Authors: Marilyn Campbell
Topaz Dreams (27 page)
It was evening
now. No humans buzzed about the filters. Gordon saw two people walking
from one building to another where lights had been turned on, but they
paid no attention to him or Delphina. Could it be this simple?
He
walked toward the filter closest to him and immediately received the
answer as his body bumped into an invisible barrier. Instantly, the
section of the wall he had come in contact with was glowing with light.
"May I be of assistance?" a man's voice called from behind Gordon.
He
turned to see a black-uniformed man swiftly approaching him. Calling
upon some of the information he had consumed earlier, he offered what
he hoped was a believable explanation. "Yes. I'm a new arrival. This is
Delphina. She's my caretaker. I'm considering a career as a miner, but
I wanted to see the camp and how it functioned first."
The man
frowned, clearly dubious, but when his gaze fell on Delphina he
relented. "This is most unusual. She should have known not to come here
at night. The protectors are already in place. You may stay in the
dormitory tonight. There will be nothing for you to observe until
daylight." His eyes never left Delphina as he spoke. His interest in
where she would spend the night was completely uninhibited.
Angry
frustration curdled in Gordon's stomach. He had not expected to be
thwarted so effectively or so easily. The man's leering at Delphina was
making it even harder to sound nonchalant. Placing his arm around her,
he brought her possessively to his side. "I suppose I have no choice.
Tell me, would it be possible for me to see what this stuff they
collect here looks like?"
The man was not pleased by the implied
message that Delphina was unavailable, nor did he see any need to
repeat information he had already given. He pointed to a long
structure. "Someone in there will set you up." With that, he turned on
his heel and walked away, the light extinguishing as he did so.
drive to Fairbanks had seemed interminable to Steve. She had tried to
doze, but her frazzled nerves wouldn't permit it. Once they reached the
house, George immediately went to work on the telecommunicator hidden
in the attic. Jenny fussed over Steve and Falcon, helping them get the
glass out of their hair, offering clean, dry clothing after their
showers, and serving them a hot meal, all of which was enormously
appreciated.
Steve called Lou at the office and filled him in as
quickly as possible. He was both angry about her long absence without a
word and relieved that she and Nesterman were both safe and sound.
Since she was still on Underwood's trail, he agreed to make the
necessary arrangements for Nesterman's return to California.
As
occupied as she was, Steve could not stop herself from looking at the
clock every few minutes. George seemed to be taking forever, but then,
how long was it supposed to take to contact someone in the center of
the earth?
It was after five when the authorization came through and
they were thanking Jenny for her hospitality. George handed Falcon his
ring, but he could not accustom himself to the idea of a Terran being
granted permission to travel to Innerworld, and it showed in his lack
of manners.
One minute they were in Jenny's neat living room, the next they were inside a glass booth in
Innerworld's
main transmigrator station. Romulus and Aster came forward as they
exited. It was clear they were both glad to see Falcon, but the
expressions on their faces when they saw Steve were vastly different.
Aster's smile grew wider; Romulus's disappeared.
Steve's gaze darted from one to another. So many emotions assailed her at once that all she could feel was confusion.
After
a moment, Romulus glanced at the technician, and, noting her interest,
informed Falcon that he would listen to his explanations in his office.
"There is insufficient time," Falcon began, but Romulus would hear none of it.
"Ten
minutes won't make that much difference. Upstairs. Now." And with those
words he stalked off, leaving the three of them to catch up or catch
hell.
The instant they had privacy, Romulus turned on Falcon. "I
believe I am still the governor of Innerworld and you are still subject
to its laws." His gaze flew to Aster, who was looking at him
beseechingly. "No. Friendship has nothing to do with this," he
responded to a plea only he could hear. The glare in his eyes softened
as they stared at one another. A moment later, he sighed and turned
back to Falcon. "There are times when sharing a woman's mind can be
quite complicated, particularly when you are expected to make sensitive
decisions—" A raised eyebrow from Aster cut him off. "All right,
Falcon. Explain yourself. Why have you brought her back?"
