Don't Call Me Kitten! Read Free Page B

wasn’t,
everything that had been and might be. Infinite potential. Zex
wasn’t sure that even their wisest knew its true purpose for
bringing the dimensions into existence. Maybe it was just having
fun. Maybe the entity was bored or dreaming or maybe it couldn’t
make up its mind between being and not being and had opted to
explore all possibilities. Whatever, Zex was no philosopher or
sage, he was happy in his role as a diplomat and peace negotiator.
He could usually do more good with that. Although looking at their
current situation he didn’t think there would be much negotiating
today.
    He noticed one
Din had grabbed Orea only to have the chief communications officer
head butting him. Unfortunately her struggle was cut short when she
was shot by stunner. She collapsed at his feet. Fearing she’d just
get heartlessly trod on by one of the blundering beasts he managed,
even shackled as he was, to discreetly pull her to the side.
    The one who
was the enemy’s leader threatened the rest of them. If they spoke
they’d have their tongues ripped out and if they resisted they'd be
dismembered before they met their fate. Oh my gods. They really
were going to turn them all into stone. He had seen it in the
vision Shimon had shown him but at the time the sheer horror of it
hadn’t completely hit him.
    His heart went
out to Thex. The bastards were going to make him watch as each of
his crew met their fate, leaving him til last. What must be going
through the commander as he watched his lover and best friend Arion
being the first to be placed into position before the weapon. A
cold black light surrounded his body and he screamed. When the
light disappeared all that remained was a gleaming piece of
crystal, a rock the shape of a man, frozen in his scream. Then the
beasts were pushing him out the door of the cargo bay, out into
space.
    He felt Orea
stir at his feet. As best as he could he placed a steadying hand
her and sent a stream of thought to her. Sh! Don’t move. They’ve
threatened to dismember any of us who resist and I’m pretty damn
sure they mean it. It would be better if we got out of this with
all our limbs in place. You have to let things go their course.
I’ve seen the distant future. Everything will work out.
    Orea didn’t
give any further outward sign that she had regained consciousness.
Her thoughts, projected to him alone, were her only reply. What
do you mean? What have you foreseen?
    I gave my word
that I wouldn't tell anyone but some things are pretty obvious from
what’s been happening while you were out cold. They have some new
fangled weapon that will turn us into stone. The stones are being
thrown out into space. They’ve already done it to Arion and they’re
doing Kiana as we speak.
    And by what
you’re not saying I gather we won’t be able to teleport ourselves
out of it?
    No. These
cuffs have stopped me. I think some of the others have tried too.
The Din must have developed some technology we’re not yet familiar
with.
    So how, then,
is everything going to turn out okay Zex?
    Because
there’s a planet below us. A planet our futures will be
inextricably tied with. We will be freed one day Orea. I can tell
you that. For now we'll just have to hibernate our souls and bide
our time.
    Won’t the
stones shatter on impact or burn up in the planet’s atmosphere? And
what do you mean by ‘hibernate our souls’? When the hell is this
help coming?
    The crystal
they are turning us into is impossibly hard. Help won’t come for
hundred thousand years or so.
    Shit!
1
     
    Nine years
ago...
     
    “Candidate of
Science, Helena Ivanova.”
    Spine straight
and head held high Helena walked the outdoor podium and accepted
her postgraduate degree, equivalent to what would be called a Phd
in the West but Russia’s tertiary system was a little different. It
was a bittersweet moment. Six years of hard academic work, the last
two completing her Kandidat Nauk, Candidate of Science, but
otherwise it had been