Pact (2 page)

It was nice to know that the aliens kept their word.

She paused and chuckled. She had just realized that she was one of them.

D’sekin was in fairly constant conversation with the Lrrko home world. What was coming out of his speakers was low and irritated. He was not happy with how things were going. It was a very good thing that they were almost there.

Mila ran her hands over her bodysuit. It was weird feeling as if she was in her twenties again. Her mind had taken on all the wisdom of her age, but she had no patience for manipulation and bullshit anymore. She thought that was the problem with D’sekin. He wanted her to ask and beg for what she wanted. That wasn’t really her thing.

The shuttle landed, and she left the jump seat in her quarters, getting to her feet and bending her knees to bounce and test the gravity. Slightly heavier than Earth but not too bad.

She got to her feet and walked to the hatch, waiting for D’sekin to thud his way down. To her surprise, the door opened when she pushed it. Her Familiar was already halfway to the crowd. The men in the grouping were confused. She stepped out behind him and walked toward the only other female face in the gathering. The woman was shaped like a Terran, but her colouring was split down the middle. Pearly white and rich pink divided her neatly.

The woman watched D’sekin go. “That is odd.”

“Hello, I am Mila Carter.”

The woman extended her hands. Mila put her own in the warm and comfortable grip.

“I am Lynni. This is my Familiar, Leko. What happened with yours?”

“Nothing. I was in the tank and asked him for a data tablet. He refused to set one up for me and would only hold one for an hour at a time. You spent time in the tank; you know how boring it is.”

Lynni squeezed her hands. “This kind of thing hasn’t happened yet. My sister, Ty, and I are happy with our Familiars. Well, I guess we have to speak with the Elders.”

Leko snorted. “She is currently one of those Elders.”

“She doesn’t look like an Elder.”

Lynni chuckled. “Neither do you, but our records indicate that you have a maturity belied by your appearance.”

“Those tanks are wonderful things.” Mila smiled. “So, what happens now?”

“I get you on a riot runner and fly you to the Elders before you take your trip around medical. Leko, you can fly yourself.”

There were two vehicles that reminded Mila of tall snowmobiles crossed with motorcycles. Lynni got on first, and Mila climbed on behind her.

“I am guessing that one of them was intended for me to share with D’sekin.”

“Yeah, but that is in a perfect world. Not every match that they send will suit. I hope the other two guys are behaving themselves.”

Mila clutched at her companion as they shot skyward. The terror she felt was overwhelming, but it faded as the city was laid out beneath them. She was just starting to enjoy the trip when Lynni landed on top of a tall building.

Leko was behind them, and Mila appreciated how tall the flesh and blood Lrrko were as they walked together to the lift and went down to a secure floor.

The guards nodded to Lynni as they passed, and she took them directly to a meeting room. Men were scattered around the room talking and laughing casually. When Lynni stepped in, they turned and looked at her with the gazes of deer in headlights.

Lynni snickered. “Busted. I knew you guys could get off those chairs if you tried.”

One of the men sighed. “You are terribly funny, Elder Lynni.”

“Thank you, Elder Hrakin. Now, D’sekin wasn’t kidding. He left his charge at the shuttle and walked off toward the city. They really don’t get along.”

“He abandoned his charge?” Hrakin was shocked.

“Ran from her like a youngling. It was sad, really.” Lynni took her seat, and the other Elders all sat in their chairs.

Leko chuckled, and when everyone settled, he made the introductions.

The Elders were all older and weatherworn, but they had the same sharply elegant features as Leko and the men who had been waiting at the shuttle. Size-wise, they were the same height as the robot version of D’sekin. It was a little odd that they were seven feet tall, but she hadn’t really measured her own height since getting out of the tank. She didn’t feel taller, but an increase in cartilage could add an inch or two.

The man identified as Hrakin leaned forward. “What was the issue with D’sekin?”

“He lacked patience and empathy. I was in a tank, getting the ordered alterations and re-growing a kidney. I needed a little bit of a distraction, and he was unwilling to help me get a tablet in for me to learn on. He would bring one out, hold it for an hour and then stop. I would have to wait until he felt like bringing out the tablet. Not great behaviour for someone pretending to be a bot. I had nothing else to do. Since he wouldn’t help me, I ignored him from the moment I could walk on my own again.”

