Unity and Destiny Pt. 04

"Sounds like he belongs with us," said Javier. But no one really smiled.

"Hungary and Latvia," said Raj. "Not to mention Britain. We need to get all the information we can from Geoff. Things are as bad as I feared. Worse. And Pakistan—" He sighed. "No use worrying until we know more. Esther, I take it you're thinking about cryptography again?"

She nodded. The rest of the semester was going to be busier than she'd been hoping.

When Raj left, Esther followed Nicola into the guest bedroom.

"I'm so sorry," Nicola said, flopping on the bed. "I know you weren't implying anything about me and Lukas. And you were right, of course. I do know Lukas about as well as anyone does, which isn't saying much."

Esther sat behind Nicola, putting her arms around the other woman.

"No," said Nicola, pulling away quickly. "No, I think I have to do the rest of my recovery on my own. I'll manage. Mark's going nuts here. He and I need our time together, without you in the middle."

Or Javier, thought Esther.

"Tell him how much you love him," said Esther. "Talk to him. You don't have to say exactly what happened with Javier, but don't pretend that nothing happened."

"I know," said Nicola miserably. "It's so hard to explain. It sounds ridiculous when I try in my head. It was only four days trapped there, Esther. How could it feel like a lifetime?"

"So tell him that," Esther said.

Nicola leaned over and gave Esther a kiss on the cheek. "When did you get to be my big sister? I guess you always were, and we just didn't know. I can't believe you're older than me."

"Not really," said Esther. "Not the part of my life that matters."

Nicola heard the edge in her tone and nodded quickly.

"And you have things you have to talk about, Esther. Don't hide them away forever, no matter how much they hurt. That doesn't help either you or Javier."

Esther nodded. But she knew she wasn't going to say anything to him tonight. All she wanted was for Javier to hold her in his arms until she forgot.

* * *

"Hey, Javier," said Kat as he dropped his backpack next to his usual chair. "Grace just got back from her run. She keeps threatening to bring me along. You think you could dress up and fool her?"

"Doubtful," Javier said with a smile. "How's the supercomputer going?"

Kat laughed. "You joke, but Geoff is kind of a genius. He got this idea from some guy at NASA, and he's putting together a giant array of ordinary rack-mounted PC boards, running Linux without too many extensions. No really special hardware, so it's cheap and familiar, but he's projecting over fifty gigaflops. We're going to be a real player, and for a lot cheaper than anyone else! Plus it'll be trivial to upgrade. I could almost kiss the guy."

The bedroom door opened and Javier turned his head.

"Kat, have you seen my—oh, whoops!"

Grace turned quickly and closed the door, but it was too late. She'd been toweling her black hair, dressed only in panties. And now all Javier could think of was her smooth brown skin, her large dark areolae, her perfect medium breasts with fat brown nipples, her lean muscular legs ...

"ANYway," Kat said, then stopped. "What was I saying?"

She was trying not to laugh, but a giggle escaped her, and then Javier started grinning nervously as well.

"My God, she's hot, isn't she?" Kat whispered.

"Shut up," he muttered, and she just giggled more loudly.

Grace came out a few minutes later, dressed properly. Even a bra this time, which was more than usual.

"Hey, Javier," she said, trying to be casual. But Kat immediately started giggling again.

"Oh, shush, Kat," Grace said. "Awkward enough without you teasing him. How's Esther? We need to get together again. We don't see her enough."

Join the club, thought Javier. But they still slept together. Things were all right with Esther as far as that went. She was just so busy, and truthfully so was Javier.

They chatted for a while and then settled into work as they often did on these weekday afternoons. Kat had her laptop out and Grace leaned comfortably against her, absorbed in her class reading.

Esther would be with Raj and Anatoly now, arguing over algebraic topology. Or perhaps with Raj alone, trying to make progress on their decryption project. After dinner, she'd meditate and grapple with the geometry of otherspace, check on conditions of the Changed ... but at least that would be more like what Grace and Kat were doing now. He often lay down with her against him, doing classwork or just watching her beautiful face as she forged paths in places unknown to the rest of humanity.

Kat's voice interrupted his daydreaming. "Shit, I just read it on the news. Three Indian cabinet ministers were assassinated today in brought daylight. It was a single fucking guy with a knife, and he got away. Killed a bodyguard as well. They're saying he was a Sikh extremist."

