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Chapter One
The line moved forward, and the woman, who had been Cassandra but was now recorded as Nova, moved with her attendants helping her limp to the shuttle. Other humans watched her as the alien caretakers settled her in a gel-lined bed for the shuttle ride to the station that was visible in the night sky.
She didn’t speak when they chattered at her. Talking to humans hurt her soul. Every face she saw reminded her of the dead. Her dead. She could see them all in the faces around her, and to speak to them would make them real. She didn’t want them to be real.
She heard the wordbitcha lot from the other humans, but she had just missed the previous shuttle and had to wait at the pickup point for ten days while enough humans would complete the next load. The shuttles at this site could take thirty humans and the crew. Nova had started some of the more in-depth scans, and her education was already moving rapidly. Theedo, one of the empath medics, had been very interested in her. They didn’t have the equipment to straighten her leg, but they could stop the pain. She had learned about most of the species, but Theedo urged her to focus on the Hmrain. He kept saying she would need to know all she could.
Nova understood a bit of it when she understood that Theedo could test for a few things. One of those things was a sensuality inclination, and another was a psychic frequency that the Hmrain could consume. If the candidates had both, it was a fairly straight trajectory to the bond auction.
She didn’t know if the other humans knew they were heading for a refit station to get their body and muscle condition back, and then they would be sold to worlds that needed warm bodies with certain skills.
Nova was fine with it. She had speed and accuracy. One of the attendants had recommended her for pilot training. Once she was whole with her breaks broken and healed in their proper places, she would be able to request time in a training pod. She was looking forward to it.
The acceleration of the shuttle pushed her into the gel, and she felt the ache in her bones, especially the breaks in her leg and foot. The pain was a very real companion since her world had broken and everyone she knew had died.
Watching the docking through the screen next to her was amazing. She had made it. She was off her dying and broken world. She had a chance to keep living and would hang on with both hands.
Four weeks after being brought on board the station, she was allowed to try the pilot training pod. It wasn’t normally offered to females of breeding age, but Theedo’s recommendation had carried pretty far.
Nova settled into the tutorial unit, bands held her torso in place, and she was given a digital display to show her how to use the controls. When the machine was satisfied that she could manage the controls, a simulation began, and she steered left and right, slowed and accelerated, and learned that it took a lot of effort to do either at any kind of speed.
Once she had control of her vessel, an alert started up, and something was coming at her from below her body. Out of instinct, she accelerated while rolling the ship. There was a thud and a shudder, but the damaged areas of the ship were not essential, so she was able to continue.
She flew the simulator until it announced that she had passed with herPilot 2classification.
When she exited, her attendants looked at her in surprise, and one said, “You want to come back tomorrow?”
“Yes, please. How many pilot rankings are there?”
“What?”
“It said I am pilot two, so I wondered how many more classes there were for this type of vessel?”
Her attendant blinked slowly with all four eyes. “Four classes of shuttle pilot.”
“Good. When can I come back to try and get more training?”
“The schedule will have to be checked. The staff here are trying to gain the credentials as well.”
She nodded, and her two escorts walked her back to the learning area where etiquette, dance, and deportment were taught. Nova silently groaned as she was handed over to the dance instructor while other humans giggled nearby. Their instructor had them doing formal dances while Nova’s instructor smiled.
“Are you ready for this? You are hours late.”
Nova grumbled, “It’s fine. I was doing something fun.” She tied the sash around her hips, and when the instructor started the music, she danced and responded to the light touches that corrected her posture and gestures. Even her ankles and feet weren’t spared until she was able to dance to a specification that Nova wasn’t aware of, but her instructor was finally pleased.
“Excellent, Nova. Your leg is completely healed. You have also gained some grace, so that is wonderful. Do you know when your parcel is being sent to the auction?” The teacher helped remove the sash.
“No. They are getting separate education. I don’t think that I am remaining with them.” Nova got a cup of water from the dispenser. “I have asked before, but is there a reason escorts are leading me around?”
The dance instructor shrugged. “I am guessing your weak condition on arrival was one of the factors.”
There was more. Her body language was screaming that there was more.
Nova sighed and nodded. “So, not telling me. Right. Well, back to the study hall.”
The instructor smiled and made a few sharp inhalations.
Nova looked at her. “Are you sniffing me?”
