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  Chapter Four

  Hauling her duffel to her room had been an effort, and she mentally smacked herself for not using the lift.

  Inside her quarters, her com was flashing, and when she listened to the message, she groaned. You have been transferred to Specialist’s quarters and are now in room two thirteen of the Specialist tower. Please transfer all your belongings to your new quarters and congratulations, Specialist Yllin Gerocard.

  She packed up her bags, looped them over her shoulders, picked up the duffel in both arms and headed for the lift.

  Her new quarters were six times the size of her novice quarters. She had a rack for her weaponry, a larger wardrobe to hold her thigh-high boots as well as the bodysuit that she had been given. It was going to be a relief to leave the white suits behind.

  She rubbed the suit that she had been given with the promise of additional suits in the following few days. The red and black was striking and the boots had been designed to match.

  Before she tried her clothing on, she put her daggers, blaster and the supply packs on the rack supplied for the purpose.

  With all of her new toys in their proper places, she peeled off her white suit and climbed into the new red and black suit. She was grinning when the boots were tugged into place and she stood with her hands on her hips staring into the mirror.

  Her auburn hair rippled down nearly to her waist, her eyes were huge with the medium-sized pupil and no visible iris that was typical of the Missambra. The suit had a central strip that formed a shaping icon from breast to her groin. One of the other novices had called her a doll, and when she looked up images of dolls on Terra, the comparison was not too far off. Even the dark line around her lashes gave her a look that made her resemble a child’s toy.

  She sighed and turned, liking the look of the suit from behind. She rigged up her tablet carrier and put on the rigging of straps that would hold her weapons.

  The logic behind her training and the weapons she was carrying made sense. If she could keep her distance, she should use the gun. If she had to get up close, knives gave her some reach. If the knives didn’t work, her own body was the final weapon. If her body failed, her mind could deliver a fatal strike. That was her last resort. Killing someone with a close-range sonic blast was not something she wanted to do. Her simulator runs had been frightening enough. If she did that to a living being, she didn’t know if she would be able to look at herself in a mirror again.

  When everything was strapped to her, she practiced drawing, squatting and twisting in the harnesses. They all allowed for free movement, but she was going to have to try them out on a course. If she flipped or rolled, the knives could come loose or the blaster could fire.

  Smiling with delight, she put her weapons back on the rack and removed the weapons’ harnesses. It was nearing dinnertime, and she was proud to be wearing the clothing that indicated she was no danger to those around her. Specialists mastered practical control over their talents and used them in one aspect. Masters had enough knowledge of how the talents worked to teach pupils how to gain the control that would make them as normal as they could be, and in some cases, they would teach them to be exceptional.

  Yllin was just happy that she was no longer considered dangerous enough to watch. That was what the white uniforms were for, they warned others that a novice was coming and to expect anything.

  With a bounce in her step, the exhaustion of the day was forgotten as she took the strides down the Specialist hallway that meant she was one moment closer to gaining her goal of paying off the Citadel and getting her butt into gainful work.

  * * * *

  Specialist Nearing raised his dark eyebrows at her as she walked in for flight training.

  “You have been promoted.” He grinned and bowed.

  “I have. Master Kibor decided that I was as good as I was going to get. I have manoeuvering training this afternoon, but I am able to do what I can if I am called upon.”

  He grinned. “Then, we had better get you ready for anything. I got that riot runner simulator for you.”

  Yllin rubbed her hands together. “Then, we had better get started.”

  Two hours after they started, he was on the runner behind her and his arms were around her waist. In the time that she had been on Ohkhan, she had only touched the combat instructors while she was grappling with them. To have an attractive man plastered across her back was distracting to say the least.

  “Now, take it through the storm.” He whispered it against her temple.

  She could smell his scent, feel his heat around her, and she focused on the task at hand. Yllin had to fly them through the storm and come out the other side or she would fail the simulation.

  Distracted or not, she was going to choose the flight.

  She leaned into the wind and used the runner to zigzag through the oncoming storm. Nearing moved with her and they shifted left and right. When lightning struck near them, she spun around and followed the strikes, moments behind and cruising through the discharged pathways.

  The moment that the clouds dispersed, she was in a mountain range and more flying was required. The three-dimensional projections gave her a surface to bounce her talent off, and it was very easy to avoid stationary rocks, even at high speeds.

  “Return to the starting point.”

  She smiled and banked left; he gripped her waist, and she thought she heard him curse. In four minutes, she was back where they had started, and she settled the runner on the large, paved circle projected.

  Yllin leaned back against him. “You can let go now.”

  He sighed and slowly moved his arms, his hands caressing her as he pulled away. “Too bad. Ah well, let’s see what the simulator says.”

  She waited until he dismounted and the simulated world faded away before she slid off the riot runner and left the hover cycle simulator with a fond pat.

