Cassandra's Challenge (14 page)

“Yes.”

“It would explain the Regulian attack. But why
would they want the child?”

“Victoria.”

“What?”

“Her name is Victoria, she’s nine, extremely
smart, and has been through hell.”

“Ok so why Victoria? What makes her so special?”
Quinn asks.

“It has something to do with this light. It’s a
threat to someone.” The Admiral looks at the clock he’ll only be an
hour late.

“Tell communications I want to know as soon as
they receive the reply to this.” He holds out his hand for the
report. “This stays between us for now Quinn. There’s something big
going on. I want this traitor.” Leaving the bridge he heads for his
quarters.

Cassandra raises her head from the book she’s
reading at the buzzing at the hatch. Victoria looks at her. They
hadn’t discussed if she should answer his door. There are lots of
things they hadn’t discussed. Getting up she goes into the ready
room. The buzzing sounds again.

“Mam, it’s Hutu with dinner.” Cassandra opens
the door.

“Hello.” Hutu greets her carrying two covered
plates on a tray, he waits while she secures the door. “The Admiral
asked me to inform you he is going to be late and to not wait on
him. Can I take this back to his quarters?”

“Yes, thank you Hutu.”

“It’s nothing, hello there little one how are
you today?”

“Good finishing my homework. Is it
cnaipini sicin
again?” She asks in a hopeful voice.

Hutu takes a cover off, “It certainly is, by the
Admiral’s request.”

“Yes!” Victoria says with a fist pump. Cassandra
smiles at Hutu.

“You’ve made her night. Thank you.”

“Anytime, I’ll secure the door on the way out.
Have a good night.” Cassandra waits until see hears the locks
secure then turns to Tori.

“So should we eat?” Sitting down Cassandra takes
the cover off her plate, smiling that hers was the something she
recognized. William has thought of both of them.

“Hey you’ve got Ranch!” Tori exclaims as she
reaches for the small bowl on Cassandra’s plate. There hadn’t been
one last night. Quickly dipping her nugget into it she takes a
bite.

“Don’t you think you should ask first?”
Cassandra laughs at her, Victoria used to dip everything in Ranch.
Tori just grins then makes a nasty face.

“What?” Cassandra asks. Swallowing Tori shoves
the bowl back at Cassandra.

“That’s
not
Ranch! It’s
really
nasty
!” Tori lets go of the bowl reaching for her glass before
Cassandra can grab it. As it falls it flips over splattering across
the table.

“Tori!”

“Sorry Aunt Cassie,” Tori says still drinking
her water. “But that was
bad
!” Getting a towel Cassandra
cleans up the spill.

“Let’s see if we can eat without any more spills
what do you say?”

Eating Cassandra looks at the time 1830, she
wonders how long William would be, if they should stay. Looking at
Tori she sees she’s cleaned her plate.

“That was fast. Did you even chew?”

Tori grins at her. “It was good.”

“You know I talked to Amina’s mom today. She
says the food on Deck F is much better than on G. Want to try that
tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

“Alright we’ll try it. Do you want some of
mine?” She gestures to her plate.

“No, I’m full.”

“Ok let’s clean up these dishes then I want to
talk to you about something.”

“Okay.” Once the table is cleared Cassandra sits
on the couch facing Tori.

“You know how you said last night that you could
hear voices but didn’t know what they were saying?”

“Yes.” Tori whispers.

“What if there was a way for you to understand
them?”

“What?” Her eyes widen.

“Well I was thinking. You are so good at
learning other languages, how many do you speak now?” She waits
knowing the answer.

“Nine.”

“That’s right nine, how about if you learn a new
one?”

“What one?”

“Regulian.” Tori just looks at her.

“You
know lots of languages.”

“Yes, but
I
didn’t hear what you did. Do
you want to know what they were saying?”

“What if it’s bad?”

“Then you’d at least know, but Tori what if not?
What if they were saying something that they didn’t want you to
know? If you know it, then it would be like beating them.”
Cassandra watches Tori think.

“So it would be like me finding out secrets they
didn’t want me to know?” Her eyes take on a fierce look.

“Yes.”

“How do I learn Regulian?”

“I’ll ask the Admiral.” Cassandra starts to get
up when Tori stops her.

