Being of the Field

  When their pilot reported to the bridge to dock AMIE at the Tonissian spaceport, he was in a very good mood indeed.

  The only time Taren had ever seen Zeven look that happy was on the surface of Oceane. She could only assume that Zeven had finally got himself laid! Taren was dying to ask who the lucky girl was, but was spared the trouble when the pilot left for shore leave on Phemoria with a girl under each arm.

  ‘What a handful,’ Lucian commented as they trailed the happy threesome.

  ‘He certainly is.’ Taren shook her head in disbelief. The universe helped him out all right.

  ‘I meant the girls,’ Lucian corrected with a chuckle in his voice. ‘But I dare say that being held in such high regard by two gay women will have Zeven in the residents’ good books in no time.’

  ‘Looks like we’re frightfully out of fashion, then.’ Taren hugged her man around his waist.

  ‘Only me, really,’ replied Lucian, ‘as the only thing more admired on Phemoria than a gay female is a gifted psychic.’

  ‘I don’t really like to advertise that fact. I’m quite happy to be completely un-chic with you.’

  All the crew were going ashore, even Ringbalin. He’d promised Ayliscia Portus that she could show him around her town, although he planned to return to the ship periodically. Kassa and Leal were keen to spend a few days alone together, away from their working lives and the accompanying interference.

  At customs their party was met by a tall, elegantly dressed Phemorian official. The majority of Phemorians tended to be oliveto dark-skinned, very tall, and their hair and eyes were usually darker shades. Dr Portus was more blonde and blue-eyed, although her skin did have that healthy olive hue. The official sent to meet them was dark-skinned and her long jet-black hair fell back from an ornate jewel clasp on the crown of her head. Her eyes, however, were a very striking shade of indigo; as were Taren’s, although slightly lighter.

  Lucian recognised the official as the Phemorian viceroy and uttered as much in an aside to Taren, adding: ‘Our visit must be considered very important.’

  She was not at all like the Phemorian officials Taren had met on Frujia—no veil, no floating about. Perhaps Dr Portus had been right in saying that they had been no ordinary government officials, but were, in fact, the mystical Phemoray.

  ‘Greetings, Captain Gervaise,’ the viceroy said, knowing Lucian by sight, and bowed her head to him in respect. ‘My name is Jalila Lamus and I am here to welcome you and your crew…’ Her eyes came to rest upon Taren. ‘…to Phemoria, where you will be given sanctuary. On the instruction of our illustrious queen, the Honourable Qusay-Sabah Clarona, I am to extend to you every courtesy and luxury our planet has to offer.’ Jalila smiled warmly at Taren, who was a little discomfortted by the attention.

  ‘On behalf of my crew, I thank you,’ Lucian replied, regaining the viceroy’s attention. ‘Your queen is most gracious.’

  ‘The Sermetic sympathiser under sedation in your ship’s medical quarters will be transferred to our maximum security detention facility here in Tonissia.’ At the viceroy’s nod, several of the customs officers and security police entered AMIE to collect Swithin.

  Lucian, as much as he despised his brother for his betrayals, regretted being the one to finally have him incarcerated. But if he didn’t see Swithin safely behind bars, one of the secret services would happily see him to his grave and Phemoria was the only planet where the intergalactic secret service agencies held little sway. In fact, they were despised by the Phemorians.

  ‘I have been instructed to see you to your accommodation.’ Jalila dispersed the sober mood with her lovely smile. ‘I have transport waiting, if you will kindly follow me.’

  The crew were shown to the larger of the two luxury transporters, complete with government chauffeur. Taren and Lucian were invited to ride in the other with the viceroy. It was there that Taren finally introduced herself to Jalila, who smiled broadly. ‘Your reputation precedes you, Dr Lennox. Our queen is most eager to meet with you at your earliest convenience.’

  ‘That is fantastic news,’ Lucian said, pleased. ‘We are eager to speak with your queen about funding—’

  ‘I do apologise, captain,’ Jalila said, sounding almost insulted by his assumption, ‘but the Qusay-Sabah Clarona extended the invitation to Dr Lennox alone.’

