“Who knows?” Alex said. “Someday, we might be able to improve on the Messinant design. Think of a dome that can accommodate more than six gates.”
“If that’s not possible, consider multiple domes on the same moon,” a Crocian suggested, which produced eager assents.
“What’s your position on the Tsargit membership in this matter, Commandant?” Nemanous asked.
“How is it that you’re here, Minister?” Ophelia asked. The comment stunned most of the table, but Nemanous barked a laugh.
“You mean why haven’t I brought the entire Norsitchian collective to meet with this group?” Nemanous riposted, laughing.
“Not exactly,” Ophelia replied, “but that’s the gist of my question.”
“The Norsitchian government is under considerable pressure to revamp itself,” Nemanous replied.
“From whom?” Alex inquired. He recalled the difficulty he had influencing the collective to make a decision.
“From within and without,” Nemanous replied.
“Would you be part of the within?” Renée asked.
“Perceptive of you,” Nemanous replied, tipping his short, dark-brown muzzle to her. “The Omnian visit, requesting our troops accept implants, started the process. The majority of citizens want them, but the collective still debates. There is a plebiscite, which I initiated, asking the citizenry how they would like to be represented.”
“But they are already represented, aren’t they, Minister?” Ophelia queried.
“My apologies for not being clear, Commandant,” Nemanous replied. “The plebiscite asks in what form they would like to see the government’s representation. I’ve been campaigning for a form similar to Pyre, a smaller assembly and a president.”
“Would you be campaigning for the presidency, Minister Nemanous?” Alex asked.
“I’ve seriously considered it,” Nemanous responded graciously.
“We’ll take that as an affirmative,” Renée said, and the minister barked in reply.
“We would ask your opinion on the things we’ve discussed, Commander,” Tockitak requested. She’d led the consortium’s formation, taking her cue from the renowned Tacticnok, the first female ruler of Na-Tikkook.
“On gate connections within alliance territory, the outpost has no opinion,” Jess replied. “That goes for Pyre too. We’d welcome connections outside of alliance space, but that’s between the local dome and the distant one.”
“You haven’t mentioned the consortium,” Jastitock pointed out.
“That’s right, I haven’t,” Jess replied evenly. “Has the Tsargit been notified of this group’s intentions?”
“We wouldn’t communicate with the Tsargit until an agreement with the outpost was reached regarding the gate connections and annual funding,” Talsoma replied.
<Any thoughts, Alex?> Jess sent privately.
<You’re doing fine, Commander,> Alex replied.
Jess regarded the waiting faces around the table. He thought Ophelia might have something to say, but she was waiting too. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s divide your proposal into two parts. We can work out possible agreement details now. As to the actual initiation of the exchange of new gates for annual support, I wish to give the Tsargit time to review the subject.”
“How much time, Commander?” Tockitak pressed.
“Commandant, what is the prognosis for President Finian?” Jess asked.
“She’s improving more rapidly than was expected,” Ophelia replied. “She’ll be released from the medical center in twenty days.”
“When would she be able to take up her duties?” Lucia inquired.
“Soon after that, I suppose,” Ophelia replied.
Jess regarded the group and said, “I’ll give Jarmonin and the Tsargit council forty Pyrean cycles to propose something to the members.”
“Suppose what the council proposes doesn’t meet with our approval?” a Crocian asked.
“Then I’ll wish to speak to the council,” Jess replied. “If I find no way forward to some sort of compromise, I’ll support your request.”
“Forty cycles,” Tockitak reiterated. “That’s acceptable.” She gazed around the table and received approvals.
“Let’s discuss what the outpost would desire in funds or supplies,” Nemanous said.
At that time, Alex and Renée chose to slip from the room.
Jess was about to request that Julien stay. Then he watched the SADE remove the holo-vid from the end of the table, take a seat there, and smile at him.
“Ready when you are, Commander,” Julien said.
31: New Beginning
<When?> Petra sent to Nalia.
