Close Remembrance (29 page)

As though to answer his unspoken question, Ellet smiled. “I’m happy for you,” she said softly. “I really am. What you and I had has been over for a long time. I just never thought a human girl would be the one to make you feel this way.”

Korum sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Me neither, Ellet. Believe me, it’s quite a shock to me as well.”

“Oh, I believe you,” Ellet said, still smiling. She was beautiful – objectively, Korum recognized that – but her looks now left him cold. Every woman he saw these days was measured against Mia and found wanting – another side effect of his obsession with his charl.

“Can you please connect me with this apprentice?” Korum asked, returning to the subject at hand. “I’d like to speak to her.”

Leaving Ellet, Korum headed toward his own laboratory, where his designers worked. Although they could all work remotely, meeting only in virtual environments, something about physical proximity tended to foster the creative process, resulting in improved team cohesiveness and more innovative project outcomes.

Entering the large cream-colored building, Korum greeted Rezav, one of his lead designers, and went into his office, a private space where he usually did his best work. This past week had been a quiet one, with his employees relaxing after last month’s rush to finalize the designs for the new shields. Normally, this would’ve been the perfect time for Korum to work on his own designs – but the past couple of weeks had been far from normal.

Making sure that nobody could enter his office, Korum attached a virtual reality node to his temple and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was standing next to a large river, surrounded by the familiar green, red, and gold tones of Krina vegetation.

The sun was bright, even hotter than at the equator on Earth. Korum could feel its rays on the bare skin of his arms, and he basked in the pleasant sensation. Drawing in a deep breath, he let his lungs fill with pure, clean air and the heady aroma of blooming plants.

“Quite different from Earth, isn’t it?” a deep voice said to his right, and Korum turned his head to see Lahur standing there, less than five feet away. He hadn’t heard the Elder’s approach – but then no one could move quite like Lahur. The ancient Krinar was the ultimate predator, his speed and strength as legendary as the man himself.

“Yes,” Korum said simply. “Quite different.” If there was one thing he had learned during his recent interactions with the Elders, it was the importance of saying as little as possible. Lahur – the oldest of them all – liked silence and seemed to have contempt for those who spoke unnecessarily.

The fact that Lahur was speaking to Korum at all was incredible. Korum was no stranger to the Elders, having appealed to them numerous times for various Council matters. However, all of his prior communications had been done through the official channels, and the Elders almost never met with the Councilors in person – either virtually or in the real world. So when Korum had reached out to the Elders on Mia’s behalf several weeks ago, he had never expected to have his request taken seriously, much less to be granted a virtual meeting.

A virtual meeting that had somehow turned into an entire series of interviews in the weeks to come.

Lahur stared at him, his eyes dark and unfathomable. Like Korum, he had been conceived naturally, not in a lab, and his asymmetrical features were closer to those of the ancients than to the modern Krinar.

“We have considered your request,” the Elder said, his unblinking gaze trained on Korum.

Korum didn’t say anything, only inclined his head slightly. Patience was the key here. Patience and respect.

“You wish your charl’s family to be brought into our society. To have them share her extended lifespan.”

Korum kept silent, holding Lahur’s gaze with his own.

“We will not grant you your request.”

Korum fought to hide his disappointment. “Why?” he asked calmly. “It’s just a few humans. What harm would it do to bring them to Lenkarda and have them share fully in my charl’s life?”

Lahur’s eyes darkened, turning pitch black. “You argue for them?”

“No,” Korum said evenly, ignoring the way his pulse had picked up. “I argue for her – for Mia.”

Lahur stared at him. “Why? Why is one of these creatures so important to you?”

“Because she is,” Korum said. “Because she means everything to me.” He knew he had just done the equivalent of exposing his throat to Lahur, but he didn’t care. It was no secret that Mia was his weakness, and trying to hide it from a ten-million-year-old Elder was as pointless as beating one’s head against a wall.

To Korum’s shock, a faint smile touched Lahur’s lips, softening the harsh lines of his face. “Very well,” the Elder said. “You have convinced me – and I’ll give you one chance to convince the others. Bring the humans here and let them speak on their own behalf.” He paused for a second, letting the full impact of his words hit Korum. “I would like to meet this Mia of yours.”

Chapter 21

“What’s wrong?” Mia asked after the second time Korum fell silent, as though absorbed in his thoughts.

They were eating a late dinner on the beach – a romantic outing Korum had suggested the day before. Mia had expected something over the top . . . and it was. All around them, hundreds of tiny lights floated in the air, looking like a cross between stars and fireflies. The sun had already gone down, and these lights, along with the new crescent-shaped moon, were the only sources of illumination.

For their meal, Korum had prepared dozens of little dishes, mostly of the finger-food variety. They ranged from tiny sandwiches made with a delicious artichoke paste to some exotic fruits Mia had never tasted before. It was a spread fit for a king. Mia had been greatly enjoying everything – until she noticed Korum’s oddly distracted manner.

“What makes you think something is wrong?” he asked, his lips curving in a sensual smile, but Mia wasn’t fooled. There was definitely something on his mind.

“Don’t you think I can tell by now when you’re worried about something?” Mia cocked her head to the side, staring at her lover. He could still be a mystery to her at times, but she was getting to know him better with each day that passed.

He looked at her, his gaze almost . . . calculating. “You’re right, my sweet,” he said finally. “There is something I need to talk to you about.”

Mia swallowed. The last time Korum had needed to talk to her about something, she’d found out that her mind had been tampered with. What could it be this time?

“It’s nothing bad,” Korum said, seemingly understanding her concern. “In fact, it’s all good news.”

“What is it?” Mia couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling.

