Daughter of Destiny

by HC Playa

  "Oh god."

  "Iníon: daughter."

  She reached for her cell phone and then paused. Her vacation ended in less than thirty-six hours. She already agreed to teach a summer class, which was coming up fast. A trip to Ireland had to wait. She stared at her phone, contemplating calling Naia, but what would she tell her. Oh, by the way, dad wasn't REALLY my father. I think maybe my real father was this stranger I met in the woods, who happened to be a faerie.

  Katarina set the phone down and turned off the computer. Her past wasn't going anywhere.

  Chapter 9

  Four months later…

  Katarina shook her head at Naia and Robert's latest efforts to get her to join society, a modern art showing at Dixon Gallery. Why on earth did I agree to this? I could be at the clinic monitoring the trials. Never mind that she knew little about the setup of phase three clinical trials. It irked her to just wait and do nothing.

  She turned on her heel, leaving Naia and Robert to debate the esoteric meaning of what looked to her like little more than paint splattered on a canvas. The enclosed space trapped the energy of the patrons in the small gallery. Combined with the lingering energy on the antiques throughout the museum, it pounded against her walls, hammering until her head began to hurt. She needed space. She headed for the gardens outside, exiting through a side door. August's heavy hot air slammed into her. She sought refuge under an ancient oak. The girth of the trunk, larger than the circle of two people's arms, attested to its age.

  She spurned the nearby concrete bench for the cool mossy ground at the base of the tree. She settled into a spot barren of roots and leaned back. Flies and mosquitoes buzzed close, but a whispered spell sent them off in search of less elusive prey. She smiled as they flew away. Too bad she didn't know that spell when she was a child growing up in Texas, where it was as bad as a Memphis summer most of the year.

  The small expenditure took the edge off the energy inside her. While she carried life inside her, she dared not use sleep deprivation as a method of keeping the energy from building up. Instead, she experimented with spells and trying to control the flow of energy. She improved daily, but if she went too long between sessions it became more of a pyrotechnics display than anything else. Katarina sighed. Well, the broken lamps and furniture weren't worth a fortune anyway. At this rate, redecorating would become a necessity.

  She rested her hands on the small mound just beginning to show beneath her oversize t-shirt. She reached inside to the twin sparks of energy within her and sent warm loving energy as an apology for the panic and anxiety that crept in on her at odd moments. Worse, due to the demands of work she had made no progress in tracking down the man she suspected of being her father. Her only consolation lay in still being able to sense Zane. His thoughts faded from her reach ages ago, but a small warm sensation at the center of her mind reassured her that, while far away, he was still alive.

  She closed her eyes, letting the warm breeze and birdsong lull her. She thought of Zane and calculated he would reach Yopmar soon, if he hadn't already. Part of her hoped he changed his mind and stayed. If she could sense him, that was enough, and she assumed he must still sense her as well.

  Yearning for Zane, she centered her whole mind on their link. She sent one thought. "I love you." The link flared and his love washed through her, then the energy dimmed once more to its usual state. Surprise stole her breath. Zane had not responded for weeks. A knot of tension in her gut eased.

  ***

  Zane tugged at his dress uniform and across from him Coran squirmed in his as well. He looked around the familiar waiting room. He couldn’t even count the times he sat here waiting for an assignment or debriefing. Dull metallic gray dominated the décor and mirrored his stormy mood. Coran eyed him the entire trip, no doubt expecting him to turn into a raving lunatic. Yes, the distance bothered him, like an itch he couldn't scratch, but Katarina's phenomenal telepathic skills kept him sane.

  He scowled at the monochromatic room with utilitarian furniture and realized how much he loathed what the IGCF had become. Even the civilian secretary sitting at her gray desk lacked any whisper of individualism. The higher ups, like Xu raked in money and spent small fortunes on whatever pleased them and harshly punished anyone who even hinted at thinking outside the rules.

