Requiem (14 page)

The taste of
strawberries registered in her mouth. She could see thick droplets
of blood running down Therin's face from a cut across her upper
lip. Sear was now in the room, no longer dressed in a shabby
makeshift cloak but the same uniform as the rest of the crew. It
suited him. The door was open. She wasn't sure how long Sear had
been there but it couldn't have been long.

Sear was
confronting Therin. 'We're trying to protect her from NeoCorp not
make her think we're one and the same.' It was the most expression
Sear had shown since Seline had met him.

'Whose side are
you on exactly, Sear?' asked Therin, quite calmly.

'This isn't
about sides.'

'Athene was
right. You have gone soft.'

'And you
haven't changed at all. Still charging into everything like a damn
wrecking ball.'

'This coming
from someone who just spent eleven years hiding in a nest of these
vipers and thieves.' Therin's eyes turned sharply on Seline before
returning to her own bloodied fingertips.

'If you ever
stopped for a moment you'd see you're more like the people you hate
than you'll ever know,' said Sear.

'We don't all
live in perpetual regret like you, Sear.'

'You should be
if this is how you treat others.'

'You thin-'

'Leave. You're
done here. Tialus wants to see you on the bridge anyway. I suggest
you report to her immediately.'

Therin took one
last look at Seline. The gleam of the light reflected from her
eyes. If there was any subtlety in the message she was conveying,
it was lost to Seline. Little had been given away in the way Therin
had spoken and even less so in the way she carried herself as she
left the room. The door sealed behind her.

Sear was
looking at Seline. 'I would ask if you're alright but I think you
handled yourself just fine.'

Seline leaned
back against the bench and pressed her forefinger and thumb to her
temples before running her fingers through her hair.

''Just fine'?
Not how I would describe it.' She tried to control the shaking in
her voice. 'What the hell is going on? Who are you really?'

'I know you
must have a lot of questions. I'll answer what I can but there's
something that I need from you as well.'

'I just spent
the last hour telling that bitch what I know – which is
nothing.'

'I'm not asking
you for the password to the blackbox. I believe that you're telling
the truth – you truly don't remember it. But you still may be able
to help us.'

'Then give me a
reason to help you. There's a lot of blank spots that need to be
filled in.'

'How about we
trade?'

She knew she
was playing directly into his hands. There were still no other
options. She knew NeoCorp would be even less understanding than the
Yurrick. The catharsis, she hoped, would be worth it.

'Fine but I get
to ask first,' she mumbled.

'Alright. What
did you want to know?'

Seline thought
for a moment, enforcing some structure to the words in her
head.

'Where is this
ship going?'

'To Saranture.
There's a forum that will be held there.'

'A forum for
what?'

Sear paced
slowly as he spoke, his hands clasped behind his back. 'That's an
answer I can't give you. Not right now. It's important enough to
take me off Earth. It may affect all of us.'

'All of
us?'

'Yes. My turn.
You mentioned earlier that you 'didn't try to forget her'. I assume
you were referring to your mother?'

Seline
scratched the non-existent itch on her arm. 'Yes.'

'What do you
mean you didn't try to forget your mother?'

'It just
happened, I guess. I don't know. The memories just aren't there any
more. It's always been better that way.'

'Do you know
what happened to her?'

'No. I honestly
don't. She just wasn't there one day. I don't even remember the
moment it happened or her name for that matter. All I can remember
is... her face. And that she existed once.' She shook the freckles
of light from her mind.

'And you've
tried to keep it that way ever since?'

'Yeah. I'm sure
there's some psychological term for it but I never cared to name
it.'

'I know how
reluctant you are but you need to understand that your mother was
doing something very important before she disappeared. We believe
she figured out how to open and close the Atlas Gates. If there is
any information about what she might have found then there may be a
chance that it's on that blackbox.'

'So what are
you asking exactly?'

'We can provide
protection for you – from NeoCorp – but we need some kind of
promise that you'll at least try to unlock that blackbox and give
us access to the necessary files.'

'And what if I
refuse to help or if I can't?'

'If you can't
remember then at least you'll be out of the hands of NeoCorp but if
you refuse to then we can't help you, you'll be on your own.'

God damn you
Belameir.

She had the
feeling the decision had already been made for her. 'Alright' she
finally answered. 'But I still have questions.'

Sear waited for
her to speak.

'So who are
you? And don't just tell me you're an anthropologist.'

'I
do
work for the Yurrick government and I have been studying your
people for the past eleven years. That much is true.'

'Right. And you
just volunteered for the Yurrick special forces in your spare
time?'

'This group is
a part of the Yurrick space exploration programme; more
specifically they are members of the first contact team. They are,
for all intents and purposes, the only individuals among my species
trained in physical combat and warfare. This is the same group I
left so I could stay on Earth.' Sear cut off Seline's question
before she could ask it. 'I had my reasons for leaving; none of
which have any bearing on this discussion. And as I said
previously, I have my reasons for joining them once again; none of
which I can talk about right now.'

'So they came
to Earth just to pick you up?'

'Yes.
Originally, the plan was to meet you at the bar and give you the
information and contacts you needed so that you could go your way
and I could go mine. Technically, you're not supposed to be on this
ship.'

'How did you
know to help me? In the alleyway I mean. You guys just showed up
out of nowhere. How did you know NeoCorp were after me?'

'I ran a
background check on you to see what kind of risks I might be
running by helping you. It turned out that NeoCorp had recently
updated their surveillance on you since you'd come back to Earth. I
realised who your mother was and when you didn't show up at the bar
I was... unsure if they'd already moved on you. If we'd shown up
any later, then that would have been the case.'

God damn you
Belameir.

