"Listen. Can you not hear them?" The Jarn c.o.c.ked his head to one side, revealing a tiny ear set flush with his skull.

Dora's face focused and Zical listened. Below the chatter of the scientists and their machines, he sensed a low-level hum that hadn't been there during his last trip. "What is that?"

Dr. Laduna smiled, revealing smooth gumlines without teeth. The machines have tuned themselves to a different level."

"What?' Dora looked, right, left, and then hurried through the narrow corridor to where it widened into a vast area. They followed her and the sounds, became louder.

"See for yourselves." Dr. Laduna gestured to the deep interior of Mount Shachauri.

At least halfway down the mountain, an eerie luminescence filled the black hollows with streaks of silver light. Giant machines throbbed scarlet, their crystalline structure beautiful, yet terrifying and exotic. The color intensified and the humming increased in volume but deepened in pitch, like a steady engine warming up-but for what purpose?

"Dora?"

She stared below in obvious fascination "I have no more idea what is happening than you do." She wore a dreamy look. "If only there was a way to link into the alien network."

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"That might be dangerous." Concerned that her first instinct was to plug back into the computer for answers, Zical wondered if she regretted her metamorphosis.

"A link could be perfectly safe. You don't know."

"Neither do you." He tugged her away from the machines that seemed to hold her in a trance. While he didn't want to frighten her, she appeared to need a reminder that injury to her body wouldn't be pleasant. "Dora, you're human, now. You shouldn't think about hooking into-"

She shrugged "I don't need you to tell me how to think- especially when yon brought me here to find answers.

"We want answers, yes, yes yes," Dr. Laduna, agreed, "but not at the expense of harm to your most beautiful self."

"Thank you for the concern, but, there," she said, pointing, "is that a place I could tap into?"

Zical wanted to shake her. First she was afraid of her shadow, now she was willing to risk her brain cells, reminding him once again of her immaturity. "Haven't you heard a I said? Do you want to die before you've been human for even a year?"

"What I want isn't important."

"Of course it is."

"I want to experience a kiss before one more day pa.s.ses, but that's not going to happen, is it?"

Zical contained a sigh, his exasperation with her navete warring with a need to kiss her enticing lips. But kissing her would mean giving in to pa.s.sion. And Dora wasn't experienced enough to know the difference between l.u.s.t and genuine feelings. So suppressing his physical attraction to her was necessary for both their sakes.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she headed toward the location she'd indicated, and Dr. Laduna departed quickly, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation turning so personal. When Zical followed her, she spoke without looking at him. "Don't concern yourself. I'll be fine."

Zical had thought he was calm, but she had him irritated and worried about her safety all over again. For an even-tempered man, his emotions seemed to have taken a wrong turn in hypers.p.a.ce. Between Dora and the strange alien hum, Zical felt as though he required yet another vacation.

Stars. As if a man could ever relax around Dora. Realizing she'd gone on ahead, he stomped after her, trying rein in his rising temper while he attempted to think of a good argument to prevent her from plugging into the alien machinery and possibly frying every gorgeous cell in her body.

"Dora, let's discuss your linking up to the machine." He spoke in a rush. The humming seemed stronger as neared the scarlet crystal, and his edginess increased. She didn't slow down and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you feel that vibration?"

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She plugged one end of the cord she'd been carrying her suit's pouch into her neck.

"I'll try to find out what's going on."

"Do you think experimentation without study is wise? Suppose there's some kind of energy feedback in there that isn't compatible with your new body? Suppose it attacks? Or overloads your human brain?"

"I'll be careful and I appreciate your concern."

He couldn't tell if she didn't understand the danger due to overconfidence, or if she simply didn't care what happened, but he was d.a.m.n worried at the risk she was willing to take. "Why don't you let Ranth-"

"No. He's too valuable to Mystique. If the alien technology blows his circuits, all of our planetary defenses will go down." She locked gazes with him, determination in her look. "I'm not nearly as important."

Since she'd taken her human body, Dora had exhibited many fears. Now, her offer to take this risk sounded more like the old Dora. But he needed to protect her.

"You're important to me," he told her, hoping she could hear the truth in his words, hoping she didn't take them to mean more than be intended.

"Not important enough to kiss."

"Dora, stop. You're using emotional blackmail. You know humans from any planet frown on that sort of manipulation.'' Impatience with her att.i.tude seeped into his tone.

"And you're risking your life for no good reason. How can you be so foolhardy when earlier you were too frightened to leave your room."

"I'm comfortable with computers." She jerked his hand from her shoulder in a girlish fit of pique. "Apparently, nothing I do pleases you. But my reasons are good enough for me."

She'd deliberately turned away from him, and the motion hadn't been one of her accidental spasms. She'd twisted his words and could think circles around him. But that didn't mean he was wrong.

Refusing to be manipulated into a kiss that would mean more to him than l.u.s.t, frustrated that she wouldn't listen to reason, he didn't hesitate to physically place himself between her and the alien socket. His responsibility was clear. He couldn't allow her to put herself in such danger when they might still have other options.

Dora tried to step past him but be shifted and blocked her. She b.u.mped into him and her knee gave out. Quickly, he reached to steady her.

