Beyond Orion

by Laura D. Bastian

  How did Itury come to have that sample of niamon?

  Ryad shrugged. Without having Delilah here to determine where that sample came from exactly, it’s hard to know who to question about it. Because it didn’t have an ownership signal, I doubt it has been out of the mountain for more than a few days. Otherwise I’d be able to follow the signal back to the person who gave it to Itury.

  I pulled out my tablet and started making notes. I listed the names of those who knew about the niamon. Did you interview the family members of those who are aware of Traveling?

  Ryad nodded. Yes, the wives of the men who Traveled to Earth the first time. But they had both given an oath to your father that they would never speak of it. It was almost impossible for them to even tell me about it. Their oath is still in effect. I don’t believe they’d have been able to say a thing to anyone. They also would have had no connection or interaction with anyone here at the palace over the last year.

  Have you learned anything regarding Delilah? I asked.

  Ryad’s expression fell; his shoulders sagged. Every lead has come to naught. I can’t determine anything regarding her. It’s like she’s completely disappeared.

  I raised my eyebrows. Do you think it’s possible she Traveled? Were there any medallions left over? Ones Shander didn’t take? Or had the formula been completed and tried?

  Ryad frowned. I doubt Marshal would have been able to tolerate the separation if she had actually Traveled off the planet. He said it was impossible for them to handle a distance of more than half the planet away. She’s still here. Somewhere.

  I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to figure out what could have happened to her. Marshal was sure from their soul bond that she was not involved in the murder of Itury or Dr. Salb. We’d interrogated him at length, and he would have known her emotional state, if not her thoughts, during the time frame of the murders.

  But she had disappeared soon after the deaths, so she was connected to it somehow. I hoped she was safe. Whoever had her probably wanted to know where to find more of the ore.

  My head whipped up. Do you have guards posted at the Fuhan Mountains? Are they being watched for unauthorized digging?

  Ryad nodded. No one has set foot on those mountains in the last twenty-four hours.

  Marcus stood up and started pacing back and forth. What about the mining company? What kinds of materials did they find? Is it possible it was found in another location? Marcus stopped next to my desk. You said the Pacells bordering the Fuhans might have some threads of niamon deep inside since they share a range in common.

  I don’t know if it would. The records from my father indicated they had tested that area. Nothing showed up.

  Do you have those documents still? Marcus asked.

  I stood up. The painting hiding my father’s safe slid to the side easily and I placed my hand on the panel. A warm glow scanned up and down my palm and the panel beeped three times before the locking mechanism on the safe clicked and I turned the knob.

  The safe was empty.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Missing Formula

  I turned to the two men behind me. I’ve been robbed.

  There wasn’t even an indication of dust. Every document my father had in there was missing. The secret histories of Rommader and the formula for the multi-use Traveling medallions were gone.

  “How?” Marcus asked, not even keeping it to telepathy.

  “I don’t know. No one can open this safe except for me. I haven’t even registered you to this. I have no idea how it was done.”

  Marcus stepped closer to the ID panel. “How does this work?”

  “It registers my DNA. Father and I were the only ones who were coded to it.”

  “Are you sure? Would he have authorized anyone else, while he was too ill to come himself?” Marcus asked.

  I shook my head. “The panel only had two authorized users since it was installed. I removed my father’s DNA sequence since he is gone. It only has mine currently.” I entered in an access code for the information to show them it would only recognize me.

  “Did you leave it open? Not shut it completely?” Ryad asked.

  I shook my head. “It has a failsafe mechanism to shut the door completely and set the lock after a few minutes of inactivity. Watch.”

  I waited for a minute longer and the door closed on its own, the locks clicking into place. “I don’t see any way it would have been accessible to anyone else.”

  Ryad moved closer. “Excuse me, Your Majesty.” He placed his hand on the panel. The same light scanned his hand and fell dead. The word denied flashed red on the screen.

  “Let me try,” Marcus said. He was denied as well. “Is there any way to override the system?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. It senses the cells on my hand.”

  “How much DNA does it require?” Ryad asked. “Could someone have taken a strand of your hair and activated it?”

  “No.”

  “Let me press your hair to it.” When I furrowed my brows he explained. “What if someone took hair from a brush and gathered enough to activate it?”

  I shook my head. “Hair is too easy to collect. DNA from hair has been deactivated. It won’t work.”

  “Let’s double check to be sure,” Marcus said.

  I stepped close to the wall and leaned in. A shiver ran down my arm when Marcus’s hand brushed my shoulder as he gathered my hair loosely in his fist. He placed it on the screen and pressed down with his palm. I heard the panel scan then beep the denial.

  “What about saliva?” Ryad asked.

  I shook my head. “I’m not going to spit on it. Besides, where would anyone have gotten my saliva?”

  “Just humor me.” Ryad opened his palm and held it below my chin.

  I rolled my eyes and glanced at Marcus. The corner of his mouth lifted in a part smile.

  “Amira, this is important. We need to find out if it’s possible to get your DNA to open the safe. Once we have the answer, we can start looking into possibilities of who would have been able to do it.”

