by Alyse Anders
“What do you mean the ship?” Rykal’s voice was low and there was no missing the hint of aggression. You best be careful with what you say next. That ship is important to our people.
Explain how. “They tracked it here. Without examining it more closely, I can’t be certain how.”
It’s full of women from a planet called Earth. The muscles in Rykal’s jaw jumped. We don’t understand how, but the women are meant for us.
The Grus? None of this made sense to him.
No, the Fallen. Darrick sounded more than a little panicked. They’re our mates.
It took Eagan great effort not to show his doubt. We’re not capable of having mates.
Commander Aidric cleared his throat. “It would make sense for you to evaluate the ship in person.” He let his gaze slide past them toward where the high council sat. “If there’s something on board then it will need to be destroyed.”
“Whoa, hang on a second.” The human woman with long red hair pushed away from the wall and marched over to them. “No one’s going near my ship without me being there. The safety of my passengers is my responsibility.”
“Eagan, this is Lena McGovern, the captain of the human ship, the Kraken.” There was no mistaking the pride in Rykal’s voice. She’s my mate.
He couldn’t process the thought that cyborgs could have mates, let alone that there was an entire ship of them sitting in the docking bay of this station. He didn’t have time to dwell either, not with the Sholle sitting out there waiting. “Captain, you can come with me then. We need to find out what’s drawing the Sholle’s attention and if it can be shut off rather than destroyed.”
Lena placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “You’re decisive. I like that. Let’s go then.” She didn’t wait for anyone else and strode from the room. The dark-skinned woman – Carys – simply shrugged and followed her out.
“Commander Aidric, do we have your permission to continue on this mission?” The old habits had slotted back into place far easier than Eagan would have liked.
The blank expression on the commander’s face was far too familiar, as was his emotionless tone. “Go. Rykal and Darrick – assist Eagan and report back when you’ve discovered the source of the signal.”
“Commander Aidric.”
The air felt as though it had been sucked from the room as the head of the high council stood. His dark green wrinkled skin and white hair belied his age, and his attitude his status. The look of disdain he shot the commander was nearly enough to have Eagan feel sorry for him.
Almost.
“Yes, High Councillor Yannis.” Commander Aidric turned and bowed in one smooth motion that was clearly long practiced. “How may I assist?”
High Councillor Yannis’ gaze was locked on Commander Aidric, but Eagan could tell he was speaking to them all. “Is it wise to allow three cyborgs to remain on Grus Prime? Their collection here puts all Grus at risk. Would it not be better to send the other two away and allow this tactician to remain?”
Though they were phrased as questions, Eagan knew a command when he heard one. He braced himself for the inevitable division, when Commander Aidric bowed again and took a step closer to the high councillors.
“With respect, the presence of the Sholle in the sector does require an unconventional response. Having three of the Fallen on Grus Prime will allow us to protect the station in the event of a direct attack. If Eagan can determine the source of the signal and can deactivate it promptly, then Rykal and Darrick will be able to return to the surface of Zarlan and begin to plan our defences.”
It had been a long time since Eagan had felt anything close to surprise, but Commander Aidric had certainly caught him off guard. It seemed High Councillor Yannis was also shocked, as he sat back down with a frown. “If you feel that’s the best course of action, then proceed.”
“Thank you, High Councillor.” Commander Aidric turned back to them. “I suggest you move quickly. I’ll stay with the high council.”
Rykal nodded. “We’ll report back as soon as we learn anything.” We need to move quickly. I’ll fill you in once we get to the docking bay.
Eagan fell into step behind the two men, his military training code freshly back into the forefront of his matrix. It had been a long time since he’d interacted this way with any of the other Fallen and it felt awkward and forced. Yes, they’d been born out of war and the necessity to protect the Grus who couldn’t protect themselves, but in the decades since the invasion he’d changed, and his wants and desires had changed with him.
A mate. That was a dream he’d long ago pushed aside, knowing it wouldn’t be a possibility. No Grus mate wanted anything to do with the Fallen. And even if they did, most of the Fallen were incapable of returning the emotions that a mate would desire. He couldn’t believe that these human women were able to somehow push past the emotional void and connect with them.
Their return journey to the docking bay was unobstructed, though surprisingly silent as they went. Eagan didn’t normally mind silence, but in this instance some answers were beneficial. It would have been a distraction from the growing itching sensation in the back of his brain.
The doors to the docking bay slid open to reveal Lena walking around the outside of the Kraken with a hand scanner. She looked over her shoulder at them and flashed a grin. “You’re slow.”
“Aidric had to run interference with the high council. They wanted to remove Darrick and I back to the planet.” Rykal smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her cheek when they drew close enough. “Have you found anything?”
Eagan was finding it difficult to think. “How long have you been mated?”
“Not long.” Lena looked at him with an odd expression. “It’s only been a few days since our arrival. God, that’s nuts.” She held out the scanner for him to take. “I can’t find anything, so this might be useless.”
