"It's time to stop," Sean declared firmly. "She has tried this for over a kasse with no results but her own exhaustion."
I wilted into the nearby seat. He was right. I was exhausted. KOTIS wanted to see if I could replicate what I had done with Fancy in the Pillar Space. A mixed panel of purple, green and grey-suit delegates watched as I held Fancy's hand and thought very hard about lifting the heavy white blocks in the testing room. It hadn't worked. I tried over and over again, even with other Setari. Nothing.
"Well, she must be failing on purpose," accused the green-suit with Isten Hendricks. I had been nervous since their arrival. I really did not like the way that green-suit looked at me. It reminded me too much of Rocky's leers. Sean, the only Fourth Squad member available this shift, had stayed close.
"Tsa McCoy, you only need look at the girl to see that isn't true," said the purple-suit. "I do wonder, though...You reported that you were able to tap into Tsen Taylor's pyrokinesis, and the Pillar Rescue was highly emotional. Is there some connection? Were you also under high emotional stress using Tsen Taylor's talent?"
I glanced over at Sean, but turned back to the panel. I shrugged and said, "I was upset earlier that kai, but not afraid when I went to see him in the tanz hangar."
The grey-suit, a woman I did not recognize, spoke up. "Perhaps it is not the emotion of stress that allowed Tsen Sorenson to tap into the other Setaris' talents."
The group turned their attention to her. She looked middle-aged with greying streaks in her tight hair bun, reminding me of a strict librarian from elementary school. She smoothed the front of her tunic and noted, "You have formed a connection with the members of Fourth Squad. We have not tested this skill today with any of those Setari. If you will try just once more. Ista Green, you have some telekinesis talent, correct?"
Sean blinked and replied, "It is weak, but yes."
"Then, Tsen Sorenson, please take Ista Green's hand and try just once more," she instructed smoothly.
"Are you up to this?" Sean asked as he offered his hand.
I really wanted to say 'no', but gave him a tired smile and nodded. He gave me a look like he didn't believe me, then squeezed my hand and helped me to stand. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the warmth of his palm against mine. I recalled the feel of his lips on mine earlier when he snuck a kiss in the hallway. I reached out for the connection, the growing bond I felt between us. Then I focused on the memory of what I felt in the Pillar Space and 'lift'.
Excited whispers from the others sent my eye lids fluttering up. All the white blocks in the room hovered about a meter above the floor. That was far more than Sean ever could have done on his own. He turned to me with a wide smile but sweat beading on his brow. He was feeling the strain of using that much energy, so I released his hand. The blocks dropped with a resounding thud, and so did Sean. I cried out and only partially caught him as he slumped over. The attending purple-suit rushed over. A wave of dizziness swept over me and I retreated to my seat.
We were both whisked back to Med Bay for rest and observation. Turns out Ista Green is the worst patient ever. He kept insisting he was fine and trying to do everything himself. Finally, Ista Phillips came and threatened once again to take his stripes away if he didn't settle down. Sean pouted but behaved after that.
When the medics had finished their tasked and left us alone, Sean shot me grin and said, "Well, Pookie, at least I convinced them to room us together."
I shook my head and replied, "I think they knew it was the only way they would get that IV in you."
He looked down at his arm and fingered the tubing. "I could have at least done this myself," he said. He looked back up at me and added, "It's one of the things we train all soldiers to do, both Setari and the blue-suit peacekeepers."
"I think the military from my country back on Earth does the same. For emergency blood transfusions, minus the nanocytes, of course," I said.
"Hmm, yes," he murmured, his gaze turning to that vacant look when Tarens are communicating through the Interface. He blinked and refocused after only a few den. "Listen to the this," he said and I was patched into a discussion. It was audio only so my field of vision remained in MedBay with Sean.
******
" ...and it if this immunity to aether could be found on Muina, then perhaps...well, she survived for an extended time despite the known concentration of Ionoth and the casualties of previous expeditions. There must be something more to this. What if resettlement is possible? Or at least extended investigations to find information on the Lantaren Pillar system. We are reaching critical population numbers and the Ionoth attacks in Taren Near-Space only get worse. We have to try," someone was saying, desperation lacing the words.
"Tsur Michaels, calm down. We all agree something has to be done. Perhaps a visit to Muina is in order," Tsur Buble's voice said.
"I recommend planning around the aether Moonfall," Tsur Michaels responded more calmly.
"Tsen Sorenson was very clear that the phenomenon occurred during the full moon. We can only authorize an expedition onto the planet's surface for a window of four kasse. It isn't safe otherwise," Tsur Buble said.
Another unknown voice chimed in next, "Which is why we believe it best that two Setari Squads accompany a contingent from the Science Division and Tsen Sorenson the kai before the full moon. They will survey the area and then return to orbit on the tanz until the next kai."
"That sounds reasonable as long as there are no attacks or equipment failure," someone else agreed.
I felt a slight leap in my heartbeat when I heard Tsee Blackbourne's voice saying, "Fourth Squad will be willing to go. Our talent set and history with Tsen Sorenson make us an ideal Squad for the mission."
Tsur Buble asked, "Do you have any recommendations for the other Squad who will go?"
"First Squad has the most experience with Muina expeditions, but we haven't worked with them since Tsen Sorenson's arrival. She has worked frequently with Second Squad," he replied.
"We will take that into consideration as we make final plans. Tsee Blackbourne, you are dismissed," one of the unfamiliar voices said.
*****
Sean dropped us out of the transmission, so I guessed that he was just streaming Tsee Blackbourne's link.
"So, we are going to Muina," I said.
"Sounds like it. How do you feel about that?" Sean asked.
Honestly, I didn't know. So I shrugged. Sean's head tilted, causing his blonde curls to bounce haphazardly around his face. His face was pensive.
"You have been through a lot of stressful changes since you came here. You can say 'no' to going on this trip or at least ask them to postpone it," he said.
Was he right? Could I really say 'no'? There was an urgency to finding a solution to the Pillars. I wasn't sure what I could really do. After all, I was barely surviving back in Muina before my rescue. Sean was right about going through a lot of change. My hand went to cover my eye. The strange new coloring a constant reminder that I would never be the same again. But that was good. I didn't ever want to return to my life before...hidden from the world, punished for random reasons, and so very alone. I glanced back up into his green eyes that had filled me with such joy when I first saw him back at Camp Sang. I didn't know what to say, so I just silently pleaded for him to somehow understand.
"Tell me how you feel," he whispered.
I blurted out, "I think I l... " I stopped myself and took a breath. His eyes went wide, waiting for me to finish. "I think I like you," I said quietly.
"Ha," he laughed. "I meant how you felt about the trip, but...you know what? I know I like you." He grinned widely.
I smiled back, but it drooped a bit when I thought, "What about the others?" I was glad the change was covered with a yawn.
"Alright, enough talk. Time to rest. You were already about to drop before using the telekinesis," Sean insisted.
"I am not the one who dropped though," I replied.
"Shush," he said, cheeks turning a bit pink. "Close your eyes before I come over there and.."
"And what?" I challenged.
He mumbled something, then said, "Just try to go to sleep before they sedate us."
I sighed, but turned over and tucked my chin under the covers. I lay for awhile, truly tired but unable to get comfortable. After several joden of twisting and adjusting, I heard Sean get up with a grunt.
He didn't say anything, just moved over to my bed and slid under the covers. I snuggled my back up against him and finally felt myself start to drift. He wrapped his arm around my middle and kissed the back of my head.