Veiled Designs: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Uprise Saga Book 3)

by Amy DuBoff

  “Sirs,” she greeted.

  “Have a seat, Lieutenant.” Kurtz gestured to the chair nearest the entry.

  “Sir, if I could explain—”

  “All I want to know, is what happened to you while you were trying to leave, in your own words,” the colonel interrupted.

  The request caught Ava off-guard.

  Why didn’t he lay into me?

  She cleared her throat. “Well, the walls appeared to disintegrate into a swarm of particles. The nearest analogy I can give is that it looked like a sandstorm—except there was no wind. The particles closed in around us, but they let the three other members of my team through, focusing on me. They stuck together and tried to secure me to the ground. We used kinetic rounds to break the bonds, and I was able to escape. They tried the same thing with the pod, but we made it out in time.”

  Kurtz nodded. “By your estimation, could the swarm have disabled the pod?”

  “With enough time, maybe. Probably.”

  “I’ll talk with Colonel Walton about authorizing a strike,” Kurtz stated.

  Ava gave him a questioning look in spite of herself. “Sir, the external processor—”

  “Your team’s activities were interrupted by a hostile alien presence, which attempted to disable you and make it impossible to leave. Is that an incorrect assessment of the field report?” Kurtz asked.

  “No, sir.”

  That narrative favors me, but why? Ava asked Ruby privately. I might have made terrible command decisions today. They shouldn’t be overlooking that.

  >>There’s something bigger going on,<< Ruby replied. >>They have new information, but I can’t access what it is.<<

  That doesn’t let me off the hook for what happened.

  Ruby sighed in her mind. >>Why are you so intent on being punished? Some tech got left behind. Far worse things have happened on the watch of the greatest Force leaders.<<

  I… Ava thought about what was really bothering her. It’s because I still don’t trust myself. I’m worried that they’re manipulating me, and we don’t know it.

  >>If you can’t trust yourself, then trust me.<<

  I want to, but—

  >>It takes time. I know. But you need to focus on the task at hand. I’ve seen all your records and know what you’re capable of. Get ahold of yourself and snap out of this funk. We have an enemy to defeat!<<

  Ava sat in stunned silence as the AI’s words sank in. She hadn’t expected the sentiment to come from that source, but it was the stern talking-to she’d been craving. That she needed.

  She returned her attention to Kurtz and Widmore. “Sir, do you have a response planned against the aliens?”

  “We haven’t made a final decision,” Kurtz replied. “We’ve just come into some new information that changes our understanding of the situation.”

  “May I ask what that information is, sir?”

  “It came from Karen Carter,” Widmore explained.

  Ava did a double take. “I knew she’d gone back to Nezar, but why is she’s still getting herself mixed up in our business?”

  “Not like last time,” he assured her. “In her efforts to help the Nezarans rebuild their government, she came across some records. Well, rather, she went digging. But we’ll excuse her foolhardiness, because she stumbled across a data archive. And the facility bears a striking resemblance to the one on the Gidyon dwarf planet.”

  Ava folded her arms on the tabletop. “I’d say that doesn’t make any sense, but we’re pretty far past that at this point.”

  “I share your sentiments.” Widmore flashed a wan smile. “At any rate, we’ve just dug into the contents of that data archive, and it tells an interesting tale. Reya and her associates have been very busy.”

  “What were they doing?” Ava asked.

  “Mining and manufacturing—more than the Alaxar Trinary could possibly consume.”

  >>Gidyon,<< Ruby said in her mind at the same time Ava thought it.

  “Is that where the material for the artificial dwarf planet came from?” Ava asked aloud.

  “We’re waiting on the conclusive results, but the preliminary analysis of the samples you collected points to ‘yes’,” Widmore confirmed.

  “What I found more pressing was Karen’s personal account,” Kurtz said. “She spoke with someone whom had worked closely with Reya. That woman indicated that others had relayed information to her about some sort of pit underneath the facility where they obtained the data.”

