Friction - Chapter Ten
Naveed circled the artificial pond in Ohari's courtyard slowly, tossing pinches of food pellets down to the multi-colored fish at his feet. He watched them dart and leap through the water joylessly, his heavy heart blinding him to their eager, wide-eyed appreciation. Where any other day he might have laughed at the display, now he simply sighed and whispered sad salutations to his goddess. He imagined she must have heard him, because the sun peaked over the asari skyline at his words, lending him the meager comfort of warmth. He closed his eyes and breathed in the light, willing his cold-blooded body to soak up the offered energy.
Air rippling with heat. Sand as far as shaded eyes could see. A desert. A wasteland. Rakhana.
Ever-present shadows wavering among the dunes. Ever-distant and aloof. Bright red, deep black. Strange, yet familiar. Silent and suspicious.
The sun sinks into a scarlet sea and the shadows grow taller. A circle tightens. A trap. One reveals himself, dull eyes but sharp senses.
"Why have you come here?"
Come here…
The drell's hand shook at the memory, spilling a few pellets to the ground and sending out a panic amongst the hungry sunfish. Water sloshed over the edge of the pool and seeped its way around Naveed's feet, calling him back to the present and reducing the food to mush.
He blinked and stepped out of the puddle as his mind cleared. The sunfish calmed themselves and crowded the corner of the pool closest to him, waiting expectantly. Naveed shook off the implications of his vision and made to toss the remaining handful of pellets to them when a shadow at the far end of the pond caught his attention. He crossed the walkway to where a mass of aquatic plants obscured the water below. The smell of the plant's blooms nearly forced up another of his more vivid memories, but he dug the nails of his free hand into his palm to fight it.
He spread his long white jacket out behind him and squatted at the water's edge. With slow movements, he took the edge of a large lily pad and lifted it to reveal the anxious creature hidden underneath.
The sunfish he found was pitifully small, but more brilliantly colored than its counterparts. He cocked his head at it curiously.
"Not hungry?" he asked.
The fish rolled a bright blue eye up at him in response, as if irritated by his simple question. It flailed and tried to wedge itself further into the maze of plant stems when its companions invaded the area in pursuit of edibles. Naveed pushed the lily pads further back and flicked the surface of the water in an attempt to disperse the frenzied school. Failing that, he resorted to distraction and tossed a portion of his pellets to the other side of the pool. Despite the ensuing retreat, Naveed's fish of interest refused to budge from its make-shift fortress.
The drell frowned and tossed a few pellets into the water experimentally. He watched them bob on the surface for many moments before being snatched under with lighting speed.
"There you are," he said with a slight smile, "I'm not so terrible. Would you like some more? It looks like you haven't eaten in awhile."
He sprinkled more food into the water and waited patiently for the sunfish to slide out of hiding and circle the prize warily. Naveed saw its quick eyes dart between his hand and his face, could feel its tiny heart beating nervously.
"I won't hurt you, lovely one. Arashu forbids it."
The fish slowed its circuit and swam closer to the surface. With a final glance at the drell, it lifted its head out of the water and took the food. It jerked its head back as it gulped down the meal but made no other movements, prompting Naveed to brush his finger across the top of the water. A smile crossed his face as the sunfish zipped along behind the gesture. It took a turn as the drell drew his finger back to his body, and as it did so, Naveed's expression softened sadly. An ugly scar ran down one of its pectoral fins, evidence of an old injury that hadn't quite healed properly.
"She's lucky, that one," an asari voice interjected.
Naveed looked up and saw Ohari standing next to the puddle he'd caused earlier. "Lucky?" he repeated.
The matriarch nodded as she took stock of her sunfish, "Poor thing was nearly carried off by a bird, but she wasn't very enthralled with the idea of becoming dinner."
The drell relinquished the last of the food and laid the lily pads back over the creature gently. He stood and brushed his hands together to free them of crumbs.
"She wants me to go home," he mumbled, eyes averted.
Ohari's shoes clicked against the pavement as she closed the space between them. "Kilandra?"
Naveed winced and his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. "Arashu."
The asari's chin lifted in surprise but she said nothing.
"I waited for Kilandra to come to our room last night, but she never did," he confided, his voice vibrating even more than was normal for his species, "I don't know where she is and she isn't answering my pages."
Ohari's face pinched in sympathy as a gust of wind blew through the courtyard. She folded her diaphanous jacket around her body protectively then placed a light hand on Naveed's shoulder. "You've been out here by yourself all morning. Why don't you come inside now and chat with me? Breakfast will be ready soon."
When Naveed lifted his head to face her she shivered at the memories reflecting in his eyes. His voice dropped to little more than a murmur. "There's nothing left to talk about."
Ohari took her hand back and folded it against her collarbone. "Actually, Naveed, I've come to a decision."
The drell tensed visibly. "About?"
