Ambasadora (Book 1 of Ambasadora) (16 page)

She gave him a little smile and
said, “I’ll be up late.”

That made David smile. He walked
her to the door, and they shared a few hushed words and a couple of intimiate
touches that Sara was likely not meant to see.

When David faced Sara again, she
asked, “What about everyone else?” She wondered specifically about
Sean.

“Kenon never misses a chance
to scout out new territory.” David’s tone told her what he meant.
“But, Soli’s probably lying down, trying to recover from all the latest
excitement.”

“Geir?” She didn’t want
to be too obvious and ask about Sean specifically.

“He might join us after he
helps Sean with that cylinder. It’s not like Sean would go anyway.”

A surprising disappointment
trickled through her, but she pushed it aside. She didn’t need the distraction.
This would be the perfect opportunity.

“I’ll prep the transport for
three then,” he said.

“David?” Sara walked
past him.

“Yeah?”

“I think they’re going to
expect you to wear a shirt.”

He looked down at his bare chest.
“So, it’s
that
kind of place.”

“Why is Nanga Ki on the
highest, steepest mountain range on Tampa Quad?” Sara asked from the back
seat of the small transport, Nanga Ki’s hangar being too small for even a
mid-range ship like the
Bard
. The whole mountain came into view, snow
streaming from its tri peaks like steam.

“I don’t know,” David
said. “But, that’s why it’s easier to come in from such a high altitude
than trying to climb all the way up here.”

“Nanga Ki’s location was
chosen by Tertians,” Kenon said, referring to the citizens of Tampa Three,
the most inhospitable of the four Tampa moons and Tampa Quad’s closest neighbor
in the system. He leaned in close enough for Sara to smell his amber scent and
feel his breath on her cheek. “They aren’t exactly known for their
logistics, considering their ancestors originally chose
that
rock for
their settlements. Some of them wanted to incorporate part of Tampa Quad, too,
but this was the only piece of land left.” He squeezed her hand. His proximity
and tone left no doubt of his invitation.

After spending so much time
around contractors, Sara had forgotten how forward Socialite males could be.
For them, it was easier to be forthcoming than to waste their efforts on an
unrequited attraction. But, the fawning and innuendo irritated, rather than
flattered, her. Maybe she had just gotten used to Rainer’s reserved demeanor.
Or, maybe she preferred the shy respect Sean had given her.

“Nanga Ki, this is
Navigational Leader David Anlow of the
Bard
‘s transport. Are we a go for
landing?”

The hangar replied with an all-go
signal.

“Understood. All-go.”

A blinding wall of white cut in
front of them as the descending sun reflected harshly off snow and metal. Sara
discerned green landing lights flashing around three metal doors.

“Nanga Ki, this is the
Bard
transport. Why are the hangar doors not open?”

Without their own ear buds, Sara
and Kenon couldn’t hear Nanga Ki’s response.

“Should we abort?”
Kenon asked, his focus now more on the sealed hangar doors filling their view
than on Sara’s attentions.

“Nope. Everything’s
fine,” David said, slightly amused.

The seconds ticked by without a
hint of movement near the huge metal doors encased within solid rock.

“David!” Kenon’s face
drained of color. “What are you doing?”

“Ever buzz a
scarecrow?” David asked.

The doors rushed at them. Kenon
threw his arms up to protect his face. Sara remained frozen in her seat. No
crash, no impact, just a pass through a holo-screen that looked for all the
planet like solid metal hangar doors.

David decelerated and came to a
complete stop at the end of the landing tunnel. No one spoke. Kenon laughed
nervously, then smoothed his hair, the navy blue tips shining in the
transport’s soft light.

“You could have told the
rest of us it was just a holo-screen,” Sara said.

“I figured you knew what a
scarecrow was.” David’s nonchalance annoyed her.

Sara liked to know what to expect
from the people around her, and David had just proven he could be
unpredictable. Simon’s fragger theory gained ground.

“I should have worn a
coat.” The freezing air assaulted Sara as soon as she entered the hangar’s
atmosphere. Her bio-lights danced up and down the goose flesh on her arm, and
she shivered in the brilliant light as it reflected off of the glossy white
walls.

