Authors: Mark G Brewer
"She's brought it on all of us Marin."
"You have support Sin. We're no
democracy. The people appreciate your skills; they will follow your lead."
Marin looked desperate, as if grabbing at straws.
"I worry that it has gone past that
point Mer. I'm caught. If I show disrespect to Mother I lose the respect of
many. If I do nothing, every day Mother undermines Father's legacy and one
thing is certain; this is coming to a head."
Marin looked pensive. "I need this
dealt with first Sin," and he pointed to his head. "I'm hamstrung
like this, did you get a specialist?"
A look of genuine desperate concern came
over Sindali. "Of course I called Marin; they have made space for you at
the clinic, tonight." And suddenly tears welled up in her eyes, alarming
Regan. "Mer,'" she said, "this is such a risk."
[Ham, what does she mean?]
[There is a risk Regan, this is a brain
operation after all. He'll have the best of treatment but everyone worries.
There is no going back and for Marin this isn't the first time he's been
through the procedure.]
Regan stood and went to Sindali, putting
one arm around her shoulders. She sat beside and just held her. Sindali dropped
her head to Regan's shoulder and sobbed.
[This is more than Marin, Ham. This woman
has been carrying the orbital on her shoulders.]
[I think you're right Regan, and holding
off the witch.]
Marin stood and spoke to Sindali while
Regan had the feeling he was also speaking to her.
"It must be done Sin and thank you for
organizing it, I know you must have called in some favors. The sooner this is
done the sooner I will be in the right shape to help."
Sindali looked bereft and didn't reply. The
unsaid hung in the air,
Marin might not be back.
He stood, then with a look at Regan and a
touch on Sindali's shoulder he walked to the doors. "I'm going now, I
don't want to wait. I promised the children I'll be back and I will."
Regan continued to hold the sobbing Sindali
and subbed Ham desperately [What do I do now?]
[Regan, don't!]
[What?]
[Regaaaan!]
Regan pulled Sindali closer, stroking her
arm and rocking gently as she wept. Then she took a big breath and spoke. "Don't
worry Sindali, everything will be fine, my mother always used to say, this too
will pass."
Suddenly, unsurprisingly, Sindali became
very, very still. She reached up and carefully lifted Regan's arm from her shoulder
then avoiding eye contact she sat up, wiped her face with her sleeve and
shifted, subtly, putting a gap between them.
Regan spoke first. "We're not
technologically deficient Sindali."
Sindali looked at her. "What do you
mean?"
"My world, we're not technologically
backward you know, not anywhere as advanced with star travel for sure but
language translation - such things are commonplace to us."
"Oh?" She looked sceptical.
"Marin said you would be like this."
[Oh boy, here we go!] Ham immediately registered
Regan's use of the name.
"Marin? Only our father called him
Marin, his name is Merali."
"Well, that's good; at least we're
talking now." Regan shifted to engage Sindali face on. "Why would he
want to be known as Merali? What is wrong with you people?"
Sindali stood. "He doesn't like his
name?"
"Have you, or anyone, ever asked him?
This fine man, lumbered with a damning reminder of his condition? Honestly, I
don't know whether he minds, but he is Marin to me."
For a long moment they simply looked at each
other, neither giving ground. Sindali spoke first. "Clearly, we need to talk.
. . . what else do you know about my brother?"
Ham was impressed. [Oh . . . you . . . are
. . . very . . . good!]
Two hours passed before they finally
succumbed to pressure from the children and took a break. It had been
interesting. Sindali clearly loved and respected Marin, that much was obvious,
but she did not understand him. Ham's comments punctuated their discussion, at
times helpful, sarcastic, scathing and hilarious. Somehow Regan remained
straight faced and the conversation proved for the most part enjoyable. Sindali
was evasive about local politics, and the threats.
Family business stays in family I guess
, she thought. However with Ham's insights, skewed as they may have
been, Regan felt she had a good understanding of the situation. In summary she
thought;
these people are just like us . . . Damn!
Despite her best hints she had been unable
to get Sindali to agree to take her anywhere; clearly she didn't want them to
be seen outside. Joined now by the children they curled up on the furniture and
watched a large screen showing news. While she could understand it Regan found
news was as boring here as at home and quickly she switched to playing with
Buela and Rhine.
A distracted look came on Sindali's face
and she hesitated as if listening.
A web,
Regan
realized and waited.
"They are operating on him now but they
can't tell me anything as yet, and Regan, Mother is coming, she'll be here
soon. I suggest you say nothing, she may see you as a threat."
"I understand Sindali, you have enough
to worry about. I'll follow your lead as much as possible." Regan moved to
sit at the table with Buela joining her, the young girl climbing onto her knee.
[She has Brun and Sarin with her Regan, quite
an entourage with the guards.] Ham was concerned.
Regan began a routine of breathing that
calmed and prepared her as the minutes passed in silence. [It's like waiting
for battle Ham.]
[It may well be battle.]
There was no bell, the doors simply opening
with guards entering first followed by Beria, then Brun and Sarin.
Beria's eyes locked on Regan as she spoke, "The
children should leave us daughter, we need to talk."
Sindali nodded toward the door and the
children scuttled away without complaint, neither of them acknowledging their
grandmother,
interesting
.
Beria's glare was clearly meant to
intimidate however Regan simply met the gaze and remained calm, relaxed. She
could tell it infuriated the woman.
"Daughter, Merali did not tell me that
he was injured nor did you inform me of his treatment, why is that?" Her
eyes were still boring holes in Regan's temple.