  They left the simulation chamber, and she stood with him at the monitor that showed her results. She had scored ninety-seven percent.

  She laughed and did a little dance in place.

  Nearing snorted. “I would say you need to go in and do better, but I don’t think my nerves are up to it. How did you manage that?”

  “One of my sisters is into meteorology. I had to learn about wind and weather patterns to help her with her homework.”

  “That is how you knew to ride the spots where lightning had struck?”

  “It takes a few seconds to create a charge. It isn’t like a tap that keeps flowing.” She shrugged. “That is the way it works on Missambra anyway.”

  He chuckled at the suggestion that the computer displayed. Instruct pilot to reduce caffeine intake and meditate before flying.

  “Wow. That is just snide.” She was still grinning. The computer wasn’t wrong. She did have quite the jolt that morning in preparation for her new status as Specialist.

  “Allow me to treat you to a nutritious and stabilizing lunch.”

  Yllin snickered. “Did you want to take a shower to get that fear sweat off?”

  He grimaced. “No. I like to air dry.”

  She laughed at him and waved at him to precede her.

  He offered her his arm, and she followed etiquette, she took it.

  Her tablet chirped during the meal.

  Nearing sighed, “You are going to need to upgrade to a wrist unit or an implant. You need your hands free.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Do you mind if I check my pad?”

  He waved his agreement. She was just keeping him company anyway. Her meal was long gone.

  She opened her eyes for the scan and a small icon was displayed on her screen.

  “Nearing, what does this mean?”

  She showed him the mark and he chuckled.

  “The flash of it that I saw was the dispatcher’s office. Your screen went dark the moment that it scanned my eyes.”

  She blushed. “Oh. I am guessing that I need to go now?�
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  “It is usually recommended. Third floor of the administration building. The door is labelled.” He toasted her with his glass of water.

  “Thank you for your help today. Ever since I heard about riot runners, I have wanted to fly one.” She nodded her head in thanks.

  “You are welcome. I hear a good sweat like that is good for the pores.” He winked. “You had better get going. The dispatcher is not known for her patience.”

  Yllin settled her pad on her back again and headed to the building where Nearing had directed her.

  She got to the third floor, followed the signs and opened the door to Citadel Ohkhan Dispatch.

  The receptionist was mint green and had a twinkle in her eyes. All six of them. “Specialist Yllin Gerocard?”

  “Yes. I got a message?”

  The woman grinned. “Please enter the director’s office.”

  Yllin followed her gesture and blinked at the name on the door. Director Nearing.

  She opened the door and looked at the figure who was definitely not Specialist Nearing.

  The woman smiled, her scarlet skin and black eyes were complemented by waves of dark pewter hair. “Specialist Yllin. Please have a seat.”

  “Director Nearing?”

  The woman chuckled. “I see that you can see the resemblance to my son. He speaks very highly of you.”

  “Um, thank you?”

  The director laughed out loud. “And he did not mention that I am the dispatch director.”

  “Not so much, no.”

  “Well, he does speak very highly of you, as does Master Kibor and Master Loksel. They all describe you as businesslike and driven.”

  Yllin remained quiet.

  “You are going to need that businesslike attitude. I am sending you to work with an archaeological team. You will use their site as basecamp and any further dispatches for emergencies will be sent to you via this.”

  Dispatcher Nearing tossed her a wrist com.

  Yllin caught it handily, and she looked down at the sleek, flat screen. “Why am I being given this?”

  The dispatcher sighed and smiled. “Because my son ordered it for you as a gift. He thinks you have amazing potential and will do great things. You make him want to be a better Specialist, and as a mother, I can only hope that this will last.”

  Yllin looked wistfully at the com. “I can’t accept this. I mean, he is my instructor.”

  “Keep it. You are of equal rank, and though he isn’t being charged for it, you are teaching him quite a few things. Now, your pilot is waiting on the tarmac. Get your gear and launch.”

  “Just like that?”

  The dispatcher grinned. “Just like that. Now put that com on. I want you to check in with the base once per day.”

  “Yes, Director Nearing.”

  “Well, Specialist, you are dismissed. Get to your shuttle.”

  Yllin nodded and put the com on her wrist, blinking as it wrapped tightly without her having to do anything. She flexed her glove and the com lit up, pointing in the direction she was to go to get to her quarters.

  She didn’t follow the directions. They were as the crow flies not as a biped could walk. She jogged to her quarters, grabbed her bag and was relieved when the extra suits were waiting in her delivery slot.

  With her bag ready, she looked at her quarters, waved at the picture of her family and headed out the door, unsure of when she would return.

  Chapter Five

  “You are my pilot?” Yllin let Nearing take her bag and stow it.

  “I am a better pilot than I am a talent. I thought I might contribute to your little fund with a portion of my earnings from flying you around.”

  Yllin buckled into the flight harness and watched him do the preflight checks. “Are you serious?”

