by Daya Daniels
“There is nothing she could teach me,” I heard the woman mutter.
I let out a deep breath. This really is like high school.
Cahner erased the numbers written on the smart board and began. I massaged the sore skin on my forearm, lifting the sleeve of my jumpsuit to scratch it. I rubbed it quickly, pushing my sleeve down, attempting to ignore the itchy ache.
“Mathematics is the language of the universe.” Cahner chuckled. “There are no language barriers when it relates to mathematics. It is a language in itself.”
“I’m sorry. Should I be taking notes?”
Cahner shook his head vigorously...impatiently. “No, Evie. You just need to listen.”
“Okay.”
“I talk,” Cahner said slowly, sarcastically, digging a finger into the center of his chest. “And you listen.”
I placed my palms on the table in front of me and spent the next three hours listening to Cahner speak about the wave equation for particles and the general theory for relativity in physics. Remarkably, I hadn’t fallen asleep after the first hour.
“You’ve heard of Albert Einstein?” he asked me.
“Yes.”
“Ascela tried to recruit him back in the late 1800s. I believe he was only in his twenties then.”
I narrowed my eyes at his words, earning a laugh from Cahner.
“We’ve been trying to recruit humans for hundreds of years, Evie, but of course our technology and capabilities have vastly improved since then.
“In the beginning, we needed humans that were naturally smart but now we can make them super intelligent by interfering with DNA and replacing less desirable cells with improved ones.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” I said softly.
“Yes, you do, Evie.”
Cahner returned to the smart board, writing a long path of numbers on it. When he was done, he stepped towards me, pulling me up from the desk and dragged me back to the board. I stood in front of it, giving him the dumbest look, while I looked it over again.
“I don’t think she understands.” The woman behind me snorted. “Clearly, Seren hasn’t told her anything.”
I remained focused on the board, ignoring her voice.
“Give yourself some time, Evie,” Cahner whispered. “Look at it again, Evie.”
I search my brain and stare at the board in front of me for what seemed like a half hour. Cahner leaves me for a long moment to chat to the other two agents about something else. Then something clicked.
“It’s the time dependent one-dimensional Schroeder equation,” I said confidently.
Cahner clapped and walked towards me. “Are you sure?”
I nod.
“And it tells us what exactly, Evie?”
“It is a partial differential equation that describes how the quantum state of a quantum system changes with time. “
“And the time dependent equation, specifically, Evie?” Cahner leans his head towards the board.
“It depends on the physical situation. It gives the description of a system evolving with time.”
“Go on.”
“Where i is the imaginary unit, ħ is the Planck constant divided by 2π, the symbol ∂/∂t indicates a partial derivative with respect to time t, Ψ (the Greek letter psi) is the wave function of the quantum system, r and t are the position vector and time respectively.
“Ĥ is the Hamiltonian operator, which characterizes the total energy of any given wave function and takes different forms depending on the situation.”
Cahner gives me a round of applause.
How did I know that?
“Take a seat, Evie!” Cahner yelled, while a huge smile spread across his face.
I walked slowly back to my seat, allowing the shock to settle in.
“There is so much I want to teach you, Evie!” Cahner said rubbing his hands together.
I was never any good at math. I was never really any good at anything. I couldn’t understand where the answer to the equation came from. Clearly, Seren did more to me than she told me.
Cahner spent the next three hours discussing quantum mechanics. When the two others leave the room, Cahner and I spend the next two hours learning the Iult language. I was never one for school but this seemed different.
“Luke speaks this language?” I hesitantly asked Cahner.
“Yes, and many others.
“I can teach you all of them if you wish?”
I shook my head, letting out a soft laugh. “I’m not sure my brain capacity can handle that.”
Cahner sat forward in his chair across from me. “This,” he said touching my forehead. “Is now a never-ending pool of knowledge, Evie.
“Seren is a brilliant scientist, along with being a top agent.
“She’s given you ample capacity to learn with clarity and store trillions of memory cells without ever losing them.
“Everything I teach you here, you will retain without question.”
“Okay.”
“Your human intelligent quotient now at least hovers around one hundred and sixty, which means you’re a genius, Evie,” Cahner explained with a smile. “And we have a lot of work to do.”
Luke
“What did Seren do to me?” Evie asked softly.
“She made some improvements. Aren’t you happy with them?”
Evie plopped down on the bed, wrapped in a towel. “I don’t know.”
Slowly, I undressed watching her unconsciously rubbing her forearm.
“You don’t know?”
Evie covered her face with her hands, laughing into them.
“I mean I’ve never really been all that smart, Luke,” she babbled out. “I just don’t know how to take all of this in. I mean, I feel better. My thinking is clearer than it has ever been before.”
“Then it’s a good thing, Evie,” I said quietly.
“Why can’t you return to Earth, Luke?”
I let out a long breath, knowing I would have to explain. “Because I failed my mission.”
“Oh,” she said.
“I also brought you aboard this ship without permission...” I hesitantly added.
Evie took a deep breath and bobbed her head a few times. “I understand.
