Page 11 of Galactic Search and Rescue
Nadryer’s eyes widened for a moment. “Whoever told you that was full of shit.” Her expression softened as she studied Taz’s face. “Want a quick lesson? We advertise meditation classes, but what we really do is train minders. The CPS’s methods don’t work for everyone.”
Taz had no idea there was such a thing as private minder tutoring. “Thank you, but not right now. You need all your energy for yourself.”
A weak smile played on Nadryer’s face. “I wouldn’t be spending the energy, you would. Healers can sometimes work on themselves, but sifters can’t. Like trying to tickle yourself.” A moment later, she sighed again. More tears flowed. “Ah, that’s better.”
The relief on Nadryer’s face told Taz the neuro block finally kicked in. She grounded and opened the capsule right next to Nadryer so it wouldn’t skitter away like a cat that wanted to be admired but not touched.
Nadryer’s forehead wrinkled. “Wonder what happened to my boots?”
“Instructor Vangelio has them.” Taz slid a fat safety strap from the capsule under the woman’s waist and hooked it around her. “I’m going to lift and slide you into the capsule, rather than roll you in. It’ll help if you cross your arms tight and keep your back strong instead of saggy.”
A corner of Nadryer’s mouth lifted in amusement. “Saggy?”
“Technical term. Used by rescuers everywhere.” Taz took a centering breath, then used her telekinetic talent to ease the woman into the capsule. It took concentration to keep her floppy legs in line with the rest of her body.
Nadryer lifted her hand to touch the top of the capsule.
Taz nudged the woman’s hips in to center them. “Being in a capsule is like being in an autodoc that flies. I’ll tell it about the neuro block and that you’re, er, allergic to receptor-type painkillers. When I seal the door, it’ll insert a billion microneedles, scan your injuries, and take you to the nearest accepting medic center. Any questions?”
“No.” Unexpectedly, the woman grabbed Taz’s hand. “Thank you. Get training for your sifter talent. It’s at least as strong as your teke talent.”
“I will,” Taz agreed reflexively, then remembered the woman was another sifter who could detect half-truths. “I’ll consider it.” But not while she was still in the CPS, where a telepath could interrogate her anytime they wanted if they thought she was hiding something like that. As it was, she was alarmed the woman had sensed her unactivated sifter talent without even trying.
Taz extracted her hand, entered data into the capsule’s controller, then sealed it up. Nadryer’s face, visible through the viewport, relaxed to unconsciousness after a few seconds.
Just as she was guiding the capsule out the storeroom door and into the main area, the lights flickered again. Nearly ten seconds this time. Not a good sign.
Rylando crossed to her. “New lifesign near the lifts.” His finger brushed his nose and chin, meaning the lifesign came via one of his animals, not tech. He started to speak, then appeared to think better of it. “Let’s get this group safe, then check out the lifts.”
“Apologies for interrupting, sirs,” said Instructor Vangelio, “but we know the way out, and you said it’s clear. Your skills are needed that way.” She pointed in the direction of the lifts. “Someone is growing very fearful.”
Rylando’s gaze drifted and lost focus for a long moment. He turned toward the group with sudden energy. “We accept your offer. Watch the glass in the front foyer. Your flitters, if that’s how you got here, are inaccessible right now. Head for the park about a kilometer east. Emergency Response Command will get you sorted.” He squeezed past Taz to enter the storeroom.
As Vangelio herded her students out just as effectively as Shen would have, Rylando came back with the medical pack slung over his shoulder.
“Orders?” she asked.
“Suit up and follow me. A young human female is dangling from something thin at the bottom of an open lift shaft.”
4
Salamaray Citizen Activity Center, Perlarossa • GDAT 3242.334
From hard-won experience, Rylando knew not to trust the airsled’s self-navigation capability in an unknown structure. Taz and Hatya said the much-patched AI needed total reconstruction from its neural net on up. Considering GSAR’s budget woes, there was a less than zero chance of that.
Unfortunately, it meant he couldn’t both operate the airsled and keep in mental contact with his animal team. He trusted them not to create havoc, but sometimes they let their mission get in the way of their good sense.
He wasn’t much better. Though she hid it well, he knew Taz disliked being underground. He’d instinctively wanted to save her from having to descend into a deep shaft by sending her with the group they’d freed. Not only was it against the regs—and common sense—to operate solo, but she’d have been deeply insulted. And rightly so.
It came down to trusting her to tell him if she couldn’t handle something. And hoping she trusted him enough to admit it. The trouble was, considering how diligently he’d kept her at a distance, first out of wariness, then while fighting his fascination, he wasn’t sure he’d earned that trust.
The wide hallway opened into a wider area that served as the lift lobby. At least the building plans proved accurate about the location of the lift shaft, but neglected to note the fact that it was at least three times larger than usual.
He slowed the airsled to a hover and triggered its scanners.
The lift’s sliding doors should have been closed, not gaping open to expose the shaft below. To the left sat Shen and Moyo, both watching him and Taz for orders. A quick check with his talent told him the cats were around the corner in the far hallway, investigating an interesting smell.
On the walls, static directional displays showed maps and listed occupants in that section of the L-shaped building. A separate display advertised the storage business in the basement, listing the features and prices for their units and reminded existing customers to use their access token to operate the lift. Too bad the building AI wasn’t speaking to Taz, or they could have queried it about the number of token uses that morning.