“It won’t be sensitive enough.” He couldn’t look at the device, even though he took it from her. It was growing more and more difficult for him to keep his focus. “When I examined the data captured by the broad-spectrum signal sensors, I was only barely able to detect it. The pattern is easily mistakeable for background noise, which is why the AI did not sound an alarm.”
The itching was starting to become a throbbing, and he knew the source of the disturbance was inside the ship. If he could get onboard and look around, maybe he’d be able to determine what it was and deactivate it.
Rykal stepped between him and the ship’s open door. “Before you go in there, you need to understand exactly what will happen, what’s at risk.”
“The Sholle are here. The station, the planet and the lives of both our people who live there are at risk.” He forced his gaze from the ship to Rykal. “I’m more than aware.”
“But the moment you step onto that ship, you’re not going to care about any of that. You won’t be able to stop yourself from looking for your mate. She’s going to be the only thing that matters to you. The Sholle could attack this place but it won’t matter. I need you to know that, to be prepared.” Rykal’s gaze dropped to the floor and he took a breath. “I kidnapped Lena the moment I saw her. Darrick nearly died because his systems weren’t prepared for the change. Normally, I’d let this happen naturally and we’d deal with whatever the fallout was, but with the Sholle there we don’t have that luxury.”
Eagan knew Rykal was right. The pull was there, and it was far stronger than anything he’d ever felt in his life. It was the sort of thing that would be so easy to let himself get swept up in, to let it consume his life.
He closed his eyes and took a breath. Then he took another. When he opened his eyes again, Eagan knew he had no choice in any of this. “I will need to find her first, then focus on the signal. I don’t know what any of this means, but I’m assuming the two of you will know how to handle my reactions.”
Lena stepped beside Rykal. “Carys and I will wake whoever it is out of stasis and let her know what’s goi
ng on. We didn’t come here with this in mind, so it will be a bit of a shock to her too.”
“While Lena’s doing that, hopefully we’ll be able to find the signal and disrupt it.” Rykal turned to face Darrick. “Keep everyone else out of the ship. Stay out here and I’ll let you know if I need you.”
“I’ll keep watch.” Darrick moved to take sentry position, his military training obvious.
The plan was sound, even if the results were unpredictable. Eagan nodded. “I cannot accept that things will be that easy for us, but we can re-evaluate once we see the results.”
“We need to fly the Kraken down to Zarlan’s surface and away from the grasp of the High Council.” Rykal cocked his eyebrow. “I know Aidric. He hasn’t informed them about our reaction to the humans.”
“That’s very unlike the Commander.” Eagan knew of Rykal’s relationship with Aidric, but even still he couldn’t hold back his anger – the one emotion all Fallen had been left with. “He’s always been one to put the Grus first.”
“I don’t think he trusts that they will allow the rest of them to be removed from stasis.” Rykal’s body stiffened. “You might not realize it, but Aidric regrets what he’s done to us.”
Eagan’s chest tightened. “Then we best hurry so we can help him make amends.”
Mentally prepared for what might happen, Eagan walked past the others and up the ship’s ramp. The humans were clearly a much smaller race than the Grus, their ceilings and corridors shorter and narrower than a typical Grus shuttle. Their technology was also considerably less advanced based on what he’d seen of their computer systems. How could a race as technologically inferior to theirs have been able to reach across such a vast distance to their sector of space? How were they linked?
He turned toward the mental tug that led him further into the ship. He knew the others were behind him – Rykal and the two human women – but he ignored them, letting his eyes fall closed as he moved quietly toward his goal.
She was here. How he hadn’t been aware of her presence the moment he’d landed the shuttle on the station, Eagan wasn’t sure. The feeling was as strong as a beacon in the blackness of space, shouting out to him hey look, I’m over here waiting for you. Now that he knew what it was, knew that she was here … close. He needed her. Needed to hold her in his arms, to keep her safe.
Each step increased the pressure on his brain, and his feet seemed to move of their own volition. His heart rate had increased, as had his irritation about being followed. No, keep calm. You need to keep her safe from the Sholle, from the council. Calm and focused.
“Keep back.” He heard Rykal behind him.
“He’s almost there – ” Lena that time.
“He’ll be fine. Give him space.”
Eagan opened his eyes and stepped into what appeared to be a loading bay. It wasn’t overly large but must have comprised the bulk of the ship itself. Rows of stasis tubes were lined up along the walls, surrounded by the necessary equipment to keep the people inside safe on their journey. The throbbing in his head was now a pounding, a beat demanding that he move faster, get over here right now and save me from this sleep!
There was no way he couldn’t comply.
No searching for the correct tube was required, as Eagan knew where she was, could feel her laying there waiting for him. He marched over to stand beside one of the closer units on the right. He hesitated for a moment, before looking down to peer through the observation window of the tube.
The woman was small, even more so than Lena or Carys. Her skin was white, and her brown hair was a mass of short brown curls. She looked as though her eyes would open any second and she’d smile. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. Her nose was small and her lips full, giving her a delicate appearance. But there must be more to her than that if she’d been brave enough to put herself in the hands of another to bring her out into the unknown.
