“Although I already knew you were a badass, you pack a wonderful reminder with your ninja-like moves. Might I suggest opening your eyes next time, before you blindly attack someone,” Aarik replied hoarsely, massaging his throat. He coughed dramatically, like he was trying to garner more sympathy, before he grinned devilishly.
“Holy crap. Are you okay, Aarik?” Taylor yelled, as he raced toward them with concern written on his face. Anna, not far behind, looked at Kiya with disappointment before she switched her attention to Aarik’s wellbeing and said under her breath when she reached them, “Darling, physical violence is unhealthy in a relationship unless it’s in the bedroom and then I highly condone it, but if she tries to hit you again I have no problem looking the other way if you wanted to deflect her next attack.”
“Thanks, Anna, I appreciate the support, but there shouldn’t be a next time to be worried about. Right, Kiya?” Aarik answered, never looking away as he waited for either Kiya to come to her senses or break down.
“I’ll only hit him if he deserves it, Anna, but in his defense, he definitely did nothing to deserve this one, in fact it seems I owe him my life once again. It just so happens I was the victim of an attempted kidnapping,” proclaimed Kiya, with tears in her eyes as the shock of the situation hit her with the force of a hurricane.
“Thankfully, I turned around at the right time and was able to stop them, but that might not always be the case. In fact, I think until Th’ael has been found it would be better if you stayed here out of his reach,” responded Aarik, with determination, as he rubbed her arms in what he probably thought was a soothing motion.
His statement hit her like a ton of a bricks, which was enough to snap her out of a panic attack. Pushing his hands away, Kiya stumbled out of the terracraft and squeezed between Taylor and Anna so she could have some breathing room and stand up straight. She turned around to give him a piece of her mind, only to find he had followed her out and was looking down at her like she was broken and he didn’t know how to put her back together. Frustrated, she took in a deep breath before she spewed out, “Stop looking at me like that. I’m not broken. I’m fine and I don’t appreciate you dictating what you think is best for me.”
“I know you’re not broken. I think you’re a warrior and the real reason I refuse to bring you along has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I would never forgive myself if you were taken while under my protection. I had the element of surprise this time around because I don’t think they expected me to have any powers, but I doubt I’ll be as lucky the next time,” persuaded Aarik, as he gazed back and forth between her eyes, like he was trying to will Kiya to agree with him, while he waited for her to respond.
“Look, I understand how you must be feeling, but there’s no reason to coddle me. You can’t take this away from me, Aarik! Now that we know what we’re up against we won’t be caught off guard. You said so yourself, I can take care of myself, plus I have you as my backup. I promise I will be better prepared and will arm myself to the nines,” replied Kiya, with as much bravado as she could muster under the circumstances.
She didn’t want Aarik to view her as a liability. Certainly not to the point where he felt the need to hide her away, thinking he was protecting her from the evil in the world. She wasn’t a china doll to be placed on a shelf and only pulled down when it was convenient for him. She had a role to play in the upcoming war and needed him by her side, not standing in front of her taking all the hits. When Aarik started shaking his head and broke eye contact, Kiya knew she wouldn’t like his response. Dragging his hand through his thick hair, he spoke to the floor when he said, “I’m sorry, truly I am, but my decision is final.”
“Who made you the boss?” Kiya slung back in anger as she willed him to look at her, to give her some indication that she had a small chance to change his mind. When he continued to stare at the floor she felt defeated and as she stormed passed him to escape his presence she uttered one last jab in anger, “I thought we were doing this together, but I guess I was wrong. Wonder what else I was wrong about…”
Hustling away, she didn’t even realize Anna had followed her onto the elevator until Ailla was whisking her away and Anna said, “You can hang out with me if you want. I’m not nearly as sexy as him, but I’m funnier and way less frustrating.”
Startled, she jumped slightly, hanging her head she gathered the last remaining threads of sanity she could find before she replied, “I would like that very much, Anna, but perhaps we could wait until tomorrow? I’m not exactly up for company at the moment.”
“I know what you mean, but let me show you something first. I find it to be very cathartic and thought you could benefit from it. So, before you slither off on your own and consume copious amounts of chocolate or whatever your drug of choice is, follow me please,” Anna said with a wink, as she asked Ailla to stop off at level five for a detour.
“My mother died when I was nine. She was killed in a motor vehicle accident on our way home from my graduation ceremony. I, somehow, miraculously survived the accident, but have no recollection of the crash. I woke up in the hospital a month later, having missed her funeral; in fact I don’t even know where she was buried. With no family around to claim me, I would have found myself in the foster care system if it wasn’t for Commander Rais adopting me. I’ve been here ever since and although I might complain a lot, it’s not as bad as I make it out to be. I have unlimited resources at my fingertips that would have never been available to me if not for that fateful night. I have six doctorates, all paid for by the government, and I get to be involved in some of the biggest secrets of the world,” explained Anna, as they exited the elevator and walked toward her office.
“Oh, Anna, I’m so sorry you lost your mother. Mine died in childbirth. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to be raised by my grandparents…Anna, don’t take this the wrong way, but what does that have to do with what you wanted to show me?” Kiya asked in confusion.
