Log 1 Matter | Antimatter (44 page)

Audrina was watching her closely.

“I … um … don’t use them very much without
others.”

There were shocked looks and then laughter.
The blue cobra merged back into the stream around his body.

“However do you get around?” King Slavian
asked her.

“Walk, ride, drive, fly, range, swim—”

There was more laughter. Ross looked at
Delario. “Really Del, surely it fell to you to teach this poor girl
to use her independent Aryan technologies?” He looked at her. “Do
you even know how to use the transportals on your own?”

Ara bristled and his grin turned slightly
cruel.

“Caleb designed and made her an ArP
controller, it looks like a strawberry—”

There were a few titters.

“—but you know very well that Maya told us
not to interfere.” He glanced to Silvia for support. She nodded her
agreement. King Delario said kindly, “Ara, make your call via
secure Voice. We’ll wait for you.”

“Thank you.”

Ara made her call, having to wait at first
while a security guard programmed something in to the Voice.
Apparently, she didn’t have to do anything on her own. She then
returned to the meeting to listen, knowing her eyes were wide, as
they continued to argue about her upbringing. She now understood
some of the provincial comments from Caleb and Terzon over the
years. Audrina distracted them seeing Ara’s face, possibly having
turned purple, and they talked of Earth instead. The whole time
energies were tight around Ross, Slavian, and Delario, but Audrina
and Cyrus’s were open and naturally deflecting the aggressive
energies of the three. She always hated being able to see energy
streams, and cursed her dratted curiosity to access it to see the
energy streams, but she wondered if it was a good indication of
friend or foe. In terms of foes, her last report from Balin had
come up with zilch. The enemy, on one hand, did a great job of
hiding, on the other hand, they weren’t doing a very good job
generally because she kept forgetting she even had one. Ara tried
not to smile, thinking that, considering the seriousness of the
conversation, smiling was unwise.

Finally, the doors were opened and security
seals broken. She had to leave the manual behind but Vin helped her
to understand some of the more complex aspects of the law. Being
over three hundred, she was entitled to vote but she wished she
wasn’t. As she left the palace, Caleb was lurking around trying to
look busy. His energy was open and already swirling to include her.
She walked over to him with a smile. He stood and watched her. He
was dressed in hunting clothes and his vehicle looked packed with
camping gear. He probably hid his hunting gear under the less
offending items. His hair was long, with a single thin braid at the
front and some beads. He touched her face when she stopped in front
of him. She fingered his braid. She looked into his eyes, enjoying
the effect she had on him. They were the same height and it was so
easy to just lean in a little more—

“I’m going away for a few days. Are you
alright?”

Ara was actually a little excited by the
prospect of visiting the Planet of Law. She drew her head back.

He noticed her excitement. “Will I see you
when I get back?”

“No, I’ll have to begin preparations and
leave tomorrow.”

His face fell but he connected to her
implant.

C. I’ve been putting off leaving

A. Then leave, I’ll see you when I get
home

C. I have a bad feeling but you seem
excited

She could see indecision in his face.

C. Can you meet me at the cabin, just for a
few hours? It’s nothing serious, well serious loving

They barely contained their grins.

She nodded. As she walked down, she glanced
back at the palace entrance feeling eyes on her. Queen Audrina
looked a little sad but gave her a small wave.

After pulling out through the rough track,
driving the family’s over lander, seeing the cabin in the clearing,
Caleb was hovering by the door. Ara chose to wear a sun frock she
knew he liked. He opened her door and she slid out of the front
seat. They looked at each other and didn’t bother with niceties.
They barely talked but Ara felt Caleb expressed himself more with
his body and lavished her with attention. The magic returned too,
and both cried after, fearful of what was to come. By the end, they
were both tired and grinning.

He lifted her chin slightly. “If you need me
for anything, contact me.”

Ara almost told him that Maya had cut her off
but didn’t want to worry him.

“What are you thinking?”

Ara smiled seeing him worried. “Ashley,
Henry, and Gralten are taking me out before I leave.”

