Kinesis by Irene Wendy Wode

Author:Irene Wendy Wode [Wode, Irene Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-binary, Pansexual, Science Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Less Than Three Press, LLC
Published: 2018-09-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

"Waverly," said Toto, early the next morning, "there's a guy in the lobby claiming to be an alien."

Waverly's eyebrows popped up. "Coincidence?" he asked.

"He's got some interesting tech on him, if so."

"Huh." Waverly turned to his screen, flicking the surveillance footage up.

The man on the screen wore armor in blue-scaled leather, and a crown that appeared to be made of teeth. The fangs of something significantly larger than he was, which was saying something. He had a mane of wavy red-brown hair that looked like it was glinting purple in the light.

Waverly got the impression of a primal force. Not wild—on the contrary, everything about him was orderly—but it was the order of a place that was emphatically Not Here.

He looked down at Caroline, who was minding the desk again, with an expression that said she was an unpleasant but otherwise insignificant obstacle. Caroline, who didn't intimidate easily with some of the most powerful people in the world, seemed at a loss when confronted with him.

"I'm sorry, I don't…" she said, responding to what must have been a demand.

"He will wish to speak to me." There was no doubt in the man's tone.

Caroline hesitated. "If this ends up being some kind of LARP thing, or a dare, he won't be happy."

Waverly turned to look at Okka—and only then realized xe was behind xir desk, almost but not quite managing to huddle out of sight.

"You don't want that guy to know you're here, do you?" Waverly asked.

Okka looked at the screen and then away. "… Not especially," xe said. "Though I don't know that it will make a difference."

"I can send him away," Waverly said. "Stall him, if you need time." To get away, he didn't say.

Xe shook xir head. "I don't know. I don't know why he's here. I don't know what he wants."

"Is he who you're running from?" Waverly asked.

"I'll put it this way," Okka said. "He's not the one my nightmares are about."

Waverly nodded tightly. "You're explaining that when I get back." He gestured to Toto, and the phone on Caroline's desk rang. The relief on her face was visible when she saw that it was his office on the ID.

"What is it, Mr. Kemp?" she asked.

"It's all right, Caroline, send him up. Floor twenty-one."

"Yes, sir." The footage blinked out as she put down the phone.

"What do you need me to do?" Waverly asked, looking closely at Okka for clues about how this needed handling.

Okka mostly looked pale. "He won't leave until he speaks to you. You can give him whatever he wants, unless it's me. Then… send him away, if you can."

Waverly nodded seriously, and left, hating every step he had to take away from Okka, who was terrified, and who had dangerous secrets that needed to be told.

He met this self-identified alien in the lobby of the Legal department's floor. Anyone who came through there was someone Waverly paid for their discretion. But it gave Okka some space, some distance from whoever this guy was to xem.

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