Shiver and Bright (3 page)

“Don’t I get to see the flowers?”

He grimaced. “Fine. A detour through the oxygen farm. Then back to your rooms.”

She smiled brightly and hung onto his arm as he led her through the station and to the scent of dirt and greenery.

“I thought there would be humidity.”

“It is a garden, not a jungle. We keep the humidity to the minimum that the plants require to function. The rest of the humidity is collected and recycled in our water systems.” He smiled.

“Where are the flowers I smelled earlier?”

He led her through a variety of plants, and she finally saw the blossoms that were so familiar. The bank of blooms was three feet thick and fifteen feet long. Their scent swelled and cascaded, refreshing all the musty odours that came with the large amount of soil and loam.

Nathaly stroked her hand along the blossoms and inhaled their scent past her lungs and into her soul. “Okay. I am ready to rest now.”

Worvin looked at her curiously. “Why now?”

“For every day of my life I have passed those blossoms on my way home. Today was the first time I have tried to relax and rest away from home. If I am to function here on the station, I need to find things to help me de-stress. This was one of those things.”

They returned to their slow walk back to her quarters.

“I understand that you are trying to make yourself at home, but remember, this is not your home and you have a job to do.”

“I won’t forget it. My family depends on it, but I need to be able to function at full capacity to make it through the testing phase. For that, I need peace of mind and an ability to fool my ingrained habits into thinking I am still somewhere safe. Do you understand that?”

He tensed at the tightness of her tone. “I do. Apologies. I am used to working with Guardsmen who are eager to get into battle.”

“I just want to get my life back and my parents to safety, whatever it takes.”

“Right. Well, you have made excellent progress today. Get some rest, and tomorrow, you will be able to manage that last test.”

Nat swayed a little. “I hope so. It was trickier than it seemed.”

She staggered a moment before she struck the door of her quarters. “I think sleep is next on the agenda.”

He frowned. “When was the last time you slept?”

He helped her through the door and into the small but well-appointed room.

“I woke up the day I had to run. I don’t think I have slept since.” She quirked her lips and crashed on the bed.

“Do you want me to help you remove your clothing?”

She flapped one hand and sighed when her door closed, leaving her in silence.

She was going to do this. She was going to do here what she couldn’t do at home, and then, she was going to go home and rattle the capitol until the building crumbled and all that was left was her parents.

She felt the smile on her lips as she drifted away.

Nathaly got up, showered and blinked at the boxes of clothing that hadn’t been there the day before.

The clean clothing matched the outfit from the day before, and she did a quick twirl before heading for the door. A quick breakfast and then back to the lab.

When she opened the door, she paused at the sight of Worvin waiting across the hall.

He straightened. “Good morning, Nathaly.”

“Good morning, Worvin. Breakfast?”

He smiled brightly and offered his arm.

She took it, and he walked with her through the quiet halls and into the commissary.

“Were you waiting long?”

“An hour, but there is nothing else going on at this time for me to attend to, so I used the time for personal meditation.”

She smiled and parted from him, scanning her wrist and waiting for her food options to be illuminated. When she had her set glowing bright, she took a tray and worked her way through what appeared as breakfast items and others that looked like pot roast. Little bits of everything went onto her tray, including a cup of caf and another of mint tea.

She settled across from Worvin who had been able to make his way through with much greater speed.

Aside from some maintenance personnel, there was no one but them and the cooks in the commissary.

“How early is this?”

“The equivalent of four in the morning. I don’t sleep much. The light behind my eyes keeps me awake many nights.” He smiled.

“So, the light is part of you?”

“It comes out through my eyes, and it is definitely a particle wave when it does. Not everyone has dealt with me calmly and directly when they learn I can see through their clothing.”

“And by that extension, their skin can be seen through as well.”

He smiled and his pale skin shifted to a darker shade. “You caught on to that?”

“Yes. It was how sure you were that I wasn’t carrying any concealed weapons that tipped me off. You had to have been able to assess it or you wouldn’t have just tucked me into the seat next to you.” She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I may be young but I am not stupid.”

Worvin inclined his head. “I never thought that you were stupid. How young are you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Twenty-three and still living at home.”

“Ah. So, fairly young.”

She finished her meal and gave him an assessing glare. “How old are you?”

“Thirty-six. I have been working with the Sector Guard in one capacity or another for the last five years.”

“You haven’t been on active duty in all that time?”

“Guardsmen go out in pairs. I have never had a partner, and my talent is best used alongside someone else.” He shrugged and sipped at his caf.

“Ah. So, do you want to have a post on another world?” She swallowed her tea and grimaced at the heat.

“I want to use my talent when it is necessary and protect those who need it. To do that, I need to be part of a team or at least a partnership. That does not seem likely, so I will remain as the quartermaster of this station as long as they will have me.” He shrugged and put his empty cup on his tray.

“So, why are you spending time with me?” Nat raised her brows.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I wish I knew. I just can’t stay away.”

She stared at him and cocked her head. “I think I know what you mean.”

He had featured heavily in her dreams, always at her side. It had felt comfortable to have him there, to have someone with her that she could trust. Of course, that was just in her imagination. It wasn’t real.

Sighing, she got to her feet and picked up her tray. “Off to the lab to continue my work.”

“They won’t be there yet. Are you sure you want to go alone?”

When they had turned in their trays, she took his arm. “I am not alone. Do you have to go on shift just yet?”

He blinked and smiled. “I suppose I don’t. I am not on duty for another two hours.”

They walked through the halls and entered the lab.

“Are you sure you want to do this without Dirven or Kaylee here?”

“The faster I can get through this training, the sooner I can return home. I need to get my parents out of their arrest and back to their homes.”

