Deviation (20 page)

Kate forced herself to look at the robotic woman again. "I can't help you. I'm not a writer. I don't even doodle. You should just send me home."

The smile the Priestess gave her was sardonic and icy, cutting past all pleasantries that might have existed between them. "On the contrary, Mrs. Woodson, you are one of the only two human females alive in the galaxy. I will find a use for you."

Her first instinct was to run, but Kate knew better than to try it. For starters, she wouldn't know how to get back to the surface, not to mention the weapons she'd counted on nearly every Novo Femina around. So when the Priestess passed her off to one of her many followers, Kate just followed. Her mind tried to process all of the exits again, but she couldn't get herself to concentrate.

Stay alert, stay alive, she thought again, but then she frowned. If her old drill sergeants were here, she doubted they could do any better. And even if they could, she didn't give a damn. There were times when it was best to admit defeat and hunt for another means of escape. Or find the resolution to die well when the moment came.

Her room was a mix of lava rock and metal, which she immediately disliked. The eastern and northern walls were rough, bubbled up rock, reminding her that Mount Olympus was really just a great big volcano that had kept erupting and erupting, building on top of itself until it towered over the landscape. Inactive or not, sleeping inside a volcano was about as appealing as space elevators snapping free, wormholes collapsing and death via space asphyxiation all put together.

She heard the door hiss shut and latch, the magnetics sealing her in. With an involuntary shudder, Kate took three steps to the shelf-like bed and sat down. Giving in to the weariness of her body, she laid down and tried to summon Quinn's face back into her memory. She needed the reminder of her own goal. She needed to focus on her husband and her son, her family. But to her despair, she was only greeted by sleep.

***

Celeocia paced the pentice with sharp, even strides. Daylight was gone; the flickering halogens giving her light enough to see Eanmar huddled in the corner. Her assistant waited with calm assurance that Celeocia would figure out what to do. Hedric's actions angered her to a degree she hadn't thought possible. The arrogant man had put Zimmerman in danger, throwing all of her carefully laid plans out the air lock.

She'd sent three teams to fetch the Zimmerman woman, but she highly doubted they would find her. Reports stated that Borden Company ships had already visited the place. Matthew Borden had probably found Zimmerman, he was efficient like that. He left nothing to chance. For all that she knew of Borden, she had to consider Reesa Zimmerman as a lost cause.

But the fight was not over. She had Kate. Perfect little Kate, who was no doubt scouring every inch of the private room she'd been locked into, trying to find an escape route. Celeocia was confident the woman would be safe there. Eventually she'd pass out from exhaustion, Celeocia had seen the strain and fear battling against Kate's willpower. It was odd, she thought, to have finally come face to face with a real human female. The girl didn't seem to fully comprehend that she was, in fact, an extinct species.

"Eanmar," she finally spoke.

"Yes?"

"Schedule a press conference for 0900 hours." Celeocia glared at where the Lothogy remained on the landing platform. "Leak that a miracle has been found."

"
Outpost 9 is scheduled to receive the first of several transports today. Located at the base of Mount Olympus on Mars, the outpost has been equipped with technologically advanced housing and several years' worth of food stores. The transports carry the first Martian settlers, not scientists, but civilians whose main purpose is to start farming and cultivating the planet.
" -A.P. December 8, 2277

Reesa stared out the Plexiglas and down at the panorama of dapple blue Earth. It spun soundlessly below the ship, imposing and beautiful, and Reesa tried to define the emotions stirring in her. For all her dreaming, she'd never been able to fully grasp what it was like to hang in orbit around a planet. It was humbling, she thought, like standing on the beach with a vast stretch of ocean before you.

And yet, watching the Earth moving on its axis, watching it travel along its path around the sun, she felt a strange empowerment. In her time and place only a select few would ever have the chance to see this in person. Where she stood, in the private meeting room adjacent to Matthew's office, this view was commonplace. She wondered how many people stopped to marvel at it anymore.

