Aphelion

by L. J. Higgins

  I rolled my eyes. “Maybe I don’t want it.”

  I held the envelope out to Ricko, but he pushed it back towards me.

  “You know, it wouldn’t hurt for you to smile once in a while. Let down your beautiful black hair and put on some makeup. You used to love getting dressed up.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.

  “Maybe going out to dinner was too big of a step. Perhaps you could just come eat at the mess hall sometime? I’ll even let you keep your hair in a ponytail.”

  “Thanks for delivering the envelope, Ricko.” I turned away, pushing the door closed.

  It stopped short. I looked down to find Ricko’s boot lodged between it and the door frame.

  I sighed. “What?”

  “You can’t keep doing this, Ky.” He leant his head against the doorway. I noticed his stupid smile had finally disappeared.

  “Doing what?” I feigned confusion.

  “Pretending you want to be alone. No-one wants that, not deep down. It’s human nature to be around other people. It’s a scientific fact.”

  “What would you know about scientific facts?”

  “Commander Kane and I have let this whole loner thing go on for two years now. He wants to take you off missions until you learn to get along with your fellow Skywatchers. I keep telling him you will when you’re ready, but I can’t fight him on this anymore. It’s time for you to start being nice to people again.”

  “I’m nice to people.”

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “It’s not my fault they annoy me,” I added.

  “You might actually find some people who don’t annoy you if you talked to someone besides myself and the Commander.”

  “Or I could find out everyone is just as annoying as you, and I’d be disappointed. Best I avoid it so I’m not let down.”

  “I know why you keep everyone at arm’s length,” he said, a hard edge tinging his voice. “You’ve lost so much, so I almost understand. But, Tyson worked his butt off so you could have a normal life.”

  “I know why he worked his butt off. Don’t pretend like you knew my brother better than I did,” I bit back.

  “Then you know Tyson wouldn’t want you to stay cooped up in your room all day.”

  “I go to training, and when I’m not banned from missions I get to kill aliens. Besides, how would you know what he’d want? He’s dead, remember?”

  “Kylah.”

  “Only my brother calls me that,” I seethed.

  “I miss him too, you know.” He shook his head. “But it doesn’t mean you have to be alone. I’m here, and there’s plenty of other recruits who understand what you’ve been through. You know you can always talk to me.”

  “I think I’ve talked to you enough for today.” I placed my hand on the door.

  He let out a sigh of frustration. “The worst part is, you’re exactly like him. He was as stubborn as you are.”

  “That’s part of what I liked about him. He was a good guy.”

  “Yeah, he was. And so are you. You deserve to be happy.”

  “I am happy.”

  He raised one eyebrow.

  “I am. I go out most nights of the week and get to slaughter the aliens who murdered my brother. I’m honoured to be able to keep my country safe. I straightened up, placing my fist over my heart.

  “You sound like a training video.”

  “Yeah, well, you sound like a sap.” I relaxed my stance.

  “What about the new guy? He’s pretty cute.” He wriggled his eyebrows.

  “I didn’t know you were into guys.” I pressed my lips together, tilting my head.

  “I’m not. I’m just… you know what, forget it.” He slid his boot from the doorway.

  “I know what you and Commander Kane are trying to do. You paired me with a hot young guy to try to distract me from the job. Show me I was too young to be a hunter and prove you were right when you said I shouldn’t join.”

  Ricko’s brow furrowed, as if shocked by the notion. “We aren’t trying to trick or deceive you, Ky. They paired you at random just like everyone else. You’ve proven you’re a skilled hunter, and no-one’s trying to prove otherwise.”

  I searched his eyes for any sign of deception. When I first joined Skywatchers, Ricko and Commander Kane had thrown many curveballs my way to see if I was Skywatcher material. I jumped all of their hurdles and trained hard, eager to prove they’d made the right decision in recruiting me.

  “I’ll see you at training after lunch,” I said.

  “See you there.”

  I shut the door and leant against it. It wasn’t the first time Ricko had tried to convince me to be more social. Although, usually he wanted me to socialise with him outside of Skywatchers. If he wasn’t trying to trick me, maybe he thought he had to look after me because Commander Kane said I was his responsibility when I joined. Maybe he felt he owed it to Tyson? Pity was the last thing I needed. How many seventeen-year-olds could say they’d helped keep their planet safe since they were fifteen?

