Page 8 of Experimental Voyage
“You are perfect for our needs. There are fewhomo sapienswith a willingness to venture into space without conditioning, and those who do are victims of trafficking or kidnapping. We help them overcome their trauma, but we do not learn about the consequences of space without conditioning. I did not expect your natural xenodiversity rating, but I am sure you will be tested on the journey somehow—and we will be watching your reactions when that moment comes.”
“Where are we at now?” I asked.
“We are in orbit around your home world. Waldren suggested that we should make certain you can see the planet in her full glory before we depart. The mercy ship has long gone, but we have access to a ferry for supplies, and we have gone to the surface as needed.”
Huh. The surly Waldren had wanted me to be able to view my home before our departure? The unexpected gesture gave me pause, and I considered my initial impression of the man. Upon determining I would need to study the man and his cat further, I asked, “How long has it been?”
“You’ve been sleeping for three weeks,” he reported.
I appreciated the strange sense of balance the time offered. For three weeks after the crash, I had battled for my life, emerging deaf and without prospects. Three weeks to gain backmy hearing was a small price to pay. “Well, that’s going to involve rehab,” I muttered.
The Veloc hooted a laugh. “Less than you think. We made use of some new techniques to minimize the damage bedrest typically does. You should be stable on your feet without much work and ready for most activities within a week. You’ll be able to start walking as soon as I remove the catheter and bring you clothes, although I will help you dress. You may experience vertigo from your new ears. This is something we have little experience with, as most who gain these adaptations are not otherwise deafened. We did do what we could for your eardrums and inner ears, but I can’t promise if the evolvulite embedded within your brain will ever allow for you to hear as you once did. But before that, I have questions, and they will surely drive you mad by the time we finish.”
“Do your worst, Herserael. Anything to repay my debt to you and everyone who helped me.”
FOUR
“Are you a sorcerer?”
Herserael questionedeverything about my life, from my first memory to the moment of the crash. He evaluated my education with an intensity my professors would appreciate. Halfway into being grilled on the flora and fauna of Schwana Major, a scowling Waldren stepped into the room with Palta at his side. The cat abandoned him, jumped onto the bed, and flung herself across my legs, purring loud enough I questioned if I could talk over her. Rather than try, I began the serious business of petting the feline.
She kneaded at the bed, and her purring strengthened.
“You were supposed to update us three hours ago,” Waldren announced, engaging the Veloc in a glaring contest.
The Veloc flattened his crest and hissed at the human, his feathered tail fanning. “I have been busy questioning the patient.”
“About plants.”
“It is important to establish her recall, especially considering the damage done to her brain. A thorough exercise in recollection is vital in determining mental acuity.”
Waldren stepped into the room, and the Veloc swiped at the man with his claws. With a low chuckle, he sidestepped, twisted, took hold of the Veloc’s wrist, and somehow managed to floor the predator, dumping him into the hallway. “You could have taken the five minutes to give us an update, including her revival times and if there were any complications.”
I blinked, struggling to comprehend how a human, one the fraction of the size of the Veloc, had managed such a toss. “Are you a sorcerer?”
“Sorcerers aren’t real,” Waldren replied, raising a brow my way. “But I’m not a psychic nor do I possess psionic abilities. That is a self-defense move I was taught as soon as it became clear I would not be rescuing my sister from her Veloc tormenter.”
“Husband,” Herserael grumbled from the floor before picking himself up, fluffing his feathers, and huffing at Waldren. “Husband is not another word for tormentor or torturer. I assure you, your sister is cared for and beloved.”
According to Waldren’s grunt, he didn’t agree with the Veloc.
What had I gotten into? Perhaps without the fuzziness in my head, a side effect of the painkillers and remedies meant to keep my new ears and tail from itching, I might have been able to discern something about the situation. I scratched Palta behind her ears, which she seemed to appreciate. I held up my arm, displaying the removal of the catheter and the bandage covering the puncture wound. “I’ve been told once we finish testing my mental acuity, physical therapy will begin. Physical therapy also includes trauma therapy if seeing myself with Palta’s ears has consequences.” I shrugged. “There’s also the issue of adapting to my tail and determining if I have the ability to purr.”
“Purring is a priority for her,” Herserael stated, and he stepped back into the room. “But as you are here, her revival time was fifteen minutes, although she did not become active forquite some time after. She enjoyed the sound of the white noise generator, so I let her be while she adapted.”
“You should pet him, Waldren. He’s quite soft.”
“You pet him?” the man blurted, and his eyes widened.
“I even kept both hands. That’s how I’m inevitably going to meet my end. When I opened my eyes, his muzzle was right there. Whywouldn’tI pet him?”
“He is a sentient being,” Waldren replied in a dry tone. “That alone is reason not to pet him.”
“But he was in my space. If he hadn’t wanted to be petted, he wouldn’t have put his muzzleright there.” I used my left hand to demonstrate how close he’d been when I’d woken up.
Herserael whistled, his feathers settled, and he regarded Waldren with his head tilted to the side. “Before this turns into a misunderstanding, I needed to correct an issue with some of the hoses near the top of the bed, and that was the best place for me to get a view of the problem. I understood I ran a risk of being smacked by a flighty human. Her curiosity and general inclinations should make our xenodiversity tests rather… interesting.”
Waldren eyed me before focusing on the Veloc. “Xenodiversity is an individual trait. It is for her benefit should she prove resilient when introduced to new races. But this may change the scope of our research.”