  A chill spread through Ava’s limbs. “A pit like I saw in Gidyon, where they spoke to me.”

  Kurtz nodded. “That was my thought, as well.”

  Ava sat in silence for a moment. “Sir, if the beings live down in that pit, that may mean that Reya wasn’t the only entity on Nezar.”

  “I have troops ready to keep the peace, if they try something,” Kurtz assured her. “But from everything we’ve seen on Nezar, these beings—the Dyons, as I saw you named them—like to manipulate things behind the scenes. I doubt we have concern of a violent uprising.”

  Ava wasn’t sure about that, but it wasn’t her immediate concern. “There’s still the processor on the Gidyon planet, sir. They could become a serious threat if they have time to adapt that technology.”

  Kurtz nodded. “I’m actively working on a solution to answer that threat. Stand by for further instructions.”

  * * *

  Studying his girlfriend like a lab specimen wasn’t what Luke had envisioned for his new career in the FDG. Even as his tasks kept pointing him in that direction, he refused to lose sight of the person he was fighting for. She was too important to him to be reduced to microscopic datapoints on a screen.

  Unfortunately, Jack had no such personal ties. “This tech is so weird,” he commented for the third time while reviewing Ava’s medical logs on the other side of the lab.

  “Unless you have something useful to say, could you try to keep your thoughts to yourself?” Luke requested.

  “Oh, come on.” Jack swiveled around on his stool. “Aren’t you a little curious?”

  “To look at your analysis of how nanocytes have transformed someone I care about against her will, and how she now has a computer intelligence in her brain to keep her from transforming? Yeah, I’m sure it’s weird and fascinating how all that tech is interacting, but I’m only interested in what will help her,” Luke shot back.

  Jack spun back around with his hands raised in defense. “Whoa, touched a nerve.”

  Luke took a steadying breath. That may have been an overreaction, but he didn’t care. His team needed to remember that there were people behind the science.

  Just as he was getting back to work, an alert from Ava popped up on Luke’s workstation. He answered her call. “Hi, how’d your meeting go?”

  “I’ll tell you in person. Are you still at your lab?”

  “I am.”

  “On my way.” Ava ended the call.

  “That was very business-y and matter-of-fact,” Jack commented from across the lab.

  “Not everyone is as lovey-dovey in public as you and Stacy,” Tess told him.

  Luke glared over his shoulder at Jack. “You were the one talking about her like a lab specimen.”

  Tess held up her finger. “A smart, pretty, capable lab specimen with thoughts and feelings, and we care about her well-being very much.”

  Luke sighed. “Should I expect an ongoing analysis of every interaction I have in all aspects of my life?” he said, hoping to get them to mind their own business.

  Instead, Tess shrugged. “Well, we’re scientists, and we also don’t get a lot of action down here in the lab, so… yeah, that’s a safe bet.”

  I really need my own office.

  “Why don’t you two head out for the day?” he offered pointedly.

  “I’m in the middle of something,” Jack replied.

  “It’s okay if you step out, though.” Tess looked over her shoulder at Luke. “We’ll hold down the fort until you g
et back.”

  Admittedly, he could use a break.

  “I won’t be gone long.”

  “Come on, don’t sell yourself short!” Jack called out.

  It took Luke a moment to realize what he meant, and he decided to leave without dignifying the remark, confident in the knowledge that was one aspect of his relationship with Ava he didn’t need to worry about.

  He waited in the hall for Ava to arrive. After two minutes, he saw her round the bend.

  “What are you doing out here?” she asked. Her brow was tight with worry, and she had uncharacteristic dark circles under her eyes.

  Luke walked forward to meet her halfway, and pulled her in for a kiss without saying a word.

  She kissed him back, the tension releasing from her shoulders.

  “Let’s go somewhere we can talk alone,” he suggested. “My quarters aren’t far.”