"About what is best for you and Kilandra." She took his upper arm again and looked at their reflection in the pool. Behind their silhouettes a sliver of pale moon was fighting the rising sun. "Your Goddess is right, Naveed - you cannot stay on Thessia forever. The time has come for you to return home, and I believe it's best you do so alone."
Naveed stepped away from her so sharply that the sunfish scattered in a flash of scales. Ohari watched his mouth work silently for a moment before he finally managed words. "What? You just expect me to go and just leave her here? Ohari, I can't." His face hardened and his eyeridges pinched a rare display of aggression. "I won't."
"I know it's not what you want," the matriarch replied with a touch more strength in her voice that was normal for her, "But Naveed, it's what best."
"How can you say that? Nothing is resolved by my leaving. All it would do is convince Kilandra that I'm guilty of the things she's accusing me of and make her wonder what else I might have done behind her back. I don't want her to torture herself with more made-up stories."
"I wish you wouldn't act as if you're leaving her alone and bereft here," Ohari argued pointedly. "This is our family's home, and I will be here to guide her through this time, as I have done for all my daughters, regardless of their troubles or difficult natures. It is what a mother does. You will bear the true burden in this, Naveed, and believe me when I say that I am sorry for it. The last thing I want is to cause you more pain."
The drell walked away from her and collapsed on a bench at the edge of the water. He made a show of scanning it's surface with this hands resting in his lap. Even half-hidden by his long jacket, Ohari could see the fingers of his right hand pinching at the soft nerves of his left. "Then why are you hurting me?"
Ohari closed the space between them with a lunge that belied her age and dropped to her knees on the pavement. Her hands shot out to still Naveed's, and when he relinquished his action, she reached up to place one smooth palm behind his striped neck. She forced him to look at her. "Because you are stronger. Kilandra's still a child. My child, and I know she can't be trusted not to continue causing ripples in your life."
"It wasn't always like this…"
"I know. But we can't live in the past at the cost of our futures."
The matriarch rose and sat next to the miserable man. She put an arm around him and leaned against him for warmth. "It need not be forever, Naveed. Perhaps with time and space the two of you can come to some reconciliation, but whatever the resolution, what you need now is room to reflect. No more fighting, no more heartache."
Naveed made an effort to lift his head, prompting Ohari to take one of his hands in hers and rub her thumb across the back of it comfortingly.
"What should I do?" he asked, "What do I say when people ask about her? What about her things, her friends-"
"I will send for her things. As for the curiosity of others, well, frankly, it's none of their concern. You may tell them what you wish or you may tell them nothing. This matter doesn't involve them and you shouldn't trouble yourself over their opinions. You know that."
A sardonic smile appeared on Naveed's face that made Ohari's frown deepen sympathetically. "Yes. It's rather ironic, isn't it? I give advice to others everyday and yet I cannot abide by my own wisdom. Perhaps I'm not a healer Ohari. Maybe I'm just a fool."
Ohari tried her good-natured laugh and shook her head slowly. "Wisdom isn't everything, Naveed. There's integrity, also. And compassion. Dedication and patience. It seems hard now, I know, but this wound will heal in time. You will be whole again."
.oO-Oo.
Blair milled about the empty waiting room of Port Locke's premier neuropathy and bionics clinic with her arms wrapped tightly about her chest. The room felt cold, even by Noverian standards, and her empty stomach only emphasized the discomfort. It sucked at her sides and made unhappy gurgling sounds as she paced past a display case filled with high-end biotic amps. They shown like jewels behind the polished glass, and though she was not a biotic herself, Blair could appreciate their craftsmanship.
Private and public demand made amp production a lucrative business on Noveria, and more than a few bio-tech businesses had chosen to leave medical manufacturing for the fat military contracts promised by bleeding-edge amp technology. As a result, prosthetic industries had stalled, and tech meant for bionic use was sub-par by comparison. It was also costlier; fewer manufacturers meant fewer available parts, and unlike amps which could be rolled out indiscriminately, prosthetics required customizing. Mass production simply wasn't possible, and even if it were, hardware was only half the equation. While a biotic could slip an amp on over their ears, bionics required surgery, cybernetic implants, and a lifetime of upkeep. Support droids like Una mitigated some of the doctors visits and other difficulties bionic individuals endured, but Blair still felt cheated as she eyed the elaborate ear-cuffs. She picked at her jacket thoughtfully and turned away from the display to continue her circuit of the clinic's perimeter.
A single salarian lab tech had greeted her and Una upon arrival, but after a brief patient-entry interview, he'd disappeared down a long hallway to the rear of the compound. For more than a half-hour she and her mech had been loitering, and while Una was content to sit silently in front of the massive aquarium that made up the clinic's north wall, Blair found both her patience and energy waning. She took a seat on a brushed metal bench near her mech and frowned at the way its cold surface seeped through her cargo pants. As she watched the fish tank send waves of refracted light across the floor, she found herself wishing for the comfort of Naveed's aurora room and the retreat from her body she'd experienced within.
