Chapter Two

Cass stood in line with the other passengers and walked to one of the immigration offices when called.

Medics were waiting, and while one did a sweep with their scanners, blood was extracted by the other. The immigration officer sat, and when the medics left, he verified her name and designation.

“Miner Cassandra, why did you choose Joraniec as your new home?”

“I know folks who began their bond here. It will relax me to be close to them.”

The immigration officer paused. “You don’t want to live with them?”

“No. I am no longer used to close contact with my own people. The time after the asteroid destroyed my enjoyment of my own kind.” She had never had any, but explaining it would be difficult.

“Why should you be allowed on our world? What do you give to us that is needed?”

She blinked. “I bring peace, I bring calm, and I bring wealth. I wish to learn how nature works here. How it moves and breathes. When I have integrated myself, I will do no harm.”

“And before then?”

“I will minimize the harm I can do to and stay away from habitation.”

A beep on his terminal made his eyes widen. “Miner Cassandra, we are going to take you into holding until we can get you off-world.”

“May I have use of a tablet to sell my existing property?”

“Yes. Do you wish to notify any of your acquaintances that you are here? They may visit you before you are deported.”

“No, thank you. It is best they don’t know I am here. Just the tablet.”

That was it. Her entry into her new life was rejected, and she had to plan all over again. She would just have to start again.

* * * *

Yasku waited in his lounge for the Terran to emerge from immigration, and when she didn’t, he turned to his assistant. “Check on her.”

“Who, Overseer?”

“The Terran. Cassandra. She is a khimerion miner.”

There was a pause, and his assistant said, “She has been denied immigration and is being held for deportation. They are transporting her now.”

Yasku got to his feet and said, “Where is she?”

“Still in the office. They are waiting for transport officers.”

Yasku left his lounge and walked with long strides to the immigration side of the space port. Locals and new arrivals alike got out of his way. There were few creatures who would get in the way of an irritated Hmrain, and there was no doubt he was irritated.

The doors opened at his approach, and his little Terran was sitting perfectly still, only turning her head toward him when the door opened.

The officer said, “Overseer! This is an honour.”

“Cassandra, come with me. I am taking you to your new home.”

“Overseer. I have been denied immigration even though I was pre-cleared. I will leave, and I won’t kick up a fuss.”

He snorted. “Don’t be stupid. Come on, drinking buddy. I am taking you home. Record my override, officer. I will take it up with the council at a later date. For now, she has not had a proper home for over half a decade. I am vouching for her.”

The drive to protect her was strange. Normally, he didn’t feel anything for the citizens he purchased for his world, but she was different. She reminded him of himself before he had been woken to his need to take care of the citizens on his worlds. She acted like a newly created Hmrain, and that woke a different instinct in him. He needed to see what she would become.

“Cassandra, come with me.”

“I have been deported. I cannot leave the facility and progress to the planet.”

Yasku smiled. He took a tablet off the petrified officer’s desk and tapped on it with his claws. “This is my world. All on it are subject to my rule, and I was not consulted on this, so I am setting aside this officer’s decision and reading your file, which has a ban requested from your family. They do not want you here.”

She sighed. “I know. It is why I didn’t want there to be contact between us.” She didn’t look sad, just resigned.

“Well, I want you here, and you have just been given full clearance, right, officer?”

“Yes, Overseer Yasku. She is free to leave and enjoy her life here.”

“Good. Cassandra, please come with me.”

She silently rose to her feet with her bag over her shoulder.

He held the door for her and escorted her past the checkpoints and out to the front entryway, where both high-tech conveyances were available and something a bit more basic. She gasped, and he chuckled. “That is how we are getting to our respective homes, but we will ride double for now if that is acceptable.”

“Yes. I need to learn how they move.”

“Good. There are loops in the strap there for you to climb. Haul yourself up, and stow your bag.”

She nodded, carefully pulled herself up on the leather, and settled on the saddle. It was interesting looking at the world from ten feet up, but six spindly legs made excellent stilts. The thought that she was about to enjoy the trip made him smile as he flared his wings into a jump and settled behind her.

“Are you settled?”

“Yes.”

