“As there are now,” said Jerenn thoughtfully.
“Please let us not be returning to those times,” she moaned, clutching the back of the chair so tightly her knuckles showed white. “I couldn’t remember it happening, but Kusac, he wrote it down, hid it so he could remember what he’d been made to forget. He never knew when it would hit us, when we would have our memories of events altered.”
“It sounds to me like this was a one of a kind happening, Doctor,” said M’Nar reassuringly. “I think Vazih did find something, something left behind by the TeLaxaudin. Maybe they dropped it during their mass eviction when K’hedduk was in charge of the planet. It was overlooked until now. If it was something dangerous, then they would act quickly to remove it for the cubs safety.”
“It also means they are still watching us,” said Jerenn quietly, getting a dark look from M’Nar as the Doctor moaned and sat down in her chair again.
“What are the TeLaxaudin working on?” asked Jerenn. “They’re in the labs over on the north side, aren’t they?”
“That’s classified,” she said, regaining some of her color. “Let’s just say it has to do with Prime fertility. Do you really think it is a one of a kind incident?” she asked hopefully.
“I really do,” said M’Nar, getting to his feet. Jerenn following his lead. “We just wanted to see if what Shaidan thought had happened, had indeed happened.”
Jerenn held out his hand to the Doctor. “Thank you for sparing us some of your time, Doctor. We’re sure there is no further threat to the Palace security. ZSADHI itself perceives none.”
Doctor Zayshul shook his hand. “You will keep me informed, won’t you?” she asked anxiously.
“We give you our word,” said M’Nar as they took their leave.
Once back in their own room, M’Nar shut the door. “You realize we can’t report this to Brother Dzaka, don’t you? How can we tell him that nobody used a flashing light in the dormitory to wipe Shaidan’s and Vazih’s memories of her finding something, a something that this nobody also took from her. ZSADHI has no records of anyone entering the nursery during that time, and Shaidan has no one to confirm his version of events.”
“We have Doctor Zayshul to confirm that similar losses of memory connected to flashing lights affected her and Captain Kusac,” said Jerenn.
“And I have the feeling she’d rather not be called upon to confirm that.”
“So what do you suggest we do?” asked Jerenn.
“Look into it more closely, of course.”
“How? No one who experienced it in the past except the Doctor was here when it happened. Do you suggest we go ask the TeLaxaudin if they have ever used flashing lights to rearrange folks’ memories?” asked Jerenn, a trifle sarcastically.
M’Nar shook his head. “Nope. Those guys really give me the creeps.” He shrugged. “I don’t think there is anything we can do except be on our guard for any similar happenings around us. It really comes down to do we believe that this happened to Shaidan or not? I believed it did, even before we heard what the good Doctor had to say. Call it a parent’s extra sense if you like. Besides, what could Shaidan possibly gain from lying to us about this?”
“Nothing,” said Jerenn with a sigh. “I have to agree with you that in light of what Doctor Zayshul said, it seems Shaidan is telling us the truth.”
“ZSADHI, from now on, you will let me know if the lights flare unexpectedly around us or the cubs,” said M’Nar. “And if the lights do flare, you will watch for any intruders in the same area. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Brother M’Nar, and will do my best to follow your instructions.”
“Good,” said M’Nar. He had considered telling Jerenn what Shaidan had said about this other AI called Unity, but he was keeping his own counsel on that for now. He knew instinctively if he told Jerenn, Shaidan would know and would consider it a betrayal of trust. For whatever reason, he’d chosen to take him into his confidence, and M’Nar intended to keep that trust until Shaidan himself chose to share it with others.
Ghioass, Zhal-Oeshi 15th (August)
Giyarishis gathered his data crystals and prepared himself to use the translocator. It was time he presented his reports not only on the Hunter cub, but on the discovery of the morphing device that had enabled the Isolationists to assume the likeness of Kuvaa and to fool him into taking false orders from their agent instead of the real ones from his real handler.