“Will you ever be able to return?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I don’t know. It’s possible never.”
“It doesn’t matter I guess,” she said giving me an adorable smile. “I want to stay here with you.”
I stepped towards her, placing a finger under her chin. “You don’t miss home?”
“No, not really. I miss my cat, Kitten. My parents are in Florida. They’ve always been far away. I like being here with you. I want to be here with you, Luke.”
I pulled Evie to stand and wrapped her in my arms. She buried her face in my chest.
“I love you,” she whispered, looking up at me with her pretty brown eyes.
I dropped my towel, pulling Evie’s slowly away from her skin, watching it fall to the floor, allowing me to take in her luscious curves of her body. I stepped forward, allowing my fingers to rake over the warm skin on her stomach, then slip down between her legs.
Evie smiled when I took in that she was already wet. I yanked her towards me, forcing a yelp from her mouth.
“You have a greedy pussy.”
Evie moaned, staring up at me. “I want your cock,” she whispered. “But first, I want to do this.” She eased down to the floor on her knees in front of me.
CHAPTER FOUR
Evie
There was no way for me to account for time aboard the SS Everest. There was no sunrise or sunset each day and there were no clocks. Earlier, I asked Luke how many Earth days passed. He told me ninety-one, which meant that I’d been here for three months already.
Most of my time was spent with Cahner, learning. I used the gym a lot and spent a lot of time reading. I’d already emailed Ariana back and forth, who was taking care of Kitten. She begged for
pictures, which I found amusing. I told her I was in Mexico—Cancun to be specific. The pictures would have to wait.
Luke and I spent a lot of time together, fucking and just talking. I spent a lot of time sucking his cock, which he always enjoyed. Luke seemed different now, since when I’d first met him, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. I’d been coming down with headaches, which Seren prescribed some tiny pills for that relieved it in a flash.
“Evie,” Luke whispered. “Breakfast is here.”
I sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up to my neck, knowing my hair was a mess.
“That smells delicious,” I yawned out, inhaling the fresh scent of pastries.
I slipped on Luke’s T-shirt and headed into the bathroom to freshen up. Holding the tube of toothpaste in my hands, I noticed the slight tremble that had been hounding me for a little while. I struggled just to squeeze the toothpaste out, aiming for the brush. I missed a few times, getting it the third time with success. When I returned to the bed, Luke scooted closer to me, placing a small white box in my hands.
“It’s a gift. Open it.”
“Are they diamonds?” I asked looking at the exquisite earrings in the box.
He shook his head from side to side. “No, better.” He grinned. “They’re keyter. It’s an energy source here.”
Looking them over again, I was amazed at the likeness of the stones to diamonds that was uncanny.
He moved closer to me, changing the earrings in my ears. The backs of them made a loud snap, once they were secure.
“Don’t ever lose these, Evie, please,” he pleaded.
“I won’t. Thank you.”
“What are you going to do today?”
“Probably just stay here. I’m a little tired honestly. You’re not going to stay for breakfast?” I whined.
“I can’t.” He placed a kiss to my forehead.
He ruffled my hair playfully and headed for the door. He gave me a strange look before leaving. I let out a loud sigh when I accepted how awful I really felt but I wasn’t about to tell him. I planned to spend the day exploring, lounging around and reading, which would hopefully help me to feel better.
Luke
“Luke, she can’t stay.” Seren held up a cells graph in front of her face.
I took a deep breath. “Seren, what are you telling me exactly?”
“Luke, I’ve examined her. Evie’s human form won’t be able to maintain itself here in our atmosphere. Our carbon dioxide levels aboard this ship are too high.
“Her carbon dioxide levels are beginning to rise sharply, which can lead to chronic hypercapnia. She already has all the symptoms, flushed skin, full pulse, muscle twitches.
“Her blood gas carbon dioxide levels are nearing forty-five mmHg.”
Shit.
“She may be on the cusp of respiratory failure, Luke. She is too far from home. It’s amazing her body has held out this long.
“Evie needs sunlight but that’s not really what worries me the most right now.
“You know we’ve never been able to keep humans here for long.”
Seren let out an irritated breath, clicking off the images.
“I mean there’s a possibility that if I run these tests farther from now, things could change but it’s highly unlikely, Luke. I don’t think it’s smart to wait that long.”
I didn’t want to hear what Seren had to say. Taking Evie back to Earth was not in my plans, not right away anyways.
“Luke, if she dies, it’ll be on your head.”
Seren stepped towards me, levelling her gaze.
“I’ve made some alterations to her like you asked and to her cells, but unfortunately, Luke, there are some things that you just can’t alter without changing other cells. Evie will grow to be an old woman on Earth, just not here. Our environment is too harsh for her form. There isn’t anything else I can do, Luke.”
“I understand.” I bobbed my head a few times keeping my gaze on the floor.
“Has she complained to you at all about feeling ill?” she asked with knotted brows.
“No, nothing,” I whispered.
