by Lisa Eskra
There was always room for negotiation, even in the darkest times. The Xuranians had no need for slaves; their mechanoids were far superior in every way, but that didn't mean they wouldn't pillage worlds abundant in natural resources. Or force humanity to do things against their will. But at least if they opened the doors of communication, they'd know.
The eleven captives on Xur hadn't even been discussed. If she knew the chairman, he would deem them casualties of war because surrendering to save a few lives was ludicrous. Yet his hypocrisy astounded her since he'd demand to be rescued if he was being held captive.
Amii had been dismayed to learn Xander Adams was one of those left behind. With any luck he'd managed to stay alive in the confusion following the incident. That wiry coot had survived worse run-ins in his past, and it would be a shame to leave him at the mercy of the Xuranians. If he did make it, she already knew he'd be planning an escape.
"Tomorrow, I meet with Allied Fleet Command to discuss our military options," Dodd said. "I'm not asking for your support on the matter, but unless you want a lot of good people to die needlessly, you'll think about backing my proposals on the table. Saying yes is the patriotic thing to do. Good day to you, gentlemen."
She shook her head when the image winked out. Not backing the will of Chairman Dodd constituted political suicide throughout the AF. While he couldn't bully either of these men under his regime, giving them a guilty conscience marked only the beginning of his backlash. Many underhanded dealings never made it into the news because if they did, the political machine of the AC would be thrown into sudden turmoil.
One more firestorm and the AC may very well dissolve. That is, if this war didn't break them first.
Chapter Fourteen
After a quiet lunch, Magnius returned to his room in the East Annex of the Westwood Estate. "Amii, are you here?" he called.
As expected, she didn't respond. She sat in front of the window and stared outside. If a hunger strike would bring Xander back, she would've already won. For the past several days she hadn't left the room or spoken much. She'd been lost in her own world since they escaped Xur. Magnius couldn't tell if she preferred to be left alone or needed a friend to talk to. He often caught himself watching her, hoping she'd say what was on her mind but always decided to let her be.
Without thinking about it, he headed into the bathroom and emerged with a large container of pills. He sat down at the kitchen table and poured several of the white tablets onto a plate in front of him. His extraordinary display of power on Xur still left him drained, but the effects had subsided for the most part. He took the pills in his hand and closed his fingers around them.
He'd discovered his gift of molecular rearrangement by accident one day. After appearing in court at the divorce of his first wife, he found the nearest bar and ordered the strongest liquor they had. He held the glass in his hand for several minutes, too furious about the ordeal to drink it; after the anger passed, he noticed the clear liquid smelled like ether when it had originally smelled only of alcohol.
At the time he didn't know enough about molecular structure to be able to utilize his power. Over the next several years, he took night classes in organic chemistry to learn everything he could about building molecules piece by piece. It took him years of practice in order to replicate the exact structure of gammamine. Two of the drugs distributed to psions nowadays were fairly close…a cis-bond here, a hydride shift there, and a quick Claisen rearrangement was all it took. Not that long ago, all he had to work with were basic amino acids. Given enough time and a comparable starting material, he could transform anything into gammamine.
Of course, this ability was not without flaws. Early on, it took a great deal of time. Until he mastered the power, incomplete transformations often made him sick. The process also made people's ears ring incessantly and the sclera of his eyes glowed deep emerald. In many ways it was more dangerous for him than killing the weak-minded, though he took a great deal of solace in knowing he'd never taken a human's life to obtain it.
Amii never seemed to pay attention, but her silence suggested she condemned his flagrant display of telekinetic powers. Although it had been a footnote in the days following the attack, all of Astra now knew he was a psion. He should've just grabbed Nadine and Amii and made a run for it, but he'd foolishly acted on instinct to protect them. In the end with all the rumors swirling about a coming Xuranian invasion, it wasn't worth it. He doubted any of the humans unaccounted for survived the attack.
The government had been decidedly hush-hush about the Xuranians, deflecting questions and spinning the fear that blanketed Astra into positivity. For all anyone knew the Vice President was busy negotiating peace under their noses. That was his forte. Never had it been more vital.
He headed toward the sink and filled a glass with water, swallowing the tablets one by one and following each with a long drink. His attention returned to Amii, who sat curled up in the cream-colored recliner with her arms around her legs. The street below was filled with the weekend crowd, eager to get out and enjoy the day before curfew struck. But she didn't pay any attention to the people. Instead, she stared into the clear sky and waited for a sign that Xander was still alive out there.
How could the man have meant so much to her? He was nothing but a fraud and a cheat, a swindler held in the lowest regard. She should be happy she'd rid him from her life.
But Magnius could empathize with her loss. He too had no idea what direction his life would lead him next. When he'd arrived in Northampton, he sent a message to his secretary informing her of his resignation: that he'd turned over control of the fishery to his head supervisor, a trusted friend he knew the company would be in good hands with. His life as he once knew it had come to a stunning end.
On an impulsive whim, he walked over to her and stood next to the window. But she didn't take any notice of him. Her eyes blinked twice and she focused on the errant tendrils of ice crystals a ship had left in its wake across the sky.