Did they really see it? The years of accomplishment that had brought them into regular space travel? Or was it like the freeways on Earth, curving around and through mountains until all that was really seen was the road, until expedience overtook the pleasure of the journey?

"I see why he likes you."

Startled, Reesa turned to find a woman at the doorway. Swathed in fine gray robes that covered her head, the woman stood straight-backed and proud, surveying Reesa with open interest. Her face was uncovered and Reesa knew immediately that she was Carmine Borden, Matthew's mother. Although she'd never written about Carmine, the traits were too similar for her to be anyone else. There was the same smooth curve of bones and fine nose, and both mother and son shared a full, almost sensual mouth.

"Matthew can stand for hours in silence, brooding just as you do." Carmine moved into the room, gliding to the head of the table. "It isn't a reason to marry, but I imagine you will be as secretive about this matter as he is."

Reesa glanced at the closed door and wondered where Matthew was. She didn't know Carmine and wasn't certain how much she could say to the woman. Telling her the truth would just make Reesa sound crazy. For a moment, Reesa considered reassuring the woman that she'd probably be dead in three months, if she was infected like she thought she was, but that would only stir up questions she couldn't answer.

"Your son does me a great honor in marrying me," Reesa said. It sounded foolish, but she needed to be vague and polite at the same time. Carmine was the matriarch of the Borden family and in many ways just as powerful as the High Priestess.

Carmine's dark eyebrow quirked upward; "To be sure," she said. "You've no money and no family, no skills to offer. I thought I had raised my sons to look beyond a pretty face, but it seems I was wrong."

Reesa felt heat creep into her face. Good Lord, this woman was tough. She suddenly wished she'd spent more time exploring the feminine side of society in her writing. In the back of her mind she knew Jake would have balked at that. Action and violent adventures were what she was known for; attempting to paint a picture of the intricate dealings between women would have bored a good number of her readers.

Besides, Reesa thought as she stood there and blushed, she was a woman and even she couldn't follow normal female thought patterns.

"Miss Zimms, before I watch you make off with my son, I will have one answer from you." Carmine narrowed her eyes and frowned. "How did you come to be stranded on Oahu?"

"I wasn't aware that was common knowledge," Reesa said, trying not to squirm.

"It's not. I've my own sources here. Now please explain yourself."

Reesa looked at the doorway and prayed Matt would show up soon. She preferred getting married to being interrogated by this woman. "Hedric Prosser took a disliking to me and abandoned me there."

Carmine's glare turned hard. "And what is your relationship to Hedric Prosser?"

Reesa looked down at the metal table. She understood now why Matt had such a knack for pinpointing the heart of a matter. For the first eight years of his life he'd been influenced by this woman, and Carmine seemed to go for the jugular.

What could Reesa tell her?
I wrote Hedric into being, he's my creation.

But that didn't define their relationship. And she wasn't certain it was true anymore.

"Hedric Prosser abducted me from my home. He also took a dear friend of mine, who he is holding hostage on his ship." Reesa said at last. "The only relationship I can think to tell you is that he is my enemy."

"And the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Matt quoted from the doorway.

Reesa relaxed as he entered the room. He paused beside his mother to kiss her cheek, then moved to Reesa's side. She was unaccountably pleased by the way he gathered her arm and smiled when he sent her a boyish wink. He was far more charming in person than how she'd written him. But then, she'd always found Jake to be charming so this shouldn't have come as a surprise.

Matt reached over and tapped the edge of the table. The lights dimmed, the table hummed to life, and a three-dimensional screen shimmered into view. A moment later the screen seemed to disappear and the image of a man stood in its place. It was a hologram, she knew. His legs disappeared into the surface of the table and he fussed with the cuffs of his sleeves before realizing they could see him.

"Oh, Mr. Borden, I didn't realize we were live," the man said with a sheepish grin.

"We've a busy day after this, Reverend. I thought it wise to start early." Matt said.

Reesa spotted the book tucked under the Reverend's arm and automatically assumed it was a Bible. She knew better than to question Matthew in front of another man, so she bit her tongue and tried hard to quell a spurt of fear. It wasn't illegal to be Christian, she reminded herself, it was just difficult. They were outnumbered, often ostracized from society, but not hated. Not like the tensions rising between the Makeem and the Novo Femina, anyway.

