Chapter Four #2
It was time to see more humans and dream of being home again.
* * * *
Harwin froze as she stared at the grey robes in front of her. “I know you.”
“Nope. Pretty sure you are wrong, Charlotte.” She smiled behind her gauzy face covering.
“Skylar? Oh, my god. I thought you were dead.” Harwin handed the baby to Ra and lunged to hug her.
Skylar held on and smiled. “I was. I am back in my ghost-talker capacity, Queen Harwin of Aten. It is so sweet that you took our family name as your name.”
“Take that shit off.”
“I have to explain first. Harwin, I don’t get to be gold and shiny.
My mom was from a Dyturan line, and when I died on Earth, I sent out a beacon, and they came to bring me to the stars.
I am tuned to the population of Earth and those who died during my lifetime.
I also look a little grey and freaky. Oh, and I grew horns. ”
Harwin blinked. “Don’t care, Skylar. Let me see.”
Skylar shrugged, removed her facial covering, and lifted her hood clear of her horns. Harwin looked at her and hugged her again. “I always wanted a dragon.”
Skylar laughed. “I knew you would go there.” She looked over. “How are you doing over there, ancient Ra?”
He was holding the baby. “You are truly related?”
“Yes. This is how Dyturans manifest.”
“I have never seen one without their covering.”
“I am avant garde.” Skylar chuckled. She looked at Harwin, who was trailing a finger down the scales across the bridge of her nose. “Harwin... not a toy.”
“They are so cool. I thought they would be grey or black, but they are iridescent.”
“Yeah, that apparently means something, so I am supposed to keep them covered. The dead are gossips.” She smiled. “Is there anyone you wish to speak to?”
Harwin blinked.
Skylar put her concealment back in place and waited.
“What year were you born?”
“Eighty-three.”
“Grandma Harwin.”
Skylar smiled, nodded, and stepped back. In the place she had been standing was their grandmother.
She moved to the side and watched as an astonished Grandma Harwin met Harwin, Queen of Aten, Elder Hmrain Ra, and their baby, Harran Harwin.
Grandma admired her great-grandson and told Harwin to call on her anytime the Dyturan was nearby.
Harwin paused. “Uh, Grandma, the Dyturan is Skylar.”
Skylar was looking down at her grandmother, and she inclined her head. “Hello, Geegee.”
The ghost stared. “I need to see your face.”
“No. It is no longer the face you remember. I am rocking some recessive genes.”
“Show me.”
Skylar shrugged, lifted her outer veil, and knew her Geegee was looking at the grey skin, the dark scales, and the eyes that were currently dark red with gold irises. “Boo.”
“Skylar, do you have horns?”
“Yup. Just like you said my mom always had. Turns out, you were right. I died, they put me in a genetic accelerator, and I woke up like this.”
Geegee looked at her. Suddenly, a wide-eyed expression crossed her features. “Skybaby.”
“Yes, Geegee. Now, I carry you and millions of others with me.”
Harwin frowned. “Only millions?”
“They are the ghosts attached to survivors. Only they came with me. Those who lost their bloodlines lost their ghosts.” She lowered her covering again.
Geegee said, “Aw, baby, why did you do that?”
She cocked her head. “Someone is coming. I show myself to family only.”
Geegee asked, “Why?”
“Dyturans are all male, but they respect the robes. No one looks beneath.” She shrugged. “But that is why I am supposed to remain under wraps. I got a manual when I woke up from my death.”
Harwin smiled. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you. You look like a first-place trophy, and your son is adorable.”
“Thanks. He’s less than two hours old.” She smiled and looked at Ra and the baby. “I am so happy that we have repair units. Gets you back to normal condition in hours instead of weeks.”
“Nice. I heal in seconds. Don’t bleed much either.” She chuckled. “Well, Geegee, it is time for you to return to my care. Say goodbye to Harwin and make nice with your grandson-by-connection and your new great-grandson.”
Geegee nodded and hugged Harwin, nodded to Ra because she had no idea what to do with him, and smiled at her little great-grandson. “He’s gorgeous. Take care of him.”
Ra nodded. “I will. I will take care of them both.”
Geegee nodded, Skylar extended her hand, and Geegee touched her and absorbed into her. Skylar nodded. “It was good to see you, Harwin.”
“Skylar, stay.”
“How long?”
“Four days?”
