Liet gave a deep sigh and returned the embrace, tightening her arm around Kala’s shoulders. Kala had to fight harder to hold back her tears; she was flooded with bittersweet emotion at even that small gesture of affection from her bondmate.
Kala spent the next few days working in the garden with the betas, helping them transplant seedlings from the greenhouse into the tilled earth. It was already early July; they had to get things growing as soon as possible. She had been assured there would be no move until after the harvest.
As she worked, Kala was putting together a list of things they still needed for an eventual trip to a garden supply center in the countryside. The few places that existed in the city had already been cleaned out, first by human survivors, and then by the first-wave agents.
Excitement on the Dronet caught her attention; something was going on. Kala stored her list in a virtual file in the new Hub and attuned her mind more sharply.
Three new Unathi had just arrived at the beach, fresh from 2616. Kala’s eyebrows rose; she thought hers had been the last wave for this area, especially after what she had seen happening at the center as she’d been leaving that time. Of the three who had arrived, two had died on the trip. She was sad about that, and at the same time happy to hear that the sole survivor was Wilm. So the scientist hadn’t been killed, after all.
Kala was waiting anxiously with the others when Charis and Jaff brought him in. He was alive, but in rough shape. The grueling journey through time had hit him harder than it had the younger agents. He’d had some other kind of trouble, too; the lab clothing he still wore was bloodied and torn.
Charis wouldn’t let anyone come near him, insisting that he get some rest and rejuvenation meds first. “Let his sym heal him for a while; he’ll give us his story later,” she said.
That evening, Wilm insisted on getting up, and went to sit in the common room downstairs. Every agent that wasn’t on duty came and hovered near him, eager for news of home. Someone brought him some food and a cup of tea.
Wilm’s face was pale and drawn. When he glanced at her, Kala saw deep sorrow in his eyes. He took a long, grateful sip of tea and set the cup down before speaking.
“Before you ask, there is no noticeable change in 2616 attributable to your efforts here. Not yet. But it’s early days; don’t be discouraged. Keep on with your efforts, you’re doing very well and we’re all proud of you.”
He looked down, his face grim. “I have to tell you, things aren’t good back there. Unathi deaths by Xin attack are down a little because most survivors are in shelters and have learned to cope better with their circumstances. But the number of Xin keeps growing because of the ongoing mutations. And the Xin have slowly learned how to organize themselves a bit better.”
He glanced at Kala and her bondmates. “What you saw that night was a Xin attack, but we got it under control with the nets. I was injured, but I recovered.
“However, shortly after that, the center came under intensive attack by the Xin. I’m not sure how they figured out how to get across the moat and get inside, but they did. A lot of people were killed.
“Some of us were holed up in the basement with the time travel device. We were trying to decide whether or not to destroy it. We didn’t think the Xin were capable of using it, but we still don’t understand them completely and we didn’t want to take any chances.”
He took another sip of tea, and the agents around him shared glances of foreboding.
“It was starting to look like we wouldn’t be able to hold the building much longer,” Wilm continued. “So we made a desperate decision. I and two other Unathi scientists decided to follow you agents back to 2079, while a brave technician volunteered to operate the time travel device for us and then destroy it as soon as we were through.”
He leaned back, looking around at their concerned faces. “I’m assuming she’s dead and the center, along with the time travel device, is no more. However, we had the parts and equipment to build another one, and we brought them with us through the wormhole. One of the other two scientists who came with me, Safia, was too old to survive the time travel. When I woke up on the beach, she was already dead. The other, Malik, was conscious but in bad shape. I made contact with you right away, but we were spotted by some Ghal as we were making our way to the road. They converged on him but I got away somehow and ran, and some of them followed me. I managed to evade them by climbing over a cement wall into a housing area, and I lost them between the buildings. My drones could sense where they were, in a way, and help me to avoid them. After a short time, thankfully, some of your agents showed up.”
He paused and smiled at Charis, Adira and Jaff. “I must congratulate you, by the way, on learning so quickly how to deal with the mess we landed all of you in. We had no idea about the Ghal; we knew only that the gamma virus strain had eventually died out, along with the others.
“But anyway, some of your agents created a distraction to draw away the few Ghal still hunting me, while Charis and Jaff found me and brought me back to their ground vehicle. The other agents were able to lose the Ghal and meet us there. Once the coast was clear, we went back to the landing site on the beach and picked up the parts and equipment I’d brought along with me, as well as some extra supplies. And Safia’s body—there will be nothing much left of poor Malik, I am told. And so here I am.”
Kala bowed her head. She remembered Safia from the holo conference on the rooftop near Chandika. She had liked the woman’s calm but confident manner. She had been knowledgeable, as well. A particularly painful loss among so very many.
Wilm often came to join Kala in the garden, curious to see what she was doing, and she was happy to show him her work. She found herself drawn to his kindness and his quiet, comforting manner, and the two quickly became friends. He had stored the time travel device parts in one of the smaller outbuildings on the grounds and he showed these to Kala, explaining their various functions. Most of it was lost on her, but she enjoyed it anyway.
