Arguing the Basics Read online

  “You will need some temporary alteration.” Iara shrugged. “We have a staff member for that.”

  “Clothing as well?”

  “It will match your transformed body. They have it on board the shuttle.” Iara sat Agren up in her lap, and he flexed his chubby arms toward Sookar.

  The Yaluthu waddled over with a sense of resignation and let the infant pull him in for a cuddle.

  Agren didn’t pull, didn’t yank, he just buried his face in the fluff and giggled.

  Iara smiled. “It is weird. Sookar is the only one he does that to.”

  “Well, if I have to get up early for the shuttle, I am guessing that I should get to bed. Sookar?”

  Agren let him go, and Sookar waddled to her with a look of relief on his features. She stroked him and got to her feet. “Will I see you before I go, Iara?”

  “Probably not. Just bring Sookar to the dining hall, and I will find him when we come out for the morning meal.”

  She grinned. “I will try to remember to feed him before I head to the zip corridor.”

  “Your escort will come and get you. You are leaving through the new station zip.”

  “The what?”

  Iara got to her feet, put Agren fully in the sling and tucked Harmony onto her shoulder. “You will see in the morning.”

  It was as much promise as threat. Koara carried Sookar back to her quarters, thumbing through the data and vid provided on the subject of the world Gol.

  The cosmetic alterations were going to be minor, but they would make quite an impression. She wondered what she was going to look like with slate-grey skin and a shaved head.

  Back in her room, she changed into a loose sleep shirt and crawled into bed with Sookar at her side, commenting on the images with short chirps.

  It was an industrial society, and they had chosen to pursue crystalline technology. It would be an interesting thing to see, as well as investigate. With the information she was taking in, she made a list of places to visit around the globe. Nine different museums would shine light on how the Golums had evolved. If she knew where they had come from and where they wanted to go, she would have a good idea on what to put in her report to the Alliance.

  With her plan taking shape, she set her alarm and nodded off with Sookar curled against her, enjoying their last cuddle together until she returned.

  Tomorrow, she had to get her skin changed and shave her head.

  Chapter Six

  Koara followed her guide to the secure zip. Illuma had long blue hair and a strange shimmer to her skin. She also didn’t speak much.

  “So, the secure zip is on the opposite end of the base?” Koara felt chatty in her effort to stave off the loneliness of leaving Sookar.

  “It is. Are you prepared for what I have to do to you?”

  “You are the one to make the cosmetic changes?”

  “I am. I can make you look like a Golum but not walk or talk like one. That is up to you.”

  Koara nodded. “I will do what I can.”

  “Good. It is your life on the line.” Illuma looked uncomfortable with the situation, but there were grim lines of determination bracketing her mouth. She would do what was necessary.

  The zip was just as uncomfortable as the one from Udell had been, but this one took them to a tiny space station in the skies above Lowel.

  Once they were out of the pod, Illuma led her to the medical bay and urged her to have a seat on one of the exam beds.

  “Does the hair come off first?”

  Illuma put on a medical smock and brought up the statistics of the Golum. “It comes off last. I have to thicken your skin, so it will be choked off when I get to your scalp. It has to be that way or you would start growing hair while on your assignment and that would be a giveaway.”

  “Right. Of course.” Koara cleared her throat. “Do I need to strip for this?”

  “Not yet. The first thing is the biological synchronisation.” Illuma pressed her hands to Koara’s collarbone and closed her eyes.

  Her rather rapid heartbeat slowed as Illuma worked her talent through Koara’s flesh.

  Her body slowed, her perceptions slowed and Koara was ready to put herself into the body of a person of Gol.

  She closed her eyes and let Illuma work her magic.

  Two hours later, Illuma’s hands stroked across her scalp and removed her hair. “There. That should do it. How do you feel?”

  Koara flexed her hands and lifted the grey appendages up so she could see them. “I feel different but the same, if that makes any sense.”

  “Good. Now, your new clothing is behind the curtain. When you emerge, you will see yourself in a full-length mirror.”

  Illuma sat on her chair and twirled lazily. Koara got to her feet and moved behind the curtain, looking at her bare grey body while she tugged on the leggings, wedged on the shirt and put on the hip wrap that was currently trending in Gol.

  The clothing was skintight, because it wasn’t used for insulation. It simply camouflaged the body and made it easy to determine gender at a glance.

  Koara put on her shoes, and she stepped out of the changing area. The mirror in the medical room reflected a grey woman wearing clothing appropriate to any season on Gol.

  Koara narrowed her eyes. “Is a skull tattoo asking too much?”

  For the first time, Illuma smiled. “It is very appropriate, but it will depend on you. What do you want?”

  “Scuultha. The flowers. They are the most innocuous tattoo and also the most common. They will not cause any comment. Well, I hope not.”

  “You have done your homework. Hold still.” Illuma walked up behind her and pressed her hands behind Koara’s ears. When she pulled her fingers away, the design was in place.

  Koara turned her head from side to side, and she nodded. “Excellent. I will blend in.”

