Miguel nodded, sucked in a deep breath and answered the call.
Chapter Twenty Six
Staring up at the light blue ceiling of the envirodome, Aurelia wondered how she happened to be there instead of out on the tarp under that filthy blanket with rocks and bumps of uneven ground digging into her back. Not that she minded really, she just distinctly remembered telling Zimbin that she would not draw for a spot in the dome. Her entire body felt as if it were between two sides of a mechanical vise tightened as far as it would go. No pain particularly, just a sense of heavy pressure.
Pushing the palms of her hand against the bed, Aurelia struggled to sit up. The rest of the room was empty with all the beds made. Noises filtering in from outside indicated the camp was awake and preparing for the day. Breathing rapidly, she fought off the blanket and stood to her feet. She had to wait a minute for the room to stop revolving. It took five minutes to walk the few feet to the P.H.C., swallowing back waves of nausea with every step.
Filling the sink from the portable water tank, she looked up and stared at her gaunt reflection in the mirror. Huge black circles ringed her bloodshot eyes and her hair lay about her shoulders in a tangled, still damp and muddy mess. As fragments of the night before began to seep back to her mind, Aurelia leaned her head against the wall, watching the water slowly drain back into the tank’s purifier. She closed her eyes, seeing Braden’s face before her but only as a memory now not as if he were really there as it had seemed last night.
Shaking her head, she shoved the memories back into their proper place, wishing she could be rid of them entirely. No such luck, she told her twin in the mirror. Making a face, she dragged her protesting body into the sonic shower.
“Aura?” Millie poked her head into the P.H.C. just as Aurelia stepped out of the shower. “What are you doing up?”
Aurelia eyed her head nurse suspiciously. A light gleamed in Millie’s eye that she couldn’t quite identify. “It’s customary to get up in the morning is it not?” Aurelia replied.
“Not with three c.c.’s of Xillonex in your system!”
“No wonder I can hardly move. Is this mine?” Aurelia picked up a clean shirt and pair of slacks folded neatly over the rack on the back of the door. “Where are my boots?”
“Doctor, I don’t think you should be out of bed. You were in bad shape just a few hours ago. Do you even remember what happened?”
Aurelia paused from buttoning her shirt. “I remember,” she replied. “Some of it. Some things are still a little hazy.” Aurelia zipped up the pants, tucked in her shirt and pulled on her utility belt, glancing around the floor. “Where are my boots?”
Millie folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame. “How do you feel physically?” she asked.
“Fine.” Aurelia held out her hand, palm upwards, “Give me my boots, Millie.”
“Why would I have your boots? Just because I got you out of your sopping wet clothes while you rambled on in some foreign language and didn’t even know who I was does not mean I have any idea where your boots are.”
Hot tears leaped into Aurelia’s eyes which she blinked away. “This is not particularly funny, Millie.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t think you’re in any shape to get up and quite frankly I’m getting worried about the success of this job.”
“Why do you think I’m standing here? Believe me, the way I feel right now I could go lie down and never get up again at all. But don’t you ever accuse me of not caring about a mission. I know we’re running into a time factor with phinotheria, innoculations have to be done fast. Faster than we’ve been doing them. And that’s why I’m standing here looking for my damn boots!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that at all. Honestly, I have no idea where your boots are.” Millie looked around the floor herself. “Come to think of it, you weren’t wearing any last night when Jak brought you in.”
Groaning, Aurelia slumped down on one of the equipment boxes. She lifted her foot and stared at the red scratches on the bottom. “I took them off before I jumped in the river. That was the only pair I had with me.” She looked up at Millie and asked, “Jak. Was he the one who pulled me out?”
Millie nodded slowly. “You don’t remember?”
“No. All I remember is...” Aurelia stopped, afraid her voice would break if she said any more and pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes.
Millie sat down beside her and asked, “What happened out there, Aura?”
