Free Eyes in the Sky by Viola Grace Page B

looked at the tablet. “What I meant was how did the data flash have Urtannin in it?”
    “Oh, it didn’t. I picked up Common, looked for your species, found them and traced them back to the archive where the language samples are held. If something is stored as visible data, I can read it.”
    “Even from this distance?”
    “The tablet gave me a direct line into the archive, it just didn’t know it.” She smiled and switched languages. “If you prefer Alliance Common, I can do that, too.”
    He sighed. “It is preferable when we are in public. Urtannin is considered a sacred language.”
    She winced. “Apologies. I was just playing with a new toy.”
    He chuckled. “Well, I will leave you to pursue your subjects of interest. I will return to the command deck. Good evening.”
    He gave her a short bow and left her alone in the galley with the bodysuit tucked over her arm.
    She sighed and turned on the tablet, going through available tutorials until she found one on flying. She would be exhausted in a few hours, but until then, she was going to see what the Alliance had to offer.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    Natu was walking her through the controls of the ship and there was amused disbelief in his voice. “Use the pulse to locate the beacons and calibrate the navigation systems off that. Never take it for granted that the beacons are in the same place. You can fly into a sun that way.”
    She set the pulse and checked the readout. Where the beacons should be was indeed slightly different from where they currently were. “Done.”
    “Good. Trigger the reset and accelerate.”
    Riasa smiled and used both of her hands to send the precise instructions to the ship. The readout displayed the increase in speed. She sat back proudly.
    Natu applauded. “Well done. You will be a better pilot than I am by the time we land.”
    “It is possible, but I think you will have more of a feel for atmospheric flight. I have no idea what it feels like to fly and feel the wind around me.”
    She could swear that he was blushing, but his skin didn’t seem amenable to showing it.
    “Your description is a very romantic ideal for something my people do every day.”
    “I have dreamed of flying since I first saw birds take off when I was a child. As the strictures against talents got tighter, craving that sort of freedom became my only escape. Everywhere I looked, there were signs of the creeping corruption. Flight seemed the perfect way out.” She kept an eye on their trajectory. They were getting close to the jump site.
    “Sometimes, it is just the way to get from here to there.” Natu smiled.
    “Speaking of, we are at the jump point.”
    “Well then, time for you to watch so that you can do it next time.” He ran his hands along the controls and lined them up with the beacons.
    He sent another pulse through the beacons to line them up, and he pressed and held the command button that sent them from one point in space to another. This was the third such transfer since she had come on board, and it was the final one. With this jump, they were now in the same system as Teklan.
    Natu announced their arrival to the base and received confirmation that there was a reception committee for Riasa.
    “What is a reception committee?”
    “A full medical workup. Teklan is a fairly empty world, but they do not wish to bring in any disease that could mutate into something really nasty over time. Mist and Reset will run the scans and do your workup. It gives you a baseline for health at any of the Alliance facilities. The records are activated if you enter a med base under Alliance control. They will know what your readouts should be and will treat you accordingly.”
    Riasa nodded. “Right. I recall reading something about that.”
    He snorted lightly. “I bet you do.”
    She wanted to smack him, but she sat back in her chair instead. The formfitting bodysuit came out a darker shade than she had first guessed. On the second day, Natu had