"Come outside for a while with me," he said. He pulled on her arm but she didn't budge. "We can walk around the Daisy Garden. It'll help take your mind off things." Still, no response. "Do you think Xander would be happy if he knew you were moping around here and not getting on with your life?"
Amii furrowed her brow. "I'm only agreeing to appease you." She stood and followed him toward the door.
"Good."
As he led her down the stairs, he felt badly about upsetting her but she had a stubborn streak to rival that of a corpse. Magnius could see why Xander liked her. Not that anyone else would…
The two of them headed down a long corridor. The East Annex had rather drab décor compared to the rest of the Westwood Estate. Many didn't even consider it part of the Estate, despite its seamless integration into the existing structure. They took a left under a large crystal chandelier and the wood floor turned into marble. Windows of the garden filled the hallway, and an exquisite set of French double doors led outside.
The doors parted automatically as the two neared its threshold. Amii pulled her hand away and crossed her arms when she strode past a wild patch of yellow daisies. The open vista overlooked a large park in the middle of Northampton that today overflowed with children and the parents struggling to keep up with them.
Magnius scratched the back of his head and sighed. "He would've wanted you to move on with your life. You know that."
Amii appeared to ignore him while she stooped down and pulled a reddish-orange flower off one of the bushy plants. She stared at it for a moment before discarding it on the ground and taking another.
He smiled to himself. "You know, it's rumored that anyone who takes one of these flowers will meet the person they'll marry in the next six months. Not that I believe that sort of thing but—"
She spun around and glared at him. "I have no reason to think he's dead. I left him there. I'll get him back."
"What?" he stammered. "You're joking. No human is ever going to set foot on Xur ag
ain."
Had the events of the past week driven her mad? She spoke as if she'd thought the whole idea through and decided it was the only right answer. Even now his words seemed to be lost on her while she turned the flower's stem between her fingers and watched the petals twirl around.
"I know how hard it is to lose someone you care about. When Greta died, I…" He stopped himself from letting the pain of her death consume him. "But sooner or later you have to own up to the fact they're gone forever."
She stepped toward him. "Who was she?"
He clenched his brow and stared down at the ground. "My second wife. I know it wasn't my fault but I can't help but think it was…that if I hadn't let her to talk me into having a child, she'd probably still be alive today. Some kind of complications from the pregnancy. I woke up next to her one morning and she was dead. Even after fifty years, it still hurts." He paused to collect his thoughts, unsure why he'd told Amii more than she needed to know about his past. It was an unwritten rule he never broke even with those close to him. "You have everything to live for. Don't let his memory be your undoing."
"You know what I see when I look in the mirror? A frightened girl with no past and even less of a future. A pathetic shell of a woman who's always running because if she stopped, she'd drown in her own tears. And now I have to deal with the prospect that I've lost the only person who means anything to me. The only connection to a life I can't remember. I'm pretty sure that meets most people's definition of hell."
He stared at her for several moments with glassy eyes from the disrespect she showed herself. "Let me tell you something. The last word I'd ever use to describe you is pathetic. There's something about you that's very special. Nadine has known it all along." He lowered his eyes and whispered, "So have I."
She broke the three-foot bubble he tried to keep between himself and other people. He felt uncomfortable standing next to her; looking up at a woman took some getting used to. She ran her fingers over his scalp like she knew how to get what she wanted from a man. "How old are you, Magnius?"
He exhaled through his nose while he stared into her mesmerizing eyes. "One hundred fifteen." She tried to take a step back in surprise, but he put his arms around her waist and held her where she was. "Why did you ask if you were afraid of the answer?"
Her stony gaze made his heart stand still. "I'm not afraid of anything. I'm fairly sure I demonstrated that to you first-hand."
"Is that a threat?"
With a coy arch of her left eyebrow, she shrugged. "If you want it to be."
What is it about her that makes me just as inclined to slap her as kiss her, he thought. With the sole exception of Xander, her incorrigible attitude surpassed the limits set by rational people—a defiance born out of the need to be disagreeable. At least she'd learned from the best.
But every once in a while, she did something that made his heart melt. She leaned toward him and rested her lips against his for a few seconds before kissing him. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, fighting back the desire to screw her and damn anyone who might be watching them. His attraction to Amii flew in the face of all logic or explanation, yet her magnetic allure kept him on the edge of his seat wanting more.
All of a sudden, he heard the sound of clapping from somewhere behind him. "Bravo, Magnius…bravo." They turned toward the noise. Nadine stood in an open second-story window with a wide smile on her face like she'd been watching an enchanting play from her balcony. "Come up to my office," she advised them. "217. I need to talk to both of you."
Neither of them knew what she wanted, but they headed back inside and climbed a short flight of stairs up to her chamber. The second lady waited for them in her doorway, ushering the two inside before closing the onyx-colored door behind her.
"Bad news, guys," she said to them. "War with the Xuranians looks inevitable. Dodd and the rest of the federalists have seen to that."
The blond frowned. "Is anyone going back to Xur to try and talk with them?"
"Nope. And there's nothing anyone can say to change his mind."
