The Boundary Zone

by A. B. Keuser

  “Wouldn’t leave her alone if you tried to pay me.”

  She slipped into the command center and he looked to Stacy who’d been standing half way down the corridor. Next to him now, she glanced at the closing door and met him with a nod.

  He didn’t stop her from joining him. If it came down to orders he couldn’t follow, he’d need backup.

  They will not board.

  He let Stacy fly.

  Out of uniform, out of patience, and out of line, he was fairly certain he was headed for a fight, and he was too tired to exert any energy in getting himself to it.

  The Dendratic had kept its distance. A reminder that the fleet didn’t know the full capabilities of the Kazahans.

  And when they set down in the Dendratic’s hangar, he pulled on a jacket, letting the sleeve hide as much of his hand as possible.

  Their reception was… minuscule.

  Just his commo and a handful of techs who immediately raced to prep and repair the shuttle.

  “Thank Goddess you’re alright.” Peezus stared at him, wide eyed and then deflated with a sigh. It lasted half a second before Admiral Buchannan shoved her way through the door, shoved him out of the way and stared Cable down.

  Before he could say a word, the woman silenced him.

  “Your actions are worthy of a court martial, Carr. If I had my way you’d never see the outside of a brig cell.”

  “I suppose then,” A familiar voice said from behind her. “It’s a good thing you are not in charge anymore.”

  Gunk stared the other woman down until she conceded authority.

  “Report, Carr. Just get us up to date.”

  “KaRapp and Maeltar and the others died in the explosion of one of the Ka ships.” It was a lie… but not a terrible one. “Bezzon…”

  “We know.” Gunk said, her face a hard line. “If he’s not dead, he’ll soon wish he was.”

  “Neither of us will have the pleasure of seeing him convicted.

  “I’m sure the Admiralty will be disappointed to hear that, but I’m not. What’s the status of our kidnapped civilian.”

  She is Ka

  “Kenzie’s alive… but there’s a bit more to it than that. I’ll explain when we’re in less public surrounds.”

  Gunk led the way out, each step whirring, Stacy at her side.

  They couldn’t shut Buchannan out of the meeting, but Cable placed himself so that he could swivel his chair and give her his back.

  Though, with Gunk back in uniform, and restored to her previous rank, Buck was behaving herself as well as could be expected.

  “When the admiralty was apprised of Kenzie’s illegal drafting…”

  “I wonder who told them?” Stacy asked sarcastically from across the table.

  “… It was decided that perhaps things were not exactly as they should be and I was told to deal with it as quickly and quietly as possible. I told them I’d already put you on her retrieval detail.”

  A contortion of the truth, it would satisfy the requirements he’d skipped over when he set out after Kenzie.

  He kept his focus on Gunk. Didn’t need to know what Buchannan thought. “Did they tell you what she is?”

  “Ka? Yes, they did explain that to me.”

  “Kindiran,” Cable corrected when KaDen growled the word in his head. “We’ve apparently forgotten that the kindira were the people, the Ka were.. their form of admiralty.”

  Gunk raised a brow, but didn’t question him. “Apparently she and her brother were part of an attempt to bring the race back, but the fleet cut funding when Maeltar started to make inroads on the frontier.

  “The higher-ups in the strategic committee decided the experiment was meant for the chopping block and they were meant to live out their lives as normal citizens. The Admiralty did say they’d forgotten about the program entirely until her parents found out she’d gone missing. They were quite adamant that she be found. I believe everyone is truly sorry for what’s occurred. ”

  “I think it’s a little late for that.” Cable pulled his hand from his pocket, holding it up for both admirals to see.

  Buck’s chair scraped as she startled out of it. “What the Hell is that?”

  “It’s how the Ka consciousness of the kazahan Lieutenants Crioce and Flack are currently on is talking to me. How they communicated with the crassicau back when the races were allied, before one was driven to extinction and the other enslaved.” He grimaced down at it. “It also gives me limited ability to interact with the ship’s systems.”

  “I suppose this means we’ll have to work toward a bigger social reform than the admiralty first expected.” Buchannan’s voice was laced with disgust.

  The look Gunk shot her was enough to stop any further comment. “We should have started a long time ago. When people are happy with the status quo, they don’t care to change things.”

  Cable glared at Gunk, even though he knew she didn’t agree with that thought. “People should mean more than just human.”

  “Are you sure that thing hasn’t infected you somehow, rotted your damn brain?”

  Gunk shot Buck a cold glare and the Admiral followed the command that was not expressly an order.

  Cable watched the interaction with mild amusement.

  “You really can talk to the Ka because of that?”

  “Yeah, it can be pretty annoying, but it’s not the worst thing I can imagine.”

  It is not pleasant for me either

  “Then, as commander of this particular little mission, I’m appointing you our diplomatic liaison.”

  “I’m not sure I’m qualified for that.” Cable didn’t know why he was arguing.

  “You are, especially since the only living member of the damn race is in love with you.” Gunk laughed at herself. “I hope that will help to grease over the bumps of getting this little… alliance going. As soon as we get back, I’ll start the process of getting the Kas back on their feet.”

