"It is indeed very romantic," Haopia said.
"K'uryss?" Emma-lin continued her inquiry. "Married, divorced, in a relationship?"
"It'ss complicated," the Draconian answered grinning with all his teeth out. "You warm-blooded beingss wouldn't be able to undersstand."
"Thank you for putting up with us, then," Ran-ald retorted.
"You are nice company," K'uryss replied with a nod.
"I'm afraid Ran-ald doesn't get your wicked humor," Jes-syd said, amused. "I'm curious to hear why a Reptilian is visiting a Humanoid planet, though."
"Because it's a former Ssaurian colony." K'uryss shrugged. "Not that we had any Humanoid colonies, sso I was curious to ssee what our cousins had done here."
"It's been cleaned out by now," Iso-bel said. "You should have come thirty or forty years ago."
"Unfortunately, I wasn't born back then," K'uryss replied.
"Wait, how old are you?" Ran-ald demanded.
K'uryss grinned again. "Twenty."
"Son of a bitch, you made it sound as if you were our parent's age!" Ran-ald protested.
"Your friend is right, you don't understand my humor," K'uryss replied. "Like you, I'm exsploring the galaxsy and the Sstar Nations while I decide what to do with my future. And unlike you, I'm not limiting myself to Reptilian planets."
"It's unsafe for Humanoids to travel to Reptilian planets," Fikri replied. "You guys are not the most welcoming race of the galaxy, not even with us."
"Besides, you don't know if we plan on visiting Seress after we're done here," Jes-syd added.
Iso-bel shivered at the simple thought, knowing what the last Saurian governor of Earth had done to her grandfather and his partner, but she knew Jes-syd was kidding.
And K'uryss took it with the same humor he had showed until now. Definitely a young Reptilian who liked to joke and have fun, even though Ran-ald never got it. I'm the one who should be wary of Reptilians, Iso-bel thought, amused. Her father had mentioned a Reptoid – half Humanoid and half Reptilian – who must have been a lot like K'uryss. She wondered if he still lived on Earth, where he'd been born, and how old he was.
Turned out Jyrki was the oldest of the group, followed by Henry, Jon, then Fikri, the Carians, K'uryss and the four Sire. Jyrki would soon retire and hopefully enjoy the fruits of his busy life. Fikri was late in getting married, but he hoped to tie the knot soon. The Carians were quite young themselves and very shy.
"Tomorrow be ready at nine for our tour of the city," Jon said as they all headed out of the restaurant and to the elevators for the rooms.
"Tell me you're not really thinking of doing anything with Jon or K'uryss," Iso-bel told Emma-lin as they prepared for bed. "Just give Ran-ald another chance. He seems very eager to have it!"
Emma-lin shrugged. "I'll think about it."
"I'll stay out late tomorrow night, I want to see the Rainbow Bridge and the Ferris wheel in the bay," Iso-bel said. "Must be nice under the moon."
"Mm... we finish with a cruise on the river to the bay... maybe we'll come with you..."
Iso-bel nodded. "I think I'll wash my hair now. If you want to go to sleep, I won't wake you up."
"Go on, I've got some reading to do and messages to check..."
***
"Doesn't this look like the Eiffel Tower?" Jes-syd asked at the top of the Tokyo Tower while Iso-bel stared down at the tiny houses and lower skyscrapers at their feet.
"Except for the color... And that temple," she said pointing at a complex with pagoda roofs that made for a change in the otherwise not very original landscape.
After the climb and the sightseeing from the top, they went to the Imperial Palace where another only-nominal ruler lived. Much like the House of Windsor in England, Japan seemed to love its imperial family, since the emperor was still considered "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people."
The Imperial House of Japan was the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world, although the Star Nations requirements had gotten rid of all the local governments to have just one unified planet. Unlike George Windsor, who hadn't been crowned king, the latest heir of the Imperial House was still called Emperor. Hisahito was the same age as Jon and they caught a glimpse of him as he left the Imperial Palace in a flying carriage.
