Page 9 of Dreikx

“Hey, you.”

Her voice caresses my body. My chest contracts, and I suppress the urge to purr. Teleans do not purr. We are not beasts. It will never happen. “How is your span progressing?”

“Um, well, it’s only been one human hour since you left, so I’m still looking around.”

“I supplied you with items for precision drawing, namely a ruler. It’s in the workbench’s drawer.”

“Thank you but I don’t need a ruler.”

“I beg to differ.” We must draw with rulers! Precise straight lines connecting in precise points with precise angles. What is wrong with people?

Tamey giggles. “And how is your span?”

“Unproductive, unfortunately.”

“That’s too bad. My brother called.”

“Did he now?” I deadpan.

“Mm-hm. Said he’s coming to kill you.”

“Naturally.”

Tamey is quiet, then, “He means it.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Yes.”

She likes everyone.“Call me on the hour, every hour.”

“Why?”

“Because I like hearing your voice.”Click.I replay the conversation, examine it, and come to the conclusion that I do indeed enjoy her voice. I also enjoy knowing she’s safe. I trust no one with Tamey, not my males and certainly not the Regha Alphas, which is why I’ve designed a security system and have effectively ended the Silence in the perimeter and made the Regha Alphas believe it was their idea to end the Silence. Technological innovation is an asset and always will be.

Behind Mike’s desk, I lean back in his chair and pull up what’s left of his hologram unit. It flickers into a single sad screen before me when it should project several screens. My main ship intercepted the last known com transmission from Mike, the one where he made contact with the Swarm male Sotay killed when he rescued Leah.

At this time, I can’t catch Mike. He’s too smart to initiate communication this early on when he knows I’m after him. Whereas before, during Silence, tracking via com lines was nearly impossible, now it is much easier. What to do? Ideas swim in my head for the next hour, and I use my brain’s filtering system to find the best one. I need to give Mike a strong reason to break his own com silence.

I tap my com unit. “Seer, I have something for you to do.”

“I found things to do.”

Disaster. “What are you doing?”

“Hunting for more Swarm idiots on the boats. There’s gotta be more out there.”

“It is likely a yacht and not a boat. My scouts in the air are searching.”

“Hook me up with them.”

A sliver of hope rises in my chest, then drowns again as I question his methods. “How are you searching for the Swarm?”

“The traditional way. By swimming and feeling for the fish.”

I pace the room. “Feeling for the fish?” I can’t even. “If you’re spotted, which is likely because you wouldn’t know subtle if it hit you on the head, the Swarm will engage with you and die.”

“You have not been helpful, so I’m moving on with what I do.”

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