Universe of the Soul (28 page)

“Er….Lieutenant Grayson?” the mechanic stuttered, eyes bugging.

“Yes. Now answer my question!”

The mechanic backed away warily. “Er…let me get the chief technician.”

Gray grunted as his left knee, already burning, began to throb. The main lab room was crammed with gear stacked shoulder high, packed between rows of diagnostics tables that resembled infirmary operation tables. Dumped on one table near the door was a badly wrecked humacom. Gray recognized the uniform, and stumbled over to Jericho. The humacom looked as though he had been tossed in front of a firing squad. There were burn marks on most of his body, and the back of his skull had been pulverized. Eerily, what Gray could see of Jericho's face looked serene, as if he were sleeping.

“A real shame,” the chief technician said behind him. “There's not much I can do for this one. The chassis is in tolerable condition, apart from some external damage. All the main functions in the chest cavity are damaged, but repairable, but there is nothing I can do about the cranium. The OS is damaged beyond what I can fix.”

“So what happens now?” Gray asked dully.

The chief technician shrugged. “Scrap. A lot of these models are already expired anyway, and with the recall of all personality programs, it really isn't worth the effort of trying to fix it, even if I could. In short, Lieutenant, I'll send in an order to Requisitions for you.”

Gray shook his head, burying his anger and grief for later. “No, I don't want another humacom. What happens to Jericho's body? Scraps?”

“Afraid so.”

“How much for it?”

“Pardon?” the chief technician frowned.

“I'll buy the humacom from the ship. How much?”

This appeared to really baffle the other man. “I would have to inquire. But why would you want a broken humacom, sir?”

Gray shook his head. It was impossible to explain that he wanted to do what he hadn't been able to for Adri. Even if it was simply burying a friend without letting him be torn apart like the leftovers of a cannibal meal. He had to put up a marker somewhere.

He had to ensure that Jericho was remembered.

“Hey, Grayson, I heard you bought a pile of scrap metal today,”

Gray squinted over at Carter, who lounged against the opposite chair from his own in the nearly empty mess hall. “Guess so.”

Taking that as an invitation to chat, Carter flopped down in the seat. “Why?”

“Long story.”

Carter rolled his coffee mug between his hands. “I'm sorry. I know how you feel about humacoms.”

Gray shrugged. “Another casualty.”

“Is it irreparable?”

“The tech said so. Too much cranial damage for him to deal with.”

Carter frowned thoughtfully. “I know a guy…”

“What?” Gray cocked his head, suddenly interested in the conversation.

“Actually, I only know him in a superficial way. Our families roam in the same circle. Anyway, this guy I know is a real humacom genius. Works for the government on
their
humacoms, type of smart. You know, one of those horrible geeky guys who ruin the grade curve for everyone. He could probably fix your humacom for you.”

“Why would he even let me in the door? Remember, I'm socially invisible.”

Carter smiled winningly. “I'll give you an introduction. Besides, this guy's really nuts about them. He'd probably even do it for free.”

“What's the guy's name?”

“Tarkubunji. He lives just outside of Corinthe.”

Gray smiled, a little grimly. Corinthe, the place where he would settle the score for Adri, and now possibly resurrect a friend. “Give me the address.”

The road of life is never straight. It twists and it turns, intersecting with the paths of others. You may look at their road, and envy. But remember, all you see is a small portion of their path. Who knows what lies beyond the bend?

Palerian Proverb

No one is a stranger. Everyone you meet plays a role in your life that you may not ever decipher. Tread cautiously therefore, for the foe of yesterday may be your friend tomorrow.

Junusarian Proverb

Bad things happen. Deal with them or be buried by them.

Human Proverb

A
dri had never been to Kieve's capital city before, but after twenty minutes of navigating Barja's clogged streets in its smoggy air, she decided she hadn't missed much. If anything. Barja covered an impressive seventy square miles of the planet's surface, edging dangerously into the red zone set up by the Commonwealth Eco-Habitat Commission for the boundaries of city/wilderness proportionality. In those seventy square miles, the leadership of Kieve had done its best to cram everything of vital importance for a core planet in as little space as possible, leaving the rest for what the planet was known for: auction houses.

