AWOL

by Traci Harding

  ‘This —’ Vadik motioned to the flock ‘— is not normal. For a start, those creatures can’t breathe out of water and are deadly vicious.’

  ‘It only proves he’s likeable.’ Zeven wandered closer to the water in the hope of waving Ahura down.

  ‘Likeable!’ Vadik ran to catch Zeven up. ‘The only way anyone could get up the balls to walk in the water with this lot is if he knew he couldn’t be killed. The man has no fear, because he has nothing to lose.’

  ‘Or he’s trying to carry out a death wish in a very extravagant manner.’ Zeven held his neck, as the bite was starting to give him a headache.

  ‘What is that?’ Vadik took Zeven’s hand away to inspect it. ‘It looks gross.’

  ‘That’s what I need Ahura for,’ Zeven advised. ‘Khalid is covered in these things —’

  ‘Ha ha, karmic justice.’ Vadik was stoked.

  ‘He got this way saving my daughter.’ Zeven rebutted his delight. ‘It could be her we were fighting to save right now.’

  Vadik sobered. ‘Sorry, Bob, I’ll get him down.’ Vadik went quiet and focused inward, whereupon the wind went from beneath the fins of the flying sharks and they glided back into the water.

  Wondering why his game had come to an end, Ahura looked about to see his minders waving him down, and he suddenly appeared before them. He was dried, dressed and happy to see Zeven. ‘My friend!’ He bowed to Zeven. ‘Back again so soo—’ He noted the bite on Zeven’s neck. ‘This is very bad.’

  Zeven stepped away to stop him fussing, even though he was feeling a little warmer than usual. ‘It can wait. Your son fares far worse. Follow me.’ He didn’t wait for a response, but vanished to the treehouse.

  7

  GAMBLING WITH ABSOLUTES

  There had been little rest for the acting prime minister of Phemoria since she had assumed head of state in their monarch’s stead. She was just about to call in her assistant to give her leave in the wake of another twenty-hour day, when she entered the office of her own accord.

  ‘General Prochazka is here, requesting to —’

  ‘This is no request.’ The general pushed the girl out of the way. ‘Go home; you will not be needed again today.’ She shoved the younger, less robust woman out the door, and then slapped her hand down on the wall-mounted closing mechanism. The door shut and they were alone. ‘Acting Prime Minister Lamus.’ Prochazka walked forwards to stand before Jalila’s desk and gave the slightest nod of her head instead of bowing as she would before the Qusay.

  ‘That seems such a mouthful, General; a simple “Prime Minister” will suffice.’ Jalila did not rise, but forced a smile and offered the general a seat.

  The muscle-bound warrioress was the only member of the Valoureans who did not wear the deep-red leather and metal uniform for which they were famed and by which they were easily recognisable as the queen’s guard. Instead she wore a uniform of deep purple leather to set herself apart as their leader, and to ensure that there was no mistaking her. But with the authority she wielded in her voice and presence, there could be no mistake that Prochazka was commander and chief of the most feared fighting force in the whole of the United Star Systems.

  ‘Why did you lead a man into our holy of holies?’ she demanded, with obviously no intention of sitting down.

  ‘I was on the Qusay’s business,’ Jalila replied calmly. ‘So I suggest you ask her, when she is again granting audiences. Until then, you will have to take my word that there was a very good reason.’

  Prochazka’s eyes narrowed with contempt. ‘And what of the prisoner you released from solitary? Do you not know that he was the one who damaged our last Qusay beyond repair?’

  ‘There seems to be some debate about that,’ Jalila commented, although in truth she wasn’t sure she trusted all her informants yet — although the healer made her grin every time she thought of him.

  ‘You stupid child!’ the general barked. ‘There is nothing to debate. I was there! I locked that rabid creature away myself! We must hunt him down at once!’

  ‘You will do no such thing.’ Jalila was as cool as the general was fiery. ‘I am in charge at present and you will follow my orders to the letter, is that understood?’

  Prochazka stopped seething. ‘You, in charge?’ She smiled most sincerely. ‘There seems to be some debate about that.’

  Jalila stood, losing her patience. ‘You saw the Qusay-Sabah Clarona hand her ring of sovereignty to me.’

  ‘But it seems the ring was not the Qusay-Sabah Clarona’s to give.’

  ‘Have you been drinking?’ Jalila considered the general’s argument completely ridiculous.