The building was closed to the public but still impressive to behold. Then they headed for the complex of Asakusa, where among the temples and shops there was the five-story pagoda built in 1608, the oldest building in Tokyo. Iso-bel was impressed by the wooden constructions throughout the compound and had a delicious lunch of crab skewers and other street food.
Jon took them to see a geisha show then led them to the Sumida river shore for their cruise. By the time they reached their destination under dozens of colorful bridges, the sun had set and the bright neon lights of the Ferris wheel seemed to call them.
Henry waited for them at the arrival pier and took them on the Rainbow Bridge and to Odaiba, a popular shopping and sightseeing destination. After dinner, Henry took back to the hotel whoever was tired, but the couples decided to stay there and go back on their own.
The Carians could fly, of course, but Iso-bel and Jes-syd asked Jon how to get back by public transport. Luckily the metro stations had intergalactic writing as well as the local writing, even though it lasted only a few seconds.
Thus both couples went on the Daikanransha that, when it had opened in 1999, was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, but then lost to the London Eye which opened to the public in March 2000. Iso-bel and Jes-syd had gone on the London Eye during the day, and sitting in the Daikanransha at night was a different experience.
The sixteen-minute ride under the colored neons programmed to display multiple patterns in over a hundred colors left both the Carians and the young Sire pleasantly surprised. Then they split and the Carians flew off as Iso-bel and Jes-syd went looking for the nearest metro station.
They made it safely back to the hotel, and this time they checked before kissing good-night and going separate ways. Luckily moans and pants coming from the boys' room made then retire to the girls' room to make love and get some sleep.
***
It was Emma-lin's turn to rush back to her things, wrapped in a bed sheet, dislodging still asleep Jes-syd.
"I think we can switch for the rest of the journey, what do you think?" Iso-bel asked, amused, as her friend huffed and gathered clothes to go to the bathroom.
"Yeah, yeah..." Emma-lin muttered, frowning. She locked herself in the bathroom and Iso-bel chuckled.
She hugged her pillow again, waiting for her friend to vacate the bathroom. She liked how the trip was going. She wondered if she should keep traveling, like her parents had done before meeting and settling together.
But then, her father had started traveling after completing his studies and she doubted he'd let her wander the galaxy without that university degree. She'd go to Sylvania to get their warrior-like education and learn their martial arts, since the Xi-kongian schools never accepted women.
And then she could finish on Ypsilanti, again a matriarchal planet, where she could hook up with Jes-syd again. He was starting his courses on Serenaide, but could complete them on Ypsilanti. Or they could both finish on Marc'harid.
Kim-ash was coming to Sylvania too, but Emma-lin preferred staying on Marc'harid. So this would also be her last time with her best friend, then they'd be apart for a few years. Iso-bel sighed. Growing up was bad. It meant losing friends to different life choices.
Emma-lin emerged dressed with her hair still wet. "Your turn," she said a little less sour.
Iso-bel quickly washed and dressed, and they joined the boys for breakfast.
The flight to Hawaii was five hours and a half, and it was more a technical stop than a tourist stop because their shuttle couldn't cross the Pacific in one go. It had to refuel midway and Honolulu was a good place to stop. They had only one night there and could relax on the beaches while Henry took care of the shuttle.
Emma-lin and Ran-ald seemed unable to keep their hands off each other which made Iso-bel and Jes-syd smile and K'uriss chuckle quite often until he found company. There were some Reptilians basking in the sun and he chatted them up to spend the night with company. The Felines stayed away from water, but enjoyed the stop too. The Carians flew off exploring on their own.
The next morning the shuttle took them to the American west coast in three hours. They visited the Yosemite National Park and its giant sequoias, and then they slept in San Francisco after a cheerful "last dinner" all together at Fisherman's Wharf.
"We didn't really talk to any elder," Iso-bel mused as she slipped under the bed sheets. "But it was an interesting trip."
"We'll come back," Jes-syd promised, holding her tight. "This was just a taste."
