Cracked Control Read online

  She smiled slightly. “Yes, I seemed to have recovered weight that I lost at the lab.”

  “The last three months of your sleep were dedicated to your physical health. It was considered worth the risk to put you in a lighter stasis for that time.”

  “So, you have been here, the whole time?”

  He quirked his lips. “I am the Avatar of the planet, where else would I be?”

  She slowly retrieved her hand, for decorum’s sake. His skin was warm, dry, and she wanted nothing more than to let him hold her for the rest of the day.

  “I am not sure what that means. Kelly tried to explain it, but she wasn’t very clear on what an Avatar actually is.”

  The gold in his eyes flashed and took over. “I am the world beneath your feet, and he is the body that has been volunteered to host me. I am Iratho-Rokar, and I am pleased that you are here.”

  The sudden sense of energy and power made her nervous, but the room around her only shimmied before she got herself under control again.

  “Your control is coming along, Adelheid. Congratulations. You have a home here for as long as you live, provided that the control remains intact.”

  The threat was implicit. “I understand, Avatar. I am going to do my best.”

  “Thank you, it is most appreciated, and Rokar was most eager to have you here.”

  She blinked, and cocked her head. “He was?”

  The eyes cleared back to blue and gold, and Rokar cleared his throat. “That is enough of that. He is fairly charming, but most interested in preparing his world for habitation.”

  “I see. Um, can I offer you a beverage? I am not quite sure what you would like, but I think I can find it if you give me a hint.”

  He inclined his head. “I will assist.”

  With the hulk of the Avatar at her side, she murmured, “Can I ask what species you are, so I can look you up later?”

  “I am Drai. Centuries ago, one of your kind came to our world and warned some of us, who carried the ancient skills, that our chance to find our mates lay out in the stars. We escaped and rested until our mates were near enough to wake us.” He smiled and found a delicate teapot, bringing it and two cups down out of the cupboard before setting them on a tray that he found without hesitation.

  “One of my kind?”

  “A Terran. She was a courier spun through time, and she ended up on our world before the interdict. Our government nearly killed her, but she survived, and one of her ancestors is in the Sector Guard today.”

  “I will ask you what that is at a later time. You have obviously been here before, so who exactly took me out of the stasis pod and put me in my pajamas?”

  He looked at her blandly with those peculiar eyes. “That was me.”

  She blushed. “Right. Of course. You are the only other person here, aside from Rokar. Damn, that is going to be confusing.”

  Addy turned her head toward the console. “Computer Rokar, can I call you Rocky?”

  “Of course, Adelheid.”

  Rokar looked toward the console, and he cocked his head. “That is rather disconcerting.”

  “I know. Rocky is a perfectly good name for a medic.” She nodded, and watched as Rokar sprinkled in tealeaves and then used the dispenser to fill the teapot. He had definitely done this more than a time or two.

  “It is a suitable name for a computer personality.”

  She chuckled.

  With the top of the teapot on, he brought the tray into the living area and took a seat on one of the ottomans so his wings draped behind him.

  “So, tea is a thing.”

  He chuckled. “Nearly every species has a restorative beverage created by leaves or beans and water.”

  She groaned. “Oh, coffee. That is an excellent restorative broth.”

  He glanced at her. “I will see about getting some seeds to add to the native species. We will design one if we can.”

  She chuckled. “You can try. It is a weird thing. It smells better than it tastes, but it is mildly addictive and helps me get going in the morning.”

  “Do you have to stew it?”

  “No, a light drip of hot water through finely crushed, dried, and roasted beans is enough to create a delightful flavour.” She ran her hands through her hair. “It is so peculiar. Only a few months ago I was having a cup of coffee with the recruiter and learning that it would be one of my last. I didn’t regret it then. I am having second thoughts now.”

  He laughed, a deep and rich sound. The width of his chest created an echo chamber effect, and she sat staring at him until he poured the tea.

  “Everyone has regrets. The key is to learn to live with them and to move forward.”

  She leaned forward and took the cup he handed to her. It was hot, so she worked to balance it carefully. “Can you tell me anything about Kelly? Did she get a family? She always wanted a family.”

  “Why don’t you ask her?”

  “I have. She won’t tell me. She deflects the conversation to my exercise regimen.”

  Addy sighed and blew softly on the tea before taking a sip. It was good. It had a weird minty green tasted to it that she could get used to.

  “Does she? Why would she do that?”

  Addy wrinkled her nose. “If I had to guess, I would say it is because to her I am the same young person that she was next to for all those months thirty years ago. She doesn’t want me to think about everything I missed. The problem is that is all I think about.”

  “Well, if you wish to, you could return home. I mean, even as you are, your contract allows you to return after your contract is up, and yours is definitely up.”

  She shook her head. “No, I was one of the first accepted applicants. Our contract was one way. We had to go to our assigned places, and once the first five years was done, we were free to find a home on any world that would have us.”