Kieve was, apart from the capital planet Halieth, the wealthiest planet in the Galactic Commonwealth. The reason behind it was simple. It was the business heart of the nation. One could buy virtually anything in Kieve, Barja especially. Here was where military surplus was dumped, where new entertainment devices of all kinds were first marketed, and where the Galactic Commonwealth Navy dropped its prize ships and prisoners of war. All could be bought and sold if the price was right.

Adri hated it. Too many humanoids crushed together within too confined a space felt more claustrophobic than the unending transport ride from the Space Mission. Everyone was rushing, no one was going in the same direction, and everyone was yelling. She felt ready to blast a path through the teeming mass of life just so that she could take three steps without having to elbow someone out of her way. Beside her, Blair winced at every deafening shout or crash, overwhelmed by the cacophony of noise. He didn't even bother to look around like he had at the mission. Adri guessed that his judgment of the city was the same as her own.

“Are all cities in the Commonwealth like this?” he asked when they had shoved themselves onto a Public Transit Craft. The doors of the PTC blocked out enough of the noise that Adri could hear him when he shouted.

“No,” Adri shouted back. “But a lot of them are.”

A x'zaru shuffled its massive bulk, crushing Blair painfully into Adri's side. “Tell me again, Rael, what we are doing here?” For once the young man's voice hinted at exasperated frustration, and of something darker.

Adri twisted her neck to look at her companion. Their faces were inches apart. She could see her own reflection in Blair's eyes. “We have to pass on the package from Bathus. He got us on the transport, so we have to pull through on our end. Unless you want him sending bounty hunters after us.”

“I thought we were doing him a favor?”

“It's a favor if we do it,” Adri replied, a little amused at his naivety. “It's much different if we don't.”

Blair's eyebrows dipped into a near-frown. “I don't think I shall bother to ask what that means. But I pray your plan is to depart from this demon pit as soon as this task is complete?”

“Yeah, that's the plan.” Now Adri frowned, puzzled over Blair's unusual show of emotion. “Blair, is something wrong?”

The young man did not act surprised as the question. “It's the city.”

The city? Granted, it was dirty and crowded with more beings that Blair had probably seen in his entire lifetime, but Adri didn't understand the forceful negativity that rolled off Blair in near-palpable waves. “What's wrong with the city?” she asked.

Blair somehow managed to pull an arm up to rub his face. “My gift. If someone's emotions are strong enough, I can feel them without touching. It's an aspect of healing. Normally I focus and allow someone's body to tell me where there is pain, but this is different. There are a lot of despairing people here, Rael. It's choking me.”

Adri could see sweat beading on Blair's forehead under his blond hair. She reached out and put a supporting arm around his shoulders. “Guess there's a reason you guys stay in monasteries, huh?” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

A small smile whispered around Blair's lips. “Afraid so,”

“So what about me? Why aren't my…gifts…acting up?”

Blair sighed thoughtfully. They were close enough that his breath ruffled the ends of Adri's hair. “Interesting. I would assume that you have always had natural barriers, no doubt amplified by your life as a soldier. Also, your abilities tend towards a more militant side than an empathic one. Then again, you've tested your abilities so little, who knows what your potential is?”

Adri grinned. “Trust you to add
that
in,”

Blair smiled back, a real smile. It was a bonding moment, where both were aware of the other at a higher level than just a companion.

The PTC swayed to a halt, jerking its passengers.

Adri and Blair got off.

“The address Bathus wrote down is for the main auction house, here. The Sales.” Adri gestured to the giant stone building in front of them. “The name of the person we need to meet is Viara Karkeldel.”

“What species?” Blair asked, gazing up at the high peaked roof of the building.

“Don't know. We'll ask around; maybe we'll get lucky.”

