by S. E. Weir
“I apologize, but I am not here to attack you. I merely meant to come in and use the facilities.”
The sandy-haired Marine slowly lowered his weapon. The burly male had a firm jaw and wary eyes, appearing to be in his thirties. “If you wanted to work out, you could have approached at a normal speed, lady. I don’t know how fast you were going, but that wasn’t normal.” He squinted apprehensively at her, glancing at her bare feet. “Not for a human, at least. Are you a Wechselbalg?”
Phina lowered her hands, keeping her eyes on the man in front of her. His comments arrowed into her, causing her to flinch internally. No, she wasn’t normal. Phina hadn’t realized how much she wanted to be until she had traveled so far past the definition that it didn’t appear to be in her dictionary anymore. “I was upset and trying to find a place to get it out. I think better when I’m moving.”
He nodded, relaxing. “I can relate to that. A good workout can help clear the mind.”
She smiled tentatively, nodding. “Yes.” She paused, glancing at the door. “Could I go in now?”
The Marine didn’t smile, but he did seem easier. “Sure. Just need to see your ID.”
Phina’s smile faltered, then she looked down, absently patting herself. She was wearing tight, stretchy clothing similar to her workout clothing but in a thick white fabric instead of her normal black. However, unlike her normal blacks, there were no pockets. As comfortable as it felt, it proved to be lacking as she had nothing to show her identity.
She sighed and looked up after plastering an apologetic look on her face to find him standing rigidly.
Phina was becoming concerned when her implant activated.
>>I am telling him he can let you through.<<
Her shoulders dropped in relief as she responded the same way. Thank you, ADAM.
>>Phina…<<
She frowned at the hesitancy in his voice. What, ADAM?
He responded slowly with a tone to his voice she didn’t recognize. >>They should be good to go now.<<
ADAM? Why do you sound weird? What aren’t you telling me?”
>>I understand why you are upset. But at the same time, I understand why Link got upset and said what he did. It feels very…disconcerting.<<
Phina frowned as she listened but pushed away her irritation that ADAM understood why Link had been upset. She didn’t want to hear it since she still felt kicked in the gut that Link didn’t believe her or thought she was lying to him.
Still, ADAM was her friend…
What feels disconcerting?
>>Being in the middle. I don’t like this feeling.<< ADAM’s voice still sounded unsettled.
Phina sighed, more mentally than physically. No one likes being in the middle, ADAM. Sometimes we end up there, anyway.
Hearing a cough, Phina focused on the beefy Marine in front of her. He was standing with an eyebrow raised and the barrier open, waiting for her. She nodded and stepped forward. As she did so, she noticed an odd expression on his face. Again she wondered what he was thinking about, and her mind automatically reached out to his.
Halfway through the barrier and right next to the man, Phina paused, her gaze slowly moving up to meet his.
Keeping her expression the same, Phina nodded before heading inside, her heart racing. She hadn’t heard all of the thought. It was just one phrase. A name that sparked a memory of the fateful day she and Alina had snuck into the Marines’ workout area.
Todd Jenkins.
Phina entered the corridor of the active participation area, her mind whirling so much she only paid partial attention to the people she passed. Link would have scolded her for not having situational awareness. Phina pushed the thought away with a scowl.
She arrived at the out-of-the-way room she had used for training before her coma. Upon entering, her eyes widened in shock, then her head and shoulders slumped in defeat. Phina hadn't thought about what it would mean to be gone for so long, but the evidence lay right in front of her.
Her weary eyes took in her precious gymnastics equipment, dismantled and set against the wall. The objects that had been used to build her obstacle courses were either removed or also set to the side. The only equipment of hers still set up in place was her larger tumbling mat and the pole in one corner of the room.
Her equipment had been replaced with random strength and exercise equipment. The sight left her feeling displaced and depressed. The scent of sweaty men and testosterone in the air made that feeling worse.
Phina remained so preoccupied with the visual representation of her involuntary convalescence that she didn't hear the door open or steps walking toward her. When soft, kind words from a deeper baritone voice came from behind and to her left, she jerked her head around in surprise.
“They waited a long time for you, you know.” Todd Jenkins’ gaze was welcoming, though his face held a somber look.
Phina mentally scolded herself for forgetting situational awareness because Link would have done so before remembering that her current opinion of Link wasn't favorable. Then again, it wasn’t the first time she had practically run into the man next to her.
Todd gave her a small smile before turning toward the room and continuing, “It took six months before anyone would admit that you might not wake up and they couldn't understand why. TOM and ADAM took a long time to accept that it was down to you. Even for them, as quick and smart as they are, and knowing it likely wouldn't work, they still tried to figure out options for waking you up for quite some time.”
Phina felt her stomach drop. Ever since she had woken up, she had thought only about how she felt about being in a coma. She hadn't let herself think about how everyone else would have reacted to it or how long they may have tried to do something about it.
Todd leaned forward, snapping her out of her horror at realizing that she had been so selfish. “Phina, you are all right. It’s normal to be more concerned about yourself when you are in pain or recovering from a trauma.”
Her startled eyes rose to his. “How did you know?”
