Deep (14 page)

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172

Filed Under "Coma"

She wanted to ask Dr. Plegg what happened to Deep when he blew the ship. She knew there was no way she could fully grasp the whole concept—a real man running a ship, pretending to be the ship.

"Dr. Plegg." They were away from the sensory deprivation tanks and walking down another narrow slate-paved corridor.

"Dr. Plegg, how were Deep and the others, the ones with the enhanced psi abilities, how were they able to control the Vogt ships? I mean, wouldn't two real crew members have accomplished the same goal?"

"Technically, our research into granting each ship its own artificially elevated intelligence was what proved to be our cornerstone. Each Vogt took on its own little personality, but it lacked one very crucial component. Emotion."

Dr. Plegg stopped in the middle of the hallway to give her a wry smile. "You were right, Lawn. Emotion was the key factor. A ship with A.I. can think and react with almost human swiftness, but without the emotional aspect to balance out its reasoning, it cannot always make the correct decision. Dr.

Mehra pointed out that flaw to us, and at the same time provided us with a way to overcome it." He motioned toward the hallway. "We're almost there."

They entered another elevator, which took them up a level. This time when the doors opened, people bustled by. All 173

of them either wore lab coats or a medical uniform, and all of them gave her more than a single glance when they passed her. Lawn ignored their curious stares. She didn't need to see their antiseptic uniforms, or to smell the sharp tang of disinfectant to know she was in some kind of medical facility.

Several people greeted Dr. Plegg as they walked by. No one questioned the woman who accompanied him although Lawn caught more than one grimace.

They came to a set of double doors where the physician paused. "A small word of warning, Officer Bascomb. We don't know how deep the psychosis goes. Dr. Mehra doesn't answer to anyone, or even react to anyone there."

"But he's alive?"

Plegg nodded. "That's all we're able to ascertain."

"What about his mental functions?"

"Normal base body functions are level, but anything deeper than that" He shook his head.

"Have any of the other psi-enhanced people come to help?"

"They tried. They say there seems to be some sort of wall blocking them. We've assumed it's some sort of shield he's erected to protect himself."

He pushed open one of the double doors and motioned for her to enter first. Lawn slowly walked into the dimly lit room where another tank sat in the middle of the floor. It was similar to the one she'd seen earlier, although much smaller in size.

was inside the container, immersed in what was either gel or other thick substance. His entire face was 174

covered by the oxygen mask. Thin tubes emerging from his back fed nutrients to his body.

Lawn stepped up to the tank and placed a hand on the transparent wall. Her eyes memorized every detail and compared them to the man she'd known onboard the Vogt. In spite of his unshaven appearance, she recognized the dark hair, and the strong chest and arms. He looked noticeably thinner, especially wrapped the way he was like an Egyptian mummy.

"What happened?" she whispered.

A nurse quietly exited the room, leaving her and the doctor alone with Deep.

"We'd been kept abreast of all, or almost all of the activity aboard the ship."

Lawn turned to give him a curious look. "Did you know about us?"

Plegg nodded. "He had told us from the beginning that he had grown emotionally involved in your welfare. He even went so far as to have his contract renegotiated."

"Renegotiated?"

"To allow him to contact you once the mission was over.

When it became obvious that the buoy and Vogt were under siege, Dr. Mehra began sending emergency calls back to Earth, describing the full extent of the meteor shower. He also let us know that he feared the hull had been compromised to the point where any attempt to return might be futile, maybe even fatal."

"So he chose to send me back alone, knowing he couldn't bring the ship itself."

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"Correct," Dr. Plegg conceded. "What none of us understood was how deeply embedded he was in the ship. I don't think even Dr. Mehra knew how firmly entrenched he was."

"Like he was locked in and couldn't get free?"

"Yes. Exactly. He fought it. He fought to release his mind from the ship's intelligence. If given a little more time, I believe he would have made it. When the ship blew, Dr.

Mehra's body went into sudden and so far irreversible catatonia."

"What makes you think I might be able to help?"

"Because Dara and the others all say your image was the one constant and the last image he held onto mentally." Dr.

