7

Sara lit up with a bright flash of light, then slumped against him. He lowered her to the deck, grateful the ship was no longer shuddering and bouncing. The alarm was still sounding and crew members ran past, but there was no sense of panic. Everyone seemed to know what they needed to do.

He smoothed her hair back, as those strange sparks of light winked out on the palms of her hands. He frowned. And then he noticed how still she was.

Someone knelt by him. He looked up. Carey.

“What’s wrong with her?”

He didn’t even know how to explain what just happened. “I don’t think she’s breathing.”

Carey laid his head on her chest. “Her heart’s not beating either.”

He placed his hands over her heart and pumped twice, a short break between. He listened again, then covered his mouth with hers, blowing his air into her lungs. He looked at Fyn.

“You give her mouth to mouth, while I do the CPR.”

Fyn nodded. They alternated mouth to mouth with CPR for what seemed a long time. Finally, she inhaled, then her chest began to rise and fall on its own.

Carey sat back. “Can you get her to the infirmary? I need to get to my bird.”

Fyn nodded. Abruptly the alarm shut off. The silence was almost eerie as Fyn bent and picked her up, cradling her against his chest. He headed for the infirmary, wondering what to say to the doctor, but when he got there, he found he didn’t have to.

Injured were coming in from all over the ship, though most seemed to be minor. When the doc found out her heart had stopped, she became a priority. And Fyn found himself shut out. When it became clear no one was coming to give him an update, he gave up and headed down to the hanger bay. Maybe Carey could find out something.

The wing hadn’t deployed. Fyn found Carey standing in a knot of men, but before he could ask, he heard the colonel speaking over the ship’s intercom.

“Attention please. I’m sure you’re all aware by now that the Gadi ship attacked us. They have been repulsed and have left the system. I want a report on damage and injured a-sap. If you haven’t reported to your duty station, do so now. Halliwell out.”

“Why the hell did the gomers attack us?” Carey was white with anger.

The attack was crazy and reckless, not like the Dusan or the Gadi. Fyn knew it had to be about Sara, but it still made no sense. There was something more going on, and somehow it was all linked to her unusual abilities and her likeness to Miri. He could still see the light flowing from her and into the ship. It had weakened her. He could feel strength and life leaving her as he supported her. And then that flash. Where had that come from?

“How’s Donovan?”

Fyn frowned. “They wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Carey looked around. “This area is secure. Let’s go see what we can find out. I’ll need to report to the colonel.”

The infirmary was calming down by the time they got there. Carey had the pull to get a report from the doc.

He rubbed his face. “She must have got hit by some kind of electrical discharge. Her heart got a hell of a jolt.”

“But she’ll be all right?” Carey asked.

They looked at Sara. She lay in the bed, her face as white as her bedding, her body motionless. Fyn remembered the last time he’d watched her and waited for her to open her eyes. This time, everything about her seemed dimmed as if most of the light had gone out of her in that big flash.

The doctor was quiet for a long moment. “I don’t know. We’ve got her stabilized, but she’s very weak. I’ve done all I can. She’ll pull through or—”

Fyn didn’t understand. He’d seen her heal. Unless—what if she’d used all she had to heal the ship?

Take her to the city.

Fyn looked around. No one was looking at him. Clearly no one had spoken to him.

“Thanks, doc. Let’s go see the colonel,” Carey said. “He’ll want to know.”

They were both quiet as they traversed the ship to the bridge. Halliwell took them into his wardroom.

“What happened, sir?” Carey asked, once they were alone.

“All I know, first our shields went up on their own, then they were going down, when they suddenly went back up again.” Halliwell rubbed his head tiredly. “Damnedest thing I ever saw. And then some kind of energy surge hit their ship. It threw them right out of our neighborhood. Tracking in the city showed ‘em taking a hyperspace jump away when they stopped spinning.”

“Damn.” Carey looked thoughtful. “Did it come from the planet?”

“We thought so, but they thought it came from us, though they won’t discount the possibility it came from there and they just didn’t see it.”

Carey made a kind of face. “If there is an AI down there, glad it likes us. That’s twice it’s saved our asses.”

Did it like them, Fyn wondered or was it Sara? It was her ship that got pulled to the city. Was it possible that she really was descended from this Miri? If she was, the Dusan wouldn’t be the only ones interested in her. How long would it be before information about her reached Kalian?

“When does your other ship arrive?” Fyn asked.

“Still a week out.” Halliwell frowned. “Do you think they’ll try again?”

Fyn shrugged. “I wish Sara was on the island.” Even Kalian couldn’t get at her there.

“You think they were after her?”

Fyn looked at him. “Don’t you? The energy weapon they were firing was designed to take down shields, leaving the ship intact.”

Luckily neither man asked him how he knew that.

“But they almost killed her,” Carey protested.

“What?” Halliwell stiffened.

“Sorry, sir, that’s what we came to report. Doc isn’t sure, but thinks she got some kind of electrical feedback. She’s pretty weak.”

Take her to the city.

Fyn didn’t look around this time. He hesitated. “Do you think they’d have some technology down there that could help her? Maybe this AI would do something.”

“Our people haven’t found anything yet.” Halliwell looked grim.

“Doesn’t mean there isn’t something there,” Fyn said. “If it is intelligent maybe it will help. The AI made first contact with her.”

Carey started to look thoughtful. “That’s true, sir.”

“Is it safe to move her?” Halliwell started to look interested.

“We can ask the doc—but if he can’t help her, then we should take the risk. She’s going away if we don’t do something.”

Halliwell rubbed his head again. “Do it.”

