The Boundary Zone

by A. B. Keuser

"What do I do?"

  KaLea shook her head. "Stop your brother. We do not want another war with the humans."

  "Not yet anyways." KaDen’s smile was a flash.

  "What we want, is to rebuild our people. We cannot do that as we are. Your brother has the case, we've seen it in your memories.”

  Mack looked over her shoulder habitually. “The case really has what you need to rebuild?"

  "The case has our future. We cannot assume our children will be raised to be anything but mirror images of your brother if they come to this universe by his hand."

  "I'm not sure I'm ready to be a mother just yet." Mack hadn’t given children much of any thought.

  KaMin laughed, it was a jolting sound, echoing about them. "You could not do it on your own, even if you tried. The crassicaus are sympathetic to us—"

  "The ones who are old enough to remember us," KaLea said.

  "They will help you."

  "Nrog seemed like he was only willing to help Aaron." Her hand went to the fabric of her uni, though she couldn’t feel the fabric between her fingers.

  "He does not understand." KaDen shrugged, a wisp of a movement.

  KaLea scolded him. "And how could he. He has waited so long to find a Kindira who will usher in the second age of enlightenment."

  The prophecy flooded into Kenzie’s mind. The Kindiran opinions of what that meant came with it.

  Kenzie bristled at that. She’d heard more than her fair share of hokum prophecies, and wanted nothing to do with this one the Kas held to. "Listen. I'm all for helping you get back on your feet... after all, I feel like I kind of owe you - what with Aaron's idiot streak. But I believe in science. So keep your prophecies to yourself. Give me the hard facts, and I'll let you call whatever happens a miracle. Until then, it’s me against the galaxy - unless you can find your way out of the ship and into some flesh and bone bodies."

  KaDen scowled at something she couldn’t see. "We cannot leave our ships. Our minds and the ships minds are too greatly linked. You will have to be our body."

  "Please tell me that doesn't mean you’re going to do some creepy body snatcher thing on me."

  The laughter that brought to her ears was different than what she’d heard before. This time it was not an echo that followed KaMin’s laughter, but a chorus of the same from the twelve surrounding her.

  Mack had the incredible urge to not be there anymore, and as she turned, she felt herself being pulled back toward the gilded door she'd stood before when she arrived.

  "Pleasant journeys KaZie. We will speak again when you have more information for us."

  "What am I supposed to do before then?"

  "What you have always done. You are a chameleon, as was foretold. Blend in, observe, and most of all, survive."

  “Learn how to navigate the ship… and how to control your Crassicau friend. He should be on our side. Make him remember that.”

  Though Mack had a million questions brought to her by that single statement, her hand touched the door and she felt herself raised out of the ether.

  It took her eyes a full five minutes to adjust to the harsh lights Nrog had set in place for her to work and another five for the save of nausea to pass. By the time she was able to move from her crouched position by the coral-like column, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Her skin was cold and clammy, her hands refused to stay still, and worst of all, her mind felt too quiet.

  She stood slowly, using the walls tendril-like texture to help her up, and looked about the ship. Every console was lit, and as she looked about them, she realized, she knew what each of them did. Her time within the ships mind had not been wasted with idle chatter, instead, her mind had assimilated the knowledge the Kas were willing to give her. She could fly the ship off into the black and never return if she wanted to. Though she was certain that sort of action would lead to KaDen finding a way to break her mind in half as he had threatened. The prospect did not sound enjoyable.

  She ripped the light’s power cords from their energy source and considered tossing them out into the void.

  On this ship, she could manipulate the bounce shield; on the one her brother had mutilated… she had no idea.

  With a fortifying breath, Mack set out to do the one thing the Kas trapped within the minds of their ships could not. She was going to have to convince a crassicau to side with her instead of Aaron. And she would have to do it without letting him know she was trying to change his alliance. A tricky sort of gambit if she did say so herself, but short of getting the ships ready to go –which she realized would not be as difficult as she thought - she couldn't do anything useful now.