Plegg's voice grew softer. "And your name was the last thing he said before he went into shock."

Five... four...three...two...one...Lawn!

She pressed her forehead against the warm wall and fought the tears. She couldn't cry now. She couldn't break down, not when Deep needed her. Not when others were hoping and maybe praying she might be able to reach him.

Blinking away the fuzziness, Lawn could see his hands floating limply beside his body. Hands she recognized even though they had always been ghostly and intangible. Strong-looking hands.

"Can I touch him?" she asked.

The physician went over to the computer screen recessed into the wall and pulled up a schedule. "He's due to be withdrawn in an hour. I'll go ahead and order it done now."

"Withdrawn?"

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"To change his wrappings, and to check to make sure the tubes aren't showing any signs of infection at the entry points. You're welcome to stay. I won't be gone long."

The physician left without waiting for her answer. Lawn turned back to the large vat and began to scrutinize it more closely as she slowly walked around it.

He was real. Deep was a real man. And somewhere inside that incredible brain of his, Lawn knew Deep continued to exist. In her heart, she knew he had to be trapped inside.

When he had exploded the ship, he had thrown his own mental shields up to protect himself against the agony he knew would occur when he severed his link with the ship's intelligence. But because he had been distracted by his worry over her welfare, he had miscalculated the extent the effect of the blast would have on his connection.

She pressed her malformed cheek against the container and closed her eyes.

Close your eyes.

Actually, there is a way. Close your eyes, Lawn.

Close your eyes, Lawn. Give me a chance.

Close your eyes, Lawn, and dream.

Close your eyes, Lawn.

She shut her eyes and emptied her mind, the same way she had when it had been just her and Deep. The two of them, alone, up in space.

"Deep, I'm here. You know that, don't you? But you can't answer me because you've put such a strong barrier up, it's impossible for me to get in, or you to get out. Isn't that right?"

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She waited. Listened. She heard the soft, steady clicks and beeps of the machines. Squeezing her eyes tighter, Lawn tried to erase the noise in order to concentrate fully on the dark silence inside her mind.

She had a connection with Deep. One that went past the emotional. It was such a powerful connection, the others knew about it.

"I'm here, Deep. I'm alive because of you. Now let me save you."

Lawn?

She gasped and choked. He was there. He had reached for her with his mind, inside her mind. Deep knew she had come to be with him.

Hull breach is imminent.

Lawn, you have a small tear in your suit.

She clung to the container, wrapping her arms around it as far as she could reach. "I'm a meteorite, Deep," she murmured. "I'm one of those tiny, tiny, almost invisible micrometeorites, and I've penetrated your shields. I'm inside, and I've come to rescue you."

Somewhere in the far corner of her mind, she sensed something moving, like a shadow trying to detach itself from the surrounding darkness. She tried to focus on it, but it was too elusive. It was like it was stuck or glued to a surface it couldn't free itself from.

Or strapped inside a harness that was jammed and wouldn't open.

A loud bang startled her. Lawn stepped away from the container as Dr. Plegg and three others entered the room 178

with a rolling examination table. The shelves underneath the table were filled with equipment. One of the medical technicians went to the wall and hit a button. Lawn heard a whirring sound and watched as Deep was lifted from the tank by the mechanical hoist. The machine's arm gently swung the limp figure around once he cleared the container's upper lip, and the technician directed the machine to lay the unconscious man on the table. Dr. Plegg guided the body so that it rested on its side.

Lawn remained behind the crew as they did their jobs, hesitant to step up. Dr. Plegg glanced back at her. "It's all right. You can touch him."

One of the technicians moved to the side to let her in. She walked forward to see one of Deep's hands lying on the table, the fingers partially curled inside the thin glove. Deep never touched her with gloved hands. He always removed them first.

The glove rolled up and off like a thin layer of dough.

Lifting his bare hand, Lawn slipped her own underneath it until fingers matched fingers. His hand was naturally larger than hers, and the skin was warm. Pliant. Turning it over, she ran the fingers of her other hand over his palm. She noted his nails were cut short. Lifting it to her face, she pressed the palm to her damaged cheek and stroked his knuckles.