  “About flying you around? Yes.”

  “No, about contributing to the fund. I am grateful, but you don’t have any ties to Missambra.”

  She heard the hiss of atmospheric pressure building in the shuttle and he lifted off.

  “I have the ability to recognize a good cause when I hear one.” He winked, and they took off, avoiding all air traffic from the largest city on Ohkhan.

  All Citadel aircraft had to line up with the gap in the air routes and drop straight down as well as rise upward until they cleared the air traffic lanes. It was the part of shuttle flight that had given Yllin the most trouble.

  She sat back and gave him a dark look through her lashes. “I met your mother.”

  “I should have warned you, but I figured she would tell you. She is one for full disclosure.”

  “Thank you for my com unit.”

  He grumbled. “Too much disclosure.”

  “She was very nice. Apparently, I am getting dropped at some kind of archaeological dig.”

  “Yes. The data is on your com unit. It can give you mission information as well as act as a communication’s device.”

  “Fancy.”

  “It is the most upgraded model available. After experiencing your flight skills on a riot runner, I want you as safe as possible.”

  She grinned and settled in as they flew toward the jump site. Yllin checked her wrist display and brought up her assignment specs. The projection made her whistle as she was able to enlarge and shrink all information depending on what was selected.

  Yllin’s assignment was the underground city of Webar. The team that was digging there had suffered lost staff members and two deaths as a result of sprung traps. She was there to minimize future losses, and the amount she was being paid was staggering.

  “Can I find out what my current Citadel account is showing?”

  “Certainly. Go to the main menu and check on financial information. Your other accounts should also be linked there. By the way, this system is on a genetic lock. It only works because you are using it. If I grabbed your wrist and tried to work out information, I would be out of luck.”

  She checked the financial information and stared. “If I do this one job for two weeks, I am out of debt with the Citadel.”

  “Good for you.” He nodded and checked on the jump location. “Brace for jump.”

  She exhaled, inhaled and by the time she exhaled again, they were in a new star system and on their way to the next jump point.

  “How long until the next jump?”

  He checked the instruments. “Four hours.”

  “I will make some tea.”

  Watching Nearing fly off left a lump in her throat. She was basically alone on Webar with the team watching her hopefully.

  She flared her nostrils and dragged in a breath. “Where would you like me to start?”

  The leader of the expedition opened a map, and she analyzed it carefully. “Can I make any modifications to this?”

  He blinked at her with all four of the eyes in his slick yellow forehead. “Can you create your markings in a contrasting colour?”

  She nodded and sent out a pulse, getting back what she had sensed the first time. With her fingers, she drew new paths, marked traps and highlighted chambers and buildings with collections of objects of differing densities.

  The team was buzzing with excitement, and Dr. Kliask hugged her. “My dear, you have saved us months of work. You have accelerated our research.”

  “Not yet. This is a map. We need to confirm these hallways, and I need to trip those traps in order to make it a safe workplace.”

  She didn’t mention the dead in the halls. She would bring them out one by one during the night. No one needed to be with her when she brought out their friends and co-workers.

  The doctor and his students and assistants huddled around the map and tried to decide where they wanted to go the following day.

  Yllin sat back and sipped her tea, watching them with the indulgent smile of a babysitter watching four year olds debating.

  Yllin waited until the crew was in their respective spaces for the night, then sh
e grabbed a levitating sled and four sheets to enter the underground.

  It took her two hours to find and retrieve all the bodies. She recorded the places she had found them and any clues as to type of death that she could find.

  She brought the sled out of the underground city and lined the bodies up, each covered respectfully with a sheet.

  With the chances of stumbling over a corpse the next day down to zero, she was able to sleep.

  She set her alarm for dawn and was up and eating her ration packs before the rest of the crew.

  When Dr. Kliask came in, she went to him and explained that she had retrieved the bodies of the fallen. He jerked and quickly moved to examine the remains of his lost students and assistants.

  “I wish you had had one of us with you so we would know where they were found.”

  She nodded. “I recorded it all and put it on your system. You should have all the information you would want. I simply didn’t want anyone to have the shock of stumbling on the deceased.”

  He nodded. “Of course. Of course. We have storage pods. We will put them in storage until another ship can be arranged.”

  “You will send them home when you have artifacts?”

  “Of course.”

  Yllin was determined. “Then, we will find you those artifacts.”

  It was the beginning of a very long but very productive day.

  Yllin dropped into her bunk every night and got up at dawn every day to lead the team into the underground city. Her blaster came in handy, as did the stun sticks that Nearing had given her during the flight. She was able to set off the traps from a distance, and stun any crewmember who felt the weight of the soil and stone over their heads.

  She made it through her two weeks and the archaeological team got quite a bit of identification done on the artifacts that they had found with her help.

  The moment that her com unit sent her a signal that Nearing was on his way for a new assignment, she could have wept with joy.