“I agree with that assessment,” Vekta murmured, sighing. “Scorpa, I'm sending you back now to resume your observations. Remember to read minds only, not change them. And be aware that I can tell if you've done the latter.”
“Yes, right, of course,” Scorpa said testily. I've got a long, long way to go to earn his trust, he thought even after the Attitudinal deposited him back on Xanda. And I believe it's now in my best interest to try to do just that... yeah.
“I don't like that thing working with us,” Austine muttered sourly, grimacing. “What do you really know about that creature, Vekta?”
The commander shrugged. “I've mentread him, of course, deeper than he can detect. He's an opportunist, true, and he doesn't yet share some of our values, but he's not that rigid in his attitudes. Obviously to do what he's done he has to be extremely adaptable. He’s left his own home universe and does not want to return; I refrained from learning why as it doesn’t matter at this point, although I suspect he has strong reasons. He presently thinks it's advantageous for him to help us. I've been surprised by that, and I think we're going to continue to be surprised — in a good way — by him.”
“Wow, okay,” Austine said under her breath, shifting her position in her chair, restless. “Good thing I trust you. Well, now what? Are you going back? Are we still going to take more time getting to Xanda?”
Vekta smiled, pushing his chair back and getting up. There was a minute protesting tug from a Freen tendril which had captured his ankle and now let go hastily. “Yes and yes,” he answered. “Stander, I'll send you back now. I have a bit more to do here first. Crater, Austine, Vel, continue to gather data about Xost. We don't know when we'll have time to do that later. Novella... I'd like you to remain behind here.”
The meeting broke up. Vekta teleported Stander back to the Elektra in Xanda orbit, still some light years off. Austine and Veladasser returned to the control deck. Crater finished sorting the rest of Scorpa's data dump and returned reluctantly to exploring the specifics of the laws of physics of Xost Universe.
*
“Shouldn't you wait for Bapa to return before meeting with the Xandee?” Cory was asking Stander at that very moment. The call from Dr. Xiel about the upcoming meeting with Druxa-el had come just seconds after Stander had reappeared on the Elektra.
The navigator, crisp in a refreshed uniform, settled the radiation shield medallion on his chest, then turned to face the anxious twins. “Major Colonel Rentclifv has entrusted this situation to me. I'm sure he'll be checking in with you soon. I have no idea how long I'll be, but I'll contact you in a couple hours.”
“Hour,” Story said firmly. “Every hour, even if just telepathically. Or take us with you?” Qe raised his eyebrows at the man hopefully.
“Hour,” Stander agreed, nodding. “Remember you can use the Fiftheye on the Elektra to contact me if you need to.”
Cory and Story exchanged glances. “Don’t forget,” the former muttered.
22: Separation
“Scorpa,” Stander Kvaan menttransed to the energy entity once he located his pattern on the surface of Vega V. “We need to talk.”
He was standing in the lobby area of Center Cone, waiting on the teleXandee leader's directions for the meeting place. He cast his perception around, locating the teleXandee that he knew. Zanil and Qindo were in a laboratory; Dr. Xiel was enroute to his location.
Manifesting abruptly beside him, Scorpa let out a deep sigh as he settled the Fleet uniform jacket in place. “Let me guess; you want me to stay out of your way.”
“Not necessarily,” the Dracon replied calmly. “Colonel Rentclifv charged you with gathering data about the Xandee. I want you to do something else in addition.”
“Oh, yeah, what's that?” Scorpa peered at him, intrigued. He was feeling restless and hoped it had to do with interfering with the city snobs.
“Find out more about the Ruena,” Stander said. “We need to ascertain how much of a threat they are to the Xandee as a whole. It may be that Xanda hold resources that they covet. You've seen that the planetary defenses are not equipped to deal with any substantial invasion. Find out what you can about any contacts they've had with the Xandee in the past. If we're going to need to deter the Ruena, we need to know everything we can.”
