by Isaac Hooke
“I can see why you didn’t want to tell me,” Tane said.
G’allanthamas intertwined three of his tentacles in a gesture that Tane interpreted as dismissive. “As I mentioned, you’re not ready to face the Z’Antamaraan.”
Not only was Tane not ready, he wasn’t sure it was even his problem. He didn’t owe the galaxy anything. Besides, all he really cared about at the moment was saving Lyra and Nebb. He would pay back his debts to them. And once Lyra healed Jed, they’d all part ways. That meant leaving Sinive behind, too. It was probably for the best that she and him had had their little falling out, even if he still had no idea what caused it.
Tane left G’allanthamas and proceeded to his own quarters. When he shut the door behind him, he received a call from Jed.
“I’ve settled in,” Jed said. “And sent the message to the TSN. Now we wait for the response.”
“Is Gia there?” Tane asked.
“Yes,” Jed responded.
“When is she going to take the shuttle back to the Mosaic to move the ship outside the city?”
“She doesn’t have to,” Jed said. “Gia left orders with Muse to fly the Mosaic past the city outskirts as soon as repairs finish later tonight. Muse will park it in the forest outside.”
“Oh, okay then,” Tane said.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back from the TSN,” Jed said. “Until then, sleep well Engineer. Tomorrow will likely be a big day.”
“I’ll do my best,” Tane said. “By the way, are you sure you’ll be able to make it through another night with that infection?”
“I’ll have to,” Jed said. “Gia is keeping me under observation. The microcrillia are still spreading extremely slowly. I have to thank you once again for what you did.”
“You’re welcome,” Tane said. “I just wish I could have cured you entirely.”
“So do I,” Jed said, and disconnected.
So, it was time to wait for the TSN to take the bait.
They must know I’m going to try something. That I won’t surrender freely.
Then again, maybe they truly believed he’d give himself up to them without a fight. If so, they would be in for a surprise.
Like the dweller’s suite, Tane’s didn’t have a robot assistant. He realized that probably none of rental units did. That was actually good. It meant he wouldn’t have to worry about an AI spying on him or his companions.
Tane stripped out of his spacesuit and bundled it up into a single inventory item using the cord he kept for that purpose. Then he removed the armored robe, and the gauntlets, and set them down on the floor next to the wall in case he needed to dress in a hurry. He decided to keep wearing most of his other Chrysalium accessories.
When that was done, he lay back on the bed in his underclothes. He tried to sleep, but it seemed impossible. He’d basically been resting for the past little while anyway.
He rubbed his eyes. Now that he was out of the Umbra, Sinive dominated almost every thought. He wanted to make things right between them while he still had a chance.
But making things right just didn’t seem possible.
He glanced at his overhead map: Sinive was located in a room one floor down. He pulled up her name on his contact list, and hovered over the call button. But he chickened out at the last moment and quickly closed the interface.
She wouldn’t want to talk to him anyway. Why would she?
Man, he wanted her so badly. But there were other options available to him. He could have her virtually if he really wanted to, for example: his chip had taken enough samples of her features and expressions by now that the deep learning algorithm could easily place her face on any VR porn stars he downloaded. He just wished he’d gotten his chip database update before their previous sexual encounter. He would have killed to have the whole session archived.
Wait, what the hell am I doing?
He didn’t have to be that undersexed engineer anymore, the one who had to rely on VR porn to satisfy his needs. He was a different person than the kid who had left behind that hydroponics farm. He was a man. The Bender of Worlds. If anyone could make things right with Sinive, it was him.
He glanced at his overhead map once more and stared at her indicator. Even though she had rested all day, she was probably still a bit tired from the latest jump. He probably shouldn’t bother her.
And yet he couldn’t help but feel this might be the last chance he’d ever have to talk to her. He could die tomorrow, assuming the TSN agreed to the swap. She might die herself.
No, he’d never allow that.
I have to do this. I don’t want us going into battle with grudges.
