‘Have you lost your mind?’ Kassa screeched. ‘I’m going to lose him, if you don’t allow me to focus.’
‘No, you won’t … trust me.’ Taren watched Ringbalin move silently around the electronic aid to take up a position at Zeven’s head, where he rested his hands on each side of the pilot’s face and then closed his eyes to focus.
‘What the?’ Kassa gasped, pulling her hands out of Zeven’s stomach as the damaged area began to heal itself. She gasped again as she looked to Ringbalin, realising that he was driving the miracle she was witnessing. ‘Withdraw,’ she instructed her electronic aid, as she gazed in wonder at the healing wound.
Both women were completely silent, until Ringbalin finally removed his hands and opened his eyes. ‘Did it work?’
‘Did it work?’ Kassa gave half a laugh. ‘The wound is completely gone!’
Ringbalin roused an unnerved smile. ‘I guess I am done then?’
‘I don’t believe Kassa would disclose your secret to anyone.’ Taren caught the drift of his worry.
‘No,’ Kassa was quick to assure him, ‘but I may call upon you again, if need be.’
‘I shall always be happy to assist.’ He smiled, satisfied that his heroics hadn’t cost him his position on AMIE.
‘Thank you so much.’ Taren hesitated to hug Balin, but changed her mind and did it anyway. ‘I owe you, big time, my friend.’
‘No, no …’ He did not object to being held; it had probably been a long time between hugs for him. ‘You just gave me the ride of my life, so call it even.’ He pulled away and took a deep breath. ‘This was not what I’d been expecting to be doing this morning.’
‘Me either,’ Taren assured him.
‘I might take the regular route back to Module C, if it’s all the same to you?’ He backed up towards the door. ‘It’s been very interesting meeting you, Dr Lennox.’
‘It won’t be the last time, I’m sure.’ She waved to him.
‘Dr Madri.’ Ringbalin bade her farewell also and left the surgery.
When the door closed behind him, Kassa looked to Taren. ‘We really need to talk.’
‘I’ve so much to tell you, Kassa, that I barely know where to start,’ Taren confessed, with a huge smile, until her communicator advised her that Lucian wanted to speak with her.
‘Dr Lennox,’ his voice sounded strained of patience, ‘in my office, now.’
‘Yes, Captain.’ Taren winced and hung up; something told her this would not be the lovely meeting they’d had last time around.
‘I’m coming with you,’ Kassa insisted.
‘Why?’ Taren was stunned to a smile by the doctor’s insistence.
‘Because I know what Amie has been up to,’ she replied, heading to her hand washer to clean up. ‘Something has me curious, however?’
‘What’s that?’
‘What did Zeven mean, when he said that he was sorry he made you come back and do this again?’ Kassa stuck her hands into the steriliser.
Taren filled her cheeks with air and blew it out as she considered what a long explanation that was going to be. ‘I’ve been through this moment in time twice before. The first time I tried to stop a sample of the gas we extracted from Oceane from being stolen by the MSS, Amie was killed and the whole of Maladaan was sucked into another universe.’
Kassa’s jaw dropped; she knew Taren wasn’t lying as she could read her mind. ‘Go on.’
‘Once I discovered that I had the ability to move backwards in time, I came back to stop this disaster from happening, which Zeven and I managed to do —’
‘So Zeven has this ability too?’ Kassa clarified.
Taren nodded to confirm. ‘But the second time around Leal was killed during our attempt to seize the gas.’
Kassa gasped, horrified by the prospect. ‘I am so pleased you came back for a third attempt.’
‘Zeven insisted on coming back and preventing Leal’s death.’ Taren looked to her fellow time traveller resting peacefully on the surgery table. ‘Only to cop a bullet in his friend’s stead.’
‘So no one has been killed this time around,’ Kassa concluded, pulling her dry, spotless hands from the steriliser. ‘That’s something.’
‘But another spy was exposed and she has escaped to Maladaan with a sample of the gas.’ Taren gave a heavy exhale, in conclusion. ‘And Amie will not be implicated in this conspiracy, as she was destined to have been, when I caught her stealing a sample of the substance for the MSS! This new spy has already done all Amie’s dirty work for her.’
