Aurora Rising: The Complete Collection (157 page)

“I don’t
want
to do it. I mean I’m intrigued of course, and if the linking works out it’ll be exceedingly cool. Okay, so after a bit of research and studying the pros and cons I might want to do it. Anyway, that’s not the point—”

Kennedy regarded her dubiously. “Are you sure? Kind of seems like the point to me.”

“Well, it’s not. I don’t want to do it like this. But I will.”

“Why?”

“Because I won’t let everyone die!” Her voice had risen considerably, and she worked to notch it back down a few levels. “People are…they’re not perfect to say the least. They have a long way to go. But they—we—don’t deserve to be
exterminated
. If I have an opportunity to stop this from happening, don’t I have to take it?”

Kennedy dropped a shoulder onto the wall next to her. “That is very honorable and self-sacrificing of you. I accept you desiring to save humanity, but there’s more to it.”

Alex supposed they called them ‘best friends’ for a reason, the reason being they knew you far too well. “Sure there’s more to it. I’m pissed at these aliens. They record us and analyze us and play around with us and judge us lacking. Fuck that and fuck them.”

The last statement earned a scowl from a passing officer; she lowered her voice, again. “I won’t allow them to think they can control us or our future.”

“No one wants them to. Everyone hopes we defeat them, and everyone hopes we can ‘save humanity.’ But why does it have to be you? Why do you need to be the one to do this mad, reckless thing?”

Alex studied the floor, studied her boots, studied the passersby. With great reluctance she gave in and studied the concerned and half-angry countenance glaring at her.

“Because I
can
. I can survive the connection—I have the cybernetics to do so. I can harness the power the Artificial provides, and I can beat them. I know I can.”

Kennedy flung her hands in the air. “Ugh! I give up. I obviously can’t stop you. If Caleb can’t stop you, I don’t see why I presumed I could—”

“What are you talking about?”

“You think he wants you to do this? Have you seen his face when he watches you talking about the project? Probably not, since he only does it when you’re looking elsewhere.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed. “He hasn’t voiced any doubts to me. I mean, so much has been going on we’ve hardly had time to discuss it in private, but…if he doesn’t believe I can pull this off, why hasn’t he said anything?”

“You can be shockingly dense sometimes. You’re aware of this, right? This is not breaking news, right?”

“What?”

“I suspect he hasn’t said anything because he does believe you can pull it off. It’s the consequences which are the real stickler.”

She shook her head in protest. “I’ll be fine. He knows I will be. I’d appreciate it if you’d know it, too.”

“Alex, all of us hope you can save the galaxy. Forgive those of us who love you if we’re afraid we’ll lose you in the process.”

“You won’t.” She cringed as a message flashed in her eVi and peeked behind her at the door to the workroom they had claimed. “My mom’s back from Washington. They approved moving forward with the project.”

“When?”

“Soon, I expect. I need to go talk to her about Mia and find out the details.”

Kennedy brooded for a weighty second before grabbing her in a bear hug. “Don’t die.” Then she stepped away and gestured down the hallway. “Go.”

Her mother grimaced and pinched the bridge of her nose. In fairness, Alex had ambushed her minutes after she had returned from Washington, for which she was unrepentant.

“Alex, I cannot allow some random person who not only isn’t an Alliance citizen but apparently is an ex-thief for the Triene cartel to take part in the most top-secret venture since the Manhattan Project. Furthermore, I cannot allow such a person to form an integral part of the core of humanity’s assault against the Metigens.”

How did she find out Mia’s background?

She frowned briefly at Caleb. She had brought him along as backup in making Mia’s case—and because after what Kennedy had said she was hyper-sensitive to his state of mind and desperately hoped to get him alone following this meeting.

Hell if I know. Richard?

“She’s not ‘some random person,’ okay? And whatever she may have once done to pay the bills, she’s now a respected, wealthy businesswoman on one of the galaxy’s wealthiest planets—a planet soon to come under attack, I’ll point out, so she has a vested interest in our success. Her cybernetics are state-of-the-art, and she owns an Artificial with which she’s already formed a bond.”

“An Artificial we know nothing about. Its programming could be corrupt, tainted or simply insufficient. Artificials aren’t automatically innocent and pure and free of sin, Alex. They are what we make them.”

Alex grunted in annoyance, evoking an exasperated sigh from Miriam.

“It was with the greatest reluctance and trepidation that Prime Minister Brennon and Chairman Vranas approved moving forward on the project with regards to you, Mr. Reynolds and a Federation fighter pilot. They will not agree to the inclusion of a stranger who is completely outside the military structure.”

Alex chewed on her bottom lip. “What if I insist we need another participant? If I say three won’t be enough? It’s probably even true.”

Her mother stared at her with a vexed irritation Alex had thought perhaps they’d moved past. “Alexis Mallory Solovy, why are you insisting on being so obstinate about this?”

Now she was getting the full name treatment. Joy. But why
was
she being obstinate? Because Caleb believed Mia could do it? Yes…but also no.

“Because I believe Mia is an honorable and ethical person. More than that, she’s a fighter. I don’t have a clue whether these other two people are up to the challenge, but she’s someone who I will feel better having at my side when lives are on the line.”