  “It will only last for a few days. Do what you have to in the cities before then. I designed it so that when you are done what you have to research in the cities, you can go to the rural areas and get a feel for the people.”

  “How long will I be down there?”

  “Until you send the signal and a pickup can be arranged. That is up to your pilot.”

  “Where is my pilot?”

  Illuma gave her another smile. “You are looking at her.”

  “Fair enough. When do we leave?”

  “Now.”

  “Good. Do I have any changes of clothing?”

  “One, in a bag on the shuttle. I will walk you through everything while we travel. Are you ready?”

  “I think so. I need my secure data pad but that is about it.”

  Illuma shook her head. “It won’t work. I have altered your skin. The DNA sample is no longer an option unless you want to spit on the sensor.”

  “What am I supposed to do then?”

  “Learn what you can on the trip to Gol and then learn what you have to from the locals. As long as you have the basics, like your name, family group and home, you will blend right in.”

  “How long until we get there?”

  “Thirty-six standard hours. You have until then to decide who you are going to be.” Illuma removed her medical coat and hung it up on a hook, brushing a bit of lint off her bodysuit.

  Koara ran her hand over her skull. “We had better get going then.”

  Illuma smiled a third time and led the way to the shuttle.

  Koara used Illuma’s files to update herself. The vids were exceptionally helpful. She learned that touching one’s head in public was not done. Hands were to remain at your sides unless reaching for something and bags were all cross-body. No backpacks were seen. That seemed odd to Koara. It wouldn’t have an effect on her research, but it was a social anomaly that might have some echo in physiology.

  In aid to physiological study, Illuma provided her with a minute scanner smaller than her thumb. She was to use it when she could.

  The code f
or a pickup was easy. She pressed a beacon that Illuma had installed in her right elbow, and if she were in desperate need, she would press it twice. Illuma didn’t say how she would affect the rescue, but she confirmed that it would happen within twelve hours.

  Koara was being launched via dissolving pod to the exterior of one of the large cities. She would have to walk in.

  She had local currency and a map to the nearest museum. She would be fine.

  The pod would blow apart the moment she landed, and the first rainfall would destroy the specially designed polymer. It felt a little weird to trust breakaway technology, but it was the best option for an unknowing species.

  The language issue had been taken care of, and she had located an area where her accent would be considered acceptable as an origin point.

  When she was ready and they were in position, Illuma launched her toward Gol, and with a slow corkscrew, Koara landed on a new world.

  She shattered the pod by pulling the release and blowing the hatch. One moment, she was surrounded by hard plexi, and the next, she was sitting in shards.

  Koara sighed as she got to her feet, and she walked toward the glowing light of the city.

  If anyone had seen her landing, it would have been one of the local country folk. She had a story prepared in case anyone came by.

  She walked through the night and took public transportation the moment that it became an option.

  The café that she found opened early. She bought a roll and some hot tea for breakfast, and she chatted with the clerk.

  “Why are you up and around so early?”

  Koara shrugged. “I was out with friends chasing dropping stars. I went one way, they went another, and I ended up walking back to the city.”

  The clerk chuckled. “Well, you picked a good café.”

  Koara ate the roll and drank her tea at a small table. As she nursed the cup, the city came alive on the street outside.

  A rush of commuters flooded the café, and the tables remained sparsely populated while the line snaked out the door. It took an hour and Koara got a quick refill while she waited until the opening hours of the museum.

  She noted that everyone paid for breakfast, from labourers to executives. Everyone was equal and waited equally. It was nice to see.

  No folk of Gol turned their back to one of the others. The lines were all sideways. Shoulder to shoulder, they sidestepped toward the clerk.

  So, backs were a thing.

  Koara saw three other women with skull tattoos, and she applauded herself for noticing it in the vids.

  No one did more than glance at her, so she was able to watch without being noticed.

  When the chronometer on the wall displayed the time she was waiting for, Koara got to her feet, put her cup on the dish station and she waved farewell to the clerk.

  The museum was six blocks away, so she walked from the café to the Museum of Gol.

  It was fascinating to pay the fee and step into a tour that took her through the history of the species. The hardest part of blending in was the body language. Not turning her back to others was the hardest thing she had to manage.

  When she had picked up a number of very interesting facts, she went to the next museum to see if it reinforced what the first one had said.

  With the second tour completed, she had a handful of informational crystals to view at home and another city to book into.

  Transport was done via high-speed train. The Golum were masters of resonance, and vibration massively reduced friction if the pitch was right.

  She sat on a very comfortable seat that had a gel back as she travelled across a bridge anchored into the floor of the ocean. Far below, the waves beat at the posts, but the train remained steady, moving at incredible speed.

  She settled into her seat and caught some sleep. It might be the only chance she got.

  When she woke, a man was sitting across from her with a strange smile on his lips. “What language was that?”

  She blinked. “Something I made up when I was a child. It surfaces when I am discomforted by travel.”

  He extended his hand, the back toward hers. “I am Morgthen.”

  “Kiahrah.” She pressed the back of her hand to his.

