Every world between LoiLoiKua and Paloduro reported itself clear of plague. Plant species regenerated in the cleansed garden areas, and Liriili’s teams were vigilant. After a consultation with the other rescue teams, they all agreed that the next emergency was to determine the exact nature of the sea monster and find a new safe harbor for the LoiLoiKuans.
The Linyaari Council, after consulting with the Ancestors and the sii-Linyaari, and with the cooperation of House Harakamian’s resources, agreed to provide a provisional home in the sea of Vhiliinyar for Nanahomea’s people, including the poopuus from Maganos Moonbase.
In the meantime, the Balakiire returned to Corazon. There Elviiz and Jalonzo could further analyze the sea monster specimen and its viral structure. They wished to learn if such abnormalities in the beast’s basic composition might be, as they expected, mutations caused by the impact of the plague on the environment.
Khorii was looking forward to seeing her friends in Corazon as much as she had been to see the crew of the Balakiire. While it was good to be among her own kind and to be able to thought-talk at will, it was also good to be among others of a similar developmental stage to her own. She also enjoyed the comfort of the extended family atmosphere that Abuelita had helped impose on the city, becoming a surrogate grandmother for so many orphans.
As the Balakiire docked, the huge cargo hatch of the Mana opened and Jaya, a tiny figure in the opening, waved something in the air and jumped up and down to catch the attention of the other ship. Well, mostly, Khorii sensed, Jaya wanted to attract her attention. The girls met on the walkway outside the terminal.
“A message came from Lord Hafiz,” Jaya told her excitedly. Uncle Hafiz was the founder of the parent corporation with which the Krishna-Murti Company, owners of the Mana, subcontracted. Since Jaya was only slightly older in human years than Khorii, Uncle Hafiz would have retired to the Moon of Opportunity around the time she was born, so Jaya could not have met him, but she would have heard of him. Uncle Hafiz’s eccentricities and excesses, his somewhat piratical business style and his therefore amazing altruism (which came into play, some said, only after Hafiz met Mother), had made him legendary.
Khorii was curious as to what the message might be, but she was fairly certain that if it were bad news, she’d have known about it sooner. Corazon and the Mana were much farther removed from the relay than the Balakiire had been.
But if it was good news, why hadn’t the Balakiire been contacted directly? Perhaps the specialized physician healers on Vhiliinyar had discovered a true cure for the plague strain infecting Mother and Father?
Jaya held up a printout. “Actually, the message is from Captain Becker, confidential to you, and was only forwarded by Lord Hafiz, but still…I’m sorry, I couldn’t help seeing what it said, nor could Captain Bates. We didn’t mean to look, but it’s a bit hard when it comes over the com unless it’s encrypted. I don’t know what the White Star is anyway.”
“It’s a luxury liner from Dinero Grande with the Spandard name Estrella Blanca,” Khorii said. “It was the first plague vessel we encountered, and we boarded it before we had any idea there was a plague. Captain Becker and the cats both almost died then. But my parents and I were able to heal them and cleanse the ship—at least, all the parts we came into contact with. Captain Becker claimed it as salvage and hauled it off to a private asteroid where he keeps some of his salvage.” She shook her head, half-amused that Uncle Joh was still protecting his tainted merchandise after everything that had happened. He had to know that sooner or later the ship would need to be returned and its occupants, of whom Elviiz had downloaded a passenger and crew roster, officially declared dead and their bodies and belongings, once deemed safe, returned to what was left of their families. Her guess was that Uncle Joh wanted to keep his possession of the ship and its location quiet until he was out of quarantine and would have some negotiating room with the administrative remnants of the Federation. He had made himself and his ship quite useful during the plague until he was stricken with the mutant strain of the plague carried by her parents. To his way of thinking, he would be entitled to a certain leeway where the law was concerned once law was again enforceable.
She smiled when she read the message. Uncle Joh might be intent on protecting his interests, but he wanted to help her help others, too. “I think you got the message for a reason, Jaya,” she said. “Uncle Joh knows I trust you, and he has decided to trust the Mana with a mission. I’ll need to speak to Neeva and the others first, but if Uncle Joh is correct, this should help us decide once and for all if the plague has ended without me having to revisit every single infected planet in the galaxy.”
Jaya nodded, “Yeah, I can see where something that would save that much time would be worth doing. Captain Bates and I will start the checklist for takeoff.”
While they were talking, Khiindi and Elviiz had sped off toward the dormitory. Elviiz was anxious to consult with Jalonzo about the specimen. Khiindi no doubt was equally anxious to consult with Abuelita about cat treats.
“Where’s Hap?” Khorii asked. The tall light-haired boy who looked like a Linyaari minus the horn usually came out to see what was happening when a vessel landed.
Jaya frowned. “Making some repairs. We’ve had some unusual damage to the ship since you’ve been gone and—other things, too. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Melireenya, Khorii, and Neeva passed them, and Mikaaye galloped out to meet his mother, who caught him up in a hug, as did her crewmates. As Khorii watched, he glanced her way and waved before returning his attention to his mother.
