Spark in the Stars

by Foster Bridget Cassidy

  The man must have had a stint in Regulation—likely in the Order of Valor, the military. Most regular citizens couldn’t distinguish between the ranks.

  “Thanks,” Lian said, lifting the drink to his lips and having a sip. Not bad.

  “Order of Right doesn’t usually come around these parts. What do you need?”

  “It’s a who, not a what. Temina Oshwald.”

  The man nodded, then pointed to the side of the room. “They have a regular booth in the corner. You can try there.”

  Instead of following the man’s gesture, Lian said, “I’ve heard Temina is the best mechanic on this side of the world.”

  “Yup, since their old man died.”

  “And I’m not the first to come looking.” It wasn’t a question, just an observation based on the man’s quick assistance.

  He nodded. “But Temmy and Gin would never leave here. You can’t convince them.”

  Lian frowned. If Temina didn’t want to leave, what could Lian do to recruit him? Double the pay? He didn’t have the clearance for such a tactic. But he needed the mechanic.

  “Thanks,” Lian repeated, lifting the bottle to take with him. He turned and headed the direction the barkeep had pointed.

  After a few steps he plunged back into the sea of people. He squeezed through their wiggling, gyrating bodies. A young woman grabbed his arm and twirled him, attempting to entice him with a sly smile. Resisting wasn’t difficult. Even if his mission wasn’t foremost in his mind. He slipped free of her grasp and walked on.

  Tables lined the outer edges of the room, with booths along the wall and round, high tops farther in. Three people sat at the closest table, their weathered faces even more wrinkled from their broad smiles. Lian knew Temina was young, so not one of these. Still, better directions could help.

  “Excuse me. I’m looking for Temina Oshwald.”

  Three sets of eyes all looked down the line of booths. Lian followed their gaze and saw a blond head protruding over the top of a seat back.

  “Over there,” one of the women said. “It’s either Temmy or Gin. One’s never far from the other.”

  Lian nodded, then moved that way, his eyes glued to the prize. Every person so far had talked of Temina and this Gin as if they were one person. Lian had only glanced at Temina’s family history, but he seemed to recall a sibling named Ginnovi. Would that be the way to coerce the man to join Lian’s crew? Bring his sibling along?

  At the table, a young man gripped his half-empty glass, condensation pooling underneath. His gray eyes stared at the amber liquid inside as if it held the secrets to the universe… and they were the worst things imaginable. His long, blond hair was pulled into two tails, one over each ear, leaving his round face open. This man didn’t look a day over sixteen, though records indicated Temina was twenty-one.

  Lian slowly sank into the opposite bench. The man’s gaze rose and thinly veiled hostility filled his eyes like storm clouds.

  “What do you want?” he asked roughly. His words had the trace of an accent to them, as if Federation Standard wasn’t his first language. Way out in this forgotten location, perhaps it wasn’t.

  “I’m looking for Temina Oshwald. I’m—”

  “Here we go again,” Temina cut in. “What is this? Number four tonight?” He glanced out at the dance floor, then back to his glass. “Go away. Wait your turn like everybody else.”

  Lian started. He’d expected the man to dismiss his offer, due to the barkeep’s remarks, but not to be rebuffed like a begging lover.

  “You mistake my intentions, Temina. I’m not here to request a date with you.”

  Temina’s eyes popped. Did the man’s good looks lead him to be so egotistical that he couldn’t believe someone not hitting on him?

  Lian continued. “I’m Lian Hartford, Order of the Right, and Third Class Captain of the Bethany.”

  Temina’s hostility vanished. “A diplomat?”

  Lian dipped his head in acknowledgment. “I am in need of a mechanic for my crew, and you come highly recommended.”

  Temina’s mouth fell open for half a second before he shut it with a nearly audible snap. He finally found his voice, and said, “You want me for your crew?”

  “I traveled over from Franklin to offer you this position.”

  “You want me for your crew?” he repeated, a little densely. Perhaps he’d had too much to drink already.