  “So, you don’t know that there was a second wave of Terrans after the first two thousand? Or that your world has its own Avatar now? She doesn’t advertise it, she is mated to the Alliance Ambassador, but she is the walking mind of your world.”

  She sat and listened with widening eyes. “Rocky! Show me a timeline of the Terran population in the Alliance—”

  “And the Nyal Imperium.”

  Addy stared. “And the Nyal Imperium, from the first shuttle with Volunteers to present.”

  “Is a population map of spreading genetics acceptable?”

  “Yes, please.”

  The display went up, and the original shuttle numbers went up, and Addy sipped at her tea and watched the bright lights of humanity spreading, mixing, and spreading again. “Oh my. That takes my breath away. Rocky, what was the survival rate of the first wave?”

  “Ninety percent. Ninety-eight percent on the female side of the Volunteer population. The Terrans managed one of the fastest, if not the fastest, rise to Champion status that the Alliance has seen. The fact that it was all marginally talented females that managed it increases the exceptionality of the accomplishment.” Rocky’s tone was admiring.

  Rokar smirked, “Perhaps it was a mistake to mix my mind with a computer’s access.”

  Addy giggled, but after a quick glance at her guest-host, she returned her gaze to the celestial map that expanded as she watched it. Two thousand had turned into eight thousand, and then, another wave of Terrans had swelled the ranks. Now, there were over twenty thousand Terrans and descendants in the stars, and Addy thought it looked amazing.

  Rokar reached up and spun the map projection, rotating it and gesturing to the lower segment. Two blue spots were on a planet, well, one was above it and the other on the surface. “This is you and Kelly, though the map is not to scale.”

  She smiled and looked back at the expansion of humanity. “Wow, we put out.”

  Rokar’s frown made her understand that her euphemism hadn’t been translated.

  Addy explained, “We have a lot of children.”


  “Interesting information.”

  “Well, some do have multiple births.”

  His shock was obvious. “I had no idea. Does it happen frequently?”

  She grinned. “I was one of a set of fraternal twins, as was my mother, and grandmother and all the way back.”

  “You left siblings behind?”

  “Several. I felt the call to the stars, and none of them did. My mom wished me nothing but success. I think she wanted to go in my place.” She sat, and the realization that her mother might be dead by now was a sobering thought.

  “You are thinking of family.”

  She nodded, not sure that her voice was steady. It was taking all her effort to keep the world from shaking.

  “You can speak to them if you like.”

  Her head whipped toward him. “What?”

  “Certainly. Your family can be fitted with a com unit, and you can make regular calls, if you are willing to. They have been apprised of your situation, if you were wondering. They know you are alive.”

  “You have spoken with them?”

  He chuckled. “The planets speak on a different frequency than humans. Gaia is just waking, and she eagerly speaks to any sentient world who is harbouring one of her children. Iratho has been in touch, and you have been a topic. They were told by the Alliance when you were in stasis, three decades ago, and they were told by the Avatar of Gaia that you were alive, conscious, and resuming life.”

  “So, they didn’t just think I was lost?” She felt the tears pricking at her eyes, and the room began to quiver until she breathed in deeply.

  “No, they knew you were safe.”

  She leaned forward and extended her cup. He filled it without asking. The silence between them wasn’t arduous.

  After a few minutes, Rokar said, “Hm. Rocky, please display the documentaries on the Terran progression through the Alliance.”

  The display shifted, flattened, and against the wall, a documentary played about the first Terran Champions, the initial members of the Sector Guard, their involvement in jump technology research, and their links to royal families around the Nyal Imperium and the Alliance. From there, the details swelled.

  Time whirled past as she watched vid after vid about the Terrans, and it was only when Rocky announced, “You need to rest now, Adelheid. Rokar-Iratho will return in the morning.”

  Her guest-host rose to his feet and smiled. “He is correct. I will return tomorrow, and if you wish, I can take you for a tour of the area.”

  She wrinkled her nose again. “I have seen it.”

  “Not from the air. I will see you tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, Adelheid.”

  She sighed, “Please, call me Addy.”

  “Addy then. Good night.”

  He walked to her, took her hands, squeezed them, and then left before he did something else. She had no idea what he was thinking of, but she really wanted to know. As he left through the airlock and headed toward the repaired outer door, she supposed that some things would have to wait for another day.

  Chapter Five

  With the thought of flying in her mind, Addy braided her hair the next morning. She also kept breakfast light, just in case.

  “He will be arriving in a few minutes.” Rocky’s voice was low, so as not to surprise her. It was a tactic he had taken on when he realized that the normal speaking volume freaked her out in the morning.

  “Thanks. How do you know where he is?”

  “Technology and reality. I have monitors all over the area, and his mind is mine. This is when he would guess you were awake and ready.”

  She chuckled. “Far less arcane than what I imagined.”

  “Most things have a simple explanation.”

  Addy was already in her exo suit, so she paced and finally asked, “What are you doing today, Rocky?”

  “Following up on the transmission that was sent to Terra yesterday evening. It is not a direct connection, so it will involve requisitioning relay stations and such. Very boring communication stuff.”

