by Imogene Nix
Raven let out a surprised whistle.
“Mellissa is here as she is both a material witness and also has information of times, places, and people involved. As a civilian she is not to take part in any encounters. However, she will act as consultant on this mission.”
Duvall looked at Chowd, who looked happy with the mission details so far.
“Here’s what we know.” He breathed deep before carrying on. “Crick Sur Banden continues to be a thorn in the side of the Earth Empire. He has had infiltrators placed throughout the Admiralty, and we believe may have found Elphin’s plant within the diplomatic corps. We have our own operatives looking for information concerning other places they may have infiltrated. Aboard the Elector, we’ve faced issues while Corbin Jard attempted to endanger our crew and the Elector. At a later point, he made an attempt on Mellissa and he was neutralized, but not before we lost a crewmember and Jard himself.”
Raven and Meredith’s faces were slack with surprise. “But how did he—” Meredith started.
Duvall held his hand up. “In a moment. There’s more yet. Raven, Meredith intercepted transmissions from Admiralty to the Ru’Edan which lead us to believe that they are attempting to access the slipstream in order to alter Earth history. We believe the plan is to ensure that the Empire does not evolve as we know it.”
Duvall stopped once more, waiting for everyone to absorb the information he’d shared. She could tell that recounting the information that they had managed to cobble together raised his ire.
“Corbin Jard was in a perfect position to cripple our new fleet of stealth ships by passing their specs to operatives. However, we believe this is a much bigger plot than just disabling our ships. We believe Sur Banden knows who were the lynchpins in the formation of the Empire’s Senate. Should he stop that from forming, it would leave our defenses weak. It stands to reason he’s doing the same with the Ru’Edans.” He breathed deeply. “This is a long-term game. Damned risky, but if it pays off, not only do we have an attempt to disrupt the Empire, we also have our latest weapons up for not just minute inspection but also every possible weakness in full view and we are unsure of the ramifications of a changed timeline.”
He looked around the table.
“Our mission is to travel back through the slipstream, get the information concerning the infiltrator, and neutralize them before they can wreak havoc on the time period. We also need information on who else is embedded and where.” He paused, bringing up images of Mellissa’s bookstore and Jem in a holovision pad set up on his table. “This has to work without detection, people. At this point in history, there has been no real extraterrestrial travel bar to the moon. We must not affect that timeline, otherwise it puts pretty much everything we have achieved so far in jeopardy.”
Chowd nodded. “I agree, Captain. Miss Davis will act as our historical researcher as she has access to information we do not, including the acceptable social behaviors. We will use her knowledge and contacts to find Andurs Feinstein, who we believe is the conduit to the infiltrator, and hopefully, ultimately to Crick Sur Banden. We believe Miss Davis’s bookstore was chosen because of both its geographic location and also because they may have become aware that in the future you would have access to the slipstream technology, making you yet another target for removal.”
Mellissa gasped. “No. I mean, how would he know what I’m aware of in the future? I don’t even know now, what…” Confusion descended like a fog on her brain.
“Miss Davis…Mellissa, the captain and I have found what we believe is the connection between the books you will write in the future and the plot against the Empire. We think this is the reason you were chosen as the target. You are the key to what happens.”
Shock ricocheted. It hadn’t occurred to her that something she hadn’t even done yet would affect the future. “But… I haven’t actually done anything.”
Chowd smiled. “Not yet. But your position in the future is important to the continuum. We aren’t sure why at this stage. I’m sure that will all be revealed in the future.”
“I haven’t even finished writing one book yet,” she cried. “And I certainly don’t intend to release any secrets through them.” She looked around in distress. “I can stop writing if that helps?”
Elara placed her hand on Mellissa’s. “I don’t think that’s what they meant, Mellissa. Is it?” She looked at Duvall. The scarring on Elara’s face seemed harsher than ever, giving the woman a dangerous quality. Mellissa guessed it had frightened more than one junior officer into submission when needed. Mellissa gripped Elara’s hand, appreciating her support.
“No. In fact, it’s important that you do write them. They’ll have their place in history, and if you don’t complete them, there’ll be an element of history missing, not to mention a shift, or anomaly if you will, in the space-time continuum too.” Duvall sighed and looked at her again. “We need a researcher aboard the Elector capable of understanding both the historical aspects of the travel and able to handle the current technology. We need you to go back to where you came from and act as if nothing has happened. Which in and of itself can be tricky.”
Duvall paused for a moment before continuing.
“I’ve calibrated the settings so that the slipstream returns us to the same time, within about twelve hours, to your store. Chowd and I have both discussed this at length since returning to the Elector. I… We believe that we should return you to both your place and time, with the two of us there acting as your guard.” He stopped, taking a breath. “We need to get to your friend Jem, find out where and when she is meeting Andurs, and somehow arrange a meeting. From there, we believe it is wisest if we apprehend him. Get him to…if not help us—” He smiled cynically at that comment. “—then at least lead us to his connections and tell us exactly what they are up to.”