“I can give you three. I have friends of Zoey who have heard she is recovering. They wish to speak with her and tell her that she did an amazing job, and they are settled where they are.”
Harwin blinked. “Do you have to visit all humans?”
“No. Just the ones who need to know they are not alone and that they did all they could. You are not the last Harwin, but he is, until you give him another brother or sister.” She pointed at the baby.
Harwin stared. “I just gave birth today.”
“Yes, so enjoy your little man and your big one.” Skylar chuckled.
Ra said, “Where are you staying?”
“In my shuttle. It is safest for me there.”
“Stay here.” Ra frowned. “We have rooms for guests.”
She looked at him and said, “With this being a world with many Terrans, some of the ghosts might slip out when I rest. It is unsettling for those who are in my vicinity. My ship is shielded to keep them in.”
Ra blinked. “I had not considered that.”
“Few do. That is why my kind usually come for those who need them, and then they leave. I have a few worlds to visit, but I will wait for Zoey. She lost a lot. Her entire team of rescuers wishes to be spoken to.”
Harwin smiled. “Good. Zelda is going to dance for us tonight.”
“Yes, I know. I have to help her with her clothing. I will be right back.” She bowed and glided toward the manufacturing unit, where Zelda was frowning and looking at the options.
With a few taps of her fingers, she brought up the dance gear options from her ship’s computer and uploaded them to the unit. From there, she left them and returned to Ra and Harwin.
She had to meet her little second cousin properly.
Skylar went through diaper changes, and Harwin stared at her. “How are you doing that?”
Ra was amused. “I have never seen Dyturan skills used for that.”
She had the dirty diaper, cleaning wipes, and cream hovering in the air around her as she finished fastening the new unit. “Well, I am sure the guys use it for holding sex partners in place or something.”
Harwin whispered, “How are you doing that?”
“Energy fields support the ghosts or spirits; I radiate the field. Like a giant telekinetic shield that I can control. I can also light it on fire, but that is a little extreme for this.” The baby was sleepy when his butt was clean, so Skylar handed him back to his dad.
The huge hands of Ra made the baby tiny, but he had been a solid ten pounds when he was born.
Ra smiled. “You don’t want to hold him?”
“I don’t know how comfortable he would be in my field. I don’t want to upset him on his first day.” She dispersed the items to the bots, and another came in with folded fabric. “Oh, I had them make a baby sling for you, so you don’t have to carry him everywhere.”
Harwin smiled. “Thanks, Skylar.”
“Zani would have kitted you out, but she’s talking with Zoey.”
Ra said, “Zoey is in fluid. She can’t speak.”
“They are identical twins. They don’t need sound.” Skylar waved her hand in the air. “They can communicate directly. Soul to soul. Zelda can as well, but she needs to sleep to manage it.”
Harwin said, “How do you know that?”
“I can see it. Thick columns of energy that run between them. Aretta has a connection to Zelda, but it isn’t the same as those who shared a womb. Funny that none of them grew up together.” She chuckled.
Ra frowned. “Explain.”
Skylar smiled and explained about the triad, the deportation order, and the split parentage.
Harwin asked, “How do you know that?”
“I was friends with Zoey.” Her answer was simple.
Harwin paused, “Like before the end of everything?”
“Nope. During. I was one of the snowmobile team that drove around and brought people back to the cavern settlement.”
Harwin stared. “Shit.”
“Yup.”
“The whole time?”
“The whole time. Went from natural winter to permanent winter.” She smiled but knew Harwin couldn’t see her. “We were there with Trin and her grandfather.”
“Oh, Trin just got a Hmrain of her own.”
Ra sighed but smiled. “We are not the collectible ones, Harwin. You are.”
Harwin waved it off.
Skylar went to wash her hands and looked at the fingers that looked like claws in a certain light. She was still changing. She couldn’t fight it.
She sighed and returned to her cousin and family. They moved to the main hall and walked to the buffet that two humans were curating. Her taste buds weren’t human anymore. She craved a heat level that was obscene, but she could make do.
They sat on low couches, and she took the baby while Ra filled two plates for Harwin.
Skylar chuckled. “He’s not as terrifying as I thought an ancient Hmrain would be.”
Harwin smiled. “First of his kind. He linked his mind to mine, and since mine was already messed up from the accident with the wrong healing unit, we blended pretty thoroughly. Plus, he knows a lot about the Children of Geb. Us.”