<Tomorrow at fifteen hours Pyrean time,> Nalia replied.
<Whom do I need to see?> Petra requested.
<It’s the director’s advice that Ude assume full consciousness with only medical professionals present to answer his questions and deal with his reactions,> Nalia relayed.
<That wasn’t my question,> Petra sent forcefully.
<Nata has abided by this recommendation,> Nalia pointed out.
<I’m happy for her,> Petra sent, <but, as you pointed out, it’s the director’s recommendation.>
<If you wish —> was as far as Nalia got before the link with Petra dropped.
<She didn’t listen,> Hermione sent to Nalia. <I did warn you that she wouldn’t. I’ve studied the intricacies of this trio’s relationships for nearly half an annual. They’re a fascinating study in logic, emotion, and inconsistencies.>
<Most biologicals are that way,> Nalia said.
<Agreed, but it’s a rare opportunity to be intimately involved in their exchanges,> Hermione sent. <I find them fascinating, don’t you?>
<It’s the reason that I’m serving here,> Nalia sent, adding a bird chirp to indicate her humor. <With Ude about to be woken, will you return to Talus?>
<The shifts in my programs aren’t compatible with a return to Talus,> Hermione sent. <I’m interested in applying my skills to assist the Pyreans. I’ve an appointment to speak with several Pyrean officials responsible for new construction projects. They appear anxious to speak with me.>
<They’d be foolish not to enlist the aid of a SADE,> Nalia commented, <and it would be an opportunity for you to study an earlier technological human society.>
<That was my thinking,> Hermione replied. <But before I drop planetside, I would like my own avatar. I borrowed this one from a Talus sister. My three avatars were construction machines.>
Hermione received a link.
<This is the SADE overseeing avatar creation and repair teams,> Nalia explained. <I’ve requested he accommodate you immediately. He’s aware that you arrived aboard Captain de Long’s Trident, which launched at Alex’s request.>
<Subtle,> Hermione remarked.
<Biologicals’ machinations can be useful,> Nalia sent. Her chirping ended the comm.
While the SADEs spoke, Petra contacted Zimgell, the Mistrallian research director at the medical station.
<How may I be of assistance, Lieutenant Petra Havard?> Zimgell sent, linking through the underwater relay.
<I understand Ude will reach full consciousness tomorrow,> Petra sent.
<That’s correct,> Zimgell replied. <I’m pleased with the medical teams’ efforts to restore Ude to what we believe was his original genomic target.>
<When Ude wakes, I wish to be there,> Petra sent.
<I believe your companions are aware that it’s not recommended,> Zimgell said carefully. <Did they not share this with you?>
<They did,> Petra replied.
Zimgell paused. This situation rarely occurred, but when it had, it involved strong em
otional ties between the injured and another. <Would I be accurate in thinking that Ude represents someone critically important to you?> he asked.
<I hope it will be that way someday,> Petra replied.
<Would Ude reciprocate?> Zimgell asked.
<Ude has led an extremely difficult life,> Petra replied.
<That was evident from the state of his body before our ministrations,> Zimgell responded.
<As I was explaining,> Petra sent, which Zimgell took as a mild rebuke for interrupting. <Ude was a deprived child, hiding from cruel minders in the bowels of a derelict ship. As a teenager, his anger boiled over against anyone and everyone. He wanted revenge on the entity that created his horrible conditions. That entity was captured and saved, which incensed Ude. He fled Alex Racine’s city-ship to the planet below. Over Ude’s time down below, SADEs monitored his activities and assisted his existence. Then his accident rendered him as we delivered him to your care.>
<A sad life for a biological,> Zimgell lamented.
<When Ude awakes, he’ll find that he’s transitioned again,> Petra sent. <It doesn’t matter that his body has been drastically improved. It won’t be the image he has for himself. He needs an anchor to grasp.>
<And you’re that anchor,> Zimgell assumed.
<I am,> Petra sent forcefully.
