“The beginnings will help you out.” Daith read the first letter of each sentence. They spelled B-Y-O-T. She was supposed to get the next clue from Lieutenant Byot.
Daith took off, flying down four flights of stairs to engineering. She approached Lieutenant Byot, out of breath.
Lieutenant Byot handed her the next datapad and smiled. “I knew you’d get this far. I’ve got a bet going with Lieutenant Koye. Don’t let me down!”
Daith turned on the datapad, realizing she had less than a standard half hour left and still two clues to go.
“You’re making me nervous, and I don’t want to lose, so this next clue is going to be really hard.
“Clue #4:
I connect those at the top
Without me you cannot cross
You’ll plummet if you fall from up above
But if I’m up, you’re at a loss”
“I connect those at the top” didn’t seem to help her so she moved to the line “without me you cannot cross.” She knew the ship’s levels were spread out in ‘t’ shapes, so she figured the clue meant one of the rooms in the center, which you would have to go through if you made your way straight across from one side to the other. The next line “you’ll plummet if you fall from up above” made her think the location was on the upper level, but then “if I’m up, you’re at a loss” really confused her. She took a moment to go over each center room: the engineering room, in which she currently stood, so that couldn’t be it, the mystery room on the fifth floor which she didn’t have access to, so one more crossed off the list. Fourth floor had the mess hall, where she had already gotten a clue, and below that the simulation rooms, where she had started. That left the bridge.
“Of course! I connect those at the top, meaning the bridge lies between Trey and Lieutenant Commander Cenjo’s offices. If you fall off a bridge you’ll plummet into the water below, and if the bridge is up, you can’t walk across it.” Daith said all this out loud while she raced upstairs to the bridge. She had about fifteen standard minutes left.
Lieutenant Koye handed her the datapad without a word, glowering. Daith waited until the screen lit up and anxiously read the last clue as she left the bridge. This one ran longer and the words appeared different.
“You’ve done well, but you’re being distracted.
Dru will be lost forever and you will have failed.
“Last and Final Clue:
Nothing is what it appears to be
You’ve realized this through your time here
There are many who lie, deceive, and trick
Preying on doubt and fear
You’re being betrayed, it’s all a lie
Your life is just an illusion
In your mind is the truth
To break through your confusion.”
A chill ran up her spine. Something bothered her about the message, but Daith couldn’t place it.
Daith’s stomach churned with unease, but she shifted her focus on the words. She thought she knew the answer, but her conclusion didn’t make sense. The clue made her think she should return to the simulation room, which contained things that appeared real but weren’t. Except she’d already been there.
Daith didn’t have any other choice—she was nearly out of time. She ran to the simulation room and hunted around for another datapad. Empty. She reread the clue again, searching for what she had missed, when she remembered something. Sifting through the five datapads, she found the one with the first clue and read the first line.
“Hiding here where things aren’t real…” Daith eyed the empty room. “Computer, end program.” The room’s width grew by three meters and there stood Dru, grinning. He had created a program to make the room seem smaller.
“Congratulations,” he said. “You saved me from the clutches of evil.”
“That’s what clue number three meant,” Daith said, suddenly realizing it. “It told me I should have already won. The line about ‘beginnings’ meant I should have checked the first datapad again. I could have won right there!”
“Yes, but you figured out the answer anyway. I’m impressed. It took me quite a while to come up with clues I thought would be hard enough.”
Daith handed Dru the datapads. “You did well. But why the game at all?”
“Thought this might be a fun version of a test. Problem-solving and making connections in your mind from words to images to reality.” Dru pushed his hair from his face. “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Want to grab something to eat?”
She half-bowed. “Anything for the man I rescued.”
Chapter 26
Daith nudged some stacks of datapads aside with her foot and settled into the chair across from Dru’s desk. Her stomach growled with anticipation while the food chute hummed. When their meals arrived, Dru handed her a tray.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It’s called ulah uun. It’s a fungus from Sintaur. I was happily surprised when I noted the dish on the menu, but Trey did love it growing up, so I understand why it’s here.”
Daith cut through the prickly, green growth and placed a bite in her mouth. The morsel crunched and an explosion of tartness hit her taste buds. The back of her mouth ignited in protest as her lips puckered.
“That is so bitter!”
Dru placed a vial of creamy yellow liquid in front of her. “You’re supposed to pour this sauce over it.”
Unconvinced, Daith dribbled the sauce over the fungus and took a smaller bite. To her amazement, the tartness balanced with sweetness.
“Much better,” she said through a full mouth.
Dru grinned. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I do. It’s a perfect end to a fun day. The ‘Hunt for Dru’ game was really great. The exact break I needed.” She paused. A quiver of warmth, which had nothing to do with her meal, filled her stomach. She knew she could ask about the sadness she’d felt from him after their furniture session. “You seemed to have needed a break, too.”
“I suppose I’ve been ‘investing’ in our work a lot.”
“Because you’re excited? Or is there something else?” Daith held her breath.
