“To our rooms,” I interrupted. “No more clinic.”
He nodded again, helping Tairan to get on the vehicle behind the guard.
“You can come with me, Isabella.” Valran gestured at the vehicle he had arrived in.
“Alright, but can someone dash over to that aircraft over there, please, and invite my brother to come in, too? It’s way too cold to make him wait out here.”
BY THE TIME WE GOT back to our rooms, Elizabeth woke up and I fed her while several from the research team took care of Tairan’s wound—a long gash with ragged edges—on his side.
“How is she?” Zavis hovered over me.
I lifted my gaze to her, meeting her beautiful pink-rimmed eyes. “I’m sorry I had to use the stun gun on you.”
She blinked, rubbing her upper arms with her hands. “Well, that was not a pleasant experience. Thankfully, it didn’t last that long, the charge in the gun must have been low.”
“I’m sorry,” I said again.
“I understand why you did it.” Her gaze flickered to Elizabeth in my arms and she asked again, “How is she?”
“Good.” I saw my baby’s eyelids slowly drop as she fell asleep again. Her eyelashes, pure white as if frosted with snow, rested on her pale, chubby cheeks. “I don’t remember my sister’s twins being this calm. It must be the Kealan in her.”
“Um, I don’t know.” Zavis turned to Tairan, who was reclining on the other side of the bed. “Is it normal for Kealan babies to be this quiet?”
“Not really,” he replied, with a brief laugh. “I remember quite a few nights when Erix kept me up to the point of near insanity.”
“Lucky us then.” I smiled.
His wound had been treated. A generous layer of pink healing gel glistened against his pale skin, covering the scar on his side from lower rib to hipbone.
“How are you?” I got up, and Zavis readily grabbed sleeping Elizabeth out of my arms.
The Kealans who treated Tairan moved away, taking the equipment robots out of the room.
Tairan got up.
“Shouldn’t you rest?” I tried to stop him.
“No.” His voice was firm. His expression turned hard and serious. “I’m well enough to keep going.”
The door hadn’t solidified after the medical team left, and Valran entered the bedroom, accompanied by several others from the research team, but no Sikril, I noted. Valran still had his cloak on, although his goggles were gone.
“We need to go,” Tairan wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“Where is Tony?” I asked.
“In the lounge by the swimming pool, along with his crew,” a female from the research team, Laylee, replied. “Yaee is feeding them some Kealan food.” She paused for a moment, a confused expression on her face. “He said ‘You’re really hot for an alien’ to Yaee. What exactly does that mean? Her body temperature is not elevated.”
“Oh, boy,” I groaned and turned to Valran. “We need to leave soon, before my brother finds some way of getting into trouble.”
Valran inclined his head, drawing in a long inhale. “I offered to discuss the new conditions of your staying here,” he reminded. “I sincerely hope you’ll reconsider your leaving us.”
“No.” Tairan’s hand squeezed my shoulder.
“How far are you willing to go in your concessions?” I asked, tentatively.
“Isabella,” Tairan warned me. “They always skew deals in their favour.”
“We have never made a deal,” Valran pointed out. “All your agreements have been with Ricread.”
“You have been his right hand for years, a part of everything he had ever done.”
“Not exactly.” Valran gestured to the living room. “Would you like to sit down? I want to explain, but it may take some time.”
“You promised to let us go,” I reminded.
“And you promised to hear me out,” he retorted. “We can part amicably once both sides of that agreement are fulfilled.”
Gripping Tairan’s hand in mine, I tugged him to the living room. The others followed. We sat on the couch, Tairan’s thigh pressed to mine, with Valran taking the seat opposite of us. The rest of the Kealans who came with Valran took their seats on the swing chairs or stood nearby.
“Ricread was a member of a small but powerful elitist fraction of the Kealan government,” Valran started. “The so called ‘purists’ only agreed to breed our race with humans on the condition that the human DNA would eventually be reduced in the offspring, brought down to the same ratio it is in Kealans now. This process takes time. Ricread was determined to come as close as possible to that goal with his work before his death, speeding up the experiment, even at the expense of ethics and decency.”
“How are you any different?” Tairan challenged, gruffly.
“You know I am.” Valran kept his head high under Tairan’s reproachful glare. “You once entrusted me to look after someone very dear to you.” His gaze moved to me. “Your wife.”
“You did?” I asked Tairan. “When?”
“Your husband saved your life by ensuring a necessary procedure was performed on you during your labour with Elizabeth,” Valran explained. “I was there when he immobilized Ricread and ordered a human doctor save you and the baby.”
“The C-section?” I pressed my hand to my belly over the barely-there scar hidden under my dress. “Ricread was against it?”
“The commander ordered the procedure then gave himself up.”
I squeezed Tairan’s hand in both of mine. “You knew he’d take it all out on you. What kind of torture did he put you through?”
“I needed some time to work out the details of getting you and the baby out of here,” Tairan replied simply.
