Shackleton's Folly (The Lost Wonder Book 1) (9 page)

*

Electra remained four paces behind Alec and Dancer as they walked. Alec came to a standstill. He motioned to Electra to come forward, and she complied. Alec spoke to her in French and then German, Spanish, English; he then tried some of the Eastern European languages. She gave him no response. “She’s human, but she isn’t anyone I know. Doesn’t seem to understand any of the languages I know.” He tried some alien languages, but Electra followed them in continued silence. “Nothing. Scan her DNA and match it to the Registry.”

Dancer started to adjust his equipment belt and caused Electra to shrink back. Alec stepped forward to her and firmly took her hand in his for the first time. She turned quickly to him. He smiled and said softly, “Shush, it’s alright. He is just going to scan you. You won’t feel a thing. I promise.” Her touch was familiar, but, then again, not. Alec’s hand loosened slowly and gave Electra the opportunity to remove her hand if she chose to do so. She relaxed and held his hand firmly. The warmth of her soft skin, delicate to his touch, aroused all of his senses. Alec squeezed her hand tenderly. “I don’t need a sensor to do what this touch tells me. She is a woman.”

Dancer scanned Electra with the datapad from his belt. “Nice of you to determine this without a scan, but I am old fashioned and would like to see the readings first.” He correlated the findings with the Registry of all the humans to survive the destruction of Earth. The Registry would not only store the DNA records of humanity, it would store the precious components of both woman and man in case the DNA records themselves were lost. Their genetic contributions to the Registry would be used to give humanity a chance to rebuild itself with the biodiversity needed to escape extinction. Alec had made his donation before leaving on this task given him by his father.

“Interesting. She is truly human. Her family DNA line isn’t in any of the historical databases. I’ve got some strange readings from the mitochondrial DNA.” Dancer looked at Alec strangely. “I want to re-check the Mito DNA when we get back.”

“You do that. How about security for the inscription pieces? You still have one on you, right?”

“Yes.”

“I want them kept separate. One with us, and one we’ll keep locked up on the
Quest
,” Alec said, turning a bit as something behind them by the coffee shop caught his eye. It could’ve been nothing, but it made Alec uneasy.

“We need to get along now, Electra.” He held out his arm. She did not understand, so Alec reached for her hand and placed it for her, bringing her close. “We have places to go.” He smiled as they crossed the street.

*

Alec reveled in the deal’s closure. “I can’t believe we got the star chart so cheap. Dolk must be really hard up for credits.”

“You are good, and luck favors you.”

Quest
’s galley had a pair of sculling oars with large bowls mounted on a wall. The alcove in the middle of the far wall contained Dancer, who was fully connected to
Quest
’s internal systems. The table was centrally located to allow for access from any direction. Photos of dance inspirations were mounted beside his alcove.

Alec, seated at the table, studied the inscription. “We have two pieces that don’t fit together. We need a piece that connects them.” The piece Alec held flashed a bluish hue as he held it in Dancer’s direction.

“What about her?”

The blue faded away as Alec moved the inscription piece away from Dancer and put it on the table. Electra sat on the floor across from the table.

“You said her DNA wasn’t registered, right?” Alec walked to the wall food dispenser and removed two food trays. Alec sat at the table, placing one of the plates opposite him. Electra watched Alec and Dancer intently, with confusion and a hint of fear in her eyes.

*

Electra sat on the floor contemplating her next move. This man did not seem to understand where she was from. The people, or “Rovers,” as they called themselves, left from her world would have understood who she was and why she was there. Why would they have forgotten their own history? It made no sense.

“Surprise” was not the word for what she felt — it was a shock. Electra thought it could be all an act for her — but why? They kept talking about the registry, a DNA registry — whatever that was. How could this man not know or suspect who she was? The Rovers had promised to kill anyone who followed them, anyone who would try to bring them back home. If he was a Rover, then why not just space her or blast her?

Was this the man? The story every child hears as they got put to bed at night? The prophecy? Was he the seeker? It was just too incredible. She would not believe an 11,000-year-old fairy tale.

*

“She doesn’t understand,” Dancer observed.

