by Isabel Wroth
“One team is building a deeper underground facility. The second is utilizing the outside radiation to provide engines that will power solar shields around the old cities still above ground. The third is focusing on buying ships large enough to transport our entire population to another uninhabited planet.
“The fourth is my division, where our consciousness is sent out into the universe to collect as much data about our surroundings as possible. I was tested, in much the same way as you, only the scientists were seeking children with the ability to separate their consciousness from their physical bodies for a sustained period of time without the assistance of hallucinogenics.
“Individuals who have successfully gone through the stasis program are matched for compatibility and voluntarily create offspring in the hopes of producing children with the same or greater ability. The family unit is usually quite stable and happy, the parents teaching their young the techniques for mental relaxation and focus. I believe ‘meditation’ is the word you might use. The result has been generations with greater ability to separate consciousness from body. Overall it has gone well, evident by the continued success of the project.”
Cassie’s brows jumped up to hear that the Matavei had similar thoughts on eugenics, though it seemed to be less…cold. The process of what Ilaria was describing sounded so much like Astral Projection that she had to stop Ilaria and clarify if that’s what they were talking about.
“Astral projection?” Ilaria asked curiously.
Cassie wiggled her lips as she searched her memory for the specifics of what astral projection entailed. “On Earth, there were a number of wise men and women, stretching as far back into our history as is recorded, who sought that kind of separation of consciousness and body through dreams and intense states of meditation or hypnosis.
“Philosophers wanted to explore and explain the mystical and preternatural origins of the natural world by having out of body experiences, where their consciousness could travel to other worlds, heavens and hells, for the purpose of gathering esoteric information from beings of higher evolutionary form. I don’t know that it ever became a science actually studied by our people, most assume it to be completely make believe.”
Ilaria gave a thoughtful hum. “I suppose that would be an adequate comparison. As children, our teachers prepare us for what they call ‘etheric travel’, or non-physical travel through physical worlds. But we are certainly seeking information from other beings, higher evolutionary or otherwise. One of my very first experiences after having been put into stasis was to visit a planet that had no continents above the ocean.
“The intelligent lifeforms who made this planet their home, lived in domes made of crystal. The cities sparkled like gems when the light from the surface penetrated the dark water. They had what I would classify as a primitive culture with few technological advances. The beings were aquatic and communicated in a series of sounds and song, but even more marvelous was the emotion they were able to convey with those sounds. It was lovely.”
Fascinated, Cassie tried to imagine this underwater city made of sparkling crystal. “What did the people look like?”
“Beautiful. Their torso and upper extremities were humanoid, but their lower half was a tail used to propel them at incredible speed through the water. The color of these beings was fantastical! Some had skin the color of a fading sunset, soft pink with vibrantly orange hair.
“Their lower half usually matched their hair color in a lovely, diaphanous sort of way. Though I did see one female with the most unique coloring. Her hair was green, like the leaves of these trees here, her skin a pale blue, and her lower portion was almost translucent in its paleness. Though the scales covering her were shot through with rainbows. I should like to visit them in person someday, everyone was able to see and hear me with a startling ease.
“I hypothesize it had something to do with their ability to process sound and electromagnetic energy in a different manner than a being who dwells on land.”
Cassie had stopped dead as soon as Ilaria had started to describe these people. No doubt her mouth was hanging open in shock. “Shut. Up. You found a planet of mermaids?”
“Mermaids?”
Excited beyond measure, Cassie waved her hand at her head frantically. “Look at what I’m thinking!” With all the detail she could muster, Cassie called up the memory of a book she had stolen from the ship’s library at a young age, a book of mythical creatures and fairy tales that had a beautiful image of a mermaid and her underwater castle. Ilaria pursed her lips thoughtfully and tilted her head, narrowing her silvery eyes to telepathically peek inside Cassie’s head.
Surprise and delight lit the alien female’s features almost immediately. “Yes! They were quite similar. The eyes were much different, I would say abnormally disproportionate as they needed enlarged pupils to catch up every speck of light available in the depths of their ocean. And they didn’t look so…whimsical. Mermaids, you said?”
“Yeah, and mermen, naturally.”
“I see. I will use these words in my report when I complete my Awakening.”
“Wow. Wait until I tell the girls about that. They’ll lose their minds.” Cassie could just imagine what the other humans would think of a planet colonized by freaking mermaids. “Is that what you call coming out of your stasis? Awakening?”
Ilaria inclined her head as they continued strolling. Well, Cassie strolled. Ilaria just floated along without leaving so much as a bent blade of grass in her wake.
“Yes. The process is done in several stages. My physical body will have been perfectly preserved and will not have aged a day beyond when I was first put into the pod. But having been asleep for so long, my musculature will be extremely weak from disuse. My eyesight and hearing will be ultra-sensitive to even the softest whisper. I will go through several months of reconnection and strength training to be able to walk without assistance and once again converse through physical speech.”
“That sounds…intense. What about your family? Will they be there when you wake up?”
