Page 33 of Master (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #3)
Clara
It took me two days of working nearly around the clock to extract enough DMNT from the hundreds of plants Tarook and I harvested from Buck's farm.
With Mei's lab setup, using the steam distillation method of gleaning the plant's essential chemicals was relatively easy.
Making sure the DMNT spiked in the plants just before passing the biomass through the pressured steam proved difficult.
I tried the clipping method used in botany experiments, but that process didn't prove successful.
Luckily, Buck found me a handful of little black dots he called alien aphids, and the vines practically spit DMNT into the air.
Tarook found canisters of hydrogen in Bartholomeus' store that worked perfectly as a carrier gas.
Watching him work, I realized his job as weapons master entailed much more than knowing about guns and ammo.
He possessed the skill of a master chemist, measuring and combining the components perfectly to make sure the hydrogen didn't render the DMNT ineffective. Between us, we made six canisters of aerosol cure. They weren’t large canisters, each about the size of a scuba tank, but with everyone sequestered in the gym, it should be enough.
Buck reluctantly left Lula's side to help when we moved the base of operations to the gymnasium at the north end of the village.
After helping shore up the windows and doorways to make everything as airtight as possible, he and Tarook carried the canisters to the rafters, where they rigged the gas to deploy through the ventilation system.
I stayed behind, lost in nostalgia. The building was a perfect replica of my elementary school gymnasium, right down to the polyurethane hardwood floor.
We'd retracted the bleachers to make room for all the villagers.
The scorekeeper's table we left as it stood on the sidelines.
The microphone and portable speaker might come in handy if—please God—our cure worked.
"All done," Tarook announced, following Buck down the steep concrete stairs from the upper level.
"It was easier than I expected," Buck smiled faintly.
It was the most relaxed I'd seen him in days.
He'd been so sweet caring for Lula. More than once, watching them brought me a pang of heartache, remembering all the times I'd cared for Curtis in much the same way—simple things, like feeding her or combing her hair.
Tarook took care of me, too. He sauntered directly to my side, hand curving around my waist as he quickly kissed my lips.
I loved this ease between us—there's no denying the feelings any longer.
I didn't even want to try to pretend that I didn't crave the feel of his hands on my skin and the taste of his kiss.
In the past two days, he'd made sure I ate and rested—snippets of time spent sleeping in each other's arms, too exhausted for anything else.
"Thank you for your help, Buck." Tarook acknowledged, clapping the human male on the shoulder.
Buck showed gratitude with a curt nod. "What's next?"
Now came the hard part.
"We need to get all the infected inside the gym." I sighed, still not sure how to accomplish the task.
"I rigged the canisters to deploy remotely from my comm once everyone is in the building." Tarook indicated the black iWatch-looking thing he wore on his left wrist.
"How do we get them here?" Buck rubbed his chin. "Mei, Bartholomeus, and Lula are easy, but what about everyone else?"
The deep sigh that raised Tarook's chest broke my heart a little. I knew how much he hated making himself master of the villagers. We had no other choice. I laid my hand on his bicep, giving a comforting stroke.
"The villagers will respond to the sound of my voice." He put it as politically correct as possible. "Since we sent everyone home, we'll have to go house to house and direct them to come here."
"That will take forever. And what if we miss somebody?" Buck grumbled, propping on the edge of the scorekeeper's table. He wanted Lula cured as soon as possible.
"What else can we do?" Tarook shrugged.
Buck made a defeated sound, drawing my gaze, but my attention snagged elsewhere.
"Tarook, people will respond to the sound of your voice alone, right?"
"Yes." The golden eyes narrowed curiously but with a flicker of pain. "My father never laid eyes on the male that commanded his death. Why?"
My fingertips trailed along his jawline. Tarook caught my hand, pressing his lips to my palm.
"What if there was a way to put your voice on a loudspeaker? That way, we could move through the village without taking time to go from house to house."
Tarook's full, kissable lips twisted as he considered. "It would work if we could make my voice loud enough without distortion."
"I've got an idea."
Striding to the scorekeeper's table, I picked up the mic and pulled the portable speaker from under the table.
"If we can somehow rig this up to Buck's truck, we can drive through the village and have everyone on their way here in a few minutes."
Buck took the microphone from my fingers, his pale blue eyes studying, before a wide grin split his face.
