Page 34 of My Tiny Giant
That was worrisome. If Voranians had been working on some secret projects behind other nations’ backs, this summons could be a trap.
I should run this by Rick first.
“Who else is going to be there?” I asked Helix. “Has that been disclosed?”
“Yes. General Craxus of the Voranian Army, Representative Alcus Hecear of the Earth-Neron Liaison Committee, Captain Miller of the Special Armored Unit from Earth...”
Rick was going to be there, too. I had no chance to decide whether that was a good thing or bad as Helix uttered the last name on his list, “And Lieutenant Drankai of the Ravil Army.”
Agan.
My heart skipped a beat. They’d brought him to Voran, and I needed to know why.
All this time, I hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of concern for Agan. I was with him when the experiment took place, and I’d failed to prevent it. That made me feel partially responsible for what had happened to him.
I had to know what this was all about.
“The meeting is in an hour and twenty-four minutes,” Helix reported. “The aircraft to pick you up will arrive in fifty-nine minutes.”
“It won’t take me that long.” Tossing the covers aside, I hopped out of the bed to get ready.
* * *
A LCUS HECEAR, THE VORANIAN representative of the Earth-Neron Liaison Committee met me on the landing platform of the Army Headquarters.
“Good morning, Lieutenant Nowak.” He approached me as I climbed out of the small two-person aircraft that brought me there.
Dressed in the white and gold Committee uniform, Alcus had his long horns painted with gold vines and pink flowers. Like most Voranians, he obviously favored bright colors.
Until about a year ago, the main things the Committee had organized and supervised were scientific expeditions, political delegations, and marriage arrangements between human women and Voranian men. Now, my unit partially fell under their jurisdiction, too.
“What is this all about, Representative?” I asked as he led me along the glass-enclosed landing platform on the rooftop of the Voranian Army Headquarters.
“General Craxus will brief you, Lieutenant Nowak. I can just tell you that our government has a mission for you.”
That came entirely unexpected.
“A mission? I don’t report directly to your government,” I reminded.
“To my knowledge, your superiors on Earth have already given their authorization for your participation.”
Rick could confirm that since he was supposedly at this meeting, too.
“How does Lieutenant Agan Drankai fit into all of this?” I asked, then added quickly, “He is in this meeting too, isn’t he?”
“Lieutenant Drankai has received a special assignment,” Alcus said as we entered the white-walled corridor located off the landing platform. “He specifically requested you as his mission partner.”
“He did?” I blinked, confused.
Something must have gotten lost in translation here. The Agan I knew wouldn’t willingly accept a woman for a mission partner, unless he was forced to. And even then, he’d be kicking and screaming, fighting it all the way.
On the other hand, he had acted a little better to me by the end of our ordeal on Tragul. His parting words were the nicest thing a Ravil had ever said to me.
Maybe he would now accept going on a mission with a female. However, I had a hard time believing he’d actually request one.
“How is Agan... Lieutenant Drankai, I mean? How is he doing?” The familiar ache of concern twitched in my heart. There was something else, too. It fluttered in my stomach with anticipation when Alcus stopped in front of an opaque-glass door.
“Good, I suppose,” he replied vaguely.