  She snickered at his mimicry of her speech patterns. The word stuff was a very new addition to his vocabulary.

  “Thank you for making the call.”

  “You are most welcome. He’s here.”

  The shift in conversation sent a ripple of adrenaline through Addy, but she kept it contained.

  She took the helmet band and clutched it in one hand as she watched the entry door.

  It swung open without announcement. Rokar stepped inside with confidence. “Good day, Adelheid.”

  She inclined her head. “Good day, Rokar-Iratho.”

  “Just Rokar, unless he is speaking.”

  Addy nodded, “Rokar then.”

  “Are you ready to fly?”

  She lifted the helmet band and smiled. “Ready.”

  “You won’t need that. I would recommend that you attach it, but keep it turned off.”

  “Okay, how do I do that?”

  He came toward her, took the band, and settled it into place. With the flick of his fingers, she went from being in a wind proof setting, to feeling the warmth of his hand on her skin.

  “There. Now you can enjoy with Iratho has to offer.” He extended his hand toward her, and raised his brow. “Shall we?”

  She inhaled, exhaled slowly, and nodded, heading toward the exit. Addy wanted to see Rokar’s wings in action. The vague memory wasn’t satisfying at all.

  The air outside was still. The storms bubbled along the horizon but didn’t approach.

  Addy’s fingers clenched as she tried to keep from triggering her mask. She felt a light curl of wind on her cheek, but she managed to remain serene as Rokar stood next to her.

  “I will have to touch you in order to take you on the tour. May I?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you feel unwell or nervous at any time, let me know, and I will bring you back to your base.”

  “Thanks.” She kept her mind blank as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. His wings opened, and he didn’t even have to bend his knees. When she watched his face, his eyes went gold, and they lifted smoothly off the ground and gained altitude swiftly.

  She got up the nerve to look downward, and she was shocked. “What is that?”

  “Your island. It is suspended on a gas cloud, which gives you your peculiar weather systems.”

  “They aren’t mine, they are yours, Iratho.”

  He chuckled. “Iratho is flying us, but I am in control of my mind and body. Confusing, I know.”

  “I thought the eyes were a giveaway.”

  “Do they change? I feel that they do, but I never stare in the mirror while flying.”

  “They do. I was expecting your voice to change.”

  “It only happens when he controls everything. Not often. For the most part, he lets me live my own life, such as it is.”

  She stared at the wide crevice that surrounded her island, as they flew over it through a gust of hot air. Their trajectory didn’t change; they continued to fly out over the landscape, leaving her home behind.

  Four hours of exploration and views of completely empty landscapes and they were taking a break on the mountain ridge of the island.

  “So, when does the population arrive?”

  Rokar quirked his lips slightly. “Pardon?”

  “This world is getting ready for fish, plants, animals, and sentient beings. Everything you have shown me is for the incoming personnel. When do they arrive?”

  He sighed. “They will be here within the month. I insisted that you be settled in before anyone arrived. I know you would never forgive yourself if you caused an injury.”

  She smirked. “Right. That.”

  “Can you focus it?”

  Addy frowned. “What?”

  “Can you focus your talent? I know you can control it, but can you focus it, and project it?”

  “Frankly, i
t has not been a priority to find out.”

  “Try it.”

  She stared at him in shock. Their perch on an outcropping of the mountain range suddenly seemed less secure.

  “Now?”

  “Is there a better time? You are relaxed, a little hungry, and your body is at peace. Try it. Aim for the blue mountain in the distance, and see what you can do.”

  She twisted her lips and got to her feet, walking to the edge of the cliff that supported her. The feeling of tension, the rumbling, ran through her, and she held it back until the ground under her feet was humming.

  With a thought to the comics she used to read, she raised her hands and tried to let the tension peel off her skin and come out through her hands. The rush of energy left her staggering, and as Rokar caught her, she watched to see what happened.

  “I think I missed.”

  The mountain in the distance flexed and blew apart.

  Rokar chuckled. “No, you hit it. Well done. Now, we will go and check the damage.”

  He didn’t ask her if she would give him permission, he simply wrapped an arm around her waist and they were off.

  The check of the strike zone made her ill. “That hole is bigger than the town I grew up in.”

  “I believe it expanded as it travelled, or it would not have stopped at this peak. It is as if you put out exactly enough power to get the job done.”

  He was hovering above the wreckage and making small observances as he travelled.

  Addy watched the damaged pieces, and when he got her close enough, she reached out and touched the rock. “Why is it warm?”

  “Is it? Hm. Resonance is a lovely thing. You send waves of silent sound out and you tailor the sound to the object you would strike. The world you were held on was something you hated, so that was what you destroyed.”

  She nodded. “So the heat is friction, and the shattering is the response to the molecular square dance that is going on.”

  “I don’t know what a square dance is, but yes, you destroy on the molecular level.”

  There wasn’t much she could say to that. “Can you take me back to the base? I think it’s lunchtime.”