  The doors slid open in front of her as she stalked towards them, but her crassicau guard was not in the hallway where she expected him to be. She stopped looking in both directions for a clue as to where he'd gone, but there was nothing. Hands on her hips, she considered which direction to take.

  It dawned on her as quick as a Morlackian Sunrise. Turning on her heel she went back to the long levers of the piloting console. "Just a nudge should do it. Sorry KaDen." She flicked two of the squishy buttons and then shoved a levering joint forward and back quickly.

  The ship lurched forward - exactly as she expected it would when she turned off the inertial dampers.

  She only remained upright because she’d expected it, and even then, it was a close call.

  From somewhere deep in the corridors, she heard an outraged roar and turned to wait for her keeper's return.

  She'd succeeded in getting his attention. Step one was complete, though it was little consolation.

  Twenty-Five

  Raza settled him in the pilot's chair of the Flippancy and quickly disappeared into the ship with a muttered vow to make sure no one was sleeping in a dark corner.

  So far the small ship had been quiet as a mouse, but that didn't mean there wasn't an ugly rat lurking.

  Powering up the ship's controls, Cable thanked the stars Vinnita was a pompous asshat. No one else would have left their ships unguarded and without a need for key-code entry sequence on startup. To be fair, Vinnita was the biggest fish in Bad Alley's small cosmic pond, she'd probably had nothing to worry about from the locals.

  Cable ignored the chatter coming from the comm. Bad Alley's flight control was nothing compared to the dozens of worst-case-scenarios he'd been drilled through years back at the academy. If they could keep him here, they would have already thrown the hangar into full lockdown. But then, they didn't know it was him. As far as Cable knew, no one had found Vinnita's body yet, and until they did, chances were Flight Control would think it was Vinnita on this boat. And no one wanted to piss her off. Their lives would turn a tangle of complications, and right quick, if they did that.

  With Raza's all clear, he flicked through the screens and released the docking clamp that held them in place and the Flippancy lurched free. Three input commands later, and Bad Alley was shrinking behind them.

  Raza threw herself into the chair beside him with a heavy sigh, shifting a Kovak Seven Seven on her lap. The new accessory to her undercover uni was not what Cable had expected her to find. The 7-7 was a two handed hip cannon, capable of tearing more than just the ship they were on in half.

  "Nice new toy."

  "Thanks boss. Picked it up as a souvenir off the guy I had to toss off the ship."

  That was when he saw the bruise forming on her left cheekbone. "I hope you didn't over exert yourself."

  "Not to worry. He was your size. It's the little ones that are tricky."

  Heavy static crackled over the ships comms and Cable sat upright too quickly, his back screaming with pain as a result. Raza shifted to high alert as well, her hands flicking toggle switches left and right in front of her on the communications array. Nothing cut out the static.

  "It's not us, Raz. We're being jammed. Someone wants us blind, deaf, and mute. They haven't shot us down yet, so I'd guess they don't want us dead."

  "Another grafter looking for the price on you
r head?"

  "Maybe?" Cable strained to look out the viewports that spread around him like a half circle of clear stained glass. "We should find out sooner than later."

  "Vinnita Prooti, you old bitch! How did I know you'd get him first?" The gruff voice over the line was unfamiliar to Cable, but it was confirmation that it was a rival Aaron had set after him too. "You don't want to talk to your old friend? That's fine. Hand over Carr and I won’t blow you to sparks."

  The comp in front of Cable finally registered the vessel calling them and a picture popped onto the screen, along with a full fleet file. Vinnita was pulling info from the cortex - something the fleet would have been interested to know, if she were still alive.

  "Lyre?" Raza said in disbelief. "At least his momma had some foresight when she named him."

  Cable nodded and switched on the cabin mic. "Sorry Lyre, Vinnie's unable to come to the comm right now."

  There was a long and static-filled pause before. "I assume I have the pleasure of addressing Mr. Carr then?"

