Crisis Management Read online

  Another ripple went through the ship. “What is that?”

  “It is a jump. Don’t you feel it?”

  “It feels like a small shiver in the engines. What is it exactly?”

  “A transmission between two places. The ship sends a signal through beacons on this side and beacons at the destination send an all clear. For a moment, we are in both places at the same time, and then, we are in our new location. It is a system based on Admaryn technology as far as I know.”

  She nodded. “I need to begin learning about this sort of thing. On Bahi, only those who worked the spaceport had any knowledge of aliens.”

  Helsin chuckled. “I always love being called alien. Well, let me get a data pad and walk you through some of the races you will meet when you land. The Guardsmen are varied and the troops as well. You will need to learn them all.”

  He got to his feet and retrieved a flat tablet and set it between them. He opened file after file and began to instruct her. “This is Nich-Udell. He is the Avatar for the planet Udell.”

  “The planet is alive?”

  “Yes, there are many planets that place a portion of their consciousness in a living host for ease of communication. Nich was a volunteer, and Udell has been riding around in him for quite a while. They are married to Stellar Storm.”

  A woman’s face flickered onto the screen. Her smile was brilliant and her eyes held a wicked glint.

  “They are married to one person?”

  “It is becoming common among the Avatars to take mates. Stellar Storm is her call sign, she has another name but that is for the base only. Udell is home and that is where the Guard are themselves. Away from the base, they answer to call signs only.”

  “Understood, so she is the mate of the Avatar?”

  “No. She is mate to Avatar and world. They have a shared consciousness and they enjoy the companion they have chosen. She is the carrier of a flick of energy from a dying star. It was just beginning to think and Sholu went supernova. The resulting storm of power and thought found the Terran and made its home within her.”

  “So, stars can think as well? And talk?” Dev knew her eyes were wide.

  Helsin nodded and flicked to a silver figure. “This is Guardian.”

  Dev listened to the description of the commanding officer and his wife, Pax. Four different people and what appeared to be four different species, though Helsin claimed Pax and Stellar Storm were the same species.

  It was fascinating, and she absorbed as much as she could. There would not be time to learn what she needed to when she was confronted by her first alien world. A small smile began deep inside when she realized that they all lived and belonged there. She was the alien, and she was going to have to blunder along.

  Chapter Three

  Udell felt peculiar beneath her feet, the hard metal plates of the base thumped against her boots when she walked. Guardian met them when they reached medical.

  “Welcome to Sector Guard Base Udell. I am Guardian, but here on the surface you may call me Martuas.” He inclined his head and smiled.

  “Thank you. My name is Devani Jarix. Pleased to meet you.” She responded to the inclination of his head with one of her own.

  Helsin cleared his throat. “Martuas, I have to get Devani through her initial checks and scans. It should only take a few minutes. Would you like to meet with her in your office when I am done?”

  “Yes, thank you, Helsin.”

  Dev walked into the medical centre as Helsin guided her with a hand to her back. “He seems nice.”

  Helsin chuckled. “He is. His wife, Tricia, is charming as well. He doesn’t come into physical contact with new females anymore. It irritates her senses.”

  “Oh. I see.”

  “Most of the Guards here are partnered and mated. It is tricky to find someone who accepts your talents as part of the whole.” He smiled and sighed.

  The machines in the medical bay of Udell made the high tech press on Bahi look like sticks and stones.

  “We are going to do strike baselines.”

  “We?” She raised her brows.

  He chuckled. “You. You are going to do strike baselines. We didn’t have the right equipment on hand on Bahi, but here, we are prepared for anything.”

  She looked around at the displays, the metal and comfortable medical beds. “So, where do I stand?”

  Helsin uploaded his data pad and looked up. “Oh, you will be wearing a bodysuit similar to the one Guardian was wearing. It is in that cabinet on the right.”

  He puttered around and his assistant came toward him with a bright smile in her direction before focussing on the doctor.

  Dev opened the cabinet and looked for something that resembled a suit. There was a pod sitting on some files. Dev pulled it out to examine it and jumped when it started to move.

  “What the hell?” She tried to shake it off, but it was firmly attached to her.

  Helsin looked up. “Don’t worry. It is Masuo. Well, Udell Masuo. It is a biological organism that lives happily in harmony with others. It becomes attuned to your mood and emotions as well as physical stresses. It goes from clothing to armour in a fraction of a second.”

  Dev was only partially listening to him. The substance was moving down her body, under her clothing and across intimate regions without any hesitation.

  Her shirt was plain, grey and had simple fasteners down the front. Dev opened her shirt slowly and blinked at the crimson panel that ran down her body, the gold sides gave it a classy look and the boning inherent in the suit offered structure. It was really quite pretty.

  “Where does it get the pattern from?”

  “Kahlia does the design work. The benefit of Masuo is that once it is trained, it can shift into anything. According to the ladies here, it saves a lot on clothing costs.”

  She frowned and continued to strip with the Masuo now covering all of her. The moment she removed her trousers, boots formed on her feet and their detailing climbed upward. The collar moved up until it ringed her neck with a keyhole opening toward her cleavage.