“Oh, my love . . .” I leaned into him, burying my face in his shoulder for a moment to collect myself and fill up with his strength. “This needs to stop.” I straightened and turned to Valran. “No one will ever touch him again. Do you hear me?”
Tairan slid his arm around my waist, drawing me closer to him as if afraid I’d lunge into a physical attack.
Valran jerked his head, his cool composure wavering for a moment. “Despite how it may seem, Ricread and I have not shared the same principles for a long time now, Isabella. Personally, I believe in a different approach to our research. Instead of re-creating our race, I want to let it develop in a more natural way. Evolution instead of simply duplication. That was where the cloning failed for us. A race needs to evolve instead of simply copying itself over and over. Kealans are an intelligent, proud, noble race. But we have strayed away from what should have been our main goal.”
“That I agree with.” Tairan exhaled heavily.
“I want to preserve our culture,” Valran proceeded. “Our language, traditions, and history. I want our cities to burst with life again. However, I’m not particularly concerned about the specific make-up of the DNA of the people who will populate them.” He glanced my way. “I agree, a race that has lost its values, its morals, and its kindness is not worth preserving. Kealans had it all, until Ricread managed to convince them that in order to survive they had to give that up. After years of research, I believe there is another way, but we need your help.”
“What exactly are you talking about?” I asked carefully.
“We have been doing testing on both males and females of Earth. However, under Ricread’s orders, the priority was to find a suitable female match for our one and only male subject. Meanwhile, a large amount of data has accumulated on the Earth’s male population. And I’ve started to identify possible female matches on Keala for them.”
“You want to breed Kealan women with human men?” I frowned, worrying about how he planned to implement that.
“Not the way it was done with you,” Valran rushed to reassure me. “Human sperm can survive outside of the male body. It can be frozen and transported with no damage to the genetic material. I would like to open a program for human men donating their sperm to artificiall
y inseminate Kealan females, who may still have some viable eggs left in their ovaries. With the help of our most current technology, I’m estimating the pregnancy success rate would be well in double digits, and we can further improve it, using the data collected during your pregnancy and labour.”
“Why hasn’t it been considered before?” Tairan asked, his arm around my waist flexed, and I stroked his hand soothingly.
“The idea was outlined in Ricread’s plans. However, he never went ahead with its implementation. The chance of a successful pregnancy was initially estimated even lower than yours. Only now, having analyzed most of the data collected during your pregnancy and Elizabeth’s birth, we are confident the chances of success are significantly higher than was first thought.
“Another reason, I suspect, was Ricread’s inability to gain absolute control over the free-born Kealan females and their offspring the way he was able to do with a human female from a conquered race. All his political influence went into entrapping and retaining the commander. Additionally, the great physical distance of this lab facility from Keala helped him to disregard many of the laws we have on our planet that protect personal freedom.”
“So, you do have those, huh?” I couldn’t help the snappy remark.
Valran heaved a sigh, letting my sarcasm slide. “I used to be a long-time admirer and supporter of Ricread’s work. When I got accepted into his team, I was thrilled to be a part of what he was doing. His genius seemed unparalleled, and his achievement in the field unmatched by anyone else. After a while, however, I began to question the methods he used to achieve his incredible results. Ever since we came to Earth, I’ve been diligently recording all violations of the law on his part.”
“That must be a long list by now,” Tairan said with a bitter laugh.
“It is,” Valran admitted. “You see, I do not agree that the results justify the means. You are right, Isabella,” he turned to me, “going against one’s beliefs chips away at who you are, until there is nothing left worth to keep.”
“Why have you been allowing all of this to happen then?” I asked, hurt and anger stirring in me again. “Even as recently as a week ago? You must have known he’d started tests on Elizabeth.”
“That was done without anyone’s knowledge. Ricread did it entirely on his own. But we have been able to stall the implementation of the aging protocol on her—nothing has been done in that regard.”
“Well, that’s a relief.” I exhaled, although not entirely pacified.
“What have you been doing with that list of violations, Valran?” Tairan asked. “Anything? What is your plan, if you have one?”
“I’ve been sending reports to the Committee of Five at The Science Group, to whom Ricread was accountable. As you know, he has been gaining power in all levels of science and government on Keala, making it practically impossible to so much as disagree with him on anything. After the birth of Elizabeth, however, public opinion played in our favour.”
He shifted in his seat, leaning forward. “Elizabeth is a real celebrity on our planet now. Although none on Keala have ever met her, she is loved and treasured by all. She embodies our hope. I’ve collected firm evidence that by continuing the experiment as intended, Ricread was going to harm her. I detailed the physical and emotional damage that would occur due to what he had planned for her. My last report stirred the strongest concern among the members of the committee. Especially, because if made public, it has the potential to cause a riot in the general population, undermining all work of The Science Group to date.”
“That would be a disaster for them all.” Tairan’s expression was cynical.
“I just got official instructions to halt the whole experiment until a full review by the Group,” Valran continued. “I already submitted a revised schedule to them last week, outlining the plans regarding artificial insemination of Kealan females with human sperm. I have full confidence that this plan will be enthusiastically received by the general public. Many Kealans are yearning for children and family, but none have been given this chance until now.”