  "You okay?" Coran whispered.

  "Fine," Zane said through clenched teeth. How many times is he going to ask?

  Katarina's mental touch lingered in his mind, feeding his impatience to get this over with and done. Sometimes he caught words and phrases, other times emotions, but it was far beyond what scientists dictated as possible. No living race could communicate telepathically across such vast distances. There were legends of past races with such skill, but historians believed the distances exaggerated by time and myths.

  Zane pulled a personal memory card out of his pocket. He traced her image with his finger. A fleeting smile crossed his face, recalling the taste of her skin, the sound of her voice, her scent, making her absence a near physical ache. He practiced trying to reach her every day, but he couldn't discern if he did or if his efforts made any difference. Zane put away the picture card and glanced at Coran. A serial card with advertisements for the newest in communication software lay in Coran's lap and he had his computer out running price comparisons. Zane’s lips twitched in amusement. No doubt Coran had at least one item picked out for purchase. The man’s home computer setup mocked the mainframe IGCF headquarters maintained.

  "Captain," the secretary droned. "General Xu will see you and the lieutenant now."

  Zane nodded his head in acknowledgment. Entranced by a new VR helmet's holographic ad that turned and blinked stats, Coran made no movement to get up. Zane leaned down and snatched the serial card out of his hands, causing the holographic image to disappear. He tossed the ad onto the squat gray table between the chairs.

  "Hey!"

  "Shopping will have to wait. The general’s ready to see us." Zane fought the urge to laugh at Coran’s annoyed expression.

  Zane led the way into the general’s office and once inside, brought his right fist up in front of his chest to meet the palm of his left hand in salute. Coran did the same and they held the salute until General Xu returned it.

  "At ease. Be seated," General Xu said in Standard. They each took a seat opposite the general’s desk. General Xu seated himself in a cushioned, dark green, desk chair. A middle aged Glimera, his huge wide set eyes were set in a mottled green face with a large snout. Classed as humanoids, spiky green fur covered their torsos and limbs, leaving their heads bald. As Zane sat down it occurred to him General Xu reminded him of an odd combination of an earth lemur and vulture, only green.

  In contrast to the depressing waiting area, the general’s office dizzied Zane with its many shades of vivid greens and browns. Zane imagined that if the general closed his bright yellow eyes and held still he would blend into the background. Zane sat with the quiet stillness of a predator and watched the general with a hooded gaze. Their long history of clashes made it difficult to view the man as anything other than an adversary.

  "Reports?" General Xu asked in accented Standard.

  Zane and Coran each handed him a memory cube, a plastic cube which contained a set of memory cards. Fitted with nano-circuitry a user could read individual cards or download the whole set to a hard drive.

  "Lieutenant, technology summary?"

  Zane zoned out while Coran commenced reciting a mind-numbing amount of data, followed by his subsequent analysis. He passed the time considering possible ship models which met his requirements and fell within his price range.

  "Society report?"

  It took Zane a second to realize that General Xu was speaking to him. He cleared his throat and pinned the General with his gaze. A thrill of satisfaction went through him when the general averted his gaze and focused on his desk instead.

  "After studying Earth's cultures, I've concluded we can’t compare their progress with accepted mod
els derived from inner galactic cultures. Despite or perhaps because of their diversity, our current computer models do not correlate with their history of progress. The only constant, is their diversity and adaptability. Most likely, they will fulfill the technological requirements far sooner than the societal aspects." It pained him to voice the truth, because life would be easier for him if a formal relationship between Earth and the IGC was established, but he couldn’t lie. Others would study the reports and come to that conclusion anyway.

  "Noted." The general proceeded in an uncharacteristic display of loquaciousness. "We have already begun constructing a communication relay to Earth’s solar system. IGC may forgo the usual process and make first contact."

  "Why?" He remembered regulations and added, "Sir."

