Eomix Galaxy Books: Illusion

by Christa Yelich-Koth

  Dru peered at him, puzzled. He opened his mouth to ask another question when the door slid open and Daith strode in, dwarfed by her escort, Lieutenant Koye.

  Dru studied the slim brunette carefully. He gauged her stance, mood, body language. How her eyes hungrily ate up every detail in the room, how she immediately faced Trey, acknowledging a presence she knew. She seemed quite calm and collected—not the twisted, scared mess he’d often seen in memory-loss patients.

  Then he opened up his body and mind to sense her. His ability to feel another’s emotions wasn’t as strong as those he had studied, but he had always been able to receive an impression of others around him. His empathy wasn’t too specific, usually a presence in a room or an intense feeling when someone passed by, but it had helped him with his clients more times than he could count.

  But this woman—he didn’t even have to try. Waves of energy poured from her. Her physical stance appeared relaxed, but her entire being screamed at him to back away.

  If this indicated what sort of untapped potential she might have—

  Dru felt his pulse quicken at the thought of it.

  And then, she smiled.

  And his pulse missed a beat.

  She addressed Dru’s brother. “Good morning, Commander Xiven.”

  Trey motioned for her to take a seat. “Good morning, Daith. I hope you slept well.”

  “I slept fine, Commander.” Her smile widened, but her eyes looked red and tired. Dru wondered what had kept her awake. Pain? Nightmares? Flashes of memories?

  Daith sat straight, legs crossed, arms folded across her chest.

  A guarded body position. That’s to be expected.

  “Who is this?” Daith asked about Dru. “Another crew member as welcoming as your Lieutenant here?” Koye shifted his stance at the insult.

  A smile played on the corner of Trey’s mouth. “This is Dru. He is a memory specialist. I have asked him aboard to help restore your memories, but only if you are interested.”

  “A memory specialist?”

  Dru jumped in. “I specialize in memory retrieval using relaxation, hypnosis, and therapeutic tactics.”

  “I know not having your memories must be hard,” Trey told her, “and I want to do what I can to help. Dru is here, if you want to work with him.”

  Daith’s gaze finally shifted toward Dru. Her dark green eyes were cold, calculating. But underneath, they quivered with desperation.

  I’ll do anything.

  Dru blinked. He could’ve sworn she’d spoken the words and yet she hadn’t opened her mouth.

  “I’m willing to try. It’s not like I have anything to lose,” Daith said out loud.

  “All right then,” Trey said, pulling back his chair to sit. “Where do we start?”

  Dru cleared his throat. “I’m actually going to have to ask you and Lieutenant Koye to leave.” Dru’s heart pounded. He squeezed his legs together under the table.

  Silence.

  Daith’s gaze danced between the two men, one stopped halfway to sitting, the other trying to hold his ground.

  “Doctor-patient confidentiality,” Dru added quickly.

  There was a moment where Dru thought Trey would argue, but then a smile bloomed across the commander’s face.

  “Of course,” he said, pushing the chair back toward the table. “I understand.”

  Dru nodded. He felt his shoulder muscles relax.

  Trey pulled at the edges of his immaculate uniform and addressed Daith.

  “If you’d like, we could meet later and go over any questions or concerns you may have. I want you to feel comfortable here.”

  “Thank you, Commander.”

  Trey smiled. A glint reached his brother’s eyes, a light Dru couldn’t quite interpret.

  “Well then, I’ll leave you in the good doctor’s hands.” Trey left, signaling Lieutenant Koye to follow. The door slid closed, leaving the two alone.

  “For a second I thought he was going to insist on staying,” Daith said.

  “You and me both.” He pushed his hair off his face. “He’s protective of you and wants to make sure you’re all right.”

  “He must trust you a lot then.”

  Dru forced his face to stay neutral at her statement. “We’ve been through a lot together.”

  Daith uncrossed her arms, a signal to Dru that she felt ready to open up. “Where do we start?”

