Lacuna: The Prelude to Eternity Read Online Free PDF Page A

missing arm. “More or less. And it’s Captain Liao now.”
    [“Congratulations. Your accolades are well deserved.”] Saara inhaled through her nostrils, shifting her posture. [“Further, I am aware of your injuries. I was present when they occurred. Do you remember?”]
    So many things were foggy. “Yes. I remember the fire. I remember the bombardment. I remember you saving me… not much else.”
    [“It was a combined effort,”] said Saara, her tone tinged with an inflection Liao could only determine to be modesty, or the Toralii equivalent thereof. [“Saeed was also extraordinarily helpful, as was Captain Williams and the crew of the Rubens .”]
    “Thank them for me,” she said.
    [“I already have.”] Saara continued to look uncomfortable, her large eyes flicking to one side. [“Forgive my impudence in this regard, Captain, but it was not certain you would survive.”]
    She understood. “Well, the medical facilities aboard the Rubens are so far ahead of what we have. If we didn’t have this ship, I’m not sure I would be speaking to you now.”
    [“I am glad the former Bearer of the Sky God’s Treasure has served you well.”]
    Liao’s chest tightened slightly, and the heart-rate monitor she was linked to chirped in annoyance. The Rubens had once been a Toralii Alliance freighter, later captured and repurposed by Captain “Magnet” Williams and his crew. Although the Toralii were a numerous species and her friend was a member of the Telvan, a separate faction from the Toralii Alliance, which had originally built the ship, Saara’s cooperation with the Human military had long been something many had been suspicious of. Who would betray their species? they reasoned. Why would she support those who engaged in such actions?
    In truth, Saara was, in that regard, no different from Liao. Human beings killed human beings all the time. The Telvan and the Alliance were not friends. It was no different from the Chinese and the Americans, long at loggerheads, their rivalry understandable to those who had knowledge of the situation.
    However, the Chinese and the Americans were presently working together to build a shared future in the ashes of humanity. What would it take to bring Saara back to the Toralii fold, and to lend her expertise to their enemies?
    It did not bear thinking about. If it happened, it happened. There was no point complaining.
    [“Toralii medical technology is more capable than what the Kel-Voran possess,”] Saara continued, [“but far behind those like the Iilan. The standard of care on a freighter simple as this one will be less than on military vessels. Sadly, the scout ship that was captured recently had no dedicated facility. Otherwise, we would have treated you there. Still, Saeed mentioned you may have memory problems. He asked me not to antagonise you and to not make too many assumptions about what you may and may not know.”]
    She had no cause to complain. “Everything seems fine. The Rubens has treated me well. I’ll admit everything’s a mite fuzzy at the moment, but I think I’m holding up okay.”
    [“I would agree with that assessment. I am sure you know already, but I have spoken to Doctor Saeed about a prosthetic. I wanted you to know that many Toralii have them, and they find them to be suitable enough for most purposes—itchy, perhaps, and sometimes cold to the touch, but functional and not overly uncomfortable.”]
    “I think I can handle it.”
    Saara’s eyes shone with truth. [“I believe you can as well. My mother had a prosthetic foot; it was taken from her when a hatch closed unexpectedly. I did not know until I was past adolescence. She did not even limp. I only found out when I stumbled upon her performing maintenance on it.”]
    “Maintenance?” The idea of having a mechanic work on her body made her spine itch.
    [“The work was so infrequent I did not notice for many years.”]
    That was a relief. Liao had meant to ask Saara about her mother. “How