AWOL

by Traci Harding

  ‘Even restrained, I still adore you.’ Taren leaned her head on his shoulder and grinned. ‘And so does the garden!’

  Although he smiled at her viewpoint, clearly it was no consolation.

  He always asked after Module C, and Taren would pass on any concerns Ayliscia was having, and although neither one of the biologists specifically asked about the other, Taren kept them up to date with each other’s news.

  Another regular meeting on Taren’s agenda was with President Anselm, who was as dissatisfied with the circumstance of their stalemate as everyone involved, but as there was clearly no getting to the truth before Zeven Gudrun and his crew showed up, her father was staying his hand at this point. Despite passing on what Lucian had said about Khalid and the Dropa, Anselm was also wrestling with the concept of forgiving Khalid for the part he’d played in Maiara’s death. Yet, as Taren pointed out, Anselm had forgiven her mother her curse and Khalid’s circumstance was no different.

  All talks pertaining to the psychic rights bill were put on hold. Maladaan was really their primary concern in regard to psychic persecution, and chances were that President Tallak would never sign the psychic rights bill in any case. Unless, of course, he was left with no other choice, and/or the agreement could somehow be seen as being advantageous to Maladaan and the majority of her people, through which the paranoia and hatred of psychics ran rampant.

  As frustrating as waiting for Zeven to reappear was, it had given AMIE time to focus on the problem of Maladaan, and of how they might be brought to the negotiating table on the issue of psychic rights.

  As Zeven had previously advised, the answer to this problem lay with Kalayna.

  Not only had Kalayna adapted the psychic restraint technology into a handheld weapon, but having got their hands on one of the photon cameras the MSS were using to identify anyone with the Powers on Maladaan, she’d come to the conclusion that the timekeepers could destroy all these cameras with a thought.

  Taren agreed with this assessment, but equally obvious was the fact that the MSS would only produce more cameras to replace the ones they destroyed.

  ‘But this design of the photon chamber in this camera is based on technology that you designed,’ Kalayna pointed out.

  ‘Are you suggesting we steal the blueprints?’ Taren felt the pro-psychic movement going on in the United Systems at present would surely end up with the blame.

  ‘I’m suggesting we alter the blueprints and create a design flaw that is undetectable. Just like the Old Ones did when they shut down the inter-system gateway to the Oceane system. It’s only taken us a few thousand years to figure that one out!’ Kalayna enlightened. ‘That’s what happens when people don’t fully understand the technology they are dealing with.’

  ‘I can see exactly where you’re coming from,’ Taren awarded. ‘Perhaps we could even design a flaw that interferes with a high photon count?’

  ‘That way anyone with Powers won’t be detected, and the user of the camera will be none the wiser,’ Kalayna agreed. ‘I can also design a flaw for you to install in all the photon cameras currently in circulation, to make them burn out after a certain amount of use and that way it looks like —’

  ‘— a manufacturing flaw.’ Taren smiled, appeased. ‘Of course, if we alter my original blueprints, no one else will be able to get the photonics chamber to work.’

  ‘Not without you,’ Kalayna advised, and then shrugged to boast, ‘Or someone like me. Good luck filling that order on Maladaan.’

  This plan meant no all-out war to ban the use of the photon camera on Maladaan, so the rest of the United Systems would not have to become involved. As nothing was being stolen, there was no visible crime being committed, nor was there anything to prosecute.

  Taren was impressed. ‘Have I mentioned how great it is to have you on crew?’

  Kalayna beamed with a satisfied smile. ‘The best news is that we should be able to execute this mission without ever leaving AMIE.’

  Taren nodded to concur that was the case. ‘They cannot catch a thief who was never there.’

  The event of the photon cameras’ demise on Maladaan would be suppressed by the MSS and the government on Maladaan. For Maladaan’s president, Woodford Tallak, the introduction of the photon camera psychic detection system had earned him a good deal of public support. The camera was part of his political agenda to fight against psychic supremacy, and was his direct response to the USS-proposed psychics’ rights bill, which left no doubt as to where Maladaan stood on the issue.