"Gordon
Underwood and Delphina are here in Innerworld." Both Romulus and Aster
voiced their shock as Falcon continued, "They have already been here
for a considerable number of hours. While we were in the transmigrator,
I picked up his aura. It is fading rapidly. If I am to follow him, I
must not delay. The only explanation I can offer regarding Steve's
presence here is that something most unusual has been happening between
us. It may or may not affect my abilities if we are separated, but this
is not the time to take that risk. For the present, where I go, she
goes. After we have apprehended Underwood, you may render me whatever
punishment you see fit. I will give you a complete report of our time
in Alaska later. For now I request a change of clothing, a weapon, and
permission to finish this mission."
Romulus had no rational choice
but to postpone further discussion until later, and offered Falcon and
Steve the use of his private quarters to freshen up while he secured
the requested weapon.
Falcon held open the door to the adjoining
chamber for Steve. She couldn't have said what she expected, but this
certainly wasn't it. The outer room had looked like the office of any
American executive, and this room was similar to an efficiency
apartment, except for the one entire wall done in some kind of silver
metal squares. Come to think of it, the medical facility looked
familiar to her, also. Somehow she had imagined it would all be more
"outer space." Her momentary disappointment vanished when she heard
Falcon talking to a computer and it answered him in a very human voice.
She
went to his side to observe his actions more closely. Pictures of a
variety of men's clothing flashed continually on the monitor until
Falcon made several selections. He then gave the computer instructions
as to color and material and stepped back from the screen. A beam of
light shot out, quickly scanning him from head to toe, then receded
again. A minute later the computer informed him his order was complete,
and Falcon opened a small panel in the metal wall.
He pulled out a black shirt, slacks, socks, and shoes, exactly like she had seen him wearing before.
Smiling
at her wide eyes, he told her, "This is a supply station. Every
residence is equipped with one. It provides food and clothing upon
request and stores the used items for recycling. The clothing is
deposited in another bin after it is worn."
"You mean it's disposable? You never have to do laundry?" Steve thought it sounded like heaven.
"Also,
I remember the machine your mother used to clean the dishes and food
preparation containers. The station performs all those functions for
you. Are you hungry? I could demonstrate."
Steve was astonished.
This was the kind of marvel she had expected to see. "No cooking? No
dishes? No laundry? No wonder they don't want us to find out about this
place. Every woman in America would defect. How about cleaning? Has
that bothersome little chore been done away with, too?"
Falcon
laughed. "Not entirely, but an android can be purchased to do whatever
needs to be done. Of course, there is no dust here as you have in
Outerworld. Our dust has great value because it contains a rare
element, nolterrin, which is filtered from the air before it has a
chance to settle. It is needed as an energy source here and on Norona.
You would like it here, I am certain."
The words were said without
thought to any deeper meaning. Steve understood they did not convey a
sincere invitation, nor was a response from her expected, but they
brought reality back with a thud and the levity of the moment was lost.
She could not sense his emotions or hear his thoughts. He had the
ability to shut her out at will, but she did not know how to do that
herself. His tender expression told her he read her feelings quite
accurately.
"You did not answer, Steve. Are you hungry? Or would you
like a change of clothes?" He could not deal with everything she was
feeling, he was feeling, they were feeling. With each passing hour, it
was becoming harder to distinguish between the two. His need to resolve
whatever was developing between them was rapidly becoming stronger than
his need to complete his assignment.
Steve had heard his questions
but hadn't answered. He wouldn't have heard her, she was sure. He was
drawn inside himself to a place where she could not go. "No and no."
Falcon blinked.
"I believe you were daydreaming, Falcon," she said lightly to break the tension. "I'm not hungry and Jenny's clothes fit fine."
He nodded distractedly and began unbuttoning George's plaid flannel shirt.
Steve
wandered around the small room, then perched on the edge of a chair.
She tried to keep her eyes off Falcon, but that was impossible. The
more masculine flesh he bared, the more she wanted to see. His
unintentional striptease was exactly the kind of distraction her
exhausted mind needed.
Falcon knew she watched, but kept his eyes
averted. To him, his body was not unique. He had read other females
interest when they saw him, but had never been affected by it. Steve
made him feel unique, special, beautiful. His body ignored his order
not to be aroused, making the process of closing his slacks somewhat
difficult. When he turned to look at her again, his discomfort
increased.
