Eye of the Gazelle by Marcia Tucker

Author:Marcia Tucker [Tucker, Marcia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: alternate universes, Science Fiction, space travel, space fleet, alien species, Space Opera, artificial intelligence
ISBN: 9781734672824
Publisher: Mosaic Circle Press
Published: 2020-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

18: merge5

Aboard the Elektra, Vekta ordered the autochef to provide them with glasses of freiascha as Stander and the twins joined him in the starcraft's little lounge. “I can feel your questions,” he said wryly, as they sat one of the tables. When the autochef port at the table beeped, he set glasses of the pale, pink-orange juice in front of each of them.

Cory ignored the juice as the others sipped. “How did you get to Xost Universe?” she asked bluntly, staring at her father. “Are you going to answer questions now, Bapa?”

Vekta took a deep breath. “Only if I have your assurance to tell no one,” he murmured.

“Who is there to tell? The Xandee?” Story muttered. “Really, we were wondering if we were going to have to start calling Stander 'Bapa' and when he would start classes with us to continue our schooling.”

“Since we're stuck here forever. Or are we?” Cory added, pouting.

Stander only blinked at the twins' insolence. “It's understandable... but I want to know just as much,” he menttransed to the other man.

Vekta glanced away, thinking before he responded. “They've been too sheltered. The twins haven't been around me when I've been working as a Starguard, which I'm essentially doing now. FGS certainly wouldn't notice a difference.”

He took another deep breath. “Are you going to promise or not?” He narrowed his eyes at the twins slightly, an expression he knew they'd recognize only too well.

Cory flounced once in her chair, but glanced at Stander, then at her father. “Fine. I promise.” She swallowed carefully, and glanced at her twin.

Story looked back at her, then at the two adults. “Something happened to you, Bapa... didn't it? I promise not to tell.”

“I may have to take their knowledge of this away from them,” Vekta shared with Stander reluctantly. “They're barely into their own powers.” He nodded to them slowly. “I was taken to a planet in a star cluster in a distant universe by an entity. Not that Polluxanvega, nor even remotely related to it. There this entity offered to develop powers she said I possessed but were latent. She calls them the Attitudes of Consciousness. I agreed because of my need to survive and because it was clear that these powers will be useful. I... didn't realize the full extent of the Attitudes when I agreed.” He paused, his glance sliding away from them.

“You were then able to view what was happening here across the universes... and you autoported here when you could,” Stander stated, awed. It took his full Tryker control to remain calm. “Is autoporting now limitless for you? And perception? What you can do now!”

“Yes,” Vekta affirmed simply.

The twins were already up and bouncing around. “Our Bapa is fantastic!” Cory crowed, waving her arms happily. “He can go and thrash that Slimy now! Whoooo!”

Story beamed, bouncing on qer toes, as usual a little more restrained. “So we can all go home right this minute, right? And you can restore Prater, can't you?”

Vekta sucked in his breath at that unwelcome reminder of the cybernism's demise.

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