‘You’re talking about Dr Cardea,’ Kassa assumed, although she had not been there during their confrontation.
‘You know they have been working together?’ Taren guessed.
Kassa nodded and frowned. ‘But unfortunately I can’t prove it.’
Taren’s communicator buzzed again. ‘Damn!’ She knew who it was, and she didn’t want to face Lucian with no proof, nor did she want the entire crew to get in trouble on her behalf. ‘I should go.’
‘I’m ready.’ Kassa walked over to her, but Taren shook her head. ‘I meant back to Maladaan, not the captain’s office.’
‘What?’ Kassa was stunned. ‘You’re not going to let Amie get away with this?’
‘I have no proof now,’ Taren said. ‘And I cannot take another suspicious blasting from Lucian; it breaks my heart to be at odds with him.’
Kassa’s jaw began to drop, as she telepathically perceived more than Taren was saying. ‘Lucian is meant to be with you!’
‘Not this time round, it seems.’ Taren couldn’t see the point in wasting time on explanations. ‘Zeven knows how to find me.’ As Taren backed up she was racking her brain trying to think of a safe place to teleport herself to on Maladaan.
‘What will I tell Lucian?’ Kassa asked, as Lucian came charging through her surgery door.
Taren looked to him and was choked by her feelings of loss a moment. ‘Tell Lucian that I love him and that I will save this project from ruin, if it’s the last thing I ever do.’
‘Wait!’ Lucian urged, stunned to be seeing his anomaly expert vanishing before his very eyes.
As Taren’s perception of Lucian faded, she blew him a kiss and shed a tear for the love and life of science and exploration she was leaving behind, in exchange for a career of cold-hearted espionage.
It was a blissful awakening for Zeven; he felt so good he had to question his memory of being shot. Then when he reached down to feel for the wound and found his stomach without so much as a scar, he was stunned, but only for a second. Balin. He grinned in knowing.
‘How are you feeling?’
Zeven, still groggy, looked to the voice. He’d rather expected to see Taren when he awoke, or Dr Madri, or at the very least, Aurora! But no, to his great disappointment it was the captain who was waiting to speak with him. ‘Where is Dr Lennox?’
‘That’s exactly what I would like to know,’ Lucian replied.
‘She’s gone!’ Zeven sat bolt upright now, looking for the rest of his clothes. ‘Shit, I have to find her.’
‘Not until you tell me what in the name of science is going on.’ Lucian sounded rather adamant about that.
‘No offence, Captain.’ Zeven jumped out of bed and grabbed a boot to put on. ‘But you really don’t want to know. Taren’s tried to explain it to you, but you just don’t seem to get it!’
‘Get what?’ Lucian stood as the pilot pulled on his other boot.
‘That you are standing right in the middle of an MSS shit storm!’ Zeven was done trying to candy-coat the situation. ‘And as Taren Lennox is the best chance you’ve got of keeping this project, I strongly suggest you let me go and give her a hand.’
‘How is it that you know so much about Dr Lennox when you only met two days ago?’ Lucian grabbed hold of Zeven’s arm to prevent him leaving.
Zeven gave an exasperated sigh. ‘See? You don’t get it! Open your mind, Captain! I’ve been time-looping with her, I know everything she has tol
d you is the truth.’
‘Then you also know who the spies are?’ Lucian surmised. ‘Was Jazmay the main operative? Kassa and Leal have both answered that question for me, but I need to know what you say.’
‘Amie is your traitor, Captain,’ Zeven was sorry to inform Lucian, as the look upon the man’s face was one of utter devastation.
‘That’s what they said.’ Lucian let go of Zeven and took a seat.
‘The good news is —’ Zeven couldn’t bear to see the man suffer, ‘— the woman who truly loves you is still fighting for your cause and will never give up.’
Lucian, who was close to tears, gasped them back. ‘Dr Lennox,’ he muttered, heartened by the news, strange as it was to him.
‘For a professor, you’re a bit slow, but yeah, you get the picture.’ Zeven really resented that the man was yet to appreciate the woman he so desperately wanted. ‘That’s why she hesitated to name your traitor, she didn’t want to be the one to deal that blow.’
