“The morning of our marriage. Gar handled the latron beam for it; I programmed him for skill in that area. You’re mighty observant, Dr. Triloni. Maybe I should have this one lasered off, too, one day.”
She saw him stroke the right side of his jaw. “If there’s no need to keep it and it’s so simple to have it removed, you should. But it doesn’t detract from your good looks.”
He half turned and grinned at her. “Thanks.”
“You’re fortunate you have an antidote for keelar bites.”
“If not, you wouldn’t have a husband. Untreated, death occurs in two hours. Why don’t you go across the hall to med lab and get changed for your tests and check-up? I’ll be along shortly. There’s a wrap in the closet.”
Jana went into the medical laboratory. Once more she had the overwhelming feeling she had almost died in this room at Shara’s hand. She walked to the wall where the curtain, holographic type pictures, and safe containing the journals and diaries had been. She examined it closely. There was no sign of recent changes. Still, that didn’t mean it hadn’t been done. Her gaze touched on a pot of exotic flowers in full bloom. She hurried to investigate. When she had come in here that awful day, they hadn’t been anywhere near blooming. It looked like the same pot and plant, so how could it have budded and bloomed so quickly, unless she had been unconscious for a long time—more than a week? Perhaps that much of “Ryker’s” story was true; she could have been kept drugged while all the repairs were made and Varian’s appearance altered.
She quickly changed into the pale-blue shift to be ready when the man arrived. Upon reaching this planetoid, she had feared he would dissect and study her as an alien specimen. What was he going to do to her today? Did “Ryker” have the medical knowledge and skills to treat her?
“All ready to begin?”
Jana watched him come forward with trepidation. Who was he? She climbed upon the table and lay down. “I’m fine now, honestly.”
“Let tests and blood samples determine that for us.”
He positioned an apparatus at her side, then placed her arm in a tube which tightened sufficiently to hold it still. He pressed a button and a humming sound came forth. She felt a light and painless prick as blood was drawn. He carried the vial to a machine and placed it inside for testing.
“An automated pathologist and lab technician? How clever. In a few more years, your machines can probably run everything and man won’t be needed.”
“Machines are nothing without superior intelligence and imagination of their creators: humans. Now let’s check your vital signs and functions.”
Jana remained still, almost rigid, as he passed the black box over her head and chest. He halted it over her heart as he stared into her eyes. His smoldering gaze melted into her apprehensive one. It drifted to her parted lips and he looked to her as if he were about to lean over and kiss her. His eyes roamed her face and hair with an expression that said he longed to caress and stroke them. Her suspense mounted.
“Looking at you makes my heart pound as fiercely and swiftly as yours is doing, Jana of Earth.”
When she attempted to push the medical analyzer away from the telltale area, he halted her and grinned. “Don’t do that,” she pleaded.
“I’m not finished yet. Lie still or I’ll get false readings.”
“This isn’t fair. I’m in a vulnerable position. I’m nervous. Your readouts won’t be accurate.”
He glanced at the digital numbers on the instrument and said, “Blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and chemical balances are fine. Your respiration and pulse are a little fast, but I hope that’s because of me.”
“Is it?” she parried, then changed the subject. “The flowers over there are beautiful.”
“A distracting tactic?” He chuckled. “The new formula I created works far better than the old one. It brought them to maturation within a week. A product that speeds up blooming that much will be worth plenty of money to certain people.”
Always an answer to discredit every clue she thought she gleaned! Or was it the truth? She mustn’t allow him to manipulate her emotions and actions as he had done so many times before. “I’m sure it will. Congratulations. Tell me something while we await my test results; how did the alien virus cause sterility in Maffeian women?”
“By causing the ovums to shrivel and die inside the ovaries.”
“But if the plague was fifty years ago and all Maffeian females were made sterile, how was Canissia born? Is she the child of a charl?”
