“Bei wouldn’t like that.” Shang’hai tugged a band from her pocket. Metal curlicues jingled from it. “This is what the civilians use.”
“Thanks.” Nell took it but couldn’t get the metal scrunchy open.
“Here.” Shang’hai took it back, inserted her thumb and forefinger inside and opened the band. “I’ll fix your hair while you put on your shoes.”
Nell toed into the boots then worked her heel down against the stiff back. “Why are you helping me? I mean, I kinda made moves on your man.”
“Bei and I no longer share a bed. In fact, he does not have a lover among the crew.” Shang’hai smiled. “And even I would hate to see this hair go. Human hair is quite soft.”
“But you…” Nell looked at the other woman’s pink hair.
“It is synthetic, which is nice because I can change styles easily but it does not feel the same.” Shang’hai glanced at Nell’s reflection. “You may touch it.”
Nell swept her hand over the spiky locks. The texture was a bit rough, but nothing a little conditioner wouldn’t fix.. “I can’t tell the difference.”
“For those of us with NDA, it is the difference between sandpaper and a cloud.” Shang’hai slid her hand down Nell’s ponytail. “It is the same with human skin.”
“I don’t know how to explain my attraction to Bei. I—”
“You are neither the first citizen who became infatuated with him nor the first one he’s been involved with.”
But you will be the last
. Was Mom issuing a warning or a prediction? Excitement trilled through Nell at the prospect, disbelief tromped hard on its heels. Was she nuts? She just met the man and now she wanted to claim him as her property.
“I’m ready.” Nell walked out of the bathroom. Instead of a smooth stride, her movements were awkward. The magnetic attraction between the floor and her made it feel as if she were walking on flypaper. Her anxiety increased when she noted that the men were still arguing.
“You honestly think she’s going to save us. Earth sent us here to die!” Tension corded Chief Rome’s neck.
“I was sent to save you.” Nell cleared the lump from her throat and strode further into the room. “And I don’t intend to fail anymore than you do, Chief Rome.”
“And how do you plan to do that? The only reason you touch the ground is because of those magnets in your shoes, Citizen.”
“Enough, Chief.” Bei growled.
Nell glared back at the security officer. “I don’t know how, but I do know the answer to your questions and doubts is locked in that box Commander Shang’hai has. We just have to find it.”
The monitors mounted over the desk flared to life. Shang’hai pulled the chair from under the desk and pushed it toward the bed. The castors slid silently across the deck before stopping at the foot of the bed. Shang’hai unraveled a white cord visible under her hair at her pale nape. “Two more ships are reporting restlessness among the civies. You better address them soon, Admiral.”
Beijing rested his hand on the small of Nell’s back and ushered her to the corner of the room placing her in front of the TV. “Nell. Stand here. I’ll be right behind you.”
Nell’s stomach heaved. Fear lodged in her throat and she wheezed in lungfuls of air. Why had she agreed to this? To help? Who was going to help her? Holding her breath, she waited for the heartbeat drumming in her ears to slow.
The admiral’s hand remained on her. Too bad she couldn’t absorb his strength. He smiled down at her. “Just read the monitor.”
“Don’t worry. I have it on transmit, not receive. They’ll be able to see you but you can pretend you’re talking to the wall.”
“Better than picturing the audience naked.” Nell squeezed her eyes closed. Why did she have to think of that? They wouldn’t need to picture her naked. She had been last time they’d seen her. Opening her eyes, she focused on the wide screen.
“Ready?” Shang’hai nodded to Nell and words appeared on the screen.
“Okay.” Nell couldn’t focus. Good heavens, what was that language? The letters merged into white blobs then separated but didn’t form words. They should make sense, shouldn’t they? Had that brainwashing wiped out her ability to read?
Bei’s fingers wiggled along her spine. “Anytime you’re ready, Citizen Stafford.”
Chief Rome crossed his arms over his chest, leaned against the doorjamb and stared at the ceiling.
The doctor frowned as he continued to scan her from his place next to the chief.
Nell started. She’d have to wing it. As long as she could keep the sarcasm at bay, she could reassure Beijing’s crew and get through this without embarrassing herself. “Hello, everyone. I guess you’ve all seen the rather unpleasant video of me and thought I was dead. Well, as you can see rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”
Nell forced her stiff lips into a smile. Great, instead of sarcasm, she was plagiarizing literary works.
