Dyllys

Parris woke the next morning still feeling residual annoyance. He hit the com unit near his bed before he had even opened his eyes.

“We will be at the rendezvous in ten hours,” he heard Esper say.

“I hate when you do that,” Parris said in a gravelly voice.

“No you don’t.”

Parris just groaned in response and got out of bed. He dressed his best - tailored shirt and pants - and looked as his reflection in the mirror. How to handle this day? Everything was far more confusing with Dyllys and Faran added into the equation.

“Why don’t you show them around the ship?” Esper suggested through the com unit.

“Enough from you,” Parris mumbled and then switched the com unit off. He wandered down the hallway and entered the galley. Faran was there and he looked up from what he was doing when Parris walked in. Faran was attempting to make breakfast. He must have been failing miserably because when Parris walked in Faran was arguing with Dyllys about why he should be making his own breakfast.

“I’ll make Parris’s then,” Dyllys said and wandered over to the other side of the kitchen facing away from Parris as he walked in.

“Too kind of you,” Parris said as he took a seat at the table. Dyllys was avoiding him, he could tell. Being one of four people on his ship, she couldn’t avoid him forever. Parris would make sure of that. He wouldn’t antagonize her in front of Faran. Their relationship was between them; Parris wouldn’t interfere with that.

Dyllys barely made eye contact when she set the plate of food in front of Parris. Faran sat down resolutely beside Parris, testing to see if the tension was still there. Parris tried to erase it from his mind. After all those years of his own indoctrination, he was surprised he had been so volatile with someone coming to his same realization. He grimaced at the thought. He had expected it would be easier for him to steer someone else in the direction he was now facing. Instead he found that he was looking his old flaws straight in the face and he couldn’t stand it. It made him feel weak. He ate the food that was before him and then glanced at Faran’s portion.

“I think I choose the better cook,” Parris said as Faran pushed his plate away with no more than a few bites. “Don’t waste my food, Boy. We are far from any harbor, supplies are limited.”

Faran looked at Parris, decided he was serious, and pulled the plate back towards him trying to swallow what remained.

Parris laughed loudly and Dyllys looked up at the sudden noise. “Don’t kill yourself, Boy, I wasn’t serious.” Parris pushed his own plate away and leaned toward Faran. “Would you like to take a look around my ship. You’ve only seen one level after all.”

Faran put down his fork and looked at Parris. “How big is this ship anyway?”

“About a fifth of the size that Hector’s Interdire is. But she’s big enough. She is about five levels. The galley, bridge, and living quarters are all on this deck. Deck two is what I call the survival level. I have a medical lab there as well as maintenance for Esper, and of course, Bellezza,” Parris said gesturing to Dyllys. “Deck three and four is Esper’s garden. Took quite a long time to modify, but it was worth every penny spent. Deck five is the hold. I have a load of cargo down there. I would prefer that you two didn’t go down there until I make my drop off in ten hours’ time.”

“By cargo do you mean what you took from the Interdire?” Dyllys asked.

“That’s right. Have to make my living somehow. Besides I would rather all those lovely soldiers be put to better use. Saving people is much more effective then killing them. Now come, I want to show you Esper’s garden. A more gorgeous place you will never see.”

* * * *

“Why is it Esper’s garden?” Faran asked as they used the lift to go down to level four.

“I’ve been with Esper for ten years now. After I figured out how to override the master program in her she spent time as she pleased. One day she asked me what she could do to make me happy. I laughed. I didn’t take her seriously and told her ‘why not make a grand space garden.’ I never thought she would actually take me seriously. I guess I forgot who or what I was talking to. I like to think she does it for her own enjoyment instead of just mine. She knew what she was doing when she created it. It gives me some hope that she can be more human. I’ve never seen such creativity in all my life.”

The doors to the lift opened to a crisp atmosphere. Dyllys's eyes widened at the site, “It looks like Tossu.” She walked into the garden.

“It’s autumn here on Salvatore,” Parris mused and wandered into the garden after Dyllys. Faran followed, awestruck.

