suPonick, was telling the truth about the destruction of the base: none. He indicated that when he saw me without my camouflage that he attempted to purchase me through barter with the humans. When they refused he said he did what any good suPonick would do and took. The base was completely destroyed in order to make it appear as an accident occurred with a weapon they provided. He said the ruse was necessary in order to attempt to remain a trade partner with that group of humans. After all, accidents happen. This would mean that all of Usholt’s DNA and all of the embryos would have been destroyed. When I mentioned this to Nogith, he was very aggrieved but had no one to blame but himself.”
“His name was Usholt?”
“Yes, that was the name he gave them,” she answered. “Did you know him?”
“No, he disappeared before my time but I know of him. Eat, you need your strength,” he replied.
They ate the meal in silence while Rev stewed. Furious at not only the way she had been treated but also the ease with which she accepted the behavior of those responsible for it. Part of him knew that anger would not have helped or prevented the treatment that she’d received but it didn’t lesson the irritation that he felt over her calm acceptance of it. He would need to work on that problem as he knew it was his own. As he went over her words in his head another thought occurred to him and he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Why was your camouflage off when Nogith saw you?”
“I had been shot with a high power laser repeatedly to see how much of the energy I could deflect before injury occurred,” she stated calmly. This response had Rev ready to hunt down the individuals responsible for treating her so and inflict as much pain as possible before he killed them. He fought to contain his rage. While working on the control, he stood and placed the dishes in the cleaning unit. Then after it cycled he removed them and placed them back in the cabinet. He felt her watching him.
“Are you angry?”
“Yes.”
“With me?” she sounded puzzled.
He took a deep breath and expelled it before facing her. “Yes and no, their treatment of you was brutality of the worst kind and it enrages me to the point that I want hunt down those responsible and pay them back in kind. That you accept it so calmly is what angers me at you. While I know that anger would not have helped you, for you to have no sense of even outrage not only puzzles me but makes me so angry I have the need to beat on things.”
A slow smile spread across her face. She stood and came to stand in front of him.
“Does anyone you know have any idea of the depth of who you are?” she asked softly.
“No, and if you tell anyone, I’ll deny we ever had this conversation,” he grumbled.
She laughed and surprised both of them by putting her arms around his waist and leaning against his shoulder. He closed his arms around her and pulled her close. They stood that way for a few moments. She felt like she had known him forever though she could not have explained why.
“Come on, I need to put you to bed. You still need to rest. Tomorrow we can talk again.” He helped her into the bed and sat down beside her. “Do you need anything before I go?”
“Do you have to go?” she asked. He could see the uncertainty on her face.
“Is something wrong?”
“No…I don’t know. I…I..,” she stuttered to a stop and took a deep breath. “I just don’t want you to go and I don’t know how to explain why.” He watched her for a moment and then leaned over to unfasten his boots.
“Then I won’t go,” he said as he slipped into the bed beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close in spoon fashion. “Sleep,” he told her and pressed his lips to the spots at the nape of her neck. She shivered in response as her spots flushed and then relaxed into him. Soon her even breathing and
“His name was Usholt?”
“Yes, that was the name he gave them,” she answered. “Did you know him?”
“No, he disappeared before my time but I know of him. Eat, you need your strength,” he replied.
They ate the meal in silence while Rev stewed. Furious at not only the way she had been treated but also the ease with which she accepted the behavior of those responsible for it. Part of him knew that anger would not have helped or prevented the treatment that she’d received but it didn’t lesson the irritation that he felt over her calm acceptance of it. He would need to work on that problem as he knew it was his own. As he went over her words in his head another thought occurred to him and he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Why was your camouflage off when Nogith saw you?”
“I had been shot with a high power laser repeatedly to see how much of the energy I could deflect before injury occurred,” she stated calmly. This response had Rev ready to hunt down the individuals responsible for treating her so and inflict as much pain as possible before he killed them. He fought to contain his rage. While working on the control, he stood and placed the dishes in the cleaning unit. Then after it cycled he removed them and placed them back in the cabinet. He felt her watching him.
“Are you angry?”
“Yes.”
“With me?” she sounded puzzled.
He took a deep breath and expelled it before facing her. “Yes and no, their treatment of you was brutality of the worst kind and it enrages me to the point that I want hunt down those responsible and pay them back in kind. That you accept it so calmly is what angers me at you. While I know that anger would not have helped you, for you to have no sense of even outrage not only puzzles me but makes me so angry I have the need to beat on things.”
A slow smile spread across her face. She stood and came to stand in front of him.
“Does anyone you know have any idea of the depth of who you are?” she asked softly.
“No, and if you tell anyone, I’ll deny we ever had this conversation,” he grumbled.
She laughed and surprised both of them by putting her arms around his waist and leaning against his shoulder. He closed his arms around her and pulled her close. They stood that way for a few moments. She felt like she had known him forever though she could not have explained why.
“Come on, I need to put you to bed. You still need to rest. Tomorrow we can talk again.” He helped her into the bed and sat down beside her. “Do you need anything before I go?”
“Do you have to go?” she asked. He could see the uncertainty on her face.
“Is something wrong?”
“No…I don’t know. I…I..,” she stuttered to a stop and took a deep breath. “I just don’t want you to go and I don’t know how to explain why.” He watched her for a moment and then leaned over to unfasten his boots.
“Then I won’t go,” he said as he slipped into the bed beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close in spoon fashion. “Sleep,” he told her and pressed his lips to the spots at the nape of her neck. She shivered in response as her spots flushed and then relaxed into him. Soon her even breathing and
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