  "Politics, of course. Pesky humans keep whining about wanting their own home world. News of Earth leaked to the public and many systems are pushing for formal relations. A special committee will examine your reports. I expect a decision within the next few weeks. If there is nothing else?" The general waved a hand, dismissing them.

  Zane considered it heroic he didn't voice his contempt and remind the good general he was speaking to humans. Zane glared at the general and wondered what the true agenda was. Did the other species want to get rid of the humans? Zane understood the desire to find a home, but he wondered how many galaxy born humans would feel at home on Earth. While it might help political tensions here, a mass relocation would cause serious problems for Earth. The small remaining loyalty he felt to IGCF experienced a quiet inevitable death.

  "Sir?" When the general looked him in the eyes, he wrinkled his brow in a frown. Zane pulled a memory card from another pocket and handed it to General Xu. "I am resigning my commission."

  Zane didn’t think the general’s bulbous eyes could look any bigger, but somehow they grew even larger at Zane’s statement.

  "What do you want? Time off? More pay? Promotion? Better ship?"

  "Nothing. I have family I need to care for. I cannot do that if I am on missions for extended periods of time. I fulfilled my term of duty and respectfully request you accept my resignation."

  The general frowned and pursed his lips, studying Zane for a minute. At last he inserted the memory card into his computer and added his electronic signature. He returned the card to Zane. "Take it to the deployment offices to make it official."

  Zane breathed a sigh of relief. General Xu had no grounds to deny the request, but considering their history of conflicts, he was a bit surprised Xu agreed so readily. Maybe Xu was glad to be rid of him. Zane stood up and Coran followed suit, saluting before leaving. The general returned the salute and waved them out the door.

  As they walked down the corridors Coran said, "I’ll miss you Zane. If you ever get back out my way again, look me up. If things go right, maybe I’ll get to visit you and Katarina after all."

  "Maybe, but right now I’m just concentrating on getting back. It’s going to take at least a month if not longer to find a ship and then make all of the modifications. I’ll be around, so if you don’t get redeployed right away, maybe we can go out for a drink or something."

  "Uh-huh, what you want is another pair of hands to help ready your ship."

  Zane shrugged and grinned. "If you’re volunteering, I’ll be happy to accommodate you."

  Coran shook his head. "No way. Plausible deniability." Coran pulled Zane to a stop and looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. "Are you sure about this? Really? You seem to be holding up, so why not wait awhile and see how everything goes?"

  Zane shook off Coran’s hand. "I’ve made up my mind, Coran. I’m going back, and I’m not going to wait for IGC’s approval."

  When they reached the deployment office, Zane filed his resignation, and Coran went to get his new orders. Afterward, they met up again in the hall.

  "Looks like this is it, Zane. Quizark Goloths are causing problems again. I’m shipping out tonight."

  "I suppose that’s for the best." Zane stepped toward Coran to clap him on the shoulder, but changed his mind and gave him a brief hug instead. "Good luck. You’ve been a good friend, and I thank you for that."

  "I know I haven’t acted like it, but I’m glad you found Katarina. She seems like a great woman. I hope everything goes well for you two."

  "Thank you, Coran." Zane turned to go. Then he said over his shoulder, "Be careful out there."

  "You too."

  ***

  Zane rented a small domicile in Brakenlu, the largest city on Yopmar. It took a week to find a ship that suited his purposes. Three times larger than the small long distance recon ship he and Coran flew to Earth, it could withstand ion storms, solar storms, and a whole host of natural and unnatural occurrences without breaking down. He ordered the fastest sub-light engines on the market and the newest in warp technology. He even found a working cloaking device on the black market. Holo-emitters combined with sensor screens were adequate for most ships, but they wouldn't hold up to a detailed sensor scan. Two months later, he finished the ship, rechristening it Mi’ica Praepa, "Star Flyer".