Todd gave her a small smile. “I’ve been injured and recovered. It tends to change you, either for better because you develop more compassion, or worse because you become less caring about the needs of others.”
Phina blinked, then frowned thoughtfully. “That's a wide dichotomy. I suppose it makes sense. I didn't mean to not think about what other people went through. I've been overwhelmed ever since I woke up. My senses are still feeling overloaded, though it’s gotten better.”
The big man nodded, his eyes both sharp and intelligent. “And when you are overwhelmed, you run?”
She stared at him in surprise. How did he know? “Yes…in both senses of the word. I need space to figure things out. Do you read minds?”
He grinned and shook his head. “No, but I was in the outer room of the medical center and saw your mad dash to escape. You might have set a record there with the fastest outtake. I also lead many men and women, and they have often had similar questions and responses.”
She reddened at realizing he had seen her mad dash. A tense knot inside Phina relaxed, and her eyes widened. “Wow. That's amazing.”
Todd tilted his head questioningly. “What is?”
Phina put her hands on her chest where the knot had been. “How much better I feel knowing that how I'm reacting is normal. You have no idea how much I needed to feel normal in some way when nothing in my life feels like it's normal.”
Todd leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms, a look of concern on his face. “This sounds like more than the effects of a long-term coma.”
Phina nodded and opened her mouth to speak before she paused, questioning herself. She wanted to tell Todd everything when normally she would keep her mouth shut and not say a word. She rubbed a finger on her jaw as she thought about it, then realized his concern was part of the pull to say something. She eyed him as she thought this over. She’d seen hints of it before in their previous conversations, but there was something solid
and reassuring about Todd that made her think things would be all right. He made her feel normal, like a person instead of a freak, or a prodigy, or mind or body to be trained. It felt…restful.
Phina blinked as she came to this conclusion with a slight frown.
“Is something wrong? You don't need to tell me anything.”
She looked up and realized he had been standing there watching her stare into space for who knew how long. The thought gave her a funny feeling. She mentally slapped herself and shook her head. “It's not that. I had a strange thought and needed to mull it over.” She shifted her weight as she focused. “Are you certain you want to hear this? It may take some time.”
His expression didn't change much, except for a warmer look in his eyes as he nodded. “I have time, and ADAM will make sure we are not disturbed.”
Her eyes widened at that reminder. She activated her implant to speak privately with her friend. ADAM, is it okay to tell Todd everything that's happened? Is he in the know?
>>Is he in the circle of trust, do you mean?<< He paused. >>He doesn't know everything that’s happened, but you can share what you know with him.<<
Phina frowned at that. You are talking like there's more going on that I don't know about.
>>Yes.<<
She sighed, her shoulders drooping. One of these days, you need to tell me everything you know about me, ADAM. It's not fair to keep it from me.
ADAM remained silent long enough that Phina thought he wasn’t going to respond. Then he spoke in a resigned tone. >>Agreed.<<
Phina frowned, feeling frustrated. You don't think I should be given information that concerns me?
>>No, I agree you should know. I merely find myself concerned that you may be angry with us when you find out. I don't want you to be angry. Or hurt.<< He finished in a thoughtful tone.
Wow. This must be big information. But I agree. Later. She paused, then spoke more quietly. ADAM?
>>Yes, Phina?<<
Thank you for everything you’ve done to help me.
His tone warmed. >>You’re welcome, Phina.<<
Phina looked up to find Todd waiting with a patient smile on his face. She grimaced in apology. “Sorry about that.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I can tell when people are talking to ADAM.”
Phina nodded as she took a breath and let it out. Normally she would feel nervous sharing something this big. She looked at Todd with a slight frown as she realized she didn't feel nervous. Perhaps another change from being in a coma for over a year.
“Do you remember when we had that semblance of a fight last…I mean, about two years ago? A little over?” She frowned and shook her head. “I don’t even know what day it is.”
He nodded, but the wry amusement in his eyes told her he remembered more than the basics of the event in question. Remembering why she had been there—for Alina to ogle the men working out—caused her cheeks to flush, and she looked away. “Yes, well, that incident had unexpected consequences.”
Phina related to Todd the circumstances of how she had joined the diplomatic institute, her uncertainty that she wanted to live as a diplomat, and her desire to be a spy like in her favorite stories her dad had told her when she was younger.
Todd nodded in satisfaction. “I can see that. Diplomacy takes someone cool under pressure, with quick reactions and the ability to work independently with an overarching directive from their boss. That seems like the life that would suit you.”
Phina gave him a large smile of appreciation. “That’s very insightful.”
The bigger man grinned ruefully. “I know people tend to overlook me because I don't have any of the supercharged abilities, even though I'm in a prominent position. I'm basically human, though I’m faster and stronger than normal. However, I still have a brain in my head and what I do well is notice patterns and connections with people. I read subtext and make inferences. What that tells me is that you, Phina, would never be happy with just diplomatic duties. There's too much fight and brain in you to be satisfied with those as your only tasks.”
Phina couldn't help it as her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. She sputtered for a moment. Then she stopped and collected herself, watching the silent, observant man with a speculative eye. Todd had hidden depths, and it sounded like he noticed as much as she did. They just focused on different things, Phina on facts and information and Todd on people. Still... “What makes you think you know me well enough to say that?”