"I can rig this up to the truck. I don't remember exactly when or where, but I'm pretty sure I've got some experience with microphones and speakers."
Yes, Elvis, you certainly do , I thought to myself.
Thirty minutes later, I sat pressed against Tarook in the cab of Buck's truck as we drove slowly along the narrow village streets.
Tarook's sexy baritone voice called for everyone to report to the gymnasium, and the villagers responded without hesitation.
With everyone shuffling along the streets, the village looked like a scene from The Walking Dead.
Buck awaited when we returned to the gym, Lula, Mei, and Bartholomeus already inside. It took over an hour for everyone to arrive. I found it hard to remember every face Tarook and I encountered that rainy day, but Buck assured us everyone was present and accounted for.
Tarook shut the door and pressed a finger to his comm unit. The tech gave a faint swoosh, like the sound of an outgoing text message, and a cloudy mist fell from the overhead vents onto the gym floor.
Buck paced, too nervous to watch. I pressed my nose to the glass, alert for any sign the antidote worked… waiting, wondering, and praying.
"What is it, darlin’?" Tarook asked, putting his hands on my shoulders, feeling my tenseness.
"We still don't know who did this." The gas fell, a thick swirling fog like the seaside in the early morning. "Do you think the person responsible for deploying the mumje is in the gym right now?"
"If whoever did this infected themselves, it was accidental." Tarook's strong fingers manipulated the tight muscles in my shoulders and neck. "Up until now, mumje infection had no cure. If this works, you will have found an antidote to the biggest scourge in the universe."
"We found it." I tilted my head back to look at him.
Tarook dropped his lips to mine. It wasn't a passionate kiss—now wasn't the time for that.
But the touch of his mouth on mine felt comforting and loving—just what I needed.
Tarook sighed with regret as he released my lips, slipping his arms across my stomach to cuddle me against his chest. His chin rested atop my head as we awaited success or failure.
"Whoever did this didn't expect you to find a cure." Tarook mulled out loud. "If the Aljani are behind the mining, it's a good bet they're behind what happened here. I just can't figure to what end. When the Bardaga arrives, perhaps they'll have more intel."
My heart clenched at his mention of the Bardaga… and not happily. Yes, I'd get to see Emmy, Daisy, and hopefully the others, but this time with Tarook would end. He would return to his duties onboard the ship, and I….
I didn't want to think about my life without Tarook in it.
I loved Curtis with all my heart. Not a day passed that I didn't miss him. But Tarook gave me something I never thought to have again—he made me feel desirable and beautiful. He made me feel cherished. He made me feel .
I didn't want to give that up. I didn't want to give him up.
"Look." Tarook's excited tone made me jerk. He lifted a hand, long finger pointing. My eyes followed, widening with excitement.
People twitched—like Lula did when we cocooned her with the sweet potato vines, but more controlled.
Some shook their arms and legs, reminiscent of trying to rid oneself of the pins and needles sensation of an appendage falling asleep.
Others rubbed their faces or arms, glancing about in utter confusion.
Trembling fingers wiped the vestiges of unconsciousness from dreary eyes.
Someone coughed viciously, having the same reaction to the DMNT as me.
It didn't take long to pinpoint the source—Mayor Atkins Parlow, his round face red as he gasped and coughed.
Voices rose in question, one louder than most.
"Buck? Where are you, Buck?"
"Lula!" Buck lunged for the door. Tarook caught him, holding fast.
"You must wait for the gas to settle, my friend.”
Buck stilled, but Tarook kept his hold on the man for good measure.
It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but it felt like forever until everyone responded. I'd expected confusion and sluggishness, but everyone talked and moved normally. Some eyes still held a milky glaze, but it diminished significantly.
"Lula!" Buck threw open the gym doors, rushing to gather his wife in his arms. Their reunion was a sweet mixture of kisses and tears.
"What the hell is going on?" Atkins Parlow asked between coughing spasms.
I kept my reaction to the gas at bay by holding a handkerchief over my mouth and nose. I didn't want Parlow to think we had anything in common… even phlegm.
The murmurs of the crowd rose, feeding off the mayor's upset. Peacekeeper Munroe stepped forward, his calm demeanor stilling the crowd.
"Tarook, what happened?"