Nucleus 1: The Dust of Moon [Mature Sci-fi Romance]

10:00, Day 579, Year 58133

Ananda Kunda (आनन्द कुण्ड), the Pool of Bliss, The Twilight Expanse, Shashan

"Endure…" The tendrils of her dream faded as Lorna woke up, not wanting to leave her sleep. The world around her felt strange - the soft rustling of plants, the feeling of them holding her body beneath the blanket that covered her. The blanket was made of violet leaves, keeping her warm. The exhaustion from last night's battle was gone.

"You're awake," came Kathrin's voice. Lorna turned to see the Radi-Mon tending to her, tentacles wrapped around her back while she rested on the violet ground with her snake-like lower body. "I had our Weavers make the Tea Leaf Blanket for you, much to Tanha's dismay. It has healed your scrapes and bruises from last night."

"Where is my pendant?" Lorna asked, her voice low, fingers gripping the edge of her bed.

"I've notified Primarch Moro. He lives on a mountain north of here. KāmaBodha Parvat," Kathrin replied, her white tentacles picking leaves from nearby plants and placing them in what looked like an old leather journal. "Once you reach there, you and your companion can speak with him before getting back the Pendant of Mánagrát."

"You…" Lorna's mind raced, memories flooding back – the sight of her father, what she had first done after leaving Earth, and the weight of her heritage. "you know what it's called?"

"Yes," said Kathrin with a sad smile on her pale face, as she placed the journal on a table next to Lorna's bed. "The jewel at its center is made from a shard of the Moondust Crystal. Both the Primarch and I sensed Harald Omdal's aura in it. The item is rather young. Little more than 10 Earth years."

"Moondust Crystal? But Pa…the person who gave it to me said it's an heirloom," Lorna's grip tightened, confusion swirling as she avoided mentioning her father.

"That would be a lie. Harald must have his reasons for dividing the Crystal to create the pendant." Kathrin's human hand squeezed Lorna's shoulder gently. "You know Harald?"

"I don't want to answer that," Lorna hissed, temper rising.

"I understand. Harald's name is more feared than respected," Kathrin said, a hint of sadness in her British accent, "The question now is: what will you do with this knowledge?"

Lorna's fingers traced the edge of her bed, feeling the bamboo frame. "I need to see the Primarch."

"You may." Kathrin nodded as she removed the blanket from Lorna. The vines holding her retreated into the bed.

From above, the Weavers came down, their bee-like wings humming as they hovered around her, each holding a piece of her clothing. They moved in harmony, guided by pheromones rather than words. The first offered her the deep blue turtleneck, wings glinting in the morning light.

"Right, but," Lorna hesitated, "I can dress myself —" she murmured, reaching for her clothes.

The Weavers continued to circle around her, handing over each item. Another Weaver floated closer, presenting her with her red underwear, neatly folded. The others followed with her black military pants and woolen socks.

"Allow them," Kathrin said softly. "They find honor in assisting you."

Lorna let herself relax as the Weavers moved around her like servants dressing a queen. The first Weaver helped with her turtleneck, slipping it over her shoulders and down her arms. Another guided her hand through the sleeve.

Two more Weavers hovered near her waist, fastening the suit. They lifted her legs, sliding the black pants up with ease. The buzzing of their wings created a rhythm as they worked.

A Weaver slipped soft socks over her feet before another brought her military boots. It guided her feet into each boot and tied the laces.

Finally, a Weaver with iridescent wings approached with her beige trench coat. The coat settled over her shoulders as they placed it gently. Two Weavers adjusted the collar while another held her Psi Shield Device. With care, it fitted the device over her left ear, securing it comfortably.

Kathrin watched with quiet pride. "Strength doesn't mean you must always go alone," she said softly.

As the Weavers finished and retreated, Lorna adjusted her collar and glanced at Kathrin. "This was nice," she murmured with a faint smile. "Next time, though, I'll manage on my own."

Kathrin nodded. "I'll tell the Weavers not to take offense."

The ice giant Chandrak hung low in the sky, casting a blue light over the landscape as Lorna stood up. The wind carried the scent of distant plants. In her usual outfit, she looked like the warrior she had been.

A wave of pain rolled through Lorna's stomach, making her pause. She looked down – her stomach appeared normal beneath her blue combat suit, yet the feeling was anything but. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Kathrin.

"Can I ask you something? Medical question." Lorna's fingers traced her coat, her voice quiet.

Kathrin's black eyes fixed on her. "Of course. Your body's secrets are safe with me."

"Is it..." Lorna hesitated, then continued. "Is it possible for a human to conceive a Radi-Mon child through forced oral contact?"

Kathrin's tentacles stopped moving. "Is that how you contracted the Fenris strain from Skarn?"

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Lorna nodded, her jaw tight. "Yes. Doc Nikki – a doctor on Earth said she had pacified the Nucleus Virus. But now…I'm not so sure."

"Medically speaking, it should be impossible," Kathrin moved closer, her voice clinical. "The human digestive and reproductive systems are separate. Though..." she paused. "Nature has exceptions. Certain parasites on Earth can move between organ systems. The guinea worm, for instance."

"But it's highly unlikely?" Lorna pressed, relief in her voice.

"Extremely." Kathrin's hand wrapped gently around Lorna's wrist. "You're remarkably strong, young Lorna. Lesser beings would have broken after such an encounter with Skarn. Yet here you stand, unbroken."

Lorna's free hand pressed against her stomach. "Sometimes I wonder if I am broken, just in ways I can't see yet."

