Unravelling

Unravelling

Christine Jayne Vann

by Christine Jayne Vann at Smashwords

Copyright © 2016 Christine Jayne Vann

All rights reserved.

Discover other titles by Christine Jayne Vann:

Tacenda

When Disconnected

When I Was Not Myself

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Foreword

When I released Tacenda in March 2015, I was worried about sharing Kerris and Arucken’s unique journey. The response was encouraging. My inter-species pairing has captured interest, and sometimes hearts, along their way.

I hope you enjoy coming with them on this next journey. They aren’t giving up any time soon, and nor will I. I owe them that.

Table of Contents

Foreword

The Avancular Tree

The Gravity Orb

Buried

Consumed

Those unborn

Inward and out

Unready

Left standing

The Central Axis

Imitation

Unbalanced

Undercover

Drained

Deception

New Partnership

The Unravelling

Aftercare

Octavia

Unlikely Allies

About the Author

The Avancular Tree

Kerris stared upwards, at the spreading branches of a tree larger than many of the planets she had visited. She tucked her ponytail into the neck of her flightsuit, wincing at the rough hairs against the dark skin of her neck. The filter that shot tendrils into her nose and restricted her breathing made a dull fire in her chest. It would be impossible to talk here. To anyone but her partner.

What the hell is this thing? she asked, sending the thought through to Arucken’s mind like an arrow. Standing beside her, his elegance cloaked in the same smooth material, but with eyes far larger than her own glancing upwards. His mouth curved into a slow smile.

The closest word you have? Avuncular. His eyes did not move from studying the thick branches, each capturing a large bubble habitat. Specks flew from one bubble to the other, like insects attracted to nectar.

It’s a tree! she protested. A massive one...but a tree!

It’s a nurturing place. Arucken responded. Like a friendly uncle, close enough in age to understand but far enough to grant wisdom. You can call it The Uncle Tree if you’d prefer?

Kerris snorted. She pulled down her visor and eyed the open platform at the base of the trunk. It was no more than a flat piece of ground, set to thrust the occupant powerfully upwards, until their own momentum took over. Made a lot of sense, for those with wings. She had to hope their new boots would stand up to it. She checked the panel, strapped to her wrist, that would allow them entry. How many of these people will I offend, if I call it that?

Arucken grinned, leaping onto the platform and stomping both feet. His eyes gleamed as he gestured for her to follow. All of them!

The platform shot upwards with a speed that flung them towards each other. Arucken grasped hold of her arm, clawing for purchase. The grin had slipped from his face. They steadied each other, waiting for the moment at which it slowed and cursing the Illick that had explained the whole process.

Smooth! Arucken said, even that inward thought, stolen of breath. What does Parion think rough is?!

Be ready! she uttered back, no time to think of the tips their alien friend had given them. Parion admitted he had escaped the Illick settlement he grew up in the second it became an option. Apparently, a mixed-species bar on an asteroid was more to his liking.

Kerris steadied herself, watching the branches growing in her sight, as the platform thrust them upwards. The bubbles around each branch above began revealing more signs of habitation and movement. It was all a rush of air and blurred movement.

Then it stopped, all in one moment. Kerris clicked her boots together, shooting upwards in a sickening thrust of motion. Beside her, she saw Arucken doing the same. Her stomach plunged downwards, breath caught deep in her throat and stuck in a bottleneck. It tore inward, until she choked out and pulled in through the filter. Breath, dull and tinged with old leaves. Stale but welcome.

Her mind ran through the docking procedure, but she was far more used to settling Octavia than herself. Their odd little ship was in orbit, protesting their departure by grumbling to herself and changing the sequence for opening each door. Lately, she’d shown a lot of interest in playing songs from Earth’s distant past to herself and using them as passwords. Whoever Ziggy Stardust was, he had a lot to answer for.

Kerris’ fingers fumbled at the numbers she had to punch into the flat panel on her wrist. It was hard to concentrate with the movement, the winged Illick had a grace that no human could emulate, with special boots or not. Clumsy, spinning, and disorientated she wished she hadn’t agreed to take this part on. She should have guessed from Arucken’s relief at her offer.

Colours...life…numbers and us! Colours...life...numbers and us! she punched in the code, choosing the pictures and clicking the switch that pulled her number through. 133y.

Whatever it meant in the Illick language, she did not know.

The beam caught them, seconds later. A light purple haze, steadying them and pulling them towards the central trunk. Arucken spun towards her, muttering obscenities inwardly.

