Oh god! Oh my god!
She didnt take birth control even though the military absolutely insisted upon it. She hadnt seen any reason to foul her body with potentially dangerous drugs when she didnt even have sex!
Except she had-with Anka!
Dropping her head into her hands she considered that, but it just seemed so unreal she couldnt grasp it. Sure it had crossed her mind that things had changed-she had a lover. She was having sex. But he wasnt human, damn it! He shouldnt have been able to impregnate her!
She struggled to think, to get a grip on her scattered wits. Maybe it was just a fluke? One of those emotional zigs that zagged and disrupted her cycle? It was rare. Her cycles were usually so regular she couldve bet on them, but it did happen and there was no getting around the fact that shed had a tremendous upset when theyd been captured.
Except shed had her damned cycle as usual when shed come back. It was the one after that that hadnt made an appearance. So maybe shed had a delayed reaction?
She struggled to accept that as a reasonable explanation and finally discarded it. Anka had beaten the odds and gotten her pregnant. There was no getting around it no matter how hard she worked to dismiss the possibility.
It wouldnt work, she realized abruptly, feeling an odd mixture of relief and deep disappointment. Maybe it had happened, but it was bound to spontaneously abort when they couldnt possibly be closely enough related genetically for it to develop. Even if she didnt spontaneously abort, she needed to consider aborting it-for its sake.
She thrust that thought aside. She simply couldnt consider it, not now, not when she missed Anka so much she almost wished she could die and get over the pain. In any case, she sure as hell couldnt go to the base clinic for something like that! Not that it should have mattered about the pills shed flushed instead of taking them when she was getting out in a matter of weeks anyway, but their reach went beyond the military. She was going to have a hard enough time finding a job. She didnt need a black mark on her record to make it impossible.
Her cycle was due. Maybe it would start and she could dismiss her fears?
Under the circumstances, she decided she really, really couldnt afford to decline the congressmans invitation. She was in no state to wage a mental battle, but she had no choice and she presented herself at the appointed time and place.
Meachum received her. She supposed she wasnt important enough to actually speak to the congressman himself.
Have a seat, Lieutenant.
She wouldve preferred to stand, but her knees were weak and she felt more than a little nauseous. She sat down.
He made a pretense of ignoring her to study the contents of a file, waiting until she shifted restlessly to address her again. As I mentioned to before, we have a job in mind that we feel youre uniquely qualified for.
Actually, I dont recall that you said that. What do mean uniquely qualified? she asked, feeling the nausea intensify.
Youre relationship with Commander lKartay, he said bluntly.
Sybil blinked at him, struggling to control the guilty blush trying to climb her cheeks. It was useless of course. Excuse me?
He gave her a narrow eyed, assessing look. Instead of saying more, however, he turned the display on his desk. Sybil stared at the screen without any comprehension whatsoever for several moments. Slowly, her brain began to recognize the pixels on the screen and they resolved into an image that sent the blood rushing from her head. She surged to her feet. How the fuck did you get that?
Ill give you two guesses and the last one doesnt count, he said coldly. Did you completely forget military protocol, Lieutenant? Or were you just too preoccupied to think about it?
That picture is from the bathroom in the god damned hotel, Sybil snarled, pointing a shaking picture at it. And it was private! How dare you spy on me when I was off duty and off base!
We had Commander lKartay under surveillance from the time he arrived! he growled at her, tapping his keyboard angrily to display one image after another, images captured from inside her quarters.
Under other circumstances, Sybil was sure she wouldve been so embarrassed she would have crumbled beneath his accusing stare. At the moment, however, she was just plain furious.
So? Do you have anything to say?
Sybils lips tightened. Could I get copies? I actually didnt get any of the footage myself!
That set him back but only momentarily. You still mean to deny you have a relationship with this creature?
It took all Sybil could do to refrain from knocking his teeth down his throat. Anka wasnt a creature! He was more of a man that that slimy bastard could ever hope to be! If youll notice, we were fucking. Do you consider it a relationship every time you fuck somebody?
You want to play hardball? Fine! He punched up a video and turned the volume wide open. Everything inside of her crumpled as she listened to Ankas teasing voice and watched him caress her. Why hadnt she realized before that his gentle touch seemed so much more than casual sex or even passion, she thought mournfully? She wilted back into her chair.
What do you want?
Satisfaction flickered in his eyes. We want you to continue your relationship. You already have a far better understanding of the aliens than anyone else. The relationship between the two of you should make it easier to pick up on things.
Sybil thought she would throw up. The only reason she fought the urge to puke all over him and his desk was because she didnt want to let him know just how offensive she found his suggestion. It also flickered through her mind that it might make him suspicious of her condition. Spy, you mean? she demanded through stiff lips.
His brows rose. Naturally, wed expect you to pass on any information you might chance to overhear, but not per se. Mostly were interested in the possibility that you might have some influence on him in our favor.
The treaty has been signed, Sybil gasped. What possible influence could I have on something already done? Even supposing I had any influence with him! Regardless of what you think, he left me here without a backward glance. Do you honestly think he wouldnt have at least tried to get me to go with him if Id meant a damned thing to him-beyond bed partner?
Maybe, maybe not. He did agree to allow us to put both a base and an embassy on Venus-and that was his concession, by the way. The others didnt seem keen on the idea. Obviously, he isnt totally against some interaction between us And thats where youll come in handy. Youll be assigned to the embassy. You will welcome him to your bed whenever he has any interest and you will find out what you can about them, their intentions We would be delighted to get our hands on any of their technology.
Sybils heart gave a hopeful thump, but she ignored it. She didnt know why Anka had agreed to it, but she thought they were really reaching to decide it had anything at all to do with her. Shed told him she was leaving the service so he wouldnt have expected her to be stationed there and he knew she was military so hed had no reason to think she might be attached to the embassy in any capacity.
Technology, my ass! You mean weapons! Exactly how the fuck do you think Id work that into the bedroom conversation? All that aside, we already have enough to kill every man, woman, child, and animal on the planet several times over and I dont have a hell of a lot of confidence in the governments restraint-in fact pretty much none! Do you think everybody hasnt begun to suspect the little covert operations going on under the wire? That they dont think its damned curious that people are dropping like flies from diseases that come out of nowhere? Or we dont know you arent above clearing away a little excess population for the greater good, which means the rich and fat!