He nodded.
“How am I supposed to get all the way over to here?”
“It takes time.”
“How much time?” She scanned the wall again. “How long does it take to train a WOR?”
“Depends on Rank, of course.”
She stepped close to the wall and touched the innermost double rung of plaques. “Are these the Wheel skills of the Second Rank?”
He nodded.
She moved her hand to the next double rung. “Third?” She lifted her brows in question. “So, this is Fourth and Fifth.”
“Correct.”
She dragged her hand out to the outermost ring of plaques. “Are you certain you and Gregor haven’t made a horrible mistake? I’m far behind the other Earth Fifth Rank WOR in training, and I haven’t even been practicing these past two cycles.”
“Legitimate question.” The corner of his mouth tilted down. “One, which I might say, is causing your master a lot of grief with the High Council right now. It’s also his primary argument.”
“What? Is it over his oath?”
He nodded, again. “They have expressed concerns.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be supporting him?”
“I have and am. That has been settled in the Ruling Council. His oath is another matter and not mine to release.”
“I don’t understand your government. High Council, Ruling Council?”
“You don’t need to. You just need to serve your master.”
Elise caught herself before she rolled her eyes. The braklav dangled from the High Tender’s wrist and she would not give him any cause to use it. “Would it really hurt to explain a little to me?”
“Other than wasting my time, no,” he said flatly. He gestured her to one of the couches and lifted a brow when she did not immediately comply.
She sighed and stepped past him to take a seat on the couch. He sat on the couch directly opposite her.
“The emperor believes your inability to learn by conventional means is due to a certain uniqueness in the way you access your abilities. I don’t disagree with him, but not sure I agree either. But I did test you with the Tenderstat, and saw how it responded. Perhaps he’s right and you have a mental block. He believes we’re not showing you how in a way you can understand.”
“I’m really not trying to be difficult.” Elise fiddled with the silk of her dress.
“You’ve been exceptionally difficult and disobedient.”
“I’m trying to obey.” Elise forced her hands to stillness. “Since…well, I’ve worked hard to learn everything you’ve shown me.” She shuddered in remembrance of the pain of Tender Training.
“Do you know why I have brought you here?”
She did, but he didn’t know she had heard that conversation. She was supposed to have been out of her mind at the time.
“Are you checking up on me? Worried about my training?”
“Emperor vlor’Malita desired to try something unconventional. I’m sure you’ve wondered why he’s been dragging you all around the ship. The First Rank WOR have been showing you what they do. Unfortunately, the Gambit doesn’t have any higher-ranking WOR onboard. They’re all occupied elsewhere. Which is unfortunate. I think it would be interesting to have you watch some of them.”
“I have found it interesting,” she said. “They appear to be involved in almost every ship’s systems. What would the Vendel do without them?”
“I’ve brought you here to try a few things. I want to see what you’ve learned in these past two cycles.” High Tender Marcus placed four steel balls on the surface of the table.
“Now, I’m sure you recognize these. What I want is to run through a series of exercises. Most will be new and I don’t want you to use anything Gregor or I have taught you. I want you to think about what the Gambit’s WOR have shown you and let it flow from there.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“I want you to start the balls spinning.”
“Rotating on an axis or spinning around a common point?”
“Either.”
E
lise thought about it and arranged lines of force.
He frowned. “What are you doing?”
“What you asked?”
“I can see what you do, that is the first skill of the Bar. I don’t want you to do it the way we taught you.”
“Sorry.” The little balls stopped their dance around the table.
“Let’s try something less familiar.” He sat back and crossed his ankle over his knee, then placed a finger to his lip and tapped it slowly.
She watched, waiting for instruction, as he took in a deep breath and very slowly blew it out. “All right, what I want you to do is form a pattern in your mind.” He tossed out five more of the marbles. “You can use three or more of these balls in your pattern. It should be something that moves, all the balls need to be in motion.”
“What sort of pattern?”
“What comes to mind?”
Elise shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Think about it, I’ll wait.” He uncrossed his leg and leaned back on the couch. He locked his hands together and placed them behind his head.
She pulled her attention away from him and back to the table.
A pattern.
Something simple or did he want more? There was no way to tell with this man. Whatever she chose, he would want something different. She thought of the planetary construct she had formed in the park, what seemed like ages ago, and decided against it.
Finally, she settled on moving the balls along a circle, one chasing the next. Three balls entered the loop and she added a fourth and then a fifth. She had a chain of little balls moving along the top of the table between her and the High Tender.
He tossed ten more of the marbles down on the table. “Add these, s’Lissa.”
She did.
He added a few more. “Fit these in.”
She did.
“Pretty simple,” he said. “How about making two rings?”
She complied, splitting the one long chain into two equal parts.
“Can you move them in opposite directions?”
She did.
“Not bad.” He uncrossed his hands and placed them in his lap.
She glanced at him and watched him examine the moving mass of marbles. He tossed ten more marbles on the table. “Can you fit these in and perhaps widen your rings?”