The misborn v, p.1
The Misborn V, page 1
The Misborn V: Priscilla
by L. V. MacLean
Copyright 2017 L. V. MacLean
Cover Art by L. V. MacLean
Smashwords Edition
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WHO'S WHO AND WHAT'S WHAT
Azuri/Zai That arm of the Four Species Alliance involved in discovery, exploration, and development of planets suitable for future colonization. "Azuri/Zai" is a Zamuaon word meaning the perfect balance between nature and technology.
Four Species Alliance includes the Earthians; the D'ubians, a five-sexed species of short stature and considerable mathematical and musical ability; the Bahtans, a female-dominated species descended from herbivores; and the Zamuaons, a species with a warlike past, still retaining body hair of varied colors and expressive tails. They commonly have "Ears", telepathic powers, a species characteristic.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND FRIENDS
Issio f'Alzen Biology teacher at the Multicultural Secondary. He is Zamuaon, a foundling, with no recorded background and family history. This relegates him to the lowest rank of Zamuaon society. He grew up in an orphanage, ran away in his teens as a crew member on a merchant ship, eventually settled on Haivran where he managed to get his degree. Married to Sofi p'Effyn, also a teacher at Multicultural, and adopted father of Gina McIntosh, to whom he is much attached. He has very strong "Ears" – telepathic ability.
Sofi (p'Effyn) p'Alzen raised in a rural area of Haivran as the daughter of a local Zamuaon farmer and his deceased wife. A teacher at the Multicultural Secondary. Married to Issio f'Alzen, despite her father's objections to his lack of family and heritage. Adopted mother to Gina McIntosh, who she has long considered as her daughter, and pregnant with Gina's virtual sister. Sofi has just discovered, to her dismay, that her true biological mother is Zarei, a Zamuaon member of the fifth species.
Saizy p'Anotta PhD a biologist as highly regarded as the late Dr. Margo Lindstrom, retired from Azuri/Zai, and working on a text detailing her knowledge of abiogenesis. She was well acquainted with Dr. Margo Lindstrom, and loved her apparent daughter Cara, to whom she was something like a godmother.
Faashi f'Vizaza holds a BA in Sociological Psychology, specializing in non-Alliance species. Works for the investigative team headed by Dr. Ramirez. Married to Denise Owens.
Bahtan household Five sisters, Clena, Wundra, Mutai, Evvie, and Ollie. All involved in the medical field. No children, despite their efforts. And one Bahtan male, Numum, who has made a permanent home with the five sisters. It is unusual, and possibly perverted, to keep a male on a permanent basis, with the male freely consenting, but the six of them are in love. Numum is learning the building trade.
Bell, Tim , BA in anthropology, assisting Dr. Ramirez and his investigative team.
Carpenter, Vincent (Vinnie) research librarian, assisting Dr. Ramirez and his investigative team.
Clancy, Glen supervisor at the water treatment plant in Sandon City. Adoptive father of Nelson Clancy.
Clancy, Megan head bookkeeper at Peyton Meyers in Sandon City. Married to Glen Clancy, and stepmother to Nelson Clancy.
Clancy, Nelson artist and art teacher at the University. Adopted son of Glen, stepson of Megan, and natural son of Denieal Carter, with whom he has an uncomfortable relationship.
Dokker, Mimi and Clyde spacers and independent traders, retired, living in a small house in the neighborhood on the income of their years of travel. Married for all of their adult lives, they have no children.
Duri group is a five-member family unit, living apart from the D'ubian enclave in Bridgeton, which is extremely rare in their intensely clannish society. They are involved in music, and deeply attached to Terry McIntosh, who lives with them since the death of his father. They refer to him as their "progeny". D'ubians have five genders rather than two, but the neighborhood, for the sake of convenience, divides them into males (Duran, Dural, and Durakal, the bigger ones) and females (Duroh and Durata, the smaller ones). What they are to one another is a matter known only by the D'ubians, who share little of their language and less of their personal lives with others.
Drs. Wood Ned and Louise, academics and officials of the Azuri/Zai project. They were acquainted with Dr. Margo Lindstrom (she didn't have friends!) and very fond of her apparent daughter Cara, standing as unofficial family members to her and as in-laws to Jared.
Hardesty, Lillian and Phyllis are the mother figures for the neighborhood, owners of a huge house they have used for boarders, off-planet children attending the excellent Bridgeton schools. Now their boarders are people connected with the Azuri/Zai project, adults who take less work and appreciate good cooking. Lillian and Al Crane, a retired spacer and a widower living in the neighborhood, have enjoyed an autumnal romance for years and have decided to marry.
McIntosh, Willis oldest of the three McIntosh children and guardian to his younger siblings. Boarded with the Hardesty sisters to attend schools in Bridgeton. He was accepted into the Defense Academy but injuries forced him to give up his ambitions. Currently living in the Hardesty house and working as a mechanic, a field in which he is proving to have unusual gifts.
