“Nothing much,” she says. “Just trees and hills. A few houses here and there.”
“Nice,” I say. I look at her a little longer but the memories come flooding back. The look on Eli’s face as he uttered his last words. His eyes, full of emotion but completely drained of life. He loved Andrea. He loved Cody and Lila. He wanted to be there for them every day and every night. His heart broke when he found out they didn’t feel the same way back. I look away from Lila and out the other side of the airbus.
We pull up to the station a few minutes later and everyone files off. Cody grabs my hand, and Lila trails behind us. She looks around at the surroundings, trying to take everything in.
“Have you guys ever been to the city?” I ask.
“Once,” Lila says. “When I went shopping with Mother.”
“I haven’t,” Cody says. “It’s so big.”
I nod and lead them to where I parked my ship. The walk isn’t very long, but there are a lot of people, and trying to navigate around them is next to impossible. Some people are dressed up in nice suits or dresses, and others look like they’re heading to go farm somewhere. From what I’ve heard, the people who work in large office corporations here on Juema are the richest and hold the highest place of power. Office jobs are rare because most of the residents are farmers or gardeners. Either that or retired. Even though it’s not the best vacation spot in the galaxy, people come from all over just to relax in the warm climate here.
“I’m hungry,” Cody says tugging at my hand. “Mother told us that there was a grain shop not too far from the airbus station.”
I look around to see if I can find anything, and sure enough, a small building with paint chipping at the sides has what I’m looking for. “Like that?” I ask Cody.
“Yeah,” he says and takes off running for the store.
“Cody!” I yell and run after him. I quickly check back and find Lila right behind me. I smile with relief. I turn my head back to the way I’m running and almost slam into a mother with three children. “Sorry!”
The store isn’t too far away but I’m out of breath by the time I reach the doorway. Cody stands near the glass display case, pressing his nose against the glass and eyeing a blue and green sugar treat. “This one,” he exclaims.
“All of my Stoneians are back on my ship,” I tell him. “Let’s go back to my ship, and we can come back here.”
He gives me a look of disappointment but follows me out of the store. Lila follows behind him. I maneuver us around the groups of people congregating on the streets and sidewalks. People cluster, some talking about their days and others complaining about the work they have to do when they get home. No one talks about the war or what the Corps is doing to the galaxy. How simple their lives are. How peaceful.
The ship port isn’t too far away, just a few minutes walk from the grain store. The occasional aircar passes by, stopping to pick up people and then pulling away. Juema doesn’t have many tall buildings but rather longer, more drawn out complexes that are only a few stories tall. It’s better to build it that way due to the texture of the soil.
We get to the ship port and check in with the front desk. “Hey,” I say. “I’m here to pick up my ship.”
“You’ll just need to sign some papers so we know that you’re the one who owns the ship,” the guy tells me. He pulls out a thin stack of papers, filed neatly inside a folder, and hands them to me along with a pen.
“Is it okay if I just go to my ship and grab my satchel inside?” I ask. “I’m not leaving just yet.”
“I’ll have someone escort you,” he says. “Just tell him what number stall you parked in and he can lead you there.”
“Thank you,” I say to him. Then I turn to the kids. “Follow me guys.”
A man approaches us, tall and fit. He has a tan, probably from working in the sun all day. He’s handsome, with a familiar appeal to him. Something about his smile makes me think of Daniel, the way the corners of his lips seem to reach his eyes. I blush slightly when he walks over.
“Hey guys,” he says. “You can follow me. What’s your hangar number?”
“22,” I say. “But I’m not leaving yet. I just need to get something in it.”
“Okay,” he says. “Did you sign any of the forms?”
“No,” I say. “I told him I wasn’t leaving yet.”
“Will you be leaving tonight?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say. “We won’t be long.”
“Good,” he says quietly.
“Is something wrong?” I ask him accusingly. “Have I inconvenienced you in some way?”
“No,” he says. “Just forget I said anything.”
I’m angry, but I cool down enough to ask him one more question. “What’s your name?”
He hesitates. “Why do you want to know?”
“Why do you care?” I ask more angrily this time.
“I don’t,” he says back, not making eye contact. He waits a little longer before saying, “Damien.”
We make eye contact for the first time. Something about his eyes seems so familiar. “Have we met before?” I ask, all my anger gone.
“I don’t think so,” he says.
“You seem so familiar,” I say.
“I get that a lot,” he says. Then he smiles and my stomach flutters. He looks away and checks the clipboard he’s holding. “Hangar 22 is at the end of the row. We should be there shortly.”
I check behind me to make sure Lila and Cody are still there. Cody looks tired and drags his feet. Lila looks around in awe. I have to remember that she’s not like me, growing up with, for the most part, one parent and leaving her family at the age of twelve. I went to the city anytime my mother wanted to go. She’s only been to the capital once and never to the ship port.
“This is pretty cool, isn’t it?” I ask her. She nods but doesn’t look at me.
“So,” Damien says from next to me. “Are these your kids?”
“Yes,” I say. “I mean no. I’m watching them for the day while their parents are… out of town.”
