Ziggy helped Vida off the table. “I will bring her in tomorrow morning. We will consult with the researcher.”
Vida hobbled out of medical feeling far worse than she had entering it. They hopped back onto a pod and were whisked through several distinct neighbourhoods before arriving at a series of structures all lined with heavy plexi to allow for a full view of the stars.
“Oh wow. The Balance, I presume?”
“Yeah, they have battle shields that cover those views during a fight. All the different races have their own environments. It was part of the initial agreement to get this ship together.”
Unlike the area near the shuttle bays, there were no people randomly milling around. Occasionally, a cloaked figure would pass through the open area near the rail, but they didn’t stop or even look over.
“Come on, Vida. The labs are over here.”
Vida closed her eyes and sighed. This area of the ship was the kind of spot she could get around on her own. Every path was clearly marked by the slow paces of dozens of the robed figures. Their energy was all slightly different, but it vibrated and swirled with a slow and steady roil of light against dark. Whatever the Balance was, it was powerful.
Pain began to tighten on her arm, and it spread through her chest. She tried to hide it, but Ziggy had her ways of knowing these things. “Come on, Lerinian’s lab is this way.”
They walked past the occasional silent robed figure until they were in a wheel of large bubbles filled with lab tables and equipment. Ziggy looked into one and scowled. “Damn. I thought he would be here.”
Another crippling wave of pain went through her. “Can you call him?”
A robed figure approached. “May I help you, Potential?”
The voice was low, even and soothing. It rang like a deep soft bell to Vida’s fried senses.
“Yes, I am looking for Lerinian. Is he around?”
“He is doing a locked meditation. May I assist you in some way?”
Vida’s tense muscles were the only thing holding her up. Her teeth were clenched and the pain was spreading.
“Dr. Meevin administered a treatment that Lerinian had been working on to my friend here, and she is having a rather extreme reaction to the meds.”
“Ah, the regeneration project. There are other contributors with the research, including myself. If you will come with me, I will run a diagnostic.”
Ziggy turned to follow him and Vida moved more slowly. Her entire body was going into rigor.
The member of the Balance opened the door to his lab, and when his hooded gaze turned toward her, she heard his bell-like tone curse. He quickly grabbed her and brought her into the lab. The medical bed was firm under her, but her body couldn’t appreciate it.
“Easy, Lady. I will counteract the treatment. It was never tested for use on Gaians.”
Vida muttered through clenched teeth. “I guessed as much.”
Ziggy was wringing her hands. “What can I do?”
The man said, “Call the Gaian, Ularica. She has a compression suit that she has been working on. It will help with the pain.”
Ziggy went to the com unit and made a call. Vida’s body twisted while the member of the Balance took a blood sample and analyzed it.
His head turned toward her. “My name is S’rin, by the way. It will make me seem less off putting.”
She wanted to say that if he could help with the pain, she would accept the devil, but nothing came out.
She was locked in place, and she clenched her eyes so she could see what was going on around her. Her inner panic eased when Ziggy’s energy pattern calmed.
S’rin was always calm. He really was as advertised, balance.
Chapter Four
The hypo came too late. Her entire body was on fire and the hypo didn’t do a thing. Once again, breathing was an issue.
When Ula came through the door, she almost sobbed with relief. At least something was happening.
“I thought you were bringing a suit?” Ziggy was wringing her hands again.
Ula’s aura perked brighter. “I did.”
“Help me get the dress off her. This suit needs to go onto bare skin.”
Vida would have blushed if she could. They cut the dress and boots from her using everything at their disposal.
Once she was bare, Ula pressed a small unit to her chest. Bands flew out in a spider web of metal.
The moment that pressure was on her skin, her body sighed in relief. She whispered, “It’s working.” She slumped onto the med bed with relief. “That was not fun.”
S’rin said, “You can open your eyes now.”
Ula laughed, “She doesn’t have to. She can see better through closed eyes than most people can with their pupils focussed.”