Many times she'd tried to fathom what may have happened during her hypnosis session, but even hours of contemplation left her with little more than fleeting images of the ocean and a strange sense of peace. She remembered feeling small but secure in the watery dream world, and wondered why she was unable to attain the same well-being outside of the drell's opulent office. What had he been trying to achieve that day? Her fear of flying was as real as ever, even if she had been distracted by the eerie quarian for most of her trip. Blair bit her lip and reminded herself it had only been one session; perhaps the hypnosis simply required more time - her other therapies generally did.
She noted Una rolling up to her feet at the edge of her vision and forced a weak smile. "I'm okay, Una. Just tired." Her stomach rumbled. "And hungry."
There was a small span of silence before a quiet voice replied, "There is a vending machine in the break room."
Blair looked up at the sound and found an abnormally thin drell standing alongside the reception desk. She was of a deep green hue that stood out starkly against her white lab coat, and her dark eyes peered out earnestly from a narrow, finely-fringed face. They lowered a fraction when she spoke again. "I thought to bring you something, but I am unsure what you would like."
"That depends on what you have," the human replied with a smile.
The drell woman looked up and opened her mouth to reply, then appeared to change her mind. She turned on her heel and ventured down the hallway from which she'd arrived, causing motion-sensitive lights to flick on like a catwalk behind her. "Come and I will show you."
Blair hesitated at this. Her impromptu visit to the clinic was only possible because Naveed had asked it of his neurologist friend, and the last thing she wanted was to abuse the favor in a such a way that he'd be unable to repay it. Maybe this "Doctor Rena" was willing to deal with her, but that didn't mean the rest of the staff would.
She scooted to the edge of her bench hastily and called back to the drell before she was out of earshot. "That's okay, I'll just get something to eat later."
The drell stopped, turned, and strode back into the room looking concerned. "Would you prefer a delivery? There are many excellent restaurants on Port Locke, though they will take some time to reach the research district. Your meal may be cold by then."
Blair's eyebrows pinched in confusion. "I- what?"
"I can re-heat it for you if you like, but I would be remiss not to warn you beforehand."
The human stood up uncomfortably and held out her good hand. "Uh, I'm not sure who you think I am, but I'm just here to see Doctor Rena about some neural scans. My name is Blair Hodges."
"Yes, I know," the drell replied calmly, "We were informed of your arrival and I would have attended you sooner, but Rena required some last-minute assistance with her preparations for the examination." She folded her lightly scaled hands in front of her chest and inclined her head. "We apologize for the delay, and are prepared to wait in turn if you would like to refresh yourself before proceeding."
Una, who had become bored during the exchange, circled the drell woman curiously while Blair tried to process the alien's accommodating behavior. It reminded her of Naveed, who was also ever-willing to assist, and yet, while he made her feel at ease, this female made her feel awkward. Blair found her abrupt and hard to read; there was no telling if her host was being sincere or simply servile.
"Are you the doctor's assistant?" she asked.
"Indeed. She has instructed me to see to any needs you may have before bringing you to the exam room. The scanning process is complicated and she would have you prepared as possible so as to avoid interruption."
"I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
The drell woman bowed her head. "Very good. If you'll come with me, I'd like to take your preliminary readings."
Blair perked up at the thought of moving out of the clinic's chilly foyer and gestured to her wandering mech. "You stay with me, please. There is expensive equipment in here and I expect you to behave yourself, okay?"
The droid gave one last swivel of her camera to the assistant's face before following her owner's direction. She fell in line near Blair as the group began making their way down the main corridor.
"Your support mech is surprisingly responsive," the drell said without stopping or turning to face the human behind her.
"Uh, about that…" Blair said hesitantly, "She's not exactly a standard model. I've…modified her a bit."
"More than a bit, I should imagine." The drell came to a full stop and faced Blair in a frank manner. "Most people do not refer to common machines with gendered pronouns."
Though the observation was obvious to her now that it was out in the open, the drell's nuanced perception surprised Blair. Rena's assistant clearly wasn't the sort to let much get past her.
"I supposed they don't," Blair agreed sheepishly, "She's an AI, but a limited one, and I promise we aren't here to steal or sabotage the tech you have."
The drell smiled unexpectedly. "Ran afoul of port authority did you? Don't worry; I'm quite certain you're not here as a corporate spy."
"Then you don't mind having her in your lab?"
"I don't believe Rena will object to her presence given the function she serves for you," the assistant answered as she eyed Una thoughtfully, "We can use her logs to retrieve your current specifications as well as build a profile of your cybernetic history. Her motor skills may prove useful, also."
"Motor skills?"
"Yes. Another 'set of hands' as it were, are always nice to have in a lab setting." The drell waved to the wall of water beyond the plexi-glass paneling. "You see, Miss Hodges, Dr. Rena is a hanar."