He made his way down to her floor and knocked before he could think about it.
“What do you want?” Sinive said through the door’s speaker, without opening it.
“Only to talk,” Tane said.
“About?”
He hesitated, then: “I’m here to make things right between us. Tomorrow, we’re going to risk our lives. This could be the last chance I have to do this. I don’t want to die, without—”
But the door open then. Sinive stood before him, wearing her white dress, looking so lovely. “Come in. We’ll talk.”
Tane entered and shut the door behind him. She had two double beds in her suite, and he sat on the bed that was still immaculately made. Sinive meanwhile lounged on the messed up bed across from him.
“So you were saying?” Sinive pressed. “You don’t want to die without... what?”
“Without telling you I’m sorry for whatever it is I did,” Tane said. “I messed up. I don’t know how. And I’m sorry.”
She sighed. “You didn’t do anything.”
“What do you mean?” Tane said. “Then why were you avoiding me all this time?”
“I don’t know,” Sinive said. “It seemed like you were avoiding me, too, though.”
“That’s only because I thought you didn’t want to talk to me,” Tane said.
“Silly Outrimmer, of course I wanted to talk to you.” Sinive closed her eyes and shook her head before gazing at him once more. “But you’re right. Yes, I was avoiding you. I was a little ashamed about what I’d done. A part of me still looked at you as a client. We were transporting you aboard the Red Grizzly after all. And Nebb has a rule: never sleep with a client. But I realize now, you’re not a client. You never were. The Volur were the clients.”
“Is that it?” Tane said. He shook his head. “All this time I thought I’d done something wrong.”
“Well, and if I’m being honest, I also felt a little slutty about what I did,” Sinive said.
Tane felt his eyes widen. “Slutty? How so?”
“Probably too strong of a word,” Sinive said. “I only meant I felt like I gave it up too fast. We haven’t known each other all that long, after all.”
“But it seems a lifetime,” Tane said.
“It does,” Sinive admitted. “Chalk it up to everything we’ve been through, I guess.” She gazed into his eyes. There was longing there, he thought. “You know, I stole that Chrysalium statue from the peddler because I wanted to get your attention. It was my cry for help. I wanted to get some sort of rise out of you, because I wanted you back, and didn’t know how to get through to you. I shut you out, and I guess I was surprised that you shut me out in return. I’m not sure what I was expecting… maybe that’d you’d fight even harder for me. And when you didn’t, stealing that statue was my way of not only getting your attention, but hurting you at the same time, weird as that sounds.”
“No, it’s not weird,” Tane said. “It did hurt. Because I care about you, and your principles, and I don’t want you doing things like that.”
“See, that’s the response I was looking for,” Sinive said. She looked down. “I’m actually very sorry for doing it. I guess it doesn’t help that Nebb’s lax morals have been rubbing off on me. That and the fact we’ve been looting shops in the Umbra.”
“But when you loot the Umbra it doesn�
�t affect anything in our universe,” Tane said. “It doesn’t hurt the shopkeepers.”
“I know,” Sinive said. “I’m never going to do something like that again. I’m better than that.”
“You are,” Tane said.
She looked at him and smiled sadly. “So then, now that we’ve got that over with… what about us?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is there a chance for us?” she said.
“I—” Tane swallowed. “Of course there is. There was always a chance.”
“But you’re the mighty Bender of Worlds,” Sinive said. “The Doomwielder. That’s another reason I’ve been avoiding you. I didn’t feel worthy. You could have any woman you want. Why me?”
“Don’t put yourself down,” Tane said. “Of course you’re worthy of me. A woman fit for the Bender of Worlds. I wouldn’t have any other. You’re the only one I want.”
She grinned widely, her eyes so very radiant. “You really mean that?”
“Absolutely,” Tane said. “More than I’ve ever meant anything.”
Her smile sweetened, and she gave him a puppy dog look. “I think I’m falling for you, World Bender.”
