Free Eyes in the Sky by Viola Grace Page A

harness, she felt it safe to do the same.
    “You are very quiet. I thought that the moment I grabbed you, you would begin an endless barrage of questions.”
    “I knew you were coming. My family was given a message that I would be taken off Resicor before the government pinpointed my signal.” She rose and followed him with only a quick glance back toward the control panel. It seemed to be flying itself just fine.
    “All who were taken to safety tonight were involved in the fight for the freedom of talents on your world.” He moved slowly through the hall and stopped near a series of cabinets. With a quick motion, he pulled it open and took out the object inside.
    She blinked when he handed it to her. The folded fabric was a soft grey that matched his skin. “Is there a reason for coordination?”
    He chuckled. “No. It is merely a standard colouration for recruits to the Citadel. It is that or white, as I found you on a farm, I erred on the side of grey.”
    “Far safer, I have never been good around white. May I have your name?”
    “It will not suit you, but it is Corrothgar Natu.” He grinned and his features became almost handsome. The broad brow and flattened nose were in keeping with the wide mouth, but the smile transformed him from intimidating to fascinating.
    “Corrothgar is a long name.”
    “It is my family name. Natu is my call name.” He inclined his head, and as his hair slid forward, she saw the outline of horns along his hairline. They were short but definitely horns.
    “Natu then. Thank you for the pickup. They were getting close to finding me.” She held the suit to her chest.
    He bowed again in the narrow space. “It was my honour. Now, I will show you the ship because we will be here for a few days. You will need to get around without me. We can sleep in shifts as there is only one bed.”
    She nodded. “Right.”
    A ship this small had minimal resources and that included bedding.
    He showed her where to call a meal and which food to choose. The water and tea were dispensed the same way. A quick press of buttons and the drinks appeared.
    When she had a full reckoning of the design and structure of the ship, he handed her a tablet and a headset and settled her in the galley on a bench, studying Alliance Common.
    “Stay here until you are sleepy and then take the bunk. I will report our successful departure to Teklan Base.”
    “Teklan?”
    “Yes, it is a Sector Guard base that specialises in investigations. They have a Citadel outpost as well and that is where you will be an adjunct agent. It will entitle you to an education in any field you wish, but first, you must learn Alliance Common. Having a foundation in the language will make a flash transfer easier for you.”
    “Flash transfer?”
    “A visual download.”
    “Can we try that?” She smiled. Anything visual was up her alley.
    “Certainly.” He took her tablet from her and keyed in a series of strange glyphs. “Hold it in front of you and press the glowing icon.”
    She did as he said and opened her eyes wide. She opened herself to data on all frequencies, and when it struck, she gasped.
    Worlds opened up in her mind, images of species she could not imagine. Language flowed and she took it all in. When everything went dark, she shook her head and opened her eyes. “Well, that was educational.”
    Natu was staring at her in surprise. “How did you know my language?”
    She blinked. “Urtannin, correct? It was in the files. It was all there in visual data bursts and all things visual are my forte.”
    “You are correct, but how did you get that from the Common language file?”
    “I went deeper. The file led me to others, and from there, I continued until my eyes closed. That is my safety mechanism, when I can’t take any more, I close my eyes.”
    He was standing next to her and shock rang through his expression. “No one speaks Urtannin off world.”
    “You are speaking it now.”
    He sighed and she chuckled.
    Natu