Blair sighed a little as they walked up the massive steps into the foyer, being swept along by a throng of beings going in the same direction. “I haven't noticed much luck thus far.”

“We're still alive,” Adri replied, with a soldier's optimism. “That's lucky enough.”

The foyer was a large, splendid space well lit by antique chandeliers. A giant viewscreen in a far wall displayed various pieces that were soon to be auctioned off. The noise from the streets had softened to the gentler rumble of low conversations taking place throughout the room. The air smelled fresher, with a hint of green. To Adri, the atmosphere felt less welcoming than the uthrib bar. It reminded her too keenly of the social divide that marked all Commonwealth planets. It stank of Rich.

The two of them walked up to the main counter, a long, luscious sweep of what looked like genuine etari brownwood, and addressed the kievian attendant there. “We're looking for a Viara Karkeldel,” Adri said.

The kievian squinted one pair of eyes at Adri while the other pair gazed interestedly at Blair. “Ahk, her. Yez, she ist here. In main room, for the aukshon. You want, I will paige, but she ist not come until over. Bezt wait.”

Adri nodded. “How long until then?”

The kievian shrugged, a very sinuous movement. “Hour. Two. Gut tingz on sale today. Prize ship come in; lots ohv tings. Prizners the best. They saved for last, for now. Aukshon ‘most over. Now for prizners. Karkeldel like prizners.” Now both sets of eyes focused on Blair. “Someting you look for, holy man? Find you someting you want?”

Blair blinked. “Er, I don't think so,”

“Thanks,” Adri nudged the dazed Blair away from the counter.

“Gut tings!” the attendant called out. “Maybe you want, eh?”

“Right,” Adri muttered, steering Blair towards the set of double doors that led to the main action hall.

“I think she was flirting with me.” Blair stated in a bewildered tone.

“Get your brain back on function, ‘holy man.'” Adri muttered. “We have an auction to sit through, and the people that come to POW auctions are not the best circle in society.”

“POW auctions?” Blair repeated, but at that moment, they stepped through the doors and entered the auction hall. The noise was louder, like a room full of giant bees that buzzed and hummed over the wide podium at the opposite end of the room, manned by a sleek kievian in a dark suite. Adri and Blair shuffled along the back wall until they found an empty space with a good view of the room.

Adri bent close to Blair's ear to explain. “Prisoners of War. It's a tradition on several Commonwealth planets to take one's captured enemies and sell them into slavery. The Commonwealth government allows the practice to continue, mostly to save room in our prisons and to add to the manual labor force. Other traditions dictated the gathering of prisoners together for ritual executions, but that is frowned upon now.”

“Frowned upon?” Blair hissed, showing true outrage. “This is despicable! No wonder the energy of this city is so terrible.”

Adri nodded. She had never been to a live auction involving people before, and as she watched the kievian auctioneer accept the final bid of seventeen thousand credits for a young Belligerent ensign, she hoped she never saw one again. It was worse than despicable. In her eyes, the eyes of a soldier, it was a serious dishonor to an opponent whose ideals were not so different than hers. They had already lost. Why must they also be subjected to this humiliation? The ensign was prodded off the stage, eyes wide and fearful, as the crowd roared.

“Rael, you need to calm down.”

Adri snapped out of her dark thoughts and turned to Blair. “What?”

“You are beginning to manifest. You need to control yourself,” Blair's voice had fallen back to his usual tranquil tone, despite the fact that the emotions in the room had made his face turn pale and was causing him to sweat. “Look at your hands,”

She looked, and saw the vague outlines of the violet tattoos that had covered her in the Spirit Realm. Shaken, she shoved her hands in her pockets. “What's going on?”

“Your anger is causing you to manifest your gifts. You are subconsciously summoning your power. You need to calm down and focus.”

Easier said than done. “Maybe I should wait outside.”

Blair's eyes were unfocused, probably seeing with his other vision. “Maybe you should. I will be all right, you go ahead.”