Scorpa crossed his arms, regarding the other man unhappily. “I'll have go to that damn city to do that. You all think a lot of my abilities, eh?”
Stander spotted Dr. Xiel approaching and gestured a greeting to him. “You’re useful. You're a natural sponge,” he murmured to Scorpa. “Better get going.”
“Right, right,” Scorpa said under his breath, then disappeared.
*
Novella waited patiently, still sitting at the table. Though she wasn't sure what this was about specifically, she felt ready for anything. He's not going to accept my feelings anyway with all this going on. She was resigned to that. Maybe never.
The former Starguard's mind was clearly elsewhere for now — communicating with that entity that developed the Attitudes in him? She'd guessed that was what Vekta wanted to talk to her about. I feel calmer than I think I should be feeling, she noted, objectively examining her heart rate and blood pressure.
Vekta turned to her abruptly, an apologetic look on his face. “Sorry, there were a few minor issues around the ship to take a look at. I don't want to be interrupted.” He looked away quickly, then came back to the table, pausing beside the giant Freen. Extending his hand, he allowed a frond to wrap around it.
“I gave you my answer regarding the Attitudes,” Novella said quietly. “It's time, right? You don't need me for what's going on here in Xost. The sooner I have my Attitude potential developed, the sooner the burden on you can be lessened.”
“No, that's—” He paled visibly. “I never thought—”
“It's true, though,” she went on smoothly. “Being the only Human with the Attitudes of Consciousness is a tremendous burden. That's obvious, Vekta. It would be for anyone. And you yourself may still be adjusting. It's best that someone shares the powers as soon as possible. We both know that the best person for that is me.”
“Or Stander,” Vekta countered, looking at her anxiously. “Novella, you don't know what I've gone through—”
“Moot point. You yourself charged Stander with the responsibility of taking care of your twins right now, as well as working with the teleXandee. He's managing all that well, you know. I know he's not the most friendly or personable of sorts, but I sense he's capable.” Novella pushed back her chair and stood. “You know I'm right.”
Vekta met her gaze. “The twins even like him, and you know they don't like strangers easily. He's a Tryker, did you know that?”
She gave him a smirk. “Well, that explains a lot. See, he is capable. You knew that when you charged him with the responsibility of training your kids in their telepathy.”
He sagged a little, but then straightened and gently shook the Freen frond from his hand. He came around to her side of the table, but paused just out of reach. “Novella, about what you said last time—”
She closed the gap and put a couple fingers to his lips for a second, then put her hand behind her back, embarrassed, glancing away. “We don't have to talk about that now. You trust the Pelan, and so will I. I'm ready, so... send me!” Before I lose my nerve.
Vekta gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “You may come to hate me because of this.”
Novella gave him a brave smile. “Oh, I'm sure I will a little. But I think you may have woken something up in me... or else it was that merge where we discovered our matching. I think I'm already changed, Vekta Rentclifv!” And not just my heart.
He wasn't ready to smile yet, his hand dropping. “I'm fully aware that gaining the Attitudes means that I'll be going back to the Guard. Not yet because of the Andromedea, I don't think, but soon. These are no powers to be hidden away in the Fleet, Novella; you must realize this. You've gotten to know me
, and you've seen Jaime Cenntl—”
“The ‘Starguard Disease,’ you mean?” she interrupted, chuckling. “Yeah, and that makes a tiny part of me run screaming. But it's also exciting.” Novella blew out her breath in surprise. “I never thought I'd say that my life in the Fleet has been too safe. Fulfilling for research, but very comfortable. I could damn you for poisoning me this way, but I think it's going to be much more fulfilling to just join you.” She gave him a wicked grin. “Yeah, I think the infection has already begun!”
“Be careful what you ask for,” Vekta said, but there was a shadow behind his smile. “One word before I mattport you. The radiation on Pel is too intense for us to bear. Thho will have to mattform you to adjust... and you'll need to be able to breathe water. Allow her to do that.”