  “I want to get to know you first.”

  Daith raised her eyebrows. “In case you’ve forgotten, I don’t know who I am.”

  “You’d be surprised what someone can tell about you without knowing a thing. The way you came in the room for example, how you spoke to Commander Xiven, and your immediate decision to work with me gives an outline of who you are.”

  “So what does that list tell you?”

  “It tells me you are strong-willed, eager to move forward, and a natural-born leader.”

  Daith laughed, the sound melodic and full. “A leader? How could I lead anyone when I don’t even know what’s going on?”

  Dru settled into his chair, the back squeaking. “I’m not saying you need to lead anyone right at this moment, but the potential is in you. You just don’t remember.”

  Daith’s face fell for a moment, her guise of control shaken. “What if I never remember?”

  Dru scooted forward, closing the distance between them. “That is a bridge we don’t have to cross yet.”

  Her eyes brightened, hopeful. “We?”

  “I am in this with you, every step of the way. But I’ll need your help.”

  Determination returned to her face. “What do you need from me?”

  Dru picked up a datapad to take notes. “Fill me in on the things I don’t know. How far back you can remember? What have you done since you woke up here? Dreams? Flashbacks? Whatever you can give me.”

  “You do understand how unnerving it is to tell a complete stranger a bunch of personal things you’ve been through, right?”

  “I do. And I know this will be a lot harder for you than for me. But you aren’t the first memory-loss patient I’ve worked with.”

  “Not with me, I hope, but I can’t remember.”

  Dru smiled at the joke, but his eyes held sadness. “I have never met you, talked to you, or seen you before today.” His mouth felt dry. His words weren’t a lie, technically. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  *

  Trey ground the knuckles of his fist into his other palm. “Doctor-patient confidentiality,” he sneered, mocking his brother’s words. Dru wouldn’t even be here if Trey hadn’t arranged the meeting. And to be cast aside like a stranger to the situation? Daith should trust him, not his brother.

  Trey took deep, calming breaths as he made his way through the ship’s corridors to his office. Once there, he let the sterile smell fill his nose and clear his mind.

  Daith had to connect with Dru first. Trey didn’t have to like it, but the step was necessary.

  Besides, in the end, it would be Trey who got the girl.

  Chapter 7

  Dru tilted the datapad of notes to adjust for the reflective glare from the meeting room’s sharp lights.

  Has had a couple of dreams. A good sign. Her memory might be trying to resurface. She seems to be missing a few days from when she arrived here. Possible damage to her short-term memory neurotransmitters. No way to know until we move forward.

  “Doctor?” Daith asked, breaking his internal dialogue.

  “Sorry,” he said. “Wanted to make sure I’ve covered everything.” He leaned onto the table with his elbows. “This is where I tell you whether or not I think I can help you. Based on what you’ve told me, what you remember, and the dreams you’ve had, I’d like to keep working with you. I think there is a good chance we can get your memories back, provided there isn’t too much neural damage. There are a few tests to take if you want to continue.”

  Daith’s forehead wrinkled. “What kinds of tests?”

  “Nothing to b
e concerned about—motor skills, short-term and long-term quizzes, sensory stimulation, things of that nature. The tests will check other areas of your brain to make sure there isn’t any damage. For example, some of the memory tests deal with smells or sounds to trigger responses, so if there is an issue with those areas, we won’t pursue them.”

  Dru tapped on his datapad. “Even if the test results are positive, you will still have to put in a lot of hard work. I don’t know what memories you might uncover. Some could be painful. You could also experience headaches, poor sleep, and, lucky for me,” he said, “irritability. And even if your brain functions are normal, I can’t promise you’ll get any memories back.”

  “I understand, but I’d rather take the chance then wait around and hope something happens on its own.”

  “Good. I’m going to put some things together and talk to Commander Xiven. We can meet tomorrow morning to begin the tests.” Dru gathered his notes to leave.

  “Wait.”