"Like with Indira Gandhi," Grace said slowly.

Javier shook his head. "Esther says those Sikh groups had lost a lot of their support. And after that skirmish over the border in Pakistan last month—fuck. What if it was a Changed assassin?"

They didn't know, of course. But Esther claimed there had been a major uptick in political assassinations over the last two years, and that too many of them were suspiciously well-coordinated or carried out by someone with unusual skills. Geoff said Lukas had worried about the same thing.

It was all so far away, but not as far away as it used to seem. There was a shadow conflict raging around the world, and they didn't even know the sides yet. Maybe the ones fighting didn't, either. That possibility didn't make Javier feel any better.

* * *

Esther touched her friends in otherspace. Their far-flung patterns formed a familiar network, a topological graph recognizable from all directions. Satisfied that all was safe, she flung herself free into the void, dizzying shapes and colors and geometries hurtling by, her mind struggling to make sense.

These leaps without precondition were vital, or her mind would fall too easily into familiar patterns. But it was terrifying, and she had to fight the vertigo. She managed longer every time she tried, and it was helping to stretch her comprehension of this place. And she knew her friends were there waiting for her, glimmering in the distance. It was that familiar network that had become her foundation, the structure she could use to orient herself when she'd delved too long into otherspace.

The vertigo was rising, her sense of scale telescoping and twisting unlike anything in physical space. Raj said she was tracing topological spaces directly with her perception. He'd had more than a touch of envy when he said it, but she wished she had someone to share this task with. Finally she retreated, floating cozy in her familiar portion of otherspace, her friends glimmering in the distance. All safe.

Now she let her senses expand in a more familiar way, the exhilarating expansion in physical space that required touching only a simple portion of otherspace. This was her own equivalent of Abuela's map, and she was gaining proficiency all the time. She felt the dozens of familiar Changed within a few hundred miles, even a few of the Chosen from Oregon who were out in the world, doing tasks that seemed mundane enough. The ancient place in Oregon glimmered, but she didn't expend the effort needed to see any farther inside.

There was a group of Changed to the south, in northern Mexico. Other groups far away to the east. One in Texas, one in Ohio, and one near DC The latter was unnerving. Perhaps it was just the remnant Changed members of the Unit, or from Lukas's organization. It seemed like it might be more than that.

She couldn't sense much about any of them from this distance, and indeed she probably only sensed them because of the size of their groups.

That was why the single form she sensed in the Toronto area surprised her. It was someone powerfully sensitive, and Esther suspected she was doing what Esther was doing, casting out her net as far as she could, but without Esther's understanding of how to hide herself. The untrained way she used her power made Esther think she was probably more a threat to herself than others. Maybe someone to bring into their group.

More worrisome were the whispers at the edge of her perception. Perhaps it was Unity, the Chosen talking to one another without entirely realizing it, across great distances. Perhaps it was another type of quiet communication. But among the whispers she sensed the subtle glow of masked presences. Individuals, or perhaps groups of Chosen. Esther suspected some of these were the true powers in the world, the ones who might be trying to play chess with all of their kind. With all of humanity. Esther was nearly certain she was well-hidden from these distant listeners, and she needed to stay that way.

With a shudder, she pulled herself back to her senses. Javier's strong arms were wrapped around her, and he kissed her as soon as he realized she was back.

"Good meditation?" he asked.

"Very," she agreed. "Javier, I think we may need to go to Toronto. There's a powerful woman there who might need our help. She needs to understand how visible she is to everyone else."

Javier sighed. "We'll add it to the list, I suppose. There's only so much we can do, Esther, and you're already working so hard."

"I'm done for the evening," she said. "Oh, no, I had no idea how late it was. I'm sorry, Javier, I did it again. You should have pulled me out."

He shook his head. "You look so peaceful in there, and so strong. I love watching you. It's who you are, Esther."

He brushed her chest, and she sighed.

"Tomorrow," she promised.

* * *

"Maybe they're not coordinating, exactly," Grace said slowly. She furrowed her brow, her point slipping away after the two glasses of wine. "You know. They all sense things are moving faster. They're trying to cause chaos. Doesn't take a lot of smarts to make civilization tear itself apart. Fault lines. You trying to get me drunk, Kat?"

