Tracking (Return of the Nine) (3 page)

The amusement seemed out of his character, but Vida moved close to him, and it was obvious that the joy was coming from her and out of him.

Their little trio left the shop and headed for the medical centre.

They had to wait for half an hour but Dr. Meevin beckoned them into her office to wait. Ianka’s presence was causing a bit of a stir. Members of the Nine were popping by medical just to get a look at her.

“Why am I such a draw?” Ianka was looking at her sister with suspicion.

Vida chuckled. “Every Gaian woman that they have seen has found a mate in the population of the ship. They are just trying to increase their chances.”

Ianka snorted. “They would run the other way if they had seen me enter the embassy. I was a little on the wild side.”

“The Wilders might have taken a shot.” Vida laughed and took a chair.

“Not if I was upwind, I had been walking for five days.” She wrinkled her nose.

S’rin blinked. “Where had you been living?”

“In the wild. No Gaians, no politics, no having to face the wreckage of where our parents disappeared. It was cowardly but I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Vida sighed. “It wasn’t cowardice, it was survival. I was constantly looking for the path that only I could see and you were stuck trying to track something that wasn’t there. You needed to be active and I forgot about that. We both went mad in our separate ways.”

It was said. They had both gone mad. Ianka walked over and took her sister’s hand. Vida had already found her balance. Ianka was going to have to work for hers.

Chapter Four

The medical exam was a surprise to S’rin and Dr. Meevin. Most of Ianka’s strange talent resided in her body itself. She had more receptors in her nerve endings and sensory apparatus than any Gaian examined so far.

Vida chuckled. “And for me, my mind is lit up like a holiday in the square. Sections spark all at once. S’rin loves me for my mind.”

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “And your body, dearest, don’t forget that.”

Dr. Meevin rolled her eyes. “Right. That is enough of that. You are the fittest woman I have ever had the pleasure of examining, Ianka Senior. While I am curious to have your speed and strength tested, it is unnecessary to my declaring you fit for spaceflight and hand-to-hand combat if it comes down to it.”

The doctor had taken the dress, wrapped it up and forwarded it through a tube system. It would be at Vida’s quarters when they returned there.

“I don’t have any experience in fighting other bi-pedals. I stick to hunting and killing what I need to eat.”

Dr. Meevin blinked. “Right. Well, that would explain a few things.”

Ianka laughed. “It would?”

“Your body is more carnivorous than omnivorous. You need more protein than vegetation. It isn’t a common adaptation and must be difficult to deal with.”

Ianka shrugged. “I will need to get serious about it in a day or two.”

Meevin nodded. “Right. I will make a note for your rations so that you are in fighting form when you arrive.”

“Thank you. It will be a relief because I get a little upset when my meals are messed with.”

“Noted.”

Dr. Meevin took a final tissue sample and smiled. “There. All done. You can continue on to your next appointment.”

Ianka rubbed at her wrist and looked at Vida and S’rin. “Next appointment?”

Vida wrinkled her nose. “We had an itinerary prepared the moment that we knew you were on the way. You are going to meet with Ziggy and her husband, General Rothaway.”

“Why?”

“Because he is on the council and can authorize anyone who cares to join your expedition.” Vida beamed.

“You think others will want to join?” She was a little surprised.

“Of course. You might not be going to battle, but you are engaging in something exciting. The mother ship has a batch of warriors waiting for action. They are a little restless and in need of a target.”

“Fine. Shall we get going?” Ianka had no idea how this was going to turn out, but she was definitely sympathising with folk who wanted to take action. She favoured that tactic herself.

Ziggy was exactly as she remembered, with the slight addition of moderately pointed teeth and a predator-like gaze. Her husband was a predator without a doubt.

He met Ianka’s open gaze with a smile and the respectful inclination of his head. “It is always pleasant to meet one of Signy’s people.”

Ziggy took her hands and squeezed them. Ianka carefully squeezed back. “It is good to see you again, Eek.”