Harwin had her baby on her shoulder. “What do you think your own future will bring?”
“A lot of silk gauze. The compulsion to keep hidden is overwhelming.”
“Why? What happens if you are out as your new self?”
“I don’t know. Maybe someone is hunting Dyturans for ivory or something.”
“I will ask Ra. He knows a lot of weird stuff. We ought to have a trivia night.”
“He would clean up on ancient history.”
“And modern. My brain and his, remember.”
“Right. Well, he’s coming back, so I am going to get snacks.” She got to her feet and asked the attendants, “What is the spiciest thing you have?”
They pointed to a few dishes and a pile of extra chillies, raw and pickled.
She got her meal, walked back to the couch, and laughed. Harwin was feeding the baby, and Ra was feeding her. Skylar tucked her plate under her covering and ate.
The spicy food was okay, but it wasn’t the kind of thing she had on her shuttle.
They sat around and talked for a few more hours. Skylar tried to hold the baby, and to her surprise, he fell asleep. Harwin couldn’t see it, but Skylar had a huge smile on her face. Wicked canines and all.
She held the baby, “So, Ra, when are the next round of Terrans being brought down here?”
Ra nodded as he said, “Tomorrow. They are all physically fit, and their homes are available and ready, so they will come here, be assigned a township and be transported out there.”
“There are a few ghosts that wish to speak to them, and once that is done, I will be on my way.”
Harwin gasped. “No.”
“Huggy bear, I am already dead. Just because I came back doesn’t change the fact. Human me is dead, and there are those without closure who never knew what happened to their families.”
Harwin blinked. “You are dead?”
“My human clock is dead. Now I have the Dyturan one, and it is way different.” She smiled. “But I should be able to swing by here every few years for several centuries.”
Harwin grinned. “Really?”
“Really. The scales don’t crack.” She smiled. “There will be more of them, and I may lose my ability to wear boots, but I am not going to die any time soon, if at all.”
Ra paused. “Another Dyturan hasn’t trained you?”
“Nope. I woke up, got dressed, found the shuttle ID that was in my robes, and got moving. No idea how I know how to fly the shuttle, but once I was on there, the download kicked in, and the transformation started.”
Ra’s eyes were wide. “That isn’t supposed to happen.”
“I know, but Grandma told me to get up and get moving, so I did.”
Harwin laughed. “Why do I think that you ruined someone’s plans?”
“Duh. You have met me.”
Harwin chuckled, and the baby started to squeak for his mother. Skylar handed him over, and he settled right away.
Harwin smiled. “I am getting the hang of this.”
“Do you have a nanny lined up?”
Ra nodded. “There is a woman in the village. We need only to call. She has been a child minder before.”
Harwin tucked the baby in the sling and smiled. “That is so cool.”
“There is also a wrap for when he gets bigger, but right now, he’s nice and compact. Enjoy the scrunch.”
“I will. Do you need to rest or something?”
“Yes, I think I could do with an hour or two in my shuttle.”
Harwin said, “We have guestrooms here.”
“No, I need a more regenerative environment once a week or so. It seems today is that day. I will be back before dinner.”
She reached out and touched Harwin’s cheek, nodded to Ra, and left. Skylar really needed a nap.
* * * *
Harwin asked, “Do you know what that was about?”
“I believe she needs to absorb life. Her shuttle will have a device to provide it.”
“Ah. Is someone going to come after her?”
He shrugged. “Dyturan isn’t predictable, and he is not Hmrain.”
“Wait, so it isn’t just a species? There is a being?”
“Of course. The designers looked to satisfy a number of aspects of the people who survive to thrive. There are also those who spur lust, but they are few and far between.”
Harwin blinked. “Have you run into any of those?”
“Not in the last several thousand years. Hmrain don’t need them, but their populations sometimes do.”
“Uh-huh. What do they look like?”
“Amorphous. They become what you need to see to stir lust. For me, it would be you.”
She leaned over to kiss him, and the baby squeaked. “I think I know why she mentioned the nanny. There are some things I don’t want burning into his little psyche.”
Ra grinned and kissed her softly. “He will sleep in our room.”
“Oh, dear. I guess I will learn to be quiet.”
Ra laughed. “You will not, but we will have the nanny, and she will bring him to you as needed.”
She sighed and leaned against him. It had been a very eventful day.