Todd shrugged, his blue eyes intent. “Am I wrong?”
She slowly shook her head. “No, you’re right. And it isn’t all I do. I’m mentoring under the person they call the Diplomatic Spy. I’ve been doing a lot of training for both.”
Todd whistled silently. “Greyson Wells is the Diplomatic Spy?” He shook his head. “Pieces are falling into place, and everything is making so much more sense.”
Phina winced internally. Right. She hadn’t meant to reveal him, but if anyone knew Greyson Wells, or Link as Phina called him, was her mentor, then sharing her secrets meant sharing his. Fudging crumbs. She sat down on a seat attached to an exercise machine behind her and leaned to one side on the padding, trying not to show how flustered she felt. “Oh? He wasn’t making sense?”
Todd raised an eyebrow and smiled. “No, he often broke the patterns and connections I saw. This fills in a lot of those gaps.” His smile turned amused. “You know, I often compared him to Puck in my mind, the legendary creature described in Shakespeare's As You Like It. Popping in unexpectedly, being a nosy busybody listening to gossip, starting gossip, causing trouble, thinking he knows what’s best, solving problems, and leaving people wondering what the hell just happened. You see it, right?”
Phina forgot her uneasiness and laughed, her head thrown back and eyes sparkling with amusement to match. “Yes! Now that you mention it, yes! That fits him perfectly.”
After watching her laughing for a moment, his warm and friendly gaze became concerned again. “So, I’m guessing something happened to change things sometime between when you began learning to become a diplomatic spy, which sounds fun, by the way, and when you ended up in a coma?”
Phina’s amusement died. “Yeah. You could say that.” She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “Okay, so here’s what happened...”
She explained about training with Maxim and finding out that her aunt blamed Wechselbalgs for the deaths in their family and how Faith had taken steps that she had called consequences. She described her meal with her aunt and how she felt afterward.
“So, it turned out that my aunt drugged me with this nanocyte serum that made me change...”
Chapter Four
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Training Room
Phina hesitated in relating her story and looked down, unsure what Todd would think about her freaky abilities. However, from what Doctor Keelson had said, her abilities—however they turned out to have changed since she’d woken up—were locked in, and nothing would change it now.
She shook her head, frowning. She wouldn’t be shouting about them in the bars and restaurants, but some people would have to know. Anyone who interacted with her for longer lengths of time would notice unless she kept it strictly hidden, and she felt exhausted just thinking about that life.
No, there would be a circle of people in the know, and Todd seemed to want to be one of those people. Better for him to hear it from the source. Or so Phina tried to convince herself.
Todd’s voice turned gentler. “You changed? How?”
Phina looked up to see that same gentleness in his eyes, which contrasted with the harder planes of his face and body. In talking to him, she had forgotten Todd made his living as a warrior.
She finally nodded and continued. “I was able to move faster, hit harder and stronger, my thinking process sped up, and I developed the ability to sense…things.” She swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. No one wanted to know that she could read their mind. Phina didn’t feel comfortable with it, and she wa
s the one who could do it. She had been all right with what she could sense before the coma, for the most part, but after her incidents with Link and Alina earlier, it felt like a huge invasion of privacy.
Phina explained how her abilities developed and described how her body drew in excess energy and needed to be dispersed through activity. “After that, we had another training mission but with much higher stakes.” She paused, then frowned as she realized how much time had passed since then. “Have you heard of the Aurians? Did they get their planet terraformed yet?”
Todd straightened in surprise. “That’s right. You were on the team that went to rescue them? The planet was terraformed earlier this year. The Aurians left a couple of weeks ago to see the planet’s revitalization. The Gleek representative named Braeden as well as Drk-vaen, Sis’tael, and Ryan Wagner went with them. I believe they were on your original trip.”
Phina sagged in both relief and disappointment. She hadn’t realized how much weight the Aurians’ needs were on her mind until the concern was gone. She would have liked to see the small, deep blue beings again, but she felt happy they were now in their reformed home. Although she appreciated that her friends were taking care of the Aurians since she couldn’t be there, she couldn’t deny a desire to see them again with her own eyes. Especially Braeden. She longed to hear his gentle wisdom and correction.
Although, Todd hadn’t been doing too badly. She eyed the man as she nodded in confirmation, then explained what happened leading up to the trip and the revelations about her body breaking down.
Phina wouldn’t have noticed Todd’s shock if she hadn’t been trained to see it.
“You mean you went to a dying planet while you were dying to save a dying people?”
Phina grinned humorlessly. “Yeah, there was a lot of dying happening. It wasn’t fun.”
He shook his dark-haired head. “I’ll say. So, what happened when you got there?”
She blew air out in a puff, then chuckled before continuing to tell Todd about disobeying Link’s orders and everything that happened in the fight with the Skaines. She described what had happened with the energy drain on Braeden and their journey to the cave on the other side of the world. As she talked, she began moving her feet around. She should do some exercise after this. Though, it was nice to not feel driven to move constantly like she had been before her coma.