Dru swirled the sauce for the fungi around his plate. “I lost someone close to me a while ago. It’s been—difficult. Working with you has been a good distraction.”
Daith let the silence hang. She wanted to ask him about it, know more about his life outside this ship, but she felt guilt twisting in her gut. She had no reason to feel guilty, but the stronger the feeling became, the odder it felt, like the sensation pressed on her.
Daith changed the subject. She thought about the final clue Dru had written—about how uneasy the words had made her feel.
“Maybe I read too much into it, but were you trying to tell me something with the final clue?” she asked. “I mean, other than where to find you?” The guilty feeling subsided when Dru looked up.
“No. Why?”
“I don’t know. Something in the wording.” Daith pointed at the last datapad.
“It seems pretty straightforward to me,” he said. He read the lines out loud. “‘Start at start and end at end, follow the way to find me, I can see you standing there, but it is I you cannot see.’ Not the most elegant wording I suppose.”
“Those words aren’t right,” she said. “I read something different.”
“Are you sure?” He pressed several buttons on it, flipping through different screens.
“Positive.”
“What did it say?”
Daith’s words caught in her throat. “Something about where things aren’t real. That’s why I thought of the simulation room. I don’t remember the rest.” Her tongue felt thick in her mouth at the lie.
Dru frowned. “Maybe a previous file got loaded by mistake. I’ll check the archives later.”
Daith let the subject drop, the words of the last part of the clue running through her head. You’re being betrayed, it’s all a lie; your life is just an illusion; in your
mind is the truth; to break through your confusion. If Dru hadn’t written the clue, someone had, and they meant for her to read it. But why?
Dru smirked.
“What?” she asked, still distracted.
“There’s something I want to show you.”
Her stomach gurgled. “I don’t know if I can take much more fun and excitement today.”
“Don’t worry. I swear this will be completely dull and boring,” he joked.
“Oh, boy,” Daith muttered. The two of them left his office and headed up to the fifth floor. They passed through a door next to Dr. Ludd’s office and climbed a vertical ladder. The cramped tube caused Daith to knock her knees and elbows more than once.
“Could they have made this access shaft any smaller?”
Dru laughed from above. “It’s not convenient, I know, but it’s the only way to get where we’re going. The usual way is restricted right now.”
“Restricted?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Maybe Dru would tell her about the mysterious center room.
“Yes,” Dru said. He reached the top of the tube, pulled on a latch, and the hatch above him opened outward. “I’m not sure why. Trey only told me the room contains some kind of delicate mechanics.” He pulled himself out of the tube and offered his hand.
Daith meant to ask what he guessed might be in there, but the words died on her lips. Her head rolled upward to the ceiling—a ceiling that wasn’t there.
Her hands went to her mouth in shock. “Dru?”
“Welcome to the observatory.”
Daith gazed through the transparent protection above her into the vastness of space.
“Doctor Ludd told me you two hadn’t made it up here on your tour so I thought I would surprise you.”
Though she’d been in the simulation rooms, something felt different about the real thing. Knowing only a thin layer of clear material separated her from the void made her heart skip.
The sight included a partial view of Dru’s ship, the Reminiscence, and a portion of the spaceport where they were docked. The rest—utter blackness, so dark the stars blazed with pure whiteness.
And the universe stretched forever.
“Dru,” she said, turning to him. Her fingers quivered.
“Daith, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, I just...” She paused. “I come from somewhere out there. And everything is so far. So many things I loved are lost and I don’t even remember them. How will I ever find out who I am?”
Dru pulled her into his arms. She buckled under his support, taking in his warmth, his safety.
“I’m so sorry,” he told her. “I didn’t think—”
“No, this is—it’s wonderful. Really,” she insisted. “I just…I want to know who I was. Who I am.” Her chest still hurt, tight with fear. Energy poured from her, mixing with his own, crackling like static.
Dru’s face hardened and he pulled away to look into her eyes. “You may not know who you were, but I think I know enough to tell you who you are. You are an independent, strong, gifted woman who I think will accomplish anything you set your mind to. If you want to find out who you used to be, you will, but don’t ignore how amazing you are, even without that knowledge.” Dru gestured toward the cosmos. “You’ve done so much more than anyone I’ve ever met in your condition. And no matter how big the galaxy is, you will be able to decide who you are, past or no past.”
A calm settled over her and her muscles relaxed. “You really believe that, don’t you.” The words were a statement, not a question.
“I do.” He smiled, but it seemed reserved.
“What is it?” she asked.
Dru turned his face away and peered into the vacuum of space. “It’s—it’s nothing.”
Daith placed her hand on his arm. Warmth spread upwards into her fingertips. The energy flowed between them—comforting, unique. “Dru…”
Dru’s eyes closed and he gently covered her hand. “Daith, this has been difficult for me. As your doctor, I care about your well-being, but as a man, I shouldn’t…I shouldn’t care this much.” He turned toward her, his face crinkled with sorrow. “There is something so special about you, your abilities, your gifts. I don’t know if it’s the fact I’m slightly empathic and we’ve been working so closely together or because of my grief…” he trailed off, unable to continue, and Daith watched him struggle with his thoughts.
