Gaze (2 page)

It was only when her physicians noticed her squinting that she surrendered to the peculiarity of having to go back into their care and under the laser to fix her near-sighted vision. Before, she had been able to let people examine her eyes and not be nervous, but when she had to look into the red and yellow bursts of the laser, she had felt terror that her newly found vision was going to be stripped away.

In less than two days, her vision had cleared, and she was able to begin using some of her new accessories. The mechanical and electronic hybrid system connected her optic nerve to her visual cortex in a way that Mother Nature had not bothered to do. Creating that one means of information input had changed her life just in time to turn her into the pilot of a ship with impulse-control issues.

From the time that she arrived at the Transport Station, two years passed before she was capable with her new accessories and ready to meet the ship generated from her own cells.

It seemed that the
Blue Fairy
had gotten all of the joy that she had had to keep under control as a child. No running, no playing pranks and very little joy had been offered to her with her parents over-protective and paranoid about the world outside their home.

Her college professor had put her name forward as a Volunteer when the Alliance had sent their representatives to meet the Terrans. They had a Volunteer recruitment centre on campus, and he had taken her in for her interview.

She had never returned to her home, but she had made a video for her parents. Gwyn wanted them to know how much she loved them, but she had to start fresh somewhere else. There had actually been a lawsuit instigated by her parents to keep her on earth. She had politely refused to remain at home and had surrendered herself to Alliance custody. Her life had changed from that of a student to a guest of the Alliance.

Four months of being interviewed by people she couldn’t see and engaging in the peculiar sensation of having someone touching her mind to determine her mental health on a semi-weekly basis, and she had looked forward to leaving and starting her new life. When it happened, she climbed into the pod and took the sedative while they strapped her into the gel. When she woke, aliens and medical equipment surrounded her with four doctors speaking to her in low tones and strange languages that she could surprisingly understand.

Each pilot candidate had her own medical team, eager to try out new technology devised across the Nyal Imperium. Gwyn’s team had not only addressed her birth defect, but also helped her with the burn tissue that had come with surviving a fire at her house when she was seven.

The scar tissue was the lesser of her problems. In fact, the sensitivity had come in handy when it came to judging weather. Her physicians had evened out the scarring, smoothed her damage and helped her regrow a protective layer of skin. It wasn’t as thick as standard tissue, but the high-tech suit she wore compensated for that by keeping her body temperature even and allowed her to function at the capacity of a normal Terran.

Gwyn smiled. It was always amusing that she had to leave earth to become normal by her own family’s standards. Too bad they would never know.

She sighed and got back to the matter at hand. The planet of Ishno had two orbital stations. One was for trade and medical, the other was for transfers. Gwyn was picking up Shiver on the medical side.

His dossier was now in her system, and she perused it while she flew toward the final jump to lead her to her new Guardian. He looked friendly enough, which was impressive when you took into account the complete armoured suit that covered every feature.

Shiver’s history of performance included some treaties, a few police actions and six recruitments to the Guardian program. It was impressive for a member of a species who had been born as part of a gas cloud. Shiver was referred to as a
he,
but there was no actual gender associated with Nishans. They chose their gender at some point, but they were still able to shift from one to the other or any other form they picked.

Gwyn pulled them through another jump and yawned. “Kick us into the station, baby. I am going to catch a nap.”

The ship’s lights flared and dimmed in acknowledgement. The
Fairy
retracted the jacks that linked them, and Gwyn staggered off to her room for a few hours before another Guardian with his own duties disturbed her quiet life.

A light chime woke her, and she staggered into the shower for a quick blast of lukewarm water and a fresh suit. The bots had taken her other suit away while she slept, so she tugged on another circuit-heavy bodysuit in gold and brown.

The suits had taken some getting used to, but now, the hug of fabric was comforting. It kept her system at a constant temperature, and it managed to do what the physicians couldn’t. It kept her from freezing or over-heating. Lack of thermal control was a price she had paid when she had been trapped in a burning building.

Being out of the compression suit she had lived in was a relief. A bot trundled in with her breakfast, and she sipped at a cup of caf while she checked the displays at her desk for relative position to the station. They were about half an hour out.

She munched the toast and the random spread that
Blue
had given her today. It was sweet and fruity, so the ship wanted her in a good mood.

Gwyn checked her messages and updated Nitza with her current location. The regular check-in was important. If anything went wrong with either the experimental ship or the experimental pilot, Nitza was their best lifeline.

She grabbed the apple off her tray and walked to the command deck, munching away. She settled into her chair and shivered lightly as the jacks slipped through the ports in her suit. Gwyn finished her apple, tossed the core to the waste receptacle and settled her arms on the armrests. The jacks entered her forearms and torso, linking her directly to the outgoing com systems.

“Ishno Station, this is the
Blue Fairy,
Guardian Transport. I am requesting docking permission to pick up a passenger.” She watched as her ship crept closer to the station.

A minute went by and there was no response. “Baby, run the scans over the station.”

Images started to appear behind her eyes. There were bodies arranged neatly in the station atrium and a single figure walking between them. She saw the figure kneel next to a body and lift the head, holding something.

The people weren’t dead; the figure was trying to get one to drink.

“Nitza, I need emergency contact with the Ishno Medical Station.” She sent the signal and waited.

“No contact is available. I have checked with the Ishno Trade Centre, and they haven’t heard anything for twelve hours.”

“In that case, we need emergency medical. Does Shiver have a com system in his suit?”

“A short-range system, yes. I am sending you his frequency.” Nitza paused. “How bad is it?”

“I won’t know until I get in touch with the only walking body in the station. I think it’s Shiver.”

“Good guess. If it is a pathogen, he wouldn’t be affected. Keep me posted. I am sending medical as fast as I can, but they need to know what they are going in to.”