“Aunt Cassie… I don’t feel good.”

Cassandra starts to laugh then really looks at
her. She’s starting to look green. Grabbing her she makes to the
bathroom just in time.

“Oh baby, you shouldn’t have eaten so fast.” She
holds her forehead as another spasm hits her, stronger then the
last, getting a wash cloth to wipe her sweaty brow.

“Aunt Cassie, make it stop.” She pleads as she’s
racked by another spasm. Cassandra’s beginning to realize this
isn’t eating too fast. Something is wrong.

“Come on baby, we’re going to get you some
help.” Lifting the now limp child she rushes out of the bathroom
straight into William.

“What’s going on?” He looks into Cassandra’s
frantic eyes, then down to Victoria.

“She’s sick. All of a sudden, she just started
throwing up.” William takes the unconscious Tori from her and can
immediately tell there’s something seriously wrong.

“Get the hatch! We’re taking her to
medical.”

Dr Bliant is just getting ready to leave medical
when the Admiral bursts into the room, carrying a very pale limp
child.

“Put her over here. What happened!” He
immediately demands.

“We don’t know.” William replies.

“How long has she been like this?” He looks at
Cassandra.

“She started vomiting maybe fifteen minutes ago,
she was fine before. We’d just finish eating.”

“What’d she eat?” He demands.

“Cnaipini sicin,
some
water.”

“Nothing else?”

“No! Wait, there was some type of side sauce on
my plate, she thought it was ranch tried it and thought it was
nasty.”

“How much did she ingest?”

“She dipped part of a nugget in it, ate that
bite, that’s all.” William goes very still beside her.

“Did you have any?”

“Me? No. Tori spilled it giving it back. I just
cleaned it up.”

“Where did you put it?” William demands.

Cassandra looks up at him, “I cleaned it up with
a towel from the counter then put it on the food tray. Why?”

“Stay here.” He looks at Bliant

Cassandra watches William leave, her mind trying
to catch up. Bliant starts hooking all sorts of machines up to
Victoria.

“This isn’t just food poisoning is it?”

“It’s some type of poison. I need to find out
what!” As Bliant leaves to get more equipment Cassandra moves to
Tori’s side picking up her hand, leaning down to kiss her forehead
whispering.

“You hang on Victoria Lynn, I’m here, I’m not
leaving, fight!” Bliant returns moving to the other side of the
bed.

“You should wait outside.” He tells her.

“You and what army is going to make me?” She
replies in a lethal voice, causing Bliant to look at her. What he
sees in her eyes gives him pause. There’s anguish and fear, but
also steel. He’d seen enough in his cycles of medicine to know who
would stand and who would crumble in a crisis, she would stand.

“Fine.”

William returns with the clear bag containing
the towel and remaining sauce. Bliant immediately takes it to
analyze. Cassandra’s still at Tori’s side holding her hand. She
looks at William but doesn’t speak.

The look in Cassandra’s eyes tightens William’s
throat. He knows there is nothing he can do for her right now.

“It’s Xyphrine! At about 1000 times the lethal
limit!” He states as he rushes to Tori’s arm giving her an
injection.

“Xyphrine.” William repeats looking first at
Tori, then Cassandra. While Cassandra didn’t know what Xyphrine is
she can tell by William’s eyes it isn’t good.

“That’s the antidote?” She finally asks
Bliant.

“Yes, if we’re in time.” She looks at him.

“Tell me.” She demands looking at Victoria so
still on the bed. Bliant looks to the Admiral who nods.

“Xyphrine is a level D drug,” He starts but at
Cassandra’s furious look stops. “It’s a nasty drug. At low dosages
it helps with some attachment issues but at these levels… It’s fast
acting when ingested, causing seizures, coma and death.”

“She didn’t have any seizures. Within 15 minutes
of eating she was vomiting. There couldn’t have been much absorbed
for the little amount she had.”

Bliant looks at her. “That maybe, but she’s also
little.”

“When will you know?” Cassandra forces herself
to ask.

“Know?”

Cassandra takes a deep breath looking up at him.
“If the antidotes working.” William walks up behind her putting a
hand at her lower back.

“I honestly don’t know. As little as she is and
with such a high concentration, I gave her a double the amount of
antidote to try and compensate, but I truly don’t know.” Bliant
leaves them alone.

