Harness Read online

  Fred blinked and ran a hand through her hair. I am not home. I am on a world a vast distance from my home.

  You are where I wanted you to be, child. Welcome, Alfreda Older to the home of your ancestors. I am the souls of Arxuxsa, and your wishes are mine to carry out.

  What about El-sur? He is also a Sukra by birth.

  He had parents to raise and train him. You are mine, have always been meant to be mine.

  You meant me to be alone?

  Your father could not be part of your life; I needed you open to me and as you can tell, our communication is strong.

  “Fred! What are you doing?”

  Fred turned, and El-sur was at the base of the hill. She looked up again, and the light was gone. “El-sur, I think I am losing my mind.”

  She felt faint, and she rolled down the hill to land at his feet.

  He lifted her and carried her back to her room.

  She flicked in and out of consciousness, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw one flicker of light at all times. “Do you see that light?”

  “Yes, Fred. They are common to the area. It is thought that they are gas releases from the world beneath us.”

  “Something is beneath us.”

  “You need more sleep, Fred. I was just bringing you a meal when I noticed you slipping out. What was that form, by the way?”

  “Derenvor. It’s very comfortable.”

  She yawned but sat on the edge of her bed and sipped at the soup that was waiting for her. A pitcher of water was also at the side of the bed, and the moment she finished her soup, she went for the water.

  “Are you all right? Your skin is clammy.”

  Fred blinked down at the hand he was holding. The fur was gone, and she was back in skin. It matched his almost completely but had a strange pink tinge to it. It was strange; normally, when she copied someone, she did it accurately.

  “I think I just need more sleep. Too much time with an open mind. How long has that hill been there?”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “That is strange as well. It wasn’t there when I went out to get you. What called you?”

  She helped him tuck her back into bed. “I can’t swear to it, but I think that Arxuxsa was calling me. This planet is alive.”

  He chuckled softly and smoothed her hair from her forehead. “Nineteen psychics went over this world looking for signs of life. I don’t think they would miss a planetary consciousness.”

  Fred pulled the bedding up to her cheek and turned to her side. “They would if they were on the wrong frequency.”

  She yawned again and slipped into sleep. This time, it was mercifully silent.

  Chapter Five

  El-sur sat at the com unit. “I know that the records show that this is a neutral world, but I am telling you that they need to check again. If the relay picked up on a sentience, I believe her. Her mind is open to frequencies that no casual scanner can reach. It is why she was so successful at her job. Her mind is secure unless someone knows her frequencies. I have the honour, but as far as I know, no one else is capable of it.”

  Guardian Dispatcher Welenheart nodded and made notes. “She is also Sukra?”

  “She is but mixed with that new species. The Terrans.” He didn’t offer any additional information. Welenheart had the clearance to get what he needed.

  “I will have surface-to-sub-surface probes sent to you. You can deploy them at any likely sites. If there is a living mind inside that planet, we need to know before we continue to let the Guardian trainees have at it.”

  El-sur nodded and smiled as the dispatcher signed off. He was having a harder time getting into Fred’s mind now, but what he did see confused him. She had been called daughter. Her mind had clung to that one word with a desperation that had made El-sur’s heart ache. He had taken his relationship with his parents for granted, and his reading of Sukra histories showed him that his family had been blessedly normal. What he was learning about Fred’s early life was causing his blood to run cold.

  He had thought of her as a possible mate at first when he had read her initial file, but now that he had met her, he wanted to protect her more than couple with her. There was a brittle innocence to her that belied her experiences.

  He disengaged the com unit and returned to her sleeping quarters, watching over her from the doorway. She had reverted to her Sukra form again and the bits of tech that wrapped her were almost the same colour as her skin.

  The physician was bringing a technical specialist who could turn down the effect of her harness over time or give her the control over it that she would need.

  El-sur had six hours to get some more rest, so he once again set the silent alarm that would ring in his quarters if she got out of bed and moved around again.

  He hoped that it didn’t go off; he was as short on sleep as his charge was.

  * * * *

  Bright light and the feeling of being well rested were both foreign to Fred, but she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked around and smiled at the small lav with the door open on the far side of her snug room. Private shower accommodations were always welcome. She sighed and inhaled the moist air of the shower. Her lungs eased, and her breathing came with less tension.

  Her hair was a deep burgundy, and she laughed. That was a new one. Her skin was still the pinkie-pearl that it had been the night before, but without El-sur touching her, she had no idea what was driving the change. Ah well, it was a comfortable skin, and she had no trouble wearing it.

  There were no mirrors in her room, so she did what she normally did and dressed by touch. All of her clothing was designed to slip on and seal to her without too much fussing, so it wasn’t difficult.

  She sat at the edge of her bed and brushed her hair until the rippling mass was a wide, silky curtain that dropped to her hips. It wasn’t the first time that her hair had grown in the night, but the pigment was a bit of a surprise.

  Once she was dressed, she headed back to the kitchen area and let the scanner cruise over her palm. It chirped happily and started whirring away.