McIntosh, Gina (Eugenia) second of the three McIntosh children, just entering secondary school and making her home with Zamuaon neighbors Issio and Sofi, to whom she is very close. Gina has very strong telepathic abilities, as do Issio and Sofi and also Jared.
McIntosh, Terril (Terry) youngest of the McIntosh children with extraordinary musical gifts, which have drawn him into the household of the D'ubians, whose profession is music. Terry is attending the Conservatory of the Performing Arts, studying performance and composition.
Ott, Sandra Mary Owens Archaeology, Imagery. A member of the team working on the inscriptions on the arches. Married to Lewis Ott and mother of three sons. Family presently living with her mother, Margaret Owens, in Miramani due to security concerns; Sandy visits on weekends.
Owens p 'Vizaza, Denise transcriber and recorder for the investigative team under Dr. Ramirez. Younger sister of Sandra Ott, daughter of Margaret Owens, married to Faashi f'Vizaza, also a member of the investigative team.
Owens, Margaret mother to Sandra and Denise, and extremely reluctant mother-in-law to Faashi f'Vizaza. Lives in Miramani.
Patterson, Fabian Image Enhancement with secondary degree in Anthropology, a member of the team working on the inscriptions on the arches. Divorced from Ione Patterson, who is currently in police custody pending placement in a mental institution. No children. One poodle, Yvonne Marie, of whom he has full and official custody.
Price, Lt. Frances member of the investigative team headed by Dr. Ramirez. Security specialist, and a member of the Fifth Species, the full, if much younger, sister of Maud.
Ramirez, Dr. Cara Lindstrom PhD teaches all-species literature at the Alliance University of Arts. Legally the daughter of Dr. Margo Lindstrom, deceased, an eminent biologist working with Azuri/Zai. Married to Dr. Jared Ramirez. Recently discovered to be the daughter of a member of the fifth species, Maud. The situation is awkward; Maud is Jared's former lover. Cara is adjusting.
Ramirez, Dr. Jared B. PhD Linguist, teaching at the United Alliance Institute of Sciences and in charge of team under Azuri/Zai studying glyphs imprinted upon alien arches discovered on planet OR2-N73-4. Worked his way through university at the Premier Escort Agency, and has former clients as friends. Former primary relationship with Maud Clipper, despite a considerable age gap. Very recently married to Dr. Cara Lindstrom Ramirez, PhD. He is deeply in love with her, although he retains Maud as a (somewhat awkward) friend. Dr. Ramirez has "Ears", as Zamuaons say, telepathic powers.
Stuart, Gertrude (Trudy) a rising attorney in a Bridgeton law firm and a former client and current friend of Jared Ramirez. She has been involved professionally with several legal matters for him and his friends. She is single, unwillingly, and depends upon Agencies for romance.
Swift, Ann teaches creative writing and poetry at the Alliance University of Arts. Cara's best friend. Raised by an aunt with the belief that her mother abandoned her, she had an unhappy childhood. According to Maud, her mother was one of Maud's people, there is no other information available yet.
Weston, Jake Anthropology, Visual Construction Engineer. A member of the team working on the inscriptions on the arches. Focused almost entirely upon his work. Single. Has a brother he has not spoken to in five years.
FIFTH SPECIES
Carter, Denieal half brother to Maud, son of Oliver and Alicia. Uncle to Cara Lindstrom Ramirez. Father to Nelson Clancy, separated from him since Nelson's birth. Lives Between or in their places.
Chazaerte Maud's son by another member of her people and so a full member of the fifth species. Father of the three McIntosh children, having seduced their mother in furtherance of the genetics program of their species. Half-brother to Cara Lindstrom Ramirez. Lives Between or in their places.
Dr. Maarchesin, Lalia not a family member of the group formally attached to Haivran,but a friend who came with Zarei and decided to stay. Works and primarily lives on Haivran, where she is a licensed physician.
Maud dominant member of the fifth species group attached to Haivran, daughter of Oliver and Cedaena, deceased, sister of Carter, mother of Chazaerte and Cara, grandmother (not a title she likes) to Willis, Gina, and Terry McIntosh. Former lover of Jared Ramirez; she left him by faking her death, and reappeared only in a crisis situation after he and her daughter Cara had fallen in love.
Oliver father of Maud and Lt. Price.
Zarei a member of the Zamuaon branch of the fifth species, biological mother to Sofi p'Alzen.
FROM OTHER SPECIES
Grace apparently one of the Its, also known as Defenders, who is unexpectedly friendly and interested in working with the Four Species Alliance. She is currently living inside a robotic body enhanced by Willis and his fellow mad mechanics.
Logan is a member of yet another species from that dimension beyond the portals, superior, he believes, to the Defenders. Like Grace, he lives inside a robotic body, but previously he occupied the mind of Sandra Ott and the two developed a very friendly relationship during this time.
Priscilla is a member of Logan's species, using a body she found for herself in this dimension, that of a forest animal. She communicates with her Voice and her Ears.
