Keeper (2 page)

Meeting a group of women who all had a psychic element to their existence took a little out of Aggie. Her connection with Marty was because they shared genes. They were literally designed to be on the same frequency. It wasn’t a talent she shared with anyone else.

Her armour was a good fit. She had free range of movement and her face was completely hidden. It was definitely incentive to brush her teeth. Her head was hidden in a hood that settled on her shoulders in the same gold and black as her armour. It was very stylish but a pain in the butt.

The rules of her uniform meant that she couldn’t do more than remove her faceplate in front of her charge. The lav had a solar flash connection and her suit was designed to wick away sweat. She could get clean but it took some doing.

Her ship was a pleasant surprise. It had a consciousness and it loved to chat about the stars and what it was going to show her. Talorca was a name it was considering, but currently, it was the
Grey Talon
.

The headmistress came up to her. “Where are you off to next, Keeper?”

“I don’t know. My ship has the details. Is all in order with Lianda?”

The woman nodded. “She has her temporary link in place and she will begin the process to develop her own control. It is good that you are available to ferry these young people around. Many would not be so considerate. Lianda speaks very highly of you.”

“She was my first assignment, so I am glad that it has been concluded satisfactorily. I hope that she will thrive here.”

“I hope that you continue to feel for your clients. I wish you good luck.” It was a polite dismissal but a dismissal nonetheless.

“I wish you a calm day of educating.”

Aggie turned and was on her way back to the ship when small arms wrapped around her. Lianda had deep purple skin and bright gold eyes. “Goodbye, Keeper Aggie. I promise to write whenever I can.”

“Good, Lianda. I want to hear about everything you are learning and how you are enjoying your time here. Thoola is full of friendly faces and you will fit right in with them. Give yourself every opportunity to be happy, Lianda.”

Aggie felt the lightest of touches against her mind. She let it slide away, and she stroked Lianda’s head. “Be good.”

She got a little teary behind her mask, and when she had separated from her charge, she made a beeline for the
Grey Talon
.

Once inside, she relaxed as the door closed and sealed behind her. She removed her mask and stumbled into the cockpit. “That was hard.”

“It was only for three weeks, Aggie. Some of these flights last longer.”

She groaned and settled in the captain’s chair. “Wonderful. Do we have another assignment?”

“We do. A teen who ran away from home. We have to bring him home.”

Aggie strapped in and snapped her faceplate back on. “Up, up and away.”

“I watched that video. He has a strange fashion sense, but it is a good visual.”

Aggie grinned as they took off. “Any progress on the name?”

“No. Keep calling me
Talon
for now. I will work on what I think I should be called and get back to you later.”

They elevated smoothly and set off through the stars. Since Aggie didn’t have flight training and they didn’t really need another person involved with a psychically active teen, a sentient ship was called for.
Talon
was just what Aggie needed and companionship as well.

“Where are we off to?”

“Hirwin Prime. Our runaway has a cousin there who he hopes will shelter him.”

“How do we know that?”

“His parents read his correspondence.”
Talon
’s voice was dry.

“All righty then.” She opened the file and started reading.

Wovian Lekardo was a young man who was afraid of his future. He was slated as a candidate for his world’s Avatar.

“
Talon
?”

“Yes, Aggie?”

“What is an Avatar?”

“Didn’t they teach you anything?”

Aggie grinned. “They taught me a few things but missed out on the planetary political details.”

“It isn’t political. The Alliance Federated and sentient planets means just that, the planets are sentient and they seek out Avatars. The Avatars are those who have portions of their planet’s conscious within them. It gives them enormously long lifespans, but it means they will watch their parents, family and friends die before they do. It is hard for them and not all see it as an honour.”

Aggie nodded. “I can see how it would be a stressful situation.”

“Good. That will make your dealings with him easier. He will be scared and brittle, but he needs to return home. He is not legally allowed to leave.”

“So, we are engaging in a police action.”

