“I wish there was a quicker way to get there. Even though the Tregans have been under Federation control for over thirty years, they can’t be everywhere at once. Passenger freighters are still vulnerable to hijackers. Anything can happen.
“I hope you will respond to this message. Six long months in space is not my idea of fun. I need something to look forward to. Lanimer.”
Three days later, I still hadn’t heard back from Evalee, I mused, walking to the docking bay of theRedram Traderwith my luggage tram following closely behind me.
The cargo bay was open, and a crew member was studying a small AI tablet screen. The male humanoid hybrid looked up as I strolled up the ramp.
Meeting the hybrid’s gaze, I said, “Lanimer Dakov, passage to Rintalis.”
“Ah, so you’re the telepath. What are you doing way out here?”
“My guardians brought me here after my parents died in the Tregan raid on Zevus Mar. Now I’m going back. I know your captain is unhappy about taking me, but there is no danger to your crew or this ship from me. My abilities are fully developed and well-controlled. I practice the Wholaskan PsionCode of Ethics.
I met the other male’s gaze and offered a friendly smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Lanimer Dakov. I am Augram Nugah.”
I bowed my head as a sign of respect. I had never met anyone who looked quite like Augram. He appeared somewhat human with dark maroon skin and almost black horns atop his bald head. Instead of hair, he had scales on his head and down the back of his neck. The scales on the back of his hands seemed to indicate there were scales down his arms where humans usually had hair. He had five-fingered hands with thick claws instead of fingernails.
His eyes were mammalian but bulged a bit, and his nose looked vaguely reptilian, with lips that were shaped somewhat human but didn’t differ in color from his face.
“I am familiar with the Wholaskan Psion Code of Ethics. Follow me, and I will show you to your quarters.”
Following him, I said, “I know I was staring. I meant no disrespect. I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”
“I don’t mind; I saw that you are a physician. I figured your curiosity was due to that.” Augram said.
We got into an elevator that took us up two levels, and the male led me down a shortcorridor with three doors on each side. We stopped at the second one on the right.
“Welcome aboard, Lanimer. I hope you have a pleasant journey.”
Chapter Four
Evalee
On the way home to my flat from the clinic, the protesters were at it again. This anti-alien group, who called themselves Xenos Free, sometimes protested every day, calling for the removal of Trakellisans from the city we built. I didn’t understand what was happening. It seemed like this anti-Trake group attributed everything wrong in society to our presence on Zevus Mar.
In the meeting where we decided to hire Lanimer Dakov, I spoke up about the civil unrest. I said that we should let Dr. Dakov know what was happening in our world. But Dr. Yaroman forbade us from mentioning it to him. However, he specified we should not mention the political unrest in our introduction holograms. We couldn’t wait another year for applicants to fill the position.
I couldn’t wait because I was running theVal’kara clinic alone. I am good at my job, but it was the only medical clinic in a city with 50,000 people. Some days, we were crazy busy, and all I had was an android receptionist. Then, there were the activists who would confront me with rude taunts and gestures as I walked home from my day’s work. I did my best to ignore them unless they tried to put their hands on me. More often, they would just try to intimidate me, and sometimes it worked. There were days I just wanted to give up and quit.
I’d saved enough credit so I could go back to our village and buy a little house where I could set up a small clinic. But I loved living on my own, and I enjoyed taking care of my patients here.
Besides, Lanimer seemed so nice in his reply hologram that I couldn’t give up before getting to know him. I had hoped to hear from him again. I had sent a brief reply thanking him for understanding, but it had been a couple of weeks. It seemed incongruous that I should feel like I missed him when I hadn’t even met him. Yet, I did.
Then, I would scold myself for daydreaming about him. Still, ever since I saw that first hologram, I felt like there could be something special between us. Then, as the days passed,and I heard nothing from him, I considered that maybe I was wrong, and that thought was disheartening.
I was feeling especially discouraged the day I returned to my flat and found the offworld light on my holo com blinking. I knew it had to behim.
Setting my bag on the couch, I was almost giddy with anticipation as I pressed the button to play the holographic message. Lanimer’s hologram materialized in front of me, and I smiled at him even though I knew he was only an image.
I watched his hologram through a couple of times, then mulled over what I wanted to say to him. I went to my room to change and fix my hair before I recorded my reply.
“Hello, Lanimer,
It’s so nice to hear from you. It appears that your message took some time to get here, at least a few days. I certainly don’t envy you for the long journey in space. I have never been to space myself because I never had a reason. I was born here on Zevus Mar. I am half-human, so I have no tail.
I don’t really have time to do much of anything but work these days because I’m running the Val’kara clinic by myself. Some days, I work 10 hours and do house calls. ThenI come home, eat dinner, and fall into bed to get up the next day and do it all again.