“I will need to hold onto your waist with one arm on the saddle for security. Are you all right with this?”

She nodded. “It isn’t a problem.”

He felt a rush on his skin as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He gripped the reins and flexed his legs. Their steed shot forward, and he heard a sound he had not thought to hear from her this soon. Cassandra was giggling.

* * * *

The relief of tension was secondary only to the feel of the muscles bunching and releasing under her. These beasts were fast. She closed her eyes to feel the rush of wind on her and started giggling. The sound surprised her, but she felt happy. She felt the freedom she remembered from riding horses and tending her cattle and hens. By herself, she would have been able to survive until the signal came, but with her family arriving, she had to destroy the things that kept her stable to get them all through. When they started killing her animals to have fresh and not cured food, she began hunting just to get away from them and their needs.

Now, she was on the same world, but that is where it ended. She had her own home, and she was not going to contact them.

Overseer Yasku seemed nice, and he seemed to accept with grace that she was a null. His hand on her was secure but not grabby. As they galloped along through the outskirts of the city and far beyond, she focused on the green and lush landscapes and farms around the perimeter, and then, they were dashing through the woods.

She giggled intermittently as bubbles of joy rose in her bloodstream. She was off her dying world, and she was free. It was a very good day.

“I would like you to stay at my home tonight, just until you learn what foods are edible and which may be toxic to you.” He murmured it into her ear as they continued at an amazing pace through the woods toward a huge building in the distance.

“I researched the plants and animals. I can consume most of them in one way or another.”

“I have dispatched my security to make sure your home is unoccupied. Have lunch with me, and I will walk you over to your home afterward.”

“Thank you? Why are you taking an interest in me?”

“You are the most energetic null I have ever met. That energy indicates that you are reaching for something. I would like to see what happens when you find it.”

“I have always been like this.”

“Yes, but not all species complete maturation when their bodies do. I am guessing you are one of them.”

“I am Terran.”

“Simply because they found you there? I am going to have a complete analysis to find your identity. My guess is that you are part something else.” Yasku murmured, “You are a puzzle I want to solve.”

She nodded. She could understand that. They slowed, and the beast walked calmly to a set of stone steps where a line of servants was waiting to greet the overseer.

He tightened his grip on her waist and flapped, pulling her off the beast and settling lightly on the ground. A young male took the beast and immediately removed the saddle. He folded the leather up, and the beast shook itself and then ran off.

“Wait. Does that come when you call?”

Yasku nodded. “I will just have to teach you how to do it.”

She was still held in his arms, and he walked forward to the staff. “Veel, this is Cassandra, a newcomer and welcome visitor. Cassandra, this is my housekeeper, Veel. She has been with me since she was a kit.”

Cassandra cleared her throat. “Overseer Yasku?”

“Yes, Cassandra?”

“Please set me on my feet so I might make a formal greeting. Holding me like a doll is not appropriate.”

He chuckled. “Ah, yes. You are so light it slipped my mind.”

“I have standard density for my species.”

He set her down. “I do not doubt it.”

Veel was listening to them and had a smile on her silvery-grey face. “Miss. Welcome to your new world.”

“Thank you, Housekeeper Veel. You are very kind. Also, you can address me as Miner. That is my job title.”

“Are you mining here?”

“No, but it is all I know. Here I am retiring. I plan simply to live.”

The housekeeper smiled. “Come to me for anything you need. If you are a welcome visitor, there is no time or place that you cannot enter this house.”

“Okay.” She folded her hands flat to her abdomen and bowed formally.

Veel smiled and responded, “Welcome, little one. Master Yasku, food has been prepared, and Kiddel is ready to give you a rundown of what has happened in your absence.”

“Good. This is her first meal on our world, so please explain the dishes as they are delivered.”

She was escorted to a dining room, where a table that had settings at either end was waiting.

“Veel, have another setting put at my left hand.”

“Of course, Master Yasku.” Veel moved on silent feet to the kitchen, and a maid brought in the plate and utensils.

The overseer escorted Cassandra to the seat that was being appointed, and she looked at the condiments. “I don’t know what those are.”