“Understood. I will get back to you as soon as I can.”

Baby was working on instinct, Gwyn waited as the frequency connected with the single being on the station. “This is the
Blue Fairy,
Guardian Transport. Please acknowledge.”

A click on the other end preceded, “Do not dock or share air. The station is contaminated with Drescu sickness.”

“Understood. What do you need?” She sent a message to Nitza via baby while she spoke. The highly virulent illness was harmless to children but could be fatal to adults if not treated. The medics would have to come in with full gear and plenty of the treatment.

“I need a full medical team prepared for the sickness and a lot more water on this station. The supply vessel’s crew caught the sickness and are now on the floor of the atrium.”

“Are you all right to take care of them for a while?”

She scanned the ships docked at the station while she chatted.

“I am. Do not come into this station.”

She laughed. “Got that. I have no urge to contract Drescu sickness. I am a susceptible species.”

She found the water transport and brought the ship in close.
Blue
hit the floodlights and she was able to spot the connections. “Well, honey bunny. It looks like I am going for a walk.”

A voice came to her through her implants. “What did you call me?”

She laughed as she unlatched herself from the ship. “Sorry. I tend to address the ship by a number of nicknames. I forgot the com was open.”

“That’s all right. It is good to hear a voice. The population has been sick for a few days. Will you leave the com open?”

Gaze headed down the stairs. “Of course, Shiver. Call me Gaze.”

“Thank you, Gaze, it is good to hear a friendly voice.”

She smiled and moved toward her exterior hatch. Her suit was waiting, and she slipped into it with the ease of a lot of practice.

“Gaze, what are you doing?”

“I am going outside to hook up the water supply. Their ship and the exterior ports are accessible with a little effort. I won’t have to expose myself, but I should be able to solve one of your issues.”

“Are you fully able to manage?”

She laughed. “I would hope so. Seeing what is hidden is my speciality. Now, bear with me while I put the helmet on and get my jets firing.”

She sent a signal to
Blue
and the airlock engaged, purged and spit her out with only her tether holding her to her best friend. The
Fairy
drifted closer to the station and water transport before locking in position using magnetic grapples.

In the triangle formed by the ships and station, she came out and floated to the station locks. Her gloves made slow going of the panels and she had to get her ship to override the passkeys, but eventually, she was able to see the access hatch for the water supply.

The ship was a little more complicated, but she worked the serpentine and rigid hose out until it was hovering just outside the station port. “Okay, baby, wake up the station.”

The station port opened, and the water feed magnetized to the opening. She hauled herself along the pipe and opened the insulated water feed to refill the station stores.

“I have water coming in. Can you access it yet?”

Shiver’s voice came through. “It is coming. Thank you.”

“Not a problem. All part of the service.” She chuckled and waited while the water continued to flow. Her oxygen was ten minutes from over when the water ceased to flow and she could seal the station. The ship’s line retracted automatically, courtesy of the
Fairy,
and Gaze headed home.

That first gasp of air when she took off the helmet was always the sweetest. “Oh, yeah. That’s the stuff.”

Shiver’s voice was amused. “What are you doing now?”

“Breathing in my beloved ship’s air, how are you doing?”

“I am watering as many of them as I can. I would grow a few extra arms but this suit isn’t designed for it.”

As Gaze slipped out of her suit and she hung it in the testing unit, she asked, “Can you really pick any form you want?”

“I can.”

“What shape are you in right now?”

“A male Kozue. They don’t frequent this area, but they are rather striking.”

She chuckled. “Do you like for folks to think you are pretty?”

“Of course, don’t you?”

“Physical appearance is not one of my primary concerns, no.” For years, she had just hoped that no one mixed up her hangars or lied to her when she shopped at a clothing store.

Trust had been her primary concern. She had been forced to trust those around her, and it was a very wearing thing. Deciding to go to college and leaving the mapped out, fully counted safety of her home had taken all her nerve. Finding her way to classes each day had burned like acid across her self-control, but she had managed it. Frankly, they were lucky that she didn’t wear her bathrobe to classes.

Her white cane had made her stand out no matter what she wore. While she had used it, it was the only thing that it seemed people saw when they looked at her. Well, that had been her perception. She couldn’t actually see what the expressions were.

“Interesting. You will be the first female I have met that has not had looks as their primary focus.”

She snorted into the com. “I am learning about vanity. My features were touched up a little when they gave me my additions.”

“Touch ups?”

She laughed. “I am Guardian Transport. We all have enhancements.”

“It sounds intriguing. I look forward to meeting you.”

“I have gotten a ping from the import hub. They are sending medical staff for full containment. Nyal Imperium virulent specialists will be here shortly to back up the medical teams.”

“Excellent. As soon as I get a full decontamination, I will request permission to come on board.”

“Good. I hate surprises. Do you have food preferences?”

“I can eat just about anything. I would like to thank you in advance for your hospitality.”

“It is simply part of my duties. Nothing more, nothing less.”

There was silence for a moment. “Then, I thank you for your attention to duty.”

Gwyn laughed. “It is no trouble. We had no other plans.”

“Are there others on board the ship?”

“There is myself and the ship. Should there be someone else?” Gwyn smiled. She was used to the Guardians forgetting about the ship itself before they got on board, but the ship didn’t let them forget it after they were within the confines of her hull.

“I will respect the honour of your hospitality.”

“Thank you. Now, what kind of games do you like to play? I have nineteen board games and several card decks from all over the imperium.”

They got into a discussion of the varieties of checker-like games, and before she knew it, there was a medical team docking with the station. She ran scans to make sure that all of the staff were who they said they were. Convinced that they were who they said they were, she watched the scans as people were moved into treatment clusters through the atrium, clumped by their relative health.