“You can breathe water?” Novella blurted out.
Vekta turned his head to the side and drew away the collar of his Fleet uniform from his neck. There she could see three faint pink lines in parallel. “The gills are sealed now. That's all that's left of the transformation. There was more, but Thho reversed most of the changes.” Soberly he shared with her from memory an image he'd caught of himself reflected in the water.
“Scales, really?” She straightened, undeterred. “But your eyes...”
He nodded somberly. “My retinas were burned out, true. She actually had to stimulate their regrowth. I think I can provide you with an eye mask, though I'm not sure how effective it would be.”
“Regrowth! Vekta, our science can't quite do that yet, I don't think.”
“You're right; I had Crater look into that when I returned.” He chuckled. “There's some irony there. Even stranger is that Crater seemed intensely interested in researching the possibility.”
After the meeting, Vekta had asked the cybernism to withdraw his attention from his office so he could meet with Novella privately. There was no need to put ideas into his head that served no purpose. Crater was psychologically unable to contemplate mobility for himself — by design.
“Could the Attitudes be used to stimulate regrowth of, say, limbs?” Novella asked, her eyes wide. “But there will be too few of us to make any difference in modern medicine.”
Vekta shook his head. “Not something we need to think about right now. We need the Attitudes to locate the Sdaldi and hopefully do something about them. And to help the teleXandee. Though I think it's the ability to autoport and menttrans over vast distances which will be the most valuable. We can't get distracted from critical missions just to explore our powers.”
“Our powers,” she echoed, then sighed. “Vekta, enough. I just want to get this over with. Are you sure Thho can't just guide my development across the universes and the distance so I can stay here?”
“The powers aren't infinite, of course. I think that would be too much.”
“Indeed,” suddenly came a diamond-sharp mental voice. Thho. “Opening the mind like this cannot be achieved over such a huge gulf. And Vekta is too new in his powers to do it. It must be done here. I obviously cannot go there.”
Novella swallowed hard. “Anything else I need to know?” she said in a small voice to him.
Quickly he told her what else he knew about the Pelans. About how anti-social they were as a species, which made Thho all the more unusual.
“Do not fear, Human,” Thho directed to Novella. “Now that I know how weak the Human species is against radiation, the changes will be made immediately. And the beginning can take place in the dark recesses of this cave at first. I also know now what pain impulses to suppress. Ready?”
Novella extended her hand to Vekta. After a moment, he took it. She squeezed his hand, then released it. “I'm ready,” she murmured, steeling everything within her toward this new adventure. Ready for pain, ready for opening... Despite her resolve, her heart was racing. She was frightened, but determined. And if it brings me closer to Vekta...
“Very well.”
Novella Aurand disappeared from the commander's office aboard the Defender Andromedea, transported across many universes and light years to the little planet within the star cluster that the Pelan Thho called home.
Vekta felt a sharp stab of loss; his hand automatically went to his heart. In the same moment, there was a strange little sound that he had never heard before aboard a starship, a tiny but definitely audible whimper as if from a small animal. But of course there was no such creature aboard the Andromedea. The oddness distracted him from his unexpected feeling.
He looked over at the Freen. “Little mother,” he murmured, eyes widening. “Is it you? Did you speak?” he inquired of the voluminous plant.
No response. Vekta had the unmistakable feeling that he'd heard something he wasn't supposed to. There was nothing now except the typical waving of tendrils in his direction. Novella... bear with it. I'll see you soon, he thought, taking a few deep breaths to loosen the knot in his chest.
He ascended into consci4 and the Attitude of Freedom, then autoported to the surface of Xanda where Stander Kvaan was waiting with the teleXandee contingent for the arrival of Druxa-el for the Gedza formal audience. He nodded at Stander, who did not look surprised to see his sudden appearance.
