Jaci's Experiment (8 page)

They spent the rest of the hour talking over various possibilities, formulating a plan. It was still very tentative and depended on a lot of variables, but at least there was a chance. Sure, it was a slim chance, but they needed something to give them hope right now. Even a slim chance at a modicum of freedom to claim and take their mate was better than nothing at all.

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Just before the dinner hour Harry tracked down Jaci 192. As he’d told her he would, he made a show of thanking her for her gentle and expert treatment of his sister and her unborn child. They talked a bit and Harry pretended their small talk about his sister’s pregnancy was so fascinating, he wanted to continue it over dinner. Just that simply he’d arranged for her to have dinner with his uncle. He explained his prior commitment to his uncle took precedence but he was certain the other man wouldn’t mind her lovely company.

Jaci found herself ensconced in Caleb’s private apartment, which was much more luxurious than her own small quarters. Harry and his Breed uncle, Caleb O’Hara, whom she had met once before, made her feel comfortable. Not only was the apartment upper level, but the food he was served was of gourmet quality. Caleb O’Hara also had the unheard of ability to shut down all monitoring while he visited with his nephew and had already done so before they arrived on his doorstep.

Caleb was a big man who exuded confidence, quiet strength and a deep knowledge that was just a bit unnerving. His eyes were pale green and had a piercing quality. She felt pinned by his gaze and it made her feel just slightly uncomfortable. It was clear from his expression that he already knew about her accident and her problems. He welcomed her to his ‘apartment’ that was as much of a cell as the ones beneath the city, even if it had windows and a view of the forest beyond the city’s shield.

“Even I didn’t foresee your little mishap, Jaci, but what I’ve seen since it happened bodes well for both our races. Before you got that drug into your system, I couldn’t tell if the experiment was going to work or not. I’m happy to report yours is just the first of many changes coming to your race, and these changes will ultimately prove to be your people’s salvation.”

“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?” She found she was at ease enough with these two men to speak her mind.

Both men laughed as they ate their dinner. She dug in to the gourmet food and enjoyed the various flavors as well. The company was good too, if quite different than any company she’d ever thought of herself keeping before she’d had her accident.

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“No, honey. I only speak truth about my visions. They’re hard enough to interpret without adding lies into the mix. I’m not a complicated man.”

Harry chuckled. “I think Mama Jane would differ with you on that.”

Caleb sat back and seemed to reflect. “Damn, I miss her.”

“She’s your resonance mate, right?” Jaci asked softly.

Caleb nodded. “She was my wife back in the old world. I married her right after her daddy died and took her into my heart and my home. I’ve loved her since she was just a child and the day she married me was the happiest day of my life.” His gaze turned inward for a moment before it cleared. “We learned about your people’s resonance mate business only recently, since Davin made off with our little girl.”

Jaci thought about her own resonance mates, sitting in a cell below the city and she wondered if they’d ever have a chance to be as happy. The love shining in this man’s eyes was a sight to behold and she wished she had the freedom to share her own love with her men.

“I’ve met Callie. She seems very happy,” she said softly.

“And you’re wondering if you’ll ever be happy with your fellas, aren’t you?” Caleb’s voice was kind, almost fatherly as he watched her with those haunting green eyes.

“It just seems so impossible. So unfair. Why would I find them and resonate with them if we can’t be together?”

“There are ancient Alvian laws about resonance mates, you know. Davin resorted to them when the High Council wanted to break up his relationship with Callie because she was human. Apparently, once proven, no one can come between true mates for any reason. Resonance mating is the strongest bond in Alvian law or society, but it’s so rare these days, few remember the ancient laws.” Harry’s voice was strong, giving her hope. “Still, the law
is
on your side, should you ever be in a position to reveal the nature of your relationship with Dave and Mike.”

“I didn’t realize that. I’ve never paid much attention to the laws of mating. I never had much interest in the idea before now.”

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“Emotions will do that to you every time.” Caleb winked and smiled, putting her at ease.

Harry smiled too. “You and your mates had the crystals humming this afternoon. I called my sister and had her prepared to take the blame, but you’ll need to be more careful until we come up with a solution for you three. I talked for a bit with Mike and Dave before I went to meet you and we came up with a plan. With Davin’s help, we might be able to get you all tested and reassigned to his staff in the southern engineering facility.”

“But I have no crystal gift.”

Harry corrected her. “You
had
no crystal gift. I’d be willing to lay odds that now your emotions have been awakened, you’ll discover all kinds of changes. Davin and I have been theorizing that emotion is an essential part of crystal ability and as the emotion was bred out of the Alvian race, so was the ability to manipulate crystal. The trait has been growing rarer with each generation when descriptions of generations past say it was a common trait most people had.”

“What you say makes sense, but how would I explain a sudden appearance of crystal ability, if I do have it? I was tested at age thirteen, as we all are and it was not there. They would grow suspicious and want to know why it just suddenly appeared.”

“Good point.” Harry seemed to consider for a moment. “But they’ve never tested Mike or Dave. If we can get them transferred to Davin, we could probably come up with some other way to get you transferred there as well.”

“Maybe Callie could request her?” Caleb added helpfully.

“Good one, Dad. Callie could ask for her to help with the baby. She’s already established that she likes you, so it wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary.”

Jaci felt the rising, bubbling sensation in the pit of her stomach she knew now was hope. These men, these special men, would help her and her mates find a way to be together. She felt it in her bones and her heart was near to bursting with the wonder of such friendship, freely given. She didn’t deserve it, but her mates deserved a free life and she would do anything she had to do in order to help them achieve it.

