Mateer Read online

  Lampergg drummed his fingers on the gleaming tabletop. “Yes. We’ve released them from stasis, experienced minor population attrition as expected, but there are approximately 80 healthy individuals at my lab.”

  “A sufficient cohort for what we want. And the protocols will commence when?”

  Megan waited tensely for the answer.

  “In three more days. I believe giving them a few more days to adjust to being out of stasis will be sufficient. This woman won’t be included, of course, and I plan to hold a few other likely female specimens aside as well, to see if the Eight Strain male can mate with them successfully. I think the half human, half-Eight offspring will be uniquely rewarding to study.”

  Anger, disgust and fear made a toxic stew in Megan’s gut. Leaving aside the issue of the Khagrish expecting Mateer to sleep with other women at their command, the idea of her child—any child—being in the hands of these cold killers was terrifying. She wished she could talk to Mateer but, at the same time, she realized it was probably better she couldn’t. She wasn’t remotely good enough with the telepathic ability yet to hide the fact she was concentrating on something. It wasn’t worth the risk of revealing the Badari secret.

  “Of course 802 may not be willing to have sex with other human women if he’s fixated on this one,” Gahzhing said, frowning at Megan.

  “I’ll make it clear to him he’s not regaining access to her.” Lampergg’s answer was casual.

  “He doesn’t have to be a conscious participant at all,” the Chimmer said. “Immobilize him in stasis, or permanently disable his higher consciousness activities and take whatever fluids you need for the experiments. It was my colleague who had the biological interests and requested natural processes, not me. I prefer simplicity.”

  “We’ll take your preferences under advisement,” Gahzhing said. “There are documented cases where the body functions aren’t optimal when the consciousness has been erased. And we do only have the one Eight for now.”

  Clearly done with the discussion, the Chimmer waved his hand. “Do as you please. It’s a side experiment, of small interest in the bigger scheme. Don’t let it distract you from the primary focus.”

  “Of course not.” Lampergg sounded deferential.

  The discussion then changed to future plans and Megan, already thoroughly sickened by the casual dismissal of Mateer’s fate, was appalled as the Chimmer set forth what he wanted explored. The Khagrish were all fawning attention and every single detail she heard was more abhorrent than the last.

  “For the foreseeable future we can’t obtain more human specimens for you, as the Sectors has stepped up their patrols in the targeted area significantly of late,” the Chimmer said. “Do the best you can with what you have. As per our negotiations of the revised schedule, you’ll be required to present the briefing on your results and recommendations to me and possibly a few other specialists in six months.”

  He rose and Megan realized with horror he was walking towards her. She wished she could get to her feet, but the shackles prevented it. Straightening her spine, she glared at him and tried to project undying hatred and opposition to him and his masters. Let him see the human spirit unbroken and defiant. She felt the entire weight of the Sectors on her shoulders for a moment.

  The Chimmer reached out and gripped her chin, his flesh cold and clammy, sticky as if there was mucous or micro suckers. He said something, but the translator had stopped working, maybe when the alien left his own chair. Megan spat in his face and tried to wrench herself away from the unpleasant touch, prying at his hand with her own. Patting her cheek in a condescending manner, the Chimmer then wiped its own face clean and continued out of the room.

  Shaking, she collapsed against the chair cushions as the portal closed. The skin of her face itched where the alien had touched her, but she had nothing to scrub at it with. Reseating themselves, Lampergg and Gahzhing resumed their chat. Visibly more relaxed in their demeanor, sprawling in their chairs, they reached for the refreshments.

  The translator resumed its operation. “She looks familiar,” Gahzhing said, staring hard at Megan.

