MultipleOrganisms Page 5

  "Good. We are ready to jump into action the moment you touch down, which by my calculations should be in the next thirty seconds."

  He was right, the ground was coming up to meet her and she was breathing heavily while pulling up on the controls. The first shock forced a moan from her passenger, the second was lighter and the sound of the heavy beating of wings filled her ears.

  She looked through the view screen and saw the base, the hangar and the tarmac, all where they should be. "I think I am down."

  "Not quite. Turn your gravity on. Midnight is trying not to let you float away." Brodin's voice was coming through her suit microphone.

  She released the controls and let gravity take its course. The ship settled with a soft thud.

  Grav was shaking with relief when the door was wrenched off and Reset catapulted through the door to Multi's side.

  "Is he…"

  "He will be fine. This poison was designed for your physiology, not his. He would probably have recovered on his own if there was no other interference."

  Drahali wanted to cry. Since the moment that Remar's face had paled and he began to clutch his abdomen, she had been in a complete state of panic. To have it relieved by Reset's focused contact with Remar's skin was as much of a shock as the first discovery.

  He started to stir in less than three minutes.

  Reset turned her head, "Canil, can you lift him out of here?"

  Grav unbuckled and stumbled to the back. "I can carry him."

  Reset smiled. "I'm sure you can, but it will be less of an injury to his pride if Canil does it. You can help peel Harusk off your roof. I don't think he has ever been so scared."

  Gravity smiled and left the shuttle behind the floating body of her partner. Tendrils of Mist carried him into the base.

  Drahali walked far enough away from the shuttle to turn and see the dragon perched on the roof, claws imbedded in the metal. "Hello, Harusk, is it? I am Drahali and I promise to leave you to the regular effects of gravity."

  The dragon's claws released, one at a time. He flapped up and landed in front of her, shifting into a Drai.

  "You are the one they call Gravity?"

  "Yes, my name is Drahali though."

  "They named you well." He extended his hand and she shook it. "Is Remar all right?"

  "Reset says he might have been fine without my frantic flight to return to Teklan." She shifted from foot to foot, eager to follow Remar and the others.

  "Go, attend your partner, but I look forward to introducing you to my mate, shall we meet over dinner?"

  "That sounds nice. I look forward to it." She turned and sprinted toward the base while ground crews looked at the shuttle. General Brodin seemed to be apologising for the torn door.

  She moved through the halls as quickly as she could, finding medical by virtue of her memory.

  Reset was wiring Remar into a series of drips and monitors.

  "I thought you said he would be fine."

  "He will be. We just need to flush the toxin from his system. That means fluids and plenty of monitoring. Don't worry. He will be up and around tomorrow. Back to duty fitness in a week."

  Drahali tuned her new friend out as she went to hold Remar's hand. "I am sorry about the tea. Maybe we should stick to fruit juice in the future."

  His face shifted until he was smiling. "I like tea. I think we will just stick with sealed containers from now on."

  With his lids closed, he still looked pale, but better than when he was convulsing behind the controls of the shuttle.

  "That is a sound plan. You should rest. You look like hell." She brushed the hair away from his forehead and pressed a kiss to it.

  Reset tapped her on the shoulder and pointed toward the door. General Brodin was waiting for her.

  "I am summoned."

  "General Brodin probably wants you to debrief. You will have to recount everything that we saw and did including when you used your talents."

  She patted his arm and said, "I will be back as soon as I can. Don't go anywhere."

  He smiled. "Funny lady."

  She was smiling when she joined General Brodin and let him take her to the debriefing room adjacent to his office.

  * * * *

  As soon as his partner was gone, Remar opened his eyes. They had been reset to their natural scarlet and he didn't want to scare Drahali.

  Reset hissed and applied drops to them.

  "Just keep up with the healing, Gralial, and I will recover."

  "When are you going to tell her you have your telepathic abilities back?"

  "How did you know?" He looked at her through eyes that were the red he had been born with.

  "You knew that Brodin was there without opening your eyes. That is the big clue."

  He sighed. "You know that I was altered so that those abilities would not work. It was dangerous or considered dangerous."

  "I understand. Do you still have your blocking ability?" She was making notes on her data pad.

  "Yes. Don't worry. I will be back to full duty and then some as soon as we get the rest of this poison out of my system."

  "Yes, sir. Here we go. Hold still."

  As Reset repaired the acidic damage to his organs, he thanked whatever star watched over Drahali that she had stopped consuming her people's food. It wasn't comfortable for him to suffer through the healing, but her death would have torn a hole in his heart that nothing could have filled.

  She now had a food tester whether she wanted one or not.