Shang’hai pointed to the screen and the word flashing at the top.
Nell looked at it. Nope. Still couldn’t read it. “It is my understanding that a woman named Burkina Faso sent a video to undermine Admiral Beijing York’s command. You should know that Ms. Faso is guilty of murdering many honorable soldiers. Rest assured, she will be brought to justice for her crimes.”
Rome pushed away from the doorjamb and ran his hands through his blond crew cut. His attention shifted from her to Beijing before returning to her again.
Nell straightened under his perusal. He obviously didn’t like her. How much would he interfere with her relationship with Beijing? She barely managed not to snort. She had no relationship with the admiral. “I know that your mission has suffered a few setbacks, but I ask that all of you give the admiral your unconditional support so he can bring us back on track as quickly as possible.”
The doctor’s green beam blinked off. He cocked his head to the left and stared at her.
Shang’hai stopped pointing to the teleprompt and focused on Nell.
“We, the people, have embarked upon this journey not because it is easy but because it is hard.” Nell coughed into her hand. Her stomach was still acting up. Probably because she started with the Declaration of Independence and ended with John F Kennedy’s address at Rice Stadium. Inwardly cringing, she prayed the speech made sense and continued on. “It will test our endurance, our spirit and our humanity. I know that together, we can achieve those dreams of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Nell swallowed the lump in her throat. How many US doctrines had she butchered now?
Expectation hung in the air.
With their mouths hanging open, Doc, the chief and Shang’hai stared at her.
“We cannot allow people like Faso and her followers to divert us from our course. Beginning today, we are no longer civilian, citizen, and Syn-En. We are one race, human. Equals endowed with inalienable rights. For united we stand and divided we fall.” Nell coughed again. Just a little longer, she begged her turbulent stomach. Her speech would have to end soon, she didn’t remember that many more famous speeches and she doubted, four score and seven years would work. “I came here to remind you that if we remain one n—” she cleared the nation from her throat, “one people, indivisible then we will have liberty and justice for all.”
Nell glanced around her. They just stood there, still as statues. Good Lord, she’d ended with the Pledge of Allegiance, and they acted as if they hadn’t heard it. Maybe they hadn’t. Still. She was done. Her gag reflex confirmed it. Nell set her hand on her stomach. She was going to vomit.
“Please join me in supporting Admiral Beijing.” Nell clamped a hand over her lips as her stomach tossed its contents into her mouth. Turning, she sprinted toward the bathroom.
Bei tried to grab her but she eluded his grasp. His soft words followed her into the bathroom. “Thank you, Citizen… Ah, well, it will take time for us to get used to our new roles on Terra Dos.”
Ignoring the funky toilet, Nell collapsed next to the shower and bent over the drain. A cascade of warm air and water rained down on her head as she hurled her stomach contents at the grated drain. Tears burned her eyes but she finally managed to stop throwing up. A swirl of electric blue traveled toward the drain. “Oh, God, it’s blue. What have I even eaten that’s blue?”
Footsteps sounded behind her. She noted Shang’hai and the doctor before starting round two of the retching.
A hand touched her back as Doc spoke. “Just don’t fight it. I think it’s fluid from your lungs.”
Fear plugged up round three long enough for Nell to shout, “I’m barfing up my lungs!”
Over the splashing of water against the metal walls, Nell heard the admiral still reassuring his crew through the video message. “In the meantime, we have much work to do. Each of us is no less important than the other.”
Doc laughed. His tan hand moved her dripping bangs out of her face. “Not your lungs. The blue composite inside them. It prevented you from dying in the event your stasis chamber decompressed.”
Nell rocked back on her heels and blinked back the tears. Water snaked down her spine as more warm air blew on her. Her new clothes were damp. She’d have to go back to being naked while they dried. Her stomach burbled and jumped inside her belly. Nell stuck her head back in the shower and threw up again. How much fluid could her lungs hold?
The admiral continued his speech. Didn’t he even care that she was dying here? “As I’m sure you’ve noticed that our journey seems to have ended, but Ms. Stafford has brought with her updated information on how we might yet reach our new home.”
