Of Blood and Angels: The Two Moons of Rehnor, #3

Chapter 1

Shelly

THEY WERE ARGUING AND I could hear it because the door to his office was cracked open a bit.

You had the opportunity to get out of it, she said.  Don't tell me that you don't want it when it's clearly not true.

What I want is irrelevant, he replied distractedly.  It is what I need to do.

Why? she demanded.  Who said so?

God.

God?

God.

What, like you actually spoke to Him or something?  Maybe he texted you or left you a voicemail and said, ‘Hey Senya, you need to do this.’

More or less.

More or less? she shrieked.  You're crazy.

Katie, he sighed.  I'm busy.  I'll see you at home tonight.

I thought we were going to have lunch together.  I heard a paper sack rustle.  Forget it, she snapped.  I'll eat my tuna sandwich by myself.  You can just go order out for Fois Gras and caviar or whatever in the hell Crown Princes are supposed to eat.

You are very clever, he replied.  Give me my lunch.  I want a tuna fish sandwich too.

No, I'm not clever, she cried.  I'm very stupid.  I believed you when you said you weren't going to have to deal with this now and besides that I made you egg salad.

Katie.  He sounded annoyed.  I have three surgeries starting at 6 AM tomorrow which I have not even reviewed yet.  We have a new product release that is scheduled to ship on Friday to more than ten thousand customers that has not been certified for OR use because of a software error.  On Monday, I am supposed to be in Talas III to make a presentation on neural synapse repair to the Intergalactic Conference of Neuro Surgeons and I have not given a thought to what I will say.  I have a meeting the day after in Altaris VI, where we are going to explore purchasing a 500 unit hospital chain, and then the day after I am to go to New Mishnah for a board meeting.  Just because, on occasion, I take a call from Lord Dickon or Loman asking my opinion or advice on a matter, it does not mean that I am dealing with Rehnor now.  Please do not start this harping at me.

Harping?

Yes, harping.  He laughed a little.  Can we just discuss this later?  Please?

When later?  After you purchase another fourteen trillion Mishnese dollars to prop up their economy some more?

Katie, I will speak with you on this another time.  You will leave now.  Ah!  Leave me the egg salad sandwich.

Yes Sir!  Yes, Your Majesty, Crown Prince Dude, Duke of Everything and all the ships at sea.  You have ordered an egg salad sandwich and here it is in this solid gold lunch bag before you.  You are the boss man, your word is law, and if I don’t like it, well I can just plan on getting my head split by a piece of that window or something.

Kari-fa! he said under his breath.  Are you purposely trying to piss me off?

No, not me, Sir, she replied.  I'm only here to provide your noon entertainment.

Silence.

Noon entertainment, eh?  You are indeed very entertaining."

What do you think you're doing?  I thought you wanted me to leave.  You're too busy, remember?  Board meetings, product releases, hospitals to buy and people’s heads to cut open?

Mhm.  I can spare ten minutes.

A throaty laugh from Katie.

The door clicked shut.

I laughed.  Ah, to be young and in love again.  Katie had been here on Rozari for several months now and as far as I could tell they were doing fine.  The both of them positively glowed when they were together.  Only a few weeks ago, Katie had thrown a big barbeque party at their villa and the grandkids finally got to swim at their beach.  Katie was due to go back to space in another week though and Ron wasn’t the only one who was going to miss her tremendously.  She had been working as an adjunct in my husband Tim’s office and he was enjoying her assistance.  Nearly every day he came home and raved about what an excellent officer she was.

Katie came out of Ron’s office about fifteen minutes later.  Her face was red and her hair was a tangled mess of blonde curls.  Her uniform was a little askew.  I smiled at my vid and tried not look at her.

I am so going to get kicked out of Spaceforce, she said, straightening her uniform.

If you go out looking like that you certainly will, I replied and pulled my hand mirror out of my purse.  Why don't you fix your hair before going back to base?