  “Surely you know of your reputation. You’re said to be the best currently working.”

  Temina waved a hand. “I know all that.”

  “I have an important mission, but I cannot begin until I have a full crew. I’m missing a Third Class Mechanic. If you accept—”

  Temina was on his feet and out of the booth in a heartbeat. “I accept. Let’s go.” He downed the last of his drink then motioned to Lian. “Come on.”

  Lian blinked, thrown off by his quick assent. Maybe he was drunk. Pip blast it. Lian’s conscience wouldn’t allow him to possibly dupe the man. He’d have to wait until Temina sobered up. Still, he got to his feet and followed.

  Temina skirted the edge of the crowd, his eyes flying swiftly over the people within. Maybe he was looking for this Gin? They got to the door without him dragging anyone else along, so maybe not.

  Blessedly, it was quiet outside. Lian took a deep breath—even this polluted Earth air was better than the mingled carbon dioxide that had swirled in the bar. He almost shivered thinking about it.

  “You’ll take me back to Franklin right now?” Temina asked, already making a beeline to the pitch. Well, it was obviously Lian’s ride here, so it wasn’t hard to understand why he headed that direction.

  “Once you’re packed.”

  Temina glanced over his shoulder at the bar, then back at Lian. “Sure. Maybe that’s a better idea. You’ll drive me to my house?”

  “Of course. Just climb in—”

  “Oh wow!” Temina jogged the rest of the way to the pitch. He splayed his fingers against the metal side. “A Novgorod model! I’ve never seen one in person. What kind of engine does it run on? A K120? Can I look at it real quick?” Without waiting for permission, he rushed to the front and hit a latch that opened the hood.

  Lian hadn’t even known the button was there. The internal switch was what he used to access the engine. He joined Temina.

  The man had his hands all over the equipment, like a Patagon reaching for something shiny. Lian half expected him to make cawing noises next—the Patagon way of communicating.

  “This is in great shape,” Temina said. He lifted his hands from the fuel cell and touched at the bind holding back his hair. “You take good care of it, sir.”

  Lian frowned. “It’s not mine, Temina. I only borrowed it from Federation. Are you all set to go?”

  Temina gave him an abashed look. “Sorry.” He shut the hood, then walked to the side of the pitch.

  Trish had already opened the doors while they’d been distracted, so they climbed inside. Lian walked down the narrow aisle to the front and Temina settled into a chair beside the door.

  “Temina, this is my second aboard the Bethany, Commander Trish Williams.”

  He offered his hand to Trish, who had the seat in front of him. “Good to meet you,” he said.

  “And you, Temina,” she replied. “We’re excited to add you to our ranks.”

  “Me too, Commander.” Temina grabbed the helmet beside his chair and placed it over his head.

  They were only going a handful of kilometers, so the helmets weren’t necessary. Still, Lian put his on as well so he could use the line to continue speaking to Temina.

  Trish initiated the takeoff while Lian turned slightly to peer at their newest crew member. Temina’s eyes were glued out the window, and his hands flat against the surface as if he could somehow lean out farther if he pushed hard enough.

  Maybe talking now wasn’t the best option. Lian turned back around and left Temina to stare in wonder as they lifted from the ground.

&nb
sp; Chapter 3

  GIN RAN through the house, grabbing anything he could get ahold of. He threw it all into a duffel bag he’d found in the closet. He took the holo cube of him and Temmy and Mom and Dad, and wrapped it gently in a pair of pants to ensure the glass wouldn’t break. He had no idea what kinds of things he’d need on a spaceliner so he took at least one of everything. When the bag was almost too heavy to lift, he went to the living room and wrote out a note to Temmy.

  Sis,

  This is an opportunity I have to take. I’m sorry to leave without saying goodbye, but I knew you’d never let me go. I can do this. Believe in me.

  All my love,

  Gin

  He folded it twice and placed it under a bowl of small, wrapped chocolates. She’d see it when she got home. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be till tomorrow, maybe later. Sometimes, when they had a fight, she stayed away for a few days.