As this round of retching ended, she turned her head, filled her mouth with water, swished it around then spit. Dirty socks would probably taste better than that crap. “And I suppose the orange stuff is my spleen or that peach I ate before I was sent here?”
Doc chuckled and offered her a green folded towel. “Your spleen isn’t orange. No one’s is.”
Nell reached for the hand cloth just as her stomach clenched. Bitter bile burned her throat. “Oh, just kill me now.”
Doc yanked the towel out of her hand. “What!”
Nell finished rinsing her mouth again then backed out of the shower. The water shut off but the air continued to push the rivulets toward the drain. Exhaustion crashed over her and she collapsed against the toilet watching the moisture boiling off her body. “It’s just an expression. Mostly. When can I expect to stop trying to turn myself inside out?”
“Soon.” Doc dried her face before setting the towel around her shoulders. He lifted her hair, rubbed the lock between his fingers before settling it gently against the towel.
“Your COs will brief you on your duties. Admiral out.” From the other room, Beijing ended the fleetwide communiqué.
Nell closed her eyes. Funny how just a moment ago, she was grateful for the clothes keeping her down, now she felt their crushing weight. At least her stomach had settled.
More footsteps sounded.
“Is she all right?” Beijing’s concern washed over her like a balm.
“Tired.” The word was thick on her tongue. She’d slept for over a hundred years and could sleep for another century.
Beijing scooped her up in his arms.
“Civilians are returning to duties, Admiral.” The chief’s voice came from a great distance.
“Assemble our top scientists. I want them on that recorder and figuring out how to get us on the other side of that wormhole.”
Tell them
, Nell’s mother urged.
Tell them the formula to open an event horizon is inscribed on the stasis unit
.
“Stasis unit.” Nell forced her eyelids apart as she felt the mattress give under her body.
“It doesn’t work anymore, Nell.” Beijing tugged the tunic off her. Cold air brushed over her before he covered her with a blanket. Gently, he tucked in the sides and wrapped her damp hair in the towel. “Don’t worry, you just stay in bed.”
She shook her head. “Math formulas. Power for event… On stasis. E equals M…”
Once again, Nell closed her eyes. This time she surrendered to oblivion.
As Syn-En are sworn to protect human life, liberty and property, we, the citizens, will ensure the rights of the Syn-En are protected through all available means, rights and responsibilities
Syn-En
Vade Mecum
Chapter Eight
“Admiral.”
Lying on the bed beside Nell, Bei looked up at Shang’hai. Something had excited his Chief Science Officer. Dragging a hand through his hair, he sighed. He hoped it was good news for everyone and not just some fascinating science mathematical formula explaining the life cycle of scarab beetles.
Although in his quarters, Shang’hai remained close to the entry door. Smiling brightly, she bounced on her heels as excitement flushed her wide cheeks. “The last of the command staff is boarding the
Starfarer
.”
Security Chief Rome’s large bulk filled the space behind her. “They’ll reach the ready room in five minutes.”
At exactly one hour after Nell’s speech. Had the stress done this to her? Bei swept his fingers across Nell’s forehead. Her body temperature had dropped from forty degrees Celsius to a more moderate thirty-eight. Still one degree above normal, but she had stopped convulsing. Rolling off the bed, Bei focused on Doc Cabo. “Stay with her.”
The green barrel chair Doc sat in creaked as he scooted closer to his patient. “Aye Admiral.”
Bei straightened his uniform and looked down at Nell’s sleeping form, tiny on the large mattress. The fever dotting her pale skin egged on his anger. Humans were too fragile for space travel. How the hell would she survive settling an alien planet? Her brow wrinkled as her arm moved under the blanket, reaching for the spot he’d recently vacated.
Doc activated his MedPak. The green sensor moved up and down her body. “I’ll let you know if there’s any change, Admiral.”
Nodding, Bei strode from his room, flanked by Rome and Shang’hai. The chief’s irritation jostled with Shang’hai’s excitement for dominance in the wireless array.
“Bei, you’re allowing your flesh infatuation to cloud your judgment.” Rome raked his hand through his short, blond hair as he walked down the hall toward the elevator. “Doc’s services would be better utilized in Sick Bay.”