Master Veritan appeared to be a few years older than Kayla, but he had a commanding presence. He was tall with fair skin and blue eyes. His golden blond hair fell neatly to his shoulders. He wore a long white tunic over a pair of white pants and several pieces of gold jewelry. Kayla thought he was a little too polished, but couldn’t deny he was an extremely attractive man.
He sat in a chair next to the Director and two of his fingers tapped against the Director’s wrist. He watched Kayla with open fascination as she stepped into the room.
For some reason she couldn’t name, Kayla felt uncomfortable. Few things bothered her, but her senses went on alert the minute she stepped through the doorway and Master Veritan’s eyes met hers.
“A pleasure to meet you,” the Director offered. He turned to Carl and joked, “I wasn’t aware scavengers were so lovely. Perhaps I should consider replacing Ramiro personally.”
“Nice to meet you both,” she said, and the Director smiled at her. Master Veritan gave her a polite nod but kept silent and continued to study her.
Carl cleared his throat and pulled out the lockbox from under his desk. “We’ve already negotiated on some of the other pieces we’ve obtained,” he explained to Kayla. Turning to the other two men, he added, “These other items were found by Kayla in the past few days.”
He pulled out the jewelry and carving she collected and spread them on the desk. He then reached into a bag and brought out the two toys and jewelry box. Kayla leaned against the wall to watch. Carl had promised her a percentage of whatever she scavenged and she was curious to find out what kind of money they were talking about.
Director Borshin leaned forward and began to sort through the items. “These pieces are very well preserved.”
“Open at ten thousand. No more than twenty thousand credits total for the jewelry and the box.”
Kayla started at the sound of the voice in her head. She was sure she'd heard someone, but it didn’t appear as though anyone had spoken. Her eyes were drawn to Master Veritan’s fingers still resting on the Director’s wrist. Something about it set off her internal creep-factor alarm.
The Director cleared his throat. “I’m prepared to offer ten thousand credits for the jewelry and the box.”
Carl frowned. “These pieces are in excellent condition. I’d say they are definitely closer to being worth fifteen thousand.”
“Very well. We have an agreement at fifteen thousand.”
Kayla’s jaw dropped at the Director's formal announcement. She had no idea the profit that traders made from their excavations was so high. She wondered how much Warig had gotten from the Aurelia Data Cube.
“Open at eight thousand. The limit is fifteen thousand for the toys. The doll is unusual.”
Goose bumps broke out on her arms at the sound of the mental voice. Kayla struggled to maintain her composure, but she was freaking out inside. Her eyes were drawn to Master Veritan's fingers again as they rested on the Director's arm. Was there some strange Omni ability that allowed them to communicate through thought? If so, why was she able to hear it and Carl couldn't?
“I’m prepared to offer eight thousand credits for the doll and the music machine.”
Kayla's gaze darted to Carl as he considered the offer on the table. It might be foolish but she couldn't let him agree. Not when she was due a percentage of the take. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’ve been scavenging for awhile now. I’ve never seen a doll like that before. I think, oh, say, fifteen thousand credits would be far more reasonable.”
Carl gave her a sharp look but didn’t contradict her. Instead, he turned to the Director and asked, “Your thoughts?”
The Director nodded. “We have an agreement at fifteen thousand credits.”
Woohoo! Kayla did a little mental victory dance.
“Interesting,” the voice mused.
Kayla's exhilaration faded and she swallowed hard. Master Veritan was staring directly at her. Carl and Cruncher seemed oblivious to the exchange and instead waited patiently for the Director to offer on the next item.
“Open bidding at five thousand credits for the dragon carving. But accept up to twenty thousand credits.”
What the hell is a dragon?
Master Veritan gave her a startled look. The Director cleared his throat and bid on the final item. “I’m prepared to offer five thousand credits for the carving.”
Carl rubbed his chin. “I’m surprised. The material seems rare. It seems to be worth closer to ten thousand credits.”
Kayla bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything. Master Veritan leaned forward in his chair, not taking his eyes off her. He almost seemed to be daring her to speak up. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Would you mind waiting a minute before you come to an agreement? I’ll be right back.”
Carl looked as though he was about to object, but she held up a finger and gave him a pleading look. “Don’t agree to anything yet. I’ll be right back.”
Once she was out of their sight, she ran toward the crew quarters. She ignored Veridian’s privacy divider and barged into his personal quarters.
“V, get up.” She climbed on the bed and shoved him awake. “I need your help.”
Veridian sat up, rubbing his eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did Ramiro come after you again?”
She grabbed his pants off the floor and threw them at him. “No, I’m fine. Get dressed. I need your help. Hurry up.”
Confused, he pulled on his pants. She gestured for him to move faster. “I need you to tell these guys that the carving we found is a dragon and it’s extremely rare. Tell them you believe it’s worth twenty thousand credits. I don’t care what else you say, but insist on that number.”
“Kayla, what are you talking about? What the hell is going on?” Veridian asked as he pulled a shirt over his head.
“Just do it.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the crew’s quarters. “I’ll explain later.”
