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room.
    Tikki closed the door, trying to think, but her legs were shaking so much she had to go and sit down for a moment and let the nausea wash over her. Taking a sip of cold simcoff, she tried to summon her wits.
    The one thought that kept going around and around in her head was that they could not stay here. The apartment, her home, was no longer safe. She wished Okil was here, that he would lay his hand on hers and send her comforting sensations. Instead, she was left with a cold feeling of dread. She was mixed up with something that was bigger than she could ever imagined, and the problem was, she had no idea if she was the good guy, or the bad.
     

Chapter Seven – Okil
    “The lottery draw is in three hours, we have a little time,” Okil said as they landed in the mostly disused airport where the Karal had been given a coded compound. Not that they needed it: the space cruiser only operated for the Karal, and there was nothing external that could be tampered with. Short of putting a bomb under it, which had been tried once before, but was caught by the system computer, there was little damage any human could do to the craft.
    “What do you plan on doing with that time?” Darl asked, watching as Okil opened the exit ramp and almost ran down it.
    “Do you mind if I go and see Tikki? I just want to make sure she’s all right.”
    “And check she hasn’t changed her mind? If she has, you know I will concede my place to you,” Darl said.
    “Thank you Darl. I just want to check on her; it may be a while until I see her again.” He looked back at Darl. “Will you be all right? I promise I won’t be long.”
    “Go. I will try to conquer the nerves in my stomach. I should have never left Karal. I know any kind of space travel upsets me. These feet wish to be firmly on the ground at all times.” A pale greyness covered the usually vibrant doctor’s skin.
    “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Okil said and ran off towards the district of the city where Tikki lived. The quicker he got there, the more time he would have with Tikki. Not that he expected anything other than a cup of disgusting simcoff; he simply wanted to check she was all right.
    The usual bustle of the city didn’t capture his attention tonight, nor did he stop to give food or coin to any of the beggars, as he often did. His attention was focused on Tikki alone.
    Over the bridge, he crossed the dirty canal, holding his breath as the putrid smell hit his nose. Then he broke into a jog, taking the back streets, which were less crowded. He could feel the colours skimming his skin, a churning mixture of anticipation and excitement filling him. This was something he would miss just as much as her touch, or the thought of her. He needed her. His life would be colourless without her.
    He knew for Tikki’s sake, he should distance himself, allow her to move on and find a man, a human who would look after her. But he wasn’t ready, not yet.
    Her apartment block loomed up in front of him. And he pulled his hood up over his head to shield his face as came out onto the main street. He wasn’t sure he could contain his emotions, and he didn’t want too many people to realise who he was. Feelings often ran high around the time of the lottery draw, and the last thing he needed tonight was trouble. Not when he had promised Darl he would get back to him before the lottery result.
    Into her building he slipped, and ran up the stairs, his pace getting quicker the closer he got. He tried to contain his arousal, knowing that the child was probably with her and that their relationship was now going to be purely platonic. But his body didn’t think much of that idea and he still grew hard.
    Pushing the door open, he emerged onto her floor, walking quickly along the corridor, to find a woman banging on Tikki’s door.
    “Reja?” he asked.
    She spun round. “Okil. I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t get Tikki to answer.”
    “Are you sure she’s in there?”