Sang the Stray (Completed)

37. Secret Garden

Roses I was surrounded by pink and white and red roses. It was beautiful.

"You have these on Earth?" North asked. 

"Call the flower roses," I said, caressing the petals of a bloom that reminded me so much of my favorites.

"Well, this is Tsee Blackbourne's project space. He won't mind that we came here," Kota said. "Sometimes I come to help him with breeding new hybrid varieties."

We were on the Hydroponics Level in a remote garden section. The air was cleaner, the scents of growing things helping me to feel calmer almost immediately. 

"Are you ready to talk about what happened?" North asked. I sighed, but nodded my head. How did I explain myself?

Victor sensed my hesitation and asked, "Was it being around the others?" Kota had long since informed them of my aversion to crowds and they had been so careful to stand as buffers between me and strangers.

"I just...I am sorry," I said, not really knowing what to say. I couldn't possibly admit that I was wildly confused about what I was feeling for all of them. They were my friends or so I believed, but sometimes, okay a lot of times, it felt like more than friendship with more than one of them. I rubbed my face and focused on breathing deeply. "Thank you for bring me here."

"It's okay, Princess. I promise that the Seventh Squad members are all nice and would understand your discomfort with outsiders. In fact, as a late entry Kalrani, Lake didn't speak to anyone but our instructors for almost a year." I guess Victor thought my pseudo-answer confirmed his assumption. I was fine with that. It was so much better than what I was really thinking.

"They seem nice," I offered tentatively. Too bad I was having visions of Karen smiling at Nathan and me ripping her short hair out. Where was this coming from? I have never had thoughts of committing violence like that before. I shook it off.

Kota looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you should be introduced to the squads in informal situations prior to testing with them.  If you have this kind of reaction in a testing scenario, KOTIS may simply believe that you've just become too attached to our squad and reassign you."

My eyes widened and pulse beat harder at that possibility. "No, I will do best to act calm around others," I promised. "Early meetings good idea."

"Then I will talk to Tsee Blackbourne about pushing back your testing session with Second Squad. North said you met Ravenstahl and Corey Henshaw, but have not been introduced to the other members," Kota said.

"I've already told him to take the Asswipes off the schedule," North grunted. The others just nodded. They knew exactly who he was talking about.

An Interface message came in from Gabriel: "Oy, Luke and I have food ready. Get to our place."

"You put Luke in charge of making a high protein content meal?" North asked Kota in disbelief. 

"He's not that bad," Kota said.

"I know he can cook. He won't kill us like Green might, but still," North grumbled. Silas patted him on the back and we headed to the residential wing.

The door to Gabriel and Luke's room slid open to reveal Luke with a dreamy smile and a cupcake cradled at chest level.

"Absolutely not, no more," North growled.

Luke hunched over the cupcake protectively. "But today is the actual date of the birthday," he argued. 

North looked over at me and firmly said, "I won't allow it today. Your blood sugar will crash while on mission."

I would really have liked that cupcake, and I loved Luke for trying, but North was right. I gave Luke a hug, careful of the treat and whispered to him, "We share it when we get back." He agreed wholeheartedly. Much to North's surprise and begrudging appreciation, Luke and Gabriel had fulfilled Tsee Blackbourne's dietary prescription and soon it was time to meet at the Gate Lock.

Kota, now in official Tsen Lee mode, reviewed our formation and strategy plans. We crossed through near-space to a baked and dying field of plants, then to a meadow crawling with over-sized bugs which made Gabriel tense, especially when they clustered together and came toward us. I was impressed that he didn't even mutter one curse. They were all being very crisply professional, though.

Kota ordered, "Griffen enhance and use that wall of flame to fry them all."  Gabriel relaxed as the bugs fell to the ground charred and sizzling.

Then we were deep under Unara in a wind-blasted tube that was as tall as a house. There were no Ionoth there, making Silas smile, so I knew he was thinking about his father. The next Gate led to a canyon with a small stream meandering down the middle. Along the far bank was Babe the Blue Ox, from that tall-tale about Paul Bunyon. It swung its wide horns and sparks flew as it pawed the gravel with its hooves.

"Going up, Sorenson," Gabriel warned as he velcroed me to his side and we floated above as the bull crashed around and snorted.

Kota only had to say, "Morgan," and Victor's lightning whip cracked loud and fiercely, finishing the bull with quick strikes, and leaving burnt flesh in its wake. 

Next, we were in a forest clearing where Victor, still unenhanced, shot off three lightning bolts at precise points through the trees and three feathered things dropped to the ground. We returned to near-space and the KOTIS facility, getting scanned before release from the Gate Lock. As we waited for clearance, I could feel the excited satisfaction, the entire squad sharing pleased looks. Even Tsee Blackbourne's millimeter smile made an appearance. 

The rotation had gone as smoothly as expected. Nothing even came near me, yet I couldn't help remember that the Ionoth would come back as the Spaces 'remembered' the creatures. It was an endless cycle of killing and killing again. The guys had clearly done this so many times, knowing exactly where the Ionoth would be and how they would behave. How many infinite times would this be repeated?