Fortunately, the video options weren't installed in the premium cabins. Someone would have gotten an excellent show earlier, if that were the case.
The second to the last cabin along the corridor was empty. Keya frowned and called up the records. Dr. Wick Tankretski, archeologist and linguist, was not where he was supposed to be. "Quantum," she said quietly to the screen, "please locate guest. Name: Tankretski."
"Searching," the ship replied.
While the ship's AI searched, Keya let herself into the room. The front half wasn't much larger than the wood table in the royal suite. The back half of the room was filled by a standard bed. Dr. Tankretski's clothes were in the tiny wardrobe and the tiny drawers. A razor and toothbrush, face soap, and toothpaste, filled the single shelf in the bathroom.
The narrow holowall flickered. "Guest Tankretski cannot be located."
"What?" Keya said.
"Guest Tankretski cannot be located."
"Scan records for last known location of Dr. Tanketski please. I need a time and a place."
"Last known location was Table twenty-seven, Row C inside the Cosmic Cabaret."
"And no records after what time?"
"At 21:01," replied the AI.
Nearly the exact time she and Malachi had left the lounge. Keya closed her eyes and let her head drop for a count of three. Straightening, she said, "Please notify the cabaret staff I am en route with questions."
"Affirmative."
A plausible explanation related to dropping into real-time space could be made. A smaller ship, kidnappers, someone on the inside with the coordinates of LS Quantum's route. But Tankretski had disappeared from the ship's sensors hours before they'd dropped out of FTL.
She had a hunch that the missing doctor's specialty involved working with the translation stone, but she didn't want to disturb the head of the science team until she checked a few more leads.
Frowning in concentration, Keya nearly collided with Malachi right outside the main entrance to the cabaret theatre. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, and immediately regretted the irritation in her tone.
"Following the traces of alien energy," he said, gesturing with a small device in his right hand. "And you?"
"One of the scientists is missing," she said. "Likely the person working with the translation stone. His specialty is linguistics."
"Reported missing?" Malachi asked.
"No," Keya said, "I found his cabin empty during a sweep. All his personal gear seems to be in place."
"Did you ask—"
"Quantum can't find him," she interrupted. "He's not on the ship. Last known location was here."
She yanked opened the heavy door and marched in. He could follow or not. She had a job to do.
Malachi hurried behind her, pulse pistol in his hand. His neck tingled. They were right on top of the energy signature he'd been chasing around the ship for the better part of an hour. "Keya, wait," he said, voice low and urgent.
She froze, hand going to her own pistol. "Hello," she said.
A man, or, more likely, an alien, stood three paces from Keya. A single breath and the space that once held only tables and chairs now held a visitor.
"Mr. Cartier, Miss Murakami," the male alien bowed. His broad chest filled out a simple close-fitted green uniform. He wore heavy black boots. The texture of the light brown hair on the top of his head was unusual, and his fingers ended in what looked like talons instead of fingernails. Other than that, his golden brown skin, build, and features appeared human. When he straightened, the movement didn't look right. Dark lines streaked across the man's form, shimmered, and disappeared. A small frown creased his brow. "Forgive me," he said, and rubbed his ear. His form solidified and the streaking lines vanished. "Direct communication is still a bit of a challenge."
"You have us at a disadvantage," Malachi said, stepping around Keya so that part of his body was between her and the man. "You know our names, but we don't know yours."
"My name is difficult to translate into Earth languages.” The man folded his thick arms across his chest. "The best match we've been able to find is Guillermo."
"Guillermo," Keya repeated.
The male alien had light, almost white, blue eyes. He moved his head and neck in a continuous semi-circle and back again, as though checking and rechecking every space in the theatre.
"We lost a man from inside this theatre. A scientist. You know anything about that?" Keya tried to nudge Malachi aside.
Guillermo tipped his head to one side and blinked. "Dr. Tankretski?"
"Yes," Keya said. "Apparently he's been taken off LS Quantum."
Malachi fought the urge to drag Keya away from the visitor and back to his cabin. One of his complex restraints would keep her out of harm's way until the danger passed.
But Keya shifted closer to the potential danger. "I'm responsible for Dr. Tankretski's safety and the safety of the artifact—"
"The stone and Dr. Tankretski are both safe. I give you my word."
"The ship cannot find the doctor," Keya said.
"He is unharmed, but his memories needed to be”—Guillermo took a breath and let it out—“his memories needed to be adjusted. He's waking in his cabin now, in fact."
Malachi frowned, his neck still burning hot, but his regular senses speaking up as well.
The theatre was completely empty, and that wasn't right. Someone should be rehearsing or setting up for the next performance. Staff should be cleaning and rebuilding the nightly illusion that all was fresh and new.
"What did you do to this place?" he said to the alien. "Where is everyone?"
Keya straightened and looked around, her shooting hand remaining in position.
"This is not our first contact with humankind," Guillermo said. "Not even my first contact, but I forget that a few things must be explained. Most importantly you need to know that my species exists at a different energy frequency than yours. When I do not adjust either my own phase or the phase around me, I appear like...a band of light.” He uncrossed his arms and turns his palms up.