“Oh,” he says. “That’s nice of you.”
“Just trying to help the family out,” I say, avoiding eye contact.
He doesn’t ask any more questions until we get to the hangar, where he pulls out a pen and hands it to me along with the clipboard. “Just initial at the bottom and sign on the line below that, just so I have a record,” he says.
I sign and hand him back his clipboard before turning to the ship. I climb up the side ladder and open the door that leads to a small hallway connecting the cockpit and the back of the ship. I knew I left my satchel on the copilot’s seat, which is where it is when I check. I grab it and climb down the ladder, stumbling on the last rung. Damien catches me, putting his hand on my back. Heat runs through my body as I realize how warm his hands are and how cold my body is.
“You alright?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say. “Thank you for catching me.”
“Of course,” he says. “I’m not just going to let you fall.”
I remember a time similar to this. It was back when I was first training with Daniel. We were cleaning his ship one day. He was showing me the “right way” to clean an exhaust valve.
“It’s all in the angle of the brush,” he said, holding the brush at the exact angle I was supposed to do it at. “Because if you go too much to one side or another, it will break the valve.”
He handed me the brush and I tried a couple times before he was satisfied. Then we climbed up into the ship and cleaned the inside. Eventually, we were called for lunch. Daniel went down the ladder first. I moved my feet down each rung until I got to the second to last one and slipped. I didn’t have far to fall but I was still terrified. When I felt like I was about to hit the ground and possibly get a concussion, Daniel put his hand on the small of my back, catching me.
I had never really touched him before, and he had never touched me, but I could tell his hands were strong, firm, and there
was no way I was going to hit the ground in that scenario. Even though I didn’t really know him, I trusted him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Thanks for catching me.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “I wasn’t going to let you fall.” His smile was enough to send jolts down my spine and make my stomach flutter.
The memory makes me smile. He kept his promise. I never once fell after that as long as he was by my side. I must have a weird grin on my face because Damien looks at me funny. He starts laughing.
“What are you smiling at?” he asks in a teasing sort of manner.
“Why would you care?” I ask trying to hide my own grin.
“Well, since you’ve been here, I haven’t really seen you smile,” he says. “I was just curious if there was a special occasion.”
“If you must know,” I say. “I was thinking about my boyfriend.”
His smile fades. “Boyfriend?” he asks quietly.
“Well, yeah,” I say. “Although it’s kind of complicated. We didn’t technically make things official or anything, which is partly, mostly, my fault. I mean, we’ve known each other for years, so I think he understood, but I haven’t seen him for a little over a week.”
“Can I ask what his name is?” he asks.
“Daniel,” I say. “Daniel Thomas. Why? Do you know him?”
“Yeah,” he says. “He’s flown in here a couple of times. Really great pilot. Excellent navigation.”
“You must have known him before I became his flying partner because I’ve only been here once before,” I say. “And I became his navigator as well as his copilot.”
“Really?” he says. “Because he came here recently, like within the last few years. He mentioned something about this really amazing girl he met. I can only assume he meant you. But yeah, that guy was head over heels for some girl.”
“Did he ever mention the girl’s name?” I ask.
“No,” he says. “Just kept saying how amazing she was and how I had to meet her sometime. I guess now I did.”
I nod and turn away from him. Tears start to well in my eyes, and I quickly swipe at them so he won’t notice. I can feel him looking at me.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asks.
“No,” I say. “I was just thinking about how much I miss him. I don’t even know if he’s alive.”
“There’s a Codereader by the capitol building,” he says. “If you wanted to check.”
“Could you show me?” I ask.
“Of course,” he says. “I’d be happy to.”
We leave the ship port and head toward the capitol building in the middle of the city. It’s not too long of a walk, but we stop at the grain shop to get Cody the treat he wanted. The clerk recognizes Damien right away, and they chat while he packs the treat.
“Damien!” thunders the clerk, who I find is named Victor. “Good to see you man! What brings you in?”
“Just grabbing a treat for the little guy here,” he responds in the same joyful manner.
In a quieter tone, Victor asks, “So who’s the pretty lady?” Then he winks.
“It’s not like that,” Damien replies quickly. “I’m just taking her to the Codereader in the capitol building.”
“Sounds like fun,” Victor says winking again as though he doesn’t believe Damien. He nods to us, and we make our way to the front door of the shop. Just as I open the door, Victor yells out, “Damien, come here a second, would you?”
He turns to me and says, “It’ll only be a minute. I’ll meet you outside.”
He walks over to the counter and leans forward as Victor says something quietly to him. He glances in my direction briefly before continuing what he was saying. Damien nods and walks back to the store entrance.
“We can go,” he says.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“Just some business stuff,” he says. “A contracting deal I signed with him. No big deal.”
I nod, but I don’t exactly believe him. Something about the way they were being secretive. We walk a little longer in silence, the hustle and bustle of the people around us filling the air. Lila and Cody walk behind us, Lila still in amazement and Cody eating his treat from the grain shop. I still don’t know what I’m going to do with them once I get home, but it’s nice having their company for the time being.