  Even with the photon camera and psychic restraining devices, the MSS still had a big problem capturing many of the psychics they spotted with the camera and getting them safely restrained. Kalayna’s latest invention would fill that void and it was Taren’s hope that her father could use it as leverage to, if not decriminalise the use of psychic power on Maladaan, at least to ensure that rather than being imprisoned, psychics could be deported to one of the other planets they hoped would eventually sign the psychic bill of rights.

  These developments played a large part in staying Anselm’s hand in regard to putting down Satomi’s coup on Phemoria and reinstating Qusay-Sabah Clarona. For the technology also gave Anselm an assurance that when the time came, they had the means to take down Satomi and her psychic army.

  The advent of Kalayna’s new weapon was kept under wraps; as far as the rest of the crew were concerned she was still working on it.

  Lucian, as captain, had volunteered to be Kalayna’s test subject and the trial revealed a direct hit would induce a loss of psychic power for one standard USS hour — about the same amount of time it took for a psychic neutraliser’s effect to wear off. Only Taren, Lucian and Kalayna knew of this.

  The three newest members of their crew each took to life with AMIE very differently. Vadik’s adjustment had been the easiest. He’d taken up permanent residence in the hut on Oceane. Even though the coast had remained clear and nothing much ever happened there, he was a good watchman who preferred the isolation and being close to nature. This meant that the other crew members only needed to be at the hut to keep watch while Vadik slept.

  Since all the action had died down and his life was no longer under constant threat, Trance was less annoying, but he still found life on board AMIE far from ideal. Shortly after the captain was again in office, Trance arranged a meeting to appeal to be returned home — pointing out that the captain had been restored to life and he was no longer needed to act as a medium. The request was granted, and Taren was instructed to return Trance to the House of Vidor.

  As her relationship with Lucian was already rather volatile, Taren did not argue the decision when she was called to the captain’s office and advised of Trance’s dismissal. She just delivered the medium back to the grand empty kitchen she’d found him in.

  ‘You think I went behind your back?’ Trance noted that she was a little aloof.

  ‘Lucian calls the shots on AMIE.’ Taren reasoned that he’d not done anything wrong. ‘You fulfilled the mission I recruited you for, and I am most obliged to you for that.’ It wasn’t that she was annoyed at Trance, it was her husband’s distance that was underlying her irritated mood.

  Now Trance was annoyed. ‘I know you think that we with the Powers all want to fight for our freedom and so forth … But seriously … I’m happy to hide the damn Power and just live life.’

  ‘Whatever floats your boat.’ To Taren the thought of a mundane life was exactly that.

  Trance leaned forwards on the bench, and raised his eyes to her in appeal. ‘Are you aware you have a massive passive aggressive, judgemental streak?’

  ‘I’m not judging you.’ Taren was a little upset by his observation, mainly because it was surprisingly accurate in this instance. ‘It may not be safe for you here any more.’

  ‘Ha!’ Trance held up a finger as he suppressed his amusement. ‘After what you subjected me to, you’re worried it is not safe here?’

  ‘You knocked out Prochazka; she’s not
going to forget that,’ Taren said.

  ‘So you say,’ Trance scoffed, as he didn’t recall anything that went on when channelling another’s spirit.

  ‘Whether or not you knocked her out, I’m pretty sure she saw you.’ She watched Trance remove the piece of Juju stone she’d given him. ‘You should keep that for protection; at least it will stop anyone finding you via psychic means.’

  ‘And if they find me via normal means this stone is evidence that directly links me to AMIE.’ Trance handed it over. ‘Besides they say it makes the wearer do anything you tell them to do.’

  Taren rolled her eyes. ‘Did Kalayna tell you that? It’s total rubbish —’

  ‘It certainly worked on me —’ Trance choked a little on the statement, and then shrugged off the brief emotion to be back to his pompous self. ‘It was fun while you were single, but staring at that arse and knowing there is a husband attached, is just plain frustrating. Especially considering that he does not seem to appreciate what he has.’

  Taren didn’t know how to respond to that. ‘It’s … complicated right now.’

  ‘Really?’ Trance found this amusing. ‘Well the way you two live, you’d best un-complicate it, before one of you ends up dead again. I mean, when is the last time you took time out together to have a life?’

  Taren found this amusing; it seemed a trivial thing when there was so much going on in the world.