  "It's Commander Carr, but yes, you do. Now, you can run off with your tail between your legs, or you can join Vinnita in Hell. It’s your choice."

  "Don't bluff with me, Carr. I know what weaponry the Flippancy has, and I can tell you, you haven't got a chance."

  Raza snorted a laugh at that, but was smart enough to keep her tongue.

  "Like I said. Pound vacuum, or get sucked into it."

  Lyre cut the comm and his ship came into view, thrusters venting from all sides to bring her to a stop in front of them. Through the view screens, Cable could see the man. His file picture was fairly new, though it did not have the bright red scar over his right eye - that was even newer.

  Lyre watched them for a moment, and Cable couldn't help but laugh when Raza put on a huge fake smile and waved solicitously. Lyre smiled back, but it wasn't the sort of smile Cable had hoped for. It was a Cat-in-the-cream sort of smile.

  As Lyre moved his ship off, Raza turned to him with a relieved sigh. "He's not going to shoot us."

  A light on the console flashed quickly as if in response and Cable brought up the display it was calling to attention. Raza was usually so good about not jumping to conclusions.

  "Energy readings off his ship just spiked. You want to rethink that statement?" He jammed the ship's starboard thrusters to full and the view screen showed Lyre, his ship, and most importantly the missile, sliding quickly out of view.

  And then a brilliant plume of fire and debris touched the outer edges of their view.

  "What did they hit?" Raza stood, leaning over the controls in front of them and peering into the sudden darkness.

  Cable didn't point out the fact that the static was gone, he simply flicked on the command sent out a secure line.

  "Thank you for the assist, Peezus."

  "No problem, Commander. I wouldn't have waited so long, but regulation dictated..."

  "I know regs, Commo. Ready to jump when you are."

  Twenty-Six

  Mack tried to warn him before Nrog’s hand fell on the leather patch over her shoulder. He did not listen as he wrenched her away from the console where she waited. But his haste left him with a scorched hand as he shook out the clawed appendage and glared at her.

  "That was not wise."

  "I didn't know it was going to do that." She shrugged. At this point it wasn't completely a lie. She hadn't realized the jolt would be that severe. "But I think I'm getting the hang of it."

  His eyes tracked across the active consoles and a smile curved at the corner of his lips. "You are exactly what he said you are."

  "Of course I am. Didn't you know we're twins?"

  Nrog turned to her with a curious glare, his lips parting over his pointed teeth, but he said nothing.

  "You know, there's a funny thing about Ka ... the strangest things can trigger memories that were never our own.”

  Nrog did not ask her what she meant by that, instead, he took her arm, where the uni had no leather, and dragged her from the room.

  “I do know how to walk, you know. Just tell me where to go and I can get there on my own.”

  “With the way you drive, I’m not certain you’ll get there in one piece.”

  She let out a fake laugh and struggled to wrest herself from his grip. “I’m going to have to find an all leather uni like my brothers soon if you don’t learn to behave.”

  “I was about to say the same thing about you, except I would need a muzzle.”

  “For someone who claims he wants to help the Kindira return, you’re not going about it very smart, are you?”

  “As I’m sure it was ingrained into you, we are not ever ‘someone’ we are always ‘something.’”

  “Like you said, I’m not human. The Kindira saw you as equals, not slaves, though the human history books might say otherwise.”

  Nrog looked at her as though he wasn’t sure she was real. “How would you know what the Kindira thought of us, unless…” his eyes widened and his grip on her tightened. “Where we are going, you must not let them know. If they find out what you have seen…. You must understand, the others must understand, I thought he was the only one, I didn’t know there were others.”

  Mack stared at him, unsure whether she should say anything else. She didn’t know exactly what he thought she’d done, but it had certainly changed how he was going to treat her.

  “You must play along, little chameleon. If they suspect…”

  As his words trailed off and his eyes stared out to the stars, unfocused, Mack wondered which “they” he was referring too.