"I can't tell you why Mer didn't
mention it Mother. Perhaps his concern over the threats on your life made him
protect you from the knowledge. As for his treatment, of course as a sister I did
what I could for my brother, is there a problem?"
"Perhaps there is, it might have been
best not to have this treatment at all! Do you believe his story?"
"Story?" Sindali looked
innocently confused.
"The story about Merali's human. How
could she have saved his life?"
[Keep calm Regan.]
"Mother I see no reason for Mer to
lie, he said couldn't get back to the ship on his own. At worst he has been
foolish, but no harm done. Discovery there would have been disastrous; truly she
has done Mer a great service."
"Oh, that it were that simple my dear,
and you will learn of such things. I am not pleased that no one informed me
before this operation but what is done is done, the matters in hand are most
important now. Merali's plaything is a problem we don't need." Not for a
moment had her eyes left Regan but suddenly she turned to face Sindali.
"Until he recovers, if he recovers,
Brun and Sarin will look after Merali's pet."
[Regan . . . Stay calm!]
But Ham was too late, the insult too
personal.
"I . . . AM . . . NO ONES . . . PET!"
Regan stood defiantly.
The guards actually stepped back shocked,
leaving Beria standing alone. To her credit she didn't flinch. Regan judged her
slow turn back to face her as almost demonic.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?
Our specimen has a voice, and a language she should not have."
Regan didn't hesitate. "We may not
travel the galaxy but we are not backward, madam. Language is no issue to us. I
am no pet or specimen, simply the savior of your son."
Beria glared coldly. "Brun, Sarin,
take her. She is in your care until Merali recovers."
"No!" and Sindali stepped between
them. "Mer left her in my care, she stays with me."
The slap came suddenly and Sindali
staggered. Before she could recover or Regan act the guards stepped between
them and raised their weapons. Brun and Sarin immediately stepped forward and
took her arms. Regan looked around wildly, considering defense and then saw the
children at the door, terrified. She decided then not to fight and didn't
resist as they pulled her toward the door. Behind her she could hear Sindali
crying as they waited for a car, then as the doors opened they shoved her
through. Unsighted Regan couldn't defend herself as Brun hit her hard, a back
hander slamming his knuckles into her cheekbone and she dropped to the floor
stunned.
*
Regan opened her left eye. The right side
of her face felt swollen and sore. She could feel she was on a bed, her arms
secured uncomfortably behind her but her legs were free and she tried to
struggle on to her front.
[Ham, what happened, where am I?]
[You passed out when Brun hit you and now
you're in Sarin's unit. Regan, it doesn't look good. I have messaged Sindali
with your location but she is still detained with her mother. She will come
with help, hold on.]
Outside the room she could hear laughter,
they were clearly drinking. Her arms hurt badly and wriggling to relieve the
pressure seemed only to make it worse. She could feel herself beginning to
hyperventilate in short panicked gasps so she tried to relax, to slow her
breathing and think. Gritting her teeth she tensed and rolled but couldn't
stifle a cry as she toppled to the floor with a thump. The laughter stopped and
Regan groaned with despair. Face down on the floor she heard the door open and
then, with a wrench of her arms both men lifted and threw her on to her back.
She cursed them both and they stood, mocking, clearly beyond reason.
[Be strong Regan, I won't leave you, help
is near.]
Brun reached for her suit and tried to tear
it off her chest but it was too strong, the twisting fabric burning her skin.
She spat at him and he hit her again, frustrated. Sarin left the room, only
gone for a minute before coming back with a blade. He flicked her chin in
warning then slashed her suit down the middle and off her shoulders; Brun then
tore the fabric away and ripped the remainder of the suit off her legs leaving
her naked. She yelled and swore at them before Sarin again knelt over her with
the blade.
"You are an animal, you heard Mother,
a pet, a plaything, and you resisted arrest." He laughed in her face.
Stepping back he stripped off his suit and Brun followed his lead.
She felt sick with disgust and fear, [How
could a form I came to love suddenly be so ugly?]
[They're not worth comparing Regan, they
are the animals!]
She didn't resist. Sarin mounted and
penetrated roughly, the pressure on her arms so intense she felt they would
dislocate; that pain mercifully blotting out the agony of his entry. She turned
her head to the side to avoid his breath only to see Brun masturbating and
quickly clamped her eye shut as tears flooded her cheeks.
Then she heard voices and felt Sarin ripped
from her body yelling, Brun whining in the background, and then Sindali, crying,
rolling her to the side and releasing her bonds. Regan screamed with the pain
as blood coursed back into her arms, and then succumbed to blackness.
*
She lay in dim light, listening, orienting
herself. She was on a bed; her legs curled up and tangled with sheet. With one
hand she reached for the soreness, face first, puffed and swollen, then curling
into a ball she cupped her hands to her sex and whimpered quietly, rocking onto
her side.
Much later, a light at the door, a small
form silhouetted, soon joined by another. Through blurred vision she watched
without moving as they approached quietly. The bed moved as they climbed up
beside her, and she felt the careful molding of their bodies as they curled up,
arms across her shoulders. In her mind, came a very gentle intrusion.
[Marin is all right. It's going to be ok.]
She considered the thought, [Thank you Ham],
then drifted back to oblivion.
The stillness came as a surprise. Regan lay
on her back, alone now, staring at the ceiling, mind clear. She rested a while
blanking her mind, trying to shut out the thoughts.
Then . . . realization,
I'm alive
.
She tested her limbs and stretched her neck, feeling for anything broken. For a
brief moment painful images flashed through her mind then she shut them off again
with steely resolve.