by ML Guida
Contrella’s face was paler and more drawn. Her skin flakey and scaly. Bags were under eyes. She was definitely showing symptoms of the disease on Aria.
“We think we do,” Sandra said. “Our experiment worked on the captain and the admiral.”
Contrella glanced at them. “But they didn’t suffer from dehydration like the rest of us.”
“We know,” Stan said. “But we have a hunch that it will work on this disease as well.”
“Okay.” Her voice was unsure, and she wrung her hands. “So, what are you going to do?”
“First, I’m going to run the transrecorder over you,” Vaughn said.
He aimed the little machine at Contrella. He cleared his throat. “Positive for rarets. And she doesn’t have any bregalite.”
“What are rarets?” Her eyes were wide, and her breaths were shallow and quick.
She was one step away from hysterics.
“I’m going to give you a sedative,” Stan said.
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“Do you want to be cured?”
“Of course.”
“Then let me put you to sleep.”
Contrella bit her lip. “There’s a bug inside me, isn’t there?”
Sandra met her panicked stare. “Yes. Cold will kill it. We’re going to put you in the freezer, but we need you to be asleep. Will you do this?”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?”
Sandra picked up her hand and squeezed gently. “No, you don’t.”
Contrella took a deep breath. “Okay, then put me to sleep.”
Stan gave her the sedative, and Contrella immediately went to sleep. He used the geodrift to put her in the freezer.
When he came back, they all three crowded around the computer.
“I hope this works.” Vaughn clasped Sandra’s hand.
“Me too.”
He slowly turned up the freezer. Contrella turned blue until she looked like a popsicle.
Sandra’s heart pounded––work, work, work––in her throat and she held her breath.
“It’s not working,” Stan mumbled. “This parasite must not respond to cold.”
“Just a little longer,” Sandra said.
As if on cue, Contrella’s hair flickered. This time a fat green hairy raret inched out of her ear and squeezed onto the floor. But unlike the blues ones, it didn’t move.
Sandra clutched her arms around her waist, afraid her swishing stomach would do the unthinkable. She could barely get any words out of her dry throat. “I think there’s only one.”
Vaughn grabbed his eruptor. He nodded at Stan. “Ready?”
“No, but let’s do this.”
“Wait.” Sandra handed Vaughn the transrecorder. “Use this.”
“I will.”
Vaughn and Stan walked up to the cooling system door, eruptors ready. The door slid open.
But this time, the raret just laid there like a frozen slug.
Vaughn ran the transrecorder over the creature. Stan fired, and like its predecessors, the raret vanished.
“We have a problem.” Vaughn moved the transrecorder over Contrella. “The parasite is gone, but she doesn’t have any bregalite. Without it, she’ll die.” He looked up at the camera. “Sandra, we need your formula.”
Sandra stiffened. This all came back to her formula that wasn’t perfected. What if it didn’t work? The Cronor wasn’t stable.
Stan came out first with Contrella and lifted her to a bed. Vaughn hurried over to Sandra and knelt.
“Sandra, I know you said your formula wasn’t stable. But we don’t have much choice anymore. I think those things were feeding off the bregalite. The women need the Cronor to survive.” He clasped her arms. “Please.”
“But it might not work.”
“But it might. You don’t know. We’re not humans. We’re Arians.”
Sandra’s excuses were gone. She glanced over at Contrella’s pale face. “I guess my options are gone, too.”
“Stan and I will work with the other women. You work on your formula.”
Sandra nodded. “I’ll try.”
The lab had better equipment than Earth.
That was an understatement.
The equipment was stellar and knock-your-socks-off better.
Maybe that would make a difference, but she wasn’t sure. Sandra carefully wrote down her formula. She knew it by heart. The side effects of insulin were slowly killing Grandpappy. Insulin was a peptide hormone with fifty-one amino acids in one insulin molecule. She’d been isolating the peptide hormone down, trying to figure out which one was the culprit in creating the side effects, which is how she discovered Cronor.
