Susan Kearney by The Ultimatum

Author:The Ultimatum [Ultimatum, The]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-07-03T01:19:01+00:00

Chapter 20

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Alara’s mind was spinning with Clarie’s statements and the ramifications when she found herself back in her body—on the bridge of the Verazen. Cyn was at her engineering station and ship’s power seemed fully restored. Vax was at the con.

Xander’s jaw dropped and she followed his stare to the navigation officer. “Shannon?”

“What happened?” Shannon frowned at him. “The last thing I remember was

I must have been out of my head with a fever because

I thought

I

died.”

“You were very sick.” Xander spoke calmly, as if they hadn’t just witnessed a marvel. “How do you feel now?”

“Well. But I’m

missing time.” Shannon’s brow furrowed and then she grinned. “I can’t recall everything.”

Stars! Shannon was alive. And she had some memories of her death. They’d buried her. But now she was floating at her station with a silly smile on her face as if she realized she’d been given a second chance.

By the stars. Had they all really gone to Lapau and Saj or had they had a joint hallucination?

Or had Clarie really brought them back in time and across half the Milky Way Galaxy to close a wormhole in one stunning display or power that had Alara so unbalanced she had to grab a console for support? She didn’t know whether or not to believe her eyes.

Shannon was alive.

“Captain.” Ranth the computer sounded almost as puzzled as Alara felt. “I’ve noted certain spatial irregularities. And I can’t account for the course correction, but we are headed for Earth.”

“Remain on course,” said Xander. He had recovered much faster than Alara. She doubted she could yet speak.

Stunned, she couldn’t wrap her mind around the puzzles. Had they ever left the ship or not? What in Dregan hell was the date? And if they’d gone back in time as Clarie had stated—why were all her memories intact? Why did she recall her cells adapting to Xander, but now knew that they were no longer connected in that way? Her physiology had gone backward, but her mind recalled every detail of the cell regeneration and the ensuing adaptation—which no longer existed. Nothing made sense.

But then when she considered that she’d left her body, astrally extended to the core of a planet, and met a Perceptive One who wanted them to close a wormhole to prevent the Zin from sending viruses into the Federation, even to herself, she sounded like a lunatic.

When she noted a young Rystani male, standing naked and bleeding on the bridge, she merely blinked. Her mind couldn’t wrap around one more bizarre puzzle.

Xander approached the boy, his tone calm. “Kirek. Are you all right?”

“How did I get here?” Kirek demanded, clearly confused.

“You might want to cover your nudity,” Xander suggested, as if a naked and bleeding Rystani appeared on the bridge every day and needed reminding of proper attire.

“I’ve been naked so long

” Kirek adjusted his suit. “How did I get here?” he repeated.

“The Perceptive Ones sent us back in time to close a wormhole,” Xander explained, as if time travel were a common occurrence.

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