“No, her mother was visiting family in another star system and wasn’t affected. Once news of the virus spread, Segall orderd her to remain there for several years until the danger passed. It didn’t do her much good because she died giving birth to Cass the year after her return.”
“So Canissia is one of the few true-blooded Maffeians her age. That explains part of her arrogance and conceit. What about female children? Did it strike them as well as women of childbearing age?”
“Yes. Any female alive fifty years ago was affected. No baby was conceived of a Maffeian female after that time. The vengeful scientist traveled to every planet in this star system and infected the food supplies. He hoped to go unexposed and to live to see the Maffeian race extinct.”
“Why did he hate the Maffeians so much?”
“A Star Fleet ship going at a great speed had radar problems and didn’t pick up the small shuttle his wife and daughter were in before crashing into it and killing everyone aboard. He went mad. He blamed all of them. They had taken his wife and child, so he, in his own misguided way, took theirs. When the insidious virus made itself known, it was too late.”
“What happened to him?”
“Members of the Praetorian Elite Squad traced the trouble to him and killed him when he refused to surrender.”
“What’s the Elite Squad?”
“Spies and agents made up mostly of starship commanders, military specialists, and a few scientists,” he explained. “It’s a small and secret unit. They answer only to the Supreme Council. They’re the only group that can go outside the law if necessary to accomplish their missions. Varian, Nigel, and Martella are squad members. That rank gives them a great deal of power, something that causes my half brother to feel larger than his size.”
Surely Varian Saar would never tell her such secrets .. . “How do you know such—Of course, you have your ways of learning any and everything. What about my inoculations? When do you repeat them?”
“In á few days when you’re completely well again. It has to be before our trip. Otherwise, I couldn’t let you go with me and take another risk.”
So, that’s how you’re going to get out of taking me along! Something, a phony test or fever, will prevent the shots so I can’t go and be seen. She glared into his back as he fetched the test results. “Any pathogenic microorganisms in sight?”
“No hungry bugs left. The antigens worked fine. I got them into your bloodstream just in time to stimulate T-lymphocytes to produce the right antibodies needed. The new antibodies have already destroyed the antigens and clung to the cells. You’re immune now, at least to Rahgine’s Fever.”
Jana gaped at him with an open mouth.
“What’s wrong? Did my words translate wrong? You’re fine, Jana.”
He had spit out that medical and accurate knowledge too fast for someone who wasn’t a doctor! “You’re just so smart that it amazes me.”
“A simple process of conferring immunity isn’t difficult.”
“Do you work with endocrines or endoplasmic reticulum much?”
“Knowing and using the thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary gland hormones are necessary sometimes. So is the communication channel for things passing between a cell nucleus and cell environment.”
Again, she feared his correct answers came too quickly and easily. This attempt to expose him wasn’t going as she planned! She panicked.
“Are you testing me, Dr. Triloni?”
“Testing you?
” she echoed as she stalled for time to think of an excuse for trying to trick him into exposing a lack of medical and chemical knowledge. My God, you seem to know everything. How? “I’m interested in your research. Why should I test you?”
“Because you still have doubts about your recent hallucination?”
“If you think that, why not use truth serum on me to see if I’m lying? Varian threatened to do that one time when I refused to answer him.”
“He wouldn’t have dared use Thorin on your delicate system. It’s too harsh and dangerous. You possess a strong will, Jana of Earth, so you would resist, probably to the point of cell and organ damage or death.”
“I could use … Thorin on you to see if you’re being honest with me.”
“It wouldn’t work. I created Thorin, and I created its counteragent. I’m immune to it. So, thanks to me, are galactic leaders and rulers. Kadim Tirol, Segall, Draco, the planetary avatars and zartiffs, and a few others have been made immune to truth serum, too. Including my half brother.”
Jana knew from past studies that avatars were planetary rulers and zartiffs were regional rulers of planets, just as the kadim was the high ruler of this galaxy. She also knew there were no words for correct English translations of those ranks. “Why would you share such powers with them?”
