Dark Horse (9 page)

Rose sat, and Filavantri lifted the covers of the three dishes on the tray.

“I brought you a selection, because I simply didnʼt know what would appeal to you.”

Rose looked at what was before her. One plate looked like it was full of fruit or raw vegetables. They were all cut into segments, and she gingerly reached for a piece of long, thin fruit whose coloring was the opposite of a red apple, bright red flesh, white creamy skin. The anti-apple she thought as she took a nibble.

Bitterness flooded her mouth and she pursed her lips. It was strong, but not absolutely terrible. But she couldnʼt eat a whole fruit of it.

She put the piece down.

“Not good?” Havak asked.

“Not bad, itʼs a taste Iʼm familiar with, but only very diluted and in small quantities. Itʼs too much all at once for me in this form.”

Havak took out a handheld and started taking notes.

“I like that one.” Filavantri pointed to a green, softer fruit with what looked like dark blue seeds flecked through it.

Rose took a piece, bit down. “A bit like grape, but weird because it has the texture of a pear.” She ate it all.

The plate with meat proved more successful. Rose was able to eat all the different types, although most were too gamey for her taste. The last plate had what she guessed were cheeses and tiny desserts, but she didnʼt like any of them.

She was incredibly sorry about that.

When sheʼd had enough, Filavantri picked up the tray. “Weʼll leave you now. You look very tired.”

Rose nodded through a yawn. “Do they have my things yet?” She realized Havak had avoided the question earlier. “So I can shower and change?”

Havak shrugged. “I donʼt know, but there are some things for you in the closet.” He walked over, showed her another cabinet, this one quite large, and with shelves, no hangers. There were a few items of clothing folded up on the lowest shelf, and three towels as well.

“Is there anywhere I have to be? Do I have to set an alarm to wake me?” she asked them.

Havak shook his head. “Sleep as long as you like, and then you can contact Liaison Officer Dimitara or myself by using the comms built into your room.” He showed Rose where it was, and how to call up someone through the directory.

“Rest, and be assured, you are safe now,” Filavantri said as they stepped into the passageway. “The Tecran will be held to account. As a representative of the United Council, I can promise you that.”

“Thank you.” Rose tried to stifle another yawn, then pushed the button to slide her door shut. When it closed, she stood, almost too tired to do anything but stand and stare at it. She felt in her bra for the earpiece, took it out and looked at it for long minutes and decided not to put it in until after her shower.

She would deal with Sazo again when she could think straight.

H
avak and Dimitara
stepped onto the bridge, and Dav signaled Lothric to take over from him as he approached them.

“Letʼs discuss this elsewhere.” He didnʼt give either of them a chance to express an opinion, walking past them and through the open upper level into a small conference room.

“Captain Jallan, Iʼm sorry to do it, because until now, youʼve shown yourself to be in complete compliance with the codes of the United Council, but I will be noting the lack of care youʼve shown Rose in my report.” Filavantri Dimitara chose not to sit, instead, walking to the large screen which showed the Class 5 hanging menacingly before them in space.

Dav joined her, standing straight, hands behind his back, as he looked out with her. “Youʼre right to do so. Iʼve dealt with Rose personally since we found her, because there was, and still is, a possibility she was responsible for the deaths of nearly five hundred Tecran. I wanted to observe her, make sure she wasnʼt an immediate danger. But Iʼve had other claims on my time, more immediate crises to deal with, and I did not take the care I should have done.”

She was silent for a moment. “What crises?”

“Our comms are jammed, which means no help is coming. Borji has confirmed the Class 5 system is blocking all messages, and is blocking all efforts to get into its comms system, and its weapons system as well, for that matter.”

“That is not good news,” Dimitara acknowledged. “Does this mean there could be a pre-loaded sequence to fire on us in there, and Borji couldnʼt do a thing to stop it.”

Dav gave a curt nod.

“I understand there are other priorities for you than whether Rose gets any food or water, but that kind of thing could surely have been delegated to someone else?” Dimitaraʼs shoulders relaxed, and she turned, unclipped a chair, and sat.

Dav sighed. “I take full responsibility. It never occurred to me once to offer her anything. I think I had a vague thought that we shouldnʼt do so, in case she reacted to anything, because Kila may be a trained medic but sheʼs not capable of handling anything like that. But since we arrived on the
Barrist
, we could have given her water while she was being tested in the med-chamber. It didnʼt cross my mind.” He paused, and then said what heʼd feared since Havak had first called him out on the issue. “Was she too afraid to ask?”

Havak shook his head. “She claims she was too stressed and overwhelmed by events to think of it. She doesnʼt blame us at all. Says itʼs all her own fault for not asking.”

Dav swore. “Now I feel like a swamp worm.”