  Sitting back on my bed, I tore open the crumpled envelope and slid out the piece of paper containing the details of what Ricko had called my ‘bonding’ session. Commander Kane wanted me to track, locate, and follow an alien by the name of Mr. Lionel Barth. All I had to go off besides his name was a photo of a man in his early forties with short red hair. At least I’d be getting out of the base for a few hours. It was standard procedure to stalk our victim until we knew their habits and could ensure their death would be swift, clean, and easy to cover up. I wouldn’t be given the kill, as I was still being punished for the rookie’s mistakes. But it was something. At least I’d be able to avoid Ricko and his talk about making friends.

  I continued reading the brief, groaning as Reece’s name caught my eye. He would accompany me on the scout mission and learn stealth. I guessed that was the ‘bonding’ part Ricko referred to. Commander Kane was determined for me to start caring about the rookies I was paired with. But why did it have to be this one? I mean, he was obviously good with a gun. But, that boy had the stealth of a drunk elephant. With four broken legs. No wonder he was given good looks; he might not have made it this far through life without them.

  My stomach growled, punishing me for neglecting it the night before. I folded the letter up, pushing it into my pocket.

  First I’d grab something simple from the mess hall for breakfast, then I’d go to the tech offices and see what they could tell me about the whereabouts of Mr. Barth.

  Chapter Five

  Swallowing the last bite of my breakfast burrito, I strode down the hallway towards the tech labs. When I arrived, the doors slid open, revealing four techs sitting at their computer consoles lining the back wall.

  One, a lady with short-cropped blonde hair, turned in her chair. It was Olivia, the woman rumoured to be hooking up with Ricko.

  “What can we do for you, Ky?” she asked.

  “New assignment. I need whatever information you can get on a Mr. Lionel Barth.” I handed her my assignment letter.

  She read over it before answering. “I’ll get on it right away. You want me to call you and,” she looked back to the page. “Reece Smith when I’m done?”

  “No. Just me,” I replied. “Thanks, Olivia.”

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” she said as I turned to leave. “I know it’s not work related. But have you seen Ricko around? I know you and he are close, and I haven’t seen him for a few days. I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t sick or anything.”

  I felt sorry for the girl. That was Ricko’s style. Promise the world and then push them away when they got too close. And he thought I had issues forming relationships.

  “I trained with him yesterday,” I told her. “He’s really busy at the moment. If I see him, I’ll let him know you’re looking for him.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. No need to do that.” She shot me a smile that wasn’t reflected in her eyes.

  Part of m
e wanted to ask her why she was wasting her time with a guy who obviously wasn’t interested in her. I didn’t have much experience in the romance department, but I figured it was common sense that if a guy stopped talking to you he wasn’t keen. But, what did I know? The first and last guy I kissed ran away not long afterwards.

  “Have a good day, Ky,” she said, and I left the room.

  My next stop was the gym. I’d been worked up all night and struggled to get comfortable for hours, tossing and turning, before I’d fallen asleep. A run on the treadmill would get my blood pumping and calm my mind, especially if I had to spend the night in the field with the rookie. I’d need to have my wits about me and find some form of patience.

  Placing my towel beside the machine, I climbed on, pressed in my settings, and eased into a slow jog.

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  As though summoned by my thoughts, the rookie appeared at my side. I gave him a tight smile and pressed the button to accelerate my pace. I broke into a run, my legs pumping, my breath moving in and out with my steps.

  He waved his hands in a lame attempt to get my attention. “Earth to Ky.”

  I mashed at my button once more, my legs burning as I sped into a sprint.

  “I hear we have a new assignment.” He moved in, so close I couldn’t ignore him, excitement creasing the corners of his magnificent blue eyes. “I thought they banned us from hunting for a month. Maybe they changed their mind because they realised it was an accident?”

  Frustrated, I pressed the STOP button, exhaling deeply as the machine slowed to a halt. My legs throbbing and heart thumping, I grabbed the towel to wipe my sweaty face.

  I sent a less-than-happy glare in his direction. “Obviously you want to talk, so talk. Then I can get back to my workout.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me we had a new assignment?” he asked with a trace of indignance.

  I sighed. “It’s not an assignment as such. It’s a bond… a stakeout. I handed the letter to the techs to see what they could uncover about the guy we’ll be watching. It’s not rocket science, so I didn’t worry you.”

  “Worry me? I’m a rookie. I need to learn these things. What’s a bond stakeout?”

