Playing God(136)

“Request completed,” said the room voice, although the screen was still blank. “Audio only available.”

Arron's heart rose into his throat. “This is Scholar Arron to the city-ship Ur. I am seeking Dayisen Rual Lareet and Dayisen Rual Umat. Can they be found to speak with me?”

He strained his ears for some reply out of the dark screen. Instead, he heard the door swish open at his back.

“What are you doing!” shouted Lynn.

“Room voice, close connection.” Arron turned around to face her. Her bandages were gone, but the new skin shone a little too pink and a little too fresh, giving her a strangely patchwork appearance. “I'm trying to talk to my sisters…” he began calmly.

“Your sisters!” Rage distorted her face.

Lynn, what's happened to you? “Dayisen Lareet and Dayisen Umat. They've hosted me for my entire time here, and I've always thought of them as my sisters.”

Lynn ran her hand across the stubble on her scalp. “Did you ever ask them what they thought?”

He felt real anger flash through him. “If I didn't, I was just imitating you.”

Lynn's face flushed scarlet. She took one step toward him.

At that moment, the room voice cut through the air. “Dr. Nussbaumer, an urgent call from Praeis Shin t'Theria waiting for you.”

Lynn closed her mouth so hard, Arron heard her teeth click together. “We aren't finished,” she said as she faced the comm station. It was only when she turned her back that Arron realized he had no idea what she was doing here, or how she got in. She must have had the call thread to the Ur spliced. Was she looking for anyone calling the Ur, or just him? He couldn't be sure. For all he could tell, she had forgotten his existence.

“Activate the station. I'm here, Praeis.” She did not sit down, she just folded her arms across her chest.

Watching over her shoulder, Arron saw the screen flicker to life. There was Praeis Shin front and center, but Praeis was wearing a filter mask over her nose and mouth. A thick rubber suit covered her torso. He peered past her at the shadowy background and realized with a start she must be at his old outpost, talking on the last remaining comm station.

“Lynn. Thank you for taking this. I can't stay where I am for long. It's not exactly secure here.” The filter mask muffled Praeis's voice, but Arron could still hear the strain in it. Her ears were tilted back and quivering with stress. “It's the only station I could get to. Lynn, what's going on? I appreciate your people are keeping us safe, but we're being fed some story about accidents and pollution congealers.”

Lynn's color had dropped somewhere close to normal. “Praeis, I swear, it's true. It was an accident,” she said without any hesitation. Arron felt his stomach clench. How could you do this? Lynn, do you even know what you're doing? “The bioengineers have been storing their gunk up all over the planet waiting for the time to let it loose. We didn't know—”

“You didn't know we'd go to war,” Praeis finished for her. “Of course not. You thought you had us all managed, didn't you?” She waggled her ears to say she was teasing, but there was an edge to her voice that grated across the back of Arron's mind. “I've been called back to t'Aori to explain the situation to the Queens.”

“I can send you down maps and diagrams of the other caches,” said Lynn, as if only anxious to be helpful. “Or you can have them call up here anytime.”

“Thank you.” Praeis dipped her ears. “But I can handle this much.”

“Have I ever doubted how much you can handle, Praeis?” Lynn's voice softened, and even Arron was ready to swear she meant it.

There was a pause, and Arron saw Lynn's pleasant smile flicker. “Of course not,” said Praeis. “I've got to go before I breathe in too much poison.”

“Call up, soon, Praeis. Let me know how you and Theia are doing.”

“I will.” Praeis cut the connection.

Before the screen had completely blanked, Lynn turned back to Arron. He stared at her. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't help it. His hands had gone cold. Who was this woman? This was not Lynn. It couldn't be.

He gestured weakly toward the comm station. “I cannot believe you did that.”

She rubbed her eyes with her fingertips. “Look, Arron, I do not want to argue about this. I'm…”

He took two steps toward her. He was too close for Human politeness, but he didn't care. She did not step back. “You're sitting up here deciding the fate of the Dedelphi. You're planning out their every move and correcting them when they go wrong. Why don't you just get yourself a throne and a beard, declare yourself God, and finish it!”