Skylar's Guardians Read online

  “I am realizing that you cannot learn to trust us if you see we do not trust you. I have decided to allow you the opportunity to prove I can trust you, Skylar. I will take you to that store and permit you to shop without my assistance. Just know this,” he looked into her eyes with a dark expression that caused her to tremble, “if you, how do you say—blow this? Then I don’t care how Tralec interprets those books. I will, if I may use a phrase I read, blister your bottom like there is no tomorrow.”

  Skylar swallowed hard, feeling his hand reach to cradle her backside. She nodded silently and tucked her face against his chest. She had three days remaining to plan before they departed for Calipi. Today, though, would not be her day to escape.

  “We should do nonperishables first,” Troy suggested after several minutes of silence. “Remember when I told you I retain information? Too many of your manuals indicate that the females of your species enjoy purchasing items. If we obtain perishable goods, then you know we must not dally when you look at clothing and such, correct?”

  “Damn it, you are smart. Where will we put stuff we buy?”

  “We can send it through the shifter with us.”

  “How does that thing work?”

  “All our devices are controlled mentally, like the ship. It has taken us years to master the communication between the systems and the ability to concentrate on the work we are performing. It can be dangerous losing focus. With a shifter, if you are distracted, you can end up materializing in the middle of a boulder.”

  “Ow,” Skylar shuddered.

  “That is a correct assumption. Let’s do this,” Troy said, his voice clearly revealing his trepidation as he removed her old sandals from a pocket in his tunic and slipped them onto her feet.

  * * *

  Skylar knew that Troy waited anxiously on a bench outside of the grocery store, trying to look inconspicuous as he curled his body as small as he could muster. She painfully hurried through the shopping as quickly as possible. She ignored the looks given her by the people as they saw her bruised face and the unusual garment, focusing simply on getting out as fast as she was able.

  Troy looked relieved as she rolled the cart to him. “Have you finished?” he asked, sitting up straight.

  “Yeah, but my head hurts terribly and my leg is tired. Can we go home? Please? I can’t shop anymore today. This was way too much for me,” Skylar said in a tiny voice, surprised to hear the word ‘home’ slip from her mouth.

  “Yes, baby. You poor thing,” he said, ignoring the looks around him as he lifted her high into his arms and pushed the cart away to a small, wooded section behind the store. His affection touched her heart.

  “You’ve been reading the books, haven’t you?” Skylar asked, relieved to be off of her feet.

  “Yes. Could you tell? I want to call you names that make you feel nurtured.” Troy sounded pleased.

  Skylar nodded, resting her face against his shoulder and inhaling his fragrance with delight. “You smell so good,” she giggled as a wave of giddiness swept over her.

  “I don’t smell anything.” Troy wrinkled his nose.

  “Mmmm, you and Tralec have this manly scent that makes my head spin. It is very seductive and sexy,” Skylar returned. “Your scents are one of the ways I can tell you two apart. Both of you are very appetizing. Your voice inflections are different too, and how you carry yourselves.”

  “It must be how we are designed. Most people are able to differentiate between identical pod-mates without difficulty, but we have never investigated the reason. I think we are free of observers. Hold on.” Troy glanced around for witnesses, and convinced they were not being watched, activated the shifter.

  “Oh God,” Skylar groaned, slumping on the ground after he put her down. “I’m gonna lose my lunch.”

  “What’s lunch?”

  “Food, midday meal. I’m talking about the chicken you gave me. I overdid it walking today, and I have another stupid headache. I never thought I would say this, but I need a nap. It’s the only thing that helps my dumb migraines.”

  “We will have Tralec take a look at you first.”

  “It’s just a migraine. I get them all the time.”

  “I wish to make certain that it is not due to that head injury you had.”

  “Tralec said the concussion and the internal stuff were healed. He said it takes the superficial things like bruising a while to recover. I’m fine.”

  “Must you argue? You are pale.”

