hallucinate.”
Only Mitch and now Sabine were aware of Lara seeing and speaking to Rafael in the wormhole. Mitch—and probably the doctors too if she told them—believed she’d imagined Rafael, but she trusted her instincts. She’d spoken to her brother. Rafael had been real.
Mitch, however, would soon himself become less substantial than a ghost. He’d consented to an exam too and, since she was captain of the Gryphon, the doctors had released his results to her. They[0] revealed that the man had less than a week’s time left on Creed.
They had to act fast. And they had to stop arguing. Time was now counting down for both Mitch and Rafael. After all, no one knew what ill effects her brother could currently be experiencing. Chimerans could exist in either the Creed or Terran dimensions, but in some other dimension, Rafael could be facing the same fate as Mitch.
The collar of Lara’s formal uniform itched and she clenched a fist to avoid snapping the flap open. Mitch chuckled at some joke and Lara let herself drink in the sight while she could without him knowing. The dark uniform played up straight black hair that framed an angled jaw. Would his skin still warm to her touch?
Lara stopped the runaway train of her thoughts and set her glass down on a passing tray. For a little while their relationship had been wonderful. If only they could have lived in a bubble, untainted by outside forces. If only they’d been from the same world.
Enough of this.
“Cam, I’m getting out of here. If anyone asks—”
“If anyone asks—” her XO continued scanning the room, but her lips lifted in a smirk, “—you’re reviewing ship diagnostic logs from the wormhole. You’re a very busy girl.”
Lara suppressed an all-out grin with a look at her boots. “You deserve a raise, Cam.”
“I’ll settle for my own ship.”
Lara popped open her collar and headed for the door. Freedom lay just a few quick steps down the gangway to Nessa proper.
The lock of tension in her chest that had taken hold since talking to Rafael eased with each step closer to outside. She needed to get out of this place, get back to the ship. Find Rafael. All this talk was such a waste of time.
“Lara.”
She stopped, closed her eyes. Her mother’s voice.
Lara plastered a smile on her face and turned around. Sabine stood next to a man two heads taller with gray marking his temples. Creed’s defense minister, Aber Kade. Freedom would have to wait.
“A word, please, Captain, before you depart.” Sabine’s clear voice filled the space between them. Her bright eyes were accentuated by a light blue tunic and the aquamarine necklace of office draped over her narrow shoulders.
“Of course.”
They moved in closer and Sabine’s gaze scanned the room until they settled on Mitch. “Is there any way you might be able to convince Commodore Yoshida to reveal the last known coordinates of the Interlace? ”
“He’ll have to tell me eventually.” Lara reined in her tapping foot. “Commodore Yoshida knows he can only hold back that information temporarily. Not if he wants to actually take the Gryphon there.”
Sabine pressed a hand on Lara’s arm. “Why do you think he’s holding back now? We want to send in our own search party.”
“I really want to know what Rafael’s mission was in the first place. And get my hands on those logs.”
Sabine quirked an eyebrow. “He usually can’t tell us anything about his missions.”
Lara dropped her voice. “Exactly, but Mitch knows. I’m sure of it.” She glanced at Kade and wondered if he, like the doctors, thought she’d begun to lose her mind because she insisted she’d seen Rafael. None of it mattered though, since they had no authority over her. She could, and would, speak her mind. “What we Chimerans experienced in the wormhole was not a mass hallucination. I alone encountered a very different situation. As I’ve told my mother, I’ve spoken to Rafael and I trust him. Wherever
Only Mitch and now Sabine were aware of Lara seeing and speaking to Rafael in the wormhole. Mitch—and probably the doctors too if she told them—believed she’d imagined Rafael, but she trusted her instincts. She’d spoken to her brother. Rafael had been real.
Mitch, however, would soon himself become less substantial than a ghost. He’d consented to an exam too and, since she was captain of the Gryphon, the doctors had released his results to her. They[0] revealed that the man had less than a week’s time left on Creed.
They had to act fast. And they had to stop arguing. Time was now counting down for both Mitch and Rafael. After all, no one knew what ill effects her brother could currently be experiencing. Chimerans could exist in either the Creed or Terran dimensions, but in some other dimension, Rafael could be facing the same fate as Mitch.
The collar of Lara’s formal uniform itched and she clenched a fist to avoid snapping the flap open. Mitch chuckled at some joke and Lara let herself drink in the sight while she could without him knowing. The dark uniform played up straight black hair that framed an angled jaw. Would his skin still warm to her touch?
Lara stopped the runaway train of her thoughts and set her glass down on a passing tray. For a little while their relationship had been wonderful. If only they could have lived in a bubble, untainted by outside forces. If only they’d been from the same world.
Enough of this.
“Cam, I’m getting out of here. If anyone asks—”
“If anyone asks—” her XO continued scanning the room, but her lips lifted in a smirk, “—you’re reviewing ship diagnostic logs from the wormhole. You’re a very busy girl.”
Lara suppressed an all-out grin with a look at her boots. “You deserve a raise, Cam.”
“I’ll settle for my own ship.”
Lara popped open her collar and headed for the door. Freedom lay just a few quick steps down the gangway to Nessa proper.
The lock of tension in her chest that had taken hold since talking to Rafael eased with each step closer to outside. She needed to get out of this place, get back to the ship. Find Rafael. All this talk was such a waste of time.
“Lara.”
She stopped, closed her eyes. Her mother’s voice.
Lara plastered a smile on her face and turned around. Sabine stood next to a man two heads taller with gray marking his temples. Creed’s defense minister, Aber Kade. Freedom would have to wait.
“A word, please, Captain, before you depart.” Sabine’s clear voice filled the space between them. Her bright eyes were accentuated by a light blue tunic and the aquamarine necklace of office draped over her narrow shoulders.
“Of course.”
They moved in closer and Sabine’s gaze scanned the room until they settled on Mitch. “Is there any way you might be able to convince Commodore Yoshida to reveal the last known coordinates of the Interlace? ”
“He’ll have to tell me eventually.” Lara reined in her tapping foot. “Commodore Yoshida knows he can only hold back that information temporarily. Not if he wants to actually take the Gryphon there.”
Sabine pressed a hand on Lara’s arm. “Why do you think he’s holding back now? We want to send in our own search party.”
“I really want to know what Rafael’s mission was in the first place. And get my hands on those logs.”
Sabine quirked an eyebrow. “He usually can’t tell us anything about his missions.”
Lara dropped her voice. “Exactly, but Mitch knows. I’m sure of it.” She glanced at Kade and wondered if he, like the doctors, thought she’d begun to lose her mind because she insisted she’d seen Rafael. None of it mattered though, since they had no authority over her. She could, and would, speak her mind. “What we Chimerans experienced in the wormhole was not a mass hallucination. I alone encountered a very different situation. As I’ve told my mother, I’ve spoken to Rafael and I trust him. Wherever
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