And a golden beam speared out of an alcove and caught them in a bright cone of light The rays surrounded them trapped them. Last time the light had knocked him out and left him with an inexplicable s.e.xual edginess he didn't to have to cope with again.

He feared what the golden light would do to Dora, She wasn't ready for that kind of artificial stimulation-but neither was he. He already found her too d.a.m.n attractive.

And Dora in the woman's body had him irritated, jumpy, and on edge. She'd already

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wrangled a promise from him that if she figured out what the machines did, he'd be obligated to kiss her. The last thing be needed was more stimulation...

Alarmed, he tried to pull them out of the beam, but his psi wouldn't work. Neither did his muscles. He couldn't blink. Or talk.

He should be in a panic. His fight-or-flight reaction should be kicking in, but be was calm-unnaturally calm.

While the golden light was similar to the one that had knocked him unconscious when he'd first entered the complex, this time he remained awake, on his feet And Dora, in his arms, was just as stationary as he.

The golden light seemed more benevolent this time. Although he didn't like being held so tightly that he couldn't so much as twitch a finger, he wasn't particularly concerned his immobility. But as the humming grew louder, his brain pulsed to the tune of the vibrations.

It seemed more than a coincidence that with all the scientists working inside for months, no one else had been caught in the beam, yet he'd been zapped twice. The humming invaded his mind, penetrating so deep that the beating of his heart synchronized with the alien rhythm.

Dora appeared to be caught in the same trancelike state he'd seen when she'd plugged into the mainframe. Her glazed over, and although she was looking right at him, he suspected she wasn't seeing him. Praying the golden light would do her no harm and that soon they'd be released, he tried to ignore the humming that made him sleepy, yet aroused him.

Once again he'd lost control of his psi and his body responded with his blood flowing to his tavis. If he could have moved, he'd have gritted his teeth, groaned, turned away to hide his embarra.s.sing condition. However, be doubted Dora noticed. She appeared to have withdrawn so deep in her mind that he feared her brain might suffer permanent damage.

Hoping the golden light wouldn't send her into a panic and straight back to her quarters, or worse, be could do nothing but wait .With no way of judging the pa.s.sing of time, he couldn't even estimate hew long they remained trapped. When the light finally disappeared, despite his fierce need for s.e.xual release, he ruthlessly used his psi to contain condition and was about to fire questions at Ranth, when Dora toppled into his arms.

Worried, he caught her, gathered her close, ignoring how the feel of her soft skin and her female scent racketed up his tension. "Dora. What's wrong?"

She didn't respond but her wide-open eyes continued to stare off into the scarlet crystals as if hypnotized. Zical shook her lightly but she didn't come out of her trance.

Lowering her to the floor before she fell, he held her in his arms. Her head tilted back, her hair spilling over his arm. With his hand, he brushed a lock from her eyes as he fought the l.u.s.t shocking his system.

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It wasn't her. The golden light had him burning for completion. Surely, he wouldn't die if he didn't quench his pa.s.sionate thirst to sip from her lips. Only concern for her welfare allowed him to squelch his l.u.s.t. However, he couldn't resist the sweet torment of holding her without touching her. He smoothed his fingers down the creamy expanse of her neck, over her delicate collarbone to her toned arm. As if she were cold, he rubbed her skin with brisk strokes, his palm chafing her skin in an attempt to waken her.

Touching her was sweet torment, intensifying his need, making his senses spin.

Riveting his attention on her face, he wondered what the alien light had done to her.

Was she lost in the same erotic haze as he had been, and overwhelmed by an experience she'd never felt before? Why wasn't she snapping out of her trance?

"Dora? Wake up."

Exhibiting no sign of awareness or recognition, she nevertheless clutched his shoulder and back, the tips of her fingers digging into his flesh. A soft moan indicated that she would soon awaken.

"Dora, talk to me."

"I am fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"Please be quiet and let me think."

"Ranth." Zical spoke to the computer, his rampant l.u.s.t firing his impatience. "What in the five seas of Jarn happened?"

"My a.n.a.lysis is incomplete. The light radiated outward in a pattern similar to your last encounter."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Dora reacted differently to the experience than you."

"Is she-"

"All her physical signs are normal."

"She's not acting normal."

Dora might have wanted to kiss him but she wasn't clinging to him in a s.e.xual manner. Yet she didn't look fearful either.

"Perhaps you should call a doctor?"

"Hush. Please." Her eyes slowly focused on him, the red sparks settling into a steady purple glow. She relaxed her grip, pulled away from him, straightened and stood. "I can't do mathematic calculations in my head as well as-"

"Let Ranth do the math."

Zical was already tired of hearing how her computer abilities had been superior to her human ones. Between his concern for her, the raging fire in his loins, and her statements about mathematic calculations that made no sense, his tone been terse. He'd hoped that the distance she'd placed between would alleviate his problem, but so far, be

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was having no luck. Every energized nerve in his body yearned to kiss her, to undress her, to feel her skin next to his. He was almost in too much pain not to notice the irony.

Now that he wanted to kiss her, she wanted to do math.

"What's wrong with him?" Dora asked Ranth.

"He's exhibiting the same physical symptoms as the last time he was under the golden lights."

Dora chuckled. "Maybe this time he'll find a better solution."