CHAPTER 8

Questions

WHERE ARE YOU? Chantelle thought, pushing her song deeper and deeper. She could feel it swirling through Primeris' head, searching for a weakness in the barrier. Just when she sensed one developing, an energy surge shattered the strains of her chant, forcing her to start over. I can't keep this up much longer. Stop fighting me, Primeris. Help me, she pleaded. I can't do it without you.

Gathering the last vestiges of her strength, she decided it was all or nothing. Chantelle inhaled, filling her lungs with as much air as possible. Leaning over Primeris' prone body, she placed the palms of her hands on each side of the woman's head. With her face only inches away from Primeris', she focused all of her energy on the song. Lyrics beat relentlessly against the barrier. A spike in energy rushed to reinforce the invisible wall. Chantelle switched to another area, melody and lyrics striking determinedly. The spike shifted. As it moved away from the previous spot, Chantelle returned to it. 

"I sing your body, I sing your spirit... Follow me from the darkness..."

Over and over she repeated the ancient song of the Singers, refusing to give up, knowing failure would cost her more than she could ever imagine. Somehow, she had bonded with this... this... woman. The revelation stunned her, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Let me in, Primeris, let me in. I won't give up on you. Don't you give up. The barrier wavered. That's it. We can do this. Follow me. I am your healer....

Again, the barrier faltered and then, in an instant, crumbled, revealing three processors. The gateway was exactly as Solaria had described. Chantelle's heart raced. Adrenalin pumped through her body, giving her an enormous jolt of energy. Voice raised, she poured her heart and soul into her song. A picture on the wall vibrated and crashed to the floor, shattering the glass cover.

*  *  *

Solaria and Jain rushed into the room. Chantelle straightened momentarily, her eyes glazed with fatigue, and then collapsed over Primeris' body.

Checking her pulse, Solaria motioned for Jain to pick up Chantelle's feet.

"She's just exhausted. Let's move her to the other side of the bed for now."

"What about Primeris?" Jain asked.

"I don't know. She's alive. We'll have to wait and see if she's functional."

Shifting Chantelle next to Primeris, Solaria and Jain left, quietly shutting the door behind them. Neither noticed Scootie slipping onto the bed and nestling down next to the Healer.

*  *  *

Primeris could hear voices but was unable to identify the sources. Running a system diagnostic, she discovered a sector of her third processor irreparably damaged. The files were permanently lost. Her backup system had also been compromised; someone had accessed it without her permission. Primeris felt violated, an emotion that left her confused and... angry.

Opening her eyes, she stared at the ceiling. Six billion, one hundred seventy-three thousand, five hundred sixty-one perforations. That was the number of acoustical holes she could see without moving her eyes. She was aware of a body next to her. The slow breathing indicated the person was asleep and posed no threat.

Primeris continued her diagnostics. On her left wrist was a bracelet that was blocking her ability to transmit or receive information about her location. She would deal with it later. Physically, she was operating at seventy-eight percent efficiency. The damaged processor was slowing her computing ability less than one-hundredth of a nano-second, which wasn't desirable, but was well within acceptable parameters for now. There was a twelve percent possibility that adjacent memory banks would eventually fail due to three damaged neuro-transmitters; she would need to monitor them closely. As a safety precaution, she moved the potentially affected files to a new location and quarantined the damaged area.

That's all I can do for now. I need nourishment.

Sitting up, she looked at the woman lying beside her. Only then did she notice the small dog.

Where did you come from? I should have sensed you.

The dog stared unblinkingly at her, its head slightly cocked to the right. Unconsciously imitating the gesture, Primeris tipped her head and returned the gaze. The dog lowered her head onto her paws and closed her eyes. Primeris dismissed the animal as insignificant. Turning her attention to the sleeping woman, she recognized her immediately. Without knowing why, she reached out and moved a strand of hair away from Chantelle's forehead.

Why are you here? What happened after I was damaged?

Solaria should have destroyed her. Why didn't she? Primeris wouldn't have hesitated if the situation was reversed. Instead, Solaria must have brought her here, perhaps as a prisoner. If so, Chantelle wouldn't be in the same room. Nothing made sense.

Approaching footsteps warned her that someone coming. When the door opened, a head popped from behind it. It was the librarian.

"You're awake! Good!" the woman whispered, stepping into the room. "I bet you're starved. Come on and I'll get you something to eat." She motioned for Primeris to follow her and left. Primeris had no choice but to obey.