  Zane walked out of Yopmar Interstellar Bank after naming Coran custodian of his account. He wove in and out of the heavy pedestrian traffic with practiced ease, as he planned his route out of the system. Atmospheric fliers whipped by overhead, adding a deep thrumming noise to the cacophony on the streets. Unlike Earth, no trees, flowers, or anything living decorated the streets. Greenery could only be found in arboretums and the wealthier residences. Wall-to-wall duratanium and plasti-glass towered over him, interrupted only by the shadows of alleyways.

  Lost in vector calculations, he paid no attention to the alleyway until a Goloth leaped out at him from its dark abyss. Zane caught the movement in time to spin away. His hand went to his waist for his service phaser, but he no longer carried it; he was an unarmed civilian now. Cursing his lapse of watchfulness. Zane turned to meet his attacker. "Come on you krula fodder."

  Instead of launching an attack, the Goloth stood still, a sly smile crossing his face.

  Before Zane could reach out to sense the Goloth’s intent, a broad arm wrapped around his chest and the blunt end of a phaser dug into his back. Electricity rioted through his nervous system, ripping his synapses raw as he convulsed. He felt rough hands shove him into a vehicle before darkness pulled him under.

  ***

  "I don't care how much money they university could make. We are not selling the patent. I'm not letting some company charge insane fees for this treatment. We got FDA approval and we can make enough to cover costs and perhaps a little extra and still provide the treatment at an affordable price."

  The dean glowered at Katarina from across the expanse of his glossy wood desk. "You're

  being exceedingly short-sighted, Dr. O'Brian."

  "I'm being humane. There's a difference."

  He leaned forward and offered a smile she didn't trust. "Think of how much more research you could accomplish. If we accept the offer your lab will essentially be funded for the rest of your career."

  "It's my patent and I'm not selling; not to the company who priced the vaccine so high. Have you watched the news? Hundreds have died. It might not be the millions that died before we developed the vaccine, but those were hundreds that shouldn't have gotten sick at all."

  "You're being overly simplistic, Dr. O'Brian. There are fools out there who don't believe in vaccinations, and some of those people possibly got the vaccine and it didn't take. There's been no study, so you can't blame the cost of the vaccine on the recent outbreak."

  "And the outbreak before this one, and the one before that?"

  "It takes time to vaccinate an entire world population."

  Katarina scowled. "Funny how places like India and Africa keep reporting vaccine shortages and death tolls higher than other countries." She cut off his response with a curt shake of her head. "Nevermind. I'm not going to waste my breath arguing politics with you. I made my choice. Had I received prope
r credit for my work on the vaccine I would have made the same choice I'm making now, but that's water under the bridge." She stood. "I am the principle investigator on this project and my decision is made."

  The dean rose from his seat. The high priced suit draped nicely, hiding the bit of middle-aged paunch around his middle. Katarina bit her tongue before she made the mistake of saying something scathing about his salary.

  "I hope you think about this some more, Dr. O'Brian. Your refusal to consider the good of the university will not bode well when the tenure committee meets."

  She sent him a look of disgust and left the office without giving him the satisfaction of a response. She stalked out of the administrative building and walked down the street to her building, crossing the trolley tracks and cutting through the building used for classes. She took the stairs to work off some steam when she reached her building. Midway up the third flight a wave of dizziness hit her and a flash of heat, almost painful, but not quite. She grabbed the handrail and took deep breaths until her heart quit racing. The strange feeling came and went so quickly she couldn't track its source. "Zane?"

  He didn't answer, but she didn't expect him to. She closed her eyes and prayed that whatever she felt was something random. It happened sometimes when someone nearby got injured, the intensity blasted through her walls. "Please be okay."

  ***

  Zane lost count of how many dark, damp rooms he woke up in. Depending on the jailer of the moment, sometimes they drugged him and left him alone. Other times they skipped the drugs and just beat him unconscious. When he was aware, he took care not to let his feelings transmit across his link with Katarina. Zane couldn't bear to think of the terror she would feel if she shared his torment.