Chapter Four
Trin woke and felt rested, relaxed, and toasty warm. She smiled and then sat up when she remembered where she was.
Birun said, “Good morning, Trin. Sleep well?”
Her hair was loose, and she pushed it away from her face. “I... yes. Thank you.”
She pushed the bedding back and walked past Birun on her way to the restroom. When she was showered, relieved, and dressed, she walked back into his bedroom and said, “Can I go for breakfast?”
He nodded and got to his feet. “I will join you.”
She looked up and blinked. “Did you get bigger while I was sleeping?”
He chuckled. “No. I had a perception filter projecting so that I didn’t upset you.”
“You are the same size as Kethen.”
“Slightly larger, but we were built within five hundred years of each other.”
She nodded. “Right. I forgot that. It is really amazing that you all got independent DNA prints. The children born to one are not even close to those born to another. The similarities of focused power, strength, and longevity notwithstanding.”
He laughed. “We can discuss my strength and power over breakfast.”
Trin blushed and nodded. They went out a different door and walked down the hall. She wanted to run but walked with him. She could run another day. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t be here a while.
Birun said softly, “You can run.”
Trin looked at him and darted away. She ran through the halls with a grin and then heard a rhythmic whoosh behind her, and Birun flew past with a grin. She ran faster, and as he landed and settled in front of the dispenser, she tried to stop and slid into him with a thud.
“Oops. Sorry, Honourable Birun.” Trin was standing plastered to him with his arms around her arm and backside.
He laughed. “Well, I did say you were free to make contact. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.”
She felt the heat in her face. “I haven’t had a lot of space to run. I know I am rather old for it, but it was always something I enjoyed.”
“Old? You are just three decades old.”
“Running is considered to be something children do, if they do it the way I do. I just run to run. I like to be able to take up space.”
He stroked a hand down her arm and patted her backside. “Take up all the space you like and collide with me anytime you want.”
The dark skirt on her bodysuit wasn’t really a deterrent to the heat of his hand.
“Um, I interrupted you ordering breakfast?”
He grinned. “You did. Let me go ahead, and you can order your own while I wait.”
He removed the hand from her arm but kept the hand on her butt while he tapped in his order.
“Um, is there a reason your hand is on me?”
He was chuckling. “Yes. I am keeping you warm.”
“The run warmed me up.” Her hands were pressed against his chest, and she cocked her head at him.
“Ah, then the other reason.”
“Oh, this is your planet, and you say so?”
“That is the one.”
She nodded. “Got it.”
He finished his order and sighed. “I suppose I should let you go.”
“Well, I do need to eat.” Trin turned toward the unit, and Birun kept his hand on her, settling it on her hip. “So, is this like, as long as you don’t break contact, it is still the initial touch?”
“You are very smart, do you know that?”
She showed the scanner her wrist and made her choices from the breakfast menu. She tried three different morning hot drinks. She hadn’t had them before and was rather curious. The rest of her meal was high-protein bars and something made with fruit that looked like granola.
He collected his tray with his free hand.
“You can let go. I am not going anywhere.”
“But then I will have to wait for an occasion for your touch again.”
She looked at him. “You may have one random contact over my clothing at a time.”
He paused. “Really?”
“You are working your way up to it anyway, and you stopped me from a nightmare.”
“You don’t need to pay me for that.”
“No, but I can trust you. You eased the fear away and left me alone.”
He paused and nodded. “I accept your authorization.” His fingers flexed on her hip.
Her tray emerged, and he released her to take it to a table. She blinked and followed him. “I can carry my own tray.”
“Not today. Today we are going to go on a tour.”
“Okay. Is there a workshop in this tour?”
He grinned. “Yes, but you are to keep to a regular meal schedule, or I will come and bring you a meal.”
“Why so fussy about the meals?”
“You are thin. Very thin. I have checked species averages, and you never regained the weight after the station picked you up. Why is that?”
“Oh. I was tethered to my grandfather’s account, and he didn’t eat much, so my rations were the same. I tried to ask for more, but until Zoey helped, I didn’t have an account of my own.”
“Ah. That is unfortunate, but it will not be the case here. The world and all that is on it are at your disposal.”
“Oh. Wow. So definitely a workshop.”
He grinned. “And a tablet with open coms.”
She started sipping the morning brews. “Aw, you spoil me.”
“I wish to. It is my fondest desire to see you smiling for your whole day and to have no worries about your safety or supplies.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“You can also invite your friends here, if you like.”