  Though only a verbal command, Dru felt a strange fluctuation in her energy—pulling on him to stay. His whole body tingled. He’d never felt such an instant connection with someone, although she didn’t even seem aware she’d done anything.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  Her dark green eyes peered straight into his, determined. “I need some questions answered.”

  Dru paused, uncomfortable. “I’m not sure what kind of answers I can give.”

  “How am I supposed to learn about who I was if no one will tell me anything? I feel like this place is a vault.” She folded her hands on the table. “And where am I? I mean, what planet are we on?”

  “Planet?” Dru asked, settling back into his chair. “We’re not on a planet. We’re on a space ship called the Horizon. Both it and my ship, the Reminiscence, are docked at Spaceport C-Twenty-seven. If you decide to work with me, I’ll stay on board the Horizon and travel with you.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Uh,” Dru said, apologetic. “I don’t actually know. I haven’t accepted the position yet so I haven’t been told. I guess you’ll have to ask the Commander.”

  “So is this spaceport we’re on close to other planets? Like my homeworld?”

  “I don’t think we’re really near any populated areas, but…what’s your home planet called?”

  Daith bit her lip. “I thought—I thought Commander Xiven told me. He must have. But I can’t remember an actual name. My home was whatever planet they rescued me from during the attack.”

  Attack? “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Commander Xiven told me I was attacked, which is the reason for my memory loss. He said a stray shot grazed my head.”

  “He didn’t tell me anything about an attack.”

  Puzzlement crossed her face. “I figured he would have told you how the memory loss happened.”

  Me too. “I’m sure he’ll fill me in, but maybe he decided to wait until I took the position.”

  “Oh, well tell me more about this space station. Are there other ships docked here besides your own? Can I search through it? How can I find out about what happened to my family after they were killed? Can I go visit my home once security isn’t an issue anymore?”

  Dru shook his head, not to refuse her questions, but to deny her the answers. “I can’t tell you anything—at least, not yet. I understand the urge to want to see things and touch things which may trigger your memories, but we don’t have access right now. What we can do is work on our tests until then. I’ll find out what I can from Commander Xiven about your circumstances and we can go from there.”

  Daith pursed her lips.

  “I know this is aggravating,” Dru said, “and I know it’s a lot to ask, but please trust in me. I promise I know what I’m doing.” He paused. “So we will meet tomorrow then? Same time in this room?”

  “Do we have to wait so long?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I have several things I need to sort out first. Besides, working too hard too fast can actually stress the situation and make us backtrack. Progress may seem slow, especially at first, but I promise, this is the best route to take.”

  She let out a sigh. “All right.”

  “Thank you. And have a good evening, Daith.”

  *

  Daith left, waving to Dru as he headed the opposite way down the corridor. Once out of sight, she changed direction and went back to the conference room. She peeked around, making sure no one witnessed her, and slipped back inside. The door slid closed behind her, the harsh lights flickered on, shining on emptiness. Daith ignored the chairs and made her way to the back of the room, to a console in the wall she’d noticed during her meeting with Dru. She didn’t want to wait another moment, much less a whole day, without knowing who she was.

  Her palms prickled with perspiration.

  Technically no one had told her she couldn’t use the ship’s computer to search for information about herself, but she had a feeling if she asked, she’d be told it was ‘classified’ or ‘off limits for security reasons.’

  Timidly, she touched the screen several times, leaving moist fingerprints on the darkened surface, but the display remained off. She frowned and tapped harder.

  “Come on,” she muttered. She noticed a small, white button on the lower left-hand side of the console. With a tap, the screen hummed to life.

  Eager, she prepared to search through the databases to find out about the ship she was on, its crew, and anything about her home planet.

  To her disappointment, the only thing splayed across the screen was a blinking box, asking for a security code.

  She cursed under her breath.

  “Can I help you?”

  Daith whirled around at the words. To her horror, Lieutenant Koye stood in the open doorway.

  “N-no,” she stammered. “I’m fine.” She used her body to block the lit screen.