Hrakin rubbed his forehead. “You need a Familiar. It is an urgent matter.”

She crossed her arms. “Why?”

He blinked and smiled slowly. His brilliant silver eyes gleamed with amusement. “Because we say so.”

“I am too old for that bullshit.”

He barked a laugh. “Leko, take her outside while we discuss this.”

Lynni gave her a thumbs-up and waved farewell.

Leko waved for her to precede him, and the door to the chamber was closed behind them.

“Now what?” she asked her escort.

“Now, we wait.”

She nodded and started to pace. She was not used to inactivity. She needed to be doing something.

“How do you like being partnered to a Terran?”

He was leaning against the wall. “She is a Lrrko now, but it has been fun and challenging. I would not trade a day of it.”

“Did you two get along right from the start?”

He nodded. “There was trust when we began, but she would have done anything to get here because her sister was already here. You didn’t have any inducement to come here, so you were less inclined to accept D’sekin’s behaviour.”

“Do you know him?”

“Yes. He did not seem a good candidate to be a Familiar, but he has the right genetics and an impressive infiltration history. He fought his way to the top of the lists but was a little too smug about it.”

“Smug. That is the word. If he had a face, I would have smacked the hell out of him.”

“I suppose that he thought his true face would convince you eventually.”

Mila snorted. “I have seen a lot of men who thought their looks could explain their behaviour. I didn’t fall for it then, and I won’t fall for it now.”

“What did you do on Terra?”

She chuckled. “I served food and drink to men and some women who were on long-haul journeys, delivering goods and equipment across the continent.”

“So, you have seen what your people are capable of when they think no one is watching.”

“Oh, yeah. Even when they think there are no consequences.” She snorted. “To use a human phrase, I had to defend my honour on numerous occasions.”

“What did that entail?”

“Hot coffee and then the glass coffeepot upside the head of my attacker. It is amazing the reflexes that you can have in a stressful situation.”

Leko was highly amused. “You defended yourself with cookware?”

“No. Serving ware. Cookware would have been easier. I am a master with a cast iron frying pan.” She smirked.

He laughed and shook his head. “You seem very calm and competent for a woman in your position.”

“What position is that? Alone on an alien world, stuck without a caregiver, trapped and at the mercy of folks who want me for medical purposes? I have been in that situation before.”

Leko shook his head. “And yet, here you are. Wait a moment and I will be back.”

He turned and entered the council chamber where a heated debate could be heard the moment the door was opened.

He came back a moment later. “Elder Lynni has asked me to take you in for your arrival scans. Normally, your Familiar would, but that is a discussion for another time.”

“The discussion is going to take a while?”

“It looks like it. Lynni is waving a data pad in the air and screaming that none of the men are suitable for a woman who actually has life experience.” He made a face. “She is using a tone that indicates she will not back down.”

“You are familiar with that tone?”

“Very. Shall we?”

She nodded, and together, they headed to the roof. He settled her in front of him, and his arms acted as a safety cage as he took off on the vehicle.

It was a much smoother ride over to the building with the Lrrko medical logo carved into the stone.

He escorted her past surprised medics and guards in the hallways.

When they ended up at their destination, he introduced her. “Medic Alveck, this is Bride Mila of Terra. She is here for her initial scans.”

“Where is her Familiar?”

She smiled tightly, “He is a self-important jerk who abandoned me when we landed.”

Alveck scowled. “Really? We assessed them for stability.”

“He didn’t like it when I didn’t fall into his arms, or perhaps, he got bored. I don’t know. He didn’t say. I am a little relieved he is gone. He liked to stare at me while I slept. It was creepy.”

“Well, um, all right. This will be a little uncomfortable at points, so feel free to cry out.”

Leko nodded. “I will leave you with Alveck. Do not worry. It is a simple exam.”

Mila smiled tightly and followed Alveck into the exam room. It was time to get it over with.

