Eomix Galaxy Books: Illusion

by Christa Yelich-Koth

  Trey took deep breaths to calm himself and made his mind go blank. His doubts faded. He was in control again.

  This dream reaffirmed Trey’s initial belief that Jacin should not have had control over his own powers. He let his emotions interfere.

  Except Trey could use that instability to his advantage with Daith.

  A blinking light to his left caught his attention. Dr. Ludd had left a message: Daith had recovered and would be released in the morning.

  A grin bloomed across Trey’s face, the stretch causing the dried mess on his cheeks to crack. He took a few moments to clean up, reorganize his datapads, and dove back into reading the injured personnel report.

  Everything was going to be fine.

  Chapter 16

  Daith started the next morning refreshed and full of energy. After a final inspection by Dr. Ludd, she was released from the medical wing. She’d felt uneasy around him when he spoke about others who’d had the ability to heal quickly. Waves of energy emitted from him and when they hit her, they felt—wrong. The same as she’d felt when she believed Trey had been lying.

  But she’d also been extremely groggy and perhaps her unconventional recovery had left some side effects. Dr. Ludd assured her she would be fine and reminded her to continue taking her evening pills. In a week, he would check in to see how her nerves responded under the conditions of her memory-work.

  When Daith returned to her quarters, she found a couple sets of new clothing, and noticed her communications panel blinking.

  “Hello, Daith,” the message began. “This is Dru. I checked in on you this morning and Doctor Ludd said you would be out of the medical wing later today. When you feel up to it, would you mind stopping by my office? I’m sure you have a lot of questions about what happened.”

  A smile touched the corner of her mouth at his voice. She felt immediately more at ease simply hearing him speak.

  Daith took a quick shower and dressed. The ship’s computer told her the location of Dru’s office and made her way there. She rang the door chimes and, after Dru told her to enter, walked in to disorder.

  Papers strewn all over, empty food trays piled on the edge of the desk, and towers of datapads leaned at precarious angles.

  Dru glanced up from his computer. “Hey!” He paused. “You look great.”

  “I’m sorry?” Daith asked.

  “You show no physical signs of fatigue or stress. I would have never known you’d just gotten out of the hospital.”

  Of course. He meant as a doctor. Daith wondered at the thought. What did it matter how he thought of her? “Thanks. I feel pretty good, too.”

  The two of them stood in silence. Daith fidgeted under his gaze.

  “So,” she asked, “you wanted to talk to me about something?”

  “Oh, yes. Yes,” Dru remembered, motioning for her to join him at his desk. “This is your chart.”

  Daith tiptoed around the piles on the floor. She examined the graph, full of lines and numbers. “Of course this is my chart. Keep up the good chart-making work.”

  “Sorry,” he replied with a grin, picking up on her teasing tone. He sat on a wobbly stack of books to give her his chair and pointed to the different graph lines. He leaned across her and she could smell his scent, earthy and sweet. The smell triggered something inside her—a sense of safety and comfort.

  “This graph,” he said, circling the whole screen with his finger, “is a numerical diagram of the maximum mental energy output you produced. The exercise we did stimulated particular areas of your brain to generate the maximum amount of energy output possible. Meaning, how much brainpower you have. You can see here the highest energy outputs belong to empaths and telepaths. The highest score came from a patient who had both empathic and telepathic traits. You can see his mark here at point one hundred forty-three.”

  “Where am I?”

  Dru extended the chart and showed her a point right below 400.

  “Does that mean I won?” she asked jokingly.

  “Truth be told, I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. Having this kind of power could give you access to many types of abilities.”

  “What kinds of abilities?”

  Dru ticked the list off on his fingers. “Telekinesis, elemental control, mind-control, healing abilities—the list goes on.”

  Daith stared at the graph, dumbfounded. A week ago she had no idea who she was. Now she may be able to move things with her mind or control someone’s thoughts.