On the flight back to Chicago, Jon said he hoped they had enjoyed his planet and would tell their friends to come over. Jes-syd had gathered a tip for him and the driver and gave it to him when they got off the flying van divided in two envelopes with local cash. Jon thanked him and wished him and his friends a bright future.
The four Sire teens said good-bye to their traveling companions and went back to the hotel where they'd slept upon arrival. They were surprised to find Kim-ash and Dan-sam waiting for them. The couple had cleared their differences – and Kim-ash had gone back to her natural black hair – and they were ready to continue the trip with them.
"How did you find this planet?" Kim-ash asked.
"It's nice," Emma-lin answered. "The dolphins and whales are very friendly."
"We should come back," Jes-syd added. "Maybe stay the whole summer next year."
"I'd love that," Iso-bel mused. "We could meet here and tell each other how the first year of university went..."
She hadn't been very impressed with Xi-kong, but Gaia was definitely in her heart.
"Hey, we haven't seen Mirabilis yet!" Emma-lin said, excited. "Now, I look forward to that!"
Iso-bel smiled. She doubted she'd like Mirabilis as much as Gaia. Although there was the Library of Cosmic Wisdom where her parents had first met twenty-three years earlier...
"When is the next Galaxy Express train stopping by?" Ran-ald asked.
"We should get to the Orbital Immigration Station tonight," Dan-sam answered. "You might want to rest now, or you'll sleep on the Galaxy Express..."
Do you want to stay a little longer? Jes-syd transmitted. We can catch up with them with the next train...
Nah, I want to see Mirabilis too... for different reasons than Emma-lin! She smiled at her boyfriend who squeezed her hand. Don't worry, honey, I'm not planning on settling here...
I wouldn't mind it, but it doesn't have labs or great universities yet, so... maybe when we finish our studies, what do you say?
Maybe for our honeymoon? she replied. When we have our degrees, we can get married and come back, what do you think?
I think I love you very much, my rainbow-haired princess!
He took her in his arms and gave her a long kiss that made their friends whoot and cheer.
Sire Minds
We thought we made it. We love you, Iso-bel Aya Shermac. We'll always be with you.
The transmission hit her with the combined voices of her parents. In a flash, she saw them holding her seventeen-year-old brother between them and staring at the main screen of the Haiduc. Dan-ylo's terror was palpable, but her parents were calm. Alarms blared throughout the starship, and then nothing. They vanished from her mind and her heart skipped a beat, making her gasp for breath.
She crumbled to her knees, panting and trying to reconnect with her family, worlds away on Marc'harid, but the connection was gone. What were they doing on the Haiduc? What were they running away from? But what upset her the most was – why was the mind link with them gone?
She slowly regained control of her heartbeat and her breathing, and she realized her teacher was shaking her as Shanell stared anxiously at her. She focused on the Academy gym where she'd been practicing some martial arts and closed her mouth, gulping.
"Aya, are you all right?" Norine Andera was a middle-aged, tight-muscled woman who still spent more time in a gym than at home. She'd been in the Queen's Guard for years before starting to train younger girls for the task. She taught at the Sylvanian Academy and owned her own gym near the Queen's palace where the other guards often went to exercise. She had put one hand on Iso-bel's shoulder and looked worried. "Did Shanell hit you too hard?"
"She didn't hit me," Iso-bel whispered, still breathless.
"She just fell, we hadn't even started, yet!" Shanell added, frowning in concern.
"What just happened, then?" Norine asked, nonplussed.
Iso-bel closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I think my family is dead." Another whisper, another lump in her throat.
She slowly got up and stared at her feet.
"I must call them," she said a little louder. "I must make sure they're all right."
Norine harrumphed but waved her out of her class. She knew Iso-bel was a Sire and had some form of telepathic link with her family.
"I'll go with her!" Shanell said.
"You stay here, Shanell! Keep training with Melodie! Come on!"
Iso-bel didn't turn around to look at her roommate and sparring partner. She slowly went back to her room in the Academy compound. She felt dazed. She took her videophone and punched in the call, but it didn't go through.