There was pain when the cellular exam got a little personal. She didn’t scream, but she grabbed the metal sides of the exam bed and heard them creak before they snapped off in her hands.

Alarms sounded, but Medic Alveck finished his scans and patted the back of her hand. “Almost done.”

The pain in her lower abdomen was intense, but he continued to take his time. When he finally pulled away, he smiled and set down the instrument and sample dishes he had been working with.

“You had a dozen ripe follicles. I am sorry I didn’t warn you, but I didn’t want to waste time or risk frightening you.”

She winced at the throbbing pain in her pelvis. “Next time, risk it.”

He helped her sit up.

“I will be right back.”

She sat with the medical sheet tucked over her breasts and waited for Alveck to return.

The pain hadn’t been agonizing, but her ability to snap the metal was definitely new. Perhaps if she had been training on her trip to Lrrko, she would have discovered it earlier. If there was one thing she had learned in her nearly four decades, it was that wallowing in time that had passed served no purpose. Accept what the past taught you and move on. She had just been taught that the alterations had made her very strong.

The door opened, and she was amused to see Leko, Lynni and Elder Hrakin. The Elder looked very ill at ease.

Lynni smiled. “We have solved the problem.”

By problem, she meant Mila. Mila raised her brows. “Have we?”

“Elder Hrakin will take over as your Familiar. He is in the same genome class as D’sekin was but considerably more mature.”

Mila smirked. “Let me guess, D’sekin has a lover in the city somewhere.”

Hrakin looked astonished, but Leko looked amused.

Hrakin asked, “How did you know?”

Mila shrugged. “I was naked in front of him for a few weeks. He tried to get interested, but I am not his type.”

Lynni blinked. “Oh. Okay. I haven’t run into that yet.”

Hrakin rubbed the back of his neck. “It crops up in our line every few generations. They are fine as warriors and make excellent team workers, but their personal drives are not motivated to species expansion.”

Mila shrugged. “Not everyone has to be. As long as the majority of a population moves to reproduce itself, you don’t have an issue.”

She wrapped the sheet around her and hopped off the med table. She tucked it in completely and walked over to Hrakin. His black tunic with silver piping was snug, and though he was older than Leko, he hadn’t lost any of the muscle mass.

“What are you doing?” he looked down at her, and she saw the gleam of amusement in his eyes.

“Taking your measure. I consider myself a good judge of character, and I am examining you for suitability.”

He blinked, and to her amusement, he put his hands on his hips. She stepped back and looked him up and down. She raised her hand and gestured for him to turn. From front to back and then front again, she enjoyed the view.

Lynni was laughing so hard she was doubled over.

Medic Alveck was back and staring in astonishment.

Mila quirked her lips. “You will do.”

“I am so relieved.” He smiled and rotated his finger in the air.

Mila turned slowly before facing him again.

Hrakin scowled. “Medic Alveck, why is she bleeding?”

She looked down at the sheet and pulled the back around, and that is when she noticed her hands. She had cut herself, and the bloodstains were wherever she had touched the sheet.

“Oops.”

Medic Alveck moved to touch her, but Hrakin intervened, put his hands on her waist and settled her back on the med table.

Alveck was a little nervous. “She broke the table, Elder Hrakin. She has the hallmarks of a strangler.”

“I will take appropriate measures.”

The medic was confused. “Pardon, Elder?”

Mila smiled. “He is my new Familiar.”

The medical tray Alveck had prepared wobbled wildly.

Mila continued. “Apparently, he is in the same gene group as D’sekin, but he doesn’t have an aversion to me.”

Hrakin grinned. “Now, now. Don’t exaggerate. Knowing you are a strangler is another thing entirely.”

She looked at her hands and saw the fine cut that had opened in her skin. It ran from the webbing of her thumb across to the other side of her palm. It would certainly screw up a palm reading.

Alveck held her hand and sterilized it before spraying a sealing compound over the narrow wound.

“Oh, by way, you had a total of eighteen viable eggs.”

Mila chuckled. “That is what it felt like.”

Lynni whistled. “That is quite the haul. Your hormone levels must be off the charts.”