He looked toward his sister.
“Meanwhile, Meredith will continue to decode the messages moving between the ship, Admiralty, and the Ru’Edan Empire. Particularly those she intercepted. She’ll double up with intercepting and decoding any further communiqués while there.”
Mellissa’s head spun. So much to do and prepare. Was she even up to it? She closed her eyes.
“Are you okay, Mellissa?”
Her head jerked up at Duvall’s cautious tone.
“Yeah, it’s just… There’s a lot to take in.”
He nodded. “There is a lot riding on this.” His gaze pierced her. “Shall I continue?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
“Right. Normally we would expect our comm officer to do this, but because of the status of this mission, this must be contained here. Between us.”
Meredith nodded her agreement.
“Meredith will remain on the ship. Grayson will remain here as well and ensure we’re not detected and get us out of there quickly if necessary. He’ll assume command until my return. Elara, you’ll remain on call.”
Elara bent her head as she tapped the instructions into her mini-computer. “Yeah.”
“Raven, I need you to repair whatever’s been done to the Elector. We don’t have a lot of time, and I need her systems at optimal, including weapons systems. Given Jard was aboard for at least three weeks, we can’t rest thinking he just ‘tweaked’ the engines. I expect full updates.”
He looked at his crew, handpicked for this mission. Mellissa was sure there was no team better able to deal with this crisis. She nearly laughed at the horrified expression on Raven’s face.
“I’ll have a thorough assessment within twenty-four hours.” Raven began tapping at the screen in front of him. His face screwed up as his blond hair flicked forward as his fingers flew.
She assessed him quickly, watching his movements. Evidently, Raven could fill the position of engineer easily. The fact that the crew had welcomed him immediately into the fold spoke volumes, not just for what he could do, but also for the man himself.
“Chowd, I need you to ensure the security team is fully briefed a
nd ready for the mission.” Duvall looked at Chowd, also busily tapping away on his screen. “We don’t have a lot of time to make this happen, and it must be seamless.”
“I’ll arrange a security briefing for 0800 hours tomorrow. From thereon, all crew will be directed to their roles,” Chowd answered, looking at Grayson. It was clear they’d discussed this between themselves as they seemed to know what the other would want.
“Captain, I must state now, I believe I should be the one to accompany Mellissa—”
Duvall interrupted Grayson. She guessed it was standard protocol to ensure the captain remained safely on board.
“No, I’ll accompany Mellissa together with Chowd. We will need to be able to take immediate action. Is everyone clear with their roles?” He looked around the table. “Right. Meredith and Mellissa, can you stay back please?”
The implicit dismissal had the rest of the crewmembers rising from their seats.
“Mellissa, when this is done, can you come to the ST suite?” Elara looked at her, and Mellissa nodded slowly, not sure what the reason was but welcoming a distraction nonetheless.
* * * *
Duvall launched straight into business. “Meredith, do you have all the equipment you need to finalize the decoding? I need to know in case we have to detour back to Aenna. Though, frankly, I would prefer not to. The sooner we get into the slipstream, the sooner we get back and clear this mess up.”
“The systems and equipment here should do the trick, Duvall. The cabin I have been assigned is fully kitted out, and Grayson has also cleared one of the security desk screens for my use. I believe I should have some answers by the time we leave slipstream.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Okay. Well, you’d better get off to your cabin, unpack, and familiarize yourself. Mess at 1900 hours, right?”
“Sure, big brother.” The formality now brushed aside, she started sassing him and grinning. “You know you’ve needed me for the longest time. ’Bout time you get your priorities right.” Meredith stood and sashayed toward the door. Palming it, she turned briefly and winked. “Don’t let him push you around too much, Mellissa. Give him an inch and he’ll take a light year.” Chuckling at her joke, she made her way out of the door, the quiet whoosh closing them off from the world.
Mellissa looked at Duvall. “Where do you need me to work, and what do I need to do?” she asked. He stood up and grabbed her.
“This is what I need.” Pulling her in closer, he breathed in the scent of her hair. The feel of her body settled him as nothing else had ever done, and the whisper of her breath against his collar soothed his anxiety.
She grabbed him around the waist and snuggled for a minute, and he reveled in the closeness of touch. Then she pulled away. “You have things to do, and so do I,” she reminded him. “Now I have a date with Elara, and you have…well, you have stuff to do.” She smiled at him, and electricity arced through the air between them.
“When you’re done, head down to the bridge. Grayson’s setting a unit up for you with full access to all the historical databases and anything else you might require. I need you to run through some information to make sure it’s accurate. We also need a detailed floor plan of the bookstore so we can transmit there safely and end up in the right place.” He kissed her quick and hard then, letting her go, turned. “I better get onto the bridge.” With that, he headed out the door.
Chapter 11
Elara looked up as Mellissa entered the SurgiTech suite. “Good, now that you’re here, we can have a proper chat while I work. Roll up your sleeve please.”
Mellissa looked at Elara, completely lost. “What do you mean? Do I need some sort of injection?”
