by Viola Grace
Bits got up and headed upstairs, knocking on his office door and waiting for the answer.
“Come in.”
Bits opened the door and entered, closing it behind her. Turnari was standing next to the window, and he was looking out at the landscape.
“You are late.”
She bowed at the waist. “I apologise. I overslept.”
The scent of flowers filled the air, and he walked over to stand in front of her. She could see his feet.
“Apology accepted.”
She stood and a huge bouquet of flowers was in the cradle of his arm.
“Good morning, Turnari.”
He smiled. “Good morning, Bits. These are for you.”
He extended his arm just enough to make her step forward. The moment she took the step, he wrapped his free arm around her and he kissed her.
She waited for a moment until her toes tingled, and then, she started to kiss him back. He backed up slightly, so she grabbed one of his horns and held him down so that she could continue to warm from the toes up.
When she finally let him go, he licked her lips before he backed up. The scent of flowers was strong between them, and the heat that they had generated seemed to be affecting them.
He eased the flowers into her arms. “They are flowers that one of the horticultural talents works with. When a couple is compatible, the scent gets stronger.”
She blushed and looked at the purple and blue blooms. “They are still very pretty.”
“They have to be pretty in order to get them between the couple that wants to try them out.”
“Or in order to try a partner out for size.”
He chuckled and stroked her cheek. “I knew about you the moment that I touched your mind. It was only your illness that stopped me from making an earlier declaration.”
Bits looked up at him. “Really?”
“Truly. You didn’t need any other stress in your life.”
She chuckled. “That is true. I was just waiting for the moment when it wasn’t pity that swelled your thoughts when you saw me.”
He stroked her cheek again. “What do you sense now?”
Their minds met and melded as she looked into his dark eyes. Pity was way back in his mind. He was aroused, interested and fascinated first. Amused second and hoping that she kept putting weight on until she was fit was third.
She let him see her fascination with the clear beauty of his features, the shine of his horns and the twist of his lips when he smiled.
They kissed again, and it wasn’t until Kalo knocked on the door that they separated.
She buried her face in the flowers as Kalo came in to notify Turnari that there was an urgent call for him on a secure line.
“I will speak with you later, Turnari.” She started to walk out.
“Stay. I believe this concerns you.”
Kalo gave her a startled look, but Bits shrugged.
She had a seat and stroked the flowers in her arms while Turnari took the call.
He was right. She was being asked to help out on a world in riot. Bits jerked when she heard Turnari announcing that he was coming along.
Kalo’s mouth opened, and he looked at her in accusation.
She tried to express that she had no clue as to what was going on.
Kalo scowled, and when the call was over and Turnari was standing, he said, “You can’t go.”
Turnari raised his brows. “I beg to differ. You are more than competent to manage the events of the Citadel for a few days while we go to try and appease a chemically stimulated horde.”
Kalo blinked. “Yes, Administrator. Do you know how long it will be?”
“I will say that it will be three days minimum. The supplies are ordered, I will leave you full authorization and we will see you when we get back.”
Bits looked down at her flowers, sadly. “Kalo, can you take care of these until I get back?”
For the first time, his guard lowered slightly when he looked at her. “Of course. I will make sure they survive until you return, even if I have to drag the horticultural specialists up here every day.”
She smiled weakly. “Then, I had better get my armour.”
Turnari offered his arm. “I need to pack as well. It has been a while.”
They left his office and went down to the twelfth floor. He escorted her to her quarters and then continued on down the hall. Funnily enough, she had never guessed that he lived on her floor.
She got her bag of bodysuits ready and stepped into her armour, clipping the visor protectors onto her ears. When she was all set, she headed for the door and found Turnari waiting for her in the hallway.
He was wearing black and gold robes that made him look sinister and dramatic. It was a good look for him.
His bodysuit was the same black as his robes, but the pattern showed the definition of light armour.
She took his arm, and they headed for the lift.
“Are you uneasy about this mission?” His tone was low.
“Not really. I will get the briefing data and read it in the shuttle. I will get uneasy just before we land.”
He grinned. “Interesting technique.”
“I have had that as a coping mechanism since I was in school. I have a flutter of panic right before I start something, and then, I just get on with it.”
“What happens later?”
“I need to sleep the stress off.”
Turnari chortled. “Interesting technique.”
“You said that already.”
“I stand by it.”
They met the driver waiting next to the transport and got a lift over to the base. The shuttle was waiting with Seer and Order already seated and ready.
It was when she saw the members of the Sector Guard that Bits began to appreciate what they were flying toward. This wasn’t a negotiation; there were lives at stake.
She strapped in, brought up her briefing files and started to read.
Turnari was acting as her bodyguard and her manager during the intervention. He would find out where she was needed and make sure that she got there.
The world under them had been the victim of a chemical warfare effort by a species that had been driven off. The unfortunate result of the attack was that the population was killing each other.