  “You are calling me pale? You are the one who has the pallor of the undead. Do you guys burst into flames if you go into the sun?”

  “No, we just color differently. Our pigment activates in moonlight.”

  “We need to take a moonlight stroll then. You both would have season passes to a vampire’s nest if anyone saw how pasty you are.”

  “What is a vampire?”

  “I’ll tell you later. Put me to bed, please,” Skylar begged, rubbing her head.

  “Tralec? Are you awake?” Troy called out as they entered the cruiser.

  “Yes. Is all well?” Tralec looked up from his research.

  “The baby has head pain, and her leg is sore. She needs fixing,” Troy advised, seeming pleased with himself for adopting phrases he had read.

  “The baby? Very good! You have been studying. Come to Daddy, honey. What’s wrong?” Tralec asked, holding his arms out for her.

  Skylar genuinely accepted the comfort he offered, so great was her growing misery. She curled in his arms, burying her face in his neck. “I have a migraine headache, and it feels like there is an icepick in my scalp. The shifter-thing made me sick to my stomach.”

  “I understand. It does the same to me,” he said softly, caressing her face. “Anything else?”

  “My leg and ankle feel weak. I think I walked too much,” Skylar whined, hoping to get more sympathy from the hard-faced man.

  “You walked? Why were you walking? Her muscles are torn and bruised, Troy! What were you thinking?”

  “Don’t get your gills up. I drew too much attention. Listen to me, Tralec. We need to trust her if we expect her to trust us. It had to start somewhere. She promised not to betray me and proved herself to be truthful.”

  “That is pure foolishness,” Tralec said, rocking the tiny girl in his arms.

  “Perhaps, but I am the one trained to anticipate action. My instincts tell me she is sincere in her promises,” Troy said firmly, holding his ground. “Have you ever known my instincts to fail us?”

  “No, I have not. Allow me time to consider your words. I will take care of her while you program her items in the synthesizer.”

  “I loathe that chore,” Troy grumbled.

  “Just get it finished. Let’s go to the cubicle and get you comfortable, sweetheart,” Tralec said gently as he carried Skylar to his quarters. He placed her on the bunk, activated the air mattress, and stroked the hair from her face with a look of concern in his eyes. “You are in much pain, aren’t you?”

  Skylar nodded, trying to hold back her tears. “Please, no more shots. Please…”

  “The gas isn’t working to help you sleep and restore, honey. I don’t know what else I can do.”

  “Get some human drugs,” Skylar moaned. “Turn off the lights. They hurt my eyes.”

  Tralec flicked the lighting off and stroked Skylar’s thigh. “Let’s try to change the amount of gas pumped in and see if that helps. I’m going to see if Troy can obtain some human medical supplies.”

  “You’re giving him permission to steal?” Skylar commented, squinting at him.

  Tralec’s face hardened. “If that is what we need to do to care for you, then so be it. Close your eyes and try to rest.”

  Skylar drew in a deep breath of the fragrant gas that was pumped into the unit. It sedated her slightly but failed to put her into a sleep state. Tralec returned, noticing her eyes were still open.

  “I don’t understand why this won’t work on you,” he said, running his hand
across her brow line.

  “Maybe it’s because I am a recent drug user. It was stupid and I did some really dumb things to my body that may have messed me up,” Skylar confessed shamefully.

  “What were you medicating yourself for?”

  “It was not for medical purposes.” Skylar avoided his eyes. “I did it to have fun.”

  “True foolishness, child. Well, it is done and cannot be changed. You might need to be detoxified. Don’t look so frightened. The process hurts much less than the injections.”

  “W… what are you going to do?”

  “We are designed with flaps under our arms that allow us to be evaluated and receive medications and treatments. You don’t have the same structure, but I discovered you are equipped with a similar route that runs most of the length of your body. It won’t affect your legs, but I am mainly concerned with your organs being exposed to the chemical and its absorption into your bloodstream.”

  “Huh?”

  “There is a term… Let me look… oh yes! It is similar to what the manuals describe as an enema.”