“Not exactly. I just want to be sure you’re covered, for your and Duvall’s peace of mind. Now don’t get upset, but do you have an adequate plan for conception control?”
That hadn’t crossed her mind. Always before she had been so careful, remembering to use condoms, so how could she have forgotten? Sure, their encounters had been unplanned, and that alone was out of character for her, but still... She closed her eyes in self-castigation.
While she felt an immediate enchantment at the thought of a child of hers and Duvall, another part of her said it wasn’t the time or place. Neither had she considered if any diseases were an issue. Are there even sexually transmitted diseases in the future? She felt sick at the thought that her stupidity may have endangered her own health. That, together with the fact that they still hadn’t discussed anything long term, gave her pause. She had no intention of having him think she had trapped him. The thoughts whirled through her mind.
“Mellissa?” Elara prompted, pulling her out of her thoughts.
She shook her head. “Oh God, that thought never crossed my mind.” How could this have happened? “With everything happening… I never considered that!” In fact, inquiring as to what forms of contraception were available hadn’t even occurred to her.
Mellissa strongly believed that the woman should protect herself, and in the few encounters she had enjoyed in the past, she’d always ensured her own safety. Now should have been no different, and given the hot passionate sex they enjoyed, she should have thought about it.
Mellissa tried mentally to work out her cycle, but confusion over the to-ing and fro-ing had her looking at Elara. “Does time travel interrupt a cycle?” She grappled to untangle her thoughts. “And uhh… What about sexually transmitted diseases? Do they still even exist?” The words tumbled out.
“Actually, that’s an interesting question regarding cycles. So far we haven’t allowed for that, as most of us are on an enforced contraceptive routine during these sorts of missions. As for the diseases, thankfully, you can rest easy there. All known sexually transmitted diseases have been wiped out, and we do require all active adults to submit to regular testing, just to be safe.”
Mellissa closed her eyes at Elara’s words. One less concern, but she still kicked herself mentally.
“Oh God! How soon can we find out about pregnancy?” Mellissa asked.
“Taking that as a no, you hadn’t really thought about it, so we’re going to take a sample for testing, and if you have an all clear, we’ll begin you on an implantation routine to ensure you remain safe. If that’s fine with you?” She looked at Mellissa closely. “Testing and contraception implantation is normal, you know.” She grinned. “And the best part of all? It won’t hurt one bit.”
She grabbed an instrument and showed Mellissa how it would take a quick sample for instant testing.
“So we hold it here, and this button allows me to take a micro-sample via transmission. It only takes a minute or two to check, so we can be totally clear before I start your injections. Are you okay to go ahead with this?” She patted Mellissa on the back, obviously sensing her discomfort with the subject. “If it is positive though, we’ll need to think about what happens next. And you would need to discuss this with Duvall.” She looked at Mellissa firmly. “You know that.”
Mellissa nodded. Elara turned away to prepare the tools required for the testing. Mellissa watched with her mind in a stir.
The sample was taken quickly and the testing underway in the small pathology unit that Elara kept in the ST suite. Mellissa sat tensely, trying hard to ignore the ramifications of a positive test. A vague image now played in her mind of a little boy with Duvall’s eyes, dark curly hair, and the sweet baby-powder smell. While they waited, Elara made coffee for both of them, and Mellissa kept watch on the figures scrolling over the viewscreen of the unit. Damn! Pregnancy hadn’t even rated in her mind during the sexy encounters.
“What forms of contraceptive do they use now?” she asked Elara.
“The majority on long range use a contraceptive implant. We fit it below the dermis, and it’s a slow release of hormones. They also regulate the cycle, which is handy.” Elara gave a short laugh. “The last thing you want to worry about is if your period is going to arrive at some inconvenient time.” She sobered. “Most women on
short runs also use a variant but with different doses. If you prefer a non-invasive, short-term option, we now use a hypo spray with thirty-day efficacy.” The choices rolled on. “There’s also a daily application, similar to an inhalant I found a record of, for lung deficiencies in your time. They are effective, and there are very few side effects, but it depends on the user remembering, of course.” Elara held one up for Mellissa to see, and she sat forward, inspecting the item.
They were deep in conversation when the machine sounded. Mellissa started, jumping slightly, and beads of sweat suddenly dotted her upper lip. She eyed the pathology machine, fearful of the answer. What if it was positive? How would Duvall react?
Elara looked at her, and Mellissa got the impression she could almost read her mind. “Ready to find out?”
“Not…not really.” She quaked and her voice carried a quiver. Elara reached over to grab her hand briefly.
Mellissa took a deep breath while she steeled herself for whichever answer came. “Okay, then. Let’s find out.”
It could be… I could… Fears whirled while the idea of a baby played on her mind. If it was a yes, she’d tell him. If he didn’t want… Well, she’d raise and care for the child herself. Love him or her.
“You know he would make a great father.” Mellissa whispered the words to herself, then stopped herself short. Whoa, I’m sure he would be, in time anyway, just not yet.