A group of six approached the
trio from the
Bard
. All but one woman were clad in black coats with
cenders strapped to their thighs. Every one of them stared at Sara’s
intra-tattoo like streamers at a v-game screen. Those dots would forever define
her as an Embassy project. The other ambasadoras relished such favor. Sara
viewed it as a permanent reminder of her slavery.

She felt gentle hands wrap a
jacket around her shoulders. Her appreciative gaze met Kenon’s smiling face.
Ever
the society gentleman.

Once the purple lights
disappeared, the spell was broken, and the weaponless female stepped forward in
a form-fitting silver coat that practically dragged the floor. Its color
contrasted beautifully with her mocha skin.

“Ambasadora Mendoza, I am
Liloch Ramon, deputy supervisor of Nanga Ki.” She bowed deeply.

The action made Sara
uncomfortable, as did seeing each contractor with their hands at the ready over
the silver handles of their weapons. She instantly ran through defensive
scenarios in her mind and within seconds had one that would allow her to take
out the three closest contractors in about that many moves. Rainer would be
proud.

“It is a pleasure to meet
you, Deputy Supervisor Ramon. May I introduce the handsome and charming men of
the
Bard
, Navigational Leader David Anlow and Terra Observer Kenon
Brudger.”

Liloch nodded her ponytailed
head at both men, though her coffee-colored eyes lingered on Kenon’s soft
features much longer. She was rewarded with a propositioning smile.

Worried more about their armed
escort than amused by the woman’s obvious infatuation, Sara prodded, “May
we proceed inside?”

“Forgive me. This way.”

“Good to know you still got
the touch.” David chided Kenon as they followed Liloch and her security
entourage through a pair of double doors and into an antechamber.

“Once the doors behind us
close, we’ll be able to proceed into the main hall,” she said.
Good way
to keep out the cold and unwanted guests.

The party of nine squeezed into
the small antechamber. Given the choice of pressing against a male contractor
or David, Sara chose David. She caught a whiff of that green tea smell she had
come to associate with Armadans, well at least David and Geir, the only two she
really knew. Rather than coming from bots, the scent seemed to be natural to
their caste.

A whisper of conversation from
the female contractors drifted her way. Her heart skipped a beat when she
realized they were talking about Rainer. Without looking directly at them, Sara
tried to concentrate on their words. All she heard was “reassigned”
before the male standing beside them spoke loudly to his companion.

“Don’t often see a birth
Armadan pulling civvy duty. Unless his own kind doesn’t even want him.”

“What makes you think I’m an
Armadan?” David lowered his head past the contractor’s bright green and
black ridge of hair in order to look into the man’s eyes.

Sara chuckled, drawing an angry
stare from Green Hair.

David’s expression was an amused
calm. Still, she imagined him with v-mitters. Her first impulse was to pull
away, but that would have been too obvious. Better to let him play at protector
and not bruise his ego.

The
swooshing
seal of the
front door brought their chatter to an end. Even the slight change in
temperature made her cheeks and lips loosen their grip on her capillaries. She
gave into a small shiver and hugged Kenon’s jacket closer, loving its warmth
and subtle smell.

The white inner doors of the
antechamber opened within seconds onto a bustling atrium of dark stone and
fuchsia light. It was a pleasant surprise after the spartan hangar.

David elbowed out first, guiding
Sara by the shoulders. Green Hair exited close behind them.

“This is the Great
Hall,” Liloch announced. “As you can see, we took our inspiration for
the interior from digitals of several ancient Yurian cultures found among the
first worldships.”

“I thought this looked a
little familiar,” David said.

“So, you
are
an
Armadan,” Green Hair said.

“Not all of Yurai’s citizens
are Armadans. Only the best ones.”

Trying to diffuse the situation,
Kenon asked Liloch about the wall coverings.

Sixteen tapestries cascaded down
from the ceiling along the dark stone walls. Fuchsia birds of prey, perhaps
indigenous to Yurai, raced down the black, silky wall coverings, wings
folded behind them, claws at the ready. Thirty of the beasts flew,
self-contained in a world of perpetual flight. The brilliant pink tone of the
holo-birds mirrored the flame erupting from flanking wall sconces. Each
tapestry canopied its own seating nook. The cozy alcove benches were carved
into the chamber itself.