Veridian tumbled after her. When they entered the office, she pushed him forward unceremoniously. “This is Veridian. My previous camp considered him to be an expert at appraising artifacts. He told me some interesting things about that particular piece. I thought you should hear them before deciding on a final number.”
She stepped back, leaving everyone staring at Veridian. He scratched his head, looking bewildered. He turned to give her an annoyed look before smiling apologetically at the newcomers. It was obvious he'd just stumbled out of bed by the state of his disheveled hair and wrinkled clothing.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, right. The piece she’s talking about is a dragon carving and it’s extremely rare. Based on my extensive experience appraising artifacts,” he glared at Kayla, “I’d have to say it’s worth at least twenty thousand credits.”
“Interesting,” Master Veritan commented, and stood up from his seat. Kayla blinked at him. It was the first time he'd spoken and his voice flowed over her like a caress. He crossed the room toward them. “I’m curious though. You seem well versed in the appraisal amount. But do you know the lore behind the dragons?” he asked Veridian, without taking his eyes off Kayla.
Veridian hesitated, glancing nervously at Kayla. She ignored his “What the hell have you gotten me into?” look.
“Uh, sadly, my experience is limited to only how much it’s worth.”
“How unfortunate.” Master Veritan turned to Kayla. “It was quite industrious of you to bring your friend here to appraise the piece.”
She shrugged. Sticking her hands in her back pockets, she rocked back on her heels. “I’m just trying to be helpful. I figured V’s experience would help you agree on a reasonable amount.”
“And how much do you think the dragon carving is worth?”
She looked into his cool blue eyes, feeling disconcerted. “I’m just a scavenger. But Veridian seems to think it’s worth twenty thousand credits.”
He gave her a curt nod and picked up the small dragon carving from the desk. H
e studied it carefully before walking back toward Kayla.
“Trader Carl, we have an agreement at twenty thousand credits,” Master Veritan announced. Then he turned to her and held out the small dragon carving. “I want you to keep this artifact as a gift. I suspect it’s more suitable than you realize.”
At her confused look, Master Veritan explained, “A dragon is what some people believe to be a mythological beast. Some others believe they have withdrawn to other worlds. Either way, the sculpture is a reminder of the reverence and belief in something greater.”
Master Veritan reached for her hand. She gasped at his touch. Electricity seemed to flow through her and she started to pull her hand away, but he gripped her hand tightly. He placed the carving into her palm and covered it with his other hand.
Images and thoughts seemed to flow through her at a rapid pace, making her dizzy. Master Veritan stared at her in shock and demanded, “How…Who are you?”
Kayla snatched her hand away, nearly dropping the artifact, and exhaled deeply. She hadn’t realized she'd been holding her breath. She took an uneasy step back trying to distance herself from him.
Master Veritan turned to Carl, who had watched the exchange. “This is the young woman who discovered the Aurelia Data Cube?”
“Yes,” Carl said, and glanced at Kayla in confusion.
Master Veritan’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. “How old are you?”
“None of your business.” She'd be damned if she was going to answer his questions. She didn't understand everything that was going on, but this whole thing was getting out of hand. “If you have a question about Ramiro, I’ll either answer it or not. But my personal business is my own. It doesn’t concern you.”
Master Veritan stared at her in shock, clearly not used to having his orders questioned. He turned to Carl and asked, “You obtained her DNA when she signed the contract?”
“Of course,” Carl replied with a frown.
“Put her information on the display.”
Carl entered the command to pull up her information on the monitor in his office. Master Veritan barely glanced at it, completely fixated on Kayla. “Run a cross-check through OmniLab records for the past twenty years. Use Clearance Code X59BN23.”
Carl entered in the information. The computer began scanning through its databanks.
Kayla had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t like the way this was going or the way this Master Veritan guy kept staring at her.
A minute later, the computer beeped and a warning displayed on the screen. Carl looked up in confusion. “It’s blocked. Restricted Access.”
Master Veritan turned to the computer and announced, “Override System Access. Master Alec Veritan. L561N836.”
The computer beeped in acknowledgment and an image appeared on the screen. Kayla stared at the eerily familiar child with dark hair and large green eyes. She looked at the name next to the image and shook her head in disbelief. She stepped back, whispering, “No. It’s not true.”
Master Veritan looked at her sharply. “You’ve been missing a long time, Kayla Rath’Varein.”
Carl looked shocked at the mention of the name. “Rath’Varein? That’s impossible.”
“Apparently not.”
Carl stared at the picture of the young girl and scrolled through the text. He looked up to meet Kayla's panicked expression. “Veridian told me Leo found you after a ruin collapse. OmniLab thought everyone had been killed, including you.”
Veridian scratched his head and asked, “Uh, Kayla? What's going on?”
“Oh, hell no.” She shook her head, denying the implications of what they were trying to tell her. “You guys have been sucking on bike exhaust for too long if you think I’m an Omni. No freaking way. Forget it.”
Master Veritan took a step toward her. “DNA doesn’t lie, Kayla Rath’Varein.”