Aurelia said nothing for a very long time. Finally, dropping her hands from her face and folding them in her lap, she stared at the wall and began to speak, her voice calm but each word heavy with pain. “I had a flashback. Haven’t had one in over two years and never publicly. It’s like I’m really there but I know I’ve already lived it but I don’t know if I’ll ever get out.”
“What was it about?” Millie asked.
A long shudder went through Aurelia’s body. She replied, “Someone... Someone used to punish me by...by holding my head under water. When I jumped in the Talax and the water went over my head, I...I just panicked. The current was so strong I couldn’t...” her voice faded away.
“You jumped in that river to save Steve even though you knew you couldn’t make it, didn’t you?”
Frowning, Aurelia pushed herself to her feet, suddenly not liking this conversation. She had already said too much, in fact, had almost poured the whole horrible story into her head nurse’s sympathetic ear.
Looking at Millie’s brown, gentle face, Aurelia’s eyes narrowed. “I had a responsibility to someone under my care. That’s all. And I didn’t plan on drowning.” She moved toward the door. “By the way , where’s Jak? I want him to take a party across the river to the other half of the city. We need to spread out.”
Millie raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t remember, do you? He’s not here and I don’t know where he is.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He was really upset last night. Apparently you insulted him.”
“What did I supposedly say?” Aurelia asked with hands on her hips.
“I can’t give you an exact quote but you called him a half-breed and insulted his grandmother,” Millie replied.
Aurelia flinched. The scene came back to her. Jak standing there, dripping, his antennae askew, bewildered, saying, “I wouldn’t let you drown.” And all she could think about was pain. Making someone else hurt as much as Braden had hurt her.
It hadn’t helped. She clenched her hand against her chest. Not at all. Why had she said that? She hated bigotry. Hated that word. Damn.
Millie was still watching her.
Aurelia gave a short, harsh laugh, “I’ve insulted him before and he knows I don’t mean a word of it.”
Shaking her head, Millie disagreed, “I’ve never heard you refer to his race before. Aura, Jak was really hurt. I think you need to apologize.”
“He’s just pulling his usual prima donna act. He knows I’m not a bigot. Would I have asked for him on my surgical staff if I were?”
The look Millie gave her was cool. “Then what did you say it for?”
Tears burned the surface of her eyelids, threatened to spill over. Aurelia turned away. She shrugged. “I don’t know. He’ll get over it.”
“I don’t think so.” Millie said. “And I don’t think a box of candy will help this time.”
Aurelia heard the door slide open.
“I’ll see if Lak has an extra pair of shoes you can borrow,” Millie added. The door slid shut.
Aurelia limped into the other room and sat down on the bed. She knew if she laid down she wouldn’t be able to get up again so she just sat there for a long time with her eyes closed, listening to her crew preparing for the day. As she listened she packed each emotion into separate long, wooden boxes in her mind. It was a technique she had learned from one of the older slaves, a gladiator named Hilan who had secretly taug
ht her to read and write. He had been killed in a training session with one of the animals in the arena. Hilan too was carefully packed away in one of those wooden boxes beneath layers of soft white silk. Aurelia never forgot anything except once a very long time ago...
Opening her eyes, Aurelia shook her head. This is not helping at all, she thought, I need to work. Work was the only thing that would keep her mind busy and away from all the memories. Gritting her teeth, she stood up and walked to the door, stepping into bright sunshine.
For a moment, a red pattern of criss-crossed lines imposed itself on her vision and she clutched the door frame to keep from falling. It seemed that every muscle in her body chose that moment to start hurting. The xillonex must have completely worn off, she thought, massaging her lower back. The platerius in her leg was awake and thrashing around.
The camp had pretty much cleared of people. Zimbin paused from picking up trash and started in her direction but she must have had a forbidding look on her face because he just waved and went back to his work. Over by the purplish-gray remains of the bonfire, Millie stood talking to a man. Aurelia squinted to see his face at this distance. She had never seen him before. Stepping cautiously with her bare feet, she walked toward the couple.