The Great Hall’s centerpiece,
however, was the floor to ceiling fireplace. It stretched nine meters above
them and was half as wide, a natural pillar of the mountain. Kenon moved
toward the fiery tower and its small platform of dark steps which encircled the
fireplace on all sides. Circumnavigating the stone benches of staring
occupants, he climbed the stone staircase.

Sara almost wanted to join him as
he neared the mesmerizing pink fire. An inferno of fuchsia burned within large
openings at its bottom. Smaller holes pocked its remaining length to expose the
traveling pink glow.

The firelight lit upon Kenon’s
face as he climbed closer and tilted his head back to view the ceiling.

“I’m surprised Kenon’s
playing the role of a terra observer so well. I assumed he just wanted a
scientific title to feel more important than other Socialites. You know,
without actually doing any real work for it,” David said.

“Like Mari?” Sara was
surprised to see him frown.

“Mari devotes a lot of time
to her work, and though I don’t quite understand what it is she does, I know
it’s important, at least to her.”

“I was joking, but best not
to tell her I said that.”

“I won’t. Not that we talk
that much anyway. I mean, we don’t see each other that often. Or at all.”
He mumbled something else, then changed the subject quickly. “By the way,
I should have gone over emergency procedures with you as soon as you boarded. I
always did for new crew on the
Protector
. I guess I’m slipping too far
into civvy life already.”

Green Hair sauntered past, his
knuckles white from a tight grip on his cenders. He watched Kenon, but Sara
knew his attention was really on David and her. Was the contractor edgy because
he had been told of her escape attempt?

Kenon rejoined them. “It’s
basalt.”

Sara looked at David in faux
amazement.

“Nanga Ki is volcanic,”
Kenon said to none of them in particular.

“Extinct, I assure
you,” Liloch said.

“Maybe.” Kenon stopped
beside her.

“Truly, Scientist
Brudger—”

“Please.” He took her
hand, and said, “Call me Kenon,” before going into the same speech
about the pretension of titles he gave upon meeting Sara.

“Kenon,” Liloch said.
“I was just about to explain to the ambasadora that our beautiful and
functional fireplace is what remains of an original lava tube. Five million
years ago, this chamber would have been flooded with magma. Now it’s our Great
Hall. And, I’m sure you already know why there is heat produced, but no
smoke.”

“I wondered about
that,” Sara said.

Liloch waited for Kenon to
respond.

“It’s because of what feeds
your fire, here in the chimney and the flames in the wall sconces. Vulcan gas
in the vernacular, but I prefer the poetic term Hephestos’ breath, though I’m
not certain where the term originated.”

“Exactly.” Liloch
pushed closer to Kenon.

Sara and David exchanged bemused
glances. She avoided looking too deeply into his eyes. David’s smoky irises
were earnest and pleasing, and nothing at all like a fragger’s heartless orbs.
On second consideration, the scarecrow prank earlier wasn’t enough to convince
her that David was an anti-government operative. She had firsthand experience
with fraggers. David wasn’t acting like one of them.

She heard Liloch laugh and looked
at the darker woman’s response to Kenon. It was as though they were the only
people in the room. Sara couldn’t imagine being that carefree again. She was
acutely aware of everyone surrounding her at all times, and had even learned
from Rainer how to assess the level of each individual’s threat to her. If this
was what her life would be from now on—assessing threats and planning escapes,
she would gladly go back to being a bored Socialite and watching the Media with
her cousins. Now, they were snuggled in at home watching her on the Media. Sara
should be proud, flattered, but it was all a lie, and she hated liars.

“The major supervisor is
waiting for us in the dining hall. If you’ll follow me.” Liloch took
Kenon’s offered arm.

When they walked past Green Hair
and his companions, David gave them a taunting wave good-bye.

Sara smiled a little, then
thought,
I hope I’m right about you, David Anlow. Otherwise I’ll have to
kill you to save myself.