Ilaria’s smile turned a little sad as she folded her hands behind her back and turned her face up towards the sun as it began its descent on the eastern side of the crater. It got darker a whole three hours before sunset within the depression of the earth around them. “My immediate family will have long since passed on to their next evolution. It is not unusual to Awaken and meet the second or third generation of my familial relations. Our species is not nearly as long lived as these Sarazens.”
Cassie couldn’t imagine climbing inside a pod, effectively going to sleep and waking up hundreds of years later, not knowing any of the faces around her when she opened her eyes. Or meeting her great, great whatever.
“Do not be sad on my behalf, Cassie. I was aware of the ramifications of my participation in the program. When I wake, I look forward to all the new things that will have happened on my world. Hopefully, the above ground cities will have been restored and protected. After spending so much time on planets with beautiful topography, I would like to experience the warmth of the sun on my own face.”
Cassie stopped on the bank of the black river, slipping her shoes off to dig her toes into the smooth pebbles of the shoreline. They were cool against her skin, slick, and made an oddly squishy feeling despite the pebbles being made of crystal. She found herself sinking down to sit and explore the feeling a little bit more.
“Do you not feel sensations in your current form, Ilaria?”
Ilaria floated down to sit beside her, her incorporeal toes disappearing into the crystal sand as though she had buried them on purpose.
“Not like you do, no. I cannot feel the warmth or the cold. I do not experience hunger or pain. The press of water from that aquatic planet did not affect me at all. I was able to explore the fascinating depths of the sea and the violent volcanic activity of other planets without having been hindered by the limitations of a physical body. I have seen wonders I never expected to see. But I do loo
k forward to my Awakening.”
“I imagine despite seeing so many amazing things, you must get lonely.” Cassie murmured gently. Reaching out to pick out a larger chunk of crystal, rubbing her thumb over the smooth surface to watch the way the black surface caught the light.
“I do. Which is why it is such a relief when I am finally able to communicate with beings such as yourself.”
They shared a smile, and after tossing the crystal into the river, Cassie leaned back on her elbows to swish her feet further out and into the water.
“Tell me more about these amazing things you’ve seen.”
Ilaria wove a tale of such fascination that it almost defied belief. She told Cassie about the volcanic planet with beings who sounded something like demons, some winged and some not, with skin black as ash and eyes that looked like molten metal. Demons who lived in caves high up in their mountains and shared one female between six to eight males. That made Cassie’s eyes bug out, but Ilaria assured her she had seen stranger things. They talked until the sun was well beyond the sight of the crater and the crystals in the large courtyard began to glow softly.
Four
“Commander, a message is waiting for you.”
Falken lifted his head from staring sightlessly at the datapad on his desk. With a sigh he acknowledged the warrior standing in the doorway.
The depth of Falken’s distraction had grown exponentially in the last seven days. Ever since Cassie had made her disappointment regarding their mating, specifically the lack of his presence and attention, painfully clear.
For every file Cassie had compiled on the potential identities of the pride’s enemies that Falken was able to read through, a thousand times over, he replayed their last interaction. He remembered the scent of her sadness, her expression, her refusal to allow him to touch her or explain.
A thousand times over, Falken admitted Cassie had not said a single thing that was not valid. He had not been a mate to his female. Not since having come home to find all around them, shadows and enemies lurked.
After Andi had been taken, Falken had thrown himself into entering in every single variable he could think of, every reason he could think of, as to why and how he could identify the traitors. It was his function and had been for centuries. It had not once occurred to Falken to share his burden with Cassie. It had not occurred to him that she would understand. How could she? Cassie was young. She wasn’t Sarazen and hadn’t been brought up in a militarized society. Or so he had erroneously thought.
Falken’s assumptions had led to his mate believing he did not value her for anything other than the pleasure her body brought.
Falken’s assumption had led to Cassie feeling inadequate, his behavior giving proof to his complete lack of care where she was concerned.
Falken’s assumptions and his thoughtless words had led Cassie to believe, with certainty, she was not the light of his entire life. Led her to believe she was not his fated mate, to believe such a gift was nothing more than a fallacy. A myth. A lie Falken had told her in order to bed her. His actions, his lack of them, had led his mate to feel like an unwanted burden.
Never in his life had he felt such humiliating, crushing failure.
“Commander?” the warrior prompted again.
Falken drew a breath and nodded to the other male. “Yes. I’ll take it here.”
A few moments later the face of one of Cassie’s escort filled the holo-screen. Falken sat up straighter in his chair in alarm. “Matem, you are not due to report for another two days. What’s wrong?”
The younger male cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. “We are concerned for your mate, Commander.”
Seven words that froze Falken to the very marrow of his bone. “Explain!”
Matem’s expression was grave. “She has begun to display symptoms of bloodlust, sir.” Falken’s gut clenched in horror, and Matem had not even gotten close to finishing. “She speaks to herself and insists there is another being there when none of her guard can see or sense anything. She has not slept more than a few hours at a time, does not take nearly enough nourishment to sustain her, and when Commander Zarak reminds her of these things she claims to be neither tired nor hungry.