“Please,” she said, her stomach somersaulting. She could feel the energy from his body pulsating off him in waves. “Tell me.”
Dru straightened, removing her hand from his arm. “My contract to work with you is near completion.”
Taken aback by the abrupt change in subject, Daith’s stomach muscles clenched. “Okay…?” she said.
“I will be your doctor until then,” he said, stressing the word. “And our sessions are already intense. I can’t let it be more than that.” He held up his hands to keep her from interrupting. “What I mean is, it’s my job to help you, make sure you are safe, but if I cross that line…. I won’t allow it. It’s the code of ethics I live by, a promise I made when I took an oath to be a doctor.”
She hesitated, her heart beating in her throat. “And after your contract is over?”
Dru pushed a lock of hair away from her forehead. “Right now, it’s not over.”
Her skin tingled at his touch. “I understand.”
Dru clasped his hands in front of him. “Well, now you know how to get to the observatory. Feel free to come any time you want.”
“I will.” Daith followed him down the access tube. Something had changed. Undefined, yet their connection was more than doctor and patient.
Chapter 27
The following morning, Daith made her way to Dr. Ludd’s office for her nerve-tracing pills check-up. She thought about Dru the entire time and although she tried, she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. The more she resisted, the harder her cheeks flushed.
Not that her daydreams mattered. Nothing could happen between them. He was her doctor. And yet, a man existed underneath the title—imaginative, clever, attentive, fun. Not to mention attractive. Plus he truly cared about her and really wanted to help.
Perhaps when she left the ship to search for her past he would want to come with her. The thought made the warmth in her belly purr.
Daith blinked rapidly to clear her mind of these thoughts as she arrived at Dr. Ludd’s office.
“Please come in, Miss Tocc,” Dr. Ludd said after she knocked. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”
The bare walls stood out—a striking contrast from the clutter he usually had pasted around the room: pictures of his children, the newest articles on medical marvels, his credentials.
“Are you painting?” Daith asked.
“No, Miss Tocc. I’m retiring.”
Daith gaped at him. “I thought you loved medicine?”
“More than you know. But I miss my family and I’m tired of compromising.” Dr. Ludd hesitated before he spoke again. “Commander Xiven is a wonderful leader, but he and I don’t always agree.”
“So why not work for someone else?”
“It’s not that easy. I’ve made mistakes in the past and…let’s just say I’m not as desirable anymore.”
Daith wanted to ask what he meant, but the question seemed too personal. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
Daith’s shoulders slumped at his sudden departure date, but said nothing. She took a seat in the examination room and waited.
*
Dr. Ludd squirmed while he postponed his examination of Daith. He knew what Trey had ordered him to do, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. At the current rate of Daith’s sessions, Trey would kill the girl. Dr. Ludd still hated himself for letting Dru continue on with his tests, even though Daith’s headaches, nosebleeds, anger, and loss of control all pointed to being overworked.
Except that’s exactly what Trey wanted. He needed her to be unstable and on edg
e. Well, Dr. Ludd wouldn’t help anymore. He’d done his share of wrong, but always on those who’d volunteered, never on someone innocent.
Dr. Ludd reentered the examination room. He took blood and tissue samples, checked Daith’s vitals, and told her he’d be back shortly with the results.
Dr. Ludd threw the samples away. He hadn’t tested anything. The charade was an excuse to keep Daith on the dream-deflector pills. He’d been ordered to go back in the room and tell her she needed to keep taking the pills, under the pretense they would continue to monitor her nerve reactions for another week.
But he couldn’t.
No matter the price.
Dr. Ludd floated to back where Daith waited, took a deep breath, and smiled.
“Everything looks perfect. You have no need to take those pills anymore.”
Daith smiled. “Great!” She paused and placed her hand on his flipper. “Thank you, Doctor Ludd. For everything. And I’m really going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too,” he said, patting her hand. “Good luck, Miss Tocc.” He watched her leave. “And sweet dreams.”
Dr. Ludd returned to his office and let out a wobbly sigh. Now or never. He picked up the microchip with his flipper and slotted the device into the ship’s computer through his medical terminal. The ship scanned the chip and confirmed the doctor’s genetic pattern.
Dr. Ludd hit the communications panel and called Cadet Milastow to the medical wing. Milastow wasn’t fully trained, but she’d have to do for the time being. He didn’t trust anyone else with his crew.
Dr. Ludd gurgled a laugh. After all this time, he still thought of them as his crew. His responsibility. But how could he protect them when he knew what Commander Xiven really had planned?
He felt like a coward—running away when he should stay and fight, but what could he do? He was a doctor, not a warrior. His training didn’t include combat. And if he couldn’t help others...
Eomix Galaxy Books: Illusion Page 17