  She folded her clothes and put them in a neat pile on the edge of one of the medical beds. “So, what do I need to hit?”

  Helsin blinked when she stood in front of him. “That suit looks…lovely.”

  “I don’t think it is completely done yet, but it feels comfortable and gives full coverage.”

  He shook his head, the navy braid flipping down his back. “Right. Well. Here is the strike plate. Make a fist and hit it as hard as you can.”

  Dev stood in front of the plate, made fists and grinned as the Masuo formed a protective glove over her hand. She pulled her hand back and punched the plate.

  “Harder, Devani. You know you can.”

  Helsin’s voice was encouraging so Dev hit harder. She struck the plate over and over, pushing herself to bring more and more force into the equation.

  “Come on, one more. You can do it!”

  Dev pulled her right arm back and slammed it forward with all her strength. The plate shuddered, buckled and shattered under the force.

  Panting, she stood and looked over at Helsin, then heard the applause. Turning, she noted several men in uniforms smiling at her and clapping with approval.

  Helsin frowned and cleared his throat, the crowd left medical.

  “How was that, Helsin?”

  He was holding his data pad and staring at the spot where the plate had been. “That…was good. Very good. I think you will be working out with the virtual instructor that Tech has built, at least until you get yourself completely under control.”

  She blinked. “I am in control.”

  “Not during a fight. You need to be in control of your strength and yourself in the heat of battle. If an innocent comes between you and danger, you need to be able to stop.” His tone was absolute.

  “But you kept egging me on.” She frowned.

  “Yes, we are trying to see what your limits are. The training in control is not a punishm
ent, it is part of your new life with your talent out in the open. It is not time to hide what you are, it is time to celebrate it, but that means that people will be looking and watching, with that, comes a need for control.”

  Dev exhaled in a gust. “I understand. What next?”

  “Now we go for standard baselines and see if you match what we have come to expect from the Bahi.”

  “How many of my species are here?”

  “Five. They are in the standard troops of the Udell base—empaths that can sense hostilities before anyone can see them.”

  Dev stepped on the scanner plate and put her hands on the marked circles. This scan came and went in layers, working its way into her with pass after pass. She could see the results on the scans as it recorded every detail of her tissue, musculature and bone structure.

  She felt warm when Helsin nodded and released her from the scanner. “That was interesting.”

  “It was supposed to test your pain responses, but you don’t have any.”

  She blinked. “I don’t?”

  “No. You register the contact, but you don’t feel proper pain at this range.”

  “I feel pain when I prick myself with a needle.” She frowned.

  “Yes, but you are striking yourself. It does make a difference. You see the contact coming and accept the pain. It is different when you are suddenly hit. The scanner used a sonic pulse to try and stimulate your nerve endings. What did you feel?”

  “Warm. I felt warmth. Oh, hey, will the Masuo get holes in it?” The thought of projectiles had her remembering the impact of bullets and the ruined clothing they caused.

  “The Masuo will repair itself. Well, we have the baseline we need. Come with me. Guardian is waiting.”

  Dev tried to get used to the form-fitting aspect of the bodysuit. She worried about the thickness of the torso in particular and she no sooner thought about it than the suit thickened. It really was responsive.

  She stroked her hand down her rib cage and whispered, “I will call you Efna.”

  Helsin looked at her. “What did you say?”

  “Well, I have never had a pet before, and I always wanted something that could come with me wherever I went, so I am naming my suit.”

  He shrugged. “Remind me to get you an appointment with Counsel for an adaptive assessment.”

  Devani snorted, but by the time she had formulated a comeback, they were entering Guardian’s office.

  Chapter Four

  “So, Devani, has Helsin explained your peculiar situation?” Guardian smiled.

  She was sitting at the chair in front of his desk and Helsin was behind her. “He has. I am currently the sole employee of a Citadel that has not yet been built, so I will reside on Udell until it is.”

  Guardian chuckled. “Succinct and to the point. So, Helsin, what is her strength rating?”

  Helsin’s voice was businesslike. “She is a twenty-nine out of thirty.”

  The base commander winced. “That is impressive and frightening. What do you recommend for training?”

  “That new solid hologram trainer that Tech put together. It hasn’t seen a proper workout…yet.”

  Guardian smiled. “She is here this week, so it is the perfect time to test her project. I think hanger three will be the proper space for it, just so that no one gets in the way and we can restrict the watchers with a security lock.”

  “Can you order the setup?”

  Guardian nodded. “Of course.”

  Dev sat quietly, used to upper management talking over her head. When Guardian turned his gaze back to her, she smiled politely.

  “Devani, your training will begin tomorrow when the equipment is in place. Once you are trained to our satisfaction, you will be assigned to missions and travel with the Guard or our troops.”

  She nodded and her stomach rumbled.

  A pale woman with colourless hair and vivid green eyes cruised into the room. “Martuas, I think she is hungry. Hello, Devani. I am—”

  “Tricia. Martuas’s mate. A Terran-born throwback of the Nhavil.”

  Dev wanted to bite her lips but something about this woman made her hyper.

  “Guard name is Pax.”

  Martuas looked to Helsin. “What is your reading?”

