Echoes of Memories (Nepherium Novella Series Book 2)

by Samantha LaFantasie

  ECHOES OF MEMORIES

  A NEPHERIUM NOVELLA SERIES – PART TWO

  Samantha LaFantasie

  Echoes of Memories

  Published by Samantha LaFantasie

  http://www.samanthalafantasie.com

  Copyright © 2014

  by Samantha LaFantasie

  1st Ed.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transferred in any form, or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the author.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  DISCLAIMER

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  COVER ART PROVIDED BY IDA OF AMYGDALA DESIGN

  EDITING PROVIDED BY KRIS KENDALL OF FINAL-EDITS AND REBECCA HAMILTON

  TRANSLATIONS PROVIDED BY GORDON VIVACE OF INDIE AUTHOR PROMOTIONS

  PROOFREAD BY EMERALD BARNES

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  I was most especially nervous by this continuation. It’s always surprising how much my nerves are affected by the same endeavor and even more so with this series. I’ve never been happier to have a team of talented and supportive individuals backing me and helping make this story much stronger than I ever could’ve done on my own.

  First of all to the readers, for being so excited about Elsa’s story and anxious to read the next installment, you have my undying gratitude. Your helpful reviews have given me motivation to keep going on this path, and your excitement has kept me writing.

  Next, to my wonderful spouse and children, for waiting patiently for their shot at my attention while I slaved away at the computer for days on end. I love each of you dearly, and more and more each day.

  And to my betas … Some of you have been here for me from day one and some of you have come into my life more recently. Regardless of how our paths crossed, your support and advice has helped me become a better author and a better person. You’ve caught the most embarrassing mistakes and provided some stellar feedback. I salute you.

  To my fantastic editors, you make my writing look flawless and my prose exceptional. If there was ever a luckier lady in this world, I’m a close second.

  To Elaine Stevens-Ramirez, for your wonderful doctor name: Ryan Strickland.

  To Kelly Whitley, for your medical expertise and help with the questions on the stuff I didn’t know.

  To Alastair Rosie, for your help in choosing the title: Echoes of Memories.

  Lastly, to Gordon Vivace, for your impeccable expertise on Latin.

  For a storyteller, words are all I have to show my gratitude and appreciation for the time and effort it takes in making my worlds come alive and be forever immortalized. I hope having my words, as simple as they are, printed and shown to the world makes them as special to you as your support has been to me.

  Thank you.

  A hundred-thousand times, thank you.

  DEDICATED TO

  ALL OUR HEROES AND HEROINES, AND THOSE WHO STOOD FOR CHANGE NO MATTER THE COST.

  YOU ARE THE TRUE PIONEERS OF OUR WORLD AND OUR FUTURE.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Special Deleted Scenes

  Scene One

  Scene Two

  Scene Three

  Scene Four

  Special Sneak Peak of Forced to Remember

  ONE

  I SUCKED IN A deep breath as my eyes opened and took in the ceiling of my bunk on Tartarus. My nights had been consumed by the same nightmare since waking in the hospital, back on Earth. Except, the dreams evolved to what I had come to realize was a memory, my last of the many lost from the past six years of my life. Each night, I received more details. Sometimes the details were huge. Sometimes they were small. The scene plays clearer each time, overwhelming me with the terrifying truths of what happened. I still remembered everything else through Swiss cheese, but I could piece things together without much effort. A small relief, but a large comfort.

  At least my progress could be measured by the length of time it takes me to calm down. Already my heartbeat returned to a normal pace, and my breaths evened. I’m no longer afraid to fall asleep.

  One week passed since Alexander exposed himself as an Aagrarian. One week since I failed to save the ones I loved. I failed to save my dad. I failed to stop Alexander. One week since waking up on Tartarus as a prisoner rather than soldier.

  My punishment was being kept at a distance, locked in a room, held under suspicion, alone, while Noah, my mom, and Justin struggled to live. At least that was my assumption. Since waking up on Tartarus, I was kept from my family and wasn’t privileged to information on their condition. Just saddened looks of pity.

  Yet, I couldn’t deny the fact that stared me in the face, daring me to acknowledge it. In my effort to save them, I sealed their deaths.

  I failed …

  Not only that, but I knew I was under surveillance. My every move watched and scrutinized, waiting for the one that would give them an excuse to deport me. I could almost feel their eyes on me, begging me with their silent thoughts to step out of line. Admiral Vassarious hadn’t been as forthcoming as I hoped. Instead of taking me in and debriefing me, per protocol, he saw me as a potential threat. An advocate to Alexander, traitor to my country, world, and the Aurora Vanguard. Temporary suspension would’ve been a lot easier to deal with. That would’ve been a smack on the hand compared to this evident banishment.