<Then I welcome you to the event of Ude’s awakening, Lieutenant Petra Havard,> Zimgell said. <Please be here half a Pyrean hour before the appointed time. There are protocols that must be discussed and followed. Am I understood?>
<Completely,> Petra replied.
The cycle of waiting stretched out for Petra like an eternity. Nata and she talked frequently. Naturally, when Nata heard that Petra had surmounted Zimgell’s suggestion to stay away, she was upset.
<I’m to arrive early,> Petra had sent. <Zimgell told me there would be protocols to follow, which I must obey.>
“Oh,” Nata muttered, which her implant transmitted.
Petra chuckled. It was little shaky. She wanted to placate her friend and had hoped Zimgell’s warning would accomplish that.
<Yeah, I’m still working on that follow-orders thing,> Nata sent, acknowledging the issue.
<And these directives wouldn’t even come from your chain of command,> Petra pointed out, which did give the friends something to laugh about.
Petra arrived at the medical station an hour before the appointed time. A Jatouche medical supervisor, Josstitot, met her.
“Your promptness is appreciated, Lieutenant,” Josstitot said by way of greeting.
“Are we going to Ude’s room now?” Petra asked.
“Possibly,” Josstitot replied, which put Petra on alert.
“My attendance at Ude’s wakening is conditional, isn’t it?” Petra asked.
“It is, Lieutenant,” Josstitot replied.
The pair traveled through much of the station to reach an upper level. In a small private conference room, Petra found Matnok waiting.
“Greetings, Lieutenant,” Matnok said.
“A pleasure to see you again, Matnok,” Petra replied, as her implant supplied the Jatouche’s bio ID. Otherwise, she might not have recognized her from many weeks ago.
“Matnok will be in the recovery room,” Josstitot said. “She will be supervising Ude’s waking. If she gives you an order, you’re to obey it implicitly. If Ude becomes upset, that directive might include asking you to leave. Do we have your agreement on this requirement?”
“Affirmative,” Petra replied, as if she was responding to a senior officer.
“Good,” Josstitot replied, as he sat beside Matnok to face Petra. “Now, let’s discuss the various emotional disorders that the station has encountered when patients awake after a major transformation.”
For a half hour, the trio discussed the unsettling conditions that the medical teams faced.
“Do you still wish to participate?” asked Matnok, when the discussion finished.
“Absolutely,” Petra replied.
“And we have an understanding as to your responsibility as it relates to Matnok’s authority?” Josstitot inquired.
“We do,” Petra replied earnestly.
“Then we go,” Matnok said, rising and motioning toward the door.
In the corridor, Matnok received a query from Josstitot. The supervisor had reservations about Petra’s attendance.
<I’ve observed the two humans interacting,> Matnok sent. <While I can’t speak to Ude’s state of mind when he awakens, I’m confident that the lieutenant will be an asset in his recovery.>
<Let’s hope so,> Josstitot replied. <Zimgell also has reservations, and I don’t wish to see the director upset by his decision to allow it.>
After traversing a section of the station, Matnok approached a pair of opaque view doors, which separated at his approach. Inside, several medical technicians surrounded a human body on a table. A soft cloth covered the body from neck to toes.
<Ude is in a state that resembles a deep sleep,> Matnok sent.
Receiving a sending, Petra was reminded of one of the protocols. There was to be little noise in the room. The techs’ feet were covered with soft material, and she wore a pair of slippers over her boots.
At an apparent signal from Matnok, the techs moved to surround the lower half of Ude’s body, and Matnok motioned Petra toward his upper half.
Petra realized she’d only seen Ude briefly without his avatar. His wasted body was slight, emaciated in appearance, and he’d barely stood one hundred sixty-eight centimeters. The covered figure on the table was easily about two meters or about two hundred centimeters. The face could have been Ude’s older brother. It had dimension, angularity, and strength.
<Are you ready, Lieutenant?> Matnok asked, when he saw Petra’s hesitation.
Shaking off uncertainty, Petra nodded firmly.
