Dominion Rising: 23 Brand New Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels

by White, Gwynn

  "It's okay," Ehli said. A tickle of static rubbed on her eardrums. Her eyelids twitched a little as the vibration increased.

  "Everybody lie down." Cullen extended a hand for Adi to take one of the upper bunks. "The belts are to strap you down to the bunk. Do you need assistance?"

  "Sure," Adi said.

  Ehli stuck her hand out. "I'll take care of it. You look like you need to get to the cockpit."

  He grinned. "I do. Thank you."

  Ehli let Adi get in under the strap, then she tightened it over his waist and looped it inside the buckle and locked it in.

  Nassib helped Emmit with the same on the lower bunk. Emmit looked up at his mother with honest, youthful fear. The blue mouthguard stuck out between his stretched lips, almost forming a mock smile.

  She patted his cheek. "If this works, I'm real proud of you." She climbed the wooden ladder to reach the second top bunk.

  "And if it doesn't?" Emmit mumbled.

  "Then I simply love you. But I sure wish you were smarter."

  That got a slobbering laugh out of her boy. As she slid her legs under the strap, the vibration from the Mericure activation was thick and resonant enough to feel like a drill connecting both sides of her forehead. Her eyes watered as she locked the buckle and strap. She made up a countdown from twenty to a point when either her eyeballs would pop or brain would shoot out of her ears. Thankfully, the bubble synced at four, the lights blinked, and the pressure gradually faded.

  It wouldn't have surprised her if their trip had also taken them back to when she was a thirteen-year-old girl and her father handed her the small box that held a key to the barn where her birthday horse was being kept as a surprise. Her anxiety was just as childlike in anticipation. And just like at that moment, she had no idea what was in store.

  6

  The bright blue flash from the Mericure bubble dimmed, and Cullen's eyes adjusted to the overcast sky set above the jungle that draped fat green leaves above his ship. Beneath the branches, his line of sight tracked to a high concrete wall that disappeared into the thickest portion of trees. Its width went beyond the scope of his windshield.

  Ocia's large-handed clap punctured the silence, and he laughed. "We're here!"

  Even that amount of movement would have been too much for Cullen, given how his stomach swam and his head swayed. Two pulls in, like, fifteen minutes would do that to you. If they had to leave again any time soon, he'd be in bad shape.

  Ocia unbuckled and stood without the slightest imbalance. He assessed Cullen with a dominant, but playful, smile and raised his hand. "Stay. Get your feet."

  Cullen took his mouthguard out, put it in his case, and slid it under his armrest.

  Torek had his out, too, and rested his head against the cushion of his chair, staring passively out the windshield. He and Jolnes both absorbed the effects of the pull.

  At least I'm not the only one.

  One of the camera views showed the starboard side of the ship and the building they had landed next to. Two sliding doors opened, and four soldiers, armed with rifles, amber-shaded glasses and with hoods down on their glossy green full suits, casually walked out to the stone path skirting the building.

  "Dr. Yrix," one of them spoke, his voice projecting from speakers above him.

  Ocia, still smiling, leaned over Cullen's dash and pressed a button to activate their external mics. "Yes. We made it." He looked up at Cullen. "Do they have permission to board?"

  Cullen unbuckled and pushed on the armrests to stand, unable to completely hide his unease, but showing strength in fighting through it... he hoped. He stood as tall as he could before Ocia. "Who exactly did you tell them was rescuing you?"

  "Who? As in, did I reveal your names? Or was I supposed to make up aliases?" He checked on Torek. "I'm sorry, if—"

  Torek was halfway to standing, and waving his hand as though not happy about needing to stand so soon. "Cullen, it's okay."

  The two of them had risked and saved one another's lives enough times for Torek's stance here to hold weight, but Cullen still didn't like the vulnerability of their position.

  "No, it's okay, Torek," Ocia said. "If fact. If you don't mind, Captain Re," he said, turning to face Cullen, "now might be a good time to have Torek and Jolnes tend to your other passengers so we can have a chat. I'm sure Torek has shared some of what you'll be paid, but you obviously have your reservations."