  Chapter Eleven

  The debriefing took hours. Every day, every incident was compared with the official reports that Remar had sent in. Brodin asked, delved and quizzed her on every event and every time she had used her talents.

  It was exhausting.

  Brodin had a snack and water brought in, but by the time they got to Remar being poisoned, Drahali was relieved. She went through selecting meals from the ration selection and her deciding to plunge into Alliance foods so that she would be able to manage social situations more easily. Remar asked her if she wanted tea, she declined and took water instead so that the acids present in the tea of her homeland wouldn't affect her taste buds.

  "And you know the rest. I contacted the base, snivelling like an idiot when he started convulsing and Reset walked me through the emergency med kit."

  General Brodin bent his head and studied the data streams before nodding. "Yes, that's everything. Would you like to see the home you will share with Remar?"

  "Um, about that. I was told that I would be able to speak with Commander before I share anything with anyone. Matchmakers are the heart of Eorghani."

  He smiled. "He will be here within the hour. The Class One is on final approach."

  She smiled brilliantly. "Then I will stop by medical before I find the commissary. I think I need a little socializing."

  "Excellent idea. When he arrives, I will have him seek you out." He smiled and inclined his head, her dismissal obvious.

  "Thank you." She nodded and left the room. Pausing to catch a staff member in the hall, she asked for directions to the commissary and he offered to show her. She waved him off and told him she needed to stop in medical first.

  Entering medical, she came to a halt when Remar smiled at her entrance. Surrounding his blue eyes was a dark well of red. No white was visible. "What happened to your eyes?"

  It was the reset. My eyes had been altered for the comfort of those around me. Do they frighten you?

  "No, but you look different…wait. Did I just hear you in my head?"

  Yes, another part of the reset. My people deactivated my ability to read and project thoughts when I sprouted multiple mes.

  She felt a light touch on her mind. "Can you stop that? It's weird."

  Reset was nowhere to be found.

  "Where is your physician?"

  "She's off having dinner. Are you hungry?" He walked toward her and she was craning her neck to keep eye contact with his altered orbs.

 
"Yes, I was coming to ask you the same."

  "Drahali, you are going to get a crick in your neck. I promise you can stare at my eyes later." He turned her around and wrapped an arm around her waist.

  "How are you feeling?"

  "Much better. Just having you next to me again is making me feel much better." He gave her a squeeze.

  They walked quietly to the commissary and she was amazed at the array of food that was available, including a few of her favourites. She made her selections and carried her tray toward the seating area, smiling as Harusk waved her over. He was sitting next to a lovely woman who seemed friendly enough.

  Drahali sat across from the woman and Harusk introduced them. "Mayden, this is Drahali. Drahali, this is Mayden, also known as Past Tense."

  "Hello, Drahali. How are you enjoying life in the Sector Guard?"

  "It has its moments."

  Remar sat next to her and their companions blinked at him in surprise.

  Mayden exclaimed, "Remar, your eyes!"

  "It's a reset problem. All Virgoths have them. I had mine altered when I entered Alliance space so as not to scare small children," he explained ruefully while settling in to eat his dinner.

  Drahali took the hint and started to explore her selections. Conversation at the table turned to the house that Harusk was building and before she knew it, Drahali was volunteering to help. "I used to work on a lot of large projects."

  Mayden frowned as if she was loathe to let another woman strain herself.

  Harusk put his hand over his wife's. "Don't worry about it, Mayden. Trust me on this. She can lift just about anything she puts her mind to. I found out the hard way."

  Drahali laughed and Remar demanded to know what had gone on when he was unconscious.

  Harusk was two thirds of the way through his tale of clinging frantically on top of the shuttle and having to push it down to the ground rather than lift it up when an Azon and another Terran came through the doors.

  "Mayden, Harusk, good to see you. You would be Drahali?" The Azon extended his hand. "I am Hyder or Commander if you prefer. Would you care to come with me for a few minutes?"

  She nodded and took his hand, smiling at Remar as she left him. "Back in a minute."

  Hyder led her to the centre of the base, a huge conservatory filled with flowers and trees. "Now, what can I do for you, Drahali?"

  "My people depend on folk like you. Matchmakers. I need to know who my ideal match is."

  Hyder smiled and stroked her cheek with his fingers. "Remar, also known as Multiple Organism. I told him as much weeks ago."

  She blinked. "He didn't tell me that."

  "He wanted you to get your own answers to put a cork in your doubt. Without a doubt, you and Remar are complementary in the best of ways." He chuckled at her expression and started her walking through the greenery again. "The first time I saw Helen in my dreams, I went into denial. There was no way I was going to pair myself with a woman from a new race just because she appeared to be compatible, but it turned out to be exactly what we both needed and now we are planning a family."