Fyn held Sara’s hand as the transport lifted off and took a heading toward Kikk. Her hand felt cold, like most of her was already gone. A monitor next to her beeped regularly, proof she wasn’t, but the beats were getting further apart. Only last night she’d been singing, her gaze slanting his way from time to time.

Sometime during the ride to the planet, he could feel his loyalties shift, not just to Sara, but to her people. What had driven him into the Ojemba, it still mattered, but Sara mattered more. It was that simple. He just hoped it would be that simple to get clear of them. He wished he had told the colonel about the Ojemba when he first came aboard. Now it was too late. All he could do is hope they never found out…

It seemed to take a long time to reach the city. Once Carey touched down, he released the rear hatch, so they could roll her stretcher out, though no one knew where to take her. The medic adjusted her monitors, then pushed the stretcher down the ramp. Fyn walked beside it, still holding her hand. As soon as the stretcher cleared the ramp, a row of lights appeared in the stone path, stopping at a junction in the pathways ahead of them.

Carey looked at him. “I guess we follow the yellow light path.”

At his direction, the medic pushed the stretcher along the path. Carey walked ahead, weapon’s ready. When they reached the end of the lights, a new line of them appeared, disappearing around the side of the main building. The line of lights behind them disappeared. Fyn pulled his weapon, eyeing the surrounding under growth. Light was fading fast and no one had really determined if there were biters on the island.

The path of lights led them gradually to a building near the shoreline of the island. As they approached, doors slid back. The interior had the look of a hospital about it. The smells were old, antiseptic. Now the lights made a straight line to what looked like a dead end against a wall, but when they reached it, panels slid back.

Carey leaned in and studied it. “Could be an elevator. Let’s go.”

Once they were inside, there was a soft, green glow and then the doors opened again on a different corridor.

“Okay. A really fast elevator.” Carey peered out and once again the path of lights showed them the way. About halfway down this corridor, the lights made a right turn. “I think we’re almost there.”

Another door slid back for them and lights came on in a room that reminded Fyn of the infirmary on the Doolittle. The lights stopped at a table in the center of the room. There was a circle of lights over this and consoles on two sides.

“Let’s lift her on it,” Carey said. He looked as uneasy as the medic now.

Fyn was starting to have second thoughts, too, but if they left, what then? The beep of the monitor was slowing. She was dying. The medic removed all the wires, and then stepped back. Fyn slid his arms under her and gently shifted her to the table. It wasn’t hard and seemed to expand to cushion and support her. The light path formed into a circle around the table and began flashing.

“I think we’re supposed to step back,” Carey said.

Once they’d cleared the circle, the lights stopped flashing. Now the various monitors around the room began to turn on. The medic stepped up to one, but then just shook his head.

“No clue, sir.”

The lights over the bed began to glow and then beams of light shot down between them and Sara, like golden rain. In the light, Fyn thought he saw beads, like the ones that left Sara during the battle.

The medic seemed fascinated with it and reached out to touch the streams. Carey grabbed his arm. “I wouldn’t.”

“Right, sir, sorry.”

Gradually the light curtain began to slow. The streams thinned and then it was gone. The room went quiet, the monitors all shut down. The light dimmed, putting them all into shadow.

After a short pause, the medic approached her and checked her pulse.

“It’s stronger, sir.” He turned to get the heart monitor, but while his back was turned, Sara sighed and opened her eyes.

For a moment, she stared up, and then a slight frown formed between her brows.

“Donovan?”

Her head turned toward his voice. She blinked. “Colonel Carey?”

He stepped up beside her. “Who else would it be?”

Her mouth curved. “Sorry, sir.” She blinked again. “Where am I?”

“You’re on the island, their version of a hospital, we think.”

Her hand touched her heart, then spread over the spot. She seemed surprised.

“My heart stopped.”

“It’s going again.” Carey looked at Fyn. “How do you feel?”

“Surprised.”

“Surprised?”

“To be alive” She looked at him. “Is mom all right?”

Carey grinned. “Yes, she is.”

“That’s good.” Her eyes closed as she sighed.

Fyn saw Carey give him another look and finally got his legs in motion. He looked down at her. Her lids lifted.

“I’d like to get up.” She looked down, her eyes widening in horror. “Where’s my uniform?”

The medic cleared his throat. “In the infirmary. On the ship.”

“I don’t suppose anyone thought to bring me something to wear?”

Fyn looked at Carey, who looked at the medic, who shrugged.

“You were all real optimistic about this, weren’t you?”

“We didn’t bring a body bag,” Carey pointed out.

“At least it would be something to wear without a flap in the back.” Sara sounded stern, but her lips twitched.

Carey opened his mouth, shut it. “I should let the colonel know you’re all right.”

As he stepped out into the hall and activated his radio, Fyn wished he could think of a reason to join him.

“Give me your knife,” she told Fyn.

“What?” Who was she going to cut?

“Your knife.”

He handed her one, exchanging an uneasy look with the medic. She grabbed the blanket covering her and cut a hole in it.

“Hey, that’s government property,” the medic protested.

Sara looked at him. “So am I.”

She pulled the blanket over her head and arranged the folds. She handed the knife back, then looked down. She held out her hand. Fyn took it. It was warm again and it fit in his. She used it to pull herself off the table, landing lightly on the floor. The blanket fell around her in folds, leaving a lot of leg bare. Fyn had to look. Apparently so did the medic.

Sara cleared her throat to get the medic’s attention. “If you don’t want to be wearing this, eyes up.”

“Sorry, ma’am.” But he still peeked.

Sara held one leg out and studied it, her head to one side. She looked up and caught Fyn watching her. She grinned.

“What is the big deal about a couple of legs anyway?”

Fyn looked at the medic. If she didn’t know, he couldn’t explain it.