Chapter 22

"Shit," said Emmy, blinking in the darkness. Her fingertips were still poised over the keyboard. She thought she'd entered the commands Doug had given her correctly, but she wasn't a tech specialist. "What the hell did I just do?"

The hum of the power core had ceased, and the whispering air ducts were now still and stagnant, as if holding their breath in anticipation of something sinister. Chigs shuffled in the darkness behind her. "Don't panic. Maybe Doug needed the system to reboot."

As if the computer had heard him, a series of clicking sounds filled the room, and then a low vibration rolled under her feet. The power core returned to life with a dim glow, casting a pale greenish light around them, and her monitor flickered back on.

Relief flooded through her as a message from Doug blinked on the screen. Override successful. ETA one hour.

She exhaled in relief. "Looks like he's in."

"Good." Chigs remained focused on the exit. "Let's get back to where we saw that denaidan female and stop their experiment while there's still time."

Emmy's heart clenched, a familiar worry creeping into her thoughts. He'd assured her he loved her, but once he saw a denaidan woman up close, he might change his mind. She pushed the thought away. She'd deal with that later if she had to. Right now, they had someone to save.

"Right." She forced determination into her voice. "Let's go."

Chigs led the way back into the narrow hallway with purposeful strides, his pulse rifle at the ready. Emmy hurried after him, growing sicker with worry as they climbed the stairs and boarded the elevator.

She was staring at their distorted reflections in the metal doors when Chigs startled her from her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Reluctant to admit she had lingering doubts about what he'd told her earlier, she fidgeted for a moment before coming up with a response. "I was just thinking that I might need a weapon."

He immediately pulled his pulse pistol from its holster and handed it to her. "Uminaq. Of course. But if a firefight breaks out, stay behind me. My shield will cover us both."

Emmy accepted the cold weight of the weapon in one hand and took a fortifying breath. The notion they might get into a firefight chased away her romantic worries, and she nodded. This was life or death. She couldn't afford to be distracted by her own wallowing.

The elevator came to a stop, and the doors hissed open. Retracing their steps toward the window where they'd seen the denaidan, the soft echo of their footsteps reverberated off the cold metal walls. It took Emmy a few minutes to realize she no longer heard the murmur of voices or clatter of equipment.

She was about to say something when they reached the observation window where they'd spotted the denaidan woman. Through the glass, she saw that the room now held not one, but many denaidan women wearing what looked like pale blue pajamas sitting together at cafeteria-style tables. The exam table and medical equipment had been pushed to the far wall, and several open doorways provided glimpses of sleeping quarters, giving the impression that this was not a laboratory at all, but a communal living space akin to military barracks.

Emmy frowned, searching for doctors or guards, but saw none. The women moved freely about the room or sat at tables, engaging in quiet conversation or reading data pads. A pair of them played a game of cards. "What's going on?" she whispered. "Why aren't there any guards?"

Face still hidden by his helmet, Chigs muttered, "No idea. But we need to find out what's going on here. Let me go in and talk to them. You stay here and watch our backs."

Nerves jangling with suspicion, she placed her palm against the door control, half expecting it to refuse her access. It slid open with a quiet hiss.

In unison, the women turned to face them. Against their pale blue tunics, their skin glowed like burnished autumn leaves, and the serenity of their gazes reminded her of ancient mythological goddesses.

"By the stars…" Chigs murmured, stepping inside the doorway.

An ache twisted inside Emmy's chest. These women were gorgeous. If it wasn't for the mate bond Chigs had sworn his devotion by, she'd never have been able to compete.

Is the bond even real?She searched her heart for the thread of connection she'd felt during their lovemaking, but couldn't find it. She tried reminding herself that her own worry was probably getting in the way.

Chigs stepped closer to the nearest female. "We're here to free you," he said, his voice full of awe. "Come with us."

Jealousy flared through Emmy, followed by rage that made her fingers itch against the grip of the pistol. Yet as quickly as the feelings had risen, they subsided, replaced by a sudden numbness. She let the hand with the pistol fall slack against her thigh. Emotional overload. That must be it. The stress of all this was finally getting to her.

The woman Chigs had addressed stared at him, her eyes cold mirrors reflecting nothing back. "Who are you?"

Chigs removed his helmet, freeing his thick, dark hair and braided beard. "I'm denaidan like you. Here to help you escape."

"Why would we wish to escape?" The women all rose, shuffling to stand together in a group.

Chigs looked over his shoulder at Emmy with a frown. "Are they brainwashed?"