The capitol building isn’t too far from the ship port. It sits in the center of town, only a couple of stories high. White marble stairs lead to the giant revolving doors that people file in and out of. People in business suits and pencil skirts, each holding a briefcase or tablet bag, go about their day. They all look so elegant. I stare down at my own clothes and wonder if they will even let me in the building.
As I walk up the marble steps, I can feel people’s eyes on me. They know I don’t belong in this environment. I look like one of the farmers on the outskirts of town. I don’t fit in, but I have no other choice. I need to know what happened to Daniel, Kyle, and my father.
A man stands by the door wearing a green suit with silver buttons. He smiles as people pass him and enter the building. As we approach the door, his smile slowly fades. “Can I help you?” he asks, looking us once over.
“We just need to use the Codereader inside,” Damien says.
“Well,” the man says looking at Cody and Lila. “You’re breaking many rules of protocol here. First, no children are allowed inside the building, and second, this is a formal area. Formal wear must be worn at all times unless a specific meeting is being held, which, last I checked, nothing was scheduled for today.”
“Sir,” I say. “I know I’m not the best dressed around, but I just need to use the Codereader inside. It won’t take longer than a couple minutes.”
He snickers at the “not best dressed” part. “Look,” he says. “I’m sorry, but I’m not breaking protocol for you, no matter how much you plead. However, I can be bribed.” He looks at me and smiles.
At first, I can’t possibly think what I would have that he would want, but then my hand hits my satchel and I remember something. “I happen to have a one-of-a-kind Stoneard in my purse here,” I say tauntingly, remembering my lines from the first time I tried to get rid of it. “It’s a beauty and worth more than my trip inside the building, but I don’t know. Maybe I should just take my business elsewhere.”
I turn on my heel and start walking down the steps of the building. I’ve made enough trades in my life to know that when someone wants something, they’ll do whatever they can to get it. If he wants the Stoneard, he’ll say something.
“Miss,” he shouts. “Can I have a word?”
I spin back around and look him in the eye. “Can I help you?” I ask. I start to walk up the stairs again, making sure to keep eye contact with him the entire time.
Once I get back to the top, he smiles. “Like I said,” he says. “I can be bribed.” He holds out his hand, a huge grin plastered across his face.
“All four of us?” I ask.
“All four of you,” he confirms.
I slip the Stoneard into his hand and proceed toward the door. I hear steps behind me letting me know Damien, Cody, and Lila are following close behind me. I push on the left revolving door and step into the circular entryway. I push on the clear door and spin halfway around the circular doorway until I’m let out into a giant foyer.
Windows run floor to ceiling, and silver knit with gold strand curtains fall the length of the window. The carpet is a navy-gray shade that leads into a white-tiled floor beyond it. Purple velvet chairs surround a wooden coffee table to the right of the revolving doors. Two women sit in the chairs opposite each other, each one holding a tablet on their laps. A grand staircase sits in front of me. People scurry up and down, rushing to get to their meetings in time.
“The Codereader is over here,” Damien says, placing his hand lightly on my back and directing me in the general area of the Codereader.
It’s down a
wide-tiled hallway. People pass on my left, giving me a once-over like the people outside. I smile, but it’s so fake that I drop it. “Why are the people around here so judgmental?” I ask.
“I don’t think everyone is like that here,” Damien says. “It’s just because these people are the richer, more privileged people on this planet, and they like letting other people know it.”
I glare at the next person who walks by me, which happens to be a woman wearing a pencil skirt and matching red blouse. Her hair is pulled back into a neat bun, not a hair out of place. She’s young, probably not over thirty years old. She looks at me and keeps walking.
“The Codereader is just around the corner,” Damien says. We turn a corner that leads to a spacious room. People move about, some talking to one another, others staring at the tablets in their hands. On the far side of the room, two machines sit next to each other.
“Is that them?” I ask, pointing to the opposite wall.
“Yeah,” Damien says. “Have you ever used one before?”
“I think so,” I say. “When I was in the Corps’ headquarters-”
“You were in the Corps’ headquarters?” he asks incredulously.
“Yeah,” I say. “I was being held captive. I went to try and stop them from mind controlling everyone, and my friend ended up killing Kelton, the leader of the organization’s son.”
“Wow,” he says. “He’s dead?”
“Yeah, I watched him die,” I say shrugging it off.
“Really?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say nonchalantly. He stares at me blankly.
“Oh,” he says. “Well good job.”
“Thanks,” I say. I start walking over to the Codereaders. Two tall box-like machines stand a couple feet apart from each other, each with a screen and a keypad. I pull the note from Gregory out of my pocket and unfold it. My hand shakes. I’m nervous. What if something happened to them during the flight? Or after they got back? My heart pounds in my chest. The man in front of me finishes and grabs his receipt.
I step up to the machine and punch in Kyle’s number. The screen takes a few seconds to bring up his information. When it does, next to Existence Status it says ACTIVE. I sigh a breath of relief. Next, I look up my father’s name. His Existence Status also says ACTIVE. I breath another sigh of relief. They both made it home, alive.
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