  Nrog shuffled her back to the shuttle quickly, “What is the rush?”

  “Maeltar has come to see your brother. They are formulating plans, plans you will need to be part of if you are going to save us all.”

  Stepping into the strange pad Nrog looked down as he dragged her on too. “Don’t hold your breath.”

  The command was harsh, and a moment later, they were flying. A bubbled bounce shield had formed around them, and they shot out of one kazahan and spanned the distance to the other before Mack had the chance to remember to breathe at all.

  Stepping back aboard the ship Aaron had made his home was different now, knowing that it had once held the mind of a Ka captain ... a captain who would never again share a thought with the others. A shiver ran down her spine and she tried to hide it from Nrog. He did not spare her a glance.

  Aaron held his audience in the room where she’d been reunited with him, he and Maeltar stood with their backs to the hatchway and Nrog helped her to slip in silently. It was all a part of the plan, he’d said.

  Aaron wanted to portray her as what he planned to make her: A Kindira princess.

  Further proof her brother had no idea what he was actually trying to resurrect.

  The Kas had no royalty. They were governed by committee. Her knowledge of that simple fact had gained her yet more admiration from her newfound scaled friend.

  Despite everything in that notion that made her want to vomit, she promised the crassicau she’d play along, and smiling through that disgust was the first step.

  Lurking in the shadows was something Kenzie was used to, what she was not used to was a giant of a crassicau lurking behind her. She couldn’t imagine someone missing him. But even as Aaron and Maeltar turned back to where a table had been set and piled high with food, they did not notice either of them.

  “I will be interested to meet this sister of yours. After all, if what you say is true, she has been instrumental in your return from the ashes.” Maeltar had stained her lips bright orange, her eyelids as well,

  Like Aaron, she wore all leather. Smart, considering the claws currently wrapped around Mack’s wrist.

  “I owe everything to her. Though she may be too modest to admit it, without her, I never would have known what I am. Truly she is what everyone could hope for in family.”

  “Shrewdly loyal and a decent hand in a knife fight?”

  Aaron laug
hed and raised his glass. “She is all that and more, my sister.”

  “Then I shall have to watch my back.” Maeltar returned Aaron’s toast and sat on the thick cushion on the floor.

  “You are my friend, you needn’t worry about her.” Aaron flicked his wrist as though swatting away a fly.

  A hiss tickled her ear.

  “You must go in now, Chameleon . It is time.” Nrog nudged her forward.

  She let out a puff of air before she straightened her shirt and walked confidently forward.

  As she strode forward, Maeltar scrabbled to her feet before dropping into a bow.

  Aaron did not stand; instead, he waved a dismissive hand toward her. "This is my sister, k—"

  "KaZie," she said quickly and noted the amused smirk that crossed her brother’s face at her pronouncement. If Aaron was going to pretend they were in this together from the get go, she would play along, and with what little she'd learned from her time with the Kas, she would make a much more convincing Ka than her brother could ever aspire to.

  Maeltar's eyes swept over her pausing on the fleet insignia of her uni and Mack wondered if the woman knew anything about her at all. "And you've both been hiding within the fleets grasp for how many years?"

  "Not hiding. They knew exactly what we are. They were simply playing with fire, and as you know... when you play with fire..." Aaron turned his hand over as though he was dropping some invisible item.

  "And now that you've got your own fleet in fighting order," Maeltar gestured to the lights visible from the view port. "Will you destroy those who dared to toy with you?"

  Mack kept her mouth shut, though she knew full well the ships were easily in fighting order, Aaron did not. He was overselling.

  Aaron did not bat an eye as he ignored the false claim. "I plan to start with the one person who taught me there is no human in this universe I can truly trust."

  "Ah, yes, I heard about that. And what do you plan to do to our poor old Cable Carr?"

  "There is a technique my people employed many generations ago, when they were at the height of their reign."

  "The Imadaha." Mack said it without realizing she knew exactly what he spoke of.