Chapter One
Heidi was sitting up in her bed breathing heavily and holding her side. The light from Neudaiz moon shown through the slit in the window curtain creating a silver line on the wood floor. Arianna sat silently by the window, still in stand by mode. Heidi looked down at the little bot and smiled softly. She was safe in her new room at the Guardians Neudaiz branch. She had been reassigned to Neudaiz shortly after returning from her deep space adventure aboard the Landeel. The light drive Cerberus had recovered from his old space ship had burned out on the return trip so instead of a few hours it took them almost a month to return to Gurhal. Tylor and the other rogues were immediately put to work on getting the generators set up for the unification point on Moatoob and Jonathan, Heidi's father, had been assigned to help them even against his protests. This left Heidi in charge of locating her mother who had not been seen or heard from since they had left. She tried to take a deep breath and relieve the pain she felt in her ribs. It wasn't a physical pain though. It was mental as the memories of her field operation performed by Iceberg still haunted her. She went into the bathroom and downed a couple pain killers, then crawled back into bed. Even though she knew there was nothing physically wrong with her, Heidi still found the pills made the pain go away. She didn't like using them and most of the time just slept through the pain but some nights it was so bad she had no choice. Morning would arrive soon and she intended to go across the street to the Communion first thing and start searching for her mother. If Light Master Rutsu had done anything to hurt her mother, he would be very sorry. Heidi pulled the covers over her shoulders and drifted back to sleep.
Heidi was awakened by Arianna who continued to jab her arm.
"Ok, ok, I'm up." Heidi groaned.
"Forgive me Mistress Heidi but there is some one at the door." Arianna bowed.
"What?" Heidi frowned climbing out of bed, "What time is it?"
"Six thirty local time." Arianna replied.
Heidi shook her head slowly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes while she made her way to the door. She tapped the door button harder than it needed. The door slid open to a blonde Newman woman who looked about the same age as Heidi's mother.
"Miss Heidi?" The woman asked.
"Yes." Heidi nodded sleepily.
"Miss Heidi Kimble?" The woman asked again.
"Do I know you?" Heidi frowned.
"No, but my family knows you very well." The woman said, "May I come in?"
"Sure." Heidi shrugged and stepped aside.
The woman quickly pushed passed the girl and slowly looked around the room. Heidi frowned as she eyed the strange woman closely.
"Please forgive the intrusion." The woman said finally, "I didn't know who else to turn to."
"I'm not sure if it's the fact that I'm still half asleep but I don't understand." Heidi frowned.
"Forgive me." The woman bowed, "My daughter has been missing for nearly three months now. The authorities say they have been searching but in those three months they haven't come up with anything. The only thing they could suggest is that she may have been kidnapped. No ransom has been issued and no one on any of the planets has seen her. Yesterday the search was officially called off and she has been considered dead."
"Dead?" Heidi frowned, "That doesn't sound right."
"I know in my heart that she's not dead." The woman said, "Normally our family wouldn't dream of coming to you for help but I don't know what else to do."
"Why wouldn't you come to us for help?" Heidi frowned, "Did we do something to you?'
"You really don't know who I am, do you?" The woman smirked.
Heidi just shook her head. The woman sat down on the window ledge and stared out at the city street.
"You are not the only Kimble family on Neudaiz." The woman said.
"What?" Heidi gasped, "That's impossible."
"Our family traces our blood line back to the aliens just as you do." The woman said, "Our family spawns from Alexander's second born son."
"There has never been a second born in our family." Heidi frowned.
"Alexander was still a full alien, not yet blended with Gurhal DNA." The woman said, "It was this mixing that prevented more than one child to be born in your family. Your family, the chosen line with the great destiny while ours was cast aside. What ever it was that was passed down through your line did not pass to ours. Obsessed with your great quest you shunned our family. Erasing us to the point where you don't even know we exist, but our family never forgot."
"I have family?" Heidi smiled.
"Your cousin is missing." The woman nodded, "We may barely be family now but I am desperate."
"Of course I'll help you." Heidi grinned, "Family is family after all."
"You really don't get it do you?" The woman frowned.
"What's to get?" Heidi shrugged, "I just found out I have a cousin. A whole family I never knew about. The fact that our family name doesn't die with me. This is very exciting."
"I'm glad you're happy." The woman grumbled, "Just find my daughter before it's too late."
She turned and started out the door. Heidi quickly grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Wait, I don't even know what she looks like."
"Well, if you're finished with your own satisfaction then I suppose I could give you the details." The woman grumbled.
"You don't have to be so rude." Heidi frowned.
"This is a picture of Amanda just before she disappeared." The woman said shoving a pad into Heidi's chest, "Just find her and do it quickly."
The woman turned and exited through the door before Heidi could respond. She frowned then looked down at the picture in her hands. The girl looked to be about the same age and other than the blonde hair she looked very much like Heidi.
"She is family." Heidi smiled.
"Excuse me Mistress Heidi." Arianna bowed, "Aren't you supposed to start the search for your mother today?"
"I was." Heidi nodded, "But I get the feeling this is a little more serious. This girl is in real trouble. I doubt the Communion would do any real harm to mom, they just won't tell us where she is."
"I'm confused Miss Heidi." Arianna frowned, "Is a cousin more important than a mother?"
"No." Heidi shook her head, "But she might be in a more dangerous situation."
Heidi looked down at the little bot for a moment as she pondered the situation. She clenched her fist and nodded.
"I need to talk to somebody." She said, "I just hope he's still on the colony."
Connect With Us