  Pangs of panic shot through Taren. Why was she so important? Did this honour have something to do with the Phemoray and their banishing stone? Why did they wish to keep her hidden from Anselm, if he was her father? Did they know that? Dr Portus had said she suspected that Taren was part-Phemorian. Was Anselm’s blood enough to make her Phemorian—as he was Sermetic his ancestry was also Phemorian.

  ‘Oh…I see.’ Lucian tried not to sound belittled, although Taren knew he was. ‘I do apologise.’ He turned his gaze to the window, although he could only view blurred streaks of light inside the tunnel they were speeding through.

  Taren was surprised by her first taste of male discrimination and reached across to squeeze Lucian’s hand, and he squeezed hers in return without looking at her. ‘I would be honoured to meet Queen Clarona. Would this evening be convenient?’

  ‘That would be most pleasing,’ Jalila confirmed.

  The mood in their transport got a mite uncomfortable after that and Taren was glad the journey was not prolonged.

  The express tunnel ended in front of a huge domed construction with security doors and guards. A government pass was obviously the only way someone could enter. Inside the dome was an expansive, round esplanade, the walls of which were composed of adjoining terrace apartments, five storeys high. These protected sandstone dwellings were in immaculate condition and sunlight streamed in through large elongated windows set in the cement-like material of the domed ceiling. A single-lane roadway, with parking areas at the side, ran the full circuit of the indoor complex, and then out through the security doors at the front and into the tunnel to the spaceport. The central area of the esplanade was ornately paved, and was dotted with lush leather seating, tables and potted plants to give it a very sparse but elegant ambience.

  It was only as they disembarked from their ride that Taren and Lucian realised that the other crew transport was no longer in front of them.

  ‘The rest of your crew have been accommodated in the civilian centre of Tonissia for their own enjoyment. Our queen felt that for political and security reasons, you and your partner would be safer here, on government ground,’ Jalila informed Taren when she queried the absence.

  Lucian was suspicious and his brother’s warning regarding the Phemorians came to mind. The Phemorians will screw you, just as surely as the USS and the MSS will. ‘I would prefer that my crew stay with me,’ Lucian replied in a not-so-friendly fashion.

  ‘Then I can arrange to have you accommodated with them,’ the official replied amiably.

  Lucian was satisfied, until Jalila added: ‘But our queen insists that Dr Lennox remain in the government sector.’

  Lucian was livid at the suggestion. Taren felt his annoyance and intervened. ‘We’ll remain here for now, thank you.’ She didn’t want to lose their last chance of support for their project just yet.

  The viceroy handed over an electronic key to the apartment they were standing in front of. ‘The apartment has everything you should require…housekeeping and catering are contactable via the intercom system in the kitchen, they service the entire establishment,’ Jalila advised them, as she returned to the transport. ‘I’ll send someone to collect you this evening.’

  ‘Please tell Queen Clarona that I greatly look forward to our meeting.’ Taren waved, grateful to see the official get inside the car and leave.

  ‘I don’t trust this entire set-up.’ Lucian finally let the brake off his tongue.

  Taren had to admit that ‘a set-up’ was exactly what this felt like. But to what end? Only by walking straight into this trap did she have any chance of finding her answers.

  The penthouse apartment of the hotel g
ave a grand view of Tonissia. For a capital city, it had a very low-lying skyline; none of the buildings stood much over ten storeys tall and were nearly all historic. The Phemorians preferred to maintain their old structures rather than tear them down and build huge new skyscrapers, as was the practice on Sermetica, and on Maladaan—when there was a Maladaan. Still, there was more creative freedom of expression here than on any other planet under the USS banner. The Phemorians were passionate about beauty and the creative process, and were great supporters of artists—painters, poets, actors, musicians, writers and designers of all stripes. That was why people flocked here. The night life, entertainment, galleries and libraries on Phemoria were said to be the best to be found anywhere in the known universe, and this was the case in Tonissia most of all.

  ‘I’m going to go down and have a look around,’ Zeven decided, as both girls were still lying around half naked, reading magazines and watching the intergalactic network on the huge multi-screen wall in the bedroom. ‘I’ll see if I can find some place interesting to take you ladies later.’

