One World

Part 9

Rag'ell stared intently at the holographic screen in front of him, controlled through his communicator.

Because the device on his wrist could do much more than just communicate.

It was capable of connecting to all information networks, it had an algorithm inside that could process all kinds of data, perform complex calculations in an instant, model all kinds of situations based on the information it contained, and the AI inside could generate new solutions completely autonomously.

Despite all this help, the Supreme was unable to complete the report to Ardana, their home planet.

At first he dictated his notes, but after a while he switched to manual typing, hoping that the process of writing would help him organise his thoughts. It didn't help. He fumbled, made elementary mistakes, erased more than he typed.

He could blame it on the lateness of the hour, the unfamiliar surroundings of this underground base quarters, the hectic first day on a foreign planet, but none of that was the reason for his lack of concentration.

The reason was Gabriel Cassel.

The memories of their conversation flashed through his mind, he kept seeing those fierce blue eyes and the fingers of his right hand tingled as he remembered how the dark-haired man had touched them with his lips.

He stopped typing and instead used the communicator to access the base's security system. It monitored everything that happened in the corridors, at the entrance gate, in the lifts and even in the individual quarters.

Feeling rather inappropriate, he selected the security camera in Gabriel's room and enlarged the footage on the virtual display in front of him.

All the quarters on the base looked similar, even this Rag'ell's room was as modestly furnished as all the others.

He did not see the Earthling in the area covered by the camera. He must have been in the bathroom next door.

However, he did see a tray of food on the table. The prisoner seemed to have eaten most of it. Only the bowl of orange fruit had been left untouched; so he didn't like hakkri.

Gabriel finally came into view. His wet black hair glistened in the artificial light, a towel tied around his waist, drops of water glistening on his bare chest.

Rag'ell swallowed hard, his pulse quickening and a spark of excitement running through his body.

No, he really shouldn't have done this. If he had been unable to concentrate before, he might as well give up after this visual.

He watched the prisoner with intent eyes, fully aware that he was doing something completely inappropriate, yet he continued to study every exposed inch of the man's body with fascination.

He noticed that the Earthling was shivering with cold, goose bumps on his arms and exposed chest.

It should have occurred to him. The temperature in all the rooms was set to the optimum for Ardanians, but apparently humans needed slightly different conditions.

Without thinking, he raised the temperature in the prisoner's room a few degrees.

And then he stopped.

He was being completely irrational, why should he care if the prisoner was cold?

There was a loud knock on the door.

With a quick tap, he switched off the communicator, the image instantly disappearing, and the holographic screen along with it.

"Our Supreme," Maw-ghet bowed to him as he entered. "I have come to remind you that tomorrow morning you are to address the people of Earth. "