“We better get going then.”

She nodded knowing Caleb was now already
thinking of his hunting trip. King Slavian had probably invited
him.

When they parted, Caleb was whistling and
drove off with a wave and Ara drove back to her home with the
horrible pressure of the journey ahead. She drove up the steep
driveway, coming in from the side route, and parked it under the
house. She just couldn’t seem to get out of the jeep but gripped
the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. A soft knock on the
window helped her to release the wheel and Dad pulled her out,
hugging her tightly.

They had dinner and while they chatted in the
kitchen, Ara put in her flight and space plan. Best to keep busy,
best to have someone check her plan. She re-checked the HaV routes
three times over and plotted the safest way there, five weeks to
travel mainly because the Planet of Law was in the Cradle, and that
was sort of “above” normal space, not “below” it.

Mum sung and it made Ara smile. It wasn’t
often they had time on their own, young family members stayed home
for a couple of hundred years and then began to leave the nest.
Usually at the Age of Determination, five hundred years, they were
fully independent, though the Age of Determination was more for
Pure-Gens.

“Mum, Dad?”

“Yes,” they both said at the same time while
chopping up the vegetables.

She noticed the look they shared. Still in
love after being together for a thousand years. Marc rarely
contacted any of them anymore and when he did talk, via Voice,
usually he was aloof. She had asked him for some advice on dealing
with Caleb and his last words to her were, “You’re a big girl, Ara.
You can work it out yourself.” Those words and his fed up tone
stung her even now. Sacha was just plain busy with a new romance
and her ever booming business, while Ersen was working long hours.
Pen set down the salad bowls and poked Terance who jumped up and
put the griller on.

“Mum, Dad, teleportation was raised and I’ve
never—done it. I mean, even the lowest Avatara can teleport, but
why didn’t I? And I barely use ArT, and telekinesis or ArK, I’ve
never even tried that either.” Ara stared at her spoon. “Move now,
spoon.” Nothing happened.

Laughingly, Dad said, “Well, we couldn’t
teach you those things, Ara. It would have been handy for farming
though.”

Ara was sure Aether Beings could “shift”
things.

Pen said quickly, “No one ports without tech
anyway, Ara. It was too dangerous as the plasma links weren’t as
stable, which is why we have the ArP and register travel.”

“And ArK, only those who can see energy have
Aryan telekinesis abilities. You have to see what you manipulate.
Kavela can, maybe he can teach you.”

Mum helped her pack while Dad helped with the
final preps for her spaceflight. The Toga hangar crew informed her
the Seeker was ready. It had come via some special set of HaV
coordinates, super quick. Caleb had shown her that he’d based the
design on a cigar shaped yacht found in Lustro Station, two hundred
feet long, and forty-four feet wide. They’d visited Sable Co. a few
times to discuss their engine capacity while still new.

Ara sighed, unable to put it off. It was time
to leave.

Iota

Cardinal Unit 9

Jamie had an agonizing decision to make.

Go with Ara or wait in normal space? The
procedure to be able to attend and care for Ara on the Planet of
Law was said to be extremely painful. But he reached his decision
quicker than Simon anticipated. “Are you sure?”

Jamie nodded.

He was taken to the Cardinal Unit, which in
the section they were in just looked like a big empty hospital, and
lay in a chamber. He had no real idea of what to expect and was
glad he didn’t. As the program bombarded him with matter and
energy, he screamed the whole time. His atoms and molecules were
reduced in size and so densely packed he thought he’d died from the
pain alone. Energy seared his flesh, mind, and soul. As sudden as
the procedure began it ended. The chamber lid slid open and Jamie
stared at the ceiling, and then Simon’s face as his handler peered
down at him. “Welcome to life as a Pure-Gen, Jamie. You’ll need to
learn to walk again, I’m afraid.”

Simon helped him to sit, and Jamie found even
breathing hard. “You will need to learn how to offset your matter
using your energy. You’ll find your appetite will increase … after
you stop feeling like shit.”

He tried to talk but couldn’t form the
simplest of words.