  Ava nodded. “I do need a break.”

  He led the way. “Did something happen out there?”

  “A lot of things,” she murmured.

  Luke looked at her with concern.

  “We’re all fine,” she assured him. “These aliens just have me on edge.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  He hated to see her so stressed. Maybe that was her normal state in the FDG, but something told him this was beyond normal. The Hochste situation certainly couldn’t be helping matters.

  I’m sick of feeling like I can’t do anything to make this easier on her. Well, maybe I can’t from a medical standpoint, but I can still offer love and support. That is within my control.

  Luke grabbed her hand and squeezed as they walked the final stretch to his quarters. She squeezed his back.

  He palmed open his door and motioned her inside.

  The room was slightly smaller than Ava’s, equipped with a double bed between two end tables, a built-in dresser, and a screen on the wall. A door in the center of the right wall led to a compact washroom. He spent so little time in the space that he didn’t need anything more.

  As soon as they were inside with the door closed, Ava wrapped her arms around his neck and led him toward the bed as her lips found his.

  He eagerly kissed her back, it having been days since he’d seen her, and going on two weeks since they’d been intimate—since before the discovery of her transformation.

  They were just about to recline on the bed when Ava suddenly pulled back. “Hold on a sec.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Ava got a distant look in her hazel eyes for a moment. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure how to handle this with an AI in my head. Ruby and I had to come to an understanding.”

  “Oh, I guess that would be a little weird, having someone watching,” Luke realized.

  “Yeah, a mental running commentary about my increased dopamine levels was, shockingly, not enhancing the mood.” Ava drew him down to her. “But don’t worry, she won’t interrupt us again.”

  Forgetting about the silent observer, Luke set about giving Ava a reprieve from her worries.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Ava nestled against Luke’s bare chest. “Thank you. I needed that.”

  He kissed her forehead. “You’ve been distancing yourself. I told you I would be here to help you through this, and I meant it.”

  She knew she’d been holding back. As much as she wanted to open up to him, it wasn’t that easy.

  Her family in the FDG was a support network that had proved itself time and time again. To add someone else into that mix was a scary prospect. If she let herself fall for Luke again—as an adult, with the maturity and understanding that came with a real relationship—the balance would shift. Though her existing network wouldn’t be any less important, there’d be someone else on equal footing, and she needed to know that leg wouldn’t be kicked out from under her.

  “I’m sorry I never gave us a chance before,” she murmured.

  Luke looked down at her. “What do you mean?”

  “When I left to join the FDG.” Ava stared up at the ceiling. “I got scared that I was going to get trapped in a life—on a future path—before I really knew myself. So I ran away from everything I thought defined me. My world. My parents. You. By the time I’d wised up enough to realize that I could have talked to you about those concerns like a reasonable person, I figured you’d want nothing to do with me.”

  “I always wondered if it was something I did,” he said.

  “No.” She shook her head. “You were always there for me when I needed you, and in return I was selfish and only thought of myself.”

  Luke stroked her shoulder. “Well, we have a chance to start over now.”

  “We do. And to do it right, I know I need to let you in. But I’m not used to being vulnerable,” Ava admitted.

  “Companionship can make us stronger. Just look at you with your team.”

  She looked up at him. She saw the love in his eyes—his unwavering dedication to her, despite everything she’d been through in the last two weeks. If that wasn’t enough to scare him off, then nothing would.

  “I want you to be a part of my team,” she told him. “I mean, be here with me.”

  Luke shifted to his side to face her. “I love you.”

  Her heart melted, just like when she had been a teenager hearing the words for the first time, and then a warm glow filled her. She wasn’t that girl anymore, and what was between them now spoke to a deeper bond between the selves they’d grown into over the years.

  “I love you, too. I want to see things through this time, the way I wasn’t ready to before.”

  Their lips met again, and Ava lost herself in the moment.

  When they eventually parted, neither could keep from grinning.