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Suddenly it was all too much and she felt tears leaking from her eyes. She tried desperately to hide it, but both men saw her loss of control. A moment later she felt herself being lifted and turned, and then there was a solid male shoulder under her leaking eyes. Caleb had gathered her close and was rubbing her back as if she were a baby.

“You’ve had a lot happen to you in a very short time, honey. You’re entitled to cry, so go right ahead.”

His deep, rumbly voice above her head made her feel safe and secure. It was an amazing feeling that only added to the alien emotions overrunning her control.

“But I’m getting you all wet,” she protested, trying to draw away. Caleb shushed her softly and tucked her head under his chin.

“Think of me as a surrogate father. My Callie is about your age, I figure, and it’s too long since I’ve been able to hold my children close to me. I’m missing a lot of their growing up, stuck here in this city playing at being a lab rat.”

“I’m so sorry.” She hiccupped, trying desperately to stop the tears but it seemed beyond her at the moment.

“Shh, honey. It’s not your fault and it’s only temporary.” He rocked her slightly as she continued to cry, but eventually she calmed and he let her go gently, setting her back in her chair. He wasn’t through caring for her. He leaned forward and dabbed at her wet face with a clean napkin, drying her eyes and making her laugh at his antics. “That’s better. All cried out. Now, do you feel better?”

Oddly, she discovered she did.

“Yes. Now that you mention it. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve never cried like that before the accident.”

“But you’ve never had emotions before either, have you?” Harry’s quiet voice reminded her that he was still sitting at the table, slowly finishing his dinner.

“I guess not. It’s hard to get used to.” She sighed and reached for her glass, downing half the cool water in one long sip.

“You won’t be the last Alvian to have to deal with new emotions. You are but the first of many and the time may come when you can help your brethren learn to cope the 75

way you are learning to cope. Your mate David can be of help there too, I think, with his healing gifts and his background in psychiatry.” Caleb’s voice rang with authority.

“Is that something you’ve foreseen?” She was still in awe of the idea this man could actually see the future.

Caleb nodded calmly. “Like I said when we first met, you were a surprise, but now that events have begun to unfold, the future is starting to come clearer.” He settled back and took a sip of his wine. “I see possibilities, Jaci, and I don’t see every little thing that’s going to happen. Sometimes I get bombarded with a series of visions and they won’t let me rest until I’ve seen them through. Other times?most times?I don’t see anything in particular, only random events.”

“That is so fascinating. I bet you have people asking you all the time what’s in store for them.”

“No, actually, it has the opposite effect?at least on humans. They fear what I have to say more often than not. Back in the old world, I tried to warn some of my friends what was coming but they refused to listen.

I only managed to convince my immediate family, my wife and brothers, that we had to move up to the Rockies and set up our own little survivalist world up there. Thank God they believed me.”

“We’ve met once before you know. Back when you first came here, Mara 12 asked me to set you up with a recording device.”

Caleb leaned back and smiled. “I remember you now. Shy little thing who didn’t get my humor. You’ll be glad to know I’ve made good use of that device. I don’t think Mara and her group have a clue what my precognitive visions mean on the whole, but I bet they’re tracking my percentage of correct predictions.”

She nodded with a grin. “You’re running about ninety-five percent with a five percent margin of error.

The techs take turns checking your stats.”

“You hear that, Harry?” Caleb grinned at his step-son. “Five percent margin of error. Makes me damn near perfect, I’d say. And that’s just the visions I’ve given them to play with.”

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Jaci looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t mean to be rude, but there is some speculation that you don’t tell us everything.”

Caleb laughed outright at that. “Damn straight I don’t tell your scientists everything! What would be the use of that? Half my visions tell me the way of life they’ve dictated for ten generations of your kind is about to fall by the wayside and you, my friend, are just the beginning of the fall. I doubt Mara would welcome that news.”

Jaci gasped, thinking through the implications of his words. “She might very well change her plans for the experiment should she guess what upheaval will be wrought by her actions.”

Harry caught her attention. “I see you understand why it’s important not to say anything just yet.”

“Jaci, honey, I’m going to tell you straight out that things are changing for your people. It may seem difficult at first, but believe me, this change can only bring good for your kind as well as my own. Your people will die out in another few generations unless something radical happens.”

Her eyes widened. “Grafting human DNA with our own to return emotion is pretty radical.”

Caleb nodded solemnly. “You begin to understand.”

“I’ve done extensive research into the ancient texts of the Alvian race,” Harry told her quietly, “and I see the reason the scientists intervened in the first place. Your race was much more violent than humans ever were. I’m not saying humans didn’t have some bloody battles and absolutely heinous behavior in our distant past, but by the time of the cataclysm, most of my human ancestors had evolved into more peaceful beings who used diplomacy and negotiation first before force of arms were ever considered. I concluded that humans and human-Alvian Breeds have strong emotion, but much less aggression than pure Alvians had.”

“Mixing human and Alvian DNA also produced strong psychic abilities in subsequent generations,”

Caleb reminded them. “We don’t really know if pure humans had the psychic abilities and the mix with Alvian DNA brought it out or if it’s the other

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way around, but either way, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that together the DNA of our two races produces an emotional?but not overly violent?and gifted being. The next evolution for both our races.”

Harry sat forward. “Alvians stopped evolving about ten generations ago when the geneticists started tinkering with the genetic code. While their goal was admirable, the results got progressively more destructive as our ancestors became so apathetic, they couldn’t really comprehend the damage that had been done. Think about it, Jaci, few Alvians have children the old-fashioned way anymore. It’s considered eccentric to do so. Alvians allow geneticists to have sole control over the next generation when there is no need for it to be so any longer. Natural selection is gone. The next generation is exactly like the one before except they are even more disengaged from their fellow man. A few more generations like this and it will all be over for the Alvian race.”