Dyllys tried to take it in all at once. With the third floor gone, except for a catwalk where it used to be, which was covered in a vine that was brilliant red, the sky overhead looked far away. It was a deep blue with wispy clouds blowing across the sky from a nonexistent breeze. Dyllys could almost believe she was actually beneath a real sky instead of a simulated one. What she noticed most of all were the trees that filled the space among the mossy ground. Rocky paths weaved their way through the moss in intricate patterns, much like the ones that covered Esper’s face and body. Dyllys could see red, yellow, and orange leaves mixed in among the steady green. Some trees had leaves drifting lazily to the moss covered ground below.

She walked among the trees off the pathway, touching them gently. A small pond stood at one end of the large room surrounded by a grove of trees that looked to Dyllys as though they were gathered for a dance. A breeze blew through the garden causing the leaves to shimmer.

“They’re dancing,” she whispered and walked toward the trees. Parris watched her go and Faran joined his side.

“I’ve never seen her so alive,” Faran said.

“I thought this might have a desirable affect on her.” Parris turned to look at Faran. “I have a favor to ask of you. Would you go and keep Esper company for a while? I would like to talk to Dyllys alone.”

“Do you know something about her that I don’t?”

“I guess you could say that. When she’s ready, she’ll tell you herself. I want to give her that much.”

“I’ll go keep Esper company, then,” Faran replied. He got on the lift and gave a halfhearted smile to Parris before he disappeared. Parris followed after Dyllys.

When he reached her she was looking into the pool of water with her hand leaning against a tree.

“Do you know how Esper manages such brilliant colors on these trees?” Parris asked.

“I do, but I want you to tell me,” Dyllys replied. Her face was still passive as she stared into the pool, the reflection causing waves to dance in her icy eyes.

“As the autumn season nears she puts the temperature below freezing for a cycle and then turns it back to a more appropriate temperature for the season. For some reason I don’t understand this makes the colors more brilliant. That’s what had happened that autumn, wasn’t it. There had been a frost a few days previously. Faran had been upset, he was going to lose half his crop. You just laughed it off and said he should make ice wine.”

Dyllys turned and looked at Parris. “I do not remember this.”

Parris grabbed Dyllys in his arms and shook her, her face remained motionless but her hair spread like a fan behind her. “Yes you do. You have to.”

“Why is it so important to you that I remember?”

Parris released her from his grasp and leaned against a nearby tree. “Why is it so important to you that you forget?” Parris rejoined. “You wouldn’t understand.” He seemed to be answering both questions.

“Try again.” Parris straightened his form and looked back at Dyllys.

“I don’t know if me recalling your memories is what will work; maybe I’ll try a different approach.” He stood before Dyllys and stared into her eyes. She stared back and blinked. Parris reached his hand toward her face and caressed her skin.

“How long has it been since someone has touched you tenderly?” Parris whispered. Dyllys closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Parris let his hand fall to her neck and he leaned closer, his face was next to hers and he spoke softly into her ear, “Do you remember what it felt like to kiss him?” He rubbed his lips against her cheek and then his lips found hers. He kissed her passionately, though her hard cold lips were unmovable beneath his, and then suddenly he felt her respond: she was kissing him back. She wrapped her arms around him and then her icy blue eyes flashed open. She looked at Parris and then shoved him away.

“Stop!” She yelled at him and backed away hugging herself. “I don’t want to feel.”

Parris stood watching her. He could see it all flooding back to her, and then suddenly with a heart wrenching cry she gazed up at the ceiling with tears falling from her eyes and collapsed, unconscious, onto the mossy ground beneath her.

* * * *

“Sabine, wake up,” she smiled at the whisper in her ear and rolled over, her hand resting lightly on his chest.

“Can’t we pretend it’s not morning,” Sabine replied. She opened her eyes. Faran was staring back at her, his smile infectious.

“You know how much trouble we will be in if anyone finds us.”

Sabine smiled and ran her hand along his jaw. “What happened to that sense of adventure I fell in love with?” She rolled over then and sat on the edge of the bed. “Besides, it’s not like we did anything.”

She felt Faran move across the bed and come up behind her hugging her from behind and setting his head on her shoulder. “I have to take care of my vines, but will you come and meet me beneath our tree? I want to see you there one last time before we are man and wife.”