“If I can find a big enough power source, I could build it,” he said. “Think about it, Kala—we could conceivably go back to 2616 and find out how well the mission has succeeded.”
Kala stared at him, thinking. Maybe she could take Jennie and the baby with her into the future. And Brandon, of course; he would never be separated from Jennie. The epsilons should be safe there; after all, there was no way their descendants could have any affect on the future if they were already there. It would be just as if they had been terminated.
Wilm was watching her. “What are you thinking?” he asked, his eyes bright with curiosity.
Kala found herself confiding in him, telling him things about herself she had never told anyone before, not even Liet. She spoke to him privately via the Dronet as they stood in the doorway of the building, watching the humans working in the garden.
I’ve always been different, Wilm.
What do you mean? Different from whom? he asked.
From everyone. For one thing, I have a sentient symbiont. He even has a name: Araka. He told me that when I was just a little girl.
He looked at her, his brows arched high into his forehead. You have conversations with your symbiont?
Oh, yes. He made me promise never to tell anyone, and now I’ve broken that promise. So this is strictly confidential, okay?
Of course. You can talk to me about anything, Kala. I won’t share it with anyone; you have my word. Please go on; this is fascinating.
She told him about her often-exasperating symbiont, and then explained her belief that she was stronger and faster than normal, while also smaller than everyone else in her age group.
Yes, that is puzzling, he remarked. I heard talk on the Dronet back when you were still in Naya, about how you dispatched a Xin by yourself without too much trouble. At the time, I thought it was mere exaggeration.
She sighed and leaned back against the doorframe, keeping an eye on Brandon. He was watching them curiously. Any minute now, he was going to com
e over.
It wasn’t, she said. But here’s the real problem. I seem to be very good at killing, but I absolutely hate it. I’ve decided that I’m not going to kill any more epsilon humans. That’s why I’m here standing Guardian. I realize I’m betraying the mission, but I just can’t do it. It makes me physically and emotionally ill. What I can’t understand is why I’m the only one who feels like this. Even Liet, I suspect, isn’t bothered by that so much as simply being in combat. Why am I so different? It’s put me in a very awkward position. I just don’t know what’s going to happen. Her eyes filled with tears of frustration.
Wilm placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. My dear girl, I don’t know. I can try to find out, if you want. But remember this: as long as you’re here, doing this work with the betas, you are helping the mission, not betraying it. Fortunately for you, the role of Guardian is a necessary and valuable one.
Yes, if it wasn’t for that, I don’t know what I’d do. At least I still have a purpose; helping these betas survive. She took a deep breath and started to tell him about Jennie and her baby, but stopped when she saw Brandon coming over.
“Hey, what are you two doing over here? Are you watching us?” he asked.
“We are just talking, Brandon,” Kala said aloud in English. “This is Wilm. He is not an agent, he is a scientist.”
Brandon stuck his hand out. “Good to know you, Wilm.”
Surprised, Wilm stared at the proffered extremity until Kala showed him how to shake hands.
“He’s not like the rest of you,” Brandon said, unfazed. “Is he from 2616, too?”
“Yes, he is, but he has not had the same preparation we agents have,” Kala explained. “He cannot speak English, for example.”
Brandon smiled at the man, and they studied each other. They were both about the same height, roughly six feet.
He’s rather a big human, isn’t he? Wilm asked her.
“Hey, don’t worry,” Brandon said. “He’ll probably pick it up fast. I can help teach him, if you want.” He turned to Kala. “Are you sure you two were talking before? I didn’t see your lips moving.”
“Yes. The drones I told you about—they let us communicate without speaking aloud.”
He rocked back on his heels. “Ah, so that explains it. I was wondering why none of you seem to talk very much. You walk around completely silent most of the time. But it turns out you’re yacking away inside your heads, where we can’t hear.” He frowned. “That ain’t polite, you know.”
“There is a good reason for it, Brandon. I have told you things none of the others know, and it is best if they never know. That is why we Unathi often communicate silently. I am sorry if it hurts your feelings. And it would be wonderful if you could teach Wilm English.” As they spoke, she was translating privately via the Dronet for Wilm.
Brandon nodded. “Okay. Here’s a question for you: how come all the Anathi men and women are the same size? Except for you I mean, Kala. And none of the men have any facial hair, and the girls have a lot of muscle. It just ain’t natural.”
Kala laughed. “It is natural for us, Brandon, believe me. And it is pronounced Unathi.”
“Right. Anathi.” He turned to Wilm. “So when do you want to start?”
Wilm looked at Kala and nodded, and she said, “Wilm would be happy to start right now, if you like.”
Brandon nodded eagerly. “Right. First thing you gotta know is”
Chapter 17
SanFran Guardian Refuge
July 10, 2079
SUPPER WAS OVER AND the betas had settled into their quarters for the night. Kala did a last check on them and then headed for her own room. Crisfer was out somewhere; Rami was already in bed.
Liet came in from helping with cleanup in the kitchens. The two women changed into their nightclothes—brief tank tops and shorts—and got into bed, trying to be quiet.
Instead of climbing into her own bunk, Kala got in with Liet, spooning herself up against the larger woman’s back. The bed creaked whenever they moved.
