Chapter Seven #2
“I do. I am surprised you have heard of it.” He inclined his head.
“Just something I saw.” She smiled.
Food was brought in, and Whisper moved efficiently. The Hmrain were attended by crew, but Aubrey’s server inclined their head and backed off when the human demonstrated that she had things under control.
Nerigot was staring at Aubrey, and then he slid his gaze to Whisper. “You two are the same species?”
Aubrey smiled. “I am slightly above standard specifications. The activation to oracle came with some additional height.”
Vress said, “And width and depth.”
“Zip it, Overlord.” Aubrey began to eat.
Nerigot gave a theatrical gasp. “She is eating before the Hmrain?”
Whisper spoke clearly. “One, he has eaten in the last four hours and is not hungry. Two, she has had a twenty-five percent increase in height, and her density needs to be compensated for as per her requirement to maintain her body. Three, you had one of the fruits behind us as we were walking up, so therefore you have eaten at this meeting.”
Aubrey smiled and took another bite. “Any questions?”
Nerigot stared at Whisper. “What are you?”
“Currently, a server.”
He snorted. “A more specific descriptor.”
Whisper said calmly, “A human watching you ignore food that my people were dying for just a few short weeks ago. I am impressed with your ability to disregard the lives and opinions of those around you. Specific enough?”
He looked at the food. “You would have killed for this?”
“Our greens and grains were two years dead. Predators taste a little weird, and prey only lasted so long. I killed for much, much less.”
Aubrey slowly continued eating. She had had rations. Her family had owned a sporting goods store, and the rations had been plentiful until the end.
The Hmrain started eating, and Aubrey realized that Whisper had just given them a lecture about manners and eating their vegetables.
They ate quietly, but Nerigot kept staring at Whisper.
Whisper moved in and cleared Aubrey’s plates silently and gracefully as each course was served.
The meal continued for an hour with the Hmrain eventually talking about the new species and the possibilities.
Nerigot snorted. “They are not suited for the academy, but they might be suited to soothing.”
Vress blinked. “You still have an issue with that?”
“Their brains overheat. They need someone who can take some of the pressure. I would like to try with this one.”
Whisper didn’t say anything.
Vress looked at Aubrey and said, “It will have to wait until Aten. If these ladies have hidden genetics or skills, Ra’s machines will bring them out without trauma. I don’t think the oracle will part with these ladies before that.”
Aubrey smiled. “Overlord Vress is very wise. Now, Overseer, you wished to see if your future is visible? What are you seeking?”
“A companion. Your people are a compatible shape, so if they are a match, I will transport them all.”
Aubrey smiled. “And what? Try them all on for size?”
“I believe they can be trained to be soothers. The frequency your companion works on is correct.”
Aubrey looked at Whisper and said, “What’s that face?”
“A soother is something we put inside a child’s mouth to ease teething or for comfort. It gives them something to chew on. It is also called a dummy, and I have never been accused of being a dummy.”
Nerigot paused. “While the idea of putting you in my mouth is intriguing, I will abide by Ra’s assessment.”
Whisper flinched. Aubrey understood far too much in that flinch. She asked softly, “How much scarring did they remove?”
“About twenty percent of my surface area. I couldn’t move properly, and while we waited for the ship to fill, they put me in during the spaces in the healing.” Whisper smiled. “What did you see when you saw my future?”
“You are standing and holding an orb filled with energy between your hands, wearing a long tunic and trousers in a dark room with bright eyes surrounding you. One hand changes the colour of the energy, and your face is reflected in the energy.”
“Was I trying to take the heat off anyone else?”
Aubrey chuckled. “No.”
Nerigot’s jaw was open slightly. “That isn’t possible.”
“If you say so, Overlord Nerigot. You are the expert.” She got to her feet and walked around the table. “Now, allow me to touch your forehead, and I will see what your future holds.”
He nodded, and she reached out to touch his forehead with her middle finger.
Nerigot’s body lay with pale limbs underneath him. Watching Whisper in the chamber where she was playing with energy, he was feeling pride and arousal. A maelstrom of arousal.
Aubrey jerked her hand back. “Oh, that’s new.”
Vress asked, “Something wrong?”
“I just got emotions from the image. That hasn’t happened before. It caught me by surprise.” She shook her fingers, trying to get the image out of them.
Nerigot asked, “What did you see?”
“You get a companion. The details are a little fuzzy.”
“Would they clear up if you read them again?”
“Perhaps after we are on Aten, I will try again. I am still getting used to this.” She really wanted to talk to Whisper about this first.