They docked to a hexagonal indent on a smooth, silver branch. To the right was a black one, traced with twin, golden lines. Food. She remembered. Leftwards was the red curve and white circles that indicated a place of learning. Other colours, patterns and shapes nestled above and below here. Yet silver was the one they needed. Their specialty. Negotiation.

In the years since she and Arucken had been together, the Concordat’s hold on them had only tightened. The lawmakers for the universe and the ones that held their contract and owned their ship, where they pointed she and Arucken must follow. As the only successful result from the experiment that paired human to nestling, their messengers skills were in high demand.

Today, they were tasked with bringing another species into the Concordat, a task it had been made clear they could not refuse. Despite having been contacted in the early days of space travel, the insectoid Illicks had remained apart from the Concordat. Aside, and consulted, but never a full member of trade or treaty agreements. With the rise in space piracy, that was due to change. Vertex Alpha was the first Illick settlement within the demilitarized zone, an area long thought safe from invaders.

No longer. Piracy is increasing.

The wave of grief that accompanied the thought was smaller, she held her breath as it washed over her. Her sister, her crew and ship, had been amongst the first victims.

Catching her thought, Arucken sent his sympathy. She knew he feared for her and it was only at his insistence that she had agreed to keep their assignments in safer areas. She longed to be at the fringes. Octavia was a warrior. Arucken was not.

Nor are you, if you are honest.

She ignored the thoughts, tugging at the edge of her mind. She did not need to hear them, or know Arucken’s fears.

Stepping off the wooden platform and onto the smooth branch made her heart stop in her chest. She glanced down at the floor they had come from, the rocky outcrop that held no other sign of vegetation. The roots of The Uncle Tree...Damn it!...must go deep into the planet to get any nourishment.

Or was it alive?

It seemed so, though lacking an atmosphere and leaves made it no more than a statue to her mind. Any shifting under her feet could only be her imagination.

Curious Illicks looked over them as they walked forward. With their shiny visors, suits, and breathing apparatus she felt like the human moon landers of many eons ago. Young bounced off smaller branches, turning somersaults in the low gravity in a way that made her look instantly away. She was no coward, but this was not her world.

Arucken too, looked queasy.

The trail to the floor led them towards one of the larger bubbles, nestled amongst a cluster of smaller branches and enveloping every tip, the artificial environment covered several small dome like buildings. Clouds of coloured smoke emitted from small hollows at the sides, as if they breathed in and out.

Moving into the artificial skin was like pushing through thick soup. She closed her eyes, needlessly, as she waved her hands to push through it. When she popped out the other end she saw a pair of young Illicks, three-fingered hands pressed to their mouth, giggling at her exit.

She nodded back at them, and their mouths fell open. Maybe they squeaked, but she could not hear it from the inside of the dome. They fled as if they expected pursuit. She frowned. I thought humans were known here?

They are. But only to adult. Children have not been allowed to be here before now. This is a trial...you know that’s one of the Concordat’s rules.

She knew. Children of any species should be exposed to others, as early as possible. It was easier that way.

So they want to join?

She felt his hesitation, the words gathering slowly. It’s an Illick’s nature to play all sides at once. If they do agree, they wish to be able to join instantly. Hence the last few years of change.

They both bent over to enter the small doorway of the large dome, as Arucken gestured to the three striped lines above a single outline of a wing. Kerris nodded, her hand smoothing down her leg absently and pausing where a weapon would normally be strapped. It made her uneasy, but Vertex Alpha had strict rules for aliens.

No eyes turned to meet them. As Kerris straightened, awkwardly, under a ceiling meant for a shorter species, she was greeted by a row of silent Illick, eyes closed tightly shut. Eyelids so thin as to be almost translucent, eyes much larger than even Arucken’s deep orbs. Wings tightly furled against their back, like leaves untouched by wind. They sat upon logs, smoothed by age into a state more stone than wood. Lights were harsh, bright spotlights that made her feel on stage. Yet the Illick had eyes shut against their brightness.

No. Against us. She remembered. This was a gesture of trust. A good sign.

Now how to greet? A touch of worry from Arucken, as the human in the group it was her position to lead. Not something his people agreed with, but one the Concordat was insistent on. It was one of the few concessions they had won against Arucken’s people, when negotiating this treaty.

She closed her eyes. Kerris, of Arucken and Kerris. Captain of the ship Octavia.

She could imagine her ship protesting at that. It was getting harder to treat her as the object she had never been.

