Chapter Six

H arwin stretched and saw the blinking light hidden in a gemstone in the wall. She showered and then let the bots dress her. She was used to the pounds of gold that Ra put on her. It didn’t feel as heavy as it had been.

She walked down to where the team was still working to catalogue the artifacts Ra had given them for their collection. Ra was next to the professor, and he smiled. “Looking lovely, my queen.”

“Thank you, Overlord Ra.” She inclined her head, and he walked over to crown her as he did every day.

“We are expecting guests, but raiders are chasing them, so I will have to leave you alone for a time.”

“I can come with you.”

“No. You will remain on the ground with the team.”

“Yes, Overlord. I will not allow any unauthorized vessels into the area.”

He sighed. “Stay here and be safe.”

“No, but I will stand outside and defend my home. I know the configuration of the raider ships, so I won’t take others down.”

“Good. It is the experiments arriving today. They will stay here until the city completes its supply protocols.”

“Right. When are the others arriving?”

“They are entering the atmosphere.”

Harwin sighed and grabbed a human ration bar from the supply bins that the team had. They didn’t sit great in her stomach anymore, but it was better than nothing.

He tutted. “You can stay inside and be safe.”

“Nope. I am watching them come. They are mine, and I invited them here. I will not be the kind of person who cowers inside.” She mumbled it around the ration bar. A bot brought her water.

Ra bent to kiss her and then nodded. “Fine. You cannot leave the entry walkway.”

“Yes, Overlord.”

He chuckled and offered his hand. They walked out into the sun together where he kissed her and then stepped back and launched skyward.

She watched the golden gleam of him, only slightly trying to look up his wrap as he gained altitude. The sparkle of the incoming shuttle made her smile, and he shot right past it. So, that was not the target. The gleam of five other vessels came toward the shuttle, and a sudden explosion struck, and there were four.

The debris rained on the sand.

The shuttle cruised in for a landing, and Harwin kept a watch on the sky. She tapped the side of her crown and said softly, “Shuttle, please remain in place with defensives active.”

“ Who is speaking? ”

“Harwin, Queen of Aten and consort of Ra.”

“ Yes, Your Majesty .”

“Thank you, pilot.”

She kept her gaze skyward, and only when one of the attack vessels slipped through that she got to use her favourite trick. She opened her arms, lined up with the vessel, raised her arms so that it looked like she would clasp the vessel, lowered her aim, and clapped.

She sent a psychic blade through the air and then waited. When the ship sheared in two and dropped to the ground, she stopped the blade. “Oh, that was fun.”

She turned, and there were now two vessels left. She swung wide to catch the one closest to her and not in the line of fire. Another clap and a blade shot forward, splitting the ship in two and sending it sliding into the sand. The pilot had dodged the split, so she grinned and used the same move on him. He fell into two parts, leaving the icky blue staining the sand.

The last vessel was out of the sky, and Ra was returning. She tapped the temple piece of the crown and said, “Pilot, it is safe for your passengers to emerge.”

Ra streaked toward her and landed next to her, not even breathing rapidly. “Harwin, are you all right?”

“I am fine.”

“That is an interesting trick.”

She smiled, looked at him, and slowly rose until they were at eye level. “I was just a little weak. For some reason, I am quite a bit stronger now.”

His stellar eyes gleamed. “You can fly?”

“Short hops for now. The psychic blade is my favourite achievement.”

“It is effective.”

“I think so. Glad I can use it again.”

He caressed her cheek. “Your first humans are here. You should greet them.”

She looked past him at the thirty women in baggy boiler-style suits. They looked weak and unwell, though some of that stemmed from them not being standard human colours anymore. A rainbow of hues walked toward her with human features. A few were multicoloured, and Harwin recognized a few of the patterns. “They were blending them.”

“Correct.”

“Oh, damn.” Harwin walked forward, and only when she was within fifteen feet that something else struck her. She switched to English and said, “Hello, and welcome to Aten. The Hmrain Ra is overlord here, and I am Harwin, Queen of Aten and survivor of Earth.”

The women blinked, and a dark blue woman said, “Earth? You are human?”

“As much as you are, and for much the same reason. My alteration came along with a badly programmed healing unit set for another species, and yours came in a lab to see what humans can easily blend with.”

The blue woman nodded. “Several of us had past head trauma, and that categorized us as unsuitable for some of the more challenging positions, so the education station rounded us up and dumped us into the research arm of the station. That is where we have been until you offered for us.”

“You are welcome. Aten is honoured to stand in as your home until you decide if you want the settlement to be permanent or just a place to get back on your feet so that you can choose where you live for the rest of your life. If you want to settle down here, you are welcome to.”

The women relaxed.

“Now, come inside, and we will get you settled. You are going to be staying here until provisions and dispensers are fully set up in the city. There was a certain urgency to transporting you as you can appreciate.”