Havak rubbed the back of his head. “No more than I did when she said it.” His face hardened. “She also didnʼt blame the guards you got to escort her to her quarters for not showing her any of the features of the room. She says itʼs her fault again for her interaction with them in my med-chamber. In her words: They couldnʼt get away fast enough.”

“I didnʼt specifically ask them to show her how the room worked, but youʼre right. They didnʼt show any initiative, and they certainly didnʼt show any compassion.”

“I trust youʼll speak to them?” Dimitara raised dark, angry eyes to his.

Dav raised a brow at her presumption. This was his ship. They were his people to command.

“I understand, you have many, very vital, duties to perform, but understand that you have on board a person who lived on that Class 5 for three months. Someone from a world we donʼt have any idea about. Someone it would be good to have as an ally, from everything Iʼve seen of her, rather than someone with a grudge against the United Council. She doesnʼt seem to blame you for her treatment since she was rescued on Harmon, but sooner or later sheʼs going to get used to her freedom, get used to not being treated like an animal or an experiment, and start to feel a little unhappy if the attitudes Iʼve noticed against her continue.” Dimitara folded her arms and tapped her long, slender fingers. “You are at fault, as well, Dr. Havak. I heard you call her an orange to her face.”

Havak blinked. “I did? When?”

“In the med-chamber, after the incident with Dr. Revilʼs child.”

Havak obviously didnʼt recall it, and Dav gave a curt nod in support of Dimitara. Blew out a breath. “Agreed. We have high ideals, but now that the very first unknown advanced sentient in half a millennium is in our midst, we seem to be having trouble following them. Iʼll talk to the guards personally.”

“Speaking of advanced sentience,” Havak finally unclipped a chair himself, “I would be willing to swear sheʼs from at least as advanced a civilization as ours, judging by the way she adapts to our technology. She obviously hasnʼt seen the inside of a Grih ship before, but she worked it out at lightning speed and with very little awe.”

“She says her people arenʼt as advanced as ours.” Dav frowned.

“She said that to me, too. But when I asked her how she seemed to be so comfortable dealing with things that must be very new to her, she said they didnʼt have our technology yet, but they had
imagined
it.”

“What do you mean,
imagined
? All together? Like a hive mind?” Dimitara leaned forward, eyes wide.

Havak shook his head. “Unless my equipment is completely unable to deal with her physiology, I donʼt think sheʼs part of a hive mind. She says the ideas of imagined worlds and technology are distributed in the form of written and visual comms.” He tapped his chin. “And something about buying a piece of clothing.”

Davʼs low-level headache spiked. “Another mystery.”

Dimitara gave a grudging nod.

Davʼs handheld chimed, and he took it out, studied it. “Kila wants permission to come up and discuss Roseʼs med-chamber results with you, Havak. Appal wants to come with her. They canʼt get the two Tecran craft that crashed into the caves out without more equipment.”

Havak nodded. “I can imagine Kila wants to spend more time with Rose. She must be delighted.”

A bit too delighted, Dav thought. He tapped in an answer, giving Kila and Appal permission to come up.

“What happens if Borji canʼt get into the comms and weapons systems?” Havak was looking thoughtfully at the Class 5 on the screen.

Dav followed his gaze. “Then Iʼm going to evacuate the whole team from Harmon, whether they have Roseʼs animals secured or not. Iʼve got a really bad feeling about this.”

“
R
ose
.”

Rose jerked awake. Sat up in the semi-darkness.

She was alone in the room, and as she looked around, she recalled where she was and how sheʼd got here. She flopped back down, and reached a hand out to touch the panel beside her bed. The time flashed on, glowing white, and she realized sheʼd slept for nine hours.

“That you, Sazo?”

Sheʼd put the earpiece in last night, afraid to leave it lying around, and had whispered to Sazo she was going to sleep.

“Youʼve been on the
Barrist
for a long time, Rose. Iʼm getting worried. I can send transmissions to the
Barrist
from the Class 5, but I canʼt hear you. I canʼt breach their systemʼs shields. I need you to help, or you must come over to the Class 5 so we can communicate. If you donʼt manage that on your own in the next five hours, Iʼll have to make a plan to get you here. Donʼt forget, Iʼm still physically with you. If youʼre in danger over there, so am I. Iʼm getting nervous, Rose.”

Rose buried her hands in her hair, tugged. “Damn, damn, damn.” She touched the panel beside the bed again, and raised the lighting, got out of bed on legs that felt as if theyʼd run a marathon and stumbled to the shower.

When she came out, clean and dressed in a dark burgundy outfit that was the same style as the
Barristʼs
crew
ʼ
s uniform, but not a color sheʼd seen anyone else wearing, she felt alert and adventurous enough to try one of the hot drinks from the cabinet Havak had showed her yesterday. While she waited for it to brew, she called Filavantri on the internal comm.