Seer and Order were going to the north of the capital city where the worst of the chemical contamination had struck.
Turnari and Bits were going to start at the southern end of the city and work their way up toward the others. Everyone was wearing masks, and Bits was glad she was nervous, because she was going to have to broadcast a lot of sweat.
“Are you ready?” Turnari kept his tone low.
“Yes. I think I have picked the appropriate emotion to calm this down. It will still let folks defend themselves, but it might stop the violence.”
Turnari nodded, and the rear hatch opened, letting them leave the shuttle in a flick of energy and silent propulsion. Seer and Order were already gone.
The moment they were clear, the shuttle lifted up and got to a safe distance. They had one vehicle and no one wanted to have it destroyed.
Bits hung onto Turnari as they cruised over the battered city. She released one arm, and when she saw a crowd, she sent out a fine mist of emotion-charged spray.
“What are you spraying them with?”
She whispered, “Compassion. I am forcing empathy. I hope it will work.”
She looked back at the crowd she had blasted, but the mist was dissipating slowly, and it hadn’t struck them yet. This was going to be tricky. “Get me to where we are staging, and I need a test subject.”
“I can manage that.” The riot runner tilted and picked up speed.
He selected a spot and nodded to her. “Wait here.”
He left the riot runner and sprinted down the hill a few blocks before he hauled a fighting and spitting young man with him.
When they were twenty feet away, Bits spritzed him. He paused, shook
his head and looked around. “Oh dear. This isn’t any good. Do you need help?”
Turnari nodded. “We need to find large groups of your people, but you must remain at a distance.”
“There is a group six blocks north looting all the shops.”
“Thank you. Now, go home and stay safe. When this is over, there will be an announcement.”
The young man nodded and bolted.
Turnari nodded. “Excellent choice. Do you want to take the runner or go on foot?”
“I want the runner. This will work best if I can spray more of them from a distance.”
“Fair enough. Let’s get started.”
Crowds were sprayed with compassion, one by one. She drank plenty of water and made sure that she was exerting herself enough to keep the emotional cloud functioning.
Six hours later, Bits was delighted that Mala had made such a fine misting system. Turnari found stragglers and they worked their way up to where Order was hypnotizing rioters into a calm and orderly evacuation.
Bits sprayed the block of them and leaned against Turnari. Programming the spray was taking a toll.
Order came over. “What did you do to them? They are not fighting me.”
“I fought chemicals with chemicals. They have been given a dose of liquid compassion. They are now thinking of others with charity.” She smiled weakly.
“Can you do it again?”
“Yes, but I need to rest first. If you have a sprayer, I can drain the system and you can spritz folks with it.”
Order nodded. “I think we can find something. What are you spraying?”
“Sweat programmed with an emotion. It also works with blood and urine, but it gets a little messy. My sweat is neutral, so it isn’t nearly as bad as it could be.”
Order nodded. “Right. I will get Seer to look for some kind of a spray device.”
“Ask some of the converted. You need some kind of applicator used for plants or yard work.” Bits’ head rolled around. She was exceptionally tired.
“That is enough for her for today. I am taking her back to the shuttle so she can eat and rest.”
Seer nodded. “Give me a moment. I will see what I can find.”
Bits leaned against Turnari, and he supported her while they waited. It took ten minutes for Seer to return, but when he did, he had exactly what Bits had described.
He opened the canister, and Bits put her fists over the opening, purging her suit.
Two litres of liquid filled the canister, and when her suit finally ran dry, she gave the final instructions. “Don’t breathe it in and don’t get it on your skin.”
Seer and Order nodded.
Turnari walked her back to the riot runner, and he called the shuttle for a rendezvous.
She chuckled and whispered into his shoulder. “I am going to need a lot of tea, water and whatever else you can think of if I am supposed to do this again tomorrow.”
“We will get you rehydrated. Your health is my largest concern.”
She held on, and he took them back to the one safe place on the entire world.
On city pacified, four more to go.
Chapter Eight
Two days later, when the people were calm, relaxed and taking care of the damage, it was time to head home.
Bits was shaking wildly. Her body was in an uproar, and she had no idea that her skin could produce that much sweat. Turnari kept her in the curve of his arm, and he acted as her calming influence on their flight back to Morganti.
Other members of the Sector Guard were seeking out the attackers who had launched the weapons. That wasn’t Bits’ job. She had done what they had asked her to.
Turnari looked down at her and grimaced, flicking his gaze to Seer. “Call the base and have Effin meet us at the shuttle. She is going into shock.”
Seer nodded, and Order came over to her and knelt in front of her.
“You are calm, you are breathing easily and your muscles are relaxing.”
Bits looked at her and felt the pressure on her mind. “Order, I am sorry. I really wish that that worked.”
Order sighed. “I tried. It works for ninety-eight percent of people.”
“Except for those with a psychic talent that works on empathy or telepathy.” Bits chuckled.