"This is me, Deep," she murmured, giving his fingers a squeeze. Closing her eyes, she pressed a kiss to his wrist.

"Now can you feel me? Flesh to flesh, without those little mechanical hands and arms that could only send you electronic feedback?"

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She lowered her chin so she could kiss his palm when a thumb crooked. So slight, still it caressed her lower lip. Lawn gasped, knowing she had not imagined it.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to find a hazel gaze staring in her direction, trying to find and lock on her. He wasn't quite cognizant. Thick, dark lashes kept blinking in an attempt to clear his vision. He knew she was there with him—very real and very much alive.

The thumb brushed her lower lip again, then barely skimmed her upper lip.

"Do they...do they taste as sweet..." He frowned as he struggled to speak while fighting the depths where he had been hiding.

Lawn nodded as she felt his hand trying to cup her face.

She knew what he wanted, what he needed. It was exactly what she had prayed he'd ask for, even when he couldn't put the words yet to voice. But the image was there. It remained in her mind where he'd placed it, where it shone clear and bright like a rain-washed spring day.

As Deep struggled to reach for her, Lawn bent over and kissed him.

He clutched her as if she was the only bit of solid ground left, and he was about to fall off the edge of the world. He was so weak, but he tried to kiss her back.

An attendant grabbed each of her arms as a third held her unmoving against the examination table. Struggling didn't help. Lawn could tell Deep was fighting them when the hypo bit into the back of her neck, and she felt the freezing chill of something being pumped into her system.

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The last thing she heard as her body turned to rubber and blackness swallowed her was Dr. Plegg's voice explaining,

"Congratulations again, but we can't let the truth about the Vogts get out. I know you promised you wouldn't say anything, but we simply cannot take that chance. I'm sorry, Officer Bascomb."

* * * *

181

Filed Under "Reassignment"

Lawn bundled the coat tighter around herself and glanced up at the gray sky. The forecasters predicted snow tonight and tomorrow. Maybe as much as six inches.

She looked behind her at the ice-filled fountain. The same fountain where she had first spotted Deep, not knowing that at the time, so many months ago, he had planned for her to see him there.

"From the first time I saw you, I followed your progress through the indoctrination and training. I knew you had to become one of the finalists," he had admitted one night. "I wanted you to be chosen. I needed you to be chosen."

The chilly wind seemed to blow through her. Getting to her feet, she began pacing around the fountain to keep warm.

Presently she heard a shout. The figure waved at her from where he had exited the Bureau's main offices. Lawn smiled and waved back, bouncing up and down on her toes as she waited for him to catch up with her.

Before he said a word, Deep pulled her into his embrace and kissed her, loving her with his mouth as he also brushed the malformed side of her face with his lips. His warmth was enough to send shivers through her.

"Well?" she finally managed to gasp.

"First, let's get out of this wind. I don't want you to catch cold."

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He guided her toward the low row of office buildings located at the rear of the quad. Once they passed through the double doors, the wind and cold disappeared.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Mehra, Mrs. Mehra," an intern greeted them as he exited past them.

and Lawn ignored him as they hurried toward their joint offices.

"Come on! 'Fess up! What did they tell you?" She could see that cat-that-ate-the-cream look on his face. He would never be able to hide his feelings from her. Never. She could read him like he was an active computer monitor.

"They gave my project the green light."

Lawn squealed for joy and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck to give him a congratulatory kiss. She was aware of his hands sliding down her back underneath the coat. Once he reached her buttocks, he squeezed them suggestively. She answered by wriggling her hips and rubbing herself against his stiffening erection.

She opened her mouth to ask another question when he grabbed her hand and hurried her inside his office. She had barely closed the door when he shoved the coat off her shoulders and pressed her against the cabinet.

Lawn melted under his assault, letting him take her mouth with a hunger she loved. His hands unbuckled her belt and had her unzipped as if by magic as Deep shoved her pants past her thighs.

"Deep."

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It wasn't a protest. He would know she wasn't about to protest. But wasn't there an acceptable time and place for lovemaking?