He held out his hands, and she drifted into his arms.
When he drew her closer, lifting her so that her hips were flush
against his, she tilted her head back for his kiss.
We can't, she thought miserably, and moved against his hardness.
We must be off, he thought halfheartedly, and repeated her motion.
His
lips pressed to hers, and she held him tighter. Their tongues met, and
she sucked his deep within her mouth, causing him to make the purring
sound that vibrated all the way down to her toes then settled between
her legs.
Neither had the will power to pull away on their own, but combined, they managed to remind themselves of their priorities.
Soon. The word was shared between them.
Falcon
released Steve with a sigh. Caressing her lips with his fingertips, he
teased, "You look like a woman who has been well-pleasured."
In return, she ran her hand down the center of his chest and over the bulge below. "And you look like a man who was not."
were perfectly presentable when they rejoined Romulus and Aster, but
Steve felt herself blush anyway when Aster smiled a little too
knowingly.
Romulus handed Falcon a black box that looked like a
remote control for a television. "This weapon is signed out in your
name, and you can use my commuter if you need to. It's parked outside.
Be careful and keep us advised. It's impossible to guess what Underwood
is up to."
"Good luck," Aster added as Falcon and Steve left the office.
"Well," Steve said in the hallway, "we're on your turf now. What's the plan?"
"We return to the transmigrator station, where I sensed Underwood's aura, and go from there."
Throughout
the Administration Building, Steve followed a few steps behind Falcon,
but she halted abruptly the moment they exited the enormous structure.
For a moment she wondered if she had been transported into a fairy
kingdom. Knowing she was in the center of the earth didn't matter. Her
senses told her she was outdoors.
The delicious fragrance of lilacs
filled her nostrils as her eyes devoured the spectacle around her.
Stars shining in the clear blue-black sky were complemented by
thousands of twinkling lights set in the trees and bushes. Buildings of
various sizes and shapes were separated by parks. Whatever the
buildings were made of, they reflected everything around them, like
giant mirrors.
Falcon realized she was no longer with him and
returned to where she was standing. The awestruck look on her face made
him think of her children— all innocence and wonder. "This is different
than you imagined?"
"Yes. No, not entirely. It's just so__beautiful,"
she finally said for lack of a better description of her surroundings.
"Would
it be possible for you to admire the city and walk with me at the same
time? I was tracking Underwood's aura successfully until you stopped.
Your distraction somehow affected my concentration."
"Oh, I'm sorry,
Falcon. I thought that business you gave Romulus about needing to keep
me with you was an alibi for my being here."
"I thought it was at the time. Now I am not certain." He held out his hand. "If you please."
Steve
smiled and placed her hand in his. "I'll try to think only about
Underwood, but that's a pretty tall order in this setting."
Falcon did not return her smile. His intense expression told her his mind was at work.
"I
do not believe the problem was your thoughts." He held her hand up in
front of them. "As soon as we touched my concentration returned. In
fact, the aura does not seem so faded anymore. Once again, I am unable
to explain why or how, but I would appreciate it if you would maintain
physical contact with me."
Steve couldn't help but laugh at the
serious wording of his request. "My dear sir, it will be my pleasure."
She kissed the back of his hand, then gave him a tug in the direction
he had been heading before she stopped.
Falcon quickly regained the lead, firmly pushing aside the nagging concern of what was happening to him and his talents.
The
black aura had begun to disintegrate, but as he held Steve's hand, he
was able to track it to the library a few blocks away from the
Administration Building. At the door he sensed both the weak traces he
had been tracking and a vivid twin. It told him Underwood had gone into
the building and remained there throughout the day, then left no more
than a few hours ago. By touching the chair Underwood had vacated,
Falcon heard a replay of his conversation with Delphina.
"Underwood
has no intention of remaining in Innerworld. He came here to steal two
things. The first—knowledge—he was able to obtain from the computer
files. The second will be much more difficult. They have gone to
Gladly, a mining camp some distance away. I assume he will try to
pilfer a quantity of volterrin, for he has learned how valuable an
energy source it is. He may already be there. Come, we need Romulus's
permission to migrate to the camp." He saw Steve's grimace and tapped
her nose with his forefinger. "Now you know how I felt on that airplane
to Miami!"
now. No humans buzzed about the filters. Gordon saw two people walking
from one building to another where lights had been turned on, but they
paid no attention to him or Delphina. Could it be this simple?