  Cullen nodded to Torek and Jolnes, and they left the cockpit.

  "I haven't seen one flo," Cullen said, making the point without too much concern, then added, "but even if you deposited a hundred thousand in our batch, the secrecy of our location would prevent me from discharging it into one of my fluid accounts."

  "I'll pay you ten times that, right now, in goods you can use to enhance your ship with supplies we have here. You can leave with that ready to discharge at your discretion, with the grill enhancement to your ship having been worth double that."

  "Is this money you've acquired something that will draw the Osuna's attention?" Cullen asked.

  Ocia's tone darkened. "We are very careful how we transfer flo streams. Most of our wealth has been accumulated from military victories, bribes with Osuna officers who don't care what their overmasters investigate, and organic growth among the many industries that we've developed here on Kaimerus."

  "And with such an impressive empire, why did you need someone outside your organization to rescue you from prison?"

  Ocia smiled and slowly shook his head, as though about to reveal a secret. "You've got that part wrong, young man. I visit Setuk every month. Have for six years."

  Cullen checked Torek, who shrugged.

  "You are the one we needed."

  "Because of what my father did here, whatever that is?"

  "So you told him," Ocia said, looking back at Torek. "Sort of ruined my surprise, but that's okay. I told him to do whatever it took to get you here. I have a few items to take care of once we greet dirt, but I will do my best to show you what your father left for you... say, by midday tomorrow. I'm sorry, I've been gone a month, and it'll be too hectic for me to put out fires while trying to show you around. Besides, you and Torek deserve a night off. There's a salt water beach not far west of here. I can have someone take you there."

  Torek stepped in. "Will that someone be glad to meet a new face, but also not mind a little wrestling in the surf?"

  "There are single women here at Kai," Ocia said. "And not all are soldiers or doctors." He glanced back to Cullen. "Would you like me to make some introductions?"

  "I don't think I'm in the mood for beach activities today," Cullen said. "I'd rather learn more about Kaimerus, and to meet Scha—"

  Ocia shushed him silent, raising a finger to his lips. He leaned forward and whispered. "Keep his name a secret until you meet him." When he straightened, he had a smile that said all was well. "We have a surprise for our other passengers."

  Cullen checked with Torek, who gave his silent approval. "Okay."

  Ocia patted Cullen on the arm. "I'm eager to show you how we have turned this island, Kaimerus, into a haven for Rucien and Esune prisoners of war."

  Ocia offered his meaty hand in a shake that Cullen accepted. Helping Rucien and Esune unite against the Osuna was an easy bond to accept.

  Ocia finished shaking. "Shall we go?"

  "Yeah. I could kiss dirt." Cullen locked his stations and checked the power on his wristcom. A decent 89 percent showed on the power gauge. He left his suit on and decided at the bottom of the ladder that he didn't need to take a rifle. The simple pistol on his belt showed him to be a soldier, but without the need to be defensive.

  In the visitor quarters, Jolnes helped Emmit off his bunk. Ehli stood at the ladder to her bunk with the other boy, Adi, standing beside her, chewing on his mouthguard.

  "Everyone feeling okay?" Cullen asked.

  They nodded.

  Jolnes rubbed his stomach. "I should have eaten more. I'm starving. Just thinking about thei
r chicken is making my mouth water." He took the lead past Cullen and out the hatch, Emmit following behind.

  Cullen sidestepped to make room. "You two ready as well?"

  Ehli smiled and rubbed Adi's back. "I think so. Let's go see our new home."

  Cullen smiled as Ehli averted her gaze from his and followed Adi into the hall. The aversion, and the way she'd looked at him for the brief second, made him feel like a prison guard. It was okay that she and the two boys didn't show overt thankfulness. He felt good knowing they no longer had guards or bars to keep them locked up.

  "I just hope this home treats you better."

  She smiled a courtesy, and walked out and passed right of the hatch, nodding to Torek who waited outside with a sheepish look as though to say, is that the one you're interested in?

  Cullen rolled his eyes and kept on toward the bow of the ship.