  “How do I know I have any of those abilities? And if I do, how do I use them?”

  “You find out what you’re capable of and then focus and improve those abilities, like any other motor function.”

  “I wouldn’t even know where to start. Besides, even if I did, what would keep me from exerting too much energy and ending up unconscious again?”

  “I would,” Dru offered.

  “Maybe you forgot, but you are the one who put me in the hospital to begin with.”

  Color tinged his cheeks. “The computer was programmed to shut off if you exerted beyond your maximum amount of mental energy. Apparently, the energy you gave off wasn’t more than your brain could handle, just more than your body could. That has never happened before. Honestly, I didn’t think it could happen. But I would modify those safety parameters to make sure you remained safe.”

  Daith thought about it. The idea tempted her, even through her fear. These abilities sounded pretty powerful. How could she know if she could handle them? “What about my memories? Would I still have time to work on getting those back?”

  “Actually, we can do both at the same time. Strengthening your mind in these skills will get you in touch with blocked areas of your brain. Since your memories are also blocked, we will be able to unlock those areas faster.” Dru shifted his weight.

  “You think that will work?”

  He swallowed. “Yes. I know I’m asking a lot, considering you haven’t known me very long.”

  Daith stared into his eyes—gray with flecks of cloudy blue. There wasn’t any real reason to trust him, considering everything she’d been through. But there was something about him—his smell, his presence, his words—she did feel safe with him. She knew, somehow deep inside her core, he genuinely wanted to help her.

  “Let’s try. It’s pretty scary, but kind of exciting, too. I mean, only a few days ago I was a blank slate and now—who knows?”

  Daith glanced at the old food trays piled on Dru’s desk. “Listen,” she said, blurting out the words before she could stop, “I don’t really know anyone except you and Trey, and of course Lieutenant Koye, who doesn’t seem interested in making friends, and the Doctor, but he doesn’t seem like he really has time to leave the medical wing…. Okay, so I know a few crewmembers, but you seem to be the most convenient…” Daith paused. “I didn’t mean it like—I meant—oh, this is coming out all wrong.” Daith took a deep breath. “I’m tired of eating alone. Would you like to have dinner with me?”

  Dru hesitated.

  Oh, great. He thinks I mean a date. “I mean, I want to talk to you about what kind of things to expect during our sessions,” Daith added quickly.

  “I don’t know,” Dru said. “I have a lot of work to do and others might—” He shook his head. “You know what? I’d love to.”

  “Really?”

  “Why not? I’ve been cooped up in here too long. Having dinner company would be—refreshing.”

  *

  Daith stood in front of her reflector-unit, her dark emerald eyes scrutinizing her appearance. She had the option of black, slim pants and a green long-sleeved ribbed shirt or black, slim pants and a blue long-sleeved ribbed shirt. Not much of an option, but she preferred it to the one-piece jumpsuit.

  “I don’t know why you are making such a fuss about this,” she said while sliding on the blue shirt. “It’s not a date.” Checking her time-reader, she realized she’d be late if she
didn’t leave soon, so she glimpsed her reflection one last time, ran her fingers through her long, russet hair, and left.

  Less than a standard minute later she rushed back in, stripped off the blue shirt, and put on the green one. “It fits better,” she told herself.

  Liar. You want to wear this one because the green in your eyes stands out.

  “Be quiet. It’s not a date.”

  Daith trotted to the simulation room. Glancing up at the computer panel, she noticed Dru was already inside. She stepped through the door and stopped, stunned.

  An intimate, dimly lit restaurant filled the space. Its dark gray ceiling reached high and arched into points, punctuated with divots of shadow. A trio of dancers writhed and twirled on a stage to the left, while the musicians moved around the room. Dru had even simulated other patrons so Daith didn’t spot him at first.

  As she weaved toward him, the food smells intensified. Some sort of spice tickled her nose, causing her mouth to water. The lights shifted from gold to amber. The music changed, a quicker tempo. The dancers accelerated their steps to musical pulses, their hoofed feet stomping and clicking.

