Close Encounters

by Katherine Allred

  “You’d better reconsider. I think those crystals may be the reason Dynatec filed Chapter Twenty. If I’m right, they enhance psychic abilities. Come by my ship later and he can test you.”

  “Sure, if you think it’s necessary.” She didn’t look convinced as she tucked the crystal away, and I could sense she was only humoring me. “So, you want me to look for any indication that Dynatec knows the crystals enhance psi abilities?”

  “Exactly. I was also going to ask you to find out if there’s any mention of an altercation between the Buri and some of the crew, but I think I can get that information from another source now.” I glanced at Thor. You will tell me, won’t you. It wasn’t a question, and he gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

  “A fight?” She sounded shocked. “I haven’t heard any mention of a fight. Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes. Some of the Buri show signs of laser burns. I would like to hear what Redfield has to say about the incident. I don’t think he’s too comfortable with whatever Dorn and Frisk are up to. He still hasn’t managed to get away from them long enough to talk to me, though.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, although it might take me a few days to get Redfield alone. He’s telling the truth about Frisk and Dorn. I’ve noticed that at least one of them is with him at all times. And it’s gotten a lot worse since you arrived. They won’t even leave him alone with the other crewmembers. Dorn almost caught us the day he asked me to give you that message about wanting to speak with you.”

  I nodded my understanding. “Okay. If you need me, just make sure you’re outside and set your comm unit to the frequency Max contacted you on before. He’ll relay the message to me.”

  She gave a little wave, cast one last look of longing at Ghost, and then headed in the direction her crew was working. Ghost took a step after her and then hesitated.

  Thor seemed to understand his problem. “Go.” He gestured at Claudia’s retreating form. “But remember, you must not mate with the female until the ceremony has been performed.”

  Not mate? I grabbed Thor’s arm and tugged him around to face me as Ghost hurried after Claudia. “Why can’t they mate until the ceremony?”

  “The rellanti would try to complete the bond. Without preparation, the female would die.”

  “Is that why you didn’t…uh, mate with me before?”

  “Yes.”

  And all this time I’d thought I had bad breath. “But you said the bond is rare. How can your people mate at all? Wouldn’t every female die?”

  “Only if the possibility of the bond is there, and she is unprepared. Without the potential of the bond, the rellanti does not react to mating.”

  I narrowed my eyes as an idea occurred to me. “Does this bond have to exist for your people to bear young?”

  “No.”

  “And you have no intention of telling me why they aren’t reproducing, do you?”

  “No.” He grinned.

  Damn. Back to square one. I never should have told him I’d be leaving when I found out what the problem was and corrected it.

  “Kiera,” Max interrupted. “It’s almost time.”

  “On my way. And you,” I told Thor, “can tell me all about this battle with the Dynatec crew while we walk. Max can have something ready to eat when we get there.” It came as a surprise that I’d picked up his thoughts of food without even trying. Maybe the key to using this bond was to relax and let it work instead of forcing it.

  “This ship cooks, too?”

  “In a manner of speaking.”

  He made a slight detour to collect his spear and a wicked-looking knife, and then we entered the dim light of the jungle side by side. The branches closed us off from the village when he spoke again.

  “The battle occurred shortly after these others arrived. The mate of Dryggahn went into the jungle to gather fruit, taking her child with her.”

  When he said Dryggahn, I got a mental image of Brownie. It didn’t surprise me. I’d suspected it had something to do with him.

  “The child wandered a short distance away from his mother and three of your people grabbed him. Alerted by her child’s screams, Dryggahn’s mate called to him through their bond. A large group of my people stopped the three before they could reach their camp. The child was retrieved unharmed, but several were wounded, and one died. We do not understand why the child was taken.”

  “I’ve got a pretty good idea why. They wanted to run tests on him, to ensure your people really can’t reproduce. As long as you’re dying out, there’s nothing we can do to stop them from claiming this world.” A shudder ran over me. “No wonder Brownie hates me.”