  She poured herself a cup of water and heated water for tea.

  She felt El-sur before she turned around. “Good morning?”

  “Correct. You slept for one full rotation. It seems that it did you good.” He smiled at her and inclined his head.

  “I feel better, though I have no idea why I look this way.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “Instinct perhaps? Your body is that of a female Sukra, right down to the pigments in your eyes. This is the standard default appearance for our people.”

  She blinked and tried to remember her human form, but it was long gone. Shrugging, she retrieved her meal when the machine binged and took the tea, her water and her tray to a table.

  Three minutes later, El-sur joined her. “What do you remember about your walk?”

  “That wasn’t a dream?”

  “No. The doors are alarmed for security. They went off when you went out.”

  “Ah. I looked out the window and I saw lights in the forest. I felt something call me, and so, I went out to find out what it was.” She forked her food and raised her eyebrows at the surprisingly pleasant taste. “This is good.”

  He laughed. “It should be. We have the best programmers in the imperium.”

  She could feel the pride in his tone. “Interesting. I didn’t realise that there were different levels of catering equipment.”

  “You are tasting the difference.”

  Fred laughed. She couldn’t argue with it. Her stomach was happy with what it was getting, and in the Nyal Imperium, that was a situation few and far between.

  “So, you followed the lights.”

  “I did. They thickened into a column and beckoned me to the top of the hill. Once there, a voice called me daughter and said it had been waiting for me.” She struggled to remember everything. It was faded into a warm and secure feeling with all details blurring together.

  “You think that it was the voice of A
rxuxsa?”

  “That is how it identified itself. I have no reason to disbelieve it. It felt strong, and it is running through the ground under our feet.”

  “That does sound like a living world all right.” He nodded in agreement.

  She laughed. “It does indeed. I have only met one of them before.”

  “Where?”

  “Gaiolura. The Avatar there is very charming.” She smiled softly. It had been a good weekend with plenty of pleasant distractions.

  El-sur’s hand suddenly clenched on his water cup. There was a sharp retort as the liquid escaped the shattered cup.

  “What was that?” She looked at him with concern.

  He got to his feet and blotted the towel onto the spill. “I was just surprised to hear that you had a social life.”

  “Of course I do. I can take any form, so for a lot of men, I can be their ideal woman, at least for a night. I get some physical contact out of it for pleasure and not business, so it is win-win.” She smiled.

  He didn’t look happy about that. He continued frowning and mopping up of the spill.

  “I expect that being able to change into a woman’s fantasy hasn’t been all bad for you.”

  He looked scandalized. “I would never take advantage of someone’s deepest desires just to satisfy my own.”

  For the first time since she had selected her first lover, she felt shame.

  The ground underneath them shook.

  “What the hell was that?” She grabbed for her teacup and held it tight.

  El-sur scowled. “I don’t know. Let me call the main base.”

  She nodded and picked up her cup to follow him as he walked through the kitchen and into a doorway that she had seen the night before. Fred moved silently after him as he headed to the com where lights were already flaring up on the board. It was refreshing to see that they used the same local com systems as the majority of the imperium. The moment he struck a button, a voice rang out.

  “What is going on there, El-sur?”

  El-sur took a seat at the unit. “I was hoping you could tell us. The ground shook.”

  “There was a huge power surge, and the island that you are on started drifting. What is going on?”

  El-sur looked to Fred and shrugged. “Breakfast.”

  She bit her lip and felt guilty that she couldn’t do anything. The ground shuddered again.

  “Okay, we were watching that time. What just happened?”

  El-sur stared at her, and she felt a delicate touch on her mind. “I think I found the problem. Stand by.”

  “Standing by.”

  El-sur got to his feet and came toward Fred. She could feel him probing at her thoughts and tried to push him away, but she didn’t know how. It was so frustrating that the ground shook again. Whoa.

  He withdrew immediately. “Negative emotions. Your negative emotions have a separate frequency. I would have to say that the theory that something within this world is still alive has just been confirmed.” He smiled and winked. “Just a moment.”

  He sat back at the desk. “Communication with the world has been confirmed. Alfreda is on its frequency, and when she gets upset, it reacts. Are we really floating?”

  “You really are. You seem to be moving against the currents and heading for the northern continent. Better wrap up. At the current rate, you will—uh—dock? Right, dock in two days.”

  “What is there?”

  “That old stone temple. Do you want us to meet you there?”

  “It might not be a bad idea.”

  “Will do. It seems that your new companion has several surprises in store for us. I look forward to meeting her.”

  Fred watched El-sur tense.

  “She is off limits, Draycon.”

  “If you say so, teacher.” The other voice chuckled darkly.

  To Fred’s shock, El-sur made a noise deep in his throat that got through to the other male.

  “Understood, El-sur. I look forward to meeting the newest recruit at a respectful distance.”

  “See you in two days, Draycon.”

  The connection went silent, and El-sur turned to her with a smile. “Are you ready to begin your training?”