He
walked toward the filter closest to him and immediately received the
answer as his body bumped into an invisible barrier. Instantly, the
section of the wall he had come in contact with was glowing with light.
"May I be of assistance?" a man's voice called from behind Gordon.
He
turned to see a black-uniformed man swiftly approaching him. Calling
upon some of the information he had consumed earlier, he offered what
he hoped was a believable explanation. "Yes. I'm a new arrival. This is
Delphina. She's my caretaker. I'm considering a career as a miner, but
I wanted to see the camp and how it functioned first."
The man
frowned, clearly dubious, but when his gaze fell on Delphina he
relented. "This is most unusual. She should have known not to come here
at night. The protectors are already in place. You may stay in the
dormitory tonight. There will be nothing for you to observe until
daylight." His eyes never left Delphina as he spoke. His interest in
where she would spend the night was completely uninhibited.
Angry
frustration curdled in Gordon's stomach. He had not expected to be
thwarted so effectively or so easily. The man's leering at Delphina was
making it even harder to sound nonchalant. Placing his arm around her,
he brought her possessively to his side. "I suppose I have no choice.
Tell me, would it be possible for me to see what this stuff they
collect here looks like?"
The man was not pleased by the implied
message that Delphina was unavailable, nor did he see any need to
repeat information he had already given. He pointed to a long
structure. "Someone in there will set you up." With that, he turned on
his heel and walked away, the light extinguishing as he did so.
* * * *
Thedrive to Fairbanks had seemed interminable to Steve. She had tried to
doze, but her frazzled nerves wouldn't permit it. Once they reached the
house, George immediately went to work on the telecommunicator hidden
in the attic. Jenny fussed over Steve and Falcon, helping them get the
glass out of their hair, offering clean, dry clothing after their
showers, and serving them a hot meal, all of which was enormously
appreciated.
Steve called Lou at the office and filled him in as
quickly as possible. He was both angry about her long absence without a
word and relieved that she and Nesterman were both safe and sound.
Since she was still on Underwood's trail, he agreed to make the
necessary arrangements for Nesterman's return to California.
As
occupied as she was, Steve could not stop herself from looking at the
clock every few minutes. George seemed to be taking forever, but then,
how long was it supposed to take to contact someone in the center of
the earth?
It was after five when the authorization came through and
they were thanking Jenny for her hospitality. George handed Falcon his
ring, but he could not accustom himself to the idea of a Terran being
granted permission to travel to Innerworld, and it showed in his lack
of manners.
One minute they were in Jenny's neat living room, the next they were inside a glass booth in
Innerworld's
main transmigrator station. Romulus and Aster came forward as they
exited. It was clear they were both glad to see Falcon, but the
expressions on their faces when they saw Steve were vastly different.
Aster's smile grew wider; Romulus's disappeared.
Steve's gaze darted from one to another. So many emotions assailed her at once that all she could feel was confusion.
After
a moment, Romulus glanced at the technician, and, noting her interest,
informed Falcon that he would listen to his explanations in his office.
"There is insufficient time," Falcon began, but Romulus would hear none of it.
"Ten
minutes won't make that much difference. Upstairs. Now." And with those
words he stalked off, leaving the three of them to catch up or catch
hell.
The instant they had privacy, Romulus turned on Falcon. "I
believe I am still the governor of Innerworld and you are still subject
to its laws." His gaze flew to Aster, who was looking at him
beseechingly. "No. Friendship has nothing to do with this," he
responded to a plea only he could hear. The glare in his eyes softened
as they stared at one another. A moment later, he sighed and turned
back to Falcon. "There are times when sharing a woman's mind can be
quite complicated, particularly when you are expected to make sensitive
decisions—" A raised eyebrow from Aster cut him off. "All right,
Falcon. Explain yourself. Why have you brought her back?"