  ‘Of course!’ she admitted. ‘But that will never affect my judgement.’ Prochazka took a few steps backward, and a cloaked figure took form and manifested beside her.

  ‘I could have you arrested for breaching security. Who is this? Show yourself.’

  At first Jalila expected to see one of the new royals whose acquaintance she had made in recent days, as there were very few known psychics who could teleport.

  When the person in question pulled back her hood, it took a moment for Jalila to put a name to the face, for she had been a girl when last she’d seen her. ‘Princess Satomi,’ she uttered, flabbergasted.

  ‘That is correct,’ the woman replied. ‘And I am your rightful Qusay.’

  Jalila shook her head slightly to disagree. ‘You lost the right to rule when you abandoned Phemoria.’

  ‘I have been kept prisoner all this time.’ Satomi took a few steps closer. ‘But now I am free, and here to claim my birthright as Qusay. And you will return my ring and kneel before me, or I shall kill you where you stand.’

  Satomi’s large grey-mauve eyes, indicative of the royal line of Phemoria, stared her down, and given little option, Jalila sank to one knee.

  The princess held out her hand and allowed Jalila to take hold of it to replace the ring on her middle finger.

  As the ring was then shoved in her face, Jalila kissed it and bowed her head. ‘Welcome home, Majesty.’

  ‘Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.’

  Jalila’s head shot up, and she saw the Princess Satomi’s form transform into Jalila’s own image. ‘You can shapeshift?’

  Satomi smiled broadly. ‘And now I know all that you do.’ The princess looked to the general. ‘Time to deal with my sister.’

  It seemed ironic to Jalila to see the general bow low before this false image of herself.

  ‘Knock her out.’ The princess glanced back to Jalila.

  ‘With pleasure, Majesty.’ Prochazka pulled out a metal baton, and slapping the bludgeoning end into her free palm she headed for Jalila.

  Upon Zeven and Ahura’s arrival at Vadik’s hut, Telmo had Khalid on a respirator, but his many wounds were festering and Telmo didn’t have to mention that their patient had a fever — that was plainly obvious.

  ‘What caused this?’ The Dropa Prince appeared deeply concerned, and Zeven wasn’t surprised. Just one bite was making him feel weak and feverish, so Khalid must be feeling ten times worse!

  When Zeven advised Ahura what had happened, the Dropa Prince was not happy.

  ‘You said you had the curse contained.’

  Zeven opened his mouth to apologise, but Ahura had already moved on.

  ‘But we must work with what is.’ He looked back to Khalid.

  ‘Who is that man, Daddy?’ Ray asked.

  Zeven grabbed her hand to lead her downstairs. ‘Ah … that’s … Frank.’ Zeven used the first easy-to-remember name that popped into his head.

  ‘Oh, so that’s Frank,’ Ray replied, which perplexed her father.

  ‘Never mind who he is.’ Zeven sat her down in the kitchen. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘She remotely witnessed some of our patient’s ordeal at Dead Man Downs.’ Telmo had already queried her while they were waiting for Zeven to return.

  ‘I had to see if he was all right,’ Ray justified.

  ‘No
more sleeping with your mother when I am away,’ Zeven suggested, feeling too depleted to serve up a harsh reprimand.

  Ray nodded to confirm. ‘Does your patient not have a name? No one seems to use it.’

  ‘Never you mind what his name is.’ Zeven found his zeal. ‘He is top secret! You know what that means?’

  Ray nodded. ‘No one is supposed to know about him.’

  ‘That’s right. And you coming here the first time already caused a security breach when Grandma followed you.’

  ‘And now Top Secret is sick because of me!’ Ray concluded, ready to burst into tears. ‘He told me I should go home, after I’d seen he was all right. I’m hopeless!’

  ‘No, you’re hopeful,’ Telmo gave his view. ‘But the work we do is dangerous, and has far-reaching ramifications.’

  ‘Ram-a-fa-what?’ Ray frowned.

  ‘Affects a lot of people and planets,’ Zeven simplified.

  ‘Oh!’

  ‘And that’s why we do not make a move without the captain or our timekeeper’s permission. You got that?’ Zeven stared her down, trying desperately to hold his stern expression in the face of Ray’s pout — she appeared to be taking the scolding very seriously.

  ‘I will tell the captain in future.’ She breathed a heavy sigh.

