Page 23

SELENE

L azrin caught me in his arms when I stumbled across the settlement boundary, his golden eyes flashing with surprise.

"! Kavan!" He set me down quickly but kept one hand on my shoulder to steady me. "We thought?—"

"You thought we were dead," I finished. My legs trembled from our final dash through the forest. "We nearly were. Several times."

Kavan moved closer, sunlight playing across his emerald skin. "The seismic disturbances exceeded our expectations. We found refuge in underground chambers."

Lazrin's tail flicked with clear agitation. "Underground during a seismic event?"

"Not by choice," I said.

Mirelle pushed through the gathering crowd, markings shimmering faintly along her collarbone. She wrapped me in an embrace that squeezed the air from my lungs.

"Don't ever disappear like that again," she whispered against my hair. "Hammond's men returned without you. We feared the worst."

I pulled back to study her face. "They delivered the medicine?"

"Yes." Mirelle tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, the maternal gesture making me wonder how haggard I must look. "Phillips brought news yesterday. The treatments worked—the epidemic is contained, and most are recovering, though slowly for some. Frakes managed well, thankfully."

My shoulders sagged as days of accumulated tension released. "Thank the stars."

"Come," Lazrin said. "You both need food and rest. The others will want to speak with you after."

I glanced at Kavan, who'd remained quiet during our reunion. Our eyes met, and a current of understanding flowed between us that transcended the need for a translation stone. Our journey had transformed us both. Together.

"The others?" I asked as Mirelle guided me toward the central buildings.

"The marked women. Those who chose to stay rather than return to Hammond's camp." Her voice lowered. "Conditions there have deteriorated. We need to talk."

Kavan cleared his throat. "I must report to Elder Rylis. I will join you later."

I watched him go, an emptiness spreading through me at even this brief separation.

"Something's changed," Mirelle observed quietly.

I turned to her, forcing my attention away from Kavan's retreating figure. "A lot has changed."

After eating and washing away days of grime, I entered a circular chamber where six women waited. Mirelle, Rivera, Jen, Talia, Elana, and Maya. Each displayed the distinctive silver markings that distinguished us from other human survivors.

Mirelle stood as I entered. "We've gathered everyone currently in the settlement. Some remain with Hammond, by choice or otherwise."

"Like Claire," Jen added, fingers tracing the patterns on her wrist.

Mirelle nodded. ", what you and Kavan discovered could change everything. We need to understand what these markings truly are. What they mean for us."

I inhaled deeply, looking at these women who, like me, never asked for the changes forced upon them. "The markings form part of an ancient communication system. A neural integration network designed to bridge physiological differences between species."

"Species?" Rivera leaned forward. "The Nyxari designed this technology to communicate with other aliens?"

"Not exactly." I struggled to articulate what I'd experienced firsthand. "This predates even Nyxari recorded history. They didn't create this technology—they discovered it, just as we're discovering it now. It was designed to transfer knowledge, particularly medical knowledge."

"That aligns with my observations," Elana said. Her fingers absently traced the silver lines along her forearm. "My understanding of plant properties has expanded beyond what should be possible."

Talia nodded. "Plants respond differently to me now. As if they recognize something in my touch."

"It's an adaptive system," I continued. "Kavan and I activated an interface in the ruins that enabled direct connection. The markings serve as conduits for information transfer, adapting based on individual talents or needs."

"That explains why they manifest differently for each of us," Mirelle said.

Jen cleared her throat, her young face unusually grave. "I overheard Hammond's men at the perimeter two days ago. They didn't realize I could hear them from such distance."

Everyone turned to her.

"They mentioned 'moving the subject to newly exposed ruins.' I think they meant Claire." She looked down. "They said Commander Hammond wants to 'test the integration theories' at the new site."

My stomach knotted. "What new site?"

Rivera spoke up. "The seismic activity uncovered previously buried structures in the western canyon. I've detected unusual energy patterns from that direction—different from the eastern ruins you explored."

"How different?" I asked.

Rivera's eyes unfocused slightly, as they did when she used her enhanced perception. "More... active. Unstable. The patterns shift constantly, unlike the steady hum from the eastern structures."

I exchanged a troubled look with Mirelle. "Hammond doesn't comprehend what he's dealing with. These systems are delicate—and dangerous when misused."

"What happens during integration?" Maya asked quietly. The former botanist had barely spoken since her rescue from Hammond's "decontamination" procedures.

I paused, aware that my experience with Kavan had been deeply personal. "It creates a connection. A sharing of consciousness that permits direct knowledge transfer. But it can't be forced. The system responds to compatibility."

"Compatibility," Mirelle repeated, understanding in her eyes. "Like the lifebonds."

Murmurs rippled through the group.

