Knell

by Viola Grace

  “The Guardian bases are experimental. That includes the furniture,” Jekross explained as he set food out on the table.

  Dot was trying to figure out what Jekross had attempted, but she was drawing a blank.

  Loxin was enjoying her discomfort. “Jekross is our resident acquisitions expert. If you want to find something, he can locate it in a matter of seconds. His talent is dependent on immediate need.”

  “I believe that all of my needs are currently being met.” She chuckled, then swallowed heavily as Jekross began to arrange food on her plate.

  He sat, and to her embarrassment, Yekesh and Ralos came to join in the meal.

  “Eat up.” Jekross waved at her as he took a seat on her left hand side. With Loxin on her right, there was no escape.

  The food on the plate was vaguely familiar in the same way that a giraffe resembled a horse. There was another corollary for this meal somewhere, but she didn’t know what it could be.

  Everyone watched as she stuck a fork into the creation, and to her surprise, she recognized the taste. “Spaghetti and meatballs!”

  Jekross howled with laughter and the others stared in amazement. Dot couldn’t help eating, it was great. It was just what she needed.

  Chapter Four

  After dinner, they all watched the news vids, and to Dot’s shock, her image was already being circulated around Nixos. The image was from her entering the com office with Loxin holding her hand. Jekross worked fast.

  She looked at him with narrowed eyes from her position on the couch.

  He gave her an innocent shrug. “The people of Nixos needed to know.”

  “And you always give people what they need.”

  Jekross and the others gave her brilliant smiles. “You are catching on.”

  Dot wormed her way forward. It was hard to get comfy in the armour. “Do I have to wear this all the time?”

  Loxin chortled and the others snickered. “No, only for formal events. Today was your first but there will be more. We just wanted to see you in it.”

  She made a face. “Fine. Is there a way to get outside the building?”

  Loxin rose to his feet. “I will show you.”

  He took her hand again and led her out of the living space and toward one of the huge seamless panels of plexi. “Touch it and it opens onto the observation deck.”

  She reached out and a wide door swung open. “Does it work the same from the outside?”

  “It does, but only on this panel, so keep that in mind.”

  Dot nodded. His hand with hers held her back from the mad rush she was feeling to stare at the stars.

  When they got far enough from the base on the paved surface with a long, low balcony rail, she looked up and her heart pounded. “I know those stars. I know each and every one of those stars.”

  “I thought you might. Your drawings and paintings were scanned and sent to us. The detail was amazing, even the days of the incoming attacks were captured. It was the deciding factor in your acceptance.”

  As she stood looking up at the sky, the screams started again. This time, there was a noise that came before the thunderous roar of water and the thudding of wood.

  “Do you have sound samples on your com units? I need to find a sound.”

  Lox quirked his lips. “Ask Jekross. He will find it for you.”

  She nodded. “Right. Of course.”

  Without a word, she released his hand and headed back into the base through the panel that opened at a touch.

  “Jekross, I need something.”

  He came to her and stared for a moment. “I have sound files stored in our archive. Let’s go.”

  Ralos looked up. “What is it?”

  “There is a sound that comes before the water roars. It is mechanical in origin and I need to find out what it was. It could be a shuttle or a long-range cannon blast. I need to match it precisely.”

  Yekesh nodded. “Right, so we know where to look for the attack.”

  “And so you will know what is attacking you. Knowing the weapon they choose is important.”

  Jekross took her to the com room and set her up with sound samples. She listened for two hours before she found what she was looking for. Yekesh was on watch duty for her.

  “This is it, Yekesh. This is what will destroy that dam and kill everyone downstream.”

  He nodded. “A Niandi fighter. It is a good ship, but it carries many guns. Loxin will be pleased. He gets to play.”

  “Someone will say these words, And our lives will be made easier and safer by the new dam. The attack will occur immediately after that.” She nodded.

  He was curious. “Why didn’t you know all this before?”

  “I was getting out of cold sleep for one thing, and for another, the future gets louder the closer it becomes. By tomorrow morning, I will make out conversations. When the time comes, may I be on the com to give a heads up for the attack?”

  “Of course. Do you have com training?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  She mimicked him. “Of course. Even the Alliance can manage that.”

  “I look forward to testing your veracity tomorrow. Are your visions always one day in advance?”

  She shrugged. “I guess so. There is no way for me to verify it. And they are not visions; they are sounds. No visual link is provided.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough. We will set you up with an audio library for reference purposes.”

  “Good. The more I can do on my own, the faster this will be.”

  “Your suit is also equipped with a recorder, so not only will your bio signals be tracked, but if you touch the icon on the left side of your neck, you can begin to record your experience and it will be sent to the base coms for us to check. The icon has been added to all your clothing so you can record no matter what you are wearing.”

  “Creepy but convenient.” She nodded and yawned. “I think I am going to have to turn in for the night.”

  “You have come far today. Get some rest. We will deploy near dawn, so breakfast will be early.” He winked. “I will come in and wake you if necessary.”

  She widened her eyes. “Right. No locks. Thank you, I stand warned.”