Arucken followed her. Arucken, of Arucken and Kerris. Copilot to the ship Octavia.

A sigh escaped the Illick, at once like a flower breathing. Eyes popped open, left to right, golden, red, purple and green. Nothing on their features distinguished for age or gender. Where Parion was a busy mix of colours and life, these were blades of grass bending towards a new wind.

Well met and seen. To the left, the one with golden eyes smiled, dropping bottom lip to reveal a neat row of tiny teeth. Bat-like, it cocked its head to one side. Journeyed well and rested?

Journeyed well, rested fine. Kerris responded. She tried to match the odd cadence of the Illick’s words, a singsong mimicry. Hers sounded like broken strings. I bring the setup.

She gestured to Arucken, who moved forward with a long, bundled up tapestry. It had been hard to find human and nestling weavers to match the skills of Illick. It was vital to them that the rules were written on something handmade by both species, a living document to state the treaty they would abide by.

A purple-eyed Illick took it from Arucken, as gently as if it were a young of their own. It retreated to the log, seating back like a statue. They would add their own rules to it later, Illick weaving adding colour and skill.

All had agreed, via online meeting and text communication, yet for this, something physical. It smelt of dye and an odd trace of liquorice. Fennel seeds, Arucken had said.

Pleased and acknowledged. The golden eye Illick said. There was no mention of names. Arucken’s contact in the Concordat, a short human by the name of Jengo, had warned that this might be the case. Neither good nor bad. He had warned. Illick names are not given lightly.

When she had mentioned Parion, Jengo had only laughed. An Outlander, if ever there were one! Best not to use him as your measure.

Seeing the contained nature of the Illick, the calm and slow movement as they rose to lead them out, Kerris could see what Jengo had meant. Parion had adapted to the environment and people he needed to, for a bar of mixed species and intents. She wondered if there was still space for him here, in the slow growth and rise of the Illick Treekin.

Back outside, the clear expanse of sky called to her. Around her, youthful Illick thrust off the tree branches throwing items to each other. They floated like dandelion seeds, spinning as if they played at ballet. If this was the Illick version of football, then humans must seem like clumsy giants. Kerris caught herself stepping more lightly, inhaling the air as quietly as she could. Stop it. She ordered herself. Do not hide your differences.

Arucken smiled at her, a flash of teeth as the golden-eyed Illick led them towards the place of learning. The branches tapered off away from the main stem, blooming into several bubbles, with grey ceilings trapping air tightly to each dome. Inside the first, a group of tiny Illick children were playing with threads and leaves. They seemed to be sorting them into piles, under the guidance of a pair of slim adults. The pair nodded at them, raising a palm in stony greeting before returning to their charges.

She wasn’t sure how long they should watch, or why they were here. Taking note from Arucken, Kerris stayed silent. Arucken’s feelings were mixed, and she could sense his thoughts led to the same space as hers. How was Lily? There had been little news of late.

Their guide led them back outside, to where a row of older children - perhaps near teen - were humming to themselves against the sloping wall of another small building. With eyes half closed, and feet tapping against the base of the wall, they chose at odd intervals to switch positions mid-tune. As they shifted, Kerris caught sight of the odd tinge alongside the wings of each singer. It was like a grey sheen across glass, a muddy cast across the furled wings.

Onwards and over! The guide said, with a flash in his eyes Kerris could not identify. They were hurried past the teens and across to yet another building. The guide began rapidly talking them through the various artwork inside, faster than she could follow.

The floor shook. The walls roaring as if they would tumble inward. Kerris stumbled against Arucken, they steadied themselves together, gasping. The guide kept talking, without acknowledging the movement.

What was that? Arucken asked. He kept his tone calm, but she saw the swirl of colours against his wrists and exposed neck. Explain, please.

Shedding. Normal, be not alarmed the guide answered, not taking eyes from the most recent artwork. A twist of threads and coloured bulbs, it was a dark projection of plant life.

Shedding? Kerris prompted as she placed her hand against the wall. Tremors still reached her. Please, explain further.

You have this knowledge. The Illick said, its tone slick with annoyance. It slammed its palm against the wall, twice in quick succession. We know of the old human planet, we know of your caged humans. We know of the lifeyoung of the nestlings. We know, we overlook. This is not business of yours, nor will affect our agreement!

We will return to this later. Kerris said, as calmly as she could muster. She had to lean mentally on Arucken to do so, sharing the calm until it filtered through them both. Sometimes she could not tell where