Beyond the Stars: INEO (41 page)

Maric nodded and gave me a look like he was ready for anything. “I’m well aware,” he shouted out, before leaving us to rejoin Azil and Nia with a spry step.

* * *

A large Grulanti walked to center stage and made an announcement that appeared to call for the audience’s attention. His voice resonated loudly throughout the auditorium’s ceiling mounted sound system. My implanted language translator failed to interpret the words, however, judging by the sudden silence that swept across the room, I figured it meant that the bidding was about to begin.

Loic exhaled a big huff of air and shifted his weight from side to side. He appeared to be fretting over Maric’s remark. “That’s my cue to leave,” he said abruptly. “I wish I could stay around for the show, except I have learned it’s better to gloat in private.”

Loic gave us one last cruel look before heading for the exit. We waited as the beings ahead of us were sold and taken away by their buyers. Before long, the line moved forward and it was our turn. A Grulanti drone approached us and ushered the three of us to the front and center stage. Nia, Azil, Maric, and Hyril advanced the auctioneer’s podium. I wondered why he was following them. The auctioneer leaned down and briefly talked to Hyril before taking a small box from his hands. He lifted the lid to peek inside before giving the Dreon a nod with a mischievous smirk. He must have been satisfied with the offering and stepped aside to let the group pass by him in order to collect us.

Azil smiled gently when she and the others approached us. “Are you ready to leave?”

“Yes,” Urit grumbled angrily, “but not with him. You have some nerve talking to her,” he said, holding up his fist to Hyril.

I couldn’t blame him after everything that had happened.

Nia rushed to his side and looped her arm in her father’s when she saw that he was hurt. “Father, please, I need you to listen,” she said calmly. “It’s okay. We are working together. Hyril will transport us back. Could you please be civil?”

Urit’s nostrils flared. “I’m not laying a hand on him. Isn’t that enough?” he threatened as though he was struggling to hold himself back.

Hyril quickly explained his presence. “Samantha, I contacted your ship after Ellison told me that you were in danger. She was upset and wanted me to help,” he said, sounding oddly concerned.

I realized my psychic entangled with Ellison was still as strong as ever. I wondered what the baby had told him. Did she tell him about me having the Ineo inside me? Did he pick up her feelings or thoughts as soon as she felt them? Would the bond I shared with her ever be severed?

“Come on,” Nia said with warning, “we must hurry.”

Without delay, we followed the group off the stage and exited the building through a side door. I looked up at the dark night sky above and saw several lights marking the borders of the many hovering starships floating over our heads.

“Our ship is waiting. We need to get underway,” Azil said, leading us to an area under one of the craft. It was difficult to make out if it was truly ours.

Hyril handed each of us a small silver ball the size of a marble.
A tracer.
It was how the Dreons took their victims from their homes and matched the one Urit had removed from me.

We each took a tracer in our hands. Instantly, the area around me went black. Then a cold breeze enveloped me as if I had been enclosed in a wind tunnel. I felt my dress fill with air and lift up as my skin tugged against my face. An electric humming noise radiated in my ears, and my body stung as though it was being pricked with pins and needles. The next few seconds were a complete mystery. I didn’t know where I was or what was happening. I heard someone say, “They’re back. Close the door.” A moment later, the darkness was replaced with light, and I found myself standing in the middle of our ship’s landing. Suddenly, the manner of our arrival didn’t matter. I was overcome with joy, especially after I realized I wasn’t aboard the Dreons’ ship.

I jumped in celebration. “We’re home!” I cheered.

I looked at Gaelan. He gave me a huge smile that seemed to hold a deeper meaning—it was one of satisfaction. Not only did he seem ecstatic to be back, but probably thrilled to hear my inadvertent slip of calling the ship home.

“Welcome back!” Azil said with excitement.

Gaelan pulled Azil closer and gave her a big hug. “Thank you. I knew you’d pull through.”

Zaric and Noah rushed towards us as well. Zaric patted Gaelan on the back and gave me a huge smile while Noah tackled me with a full body embrace, nearly knocking me to the floor.

“Boy, am I happy to see you,” Noah said with relief as he held me against him.

“Oh. Noah, you have no idea,” I replied, feeling the greatest gratitude I’d ever known.

Over the room’s rising voices, Zaric talked loudly into his ship’s communicator. “Tyden, they’re back. Go. We will launch the Dreons on your mark.”

Stunned, I then noticed the dozen or so other Dreons standing around us. Gaelan gave me a funny look. He seemed to be as confused as I was by their presence.

Azil let out a small laugh. “Don’t worry, guys, they aren’t staying. We are launching their transport vessel once we reach sector 38960. They’re hitching a ride.”

Nia came up to me with a worried look. “Sam, are you okay? My father just told me that Loic had you alone.”

“He didn’t hurt me,” I replied.

I couldn’t help noticing Gaelan’s ears perk up to listen to my answer.

“Nia,
how?”
I asked with curiosity. “I mean, what did you give the Grulanti?”

“We gave them a defective Dreon tracer. It was Hyril’s idea. He supplied us with one,” she explained.

I approached Hyril, who was standing nearby. “You helped us. Why?”