It was his turn to grin. “To you I’ll always be Tane. Just Tane. Or Outrimmer if you prefer.”
“Tane works.” She sat up on her bed and leaned forward, slightly closing the gap between them. Her gaze dropped to his lips.
Tane didn’t miss the cue. He promptly switched to her bed and kissed her deeply. He’d missed her touch, and she had obviously missed his in turn, judging from the frantic way her lips clung to his. He returned her kisses almost desperately. They clawed off each other’s clothes.
Tane stayed with her all that night. He made love to her in bed, in the shower, and in bed again, until finally he fell into an exhausted sleep.
He awoke late that morning. Sunlight was streaming in from the edge of the sealed curtain.
He glanced at Sinive, who slept like a beautiful doll beside him. He still couldn’t believe she was his. That he had held her all that night. He glanced at his HUD, half expecting to find some level up notification regarding his sexual abilities, but there wasn’t one.
He preferred it that way.
The chip makers need to stay out of the bedroom.
Sinive was pressed against his side as she slept, with one arm wrapped across his naked chest. He leaned forward to kiss her cute-as-a-button face.
The moment his lips made contact with hers, her eyes shot open. She yanked her head back and slammed a hand over her mouth and nose, blocking him.
He stared at her, slightly shocked. Was she going to pull her hot and cold routine all over again?
She lifted her palm enough to say: “Don’t kiss me!”
“Why?”
“Morning breath,” she replied.
“Mine or yours?”
“Mine!” Sinive said.
Tane slumped in relief. That was all it was. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I don’t care, Ms. Stinky Breath.” Tane gently shoved at her hand. She resisted at first, but finally let him move her palm aside. And he kissed her.
Hmm. She definitely had morning breath. He ignored it, kissing her passionately, but was careful not to give her any tongue.
When he pulled away, she smiled sweetly. “You’re too good to be true.”
“As are you,” Tane said.
“I don’t want this moment to end,” Sinive said. “Maybe the TSN won’t call today.”
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Tane said.
He gazed at her fondly, wanting to take her again, but then a call notification appeared on his HUD.
“I got Jed on the line,” Tane said.
With a sigh, he extricated himself from her and sat up.
That morning breath of hers had left a pungent, lingering aftertaste. He lightly touched his tongue against the roof of his mouth a few times, trying to clear the flavor, but it didn’t help.
Maybe next time I’ll have to listen to her warning.
Somehow, he doubted he would.
Tane answered the call, voice-only.
“Hey Jed,” Tane said. “What’s up, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Jed said. “Relatively. The TSN finally replied. They’ve agreed to the exchange, and to my proposed time and place. In three hours, they’ll meet us at the park I picked out in the downtown core.”
Tane’s heart beat as the dread of anticipation filled him. “All right. Thanks. I’ll call you back.”
He disconnected and glanced at Sinive. “Jed says the swap will take place in three hours.”
Sinive’s serene expression became grim. She sat up, and covered her breasts with the bed sheet. Her eyes seemed distant. “So we fight today after all.” Her attention snapped back to the here and now, and she looked at him and announced: “I’m taking a shower.”
“But you took one last night with me,” Tane quipped.
“I know,” Sinive said. “But that didn’t count. It wasn’t really a shower. We just sort of stood in the sonic stream and didn’t really clean ourselves, but rather made each other dirty, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, I know what you mean,” Tane said sarcastically.
She made a turning gesture with her finger.
“What?” Tane said.
“Turn around,” Sinive said.
“But I’ve already seen you naked,” Tane said. “Multiple times.”
“Yes, but in dim light,” Sinive said.
“It’s dim now,” Tane said.
“I’m shy,” Sinive said.
“Really...”
The curtains swung wide open and bright sunlight from outside streamed in, blinding him. She must have accessed the curtains remotely.
“It’s not dim anymore,” Sinive said.
Tane got the hint and finally turned around.
She hurried to the bathroom with the sheet wrapped around her and shut the door.
