Tablet of Destinies (22 page)

‘Oh my Goddess!'
Raven mumbled, zooming the exterior camera in on the life reading in question. ‘I've died and gone to heaven.' He gave a mental command, via the PKA plate under his hand, to sharpen up the image on his soft-light monitor.

Hawk moved closer to view the naked human afloat in open space, curled up in the foetal position and obviously unconscious.

‘It's a woman,' he stated in amazement.

‘It is,' Raven agreed, ‘but she ain't one of ours.'

She had no tail, so she was not Leonine; no blowhole in her forehead meant she wasn't Delphinus. Obviously she wasn't a Centaur or one of the Nefilim either, which only left one other possibility.

‘She must be one of the Chosen.' Hawk was inspired by the idea of meeting a superhuman. ‘How the hell did she get out there?' Hawk moved quickly to use the ship's paging system. ‘Crow, get your worthless carcass to the flight deck.'

‘However she got there, she's going to get pulverised if she stays out there much longer.' Raven spotted a great hunk of rock and metal heading for the helpless female and raced to reprogram the forward half of the vessel's firepower to protect her.

The exterior of the Bil-me was entirely surrounded by independently revolving panels which were either pulse lasers or detectors of approaching pieces of junk. They continually monitored the exterior of the craft and shot away approaching debris, or altered the vessel's course to avoid it.

As the trajectory of the offending hunk of rock was altered by a blast from one of the lasers, Raven breathed a sigh of relief. ‘We'd better figure some way of getting her on board real quick.'

‘I knew you'd change your mind,' Crow said cheerily as he joined his brother.

Hawk gripped Crow around his neck and shoved his face towards the soft-light screen that was monitoring the free-floating female. ‘Is that the woman you left for dead?'

Crow's eyes opened wide in horror as he viewed the naked, bald version of the babe he'd kidnapped, but he recovered from his shock quickly. ‘Quite a looker, ain't she?'

‘Is it her?' Hawk gave his brother a shake, to get his answer.

‘
No,
it isn't,' he fibbed. ‘But that bitch is surely one of the Pantheon's pets. Leave her to rot, I say.'

‘I will not leave her to rot.' Hawk shoved Crow aside.

‘Are you demented?' Crow flipped out. ‘You have to leave her. These beings can find each other with a thought! Any member of the Pantheon can do it too.' Crow confronted his little brother, concerned for all the crew. ‘You take her on board and we're all as good as fried.'

Hawk looked to Raven to get his opinion. The analyst looked back to the image on his screen. ‘If she is to be the agent of our demise, then … what a way to go.' He looked back to the captain and gave him a grin.

Crow knew what this woman was capable of, having been fully briefed by Nergal, but Nergal had given Crow a couple of illegal control modules. If one of the Chosen was wearing one, they could not be detected by any other person. Negal had said the module also curtailed their use of telepathy and teleportation, although it did not drain the superhuman's psychokinetic ability, as another version of this prototype had. When first invented, these modules had served to dominate the will of the wearer as well, but this function had not been built into this particular version of the device, as the
Pantheon feared them being stolen and used against themselves.

Crow had secured one of the control modules on Tory when he'd kidnapped her, but it had obviously been destroyed in the explosion. But, he still had one in his possession.

‘You're both nuts,' Crow informed them, before giving them a smile. ‘Fortunately, I just may be of some assistance in this affair.'

 

As Tory stirred from her coma, the first thing she sensed was a huddle of men involved in a hushed, although heated conversation. She drew deeply her first conscious breaths of air and released a painful groan from the displeasure it gave her to be alive.

‘Shut up the lot of you, she's coming around.'

As her eyes ventured to open, Tory beheld the face of the beautiful Deva. Her disenchantment melted away and she smiled warmly, overjoyed to see him.

‘Don't be alarmed,' Hawk ventured to say, mesmerised by the unusual colour of her soft, violet eyes.

Although Tory had no recollection of being part of one race or another, she recognised the tongue he spoke and understood every word.

‘Why should I be alarmed, when you are here?' she asked him, and reaching up around the back of his neck, she drew his lips to hers and kissed him passionately.