  “Perhaps the animals have a body and face type preference? Programmed into the DNA somehow?” Lampergg drummed his fingers on the table. “I’ll have to reconsider the human females I divert into this project, cater to 802’s predilections if I want success. Maybe one outlier and the rest as close to the general profile and body structure of this human. Always such limited resources for the truly interesting science. I can tell you right now most of the humans won’t survive the first cycle of tests, based on empirical evidence to date. A deplorably fragile species. I’m at something of a loss as to how they manage to be such an obstacle to the Mawreg. At least the customer didn’t object to my proceeding with clinical investigation and observation of the Eight, the human female and offspring. I didn’t want to put the mates both down, which I would have had to if the Chimmer insisted. And this child will be the first Eight Strain female. Well, hybrid Eight.”

  Gahzhing chuckled. “Don’t be too overconfident. The child might not be the first female. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors from the early days.”

  “Bah, those were legends and lore.” Lampergg laughed. “No documentation means no credit.”

  “True. Reverting to the primary issue, fascinating as your side experiment may be, we may have to take steps to prolong the human tests. If our work for the customer ends prematurely, the Chimmer or their masters might decide they no longer need us. Then what of the treaty?” Gahzhing’s voice sounded worried.

  “Are you returning to Khagrishi Prime soon?”

  “Yes.” The senior scientist gestured at the withered side of his body. “I can’t get the proper regenerative care here obviously.”

  “And who’ll be in charge?”

  Gahzhing laughed and punched his protégé in the shoulder. “Haven’t lost any of that ambitious fire, have you? It was supposed to have been Cwamla by seniority, but she died in the uprising the humans and animals set off after I was attacked.” A long string of apparently untranslatable profanity followed. Gahzhing took a drink of water or whatever fluid was in the container in front of him. “Don’t worry, I’ve put your name forward and your astonishing success with this side experiment should garner you even more support. Those in command need creative minds to ensure the continued success of this entire research facility. Even the, uh, more secretive projects, eh?”

  The men laughed again, as if sharing a private joke. Megan wished she could go to the bathroom and wash the Chimmer residue off her face. How much longer before the meeting ended?

  “You’re staying for the untranslatable ceremony tonight? And the party afterward?” Gahzhing asked. “You and I have a lot to catch up on.”

  “I might not be fit to travel tomorrow then,” Lampergg said with a laugh. “But it’d be worth it.”

  “People are flying in from all the facilities.” Gahzhing lowered his voice and leaned closer to his protégée. “I’d like your opinion on the private project.”

  “I’d be honored to consult.”

  No, no, no. I have to get back to Mateer. Suddenly panicked, Megan had the terrifying realization if Lampergg delayed here too long, she’d miss the rescue operation. And then what would happen to her? Mateer had said rescuing her was a top priority for the Badari but surely after another attack by the rebels, the security measures at the remaining labs would tighten even further. Or what if she was sent off the planet? Dizziness assaulted her as her heart started to race. “I don’t feel well,” she said forcefully. “Ever since the Chimmer bastard touched me. I need to wash my face.”

  With varying degrees of annoyance, the two men pivoted their chairs in her direction.

  “Can you summon the guards, have her housed in a temporary cell?” Lampergg asked. “Since I’ll be staying for the festivities. We’ve no further need of her today.” Almost as an afterthought, he deferred to his mentor. “Unless you’d care to examine her, run a few tests?”

  Lips thinned, making a guttural sound of pure disgust, Gahzhing rejected the suggestion with obvious distaste. “I’ve had all the experience with the untranslatable humans I need. Perhaps I’ll observe my techs conducting a few scans tomorrow, however.”

  The guard officer knocked and entered the conference room. “Sirs?”

  “Take my colleague’s test subject to a holding cell. She’ll be remaining a day or two.”

  “Ensure she’s fed high quality nutrients and kept well hydrated,” Lampergg added after Gahzhing gave his orders. “She’s breeding.”