Kala whispered, “They didn’t design these beds with people our size in mind, did they?”
Liet chuckled. The sound was like music to Kala’s ears, and she tightened her arm around the other woman’s waist, smiling. Liet felt thinner—she was losing weight. That was rare for an Unathi, and a bit worrisome. Nothing Kala could do about it tonight, though. She was just drifting off into sleep, despite her nose being tickled by Liet’s mass of black hair, when her drones informed her that Crisfer, Kasana and the other Hunters had just come in late from a expedition, bringing with them some newly rescued betas.
Without moving or opening her eyes, Kala attuned to the Dronet. The Hunters had discovered a group of humans with three betas hiding out in a tenement basement in the Tenderloin. They must have moved back into the area after it was swept the first time.
The agents, Kala thought, had learned a lot from their mistakes in the early days. These betas were not resisting; they were happy and relieved at being rescued. The epsilons among their number had been quietly terminated; the betas weren’t even aware this had been done, believing the epsilons had been taken elsewhere.
She sprang up suddenly in bed, eliciting a loud creak from the bed and a groan of protest from Liet. The drones Kala had left with Jennie and the baby had alerted her that Kasana was doing a sweep of all the humans on the beta wing, using his attack drones to sample each one for their virus strain.
Her heart rate sped up. Oh, no, she thought. Why would he do that? She sprang out of bed. Liet sat up and said, “What is it, Kala?” and Rami turned in his bunk to see what was going on.
Kala ignored them, thinking furiously. She released her drones, sending most of them to the beta wing with instructions not to allow anyone else’s drones approach Jennie and her baby. She wasn’t sure this would work—drones never acted against each other normally—but it had never been tried, and it was her only chance.
She raced out of the room and down the corridor, still dressed in her sleeping shorts and tank. Monitoring her drones as she ran, she learned that Kasana’s attack drones were approaching Jennie and the baby. And then she realized her drones were protecting Jennie, preventing Kasana’s drones from getting to her! Kala’s mouth fell open. This had to be a first.
She and Crisfer arrived at the entrance to the beta wing at the same time. They both stopped. Crisfer’s expression turned cold when he saw her. “What is the meaning of this, Kala?”
Some of the other agents, including Liet and Rami, had followed her to the wing and were gathering around. Kasana appeared in the doorway from the betas’ common room, staring at her. “What on earth is going on?” he asked.
“I—” Kala stopped. She didn’t know what to say.
Sucking in a breath through his nose, Crisfer stepped closer to her. “You what? That woman and her baby are epsilons, aren’t they? That’s why you won’t let Kasana’s drones near them. You knew they were epsilons and you brought them in here.”
Kala nodded. She could feel her face setting, the way it always did when she was feeling particularly stubborn. “Yes, I knew.”
“And you let us believe they were betas. Why?”
Kala hesitated, struggling to find words that would make sense to him—to any of them. She glanced at Liet; the girl returned her a look of sympathy and encouragement.
Kala sighed. She had been about to say something like, She became my friend and I just couldn’t do it, but then she realized the futility of such statements. She looked into Crisfer’s eyes; they were icy. He wouldn’t understand. None of them would.
She drew herself up to her full height and spoke to everyone, not just Crisfer. “I have my reasons, but I’m not going to discuss them right now. Just understand, all of you, that Jennie and her baby are under my protection. They are not to be touched. Is that clear?”
Crisfer’s mouth fell open, and a low murmur rose among the agents gathered around.
“Now hold on. Who do you t
hink you are?” Crisfer snapped. “Those humans are epsilons. Our mission is to terminate every one of them we can, and you know it.”
“Yes, I do. But you’re not going to terminate that girl and her baby. No one is. I forbid it.”
Crisfer’s face reddened. He moved still closer, until she could see every detail of his familiar features. She noted that the food and the environment here were already taking their toll; his skin was no longer perfect as it once was. Hers was probably the same. She realized he was shouting at her and snapped her attention back to the situation.
“You know what you are, Kala? You are a traitor. You have betrayed the mission and your own people. If I could send you back to 2616, I would, but I can’t. So I think you’d better leave. I don’t care where you go, but don’t let me see your face again!” He turned his back on her and stomped off.
Kala saw Brandon’s tousled head sticking out of the doorway to the common room, above Jennie’s smaller form. They had obviously heard the agents arguing in Unathi. They came out into the hallway, approaching the knot of agents around Kala.
“What’s going on?” Jennie asked. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, it is all right now,” Kala said. “Go back to bed.”
She waited in the beta wing until all the agents had left, and then made her way back to her quarters. In the hallway just outside the door, she stood shifting from one foot to the other. She sensed her three roommates inside, heard their voices murmuring softly.
Help me, Araka, she pleaded. Should I try to talk to Crisfer?
Nothing you can say will make him understand, dear one. I advise that you keep your distance until he cools down.
Kala shook her head. She couldn’t just let this sit, eating away at both of them. She took a deep breath and entered the room.
As soon as he saw her, Crisfer sat up and fixed her with a hostile stare. “I thought I told you I didn’t want to see your face again.”
The X-Variant (The Guardians Book 1) Page 13