Chương 19: Ch 13b - Monitoring

The heated discussion becomes apparent as soon as the door opens. The sound of it deflates the courage she has built up to open the door. She hovers on the threshold.

"Vheece knows full well what the agreement is," a raised male voice says, she is pretty sure it is Draig.

"Argatta is to be notified, I am to be notified, when she is to be interviewed or assessed, along with every medication, patch or adaptation she is given." At the mention of the patch Cara frantically twists one arm back and up behind her and her other arm up and back over her shoulder. Her hands drag across the space between her shoulder blades, her fingers searching for anything other than skin. The patch is gone. She knows the patch is gone.

She has checked so many times, even scraping her back against the wall, ensuring every skin cell made contact with the wall. It is gone, yet still she needs to reassure herself.

"I'm just responding to his orders and filing the reports back as I go. If he's playing with the timings of what gets sent when, there's nothing I can do about it," Gask is arguing back, "Argatta is the one who needs to call him to account." Cara risks leaning further into the seating area located outside of her room. If she remembers correctly Gask's office is two doors down from her room. The office is the source of the voices.

She has woken up with a new composure, a resilience, a sense that she can cope with her new situation. Moreover, upon awakening there was no crashing tsunami of loss. It is as if her mind has packaged away every haunting memory into neat little bricks and stacked them up like a wall of remembrance. She can see the remembrance wall. She can see those memories packed into each brick. They are locked away within reach, waiting for a thought or a lingering stare to free them.

But, if she doesn't think upon them, doesn't allow her meandering mind to stare at them for too long, they will stay there. A wall of all things remembered but at the same time not heartbreakingly missed. Memories safe and secure, not free to swirl around in her mind, not free to drag her back into despair. Nevertheless, she is keen for distraction. Sitting in her room makes it hard to ignore the wall, she needs something else to occupy her thoughts.

Light from Gask's office spills out of the open doorway, occasionally dulled with the moving shadows of the people inside. Cara's bare feet pad silently on the textured floor as she takes a few steps closer.

"You know that's going to take time with her in Feilan City and who knows what he'll get up to by then," Draig complains.

"I'm already risking a lot just having these conversations with you and leaving reports open." Gask is hissing at him.

"You know he nearly caught you reading a pre-vetted report on the last day of quarantine."

"I know," Draig relents, moving to a softer tone, "I appreciate your efforts, and so does the Assembly, you know that. But if he carries on like this, he'll end up killing her like the rest of them."

"Maybe, maybe not. This one seems different; she has more resolve. She escaped you and the rest of the Trisec team on Xiatt. That's more than most of them managed with their handlers." Draig huffs, "It was never going to be a successful escape. Though I'm sure that hasn't eased the berating Wyndeer must have received. In his defence he was treating her with some dignity, not restraining her like a wild animal. Vheece will no doubt have taken further offence to that.

Not that his preferred method prevented Visitor Eight's disastrous escape." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"Shot by a base patrol," Gask says matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I read the report too."

"Hmm, now who's reading reports beyond their grade?"

"Not at all. I have full access," Gask says with pride.

"Vheece wants regular assessments and that's quite a challenge. Same species or not, these Earthers have different emotional regulation, physical resting rates, metabolism. I needed all the data points I could get for her tracking algorithm."

"That's what I need," Draig announces, excitement entering his voice, "Just add me to her tracking feed. If I haven't been told about a session, I'll at least be able to see a spike in her feed."

"I can't. I might have designed it but I'm just a recipient of the live feed. Vheece had Flavitt bespoke the access," Gask pauses.

"Though, Flavitt was complaining the other day that he's had to grant Argatta co-ownership and it took him ages to rework the security protocol. Ask Argatta to extend the feed to you, that way Vheece can't complain if he finds out."

"Gask, have I ever told you how clever you are?"

"Hmm, I'm clever enough to tell you to leave now before you ask for something else," she quips, "I need to go now anyway. I still have patients in the main infirmary." Cara's heart skips a beat. She looks around for somewhere to hide. The padded chairs are pushed against a wall, and the table set wouldn't hide a small dog under it. She manages one step backwards before Draig is out of the room and frowning at her with his intense indigo eyes.

"Hello, Cara," he says casually, as if she had been the furthest thing from his thoughts for quite some time. His black uniform is the same style as Wyndeer's and Vheece's, with a white stripe flowing over his right shoulder and down the front of the jacket. Two emblems are displayed on the stripe. The triangles and lines emblem she now associates with Trisec, and a second consisting of two circles, one inside the other with the three-triangle symbol inlaid in the smaller circle.

"Hi," she manages, trying desperately to think of a reason to be standing there. Her mind draws a blank.

"I thought you were in your room?" he prompts. His gaze is captured by her toes which are trying to wriggle her nervous energy out of her legs and into the floor. She opens her mouth but still her mind is void of ideas. She shuts it again, feeling a hot blush rise in her cheeks. Gask saves her by walking out of her office.

"Ah, Cara, good to see you up," Gask says, sweeping her with an appraising look.

"I told you she was unaffected and fully rested."

"She's out of her room?" Draig asks Gask whilst keeping his attention firmly on Cara.

"I told her she's welcome to sit out here if she felt like it."

"Vheece lets you keep her door unlocked?" he mutters.

"The main door is locked, and hers is unlocked only when I'm here." Gask replies defensively, then turns to Cara, "Unfortunately Cara, I have other commitments. You'll have to go back to your room."

"Oh," Cara mumbles, feigning disappointment as she tries to stop her legs from immediately bolting to the safety of her room and away from Draig's scrutiny.

"I can stay," Draig announces. Stones sink in her stomach. Gask glares at him.

"The deal works both ways, Draig."

"Have you eaten anything today?" Draig asks Cara, ignoring Gask.

"Er, yes," she lies spectacularly badly. His eyes sweep down the length of her body, she resists the urge to cross her arms over her chest as they rise back up.

"Well, I could do with a snack, you can join me."

"Draig, I have to tell him." Gask warns.

"That's fine," Draig says breezily as he walks Gask to the main doors.

"Tell him Argatta sent me to check on her, she's worried about her nutrition. Just don't tell him until you've seen your patients."

"I'll tell him when I get to the infirmary, Draig," Gask says unhappily.

"Fine, walk slowly." He turns back to Cara as the doors slide shut behind him, "Let's eat."