"Gordon
Underwood and Delphina are here in Innerworld." Both Romulus and Aster
voiced their shock as Falcon continued, "They have already been here
for a considerable number of hours. While we were in the transmigrator,
I picked up his aura. It is fading rapidly. If I am to follow him, I
must not delay. The only explanation I can offer regarding Steve's
presence here is that something most unusual has been happening between
us. It may or may not affect my abilities if we are separated, but this
is not the time to take that risk. For the present, where I go, she
goes. After we have apprehended Underwood, you may render me whatever
punishment you see fit. I will give you a complete report of our time
in Alaska later. For now I request a change of clothing, a weapon, and
permission to finish this mission."
Romulus had no rational choice
but to postpone further discussion until later, and offered Falcon and
Steve the use of his private quarters to freshen up while he secured
the requested weapon.
Falcon held open the door to the adjoining
chamber for Steve. She couldn't have said what she expected, but this
certainly wasn't it. The outer room had looked like the office of any
American executive, and this room was similar to an efficiency
apartment, except for the one entire wall done in some kind of silver
metal squares. Come to think of it, the medical facility looked
familiar to her, also. Somehow she had imagined it would all be more
"outer space." Her momentary disappointment vanished when she heard
Falcon talking to a computer and it answered him in a very human voice.
She
went to his side to observe his actions more closely. Pictures of a
variety of men's clothing flashed continually on the monitor until
Falcon made several selections. He then gave the computer instructions
as to color and material and stepped back from the screen. A beam of
light shot out, quickly scanning him from head to toe, then receded
again. A minute later the computer informed him his order was complete,
and Falcon opened a small panel in the metal wall.
He pulled out a black shirt, slacks, socks, and shoes, exactly like she had seen him wearing before.
Smiling
at her wide eyes, he told her, "This is a supply station. Every
residence is equipped with one. It provides food and clothing upon
request and stores the used items for recycling. The clothing is
deposited in another bin after it is worn."
"You mean it's disposable? You never have to do laundry?" Steve thought it sounded like heaven.
"Also,
I remember the machine your mother used to clean the dishes and food
preparation containers. The station performs all those functions for
you. Are you hungry? I could demonstrate."
Steve was astonished.
This was the kind of marvel she had expected to see. "No cooking? No
dishes? No laundry? No wonder they don't want us to find out about this
place. Every woman in America would defect. How about cleaning? Has
that bothersome little chore been done away with, too?"
Falcon
laughed. "Not entirely, but an android can be purchased to do whatever
needs to be done. Of course, there is no dust here as you have in
Outerworld. Our dust has great value because it contains a rare
element, nolterrin, which is filtered from the air before it has a
chance to settle. It is needed as an energy source here and on Norona.
You would like it here, I am certain."
The words were said without
thought to any deeper meaning. Steve understood they did not convey a
sincere invitation, nor was a response from her expected, but they
brought reality back with a thud and the levity of the moment was lost.
She could not sense his emotions or hear his thoughts. He had the
ability to shut her out at will, but she did not know how to do that
herself. His tender expression told her he read her feelings quite
accurately.
"You did not answer, Steve. Are you hungry? Or would you
like a change of clothes?" He could not deal with everything she was
feeling, he was feeling, they were feeling. With each passing hour, it
was becoming harder to distinguish between the two. His need to resolve
whatever was developing between them was rapidly becoming stronger than
his need to complete his assignment.
Steve had heard his questions
but hadn't answered. He wouldn't have heard her, she was sure. He was
drawn inside himself to a place where she could not go. "No and no."
Falcon blinked.
"I believe you were daydreaming, Falcon," she said lightly to break the tension. "I'm not hungry and Jenny's clothes fit fine."
He nodded distractedly and began unbuttoning George's plaid flannel shirt.
Steve
wandered around the small room, then perched on the edge of a chair.
She tried to keep her eyes off Falcon, but that was impossible. The
more masculine flesh he bared, the more she wanted to see. His
unintentional striptease was exactly the kind of distraction her
exhausted mind needed.
Falcon knew she watched, but kept his eyes
averted. To him, his body was not unique. He had read other females
interest when they saw him, but had never been affected by it. Steve
made him feel unique, special, beautiful. His body ignored his order
not to be aroused, making the process of closing his slacks somewhat
difficult. When he turned to look at her again, his discomfort
increased.
He held out his hands, and she drifted into his arms.