  “Pax is giving off some of her sedative, and it is causing Dev to run hyper.” Helsin made a soft whistle. “Tricia, calm it down.”

  Tricia smiled and inclined her head. “Please excuse me. I normally come in to try and keep the newcomers calm, but it seems that that is not the way to go with you.”

  Dev’s hands were shaking, and she wanted to run straight through the walls. “I don’t think so. No. Calm is not what I am feeling.”

  Tricia straightened. “Martuas, I think I should take her and give her a tour. Walking it off is the best bet. We will start with dinner, and I will show Devani her quarters afterward.”

  “That sounds like a good start. Are we done here?” Dev got to her feet.

  Martuas was amused. “Yes. Report to hangar three tomorrow morning at dawn and prepare for a workout.”

  Tricia gestured for Devani to precede her, and with a small nod to Helsin, Dev was out the door.

  She waited for Tricia in the hall and the woman did not keep her waiting long. “So, are you happy to be with the Citadel?”

  Dev blinked. “I don’t know. I haven’t actually done anything yet.”

  Tricia chuckled. “I know, but it is one of those small-talk questions that folks will ask. I thought you should get used to it.”

  The smell of food made Dev’s stomach flip again. “Where is the cafeteria? Oh, hell, what do I pay with?”

  Tricia smiled. “That one is easy. The Citadel pays for your food. When you start going on missions, you will receive a wage from the Sector Guard. We will pay for your training and the Citadel will reimburse us. So, you don’t need to worry about funds. If you go off base and want to shop, you can attach a credit slip into a pocket of your Masuo. Most of the female Guards put it in their cleavage.”

  Devani laughed. “It is a good place to store things that don’t melt.”

  They giggled, and in that moment, Dev knew she might just have a friend if time permitted.

  The moment she was seated, their table went from empty to full. Tricia introduced the other women at the table with a grin. Kahlia, Andra, Ilsa and Jenya sat at the table and introduced themselves.

  Ilsa smiled. “I hear you will be taking my new toy for a test drive.”

  Dev blushed and sipped at her water. “Yes. Apparently, I am too dangerous for regular training methods. I have to learn restraint or something.”

  The other women laughed

  Andra snorted. “There is something to be said for running amok, but a combat situation is where you want to have your wits about you and your body under your control.”

  “Is it difficult to get a power under your control?” Dev forked up some of the strange pasta that Andra and Tricia were slurping down. It wasn’t bad. The round meat things were peculiar but the sauce had a nice tang.

  Ilsa smiled. “It depends on your talent. I think out of us here, Tricia and Andra had the worst time of it. Tricia literally switched species during her activation, and Andra has to listen to a barely conscious star giggling in her mind. She has to wear the suit or she will irradiate the entire area.”

  Andra slurped up some noodles with enthusiasm and nodded confirmation. “If Nich wasn’t immune to radioactivity, I would be doomed to a lonely life.”

  Jenya was the quiet one, but she asked, “Were you involved with anyone?”

  Dev put her fork down. “No. When my condition became public, I lost all chances at companionship.”

  An awkward silence fell.

  She smiled. “Well, I have to say, it has been nice to meet women who have powerful talents. I was beginning to think I was the only one in the world.”

  Ilsa smiled, “You may have been the only one on that world, but now, you are not alone.” Ilsa r
eached out and squeezed her hand.

  Dev chuckled. “I may be if I break your new toy, Ilsa.”

  Ilsa snickered. “If you break it, I will make a new one. I will enjoy the challenge.”

  Dev sat straight and gave a salute. “Hangar three at dawn. Oh, why isn’t Martuas worried about onlookers? I would think they could just look inside the hangar from the outside.”

  Andra smiled, “You didn’t pay attention on the way down, did you? Udell base is a sealed environment. The wilds of Udell are filled with a gas that most folks find toxic.”

  “You can survive it?”

  “Sure, I don’t actually need to breathe, the storm takes care of it.” Andra grinned.

  She was finally in the right place. Devani knew it at that moment. “I look forward to tomorrow, and I will endeavour to do my best.”

  Ilsa straightened at her formality and inclined her head. “I will endeavour to provide you with a worthy opponent.”

  The conversation continued during the tour of the facility and the women were expert at diverting the males who were coming in for an introduction.

  Finally, Tricia showed Dev to her quarters and directed her on programming the bio-lock.

  Dev didn’t bother looking around—she just scrubbed her face, unpinned her hair and dropped into the bed. Dawn would come soon enough.

  The next morning, Devani woke to find that the Masuo had formed a cuff on one ankle. As she began moving around, it covered her in her suit. “You know, Efna, I am going to have to ask Kahlia how she programmed you. This design is very flattering.”

  The suit hugged her briefly in response.

  Chuckling, Dev worked out the technicalities of the plumbing and took a shower. She braided her hair in two long rows down her scalp and flipped them over her shoulders. “Ready for anything and prepared for nothing.”

  Dev sighed and made her way to the cafeteria, eating a light breakfast and experimenting with some of the morning beverages. She spoke politely with the few staffers that were awake, and the moment that she had cleared her table, she headed for hangar three.