‘But there is no proof against my wife.’
‘Fine, don’t believe us.’ Zeven waved him off. ‘Believe me, I’d be a lot happier if you never saw Taren Lennox again.’
Lucian’s eyes narrowed. ‘You like her?’
‘I would cross universes for her; I have!’ Zeven barked, and when Lucian only stared in amazement back at him, Zeven threw his arms up and headed for the door.
‘Where are you going?’
‘I’m going to say goodbye,’ Zeven replied.
‘You can’t leave, you’re under contract,’ Lucian protested.
‘So sue me,’ Zeven invited him. ‘I work for Taren Lennox now.’
20
DUBIETY
Amid her childhood memories Taren recalled what she hoped would still be a safe haven for her in Esponisa. On the rooftop of the penthouse apartment where she had been raised, there had been a large greenhouse, which had been her greatest sanctuary when growing up.
It was both sad and heartening to see that the greenhouse had fallen into ruin — all of the beautiful garden survived, as it was completely artificial, but everything was coated in a deep layer of dust. The lack of upkeep gave Taren hope that her father had not sold the apartment after she’d abandoned it to live in MSS-assigned quarters thirty years before. Anselm had promised Taren that this place would always be here for her, but as her father had also deceived her many times before today, she was not entirely confident he’d kept his promise.
Taren willed herself inside the apartment below her and, following a short dropping sensation, she was standing inside a dark room. She pushed the button to draw the blinds, and was rather shocked that they parted and sunlight flooded the room. ‘The power is still on.’ She grinned. ‘Very clever, Father.’ She made a note to use her psychic will to make all the appliances work, lest her father get sent a larger than average power bill and become wise to the fact that she had taken up residence.
All the furniture and bookshelves had been covered, and of course most of the appliances were decades old, but Taren would make do. For the present, this would prove the perfect hideout for her.
The place awarded excellent views over the modern, high-rise city of Esponisa and even at this early hour the streets and airspace were clogged with traffic and smog hung heavy over the city skyline. ‘What a shit hole.’ After seeing Chailida on Kila she feared every city would pale by comparison — Esponisa most of all.
She thought back over what Jazmay had said about being unable to reach Kila, now that the tear between universes was not existent, and Taren’s heart sank to consider that the claim might be true.
‘Test the theory,’ she told herself before she fell into a depression about it. ‘It’s not as though you don’t have time on your side.’
The thought of visiting Kila right now was very inviting indeed. Taren closed her eyes to block out the great metal and cement nightmare that was her hometown and turned her thoughts to the beautiful splendour of the city she’d left behind on Kila. When Taren thought of Chailida, Rhun was the first person to come to mind and she willed herself to join the governor.
When Taren opened her eyes, she was sadly disappointed to find that she was still in the high-rise apartment, gazing down at the city that she’d studied for ten years to escape from; she missed AMIE already.
‘Jazmay is right.’ Taren gasped at the pain this truth caused her. ‘How am I to warn Kila now?’ She looked to the heavens hoping her guardian spirit was listening. ‘Why did you let me come back here? You must have known I’d be unable to return to Kila if I prevented the universal tear from erupting?’
Taren slid down the wall to take a seat on the floor — the knowledge she could not keep her vow to the Chosen tore at her chest, along with the loss of her love and her space family — the distress reduced her to tears.
‘I hate my life!’ She protested her lot, stomping her feet on the floor like a spoilt child. ‘How can any one person be expected to make decisions of such magnitude? Every move I make affects the future of entire star systems, and people’s lives … the pressure is too great!’ Taren wept and wept, until, exhausted, she fell asleep on the floor where she lay.
It was disorientating to awake in the bedroom of her teen years. For a second she had to wonder if she’d gone back in time again, but could only laugh at the ceiling covered in images of movie stars and musicians that she’d fancied in her youth.
‘You had some seriously crap taste in bands.’
Taren was startled upright and was relieved to find Zeven slouched in the doorway with a big grin on his face.