Turning at her approach, Millie nodded, “Aura, I’d like you to meet GEM Co.’s security commander, Neil Sanders.”
“Good morning, Doctor.” Sanders smiled. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here. I couldn’t resist coming to see my favorite nurse.”
Aurelia watched Millie’s cheeks flush pink and began to worry. This explained the unusual light in her eyes earlier. Was she going to lose her head nurse?
“Oh, here,” Millie said, holding out a pair of green shoes that looked like they would fit a duck. “Lak had a pair of boots too, but I figured they would bother your leg.”
Taking the shoes, Aurelia nodded, “Thanks.” She sat down on a rock to put them on. Lak had thoughtfully provided a pair of bright green socks with yellow bolts of lightning down the side. She grimaced and thought, beggars can’t be choosers, unfortunately.
“I took care of the Sclarian captain. He was released,” Sanders said. “The Sclarians won’t give you any more trouble about the arrest.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help,” Aurelia replied, suddenly wishing he would go away so she didn’t have to keep holding herself upright and saying polite nothings. Thankfully, Millie’s comm-link beeped.
“Excuse me,” the nurse said. “I had a call in to Miguel.” She answered the call, and they could all hear the boy’s excited voice. “You did what?!” Millie exclaimed when he got to the part about the body.
“They found what?!” Aurelia exclaimed when he got to the part about the boots. She was glad she was sitting down as a wave of nausea rolled over her, leaving her weak and shaking. Her boots found near a dead body, murdered from the sound of it. Her usually nimble mind felt slow and stupid as she tried to think out all the ramifications. Catching Millie’s eye, she said, “Tell those two to get back here, pronto!” She ran her fingers through her hair as Millie relayed the message and signed off. “I knew those kids would be nothing but trouble. Gedden! I don’t believe this.”
“Now hold it. We don’t know all the facts yet,” said Millie.
“No, just my boots found with a dead body.” Aurelia turned her head to hide the tears. Rising to her feet she announced, “I think I’ll go find a hoverbus to run my head into.”
“At least you’ll get your boots back?” Millie offered lamely, her voice apologetic.
Choking back a half-laugh, half-sob, Aurelia limped away as fast as sore muscles and the ugly duck shoes pinching her toes would let her.
Chapter Twenty Seven
The smell of burnt kanic made Jak lift his head from the table. The top of it was sticky with years of ground in grease and food stains and he scrubbed a hand vigorously across his face. Two other customers, both human, sat at the front counter of the all-night cafe while the cook, also human, swept the floor. Otherwise the place was empty. Must have dozed off, he thought, checking the time. Now what?
After leaving camp, he had wandered around town for awhile then stopped at the cafe. Aurelia’s words kept going around in his head as if on a conveyor belt. It wasn’t really so much the words themselves but the look of hatred in her eyes as she said them that made his heart twist like a piece of cloth being wrung dry. He hadn’t realized how much her opinion of him mattered, how much he strived to live up to her standards of conduct, of workmanship.
He remembered the first time he met her had been at a college fair held by GEM Co. Aurelia had been one of only two people who talked to him that day. He boasted too much, he knew that. But he was good and someone had to listen. She had looked him over with those cool jade eyes, asked several questions and moved on. After being hired by the Company on a provisional basis, he had been surprised the day his assignment to the Pasteur came through along with a personal message from Admiral Meng stating that Aurelia had asked for him to be assigned to her ship. She never referred to her request and he never asked, just gave her his best work.
Over the past twelve years she had bailed him out and saved his life more times than he cared to count. He had been able to return the favor only once. Twice, he thought and grimaced. And now it’s all worth nothing but a load of Mohair farck. The taste in his mouth was as bitter as burnt kanic.
Sliding out of the booth, Jak stood and stretched. The humans were watching him but he ignored them. He was getting tired of all the tension in this town.