Thanks, Shelly.  She blushed furiously and twisted her curls back into a Spaceforce regulation bun.  Rehnor is nothing but Planet Podunk, right?  It’s about as strategic as Monaco.  Furthermore, he's got Rozarian citizenship.  I'm not doing anything wrong.  I wasn’t sure if she was asking or telling me.

As long as he's not doing anything wrong, you're not, I said. 

But all the same, we're not going to tell Admiral Tim, right?

I'm not telling him, I scoffed.  I'm in as deep as you are.  Thad and me both.

She nodded and then came around the desk to hug me.

Thanks, Shelly.  Will you write to me while I'm back in space?  Tell me everything that's going on here?

Of course I will, honey.  I hugged her back.  And don't worry, you'll be back home in no time.  Your contract will fly by.

I know, she nodded, and Senya's coming to space in a few weeks too.  I got him a family pass to come aboard the ship whenever he can.

I used to get that too.  The boys and I would go aboard for a month at a time to live with Tim.  Both Larry and Thad hated being in space.  I guess that's why neither one joined Spaceforce.

She smiled.  We’ll be dark for a little while though.  If something happens...

Nothing will happen, I said confidently.  He’s a big boy.  I used to hate when Tim went into the dark but I didn’t tell her that.  The families at home were forced to endure months of communications blackout, never knowing if your loved one in space was alive or swallowed by a black hole.  I guess it worked both ways, those in Spaceforce worrying about their families back home as much as we worried about them.  Are there a lot of kids on board now? I asked cheerfully.

Yes, she replied.  A kindergarten full of them.  All the restaurants even have kid's menus.  Of course, they all have to go home when we go dark.

I glanced at her as she stared off into space wondering if it was even possible for them to have one of their own.

Anyway, she said, grabbing her handbag and heading to the door.  Write to me every day and especially let me know how he's doing.  She pointed at the inner office.

I will, I promised. 

Katie turned to head out but abruptly stopped.  Shelly? she said, coming back to my desk.  Have you seen all those little cuts on his arms?

I shook my head.  Rarely did I see him without a lab coat or one of his nice long sleeve dress shirts.  What cuts?

Just little ones, she said, running her finger along her own arm.  There's the big one.  That was from when we went to Karupatani but now there's a whole bunch of little ones.

It can't be drugs, I insisted.

No, she replied adamantly.  Drugs are pinpricks.  I know he's not doing that now.  These are cuts.

Did you ask?

Sure and he replied, it's complicated.

I rolled my eyes.  Did you expect another answer?

No, she laughed.  But if you find out anything...

You'll be the first to know, I said and turned to answer the ringing vid.

Chapter 2

Katie

MAYBE I SHOULDN'T GO back to space, I said.  We were in the kitchen and I was making his favorite dinner which was a dozen eggs cooked as runny as possible.  I think he would actually have preferred them raw, shell and all but I insisted they be cooked.  I could continue working for Admiral Tim.

You need to go back.  We have already discussed this.  It is your dream to be a Starship Captain.  You are not going to give up your career for me.  You must do this while you can.

Yes, but I'm very happy here.  I'll miss you.

It is only for six months.  I will come visit you often.  May I have more, please?  He held out his plate.

What about your cholesterol?  Or is that not an issue when you have cool powers and stuff?

Not an issue for me, he replied, so I filled up his plate again.

What is your dream, Senya? I asked, placing his dinner down in front of him.  To be King?

You should know by now that is my nightmare, he scoffed.  Not my dream.

So what is your dream then?  I made him some more toast.

He sat pensively for a moment.  My dream was always to live in a house.

Live in a house?  Like this one?

No.  A small house would have been fine.  All I have ever wanted was a little house with a little wife who would cook me dinner and match my socks and find me ties to go with my shirts and yell at me when I leave my clothes on the floor and who would let me make love to her all night long.

Really?  Then you must be a very happy man now.  I sat down on his lap and let the toast harden in the toaster.

I am happy now.  He wrapped his arms around me.  I have never known this.

This?  I kissed his closed eyelids where the skin was so soft.  Happiness?

Ay yah.  Happiness.  This is a very good thing.