  “He does not hate you, merely distrusts. Our children are so few, those we do have are precious to us.”

  “There’s another female who’s expecting a child.” I stepped around a nasty-looking plant with saw-toothed blades and glanced at Thor in time to see him smile.

  “Yes. We celebrated many days when Sillia shared this joyous news.”

  “Does this Sillia share the mind bond with her mate?”

  “No. They were not so fortunate.” He held a branch aside so I could pass. “Dryggahn has convinced himself that Sillia’s child will be our Shushanna.”

  That would explain why Brownie was so opposed to the Buri calling me Shushanna, I thought. “Is that why he challenged you for leadership?”

  “Yes, in part. There is also more.”

  “More?” I arched a brow in question.

  He sighed. “When it is time to chose a new ruler, all those eligible from the royal line are considered, and then the people vote for whomever they believe will make the best Deshunnat. I was chosen, but Dryggahn felt it should have been him. He also is of the royal line and ten cycles my elder. He truly believes he knows better than I what is best for the tribe and resents that I do not follow his thoughts. He was sure the new Shushanna would be born into the tribe, while I was not.”

  Holy shit! My mouth had dropped open halfway through that pronouncement and I had trouble closing it now. “You aren’t just the Buri leader,” I said. “You’re the damn king!”

  His head tilted thoughtfully. “I do not know this word, king.”

  I waved one hand. “Descended from a royal line, ruler by right of blood.”

  He nodded. “Then yes, I am king.”

  Air was having trouble squeezing through my suddenly tight throat. “And since I’m your mate, that would make me…”

  “The Shushanna,” he said with a great deal of satisfaction.

  “Is the Shushanna always mated to the king?” I asked, still trying to breathe.

  “No, of course not. Although it was so with my sire and dam.”

  Whew. “So I’m not the queen.” When he looked blank I clarified. “A queen is the female who is mated to the king, or sole ruler in her own right.”

  “If you were ruler, then I suppose you would be this queen,” he commented. “But I alone am ruler of my people. You are my mate and the Shushanna.”

  Okay, I could finally breathe again. Queen was the very last thing I wanted to be. I did want to explore this Shushanna thing in more depth later, but right now I needed to refocus on the bond.

  “You said you knew of only two couples who share the bond. Brownie and his mate are one. Who are the others?”

  He gave me one of “those” looks, like he was trying to decide whether or not to answer. “My sire and his mate.”

  “Where are your parents now?” A curl of excitement unfolded inside me. This was one of the things I needed desperately to find out. If a disease had killed the older Buri, it could also have done something to affect the reproduction cycle of those remaining.

  His voice was hard when he answered. “Dead.”

  “What about the rest of your people? Are their parents all dead too?”

  “Yes.”

  We had almost reached the clearing where my hut stood when I stopped and touched his arm. “How? Why did they die?”

&nb
sp; He gazed down at me stoically. “By their own choice.”

  My jaw dropped. Of all the scenarios I’d come up with, this was one I’d never so much as considered. “Are you telling me they committed mass suicide? Why in the thirteen hells would they do that?”

  “The reasons were their own. And it did not happen all at once as you are thinking. At first, there were only a few. The numbers increased until the end, when many died every day.”

  “You just let them do it? Why didn’t anyone stop them?”

  “It was their right to choose.”

  “But what about Auntie Em and Elder? They’re much older than the rest of you and they didn’t die.”

  “Their knowledge was needed. They chose to live.”

  Lifting both hands, I rubbed my face. Why did it seem as if the more I found out, the more confused the issues became? At this rate, I was going to need another vacation. Soon. I turned and pushed through the brush at the edge of the clearing.

  “What is ‘honeymoon’?” Thor asked.

  “It’s a period of time newly mated couples spend alone so they can get to know each other.” I squinted at him. “Where did you hear the word?”

  “You were thinking it.”