  Ocia put his arm around Emmit, wearing a wide smile as Adi and Ehli joined him at the rear hatch. "We made it!"

  Their familial connection was born from history, not blood. I could use something like that.

  Torek fell into stride. "Come on. Can't go on by yourself forever."

  Back to the old tease. Cullen tapped the button on his wristcom to open the rear hatch, then sent a stare back that told his friend to control his tongue, especially with Ehli close enough to hear him. The rear hatch hissed open.

  "So I'm not all wrong," Torek said, and winked.

  Cullen shook his head. "I hope not."

  "We'll be fine. I just wish you'd relax a little more."

  "I'm not sure this plan isn't eight percent stupid," Cullen said low enough for just Torek to hear.

  Humid air wafted in with an aroma of sweet flora recently dosed in rain. Ocia's soldiers waited, rifles aimed at the ground, their gazes switching between Cullen and Torek—a mix of defensiveness and relief to welcome their own.

  Cullen's wave barely rose past his waist as he tried to see if their features showed Rucien or Esune blood.

  Torek shared a glance bordering on shared embarrassment at Cullen's gesture. "Is that it, fearless leader," he said under his breath. "You guys didn't bring food?"

  Ocia smiled. "To the cafeteria it is. Though I'll have to eat later. We'll show you to the cafeteria, and then Lieutenant Huls and I will attend to business."

  Lieutenant Huls waited at attention as Ocia and the group of former prisoners walked onto the dew damp grass and past him. He was only a little shorter than Ocia, his posture firm from muscle and training, capped by a stare that could outlast the erosion of a mountain. As Cullen approached, his lips cracked into a formal grin and he lifted a hand to shake. "Thank you for returning our doctor and some very special new guests. Your meals will forever be free on my watch." Huls's grip eased from Cullen's palm, and he extended the same courtesy to Torek. "Good to meet you in person."

  "Yes. We appreciate the job, and our future opportunity to join the front ranks of the battle against the Osuna."

  "Indeed." Huls released his hand and extended his other hand toward the opened doors of the building. Cullen and Torek moved toward the doors. "I have some business to discuss with Ocia," Huls said as they approached the two soldiers guarding the doors. Both offered friendly grins as the only piece of their posture to break form.

  The hall inside expanded into an intersection, with an open office on their left and an auditorium not far beyond. Huls pointed to where people dressed in military greens and hospital scrubs carried trays of food and drinks to the auditorium's seating area. The style of orange tint on green collage for the soldiers identified them with the Esune, whom he'd seen helping protect the Rucien colonists and explorers from Osuna threats. The Logi, they called themselves. Huls checked his wristcom. "They're still serving breakfast, but it's good. I like the egg and beef tortillas. If you don't want to wait for the chicken."

  "Thank you," Cullen said.

  The boys took the invitation to speed their pace up to an almost-run toward the open entryways of the kitchen.

  "Slow down," Ehli called out, following them.

  Ocia stood half-facing the hall leading left.

  Huls took two earpieces out of his shirt pocket. "Your chips will install a program to link these with our air-con so we can communicate almost anywhere on this island."

  Cullen took the rubber earpiece that wrapped around the top of his ear and fit snugly inside. The top of its arc had a small button, he knew from other earpieces, that would activate the link-in program and the air-con. "Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  Ocia said, "You can call Isidro when you're all done eating, and he'll show you to your accommodations." He turned, and Lieutenant Huls followed him down the hall. Cullen watched as people either waved to Ocia or shook his hand as he made his way past them. The environment reminded Cullen of Fort Prophet on Vijil. There was a united sense of purpose here, and Ocia formed a part of its link to the community's wellbeing.

  "Let's go," Torek said. "I wasn't kidding about being hungry."

  Cullen joined him in his path toward the smell of warm eggs and cooked beef and chicken, thinking that Fort Prophet had many secrets that weren't immediately seen in the closely-knit community. There were many in high positions with ties all the way down to people who wanted his father ousted from his position. If the same existed here, were they close to that coup, and if so, what would Ocia's arrival do to their timeline?

  Cullen had never met a leader who didn't have multiple parties involved in plans to gain a higher position and influence.