Three hours.
He wasn’t sure he’d be ready. Sinive would go with him, and potentially Gia. But not Jed, of course. And there was no way G’allanthamas could make it, not during the daylight. Yes, three hours from now simply wouldn’t work.
Tane called back Jed.
“Engineer,” Jed said in greeting.
Tane dove right in to his concern. “Is there any way we can make the meeting tonight? After dark? That way we can bring Gall along?”
“I considered that,” Jed said. “But decided the TSN was much less likely to enact a treaty violation in broad daylight, what with the recording devices of thousands of nearby citizens active and watching. In fact I insisted on daylight, whereas they were the ones requesting a nighttime rendezvous.”
“I see,” Tane said. “But we’ll need Gall. Especially since you won’t be there. He’s a high level worker of the Dark…”
“He’ll still be coming, don’t you worry,” Jed said. “I’d like you to come down here to talk about it. We’ll also discuss potential strategies, and what to expect. Gia has some ideas as well. She believes we can involve the Mosaic. I’d also like to give you a detailed virtual walk-through of the swap site.”
“I’ll get down there as soon as I can,” Tane said.
Jed remained silent on the line. Tane was about to ask him if there was anything else when the Volur spoke again.
“I noticed your indicator remained in Sinive’s room throughout all of last night,” Jed said. “In fact, it still resides there at this very moment.”
“Er, I was, um, discussing potential tactics for the mission,” Tane said.
“Indeed?” Jed said. “All night?”
“Yes, er,” Tane said. “It was a long brainstorming session.”
“And did these tactical discussions bear fruit?”
“Oh yeah, we came up with a lot of workable ideas,” Tane said. His face was bright crimson by then. He was glad Jed couldn’t see it.
“I’m sure you did. I look
forward to hearing all about them when you get here.” Jed paused. “Is it a good idea to be sleeping with her, Engineer?”
“I...” Tane suddenly felt the urge to go on the defensive. “You should talk… what about Gia? I know you slept with her aboard the Mosaic. And you can’t tell me that was a good idea. ”
“Point taken,” Jed said. “But it’s even more problematic for you.”
“How so?” Tane asked.
“You’re the World Bender,” Jed said. “Your friends, and especially your lovers, can be used against you. You’ll have to keep a close eye on her, not just now, but probably for the rest of your days.”
“I intend to do just that, thank you.”
“I meant no offense, Engineer,” Jed said. “I’m only looking out for you.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Tane still had that lingering aftertaste in his mouth as he talked, and he was almost regretting convincing Sinive to let him kiss her. “By the way, do you have any mints you can lend me?”
Jed sounded puzzled when he answered. “Mints?”
Tane visited the bedridden Jed with Sinive to make final preparations before the planned swap. The Volur seemed worse than when Tane had parted with him the night before: the dark veins had progressed across his chest, reaching all the way up to his collarbone region. But he still seemed lucid.
They discussed the rescue operation in detail: Jed walked Tane through a virtual representation of the chosen site, with data gleaned directly from the Galnet Maps application. He went over the probable locations for Lyra, Nebb and the Red Grizzly during the swap, as well as what kind of troops and formations to expect from the TSN. Sinive corroborated the latter with knowledge pulled from her own military background. Gia, seated beside Jed, also offered her own insights, along with suggestions as to where and when the Mosaic could come into play.
“What do we do if the TSN break their treaty with the Mautauraen?” Tane asked at one point. “And they bring more than the one transport ship? Or fill it to the brim with Essenceworkers? Maybe it’s worth it to risk war for the TSN, if it means they’ll have a better chance of capturing me.”
“Because of the location I picked, you’ll be able to survey the rendezvous site from afar before committing to the rescue,” Jed said. “If they bring more forces than agreed, or they’re all Essenceworkers, you’ll simply turn back. And I’ll send them a message that the deal is off. We’ll try again on another planet, and next time they’ll abide by our rules. I guarantee you.”