Vida wiggled her fingers, and even they were encased in metal. The pressure on her limbs had eased the pain. With effort, she pushed herself into a sitting position.
Ula was looking at the suit critically. “I think I can make some adjustments to the design. Is it helping?”
“Oh yeah. S’rin, whatever you gave me didn’t do anything. My entire body was already in the grip of whatever this was.” Vida looked at him and gave him a weak smile. “Thanks for trying.”
“The compound I used will slowly reduce the effects of the treatment, but I am fairly sure that it has been effective in removing some of the scarred bone. If you will allow me to do a few scans, I will be able to determine its effectiveness. Do not blame Dr. Meevin, she was told it was safe.” He dropped the hood of his cloak back, and his peculiar features were finally exposed.
“Oh.” Ula and Vida both spoke as one.
Ziggy was the only one not surprised, she just watched her friends stare at the previously unseen species.
“I am breaking Nine protocols by letting you see me, but I felt that since a careless thought of my race put you in this position, you should at least get an idea of why we think the way we do.”
She looked at the man whose energy was literally swirling under his skin, and she nodded. “Don’t take this wrong, but you look better with my eyes closed. Your energy has free rein there.”
His lips parted and a surprised laugh escaped him. “You are the first person to have ever given me that particular compliment.”
“I am glad you recognized it for what it was. Now, let me guess. The original injection was supposed to be used on members of the Nine who had been injured away from the ship and who had healed a little crooked.”
S’rin raised his hood again. “Many of ours get injured away from bases or regular medical attention. This was an attempt to repair bone and remove the original damage.”
“Do your scans and find out if it worked. Just a question, though, why does the pressure of the suit help?”
Ula winced. “I can field that. It reduces the blood flow to your skin and the nerve ends don’t get the same reaction that they would if they were given everything you need. The suit will only work for about sixteen hours, so I had better get back to the drawing board before your body starves for oxygen.”
Vida blinked. “Okay, great. Good to see you, too, Ula.”
Her friend nodded and waved, “I will greet you properly tomorrow. Tonight is for working.”
Ziggy and Vida both waved at her and said cheerfully in unison, “Bye, Ula. Have fun.”
Ula was out the door of the bubble in a moment.
S’rin’s gloved hand pressed Vida back to lie on the bed. “Allow me my scans, please. I don’t have the same equipment as Meevin, so I will need you supine for this.”
Vida figured the supine meant lying down, so she relaxed with the suit giving her the occasional squeeze.
With her eyes closed, she could see that there was a rhythmic pulsing to S’rin’s energy signature. She knew that pulse. He was singing a song in his head as he worked. It somehow made him a little more human than his shifting marbled skin and pointed ears. The braided hair and silver beads was a nice touch. Surprisingly, they kept themselves apart, possibly by the energy of their owner. There was no clash or swing as he moved. The beads tumbled soundlessly on their braids against the straight dark silk of his hair.
She played the image of his physical appearance over and over as he ran scan after scan. It was a bit of a shock, but as she thought about it, it suited him. She wondered if his skin was as cold to the touch as it looked. Well, the light swirling in him looked both cold and hot at the same time, as did the dark. She wondered which would win if she was touching his cheek. A moment later, she wondered if she was tall enough to
reach
his cheek. He was pretty tall.
Vida winced when she realized she was obsessing over him.
Why him? Why a man that was wearing so much fabric he could be hiding nine legs under the robe?
She stifled a groan and wished for a moment that the world went dark when she closed her eyes. If she could blank her mind and her sight, life might occasionally get easier.
“Are you in pain? I heard you groan.”
Vida snorted. “No. Do you have the scans you need?”
“I do. They will occupy my evening most pleasantly. I will discuss them with Lerinian when he returns.”
Vida sat up again and dangled her legs over the edge of the bed. Her limbs tingled and she wiggled her toes. Even her toes were individually wrapped in metal.
She blinked and reset her vision to deal with the living world. “Too bad we have to leave. I find the peace here soothing.”
Ziggy chuckled. “We can come back for a visit, but the Balance are not very chatty.”
