Transformation Space (36 page)

Ra?
The name meant something, but fear prevented him from being able to remember.

‘
He’s
the disruption.
His
death will be the repeller,’ hissed the Lostolian. He moved closer as he spoke, stopping just short of stabbing distance
from Thales.

‘
Him.
Why is
he
important?’ said the Balol.

‘He’s not. It’s his connection to others. How his death will affect their actions.’

‘You’re being insane, Ra. You can’t possibly believe—’ The Balol broke off as Thales grabbed the gun and raised it.

With one tiny movement of his thumb, Thales knew he could end the Lostolian’s life, but he baulked.

Thoughts cartwheeled through his mind, and emotions deluged his body. He felt as if the whole point of his existence hinged
on what he did right now. He’d left Scolar as a naive young man who, for a time, deserted his Jainist principles. But now
he’d returned, knowing much more of himself. He wished Villon was here to tell.

Then, just as quickly as he’d become paralysed and confused, the right choice became clear. He would not kill anyone. Not
even to defend his life.

He threw the gun away and stared at Ra.

The Lostolian, surprised by his action, hesitated.

And as he did, the Balol made a choice of his own. He pushed aside the workstation and leapt forward. With nearly as much
force as Petalu Mau had used on Lasper Farr, the Balol punched Ra in the back of the head.

Ra fell.

Thales watched the Balol dive forward, teeth bared and face contorted. Heaving his body at the Lostolian, the Balol impaled
Ra with the spikes of his stiffened frill.

Ra made one short gurgling sound of pain then fell still.

Immediately, the Balol withdrew his frill and wiped the spikes clean on Ra’s robe. When he stood up again, his teeth were
still bared but his face was composed.

‘He wanted to change the course of events,’ the Balol told him, as if Thales should understand.

But Thales shook his head in bewilderment.

The Balol gave a rough laugh. ‘My name is Balbao, formerly Chief Astronomein of Belle-Monde. That was Ra of Lostol, one of
the tyros. The rest of it will take a while in the telling.’

‘Thales!’

Farriss was back, covered in blood. ‘It’s done!’ Her eyes narrowed and she looked between him and the Balol.

‘What’s done?’ asked Balbao.

Thales stared at Balbao. ‘We’ve started the sequence to close the shift sphere. In a few days no one will be able to leave
Scolar station.’

‘And now we have to get out of here,’ said Fariss with feeling. ‘Every red robe on the station is coming our way.’

‘Commander Farr’s ship is close,’ said Balbao.

Fariss looked to Thales and nodded. ‘Let’s go.’

They reached the beach before dawn when the darkness became a pearly grey. As Randall had predicted, two enormous biozoons
were set deep in the wet sand of the shallows. The survivors waited in the treeline, watching as three figures emerged from
inside one of the creatures. The three climbed down the roughened side of their craft and stepped into the shallows. One of
them waded across to the other biozoon while the other two headed up onto the beach.

Even from a distance Trin recognised the two approaching the shore: Randall’s man Josef had returned and – Trin’s heart contracted
into a tight fist – Mira Fedor.

‘Mira,’ croaked Cass Mulravey. The woman broke from shelter and ran down to the beach, arms outstretched.

‘It’s Mira!’ This came from Djeserit, at his side.

‘Wait!’ said Trin.

But, like Mulravey, Djes was already moving.

Along the line of watchers, calls went out to each other.

‘The Baronessa is back.’

‘She’s come for us!’ cried Josefia Genarro.

‘It’s her! Mira Fedor is here!’

Trin wanted them all to stop, wanted to take control, wanted to speak to Mira before anyone else, but their
excitement wasn’t to be contained, even by him.

They spilled down onto the beach, leaving Trin alone with the two mercenaries, Randall and Catchut.

Both stared keenly at the new arrivals.

‘It’s Rasterovich, Capo,’ said Catchut.

‘I got eyes, Cat.’ Randall turned to Trin. ‘Don’t seem as thrilled as the rest, Pellegrini?’ Even in the dull light he could
see her expression hardening. ‘Don’t you wanna be saved today? You maybe enjoyin’ this cock-o’-the-walk thing you got goin’
here.’