Trin froze. “Zoey can’t travel. Well, she can, but it has to be in a gel pod, and her environment has to be at an even temperature and very humid.”
He nodded. “Doable.”
“But then she would be stuck here in a single room. That sucks. Her case is extreme.”
Birun paused and then asked, “May I speak with her?”
“Sure. If you have a tablet, I can call her now. She doesn’t sleep much.”
He touched the edge of the table, and a tablet popped into his hand. He handed it to her, and she wiped her fingers on a napkin and quickly tapped Zoey’s call id into the unit.
She ate some of the protein bar, and Zoey’s face appeared on the screen. “Eating while talking to me? You have balls, Will.”
“Trin now.”
“Trin then. You are looking good. Your hair is having a great day.”
“Thanks, Zee. I am at a place called Sanctuary Base, and my Hmrain wants to talk to you.”
“Why?”
“I dunno. I think he wants to get you out of there and into some kind of repair unit.”
“I have gotten the quotes.”
“I am fairly sure he isn’t going to charge you. His name is Birun, and he’s here. Can I hand you over, pinky?”
“Sure. I hope he has a strong stomach.”
She smiled. “Okay. Handing over. Birun, this is my best friend, Zoey.”
She handed the tablet over, and Birun’s eyes widened when he saw her friend.
“Greetings, Miss. May I explain my plan? Your Hmrain won’t give you up to just anyone if you are making her money, but there is one that she will give in to. May I speak rapidly?”
“Go ahead, you have my attention.”
Trin ate as Birun switched to a quiet language that was vaguely familiar, and he explained the plan if Zoey agreed to it.
Ra would send warriors to the world she was on and bring a gel pod for transport.
She would be brought to Aten, where Ra’s more advanced machinery would rebuild her over the course of weeks or months.
The timeline didn’t matter. Ra was all about keeping Terrans alive and healthy.
Harwin thought it was noble, so Ra was going to do it. He was besotted with his consort.
Trin finished her meal and the three beverages. They were all okay, but she needed to figure out coffee. She got up, put her dishes in the recycling chute, then walked back to the table, and sat next to Birun. Zoey saw her and nodded slightly. She couldn’t smile. Her face didn’t flex.
The language meant that Zoey barely had to move her mouth to speak. It was considerate, and Trin was impressed with Birun all over again.
Birun translated. “I am offering Zoey healing. Ra will send a team of altered Terrans to claim her, and they will put her in a transport gel and get her to one of Ra’s warships.
Ra has a restoration unit waiting that is programmed for extensive nerve and tissue repairs.
Zoey cannot move, so they will carry her wearing gel-coated gloves.
She will be kept in a fluid tank during transport, which will regulate her temperature as well as ease her skin.
Her employer has kept her just dry enough to render her immobile.
The tissue that used to be skin breaks if she moves. ”
“Oh, fuck, Zoey. You didn’t tell me.”
Zoey whispered in that other language that seemed comfortable for her, and Birun translated.
“You had enough on your plate, dealing with your grandfather’s attitude and the Bellen inventors who wanted to get a piece of you.
You were both in constant danger, and neither could share the other’s strain. ”
“Oh, you know about that.”
Zoey nodded and whispered, “Yes.”
Birun looked at Trin. “I don’t.”
“I will explain after the call. When can they get to Zoey?”
Birun smiled. “They mobilized the moment she said yes. This is going to upset her employer, and I am looking forward to the call. Ra’s team will contact us the moment you are safe and mobile. I get the idea that Trin fusses.”
There was a soft hissing from Zoey that doubled as a laugh.
“What language are you speaking?”
Birun smiled. “Kareduk. It involves breath and tongue and not a lot else.”
Zoey spoke, and he translated. “It was the first thing she looked into and just hoped someone else knew it, too. It was developed on a world with a lot of collapsing snow mountains. The sound is soft and doesn’t trigger them.”
Trin blinked. “Avalanches.”
Zoey clicked affirmative.
“Sure, no wonder you would be drawn to it.”
Zoey spoke softly.
Birun smiled. “She always liked the snow, too, bunny.” He paused. “Bunny?”
Zoey’s nearly blind eyes showed a glow. She said two words softly. “End call.”
The screen went dark.
Trin looked at him. “They are coming for her?”
“Yes.” Birun jolted a bit at the hug that she gave him. She held tight and shuddered in relief.
“She’s dying. Her organs are failing. However, the way her employer has her set up isn’t good. I thought she was respected.”