“We found someone on Krina who can reverse Saret’s procedure,” Korum said, watching her closely. “She can undo everything he’s done to you – including the memory wipe.”

“Oh my God . . .” Mia didn’t even know what to say. “But, Korum, that’s awesome!”

He smiled. “It is. And there’s something else.”

“What?”

“Do you remember my petition to the Elders about your family?”

Mia almost stopped breathing. “About making them immortal like me?”

“Yes.”

“Of course I remember,” Mia said, her heart beginning to pound in her chest with a wild mixture of hope and apprehension.

“There’s a chance they might grant it.”

This time, Mia couldn’t contain an excited scream. Jumping to her feet and laughing, she launched herself at Korum, who got up just in time. “Thank you! Oh my God, Korum, thank you!”

“Hold on, my darling,” he said, gently pulling her away. “It’s not that simple. It requires something you might not want to do.”

Mia stared at him, some of her excitement fading. “What?”

“We would have to go to Krina and take your family with us.”

* * *

That night, Mia couldn’t sleep. She kept waking up every hour, her mind buzzing with a million different questions and concerns. As Korum had explained, the trip to Krina would serve two purposes: to undo Saret’s procedure and to present Mia’s case in front of the Elders. “They want to meet you,” he had said, shocking Mia into silence.

A large warm body pressed against her back, startling her out of her musings. “You’re awake again,” Korum murmured, pulling her into his arms. “Why aren’t you sleeping, my darling?”

“Why do the Elders want this?” Mia couldn’t stop thinking about it. “Why do they want to see us? I thought they were like your gods or something. What could they want with me and my family?”

Korum sighed, and she felt the movement of his chest. “They’re not gods. They’re Krinar, like me – only much, much older. As to why they want to see you, I don’t know. They have taken an unusual interest in my petition, meeting with me several times and asking a lot of questions about you and your parents.”

“And they didn’t say they would grant your request, right?” Mia turned in his arms, so that she would be facing him.

“No,” Korum said, the faint glow of moonlight from the transparent ceiling reflecting in his eyes, “they didn’t. However, Lahur said he would give us one more chance – and he implied he would be on our side.”

“Lahur is the oldest?”

“Yes. He’s the one who’s lived for over ten million years.”

Mia shivered, goosebumps appearing on her arms.

“Cold?” Korum drew her closer, pulling a blanket over them.

“No, not really.” His naked body was like a furnace, generating so much heat that she was never cold when she slept next to him. The temperature in Korum’s house was always comfortable too – cooler at night, warmer during the day. It was tailored specifically to meet their needs. When Mia had lived in Florida, she’d always hated air-conditioning; the cold air was too startling after the heat outside, and usually cranked up too high for her taste. In Lenkarda, intelligent structures kept the inside of the buildings at a perfect temperature, creating micro-zones of climate around each person.

“We don’t have to go, you know.” Korum gently stroked her back. “We can stay here. You’ve adapted to everything so well. If the memory loss doesn’t bother you, then nothing has to change –”

“No,” Mia said, burrowing against his chest. “If it was only that, then we could consider staying. But my parents, my sister . . . If there’s even a chance they can live a longer life, we have to do this. I could never live with myself otherwise.”

“I know, my darling,” Korum said softly. “I know that.”

“Couldn’t we meet with the Elders virtually?” Mia drew back to look at his face. “That’s how you met with them, right?”

“Yes,” Korum said. “But they don’t consider that a real meeting. When Lahur said he wanted to meet you, he meant in person, in real life.”

“Old-fashioned, is he?” Mia said wryly.

Korum laughed. “That’s the understatement of the century.”

Mia fell silent, thinking about the upcoming trip again. “Do you think we’ll be back soon?” she asked after a few seconds.

“I don’t know,” Korum said. “It depends on what the Elders want.”

* * *

The next day Korum watched as Mia rang the doorbell at her parents’ house. He knew she was worried about this part: telling her family about Krinar life extension capabilities and convincing them to go to Krina.

She was wearing human clothes today, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. As much as Korum liked seeing her in dresses, he had to admit that the shorts looked good on her, showing off her shapely legs. Maybe he should have her dress like this more frequently.

Mia’s mother opened the door with a huge smile on her softly rounded face. “Mia! Korum! Oh, I’m so glad you two came by!” She embraced Mia first, and then Korum found himself enveloped in a perfumed hug.

Smiling, he brushed a light kiss on Ella Stalis’s cheek and stepped into the house, following the two women inside. Mocha, the tiny dog Mia had called a Chihuahua, ran out of one of the rooms, barking happily and trying to jump at Korum. He bent down and petted the little animal, which immediately rolled onto its back and presented its belly – apparently to be rubbed as well.

“Wow, Korum, she loves you,” Mia said wonderingly. “I can’t believe she acts that way with you. She’s normally so shy with strangers . . .” And to prove her point, Mia extended her hand to the dog, which instantly turned over and ran away.

Korum grinned. It seemed like small, cute creatures had a thing for him.

Mia’s parents had a lovely place – the epitome of what he thought of as American human. It had a comfortable, lived-in vibe, with overstuffed couches showing minor signs of wear and family photographs everywhere. Korum particularly enjoyed seeing those of Mia as a child. She had been a pretty toddler, with her long curls and big blue eyes. For a second, those photos made him ache to hold a daughter of his own, with Mia’s features – a strange and impossible urge he’d never felt before.

Mia’s father walked into the living room just as they sat down on the couch. Mia jumped to her feet. “Dad!”

“Oh, Mia, honey, I’m so glad to see you!” Dan Stalis embraced his daughter, kissing her cheek.