Aquarian Awakenings - A Collective Saga Sci-Fi Romance

Chapter 4

An insistent chime was sounding in Jon's head. It took a minute before it resolved itself into the ringing of his communicator. He sat up in bed, shook his head to get his eyes to focus, and glanced at the clock.

Nine a.m.

Who in the world could be disturbing him at this hour?

He wearily ran a hand through his hair before clicking the button. Stephen's face was there, fresh, alert, and a knowing grin spread across his face as he took in Jon's disheveled look.

"Officer living has made you soft," he teased. "Noon, on the Gumba plains, for some speed bike racing across the dunes? We should be done by then." His mouth tweaked. "And little chance of pink-haired vixens bothering us at those speeds."

Jon was instantly awake; he pushed off the covers. "Yes, absolutely."

"See you there," agreed Stephen, chuckling as his eyes moved to Jon's hair. And then he was gone.

It seemed as if the two hours eased by as molasses oozing down a gentle slope, and Jon swore his carpet was showing a ring from his feet's constant movement by the time noon finally wrapped its way around. He made his way to the teleporter room, gave the ID code of Stephen's phone, and the world shimmered out of view.

He blinked against the bright sunshine. He was standing in the shadow of a large bluff. A grouping of finely crafted elm chairs around a rock maple table had been arranged alongside a winding stream. A row of willows added a soft shhhh as their branches waved in the breeze.

Stephen was there at his side, and he raised a finger to his lips. Jon nodded, his eyes moving over the group.

Nicole was standing by the table with six Cybians, their pale grey skin shimmering in the sun, their luxurious caftans of embroidered aquamarine and amethyst flowing delicately in the breeze. They were offering her formal embraces. Jon's eyes moved outward from the group, and he saw the other members of the team stationed in a protective ring around the perimeter of the area. Each wore an emerald outfit, a melding of the Collective's uniform and a softer, flowing material.

An elderly Cybian spoke to Nicole with warmth. "You know we appreciate all you do, Nicole," he praised. "Although how you spend time with those disgusting Patars is simply beyond our comprehension. They are worse than slugs. At least a slug knows its place."

"I understand your view completely," assured Nicole, patting his arm. "The negotiations tomorrow will bring you exactly what you wish. I promise it."

"We have faith in you," intoned the Cybian. And then they shimmered and were gone.

Nicole rolled her shoulders, then turned and smiled up at Jon. "Good morning," she called out with a smile.

She looked even more radiant than she had at the game last night. Then she had been elegant and refined. Now she was dressed in a loose-flowing dress of sapphire, and her hair danced in the breeze. She held out a hand to him, and in a few short steps he had closed the distance between them to take it.

The group headed down to a dirt path that paralleled the stream. She looked up at him as they walked. "So, is this your first visit to Glandy?"

He grinned. "No, but not that I could see it the first time."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Some sort of a covert mission? And here I thought Glandy was known as a resort getaway."

He shook his head. "No, my parents came here on their honeymoon. My mother always teased me that I was conceived under the full moon."