Guarding Forever (2 page)

She paused. “You were awake during your cold sleep?”

He shrugged. “Off and on.”

She sliced up and finished the food on her plate.

“How did you manage the long wait?”

“I kept myself busy.” He finished his own meal and the plate disappeared. Hers vanished a moment later.

“I see. Well, I am glad to see that you have maintained your sanity.”

“I did?” He quirked his lips and drank some wine.

She mimicked him. “You have appeared to.”

He tapped his finger on the table. “Why are you here?”

“I told you. To keep you from trying to wake yourself. The pain would be tremendous.”

Forin narrowed his eyes at her. “You are hiding something.”

She squirmed in her chair. “I am also here to make time go faster. That was what my training was for. One month of your treatment has already passed. It will feel like two days here and will in fact be six months of reality.”

He leaned back in his chair with a thud. “A month? Wow, you are very good. I would have thought it was only an hour.”

She played with her braid. “That is the idea.”

Ohra sipped some of her wine, and when her head spun, she set the glass down deliberately.

He smiled with his lips quirked to one side. “You don’t care for the wine?”

“I haven’t ever had it in the real world, so I am very easily affected by it.”

He got to his feet and offered her his hand. “Come with me for a walk before dessert.”

She stood up and was glad she did. The chair that had been under her disappeared and they were standing on the edge of the cliff once again.

Wind ruffled her skirts, and they stood together while the stars danced.

“I never thought I would outlive my species.”

His words were a whisper on the wind.

“It was not expected. No one could have imagined the Coalition lashing out like that. You are not the only members of your species left. There are pockets of Edinar on several worlds; you just have to know where to look.”

“Have you met any of them?”

She shook her head. “No. But, those of your kind who have recovered have reached out and found them. Apparently, the response is that they are fine where they are.”

Forin laughed. “That does sound like my people.”

“You aren’t drawn together?”

“No. When you can touch others with your minds, the physical presence is no longer as important.” He shrugged. “It does explain our dwindling population.”

She winced.

He sighed. “I know. It
did
explain our dwindled population.”

“Do you look forward to a new life back in the physical world?” She was still holding his hand and the warmth was amazing.

“I am curious to see how things have changed. I wonder at my place in your world. Are you at war?”

“Not that I know of. There aren’t that many of us, and the worlds around us are unoccupied. It was what made it so easy for us to take in the Edinar and life support systems. We have tons of space and nothing in it.”

He laughed. “It sounds rather interesting to have a world no one cares about.”

Ohra turned to him and poked him in the chest. “I care about my world very much. It may not be a target for the Coalition, but it is a good and safe place where people care about others.”

She stalked away from the edge of the cliff, leaving him standing and staring out toward the stars.

Ohra wanted to quit.

She kept her back to the lookout point and headed away from her charge. He appeared in front of her and knelt down.

“I am sorry that I insulted your home. It was not my intention.”

She blinked back tears. “It’s fine. I shouldn’t be so sensitive, but I am nothing but emotions in here. My normal sarcasm didn’t translate that well.”

He rose to his feet. “Your body might be in distress.”

She swiped at her eyes. “It could be. They will only pull me if I endanger you. If not, I will remain here until you are well, or you will suddenly be talking to another monitor.”

“What can I do to help?”

Ohra laughed at the sincerity of his tone. “That is my line.”

“Nevertheless, what can I do?”

“Let’s give conversation a rest and play a game. Do the Edinar play chess?”

Forin waved his hand, and they were sitting in a study lined with rich wood panelling and a cheerful fire was blazing in the hearth. The chessboard appeared between them on a table, and he gestured for her to begin.

“Let’s find out if an Edinar can play chess.”

Time blurred as they moved one piece at a time with long pauses in between. Ohra kept track in her mind, the one thing she was good at. Four months had elapsed before Forin won the game.

He looked rather impressed with her as he helped her to her feet. “I didn’t expect you to put up much of a fight.”

“I am deceptively strategic when it comes to games. I am always thinking eight moves ahead.” She smiled and swayed. Her body was definitely in distress.

He caught her in his arms. “You are fading.”

“It looks like I might not have a body to go back to after this. Ah, well, I knew I was disposable when I took this job.” She smiled up at him and patted his cheek.

To her surprise, he kissed her.

In her entire life, no one had kissed her. Not even a peck on the forehead or cheek. She waited for a moment, but he showed no signs of stopping. With his lips on hers, she tried to enjoy the sensation.

He lifted his head and asked her, “Don’t your people kiss?”

“My people do. I don’t. I haven’t.”

He loosened his grip and brushed his lips against hers. “That is a shame. Lips like this were meant to be kissed.”

“Keep trying. I am bound to get the hang of it eventually.”

Forin smiled and obliged. Their environment changed from the chess room to a warm, billowing cloud. He coaxed her to the ground and continued kissing her until she had her hands woven through the black and silver strands of his hair and she was sighing a little with every meeting of lips.

“I know this is only in your mind, but it feels nice.”

Forin grinned, “I am glad. It is pretty fun on my side, too.”

Her body was tingling, but she wasn’t sure it was trauma. She felt that she was approaching something, but she had no idea what it was.

The ground around her shook, the mist coiled and relaxed.

She winced and quickly kissed Forin. “They are waking you up. It took less time than I thought.”

“You are kidding. I just started making some headway.”

She laughed. “It has been wonderful getting to know you, and thank you for the introduction to kissing.”

He groaned and pressed his forehead to hers. “This isn’t over.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “Yes, it is. Trust me. I don’t look like this in the physical world. You will have ladies lined up and down the block for you. I will just be a blurry memory.”

“I am going to remember you. Every time I close my eyes, you will be there.”

Ohra held onto him as she felt her body waking. She sobbed and then gasped as she was back in her own body again.