  Traitor … Killer …

  How I managed to keep my head as long as I had, I couldn’t say. Nor was I sure how much more I could take. Something had to give soon. I needed something to keep my hope alive. Hell, I needed a reason to believe there was anything to hope for.

  A chirp sounded from the speaker at my door, followed by a voice belonging to a soldier on the other side. Some poor sap sent to do Vassarious’ bidding.

  “Ehlers, report.”

  “Awake and well,” I replied in a flat tone then stood from the bed. Leaning against the wall, I limped to the thick white line that marked my required position whenever I was greeted by Tartarus personnel. The tips of my thermal sock covered toes touched the edge of the line with my legs spread shoulder-width apart and my hands placed behind my back with the palms facing out.

  Mere seconds passed before the soldier commanded, “Take position.”

  “Duh.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Repeat.”

  “Done.” Despite the gloom in the situation I faced, I found humor in having tripped the old speaker system in the space station. My lips pulled to a grin then slacked as the door slid open.

  My sight bypassed the soldier at the speaker and went straight to the redhead that stood just behind him in a pressed, navy blue and black officer’s uniform. The soldier stood to the s
ide, at attention, letting her pass through the door. Her jacket draped down the back of her legs. Her shiny silver buckle matched the jacket buttons that climbed her torso in a diagonal to her right shoulder. She was tall for human standards. Then again, she wasn’t human. She was Nepherium and someone I really didn’t want to see. Having avoided an encounter with her up to this point was considered a mercy. One no longer given.

  “Greetings, Sergeant. It’s been a while.” Her ruby painted lips pulled over her pearlescent teeth. Bright jade eyes with silver and gold specs glistened as they took me in, as if enjoying my reaction to her visit.

  “Captain Morrigan,” I muttered in greeting. Our last meeting didn’t end well, and I feared a similar outcome this time. All sense of militant formalities had escaped my better sense of judgment. I snapped to attention and brought my fist to my chest. The patch on the side of my leg pulled with a sharp tug.

  “Don’t worry, you can remain at ease.” She stepped to my desk and pulled out the chair then took a seat and gestured toward my bed, the only other spot available to sit at.

  Moving with care, and not wanting to give Morrigan a glimpse of weakness, I tried not to limp but failed. Resigned to what can’t be changed, I lowered myself onto the mattress and met the captain’s blank gaze. After a few moments of less than comfortable silence, I said, “Permission to speak at will?”

  “Of course.”

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Right. Well, I suppose you would remember that part of your life, wouldn’t you? Convenient, don’t you think? Out of the six years of your supposed missing memories, you remember me.”

  “No. It’s quite unfair and maddening. What do you want? To interrogate me? Please do. This is the same song and dance I’ve been forced into every day since arriving. You won’t get anything new because I don’t remember anything new. But please, knock yourself out.”

  “Your transparency with me will grant you more freedoms. Seeing your com—Captain Ehlers, for one.”

  “Compar. He’s my compar. Just say the damn word. It won’t choke you as much as you’d think.”

  “My clan refuses to honor your union. Nevertheless, it’s imperative that you remain transparent—”

  “I have remained transparent!” The sting of the Council’s distrust burned me. Although, I suppose if the situation was reversed …

  She shrugged and reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out a small black orb and holding it out where I could see. The face held a dial with a line of lights surrounding it. I recognized the contraption, having been threatened with it since my arrival. An apologetic smile graced her features until she shifted her gaze to mine and said, “Despite our history, I am on your side. Protocol dictates my actions.”

  “You have a detector in your hands, and you want me to believe you’re on my side? To hell with protocol.”

  “This will either buy you the information you’ve been seeking, or it will give you a one-way ticket off of Tartarus. This will link to your PIC. It will also monitor your pulse and alert me to any distress. So do yourself a favor and be very honest. May I begin?”

  She held still while I assessed her energy. She knew what I was doing and didn’t seem to hold anything back. Including the hostility she felt toward me.

  My side, my ass.

  I almost said a few things that would grant me that one-way ticket until I noticed that underneath the hostility was truth and calmness. After musing over that, I realized I had to do what she said to get what I wanted.

  Damn the Council!

  With a sigh, I allowed her to activate the contraption that would link to the barcode on my wrist that holds all of my personal information, including bank accounts and keys. It also keeps an encrypted record of my whereabouts, as well as any files from my past. Just a short time ago, I remembered that last part by overhearing a conversation on my way back to my room from another interrogation with the Council. All it took was hearing a Galactic Promotions Specialist explain what a Personal Identification Code was to a visiting prospective cadet for that memory to unlock and fall into place. PICs differ from the barcodes assigned to civilians. How that was remained locked away. I couldn’t imagine there being that much of a difference. Too bad my memories couldn’t be stored there, too.