  Megan bottled up her rage at being discussed like a lab animal. That’s how the Khagrish saw her, after all, and underestimating her would contribute to their eventual downfall. She vowed revenge on these bastards someday. Right now her priority was to survive and protect her unborn child. And to be with Mateer. She offered the guards no resistance as she was freed from the chair, manacled and taken to a small cell deep within the complex. There was a sink so she could wash her face finally and, gazing in the streaked mirror, she was horrified by pale purple bruises on her skin where the Chimmer had touched her.

  I hope the Badari blood is still working. I’d like this rash to go away sooner than later.

  She lay on the single bunk and drew the cover over herself as she curled up protectively. Longing for Mateer made her feel fragile and sad, and she tried the telepathic link again, in a forlorn hope she might touch his mind. Having no luck, she ignored the guards delivering a dinner tray and several bottles of fluids.

  “You need to eat, per the scientist’s orders,” the corporal said. “Trust me, you don’t want to be force fed. We might enjoy the process, but I guarantee you won’t.”

  With a sigh, she left the cot and took the tray from the floor where it had been slid into the cell. She carried the food and beverages to the cot, seating herself. Selecting a likely morsel, she chewed, swallowed and reached for the next bite. The guards watched her for a few more minutes before departing.

  Megan forced herself to finish most of the food and drank all of one container of the nutrient drink. She didn’t want any more physical contact with the Khagrish, and she did need to keep her strength up. Setting the tray on the floor, she resumed her previous position on the bed, warily facing the door.

  Thinking of Mateer brought tears to her eyes, and she gave in to the tumultuous emotions, crying herself to sleep for the first time in decades.

  CHAPTER NINE

  He was arguing with Aydarr, pacing the empty pack cell as he did so, keeping himself from gesturing to emphasize his points. The Badari had years of practice at communicating via telepathy without the Khagrish catching on but, where Megan’s safety was concerned, his control was sketchy. You have to wait until she returns before you initiate the attack. He forced all the emphasis he could into the thought.

  His alpha wasn’t happy either, as Mateer could tell from the tone, but he was making the eternal case about the need to save the many, versus the needs of the few. Aydarr’s voice was calm and reasoned in Mateer’s head as he laid out the argument. MARL says the system indicates experiments on the humans are scheduled to begin the day after tomorrow. We have to get them out of there before that happens. After the protocols commence, they may be too fragile to rescue. Or dead. I know she’s your mate and Jill’s sister, but there are nearly a hundred humans there.

  I told you, she’s pregnant with my child. I won’t abandon her.

  He could hear Aydarr’s gusty sigh as clearly as if the alpha was in the room with him. The Khagrish won’t harm her while she’s carrying a naturally conceived, half Badari child. MARL will be able to find out where she’s been taken, and we’ll rescue her there. I give you my word.

  And if the Khagrish take her off the planet? Then what? No, we have to delay the rescue. You would never agree to leave Jill behind, at risk. Why are my mate—and my child—different?

  He knew he’d scored a hit when there was silence for a long time.

  All right, we delay. But once the first stage of the experiment begins we’ll be hitting the lab with everything we’ve got whether Megan is back in the population or not. What is this group of humans like?

  I only got to spend time in the Preserve with the first batch, about twenty or so. There’s one male we need to watch carefully, a man named Harker. He took charge but was much too inclined to defer to, and work with the Khagrish from what I observed and Megan shared. Mateer felt his claws extending. He neither liked nor trusted Harker. If ever someone had seemed primarily out for himself, that one did. The idea of Harker entering their sheltered valley sanctuary didn’t sit well with him.

  An alpha? Aydarr sounded merely curious, not concerned. He was so unquestionably at the top of the Badari hierarchy for both his own pack and the other two that had been created, one human didn’t worry him.

  A want to be alpha maybe. Not nearly dominant enough to be alpha on our terms. But, since the humans don’t have our pack structure, he could be a problem. He was in a position of authority at the colony so some will listen to him before they heed you. I’m concerned about how well it’s going to go, adding a hundred humans to our community in the valley. They have no common frame of reference with us, as far as the Khagrish or anything else here. Mateer did his best to explain the uneasy feeling he had.