* * * *

Forin tried to hold onto Ohra, but she was pulled from his mind with a sickening jolt. His own awareness was now free to reset with his body. He wasn’t dying anymore.

He opened his eyes, and the dim light above him told him he wasn’t in his own mind.

A being in a mask and heavy biohazard suit spoke to him through a speaker system. “General Thanloss, welcome to Horalthia. You are weak now, but that can be remedied. Relax and let us help you recover.”

There was something he was supposed to remember. Something he didn’t want to forget, but he was so tired that he simply decided to check into it later. He wasn’t going anywhere on his own.

* * * *

In the dim confines of the monitor rehab centre, Ohra worked tirelessly to get into shape again. Six months of immobility had done a number on her coordination.

Her physiotherapist was encouraged by her progress. She had died twice while in the mind of her patient. Her body would not withstand another round as monitor, but the money she had made from the first time would enable her to get a different education. She imagined a new life as a medic. It seemed like a good profession to get in to.

In the meantime, she had weights to lift and a few miles on the treadmill to do. The sooner she was healthy again, the better.

She had a future and it wouldn’t wait for her.

* * * *

One year after her time as a monitor, Ohra got a strange letter in her correspondence. She removed her education tabs from her temples and read the missive again.

As a previous monitor, you are cordially invited to a ball to celebrate the fortieth Edinar awakening.

Dress is formal, and the ball will be held at the Harkenar Observatory, eight in the evening on five-day.

We look forward to seeing you there. This project has benefited all of us, and we expect your cooperation.

The signature was that of the Government of Horalthia. It was a genuine document, which could only mean one thing. Ohra needed a dress.

Shopping for a dress at the last minute was torture. Surprisingly, she ran into a few friends from her monitor training. “Sno, Harka. How have you been keeping?”

Sno ran a hand through her black hair, all three inches of it. She must have just gotten out of recovery.

Sno smiled, “I just finished my stint and now I have been summoned to a party.”

Harka nodded. Her hair was a solid seven inches long, the brown strands flipping into her eyes. “Me too. Well, I finished nine months ago. I have returned to school.”

“Do you know what the party is about?”

The other two women shook their heads. They agreed to assist each other in shopping, and when they focused on one outfit at a time, they soon found gowns that suited them and their personalities.

Flush with triumph, they hugged and parted ways, promising to sit together at the ball if they could.

Ohra gathered cosmetics and a set of shoes that matched the gown. She didn’t have any jewelry, but she was going to look as good as she could.

The evening of the ball, she checked her appearance three times. Her hair was still shorter than she liked it, but it was as good as it was going to get.

The called car was waiting downstairs, and she quickly made her way down the steps of her six-story walk-up. Being a student was expensive and saving on her lodgings would allow for her degree to be as intensive as she could manage. She was already an accredited medic, and soon, she would be a specialist.

If she couldn’t get back into the Edinar project as a monitor, she would do it as a medic.

The car took her to the observatory and let her off just outside the clogged entryway filled with dignitaries and celebrities.

Ohra was thankful that her home had prepared her for the upward hike through the immobile crowds. When she walked up, security tried to stop her.

She sighed. “I have an invitation.” She brought out the tiny projector and displayed it.

“Apologies, Monitor Ianic. We thought you would be arriving by car.”

She jerked her thumb down the hill. “I did. It couldn’t get through.”

One of the guards came with her and pushed through the throng. Vid cameras flashed, and she was blinded. If it hadn’t been for the guard and his grip on her arm, she would not have made it through.

The moment they were inside, he steadied her and let her go so he could return to his post.

She inhaled sharply, her breasts pushing against the inside of her tight bodice. The huge interior of the observatory was bustling with people from the upper crust of government and society. Ohra knew that she didn’t belong, but she was going to get her money’s worth out of the gown.

Ohra crossed through the checkpoint, and when her identity was confirmed, she joined the throng.

The Edinar were all in state-formal uniforms, milling with their admirers. A few of them had mates of either gender next to them, and they were very attentive to their non-Edinar spouses. It was sweet.

Smiling, Ohra shifted along with the crowd, taking a glass of wine and looking like she belonged. Tables had been set out and each had name cards on them, proclaiming the premium seating for those who had been chosen. Half the tables were full already.

When Ohra drifted close, the woman with the clipboard smiled and asked, “Name?”

“Ohra Ianic. Monitor.”

The woman ran her stylus down the list and smiled. “This way, please.”

Ohra nodded and followed, shocked that she was one of the elite that was being allowed to get off their feet. The woman found her place card and helped her get her gown out of the way as Ohra took her seat.

From her new vantage point, Ohra could see Sno and Harka. They were seated as well, and they waved at her from their distant tables. It seemed sitting together was not in the cards.

Sitting at the table had two effects. The first was that she was able to keep her back to the crowd; the second was that she was drawing a lot of attention.

Her table was slowly filled with government ministers, Edinar and their dates for the evening. A charming couple who held hands and kissed the back of their partner’s wrist every few minutes introduced themselves as Tanyos of Edinar and Ulroc of Horalthia.

Ulroc smiled at her. “You look lovely, Ohra.”

“Thank you. Finding a gown that fit on such short notice was a little nerve wracking.”

Ulroc had been one of the first monitors, but he had retired when Tanyos had swept him off his feet.

“Tanyos, do you remember your monitor?”

He smiled. “I do, and I found him, though it took some looking.”

She blinked. “Did the other Edinar marry their monitors?”

“Three of them. Others who have wed did it within the population.”

Ohra sighed in relief. “For a moment, I thought that this was just a huge setup.”

Tanyos laughed. “No, but many of us retain more memory of the link than you do. We are seeking the ones we spent months with to thank them for their service. That is why you are here tonight.”