  “No fucking way, dude!”

  “I don’t understand your reaction. Mind your language…”

  “Those things are nasty and… Ugh. No!” Skylar vehemently protested.

  “Skylar,” Tralec said patiently. “I can offer you a choice. I can flush this detoxifying chemical through your body and clear you of the remnants of anything that is interfering with you being able to function fully. It will also speed your recovery. Your other option is injecting you with the sedative, wait until you fall asleep, and do the same thing.”

  “You are not touching me with that nasty needle again,” Skylar yelled.

  “Shhh, use your inside voice, please,” Tralec winced. “Did I use that expression correctly?”

  “Yeah,” Skylar moped, wishing that she had never downloaded her favorite books that were now becoming the source of her discomfort. If Tralec did not have them to refer to, then she would be calling the shots and directing him more in her favor.

  “Until we can find a syringe that permits the injection that is more human appropriate, I have little choice. What do you wish to do?” Tralec asked patiently.

  “Neither.”

  “Your only other option is to suffer with the pain. Think about it and advise me of your decision when I return.”

  Skylar flipped over on the air shelf and buried her face in her arms. The initial injection of Cyphlon had cleared her of the pain associated with the newly regenerated broken arm and progressed with healing damaged internal organs and her concussion. Tralec repeatedly told her that the superficial injuries to her muscles and contusion would take a little longer to resolve. She longed for sleep, but the pain inhibited her from resting for more than an hour or two at a time. The idea of using the sleeping gas was heavenly, but she suspected that Tralec was right in that she needed to be cleansed of the toxins that she had obtained out of stupidity. There was no mistaking the expression of disapproval when she admitted her old habit to him. Her heart stirred. She did not want him to disapprove of her! But why?

  Pheromones. It had to be those damn alien pheromones! But how could they make her desire more than his body and want his acceptance and approval as well? This entire miraculous experience was quite the dream come true, but she wanted the miracle to occur according to her terms. Not theirs. She was so confused.

  “Tralec?” she called softly. He did not answer. Skylar frowned, knowing that his hearing was ultra-sensitive and that he was just outside the partition. “Daddy?” she tried.

  “Yes, honey?” Tralec responded immediately.

  Skylar sighed. He was determined to teach her to refer to him with the affectionate term of endearment. “Can I have some hot tea?”

  “You may have some warm milk. The manuals say that is better for you.”

  “I don’t like milk.”

  “That does not concern me. I will be back in a moment. Troy? Did you complete entering the items into the system?” Skylar listened to the two conversing in the other room.

  “Yes. How is our girl?” Troy asked.

  “She is very, very stubborn. She refuses to allow me to detoxify her system. She stated she had recently indulged in non-medical drug use for recreation,” Tralec said, preparing a container of milk after referring to the manual on the procedure. “Do you think we should get her a bottle for her liquids? The manual…”

  “Wait a moment. Since when do you permit her to have a choice?” Troy interrupted.

  Tralec shrugged. “She is sentient. She deserves the chance to learn to make good decisions.”

  “The manuals indicate that these littles, as they are referred, are not often given choices. I do not understand why you are being so permissive,” Troy added.

  “Whose side are you on anyway, asshole?” Skylar mumbled under her breath from the other room. Despite the pounding of her head, she had strained to hear their conversation and did not like the direction it was taking.

  “Did you say something, darling?” Troy asked, sticking his head in the room.

  “No,” Skylar growled, silently damning him for his hearing.

  “Good, because I was concerned you referred to me as an asshole. You already got swatted once today for using that term to describe Tralec,” he reminded her.

  Skylar clamped her mouth shut, knowing she was busted again. “I wouldn’t do that. It isn’t polite.”

  “Nor would you dare lie to us, either. I am certain Papa informed you of our society’s prohibition against fibbing. There now, that’s our good girl,” Tralec said calmly, handing her the beverage. “I warmed it for you and added honey and butter. The manual stated that would help you sleep.”