She sucked her teeth. “I don’t know, Luke, going by the tests, there’s no way Evie could be feeling one hundred percent functional. She’s probably just hiding it from you.”
I ran a hand through my hair a few times, taking in Seren’s words.
“I’m sorry, Luke,” she sang out as I headed for the door.
Luke
I was called to Commander Drago’s deck, since the last update we had from Archer was that he and his team were heading to the Sayan Mountains.
Commander Drago nodded. “How much time do we have?” he asked Archer.
Archer’s face appeared as a hologram right where we stood. “We don’t know but we’ve been told there’s been movement.”
Commander Drago nodded again. “Is that all the intel we have, Archer?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“We will reconvene as soon as you know more.” Commander Drago mumbled out.
Archer agreed. The image of him disappeared, then Commander Drago turned to face me.
“Luke, I know you want to join Archer but you have orders.”
I nodded.
“I have orders,” he said. “We are beyond the original timeline we knew we had and at the moment, Earth is facing a potential nuclear disaster that will be beyond any scale they could ever handle. The Americas will be obliterated and the rest of the western hemisphere will be destroyed from the impact of radiation.” Commander Drago sighed. “We need that planet, Luke.”
“I understand.”
“Are you okay, Luke?”
I grunted, rubbing a hand over my face. “I’m not sure.
“How long will it last, sir?” I asked referring to my ban from leaving the SS Everest.
Commander Drago sighed again. “I’m not sure. I honestly don’t know. The Council see no reason for you to be on Earth right now, Luke, which might be indefinitely. Why do you ask?”
I blew out a breath. “I just imagined I would be in charge of the mission that Archer is out on, sir. That is all.”
Commander Drago nodded in understanding. “You’ve done a good job, Luke, as always, but we have more important matters to tend to, aboard the SS Everest.”
“I follow orders, sir,” I assured him.
Commander Drago stepped closer. “I was told that Seren has made some improvements with your Evie?”
“Yes, sir. It’s all experimental but she’s responding well.”
“And the rash on her arm?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes, sir, I’ve realized it.”
There was an awkward silence between us, until Commander Drago spoke again. “Luke, I know you think I don’t understand but I was in love once as well.”
“I’m not in love, sir.”
Commander Drago nodded slowly. “She’s special to you so I understand, but, Luke, she can’t stay. She is getting sick. If she worsens, you will have to send her home. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“In the meantime, I need coordinates for the Sayan Mountains. Eden will be ready to depart soon.”
“Yes, sir.” I stood at full attention.
We needed Archer and his team to locate that nuke.
Evie
I awoke from my own sleeping moan, only to find Luke’s head buried between my legs, lapping and licking the tender flesh between my legs. I ran my hands through his hair, wincing slightly when I realized how sore my forearm now was. I didn’t know how many hours I’d been out but I didn’t do anything I planned to do today.
“I’m coming,” I cried out softly, digging into Luke’s forearm.
The powerful orgasm moved through my body in waves, while I cried and whimpered out into quiet air. I heaved for breath, remaining still while Luke crawled up my body wiping his mouth, giving me a strange look.
“Have you been asleep all day?”
“No,” I said sitting up..
.lying.
I pulled my shirt sleeve down to my wrist, when Luke pulled me into his lap, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“Dinner should be here soon,” Luke mumbled into my temple, putting another kiss there. “You should eat.”
Slipping out of his lap, I made my way to the bathroom. When I spun around to take a look at Luke, he was staring at me with an expression on his face I hadn’t seen before. He followed me to the bathroom, standing in the doorway watching me carefully. I stood to the vanity and washed my face, looking at my gaunt appearance in the mirror and red eyes.
He stepped closer, gripping my arm. I winced, attempting to jerk my arm out of his grasp, while he pushed my sleeve up to my elbow, looking at the purple bruise that colored my skin.
“Fuck,” Luke whispered harshly, shaking his head.
“I’m fine.” I snatched my arm away from him. “It’s just a rash, Luke.”
“Evie,” he said firmly when I reached the door, holding a towel in my hand.
I felt bad. Even I could admit that to myself but I wasn’t about to tell Luke that I didn’t feel well.
“Evie,” he repeated, dropping his head to the floor.
I forced a smile, stepping towards Luke, pushing my tears back that I was certain he already saw.
“I’m fine.” I tapped him on the shoulder.
Luke sighed and pulled me tight against him, wrapping his arms around me.
“You can’t love me, can you?” I squeaked out. “That’s why you don’t have a reflection, isn’t it?”
“Evie,” he whispered holding me away from him to look in my eyes. “I-I,” he breathed out. “I’m not like you, Evie.”
“You don’t have to explain, I understand.”
I shrugged and pulled away from him. I headed back into the bedroom, forcing myself to stay balanced, so I didn’t hit the fucking floor.
Evie
“Is she going to be okay?” Luke asked Seren, who shot him an annoyed glance.
After eating dinner, I stumbled back into the bathroom, emptying the entire contents of my stomach into the toilet. Then I passed out. When I awoke, I was lying in a bed in Seren’s office.