William pulls a chair to the side of the bed.
“Sit.” He tells her putting his hands on her shoulders to ease her
down.

“Who would do this William?” She asks still
looking at Tori’s face. “Who would do this to a child?” William
realizes she hasn’t thought it through. The dish was on
her
plate not Tori’s.

“I don’t know but I’ll find out. I promise.”
Cassandra lifts a hand to squeeze his. William leans down kissing
the top of her head. They wait. Dr. Bliant is in and out several
times checking the machines. Tori doesn’t move.

“Admiral,” Colonel Quinn draws his attention.
He’d been standing in the doorway long enough to observe his
longtime friend with the woman from Earth. There is some type of
connection there. It would explain the Admiral’s behavior over the
last few weeks. “Interviews have been completed.”

“Report.” Quinn looks at Cassandra.

“She has the right to hear it.”

“Yes sir. As ordered all kitchen personal were
interviewed to see who had access to the plates of food. It was
narrowed down to four with only one having the opportunity to
poison the sauce. Hutu sir.”

“That ridiculous.” Cassandra replies flatly
before William can.

“Excuse me?” Quinn replies in a sharp voice.

“Hutu would never hurt Victoria. You need to do
a better investigation if that’s all you can come up with.”
Cassandra’s eyes clashed with Quinn’s.

“Who do...” Quinn starts only to have the
Admiral cut him off.

“Enough! Both of you,” William looks at Quinn.
“She’s right. Hutu wouldn’t do this. Not to Victoria, not anyone.
Something’s been missed.”

“Would you like to re-interview yourself
Admiral?” Quinn says stiffly.

“Maybe, I know I want to talk to Hutu.” He looks
down at Cassandra. “I’ll be out in a minute Quinn.”

“Yes sir.”

“Cassandra, I need to leave for awhile.”

“I know. It’s okay.” She stands, turning to
William, still holding Tori’s hand with one of hers. Reaching up
she touches his cheek.

“Time to be the Admiral, we’ll be fine.” William
leans down to kiss her gently.

“There will be a guard posted at the door. No
one gets in.” She nods.

“William,” Cassandra takes a deep breath. “You
need to let Lucas know.” He realizes he’s forgotten all about his
son and his connection to Tori.

“I’ll let him know.”

“Ok.” Sitting back down, she gives all her
attention all her strength to Tori.

Neither man says a word as they walk the
corridors of the Retribution to the Admiral’s quarters. Once inside
William goes to his comm center.

“Close the door. Communications I need to locate
LT Lucas Zafar immediately! I’ll hold while he’s located.” The
Admiral impatiently taps his thumb on his desk as he waits.

“Zafar here,” Lucas comes on the line.

“Where are you?”

“Dad? I’m on G Deck. What’s happened?”

“Get to medical, Victoria’s been poisoned with
Xyphrine. Cassandra’s there. It’s not looking good Lucas.” William
needs to prepare his son.

“What!” William can hear the break in his son’s
voice.

“Lucas, keep it together. You’re no help to
either of them otherwise.”

“Yes sir.” Lucas disconnects. Quinn waits until
the Admiral puts down his headset.

“What the
fuck
is going on here, Will!
Planetary destruction, Regulian threads, traitors in Carina. Now
poisoning a child? Then there’s you cozying up with some woman
while we’re on tour!

“Be careful Quinn, be very careful.” William’s
voice reveals his barely contained fury.

“Shit, it’s not like she’s your life mate or…”
Quinn trails off. “Is she? No she can’t be she’s not from
Carina.”

“Is there some rule about that?” Will raises an
eyebrow.

“Well no but…Will…You’re sure?” William just
looks at Quinn. “Of course, you’re sure. You wouldn’t have gotten
involved on tour otherwise. What a mess.” He sits down. William
reaches down into the same drawer his son had the night before and
pulls out two glasses and the bottle. Pouring he hands one to
Quinn.

“What are you going to do?” Quinn asks taking a
sip.

“I’m going to protect what’s mine while finding
out who’s betraying the Coalition.

“You realize they’re part of it. The thread was
in Victoria. She’s been poisoned.”

“I don’t believe the poison was meant for
Victoria, and once Cassandra’s head clears she won’t either.”
William takes a drink.