  7

  Emmit and Adi's run into the kitchen came to an abrupt halt two paces from the buffet line. The spread of breakfast options under the orange glow of the heat lamp made Emmit's breath catch in his lungs and his eyes practically explode in their sockets. His focus locked on a thick pizza with golden brown crust, fluffy yellow and white egg spread, dusted with chunks of crispy bacon he could taste from where he stood, and a healthy melting of yellow cheese. A man standing in line to one side of the pizza pressed his glass against a lever that poured milk in abundance.

  Emmit didn't know which to get first, but when Adi headed for the plates and cut in line in front of some amused adults in clean, civilian clothes, he followed after.

  "Take your time with these, or you'll get sick," one man said.

  Emmit didn't bother looking him in the eye or even slowing as he snatched a warm plaster plate and a fork—a fork!—and stretched a hand for the nearest slice of pizza as though any second's delay could steal this dream and his chance at a meal.

  But no one stopped him or Adi. They giggled without restraint as they stacked three slices each on their plates. He hadn't eaten this much food at one time in so long, and his stomach laughed at his overestimation of what it could handle.

  Adi lowered his cup of milk as he stepped aside for Emmit to fill his. "This is amazing, Emmit." The boy had serious tears cleaning his cheeks as he tipped his glass back for a deep gulp.

  Emmit wasn't sure he wouldn't start crying too, but he held it together at least long enough to fill his cup. The smell of cold, fresh cow's milk took him back to life before Setuk. This was no goat's milk, where you could taste the filth the animal rolled around in. The brink of time between putting his lips on the plastic cup and the splash of chilled, smooth milk passing down his throat made his eyes close and almost took the strength out of his legs. He managed to keep upright and swallow down two or three gulps before gasping for air, the wet remnant of his drink on his lips and chin.

  He turned to spot Adi heading for the seating area, and noticed the people in the line staring at him, many with smiles, as though he were some cute puppy with a chew toy.

  "They're jealous." The sweet voice came from a young woman in her early twenties, who was filling her cup with milk.

  Emmit crept closer, unsure if or why she'd spoken to him. Walking closer was like disturbing an invisible force that separated him and his grimy clothes and skin and... every detail about
her fascinated him, from the flowing blue blouse to her recently-washed black and blonde-tinted hair woven in a knot at the back of her head that looked like it was sewn with an artist's touch. Even her uplifting scent had an effect that made him wish he could inhale for another hour.

  Two dabs of her dark eyelashes locked him in her kiss of eye contact. Her soft cheeks and white smile made him feel warm and almost like he could stay in this spot forever. "Good morning." She capped off her smile and returned to finishing off her cup's filling.

  Behind her, a guy stood waiting with his tray of plated food. "He has the same eyes."

  Startled, Emmit glanced at the man, but was sure he hadn't spoken out loud. What was going on? Emmit turned toward the seating area, where Adi and the crew shared a table, annoyed at the creepy feeling nestling into his bones at hearing the man's thought. He has the same eyes? As who? Did he know Dad?

  He took another drink of his milk.

  The woman stepped away from the dispenser, setting her glass on her tray and watching Emmit with a kind of silent invitation to join her.

  He lowered his cup, feeling the need to explain his silence. "This is the best milk I've had in years."

  She chuckled as he joined her walk. Humor and joy seemed a natural part of her day, and his entrance into it felt welcome. "I'm glad. Are you Emmit?"

  Emmit's fingers lost their strength, and he almost dropped his glass and plate, the fork singing as its metal slid on the plate. It had been a while—if ever—since he'd seen such a pretty woman, but hopefully he'd adapt well enough to walk and talk at the same time.

  How does she know my name? He stopped midway between the salad bar and some other station behind him. "How'd you know my name?"

  "I'm Dr. Vitra." She flashed her grin, and swayed a little in an informal curtsy he hadn't seen before. "Dr. Sara. Sara. Whatever's more comfortable. I've worked with Dr. Yrix—Ocia—on the treatments you and your mother received while you were in Setuk. I'm so glad that you're finally here."