  After walking out the front door, he turned back and looked over the house and the two garages looming behind. He’d lived here all his life. Never been more than twenty miles away from it. Now was his chance. He couldn’t believe his luck. At the same time, his stomach twisted with guilt. He was taking a risk, riding off Temmy’s reputation. If they found out he was impersonating his sister, it would mean jail time at the very least.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. Diplomats for KedFed only took pleasure cruises to the moon. Show the visiting ambassadors the splendor of the armada. He’d be there and back in a week. Maybe Temmy wouldn’t even notice he was gone.

  “Ready?” Commander Williams asked, holding her hand out to accept his bag.

  He gave it to her. “Ready.”

  She threw the sack over her shoulder and they both went back to the pitch.

  Captain Hartford now sat in the pilot seat. The gray helmet covered his chestnut hair and the visor blocked out his dead-looking eyes. The man seemed to lack the spark that made a person human, as if he were an AI. Or maybe a mix. Gin had heard it was possible to mate and procreate with some of the alien species, but he dismissed the idea. KedFed wouldn’t give such an esteemed position to a mix. Also, an alien hybrid wouldn’t look so… human. He’d sprout extra limbs like a Quifante, or be covered in feathers if half Patagon.

  Gin and the commander climbed into the pitch and settled into their seats. He fixed the helmet back into place and gave a start when the captain’s voice came over the line.

  “Are you all set, Temina?”

  Gin tore his eyes away from the window and regarded the captain. “I’m ready, sir. I can’t wait to see the Bethany.”

  Captain Hartford actually smiled, the first time Gin had seen him do so. “Me too. We’ll see her after our stop at Regulation headquarters.”

  “But—”

  The pitch door shut and the commander hit the switch for ignition.

  Gin’s protest went unheeded. The drop in his stomach had nothing to do with the pitch being hurled into the sky. Regulation? Hell and high heaven! Why did they have to go there? He’d assumed they’d go straight to the ship. At Regulation, they’d easily discover he wasn’t Temmy.

  He thought he might throw up.

  Williams caught sight of his greenish face and reached out a hand to touch his knee. “Leaving home can be scary, but you’ll be fine.” She smiled sympathetically and he forced one onto his own lips.

  Gin returned his eyes to the window. When they’d driven the pitch from Paulie’s to home, they’d stayed a few feet above the buildings. To get to Franklin, they’d get into the stratosphere—the layer of atmosphere without turbulence that allowed the pitch to fly at high speeds. They could travel halfway around the world in an hour.

  Currently, the ground was zooming away at an alarming rate. Gin could easily pick out the different cities against the surrounding farmland. A moment later, the altitude allowed him to make out the water around the peninsula. It looked so small way up here. As the land reduced in size, so did Gin’s troubles. He felt free.

  They reached a cruising altitude, and Gin looked out instead of down. The darkness of space lingered at the top of his vision, with a slightly lighter blue all around. This wasn’t the far reaches of the atmosphere yet, but it hinted at all the beauty that waited beyond the Earth’s hold. It was breathtaking, and he wished more than anything that Temmy could be enjoying it beside him. So many times she’d been approached by Regulation, or even private companies. She could have done this at any time in her adult life. Yet she hadn’t. Why stay in the remains of the once booming metropolis of Tallahassee when this could be at your fingertips?

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Commander Williams asked over the intercom.

  “It is,” Gin agreed. The endless expanse of darkness overhead should have been frightening. Instead, it called to him, beckoning him forward to explore its depths. Gin knew the ins and outs of space travel, though he’d never experienced it firsthand till now. In school, he’d excelled in aeronautics and astromathematics. However, in this moment, he could never have calculated the rate at which they were traveling, or the speed of their fall when they returned through the atmosphere. The theoretical stuff fled his mind as he stared on in awe. How did people in the armada keep their wits about them with so much wonder around?

  The captain said, “First time up this far?”