Anna stopped when they reached a door with a flashing green light above it. She grabbed the handle and said, “Because of my circumstances, I have access to everything I could want material wise. Seeing as you are a woman who enjoys building stuff, I thought you might like to see my personal lab,” replied Anna with a small smile and a shrug.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a fake smile to her face and said, “Sure. Maybe it will take my mind off Aarik the Ogre.”
“That’s the spirit. Anyways back to my story,” offered Anna with a quick smirk, “Needless to say, after an adjustment period of learning to live in confinement, I found a passion for virtual reality among other things. Granted it’s not the same, but when you can literally change your environment, into anything you want, from a simple mental command it’s better than nothing. Don’t be alarmed by the setup in the middle of the room, it’s my virtual simulation getup and the more gear I attach to myself the more connected and real it feels.” She opened the door with a flourish and stepped aside for Kiya to enter unimpeded.
Kiya stepped forward and giggled as she surveyed the room carefully. Overcrowded work benches and shelving units lined every available floor space. Each station had a project at varying stages of completion. A large circular podium with guard rails occupied the center of the room, with wires and a VR mask hanging from the ceiling above it. The back wall acted as a projector screen and was the only white wall in the room, with the rest covered in vibrant golden drapery. In one corner a comfortable reading nook with two red leather armchairs, an end table and a Victorian lamp stood out in the midst of the laboratory.
Anna headed over to the closest workstation near the right side of the room, and patting the wood said, “You can use this bench. It’s currently the only available spot not occupied by one of my latest inventions.”
Walking forward, Kiya copied Anna’s gesture and running her hand along the top said, “Thanks Anna. I appreciate the offer and I’ll definitely take you up on it, but probably not today. Why don’t y
ou show me something you’re working on instead, maybe it will spark my imagination.”
Looking about the room she headed towards the VR station and grabbed the guard rail lightly. She traced her hand along the top until she came to the opening of the platform and stepped up. Reaching for the VR glasses, she squealed when a hole opened next to her on the platform and a sleek chair rose up from its depth. “Damn, are you trying to give me a heart attack! Some warning would have been nice,” grumbled Kiya, grabbing her chest as she eyed the chair with aversion, before she shaded her eyes and looked for Anna.
“Sorry I couldn’t help myself,” replied Anna with a raised voice from behind her.
Kiya jumped slightly and closing her eyes said, “Oh my gods! Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I know you have great intentions and all, but my heart needs a rest. I believe I have reached my quota for kick starts today.” She forced a slight smile to her face in an effort to sweeten the sting of her words when Anna placed a finger over Kiya’s lips to shut her up.
“Trust me this will help. Sit down. I’ll buckle you in and let you enter my CPT program,” Anna piped up.
“What’s that?” Kiya asked with intrigue.
“A program I designed that stands for Cheap Plate Therapy. A simulation I built which allows you to throw plates at a concrete wall. No clean up and it is really very therapeutic. My program allows you to pick the colors of the plates and it has a few different locations. Try it out. Throw as many plates as you want. I’ll let you go off to sulk in private if you still want to, as long as you give it a fair try. Just remember, it only works if you believe it does,” pleaded Anna, steepling her fingers under her nose and wiggling her eyebrows to try and lighten the mood.
Kiya caved and allowed Anna to hook her up to the virtual reality machine and when she opened her eyes, expecting to see blackness, she gasped in surprise at the world she had entered. A large concrete wall surrounded by shards of broken plates and wild lavender plants looming in the background filled her vision. Kiya turned her face towards the sun and marveled at its warmth and, as a light scent of lavender wafted through the air, she smiled and laughed out loud at how real everything looked and felt.
The feeling of the plate already in her hand was an instant reminder of why she was there. Looking down she grinned when she noticed a picture of Aarik’s face plastered across the front and as she launched a few plates toward the wall to release her anger towards him, she realized it wasn’t necessarily Aarik at the root of her problems. Her real issue was directly related at Th’ael and how scared she was to face him. She laughed out loud when his face replaced Aarik’s on the plate with a single thought and she grinned evilly at her nemesis. As she named her plate and flung it towards the wall, a feeling of tranquility entered her body and mind.
Anna had been right. She felt much better after releasing the negative energy clouding her mind and as she pulled the VR goggles off with a smile on her face, an image of her handheld sound cannon flashed through her mind. Only it was different. The vision ignited her imagination as an idea formed on how to convert her cannon into an offensive weapon. She smiled up at Anna with renewed purpose and said, “Thank you; that was amazing and felt terrific. I guess I needed it more than I realized. In fact it allowed me to see the next project I’m going to work on. You wouldn’t happen to know of any extra materials laying around that nobody would miss, would ya?”
“Gee I think I might have something you could use. What do you got in mind? Is it legal? Wait, never mind, I don’t want to know if it’s legal or not, makes it easier to deny if I’m interrogated later,” Anna replied, as she held out her hand to help Kiya out of the chair.
“Perfect. I like the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ mentality. I’ll start tomorrow,” answered Kiya, accepting Anna’s hand gratefully. Building something destructive might only be a ploy to make her believe she was capable of defending herself, but it was the only thing she had to pass the time while waiting for Aarik to come to his senses.