Kat was ostentatiously pouring her another big glass of wine.

"Of course, sweetie. It's your twenty-first. It wouldn't be right any other way. Now shut up and drink."

Kat had drunk a lot more than Grace, but she obviously had a higher tolerance. They'd retired to the living room, and Esther had a crackling fire going.

"There is some coordination," said Esther. "I can feel it. You're probably right that it's not one master plan or anything. But if you're right about Unity, if they're all building their vision of the future together and then making it happen—I'm pretty sure they could be working together without even realizing what they were doing."

Esther didn't drink, of course, and Javier hadn't had too much. He was just enjoying the evening.

"She'd better be right," said Javier. "I can't believe that the future is determined. Surely what we do makes a difference."

"Maybe only parts of it are determined," Esther said. "Rare fixed points, and that's what they instinctively find in Unity, just as I can instinctively find my butterflies among the infinity of inconsequential actions."

"But they seemed to accept the visions you injected into Unity," said Javier. "Maybe Unity is always like that."

"They see distant events the way I do, though," argued Esther. "True events, in the present or past."

"Too much talking," said Kat. "Not enough kissing." And she attempted to fix that all on her own. Grace was more than receptive, and for a while Esther and Javier just watched the pair. Then Esther kissed him.

Esther liked watching, of course. Javier knew that. And as his hands found the sensitive spots on her back, the ones that were starting to freckle, she moaned with need, loud enough to catch the other couple's attention. Javier's eyes caught Kat's for an instant before she buried her face again Grace's neck.

Esther's hands were on his ass, and at some point Kat had pulled Grace's shirt open a few buttons, and now Kat's hand slipped into Grace's pants, moving urgently. Grace moaned softly, a sound Javier had never heard, and Javier's erection throbbed uncomfortably. He kissed Esther low on the neckline, and she pulled his hand under her T-shirt, to stroke her sensitive back directly.

Grace moaned more loudly, and Javier saw to his shock that Kat had unbuttoned her shirt most of the way. Grace wasn't wearing a bra tonight, of course, and now Kat was teasing her nipples with her lips, fingers still working their magic inside Grace's pants. Kat slipped higher to whisper something in Grace's ear, and Grace jerked, her gaze briefly locking with Javier's before nervously looking away.

Whatever it was, Esther had heard it just fine, because she gasped as well. And she pulled her shirt over her head before quickly undoing her bra.

It was moving so fast. Grace was staring openly at Esther's breasts, because of course she hadn't seen them, and Esther was so unusual. So beautiful. Javier let her lean back, exposing herself to Grace, and all of a sudden Esther started undoing his pants.

Was she really going to do this? Surely Grace wasn't that interested in seeing him. But her gaze had flicked downwards, and it didn't falter when Esther fished his dick out from his underwear, beginning to stroke it.

Javier hadn't been this excited in weeks. And then suddenly Esther went still, the way she did when she went into otherspace.

The others hadn't noticed, and Grace was struggling to get Kat's shirt off, fighting as Kat held her down to keep fingering her. But Esther made a faint sound, a horrible noise of despair, and suddenly she pulled away and ran out of the room, down the hall towards the bathroom.

Hastily Javier reassembled himself. Grace had noticed as well, though Kat seemed too intent on her partner to have paid much heed. But Grace was shaking her head, pushing Kat away.

"It's not you," Javier said nervously, jumping to his feet. "Not any of this."

But what had she seen? One of their friends? Javier felt a growing terror.

"Esther?" he asked, knocking on the bathroom door. Inside he heard her, faintly sobbing. "Esther, I'm coming in."

She was sitting on the closed toilet, hand over her mouth, trying not to cry any louder than she was.

"What is it?" he asked urgently, gathering her into his arms. "What can we do?"

"Nothing," she said faintly. "It's no one we know, Javier."

He heard Kat's footsteps. "Everything OK, guys?"

"Yes and no," Javier said. "Go keep Grace company. We'll be out in a bit."

Esther took a few deep breaths, starting one of her calming meditations. And he suspected she was listening carefully in otherspace again. After a few minutes she sighed and shook her head.