‘Perhaps she's some sort of space siren?' Chook commented aside to Raven, who was looking on in envy.

‘Some sort of whore, more like,' Crow said snidely, ‘floating around in space lookin' like that.'

‘Does every man has this effect on her?' Raven wondered out loud.

Hawk didn't know what to say in the wake of his heated encounter. Although he had found her kiss very stirring, it didn't feel right to take advantage of her bleary state. ‘I think, perhaps, that you might have me confused with someone else.'

‘Why so?' Tory's elated expression dissolved into a frown of curiosity, noting the long quills that sprouted from the Deva's head. She ran her fingers through soft, black plumage and sighed with delight at the pleasing sensation.

Hawk gently took her hand from his head and placed it upon her own bare crown that was nearly bald, although it had sprouted a fuzzy blonde shadow of hair while she'd slept.

Tory was alarmed, amazed and disappointed. ‘It's different,' she said.

‘Yes,' nodded Hawk, feeling as thwarted by the fact as she appeared to be. ‘Very different.'

Tory looked around her, finding her environment unfamiliar, but she could not recall in what surroundings she might feel more comfortable.

‘You are on board my vessel, the Bil-me,' Hawk informed her. ‘We found you adrift in space and so brought you on board.'

‘A castaway in a sea of stars,' she uttered slowly. She looked through the porthole by her bed and noted the rocky debris outside. She looked down at herself to find she was wearing a large, man's shirt. ‘A naked castaway?' She was a little concerned by her lack of attire.

Raven spoke up to draw her attention ‘We didn't
look as we dressed you. We had our eyes closed the entire time,' he added in a jovial fashion, trying to ease her embarrassment.

Tory did feel a little self-conscious and vulnerable suddenly, but the young lad beside Raven appeared to be far more flushed than she was.

As Chook had drawn their guest's attention, Hawk thought to introduce him. ‘That's Chook in the space suit … he's the one who went out in the meteor storm to fetch you in.'

‘You are very brave.' Tory raised herself to a seated position to thank her young saviour.

Chook was very fair-skinned and looked to be younger than his companions. He had a smaller frame than his crewmates, who were all rather warrior-like in form — none so much so as the captain, however. The white feathers on Chook's head were shorn nearly as short as Tory's hair was, and the wings he sported were the same snowy white colour. His eyes were pale blue and twinkled with mischief.

‘It was nothing.' He waved off her praise, becoming even more flushed. ‘I do it every day.'

‘What Chook didn't mention was that he enjoyed every minute of today's jaunt in space.' Raven ribbed the lad and riffled his feathers.

‘I didn't look either. I swear,' Chook assured her, with a completely red face.

‘I am Raven, by the way.' The cheerful fellow tipped his head to her in a charming fashion. ‘I just fended off all the flying space debris whilst superboy here went out and got you.'

Raven was an attractive middle-aged man, quite obviously intelligent and good-natured to boot. His mottled light and dark tan quills fell to shoulder length and he had eyes of steel blue.

Tory was deeply amused by the men's antics. They were obviously excited by her presence and she felt safe and at ease in their company. ‘It seems I owe you all for my life.'

‘Don't thank me.' Crow drew her attention to himself, to see what kind of a reaction he'd fetch. ‘A head job will suffice nicely.'

This birdman had identical colouring to the capttain. He was fair-skinned, though his quills were long and dark, and his eyes were deep brown. Unlike her charming host, however, this fellow seemed unfriendly, and a man to be avoided.

‘Ignore my brother,' Hawk urged her. ‘He's
leaving
anyway.' He rose from the bed and hustled Crow out the door. ‘All of you back to your stations. Our guest needs to rest. Right, Doc?' Hawk looked at Seagull, who nodded in confirmation.

‘And something to eat probably wouldn't go astray either.' The old Delphinus giant gave Tory a look of reassurance as he left. ‘I'll fix something up.'

Tory smiled to show that she appreciated his thought, despite the fact she didn't feel in the least bit hungry.

‘I'm really not tired,' Tory informed the captain as he closed the door behind the rest of his crew. ‘I feel as if I've been asleep for ages.'