Simon left a hand on his shoulder. “Take it
easy. It will come to you.”

Iota

Station: Perza

Galactic System: Sarato (Spiral Galaxy)

Planetary System: Saratoga

That Mum and Dad were nervous was evident in their
hugs. Terance and Pen stood inside the small private terminal
watching as she ran her checks, submitted the final spaceflight
plan, and strode out to the Seeker.

“Wait up, Ara!”

She turned at the sound of Ashley’s voice. He
ran up and hugged her tightly. “Are you okay?”

“No.”

His dark blue eyes showed his worry. “If you
need to talk, call me.”

Ara nodded, so grateful for his offer. Ashley
was smart enough to avoid sensitive issues of law and would help
her manage her feelings. He released her and headed back to the
office. She closed the main hatch after her checks of the external
craft, all sleek two hundred feet of it, and headed for the bridge.
Sleek, like Caleb. For goodness’ sake, concentrate! The bridge was
roomy, rectangular, with two main pilot form chairs that would grow
out from the vault and floor. Most of the walls were covered in
GELtech and when the genetically, or just “Gel”, engineered Lygon
was discovered it had been quickly picked up by engineers and Space
Corp. She blew out her cheeks as she moved around the stations
touching the GELpads that made the dim room alive with colored
lights glowing through the material. “Pressurization, sables are
online, oxygen optimal, fuel etc. etc.” A grin spread over her
features and her body felt a tingle.

“Now, run through checks.”

At the end of her checks she paused by the
plaque Caleb had put there for her. It was some special material he
had made. But now there was another mineral that gave it a deep,
purple sheen. It said, “For my PuG Baby. Love, Caleb x.” A small
smile formed on her lips.

Finally, she was ready. “Saratoga Control,
this is Seeker Baby, ready for take-off.” Caleb’s was registered
“Seeker Monkey”.

“Confirm, Seeker Baby, you are ready for
take-off. Lift when ready, you are cleared.”

“Affirmative.” She activated her chair, it
buckled her in, and she rested her hand on the throttle GELpad.
Millions of computations began to exchange between her mind and the
filaments and beads that made up the bulk and core of the Seeker.
She watched her instruments as the engines peaked; there was slight
shudder as it lifted off. She watched her monitors carefully. The
coordinates were already set.

“All in the blue. Heading for allocated grid
point then to HaV entry point. Coordinates are set.”

“Have a good flight, Ara.”

“Thanks!”

She had to keep an eye on Sable One as it was
little used and Caleb suggested she use it so the GEL would
integrate properly. She hadn’t really ranged on her own a lot. Once
on Wilds she had stayed, only going home on some holidays with Tara
and Kee via public transport rangers where she could wind down
before getting to Saratoga.

The Seeker rose high and, with a final
thrust, ranged to the first entry point. Coming to a stop, she
prepared for HaV. Startled, she received a log.

CARDINAL Unit 9 (CU), sub-Maya 9,
Ara’s Logs

0016

ARA

PING danger: Valan Taka, Kavakar,
Ji’hathlo

PING help: Kavela Istonia, Planet
Engineer, Kios

PING help: Korbet West, Randall
West, Imperia, Lavenia

OVERRIDE

End check

Ara’s fingers hovered over the control
pads.

Danger was out there, hidden.

But her connection to Maya—no, it wasn’t
Maya. Ara was using the Cardinal Unit as it was supposed to be
used. As Pure-Gens did! Relief filled her. All through her life
she’d had access to both, now just one. And some fog was lifting
from her mind. That had to be Maya doing that. A flare of anger
surged through her but she reviewed the log.

“Damn it, Ara. What was the danger?” She had
sensed it few times over the hundreds of years and had found that
by making herself more of a public figure danger receded. Now
wasn’t the time to draw it out even though every fiber in her body
wanted to, but she knew she was a tempting target for the ranger
that was cloaked. As she lay suspended in space, her senses
reaching out for the danger, she knew the danger was as highly
strung as she was. It was more that Maya was telling her that. She
received a data burst.