Mira Fedor. His saviour? The idea was repugnant. He’d sent her away in the hope that she would find help from OLOSS. He had
not expected she would come back herself. And where was the baby he’d impregnated her with? He saw no signs of pregnancy in
her thin straight physique. Had she lost the babe? Miscarried it? Or had it removed? Eccentric as her morals were, surely
she would not have aborted her own child.

Panic streaked through him. He must speak with her alone before she said things that might damage the balance of things here,
things that could undermine his authority.

He started forward but Randall tripped him.

He fell flat and a weight descended on his back, pinning him there. Thighs gripped his head, pushing his face into the sand.
‘Not so quick, Pellegrini. I’m thinkin’ your flock might need to have a confab with the Baronessa without you breathin’ down
their necks.’

Randall shifted around on top of him as if making herself comfortable. ‘We’ll just wait a little before we go and join them.
Have a bit of a confab ourselves. What you say to that?’

Mira saw Cass first, heard the hoarse call and recognised the thin ragged shape running down to meet them. Her heart leapt
in her chest and she let go of Josef’s hand to wade out of the water.

They met in the sand above the water line in a tight and emotional embrace. No words came immediately, just relief and heartfelt
joy.

‘He said you’d run out on us. I knew it was a lie,’ whispered Cass after a moment.

Mira stiffened for an instant. ‘Trinder?’

Cass stepped back so she could look at her. ‘We need to talk, you and I, alone. But not now. Not in front of the rest.’

Mira nodded. ‘There’s not much time. I have to go soon. We’ll leave one of the biozoons for you.’

‘Go?’

‘Something important I have to do. Cass, the Post-Species are controlling the Saqr. And now they’re overrunning Orion.’

‘We feared something like that,’ said Cass. ‘Mira, if you have to leave, take Vito.’

Mira gripped her arm. ‘Vito’s alive?’

Cass nodded, tears beginning to fall without check. ‘I fed him what I could, but we’ve had little enough to eat.’

Mira faced the rest of the advancing survivors. She picked out Josefia Genarro among them, who carried a small thin ’bino.
‘But Josef …’ Mira swung back to Josef, who had stopped behind her. ‘You said he’d died!’

He looked confused. ‘I saw a boy killed with a spear. Happened as we got here.’

Cass’s fist went to her lips. She ground her knuckles against her teeth before replying. ‘Not your ’bino, Mira. Mine. Both
gone now. Both of them.’

‘Chanee? And your ragazzo?’ Mira saw the pain on Cass’s face. She wasn’t just starved and exhausted, her spirit was in tatters.

Mira hugged her again, more fiercely this time, not knowing how else to give comfort.

They stood together as the survivors surrounded them. But at the sight of Josefia with Vito, Mira let her go of Cass and reached
for her adopted child. She lifted him into her arms. To her distress, he didn’t feel much heavier than Nova. Nor did he seem
to know her.

‘Vito.’

He blinked his solemn eyes at the sound of her voice.

She leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead, aware of the tension in the little body.

He reached out for Cass Mulravey, who shook her head. ‘Mama, Vito. This is your mama.’

The survivors watched silently.

‘Vito.’ Mira said his name again and traced her finger down his bare legs. ‘Mira. It’s Mira.’

There was some jostling in the group and the korm pushed its way through. It whistled to her and bowed
its tall frame, until its head was close to hers. ‘M’ra.’

‘Korm!’ The tears she had kept at bay while comforting Cass Mulravey sprang freely to her eyes. The alien ragazzo was a scarecrow,
barely recognisable save for its size and fur.

She reached up and fondled its crest. It chittered softly.

Copying Mira’s action, Vito lifted his thin arm and put his fingers to Mira’s cheek.

She turned her head and kissed his fingers, hardly daring to breathe.

Suddenly Vito smiled and brought his other hand up to link around her neck. ‘M’ra.’

Mira hugged him to her. ‘He’s speaking,’ she said ecstatically.

‘A few words only. Not much for us to say to each other these last months,’ said Cass.

A ripple of emotion passed through the group.

Mira felt it keenly, just as she felt her own elation, and relief, and despair. She should have been quicker with help. They
were barely alive. And where was Trin Pellegrini?

Before she could ask Cass about the young Principe, the silence broke.

‘What’s happening out there?’ asked someone.

‘Have you come for us?’ Another ’esque.