“Good morning.” The United Council liaison smiled broadly from the tiny comm screen, and Rose realized she was getting used to the sharp teeth. “Would you like to come to my rooms for breakfast?”

Rose nodded. “Iʼm just waiting for the grinabo to brew.”

“Iʼll get some guards to come and fetch you. Bring the mug along with you if you arenʼt finished by the time they get there.”

Filavantri signed out just as a chime signaled the grinabo was ready. Rose picked it up and sniffed.

It smelled good. Almost a chocolate and hazelnut combo. She took a tentative sip.

It was more bitter than sheʼd expected, but not as bitter as some of the food sheʼd tried yesterday. She rolled it over her tongue, finding she liked it more and more. Not chocolate at all in the taste of it, but good, nevertheless.

She took another sip as the door chimed.

The guards.

She hesitated. Looked down into her mug. She regretted her outburst yesterday in the med-chamber. Sheʼd been indulging herself, not thinking ahead. She had to deal with these people in a situation where they had all the power, she had none.

She should have bitten her tongue, or handled it better. If these were the same guards from yesterday, she had to face them again, with her challenge to shoot her hanging between them. And if it wasnʼt them, she would bet the story had already done the full rounds.

The door chimed again, and she walked over to it, touched the panel like Havak had shown her, and saw it was the same two guards from yesterday.

With a sigh, she pushed the button to let them in.

“Good morning.” She used the mug as a shield, watching them over the rim.

“Good morning.” The woman eyed her, flicked her gaze into the room, and Rose was glad sheʼd made her bed and everything looked tidy.

“Iʼm ready to go. Iʼll take my drink with me.”

The woman shared a look with her partner, and he cleared his throat. “Before we take you to Liaison Officer Dimitara, we would like to apologize for not familiarizing you with your room.”

Rose blinked. “Thatʼs all right. Dr. Havak came and showed me.”

The woman winced. Looked at her partner again, and Rose guessed they hadnʼt known that.

Perhaps theyʼd thought sheʼd complained about it, but now they realized it must have been Havak whoʼd voiced the complaint.

“We didnʼt mean any disrespect. It didnʼt occur to us that you wouldnʼt know how to use the room.” The womanʼs words were stiff.

“I understand.” That felt like a lame answer, but she couldnʼt think of anything else to say that wouldnʼt make things even worse. She hesitated. “Would you tell me your names? I donʼt know many people on this ship.”

“I am Vree Halim.” The man took a formal step forward, and inclined his head in a way Rose thought would probably have gone down well in the 19th century Russian court.

“Jay Xaltro.” The woman made a similar movement.

“Nice to meet you both.” Rose decided not to apologize for yesterday. It felt like they were leaving that behind them, and she didnʼt want to bring it up again.

They seemed flustered by her response, and she hoped she wasnʼt imagining a lessening of the tension as they led her down the passageway and to the right to arrive at Filavantriʼs door.

She thanked them, and couldnʼt resist looking behind her as she stepped through into Filavantriʼs room. They seemed to be walking away. So they werenʼt guarding her, or watching her.

Or maybe thatʼs what they wanted her to think.

She shrugged it off, and then smiled as Filavantri thrust out her hand for a vigorous handshake of welcome.

“Youʼve certainly got the hang of it,” Rose said, taking another sip of her grinabo. It had gone almost stone cold, and she made a face.

“You donʼt like it?” Filavantri asked.

Rose shook her head. “I do, but not cold.”

“Ah. Me, neither, although these Grih like it hot or cold. They donʼt care.”

She busied herself making some more, and seemed to enjoy introducing Rose to a variety of different breakfast food. The most familiar was also the best, toasted bread made from a slightly pink grain. Nutty, with a hint of salt, Rose thought it was the best thing sheʼd eaten since her abduction.

“Good. We make progress if there is something you enjoy so much.” Filavantri seemed delighted. “What else can I get you?”

Rose hesitated, but unless she wanted to unleash a frightened and worried Sazo on the
Barrist
, she needed a handheld that would allow Sazo to breach the shield.

“What is it?” Filavantriʼs intelligent face sharpened.

“I wondered if I could have a handheld? Even if they could just bring me the one from my cell on the Class 5. It should still be there. It has all five languages of the United Council on it. But I wouldnʼt mind one that has information on the cultures of the United Council as well. My Grih could use some improvement and I would like to learn their ways. And yours.”

Filavantri frowned. “Such a simple thing? Why do you even hesitate to ask?”

Rose shrugged. “It took a long time for the Tecran to give me the one I had on the Class 5.” It had, and sheʼd only gotten it because Sazo had usurped her care and management from Dr. Fliap when heʼd taken ill, but she wasnʼt going to reveal that to Filavantri.