“I’ll tell you exactly where you can shove your DNA crap. And quit calling me that. My name is Kayla. Period. That’s it.”
“This woman belongs in the tower,” Master Veritan announced. “Her contract is null and void. She’ll be returning with me.”
His words were like cold water being poured over her. Anger flooded through her at the idea that this stranger – this Omni – was going to try to control her. “The only thing you’re going to be getting from me is my boot up your ass. If you think I’m going to take one step inside those freakish towers of yours, you’ve got another thing coming. If you want to cancel my contract, great. Fantastic. Wipe your ass with it, for all I care. But I don’t belong to OmniLab and I’m damn well not going to that tower with you.”
“You are a member of the Inner Circle by right of birth. You have no business being outside the towers. It was a mistake to allow you to set foot here thirteen years ago.”
“To hell with this. I’m out of here.”
Done with the conversation, she turned to head toward the door but Master Veritan made a grab for her. The moment he touched her, a rush of energy flowed through her. Sights, smells, and sounds flooded her mind. She felt as though she were drowning in a river of someone else’s memories.
You belong with us, Kayla Rath’Varein. I can guide you through this, if you’ll let me. Open yourself and let me show you how to navigate.
Dizziness threatened to overwhelm her and she started to falter. Suddenly, without knowing how, she found a calm oasis within the storm of senses raging around her. She managed to get control of herself enough to realize Master Veritan was toying with her. It pissed her off.
Something inside her snapped. She pushed the foreign images out of her mind and back toward Master Veritan. He stumbled backward and broke contact with her.
“Unbelievable,” he murmured in shock, gaping at her. “You’re untrained. How did you do that?”
“You revolting, puerile, slack-jawed, drooling piece of garbage,” Kayla snarled. “If there’s such a thing as a higher being and he decides to give the planet an enema, you’d better run like hell because anywhere you’re standing is a suitable place for the insertion.”
“You didn’t just resist me,” Master Veritan whispered in disbelief. “You completely deflected my influence.”
Kayla’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what kind of world you live in up in those towers, but you’re in my playground now. You guys may go around zapping each other with electricity left and right, but I’m not into that freaky shit. Don’t fuck with me.”
She spun on her heels and stormed out of the room. Too bad Arlisia didn’t see that exit.
Chapter Ten
Kayla stared at the mapping images on the screen and impatiently tapped the keys in front of her. She cycled through the diagrams so she could start rending them in three dimensions.
Carl walked into the tech room and sat down next to her. “Kayla, we need to talk.”
“If it’s about that OmniLab crap, I’m not interested.”
“Master Veritan didn’t handle the situation well. I tried to explain it to him, but things are different in the towers. He’s not used to being questioned.”
Kayla entered some additional commands into the computer. She felt him watching her and tried to ignore him. “I know what happened just now came as a shock. It shocked me too. But there’s no denying you’re the child in that picture.”
She glanced at him briefly. “It doesn’t matter. This is who I am now.”
“It does matter. Yes, you’re still Kayla. But you’re more than that. You’re a Rath’Varein.”
She made a face. They could give her any name they wanted. It wouldn't change anything. “That name means absolutely nothing to me.”
“Dammit, Kayla. This is so difficult because you didn’t grow up in the towers.” He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “You should know this. Dmitri Rath’Varein was one of the founders of OmniLab. He enlisted the help of Marsin Veritan and some others to build the towers.”
Kayla turned her chair to look at him. “Are you tr
ying to tell me you think I’m related to the guy who built those ugly ass towers?”
“Yes. But it’s more than that. OmniLab didn’t just build the towers. They built a lot of other things too. They knew our world was headed for trouble and they wanted to save certain parts of it. Dmitri Rath’Varein was trying to save something he considered more precious than humanity.”
Kayla tapped her fingers on the desk in annoyance. “What the hell are you talking about, Carl?”
Master Veritan stepped into the room. “I think I should explain.”
Kayla scowled at him. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. “And I think you should go jump off the top of your precious towers.”
Master Veritan walked over to her and she scrambled to her feet, preparing for a quick exit. He paused and clasped his hands in front of him, looking harmless but she knew the effects of his zappy fingers now. “I want to apologize to you, Kayla. We got off on the wrong foot. Carl has tried to explain the way things work here. It’s much different than what I expected and I understand this has come as a shock to you. Do you have any memory of living with us?”
“Look, Master Veritan, or whatever the hell your name is,” Kayla began, and eyed the distance to the door. When he didn't make any sudden movements, she relaxed. “I don’t know anything about you and I don’t want to know anything about you. As far as I’m concerned, you can go back to your big towers and leave me the hell alone. The only reason I’m even in this trader camp right now is because I didn’t have a choice. Ramiro, another one of you Omnis, decided the planet would be a little more pleasant if I didn’t exist.”
Master Veritan frowned. “Please, call me Alec. You are a member of the Inner Circle and it’s not fitting for you to call me Master.”
Kayla snorted and sat back down in the chair. What kind of guy insisted on people calling him Master anyway? She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “Fine, Alec. Go away. I’m busy. I don’t want to listen to you anymore.”