‘What’s the big idea of leaving me behind to face the captain’s inquisition?’ Zeven watched Taren clamber off the bed and head towards her dressing room.
‘I’m sorry about that …’ she disappeared into the walk-in wardrobe, ‘… but I didn’t want to assume you were ready to follow me here —’
‘You know I was —’
‘— without saying goodbye to anyone,’ Taren spoke up and silenced him, as she emerged with a handful of clothes.
‘Well.’ He shrugged with a cheeky half grin. ‘There is that.’
Taren suspected Zeven had taken advantage of Aurora when saying goodbye — the truth was written all over his contented demeanour — and Taren hoped he hadn’t done it just to spite her over seducing Lucian last time around. ‘I thought you said you weren’t interested in Aurora any more?’
‘You do care,’ he insisted sarcastically.
‘I’m concerned about Aurora being used, not —’
‘Ha!’ Zeven scoffed her to silence. ‘Like you used Lucian?’
Taren’s jaw gaped open at the accusation. ‘I did not!’
‘How is it different?’ Zeven challenged.
‘I love Lucian, that’s the difference.’
‘And I love Aurora —’ Zeven’s passion level dropped, ‘— when she’s around.’
‘Exactly, and when she isn’t, you’ll go for anything young and attractive in a skirt.’ Even Taren was a little surprised by how vexed she sounded about that.
‘What is this, pick-on-Starman day?’ Zeven held both hands high in truce. ‘I’m about the only friend you’ve got right now, why are you trying to piss me off?’
He was absolutely right; what the hell was she doing? Taren embraced Zeven to apologise, quietly thanking the universe for not making her endure this alone. ‘I’m so sorry, and grateful you’re here … I’ve totally lost the plot, so please just forget I spoke.’ Taren stepped away, but Zeven maintained a firm grip on her upper arms.
‘You sounded almost … jealous?’ He put the observation to her and it struck fear into Taren’s heart.
‘No.’ She denied it unconvincingly.
‘You are … we’re starting to make sense, you and I.’ The realisation brought a huge smile to Zeven’s face, and his excitement was catchy.
‘Oh no, we don’t.’ Taren, try though she did, couldn’t repress her smile — the truth was she adored Zeven a
nd yes he was very attractive, charming and fun to be around.
‘So why was I given the power to follow you and not Lucian?’ Zeven was eyeing up her lips.
‘Because he’s not a relative.’ She finally hit on the only argument that was sure to stop the seduction and Starman backed off and punched a hole in the wall alongside her.
‘Damn it! You’re wrong!’ he insisted. ‘And I am going to chase up my lineage and prove it to you! Then will you cut me a break?’
Taren’s heart was pounding in her chest because she knew how much she did desire him, but she forced herself to see the reality of their situation. ‘Zeven, you’ve just left Aurora’s bed and now you want to jump into mine, and if it doesn’t work out, then what? I lose you! I don’t need another nemesis.’
‘You haven’t lost me yet,’ Zeven defended himself.
‘Because I haven’t slept with you yet!’ Taren finally stated what she felt to be his primary motive for being present.
‘You think that is what keeps me here?’ He sounded insulted. ‘Don’t flatter yourself! It’s the action that keeps me here.’ He softened his tone to admit, ‘But then, adrenaline makes me horny, so … I apologise if I hit on you a lot. You just always seem to be around when I’m pumped.’ He shrugged at last. ‘Oh … and I didn’t seduce Aurora. I just told you that to make you jealous.’
Taren shook her head, not knowing what to believe. ‘I’ll trust you with anything, Starman, but not my heart. If you can accept that, this partnership will work.’
‘Okay,’ Zeven conceded, ‘you keep your heart and I’ll have all the other bits.’
‘Zeven!’ Taren scowled, as he refused to take her seriously. ‘If you cannot keep it professional I’ll be far better off without you. In this line of work, business and pleasure don’t mix … it just gets people killed.’ Taren’s voice broke over the statement, as Yasper came to mind.
‘Sure, I can keep it professional.’ Zeven attempted to be serious. ‘But can you?’
‘I’ll try and control myself.’ Taren rolled her eyes and headed for the washroom.