“There are men in certain positions who must not be vulnerable to truth serums of enemies. They are my allies, and some even my friends. Other scientists and researchers have developed their own formulas for truth drugs, but only I possess the immunizing agent. It works on the nervous system in the brain, through the interconnections of neurons—-afferent, efferent, and interneurons—which give man his memory, thoughts, and emotions. Thorin attacks at the dendrites, the stems of the nerve-cell body through which impulses are conducted. It makes it impossible fora man or woman to lie without enduring agony, even well trained and loyal men. Rendelar prevents that reaction.”
Jana stared at him once more. Panic flooded her. This man before her had to be … Ryker Triloni. It was true: she had suffered from illness and fever-induced delusions. Varian had betrayed her, had given her to him as a truce token. Her heart pounded hard and heavy. Her senses were spinning wildly. She felt cold from head to foot, and shuddered. He—Prince Ryker Triloni—had spoken the truth from the beginning.
“You’re getting chilled, Jana. You can get dressed. I’ll wait for you in the other lab. You should return to the house and eat. You can read and rest this afternoon. I don’t want you overtiring yourself. I’ve selected several books on plants, animals, and chemistry written in Maffeian since you know that language. You can study them at your leisure. Ine will begin teaching you Androasian in a few days. Then, I’ll give you books in my language to study, and some of my research notes. I still have work to do.”
As he turned to put away the items and apparatuses he had used, Jana wanted to weep in anguish. She wanted to scream at herself for being so foolish and dreamy-eyed. She must forget the fantasy of Varian Saar and accept the reality of Ryker Triloni. She was his wife, his captive, forever. She was doomed to an unpredictable existence here on Darkar. She had already wept over her other losses: her home, her friends, her world, her career, her identity, and her freedom. Now, her love was lost. Never again would Varian hold her in his arms, call her “Moonbeam,” and take her to ecstasy’s realm in his arms. Nor could he ever deceive and betray her again. The man nearby seemed to be reaching out to her, if he could be trusted. Perhaps, with luck, Varian’s evil motive for using her to spite and defeat his half brother had failed. It was a grave error not to know or to misjudge one’s enemies and rivals. Had Varian captured her to complete a cycle of vengeance which Shara and Galen had begun thirty-two years ago with their unbridled lust? How stupid and dangerous for her to have mentioned the hallucination about his hated foe! As he started to leave for her to dress, she called out to him.
He stopped and turned.
Her gaze swept over him as he came to her side and studied her heartsick expression.
“What’s wrong, Jana? You look ready to cry.”
“I just realized something important. I almost died and I haven’t even thanked you for saving my life and for being so kind and patient with me. I’m sorry for how I’ve behaved. It’s scary being unable to remember a week of your life, a very important week. I promise to do my best to please you and to make you proud of me.” He smiled as he wiped away her tears, but his gaze appeared troubled to her instead of relieved or victorious. She didn’t want to ask or to analyze why; she had done too much erroneous reasoning and testing in the last four days.
“I’m glad to hear this, Jana. Things will be fine now.” He leaned over and kissed her, a short, tender kiss, full of emotion and longing. He smiled and told her, “I’ve been wanting to do that all day, for days, for weeks. You go to the house to rest and I’ll see you at dinner.”
He left the room as if afraid he’d do more than kiss her if he stayed.. Jana gaped at his retreating back. If she didn’t know better … Don’t do this again, J. G.; he isn’t Varian. He can’t be Varian. But the kiss … Stop it!
The alien sat down at a panel in the private lab and switched on the retrometer for light-beam voice communication. He began a scrambled message to someone far away, a full report to his ruler, the kadim.
A voice soon filled the room. “How are things going, Varian?”
“Proceeding as planned, Grandfather. The stars be damned, sir! What in Gehenna am I doing to her, to us, with this infernal mission?”