He became aware of Lena by his side entering commands into the tube’s computer unit. “This is Beth Jones. Oh, I remember her. She’s a teacher. I couldn’t figure out why she wanted to come with us.” Lena frowned as she looked at the console. “I don’t see anything unusual about her tube, so if there’s another signal coming from the Kraken, it’s not here.”
Beth. It was an unusual name, though it might be quite common where she was from. “Get her out.”
Rykal put a hand on his shoulder. “Lena will do that, but now I need you to help me find the signal. If it’s what piqued the interest of the Sholle, maybe cutting if off will make it easier for them to … leave. I’d rather we avoid another conflict.”
Gods, he didn’t want to leave, not when she looked so small and helpless laying there. Rykal increased the pressure on his shoulder. “I know you don’t want to leave her. That you don’t want anyone to touch her but you. But we have a mission to complete first.”
The mission. Yes, that was important. He needed to find the source of the signal and hope it deterred the Sholle from coming here. Eagan straightened and with effort, looked away from Beth. “Don’t touch her.”
“I won’t. I’ll be with you. Lena and Carys will wake her up and make sure she understands what’s happening.” I know what you’re going through. Rykal’s thoughts echoed in Eagan’s head.
“Let’s find this signal.” The throbbing of his brain had dulled since he’d come to stand beside her stasis tube, making it a bit easier to think. “The signal must be coming from something that’s still powered.”
“Most of the ship’s systems are off.” Lena hovered by the tube’s controls. “The only things still powered are the stasis tubes and the central core.”
Eagan nodded. “Engineering would be the place to start.” Even if what he wanted to do was stay here. “Do you know the way?”
Rykal looked over at Lena, who pointed at the corridor. “To the left, then two rights. It will be straight in front of you.”
Eagan looked once more at Beth, before turning sharply on his heel to head to engineering. The sooner he discovered what was happening, the sooner he could be with her.
Chapter Three
Beth had been more than a little freaked out when she’d climbed into the stasis tube back on Earth. Her family hadn’t wanted her to go, had even gone so far as to try and lock her up in their home to prevent her from making it to the Kraken before it’s departure. Fleeing through the crowded streets to make it in time had been more than a little terrifying. Her home was in a protected section of the city, and she’d only been beyond the walls once when her father was trying to show his daughters how lucky they were to have the life that they did. The map Captain McGovern had provided her via their communications proved accurate, and she’d been one of the last passengers to come on board.
So when she felt the rush of adrenaline pump through her body, when she became aware that she was starting to wake up, she immediately panicked.
They found me and they’re going to stop me from going. I don’t want to go home.
Oxygen blasted over her face, and she couldn’t help but suck in a deep breath, letting the mixture fill her lungs and wake her brain. Her eyes were slow to open and even when they did, she found she couldn’t see anything clearly. It took her a moment to realize that she was still in the tube and the top hadn’t opened yet.
Another type of panic set in.
She hated being confined in small spaces. When she’d been put under initially, she was still riding the rush of fear about being caught. Now that her freedom was so close, she needed it to happen as quickly as possible.
“Let me out.” Her voice was barely a whisper, though it filled the small chamber.
Thankfully, the response was the hiss of hydraulics as the cover lifted then retracted, leaving the space above her now blissfully wide open. “Thank God.”
“You need to take it slow. You’ve been in there for a long time.”
Beth looked over to see Captain McGovern standing there with another woman who she didn’t recognize.
They were both smiling, and each offered her a hand to help her sit up. “Thanks.”
“You’re going to feel a little lightheaded, but that’s normal.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“Please, call me Lena. Considering where we are, titles aren’t exactly necessary.”
“You can say that again.” The other woman snorted. “A lot of things from Earth aren’t exactly relevant.”
Lena grinned and nodded toward the other woman. “Beth, this is Carys, another passenger who’s also been woken. We’re going to help you up and then we’re unfortunately going to hit you with a whole lot of information.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Her heart pounded, the echo of which beeped back to her from the stasis tube monitor. “Did we make it to a new Earth?”
The women shared a look, before Lena nodded. “I’m going to say yes. It turns out that things are a bit more complicated than I’d anticipated before we set off.”
She gave Beth a run down of what had happened in the past few days since the ship had woken Lena up. The rush of information was almost too much for her to take in, especially when her brain couldn’t let go of the idea that they’d been traveling at faster than light speed for over fifty years. “Everyone I knew back on Earth is dead. My family.” Tears welled up in her eyes and threatened to spill. “I understood that when I signed up, but the reality is kind of hitting me.”
“There’s something else.” Lena looked at the door to the corridor behind her. “The cyborgs I mentioned. We’re not sure why yet, but it seems that the reason each of us was compelled to come on this journey is that there’s a cyborg here who has a connection to us. They call us their mates, and to be honest I don’t have a better title for what this seems to be.”
A mate? She’d left her family behind on Earth because they’d been trying to marry her off to one of the city councillor’s sons. The idea of being sold off to someone who didn’t know her, didn’t care about who she was beyond her value to her family, disgusted her. “I’m no one’s mate.”