"I need to get back there. I shouldn't have left Xander. Who knows what the Xuranians have planned for them."
"We don't know if he even survived," Nadine said. "But for conversation's sake, let's say he did. What would a single person like you be able to do about it?"
She gazed at the glossy floor. "I don't know."
"I can help you. Both of you, actually." The second lady picked up a comtab from her desk and placed it in Magnius' hands. "You see, Xander isn't the only one missing. So is Lyneea Zoleki."
He scanned the list. "Are you sure?"
"Names of the missing were never released to the public. Only the military and the government have known. And they have no idea where Dr. Adams is, but since this crisis started, they don't even care." She sat down behind her desk and crossed her svelte legs. "Eleven humans are being held prisoner on Xur. They didn't give us names, but the AC has no plan to rescue them; Chairman Dodd made that explicitly clear."
Magnius couldn't take his eyes off the black letters of Lyneea's name against the light background of the comtab. He was entirely responsible. "Why did Ardri allow Lyneea on the surface anyways?"
Nadine sighed. "And why was Xander there and blah blah. Who cares, it's too late to change anything."
"The Xuranians wouldn't kill them, would they?" Amii asked.
The second lady shrugged. "I hope not. But again, I think that's more wishful thinking on my part. We've terrorized their homeworld, and I'm sure they want answers. I expect they'll be interrogated so for the time being, they're probably safe."
"I need to save Xander," Amii thought aloud. She glanced between Nadine and Magnius. "He'd do it for me."
"I wouldn't be so sure," he said.
"He's my father!" Her dangerous glare waited for him to say more, to give her a good reason to take a swing at him. When it never came, her stare fell back onto Nadine. "I'm going to save him with or without your help. Please…help me do this."
Nothing anyone could say would change her mind now that it was set. Amii seemed to have already forfeited her own life. The audacity of the act went beyond bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. It had become a compulsion.
Nadine nodded. "I'll look into getting both your implants replaced so you can travel freely off of New England. And I'll tap into the military records and stay abreast of what's going on out there. Let me know if there's anything specific you need and I'll try to help in any way I can."
"Wait a minute," Magnius said. "I didn't say I was going with her. Knowing Lyneea was left there is sad, but without proof she's even alive? I'm not going anywhere."
The telepath glared at him with inexorable seriousness. "If you don't go together, both of you will die. Tiyuri is here in the city, and he has help. It's only a matter of time before he finds you. Both of you."
"I thought I was safe here," he said.
"Safe is a relative term. If we had psions on guard all hours of the day like the PAU does, you'd have nothing to fear. But we don't. You have to leave before he finds you. I'm guessing it won't take him long. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
***
A few officers of the Kearsarge and several crewmen had gathered in the lounge for dinner. The days since they left Xur cast an unusual silence over what was otherwise a jovial crew. Their first officer had been left behind, and no matter how justified it seemed to Rashad at the time, he had regrets about doing it. Carmen was a spirited woman who brought out the best in those she worked with, and everyone missed her a great deal.
The ship had barely enough officers to cover every shift now that Martinez was gone, and Rashad found himself in the control room as the officer of the deck in her absence. The Kearsarge had always been light on officers since it was little more than a glorified ferry for AC diplomats. Common transports were easy targets for thieves and mercenaries so instead of decommissioning a useful albeit out-of-date cruiser like the Kearsarge, t
he AC promoted the ship's former captain and left Commander Mundammi in charge of the vessel.
Rashad glanced at the officers around him. Sibo sat eating his ration and avoided unnecessary eye contact. Dr. Jones seemed to have no appetite at all, a bit surprising because he ate like a horse and never gained any weight from all that exercise he did. Lieutenant-Commander King had his nose buried in a book to escape the mess humans had gotten into. Ordinarily, they'd all be watching a movie from Cinemascape and having a great laugh, even if it was at the expense of one of them. The close-knit crew mourned the loss of one of their own.
"How long did you know Martinez, Captain?" Sibo asked. He dipped his ration in some hot sauce, the same way she ate hers.
"At the Academy, believe it or not. I tutored her through physics." Rashad raised his paper cup and took a long drink. "And trust me—she was wilder back then than you could ever imagine. Pictures of her dancing naked in the campus fountain followed her around for years, and she craved the attention. And if I hadn't been so in love with Maya, who knows what might've happened between us."
Dr. Jones glanced over. "Didn't she serve aboard the flagship for a while?"
The captain nodded. "Almost a year as a lieutenant-commander, but she never fit in there. Captain Lothian was looking for any excuse to get rid of her so when I was given command of the Kearsarge, I requested her as my first officer. Not a day went by when she didn't live up to my expectations of her."
Sibo set his elbows on the table and propped his head upon his hands. "I've never understood why Lothian transferred her. Carmen always worked hard and got along with everyone. Hell, she was the reason we actually beat the Schenectady a few times in breach drills and repelling boarders."
"Carmen told me that she never saw eye to eye with Captain Lothian," he said while he picked at his ration. "She's by-the-book over there. You don't take shortcuts, and you never question her. And Carmen does that all the time. But she works as hard as anyone I know, and she made us a better crew."