  “Welcome,” Dru said, gesturing for her to take a seat.

  The cream-colored silky chair molded to her body. “Thanks.” Daith noticed he wore the same clothes he had on earlier and felt foolish at how much time she’d spent on her outfit. “This program is incredible.”

  “It’s a recreation of a restaurant I used to go to when I was younger,” he said. “The species are called Manachs,” he said, in reference to the dancers and musicians.

  “Manachs?” Daith recalled. “Trey spoke of them the other day. He said he lived with two Manach families in his housing structure.”

  “I know,” Dru said.

  “You know he told me about his childhood?” Daith asked, surprised.

  “No. I know he lived with two Manach families. And a Grassuwerian one.”

  “Trey told me he’d never told anyone the story of his past.”

  “He didn’t have to tell me. I was there.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Trey is my older brother.”

  Daith stared at him for a moment before she mentally kicked herself for not realizing the connection before. The resemblance between the two men wasn’t strong, especially the difference in accents, but they both had the same angular jaw line and pointed noses.

  “I can’t believe I never put it together,” she said. “So you’re the younger brother Trey mentioned.”

  Dru nodded. “What did he tell you?”

  “He mostly talked about how the war changed your world.” She didn’t know if she should mention Trey had spoken about their mother’s death. Even though Dru would know about the incident, she still felt voicing it would be betraying Trey’s confidence.

  Their food arrived shortly, plates of creamy white sauces smothering thick, warm puffed starches. A dense and rich meal, but not so heavy Daith couldn’t have seconds.

  “What was being in a war like?” she asked. She bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry. Is that too personal?”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it. I didn’t see too much action. The war started when I was eleven. For three years I worked in the weapons factories before the government drafted me to fight. I was only on the front lines for a year, unlike Trey who was there for all four. But then Jaxx came and ended the war.”

  “He ended a whole war? How’d he manage that?” Daith asked.

  Dru choked on a piece of food. After a few frightening moments, he swallowed. “Guess it went down the wrong way.”

  “It happens to everyone.”

  “I suppose,” he said, his cheeks flushed. “But lucky for you, you can’t remember embarrassing moments like that.”

  Daith noticed even the simulated patrons had stopped their meals to see what had happened. “True, but I wouldn’t mind if it meant I could remember something.”

  “I don’t know,” Dru said. “There are definitely some things I’d like to forget.”

  “Oh? Juicy and embarrassing moments from your life, huh?” she teased. “Well, since I don’t have memories of my own, I insist you tell me yours—the more outrageous, the better.”

  Dru laughed. “Well, one time, at eleven years old, I came across an itsu bird, screeching….”

  “Do you think you’ll need another day of rest,” Dru asked after dinner, “or do you feel ready to start our work tomorrow?”

  “No, tomorrow’s fine. How does mid-afternoon sound?” She patted her stomach muscles, though satisfyingly full, hurt from laughing.

  “Sounds good.” The two of them paused at Daith’s quarters. The door slid open with a squeal.

  “Well,” Dru continued, “thanks for the invitation to dinner. I had a great time.”

  Daith mumbled something in agreement. Her gaze flicked around the corridor, avoiding Dru’s stare.

  “Um…” Dru said. “I guess this is goodnight, then.”

  Daith swallowed hard. “Uh-huh.”

  Dru took a half step toward Daith. Though they didn’t touch, Daith could feel energy emanate from his body, like heated static electricity.

  Dru cleared his throat and quickly stepped away from her. “Well, see you tomorrow.” He strode down the corridor.

  “Goodnight,” Daith called out after him. She went inside and flopped down on the bed. Her insides squirmed. What had just happened? She couldn’t remember ever feeling that type of sensation. Her whole body reacted toward him, but not solely as a physical attraction. The energy inside her wanted to touch his.