  The humans will be grateful for being rescued. And it’s our planet. We’re the key to their continued survival. I’m in charge. If this Harker challenges me, openly or otherwise, he dies.

  Relieved, Mateer felt as if Aydarr had physically patted his shoulder in reassurance. His Alpha continued, I’ve been talking to Jill, Jamokan and Gabe about this specific issue. I wish you’d been here to weigh in, but we’ll brief you as soon as you get done with this mission. We’re clearly going to need a more comprehensive strategy before making any more moves. Picking off the labs one at a time isn’t sustainable. Doesn’t solve the larger problem.

  Mateer kept himself from nodding agreement. There is another human male here I do trust, Walt. He reminds me of Gabe. In fact, I suspect he may well be another Sectors Special Forces soldier, captured while operating undercover perhaps. He’ll be a valuable addition to our group. When I was helping Megan in the lab with the stasis revival situation, I identified a few more men and women I believe may be as strong and resilient as your Jill, or Gabe and Walt. Or Megan, in her own way. A flash of pride ran through him when he thought of his mate. She might not be a warrior, but she was strong.

  Good. The people we rescue will have to accept my leadership if they want to stay safe in the valley or fight the Khagrish with us.

  What if a number of the humans choose to leave the valley and are recaptured? They’d give our hiding place away. Harker, for example. He’d never even try to withstand the pain the Khagrish can inflict, much less to keep our secrets. Mateer’s head was starting to pound, from the effort of the extended conversation and from consideration of all the new challenges facing the Badari.

  MARL can keep the valley safe, as he’s proven. We’re exploring the cave system now, hoping there may be exits far removed from here, so we could launch surprise attacks. No luck so far, but many unhappy predators who regarded the caverns as theirs have been displaced. Aydarr laughed. You’ve missed good hunting, my friend. I have to go—Jill needs to speak with me. See you soon.

  And the link cut off. Mateer sat on the edge of the alpha’s bed, missing Megan fiercely. It was like a physical pain, as if part of him had been torn out. And the worst of it was that matters remained unsettled between them. He didn’t doubt her affection for him but, until she agreed to be his mate, he wasn’t going to rest easy. How could he effectively protect his mate and his child when she hadn’t yet accepted that status?

  Footsteps sounded in the corridor, and he approached the force barrier as closely as he dared, to see what was happening. The very group of humans he’d been discussing with Aydarr was shambling past, guarded by Khagrish security. Walt acknowledged him with a nearly imperceptible tilt of his head as he went by the cell. The humans seemed tired and worse for the wear of living in the Preserve. Mateer guessed after he’d left the organization he’d imposed fell apart under Harker. Or there weren’t many skilled enough to hunt and fish. Walt and a few others walked with confidence and might still be able to hold their own in the coming fight, however.

  Lampergg must have ordered them brought in from the Preserve so they could go through the Chimmer experiments in a few days with all the others.

  Once the humans passed out of sight, Mateer paced to the alpha’s alcove and sat on the edge of the bed. Waiting was the hardest thing to do.

  Megan interacted with no one except the guards bringing her meals the next day, until a few hours after lunch. She was then taken to a medlab and subjected to an examination and various scans, with Dr. Gahzhing in charge and Lampergg watching. All the conversation was in Khagrish so she had no idea what they were discussing as the tests continued. Nothing invasive or painful was done, and the techs here were like robots when it came to interacting with her. No emotion, no sympathy. It was stressful to lie restrained on an examining table for an extended period of time, at their mercy, not knowing what might be done to her next.

  And, as she could attest from her own previous experiences, the Khagrish had no mercy.

  Eventually, the techs left and the two scientists stood beside the table.

  Gahzhing peered at her. “She does remind me quite forcibly of the other human woman,” he said in Basic, as if he wanted her to be aware of his suspicions.

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