“It is good to be back with people, though the increasing amount of them is getting a little distressing. Is there somewhere on board I can run?”

“Of course. We will have to clear a track for you, but it should be fine.”

“Clear a track?”

“Yeah, female sweat can have an unsettling effect on unmated males of the Nine.”

Ianka sighed. “I don’t want to be any trouble. Isn’t there a women’s gym somewhere?”

“I am afraid not. The women of the Nine don’t work out much, so we are stuck with the men’s facilities. The women go for tea and long walks in the central green space.”

Ianka made a face and Ziggy laughed.

“Right. We will make the arrangements once Rothaway figures out the scale of this endeavour. We know you want to get in and out with your parents, but we need to send Ula’s probe in to send us telemetry.”

“How long will that take?”

“Two days before we get a signal back. She has already altered it to fit with Vida’s information.”

To Ianka’s surprise, they had drifted away from those gathered and were standing off by themselves.

Ziggy’s face grew serious. “I have a question to ask. Would you agree to get the common language of the Nine directly into your mind? I have heard that it hurts, but I have only done it once before, so I can’t say that it will happen again.”

“Pain fades. If it will ease working with the Nine, I will do it.”

Before she could say anything else, Ziggy’s hand shot out and grabbed hers tight. Fire flowed up her arm and exploded in her brain.

Ianka stiffened but held back the scream that wanted to erupt. She breathed through her nose as her language centre was overloaded and as suddenly as it started, it was over.

Ziggy released her hand and looked at her. “Was it horrible?”

“It was definitely painful, but I can feel the words in my mind.”

S’rin drifted closer. “They are coming out of your mouth. You are speaking Nine common. Well done.”

“Thank you, brother.” Ianka blinked as the formal response came from her lips. “That will take some getting used to.”

Ziggy blinked. “Right. He is your brother or brother-in-law.”

She laughed and flicked her long hair over her shoulder. “I think the members of the Nine will be lining up for you. They don’t have multiple births.”

Ianka covered her eyes. “Oh, dear stars.”

Ziggy patted her shoulder. “There, there. I am sure there will be a bare minimum of flexing involved. These men preen like firebirds if you give them the opportunity.”

S’rin was grinning in the depths of his hood. He had raised it the moment that they left the relative safety of the Balance section of the ship. The Balance seemed to be odd even by the standards of the Nine.

Rothaway called them all to a boardroom where they sat and discussed the needs of the mission. Ularica chipped in from her workshop on board the ship via a com link.

When they had the basics discussed, screens descended from the ceiling and the races of the Nine were formally invited into the venture.

Dorum sat as head of the Fury and Ianka smiled and waved politely at the one face she recognised. To her amusement, he waved back.

Ziggy and Vida looked at her with surprise, and she merely smiled back with a smug smirk.

Dorum led the charge. “I will be sending my son, Derion and fifty of our best. The Fury are honoured to be able to participate in this mission.”

Rothaway smiled and said, “And very smart in thinking that if they rescue the Gaians, the feeling of relief and thanks might spill into the ability to meet some of the young ladies of the family of those rescued.”

Ianka blinked. “I had not thought of that. If they come with and not only work with a Gaian but rescue survivors, there may indeed be a bond formed between our two peoples once again.”

Her words brought on a sudden surge of participation and five hundred warriors in twenty ships were volunteered in short order, each race of the Nine worked to one-up the one before it.

The men would need four days to properly equip and arm their ships for the event, and by then, the probe would have done its job.

By the end of the meeting, Ianka had a few days to kill.

Vida and S’rin arranged guest quarters for her and forwarded her new clothing and her pack.

With the basic language of the Nine in her mind, Ianka was able to read histories and watch documentaries on the variety of races that had all split from the single source.

She occupied her time by doing push-ups and running in place. Her body wasn’t used to relaxing and inaction was not in her forte.