  Koye glanced around the room, his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Where is Commander Xiven?”

  “Oh, him,” she said, waving toward the door. “He and Dru left.”

  Koye glanced over his shoulder, taking the bait. Daith quickly hit the white button again and the console turned off.

  “I don’t see them.”

  Daith trotted away from the wall, giving what she hoped was an innocent grin. “Well, I mean, they left a couple of standard minutes ago. I needed to think about everything we talked about. Dru said I could stay in here for a bit until I wanted to return to my room, which,” she said, squeezing past him through the doorway, “I think I’ll do right now. Have a good evening!” Daith raced down the corridor, feeling Koye’s glare follow her the entire way.

  Back in the safety of her quarters she let out the breath she’d been holding. Finding out information alone wasn’t going to work. Somehow, she had to get someone’s password.

  *

  After he’d waved goodbye to Daith, Dru headed down a floor to Trey’s office. I’ll want to start with some sensory triggers—see if those prompt any memories. And perhaps emotional stimuli to instigate any of her suppressed abilities. I could have sworn she spoke to me with her thoughts before—but maybe she actually said them out loud…. Dru rang the chimes and the door to his brother’s office opened.

  Perhaps other emotional reactions would also stimulate her? Powerful ones—anger or pain? If only I could speak with Jacin Jaxx again! His knowledge would be invaluable. But with his death, all of his secrets died with him….

  “… are you listening to me?”

  Dru blinked away from his own thoughts. “Sorry?”

  Trey’s jaw tightened. “In your own head again? Some things never change.” He gestured roughly to the chair across from him. “I asked how things went with Daith.”

  “Quite well,” Dru said, taking a seat. He glanced at Trey’s timereader, surprised three standard hours had passed. He was glad he’d chosen to wait until the following day to do more work. “I’ve decided to help her and she has agreed. I’ve starte
d to plan out sessions to optimize both memory resurfacing and ability stimulation.”

  “Ah. About that. I need you to see if she has Jacin Jaxx’s abilities without her memories resurfacing.”

  Dru blinked slowly. “Wait. You don’t want her memories to return?”

  “It is a delicate and physically demanding process to eliminate memories. I’d hate to have to subject her to the M.M. again.”

  Dru dug through his memories of history class. “You can’t mean a Memory Machine. The ones the Chears used over three hundred years ago? They’d all been commissioned for destruction.”

  “I managed to acquire a broken one and fixed it.” He scowled at his brother. “Wipe that disdain off your face. It will be destroyed when I’m done. I have no desire to deal with Central Authority.”

  “And you used it to erase her memories?”

  “Erased is such a harsh word. Let’s say we suppressed them, temporarily of course. The M.M. does have the ability to restore memories again.”

  “Why bother removing them in the first place?”

  Trey’s smile was tight. “Well if you were Jacin Jaxx’s offspring and somebody came up to you and said ‘Hello! I used to work for Jacin Jaxx and wondered if you were his daughter’, you’d probably be a little reluctant to say ‘Of course I am!’ Especially with all of the anti-Aleet Army groups still out there. The army may have disbanded years ago, but there’s no reason why someone wouldn’t still search for a remnant of Jacin Jaxx’s bloodline.”

  “Like you.”

  Trey scoffed at the harshness of his brother’s insinuation. “Yes, but unlike those other groups, I want to preserve it. I want to protect this girl so she’ll never have to worry about being hunted again. Helping her is the least I can do after what her father did for us.”

  “I can’t believe anyone else is looking for her. Once Jacin died, I hadn’t even thought about the rest of his family.”

  Trey looked at him with pity, like he’d found a lost pet. “You may not have thought about them, but I assure you, others have. Do you think the Controllers stopped their search when Jacin died? They knew about his daughters. I’d been monitoring their searches and I can guarantee I’m not the only one who still had an interest in Jacin’s offspring. Daith deserves the chance to live a normal life.”