"The woman in Toronto is dead," she said heavily. "Another Changed killed her. There was a fight, and I heard her shout through otherspace, but I couldn't do a thing. Not a damned thing. I should have contacted her somehow. Told her how visible she was to others. I should have—"

"You can't fix everything," said Javier, kissing her. But he felt a terrible fear. Esther said she was well-hidden in otherspace, but this seemed like something new. Changed killing others of their kind?

"I'm so sorry, Javier," she said. "I was really enjoying that, and now I ruined Grace's birthday too."

"No," said Javier. "That killer did. You didn't do anything wrong. Do you want me to go out and talk to them?"

"No, we'll do it together," she said, getting up.

Kat and Grace were fully dressed again, sitting and looking uncomfortable. Grace's face was flushed, from some combination of alcohol, arousal, and embarrassment.

"I didn't mean to break that up," said Esther unhappily. "It had nothing to do with, uh, anything we were doing. It was something I sensed in otherspace. Something bad, but no one we know. I'm so sorry, Grace. It's your birthday. We should be having fun."

Esther was still half-naked, though she seemed not to notice it. Everyone else pretended as well.

"She was having fun," said Kat. "All of us were. But let's not pretend there's much of a mood anymore, OK? Why don't you tell us about it, because we're your friends."

Grace nodded carefully, the wine clearly still affecting her. "Don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't. But Kat tells me I think too much. Trying to believe her. I've already had a perfect birthday night. Tell us what's up, Esther."

She told them what she'd told Javier, and some more details. "The one who killed her was much quieter. I think I only even sensed them because the woman did. She was terrified but angry as well."

"The Chosen," said Javier. "I bet someone tried to grab her, knowing how powerful she was, and she fought back harder than they expected."

"Unless there's a faction behaving like Franklin," said Esther. "Trying to silence anyone who isn't keeping their head down. But I don't know if it was premeditated. "

Neither possibility was very attractive.

They talked more, but it was just spinning their wheels. It was late, and Grace and Kat had both drunk too much, so they happily accepted the offer of a guest bedroom.

An hour later Esther was sound asleep, and Javier was stuck listening to the soft moans echoing down the hallway. But it was Grace's birthday, after all.

* * *

Winter break found Esther and Javier waiting in Sierra City, a couple of heavy early storms having made the road to camp impassable for anything but the truck. They had an arrangement to park in a plowed lot behind a local business at times like this.

Javier pointed. "This was pretty much where I staked out the Post Office when you disappeared the first time. Looking for the person I thought of as the old woman. Hoping to find you."

"Of course it would have been Nicola getting the mail, not Abuela," said Esther. "She went out one of those days, so maybe you even saw her. Lots of off-road trucks though."

The truck in question arrived not much later, Nicola expertly pulling beside their car while avoiding splashing them with brown slush.

"It's a wonderland up there," she said. "Over two feet. More than you saw during your winter, Esther."

"More than I've ever seen," said Javier as they piled in the truck. "Can't wait."

Nicola seemed relaxed and happy, and Javier tried to smile with her. But he felt a queasy discomfort that had nothing to do with her cheerily aggressive driving. They'd spent Thanksgiving with Mamá, and it'd been six weeks now since they'd seen Nicola and Mark, for a quick day trip. Not enough to really gauge how the other two were doing, though afterwards Esther had said Nicola was pretty much past the lingering effects of Unity.

"Selena and Mark are out skiing again," said Nicola. "You wouldn't believe how Mark's taken to it. I think Selena's annoyed at how good he is, but what can you do? It's Mark. Anyway, they promised to be back when you got in."

Sure enough, the pair was waiting together in their expensive ski clothes. Obvious who'd picked those out for him. Mark wasn't bothered much by weather, but he would never discount the value of clothes that let his body focus on other things.

They looked happy. Selena had been there two weeks already, and she said she was thinking of retiring for good. Javier found himself a little envious. It'd been a busy, stressful end of the semester. He was looking forward to spending some time here. And then they'd have the big Christmas party back down at the farmhouse.

They'd cleared the snow around the parking area and the paths, but elsewhere it was fresh and surprisingly fluffy. A lot of ski tracks. After he hugged Mark briefly and waved to Selena, Javier leaned over to make a snowball, intending to nail Esther with it, or try. But it fell apart in his gloves.

Nicola laughed, but kindly. "A true native of southern California," she said. "Wrong type of snow, Javier. Give it a day or two."