Matnok cued the small device beneath Ude’s head. It had delivered a signal that kept him asleep.
Ude’s breathing shifted. Then he stirred. His eyes popped opened, and he stared perplexedly at the overhead. When he failed to recognize where he lay, his body jerked. It was the ingrained response of the child hiding below deck. His eyes grew wild, and his hands gripped the sides of the table.
Petra was warned not to initiate contact until instructed by Matnok. Under the circumstances, that felt unnatural to her. She placed her hand atop Ude’s, and she leaned over him until her face filled his vision. “What’s your problem, Ude?” she asked sarcastically.
The wildness faded from Ude’s eyes, as they focused on Petra. “Now I know I’m having a waking nightmare,” he joked and coughed.
Matnok slipped a drinking tube between Ude’s lips, and he sucked deeply, taking in half the liquid.
“What? Where?” Ude managed to say. He kept his eyes focused on Petra’s face.
Now that Petra had Ude’s attention, she smiled and replied gently, “You’re at Pyre, Ude. We brought you to the medical station for repair. Do you remember?”
“Uh, yes. Was it successful?” Ude asked with concern.
“The medical teams feel good about your repairs,” Petra replied. “Of course, I can’t tell. You’re covered in a long length of cloth. I could tell you more if you allow me to take a peek under the cover.”
Ude chuckled and coughed at the grin Petra displayed.
Matnok gave Ude more water.
“Count on you to want first looks,” Ude retorted.
“Someone’s got to do it,” Petra replied. “Might as well be me.”
“How about we take a look at some of it together?” Ude offered.
“I’m good with that,” Petra replied.
<Allow Ude to sit up, Lieutenant, but he remains on the table. Balance will have to be learned anew,> Matnok sent.
“Let’s get you upright,” Petra said.
When Ude’s hand braced beside him, Petra leaned down and hugged his chest. She would have stayed there, but Ude was struggling to sit upright. He pushed; she pulled.
&n
bsp; Ude swung his legs off the table and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
“Problem?” Petra whispered in Ude’s ear.
“My legs are heavy,” Ude said. “I’m probably remembering the avatar. I signaled my legs to move; they moved. Looks like I have to start over again.”
“There’s time, Ude,” Petra said. “All the time we need.” Then she chuckled.
“What?” Ude asked.
“If you don’t let go of me, neither of us will get a look at your new body,” Petra replied.
Reluctantly, Ude released Petra. He was unsure whether he was hesitant about seeing the stations’ work or whether he was reluctant to relinquish the security of holding Petra.
“Whoa,” exclaimed Petra, when she held Ude at arm’s length. The cloth sheet had fallen to his waist, and his musculature was strong and defined.
“Is that a good or bad whoa?” Ude asked anxiously.
A tech pulled a monitor before Ude, and a vid cam dropped from overhead.
<Step aside, Lieutenant,> Matnok sent.
Petra partially obeyed. She slipped onto the table and slid an arm around Ude’s waist.
“That’s me?” Ude asked, staring confusedly at the monitor.
“Well, that’s me sitting beside someone,” Petra replied. Then she pinched Ude.
“Ouch,” Ude uttered and turned his head to regard Petra. She grinned at him.
“Because I pinched you, and you responded, I guess the man in the monitor must be you,” Petra said good-naturedly.
“And you had no kinder way of convincing me?” Ude asked. He was confused by his appearance and peeved at Petra’s attempt at play.
“Oh, you want kindness?” Petra retorted. “Let me help you with that.” She placed a hand alongside Ude’s jaw, leaned over, and kissed him. She meant it to be a friendly kiss, but it lingered. The longer their lips touched, the deeper the kiss became.
When they pulled apart, Ude smiled and said, “I like this part of waking up. Can we do it again?”
Petra laughed and gently tapped Ude’s cheek in admonishment. “Try to help someone regain consciousness after being repaired, and he takes advantage of the situation.”
“I —” Ude managed to say, before Petra cut off his objection with a soft, quick kiss.