I shouldn't go back to space.  I don't care what I said before.  I want to be with you.

Ach, he sighed.  Go back to space.  I will be right here when you come home.

It sounds like you're trying to get rid of me, I teased.  Have you got something more important that you need to be doing and you want me out of the house?

Actually, yes.

What?

Come, he said and taking my hand, he led me out into the garden.  I will show you how Takira-hahr and Kalika-hahr have been reclaimed while the rest of the planet is still dust.

How?  I followed him through the garden, past my scraggly collection of rose bushes and behind the gazebo to an area that I was going to use for fruit trees.  At this point, I was still working the dry, unfertile dirt.  I had wanted to get some compost from the home store next to the Fashion Mall but I hadn't had a chance yet.  I figured I'd get back to it when I came home from my tour.

What do you want here? he asked, stopping in front of my empty plot.

I was going to put in some soft fruit trees here.  I was thinking maybe an apricot or peach.  Perhaps some citrus trees like oranges, lemons, or grapefruit.

What do you want right here?  He pointed at the ground next to his foot.

I don't care, I shrugged.  What do you want?

Do you want a lemon tree?

That's fine.  I'd like an Improved Meyer Lemon actually.

Improved Meyer Lemon?

I'll pick up one when I get back.

No.  He shook his head and repeated.  Improved Meyer Lemon.  He took off the bandage that was covering the long cut on his right wrist and picked at the scab.

What the hell are you doing? I cried.

Improved Meyer Lemon tree, he said again, making the cut weep.  A drop of his blood fell on the dirt.  He replaced the bandage.  Then, he held out his hands and magically, they pooled with water.  He released the water on to the dirt in the same place.  I stared at the wet red dirt and waited for something to happen.

The Karupatani continent here was decimated, he said, almost reverently.  "The ecosystem is dead.  I need to bring it back.  Once I do, once it begins to rain over there on its own, the whole planet will be restored.

How are you going to bring it back? I asked, still watching the dirt.

In my blood, my plasma, there are proteins that are...not common.

Not common?

Well more than that.  These proteins are what... he paused.

What make you different? I offered, looking up at him.

There it is.

There what is?

Your Improved Meyer Lemon tree, he said and knelt down to cradle a tiny sprout rising out of the dirt.  It grew as I watched it, first a seedling, then two small leaves and then two more.

Holy moley! I gasped and turned to stare at him.  You did that?

I did all of this, he waved his hand at our garden, the lawn, and the forests surrounding us with towering firs.  I did this in Kalika-hahr and now I am doing this in Karupatani which is why I have cuts on my arms.

For a moment, I was speechless.

I don’t always go around breaking things and killing people.  Sometimes, I can even create things and heal people.  He smiled and took my hand.  Come on.  He led me back to the gazebo.  I have a little problem though.

I shook my head.  A little problem?  Your blood creates life and you have a little problem.

As I use the proteins I make more.  And, as I make more, I need to get rid of them otherwise they will continue to build up and then possibly...usually...if I lose control...they sort of erupt and I will have a seizure and then...

Then what?

Things happen.

You have a seizure and things happen? I squeaked.

Mhm, he nodded.  So, what I need to do is get the proteins out before that happens.  Bleed them away.  I can feel them building up again now so while you are in space, I will be spending a great deal of time in Karupatani...seeding.

Seeding, I repeated and collapsed on the swing chair, sending it wildly into motion.  Seeding?

Sort of, he shrugged.

And you’re going to be doing this in between all your meetings and speeches and surgeries?

He shrugged again.  It doesn’t take me long.  I only have so much blood.

Right, I nodded.  And how do you feel them building up?

He sat down beside me and lit a cigarette.  It is almost like having high blood pressure.  I get headaches, migraines and...and there is a constant noise.  I hear everything, every thought.  I have to be very careful that my own thoughts do not materialize.

And when you bleed it out, you feel better?

Ay yah.  He blew a puff of grey smoke into the air.  Much better for a while, until it builds up again.

What chapter was this in your user's manual? I sighed.