Some of this information wouldn’t be new to Kuvaa, but some of the background information he had acquired was, and it was this he didn’t trust anyone but himself to deliver. He dialed in the location, then pressed the translocator button. As the world around him began to fade, and his destination began to solidify, he realized he was not where he expected to be. He scrabbled at his side for the translocator, but his hand was firmly grasped by Zaimiss.
“Here we need you, not in Reformist offices,” said the other TeLaxaudin as the hoofed hands of Sivaar and Tinzaa grasped hold of his arms and removed his translocator.
“Information you have and we are needing it,” said Zaimiss. “Strip him of his arsenal, Shumass,” he ordered a fellow TeLaxaudin. “He will not be needing it in our interrogation room.”
Efficiently, Shumass and the two Cabbarans removed his rings, bracelets, and belt.
“We not be forgetting this brooch,” said Tinzaa, plucking the ornament free. “Tyakar, you and Naisha take him for interrogation.”
“As you order, Master Tinzaa,” saluted the U’Churian guard before he and his colleague dragged off the unfortunate TeLaxaudin between them.
* * *
Zaimiss was standing watching the colors of sunset spread across the mountains that surrounded this safe house of theirs when Naisha entered.
“Sunrise and sunset are loveliest times of day, Naisha,” he said. “Sky so alive with color, and possibilities. Have you news for me?” He turned, his draperies, echoing the sunset, swirling round his spindly bronze legs.
“Yes, Master Zaimiss. The encryption on the files was rudimentary as you suspected. Tyakar’s interrogation of him only confirmed what Shumass’ decryption gave us. The other factions are aware of how we Isolationists were able to duplicate Kuvaa to mislead Giyarishis himself. They have indeed had a protocol installed in Unity preventing us, or anyone, from using that subterfuge again.”
“That was as we suspected. What else did you discover that was so important that Giyarishis didn’t trust Unity to deliver it to his people?”
“He has been watching the Hunter cub called Shaidan. It seems he can disappear from the surveillance equipment that Giyarishis was using. That made it important that both the Reformists and the Moderates be informed.”
“The Hunter cub is a small nexus in his own right,” murmured Zaimiss. “How can he hide from our surveillance equipment? Should be impossible! What of our projection of the potentialities? Is he absent from them because he wishes, or because he just isn’t involved?”
“I couldn’t say, Master Zaimiss,” said Naisha.
“Of course, you couldn’t,” snapped the other. “Go, find out the answer to my question from Giyarishis—does the Hunter cub conceal himself from the potentialities as well as the surveillance program?”
“Do as Skepp Lord Zaimiss says,” said Sivaar.
“As you wish, Master Sivaar.” Naisha bowed and left.
* * *
Naisha had no stomach for interrogation like Tyakar had. He seemed to relish eking out every last secret from their unfortunate captives. Thankfully, they rarely had any. This one, Giyarishis, like all TeLaxaudin, had a habit of spilling their secrets if you looked sternly at them. Fragile and spindly beings, it took very little “persuasion” to get them to reveal all their secrets. It was why they relied on them, the U’Churians, to be their protectors and the muscle for any task that needed strength.
He pushed open the door into the interrogation room. Tyakar had obviously been busy while he’d been giving the report to Zaimiss as Giyarishis was sporting several deep bruises, one on his oval face, just under one of his huge multifaceted eyes, and others on his arms where they lay strapped down to the chair.
“Master Zaimiss wants to know if the Hunter cub can choose to remain unseen in the potentialities,” he said brusquely from the doorway.
“Our guest doesn’t know,” said Tyakar regretfully, stepping back from their captive who was moaning softly. “Nothing I’ve done has been able to give me any other answer.”
“You go tell him,” said Naisha, coming into the room and letting the door close behind him. “I’ll see to transferring our guest to his cell.”
“I should refuse,” said Tyakar. “You’re too soft on them, but there’s nothing more to be had from this one, so you might as well do the transfer.” He laughed and gave the chair a kick that sent vibrations shaking through Giyarishis who moaned more loudly.