“Zarak attempted to suggest perhaps it would be prudent to return to S1, your mate uh, loudly disagreed. She claims to not have found what she is looking for yet and will not leave until she does.”
Falken was halfway across the room and heading for the door. “I am on my way. I want Zarak waiting for me when I arrive.”
“Yes, Commander.” the relief in Matem’s voice spurred Falken into a dead run.
Having barely explained and demanded leave from Tarek, Falken jumped on board the first transport he had come across. Recklessly pushing the jump drive to its limit in order to reach S7 as fast as possible.
Fear was not an ailment he suffered from, ever. It was a sickening sensation, his heart racing, stomach churning with worry, his mind providing scenario after scenario in which Cassie would suffer unimaginably and eventually succumb to madness. Death, not long later.
His mouth ran dry, his hands shook, his beast in a mad panic to get to Cassie as soon as possible. The fear was matched only by his fury, anger burning in his gut and focused solely on himself.
Alone with nothing to do but think, Falken was forced to admit that he had utterly failed. He had failed his mate. Cassie was suffering because of his absence and he had no excuse. There was nothing more important than one’s mate and yet, repeatedly, Falken had placed his duties above Cassie. She could be dying right now and because of the electromagnetic force of the area, none of the Records’ Keepers or her guard would be able to contact him.
In his solitude, there was no one to hear Falken’s roaring. Not even the gods.
*****
The unbelievable amount of information and dust was starting to get to Cassie. She was constantly sneezing, constantly covered in dirt and grime and getting crankier about the general state of disrepair the beautiful archive was in.
Cassie had tried to speak to one of the warriors this morning about sending a message back to S1 to get some new Records’ Keepers out to take care of the archive, but Matem seemed far more concerned about the state of Cassie’s health. Evident by how he kept asking every three seconds if she was sure she was alright. It was so annoying and so irritating.
She had tried to ask for the warrior’s help, but all Cassie was getting was the assurance from the big bastard that, “something was just not right” in regards to her health. Finally, Cassie just threw her hands up in defeated anger and went back to the books. The books made sense. Hell, the books and the incorporeal alien telepathically speaking to her were about the only things making sense in Cassie’s world right now.
Zarak had left without warning and, due to the EM interference, Cassie had no way of knowing when he was going to come back. Out of the ten warriors Tarek had sent along, Zarak was the only one who communicated with Cassie like she wasn’t on the verge of death or something.
Cassie understood it was the warrior’s job to look after her, but it was insane the way they kept interrupting her. Had she eaten? Did she need something to drink? Did she feel like having a rest? A shower, food, sleep, drink, over and over and over, every fifteen minutes, no matter how many times she said she was fine.
Cassie had started to time the well meaning, overbearing assholes in an effort to prove to them how ridiculous they were being, but they just kept after her. And Ilaria was no help. The Matavei thought the warriors were endearing and very good at their jobs.
Unfortunately for him, Matem was the one to find Cassie’s last nerve and walk roughshod all over it.
Cassie had finally made some headway and seemed to have found the collection of records she had been looking for this whole time, when Matem barged his way into the dusty archive with a tray of more food than Cassie could eat in a week.
She saw the warrior brighten and attempt a smile when she looked up from the
book she was reading, and lost it. The bubbling, boiling anger surged up and spewed out of her mouth an outraged snarl.
“You. Out. Now.”
Matem blinked rapid fire, not listening or not caring for his safety as he came closer. “I will be happy to comply once you have eaten, Cassie. It’s been-”
“Fifteen god damn minutes since the last time one of you barged in here and interrupted me when I have finally found what I’m looking for. I have HAD IT!”
Her shriek made Matem wince, but still, he was undeterred. “Fifteen minutes is highly inaccurate-” he attempted to argue.
Cassie grabbed up her tablet and shoved it in his face, showing him the timer and the hash marks she had started to make beside his name and the names of each of the warriors who had disturbed her today.
“Fifteen minutes. I timed it.” Cassie slapped the tablet down on the table and climbed up on a chair like Gwen had taken to doing when trying to argue with her much taller mate. Cassie drilled her finger into Matem’s forehead. Hoping to drive her message directly into his mind and make it stick this time.
“I have had it with this bullshit, Matem! Every time one of you interrupts me and tries to force-feed me when I’m not hungry. Every time one of you interrupts me to tell me I need to take a nap. Every fucking time one of you comes in here and tries to tell me there’s something wrong with me, takes me that much longer to accomplish what I came here to do.
“The ONLY thing wrong with me is that I am pissed the fuck off that you hovering bastards won’t leave me in peace to finish my work! Did Falken give you some kind of order to keep me out here as long as possible? Out of his way or something? Because that’s the only reason I can think of that you and the others won’t let me work in peace!”
Matem spluttered incredulously. “Cassie, of course not. Commander Falken is-”