One World

Part 22

The silver-haired Ardanian stared at the test results for the umpteenth time and still couldn't believe it. He wondered if Gabriel had suspected something, or if it would be as much of a shock to him as it had been to Rag'ell.

The Supreme and his squadron had landed at the nearby base where all this had begun. He was now sitting at his desk in the same room as a few days ago, and just like the first time, his thoughts were occupied with the dark-haired rebel.

This time, however, he wasn't watching footage from the prisoner's room on the holographic screen, looking up information about human habits, or wondering what it would be like to kiss his prisoner.

He had already discovered not only how pleasurable it was to taste Gabriel's lips, but also how wonderful it was to touch his naked body when he was trembling with desire.

Shaking his head to banish the memory, he glanced back at the genetic test results. He switched on the communicator on his wrist and gave instructions to the computer assistant:

"Get me a list of all Ardanians who have participated in research missions on the planet S3PL8 in the past."

"Of course, here is the list you requested," the computer assistant said in a male voice.

About sixty names appeared before him on the holographic display. Rag'ell scanned them carefully, some he didn't recognise at all, others looked familiar.

"Compare their genetic profiles with the PA5601 sample."

"I can't execute. You must first submit a request for access to the Ardanian Central Database. Should I send the request?"

"Proceed."

"The connection to Ardana will take between 80 and 190 time units, depending on..."

"Let me know as soon as you receive the results," with that Rag'ell turned off the holographic screen and got up from the table.

Gabriel, come on, contact me, he repeated to himself as he paced impatiently around the small room.

It had been almost three days since their prisoner had escaped, three whole Earth days since he had last spoken to him. Long enough for the rebel leader to receive his message, long enough for him to respond. 

But it hadn't happened yet.

If Gabriel didn't respond to the message, he would send a unit of his soldiers to track him down. He refused to accept that he would never see him again.

He missed his soft voice, pronouncing the Ardanian words with a perfect accent, his wild temper, his beautiful blue eyes full of fire. And he missed his cheeky mouth, which could talk back to the Supreme, but at the same time, whenever it touched Rag'ell's, it awakened all those forbidden desires in the reserved Ardanian.

The communicator beeped quietly to announce the incoming message. He blinked at the display and his heart leapt with joy.

Gabriel agreed to meet.

~~~

The meeting place chosen by the rebel leader was on the outskirts of the ruined city, near the Ardanian underground base. Maw-ghet strongly objected to the Supreme going there alone.

Eventually it was agreed that the commander and a group of his best soldiers would monitor the situation from a distance, but first they had used their scanners to check for enemy movement in the area. Rag'ell, however, trusted that Gabriel would indeed come alone as promised.

It was getting dark, but even the approaching night couldn't hide the destruction left in the wake of one of Earth's greatest cities. The ruins of the skyscrapers against the grey sky were depressing, and the damaged bridges with wrecked cars only added to the apocalypse. Major roads lay in ruins and human dwellings were reduced to ash and dust.