What took her five hours to develop in her lab, took less than an hour on the Intrepid. She’d spliced down insulin until she developed the byproduct Cronor. She held her breath and bit her lip, waiting for the Cronor to change forms and then dissolve like it always did.
But something happened she didn’t expect.
The Cronor remained stable on the slide. It was a clear liquid with tiny purple dots.
Why?
The only difference was that she wasn’t on Earth. Did the atmosphere have something to do with the Cronor? No time to hypothesize. Sickbay was filling up with sleeping women, desperate for Cronor.
She glanced over at Contrella who was asleep. “You’ve been my first for everything. Might as well keep up the tradition.”
“Vaughn.”
“What?” He looked up from the screen, watching another one of those disgusting green creatures slide out of woman’s ear.
“I have produced the Cronor. I want to try it on Contrella.”
Both his and Stan’s eyes brightened.
“It’s remaining stable?”
She nodded. “Yes, for once it is. It might have something to do with the atmosphere on Earth. I’m not sure.”
“Possibly. Aria’s and the ship’s atmosphere is a little denser than Earth.”
Sandra took a syringe and filled it with the Cronor. “Here goes nothing.” She inhaled and exhaled. “Chair, move to the first bed.”
Each of the beds had a number. Sandra had no idea if the chair would even know what that meant, but to her surprise, it rolled over to Contrella.
She looked at Contrella’s pinched face. Ignoring the pit of dismay in her heart and fear strumming through her veins, Sandra slowly injected the syringe into a vein on Contrella’s wrist.
Now, the only thing she could do was wait.
“Chair, back to the laboratory table.”
The chair drove back to her chemistry set. She returned to splicing more of the insulin amino acids and not staring at Contrella, as if she were waiting for a pot to boil.
She produced more and more of the Cronor. But this time the Cronor stayed stable.
“Sandra.” Vaughn stood next to Contrella who was smiling. “You did it. I know you would.”
She put down her test tube. “Chair to first bed.”
Vaughn handed her the transrecorder. “You’ve saved my people.” His eyes shone with pride.
Sandra took the transrecorder with her shaking hands. The Cronor illuminated a green glow through Contrella’s system. “So, that means…”
“The bregalite can now bond with the hydrogen and oxygen. She can absorb water.”
He lifted Sandra out of the chair and crushed her to his chest. “You have my heart.” He kissed her, stealing her breath, and plunging hope back into her soul.
Vaughn was a man that had broken down barriers that had threatened to destroy her. She clung to him, knowing she’d never want to leave him.
Ever.
Chapter 16
Gancaster Palace
Sandra lay naked, cocooned in Vaughn’s strong arms. Her legs were sore from their love making, but it was a feeling she could never tire of.
The large purple and pink canopy bed was like something out of a fairy tale. What looked like hand carved oak dressers and nightstand ma
de hers garage sale quality. Her paltry salary barely covered her rent.
But this, this she could get used to. Indulge in luxury for once. They’d worked tirelessly on the Intrepid, curing the women and killing the disgusting rarets. She still couldn’t believe the hate Ivona had to destroy her own people. Something must have been deranged with her and her stepbrother, Nucl.
They reached Aria last night. The Czar Konan had insisted that she and Vaughn stay at his home. His three-tiered glass palace was something out of a Sci-Fi book. It was in the shape of a diamond and she felt like she’d stepped into a glittering wedding ring.
The windows were open, and she could see purple peaks rising in the distance. Clouds hovered over the tips and she wondered what the vegetation and animals would be like.
She yawned and stretched.
“You keep doing that, and I’m liable to take you again.” His erect cock pushed against her backside.
She looked over her shoulder and desire flared in Vaughn’s eyes. “Promises, promises.”