“How does my family fit into your new plan?” Tairan asked, his eyebrows knitted together again, hard mistrust etched on his face. “Why do you need us to stay?”
“I’ll be completely honest with you.” Valran leaned back, unflinchingly holding Tairan’s stare. “Elizabeth is the culmination of the work of many people here, myself included. We all feel invested into her future. Aside from the concerns for her safety, I simply don't want you to take her away. I would love for you to stay here, where living conditions are perfect for her and where we all can watch her grow. The only thing I would ask from you in return would be your permission to monitor her development, by non-intrusive means.”
“Like what?” I stirred in Tairan’s arms.
“I would love to observe and record every developmental milestone she reaches, like walking, talking, and other mobility and cognitive functions. She would also be fitted with an arm device when she is old enough—around ten. Aside from the continuous data collection by these means, there would be no other tests and no interfering with her natural growth process.”
“What will happen after she is done growing?” Both Tairan and I asked almost simultaneously.
“Once she reaches adulthood, I would like to be able to discuss any further involvement in our research with her and you, but nothing will take place without her approval.”
“How about Erix?” Tairan asked.
“I will certainly extend the same offer to him too, when he reaches his natural age of maturity.”
“Erix needs to see his father,” I said firmly. “As soon as possible.”
Valran’s seemed to think about it for a moment. “I can arrange for a video transmission. The connection may take some time to establish, though.”
“How long?” Tairan’s body stiffened beside me.
Valran glanced at one of the other men in the room.
“About an hour or two,” the man said. “Considering the current conditions of the atmosphere.”
“Well then, make it happen.” I turned to Tairan next. “Do you think Erix would like to move here and live with us? If not, we can think about moving to Keala.”
The opportunity to go to Keala was not currently on the table, but I felt that if we decided that planet was the best place to raise our family, we could negotiate our terms of making a life there.
One thing felt certain, Valran was definitely not Ricread. Talking to him, I believed he was concerned about all of us as individuals, not just the subjects of his research. This alone made it easier to breathe.
“Would you move to Keala for me?” Tairan asked, brushing my hair back.
“Anywhere,” I replied without a shadow of a doubt in my heart. “I’d move worlds and galaxies for you.” I smiled. “Literally.”
He gazed at me for a moment, his hand cupping my face. “We can talk about that.” He turned to Valran. “There is another problem, though. I just shot a man. There will be murder charges against me.”
Valran straightened in his seat. “I’ve put the insident in my report. It is going to be viewed as an unfortunate accident. No murder charges.”
“Can you guarantee that?” I was afraid to believe it had already been dealt with.
“You know it was no accident.” Tairan fixed his stare on Valran. “There were a number of witnesses, including Sikril.”
“Sikril has just accepted a position as the security head with a private company on Keala. He is moving out with the next ship. With Professor Ricread’s untimely death, I am the head of this facility now. Sikril and I have never had a wholesome working relationship, and he made the decision to pursue other opportunities.”
“Did he make it all by himself?” I wondered.
“Well, the idea came from me, but he agreed.” A smile ghosted Valran’s lips. “Almost without a fight.”
“Almost?” I wished I could share his lighter mood, but the worry refused to leave me
. “Don’t you think he’ll use the knowledge of what happened here today against you? And us?”
“I know for a fact he has considered that.” Valran nodded. “He let me know in no uncertain terms that he will take Commander Saryal and me personally to court for murder and assisting murder respectively.
“I managed to convince him, however, that he would not succeed. If the case went to court, it wouldn’t be hard to prove self-defence on the commander’s part. Ricread clearly attacked first, and the weapon he was shot with was his. Also, the circumstances leading up to the incident would be enough to acquit the commander of murder charges, according to Kealan laws. The years of physical and emotional abuse that this man has been put through would justify his decision to stand up for himself and his family.
“Sikril has been made aware that if the matter went to court, I would make public every detail of Ricread’s violations I have scrupulously documented over the years, including Sikril’s personal involvement in them all.
“As a result of our conversation, Sikril chose to accept his transfer and retain his honour. As the matter stands, Ricread’s remains will be transported to Keala where he will be given a hero’s funeral. In exchange, you won’t have to face any murder charges. I hope this deal is acceptable to you.”
A small vindictive part of me wished Ricread’s criminal behaviour was exposed and his reputation was tarnished. However, I also realized that this was a small price to pay for keeping Tairan out of jail and away from a death sentence. No matter what, he was now free, and his tormentor dead. This was an outcome I hadn’t dared to dream about before.
“What do you think?” I turned to Tairan. “I mean, provided we get it all in writing, of course,” I added with a smile.
“I’ll get a friend’s lawyer from Keala go through it, point by point, to make sure all loopholes are closed.” He threw a glance Valran’s way. The suspicion was definitely there, I understood it was hard for Tairan to trust someone from The Science Group again. Although I didn’t spot any direct hatred for Valran in Tairan’s expression. That was a start.
Experiment Page 23