Order chucked, and she returned to her seat. “I had hoped that you didn’t know that.”
“It was an educated guess.”
Order cocked her head and looked over. “How long does your chemical reprogramming last?”
“It is pretty indefinite. If they want to remain happy and peaceful, they will. If they don’t, they won’t.”
Order smiled. “Fair enough. It is more than I could offer. All I can do is call them.”
“Yes, but that sped up the process tremendously by getting them all in the same place. It meant I didn’t have to sweat quite as much to cover the same area.”
“It was quite the effective pairing, your talent and mine.” Order grinned.
Bits continued to shake, but she nodded. “I think so as well. Well, think of me the next time you need to pacify a large crowd and have it stick.”
“I will. Don’t worry; Effin will find a way to balance you out.”
Turnari sighed. “The problem is that Abitika hasn’t had a calibrating scan. Her body hasn’t been completely normal since she arrived, and the normal levels aren’t on record or I could use the med kits here to supplement her.”
Seer returned from the cockpit and nodded. “Right. Well, we will be there in two hours. Just hold tight until then, and we will see you in the hands of the best medic we know.”
Bits nodded and dozed against Turnari’s shoulder. She would be home soon.
The woman with the long blue hair was not Effin, and her hands were definitely not as pleasant.
Bits heard her voice screaming as her body caught fire.
“Right, she is stable for a few minutes, get her out of that suit.”
Bits groaned and tapped her feet until the suit opened. She had never tried it lying down before, but strong arms lifted her out of the suit and put her on a nearby med table.
“Abitika, my name is Reset. This is going to hurt, but you are going to be in much better condition when I finish with the healing.”
She nodded and looked up at the woman. “Do what you have to. I will hold my talent in.”
“Will it be that dangerous?”
“I might share the pain. I don’t think you would like that.”
Bits lay still and the fire took over.
An hour later, Turnari helped her sit up. To her surprise, her curves were back and she didn’t feel shaky anymore.
“I think this suit is a little too tight.” The fabric was stretched snugly across her breasts and appeared to be flirting with the idea of going translucent.
Reset looked tired, but she grinned. “I have a few outfits coming from the quartermaster for you. You were lucky they brought you here. Your organs were shutting down. Effin might have been able to get to you in time, but I am glad they brought you here.”
A Kozue appeared at the door with a stack of fabric in his hands. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, Mist. I think Abitika needs some privacy.”
Turnari remained with her, and to her embarrassment, he helped her get into a replacement bodysuit.
“I have seen all your medical scans, and I am your fiancé. We will soon have few secrets.” He pulled out a deep lavender suit that had a long skirt built in.
She chuckled and pulled the suit on, sealing it over her breasts before turning to the left and right. Bits still felt weak, but she felt like herself again after more than two years.
Turnari cleared his throat. “Well, the suit fits. Mist has a good eye for sizes.”
“What exactly did Reset do?” She ran her hands over her backside.
“She put you back to your genetically healthy settings. She reads DNA and resets the patient to those settings.” Turnari nodded though his dark ga
ze seemed to have difficulty leaving her new curves.
“Where did she gain the extra mass?”
“She used nutrient drips and saline packs.”
“I don’t remember that.”
Turnari walked up to her and wrapped her in his arms. “I would be surprised if you did. It looked painful.”
“Oh, it was. It isn’t a memory I wanted, but it is now a memory I can use. I can make it into something that I can weaponize.” She smiled against his chest.
The last aches and pains faded while in his arms and he held her in the middle of the med lab.
Turnari gave her a squeeze. “One meal and then we are back on our way to Morganti.”
“Good. I promised the girls that I would try and visit. I mean they knew that I left, but I want to spend a bit of time with them when we get back.”
“You really enjoy children?” There was a peculiar hitch to his tone.
“Yes. I babysat for the local kids a lot when I was in school. If my sister hadn’t wanted Hesko, he probably would have proposed to me, and we would have had a kid by now. As it was, everything changed.”
“Did you love Hesko?”
“Of course not, but he was a good man, handsome and steady. I would have finished the first apprenticeship I was in, and as a journeyman, we would have been on equal footing.”
“So, you would not have married for love?” His tone was chiding her for her previous statements.
“I would have chosen compatibility. When you can manipulate emotion, it doesn’t mean as much as feeling a genuine comradeship.” She looked up at him. “Like I feel with you.”
His smile disappeared as they kissed.
Her stomach rumbled, and he grinned against her lips. “I think we should get that meal and get on our way.”
She wrinkled her nose and nodded. “I can eat.”
They left the med bay, and Reset met them in the hall. She led them to the dining area where Bits was set loose on the buffet.
The armour did actually adjust to her when she crawled back into it, and their trip to Morganti was engaged in in relative comfort.
Bits looked to Seer and inclined her head. “Thank you for your detour.”
He shrugged. “It was what presented itself in my sight. I simply paid attention.”