Muses of Terra (Codex Antonius Book 2) by Rob Steiner Page A

you?”
    Ocella glanced at Varo, whose eyes had widened.  
    The opening behind Lucia irised open, causing Ocella to start. “We will not waste more witnesses. We have the data we need regarding Marcus Antonius Cordus from this drone’s memories. We will meet him at Reantium. The archives on the planet below must be rebuilt. If this drone’s memories are correct, these ‘Muses’ he hosts will help us accomplish this.”
    Lucia turned around and left the room. The opening irised shut behind her.
    “Centuriae, if this thing gets Cordus—”
    Ocella whirled around. “Quiet!”  
    Varo snapped his mouth shut.  
    She had to think. It had been a long time since she was in a hopeless situation like this. Six years, to be exact. There were many more times before that, but she had her Umbra implant to guide her. Its link to the wisdom of the Liberti Muses gave her all the knowledge she needed to think her way out of dangerous situations.
    But like every other Ancile, she came to rely on the implant. Now, she tried to focus through the fear and doubt clouding her mind.  
    She was trapped in an alien vessel. She needed to escape, and any plan had to involve Varo. She could not discuss the plan with him for fear the aliens were listening. Now that they had Lucia’s memories, they knew their language. How could she communicate with Varo in a way the aliens would not understand?  
      Or, how could she communicate with Varo in a way Lucia would not understand?
    Lucia was a Roman citizen. As far as Ocella knew, she had never learned another language besides the universal Latin spoken by almost every human. While some worlds—and some Terran regions—still spoke various ethnic languages, Latin was the language of human commerce.
    Ocella caught Varo’s gaze and said in ancient Aramaic, “Can you understand me?”
    Varo looked confused, and Ocella wondered if he had ever learned the language of his ancestors. Varo thought a moment, then said in Aramaic, “It has been a long time. I can understand, but speak little.”
    Ocella bared her teeth in a smile. “Good. We have some things to discuss.”

11
     
    Cordus awoke to a savage pain in his limbs and head. He groaned, his eyes still shut.
    “It’ll pass in a few moments,” a female voice said near his side.
    It took all the strength Cordus possessed to open his eyes. His sight was clouded and gritty. He blinked several times, though each blink brought stabbing agony in the center of his head. But the more he blinked, the more the pain faded. Once the cloudiness was gone, he focused on the source of the voice.
    She was young, no more than a year or two older than him. She had long, black hair tied in a single braid, brown eyes, and the olive skin of a Mediterranean native. Billions of humans across space had that look, but it gave him a sudden nostalgia for Roma. Her face was gaunt, as though it had been weeks since she had a proper meal.
    Kaeso’s voice came from his left. “About time you woke up, kid.”
    Cordus could now turn his head without fire surging through his body. Kaeso sat on the floor next to him, dried blood crusting the right side of his face. There was a bloody gash above his right ear on his stubbly head. Despite his obvious pain, he gave Cordus a lopsided grin. For Kaeso, it was tantamount to a running embrace.
    Cordus scanned the room. It was octagonal, with barred, open windows at head-height. Judging by the light outside, it was either dusk or morning. He couldn’t tell since he was unfamiliar with the directions on this world. The room was warm, so Cordus assumed dusk. In the meager light, he saw Blaesus, Dariya, and Daryush laying to Kaeso’s left. All three lay on their backs unconscious.
    Seven men were on the other side of the room, all wearing the standard-issue gray under-tunics and patterned green fatigues of Roman Legionaries. Some lay on their sides, some sat with their backs against the wall. All were dirty, wounded, and half-starved.