Adia, Scientist

Rare Mineral, Foraquine

I startled. My set finished, and the results were dismal.

Citsa laughed. "I wonder what happened over there while you were daydreaming."

I stood up, shaking.

She drummed her fingers on my counter. "I reported you to Otherworlder Authorities. Mr. Koch is investigating you two."

Ryee stood by me but did not touch me. "We did nothing improper—"

"See my evidence." She thought of me giving Ryee a kiss on the lips, and he staggered! "Your father will have a stroke when he sees this!" Ryee paled.

I walked to her and she backed. I kept moving closer until her legs struck her hard seat. "I tire of your incessant criticisms of my every move, my every gesture, even my appearance and my work offends you!

"I know about your plans to steal all my work and take credit for it. And Derees' work. How much did you steal of Vonn's and Tanda's as well? Using Kajarian progs to break into the D'gharr Hub and the Yeff Hub?"

My mind opened and we all saw them. Ryee gasped and opened a prog screen. Be~saech and his father, Ge~saech frantically worked to close security gaps in progs written by the S'ai.

I showed them where each was, and no information passed to Eriganh.

His midnight blue eyes found me, and I shuddered. Kajarians have very small eyes, but telepathy stronger than a Zbbat.

My sweat hitting the floor sounded like heavy rain.

Citsa laughed. "Look at you! Your slopmach is getting the floor dirty. Did you wet yourself?"

"What makes you so filled with hate? Do you not care about saving our world? The 517 worlds of our Region?

"Oh, I'm just a reflection of you, Cis-adia. We are part of one another. I'm older and wiser, and it's my duty to teach you—"

I shoved her into her chair. "You have nothing to teach me! Two long years you said, I am two years older than you. I know more than you. My work is more important than yours. You and Ossy said, I do more research than anyone in this complex. Once, I believed your lies. How many Zheien and Elshars did you hurt with your deceptions? Now, see the truth!"

Tanda pointed to a result on her final report. "Now we shall never use a breather again! All the nitrogen we need is in the Barrens! Every world can use this conversion prog!" Her happy face brought smiles all around. Except, Citsa.

Derees beamed as Pragate looked over his report. "Oh, wunderbar! We can use your chemical array mods so all our ships can use Adia's new fuel! And Vonn's new method will multiply uses so, it is like fueling once and refueling as ships travel, from dust!"

I trembled as I saw myself floating in air!

"Oh, Ay, this new fuel will need but a containment to release energy!" He caught me as I slipped my wrists out of the containment and brought the floating purple down. That moment, the warmth of his arms, the feel of his strong heartbeat as he caught me, I wanted it to last forever!

"Oh, you are in love with him, aren't you?"

And, Citsa. With no discovery, sitting in the Council Chambers of Kleideu in Stuttgart. Leader Sau's eyes turned black.

They brought her to stand beside him. And, Ossy. "He trained me! It was his idea to attack people—"

Leader Sau glared at her. "You were not trained by anyone. I have the signed statements of three different healers who said you tried to bribe them to say you were. They found no evidence of any slaver herb damage in your brain. No patterns to suggest training. Your penalty is death. Administer the herb."