She had almost forgotten how wonderful the common room smelled. Even for a grazer, the smells of the spices Abuelita used were heady and luscious.
For Jaya’s sake, Jalonzo’s grandmother had learned Indian cooking as well as traditional dishes of her region, so there were chapattis and nan bread as well as tortillas and sopapillas, curries as well as dishes flavored with chilies, cheese, and mole sauce, and the air was filled with cinnamon and coriander, ginger, tumeric, curry, and chocolate.
Sesseli met her, carrying Khiindi, who was licking his whiskers, having already extorted tribute from the kitchen. “Elviiz went into the lab with Jalonzo,” the little girl told her. “He wouldn’t let Khiindi or me come in. He treats me like a baby.”
“Don’t be offended, Sess. He treats me like a baby, too, and has ever since he was a baby, or as babyish as he ever was. Any more incidents while we were gone?”
Sesseli nodded. “Yes, but we’re getting kind of used to them now. Jalonzo and Mikaaye sleep in the lab, and when he leaves, Jalonzo backs up his work with copies of his notes and samples of his latest formulas. But Abuelita says that at night the square is busier than it was during the daytime before the plague. And people still think they see moms and dads and grown-up kids who died wandering around at night. Jaya and I sleep in your room, with Hap next door. Captain Bates and Abuelita are just across the hall. But you can have your room back now if you want.”
“I don’t think I’ll be here that long. But the Balakiire crew is due for their rest, so they may join you. You’ll feel safe with them around, won’t you?”
For an answer, Sesseli gave her an appraising look. “Are you trying to tell me that wherever you and Khiindi are going I can’t go with you?”
“It wouldn’t be a good idea, Sess,” Khorii said, squatting so she wasn’t talking down to the child. “It’s going to be really gross. It’s another graveyard, really, except there was nowhere to bury the bodies. There are all these dead people floating around. Only now they’ll be decomposing, and it will stink—”
“You can purify the air,” Sesseli pointed out.
“Yes, I can, but we’re also going there to make sure the plague is all gone.”
“But Khiindi is going?”
Khorii nodded.
“And Jaya and Hap?”
She nodded again.
“Elviiz?”
“I’m not sure. He may want to stay here and help Jalonzo. We found something weird on LoiLoiKua he thinks may be linked to the plague.”
“How weird?”
“A sea monster,” she said simply.
“I want to see it, too!” Sesseli said.
“No you don’t. It almost ate someone while we were there. There are teams heading there now to evacuate the rest of the poopuus’ relatives.”
“You never want me to have any fun. You guys hog it all,” Sesseli said. Khorii thought she was growing up. And her telekinetic talent could be very useful.
“That’s not it, Sess. But there are so many scary things happening now, we don’t know how to keep you safe.”
“I’m as safe as you are,” the little girl said. “And Khorii, I lost everybody once when I was a baby. I don’t want to be left alone again.”
“Okay, then, if it’s all right with Captain Bates and Jaya you can come.”
Although Khorii knew Elviiz had very strong motivation for staying behind to help analyze the specimen, she hadn’t really expected him to do so. He had always considered it his top priority to be with her their entire lives. He was always in her way, always lecturing and reprimanding her, always getting to learn and do things before she could.
So she was surprised when he said, “It is a dead asteroid and all of the people are dead. The mission requires your particular skills and perhaps those you possess as an organic Linyaari. You will have Jaya, Hap, Captain Bates, Khiindi Kaat and, if you need something heavy moved, Sesseli’s telekinesis to assist you. My skills can be put to better use here. If you do not return within the time frame we have allotted for the mission, however, I will be with the Balakiire looking for you. However, Mikaaye will accompany you in my stead.”
She snorted. “I’m sure that won’t be necessary. I can look after myself.” But she felt a little lost nevertheless. They both knew that while that was true under normal circumstances, Elviiz had pulled her out of many situations she couldn’t handle alone. She didn’t even know Mikaaye though he seemed nice enough. But if Melireenya was willing to part with her son for the length of the journey, Khorii could hardly object. Besides, he would give Hap another male to keep him company.
The only unsettling thing that happened before she left was when she and Khiindi climbed the stairs to her rooftop garden. It had been destroyed, the plants uprooted and the soil mounded in the middle of the roof. Khorii spent a rather soothing hour or two taking the soil back into place and replanting what could be saved. Many of the mature plants had been broken or squashed, and traces of some sticky aqua material laced the area. She collected as much as she could and took it to Elviiz.
“A parting gift for your research,” she said, explaining how she had discovered it. “Looks a bit like those viral cells in the monster slide, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, and Khorii?”
“Yes?”
“I will do my best to make sure your garden is not destroyed again.”
“Thank you, Brother,” she said, and laid her horn against his forehead in parting.