Omega Games (38 page)

Reever and I went down into the tunnels with Drefan to help look for the Odnallak. We started at the “Here.” He pointed to one section where the water was twenty degrees warmer than anywhere else under the colony.

Drefan’s halo glowed green as he bent down to look at the schematic. “There’s an old retention reservoir under the pipes there. The original colonists built it for their children to play in.”

We went to the reservoir, and Reever and I stayed back out of sight while Drefan went in. There was no sign of Tya, but he lowered himself down to sit by the reservoir, as if he meant to wait.

An outlet valve on one of the pipes turned, and a long, gray figure slid out and dove into the standing water. She swam toward Drefan and then hoisted herself out, rising to face him as he stood.

I wrapped my arms around my waist. They looked exactly as the drednoc and the vral had in my nightmares.

“What are you doing down here, drone?” Tya reached for the drednoc’s central panel, and then went still as Drefan raised his face shields and revealed himself to her. “You.”

“Me.” He caught her arm when she tried to dive back into the reservoir. “I want to talk to you.”

“I have nothing to say to you, Terran.”

“That’s a shame, because I have a lot to tell you.” He released her. “I never knew about the slaves being used in my mines, Tya. Had I known, I would never have allowed it.”

“Why would you care about slaver meat?” Her orange eyes regarded him steadily. “They made you a wealthy, rich man.”

“No amount of credit is worth a single life.” He stepped back from her. “It’s why I never tried to escape from the mines after I was made a slave. I believed that it was justice for what had been done in my name.”

“Then you are a fool.”

“I made friends with the other miners. I saw how they lived, and struggled. I watched them suffer, and some of them die in stupid accidents. I came to the point when I would have done anything for them.” He lifted his artificial arm. “I should not have survived the accident that crushed my limbs. I didn’t want to. It was supposed to be my final penance.”

“I started to like it,” Tya said in a hollow, faraway tone. “Killing other slaves. I couldn’t wait to get onto the sand. It was the only time I felt alive. That’s why I cast down my sword. Not because I was a coward. Because they made me into a killer. When they tied me up and started beating me, I knew I would die. I welcomed it. And then Davidov came.”

“Mercy took me in,” Drefan said. “She wouldn’t let me go.”

“Do you know what I can do, Terran?” The white lights in her hair swirled around her, and changed her shape into that of Alek Davidov. “I can read your thoughts and shape myself into what you despise. ” She shifted a second time, growing into the burned, tortured image of Posbret. “What you dread.” The lights spun again, and she became a mirror image of Drefan, his body trapped in ill-fitting prosthetics. “What you most fear.”

Tya spun herself into her tall, ghostly shape. “Why do you bother with me?” she asked, turning away from him. “I am broken, useless. A coward. I couldn’t even let Davidov kill me with his poison.” “I hated my body so much I tried to make myself into a drone.” Drefan looked down at his armored

chassis. “I built this place so that I could use the games to take slaves from their owners and give them new lives. But my anger and my self-hatred will never leave me. The only time I feel alive is when I’m the drednoc, and I can fight simulations. I remove all the safeties.”

She stared at him. “So do I.” “Davidov is gone,” he told her, “and he will never bother you again. You are free to leave Trellus.” Tya’s hair coiled around her face, hiding her expression. “I have nowhere to go. My people are scattered

across the galaxy, and they would have no use for an Odnallak who will not use fear. Other species do

not understand my kind and would attack me, or would try to control and use me, as Alek did.” “You could stay here, with me.” Drefan held out his gauntlet. “I understand you, Tya. I will protect you. Perhaps together we can at last find some peace.”

For a long moment the Odnallak said nothing, and then she took a deep breath. “Will I have to become a Hsktskt again?” Drefan smiled. “Never, unless you want to.” “I hate them, you know.” Slowly she took his hand. “I will stay.”

I let out the breath I was holding, and then took Reever’s hand and silently retreated. It took a few more days of caring for the wounded and helping repair the damage to the domes before Reever and I felt ready to leave Trellus. Mercy came to our quarters early that day with a parting gift.

“This is an old Aksellan mining map for this quadrant that my parents and their friends brought with them,” she said, spreading out the fragile, cracked sheet of plas on our table. “They bought it off a trader, and used it to pick the site for the colony.”

“It is an interesting relic,” my husband said. “It’s a little more than that. These maps were never archived because the Aksellans didn’t want anyone else using their surveys. Most of them were destroyed when they left the quadrant and moved on to richer territories. This one was probably stolen.” Her mouth quirked. “The occupied worlds are marked

with symbols for species, type of climate, and mineral content.” She pointed to one planet with a dark triangle marked beside it. “That is the symbol for the black crystal.” I looked at the map. There were hundreds of tiny planetary systems depicted, and thousands of black

triangles. It was a survey that must have taken centuries to complete.

“I want you to have it.” Mercy rolled it up carefully, replaced it in the tube she had brought, and handed it to me. “All I ask in return is that you promise never to tell anyone about Tya and Swap.” I exchanged a look with Reever. “We would do that without the map, Mercy.” “Then let it be a bon voyage present.” She slung an arm around my shoulders and gave me a hug.

We made our last stop at Gamers central control. Keel sat in Drefan’s glidechair and monitored the games, while Cat prepared some sort of beverage. The

new prosthetic eye I had fitted for it glittered as it turned its head to greet us. “I was hoping you’d drop in. Come out onto the hover view, Cherijo. You’re going to love this.” Cat handed me a server of a bubbly liquid. “Champagne,” he said as he passed more of the same to

Reever and Mercy. “Terran fermented-fruit juice, used for celebrations. It’s vile, but if you breathe

through your mouth, drinkable.” I sipped some of the drink, forgot to breathe through my mouth, and sneezed. “What are we celebrating? ”

Mercy touched the side of her server to mine. “Life, Doc. Life.” Cold air kissed my face as we entered the grid, which had been programmed to simulate a very

familiar-looking ice world. Towering plateaus of blue and white loomed against a kvinka-torn sky. Below us a series of snow bridges, methane fields, and ice caves formed an elaborate playing field. The humanoid who entered with a dozen guards wore the garb of a slaver. He swatted the frosty air with

an oversized sword and far too much enthusiasm. “What are you waiting for?” he bellowed at Keel. “Initiate the program.” I looked over at the drednoc who stepped out from one of the largest ice caves. His halo threw a circle

of purple light on the ice. The jlorra beside him was a massive female who lowered her head and growled, her blue claws digging into the snow crust, her orange eyes burning as if from a fire within. A beautiful icestone collar glittered around her neck.

The drednoc briefly rested one of his gauntlets on the top of the feline’s head, and I smiled as I saw her

rub against his palm. Then they began walking slowly toward the gamer and his guards. I glanced at Keel’s console, and saw that the slaver and his guards were the simulations. “An interesting game.”

Keel grinned. “We hope it will appeal to the real slavers who stop by the colony.” “We need a toast,” Mercy said. “Duncan, will you do the honors?” “To life,” Reever said, raising his champagne. “And to those who choose to live it.”

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