Vress pulled her onto his lap. “What did you see?”
“Honestly? Nerigot on a smaller female with pale limbs. Five fingers and toes on each hand. I couldn’t see her, though.” She rubbed her forehead. “There was a lot of lust in that image, and that hasn’t happened before. So I couldn’t see her face. Identification wasn’t possible.”
Nerigot nodded. “Fair enough, but it is one of your kind.”
“And she has to be Hmrain-compatible.”
“Of course. I mean, we can fix that; it is what the academy does, but none of my siblings have asked us to make a companion in generations.” He shrugged casually. “They usually survived.”
Aubrey winced at what was implied with that statement.
Vress kissed her neck. “Go with your friend deeper into the green space. Relax and enjoy the life around you.”
Whisper nodded, and together, they walked deep into the oxygen farm.
Aubrey moved slowly, and Whisper matched her. A crewman ran up to them and handed Whisper a small box. “Nerigot remembered you hadn’t eaten.”
Whisper blushed. “Thank him if you are given the opportunity.”
The crewmember nodded and took off again.
Aubrey winced. “I should have remembered.”
“I would have gone to the commissary, but I have to wait until dismissed from your service. For the crew, it’s a duty shift, and for me, I am not on duty, so I don’t get relief if I start hanging around with you.
” Whisper smiled. “I am going to find a nice tree, have a seat, and have my one-woman picnic.”
Aubrey smiled, and they kept walking until they found a mossy covering around a large tree. She sat and said, “What do you think I saw?”
“Me and Nerigot going at it.”
“So you have a dragon tattoo on your thigh?”
“Yup. Well, spotted. Thanks for not mentioning it. I want to find out what can happen in a machine deliberately built for humans.” She opened the container and started to eat.
“That is the eating I have gotten used to. It is amazing how just a few weeks makes me want to pretend it never happened. Two years of my life, and I want to black it all out.”
Whisper nodded. “I wake screaming. My life before was endless learning. I worked to learn. I was obsessed. When the world ended, I tried to keep my friends and family together. The fighting for food started. I was next on the menu, so I ran. That was eight months in. The rest is brutal, bloody, and endless. I killed, I ate, and some of my food talked.”
Aubrey winced. “So, not parrots.”
Whisper chuckled. “Not parrots. I took shelter in a mountain cave. Living or dead, I didn’t want to be around any more people. A few found me. I told them to whisper. They shouted to assert dominance or some shit, and down came the avalanche.”
Aubrey blinked. “Damn. So you named yourself Whisper.”
“If I tell you to whisper, there is something dangerous behind you.” She finished her food and closed the container. “Ah, that’s better. Only need two or three more of those before I head to bed.”
“You are hungry?”
“Constantly. Wanna see what’s under the tunic?”
Aubrey paused but nodded.
Whisper lifted her tunic, and there were ribs, a hollow belly, and the jutting bone of a hip. “Medical couldn’t build it artificially. If I am going to gain weight, something has to die. I have to stick to actual food.”
“And this was...”
“Actual food. The Hmrain rarely eat rations. I know there is a way to get the food class changed, but I didn’t get enough languages actually to ask the right questions.”
“They can all speak Common.”
“The other ladies were in the room on the station, and one of them used to be a vegan. I haven’t even found medical here.”
“Oh, we can fix that.” Aubrey smiled.
“We can? We have to stay here.”
“Nope. They just wanted me out of the way while they talked. Come on. I will just swing by Vress and let him know where we are going.”
“I don’t want extra attention.”
“Tough. You need it. Aten’s repair units are a few days away. I don’t need you getting weaker before then.” Aubrey got to her feet. “Come on.”
Whisper got up, and they walked together to where the Hmrain were chatting. Aubrey walked up to Vress and said, “We have to take Whisper to medical to get her food classification changed. She’s losing weight on the processed rations.”
Vress blinked and looked at Whisper. “Really?”
Aubrey held up a finger and whispered to Whisper. “Sorry.”
She gathered the loose tunic on the arm and the torso. Whisper’s thin frame was outlined. She said softly, “I have been losing weight since I was processed. I just haven’t found anyone willing to listen.”
Vress’s eyes were alarmed. “Aubrey, you aren’t...”
“No. I am fine. You have checked me regularly. Her body is reacting to her situation, which has nothing to do with mine. I had food nearly up until my last day. She didn’t. If her body doesn’t recognize it as food, it doesn’t absorb it.”
Nerigot was staring at Whisper. “I will take her. It is not an unfamiliar situation to some of those who come to the academy.”