  She shook her head fiercely. That didn’t even make sense. Get a grip! You only met him a week ago.

  Daith’s head spun. Here she was, no memory, no family, no real friends, and getting wrapped in silly dinner stories and being called a medical marvel.

  She needed to stay focused and figure out her identity.

  Though Dru had said working on her unique abilities may help retrieve her memories faster....

  Then I’ll push my abilities to their limits if it helps me remember who I am.

  A yawn escaped her lips and her stomach gurgled with digestive contentment. Her eyes protested staying open. She stripped off her pants, popped a pill from the vial Dru had given her, and slid under the warm covers. The moment her eyelids slid shut, she fell asleep.

  Chapter 17

  Daith groaned at the ring of her door chime.

  “Go away,” she called out, pulling the covers over her head. Her bare feet stuck out at the other end.

  The chime rang again.

  Daith pushed off her covers and rolled off the bed. The sound continued until she staggered to the door and opened it. A gush of recycled air from the corridor blew her hair from her face.

  “I was asleep,” she said. “What do you want?”

  Dru stood there in silence, mouth slightly open.

  “What?” she asked.

  Dru averted his gaze. “Maybe you should get dressed.”

  Daith glanced at herself. She wasn’t wearing pants. “Oh, space!” she cursed. She pressed the panel to close the door.

  Daith grabbed the wrinkled ball of black slacks from the floor and slid them on over her underwear. Running her fingers through her hair, which stuck out in kinked angles, she opened the door again. Dru had taken a couple of steps away.

  “I-I didn’t know if you wanted me to wait,” he stammered.

  Daith blushed. “Maybe you were right. I probably could have done without the memory of this embarrassing moment.” She let out a couple shaky laughs. “Why are you here so early?”

  Dru bridged the distance between them. “You wanted to meet this afternoon. It’s close to dinnertime.”

  “Dinnertime? What are you talking about? I barely laid down.” She stifled a yawn.

  “That was last night.”

  Daith glanced at her timereader, which indicated the lateness of the day. “Wow. I guess I needed rest.”

  �
��You are obviously still recovering from your trauma.”

  Daith let out an impatient sigh. “I feel fine. I needed sleep, that’s all.”

  Dru scrutinized her. “Maybe. But I’d like to run it by Doctor Ludd first.”

  “If you think it’s necessary. But really, I feel fine.”

  “I insist. Give yourself a little time to wake up. Meet me in Doctor Ludd’s office in a standard half hour?”

  “Sure.”

  *

  After he’d left, Dru knew he shouldn’t be thinking about it, but he couldn’t get the image of Daith’s barely dressed body out of his head—slim hips, smooth thighs. Even her bare feet enticed him.

  I can’t be attracted to her. I’m her doctor. It’s unethical.

  But he couldn’t really blame himself for his response. She was half-clothed.

  This is ridiculous.

  He couldn’t deny her allure. And he’d felt the energy reaction from her the night before. How was he supposed to explain that? He’d never even felt that with Riel.

  Sharp guilt stung him. How could he even think of comparing anyone else to Riel?

  He couldn’t. He would simply dismiss any interest unless purely professional.

  *

  Daith met Dru outside the doctor’s office. They waited until Dr. Ludd finished with a vidlink call, their gazes wandering across the walls splattered with pictures from his children, diplomas, and letters from patients he’d helped. When he glanced up at the new visitors, the doctor’s pink eyes blinked twice before he broke into a smile.

  “Ah, Miss Tocc. Back so soon? Everything’s okay, right? No dizziness or nausea? No cramping or fever? No—”

  “No, Doctor Ludd,” Daith interrupted. “I feel fine.”

  “Good, good. Then, to what do I owe this pleasant visit?”

  Dru stepped forward. “Actually, I had a quick question I’d like to run by you.”

  “Of course, Doctor Xiven,” Dr. Ludd said. “What would you like to know?” He adjusted his gravlift so he could meet Dru’s eye line.