"We're all broken somewhere," Kathrin replied softly. "The trick is finding the right pieces to fill those cracks."

A half-smile tugged at Lorna's lips. "Well, whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? Though I doubt the person who said that ever had to swallow a Radi-Mon Primarch's — " she caught herself, letting out a small laugh instead. "Thanks, Kathrin. For listening, and for not treating me like I'm made of glass. Gets pretty tiresome having people walk on eggshells around you after they learn about...things like that."

"It is no trouble. Primarch Moro's residence is not far," Kathrin said steadily. "The Weavers have also repaired and prepared the Space Rover for your journey."

"Thank you," Lorna murmured, her fingers tracing the Psi Shield on her ear.

As she approached the vehicle, Lorna noticed Xin already in the driver's seat, his eyes on the horizon. Dressed in the beige puffer jacket from SIMU, he looked slightly bulkier than usual, though still shorter than Lorna.

A pang of hurt twisted her gut, but she swallowed it down and climbed into the passenger seat without a word.

In the backseat, she saw two botanical skirts, their designs woven from local plants. One included a bra portion made from deep purple petals, clearly for a woman. The same outfits they had worn when dining with the Rakshasa people.

"They found your skirt in the Woods and repaired it," Xin said, holding a small vial of violet liquid. He drank it all before continuing. "Emmanuel and Tanha left earlier. Helping Vyom with something."

"Right." Lorna ran a hand through her blonde hair, looking out the window. The tension between them was obvious as Xin started the engine.

The silence stretched as they drove through the violet landscape. Xin glanced at her several times, looking concerned and uncertain.

"What's in the vial?" Lorna finally asked, her voice neutral.

"Indra-Sprite, but with a Rakshasa twist," Xin replied, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel. "It's helping me...adjust."

Lorna turned to face him. "Adjust to what exactly?"

Xin took a deep breath. "The Rakshasa strain. The Nucleus Virus."

The words hung between them. Lorna stared at him, her blue eyes widening.

"You let Kathrin infect you," she said quietly. It wasn't a question.

Xin nodded once, his eyes on the road. "It was my choice. I took the strain willingly."

"Why?" The single word carried many unspoken questions.

"To become psionic," Xin said simply. "To be... more useful. More..."

"More what, Xin?" Lorna's voice sharpened.

He turned to meet her gaze briefly before looking back at the road. "More your equal."

Lorna felt something crack inside her chest. "My equal? That's what this is about?"

"Partly," Xin admitted. "I've watched you fight battles I couldn't even understand. You've saved my life more times than I can count. I wanted to..." He trailed off.

"So you decided to let Kathrin put in you the one thing that's been destroying my life?" Lorna's voice rose, blue energy flickering beneath her skin. "Did you even think what that'd mean?"

"I thought it would mean I could finally help you!" Xin countered, his frustration matching hers. "That I wouldn't just be the civilian you're constantly protecting. That maybe I could stand by your side instead of behind you!"

"And you think that's what I want? Someone to fight my battles for me?" Lorna's hands were trembling, the blue light under her skin growing brighter with her anger.

"No, I—"

"Do you have any idea what it's like?" Lorna cut him off, her voice breaking. "Living with this thing inside you? The constant fear that one day you'll lose control and hurt someone you—" She stopped abruptly, turning to look out the window.

Xin was quiet for a moment. "No," he finally said, his voice softer. "I don't know what it's like. But I wanted to understand. I still do."

Lorna closed her eyes, struggling to contain her emotions. "You can't understand," she whispered. "No one can."

"Then help me try," Xin pleaded. "Tell me what it's like. Not just the Nucleus Virus, but... everything. Who you were before. Who you are now."

Lorna opened her eyes, fixing him with a deep gaze. "You want to know who I was? I wasn't just Sigrún Fjeld. I was a Leased Lily for three years to pay for my education at Lund University."

The confession hung between them, heavy with meaning.

"You…a Leased Lily?" Xin asked quietly.

"Yeah, I signed a contract with a man who paid for my tuition, my apartment, everything," Lorna continued, her voice flat but with old pain underneath. "In exchange, I was his. Whenever he wanted. However he wanted. For three years."

Xin's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I didn't know."

"No one does. Not Thomas. Not Emmanuel. Not even Diego. Director Otis made sure those records were buried when he gave me my new identity." Lorna laughed, a hollow sound. "Lorna Weiss, the perfect Alliance Psi Lynx, with no hint of the Nordling sex worker who used to do whatever disgusting thing Finn Lindberg asked for."

"Why tell me this now?" Xin asked, his voice gentle.

The gentleness broke something in Lorna. The blue light beneath her skin pulsed more intensely, moving across her arms and face in waves that matched her heartbeat.

"Because," she said, her voice trembling, "I thought that maybe, with you, I could finally be myself. Not Sigrún the desperate student. Not Lorna the perfect soldier. Just...me. But then you go and make a decision like this without even talking to me first. Just like everyone else in my life who's decided what's best for me."

"I never meant to—"

"I know," Lorna interrupted, softer now. "I know you think you were doing the right thing. But this virus isn't just some upgrade you install. It's part of me now, forever. And watching you choose it, like it's some kind of gift..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry," Xin said quietly. "I didn't think about how it would make you feel. I was only thinking about being strong enough to stand with you."

"I never needed you to be stronger, Xin." Lorna turned to look at him directly for the first time since entering the Rover. "I just needed you to be you. That was enough."

"And now?" Xin asked, his voice barely audible. "What do you need now?"

The question hung between them, more intimate than any touch they'd shared.