  ‘You think that’s a joke?’ Trance was a little dumbfounded by her reaction. ‘I’m no marriage counsellor, but when a guy has a girl like you and he’s avoiding her, there is something seriously wrong.’

  ‘I know there’s something wrong!’ Taren stressed. ‘But he won’t tell me — Oh, never mind.’ She declined going into detail.

  ‘I’m just saying.’ Trance held his hands up in truce. ‘There is more to life than saving the universe, and you never seem to stop. Everyone else on your crew takes breaks,’ he pointed out.

  ‘I’ll get there.’ Taren bowed out of the discussion.

  ‘Hey, don’t get me wrong … I’d love for your marriage to fall apart, and if it does, you know where to find me.’ Trance grinned.

  Taren refrained from rolling her eyes, but was amused by his cheek. ‘Thanks again for all your help.’

  ‘Don’t mention it,’ he said graciously, before reverting back to his regular self-serving tone. ‘To anyone, ever.’

  ‘All done,’ Taren manifested in the captain’s office to report. ‘Trance is safely home.’

  Lucian was seated in his chair, gazing out the large windows and into the deep ocean beyond. ‘He told me about his missions with you during my absence,’ he said, not looking to her.

  Taren felt she knew where this dialogue was headed. ‘Another innocent life I endangered to bring you back.’

  ‘True.’ Lucian rose and looked to her. ‘But that’s not what we spoke about. In fact, Mr Ducer did most of the talking … I got my butt kicked for being such an ingrate.’

  Taren was shocked to learn this. ‘Oh dear.’

  Lucian nodded to concur, as he wandered around his desk to speak with her more directly. ‘He pointed out that I am married to one of the most remarkable women in existence, and that I should consider myself damn lucky that you hadn’t returned me to my grave by now and found yourself someone with a bit more fucking backbone.’

  The heartfelt sentiment behind Lucian’s confession filled her eyes with tears, but as it was delivered with a good serve of Trance’s deadpan humour, it warmed her heart and made her smile as well. ‘That’s a little harsh.’ She sniffled back her emotion so she could see.

  ‘Not really,’ Lucian disagreed. ‘You managed to restore the ship, rescue most of the crew, resurrect me, and you have created a truce that seems to be holding. You could not possibly have done a better job than that.’

  ‘But Ringbalin —’

  Lucian shook his head. ‘I was wrong. At the time I didn’t realise he had two Phemorian women fighting over him. I now believe he may have had an ulterior motive for volunteering.’

  ‘I didn’t think you knew about that.’ Taren’s smile was beaming, there was no suppressing how good it felt to be back in Lucian’s favour — the ill will that had been between seemed to have been completely swept away.

  ‘Well, Jalila volunteered for kitchen duty,’ he outlined, ‘and apparently Ayliscia didn’t take kindly to her having access —’

  ‘— to Module C.’ Taren got the picture. ‘I shall investigate.’

  ‘That’s beside the point.’ Lucian looked to her with his big dark eyes, and he really didn’t need to say anything else.

  ‘Whenever you can tell me whatever I did to upset you,’ Taren spoke first, ‘I promise you … if it is within my power to rectify it, I will.’

  Lucian grinned broadly at this, which gave her hope that she would be able to redeem herself. ‘I believe you.’

  ‘Oh damn, now I’m really curious.’ Taren was a little discomforted by just how much his mood improved, as he took her in hand and drew her closer.

  ‘Just forget it.’ He kissed her and it felt like the weight of the world was suddenly lifted from her shoulders. ‘As I will surely not forget,’ Lucian added as he let her go.

  ‘Fine.’ Taren ignored the tease. ‘I shall be happy to oblige.’

  Lucian suppressed a chuckle, and Taren served him a perplexed look. ‘I’m done processing,’ he announced happily. ‘Date night tonight?’

  ‘Date night every night for a while.’ She headed out to go investigate the squabble over Module C, when the door in front of her locked closed and her smile broadened.

  ‘Oh, look at that!’

  Taren did an about-face to see Lucian gesturing out the window.

  ‘Night,’ he concluded, merrily.

  It was quite some time later that Taren finally made it down to Module C, and she was pleased to find Ayliscia still up and working.