Sabine leaned her head back on Faran’s shoulder and took in a deep breath of him. He smelled like the earth, strong and sure. “Will you take me on grand adventures when we are married? Or are you suddenly content to stay in one place?”

“I would stay in one place for you,” Faran said and then kissed her tenderly. She loved his kisses. The way he always took care with them made her feel special with every one, slow, like they had all the time in the world. When their lips parted, she opened her eyes and stared into Faran’s rich brown ones.

“What if I don’t want to stay?”

“Then I will take you far away from here and let you see the wonders of our galaxy. Let you taste the freedom of living among the stars.”

“I want that. That’s what I want,” Sabine said and kissed Faran again. He was the one that finally pulled away.

“First, my Vero Amore, my vines. Then we will have a wedding tomorrow. Meet me by our tree before sunset. I have a gift for you.” Faran disentangled himself from Sabine. She watched him dress and slip from the room through the window. Of course she would be there.

It was her favorite tree, but she had never seen it so lovely before. It looked like it had been dipped in paint. It was every color fall should be, the tips of each branch a red so deep they looked purple and it ran down the branch losing color on the way from red to orange to yellow until it reached a brilliant green. She wanted to remember this forever. A wind blew and she watched leaves trail down lazily to the ground, spinning in tight circles as they went. The breeze blew right through her and she hugged herself trying to get warm. She felt warm hands wrap around her and she leaned into him with a smile.

“What took you so long?” Sabine asked.

“I had to make sure that we had some time to be alone.” She heard the voice speak from behind her. She tensed at the voice and broke from his embrace.

“Emanuel, what are you doing here? What did you do with Faran?” She backed away from Emanuel slowly until she had her back against her tree.

“I’ve done nothing to him, Sabine. I just wanted some time for you to reconsider. You’re making a mistake marrying Faran.” He was advancing on Sabine slowly until finally he was right over top of her. With his hand resting on the tree above her he looked down into her eyes. “Marry me Sabine. We were meant to be together.” He leaned in to her and pressed his lips against hers. She pushed firmly against his chest and shoved him away. She slipped under his arm and started walking down the hill. Filled with anger she stopped and turned back to Emanuel.

“How dare you!” She was shaking. “I love Faran. We are getting married tomorrow, and there is nothing you can do about it. I never want to see you again, ever. Stay away from me.”

“Wait, Sabine. I’m sorry. I just needed to know that you were lost to me forever before I could let you go. Don’t go away mad. Here, I’ve brought you a wedding present.” Sabine stopped and turned around to regard Emanuel. He was holding the loveliest mask that Sabine had ever seen in his hands.

“I know you collect these. It took me a long time to make, please take it.” He was close enough to Sabine now that she could easily take it from his hands. It was a marvel, a Venetian style mask the color of ivory snow with blue paint that glittered around the eyes making a delicate butterfly. Its lips were a deep metallic blue. It was a breathtaking mask.

“I tried to match the blue to your eyes.” Emanuel gently grabbed Sabine’s chin so that he could look at her icy blue eyes. “I’ve never seen eyes like yours before. Will you try it on?”

“Sabine?” She could hear Faran shouting in the distance and turned from Emanuel.

“Thank you for your gift Emanuel, but I really should go.” Sabine turned to leave but Emanuel grabbed her wrist.

“Please Sabine, try it on before you go,” he pleaded.

“Emanuel, let go. You’re hurting me.” She tried to wrench her wrist from his grasp but he was so much stronger than her. Sabine’s eyes widened with fear.

“What have you done to the mask?” she asked and then without waiting for any answer she tried to throw it away. She could still hear Faran calling to her in the distance. Emanuel grabbed the mask from her hand before she could release it and then she screamed.

“I’m trying to give you the perfect gift, Sabine, eternal life. You want to know what I’ve done to this mask. This mask is my life’s work and I’ve done it all for you. This way you’ll be beautiful for all eternity, it will never fade away, and the best part is that with it you will be mine, forever.” Emanuel was smiling as he lowered the mask to her face.

