Subservience Read Online Free

Barkswell has the bridge.”
    The tactical officer took a step away from his station and
saluted at the order. “Captain?”
    “Yes, Lieutenant Barkswell?”
    “If you’d rather, I could go to engineering for you, sir.”
    The odd request made her pause. Barkswell usually loved any
opportunity to be in charge. It was no secret that he wanted to be captain of
his own ship one day. And with the way he’d climbed the ranks she had no doubt
he’d easily make it to the top. Still, he needed to log more hours on the
bridge if he wanted the promotion. “You’re needed here, Officer.”
    “Understood, sir.” He went back to his station but not
before she saw the telltale grimace of frustration. Shaking her head, she left
the bridge and started down one of the corridors. She could read his thoughts
easily enough and find out what was bothering him but her crew members trusted
her to respect their privacy and their trust was more important than whatever
was bothering Barkswell. Sure, she heard the occasional thoughts that they
screamed at her. But she never went digging for information. And she didn’t
plan to start snooping on her crew today. She’d just have to let it go and
accept that it was going to be one of those days, filled to the brim with
weirdness.
    The corridors were busy as people returned to their stations
from lunch and the extra traffic made it hard to navigate at times. Maybe if it
hadn’t been so busy and if she hadn’t been slightly preoccupied she might have
seen him sooner. As it was she was lucky she saw him in time to avoid colliding
with him.
    “Parker.”
    “Captain.”
    Parker stopped in front of her. His black hair was still
damp from a recent shower and he’d changed from his workout clothes into a pair
black fatigues and a white tank.
    “All settled in?”
    “Getting there, sir.”
    “Good.” She went to take a step away from him but he put his
hand on her arm to stop her. His touch sent a spark through her and his
thoughts tumbled into her mind wildly. It was euphoric to lose herself to him
and his memories yet terrifying at the same time. Hissing, she backed away from
him quickly. “Don’t touch me!”
    “I’m sorry, sir.” His face was pale and his voice soft.
    She shook her head in an attempt to clear it but his touch
had formed a channel between them. Placing her palm on the cool metal of the
wall, she focused on the empty smoothness. Most people thought of her telepathy
as a gift. They never saw it as the weakness it could become. She could easily
lose herself in another’s thoughts if she allowed it. Thankfully the metal’s
absence of life gave her the strength to break the connection with Parker and
untangle his thoughts from hers. It was the other reason she insisted on the
entire ship being made of metal. Though she kept that one a firm secret.
    Finally. She was alone again. Taking a deep, cleansing
breath, she recomposed herself. “It’s nothing. I am needed in engineering,
though.”
    “But—” This time he didn’t move to touch her.
    “Later, Parker. We can talk about whatever it is later.”
    She didn’t wait for a reply as she walked around him. The
connection had been broken but his mind was trying to reestablish itself with
hers. He wasn’t doing it intentionally of course but she could feel him
pressing in on her and she needed distance—now.
    Engineering wasn’t far from her but it was far enough to
give her a few minutes of solitude, which she spent trying not to process the
remnants of Parker’s thoughts. He was entitled to his privacy just as much as
any other member of her crew. But it was harder to ignore memories and emotions
once they’d been funneled into her head. Of course, having a mechanical issue
on her ship did help. Opening the hatch to engineering, she forced herself to
focus on the crisis at hand. She needed the long-range scanners in tiptop
shape. They were her eyes.
    “Commander Vance.”
    “Yes, Captain?” The balding,