  ‘Is it that time already?’ The biologist was referring to Taren’s regular report from Ringbalin, as she brushed herself off and stood.

  ‘No, that’s next week,’ Taren corrected, subconsciously hitting her fist into her hand to get to the point. ‘It’s about Jalila.’

  ‘She complained to the captain.’ Ayliscia rolled her eyes, her harsh Phemorian accent made thicker by her disdain. ‘Kitchen duty, what a joke! She’ll poison us all!’ She folded her arms.

  ‘We need all hands on deck right now,’ Taren appealed for her to be a little helpful. ‘And working in the kitchen sometimes you need some fresh herbs or —’

  ‘Herbs ha!’ Ayliscia came closer to whisper her concerns. ‘I found her up in the booth.’ She pointed to the climate control centre where Ringbalin chose to live. ‘Sniffing his clothes! The woman is a pervert!’

  When Taren suppressed her amusement, Ayliscia assured her it was true.

  ‘Ya!’ She raised her brows and her eyes boggled. ‘Is sick, right?’

  ‘Well, Ringbalin’s energy is a bit addictive,’ Taren attempted to explain it.

  ‘I hadn’t noticed.’

  Ayliscia was so stone-faced that Taren would have thought it the truth. But she had known enough Phemorians to realise this was a simple intimidation tactic that usually worked for them.

  ‘Then why are you so pissed that Jalila is so taken with him?’

  ‘Because she’s a pervert!’ Ayliscia stressed, as if Taren hadn’t been listening.

  ‘Ringbalin is a big boy,’ Taren felt forced to conclude, and backed up. ‘And Jalila is —’

  ‘A spy,’ Ayliscia insisted.

  ‘Well, I’m sure she won’t find anything damning in Ringbalin’s drawers,’ Taren pointed out.

  ‘He doesn’t know what she’s really like.’ Ayliscia’s tone finally softened and had a hint of sincerity in it. ‘None of you know! I worked for her.’

  ‘And you’ve changed since then,’ Taren pointed out. ‘You must allow that she may have too.’

  ‘Why must I?’ Ayliscia was annoye
d and gripped her armband, which appeared to be paining her.

  ‘You can’t physically change the past, at least not easily.’ Taren warranted that it was possible. ‘But way back in the day when I actually had time to do scientific research, I proved that the easiest way to heal the past was to simply change your mind-set in the present. Not only does that prevent the mistakes of the past repeating themselves, but it makes for a much more promising future.’

  ‘Pretty words.’ Ayliscia understood they were meant to inspire her. ‘But what do they mean?’

  ‘If Jalila was a bitch to you in the past, then you teach her how to be a better person now, when you are in the position to set the example.’ Taren simplified the premise.

  ‘How?’ Ayliscia emphasised how perplexing the challenge was, but her arm appeared to have stopped bothering her, as she let it go.

  Taren looked around Module C, remembering how many times she’d sought sanctuary here. ‘There’s a lot of love in this place,’ she commented fondly. ‘Just treat Jalila as Ringbalin has treated you.’

  Ayliscia was panicked. ‘I don’t think I can do that.’

  ‘But you could try?’ Taren posed, and Ayliscia finally consented with a nod.

  ‘But Jalila is banned from the booth,’ Ayliscia insisted.

  ‘Good deal.’ Taren smiled, thankful. ‘I’ll ask Jalila to report to you in her spare time. Make her work — I mean, make it work.’ She subtly implied that there could be a silver lining.

  ‘I certainly will do this,’ Ayliscia agreed, in much better spirits.

  In the kitchen of the mess hall, Taren tracked down Jalila who was finding her way around the foreign room with some help from Kalayna — as she’d gotten quite familiar with the work space before she’d been captured.

  It was odd to see the dignitary in casual clothes but, even when she was covered in flour, her make-up was still perfect. ‘I’m getting cooking lessons …’ Jalila looked rather happy about it, batting her long dark lashes. ‘Fancy?’

  Taren had a chuckle at the scene. ‘I can hardly wait to taste the results. I just dropped by to inform you that shouldn’t have any more trouble getting into Module C. In fact, if you’ve got some free time Ayliscia could use a hand in there.’