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Cinq
The view from my perch is far quieter now the Kostans are gone. I check the datapad for word from S’Tou, but nothing. He’s fine. I know he is. There’s been nothing about him on the information channels, so nothing dire has happened.
Still. He’s been one of my best friends, if not the best, since Raylin died. I won’t be able to relax until I know he’s back in civilization.
Hilarious, because where has he been until now? Here, which is nowhere.
I lean back, staring out, not thinking about Jessica, much. Nor am I thinking about how much we argue, yet make up so well. My body still thrums with endorphins from our mating. She’s so strong willed. Not a bad thing at all and one of her more endearing qualities. Yet, I’d like her to accept my protection and love. She doesn’t need to fight everything I try to do for her. We’ve found each other against huge odds. I want her to realize how lucky we are.
Yes, there might be only replicator foods. And certainly, life on X-113 can be monotonous. The benefit of having no rules other than the ones we want make our isolation worth it to me. I enjoy living here, or did until Noni stopped my bionans. I have to admit since then, life hasn’t seemed as interesting. I might have the datapad, but it’s not a part of me like my internal tech has been for most of my life.
“Hello?”
I turn to where Jessica is climbing up the rocky trail to me. “Hello. I see you’ve found my favorite place to be alone.” I wince because that came out sharper than I’d intended. “Sorry. Please join me and we can be alone together.”
Jessica laughs and sits near me but not close. “Thank you. I’d like that.” Shielding her eyes from the sun as a cloud moves aside, she says, “Excellent view of the crash. It’d be great to go down and see what else we could get, Kostans permitting.”
“Choose a time and we’re there.”
Jessica nods and we look in the same direction for a while. There’s so much to talk about, yet, the quiet is soothing, too. Mainly because she’s here and distracting me from the lack of information pouring into my mind from the empire.
She breaks the silence with, “How do you calm things down in my—oh wait. Never mind. The nanos answered my question. I’m not sure if I enjoy the instant information or find it creepy.”
We’re close enough, so I nudge her shoulder with a smile. “If I remember right, it did seem invasive when I was a child. Like an imaginary friend come to life in my ear.”
“That’s exactly it. A voice in my ear and sometimes images in my vision only I can see,” Jessica says as she leans against me, taking my arm.
The rock beneath us is cold, making me wish I’d brought a blanket for her. “You’ll get used to it and if it ever goes away? You’ll feel empty, like a limb is missing.”
“I’m sorry. I know you’re unhappy about your loss.” She faces me, her lips close to mine. “Can I try to transfer some to you again? Do you think it’d work?”
“I’d never refuse a kiss but no, it won’t help at all. The empire would continue to deactivate any nanos you send to me.”
“Mine are all right, clearly, and working. Another kiss couldn’t hurt, could it?”
She’s sweet and her expression is so hopeful, I give in. “All right. Remember, you only have to think about a small portion of nanos being on your tongue. It won’t take many. Imagine them there and kiss me.”
Jessica grins and presses her lips against mine, swiping her tongue across my teeth. Hunger for her spread through me, hardening my cock. If the ground wasn’t so cold, I’d take her here. She moans and I agree. The tech crosses over, blinks on and winks out.
She pulls away, searching my face. “Anything?”
I shrug. “They tried, but the empire shut them down.”
“Well, shit.” She goes back to leaning against me. “I’d hoped you could help me contact Earth and my mom’s nursing home as well as being able to communicate.”
“My reactivation can’t happen but walking you through contacting Earther communications is possible.” I turn us both to where we’re facing each other. “Relax, and search for the Gharian-Earther link. Tell me when you find it.”
“I have it.” She blinks a couple of times, her eyes cloudy. “I’m being prompted for a name or number. Let me try the nursing home’s, and there it is. Calling…”
Her eyes grow even hazier. My mate’s expressions change as she continues with her link. She reaches for my hand and I hold hers. I know the instant she’s reached her mother because she smiles and tears fill her eyes. I’m a bikking fleegan for not making this happen sooner. She’d spent several days afraid of never contacting her mother again, yet what have I done? Dragged her off to my bed and insisting we were mates, destined to live here forever.
I’m full of self-loathing for not wanting to let her go. She leans toward me and I take her in my arms. She nods against my shoulder before sobbing and crawling into my lap. I smooth back her hair. “Is everything all right?”
“Uh-huh,” she says against my chest. “I just miss her so. I miss her being well.”
“She isn’t going to get better?” I ask, afraid of the answer.
“No. We didn’t have a lot of time left before my abduction, but I’d hoped for a few more weeks.”