"I believe they're related," I admitted. "The ancient technology recognizes specific patterns between individuals—patterns indicating potential for successful integration."

"Is that why some of us feel drawn to particular Nyxari?" Elana asked, color rising in her cheeks.

I nodded. "The markings respond more strongly to compatible patterns. Similar to how Nyxari lifelines respond. It's not merely physical—it's neurological resonance."

"So our attraction to them isn't just..." Talia trailed off.

"It's not manipulation," I said firmly. "If anything, it's recognition. A biological and neurological compatibility that the markings enhance but don't create."

Rivera studied her hands. "And if Hammond figures this out? If he forces integration with incompatible subjects?"

"The results would be unpredictable. Potentially catastrophic." I recalled the guardian automaton's warnings. "The systems have safeguards, but they're ancient and deteriorating. Hammond's experiments have already destabilized environmental controls."

"You think the recent seismic activity connects to Hammond's tampering?" Mirelle asked.

"I know it does. The facility Kavan and I found linked to environmental regulation systems. The planet's natural cycles have been artificially managed for thousands of years."

Jen's eyes widened. "What happens if those systems fail completely?"

"Nothing good," I answered grimly.

Silence fell as each woman processed the implications.

"We need to stop Hammond before he worsens the situation," Mirelle finally said. "But first, we need more information about his plans for Claire."

Jen nodded. "I'll try to get closer to the perimeter patrols, listen for details."

"Carefully," Mirelle cautioned. "We can't risk losing anyone else."

As the meeting dispersed, the women drifted away in pairs, their hushed conversations filled with new questions about their marks and the Nyxari who might share their patterns.

Mirelle touched my arm, holding me back. "Walk with me?"

I nodded and followed her into the cool evening air.

We walked in silence until reaching a small garden nestled between two vashkai structures. The living stone emitted a faint warmth in the twilight, casting subtle light over the native plants.

"I come here to think," Mirelle said, settling onto a curved bench. "When things with Lazrin became... complicated."

I sat beside her, tracing the markings on my wrist. "Are they still? Complicated?"

A soft smile touched her lips. "Yes and no. The bond with Lazrin challenged everything I believed about myself. About my desires." She turned to face me directly. "Something happened between you and Kavan in those ruins. Beyond just discovering the purpose of our markings."

Heat crept up my neck. "We experienced neural integration through the ancient interface. It's... intimate. Nothing remains hidden when minds connect that way."

"And now?" she pressed gently.

"Now I don't know what we are to each other." I stared at my hands. "The connection hasn't faded. If anything, it's intensified. I sense him even when we're apart—his emotions, sometimes even fragments of thoughts."

Mirelle nodded, unsurprised. "That's how it began with Lazrin and me. The lifebond creates a telepathic link that strengthens with proximity and... intimacy."

My face burned hotter. "We didn't complete a lifebond ceremony."

"Perhaps not in the traditional Nyxari sense. But the integration you described might have initiated something similar." She touched her own markings thoughtfully. "How do you feel about that possibility?"

I inhaled deeply. "Terrified. Exhilarated." I looked up at the darkening sky, searching for words. "I dedicated my life to medicine. To understanding the human body through science and methodology. Now I feel a patient's illness before touching them. I sense Kavan's presence across the settlement. Everything I thought I knew about anatomy and physiology is being rewritten."

"And Kavan himself? How do you feel about him?"

The question struck at what I'd been avoiding. "He frustrates me. Challenges me. Makes me question assumptions I didn't know I had." I shook my head, laughing softly. "And I can't imagine not having him beside me now."

Mirelle's expression softened. "The bond with a Nyxari transforms us. Not just physically with the markings, but in ways I'm still discovering."

"Does it frighten you? Losing yourself?"

"I thought that would happen." She gazed toward the central clearing where Lazrin spoke with other warriors. "Instead, I've found pieces of myself I never knew were missing."

Comfortable silence settled between us.

"What happens next?" I finally asked. "With Hammond? With Claire?"

"We plan. We gather information. When the time comes, we act." Mirelle squeezed my hand. "But tonight, rest. And perhaps talk to Kavan. The space between you two crackles with unresolved tension."

I laughed despite myself. "That obvious?"

"To anyone with eyes." She stood, smoothing her clothing. "The Nyxari value our autonomy above all. They won't push for what we're not ready to give. But don't mistake patience for indifference."

As she walked away, I remained on the bench, watching twilight deepen into night. The markings along my wrists and hands caught the starlight, shimmering faintly with possibilities I was only beginning to understand.

And somewhere in the settlement, I felt Kavan waiting. Not demanding, not expecting. Just... there. A steady presence at the edges of my consciousness.

Waiting for me to decide what came next.