  “You are a lovely addition to our base. I hope that it is a mutually useful connection for you.”

  Dot smiled. “I hope so, too. I am going to go explore now, so please excuse me.”

  “I enjoy your manners. They are so very prim. Please. Go ahead.” Yekesh waved her off and he was fiddling with the equipment when she left.

  Jekross and Ralos were still watching vids in the living space and she assumed that Loxin had gone to bed.

  The long skirts were warm and comfortable, but it was odd wearing them without underwear. Her physical trainer had made the comment once that a man would only remember to order underwear if it was needed to keep the female from being arrested. There was no danger of that here, so she was stuck with full concealment.

  Dot headed back to her room and began to explore her territory. She had a desk, a small com unit, the wardrobe, a lav with a sunken bathtub and enough space to do yoga and anything else that took her fancy. The bed was huge, but if it had been Loxin’s, that would follow. His wings probably needed a bit of room.

  She opened the wardrobe doors to see the mirrors and went in search of the releases for her armour. She struck a catch and the hood retracted; another sprang the clamshell around her loose.

  She breathed deeply and smiled. “That is better.”

  Dot lifted the dress off and put it carefully on its stand in the wardrobe. She folded the sheets back and crawled into bed. Sleep was a healer and she was tired. It would take some time to sync her system to the patterns of Nixos.

  It seemed she had no sooner put her head to the pillow than Jekross was shaking her shoulder. She could smell coffee but that was impossible. Dot had gotten the lecture that there was no coffee where she was going.

 
She clutched the sheets to her chest and rolled into a sitting position. “Is it morning?”

  Jekross nodded. “I am afraid it is. Here, I had an inclination that you needed this, so I worked with the dispenser to figure out what was involved. It smells great but the taste is a little flat.”

  She chuckled. “You might have gotten it right then.”

  Dot took the cup with a murmur of thanks and gave him a thumbs up. When she finished her first slug of coffee, she grinned. “It is perfect.”

  “Excellent. There is a plant here on Nixos that creates that compound after curing. The dispenser used that as a point of reference.”

  She smiled and sipped happily. “Is it a red berry with a bean inside?”

  “How did you know?”

  “I just had a feeling.” She watched him as he settled on the edge of her bed, completely at ease and ready to wait.

  She finished the coffee and got to her feet, fighting the blush that ran through her. Change room regulations were going to have to take the place of her personal shyness.

  Dot grabbed a reinforced bodysuit and hopped into it, smoothing the closure and looking in the drawers for a hairbrush.

  Jekross reached over her shoulder and pulled open a small drawer. “Would you like help with your hair?”

  She thought about it. “No, but I wouldn’t mind the company.”

  He showed her how to get a dressing table to emerge from the wall with a small seat. Dot perched and made a face at herself in the mirror before pulling her braid free of its clips and its place on her head.

  Unravelling her hair took a while, so she asked, “Does morning always start while darkness rules the land?”

  He laughed. “No. I decided to get you up so that we could see if there was any additional information echoing in your mind.”

  “No.” She pulled her fingers through her hair over and over until she finally reached her scalp. Her hair hung to her waist in even ripples, and she quickly pulled her locks away from her face and clipped it behind her head. “That’s better.”

  Jekross was staring. “I had no idea there was so much of it.”

  “At first, it was a tradition, and then, it became part of me. So, I keep it. It isn’t like there was much else to do where I grew up.”

  “Well, it is a lovely cascade. Would you like to join me for breakfast?”

  Dot got to her feet. “Certainly.”

  As they walked through the halls, the feel of predawn hung in the air. When walking past the bedroom doors, she kept quiet. No sense in getting the Guardians up. They were going to be having a busy day even if everything went according to plan.

  Chapter Five

  There was something so surreal about making pancakes on an alien world that felt more like home than Terra did. Dot flipped another of the puddles of batter that Jekross had created.

  Loxin came in, rubbing his eyes and looking around hopefully. Jekross handed him a cup of caf and Loxin sat at the cooking island.

  “How did you sleep, Oracle?” Loxin.

  She concentrated as she flipped another one. “Well. I think I slept well. All I remember is it was dark and then I was awake again. No further updates for the audio report.”

  “Good. It will be tricky to be there and not involving ourselves until the last minute.”

  “Why? Why not stop the ship before it hits the dam?” She wanted to know.

  She saw the edges of one of the pancakes curling and quickly flipped it while Jekross took off the finished one and replaced it.

  Loxin cocked his head. “You really don’t know?”

  “No. If I knew, I wouldn’t ask.”

  He shrugged. “If we stop the ship, we won’t know why it hit the dam, or even if. We will be there to save those who need it, when they need it, but it needs to happen.”

  She flipped another round of pancakes and kept going until the stacks were waiting for the others to arrive.

  Jekross took the plates and set them on the table. “Come and eat, Oracle. You have to keep up your strength and this will do it.”

  Side additions were set in the centre of the ring of platters. Jekross brought everything that they could need.

  Dot gave him a look. “Don’t you get tired of answering needs?”