Keya looked at Malachi then back to the alien. "All three of us are inside of a faster phase bubble or shield or something?"
“Essentially, yes. You are smart, like your sister,” Guillermo said.
The words echoed in her mind... like your sister. Keya's finger twitched on the trigger of her pulse pistol. She pressed her hand to her side to stop herself from shooting the stranger. "What about my sister?" she growled. Malachi's hand gripped her shoulder in support or for restraint, she couldn't tell.
The hair on Guillermo's head stood up. Not hair, feathers.
The alien shifted his feet and ran one hand over the feathers to settle them back into place. "Your sister is my intended mate. We met as children. I've visited when I could. But now she is so close and we are both of age." He trained his eerie blue-white eyes on Keya's face. "I need your help to free her from confinement on Maharet."
Keya holstered her pistol and dropped into the nearest chair. What the hell? Thoughts raced through her head. She searched for any memory, any inkling or sign that he was telling the truth.
Emiko hooking their family computers to the SETI project.
The late night call when Emiko got picked up hitchhiking to Roswell.
Drawings of owls, of alien faces, sketches of what Keya thought were imaginary worlds covering the walls of their shared bedroom.
An alien wanted to mate with her sister? An alien with feathers who was out of phase, existed at a different frequency, oh goddess, her sister and this...?
"Did you knock me out in the cargo hold?" Keya blurted.
"Yes. I am sorry for that. I needed to return the unnecessary materials.” He flexed his palms up and out, the talons more evident and Malachi’s grip on her shoulder tightened. "The injury to your colleague was not my doing. I'm not sure how the stack destabilized."
"Probably because you adjusted its frequency and the vibrations caused an energy release. Are a
ny others of your kind on board?" Malachi's voice was tight, sharper than usual.
Her heart raced as if she'd just run a five-kilometer sprint. "Are you the reason my sister has been chasing aliens?" The reason she joined the Welcome to Earth movement? The reason she had been thrown in jail multiple times?
The feathers on his head lifted again and Guillermo smoothed them down. "Perhaps," he admitted. "I sent messages for her during my years of education and training, but I could not visit for nearly a decade." He shifted his gaze to Malachi. "No, I'm the only one of my kind traveling with you."
"Messages?" Keya asked.
Guillermo waved his hand and a miniature circular pattern appeared. "This was the last one. It assures her of my devotion and asks her to come to me at the farthest Earth colony. From there I can bring her to my homeworld."
Keya couldn’t do anything but laugh. The giant circular marking on the Flatirons was a love letter to her sister.
"Where's the tablet now?" Malachi asked, staying on track. "Is it with Dr. Tankretski?"
"No, I returned it to my people. That tablet is priceless and belongs in one of our museums."
"Any chance of retrieving it? Or making a deal? My organization is requiring me to bring it in."
Malachi dropped into the chair next to Keya. His tone of voice didn't match his words or his body language. He looked frustrated. Defeated.
"I'm sure you understand that decision is not mine to make," Guillermo said. He shifted his feet and the black lines returned, running a frenetic horizontal pattern up his torso. "And I can't hold you in phase with me much longer."
"Wait.” Keya gripped the arm of the chair that was now vibrating under her hand and stood. "You say your intention is to be mated with my sister. Is that a lifetime commitment? Will it harm her to live 'in phase' with you, or...well, how would that work?"
Guillermo's eyes glowed and a full smile transformed his face from attractive to handsome. "I've known she was mine since the day we met, more than fifteen Earth years ago."
Fifteen years sounded about right. Emiko ran away for the first time when she was ten.
"Her phase has been slowly adjusting ever since we first connected. It's part of the bonding process for my people. But because she is human, the process is more protracted."
"Why do you need Keya to get your mate out of jail on Mahatet?" Malachi demanded.
Guillermo's expression hardened. "The humans on Sahkra have made changes as they learn from our artifacts. Holding facilities have multi-phasic barriers. If there were another way that kept my mate safe, I would do it. But Emiko must appear to leave in the normal human manner. Once she is out of custody and no one is observing her, I can take her with me."
"If she disappeared out of the cell, someone would investigate. Someone like Malachi." Keya inclined her head toward him. "And that would cause problems for you. And for my sister?"
"We only want peace and understanding with humanity," Guillermo said, as his form shimmered.
"All of you?" Malachi asked, doubt lacing his question.
"Most of us," the alien said. "And—" The words cut off as Guillermo’s form blurred and then vanished.
The cabaret shook with sudden microtremors, chairs and tables shifting position on the floor, candles rattling in their glass holders. Two heartbeats and the room was still, everything appearing normal including the three staff members who were adjusting the stage lights.
Part Three
Malachi read the offer letters through for the third time. Closing the virtual screen, he rubbed his tired eyes and glanced over at his bed. Keya had shifted and curled onto her side, a good sign that she was moving from unconsciousness into sleep. For what seemed like the hundredth time, he wondered what it would be like to share a bed with her every day.