Naisha held the door open for his colleague and, when he was gone, went over to the chair and began to release the trembling TeLaxaudin.
“Please, no more pain.” Giyarishis moaned as he was helped to his feet. “I have said all I know.”
“No more pain,” agreed Naisha, leading him toward the door. “I’m taking you to your cell now. It isn’t much, but it has a bed and blankets. Just try to relax. They should feed you in a few hours.”
“Why you do this? You not like the other one,” asked Giyarishis as they walked slowly down the corridor to the room they were using as a cell.
“I go where the work is,” he said. “The Isolationists hold our family’s contract, so we all work for them as soon as we’re old enough to be trained. You know that; you likely have your own indentured families.”
“My family has, but I work on K’oish’ik, the Prime world, and we have no U’Churian servants there. We cannot give our relationship to you away. It would make you wonder about those not on Ghioass.”
Naisha stopped dead. “There are more of our kind, ones who don’t live on this world?”
“Shh!” said Giyarishis, stumbling. “Maybe they watching us! This world not yours, you have your own world. Many, many years ago, some of you brought here to live and serve us.”
“How long ago?” demanded Naisha, starting to walk again.
“So long your people think this is their home. It isn’t, is the TeLaxaudin home world.”
“But the Cabbarans live here, too!”
“They live here because the Camarilla meets here. You must have heard of it?”
“I have, but didn’t think much of it since it doesn’t concern us.”
“It does—oh, it does—but you not know how.”
Stopping at a closed door, Naisha opened it, drawing the small alien into the room with its single bed, suitable sanitary facilities, and washbasin with a wide-mouthed cup.
“Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket for a small vial which he handed to Giyarishis. “Some of that oil you use for your wounds. Hide it. Don’t let them know I gave you it.”
“Thank you for your kindness,” the TeLaxaudin said tiredly, staggering over to sit on the narrow bed. “You can always go to the Moderates or Reformists and ask for sanctuary with them.”
“My whole family would suffer for my actions if I did that,” Naisha said quietly. “I have no choice but to stay with what I know.”
Giyarishis’ eyes swirled as he focused on the young U’Churian. “But now you know so much more, don’t you?” he said, equally quietly.
Phratry leader Kuvaa, said Unity. Agent Giyarishis left the Prime world to come here and did not arrive. I suspect he has been intercepted by your rivals, the Isolationists.
“What? Giyarishis is missing? For how long?” demanded Kuvaa, her nimble front hooves flying over the keyboard that was ancillary to Unity’s controls as she attempted to raise her colleagues in the Reformist party.
At least thirty minutes now. You should know they are watching the Hunter cub.
Thirty minutes in what was an instantaneous form of travel? Something was very wrong. As for the Hunter cub . . . “Leave him to me,” she said. Finally, Azwokkus, leader of her party, responded.
“Urgent news,” she said, accessing their pseudo-mental link and instantly apprising him of the situation.
Seconds later, Unity warned her that Azwokkus was incoming to her location at its primary access room.
“Privacy protocol, Unity,” she ordered before the other could speak.
Privacy initiated, Phratry Leader.
“When was Unity warning you?” demanded Azwokkus.
“Has only just given me the news,” she said.
“Is unconscionable. Lockdown protocol for such an occurrence, isn’t there? Implement it now, we should.”
“Would alert them to our plans and knowledge of theirs. Better we only retaliate in kind. Planning we are to imprison those guilty of manipulating the Hunters and their allies. All those aiding the renegade sand-dweller K’hedduk are our legitimate targets,” she said.
Azwokkus sighed. “Tempting it is to act once and for all right now. As you say, need is to be circumspect. Kouansishus is in Palace, as is Ayziss. I see Kouansishus as greater threat. Unity, send to Phratry leader Shvosi, and Agent Annuur. Have Shvosi report instantly to Annuur, then go to sand-dweller Palace and arrest Kouansishus. Use drugs to subdue him. Transport him to safe house in Tharash and imprison him in basement room.”