The chime from the communication unit was a relief. She stood in front of it and pressed the flashing key. “Yes?”

“Hello, Ianka. I have arranged some time around the track for you. You can run as much as you like. Dorum is sending you an escort who should be arriving momentarily.”

“Um, why is Dorum sending an escort?”

“Because you will be flying out with his son, Derion, and it would be a good idea to get to know him before that happens. Oh, and because you can’t run around the ship on your own and I am occupied.”

Ianka gave her a narrow-eyed look. “When will he arrive?”

“He is on his way. Your language skills are improving by the way, you are speaking clear Nine common.”

“Well, I figured that I had it, I may as well use it.”

Ziggy chuckled and inclined her head before disconnecting the call.

Ianka snorted then jumped as there was a chime from the door. “That was quick.”

She checked to make sure that her suit was properly sealed before she palmed the panel to open the door.

Resignation was stamped on the features of the stranger in front of her. “Good evening, Miss Senior. I am Derion and I am here to take you to the exercise centre of the Fury holdings.”

Ianka nodded. “Thank you. I am unused to inaction.”

“This way, please.”

He waved her on and she followed his lead. They walked out of the VIP quarters, past the guards and down a long hallway.

He didn’t seem chatty and she wasn’t going to attract attention. She kept her mouth shut until he opened a blank door and led her into a huge gymnasium. Tracks, bars, weights, fight rings, they were all in place and all completely empty.

“I hope this wasn’t too much trouble.”

He looked at her with surprise. “The Fury do not sleep. Being deprived of the option to exercise will not be well received, even if my father ordered it.”

She nodded. “I will try to be quick.”

Without another word, she sprinted toward the track, and once on it, she began to run at an easy lope. When she warmed up, she started to run, and with the speed blowing air past her cheeks, she finally felt her centre stabilizing around this new place.

She only had to keep herself contained for four days and they would be on their way.

Chapter Five

She ran until she felt the full-body rush of adrenaline in every cell. Once she was done with the track, she headed to the weights and quickly learned how to set them. She slid onto the bench and set to work.

“How are you lifting that?” Derion stood just in the corner of her vision.

She grunted and kept pressing, focussing on the weight and the steady burn of her muscles.

After a few minutes, she felt pleasantly tired and set the bar back in the holders over her head. She sat up and looked around. “Is there some way to clean the machines off?”

He nodded and pointed to the sidewall where a towel dispenser and a container sat.

“Thank you.” She sprayed the bars with the antibacterial spray and carefully wiped off all traces of her grip before she did the same on the bed of the machine.

She returned the container back to where she had picked it up and then she sprayed the cloth and rubbed the container down as well. “Where can I dispose of this towel so it won’t cause any issues?”

Derion walked over and pointed out a small chute. “It will immediately be in a cleansing solution so no worries. You are good at removing traces of yourself.”

She wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “It was practice. You can’t hunt if you leave your scent everywhere you go.”

“My father mentioned that you were expert at surviving. I thought he was simply trying to make an introduction by piquing my interest.”

Ianka snorted. “No. He was impressed when I explained to Apolan and Daphne how I had survived the last few years. I didn’t have a chance to tell him that I had a lot of practice. There is nothing extraordinary of the practicing of an existing skill.”

“I believe he was amazed that you had gained that skill to begin with. Even if your tracking ability is as extraordinary as he says, it has still taken willpower to hone it. That is worth admiring.” Derion was speaking directly to her, his red-on-black gaze was looking into her eyes and the sincerity was on his blood-red features.

She blushed and rubbed the back of her sweaty neck. “Um, thank you for the observation. Can you show me back to my quarters? I think I need a shower to take care of the rest of this.”

He inclined his head and smiled. “I can and I will also send the message that the others can resume use of the facility.”

“Thank you. If the facility can be spared for about an hour per day on the ship, that would be great. I only need the track and the weights so it doesn’t take that long.”

Derion nodded. “Right. I shall pass that on to my father.”