'If they were
watching me, why didn't NeoCorp come for the blackbox as soon as
Abigail gave it to me? Why wait so long before making a move?'

'We don't know.
Maybe they wanted to see if they could learn something before
interfering. Maybe something else was holding them back.'

'And how do I
know you didn't stage the whole thing?'

'They tried to
sedate you did they not? Presumably in order to kidnap you; and yet
we travelled together for two days without so much as an attempt at
a mild drugging. If this were all staged then we put on quite an
elaborate show wouldn't you think? Of course there is nothing I
could possibly say that will stop that question from lingering in
the back of your mind but this really isn't the time for
philosophical musings. You'll just have to trust me.'

'So... up until
you dropped me off in Sinn, you really had no idea who I was or
what I was doing?'

'No less or
more than you it would seem. There was no grand plot behind us
meeting on that platform.'

God damn you
Be-

'Shit!
Belameir!' What if they go after him to get to me? We have to go
back to Yarfor St-'

'Don't worry
about your friend,' replied Sear calmly. 'He's been under our
surveillance for a while now. Since you've agreed to work with us,
he'll be brought under our protection.'

'You were
watching him?'

'The level of
paranoia he has expressed has helped him evade most of NeoCorp's
attempts to monitor him but anyone who volunteers himself for that
many of our clinical drug trials does raise some suspicion with our
security.'

His answer
provided some comfort, although whatever clarity had been achieved
had only been submerged beneath more questions. Everything seemed
to be deliberately obscured from her view, only rough outlines of
shape or texture could be gleaned from her inquisitions. Before she
could continue with her questions, the door opened. Another Yurrick
walked purposefully into the room before stopping with his hands
held loosely behind his back. He was paler than the rest, his lips
stretched right across his wide, protruding jaw. He was not lean
like most of the others but stocky and bullish. He remained
patiently at the door as if waiting for Sear to leave.

'I'm afraid
we'll have to postpone the questions,' said Sear, without
acknowledging the silent messenger. 'It's probably best you get
some rest anyway. You look tired.'

'I don't want
rest, I want answers.'

'We're still
about thirty hours from Sol's Atlas Gate and until then I have a
lot of catching up to do. For the time being I've managed to get
you limited access to our database. That should answer some of your
questions.'

Seline sighed
again. 'Thank you, I guess.'

'Until we pass
through the Atlas Gate and begin to decelerate you'll be isolated
to one of the cabins.'

'If the rest of
your crew are anything like that Therin person then I think I'd
rather stay in here anyway.' She glanced unconsciously at the pale
Yurrick still standing silently by the door.

'Therin has a
particular way of conducting herself' said Sear. 'It was an error
in judgement to have her assigned to you. You have my
apologies.'

'I get the
impression you're the only one who thinks it was 'an error in
judgement'.'

'There is,
admittedly, a level of distrust regarding your species. Once they
realise that you aren't a threat, then you may find them more
amicable.'

Sear bowed
slightly before turning to leave.

'Do you think
Abigail is alive?' asked Seline, her voice chasing Sear as he
reached the door.

'It's
possible,' he replied. 'Whether she's alive or not, it's likely
NeoCorp will try to use her to get to you in some way. What did you
say her last name was?'

'Shaw.'

'I'm not
familiar with the name. It didn't appear in your file. We'll look
into it.'

'She said she
used to be my teacher and that she remembered my mother but didn't
know her.'

Sear remained
still for a moment. 'May I ask you one more question?'

'Sure.'

'Why are you
wearing one of our high acceleration g-suits? We aren't even going
over one and a half G's.'

Seline looked
down at herself, feeling her face redden once again. 'The Doctor,'
she said.

'I see. I'll
try find something more comfortable for you to wear. Meanwhile, try
get some rest.' He left the room. The pale Yurrick turned to
Seline.

'Follow me,' he
said.

Seline stood up
without speaking and followed the stranger out of the room and down
the hall. He stopped. The door next to him opened. Seline entered
the room which, for all its grey, featureless expression could have
been the same room she just left, right down to the smell of
corroded metal lingering in the air.

'Your bedding
is behind the panel on the wall. Do you require food or water?'
asked the Yurrick.

'I don't think
so.'

'Do you need
medical aid of any sort.'

'I don't think
so.'

'Good. This
door will remain locked. If you require anything, then you can use
the comm panel on the wall opposite your bed.'

Seline turned
to look at the comm. When she looked back towards the door it was
closed and the Yurrick was gone.

Her head ached.
She walked over to the large panel on the wall and pulled at the
red handle next to it. A small bed pulled away from the wall and
hung, legless above the floor. Seline sat on the edge of it. The
mattress was firm and barely sunk down beneath her weight. She
leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees with her head in
her hands. She stared down at her feet firmly planted on the floor.
They were pale, like they'd never seen the sun. There was a quiet
hum that permeated the ship. It shifted the focus from the tinnitus
ringing in her ears. She massaged her temples with her thumbs then
leaned back, slouching against the wall. She wondered if Zackry had
already filled her position at the bar. Of course he would have.
She imagined his small puggish face, dark and red with strain
polyps almost breaking through the skin on his forehead.

She looked at
the comm on the opposite wall. She wanted to press the button and
scream at whoever might be on the other side just to see what might
happen. She stood and approached the comm.

Do you want
another fight with Therin?

I got her good
once, I'm sure I could do it again.

Don't kid
yourself. It was a lucky shot.

She stood,
staring at the comm and the single button that tempted her.

Fine.
She stepped back.
What would you suggest I do then?

Stop talking
to yourself for one and then get off your ass and look at those
files they have on your mother. You won't get this opportunity
again.