It shall be done as you command, Skepp Lord Azwokkus.
Annuur’s home, Ghioass
“About time,” muttered Annuur, rifling through his kit bag till he found the tranquilizer gun he was looking for. “Tirak, come with us, and take this,” he said, thrusting the gun and a pack of five ampules at him. “Giyarishis been abducted by Isolationists. We now going to take one of theirs from Prime Palace labs, without alerting anyone else.”
Tirak raised an eye ridge at him as he checked the gun’s action and loaded up the two chambers with ampules. “And how we going to do that? A party of two Cabbarans and a U’Churian when there are none of our species in the Palace?”
“Carefully and quietly,” said Annuur, picking up a second tranquilizer gun and ammo and going through the same routine. “I know the labs in Palace, so we can go direct to his. We arrive, I shoot him. In an ideal world he falls over, you pick him up, and we leave. If this not happen, you also there to handle any resistance to us. Hand me your translocators. I synch them to mine so that we arrive and leave simultaneously. Any questions?”
“Yes, why I here?” demanded Shvosi. “I not needed for this. Better I go to the safe house and get room ready for prisoner.”
Annuur looked Shvosi up and down, then nodded. “We two enough to handle Kouansishus. Go, make room ready. Plenty drinking water there, he will need it when wakens. We transport him direct to basement.”
Relieved, Shvosi winked out of the room to rematerialize in the safe house many miles away.
“What if there are others in the room?” asked Tirak.
“Shoot them, then concentrate on target. Drug works well on all our species. Side effect is memory loss of about an hour so they forget what happened. Better just us going,” said Annuur, handing Tirak back his translocator. “Shvosi not military like us, not fighter. You ready?”
“Ready,” Tirak confirmed, loosening his blaster in his holster, just in case.
* * *
With a suddenness that he still wasn’t used to, Tirak materialized in the lab on K’oish’ik, the Prime world. There were two figures already there, both turning slowly to look at them.
Without waiting for instruction, Tirak said, “Right,” and immediately shot the one on his right. Annuur took the one on the left and both went tumbling down at almost the same time.
&nb
sp; “Secure the door,” snapped Annuur, putting his gun away and dropping down to all fours.
Tirak ran for the door, making sure it was shut as Annuur scampered over to the two fallen TeLaxaudin.
“That one is Ayziss.” He pointed to the tumbled pile of green draperies. “This Kouansishus,” he said, indicating the one in the blue draperies lying with his limbs bent like some discarded child’s toy. “Pick him up and we leave now. If he wakes, render him unconscious. Must not use his weapons.”
“Aye,” said Tirak, heading back to the two fallen aliens and picking up the one Annuur indicated.
Kouansishus weighed hardly anything; it was like picking up a bundle of twigs with more awkward angular parts than actual weight. “Ready, but I can’t see any weapons.”
“Weapons are his jewelry,” said Annuur. “TeLaxaudin are techs, miniaturized weapons they have in rings and bracelets. Just keep him unconscious.”
The room around them winked out to be replaced with a brightly lit corridor that from the lack of any windows and natural lighting, was obviously underground.
“In here,” said Shvosi, standing in an open doorway.
Tirak carried his burden into the room, going over to the basic cot bed and placing him down on it. He straightened the limbs, then looked over to Annuur for further orders.
“Wait with us, trank gun ready,” said Annuur. “Shoot him again if he wakes, or we all be dead. Have to remove his arsenal now. Shvosi, you help. Here,” he said, pulling a small sack out of one of his belt pouches and handing it to her while Tirak moved so he had a clear shot at the supine figure.
They worked quickly and efficiently and within a few minutes had stripped Kouansishus of everything but his blue draperies.
“Leave now,” said Annuur. “He should sleep for an hour, then waken.”
They filed out of the cell, Shvosi locking the door behind them.
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