  Gin glanced away from the window and met the captain’s stare. He’d put up his visor, revealing his face. Here, with the never-ending blackness all around, Captain Hartford looked more relaxed, like he was home. There was a burning light within his green irises that hadn’t been present on the ground.

  “Is it so obvious?”

  “Yes,” the captain said with a smile. It made his face appear younger—not that he looked old to begin with. He seemed happy, relaxed; like a completely different person now. How could someone change so much based on their environment?

  “Dad worked mainly on chasers. They don’t reach this altitude. And though he sometimes had more sophisticated vehicles, like cruisers or swimmers, he never let us inside when he drove them. It was a trust thing, he always said, never using a client’s vehicle for our personal gain. But I think he just liked enjoying the view without having to worry about us kids.”

  “He seems a man of morals,” the captain noted.

  Gin barked a laugh. “Not really, sir. He kept an illegal billy-crawler in our garage since I was a baby.”

  Commander Williams whistled. “A billy-crawler. I thought they’d destroyed them all. Or impounded them.”

  “Dad got ahold of one, somehow. He never told anyone the details.”

  The captain said, “Fewer reminders of the Drammen Federation is a good thing. What happened to the billy-crawler?”

  I blew it up this morning. “It’s still in the garage. My sister and I were continuing his work to restore it.”

  “Gin, right?” Captain Hartford asked. “I’m surprised you actually left without saying goodbye to her.”

  Gin’s stomach twisted, but he kept his face from showing his panic. “I left a note, sir. She… she’s all I’ve got in the world. If I’d seen her, I wouldn’t have been able to leave.” That, at least, was the truth, though not for the reasons he implied.

  The commander said, “Will she be okay without you?”

  Gin waved his hand. “Of course she will. She’s very capable and independent. I’m more concerned about me.”

  Williams laughed and Gin forced a chuckle, too, though he hadn’t been joking.

  “Besides,” Gin continued, “we’ll be back in a week. She probably won’t even realize I’m not there.”

  “A week?” the captain said. “Temina, we’ll be gone at least six months. Possibly a year.”

  Gin squeaked. “A year? But you’re diplomats! You don’t do anything but pleasure cruises to the moon. Show the emperor of Castor Seven our mighty fleet.”

  The two officers shared a look.

  “Our mission is classified,” the captain finally said, glancing back at Gin. “I can’t
divulge sensitive information until you’ve signed clearance paperwork. But I will say it’s much more involved than that.”

  Hell and high heaven! Gin was doomed! He’d figured this as a quick jaunt, nothing serious, a way for him to gain experience without his sister breathing down his neck—metaphorically speaking. He couldn’t be away from home for this long.

  For a moment, he contemplated confessing. They’d be angry, but probably less so than finding out on their own.

  But, they might pull up Temmy’s ID at Regulation, he reasoned. Sure, she had a more feminine shape to her face, softer eyes, smaller chin, but he could pass as her. Everyone’s photos looked off, anyway. No need to panic. Yet.

  The captain must have read some of his inner turmoil. “You’re having second thoughts?”

  “No,” Gin answered immediately. “This was my decision. My sister will understand.”

  They dropped the conversation and Gin returned his gaze to the window. The world looked quiet from up here. Peaceful. He let that sensation wash over him, drowning out the ominous dread threatening to overwhelm him.

  Even if they arrest me, I’d be better off than staying at home a second longer. This could be my chance to do something great.

  He nodded to himself. He’d stay the course. Get as far as they’d let him. Even an inch was farther than he’d gone before.

  Chapter 4

  TO GIN, landing was far more horrifying than takeoff. When they’d left, the ground disappeared, a rather freeing feeling. Now, it came hurtling toward them at a thousand feet a second and Gin thought he’d throw up. He hardly had time to contemplate the towering metal buildings they zoomed over before they were at rest on steady ground.

  His stomach roiled and he swallowed the rising bile.

  “You okay?” Williams asked.

  Gin nodded, not wanting to open his mouth.

  She grimaced in sympathy and came back to help him get out of his seat. He was happy for the assistance; his hands trembled alarmingly.