  “I most certainly was not!” I spun around, hands on my hips as I glared at him. “And even if I were—which I wasn’t—and even if I accept that we’re…mated—which I don’t—a honeymoon never crossed my mind. I’ve got a job to do. I don’t have time to run off and play games with you.”

  “Why are you upset?” He truly looked confused. Not that I blamed him. I was pretty confused myself. Had I really been thinking about honeymoons? How else would he know the word?

  All the zip went out of me. “I’m not upset, damn it. It’s just that…never mind. I don’t think I can explain it.”

  “You will try.”

  “Okay. You asked for it.” I inhaled sharply and then let the air out in a slow, calming exhale. “People should get married because they love each other and want to spend their lives together. Not because some damn rock decides it can attune their brain waves.”

  His gaze met mine, and I went all gooey at the warmth reflected in their ebony depths. “You crave love very much, mate. But it is like a seed that must first be sown and nurtured before the plant can bloom. Between us, a seed was sown when first we met. Already it has sprouted. With time and attention, it will come to full flower. This I swear to you.”

  I blinked away the pesky moisture that clouded my vision and raised my chin. “What? Are you channeling Yoda now?”

  He frowned. “What is a ‘yoda’?”

  “A short, green, very wise little person. I can see I need to introduce you to holovids. Maybe have Max fix some popcorn so you can enjoy the full experience.”

  His frown deepened, and he lifted a hand to cup my cheek. “It is not necessary to distract me when your feelings make you uncomfortable. I will not allow us to be separated, mate. Even though this is what you seek, it is not what you really want. You are safe with me. The pain you fear will not come to pass.”

  For a brief instant, I allowed my eyes to close, let myself lean into his warm, strong palm. And I wished with all my heart that it could be as easy as he made it sound. But it wasn’t, and I couldn’t seem to make him understand that I had no choice. When this job was done, I would be assigned another, far away from Orpheus Two and the Buri regardless of how I might want it to be otherwise.

  Forcing a smile, I opened my eyes and reached up to clasp his hand in mine. “Come on. Max is waiting for us.”

  Luscious smells drifted from Max’s open hatch as we climbed the stairs, and I heard the soft plop of dishes sliding into the pickup tray just as we reached the cabin. You certainly couldn’t fault the ship’s timing.

  “How long do we have to eat?” I asked Max aloud.

  “Dr. Daniels is scheduled to begin transmission in twenty minutes and forty-five seconds.”

  “Good.” I pulled the steaming dishes out and placed them on the small table in front of the food-prep unit before motioning Thor to have a seat across from me. Looked like Max had gone all out, no doubt showing off for Thor. It wasn’t often we had a real live guest join us on board for meals.

  “Where’s Crigo?” I asked, slicing into the grilled chicken covered in mushroom gravy. Thor, hesitant about the strange foods in front of him, took a tiny nibble of a tuber lightly roasted with garlic, then dug in like he hadn’t eaten in a week.

  “Watching the Dynatec camp from the edge of the jungle.”

  “Should I be worried?” I could feel the curiosity coming from Thor as I talked to Max, and he kept looking around the cabin as if trying to identify where the voice was coming from.

  “I don’t believe so. He spends a lot of time watching, but so far, he’s only entered the camp once.”

  I detected an odd note in Max’s voice and paused before I could put the chicken in my mouth. “Why did he enter the camp?”

  “The Dorn woman left her boots outside on the porch of her hut.”

  “And?” I waved my fork for him to continue.

  “Well, uh…Crigo—”

  “Spit it out, Max. Crigo what?”

  “He urinated on her boots.”

  I dropped my forehead to the table and rapped it gently on the laminate surface three times. “Please tell me no one saw him.”

  “No one saw him.”

  “You’re sure?” I sat up hopefully.

  “No.”

  I glowered. “You just said no one saw him.”

  “You told me to say that. But if anyone did see him, they neglected to mention his actions to Dorn. She was rather surprised at the condition of her footgear, and ended up tossing them in the recycler near the door. And she never so much as glanced in Crigo’s direction.”