A pulse leapt into her vision.

I bet you all are discussing my qualifications—or lack thereof—for this crazy project. If it helps, I believe the governor of Romane will vouch for my fitness, mentally and…possibly morally. But definitely my mental fitness.

Nice.

“Get Romane’s governor on the comm. Ask her what kind of person Mia Requelme is.”

Her mother’s face morphed into incredulity. “You’re serious, aren’t you? Of course you are. Very well, I will do exactly that, though I make no promises it will alter my decision.” Her voice tempered. “Listen, Dr. Canivon’s setting up over at Medical. She’s almost ready for you.”

“Oh.” An invisible fist gripped her heart and squeezed, leaving her short of breath. “How long?”

“An hour, she thinks. Alex, are you sure you won’t let Mr. Reynolds go first? He’s quite eager and—”

“No. This is my plan, and it’s my responsibility to prove it can work.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

Her smile was kind, conveying gratitude. “Thank you, but it does.”

Events had moved far swifter than she’d anticipated once the required officials approved the project. To her knowledge, no government program had ever in the history of governments moved to the execution stage so rapidly.

The bureaucrats hadn’t mucked up the works, however, because the bureaucrats had been completely excluded. The line of decisional authority ran in a direct line from the Prime Minister to her mother to Dr. Canivon to herself. And Abigail had worked to ensure everything was in place and ready to go for when Noetica was approved.

The reality of the looming point of no return and what it meant buried her in an avalanche of conflicting emotions. She looked around; Caleb had retreated to the wall behind them. The formerly desperate hope had just become a burning, would-not-be-denied necessity.

Will you spend that hour with me?

The intensity of his stare imparted the answer even without the words.

God, yes. Please.

She cleared her throat and turned in the general direction of where her mother stood. “If I have an hour, I’m going to go take a shower and change into more comfortable clothes….”

“I expect they’ll force hospital scrubs on you when you arrive.”

She shrugged in what she hoped was an innocent manner; she wasn’t certain she succeeded. “I know, but still…when they let me out of the scrubs I’ll want something comfortable handy. Besides, I feel grimy.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Caleb, do you…?”

“Yeah, I want to grab a few things from the room. I’ll tag along.”

Her mother’s gaze roved to Caleb and back to her. “Right. Now that I think about it, I’d want to…take a shower, too, if I were in your situation. I’ll see you at Medical, then?”

“Absolutely. In an hour.” It took all her self-control not to run for the door.

27

EARTH

EASC
H
EADQUARTERS

T
HE ON-SITE LODGING—
A
LEX WOULDN’T GO
so far as to call it a ‘hotel,’ though the room itself was nice enough—lay a short walk from the building they’d been holed up in. It was cold today, and the sky was blanketed in the sort of velvet, puffy gray clouds that meant snow waited on the horizon. She hugged her arms against her chest and made a note to wear a coat to Medical.

They were, as always, flanked by multiple security officers. Their guards’ scrutiny was directed outward rather than on her and Caleb, however, which was fine with her.

Caleb gave a curt nod to a man sitting at one of the patio tables littering the courtyard as they passed. The stranger wasn’t wearing military garb, and his unkempt, chin-length hair suggested he wasn’t military at all.

She looked over quizzically. “You know him?”

“He’s one of Richard’s agents assigned to protect us. I’ve made three of them so far, but their patterns indicate there is an additional one on duty.”

“And you were clueing him in to the fact you’d ‘made’ him?”

He chuckled quietly. “Oh, he realized I made him last night. I was merely acknowledging a colleague.”

She shook her head and intended to laugh, but it emerged closer to a grumble.

“Something wrong?”

They rounded a corner and the lodging came into sight. “I’m not a fan of all this attention. It’s getting claustrophobic, and I can’t rule out the possibility I’ll crack open like a piñata if I have to spend another minute in one of those windowless meeting rooms.”

“You understand in a few hours you’re likely to be the focus of a great deal more and closer attention.”

“I do.
Military
attention.” She groaned aloud, not caring if the guards heard her. “It’s going to be a nightmare…but it’s required for me to destroy these pretentious alien bastards, so I’ll cope. Probably.”

His hand alighted at the small of her back as they reached the entrance, sending her thoughts spinning in another direction entirely. “You will. But let’s worry about that later.”

She was in his arms before the door to their room had fully closed. Caleb’s pulse quickened in harmony with the act to send his mouth crashing into hers, made frenetic by desire. Three days as an invalid was too many for a lifetime, and he was done with it.

He needed her.

His hands rushed up her abdomen, driving her shirt persistently upward and off while holding her firmly against the wall. Her skin was hot to the touch, burning like he’d never felt it. It betrayed her arousal. She’d been so gentle, so selfless and caring toward him as he recovered, but now?

She needed him.

The ambient light provided enough luminosity for him to see her clearly yet cast the room around them in shadow. The effect was surreal, as if to place them outside of time and space. Right now he wished more than anything they were exactly that.

She yanked his shirt up and over his head in a single agitated motion. Her palm raced down bare skin until it skimmed the sole wafer-thin medwrap still melded to his side, the final tangible remnant of his brush with death.