  “Where are you headed?”

  She shrugged as she took in the strong line of his jaw, the bright blue of his eyes, and she had the funny feeling that she had seen him somewhere before.

  “I am doing museum tours, stopping at every one I come across while I travel the globe as quickly as I can.”

  “Why are you rushing?”

  She shrugged. “Time is precious and I want to make the memories now and pick through them later for revisits.”

  She went on the offensive. “Why are you travelling?”

  “Oh, just returning from visiting my sister. I am taking a detour on my way home. I have to say, so far, I am enjoying it.”

  The time display indicated that there was still an hour until they arrived at their destination, so Kiahrah settled in for chitchat mode.

  It was her first try truly blending in.

  Her whirlwind tour of Gol took her four days. When she was at her last stop, she walked into the local café and came to a complete halt. A familiar face was chatting with the clerk, and he blinked in surprise as he saw her.

  “Kiahrah. What brings you here?” He walked up to her and extended his hand.

  She pressed the back of her hand to his. “Sorry. My thoughts just went right out of my head. Morgthen, what are you doing here?”

  “I am staying in a local hospitality stop. Can I buy you a cup of tea?”

  She smiled. “Please.”

  They sat, and he smiled slowly before he paused with his brow furrowing. “Didn’t you have a tattoo?”

  She bit her lip. “It was just temporary. I wasn’t sure if I had the nerve to get a real one, so I was trying it out while I travelled.”

  “Very sensible. I have never heard of a temporary tattoo before. It seems to be a good idea.”

  She sighed when he appeared to accept it as a good excuse.

  Kiahrah sipped at her tea, and they discussed her different museum tours. When it was time to visit the local establishment, she regretfully got to her feet. “I am sorry. I need to finish this tour. It is the last one on my checklist.”

  “I will join you.”

  She couldn’t think of a reason he shouldn’t, so she smiled. “Please.”

  The tour confirmed what she already knew. There was no doubt in her mind that the Golum would be an asset to the Alliance, but the Alliance had nothing to offer the Golum.

  Chapter Seven

  Kiahrah inclined her head toward Morgthen after their charming lunch. “It was lovely seeing you again. Thank you for your company.”

  “It was entertaining. I have rarely visited a museum since I became an adult.” He moved in close.

  She backed up. “I am glad you have had a good time, but I have to return home. I wish you well and that you have a bright future.”

  It was a terribly formal version of one of their own goodbyes, but she found it was appropriate. She was going to send the signal from outside the town at dark, and hopefully, Illuma would be there to pick her up before dawn.

  She wanted to spend time with Morgthen, but it wasn’t feasible. She was leaving. Even a light romance was out of the question.

  He was bemused by her rejection. “Thank you for your wishes.”

  She cleared her throat. “Well, I am on my way. Have a bright day.”

  She left him and headed for the edge of the town. When she had travelled three blocks, she turned and checked to make sure she wasn’t being followed. He was gone.

  Part of her was disappointed, but the part of her that was trying to get back to Citadel Lowel and her own skin was delighted.

  She hiked out of the town with her water bottle in her bag and the data crystals in a small case at the bottom.

/>   The sun was bright overhead, but she kept walking until she reached the low hills just beyond the town. The light was being stained with the standard lavender she was now used to, and she was far enough away from habitation that it was safe to trigger the beacon.

  She settled in the low rocks and moss, facing upward and watching the sky. There was no way for Illuma to get a message to her, so she simply had to wait and trust that her extraction was coming.

  She was shivering in the darkness when curls of mist wrapped around her.

  “Damn it.” She sat up and batted at the mist. To her shock, the mist batted at her hand in return.

  She squeaked, but the mist coiled over her mouth, silencing her as it lifted her and carried her through the hills with shocking speed.

  She hauled air in through her nose, but she was hyperventilating and spots were whirling. Golum physiology was not suited to panic.

  She blacked out.

  A hand had a compress on her forehead, and the masculine voice was chuckling. “Come on, Koara. Wake up.”

  She opened her eyes to see the accoutrements of the shuttle around her, and she sighed in relief. “Made it.”

  Morgthen leaned over her. “You certainly did.”

  She squeaked and backed up until the wall behind the medical bed was pressing into her spine.

  Illuma’s voice called out, “Explain it.”

  Morgthen chuckled. “The sister I was visiting was Iara. It is good to see you again, Koara.”

  She squeaked again. “Ioko?”

  He inclined his bald grey head. “Yes. Iara is about to find out that I have been doing planetary assessments for the last seven years. The Kozue have been doing a bit of evolving, and as a few of ours are members of the Sector Guard and Citadel, it has been decided that those who wish to retire from active service under their siblings can find a placement in the Alliance.”

  “Why didn’t you tell Iara?”

  “I had no reason to. She can’t visit the warship, so my going to her became my focus. My job just makes it easier.”

  “You can go to the Kozue and work with the Alliance?”

  “Of course. When not on Alliance assignment, I work with the Kozue to increase their education.” He reached out and stroked her cheek.