  She set her cup down deliberately and crossed her arms while she narrowed her eyes. “You tell me.”

  “Good answer. Come with me; we will see if the mirrored room is intact. It is the best place to start.” He offered her his arm and waited for her to take it.

  When she placed her hand on his arm, nothing happened. She felt no change of shape, no alteration of height, and no shift in pigmentation. “Why didn’t I change?”

  He smiled slightly and led her through the halls. “Because this is your true form. Sukra genes breed true. It is why, under normal circumstances, your parent would never have left you. It was too damned dangerous.”

  Seeing her life in a strange new light, she wondered again why her father had done what he had. It didn’t make sense if what she was learning was the standard for raising children. With the issues she had growing up, it made a lot more sense that she should have been supervised at all times. It would have made a difference.

  Chapter Six

  El-sur sat next to her, and they faced one of two dozen mirrors that lined the room. “Look at yourself. See your reflection and accept that this face is yours.”

  She stared into the dark gold eyes looking back at her, and she flicked through the hundreds of faces that she had worn in her lifetime.

  “Let those faces flow through you, acknowledging the parts of yourself that you saw in them. Let them pass on and accept the core of yourself that you carry in your very genes.”

  His voice was soothing, and he remained quiet while she rifled through image after image, shape after shape.

  Finally, she was done. She stared at the sweaty image of her reflection looking back at her. Her tunic was torn from the shifting, and she was swaying with exhaustion, but the gold eyes and burgundy hair were there again.

  She opened the tunic and could see the bindings still in place on her torso, but she had blown a few of the strips. “Damn.”

  “What is wrong?”

  “I am blowing my harness. It has cracked under the rapid shifting.” She turned to him and pitched forward into his arms. She was exhausted.

  “Ah. Well, there is a technician coming to help you out with that. I hear it is very good.” He hefted her up and carried her out of the mirror chamber.

  “Wonderful. Why am I so tired?” She smiled and blinked up at him.

  “Because, you have done three lifetimes’ worth of shifting in two hours. My heart would have exploded. You are far stronger than you appear.”

  “Oh, goody.” She yawned and flexed her fingers. “Will you stay with me when I see the doctor?”

  “Of course, Fred. I am responsible for you now. That includes your medical appointments.”

  “Thank you, but I am no one’s responsibility. I am responsible for myself. That’s it.” She yawned again.

  He carried her through another open doorway and settled her on an exam bed. Two men were waiting on the far side of the chamber.

  “Aren’t there any doors in here?” Fred struggled to sit up, but it was too hard.

  El-sur chuckled and pressed her flat to the bed. “No. Sukra develop senses to see each other, and privacy doesn’t matter that much when you know where everyone is.”

  “So, you are hoping my sleeping instincts will kick in?”

  “No. I know they will. You just need time to rest and let your mind relax. If I am not mistaken, this is your first time with less than a dozen people in your immediate vicinity.”

  She remembered her glorious summer as a Sasquatch. “Well, once before. I spent two months in another shape when I was younger, scavenging food and dodging hunters.”

  “Well, this time, there is no one chasing you and your meals are guaranteed. Now, this is Doctor Quiel; next to him is our tech specialist, Yinoe.”

  She lifte
d one hand and waved to them. “Hiya.”

  The doctor chuckled. “Greetings, Alfreda Older.”

  “Call me Fred.”

  “Fred, then. Have you had genetic scanning before?”

  “I have. It has been a few years though.” She smiled up at the physician.

  “Yinoe and I are going to set up the scanner. This might hurt a bit, but if you can just hold on for a few minutes, it won’t have to be repeated.”

  Fred exhaled. “A few minutes of pain. I can do that.”

  El-sur put his hand on her shoulder. “Why will it hurt?”

  The doctor and the technician moved together to assemble the scanner, and Yinoe answered. “Based on the last scans we have from her files, she is unstable. The scanner will actually stop the shifting capability for a moment. That is when the pain will kick in, but it will be the final scan, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

  “Oh goody, again.” Fred concentrated on lying still, trying to calm herself.

  The doctor leaned into her field of vision. “All right. I am going to ask you to shift into another form after the initial scan. Can you do that?”

  “Oh, sure. No problem. Just give me the word.”

  He smiled brightly and nodded. “Excellent. Well, let’s begin with the baselines.”

  Fred felt a tingling along her limbs as the first scan went from foot to scalp. She waited and the scanner descended with a stronger sweep that felt like ants crawling over her flesh.

  “All right. We have the baseline. Now, Fred. Shift into another form.”

  Fred had built a form out of her memories. Blonde hair, dark eyes and healthy golden skin. She had picked more pockets wearing that guise than any form before or after. It got her through the first summer away from the orphanage.

  She held the shape as the tingling started again and was more violent than before. Now, the psychic ants were biting.

  Fred held herself as still as she could, but her nerves twitched as the scanner passed slowly across her.

  “Easy, Fred. Almost done with this part.”

  Her face burned as the beam went across it, and she sighed in relief as it returned to resting near her feet.