“We are under contract to his parents. They wish us to bring him home, so we shall.”

It was the last word on the subject, but Aggie didn’t feel good about it.

Two days of travel had them intercepting the passenger cruiser that was taking Wovian to his cousin.
Talon
had been in communication with the ship, and the captain was having the guest they were looking for meet them in the landing bay.

Aggie’s heart went out to him when she saw his hunched shoulders and hopeless expression. “Wovian, I have been sent by your family. Please come with me.”

He shuffled toward her, and she put restraints on him before walking him into the
Grey Talon
.

She turned her head toward the ship’s security. “Thank you for your assistance.”

The captain jerked his head. “He seems harmless enough.”

“He does, but he has to face his future and make a decision. He can’t make that choice out here.”

“Take care of him, Keeper.”

She sighed behind her mask. “That is my job.”

Wovian waited, and she made sure he was clear of the doorway before she sealed it and removed his cuffs. “Come with me, please.”

He followed her in silence, and she showed him his room. “The door does not lock, but I will always knock before entering.”

He nodded to indicate that he had heard her and sat on the bunk. “It doesn’t matter. I know why you are bringing me home, and there is nothing I can do about it.”

She felt for him. He was so resigned to the whole scenario.

“We are detaching immediately, so please strap in until we are on our way.”

He nodded and folded the seat out of the wall. He sat and the robes he was wearing shifted around him.

There was no way a teenage boy should look like he was heading to his own execution, no matter his species.

Aggie headed back to the cockpit and settled in. “I don’t feel good about this one.”

“The transport? It will be fine.”

“No. Hauling a child home to face a loss of self is not something I thought I would have to deal with.”

Talon
made an exasperated hiss. “He is not a child by your standards. He is forty-eight years old.”

Aggie blinked. “But, he isn’t an adult by the standards of his own people.”

“That is correct. He has two more years before he is legally allowed to reject the position, but they want him back now, before that happens.”

“So, they want to pin him in place before he can reject the choice, and we are here to make that happen. How could the planet be so unfeeling?”

“It is a choice they make. If it is seeking a new Avatar, then there are a limited amount of options as to why. Some planets seek them out regularly, on a timer. Some wait until their Avatar is failing before looking for another. Others do it because their Avatar is seeking a mate or a normal life, and they can’t bear the emotion anymore. It is a complicated thing.”

Aggie rubbed her faceplate. “Is it something that can be undone?”

“Of course, but some planets are better fits for their Avatars then others. Some literally burn their Avatars out.”
Talon
showed her the trajectory and the estimated time of arrival.

Aggie nodded and got to her feet. The clock was ticking, and she didn’t know what she was going to do about the young man in the guestroom.

Her second assignment and she was already wondering if she was doing the right thing.

She headed to the guestroom and knocked on the door. “Wovian? I would like to speak with you.”

The door opened and her defeated passenger looked down at her. “Yes, Keeper?”

“Come with me, I think I need to know what is going on.”

He looked at her with his tusks protruding from his jaw and giving him the look of a surprised troll. He might be a juvenile, but he was not a child.

She headed down to the kitchen with him lumbering after her. Now that he was alone with her and away from the large security guards of the transport, he looked considerably larger.

Aggie showed him where to sit, and she set the dispenser for tea.

“Tea, caf or water?”

He blinked, “Tea, please.”

She set out two cups, and when the light changed on the dispenser, she removed the carafe. “The tea won’t be as nice as what you could have landside, but it is all I have available.”

“Why is a robot drinking tea?”

She grimaced and set the carafe down before releasing her faceplate. “Because I am not a robot.”

Aggie poured two cups of tea and added sweetener to hers before she blew on it.

He was staring at her and finally a smile twisted the corner of his lips. “My sister does that. She is always in a hurry.”

“My name is Aggie, and I want to know why you ran.”

He sipped at his tea and grimaced. “I don’t want to be the Avatar. I want to have a family, a life and enjoy myself. The Avatar is a locked in position and has to be serious and businesslike all the time.”