She turned and saw gold. “Oh, and this is Overlord Ra. He owns this system, and yes, the architecture here is familiar for a reason.”

Ra wrapped his arms around her and then shifted his grip and lifted her for a kiss. When they parted, he smiled. “They need time in the regeneration units. Some of them have conflicting genetics in action and need that smoothed out.”

“Can you tell me which ones?”

“Why don’t you ask them?”

“Why don’t you put me down?” She poked a finger to his chest.

He laughed. “They will have to get used to this.” He settled her on her feet.

She snorted and turned to the ladies. “Which ones of you feel like shit?”

Seven hands went up.

“Overlord, how many restoration units do you have?”

“Twenty.”

“All powered up?”

“Correct.”

“Where are they?”

“Level five.”

She looked at them. “Everyone, follow me. If there is anyone who is feeling poorly and can’t work the stairs, sing out. I will carry you.”

The dark blue woman smiled and said, “I will bring up the rear.”

The women chuckled, and Harwin began to walk into the temple. “This is an archaeology team, and they are investigating the past and just asking Ra directly, frankly. Team, these are the first citizens of Aten.”

The professor jumped up. “Your species has an array of shades.”

“Not normally. At home, we can range from pale cream to blue-black but all just with the same naturally occurring pigment.”

“What about the metallic in your skin?” Sossos asked.

She looked at him and shook her head. “That is due to Ra, and you know it.”

He grinned. “I may have suspected. The confirmation will go into the archives.”

“What archives?”

“You are the first and only queen of Aten. You have already made history, Queen Harwin.”

She paused and smiled. “Thanks, Sossos. We have to get to level five. See you later.”

She led her parade down to the tech levels. “Those who feel worst go first. Trust me, the units are going to be set for humans.”

The women chuckled, and the exhausted ones stripped and settled next to the units. Harwin programmed the unit, got the bots to confirm it, and the first woman closed her eyes as light sedation kicked in.

The life signs were strong, and Harwin smiled. “She’s good. Next?”

The next woman was already naked, and Harwin lifted her to settle her pale pink body into the unit. The voice was a thready whisper as she said, “Thanks for being nice, Your Majesty. We were terrified you wouldn’t be nice.”

“Well, I just got laid, so I am in a good mood.”

The pink woman laughed in surprise as she settled in. Harwin set up her unit and checked the diagnostics, wincing. The number that was scrolling up was forty-one.

One of the others asked, “What does that mean?”

Harwin watched the bots confirm her process, and the woman relaxed as the machine did what it was supposed to.

“The number? That is how many days she will be in until her restoration is complete.”

“Forty-one? The standard repair units don’t take that long.”

“I was put into one of these units, and I came out without fighting for balance, wrestling with headaches, or battling my impulses. It is a gentle repair, fixing as the machine progresses.”

“It’s safe?”

“It’s safe.” Harwin smiled. “Ra wasn’t going to risk losing a handmaid. He was delighted when he got a consort out of it.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Aftercare.” Harwin chuckled. “Next?”

The ladies went into the tubes one by one until there were ten of the strongest ones left.

Harwin looked at the others. “Well, I guess lunch and a change of clothing, as well as a tour of your private quarters, are in order. Bots, lead the way, please.”

The bots flew slowly, and Harwin followed them.

The blue woman asked, “Is that heavy?”

“Yeah, about ten pounds of metal and gems, but Ra insists, so I wear it. I dream of a sweatsuit, though.”

“Wow. So, your last name is Harwin?”

“My only name is Harwin. If history remembers that, then I have done what I can for my family.”

Blue nodded. “I get it. I am Ariadne. Most in my group call me Addy, but I was referred to as subject thirty-nine.”

“But, there are only thirty of you.”

“It was a particularly brutal project. I am amazed that so many of us made it. Thank you for bringing us here. We have a much better chance on an empty world.”

“Well, it isn’t empty now, Addy.”

She laughed. “I guess not. Do you know the species we were infected with?”

“Not until you are in the unit. Ra might know, but we will chat with him over dinner. Probably. For now, snacks.”

She brought them to a room on the main floor with a food unit. She dialled in the food for eleven and then looked at them. “It will take ten minutes. Your rooms are this way.”

A woman in a swirl of purple and green smiled. “Chances of a shower?”

“This way. Well, the bots think this is where your rooms are.”

She showed them to a hall that she didn’t remember. The rooms were huge, and a digital wall looked like a window. Harwin said, “It is also a computer screen.”

There was a wardrobe with tunics, belts, and sandals inside. Addy walked forward. “My room for now. I am dying to get out of this suit. They had to scramble to find stuff to put on us. They didn’t bother with clothing for the experiments.”

“Ouch. Well, I will show the others their rooms, and everyone can change and wash up for lunch.” Harwin grinned.

The other women were excited, and five minutes later, they were all changing and washing up. Harwin returned to the dining area and began taking the completed items from the dispenser and carrying them to the long table.