‘Well, maybe you have been,' he said, pouring her a glass of water.

Tory cast her sights about the cosy cabin, finding it homely and appealing. ‘These are your quarters, I presume.'

‘It's about the best accommodation on the ship, I'm afraid.' Hawk was conscious that someone of her breeding was probably used to more luxurious surroundings.

‘No, I like it,' she told him honestly. ‘But I didn't catch your name? Or do I call you captain, too?'

Hawk was surprised at himself. ‘I am sorry, my name is Hawk.' He walked over and handed the drink to her. ‘And you are?'

Tory opened her mouth to respond and found herself at a loss. ‘Well, how do you like that?' She racked her brain, but still it did not come. ‘I have no idea.'

As she was beginning to sound distressed, Hawk decided to leave any more questions for a few days. ‘Then we shall have to make one up for you, until you remember your own,' he advised, confidently.

It was customary for those of his breed to be named after birds. Hawk looked at Tory while he considered what bird she was most akin to.

‘How about …' he grinned as the right name dawned on him, ‘Swan … because —'

‘Because I am beautiful, long and graceful,' Tory had stated the reason before she even realised she knew it.

‘My thoughts exactly.' Hawk was impressed. ‘How did you do that?'

Tory shook her head. ‘I wish I knew. What's this?' She held up her right wrist around which a metallic band had been placed. She looked Hawk over, and noted several devices secured to his person in one place or another.

‘Oh that.' Hawk was a little uncomfortable about the query. ‘It's a … monitoring your vital signs. Seagull wants you to wear it for a while so he can keep an eye on you. He said you're not to take if off until he says it's okay.'

‘Seagull?' Tory didn't recall being introduced to anyone of that name.

‘The big, old blue guy,' Hawk said, and Tory nodded in recognition.

‘The cook. What's his story?' She hoped Hawk didn't mind her prying. ‘He's not like the rest of you.'

‘His story is quite a bit like yours in many ways.' Hawk took a seat on the bed, but maintained a comfortable distance between them. ‘We found him adrift in space, half dead … of course, he was in a spacecraft when we found him,' he joked, without thinking.

‘And I wasn't?' Tory queried, a little disturbed.

Hawk realised he was on shaky ground with her again. ‘No,' he replied simply.

‘And that's not normal?' She could tell by his tone that it wasn't.

Hawk placed a hand on hers to calm her, sensing that she was on the verge of going into shock. ‘It is not normal for those of my species, but I understand it is possible for those of yours.'

‘We're a completely different species?' Tory couldn't accept this. ‘We look so much alike.'

Hawk shook his head, realising he wasn't explaining this very well. ‘We are both human beings, but of very different tribes.'

Tory detected something else in his manner; a
prejudice. ‘Your people have some cause to despise mine then?' She dug deeper.

Hawk was surprised at her perceptiveness. ‘In the past. But lately, Swan, I feel just the opposite is true. You are safe here.' He wanted to make that clear to her. ‘As safe as we are, anyway.'

Tory smiled, feeling he was making a joke. ‘Why … what is it you do on board the Bil-me?'

‘Captain.' Chook swung the door open. ‘We've got company.'

 

Raven was in the pilot's seat pulling some fairly fancy manoeuvres, when Hawk arrived. ‘What's the problem?'

‘We're being tailed, at a good distance at present, but they're following us alright,' Raven briefed him, as Hawk jumped into the co-pilot's seat.

‘What's wrong with our cloaking system?' he demanded to know, thinking Chook had let them down.

‘Nothing's wrong with it,' Raven barked. ‘It's on!'

‘Then how the hell are they still tracking us?'

‘Search me.' Raven steered clear of a large, whirling rock. ‘But as it is a rather large vessel, it has to be one of the Pantheon's. I suggest we find ourselves a new system to hide out in for a while. Take the controls, I'll map us a course.'

‘They've got to be mad bringing anything but a Bil-me in here.' Hawk didn't think that any of them were really worth someone taking such a risk.

‘I'll bet they're after your girlfriend.' Crow, who'd been standing back observing the scene as it unfolded, came forward to offer his expert opinion.