Adri pushed away from the wall and began to elbow her way back to the door. But before she had taken more than a few steps, the auctioneer's voice cut through the room. “Excellent! My dear patrons, this concludes the sale of the crew. Now I am pleased to announce the beginning of the senior staff! To start you off, we have the second officer, a decorated iqaidi. Saw action on…”

Something made her turn to look. Fate, or perhaps simply curiosity. Recognition hit worse than a fist on an empty stomach.

It was Hildana Kobane.

The auctioneer's voice tuned in again. “Shall we begin at fifteen thousand? Fifteen thousand anyone?”

Adri's mind whirled.
Try dodging that, why don't you – you sleep like an Undarian – they're smarter than before, its like they're aiming for you, Adri –
and
– Gray – and she loves her sister so how can I hate her when she loves her sister? – It's a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant Commander Rael –
and
– those ensign's eyes were so frightened how could they do that, take away their humanity and make them animals –
and
–

Seething with a fury that she didn't fully understand, Adri thrust her way through the crowded hall towards the podium. She didn't hear Blair urgently calling her name. She didn't notice how a slight tap to those in her way sent them skidding across the thick carpet. Nor could she see how her eyes began to gleam and subtly shift color from her usual shade of brown.

She wanted to fight.

“Twenty-five thousand!”

Adri blinked, and the world suddenly shifted back into focus. She stood two rows away from the podium where Kobane and the auctioneer were standing. One row ahead and slightly to the left, a kievian had shouted out her new bid.

“You can't fight here,” Blair whispered, appearing at her elbow.

She looked at the kievian's expensive skin suit and lavishly decorated headdress that completely covered the hundreds of finger-wide tentacles that twisted with her mood. The cruel hunger in her eyes settled whatever unconscious debate Adri's mind had been waging. “Thirty thousand!” she cried.

A rush of interested babble accompanied Adri's bid. Blair sighed. The auctioneer's smile widened. The kievian gave Adri a competitive scowl. Kobane glanced over with a look of disinterest that quickly changed to one of complete incredulousness. Her eyes widened, shock appeared to quickly give way to an ironic smile. Adri guessed what she was thinking, and shrugged in an ‘well, what do you know?' fashion. Kobane's smile widened.

“Thirty-five thousand credits!” the kievian called out.

“Forty!” Adri countered.

There was a pause as the kievian glared venom at Adri and considered her bid.

“Forty thousand going once!” the auctioneer announced, beaming.

“Forty-five!” the kievian shouted, although it was obviously against her better judgment.

“Forty-eight,” Adri replied.

At last the kievian rolled her eyes, conceding defeat. She flounced around, acting as though she hadn't wanted the prisoner anyway.

“Forty-eight going once! Going twice!” there were no takers. “Sold, to the newcomer! Congratulations, ma'am. Pay the teller at the end of the auction to pick up your purchase, and please feel free to stay. We hope you find other items worthy of purchase!”

Adri muttered something nasty under her breath. Kobane was being prodded off the podium. She caught Adri's gaze and rolled her eyes towards the opposite end, where the next prisoner was been prodded on. She repeated the motion several times, with increased urgency. Adri turned to follow her gaze and quickly discovered why. It was Little Kobane. What was her name? Giselle. Adri caught the elder Kobane's eye and nodded once.

“You aren't really going to buy
two
?” Blair hissed.

“They're a set,” she murmured back.

“You can't save them all,” Blair replied, softer.

“I can save these two.”

The bidding started at twenty thousand. The auctioneer was clearly optimistic about the sale in relation to the previous one. Also, Giselle Kobane was several years younger, and decidedly prettier than her sister. While they shared the same bronze toned skin and dark hair, Giselle had more delicate features. She had also obviously been less obedient; as Adri looked her over, she noticed that the young woman's eyes had the vacant glaze that spoke of tranquilizers. She didn't notice Adri in the crowd, even when she spoke.

“Thirty thousand!”

The same kievian woman glared darkly at her.