  >>Awww!<< Ruby exclaimed in Ava’s mind.

  Ruby! she mentally scolded.

  >>Sorry. This is overwhelming for me, too. I’m not used to processing these emotions!<<

  Ava sighed. “For what it’s worth, Ruby approves,” she told Luke.

  He chuckled. “Glad to hear I pass muster.”

  >>I’ll say,<< Ruby added in Ava’s mind. >>Based on how you were feeling a few minutes ago—<<

  Thanks, Ruby. I’ve got this.

  Ava blocked out the AI as best she could to return her focus to Luke. “I can’t promise to always be the most attentive partner, but I’ll be honest and fair with you.”

  He gave her another kiss. “I can’t ask for anything more.”

  They lay together for a few minutes longer, and then Ava’s mind wandered to the unresolved tasks from earlier in the day. “Hey, did you talk with Doctor Dwyer about the medical data that Ruby recorded while I was on the op?”

  “Aaand the moment is over.” Luke sat up.

  “Sorry, I’ll work on my transitions.” She ran her hand down his arm.

  “Actually, I was just thinking about it, too.” He climbed out of bed and began dressing.

  Ava did the same. “And?”

  “I’m supposed to stop by Medical this afternoon to go over it with him. You’re welcome to come along, if you don’t mind us talking about your weird brain right in front of you.” He smiled.

  She balled up a sock and threw it at him, then promptly realized that she needed it.

  Luke deflected the fabric ball, and it landed at the foot of the mattress. “It’ll be helpful to have you around to answer questions.”

  Ava dove across the bed to retrieve the wayward sock. “I can remain objective.”

  “Good.”

  >>I predict copious opinionated interjections,<< Ruby said in Ava’s mind.

  Says the AI that does that all the time, Ava thought privately.

  She gave a mental smile to the AI. I said I can remain objective, not that I necessarily would.

  >>I appreciate the distinction.<<

  Well, I’d appreciate you letting me have alone time with my boyfriend without narration.

  >>You’re still angry about that?<<

  Ava gave a mental eye
roll at the AI’s wounded tone. Not angry, just looking to set up some boundaries. I know we share this body, but you’re not in a relationship with Luke—I am.

  Ruby retreated. >>I understand. It won’t happen again.<<

  Ruby… don’t be upset. Ava reached out to her. I don’t want to argue. Let’s just focus on figuring out what happened on Gidyon, okay?

  >>Yes, Ava. I promise to be more respectful of your private space. I’ve never been paired with someone who’s in love. It got the better of my curiosity.<<

  I’m sure I would have had the same temptation. She caught herself. Hell, I don’t have a right to judge. I’ve spent my career rooting around in other people’s minds.

  >>But we’re partners. Mutual respect.<<

  Deal.

  When Ava and Luke were dressed in their shipsuits, they headed to Medical.

  Doctor Dwyer was with a patient when they arrived, and a nurse showed them to the doctor’s office in the back right of the infirmary. The desk was situated in the middle of the room facing the door, and a holopanel behind it was covered with coded reminders about various patient check-ins. Ava spotted her name at the top of the list.

  Ava and Luke waited in two of the chairs in front of the desk.

  “I had gotten used to the check-ups after every op, but with these extra visits, I feel like I’m going to practically be living here,” Ava whispered.

  “I hope not. I’d miss you overnight.”

  She gave him a coy smile. “I think it’s still a little early to think about moving into shared quarters.”

  He returned the smile. “I never said anything about that. Just, you know—”

  “Oh, Ava, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” Doctor Dwyer said, entering the room.

  “I hope you don’t mind me sitting in on your discussion with Luke, Doctor,” Ava replied, swiveling around in her chair.

  “You are the subject, after all. Of course you can be here.” The doctor took his chair behind the desk.

  “I would have taken a look before coming over here, but I didn’t get the analysis you said you were going to send,” Luke said.