She figured it shouldn’t take long, with how guilty he acted as he proclaimed her grounded, and prayed it would be enough time to arm herself with something useful. She needed to make sure the next time she found herself outnumbered and unaware she had more up her sleeve than the panic card. “I wouldn’t mind hitting the gym as well. What floor was it on?” Kiya asked as an afterthought, while they headed toward the elevator bay.
“There is a state of the art one on the second floor and they even have different classes throughout the week, depending on what you’re into. It requires a pass from the Director to access the elevator, but worth it. They have yoga, zumba, and cycling to a name a few. If you have something else in mind you can either start up your own class or put it in the suggestion box near the locker rooms. Keenan is always looking for new things to bring on,” Anna replied as they reached the elevators.
“Keenan must be the gym manager?” questioned Kiya, after she asked Ailla for a lift to their floor.
“A little more than just the gym manager. He’s in charge of the security team and insists everyone on his team is in top physical condition. He offers them a variety of workout options so they have no excuses when it comes time for his gruesome physical exam every quarter. You haven’t met him yet?” Anna asked with a smile.
“Name doesn’t sound familiar. Should I meet him first? I mean do I need permission before I just show up in his gym?” Kiya said, worried, as the elevator slowed to a stop on their floor.
“It probably wouldn’t hurt,” Anna said, with fake innocence, making Kiya believe she had other motives before she prodded Ailla for information, “Ailla, do you happen to know where we might find Captain Bolten?”
“He’s in the locker room preparing for his next class, Dr. Rais. Would you like me to tell him you are looking for him?” Ailla responded quickly.
“Might as well. Would you ask him if he has a couple minutes to spare before his class?” Anna replied with a shrug and then winked at Kiya as she placed her hands on her hips dramatically.
Ailla didn’t take long to reply as she announced, “He said no problem, Dr. Rais; if you make it quick.”
“Perfect! Come on, Kiya, time to meet another dreamboat. Ailla, don’t tell him I said that,” Anna declared, with her hands deviously behind her back, while she waited for Kiya to join her on the elevator for another attempt at redirecting her thoughts.
CHAPTER EIGHT
AARIK
Aarik regretted not pulling Kiya into his arms the second she tried crawling over him after her attack, but the realization he might never get the chance again, as she stormed away from him with Anna hot on her trail, was an even larger blow. He knew keeping her behind was the right thing to do to keep her safe, but it was going to be hard dealing with the repercussions of her wrath. Shaking his head slowly, he turned to Taylor looking for consolation and said, “Well that didn’t go very well.”
“You think? I don’t know, her last statement could be taken one of two ways. Either she issued you a challenge to prove her wrong, or she really thinks she made a mistake in choosing you.” Taylor replied sarcastically before he chuckled slightly.
“Mistake? All I’m trying to do is protect her from a psychotic killer!” proclaimed Aarik adamantly.
Taylor sobered and said, “Do you honestly believe, you’ll be able to keep her here for long and continue to have a relationship with her? I mean, regardless, I think you’ll have to do some serious ass kissing just to get back into her good graces after you laid down the law back there, but it will only get worse the longer you think you can control her, if you know what I mean.”
“What would you do if the woman of your dreams was the main focus of your enemy? Would you let her charge forward?” pleaded Aarik, as he looked to Taylor for another way out.
“Part of me says, hell no! But another part of me knows I would never be able to say no to her so I don’t think I’ll be much help to you. I’ll be the first to admit that, when I commit
, I submit wholeheartedly,” Taylor admitted sheepishly before he added, “Come on, enough about your lady troubles. What did you find? Were there any more hieroglyphs? Did you find an ancient library?”
“Library? What made you ask that question?” questioned Aarik, confused.
“You know the Hall of Records theorized by Edgar Cayce? He claimed it resided under the Sphinx, and was a library equal to that of Alexandria,” Taylor answered, intensely.
“No there wasn’t a library, ju…” Aarik tried to respond, but was interrupted by a nasally voice that could only belong to the director, “There wasn’t a library where, Dr. Landon?”
Aarik rolled his eyes at Taylor before he turned around to face his inquisitor with as much sweetness as he could muster before he answered truthfully, “Under the Sphinx, in Egypt.”
“Mind telling me what you did to my security cameras? Ailla reported only this room was having issues after running a complete diagnostic on the system. Seems like too much of a coincidence to me,” commented Sorr, with her head held high as she tried to look up at him with authority.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Director. I’ve been using my talents or gifts or whatever you want to call them, in discovering that planetary teleportation is a confirmed technology. Kiya and I successfully went to Egypt and back in a matter of minutes,” answered Aarik coyly.
“While I appreciate the fact you are sharing your knowledge, the little scraps you think you can dole out as you please will not suffice in my book. I have cameras throughout the facility, which have caught you meditating in your room without difficulty. So don’t feed me a line of bull about how using your power must have interfered with the cameras unbeknownst to your knowledge. I know you were doing something to block them. Admit it!” Sorr demanded, fury emanating from her eyes.
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