S’rin bowed. “We are interested in our research and the songs of the stars. Nothing else registers on our minds.”
Ziggy gave a stage whisper. “There are no girl members of the Balance. They find their mates in the other species and the boys are always the same as their fathers.”
It seemed rude to be discussing it with S’rin right there, but she asked, “What about the little girls?”
“There are none. The Balance have never been able to breed females. Our elders posit that it is because females already have balance within, they don’t need it without.”
Vida chuckled. “That is an enlightened view.”
He laughed. “That is why the Balance never varies in its population. We do not thrive, but neither do we dwindle. We are the same in number now as we were when our people left Underhill.”
Underhill was the Nine name for the world that the colonists had called Gaia.
Vida remembered her genetics lessons. “Since you always breed out, there is no degradation in the line, and if your power controls the genes, it wouldn’t fade either.”
“You seem to have a grasp on it.”
Vida chuckled. “My parents are scientists. Biology and basic genetics was my nursery school class.”
Ziggy laughed, “It is true. She has a scientific mind that can rival that of Ula’s, but hers is aimed a little more toward the motivational sciences.”
S’rin reached out his hand to help her back to her feet. She resented the lack of tactile feedback, but she accepted the help. Once she was standing flatfooted on the lab floor, she looked up and up into the cowl of S’rin. Yup. He was very, very tall. Seven foot easily.
She smiled brightly into the confines of his hood, and she swore she could see a flash of light.
Ziggy spoke to S’rin. “I am taking her to Meevin again tomorrow. If Lerinian can meet us there at midmorning, that would be great. He can take charge of the situation. Thanks for helping out.”
“It was my pleasure. I am eager for our little project to find a use. I will pass this information along to Researcher Lerinian. I am sure he will be there.”
“I second Ziggy’s thanks. I know I was unable to articulate it when we arrived, but I am deeply relieved that you were here to consult.” She extended her hand to him, and he seemed surprised by the gesture. Instead of shaking her hand, he raised it to his lips.
She really wished she could feel it, but Ziggy pulled her out of the lab before she could figure out how to get the suit to retract.
The Balance zone was soon to be a thing of the past, which was a pity; Vida enjoyed the clear pathways.
Chapter Five
Vida had seen images of creatures like Rothaway in the Gaian monster books. He had thick, wavy hair, pointed ears, wide shoulders and his fingers looked as if claws could appear at any moment. His doting on Ziggy made his appearance a little less aggressive.
“So, Vida, that is a striking robe you are wearing.”
She ate another morsel of food that Ziggy gave her a nod for and inclined her head. “It is Ziggy’s. I am afraid that the gown I came with suffered an accident.”
Rothaway filled her wineglass and chuckled. “So I gathered. Feel free to requisition anything you need on Ziggy’s account. She doesn’t use nearly enough of her income as it is.”
Ziggy made a face. “That is because you buy me stuff all the time. I don’t have a chance to go shopping.”
“If you shopped, you would not choose Wilding clothing.”
Ziggy sighed, “That is the point.”
Vida felt that she had stumbled into a domestic issue. “Um, if you would like, I can just head to my room.”
Rothaway looked over at her. “Don’t worry about it. We bicker about her clothing all the time. She has to dress according to her station. She is the first representative of your species and eyes are on her every time she leaves our quarters.”
Vida winced. “That must be stressful, Zig.”
Ziggy shrugged. “It will be worse when the baby shows up.”
Rothaway sat back and grinned. “We have no idea what it is going to be. Dr. Meevin is beside herself. The geneticists are waiting eagerly, but we have forbidden testing until the child has arrived. Aside from the other Gaians living on the mother ship, you are the first to know about the pregnancy. It shows that she has great trust in you.”
Vida nodded. “I already saw the addition, but I didn’t want to mention it. Some folks react badly to having things seen that are not in their consciousness yet.”
Rothaway blinked and rubbed the back of his neck. “That explains your lack of shock.”
She shrugged. “When you can see the way I do, very few things in a living body can shock you.”