  “And what about the ships?” Buck asked her clenched fist resting atop the small table.

  Cable glanced from it to her pushed out jaw and then returned his attention to Gunk. “That’s a good question.”

  “We are setting up an armistice zone. Getting an extinct population back on its feet will not be specifically easy.” She paused as Buck grunted. “And there will be resistance to the idea. We understand that, and we hope the Ka will too.”

  Sliding a folder across the table, Gunk stood. “Those are the reparations we’re ready to provide. It’s not much, we both know that, but it’s a start.”

  “I’m not going back with you then?”

  “No, you’ll stay here, with Kenzie and the ships. We have a team coming to help create an environment where the Ka can rebuild themselves if they do not want our help. I should hope they’d ask Kenzie first. That girl’s been through enough already, she doesn’t need to be press ganged by two races in such a short time.”

  Cable couldn’t keep himself from glancing at Buck. The old woman didn’t look at either of them. Arms crossed over her chest, she looked like a petulant child, and Cable wasn’t surprised she chose not to own to the blame.

  “KaDen requests that I retain a small crew.” He shifted uncomfortably at the Ka spelled out a different set of demands. He knew what the admiral would and wouldn’t accept, and he wasn’t going to insult her to appease the man in his head.

  “I will need to vet the list, of course.”

  “And how do we know you won’t build your own army.”

  Cable looked at her and set his jaw. “I participated in the death of my best friend for you. If that request didn’t make me defect, you can be certain that very little in this universe would be able to do so.”

  Gunk snorted a laugh. “We’ll help you and the Ka in whatever way needed.”

  With orders given, his crew list quickly written, and the chaos of hastily given orders flowing around him, Cable submitted to a routine physical, though he didn’t let them poke and prod his ha
nd, and then returned to the shuttle.

  Peezus and Stacy arrived, along with a pile of baggage as the remaining crew filed onto the transport, speculation and salutes flying.

  The return trip was a cacophony of ribbing and curiosity. Neither he, nor Stacy indulged the latter. It would be best if they faced the kazahan’s oddity with no preparation.

  Some soldiers took it in stride, others….

  Peezus looked like he’d been stuck by a long pin and Cable did his best to keep from laughing as the commo observed the ship around them with an undisguised morbid curiosity.

  He let Stacy direct the troops and let his mother harangue him before he sent her away to check on Kenzie. Better her than him.

  Waiting in the relative peace of the strangely carved mess hall, Cable ignored the chatter in his head, blocking it out and letting the Ka stew. They’d have time enough to work through the kinks.

  Raza had joined back up with him, followed by the rest of his squadron and from the lack of serious reaction to his hand, Cable knew she’d been talking. How much she’d spilled, he couldn’t guess, and so, he pretended not to notice when she sent a slanted smile his way.

  “Thanks for getting us some leave, boss man!” Peezus took up the chair across from him and held the one next to him out for Anders. “I don’t know why you want us here on your honeymoon, but as one of the elder children, I’m just happy to be included.”

  “It’s not leave, it’s a different assignment.” Cable said, tossing them the Data pads and letting them absorb the news on their own.

  Raza knocked into his shoulder. “Besides, I don’t think the kindira marry.”

  It was going to be an interesting mission.

  Cable left the crew to their gossip, he’d deal with them in the morning. Right that second, there was only one person he wanted to see.

  Forty-Four

  The planet's reflected light crept through the bounce shield and bathed the observation deck in a diffuse orange glow, and Mack sat on the floor, stared at the darkness... at the fleet of ships she'd unwittingly inherited.

  Some would place her on par with Maeltar now. A threat to the fleet. Possibly one that should be destroyed before she had a chance to do any real damage. Buchannan would see it that way, but she hoped... with Cable and Gunk on her side... and a few others, she might be able to turn this around.

  Might be able to find something akin to peace for the Ka trapped in their Kazahans.

  Might be able to provide a life for the kindiran waiting in their embryos.

  The hard floor beneath her palms vibrated with an odd expectancy--one she'd already learned to associate with Cable.

  Even without turning, she knew he was there. Knew he'd paused in the hatch and was watching her.

  She waited.

  In his own time, he'd make his way back to her. Then they'd figure out what they had to do. He was as much a part of this as she was. And in the last forty eight hours, more than just their world had changed.

  What she was... what he might become... those thoughts weighed heavily on her mind. So she shoved them away. There would be time to dwell. Later.

  There would be time to mourn later as well.

  Somewhere out there, her brother was a million atoms scattered among the stardust. It was better to think of him that way. After all, the other option was to envision him as a charred and burnt husk.

  Cringing, she leaned back against the pillar. Aaron had died on the asteroid where Cable had left him. She understood that now. Whoever KaRapp was, he was not the boy she’d grown up with, not the man she’d become close friends with despite his desire to join a military she never believed in.

  Shutting the hatch behind him, Cable stepped forward as quietly as he could.

  The pulse beneath her hands bounced with every silent step he took, the imagined heat amplifying as he drew near.

  “There’s no point in trying to sneak up on me. I can feel you coming now. It’s a strange sensation.”

  “Strange?”

  She nodded, “But it feels like it should have always been there.”