This was in one of those appendices.  He took a long drag on his cig.  The one right after the chapter entitled, How Sehron Controls the Weather and Other Planetary Functions.

You have got to be kidding me.

He just smiled.

Hi Katie, it's Gina, the woman said.  I didn’t recognize her.

Hi?

Listen, Berkan is coming in town for meetings with Thad and he's bringing his wife, Luci.  We're going to go out to the Cowboy Corral for drinks and dinner, maybe someplace else for dancing and dessert later.  You guys want to come?

Um...Gina?  I'm going back to space.  By this time, I had figured out Gina was Thad's wife.

I heard that but Thad said you weren't going until Monday.  You want to come out with us on Saturday?  Come on!  It'll be fun!

Fun?  Thad was a fun guy.  Berkan was okay.  Gina, I had met once and didn't say anything beyond hello, despite her casually greeting me as if we were old friends.  I had never even heard of Luci.  I wondered if Senya would like to do this.  We had never gone out with anyone before.  Actually, we never went anywhere.  He wasn’t kidding when he said all he ever dreamed of was a house and wife.  He had no interest in films, dancing, music or restaurants.  He liked to come home from work, eat dinner and go back to work in his home office.  The only diversions from work that he ever took were to spend time with me and to listen to a football game. 

I would have liked to go out with friends.  It would be fun to eat at a restaurant and get drinks and maybe go dancing.  I had missed socializing even though mostly I was tired from working all day at the Landbase and being up half the night as a newlywed.

Okay, I agreed.  What time on Saturday?

After I hung up on Gina, I went to find Senya in his office.  The room was completely dark even though he was at his desk typing away on his netbook.  The light from his screen reflected in his glasses and I could see Rozarian words scrolling across his lenses.  I turned on the light.  His desk was covered with scale models of some equipment and there were drawings that had been discarded on the floor.  There was also a brain in a jar on the corner of his desk.  As I moved closer, I saw that the brain was in several pieces.

That is so gross, I said and tried not to look at it.

He waved his hand distractedly and the jar flew past me and into a cabinet.  Before the cabinet doors slammed shut, I saw other jars lined up in there.

Your spare parts?

No.

How would you like...

No, he repeated.  I do not want to go to dinner with Thad and Berkan and their wives."

Can you at least give me a half a second to ask the entire question before you answer?  And why not?  It sounds like fun.

No. He spun around in his chair and grabbed another glass jar on the credenza behind him.  Inside it was a long red and blue worm looking thing.  I am busy now.

I can see that, I mumbled as a surgical tray now soared across the room, landing in front of me.  He pulled a pair of tongs and a scalpel out of his desk.  Taking the tray, the thing, the instruments and one of the devices from his desktop, he got up and went into the adjoining room which was set up as a lab.

What are you doing? I stood at the door, not sure if I wanted to follow.

This spinal implant device is not working correctly, he snapped, holding up the device.  And those bleeding idiots who are each earning six figure salaries from me to develop these things cannot determine what is wrong.  He reached in the jar with the tongs and pulled out the worm thing, slapping it down in the tray and then shoving the device into it.  I watched data start to stream across one of the overhead vids because watching what he was doing to the worm thing with his scalpel and the device was making me ill. 

So about dinner, Thad and Berkan are your best friends.  Why can't we go out with them?

I do not like Gina or Luci.

I will talk to Gina and Luci.  That’s my job.  You don't have to say a word to either of them.

I like to eat at home.

But that's no fun, I protested.  We never go out anywhere.

You are going away and you will not cook for me for six months.

What if I made a bunch of stuff for you and put it in the freezer?  Come on, Senya. I want to go out with friends for once.

Ah!  There it is!  He held up the scalpel and then rattled off a bunch of numbers and things which the vid displayed.  Always, it is in the software.  Tossing everything aside and then washing up at the sink, he came back into his office, sat down at his netbook and started typing away again. 

I'm going to give you a haircut before we go out to dinner.  I stood behind him and finger combed his hair, pulling it into a pony tail.  It's getting too long.

"Lucky