“Because, we needed your help as well. The auction seemed like the perfect opportunity to help one another,” Hyril answered. “We knew the rest of our crew would be busy collecting some new blood at the auction and would fail to notice our leave. A group of us no longer wish to live under the Dreon regime. We are not going back. It seemed like it was the most opportune time to defect. We want a different life, one that resembles yours. That is why we will seek refuge on Oriyan. It is accepting to those in need. They will not disclose our presence. Our smaller transport vessel would never be able to reach it without the assistance of a major starship. So, your people have agreed to deliver us to the planet in exchange for helping them obtain your release. Besides, time was of the essence. They threatened to take Ellison away from me. My attachment to her is considered abnormal.”

“How is Ellison?” I asked.

“She is doing well.”

He looked at a female Dreon standing a few feet away. When she fully turned around, I saw that she was holding the infant. She brought her over to us, as though she had been asked. I looked down at the beautiful little baby in the alien’s lanky pale arms. It took everything in my power not to take her and hold her, but I didn’t want to do anything that might be perceived as a threat. The baby gave me a steady look as though she was trying to tell me something. Was she really responsible for telling Hyril I was in trouble?

My eyes locked onto hers.
Thank you. Please grow up to be good,
I thought to convey the message to her.
I will never forget you.
She responded with a forceful gleam in her eyes as though she understood. She appeared to be wise beyond her time. It was clear she wasn’t fully human. I waited for her to answer me telepathically, instead, she just smiled.

I wanted to ask if they’d found the exscrapulator, though I didn’t want to explain why I was asking. Just thinking about the virus and its potential to have wiped them out made me feel ridden with guilt. They helped saved us. Without them, who knows where we would be? Besides, I was happy that Ellison was safe and alive. “Is her health good?” I asked Hyril.

“Yes,” he answered with such pride it made me believe he took credit for her existence.

“I’m glad to see you appreciate her.”

“She is my world,” Hyril replied.

“Hyril, I have to ask. What did you do with the tissue you took from me?”

I wanted an answer so badly. My inquisitive mind had been driving me nuts. Please let there not be another litter of future Ellison’s in the works.

He gave the female Dreon a brief glance. She started to walk away with the infant. I tried to capture one last glimpse of Ellison’s angelic face before she went out of sight.

“Samantha, look at me. Do you
not
notice anything different about me?” Hyril’s voice sounded angry as if I had insulted him.

“I-I’m not sure.”

My eyes rapidly hunted for something extraordinary. And I was ready to give up when I spotted a hint of white encircling the edges of his large black eyes. Then I noticed his pale blonde hair was darker at the roots.

“Your eyes and hair,” I gasped. “They’ve changed.”

“The sample I took was not only for Ellison—it was for me. We discovered a way to reprogram our existing DNA. We can remove the strands we do not wish to keep so long as there is a viable replacement. The cells will reproduce and eventually alter our traits physically. The process with take some time, and when it is complete, I will appear as you do. Ellison will know me to be human.”

“Wow,” I mouthed the word.

I could barely respond. Gaelan’s take on how the Dreons have never learned to stop manipulating their genetic codes was spot on. But instead of feeling upset or disgusted by his explanation, I felt flattered. He seemed to want nothing more than to be just like us. Part of me wanted him to be utterly successful and another hoped he would know when to stop.

Zaric announced to the Dreons, “We are approaching your launch point. Please, return to your ship. I hope you find the peace you seek.”

Gaelan turned to Zaric, his mouth opened slightly in astonishment. I think it was due to Zaric’s newly found diplomacy with the Dreons.

“Hyril,” Gaelan called out.

“Yes,” he answered eagerly, turning around.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help. And I want to apologize for all of the times I secretly cursed you. I didn’t fully understand your circumstance,” Gaelan said, appearing to struggle with being tactful.

“Of course,” Hyril responded with a slight smile and a gentle nod.

I could tell that Gaelan’s words meant a great deal to him. It seemed as though our acceptance of him was of the utmost importance. It was good to see Gaelan be so kind after everything the Dreons had put his people through. I watched Hyril exit out the side door of the landing into their docked Dreon vessel.

“Tyden, on your mark,” Zaric said into the communicator.

Tyden’s voice replied, “Separation complete.”

Zaric smiled while he swept his hand across the other like he was wiping himself clean of the responsibility. “And they’re off, mission accomplished.”

“Perhaps the Grulanti won’t notice that the tracer is a dud for a good long while,” I stated happily.

Gaelan and I looked at each other gleefully to bask in our victory in getting away from the Grulanti—or so we thought. Like the unpredictability of life in Space, our ration of good luck instantly changed. Without warning, our ship shook with a loud roar and a foot loosening rattle. There could only be one reason for the unexpected disturbance. We’d been hit.

CHAPTER 27

PURSUIT

“Was that what I thought it was?” I asked as I fought to steady my gait.

Gaelan held me up by the arm and sighed. “Yes, it means they’ve discovered that the tracer is a dud, and I’m guessing that they’re not taking it too well.”

Boom!
The ship shook violently with another deafening strike from the attacking enemy ship as he spoke. This blast seemed to resonate deeper through the hull. It sounded bigger and was possibly deployed closer. They were gaining on us.

Gaelan, Zaric, Azil, and I took off running so we could join Tyden on the command deck. Along the way, our footing was disrupted by several more ensuing strikes. Thunderous roars traveled through the joints of the ship, making it creak with grinding moans. We fought to keep our balance with the help of the corridor walls. Finally, we bolted through the door of the command deck, only to be greeted with Tyden’s ominous glare.