Ra walked in and smiled. “Would you like help?”

“Sure.” She expected him to send in the bots, but he stacked the platters on his arms and helped her load the table.

The ladies started to walk in in their long tunics and froze as they saw Ra carrying pitchers of water and juice to the table. They tried to bow, but he wasn’t looking. He set everything down on the set table, and then, Harwin was pulled into his arms for a cuddle.

He was warm and solid and caressed her back. “I am enjoying this informality, but I think it will only extend to these ladies. It will be exhausting being around others in this manner.”

Harwin laughed. “Few societies use the level of formality brought on by a captured population. The social classes blur and are on a ladder, not just absolutes.”

She pressed her palms to his chest.

Ra chuckled. “Your ladies are here. You know I still want to know how long you can fly.”

“I don’t really fly. I push myself up on a column of energy. It takes a lot.” She thought about it. “I guess I could use you as my anchor point. It would be a bit of a pull, but I think you can manage it.”

He grinned. “I look forward to it another day.”

“Will you join us for lunch?”

“No, Harwin, I will see you later. For now, be with your people.” He leaned down, and their kiss was sweet.

There was a soft laugh from behind her, and she smiled against his lips. “It must be funny to watch your wings counterbalance when you do that.”

He chuckled. “It must be. Have a nice time. Oh, there are three additional units down the hall from our quarters if these ladies want to finish up their blending.”

“I will offer it to them.”

“Have fun, my queen. I want to test your flying later today.”

“I thought you had a lot of patience.”

“You have the ability to fly with me on your own. That means you are more capable of defending yourself. I am sure the raider was terrified before you split him in half.”

Harwin snorted. “I am sure. Go and do whatever it is that you do.”

“I am finding more humans in Hmrain-guarded couples getting ready to have families. It is an interesting project.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Overlord.”

“No problem, my queen.” He stroked her cheek and left her with the ten other humans in more relaxed clothing.

She looked at them. “Is everyone comfortable?”

Addy smiled. “We are. Having clothing shaped for humans is great.”

The other ladies chuckled and nodded.

“Right, well, lunch is ready. Try what you like, and eat as much as you are able. We aren’t going to gym class after this, so you will be able to relax as much as you can.”

Addy blinked. “I think we have forgotten the concept. What was that about other units?”

“There are more restoration units. If you want, we can assess you and see who only needs a few hours or days of repair and the others who need a bit more. It will just make months of healing take place in days.”

A woman with orange waves on her skin said, “What is the mechanism?”

“Nanites for genetic bonding.”

Addy blinked. “You trust them?”

Harwin looked down at her body and then at the dark blue woman. “Yes, I do. I feel amazing, and now, my psychic blade is up and working again.”

The pale green woman said, “So, that was what we saw? You cut the ships in half?”

“Yes.” Harwin smiled. “I am going to eat. You can do what you like.”

She went to the table and settled down. Addy sat next to her, and the passing of plates began. It took five minutes, and everyone was eating while asking for clarification on what was on the plates. The speed of eating increased once everyone was comfortable with the food, and as Harwin looked around, she saw the ladies relaxing.

“So, how long were you in the lab?”

Addy sighed. “Six years. I was in the second pickup, insane injuries. They healed me enough to get me working and used me as a research subject to try to find out what the average potential for the incoming humans was. After they took samples of everything, they gave me a hefty injection and dropped me into a repair unit. When I came out of the unit, I was blue and really irritated.” She smiled, and it was a dark smile.

The purple and green woman grinned. “She tore the lab apart and several of the researchers.”

Addy chuckled. “Apparently, the Veskueth are rather brutal. It was a rookie mistake. They didn’t make it again. Any other species they blended resulted in a locked room when the hybrid emerged.”

The orange and ivory one smiled. “We gathered around the units and soothed the new arrivals. Some of us were given helpful skills that calmed the panic and pain. We became a sort of extended family. Like... cousins.”

The ladies laughed.

“Well, we have two days before the first of the others emerges, and we can do assessments of how long you guys will take to finish binding.”

Addy asked, “Why do you call it binding?”

“Because the genetic material is already in you, and your body and mind aren’t used to them, so the idea at this point, since extraction isn’t possible, is to help your brain create the pathways to deal with the new impulses and your body to control the power you have.”

Addy nodded. “It feels like there is something I am not quite getting. I am stronger, and my hands feel weird, but I can’t do anything with it.”

The ladies looked at Addy and said, “You go first.”

Harwin finished her meal and smiled. “I will be on standby.”

Addy looked at her plate. “Can I do this on a full stomach?”

“Absolutely.”

“Great. This food is amazing.”

They laughed, and Addy and the others ate until the feast for twenty had nothing left. Thank goodness they hadn’t prepared for eleven.

Harwin smiled. She had missed hosting. There was nothing like a dinner party.