Alec crossed the room and put his hand out to her. She hesitantly took it as he pulled her gently from the floor and seated her at the table. She didn’t move.

Dancer thought a moment. “It may be her conditioning. She may think this is a test.”

Alec nodded and pointed. “Go ahead. Eat.”

She eyed the silverware. Alec took her left hand and placed a fork in it. “Are you hungry?”

Electra put down the fork and took a napkin, laid it across her lap, and removed her face veil. She took the fork with her right hand and, with reservation, began to eat. Electra wiped her mouth with care every two or three bites. She finally consumed the last of the food on her plate. She used the napkin one last time, folded it neatly by the plate, and returned to her place on the floor.

“Interesting. You think she is still hungry?” Dancer asked.

“No way of knowing. I’ll show her how to use the dispenser.”

Alec got up again and led Electra to the food dispenser. After he had shown her how to order food, she tried to take it back to her place on the floor, but Alec stopped her and pointed to the table.

Dancer looked concerned. “I wonder how long she has been a slave?”

The girl repeated the procedure, consuming this plateful as quickly as she had the first.

“Lock down the ship, and work the star chart. It’s most likely worthless, but you never know for sure. I’m going to bed.” He motioned for Electra to follow him.

Alec walked down the corridor to the ship’s cabins, indicating a door as he said, “Here.” He waved his hand in front of the panel to the right of the door. The compartment opened, and he entered, Electra followed. The door closed behind them. Alec looked around at the comfortable guest furnishings. “This is your compartment. There are some clothes that should fit you in here.” Alec put down his datapad and opened a closet with an assortment of women’s clothes and shoes in a variety of smart styles and colors. He had set aside the clothing, taking a piece here and a piece there during his deal-making for his business.

He went to a panel next to the closet and touched it. The panel opened and revealed a small shower. It could be accessed by the compartment next door. “Here is the community shower. When you want your privacy, just be sure to lock the other door so I don’t accidently walk in on you.” He reached in and showed her the lock and the valves for hot and cold water.

Electra dropped her dance costume to the floor without hesitation. Alec froze, taking in her naked, well-formed body. He felt flushed as his heart jumped and beat in his chest. She made her way past him and brushed herself against him as she entered the shower.

Alec chided himself for not leaving the room immediately. It had been so very long since he had seen a woman. He knew in his heart that she was a reminder of the life he dreamt of — a woman, a family, and a future that could not be without a home for humanity. She was what he was laying his life on the line for. Who was she? “Truly human,” Dancer had said, but not in the Registry. The hundreds of generations of DNA were all there. How was that even possible? And how did she get way out here?

Electra adjusted the water temperature and let the droplets rain down on her. She let the water envelop her, rinsing away the dirt and grime. Alec noticed her back showed signs of a slaver’s pain staff. Only very faintly did the scars show; they must have been attended to afterward. The slavers wanted the “goods” to look her best. She turned to let the water beat against her face and then spun to wet her hair. It was so luxurious. Electra spotted a bottle of body wash in a small bag hanging from a hook. She took it and smelled it.

Alex focused on her. “That one is mine — for a guy.” He opened a drawer built into the wall and took out another, larger bottle. “I think you’ll like this one better. A scent for a woman.”

She exchanged what she had for the larger bottle. She smelt it and nodded gleefully.

She liberally squirted some into her hands and starting with her hair, worked it into lather. The suds slowly ran down the curves of her female form to the tile and down the drain. Electra scrubbed away more than the sweat of the day’s performance. She worked to remove the stench of her most recent captivity.

Alec was fully aroused; heat coursed through him. Electra rinsed the last of the bubbles from her freshly cleansed body. She turned off the water. Alec took a large white towel from the closet and handed it to Electra as she stepped from the shower.

Her hair framed her face just so, and the perfume of her body enveloped him. Her well-toned arms used the towel to ensnare his neck, drawing him down to her. She pressed her hips into him and kissed him deeply. He responded at first greedily, his hands exploring her. She pulled at his shirt, popping a button. Alec grabbed her hands firmly; his body pounded with anticipation. He drew in a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled and stepped back. She looked deeply into his eyes. “It’s not like that on my ship — you have no obligation to me,” he said softly and brushed her bangs back from her face. “You are so… much more.”