The Misborn V: Priscilla
Chapter 1
Maud
The young man who lived in 1B was just coming out of the back door of the apartment building on 43rd Street with his grimisa on a leash for an afternoon walk. He saw Maud with her bag of groceries and paused to hold the door for her. "Nice day," he said, and the grimisa, which had black and orange stripes and tusk-like fangs, lifted his head to sniff the bottom of her bag. He liked the smell – probably the doughnuts, Maud thought; he put his big paw possessively on the side of the bag and stood up on his hind feet. This made him slightly over waist-high on Maud. "No, get down, Hamilton," said his owner, and Hamilton dropped down again with visible reluctance.
Maud was wary of wild animals, but in the city there was only one sort of animal of which she was really afraid, and it wasn't a black and orange grimisa. She patted Hamilton on the head, between his big rounded ears, and smiled politely at the young man. She was familiar with him, in a manner of speaking; she had exchanged greetings with all of her neighbors, including the fellow in 2A, who did something with his screens, of which he had at least a dozen casting a glow against darkened windows on a quiet night. He never left his apartment except for necessary errands and long solitary walks, both accomplished after dark – like a vampire, said Cara; she and Jared collected such folk tales and superstitions.
Maud didn't bother him or her other neighbors, on the theory that if she didn't bother them they wouldn't bother her. She had been here, more or less, for a year. It seemed to be working.
She didn't summon the lift; she ran up the stairs, because a woman at her time in life needed the exercise, and let herself into 2B, just above this vampire. It had been Lt. Price's apartment when she had first seen it, minimally furnished and entirely undecorated. Maud had at least improved upon that; there were paintings, framed holos, decent furniture, flowers, even a vid player, although she seldom used it.
It amused her sometimes; it was a long way from her penthouse, in the days when she had been Maud Clipper, one of the movers and shakers of Bridgeton, backed by the fortune made by her late husband. Now she was just Maud Carter, back to her maiden name, you might say, living quietly in a one-bedroom apartment. There were people in Bridgeton who remembered Maud Clipper; she saw them now and then, had narrowly missed running into a group of old acquaintances at the Manders gallery when she went to see Nelson's exhibition there last fall, although she had avoided the opening night.
They didn't see her. They knew she was dead, three years ago last May, as a matter of fact; they didn't recognize her, although she had not changed. She even had her favorite silk shirts – she and Denieal had made off with them when Jared had them packed up for the second-hand store – and she had her jewelry. Jared hadn't been able to deal with her jewelry. He used to tease her about making love wearing nothing but her diamonds. So he had gladly accepted Denieal's offer to take them to the jeweler to be evaluated and put up for sale, and he had asked no questions about the sum Denieal had produced and deposited to the estate accounts.
She had stored all these things in the space between this world and the other, where material things could be left for periods of time, and now she had them in her little apartment along with less important possessions. Jared being Jared, he had recognized her earrings and her favorite long white winter coat and commented on their familiarity; she had laughed and patted his hand and changed the subject.
She wasn't surprised that her former acquaintances hadn't recognized her; sometimes she wasn't sure she recognized herself. She had not expected to find herself living here, a few blocks from her daughter and her son-in-law and her nephew, spending an inordinate amount of time on tame domestic matters, including, even more amazing, four grandchildren. She had planned for them, the ancient gods knew, worked for them, but she had never expected to be involved with them.
She dumped her groceries into the food keeper and tossed the bag into the garbage chute under the sink and got out her favorite coffee mug, a Solstice gift from Gina, who seemed to know that Maud would appreciate a handmade one-of-a-kind thing from the Artists Fair. Maud filled it from the coffee maker and kicked off her shoes and sat down by the breakfast bar with her noter to look over her to-do list, speaking of tame domestic matters. The party was day after tomorrow.
She had two of the presents in the back of her closet, but the trike hadn't been in stock; they promised it would be delivered by tomorrow at the latest, but she had little faith in promises from stores. She should call them, and she should wrap the other presents, and she should check with Cara to see if she needed a hand. She should also check with Ann, who was keeping track of the presents and had most of them hidden somewhere in her house, but Ann was in the throes of party organizing and it wasn't safe to be around Ann at such times.
Well, she would call the store, anyway; she got her phone out of her pocket, but just as she called up the directory the door chimed, probably Lt. Price, who had said something about dropping by to hide with Maud's presents the gifts she had bought; her thumb print was on the lock, but she was either being polite, waiting for an invitation to enter, or she had her hands full. Maud closed up her phone and got up from the stool and the door chimed again, more urgently, and someone outside began knocking, hard, rapid knocks.
Maud took a look at the scanner screen; things had been quiet since last summer, but no one thought that was going to last, and they were all a little paranoid. It wasn't a sinister stranger, though; the scanner showed her a mid-sized black man with a little beard, slightly overdressed in a short-sleeved shirt and tie, appearing entirely Earthian, in no way as alien as he really was. He looked like a fugitive professor, she thought, and she opened the door, catching him mid-knock. "Logan," she greeted him, looking at his upraised fist, and he looked at her and his fist and hastily put his hand behind his back.