“I will explain.” He reached out and tapped the containers. “Spicy, sweet, sticky if sticky is a flavour, and bitter. This is the salt; this is the enhancer.”

“Do you mind if I explore?”

“Not at all.”

A new being with vivid purple skin came in and had a seat at the table. “Overseer.”

“Kiddel. This is my new acquaintance, Cassandra.”

Cassandra stood, put one hand to her ribs and bowed. “Kiddel, pleasant meeting.”

She sat back down.

Kiddel nodded. “Education station. You are a Terran.”

“Yes.”

“Companion class?”

She laughed. “No. I am a null.”

Kiddel looked wary. “A null? Overseer. They are unpredictable.”

“No, Kiddel, they are very predictable. They act only in their own interest or the interest of those they deem worthy. Everyone else can burn.” The overseer smiled. “That is the code of my people. We act, and we guide, and we guard because we have been programmed to, nothing else.”

Kiddel blinked. “Right. I had forgotten that.”

Yasku nodded. “Most do. They see us as protective and benevolent, not that we were designed for brutal defense against our own kind.”

Cassandra smiled. “Me, too.”

Yasku reached out and stroked her hair. “I know, kit.”

She looked at the warmth in his expression and then looked at Kiddel. Understanding was dawning in his pale blue gaze.

Kiddel swallowed. “Well, Overseer, while you were gone, we had forty-two more bonded pairs with differing homeworlds at the gatherings. Seventeen more blended children have been born with two of them having all four of your target species. They do look very much like you, Master Yasku, aside from the wings. No wings have occurred yet.” Kiddel chuckled.

Food began to arrive, and Cassandra examined the plates with interest. Yasku beckoned to Kiddel and said, “Bring your setting down here. You can help Cassandra figure out what she likes.”

Kiddel blinked and shrugged, picking up his plate and bringing it to Yasku’s right side.

Cassandra watched Yasku serve himself, and then, she gestured to Kiddel. “Please go ahead and eat. I don’t know how to consume any of this to the best advantage.”

“Ah, I understand. My people, the Briktrari, favour heat and sour.”

“Then, I will watch how you eat and add spicy sweet.”

Kiddel nodded and served himself from the plates with several colours of food on them. She didn’t like the mixed food but had been eating rations for years. The difference would be good for her.

She tried all six dishes in small amounts and then avoided the ones that were mushy or prickly. She added the sticky, the sweet, and the spicy. Her second plate was far better than the first.

She set the eating sticks down when she was done, and Kiddel and Yasku kept going until the plates were empty.

When she was sitting calmly, she listened to the discussion of crops, exports, and citizens in some kind of lockup. New mineral deposits had been discovered by forager groups, and the hybrid babies were all healthy and developing normally.

Cassandra asked, “How do you know?”

Kiddel looked at her. “What?”

“How do you know what is normal? Do you draw an average of bio signs? Can you tell by the height?”

Yasku grinned. “I will explain to you the markers that we are looking for.” He paused. “Another day.”

She nodded. “Shall I leave?”

“No. I still want to send some of my men over to make sure that your home is ready for you.”

Veel stepped away from the wall where she had been posted. “I can send a cleaning team to the house to make sure it is ready for your... acquaintance.”

Yasku nodded. “Please get everyone underway.”

Cassandra frowned. “What will I do for the rest of the day?”

Yasku chuckled. “I will take you on a tour of my home and explain some of the edible plants in the garden.”

“Do you have animals on the property?”

“I do.”

“Can I meet them, too?”

“I can introduce you to the species, yes.”

“May we do that, Overseer Yasku?”

“Yes, kit, we may. Kiddel, I will be on the property for the rest of the day.”

Kiddel nodded. “Yes, Master Yasku.”

Yasku got to his feet and held his hand out to her. “Come along, kit.”

Cassandra stood and took his hand. “Why are you calling me that?”

“Because you haven’t finished developing yet. Kits are allowed to ask questions endlessly, so it is best for you to be a kit right now.”

Cassandra looked at his amused and tolerant expression. She shrugged. “As long as I get to meet the creatures, you can call me anything you want.”

He inclined his head. “Noted.”