Questions flew at her and voices rose to such a pitch that she could barely hear one from the other.

‘Quiet!’ Josef stepped in front of her, arms outstretched.

Surprisingly, they responded to his firm order.

‘Back up,’ he said to the first line of people.

They complied, creating room around Mira and Cass.
Though Josef was much thinner than Mira remembered him, he looked strong and capable alongside the starved survivors.

‘Yes, we’ve come for you. And yes, we’ll tell you everything we know. But it’s only a short time until daylight,’ he said.
‘We will need to take cover.’

‘It’s too far back to the caves,’ said Cass Mulravey. ‘We’ll rest in the bushes above the beach.’

Jo-Jo nodded and looked to the lightening night sky. ‘Then we should get there now.’

As the group began to move back up the beach, Mira noticed a slight figure standing off to one side under the waning moonlight.
‘Djes?’ she called softly. ‘Djes?’

The young girl she had rescued from the ruins of Villa Fedor came towards her hesitantly.

As she got closer, Mira held out her hand to her, and suddenly Djes was in her arms as Cass Mulravey had been, clinging to
her with relief and disbelief.

‘Mira.’

Djes’s body felt muscular and lean and tense with emotion, and she smelt of the sea. As Josef hustled them along, she threaded
her arm through Mira’s and they walked together behind the rest.

‘Why did you leave so suddenly? Trin said that you’d deserted us but I didn’t want to think that.’

‘Trinder bends the truth, Djes,’ said Mira bluntly. ‘He told me to leave. When I refused, his carabinere forced me.’

‘Forced you? I don’t understand? But perhaps his decision was for the best? You’ve come back for us now.’

‘His decision was selfish. Djes, I have birthed a ’bino
while I have been searching for help, a babe, born early, sired by Trin Pellegrini the night he sent me away. I was the last
crown aristo alive. He feared that his bloodline would die out, so he raped me and forced me to leave. To protect his progeny.’

‘No!’ Djes pulled away from her. ‘That’s not true!’

Mira wished there was more time to explain gently, but she must leave again within a few hours. It was important that Djes
knew the truth. ‘My baby is aboard
Insignia
, my biozoon. Her name is Nova.’

Djes stopped and took several steps away from Mira. Then she turned and ran down the beach.

Josef dropped back to speak with Mira. ‘Bad news?’

Mira sighed. ‘The truth. I’ve hurt her, but she must know what he is.’

‘Rast Randall told me some of it. I worked the rest out for myself. He’s Nova’s father.’

‘Her sire, not her father,’ Mira corrected.

Josef stopped her. ‘I will try speaking to Djes. I promised Bethany I would.’

Mira hesitated then nodded. She moved forward to catch up with the rest of the group.

As they reached the crest of the beach, the survivors halted and divided. In front of the stunted trees stood Rast Randall,
her man Catchut and Trin Pellegrini.

The gratification Mira felt on seeing Randall alive diminished at the sight of the Principe. From his tense, wary expression,
she knew he’d seen Djeserit leave.

Suddenly Mira wished that Josef had stayed with her. Wished she could reach for the comfort of his hand. But he was not. And
this she had to face alone.

She stepped forward.

He caught up with her as she was about to dive into the sea.

‘Jess. Wait!’ Deliberately he used Bethany’s pronounciation of her name.

It stopped her short. ‘What do you want?’ She’d been crying, he thought.

Jo-Jo sank onto the wet sand above the waterline. ‘To talk. To tell you things. Please.’

She didn’t come any closer to him, nor did she move.

He took that as consent, so he told her what he knew of her mother – how she’d tried to follow her daughter to Araldis but
had been put in detention on Dowl station.

He told her about their escape from Dowl and how brave and smart and resourceful Bethany was, and how she’d saved him.

When Djes didn’t respond, he talked more, about Lasper Farr and how Bethany had feared him; the power that Farr wielded and
Bethany’s desire to distance herself from her brother’s fanaticism. And finally how her mother had helped Mira.

Only when the sun came close to cresting the horizon did he stop.

‘Come back,’ he said. ‘Some things need to be faced. Mira tells the truth.’

He got up and walked up the beach to the closest
tree cover and waited. She stood facing the ocean as the light grew more intense, and he began to fear that she’d choose neither
the sea nor returning, but simply perish right there in the sunlight.