Page 33 of Zahhn's Mate
ZAHHN
I fearI’m going mad. I stare at the screen displaying all inter-ship activity within the fleet during the last two days. No ships departed theRorrsafor theJansonnaat any time. Furthermore, no vessels left theRorrsafor theHaxxalor any other ships in the Darrvason fleet.
If Chief Kameer is curious about my reasons for wanting to see the departure logs, he doesn’t reveal it. His face remains impassive as he leans against a desk in his private office.
“Are you certain no shuttles were stolen?” I turn to face him. “I have reason to believe someone from theRorrsavisited theJansonnalast night but then returned to theRorrsaundetected.”
The chief engineer finally reveals a hint of surprise. His eyebrows lift slightly, and he glances at the screen with a mild semblance of curiosity. He clears his throat. “The logs are strictly maintained, and all shuttles not in use are kept secure. No unauthorized personnel can visit the docking bay, and the vessels are protected by a combination of secret passcodes thatare constantly changed as well as a bio-identity check on any male attempting to pilot one.”
I resist the urge to run my hand through my hair. I don’t want the chief to know how frustrated I’m becoming, nor how desperate I am to find the answers I’m seeking. How in thefluxxdid I visit theRorrsaundetected? It doesn’t make sense, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe it never happened. Perhaps I had a very vivid dream about Leona and then imagined her scent covered me after I awoke. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. Ever since the medical exam, she’s occupied my thoughts so much that I’ve had trouble concentrating on my work. It’s just as I feared—taking a mate would indeed distract me from my important research.
My responsibilities to the Darrvason Empire suddenly feel like a crushing weight on my shoulders. For the first time in my life, I find myself conflicted about what my true purpose is.
But I must continue my research, and I must proceed with the trials on theRorrsa. I’m on the cusp of curingforlonggsaand I cannot abandon my work now.
A thought occurs to me, and I step closer to Chief Kameer. Though we’re alone, I keep my voice low. “What about beaming technology? Has anyone on theRorrsabeen testing it?” Though we’re aware of several alien races who use beaming technology, our people have avoided the glitchy technology that has been known to take lives. But perhaps a rogue scientist is testing it. Maybe that’s how I reached theRorrsa, though if I did, wouldn’t I have a memory of using it?Fluxx. I am grasping at flimsy conclusions in a futile effort to explain what happened to me last night.
Chief Kameer frowns. “I am aware of all scientific endeavors on this ship, and I can assure you that no unsanctioned research is taking place. If someone were testing beaming technology, I would know about it. Beaming signatures are difficult to miss,and part of the security protocols on every ship in our fleet include routine scans for use of the banned technology.”
It's as though the floor has disappeared beneath my feet. I experience the sensation of falling fast, and I’m forced to place a hand on the desk to steady myself. What happened last night—traveling to theJansonnaand mating with Leona—defies explanation.
The most logical conclusion is that my memories are false. That I simply awoke after a vivid dream and imagined the state of my undress as well as the intimate bodily fluids covering me. If I hadn’t already analyzed my DNA for a predisposition forforlonggsa, I would worry I was starting to show signs of the disease. But my DNA carries no marker for the great madness.
“If you would like me to track a specific individual’s biosignature,” Chief Kameer says in an overly casual tone, “I could do that for you.”
“That’s possible?”
He nods. “One of my colleagues recently developed the technology.” A knowing gleam enters his eyes. “Would you like me to track the location ofyourbiosignature during the last two days, Doctor Zahhn? I’ll be discreet. If we learn something interesting, I saw nothing, I know nothing. We never had this conversation.”
“Do it.” I draw in a deep breath. “Please.”
Chief Kameer turns to a console and his hands fly over several screens so rapidly, I’m unable to see what he’s doing. “One would think all Darrvasons would have the same, if not incredibly similar biosignatures. However, my colleague discovered how to track Darrvason males by searching for elements that are unique to each male’s ancestral markings, almost like a tiny, incredibly faint transmitter embedded within our flesh that’s so complicated to explain, I doubt even you would understand it. If you had any living relatives, however, wemight run into some difficulties.” He glances over his shoulder and his hands pause above the screens. “Do you have any living relatives?”
“No. All dead.”
His fingers resume flying from screen to screen at the console. Then he retrieves a device from a drawer that’s similar in appearance to a medical scanner. “I need to see your ancestral markings.” He turns to me and holds up the scanner. “I promise this won’t hurt.”
I quickly tug the neckline of my shirt down, revealing my glowing blue ancestral markings. Chief Kameer scans the markings and turns back to his console. I watch as he uploads data to the screens, and my eyes widen when two schematics appear side by side—one of theRorrsaand one of theJansonna.
A flashing red dot shows my movements on theRorrsa, and at first nothing is unusual. The dot moves from my quarters, down various corridors, remains in my temporary laboratory for a while, and also travels to various patients’ rooms in the medical wing. Perfectly normal, however I take note of the time of day displayed next to the schematic. It’s not showing my location last night and early this morning yet, and I hold my breath as I watch the time speeding up.
Then the dot disappears entirely. I step closer and glance at Chief Kameer. His brow is creased with confusion, and he reaches out to the screen, only for the dot to suddenly appear on theJansonna.
Disbelief seizes me, and yet I cannot deny the truth that’s staring me in the face. Somehow, by means I do not yet understand, I traveled to theJansonnalast night. My heart races faster, and I’m not certain whether I should be relieved by these findings or terrified.
I mated with a human female.Leona.
“What thefluxx?” The chief turns to me with questions brimming in his eyes. He looks partly horrified, but also curious. Then he snorts and says, “Of course, of course, of course. It makes sense, knowing what your father was.”
“My father?” I take a menacing step toward him. “What does my father have to do with this?”
“He was a skilled assassin who took out many of our enemies during the great war. His body count is among the highest out of any Darrvason warrior who fought and died for the glory of the empire.”
“I’m aware of my father’s deeds. But I still don’t comprehend why his status as an assassin bears any importance on the fact that I suddenly appeared on theJansonnalast night.” I gesture at the schematic of the human worldship. The red dot remains blinking over the area I assume is Leona’s quarters. I make a mental note of the exact location on the ship.
“Ever hear about Project Xeera?”
“No. Explain.”