“Is that so wrong?”

“It would lock me into that position for five hundred years. Can you imagine? Five hundred years and I won’t age. I won’t be a man of my people, and therefore, I have to spend five centuries celibate.” His hands curled to fists.

She winced. “So, if you are an adult, the planet wouldn’t choose you?”

Wovian shrugged. “I don’t know. It has never happened before.”

Aggie sipped at her tea. “Is there anything you want to know before we continue on our journey?”

He cocked his head and narrowed his yellow eyes. “What are you?”

Aggie grinned with her lips over her teeth and explained to him the mysteries of being a Terran Volunteer. It killed a few hours on their way to his home.

Aggie didn’t know why she did what she did, but
Talon
went along with her, so it worked just fine.

Wovian was reunited with his family, they declared the contract complete and Aggie returned to the
Grey Talon
.

Four hours later, Wovian was at the door, and they lifted off to break thirty-two different laws and kidnap a minor.

“Why are you doing this?” Wovian was gripping the doorway of the cockpit.

“Because no one should be forced to give up part of themselves until they are ready. You aren’t ready, and if you change your mind, you can still go home.”

“What about you?”

She chuckled. “I have no idea. I obeyed the rules of the Alliance when I dropped you off, but now, I think that Nyal space is going to be more hospitable.”

“You are running because of me?” Tears formed in his eyes.

“Of course. Choice is my primary concern. You are going to have to split your psyche in two. That isn’t something you jump into out of obligation.”

He suddenly looked very mature. “Thank you for buying me this time. If I do choose to return to seek the position of Avatar, I will remove the crimes from you record.”

Aggie smiled. “That would be nice.”

She dropped him off with his cousin, and the
Grey Talon
took off once again.

In the cockpit, Aggie sent the two messages and took a deep breath.

“Your vitals are erratic, Aggie. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“This is a chunk of time for you, too,
Talon
. Are you sure you don’t want to turn me in to the next Alliance station?”

Talon
sighed. “I am sure. They will look for us, but I am going to make it difficult. Once you go into cold sleep, I will try and hide you. I can only run for so long, so I hope your plan works.”

Aggie watched as they got away from planetary orbit. She headed to her quarters, inhaling deeply as she put her full battle suit on.

“I have only done this once, in training. I hope that it works.”

Talon
chuckled. “I will catch you if you fall. My floor is there for you, Aggie.”

She stepped into the grips that closed around her feet. The ship gripped her waist and pulled her against an inner wall. Her hands were fastened down and her neck was restrained next. Jacks emerged from the wall and ran coolant and atmospheric gasses through the battle suit.

Aggie hoped that two years was enough time, because that was all the time she had.
Talon
would keep her alive, and after that, someone would have to come and get her out. Snow flooded her vision and she relaxed in the suit. It was time to sleep now.

* * * *

Martha sat in the Volunteer offices and listened to the recruiter tell her that her sister was missing in action, a felon and in flagrant breach of nineteen different protocols including theft of an experimental spacecraft.

“Do you, Mrs. Lennox, know where your sister is?”

Martha looked at the alien and felt a prickle of contact on her mind. “I am not a Volunteer, so what right do you have to rummage through my thoughts?”

The recruiter looked sharply at the woman in robes behind him. “I apologize. It was not our intent to intrude on your privacy.”

“My privacy or my grief? My sister’s mind has gone dark. There is no contact with her. Our connection is silent.” Her voice trembled, but she sat up straight. Her daughters were in the outer office with their father and they were not going to feel her pain.

“What would drive your sister to such actions?” The woman behind the recruiter spoke softly.

“She wouldn’t break the rules unless someone was in danger. Check her last assignment and see if there was someone that she would be concerned for. If you can speak to them, you might be able to find out why she did what she did.” Martha got to her feet and headed for the door. She paused and turned around. “Did she really steal a spaceship?”