  ‘Good. Now …’ Zeven looked her over and imagined her without all the dirt and blood splatter on her skin and clothes until the telling stains faded away. ‘You should head back before anyone misses you, and tell no one where you have been.’

  ‘But, Daddy, you’re sick.’ She wiped the sweat from his brow.

  ‘I’ll be fine. Frank is a healer.’ Zeven kissed her forehead and stood. ‘Off you go.’

  ‘Bye, Telmo.’ She waved, to delay her departure further. ‘It was nice meeting you.’

  ‘We shall meet again soon,’ he assured her.

  The girl’s big dark eyes shifted back to her father. ‘I love you, Daddy.’ She vanished, leaving Zeven feeling like a complete heel.

  ‘Aww.’ Telmo was touched.

  ‘If I cannot control her now, can you imagine what she’ll be like as a teenager?’ Zeven knew it was hopeless.

  ‘She controls you just fine,’ Telmo ribbed. ‘She’s a very old soul, that one.’

  ‘I can do nothing!’ Ahura walked down the stairs to join them. ‘These wounds did not come from the natural world, and they do not respond to my intention.’

  ‘I feared that might be the case.’ Telmo looked to Zeven. ‘We’ve had trouble dealing with such wounds before.’

  Zeven bit his lip, recollecting those instances. ‘Back in Zhou, Ji Fa’s wounds never really healed,’ he concurred. ‘And when Rhun was wounded by the reptilians, the Dropa’s “egg” cured him.’

  ‘The Dropa’s egg?’ Ahura had no idea what Zeven was talking about.

  ‘It radiated cosmic light —’ Zeven began to explain but was struck by an idea. ‘I need to try something. Back in a tic.’

  Two minutes later Zeven returned, soaking wet, but his bite was healed.

  ‘What did you do?’ Ahura was amazed as he inspected the wound.

  ‘Oceane.’ Telmo guessed Zeven had gone to bathe in the celestial light of the being who was their soul source and was horrified by the paradox this posed — keeping Khalid ignorant to Oceane’s existence was AMIE’s number one priority.

  ‘You must take my son there, immediately,’ Ahura urged.

  ‘It is not that simple, I’m afraid,’ Zeven advised Ahura, but a glance to catch Telmo’s doubtful expression did not raise his hopes of success. ‘I must convince my superiors to give permission first, and that will not be an easy argument to win.’

  ‘All you have to do is conquer a fear!’ Ahura stressed, as if he knew all the details already. ‘Which is a small price to pay to save a life, don’t you think?’

  ‘You are preaching to the converted here,’ Zeven spoke for Telmo and himself. ‘I will not allow Khalid to die.’ Zeven approached Telmo. ‘Put Khalid in stasis to buy us some time. Then take that cursed coffer, change the appearance of it, and hide it on Oceane somewhere no one will find it until we are ready to dispense with the curse properly.’

  ‘I want to come with you to appeal my son’s cause,’ Ahura decided.

  ‘I cannot allow you to do that,’ said Zeven.

  ‘I already know who your superiors are and what your ship looks like,’ Ahura argued. ‘Your minds are like open books to me.’

  ‘I gotta get my Juju back,’ Zeven decided, tired of everyone reading his mind.

  ‘I doubt it would make any difference with this one,’ said Telmo.

  ‘Despite what you know, your presence would only distract from the true issue,’ Zeven told Ahura, backing up a couple of steps to take his leave. ‘Stay here and assist Telmo, I shall be back as soon as I can.’

  ‘Taren? Taren … wake up.’

  Her body shaking woke her with a start. ‘What? What is it?’ Her bleary gaze came to focus on Zeven, and her eyes opened wide; he was the last person she expected to see. ‘You’re here …’ She sat up and Lucian stirred.

  ‘We’ve got trouble,’ both Zeven and Taren informed each other at once.

  ‘Oh … joy,’ Lucian whined and rolled over, clearly hoping to avoid getting involved.

  ‘I need to speak with both of you ASAP.’ Thankfully, Zeven allowed they would probably need a moment to gather their wits. ‘I’ll meet you in the captain’s office when you are conscious.’ He vanished.

  ‘I don’t know if I can take any more Zeven drama this week.’ Lucian rolled on his back and rubbed sleep from his eyes.

  ‘Maybe this is about Satomi?’ Taren was still looking for a lead as to her whereabouts.