  ‘I vote we stay here,’ Aurora said cheekily, snuggling deeper into the huge pillows.

  ‘Oh, come on.’ Kalayna tossed a pillow at her. ‘This is Tonissia, the most exciting city anywhere!’

  ‘That’s two against one.’ Zeven headed for the door. ‘Be back soon.’

  ‘If you guys think you are dragging me to that spaceship expo downtown, you’re seriously mistaken.’ Aurora knew that Zeven and Kalayna had similar interests which she did not share in the least.

  ‘Really! There’s a spaceship expo?’ Kalayna grabbed the magazine Aurora was reading from her hands.

  ‘Later, girls!’ Zeven blew kisses and left them to argue it out.

  ‘This looks great!’ Kalayna found the article and became very excited. ‘Please can we go,’ she whined, putting on her pouting, seductive face.

  ‘Aw…’ Aurora groaned at the very thought. ‘Wouldn’t you rather go to the theatre, or a movie, or—’

  ‘No way! They’ve got the new hyper-lite DS-700 on display!’

  ‘Wow…’ Aurora stared back blankly. ‘Whatever a hyper D thingie is.’

  ‘You’re such a girl.’ Kalayna rolled her eyes. ‘Starman will be excited, I assure you.’

  A chime toned to let them know someone was at the door. ‘Speak of the devil.’ Kalayna figured Starman had left something behind and rose to let him back in.

  ‘I’m going to take a bath,’ Aurora decided, and kicked her way out of the bedding.

  Kalayna waited for Aurora to enter the bathroom and close the door—just in case their caller wasn’t Zeven.

  The door slid aside to reveal a tall cloaked man, which freaked Kalayna! She would have closed the door in his dark hooded face had he not barged his way in.

  ‘Miss Zuri.’ He grabbed hold of one of her wrists and held it tight as he backed her into the apartment and the door closed automatically.

  ‘Who are you?’ Kalayna was fearful that he knew her name, and she tried to catch a glimpse of the face beneath the hood with no success.

  ‘Where are your friends?’ he asked in a strained whisper.

  ‘They went out,’ she blurted, and thought to add, ‘But they’ll be back very soon.’

  His attention turned to the sound of a bath running.

  ‘That’s for me,’ Kalayna explained, to set him at ease. ‘I should go turn it off.’ She moved to do so, wanting to warn Aurora, but he held onto her wrist and swung her back into his clutches. ‘What do you want?’ she said loudly, hoping that Aurora might be alerted.

  ‘I want to talk,’ he taunted. ‘I want to talk to Fem-Libertine.’

  Kalayna froze in his hands and, like a haze lifting from her mind the reason for this stranger’s visit became perfectly clear to her. Indeed, he was no stranger to her at all.

  ‘What do you want!’

  Aurora heard Kalayna cry out, so she immediately put on her robe and moved to investigate. As Kalayna had sounded panicked, Aurora cautiously slid the bathroom door open to give the smallest gap to peer out through the bedroom and into the living area.

  She smothered a gasp when she saw the dark hooded figure standing over Kalayna. The sound of the running water covered the sound of her movement, as she slipped out of the bathroom and made for the far wall of the bedroom, where she sank to the ground and peered into the lounge.

  ‘I want to talk to Fem-Libertine,’ the hooded man told Kalayna, who froze like a zombie for a second and her attacker let her go and removed his hood.

  Again, Aurora was forced to suppress a gasp. President Anselm! She recognised him at once. What was he doing here? And what business could he possibly have with Kalayna?

  When Kalayna emerged from her short trance, she bowed her head at once. ‘Mr President.’

  ‘Hello, little siren.’ He smiled at her warmly. ‘What have you to report?’

  She’s a sleeper agent! Zeven was right about her! Aurora’s heart began beating so loudly that she could barely hear a word being said.

  ‘They have all been very tight-lipped around me,’ Kalayna told him, ‘insofar as their Powers are concerned. Except Dr Lennox, who freely told me she was a pre-cog.’

  ‘I know that already,’ he bantered, in good humour. ‘Did she say anything about PK ability?’

  ‘No. Why do you ask?’