Still, Matthew was risking quite a lot by going this route.

"We have a witness?" The Reverend asked.

"I am to witness," Carmine said. "I am his mother."

"Very well," he looked at something out of their view. "I see all of the documents are in order. Did you have a preference for the type of ceremony I perform today?"

"Whatever is in good taste," Matt said.

"Certainly," the Reverend straightened and gave them a warm smile.

Reesa took a deep breath. She was getting married. She was really getting married. Her first thought wasn't about the lack of a white gown or the general plainness of the room she was standing in. The panorama of Earth just outside was overwhelming enough to be considered decoration.

No, her first thought was of Kate.

Weddings were supposed to include at least one person close to you. Kate should be here, she thought. Her heart pinched, remembering quite clearly the day Kate had asked her to be her maid-of-honor. Reesa had a picture in her hallway of a joyful Kate, ensconced in the most beautiful gown either of them had seen in person, with tiny white flowers braided throughout her hair. And for a mind-numbing moment, Reesa thought maybe she'd killed Mesa out of jealousy.

***

Kate woke the moment the door to her room opened, instinct shoving her into an upright position before her mind could catch up. Still groggy from restless sleep, she confused the little room with a memory of her barracks in the Army. Lights snapped on, immediately blinding in their brilliance, and she almost jolted to her feet, half expecting a drill sergeant to come in barking orders.

No such orders came. Instead, a woman in bulky gray segmented armor stood in the doorway, silently surveying her. Light glinted off the steel robotics that curved around her skull, encompassing the right half of her face. Where the eyeball should be was a protruding tubular camera lens that whirred as it focused on her.

Quelling a spurt of horror, Kate stood up.

"The High Priestess says you should eat." Her voice was surprisingly warm for all the robotics on her.

"I thought food would be brought to me."

"You are not a prisoner, Mrs. Woodson. I can take you to the dining facility."

Kate snorted. "If I'm not a prisoner, then I would prefer if you took me home."

"Until you have served your purpose, the Temple is your home." The woman nodded to the mounted shelf at the southern wall. "Clean robes have been provided. I will be outside when you are ready."

Kate watched the door close, locking her back inside, and growled in frustration. She moved to the shelf, surprised to find several options available to her. They were all robes and pretty dresses, varying in shades of blue and green and auburn. She knew some of them were meant to replace her space suit, but Kate opted to keep the temperature regulating outfit on. It was surprisingly comfortable and easy to move in. If she had to ditch her robes at some point, she'd want at least that to cover her.

Choosing a dark green robe frilled with yellow printed pansies, Kate donned the new clothing quickly. The material was light and breathable, flowing around her in such a way that she was reminded of prom. Ben hadn't been her prom date, but he had been there. She could remember the look on his face when she'd smiled at him from across the room, the way his drink had paused halfway to his mouth and his eyes went wide with shock. She'd felt as pretty as a rose in bloom.

It seemed strange that this concealing robe could make her feel just as fine and delicate. Perhaps there was more to them. Perhaps they were merely an accent to the beauty beneath. Not necessarily physical, she thought, pushing away an image of the woman waiting outside her door, but of the real woman underneath it all.

Still, she opted against wearing the hood and face mask. Deciding she looked as good as she was going to after seventy-two hours with very little sleep, Kate moved to knock on the door. It slid open and the armored woman began to lead her through the corridor. Kate was awake enough to catch some of the details she had missed the day before.

The lava rock comprising the walls was perfectly angular at its corners, proving that the subterranean chamber was man-made. Well, she thought as they walked past a group of five headed the opposite direction, woman-made anyway.

Her guide led them through the main chamber and Kate squinted up at the high ceiling. Rafters and ramps made a checkered pattern above them, leading to and from several bulky machines that resembled air conditioning units. She imagined those were the air filtration systems. They were underground, after all, and would obviously need to breathe.