Outside the cafe, the street was still quiet. It should have been busy and crowded by this time. Jak crossed his arms and headed to Linden Court where vaccinations would already be started.
Jak was just crossing to the other side of Narn Street when he heard footsteps and voices behind him. Turning to look, he saw four young Sclarians coming toward him. They were talking and laughing as loud as possible, all were dressed in brown jumpsuits, and none of them stood taller than Jak’s mid-section.
Jak turned and kept walking.
“Hey, insect head!” One of them shouted.
Jak kept walking.
“Who said you could litter the streets, insect?”
“Somebody call the garbage detail.” They laughed.
Jak curled one antenna. Uncurled it. They weren’t worth getting angry.
Then he heard boots clattering against pavement, half-turned, and caught a punch with his shoulder, sending a lightning jolt down his arm. Still he grabbed the Sclarian’s paw. Twisted and screamed, “Aaaaaahhhhh!” into his enemy’s face.
Pain smashed into his skull. He kicked out, connected with something soft that cursed. Bristles scratched his face as one of them tried to get an arm around his neck. Jak twisted, striking out with both fists and yelling his lungs clear of air. Though he could see nothing but a tangled mass of brown arms and legs, he suddenly felt a shift in the fight. Someone else had joined them. On his side.
“Gedden!” Jak swore as sharp teeth sank into his forearm. He swung his fist into the Sclarian’s face. The Sclarian dropped to the ground, whimpering.
“Kak bir,” growled one of the others. The translator didn’t pick it up. It must have been an order to run because all four Sclarians went tearing back the way they had come.
Clutching his arm, Jak looked over to where Steve Miller leaned against one knee, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Thanks,” Jak said when he could breathe again.
“Sure,” Steve said. “Too bad they ran away so soon.”
Jak sat down on the curb, uncurling his antennae where he had kept them tight against his head to save them from injury. “You hurt, Steve?” he asked.
“Nah. Just a chop to the neck.” Steve straightened. “I’m okay.”
Opening his utility belt, Jak took out the disinfectant and a strip of derma-flesh. It took only a moment to take care of the bite. With his scanner, he che
cked for any transmitted diseases and found everything clear.
Jak glanced up at Steve. “Glad you came along.” It was more of a question.
“I was going to Dad’s house,” Steve replied. His cheeks were covered with blonde stubble and his eyes were puffy. “I told you last night about how we were assaulted.”
Jak nodded.
“I walked all along the river but I couldn’t find...anything.” Steve paused. “I think...will you come with me? To the house?”
Jak stood up. “Guess I can return the favor. Let’s go.”
The Miller house looked quiet and peaceful as they approached. Both the gate and front door swung open with just a push. Leading the way into the house, Steve stopped in the hallway so suddenly Jak almost ran into him.
“Look out. Gedden! Somebody smashed this place good.” Jak let out a whistle at the devastation. Furniture had been overturned, ripped open, paintings torn down, the carpet pulled up and hacked into small pieces. Jak sneezed as the fur was disturbed. Every room in the house had been treated the same way. Returning to the living room, Jak shook his head. “Professional job I’d say. Any idea what they were looking for?”
Steve’s face was paler than it had been. “No,” he replied, “Not really.”
“I think it’s time to call the police.”
“No! Dad wouldn’t like that. He...”
“Shhh!” Jak warned, raising a hand. He could hear footsteps nearing the back door in the kitchen. Motioning for Steve to follow him, he moved cautiously down the hall to the kitchen. The back door stood partially open already and he glanced around the kitchen. The room was empty. Pulling on the doorknob, he looked outside. Steve yelled. Jak whirled at the sound of breaking glass. With two steps, he gripped thick, struggling flesh. The fight lasted two minutes then Jak found himself with his knee pressed into the neck of a frightened, corpulent human with bulging blue eyes and long, stringy red hair.
“Don’t kill me!” the man cried in a deep voice that didn’t match the rest of his body. “Please I just want to talk to Miller.”
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