  Cable sat next to her, his hand touched the organic surface of the floor and warmth spread from him, up her arm.

  I see my mother's been here."

  She nodded, gently touching the bandage that covered over the gash in her forehead. The doctor had visited, placed sutures as needed, run a full physical, and lacked all semblance of subtlety when it came to discussing her son.

  Cable, it would seem, hadn't felt the need to leave anything out of his briefing.

  "How long do you think it'll be until Buchannan tries to take over?"

  "I think we need to be very careful about what sort of rope we hand her. We need to make sure the only person she can hang with it is herself."

  Mack didn't like the vitriol she felt coming from the Kazahan. There was murder on KaDen's mind. Cable's grimace proved that theory, though he tried to hide it.

  "They're not all as bad as KaDen." she said, not bothering to lower her voice, the Ka would hear her regardless. "It's just your bad luck that got you tied to him."

  "I will remember to curse the stars."

  "They're broken," she said, looking back at the Kazahans. "It'll take time for them to heal after the loss of KaLongre. I don't know how much we'll be able to give them."

  "I know." He raised his hand and stared at it, as if reminding himself--not her--that it was there. "I don't know how much time we'll be able to give ourselves."

  That was a question she was avoiding. Where they stood now that there was only bone and void underfoot. It might feel solid now, but there were so many ways to go wrong.

  So many opportunities to fail.

  "Your mother mentioned the crew transfer, but she didn't say who aside from Raza and Stacy. How many are we?"

  "No more than thirty. Most of them from my old ship. I think I could have convinced KaDen for more, but I don't want it to feel like we're an invading force. Most of the crew will be medical staff. Doctor Pakovic will need as much help as we can give her in the interim."

  She'd forgotten he never called the woman 'mom'.

  "I'm sure KaDen appreciates that."

  "Oh, no. If you were in my head with us, you'd know he's the most ungrateful man I've ever dealt with. And remember, I've had to put up with Bezzon before."

  Mention of the dead man made her frown. She didn't miss him, and she wouldn't mourn him, but death would never be something she relished.

  "Come on, you need more food, and we could both do with a real rest."

  "Promise you'll share the bed this time?"

  He smiled, and she knew he hadn't been planning to do so.

  "Don't give me the chivalrous crap now, Cable. I've had too much in my head today to sleep without nightmares." She pushed his shoulder, gently when she remembered his back at the last moment. "I'll count on you to protect me."

  When he glanced toward the door, she realized she might have misstepped.

  "Unless you don't want to, that is. Or there's some sort of regulation I'm messing up." After everything that had happened with Aaron, she knew he needed to tow the fleet line. "Like you said, we don't want to give Buck any of that particular rope."

  "It's not that." With a sharp look at her he rose and pulled her to her feet after him.

  His mangled hand was oddly slick, without being wet. Oddly spongy without being soft.

  "You're going to make me self-conscious."

  It was her turn to give him a look.

  “Are you… okay with it?”

  “Yes.”

  When she raised her brows in silent question, he added, “I’ve had to walk away from you two hundred and fifty two times. The lingering pain of this, is nothing compared to those… to what it would be like to have to do it again, possibly forever.”

  "How are you going to deal with the looks and questions from your crew?"

  "Our crew," he said with a strange little smile. "You'll outrank me now. And whe
n it comes to subordinates... I've never worried what they think of me."

  "So, I'm special."

  "You already knew that."

  "And you never needed to wait for Aaron to be gone." She pulled the cube from her pocket and handed it to him.

  He watched the image shift, and she watched him. Waiting. Hoping.

  "Kenzie, I—"

  He didn't finish his thought. The cube hit the floor, and he dragged her into his arms.

  Lips hard on her own, he pulled her against him and she melted into the warmth of his body.

  This was what she'd wanted. This and so much more. For too many years.

  Every moment of snuffed desire from their past flowed through her and she clutched him tighter. Letting him pick her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he moved her to the half wall that separated them from the darkness.

  "I—"

  He started again, but she silenced him with another kiss. "We've talked enough."

  A shrill tone echoed in her ears and Cable groaned as he pulled back, set her away from him. Hand pressed against his forehead, he grimaced. "There's a message coming through..."

  Pain drew sharp lines across his forehead, and she jumped down, cursing the timing.

  Spinning the obtuse lever on the side of the console, she triggered the comm to engage and turned to the wide, flat surface that faded from solid through opaque, until it looked as though it was a window, and Nrog was simply waiting on the other side of a pane of glass.

  "KaZie. I am glad to see you survived. I knew you would, chameleon that you are."

  She grimaced at the inference, and ignored the look of disgust he slid Cable's way.

  "That's me, the itinerate survivor. I'm glad to see you got out as well. Where are you?"

  "I am following the woman who stole that one's ship. She has not observed me."

  "Good...."

  "I remain your servant."

  He waved away the comm and the wall dissolved back to solidity.

  "He's definitely not one for long speeches."

  Cable shook his head and then nodded to the interface. "They want to talk to you, now that you're up to it."

  The tumble wasn't as turbulent as before. That broken line of code was gone, the leaking energy replaced by something that felt like grounding.