  As the ball touched my palm, a shocking jolt shot up my arm. Electricity hummed through my hand and wrist, vibrating a continuous, soft buzz. I almost found it pleasant, relaxing. Beeps and flashing red and green lights signified its successful link.

  “Okay, the machine is ready. Are you?” Captain Morrigan asked.

  I nodded.

  “Let’s start with the basics. State your name, rank, and company.”

  “Elsabetha LeAnne Ehlers, Sergeant of the Aurora Vanguard, Avalon Division.”

  Three beeps, each one sounding higher than the last, came from the detector. The lights pulsed green. Captain Morrigan pulled out a notebook and pen from the pocket of her straight-legged slacks then jotted down a note.

  “What happened to you on October nine, twenty-four fifty-two?”

  “I was en route to Tartarus to deliver classified information to Admiral Vassarious when the transporter went down.”

  Three beeps. More notes.

  “What happened to the transporter?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

  Two short buzzes. The pulsing green lights dropped to solid red. A stern look from the captain.

  “What I mean is, I don’t remember. I can’t figure it out. The one thing I know for certain is I was alone when it hit ground.”

  Three beeps, green pulsing lights, with more notes. The captain appeared satisfied by something in my response.

  “Then what happened?” I started to open my mouth when the captain added, “Keep in mind the detector is remote-recording your responses. The Council is listening.”

  I looked hard at her composure. Is she thinking I’m going to tell her something I wouldn’t tell the Council? Is it a warning for something? Why point that out now?

  “I woke up in a hospital room about five days later with no memory of the accident and unable to remember a large part of the last six years of my life. The following afternoon, I was released to go home.”

  Buzz, buzz.

  “What the hell is wrong with this thing? I told the truth!”

  “The location you claim to have awoken in was not a hospital. It was an infirmary … of sorts.”

  “What do you mean? How do you know more than I do? What’s going on, Captain?”

  Rapid, tapping beats came from the detector.

  Captain Morrigan’s eyes went to the contraption in my hand. “Calm yourself, Sergeant.”

  I sighed, leaning against the side wall of my bunk, and crossed my free arm over my torso. What I wouldn’t give to wake from this nightmare.

  “Why are you blocking me?” the captain asked with a short clip in her tone.

  I turned my attention to her. “I’m—I’m not blocking you.”

  Buzz, buzz.

  I looked at the detector with confusion pinching my brow.

  “You are in a very delicate situation. If I were you, I’d watch what I said.” She shifted her eyes to the detector and back to mine, lifting her brows in emphasis. “Why are you blocking me?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Buzz, buzz.

  I stared at the contraption, entertaining the thought of tossing the damned thing across the room, then turned my attention to the captain. “I mean, I’m not aware of blocking anything.”

  “You’re blocking my attempt to read your mind. Why?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t feel you trying. I never block until then.”

  The detector responded with beeps and green flashing lights. I sighed. While the captain wrote more notes, I stared at the black orb. So many questions filled my mind, whispering in continuous succession. The click of a pen and the captain’s shift in movement drew my att
ention back to her. She stood from the chair and walked to me.

  “I don’t get it,” I said, making her stop mid-step. Her questioning look urged me to continue. “What is going on? Why am I being interrogated so much? I have a feeling this won’t be the last time. I haven’t lied, despite what this thing”–I lifted my hand with the detector—“thinks. I’ve remained compliant. I’m not a criminal. What. Is. Going. On. Captain? What charges have been brought against me to warrant this treatment?” My words must have been too much for the detector to bear, because it was silent. The pulsing green lights continued.

  She broke her gaze from me then heaved a sigh. It took her several moments of thinking to herself before she said, “I’m not at liberty to say.” She turned and sat back in her chair then crossed her legs and leaned forward over her knee. After a short pause, she inhaled a long breath, sighing out her next words. “You remember who I am?”

  “Yes.”

  Beep … beep … beep.

  “Who am I?”

  “You are Captain Natasha Morrigan, Nepherium, and head of the Atlantis Division of the Aurora Vanguard.”

  A single beep was followed by a buzz.

  “What did I lie about this time?”

  She closed her eyes as a weary smile stretched her ruby lips. “It’s not a lie detector, Sergeant. It’s a truth detector.”

  “Oh, and the difference being?”

  “It buzzes when it doesn’t detect the truth. Not that you didn’t speak truth but what you said wasn’t true.”

  “Fine. Whatever.” I rubbed my temple to ward off the on-coming headache. “Tell me what wasn’t truthful then.”

  “I’m not the head of the Atlantis Division. I never was, despite the common assumption.” Her words came out soft, calm … almost in reflection. Before I could ask further, she said, “You remembered that I am Nepherium, but do you remember what you are?”

  “Is that supposed to be a trick question?”

  She stared at me with a blank expression. “Answer the question, Sergeant Ehlers.”