Electra sat on the bed, droplets of water beading on her skin where they had not been disturbed by their embrace, and motioned for him to join her.

“I am not your master.”

Alec grabbed the datapad from where he’d left it and keyed in a code. He knelt before her and reached out for her left ankle. He lifted her leg just enough to get at the control unit and touched the datapad to the slave anklet; it sprung open, falling to the floor. Alec gently rubbed the area hidden by the band. The skin’s discoloration would lessen over time. He put her foot down and repeated the process on the other anklet.

“You are a very beautiful woman…” Alec gestured to himself. “My name is Alec.” He pointed at her. “What is your name?” He looked into her eye to discern any signs of comprehension. “Your name?” he repeated, pointing to her.

She didn’t respond. Alec etched her face in his memory. He closed his eyes to see her again in his mind’s eye. It would have to do. She had to be delivered somewhere safe when the opportunity came. She would not be safe going with him. He had bested one human-hunter group; it had given him a reputation as a hard kill. The count was up to eight hunting parties who had tried — if you counted the gunfight planet-side. He considered it and then intentionally made himself a human target. The mythical creature to those who hunted humans. The top trophy on the wall to the hunters. The human authorities had told him he was a lunatic for this, but it was his choice. It was what he needed to do for the community — buy the time to find a real home. No, he would find her a place within the community if he could not find her home.

Alec forced himself up from the floor, taking the slave anklets with him. Alec crossed the compartment in no more than a step or two. He looked back to her as the compartment door opened. “You will have some duties on this ship to cover your passage. I will get you somewhere safe, either your home world or to our people — whichever comes first. Get some rest, and sleep in if you like.” As the door closed behind Alec, she stood, eyes fixed on the door. She said quietly, “My name is Electra.”

*

Alec stared out into the starry night of the spaceport from the pilot’s seat. He had come here in the quiet to think. He reached out to the bulkhead and touched it gently. His father had drilled into him that it wasn’t what happened to you that counted — it was how you reacted that was your true character. Life was not fair. He had better get over it — and soon. She had offered him herself, but it was from a slave to a master. No matter what he desired, he would not indulge his needs on those terms. If they had met differently, another place or time…

He looked out at the night. Alec would get her to safety on one of the large transports. They would be able to take care of her and possibly find out where she was from while he continued to search for the tribe. He hesitated. Could she be a descendant of the lost tribe? Possibly, but she seemed too primitive. The lost tribe had interstellar travel thousands of years ago. It was possible, but, until they could communicate with her, he would have to assume she was a refugee. It was time to hit the sack. He stood and touched the bulkhead again. He said, “Night” and left the command deck.

*

Alec, Dancer, and Electra exited the spaceport through the main gate. The local businesses catering to the space traveler were concentrated near the spaceport’s gates. They crossed the street and made their way toward the city center. Worrell and Gino were waiting for them across the street from the main gate. They spotted Alec and followed them.

“This is going to be good. We’ll sell what cargo we can and head out to the frontier to find her people.” Alec clearly relished the idea.

Dancer dodged an oblivious passerby. “How about getting the money in the bank before spending it — okay?”

“No worries — the gods favor fools.”

Worrell and Gino caught up quickly and grabbed Alec’s arm to stop them. Electra moved closer to him as Alec freed himself and inconspicuously looked for anyone else ready to confront them.

Alec demanded, “What are you doing?”

Worrell grinned. “You owe money to Kasdan.”

Alec visibly relaxed. “Yes, I will be paying you in full after I sell my cargo today. Okay?”

“Today, okay. We go with you.”

Alec held back the two with his hands stretched toward them. “No, you won’t.” The two lumbering thugs stood half a meter over him and weighed almost 100 kilos more than him. Alec could see that, in actuality, each of the thugs was made up of four creatures, two above and two below. If he split the creature down the middle vertically and horizontally, he would have one of the smaller creatures in each quadrant.