Seeing (Return of the Nine) Read Free

over the gardens below.
    Daphne came up beside her and rubbed her good shoulder. “I am glad that you are fine, Vida.”
    Vida turned and leaned her forehead against Daphne’s shoulder while she bawled. She was the farthest from fine that she had ever been.
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    Vida was sitting quietly in the boots and modest dress that Daphne had given her. The shuttle pilot wasn’t the chatty sort. He simply engaged the engines and lifted off.
    She wanted to bite her nails, but instead, she folded her hands in her lap and concentrated on breathing. In, out.
    The pressure of the acceleration shoved her back in her seat. Breathing took up her entire world until they released from the atmosphere. The mother ship glowed in the sky.
    Vida watched as the shuttle she was in approached a minute port in the metal hull. It was amazing to think that she was heading toward the largest collection of aliens that the Gaians could ever have imagined, and they had a greater right to the planet than the current colonists.
    They had landed eons earlier and evolved their own distinct adaptations to the world until they had travelled out into the universe to split up and become distinct societies from one parent species.
    Knowing and learning all she could about the Nine was her hobby. Vida had known deep inside that they would be the key to her quest. Now, she was about to test that theory.
    The shuttle glided into position and lined up with a series of lights inside the ship. It cruised inside, and she stared out the thick plexi window at the hundreds of fighter ships parked in bay after bay of the inner workings of the giant vessel.
    The moment that the vehicle settled, she could see a walkway extending along the side a moment before she heard the thunk of contact. Her harness released itself, and she took that as a hint to get to her feet.
    Her legs wobbled and her body didn’t feel quite right. Vida used the seat backs for support as she walked toward the door she had used to enter. It hissed and popped open before she reached it, and a familiar face poked around the corner.
    “Vida!”
    Vida grinned and ran to her, bumping in to the cushions and careening into Ziggy’s arms.
    Her friend had changed, Ziggy had added more power to her already considerable energy, but her innate signature was unmistakable.
    In the time after the Tokkel attacks, Ziggy had become a friend. Ianka had enjoyed the scent of flowers as a break from the blood and smell of fear, and anything that kept her sister happy had made her happy.
    Eventually, Vida’s obsession with looking for their parents had driven Ianka to seek silence on the far side of Gaia. She had requested, and been granted, one of the sled-like transports, and every six months, she returned with samples of faraway lands.
    “Ouch, Vida. That is quite the download.”
    She quickly broke their hug. “Sorry, Ziggy. This trip has gotten me all wound up.”
    Ziggy smiled and linked arms with her. “It is fine. So, it has been a while since you saw her?”
    They walked down the walkway and into the ship.
    Vida was glad that she was using her eyes and not her other senses. There were people everywhere, and they all looked fascinatingly strange.
    She prodded Ziggy, “I know that there are supposed to be nine races, but this looks like considerably more.”
    “Ah, just like with the Gaians, there are variations in size and function. Each race has its own hierarchy. Light, dark, air, water, forest, rock, beasts and, of course, then there are the two that you will be dealing with.” Ziggy wrinkled her nose. “They are harder to describe.”
    “How so?”
    “Well, we have the Fury and the Balance. The Fury look like ancient Earth demons and the Balance…well they look like pieces of starscapes come to life. You don’t run into them that often. They don’t mix well with the other races. Well, they do, but the other races get uncomfortable.”
    “Why will I be dealing with them?”
    Ziggy