  ‘Because someone from AMIE made themselves invisible to rescue Miss DeCadie from one of our deep-space cruisers and then made the entire recon vessel we’d captured disappear.’ Anselm explained.

  Starman! Aurora’s mind screamed in anguish.

  ‘Zeven Gudrun would be my guess,’ Kalayna piped in.

  ‘Why?’ Anselm was intensely interested to learn this.

  ‘Because he rescued Aurora. That would also explain why he failed to notice that he’d burned out his entire propulsion system being dragged in by your tracker beam. Zeven claimed that his bad intentions made me ill, and I was very ill—he could have killed me—but he chose to miraculously cure me instead.’

  Anselm smiled, well pleased. ‘I must have him.’

  ‘I already have,’ Kalayna grinned, proud of her work.

  ‘You certainly do live up to your call sign.’ Anselm touched her cheek fondly.

  ‘I greatly enjoy my work.’ She kissed the palm of his hand before he withdrew his touch.

  ‘Do you know where they are keeping my daughter?’ Anselm got back to business.

  ‘In the government sector, of course.’

  ‘I have no chance of getting to her there. We have to draw her out.’

  ‘Well…she is very fond of Zeven Gudrun,’ Kalayna ventured. ‘If anything were to happen to him, she would surely go to the ends of the earth to find him.’

  Aurora was practically hyperventilating now, hoping with all her might that Kalayna would not expose her before she had the chance to expose Kalayna. Why hasn’t she exposed me? she wondered. Perhaps their love ran deeper than even MSS conditioning could thwart? She had exposed Zeven to the enemy, however, and in Aurora’s mind that was completely unforgivable.

  ‘Kill two birds with one stone, you think,’ the president said, very happy with the notion.

  ‘Leave it to me,’ Kalayna suggested. ‘You should go, as Zeven will be back soon.’

  Anselm nodded in accord and came close to look Kalayna in the eyes. ‘When I walk out that door, you will consciously forget I was ever here, but the Fem-Libertine shall not.’

  Kalayna smiled as she watched him leave. Aurora gulped as she realised she was about to be confronted. Feeling unprepared she dashed back into the bathroom and closed the door.

  When Aurora heard Zeven come back through the door, she emerged gingerly from the bathroom.

  ‘I thought you were never coming out of there,’ Kalayna said in relief as she rose to take up occupation in her stead. ‘What’s wrong?’

  Aurora wiped the mortified look off her face and smiled. ‘It’s the thought of going to that spac
e con.’

  ‘It’ll be fun,’ Kalayna insisted, kissing her cheek, before vanishing into the wet room.

  Aurora made a beeline for Zeven.

  ‘Hey, sweetness,’ he smiled, wrongly thinking she was rushing to greet him. Instead, she planted both hands on his chest and pushed him to the furthest corner of the living room, where she burst into tears. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’

  ‘You were right about Kalayna. She’s a sleeper agent,’ she whispered, petrified.

  ‘What?’ Zeven couldn’t imagine what had led Aurora to this conclusion in the short time he’d been gone.

  ‘It’s true! Anselm was here—’

  ‘President Anselm?’

  ‘Shh!’ Aurora begged him to keep his voice down. ‘Kalayna told him about your PK ability and now he wants you as an agent.’

  ‘What…no,’ Zeven said in disbelief. ‘She doesn’t know about my PK. I never told her.’

  ‘She worked it out when she saw your fried propulsion system. And you miraculously cured her, remember? They plan to use you to get to Taren.’

  This piece of news turned Zeven’s whole attitude around. ‘Where is Kalayna now?’

  ‘In the bath,’ Aurora informed. ‘Anselm said she wouldn’t consciously recall him being here, but the sleeper agent inside her would.’

  ‘Did you hear him use her code name?’

  Aurora when into a fluster. ‘He called her by a couple of different names. Little siren and…the other one was kind of foreign-sounding.’

  ‘Think, Aurora, think,’ he urged. ‘It’s really important.’

  ‘Yes, Aurora, think.’

  They turned to find Kalayna standing in the bedroom doorway, fully dressed and ready for action with an explosive device in her hand.