Her heart tightened in her chest as she tried her grandfather, then her friends, anyone, really! Nobody picked up from the former Imperial palace, though. As if they were all dead.
With an even more impending sense of doom, Iso-bel went on the meganet, freeing her chestnut brown hair from the tight bun she wore it in for training that started to give her a headache. Newsfeeds were flooded by now.
Her eyes widened in shock at the titles screaming "Former Imperial planet destroyed by impact after meteor shower!" or "Mega Arena crashed on Marc'harid after a malfunction, destroying it!"
If she switched on the audio, voices superimposed themselves, so she just picked the first article and read it silently. The tragedy was still ongoing, so there were continuous updates. She scrolled down to the first news.
A meteor shower in Marc'harid's solar system had provoked a malfunction of the Mega Arena NePOshields. The space station almost as big as a planet had been hit by a comet that had thrown it off its orbit and towards Marc'harid's sun.
There were no ongoing shows, so the tragedy wouldn't have been that bad if the planet itself hadn't been in the way of the off course Mega Arena. The meteor shower had damaged the NOOwatches, so the planet was blind to the threat. Even though the Vaurabi Labs Observatory had the means to deflect or destroy the broken station, they didn't see it coming.
Both the orbital station and the planet had been aware of the dangers of NePO – near-planet objects – and NOO – near-orbit objects – that could damage them, and that was why they had NOOwatch satellites and NePOshields, but everything became useless when the Mega Arena was captured by the planet's gravity.
Like an asteroid too big to be slowed down by air friction, the orbital station punched through the atmosphere as if it wasn't there and smacked into the planet's crust, vaporizing itself and creating a huge rippling shock wave and a crater that threw rocks back into the air.
Some debris flew right out of the atmosphere while others rained back down on the planet's surface, heating the atmosphere until it was like the inside of an oven, triggering forest fires all over the landmasses shaken by earthquakes and volcanoes. The combination of dust from the impact and soot from the forest fires and volcanic eruptions still wrapped Marc'harid, not allowing rescue ships to land and check damages.
It was estimated ninety percent of the population was dead or would die soon after the impact. Volcanic and seismic activity was still ongoing and probably even underground facilities like the Vaurabi Labs weren't safe havens. Some starships had made it safely away
from the planet and were being rescued by any Star Nations cruisers present in the quadrant, but most didn't have time to leave.
Iso-bel lay back in her chair and stared into the distance. So that was what she had seen. Her family had jumped on their private starship, the Haiduc, as soon as the threat had become visible somehow, either to the eye or to some instruments, but the starship had been hit by a rock thrown back into space when the Mega Arena had crashed.
That was why they hadn't transmitted earlier – they thought they were clear. Who knew how many starships had been destroyed as they tried to leave the doomed planet...
And then it hit her again. Her parents, her younger brother, her friends on the home planet... were gone. All of them.
She dragged herself to her bed and curled up, feeling the hole of the severed mind link growing inside her.
She was alone now. Twenty and alone and with nowhere to go back to. Shivering with cold that came from within her, she tried to control her grief, but her mind started screaming.
***
Shanell bursting into the room wide-eyed and her phone ringing startled her awake. Iso-bel had dozed off in her fetal position, and she still felt empty as her roommate rushed to hug her.
"Oh, Aya, we've heard... I'm so sorry... Princess Arica is going to take all the Sire currently on Sylvania to Gweltaz, hurry up, your family may have made it!"
"They're dead," Iso-bel replied flatly. "They didn't make it."
Shanell held her breath and squeezed her.
"Are you sure you don't want to go? Maybe someone made it... relatives or friends' families... isn't your boyfriend on Serenaide? Anyone spread on other planets' universities?"
Iso-bel took a deep breath, trying to calm her heartbeat once again. Shanell was right. Jes-syd was on Serenaide and maybe others had made it. Maybe she wasn't all alone after all.
"You're saying they're gathering survivors on Gweltaz?" she asked, rising and checking her phone. Missed call, Jes-syd. At least he was all right. She'd call him back from the starship.
Star Minds Third Generation Snippets Page 6