  He shrugged. “Do you get tired of hearing the screams?”

  “Ouch. Fair point. You could just know what folks need and not give it to them.”

  He took a seat. “I could, but it would hurt me. Loxin can tell you.”

  Loxin took his seat next to her as the other two filed in wearing simple bodysuits. They reached for the food and began eating mechanically.

  Loxin greeted them. “Good day. I was just about to explain to Oracle why Jekross does what he does.”

  Ralos and Yekesh nodded. Yekesh said, “Go ahead. It is a good story.”

  Loxin sipped at his caf. “When Jekross was first on a Guardian base, he withheld his information until he had been begged for it. One of the Guardians he worked with was going into heat and another was susceptible to her pheromones. It came to a head when they were on a mission, and while she was rescuing one of the locals, the other Guardian was filled with rage and attacked him. It took a rotation of nine healers to fix the damage that he did to that local. The female Guardian resigned until she could have herself sterilized. The male Guardian ended up on Janial waiting for a prison sentence. If Jekross had told the commander what was happening, one or the other could have been saved disgrace. There are no secrets on a Guardian base. There can’t be. Jekross came here to start over, and now, he answers our needs without asking. It is a heavy burden, but we respect him for it.”

  “Wow. That is harsh.”

  “How would you feel if you had not told people of what you had heard?” Loxin smiled and gave her a sideways glance as he worked through his pancakes.

  “Guilty. I would feel so guilty, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.” She shivered. For a few weeks after going to the home, she had tried to stifle the screams. Even with the medications, they had only gotten stronger, so she had kept telling everyone what she was hearing.

  Jekross patted her hand. “Right. Now eat. Your cold sleep did some light damage to your systems. Your body needs fuel to fix it.”

  She focused on her food and worked through the stack on her platter, making a face when sausages and fruit were slipped into the hole made by her spork. The syrup tasted like honey, flowers and fruit, but Jekross had mixed it up in front of her eyes. It wasn’t any of those things.

  She sipped some more coffee and smiled. “How long was I out?”

  “You arrived three days ago, but we were on a mission, so we had to wait until we got back to open the box.” Ralos smiled.

  She blushed. “I was just dropped off like a parcel?”

  Ralos chuckled. “The ship was bringing a few other Terrans to areas of the Imperium. They had places to be, so they set you up, plugged you in and alerted us to your arrival.”

  She didn’t ask what they were doing. Previous missions were none of her business. One by one, they finished their breakfast and patted Jekross on the shoulder as they took care of their dishes.

  Dot ate as much as she could and lifted her plate to take it into the kitchen. The men had disappeared, and it wasn’t until they returned to the kitchen did she realize that they were going out in full battle suits. Even Loxin was wearing body armour that clipped onto the top edge of his wings and protected them.

  They came to her and shook her hand, one by one. As they headed out, they lowered the visors to their suits until no features were visible beyond the inky black wings of Loxin.

  Dot followed them and watched as they took off in a shuttle to the coordinates that they had worked out from her description. She only hoped that whatever gave her the voices had given them enough.

  * * * *

  Loxin shivered with the reaction of the slight touch of Dot’s hand. In the heavy
glove, he could still feel the warm caress of her hand.

  Jekross turned to him. “Is it bad?”

  “No. I can deal with it. She is just more than I was anticipating, and she is not yet whole. Trying anything in the nature of intimacy would not be appropriate.”

  “Your people do work on instinct. Maybe hers don’t. She might need a more overt display of interest.” Jekross was treading on dangerous ground.

  One was in need and the other wasn’t, Loxin knew it. It made things harder for Jekross because he couldn’t give Loxin what he needed.

  When Loxin was a child, he had been shown the image of his mate. The local matchmaker had knelt next to a pool of silver and her fingers had caressed ripples into the surface that had formed into the image of a woman with solemn blue-green eyes, a wave of golden hair, and the look of someone who carried a great burden. He had sought her on twenty worlds and to have a Terran insisting that she needed to be on Nixos was bizarre. To see her in the projection had shocked him to his core. He had needed to pause the interview to explain his reaction to the others posted at Guardian Base Nixos. They were understanding, and when he had regained his composure, he had invited her to show up.

  His clock was ticking. Now that he had found his mate, ten days were his limit for control. They were on day six. He really hoped that today’s work went off without any issues. He had to get back to reading about Terran courtship rituals. They were varied and complicated. Not something that he needed in his current hormonally distracted state.

  The Clearik Dam was ahead of them and Jekross slowly brought the ship down in a meadow near enough for them to make a quick appearance and far enough that the average citizen would not be panicked by the sight of them.

  Jekross opened the com so they could listen to the opening ceremony for the dam, and Ralos watched the skies.

  They waited until they heard the words that Oracle had told them to wait for, and with the practice of partners in many disasters, they sprang into action.

  The Niandi ship came down, but it was not an attack ship, it was a ship in distress. Smoke billowed out of the ports as they fought to make an emergency landing. Ralos was reaching the dam at the moment that the ship hit the water and caused a catastrophic wave to slap the new construction.