Chapter Four
Kadim Tirol Trygue heard despair in Varian’s voice. He knew he was asking a great deal of his beloved and only grandson, his sole heir and kin, but he had no choice. No man was better trained or qualified, and no other man could take Ryker Triloni’s place. Varian sounded soul-weary and heartsick, but Tirol knew he could depend on the young man to do his duty to the Alliance. The fates of two galaxies rested on his grandson’s shoulders, a heavy burden. Tirol also realized how dangerous this secret and desperate assignment was and prayed not only for Varian’s survival and success, but for Jana’s safety, as well. “You’re saving her world and safeguarding ours, Son,” the older man reminded, “for the near future and the years ahead.”
“I know, Grandfather, but you should have seen the look on her face when I finally had her convinced that I’m Ryker. It nearly ripped my heart from my chest. It took all of my self-control not to confess the truth. She’s in so much pain and confusion that it’s almost unbearable.”
In a gentle tone, Tirol warned, “You can’t tell her anything, Varian. You have to stay strong. So much is at stake.”
“Kahala, sir! Don’t you think I know that? I’m sorry, Grandfather, but this tension is working on me day and night. I’ve finished going over their journals and tapes. Added to what Ryker told me at our deadly showdown, our worst fears and suspicions have been confirmed. Maal is planning to form an alliance with Jurad to attack while we’re gone. If we don’t go, Jana’s world is doomed and ours might be damaged by aftershocks. If we do go, Maffei will be attacked as soon as we’re out of defense range, unless I can persuade Maal to hold off his plot when I visit him. The Tabrizes would never attack alone. If I can convince Maal I’m Ryker and that it’s to our best interests to postpone the assault, things will go our way. He usually does what Ryker suggests, so I’m hoping and praying he’ll agree this time, too. I’ve already decided what strategies to use with him.”
After Varian related his plans, Tirol concurred they sounded clever and feasible. “But fooling Maal will be harder than fooling Jana and getting onto Darkar disguised as Ryker,” he pointed out. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks in Androas. We’ll have an Elite Squad on standby in case a rescue is needed for you and Jana. You said you have her convinced now?”
“Yes, sir. We repaired and cleared away all damages and clues while she was kept drugged. We even constructed a cyborg who looks like Ryker to play forsha with his right hand. It helps
that I’m ambidextrous because she immediately noticed which hand I used. I’ve convinced her she’s been ill from Rahgine’s Fever because some of her inoculations didn’t take. She finally believes my rescue was only a delusion and she has partial amnesia. She fought the so-called ‘truth,’ Grandfather, but I’ve played my role well. I hope she’ll forgive me for tricking her.”
As they unscrambled at his end, Tirol heard the bitter and sarcastic tone of Varian’s words. “I wish this wasn’t necessary, but it is. I’m relieved we discovered their treachery before it was too late for all of us.”
“If I hadn’t started reading Shara’s journals while Jana was asleep, this charade wouldn’t exist. Before I realized the potential repercussions, it was already under way with my reluctant agreement. Ryker overestimated his cunning. Our new device imitated his voice perfectly so we could reprogram his androids, especially since I had learned the codes from him and from the journals. We have Jana to thank for telling me about them. I also found a stockpile of videotapes; it seems Ryker and Shara liked to record everything that happened here. Hopefully we have enough evidence to coerce treaties with Jurad and Maal when I return; we dare not risk revealing the truth to them before our ships depart. Their reactions are unpredictable.”
Varian sighed deeply. “Even with this evidence, they might not believe Father was innocent all those years ago, not with Ryker and Shara dead—both by another Saar’s hand—and unable to argue our word against theirs. There’s no guessing how Maal will take his grandson’s death by my laser shot. He could go mad like Shara and start a war for revenge. Maal will probably accuse us of stealing Shara’s body, substituting the phony one on display there, and trying to trick him. I’m not sure he’ll ever believe she didn’t die seven years ago, and she could do the wicked things we know she has. The same goes for Jurad. While I’m playing Ryker, maybe I can gather even more proof to help us convince them we’re telling the truth.”
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