  ‘We can only hope.’ Lucian raised himself, kissed her head, and clambered out of bed to get dressed.

  Taren had them both ready and the bed made with a thought.

  ‘Excellent,’ Lucian mumbled, when he realised the clothes he was looking for were on his body. ‘Now we’ve time to get coffee.’

  A coffee appeared in his hand, and by the time he’d looked to Taren she’d taken hold of him. Two seconds later they were in his office.

  ‘Well then,’ he muttered, still bleary. He wandered behind his desk and took a seat. ‘Continue.’

  Taren half sat on the front of the desk and folded her arms as they both looked to Zeven.

  ‘Have you lost your mind?’

  Both Lucian and Taren were wide-eyed and fully awake after Zeven outlined his request and the story behind it.

  ‘We’ve spent years ensuring that Khalid will never find Oceane, and now you want to take him there!’ Taren was, not surprisingly, very opposed.

  ‘He saved Ray’s life!’ Zeven stressed. ‘With no thought for his own mortality. Does one good turn not deserve another?’

  ‘Not in this case, no!’ Taren put her foot down. ‘It could be a trick —’

  ‘He’s dying, cousin … there’s no trick about it!’

  ‘It would be all the better for us if he did die,’ Taren concluded coolly.

  Zeven was more than a little disturbed by her view. ‘On Kila, after Khalid got dragged into our mission, I wanted to kill him! I was so ready, and you know what stopped me? You.’

  Taren was a little stunned by his claim.

  ‘You said, if we kill him, what makes us any different to the Orions? Or in this case the MSS,’ Zeven explained. ‘So we let him live, and he went on to become more spiritually advanced than we were!’ Zeven became most impassioned as he realised. ‘From the beginning he was right about the Dropa, and we were wrong! We were wrong, and he died because of it! Please don’t repeat that error, please.’

  ‘Look,’ Taren said, ‘if there was anything else I could do to help, I’d do it. But you’re asking me to risk the fate of two universes and our oversoul! The stakes could not be any higher!’

  ‘Isn’t that the ultimate challenge of any spiritual warrior? To feel the fear and do it anyway, because it i
s the right thing to do.’ Zeven knew that for once he held the moral high ground.

  ‘Damnit!’ Taren backed away to cuss, and looked to Lucian seated behind his desk, calmly sipping his coffee while they argued the fate of their existence. ‘What is your view on this?’

  ‘As far as I can see this mission does not have anything to do with AMIE, apart from countering our main objective,’ Lucian replied. ‘Moral paradoxes are your department.’

  ‘Argh!’ Taren threw her hands up and collapsed in a seat. ‘Why must it always fall to me to decide? The Zagriata are supposed to be a unit.’

  ‘Well you can go put it to the unit,’ Lucian suggested, ‘but I think you’ll have a rebellion on your hands.’

  Taren served her husband a look that implied he was being a smart arse.

  ‘Speaking of rebellions,’ Zeven thought to enquire about the Princess Satomi. ‘How did you manage to pacify my mother after she discovered I am aiding Khalid?’ The memory of her slap still stung.

  ‘I didn’t,’ Taren sounded none too happy. ‘That’s the trouble I spoke of earlier. Satomi has vanished and has cast some shielding spell in her wake, so we’ve been unable to locate her.’

  ‘A shielding spell.’ Zeven’s memory shot back to the theft of the Soul Keep from Dead Man Downs. ‘That means she can shapeshift,’ he advised.

  ‘She’s changed form, of course!’ The realisation hit Taren like a brick in the face, the trick seemed so obvious now. ‘That’s how she does it.’

  ‘Khalid figured it out at Dead Man Downs, when the smelter to which all the ghostly crew there are attached — the Soul Keep, he calls it — was stolen before our eyes.’

  ‘By whom?’ Taren was obviously stunned that anyone could know about the Soul Keep, when even they had only just discovered the form of the curse’s source.

  ‘Two women,’ he relayed. ‘Cloaked. We suspect they were Phemorian, as we were unable to psychically pursue them.’

  ‘Holy shit!’ Taren stood again and looked to Zeven. ‘You think one of them was Satomi?’

  ‘I sure hope not.’ He found that premise hard to swallow. ‘But if she can shapeshift who knows?’

  ‘I’m not a big believer in coincidence,’ Lucian finally weighed in on their woes, ‘and this seems a monumental one.’