He ran a finger down her inner folds, making her shiver, and she gasped. He kissed her naked shoulder and he slipped his arm around her, his thumb brushing up a nipple. Sensations sneaked over her tired body, pooling at her throbbing inner core. She wanted him. She’d always want him.
He pushed her down on the bed and rolled on top of her. He kissed her hard, his hands working their magic, stroking a fire within her.
She widened her inner thighs, and he thrust his cock deep inside her, filling her. She locked her legs around his rocking hips and matched his intense rhythm. Flesh glided against flesh. Faster. Harder.
His hands moved all over her withering body, discovering every sensitive spot. The intensity increased as if they were both desperate to reach the peak that was rising over the horizon. His muscles rippled underneath her palms, reminding her of the strength, power, and sensitivity in this man.
Her breath caught inside her lungs. Blood pumped through her, opening up the flood gates of passion. Skin smacked against skin. Hips clashed against hips. Lips devoured lips.
He pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing her until she exploded in a fury of hot sizzling sensations. She screamed out his name.
He didn’t stop, pushing her to the next pinnacle of fervor. She dug her nails into his shoulders, holding on for dear life. He arched his back and released his seed deep inside her quivering body.
He collapsed on top of her. Neither of them spoke, gasping for breath, bathing in the sweet coupling that brought them closer and closer.
She caressed her fingertips over his bulging forearm.
“You keep doing that, and I’m liable to take you again, mate.”
“I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”
He cocked his eyebrow. “You want me to show you again?”
“Always.”
He tilted her chin and stared into her eyes. He kissed her briefly on the lips. “I love you. I will always love you. Until the end of time.”
Tears welled in her eyes and her heart swelled at hearing those words, words that she never thought she’d hear. Her voice choked up, and she couldn’t breathe. She kissed him, wanting to know he’d had her heart way back in the hospital back in that little mountain town.
He returned her kiss, sealing their love for once and for all.
His telicator beeped. The kiss turned intense. But his telicator buzzed again and again.
She broke off the kiss. “Vaughn, you better answer that.”
“Blasted thing.”
“Oh, and Vaughn.”
“What?”
“I love you, too.”
He smiled and snatched the telicator off the nightstand.
“Vaughn.” His voice was an annoyed bear growl.
She laughed, thinking whoever was on the other side better have a good reason for disturbing a hungry bear.
The passion in his eyes flashed to weariness. He tensed and hung his head. “Yeah, we’ll be there shortly.”
She ran her hands over his trembling arms. “Vaughn, what’s wrong?”
“The Czar is commanding an audience.”
“This is about your father, isn’t it?”
He nodded.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. His relationship with his father was as complicated as hers with her mother. He idolized and resented his father. But Vaughn loved him, discovering what happened on Sutois wouldn’t change that.
He pulled out of her arms, his face hardened into marble stone. She didn’t try to get him to talk. She couldn’t imagine what he was going through. All she could do was be at his side to help him through this.
Within minutes, they were both dressed and headed down the long hallway to the Czar’s audience chamber. Vaughn said this was where the Czar and Czarina presided over Arians or held meetings with the United Planet Confederation.
Two guards were on either side of the double doors.
The Czar sat in a glittering red chair that could only be fit for a bear king. A smaller one was empty next to him. Sandra assumed that was the Czarina’s. She was still recovering from her illness, but was expected to make a full recovery.
The Admiral stood between two guards. His color was back and the freakish bruises around his neck had disappeared. But his eyes were filled with sadness and wariness. His cockiness was nowhere to be found, and Sandra swore he’d aged ten years.
Tash, on the other hand, was handsome as ever, but anger flared in his eyes. He held his head up high and didn’t even look in Vaughn’s direction. Rye stood next to Tash with a pleading look on his face.
Several men dressed in uniforms were on the other side of the throne.
Vaughn led Sandra down the red carpet to the throne. She did as he did and bowed to the Czar. The Admiral had been arrogant, but being stripped of his title and being disgraced wasn’t something she wanted to have happen to anyone.