It had been a strange voyage, short but eventful to produce such thoughts.
The alien, Guillermo, was both what he'd expected and not what he'd expected. They’d theorized about the phase shifting and the physicists in their group had been developing tools to match phases for the purposes of surveillance and communication. But they hadn’t known about the avian characteristics, that was a new twist. He had to respect Guillermo’s commitment to Emiko even if his “love letter” had inadvertently fanned the flames of the Welcome to Earth community. Love across species, love across temporal realities? That was a whole lot of risk and sacrifice rolled into a young relationship.
As Malachi watched, Keya shifted again and then bolted up right.
"What? Where?" She swayed and slumped back down to the bed. “I feel like I drank a whole bucket of those martinis. Wanna punch that guy in the mouth.”
"That's your future brother-in-law you're talking about," Malachi said. He moved to her side, not too quickly so as to avoid causing further alarm. Cupping her chin, he tilted her face up so he could see her pupils. "How's your brain?"
Keya made a face. "Mushy and slow. Feels like I went straight to the hangover without the fun part first."
He handed her a glass of cool water with fresh lime. "Try a few sips."
She gulped more than half the glass. "Thank you." Sitting up more slowly she tested her balance and then stood. "Time?"
"Eleven thirty, just under a day until we dock. Quantum will go in nice and easy using the star drive. Lots of sights on this leg."
Letting out a breath, Keya asked, "Holt?"
"Out of the medical suite and moving on his own power. He checked in and then went to see your principals. Sounds like both Holt and Alix are gearing up for a big night with the science team. A last hurrah on the ship, enjoying all the delights available, that sort of thing."
She drank the rest of the water and held out the glass for more. Giving himself a minute to gather his thoughts, Malachi fetched her refill. His better nature wrestled with his selfish best interest. With a surprisingly strong move, his better nature won. He opened the display and showed her the first offer letter. "This came through my account, but it's addressed to you."
Keya read quickly, glancing up at him then back to the text. "Your organization is offering me a job?"
"They're offering all three of you jobs," Malachi replied. "If you're interested."
"What happens to my agency if I leave with my top people?" She looked like she was considering the offer and it twisted his guts. "Have they seen these letters?" Keya asked.
He shook his head. "You first. The offers aren't a package deal. If one person wants to join and another doesn't, that's acceptable. But you're the boss and you should have the information first."
"Okay," Keya said. She stood and brushed at the wrinkles on her uniform. "Would we work together? You and me? Or is that based on the case—"
His superiors didn't let couples take the same assignments. Not that they were a couple. But should they become involved—hell, he felt involved—they wouldn't be assigned any work together. "No," he said, keeping his face impassive, his voice neutral. "Hector is my partner. But you would likely continue to work with Holt or Alix after you all complete training."
"Training? Training on what, exactly?" she scoffed. Her expression clearly said that she and her team did not need additional training, thank you very much.
Malachi shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out to her. She needed to think without interference from him.
Keya read the letter again, her forehead wrinkling. After what felt like a very long minute, she asked, “What do you think about this?”
What could he say? The work was hard but the pay was good? That she would lose some freedoms but gain others? He took a breath and let it out. “I think they’d be lucky to have you on the team.”
Stiffening, Keya stood up and walked to the door. She opened it, resting one hand on the knob. "I'd be glad to work for a company where you worked, but clearly you don't feel the same way about me. I appreciate your honesty." She closed the door leaving him in the empty, silent cabin.
He’d done what was right, hadn
’t he? He been honest, didn’t try to influence Keya in any way. Malachi stared at the closed door remembering how it felt the morning after he’d been with Keya in Boulder. Empty. Bereft. Back then, and now more than ever, he wanted a lasting connection with her. But for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t sure how to get what he wanted.
Keya stalked down the corridor, but the further her strides carried her from Malachi, the tighter the knots pulled in her stomach. What difference did it make if he wasn’t interested in working with her? She knew this was a one-night-stand do-over, nothing more. They’d both wanted a chance to make better memories. And they had. It felt like so much had happened, and yet the length of time had been incredibly short.
In her cabin, the chrysanthemums on the side table still looked as fresh as when they boarded. Unlike the flowers, she felt a little wilted, maybe a little bruised. None of that mattered, not really. The important parts were to finish the job and free her sister. Once she determined Emiko’s mental state, they’d decide the next steps together.
Keya requested a pitcher of water and a tray of fruit for their final scheduled briefing of the journey just as her team arrived.
“We’re in the home stretch and everything’s lookin’ good,” Holt said as he dropped into one of the chairs.
“What do you mean?” Alix asked.
“They found the translation stone artifact mixed in with a few random pieces of luggage and two other crates back at port,” Holt said. “Tankrekski wandered back and passed out in his cabin while Keya was searching for him. Seems fine, except for the headache.” He eyed Alix. “I see. You missed that announcement because you spent all your off hours in the cabaret again.”
Alix wore a clean uniform and their crimson hair was neatly combed. They raised both eyebrows and smirked. “Reminds me of old times,” they said.
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