Jeanne G'Fellers - Sisters Flight by Jeanne G'Fellers Read Free Book Online

over Genevic's shoulder. "Who
is authorized?"
    "Linguist
Maeminya Sioux, Master Technician Lou Jazinskis, clan leader Harlis Davies.
Twenty-four. Twenty-three."
    "I'm
Harlis Davies!" the Tekkroon leader called to the ceiling. "Transfer
power immediately."
    "The
voice is not recognized. Nineteen. Eighteen."
    I pasted
myself against the wall, trying to stay out of Harlis's grumbling and pacing.
    Rankil
looked up. "Computer, is there a record of Harlis Davies's voice?"
    "Negative.
Sixteen."
    Rankil
turned to face Harlis. "Computer, initiate voice recognition program. The
next voice you hear will be Harlis Davies." She nodded for Harlis to
speak.
    "Harlis
Davies, Tekkroon leader for seventeen passes," said Harlis, shrugging for
lack of anything else to say.
    "Voice
recorded. Secondary verification by filed name required for senior security
authorization. Ten. Nine."
    "Computer,"
Genevic stammered in a high-strung pitch. "I certify the voice as Harlis
Davies!"
    "Voice
pattern too rapid for recognition. Repeat. Five. Four."
    "The
voice was Harlis Davies's," Genevic called out, this time with constraint.
    "Recognition
complete. Two."
    Sweat
beaded the clan leader's furrowed brow as the final number sounded.
"Computer, send the power. Now!"
    The
helm went dark.
    "Ah,
criminy."
    "Shit."
    "Rankil?"
I whispered when someone brushed close.
    "I'm
here." But her voice came from the helm.
    "Now
how do we proceed?" Evangeline was startlingly close to my ear—and the
rest of me. I liked the woman, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be this close to
her, certainly not with Rankil so nearby. I tried to step back, pushing myself
flatter against the bulkhead. To my chagrin, Evangeline chuckled but stepped
back—too much. She was too close to Rankil, and a sensation of possessiveness
washed over me. I caught myself tensing as something resembling a mental
"aha" rose from Evangeline. I'm sure no one else heard it, not even
Rankil, as everyone else was trying to remedy the lighting situation.
    "Where's
the damned light?" Harlis said between promises of discarding the entire
flight program. She fished through her cloak pocket and, finding a lighter,
held the small metal cylinder up and struck the flint. "Where's a lantern
when you need one?"
    "Simple
ways are often the best." Evangeline produced a similar device from her
own pocket, and added it to Harlis's. "I've been in worse
predicaments." Her eyes flashed briefly toward me, and I felt both drawn
and repulsed by the intelligent intimacy they projected.
    "Me
as well," Harlis laughed. "And I believe this is how the Tekkroon
discovered trooper Rankil and her gracious gentlewoman."
    "It
is." Rankil reached for me, pulling me past Evangeline. "Genevic,
lead the way out of here, will you?"
    "Sure
thing." Genevic rose from her seat, slid her lean form past the equally
lean Evangeline and into the inky black corridor. As the others moved to
follow, the lights flared back on, blinding in their lumens.
    "Ouch!"
Rankil placed her hands over my face when I called out. She moved her hand a
few seconds later, and I could see Genevic rubbing her face, wiping away the
afterimage. Harlis squinted as she adjusted to the light, but Evangeline seemed
unaffected. She blinked then looked into the glare, her irises shrinking to
near nothingness, an effect that made her appear quite sinister. She turned
those eyes on Rankil, staring at her in the same alluring manner she had me.
    "I
assume this means we can resume the search?" she said as she stepped back
to the helm.
    "Only
if the satellite link survived the power drain." Rankil gazed at her a
moment then stepped away from me to drop into her pilot's seat. "Yes, it's
still up."
    "Excellent."
Harlis clasped her hands. "Let's get to work."
    The
curious faces that appeared to inquire about the power transfer were sent away
as Rankil and Genevic watched Captain Tara's demonstration of the satellite's
capabilities. "A faded icon indicates the feature is not in service."
Tara