  My mouth suddenly felt dry. For a moment I had found the situation humorous, but the truth came crashing down on me. Someone had gotten access to my private files and the formula for the Traveling medallions. Two people had been murdered and another was missing in connection with the niamon.

  I bit the side of my cheek trying to get the saliva to flow. I shook my head in disgust then spit into Ryad’s hand.

  He didn’t make a face at all, but smeared it with two fingers of his other hand. “I need a little more.”

  I spit again and he slathered it on, getting all the way to the tips of his fingers covered. Ryad placed his hand on the panel. It scanned up and down, then beeped three times and the locked clicked and the door was open.

  “But who would have gotten my spit?” I asked. “No one is allowed into my rooms at night and I would have known if anyone tried to gather it from me personally. And there wouldn’t be enough remaining on anything like my utensils or toothbrush.”

  “Perhaps something besides saliva?” Marcus asked.

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “Blood?” Ryad suggested.

  “But I’ve been in this safe since Letni stabbed me. Everything was there. When else would anyone have gotten my blood?”

  “What about when the windows broke and all that glass cut you?” Marcus asked.

  I had to think if I had been in the safe since then. “I’m not sure. I think I’ve been in there, but I don’t know.”

  “Who cleaned up the blood?”

  “One of the servants.” I shook my head, trying to recall everything about that day. “There were so many people in and out of the room right after. I have no idea who did the cleanup. But any one of those people could have had access to my blood. How much blood would be needed? How fresh would it have to be?”

  Marcus moved back over to the panel. He leaned in, inspecting the area surrounding it. He turned to Ryad. “Do y
ou have a way to tell if there are any traces of blood left on the screen?”

  “It wouldn’t still be on the scanner,” I said. “Each time it scans, it burns off that DNA so it no longer remains to be used again.”

  “How about the surrounding area? Any blood on the painting? On the handle of the safe?” Marcus asked.

  Ryad nodded. “It’s possible to check for traces. I don’t have that ability, but I know someone I trust to come see.” He pulled out a communicator and sent a message then lifted his head and looked at me. “I want a list of every person who attended you after that earthquake. I will question each person and see if I can discover who would have gained access to this safe.”

  I returned to my desk and pulled out a paper. I scribbled down the names as quickly as I could, pausing for a moment and closing my eyes to try to remember who else had been there.I scribbled down the names as quickly as I could, pausing for a moment and closing my eyes to try to remember who else had been there.

  “I believe I have all I can remember. Marcus, do you know of anyone I’ve missed?”

  Marcus moved to stand behind me and I handed him the paper. He scanned it and shook his head. “I can think of no one else.”

  Ryad took the paper and tucked it into the inside pocket of his uniform. “What was inside the safe?”

  I sighed. “Too much to have lost. The formula to the Traveling medallions, the reason the Fuhan mountains are off-limits, the people my father had pardoned and why. The names of those who were executed for crimes against the state, the codes to many government computers. The histories of our people that aren’t public record.”

  “Things you don’t want in the hands of your enemies.” Marcus frowned.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Failings

  Ryad stood behind the servant woman, Krystin, who had cleaned up my blood. Her face looked pale and she trembled as she stood in front of me.

  “Your Highness, please have mercy on me. He said he would kill my boy if I didn’t find something of worth.” Krystin looked at the painting that hid the safe. “Then when I was putting the room back in order after the paintings fell off the wall, I noticed that one had remained. I checked to see how it was anchored so I could make the other ones sturdier, and I discovered the safe.”

  “Who threatened you?” I asked.

  “He never told me his name. He had his face hidden behind a mask. I only know he was a man, and taller than I, but shorter than you. His voice was disguised. Like he was using a translator of sorts.”

  “When did this happen? How long ago did you take my records?”

  “Three days after the quake. The night of the banquet.”

  “How did you have my blood sample then?” I narrowed my eyes. Why would she not have disposed of or cleaned the rags she used to wipe everything up?

  Krystin bowed her head. “I remembered you had bled a lot onto your clothing. I found out from your maid that instead of attempting to clean them, she was planning to dispose of them. I found them in the trash and took them.”

  “But the blood was dry,” Marcus said. “Did dry blood activate the safe?”

  She shook her head. “I scraped off enough flakes and rehydrated them. I knew this safe required DNA, so I took a chance it would work.” She dropped to her knees. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea things would lead to this. It’s my fault the dignitary from Nexleen was murdered. If I had known, I would have never given the papers to the man threatening me. I would have come to you.”

  “Where is your son now?” Marcus asked.

  Krystin’s head snapped up and she looked at Marcus with wide eyes. I could see the fear behind them, but she answered bravely. “He is safe. I sent him away to live with my mother. She is far from here, but if you require him, I’ll send for him.”

  Marcus blinked in surprise. I could feel the shock he felt at her words. I smiled at his indignation when he realized she’d misunderstood him.

  I patted her arm. “We will not require your son for anything. King Marcus was only making sure he was safe from whoever had threatened him.”

