Read Online Stardust Dreams by Marilyn Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Marilyn Campbell
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there
that bears any resemblance to my home, and I don't think that's the way it
should be." She watched the captain's mouth twist into a frown, but he
said nothing.
Suddenly a light blinked on
in Cherry's head and she glanced at the screen in front of Mar-Dot. The blue
dot was still following the red sparkles at a distance. "You
son-of-a-bitch," she muttered, applying more pressure to his chest in
spite of the strange sensation touching him was causing. "We're still
tracking that beast aren't we? You never had any intention of turning this ship
around, did you?"
His eyes widened with the
awareness that she was capable of collapsing one of his lungs with almost no
effort at all, and yet his body was responding to her touch as if it were a
tender caress. Careful not to make any sudden moves, he said, "I had no
choice. My mission—"
"Your mission be
damned. You
lied
to me. You're
not
a Noronian, are you?"
"I have no idea."
Dot swiveled toward them. "Captain,
if I may make a suggestion. Some explanations on your part might go a long way
to relieve Cherry's mind… as well as your discomfort."
Gallant smirked at her,
then frowned at the dainty hand that hid so much strength. Nothing was going
the way he had expected on this mission. Recalling his plan to use Cherry to
lure Frezlo out of hiding, he realized he would have to do some fast,
believable talking. He wondered if she had any sympathies he could tap into.
Not certain what tidbit
Mar-Dot might feel tempted to add to his story, he said, "All right. I'll
tell you everything. But let's go to my room so we don't disturb Mar-Dot."
Cherry could see by Dot's
crestfallen expression that she did not want to be left out of this discussion,
but she simply pursed her lips and turned away.
"Fine," Cherry
said and moved away from Gallant.
He took a gulp of air into
his lungs as he rose and led the way.
The moment the door closed
behind her, Cherry said, "Okay, shoot."
Gallant still thought that
was a very odd expression, but he decided he'd better get started testing her
sympathetic nature. "I suppose I could begin with my background. I don't
know if I'm a Noronian by birth, but I was raised on Norona. I was abandoned as
a baby and adopted by a good man and woman. The only thing that was left with
me was a note requesting that I be named Gallant Voyager. I possess certain
characteristics that are not precisely Noronian, so there is a question of my
genetic origins. However, I usually abide by the Noronian codes of behavior I
was taught."
"Except when it's not
convenient," Cherry added in a sarcastic tone. "If you think I'm
going to feel sorry for you because you don't know who your real parents are,
you've made a tactical error. You see, I was raised by my biological parents,
and always wished I had been orphaned at birth. I figured any foster home had
to be better than the one I was in. So forget the poor Gallant angle and try
for a truthful explanation of why I'm not back in Innerworld by now."
Gallant realized his plan
had backfired. Rather than instill sympathy in her, she stirred it in him. Once
again damning the volatile emotions he was forced to live with, he quashed the
urge to ask her more about her childhood and sat down on his bunk. Immediately
he realized there was nowhere for her to sit but right next to him, which was
altogether too close for his comfort. Berating himself for not taking her into
the larger,
less intimate
facility chamber instead, he did what any
civilized adult would do. He shifted to the foot of the bunk and waved her
toward the other end. "Sit. Please. This will take some time, and I don't
like looking up while I'm talking any more than you do."
Cherry lowered herself, but
her crossed arms and stern expression warned him to make his explanation a very
convincing one. It was time for the truth… at least enough of it to assure her
cooperation. Now he would see if she bore any loyalty to Norona.
"Please understand,
the mission I am on is so
that bears any resemblance to my home, and I don't think that's the way it
should be." She watched the captain's mouth twist into a frown, but he
said nothing.
Suddenly a light blinked on
in Cherry's head and she glanced at the screen in front of Mar-Dot. The blue
dot was still following the red sparkles at a distance. "You
son-of-a-bitch," she muttered, applying more pressure to his chest in
spite of the strange sensation touching him was causing. "We're still
tracking that beast aren't we? You never had any intention of turning this ship
around, did you?"
His eyes widened with the
awareness that she was capable of collapsing one of his lungs with almost no
effort at all, and yet his body was responding to her touch as if it were a
tender caress. Careful not to make any sudden moves, he said, "I had no
choice. My mission—"
"Your mission be
damned. You
lied
to me. You're
not
a Noronian, are you?"
"I have no idea."
Dot swiveled toward them. "Captain,
if I may make a suggestion. Some explanations on your part might go a long way
to relieve Cherry's mind… as well as your discomfort."
Gallant smirked at her,
then frowned at the dainty hand that hid so much strength. Nothing was going
the way he had expected on this mission. Recalling his plan to use Cherry to
lure Frezlo out of hiding, he realized he would have to do some fast,
believable talking. He wondered if she had any sympathies he could tap into.
Not certain what tidbit
Mar-Dot might feel tempted to add to his story, he said, "All right. I'll
tell you everything. But let's go to my room so we don't disturb Mar-Dot."
Cherry could see by Dot's
crestfallen expression that she did not want to be left out of this discussion,
but she simply pursed her lips and turned away.
"Fine," Cherry
said and moved away from Gallant.
He took a gulp of air into
his lungs as he rose and led the way.
The moment the door closed
behind her, Cherry said, "Okay, shoot."
Gallant still thought that
was a very odd expression, but he decided he'd better get started testing her
sympathetic nature. "I suppose I could begin with my background. I don't
know if I'm a Noronian by birth, but I was raised on Norona. I was abandoned as
a baby and adopted by a good man and woman. The only thing that was left with
me was a note requesting that I be named Gallant Voyager. I possess certain
characteristics that are not precisely Noronian, so there is a question of my
genetic origins. However, I usually abide by the Noronian codes of behavior I
was taught."
"Except when it's not
convenient," Cherry added in a sarcastic tone. "If you think I'm
going to feel sorry for you because you don't know who your real parents are,
you've made a tactical error. You see, I was raised by my biological parents,
and always wished I had been orphaned at birth. I figured any foster home had
to be better than the one I was in. So forget the poor Gallant angle and try
for a truthful explanation of why I'm not back in Innerworld by now."
Gallant realized his plan
had backfired. Rather than instill sympathy in her, she stirred it in him. Once
again damning the volatile emotions he was forced to live with, he quashed the
urge to ask her more about her childhood and sat down on his bunk. Immediately
he realized there was nowhere for her to sit but right next to him, which was
altogether too close for his comfort. Berating himself for not taking her into
the larger,
less intimate
facility chamber instead, he did what any
civilized adult would do. He shifted to the foot of the bunk and waved her
toward the other end. "Sit. Please. This will take some time, and I don't
like looking up while I'm talking any more than you do."
Cherry lowered herself, but
her crossed arms and stern expression warned him to make his explanation a very
convincing one. It was time for the truth… at least enough of it to assure her
cooperation. Now he would see if she bore any loyalty to Norona.
"Please understand,
the mission I am on is so
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