Sabine screamed and then started to cry; she turned her face away from Emanuel. “I don’t want to live forever. Please, don’t do this.”

“It’s already done,” Emanuel barked and then Sabine heard footsteps behind Emanuel and turned to look at them: Faran, her savior had arrived. But in that small movement the mask fell on her face and she inhaled sharply in surprise. She felt Emanuel’s grip loosen and then fall away; she was free to wrench the mask from her face but she couldn’t move. The quicker her heart beat the faster the cold immobilization spread through her veins. She wanted to scream but she couldn’t. What was this terrifying feeling? The cold was spreading but finally she found her voice and let out a strained cry.

She could feel warm hands against her cold skin. It was Faran. He was holding her in his arms. She could hear Emanuel laughing behind him.

“It’s too late, Faran. She’s mine. Let her go.” Faran ignored him and instead tried to pry the mask from Sabine’s face. The effects of this sent waves of pain coursing through her body, and she let out another cry.

“If you take off that mask you will kill her. I didn’t make it to be removed. What is done is done. She is mine.”

Faran let go of Sabine and she fell to the ground like an autumn leaf. “What have you done to her?” Faran advanced on Emanuel, his fists clenched tightly.

“I gave her eternal life. It was more than you could offer her.” Emanuel backed away from Faran.

Sabine watched them as the cold spread; she wanted to reach out and touch Faran, she could feel him slipping away, and then there was a voice cold and hard in her mind.

“Sleep. Sleep forever.” And Sabine did sleep: she closed her eyes and when she opened them again they were a cold steel grey and they only saw Emanuel.

She saw a man hurting Emanuel. She rose from the ground and ran between Emanuel and the man. The man before her stopped when he saw her and instead of attacking her he caressed his fingers against her cold skin. He looked at her cold grey eyes and then dropped his hand.

“Don’t hurt my Padrone,” Sabine said.

The man looked past her at Emanuel. “You’ve already killed her.”

Emanuel walked up to Sabine and grabbed her. Sabine gave no resistance. “No, I’ve just made her mine.”

The man before her looked at her face, the blue butterfly around her eyes the only thing left of the mask. He took her head in his hands and whispered in her ear, “I will find a way to save you, Sabine, if it takes me the rest of my life. I’ll free you. I promise.” He trailed his hands through her raven black hair and, grasping her hand momentarily in his own, he walked away. Sabine watched him go, feeling nothing at all. When he had vanished down the hillside she looked at what he had pressed in her hand, a delicately carved crane dangling from a chain. The tiny gift she held in her hand captured a memory of her previous life before it disappeared into the recesses of her mechanical mind.

She and Faran had been drifting lazily down a river on a boat and her laughter had startled a nearby bird. She had been breathless looking at it as it crossed the sky, wings extended and neck outstretched as it strained to leave them behind.

“I’ve never seen such a beautiful bird,” Sabine had exclaimed.

“It’s a red-crowned crane; you don’t see them on many worlds…as rare and beautiful as you are.” Faran stroked Sabine’s cheek.

“I would like to soar in the heavens with you like that crane.” She leaned back watching as the crane passed overhead and then her view of it was blocked as Faran leaned over her and smiled.

* * * *

Sabine held the carved necklace in her hand and watched it disappear as she assimilated it. Taking the image from her mind she replaced the remains of Emanuel’s blue mask with that of the wings of a crane at her temples.

Emanuel watched the sudden transformation and frowned. “Why did you do that?”

“I am sorry my Padrone, I am not a butterfly, I am a crane.” The words came from Sabine’s mouth, but even she did not understand what they meant.

“No matter, your face is much prettier without the tattoo.” He grabbed her face and looked into her eyes, dissatisfied with what he saw. “Still I wish your eyes had remained the same color, they were by far your most enchanting feature. Come along Sabine, there is much to do and very little time in which it can be done.”

Emanuel began walking away in the opposite direction in which Faran had gone; Sabine did not follow. He stopped when he realized she was not following him. “What are you waiting for? Why are you not obeying me?” He was starting to think that all his efforts had been for nothing.

“Sorry my Padrone, but I am not Sabine, she is gone. I am Dyllys now.”