When he drew her closer, lifting her so that her hips were flush
against his, she tilted her head back for his kiss.
We can't, she thought miserably, and moved against his hardness.
We must be off, he thought halfheartedly, and repeated her motion.
His
lips pressed to hers, and she held him tighter. Their tongues met, and
she sucked his deep within her mouth, causing him to make the purring
sound that vibrated all the way down to her toes then settled between
her legs.
Neither had the will power to pull away on their own, but combined, they managed to remind themselves of their priorities.
Soon. The word was shared between them.
Falcon
released Steve with a sigh. Caressing her lips with his fingertips, he
teased, "You look like a woman who has been well-pleasured."
In return, she ran her hand down the center of his chest and over the bulge below. "And you look like a man who was not."
* * * *
Theywere perfectly presentable when they rejoined Romulus and Aster, but
Steve felt herself blush anyway when Aster smiled a little too
knowingly.
Romulus handed Falcon a black box that looked like a
remote control for a television. "This weapon is signed out in your
name, and you can use my commuter if you need to. It's parked outside.
Be careful and keep us advised. It's impossible to guess what Underwood
is up to."
"Good luck," Aster added as Falcon and Steve left the office.
"Well," Steve said in the hallway, "we're on your turf now. What's the plan?"
"We return to the transmigrator station, where I sensed Underwood's aura, and go from there."
Throughout
the Administration Building, Steve followed a few steps behind Falcon,
but she halted abruptly the moment they exited the enormous structure.
For a moment she wondered if she had been transported into a fairy
kingdom. Knowing she was in the center of the earth didn't matter. Her
senses told her she was outdoors.
The delicious fragrance of lilacs
filled her nostrils as her eyes devoured the spectacle around her.
Stars shining in the clear blue-black sky were complemented by
thousands of twinkling lights set in the trees and bushes. Buildings of
various sizes and shapes were separated by parks. Whatever the
buildings were made of, they reflected everything around them, like
giant mirrors.
Falcon realized she was no longer with him and
returned to where she was standing. The awestruck look on her face made
him think of her children— all innocence and wonder. "This is different
than you imagined?"
"Yes. No, not entirely. It's just so__beautiful,"
she finally said for lack of a better description of her surroundings.
"Would
it be possible for you to admire the city and walk with me at the same
time? I was tracking Underwood's aura successfully until you stopped.
Your distraction somehow affected my concentration."
"Oh, I'm sorry,
Falcon. I thought that business you gave Romulus about needing to keep
me with you was an alibi for my being here."
"I thought it was at the time. Now I am not certain." He held out his hand. "If you please."
Steve
smiled and placed her hand in his. "I'll try to think only about
Underwood, but that's a pretty tall order in this setting."
Falcon did not return her smile. His intense expression told her his mind was at work.
"I
do not believe the problem was your thoughts." He held her hand up in
front of them. "As soon as we touched my concentration returned. In
fact, the aura does not seem so faded anymore. Once again, I am unable
to explain why or how, but I would appreciate it if you would maintain
physical contact with me."
Steve couldn't help but laugh at the
serious wording of his request. "My dear sir, it will be my pleasure."
She kissed the back of his hand, then gave him a tug in the direction
he had been heading before she stopped.
Falcon quickly regained the lead, firmly pushing aside the nagging concern of what was happening to him and his talents.
The
black aura had begun to disintegrate, but as he held Steve's hand, he
was able to track it to the library a few blocks away from the
Administration Building. At the door he sensed both the weak traces he
had been tracking and a vivid twin. It told him Underwood had gone into
the building and remained there throughout the day, then left no more
than a few hours ago. By touching the chair Underwood had vacated,
Falcon heard a replay of his conversation with Delphina.
"Underwood
has no intention of remaining in Innerworld. He came here to steal two
things. The first—knowledge—he was able to obtain from the computer
files. The second will be much more difficult. They have gone to
Gladly, a mining camp some distance away. I assume he will try to
pilfer a quantity of volterrin, for he has learned how valuable an
energy source it is. He may already be there. Come, we need Romulus's
permission to migrate to the camp." He saw Steve's grimace and tapped
her nose with his forefinger. "Now you know how I felt on that airplane
to Miami!"
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