  "I still don't understand how a person can be a guard and be a parent."

  "It isn't easy, but each base has those who don't leave it and are willing to act as nannies and babysitters. Lodgings are easy to expand and we have the best medical care in the Alliance. Give it some thought. Your base physician can suspend your cycles if you wish her to."

  "I will give it some thought." She felt giddy. She wanted nothing more than to experiment with kissing again, but Remar was in the commissary.

  "Have I rested your mind?" He was steering them back to the doors.

  "Yes, thank you. I can at least tell my parents that I saw a matchmaker now. It is more important than you can imagine."

  He smiled and patted her hand. "I do understand. You are not the first, nor the last, that I will have to speak to. Remar is a good man, you won't regret it."

  She laughed. "I may occasionally regret it, but I will never undo it. That I promise you. Now, I believe I need to experience the variety of desserts available."

  "Then let us not waste a minute." Hyder took her back to the commissary and Remar.

  Her partner stood up as she approached and she grinned at him. "That settles that."

  He looked warily from her to Hyder. "What is settled?"

  "You are stuck with me, you red-eyed multiplier. Now, get down here for a minute." When he leaned close, she went up on her toes and she planted a sweet kiss on his lips in front of everyone in the dining area.

  His red eyes almost pulsed when he drew back. "Is that a yes to being my partner?"

  She sighed and stepped up on a chair so she could reach him. "Yes." She kissed him again and this time, his arms came around her, supporting her as she dangled in the air. Clearing throats and laughter broke them up.

  Hanging from his embrace, she flushed and started to glow, causing more giggles and exclamations throughout the room. "That's enough for now, I think. What's for dessert?"

  Remar ruefully set her down and went to make some selections for her.

  She watched him move with open fascination. Finally, she was going to have a man of her own and he was just as thrilled with her. This was going to be interesting.

  When he returned, the six of them talked shop, about the vids that were being requested for the Alliance Archives and what kind of poses they wanted to be in.

  The Sector Guard was getting its own instalment in the history of the Alliance and that history now included Drahali.

  Looking around her, she couldn't help herself--she glowed. She was gaining friends, had a job, was making money and now had the possibility of love on her doorstep. Her mother would never believe her.

  Epilogue

  Nrahali Delnin followed the directions on the package and gathered her family. At her touch, a hologram sprang to life and stood in front of them. The male was obviously of Dhema, but he wore the same type of suit that Multi had worn when he came for their daughter.

  "Delnin family. I am Might of the Sector Guard Base Teklan. The following clip is a document that is filed in the Alliance Archive and it displays all of the Guardsmen who have performed admirably in the line of duty. Grav and Multi thought you would enjoy the display. They look forward to visiting you soon."

  They watched as couples were displayed. Some wearing masks, but all in uniforms, stood in their formal room.

  The moment that Drahali was displayed with Multi's arm around her waist, Nrahali cried. Her daughter was proud, head high and chin up. Her long hair flowed loose to her waist and while the bronze uniform did not leave much to the imagination, Multi's contrasting uniform made them a striking couple.

  Hestin swallowed, "Do you think they are…you know…a couple?"

  Nrahali remembered the look in Multi's eyes when he first saw her little girl. "If they are not, it is not for his lack of trying."

  Her husband looked resigned and as she froze the display so she could look at her daughter's face. She whispered, "It was the best thing for her."

  He kissed her cheek. "I know, but it is still hard. She is my little girl."

  "And now she is a hero. She can be both. You have to let her be both."

  He sighed and tilted his head to look at the hologram. "She is definitely a woman now. I just wish it wasn't on display."

  "Better on display than wasted in manual labour. I could not be more proud. She has my eyes after all."

  Her husband squeezed her waist, "I just wish she didn't have so much of your figure. Multi must have quite the hard time keeping his mind on the job."

  She blushed. "Compliments like that will get you everywhere."

  Even though the hologram was paused, Nrahali could have sworn that her daughter just winked.

  Author's Note

  Thank you for reading this little story, Multiple Organisms. The title tickled me from day one and I love to mislead my readers when it comes to titles.

  In this book, we m
et characters from my first Champions book Arena Station, as well as the good folk from Freak Factor and Past Tense.

  Hard Hearted's main characters showed up and offered what help they could. All in all, a fun romp through the Sector Guard.

  Drahali was an interesting character for me to write. She isn't completely tech-savvy and that is a hard quality for me to put down on the page. Remar was easy and had issues that echoed his partner's, a strange situation.

  Thanks again for joining the Sector Guard.

  Viola Grace

  viola@violagrace.com

  http://www.violagrace.com

  http://www.devinedestinies.com

  http://www.extasybooks.com

  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola's fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.