She took in the emotionless stares. Had Dafari's project actually worked? A twisted sense of pride drifted through her. Perhaps all the awful things she'd turned a blind eye to hadn't been in vain. She shook herself, shocked at her own thoughts. "It looks like their personalities may have been altered. The project was supposed to reduce violent tendencies in prisoners."

"How do we reverse it?" he asked.

"They'll need to be reconditioned." Emmy shook her head. "If that's even possible."

Chigs turned back to the women. "Listen to me. Syndicorp destroyed Denaida-daru and took you prisoner. You need to trust me." He moved forward with his hand outstretched in invitation, his voice a blend of command and compassion. "We're here to help you."

One woman stepped forward, placing two fingers against her temple. "We require no assistance." Several others mimicked her action.

The motion struck Emmy as odd, and she frowned. But then her mind settled on one certain thought. These women are content with their lives. She moved forward, circling the group so she could see those standing in back. "You want to stay here?"

"Yes." The woman's voice was passive, calming. A voice Emmy would've used to reassure an anxious client. "You should stay, too."

For some inexplicable reason, Emmy found the invitation tempting. She peered between the women toward Chigs. "We can't force them to leave."

Chigs's mouth dropped open in confusion. "What are you saying?"

"If they want to stay and help the project, that's their right."

Scowling, Chigs glared at the woman next to Emmy. Then his eyes widened as if in horror. He lunged forward. "Emmy, come here."

Sudden alarm filled her, and Emmy danced back a few steps, bumping into the table behind her. Why is he acting so strange? "Chigs, what's wrong with you?"

"You need to be inside my ionic shield. I need to protect you!" He shoved a woman out of the way, trying to get through.

Several women moved to create a barrier, blocking Emmy's view. But Emmy didn't feel threatened by them. Not by these women. Chigs, on the other hand, was acting a little bit unstable. Emmy glimpsed him bringing his rifle to bear on their group. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. Now let her go."

"Chigs, stop!" she cried, trying to push through.

The wall of women refused to budge. Another woman spoke from the crowd, her words soothing and sweet. "We must stay and complete the project. Would you like to help us?"

A sudden yearning filled Emmy for her younger days when her belief in Syndicorp had painted the galaxy in shades of hope. This project was intended to bring peace to the entire universe. Perhaps she'd been wrong to leave it all behind. The only real way to make a difference was here in the lab, not skulking about the galaxy with a ragtag bunch of criminals.

Chigs let out a roar, and Emmy saw one female go flying across the room as three more closed in on either side of her. "Emmy, you have to resist! They're manipulating your mind."

Behind him, the door hissed open, admitting a denaidan woman dressed in a Syndicorp doctor's uniform. She held a data pad and a pair of electronic restraint cuffs. The women surrounding Emmy straightened to attention, their expressions immediately deferential. Four more women held Chigs face down against the floor.

"Dr. Dollard," one of them said. "We have secured the intruders as instructed."

"Take that one to the brig," the newcomer commanded, holding out the cuffs. Then her gaze lasered in on Emmy. "Leave this one to me."

Emmy's conviction wavered as the women holding Chigs bound his hands behind his back with surprising ease. I need to protect him. But though her heart raced with the need to act, her body refused to respond to her commands.

The women dragged Chigs from the room, his protests fading to silence as the door slid closed.

The denaidan they'd called Dr. Dollard offered Emmy a hand. "Dr. Voss, I presume? I don't believe we've met. I'm Dr. Dollard."

Emmy frowned. Dollard was supposed to be human and male.

She isn't our enemy. The thought fell over her thoughts like a down blanket. There was something comforting about the doctor's presence, something that made Emmy doubt the chaos that had just unfolded moments ago. Emmy's racing heart calmed. Taking the offered hand, she said, "A pleasure to meet you, doctor. What are you going to do with Chigs?"

A smirk twisted the doctor's perfect copper lips. "He's going to become an important part of our project. Just like you are."

"Me?" Emmy struggled to understand what was happening. Her mate bond with Chigs, her allegiance to the rebels, and her loyalty to Syndicorp all vied for dominance. But her doubts were being slowly smothered by whispered thoughts of reassurance and promise.

"Of course, my dear." The doctor guided her to a seat. "We're delighted you've decided to return to work."

The remaining denaidan women had returned to their previous activities, reading and chatting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As Emmy looked them over, the calm within her settled, as if a fog had lifted in her mind, revealing clarity she hadn't experienced in ages. The persistent ache of guilt and self-doubt melted away, replaced by a serene certainty that this was where she belonged. This was where she could truly make a difference.

Emmy smiled at the doctor. "Thank you, Dr Dollard. I'm really happy to be back."