  A breath of relief escaped me. “Let me know if he so much as looks like he’s going to enter the camp again. While I might agree with his sentiments, I don’t want them taking potshots at him.”

  “You are speaking of your animal?” Thor flashed me an image of Crigo, and I blinked. How the heck did he do that so easily?

  “He’d probably object to you calling him mine, but yes. His name is Crigo.”

  “He does not belong to you?”

  “No, he’s more like a friend.” I reached for my glass, then paused, frowning at the water filling it. “Max, why does Thor have wine and I don’t?”

  “Because alcohol might skew the results of the physical.”

  “What physical?” I asked ominously.

  “The one Dr. Daniels ordered performed while he’s here.”

  “Damn it, Max! You told him there was something wrong with me, didn’t you?” Appetite gone, I dropped my fork and pushed my plate back.

  There was a flicker of movement from my right, and abruptly Thor was standing, muscles tensed and ready as he reached for his knife.

  Max, the coward, had initiated the call to Dr. Daniels ten minutes early.

  “Don’t blame Max, my dear. You know one of his imperatives is to keep you healthy.” The boss wiped dirt from his hands as he stood. Around him, plants grew in lush recklessness, and I realized Max had caught him at work in his garden. “He was worried about you. Now why don’t you introduce me to your young man before he tries to attack my image and hurts himself?”

  I sighed in defeat, knowing he was right. Protection of their partners was the most important imperative programmed into an AI. They would self-destruct before violating the rule.

  Giving up on that front, I waved a hand. “Dr. Daniels, this is Thor, leader of the Buri. Thor, Dr. Jordan Daniels, my boss.”

  To my surprise, the boss gave a slight bow and growled a short phrase in Buri. Thor hesitated, then dipped his head in a regal nod, his gaze still locked on the image.

  “Since when do you speak Buri?” I asked the boss.

  His grin was smug, white teeth flashing. “Max has been recording conversations and running language probability programs
. I’m afraid I just exhausted my Buri vocabulary, though.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” I waved a hand at Thor. “He understands everything we say. We’ve got this mind-bond thing going on.”

  “Yes, Max told me.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I find it very intriguing. You actually read each other’s minds?”

  I glanced at Thor. He gave his head a slight shake. “Only when we make love, or when you broadcast.”

  Hurriedly, I turned back to the boss, hoping my face wasn’t red. “Not exactly. It’s more like talking, only on a mental level rather than aloud.”

  “That should come in handy.” He leaned forward slightly to get a better look at me. “And this came about through the exchange of the earring during the marriage ceremony?”

  “About that ceremony…”

  “Later.” He gave me his best gimlet-eyed stare and I knew we’d be having a private conversation before this call was over. “First, I have some information for you. My investigators have uncovered a few very interesting details about Ms. Dorn.”

  “Such as?” I sat up straighter, my curiosity running rampant.

  The boss removed one hand from his pocket, plucked a flower from the bush next to him and twirled it idly between his fingers. “Max, put up the first image I sent you.”

  A hologram appeared in the air above the table and I studied it for a second. “Yeah, that’s Quilla, all right.”

  “Actually, it’s not.” The boss’s lips quirked. “That’s Laura Dorn, Zander Dorn’s wife. Max, put Ms. Dorn’s image next to it.”

  Another holo appeared, and I swung my gaze between the two. Other than clothing, there was no discernible difference. “They look like identical twins,” I murmured.

  “The resemblance is even more striking than that. Our facial recognition system insists they are the same woman. Retinal scans confirm it.”

  Thor remained silent, but I knew he was listening intently. “So, you’re saying Quilla is really Laura Dorn?”

  “No. Laura Dorn is dead.” He paused. “She died three cycles before Quilla was born.”

  “A clone?” I leaned back in shock. “But cloning is illegal.”

  “So is creating a GEP without a government license, but we both know that with enough money, black-market geneticists will do it. Zander Dorn was an extremely wealthy man, and from all reports, he was devastated by his wife’s death.”