“What do you mean,
their homes?
Don’t they live together?”

“Of course not. My mother is my father’s mistress. She has been since before I was born.” Nat put the monitors on her skin where they had been the day before. “I suppose that is
how
I was born.”

She chuckled and applied all the small pads before turning on the computer to watch her performance.

With care, she stepped onto the platform that quivered with every step. Her focus was precise and she centered herself, looking toward the gel in the beaker.

“So, they are not mated?”

“They are mates, but they are not officially mated by our laws. I bear my mother’s family name and there is nothing to connect me to my father except my eyes.” She smiled and extended her hand, trying to move the contents of the beaker from a distance.

“You are fine with that?”

“It is my life. I can’t change it and it kept me safe, until now.” She focused and crooked her fingers, trying to tickle the solution into movement from twenty feet away.

The beaker began to register movement, but so did the platform. Nat exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. “What about your family? How were you raised?”

“I am the third of four children and the only male. I grew up knowing that my skills could be useful; I was quite the babysitter. With every new niece or nephew, I honed my skills at dealing with children who could be hypnotized to sleep.”

Nat opened one eye. “That is cheating.”

He grinned. “My sisters did not complain. All they wanted was a quiet night now and then.”

“So, you can hypnotize? I thought you just had bright eyes.”

“I can induce a strobe effect that allows me to control the waking state. I literally made the children sleepy and happy to be in bed.”

She chuckled and looked at the beaker. It was quivering in place and rocking violently. “What does the computer say?”

Worvin grinned. “It says that you are bringing on the movement without moving yourself. Well done, Nathaly.”

She focused on the amused feeling and sent the signal through to the other beakers around the room. It was amusement that let her work the separated effect.

“You are doing it!”

She laughed and the beakers shattered, the gels were suspended above their stations and still quivering wildly.

She coaxed them high into towers of shuddering blue and concentrated on what she was doing with the air pressure and the substance itself.

When Kaylee floated through the floor in front of her, Nat’s control wobbled, but she held it until she could slowly let the gels relax on their shattered bases.

Nat looked up and she smiled. “Good morning, Kaylee.”

“Morning, Nathaly. Morning, Worvin. You two are up early.”

Nat relaxed, and she squatted on her lightly balanced platform. “It sort of just happened.”

Worvin came to the edge of her perch. “Are you all right?”

She looked up and nodded. “Yes. Just fine. Resting in between jobs. I get the feeling that Kaylee has something else planned for today.”

“Oh, you might be a precog. I do indeed have one more thing planned.” Kaylee settled on the platform and became solid.

Worvin frowned. “She was exhausted from her first experiment.”

“Worvin, you know as well as I do that there is no picking the times that we are called to duty. If she is tired, she will still need control, and it is better to use the skills you need when your mind is tired. It keeps you able to do what is necessary.” Kaylee smiled.

Worvin scowled. His wrist unit chirped and there was a light snarl in his expression.

Kaylee sighed. “You can stay to supervise, but she is going into the blast dome for this one, so there won’t be much to see.”

Nathaly stood up straight. “Blast dome?”

Worvin looked around. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“Don’t look for Dirven to override this order. He and I discussed it last night. He knows all about it.” Kaylee chuckled. “This way, Nathaly. I will explain what I think you can do with a drop of water.”

Nat smiled at Worvin and patted him on the arm. “It will be fine. I am sure that Kaylee wouldn’t put the station in jeopardy.”

He raised his eyebrows and nodded at her logic. “Fair enough. I will attend to what I need to work on and then get back here as soon as I can.”

She chuckled and nodded. “Work first. Staring at me behind glass comes second.”

Kaylee grinned and showed her the way along a series of suspended walkways and to a globe that was near the outer wall of the station, briefing her the entire way. The narrow walkway was designed for one person only.

Kaylee handed her the vial and nodded. “So, you think you can do this?”

“I think so. The worst thing that happens is that I get wet.”

“Good attitude. Your parents are still confined, but they are alive and well. You don’t need to worry about them today.”

Nathaly sighed. “That does help. Now, off to play with water. Do excuse me.”

Nat headed along the narrow walk and into the sphere. She sealed the only exit behind her and took the vial to the center of the room.

The idea behind what Kaylee wanted her to do was ludicrous but plausible. If Nat could separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen, that would be one thing, but if she could vibrate it into ignition, she would have a weapon that was readily available nearly everywhere, including living beings.

That last idea freaked her out a little, but she put a drop of water in her palm and started to work with it.

The first drop absorbed into her skin before she could do what she wanted, but when she got the second drop on the floor to work with her, she coalesced the gas in her palm and worked them into a frenzy that made her jump with a squeal when they exploded.

Her ears rang, and she laughed uncontrollably. With an urge to see if she could do it again, she poured another tiny drop on the ground and repeated her work. She shook the water into allowing the heat to separate the molecules, and once they were viable chemicals, she shook them until they blew.

The sharp bark of the explosion made her jump, but with two successful attempts, she was ready for lunch.

She capped the vial and made her way out of the sphere. “Well, that is that.”

Kaylee grinned. “You still need practice but congratulations, Master Nathaly Welling. A few signatures and you will be a master of the Citadel.”

“After the signatures, can I eat?”

Kaylee chuckled. “Yes. Yes, you can.”

Nat followed Kaylee to her office, and she filed her official registration with the Citadel as a Master in good standing. The Sector Guard absorbed her training fees, and she was ready to formulate a plan for her return home.

The plan of attack, as described by Dirven and Kaylee, was not to attack. The key was to reactivate the outpost, which was not a useable option. It was also to rebuild it using a kit that Worvin had been dying to use.