I turned to my console. "Now to start the experiment!"
I activated the safety field, at 30,000x and lifted the first compound out of the irradiation chamber. I mixed it with the second, and reached for the third, a particularly volatile isotope of Nztz, to mix with it.
ANW contained many components; Nztz, a purified form, needed slight exposure to air to ignite. I hoped my hands would be steady enough for this. Success, or my experiment, and my hope for the new fuel, explodes over the Barrens.
Suddenly, I felt myself rise. To my toes. Higher! The clear purple cylinder of Nztz pulled the containment around my hands up. What lifted me off the floor? I stepped through the experiment in my mind and—
"The Nztz; I accidentally irradiated that sample with amiritkaln radiation before I exposed it to Sun2. No predicted effect in my analysis. The Nztz turned into NZTZ, but now it is a new compound! It lifted me!" I looked down. I floated about a meter off the floor. “The containment must have activated it!”
Ryee smiled. "You found something better than we hoped, Ay. This compound will be inexpensive to produce in mass quantities, and produces power without anything but a containment field."
The combination of NTZT and a psi interface will make space travel in the Areoni Region inexpensive! “We found it! You and I and Vonn, Derees, and Tanda!” Ossy and Citsa wasted much material.
With care, he stretched his arms around me and I mentally released the containment enough to slip my hands out. Then, I brought the samples down. Warmth soothed my aching arms. Our eyes found each other, and my face burned. His oranged.
My coworkers, and scowling Citsa, noticed, rubbing sleepy eyes. But, the others looked more at the floating purple than at us. Ryee pulled his arms away, with a smile.
Vonn returned it. “Adia, I am very happy for you! Now we will enjoy yet another of your journal reports!”
Derees stuck out his hand. When I covered his hand, he bowed at the waist and held it. “My children will remember you—“
“Oh, stop it!” Citsa shoved him so hard, Vonn had to catch him! Derees lost his happy smile. “Our names will be on the report because it’s our discovery! We’ll all be famous!”
Vonn and Derees frowned at her. She laughed. I felt extreme discomfort. The discovery, after all, was to help in the war effort, not to gain fame.
Vonn waved for Papa’s holo. “Adia did it! We have a new fuel! And, it works with a containment field, which ships run anyway!”
He jumped up and shouted! “I knew you could do this, Daughter! Oh, I am happy for you!” Cheering behind him.
Then he grew quite serious. “Vonn, Derees, can you produce a quantity of the new fuel, for the ships to test? Adia, I wish you to go home, now.”
“Home? But they will need help!”
Vonn nodded. “I agree. Derees and I can do this. Progs run. Ryee will help us, will you, Ryee?”
“Ea, I shall! But will Ay have danger, to walk alone?”
I trembled. Nodded. I have the Link. I shall not be alone.
Ryee followed me to my area. I waved a copy of my research into my dress. Unlike the others, I kept nothing here. All is in my pocket. I put my hand in it and stroked the cube as I oft did.
Citsa laughed. “I wonder what your father will say—”
“He will not listen to you.”
“—you fell in love with an Otherworlder.” She looked defiantly at Vonn.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
My father’s holo was still up. He looked from me to Ryee, who oranged. My face burned.
“My sister fell in love with an Elshar. It happens. Please, be careful, Adia. I shall see you at home tonight, and I wish to hear all about it.” He smiled at Ryee!
I nodded, and released my breath. Smiled.
Almost reached the door, and Director Pragate opened it. “Oh, Adia, where do you go? I need you to produce more of your new fuel!”
Behind me, Papa stopped talking with Vonn. “Ado? I just asked her to go home. Vonn, Derees and Ryee can make it.”
He was very thin, and trembled. Reminded me of Per Wilnes as they escorted him out of Council. Oh, my.
“You do not know, do you? We must produce fuel for all our ships, not just the ones in Eicken. It will take all of us. I brought many scientists with me.” Behind him a line formed.
Papa did not look happy. “Without testing?”
“There is no time. Eriganh comes here. In two days, he will threaten Areon himself.”
I shuddered, and yellow sparkles dripped from my arm.
“All Areon must evacuate.”
He grabbed my arm and helped me walk back to my station. “Are you all right? You are shaking.” His body shook more than mine!
I nodded. Waved for more materials to port into the array. Vonn directed the new scientists. Oh, how his head pounded! There were 60, 10 at each of 6 tables.
“Adia Rayaline, I wish to thank you for this breakthrough. Vonn, do you have a report for me?”
Our section head gave a detailed report of their work and waved up sims for Pragate to study. “We have promising work, but nothing like Adia's discovery.” He smiled at me, a broad smile. All happened as I saw it. A holo played of Tanda’s report.
Pragate looked at Ryee and I. “I will contact other departments. Ryee, may we borrow a test vehicle? My Piloting Team and my Maintenance Team are idle now after they modified a new MLMT drive. I can find a team to look at fuel mixers in our Zheien Ships Department if we may borrow yours.” Zheien Ships Department? Perhaps Eicken will add Zheien ship repair to the shipbuilding facility?
Borrow his personal ship? I felt very nervous. If I had a ship, it would be very hard to lend such an expensive item, and how would he go home? A dimportal? I mentioned porting from ships in orbit to this building and he paled. Pilots often did, if more than one worked on a ship. We piloted borrowed ships from other departments to test, and landing takes more fuel than mere flying with course corrections.
“May I bring it tomorrow?”
“Certainly! Let me send some holos.”
He waved up many holos and spoke to them while we mixed and directed simulants.
Citsa glared at me. Derees had an apologetic look for both of us. Vonn smiled.
When I looked back to see if more came, a new ED blinked above the door. Too large to fit behind a light fixture, between the rafters. Twice the size of the one Vonn ‘accidentally’ destroyed. I felt sick. But, we are safe while Ryee is with us.
Cevit Ion stayed in my mind. Be calm. Today, I land in Eicken Spaceport. Many help me to investigate evil.
He showed me testimony with many traders. Most were Zheien traders with grievances over dead and dying aandats from Kleideu, that perished while Eicken ran endless checks on them. Aandat are very sensitive to the radiation in these checks, similar to hygiene or a clothing former.
If they are run more than once, the colony of singlecell animals begins to die. They also need to be fed daily, but if they sit in the Spaceport more than this, they feed on themselves.
It shocked me that our government would do this. Kajar once had aandats from here, but they received one dying one in a shipment. Broke the treaty written by Ryee’s grandfather, W~Via. Ry’nao knew him? He sent him to negotiate that treaty!
We named our son for him. Oh, sight dimmed! Vonn put a hand on my head, and strength poured into me.
Ado Pragate startled, next to me. “I did not know you learned healing, Vonn!”
He stammered. “I—oh, Ryee taught me a little.”
Ryee smiled at him.
“Would you help me? Oh, this headache!”
Derees handed his cylinders to Vonn. “Come lie on a cot. I have an herb for that..”
He went with him. Sometimes yllis and vek ea should be given more than once.
I concentrated on work, only work. But, I thought of our son. At nine, he gave a treaty adult diplomats struggle to learn. Healers surely saved him! His face much resembled Ryee! His dark curls lay in the same neat rows that Ryee’s did. He hugged me. I felt calm.
Ryee heard the memory and startled. Bae, keep your mind from her.
O, I try, but see my bae!
He, his mother, and father, saw him, and enjoyed the memory. Their happiness tingled on everyone about them and people gathered to ask, What is it, Lieges?
I giggled.