  Krystin’s body sagged in relief. “I am unworthy of your kindness. I will do anything required to atone for my sins. Please tell me what I must do.”

  “You will give Ryad every piece of information you can think of. Where this mysterious man contacted you, what he said, other things you remember about his appearance.”

  She nodded eagerly as if hoping to help as much as she could.

  “Did you give this man everything in the safe?”

  Krystin shook her head. “No. When he threatened me, he asked for anything that looked like it would allow something called Traveling. Said you would have information hidden somewhere in your office. But when I opened the safe and pulled everything out, the door shut before I had a chance to find that document. I couldn’t get it to open again, so I took the rest and hid it. I didn’t feel good about giving all your secrets away.”

  I stepped forward and took her hand to raise her up. “Though I am extremely disappointed you took anything from me, I am grateful you had the presence of mind to keep most secret. I am sorry you and your son were threatened. I understand your motivations. And while you will still have to answer for what you have done, I will show mercy.”

  Krystin’s eyes filled with tears.

  “I want my records back. I want you to do everything in your power to help us solve these murders. You will devote your entire existence to whatever help Ryad requires.”

  ****

  I didn’t have a clue what to do next. Who had threatened Krystin? She gave as much detail as possible, but her information would have fit any number of people. Without having more to go on, we were stalled again.

  Marcus paced the room and I watched him. I couldn’t seem to keep focused on the task at hand. Marcus filled all my senses. I tried to block him out, to plan our next move, to work out who could have threatened Krystin, but Marcus drew all my attention.

  He moved with the grace of an athlete. Jai had walked with a cautious step, looking prepared at any moment to protect me from a threat. Ryad had the same stance. Marcus flowed across the room, reminding me of the dance we had shared at the banquet. How I wished I could have danced with him more than once.

  I recalled the strength of his hands on my back as he led me around the dance floor. The smell of his cologne assaulted my memory and I breathed in deeply wondering if I could detect it on him now. My hands itched to touch him. To hold him close, and I longed for the freedom to be able to touch him at any time.

  I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the high backed chair. I had been a fool. I had never wanted to go back on my word until this moment. Would it be possible for me to change his mind about me? Would he accept me as a companion instead of only a business partner?

  Amira. Marcus’s words jolted me out of my daydream.

  “What?” I sat up straight and looked him in the eye. I saw a flash of something deep inside his gaze then it was gone. He stared at me as if he hadn’t seen me in a while. I resisted the urge to smooth my hair down or check my face for anything odd.

  I waited for him to speak, but he started pacing again. He glanced at me a couple times as he moved back and forth in front of me. Spies could be planted everywhere. Perhaps we should continue all our discussions telepathically.

  I nodded. Ryad sweeps for bugs every day before we begin. We also have the video surveillance set up now. But you’re right. We should be cautious on any communication. Without anyone being able to leave the planet, we do have an advantage, but there is nothing to stop the communications.

  Marcus shifted in his seat and gnawed on his lower lip. I raised an eyebrow and he said, Don’t you remember Ryad has closed down all long-distance communications? No one can contact another person off this planet. He shut that down soon after Itury’s discovery.

  I pulled out my tablet and opened my correspondence channel. When did he do it exactly? I sent a message to Nexleen info
rming them of the death of Itury.

  Marcus shook his head. I’m not sure if it happened before or after you sent that. Do you think it would have stopped in the middle of the transmission?

  I scrolled through the messages and found the one to Nexleen. It shows it was sent in completion. Nothing to indicate it didn’t go through. But there is no response from Nexleen. If they have sent a response, we won’t be able to get it until Ryad reestablishes communications. Marcus, this could be bad. We could have an entire fleet of Nexleen ships approaching now. And if we don’t know about them, we won’t be prepared to receive them, or repel them according to their intentions.

  I couldn’t remain sitting any longer. I stood and turned to the window and placed my hand on the sill. I stared into the bright blue sky, tinged with a light purple as the sun set behind the Pacell mountains. The sunlight still beamed through a few wispy clouds, but most of the valley was bathed in a muted glow. My beautiful Rommader. What would happen to my world? Was it to be changed beyond repair because of my failings as a queen?

  I couldn’t let anything happen to my people. They were innocent of any wrongdoings. I should have destroyed the formula the moment Marcus and I realized the threat that could come from something like that.

  Now Dr. Nye, who had developed it with Salb, and whoever had the formula were the only ones who knew how to create Traveling medallions. And Nye was in a coma and might not recover after his injuries in the fire.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  New Information

  Ryad entered the room and closed the door behind him.

  We have discovered another piece of information. It doesn’t make sense, but it appears Dr. Salb was the one who set the lab on fire.

  Dr. Salb? I asked. Why would he have done that?

  Ryad shook his head. The only thing I can think of is that he didn’t want the information getting out. Perhaps he closed down the lab, killed Itury to keep the formula from being given away. There was nothing left of the lab. All experiments were completely destroyed. That’s why Dr. Nye was injured in the first place. I think he tried to put it out or save as much as he could.