The Czar waved his hand. “Good we’re all here. First.” He smiled at both her and Vaughn. “I’d like to thank both Vaughn and his human mate for saving my Czarina and the women of Aria. Without your tireless vigilance, none of this would have been possible.”
Vaughn clasped Sandra’s hand and they bowed.
“However, serious evidence––a recorded telicator with orders from the Admiral himself, confiscated files and videos from the Kamtrinians––and accusations have been drawn up against Admiral Finbar. On mission 987.61 on the planet Sutois, the accused had abandoned half his crew to the Gogs. The remaining crew was then decimated by the Gogs.”
Vaughn stiffened next to her. Tash’s cheek quivered. Rye hung his head. The Admiral winced as if he’d been slapped. This was the same man who constantly criticized Tash’s command, who had risked his life to save his crew.
“Arian laws do not preside over a member of the United Planet Confederation.” He turned to Vaughn’s father. “Admiral Finbar, do you understand the chargers laid against you?”
His shoulders slumped. “Yes, I do.”
Sandra had to strain to hear his small voice.
“Then, by the power of the United Confederation Planets, I hand you over to the Security Council for trial. Until the trial has been concluded, your rank as Admiral has been stripped.”
Sandra gasped, and put her hand over her mouth.
Two men dressed in military uniform, escorted the Admiral out of the audience chamber.
She felt the blood drain from her face and pool in a puddle in her swirling gut. She couldn’t believe how quickly this happened. Nothing ever moved this fast in the US court systems.
“Vaughn, what will happen?” she whispered.
“I honestly don’t know. But it’s my dad’s lucky day that Arian’s laws do not apply.”
The hair on the back of her neck stood up. “Why?”
“Because he would have been executed.”
Icy tingles turned everything numb inside her.
“This way he has a chance of developing
a defense.”
She found her voice. “How long will that take?”
“The Confederation isn’t as swift as Arian justice. Maybe a month.”
“This is so hard to fathom, because on Earth, especially if someone is facing the death penalty, trials could take months or even years.”
“And how effective has that been?”
She didn’t answer. Tash headed toward them with murder in his eyes.
Rye chased after him. “Tash, no.”
Tash went nose-to-nose with Vaughn. “Are you happy? You got the answers you wanted.”
“Tash,” the Czar called.
Tash glanced over his shoulder then back at Vaughn. He narrowed his eyes. “We are no longer brothers.”
Rye grabbed Tash’s arm. “How could you say that?”
Tash jerked his arm. “Because it's true.” He stormed out of the Czar’s audience chamber without another word.
Rye shook his head. “I'll go talk to him.”
Vaughn clasped his brother’s arm. “We both know it won’t do any good.”
“I am sorry, bro.” He clasped Vaughn on the shoulder. “Give it time.”
Sandra didn't know what to say and felt like a third wheel.
The Czar joined them. “I am sorry this ended this way between you and your brother, Vaughn. Tash is a good Arian, but he has always idolized your father. He must find his own way through this dark journey. I'm not sure how it will end, but I believe you did the right thing.”
Vaughn gave the Czar a hard stare. “Even if it tore my family apart.”
“Sometimes the answers we seek, aren't the answers we wanted. This part of the journey is over for you and your mate.” He gave Sandra a warm smile. “Go with her. I understand you have some unfinished business on Earth.”
Sandra’s cheeks burned, and her eyes widened. “You know about that?”
“I am the Czar of my people. It's my job to know about these things. Agent Malloy was very informative.”
Vaughn squeezed her hand, sending reassurance.
“Sandra Rotella, I find you a valuable scientist and would be honored to have you be part of the Arian Scholars. You would have your choice of assignments.” He glanced at Vaughn. “Including the Intrepid.” He bowed slightly. “If you'll excuse me, I need to talk with the United Planet Confederation diplomats.”