She heard his pants drop, and he lifted her in his arms.

Immediately, his hot, thick erection began to burrow between her thighs.

"So what are we really celebrating?" she gasped. She lifted her knees as she leaned backwards, letting the wall support her. She kissed the top of his head while he watched himself slide within her.

"I love watching me penetrate you," he breathed.

Looking up at her, he pushed as far as he could, then kissed her, letting his tongue fill her mouth the way his shaft was grinding through her. Lawn moaned, and he chuckled in response.

"I could feel that all the way down to my balls."

"What...are we...celebrating?" she struggled to repeat. He was starting to move in and out of her, steadily increasing the speed of his strokes.

"The Bureau...has hired me...for their newest project." His breath was escalating. His grip on her tightened, but never enough to bruise her. No matter how passionately he loved her, he never hurt her.

Talking ceased. They focused on the act, on their passion, and on the all-encompassing joy spiraling through their bodies.

Lawn was barely aware of Deep reaching his pinnacle first.

He slipped a hand between them in order to keep her nub 184

stimulated, adding a new level of excitement. It took mere seconds for her to come.

She cried out in surrender, not caring who heard her or them as they bounced against the wall. Sweet lassitude flooded through them, and Deep carried her over to the nearest chair where he collapsed, keeping her tucked in his lap.

"I love to hear you scream when you come," he whispered breathlessly.

Lawn combed his thick, black hair with her fingers. "When are you going to tell me what this new project is? Or are you saving that news for later so we can, umm, celebrate again?"

chuckled and dropped a kiss to her chin. "I spoke to a Coordinator Millner. He's going to be the man in charge.

He's looking at using some sort of remote access on the ships going out to the most distant guard posts."

"A remote access like remote control?" They were still joined. His semi-flaccid penis remained tucked inside her, but with a little effort Lawn knew he would stiffen again. In the meantime, she contented herself and him with soft kisses across his face.

"Yes. The coordinator says I have a naturally instinctive feel for remote control operations."

Lawn leaned back enough to give him a surprised look.

"Really? Well, are they going to use this remote control in conjunction with the Vogt ships? Or as the next step?"

shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." He unbuttoned the first two buttons on her shirt, parting the material enough to let him kiss the tops of her breasts. He 185

suddenly paused, lips hovering just above her flesh. Lawn glanced down at the puzzled expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He gave his head a little shake. "I just...for a second there, I got..."

"Another one of those strange imaginary flashbacks about being part of a ship?"

His answering chuckle was a puff of warm air across her skin. "Yeah. Sorry. I don't know why I have those kinds of memories, considering I've never been on a ship in my life."

She giggled. "That'll change with your new assignment.

You know, it's a shame there were never more than three of the original Vogt ships," Lawn commented.

"Mmm. The artificially intelligent ships were too finicky,"

reminded her, nosing toward a nipple. "Too many personality conflicts in the long run. Frankly, I'm glad you washed out of the project at the last second."

"Shame. I honestly thought that project might actually turn out to be a success. It showed great promise. Mmm.

?"

"Mmm?" He had reached her nipples and was beginning to suckle them. Not to mention the fact that his erection was beginning to expand again. When she didn't continue, he paused and look up at her flushed face. "Are you still upset over the fact that you didn't get chosen for the Vogt program?"

"No. I'm long over that." She placed a kiss to the tip of his nose.

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"I honestly hoped you would make it," he reminded her. "I was probably your biggest cheerleader."

"I know, I know." Lawn smiled into his hazel eyes. For the hundredth time she wondered how she managed to catch the attention of the bioengineer. Even now their courtship and marriage a few weeks ago remained a hazy fantasy. "So what's next?"

He grinned and lifted his hips enough to make his intention clear. "How about some more congratulatory sex, followed by a nice dinner on the town?"

"And ending with a marathon session of sex once we get home?" Lawn laughed happily. "I swear, Deep. Sometimes I think you can read my mind!"

"Sometimes, Lawn, I honestly believe I can."

He laughed with her, and promptly diverted her attention to sweeter and more sensuous pleasures.