  “Put some rum in it and I’ll sleep even better,” Skylar grumbled.

  Tralec ignored her. “We like it when you behave respectfully. Have you decided what you wanted to do about the detoxification process?”

  “No, sir,” Skylar forced out.

  “I will give you until the setting of Solaris to decide. That is in approximately one of your hours. At that time, I will choose for you.”

  “Why? This has nothing to do with you.”

  “Because I… we… don’t want you to have to suffer any more than you already have. We want you to have the opportunity to be healthy and happy. You deserve it, baby.”

  “How do you know? I mean,” Skylar picked her words carefully, “you don’t really know me. I could be as evil as Paul was.”

  “Neither of us believes that.”

  “You are idiots, then. You…” Her eyes darkened as she felt the surge of rebellion rise again.

  “Think before you say anything else, Skylar. I am learning to interpret your expressions and predict your reactions,” Troy warned, wagging a finger in her face. “Behave.”

  A solid minute ticked by. “Yes, sir,” Skylar pouted, her lower lip sticking out prettily.

  “Make her stop that, Tralec,” Troy said, rolling his eyes. “She is too adorable to stay angry with.”

  “Daddy? Milk isn’t any good without cookies. Could I have a couple, please?” Skylar said sweetly, blinking up at Tralec.

  “I’ll find them. Sit with her and don’t let our little girl out of your sight,” Troy said to Tralec while wagging a warning finger at Skylar again.

  “What did I do?” Skylar asked innocently.

  Tralec shook his head. “I don’t know, but I trust Troy’s instincts. If he thinks you are plotting something, I tend to believe him. Why are you so resistant to allowing us to take care of you? I don’t understand your reluctance.”

  “It’s not that I don’t like the idea of being taken care of,” Skylar admitted, tracing invisible patterns on the edge of the bunk with her finger as she sipped the milk. “I just don’t like being told that I have to do something. I mean, you are sort of giving me a choice about how I want you to fix me, but not that I will be fixed. It makes me feel powerless, and it scares me.”

&nbs
p; “I have been offering you choices, haven’t I?”

  “Some, but you are not giving me any choice on what is important. You know, about whether or not I want to stay with you.”

  “Tell me, Skylar,” Tralec leaned back to look at her, “if you found an injured animal on the road, would you just patch it up as best as you can and then put it back in the wilderness?”

  “No, of course not. But an animal…”

  “Has better instincts to survive in the wild than a human does. You have no natural, physical defenses to protect you from the elements, to help you hunt and prepare food, or to care for your needs. Putting a weak animal back into its habitat before it has regained full strength is sentencing it to death. You would not do that with an animal, so why would you expect us to do that with you?”

  “I’m not an animal.”

  “No. You have even less of a chance to survive. If you had a choice about joining us, what would it be?”

  “I don’t know. You guys are right about me not having anything here to hold on to. But at the same time, once you take me away, I will never have the chance to just come back. It’s so permanent.”

  “What if we promise to take you back here should you be unhappy with us?”

  “How do I know you are telling me the truth? How do I know you really come from a perfectly behaved world and not from a planet that breeds humans as pets?”

  “You don’t know,” Tralec answered thoughtfully. “You only know what we claim is our way of life, and that includes truthfulness in all matters. You do understand that it would be irresponsible of us to abandon you to this world. There is something that triggers our need to protect you, and neither of us is able to resist that need.”

  “Why me? Of all the billions of people on Earth, why did you pick me? I’m nothing. A waste of human flesh,” Skylar said, reaching for his hand.

  Tralec engulfed her tiny palm in his and studied her fingers. “There is nothing wasted with you, Skylar. I wish I could explain why we must care for you. Perhaps it is because you are the first human we have ever had contact with, and you were injured. We saved your life and held you to our bodies. Our people are very social. So much that to be alone means we die. When we share a heartbeat with someone compatible, the rhythms match one another. Your heartbeat blends perfectly with ours.”