But he couldn't give Stander and the teleXandee all his attention just yet. Menttransing back to the Andromedea via the Attitude of Communication, he spoke quickly to his executive officer. “Austine, I've gone ahead to Xanda. Stander and I are going to attend a formal meeting between the teleXandee and representatives from the city. If you don't mind, I'm going to borrow our Chief Science Officer as well.”
Austine rolled a shoulder in an irritated twitch since she couldn't respond in kind. “Fine, fine,” she muttered, expecting Vekta would pick it up. “Vel, up for a field trip? The commander wants to collect you for a meeting on Xanda.”
The Vriesian gave her his sharp-toothed grin. He waved a carpla at her — one of the two tentacles that originated at the base of his skull — in a gesture of assent. “I'll be happy to go, Major!”
Then he, too, disappeared.
“Damn,” Austine said to no one in particular. “The boss is gone, Novella is gone, Stander's gone, now Vel. when do I get to have fun, eh, Crater?”
Crater had utterly no answer for her.
*
The Gedzra commenced on schedule. The three Fleet officers stood by patiently, observing the elaborate dance-like ritual. The fourth person wearing a Fleet uniform wasn't so patient.
“I can't stand through one more minute of this,” Scorpa whined silently to the impassive Vekta Rentclifv.
“I think it's fascinating,” Vekta returned smoothly, eyes firmly focused on the proceedings between Druxa-el and the teleXandee leadership. “A whole negotiation ceremony structured around weaving elaborate patterns with their wings. They're re-enacting the history of their species now.”
“That's going to take hours!”
Vekta smiled minutely but still didn't look his way. “I expect so. You're a talented fellow; just endure it. Or can't you keep appearances while letting your mental senses roam? We need to discover something about the AllXan cult that we can weaken. Go look into that.”
Scorpa shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then, still mentally grumbling, did as he was told, settling his Human body into a fixed position, his face relaxed and calm, his eyes focused forward. Then he sent his perception toward the city.
“He's a handful, but also handy,” Stander commented to Vekta. “You've deepread him?”
“He just wants what anyone wants. A place to call home,” Vekta replied cryptically. He'd already done what he'd just asked Scorpa to do. The xenophobic AllXan cult, while strongly influential, wasn't fully in charge of the government, but vocal enough that they weren't to be ignored.
*
Back on the Andromedea, Austine was sitting in the command chair on the control deck, brooding. That Vekta! Whooee, I could use a drink, she thought, then glanced at the computer access port
. “Hey you, Crater!
Crater had been busy analyzing the Xandee medical data he'd been able to gather. “Yes, Major Tauscher, can I help you?” he asked quietly. So, the environmental parameters of the equatorial continent of Vriesia...
“Stop what you're doing. I can tell you're chewing on something.” She narrowed her eyes at the viewport.
A swift search interpreted the colloquialism. He placed a mental bookmark in a handful of files, then closed out all the data. “Yes, Major.” He was curious about Austine Tauscher and her relationship with his creator in the past. That Dr. Vekta Rentclifv had dropped his quiet life on Orbglen at the mention of Austine's invention of the Starlock had been noteworthy.
“Hmm... so, do you understand your own design? That HAGE thing?”
It was not the question he was expecting. Crater was aware there were a few sections of his design closed off to him but he guessed Dr. Rentclifv would not want him to mention that fact. “I am knowledgeable about my design, yes,” he replied.
Austine grinned suddenly. “But you're just a Human-analogue, right? I mean, if you have feelings, they're all programmed, faked. Of course. I must admit you function pretty well around people. I'm actually shocked by that. But then, you were designed by Vekta Rentclifv. That pretty well says it all, for me.”
Crater knew a moment of shock at her words, then examined that. I am shocked. It's not fake! he thought with wonder. “I react to the emotions and speech of others as any sentient does,” he murmured. “It's not an automatic response like I think you're implying.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say. I know what I know. For one thing, you're supposed to be a Dracon-analogue. So you're oblivious to how nonDracons like me feel about you.”
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