  “I meant stakeout. Just a stakeout. You’re right, I should’ve said something. Do you want me to take you up to the labs now?”

  “Yes.” He crossed his arms as though he’d picked this moment to take a stand.

  Lucky for him, I was tired, frustrated, and worst of all, he was right. My job was to show him the ropes, and I’d kept him out of the loop. “Look, there’s no use going back up there and annoying them now. They’ll let us know when they find something. Let’s finish our workout, have a shower, and then we can go over our plan of attack for tonight.”

  My lack of fight seemed to throw him.

  “Sure, let me know when you’re done. I’ll be over at the weights.” He picked up his towel and sauntered towards the other side of the gym. He glanced over his shoulder with a confused expression before being slapped on the shoulder by a hunter whose name I couldn’t remember.

  “Reece, want me to spot you?” the hunter said.

  Two more guys joined them. Before long, they were engaged in conversation, smiling and laughing. Reece had been on the base for only a few months and he’d already made more friends than I had in years. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

  I shook the thoughts from my mind. Ricko was getting into my head. I didn’t need friends. What I needed was a cardio workout.

  As I brushed my long damp hair, three knocks sounded at the door. I dried it a bit more with my towel to stop water dripping onto my black singlet and threw it to the floor. Three knocks later, I opened the door to find a smiling Reece.

  “Sorry, I’m a bit early,” he said.

  “It’s okay. Better to be early than late. Come in.” I stepped aside to let him enter.

  “Where do you want me?”

  “Take a seat.” I motioned towards the red rug beside my bed. “I’ll be out in a second.”

  I made my way to the bathroom and hung my towel over the rack before grabbing a hair tie. I then made my way back into the room where Reece sat. Sitting opposite him, I noticed his tanned skin glowed, fresh from his shower, and his blonde hair stuck up at odd angles.

  “Your hair looks pretty out,” he said.

  My cheeks grew warm. I twisted my hair up before securing it in a bun. “Thanks.”

  “So what’s the plan?”

  There was another knock at the door. I rose, shrugging at Reece’s questioning glance. I opened it to find Ricko holding another envelope.

  “Oh, I didn’t realise you had company,” he said.

  I snatched the envelope from his hand. “Since when do you do the tech lab’s work?”

  “I thought I could come pick you up for our combat session.”

  After our talk earlier, I’d had no intention of going. “Did you see Olivia in IT when you got the envelope?”

  “She handed this to me personally. Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?”

  “Not in the slightest. She was asking if I’d seen you around. I figured you were avoiding her.”

  He chuffed under his breath. “Why do girls think that after one date you need to be inseparable with the guy you saw?”

  “You’re asking the wrong person. Thanks for this. Looks like I’ll miss our combat session. Reece and I are planning our stakeout.”

  “You remembered my name,” Reece muttered behind me.

  Ricko ignored him. “So, I guess you won’t be joining us in the mess hall for dinner?”

  “Looks that way. I was so excited too,” I replied with an extra dose of sarcasm.

  “Your loss.” He raised his voice. “Hey, rookie… if you can get this girl to crack a smile, I’ll pay you a thousand dollars.”

  “With all due respect, that’s an impossible mission, Agent Rickson,” replied Reece with a grin. “I think I’d have more of a chance of getting an alien to smile while I point a gun in its face.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Thanks, guys. This has been great, but Reece and I need to get planning.”

  I pushed Ricko out and closed the door. I could hear him chuckle all the way down the corridor. Maybe I should’ve gone to that combat session, just for the chance to wipe the smirk off his face.

  “You must be special,” Reece said with no small amount of sarcasm of his own. “Envelopes hand-delivered by the commander’s second-in-command.”

  I made my way back to the rug and sat cross-legged, leaning against the side of my bed. “He’s an old friend.”

  His eyes widened. “Friend? You have those?”

  “Acquaintance then.” I shot him a glare.

  “So you knew him before the alien invasion?”

  “He was my brother’s best friend. He’s the reason I joined Skywatchers after my brother died.” Speaking the words made my throat clench.

  “I’m sorry. Was it the aliens?”

  I nodded, turning the envelope in my hands.

  “How do you know, though? I always wondered, because they never find the bodies.”

  “Don’t you think it’s suspicious people started going missing in such large numbers after the invasion?”

  “I guess so,” he replied.

  “What are you here for, if you don’t think aliens are killing people?”

  He thought for a moment, as though the words were on the tip of his tongue but he wasn’t sure if he should speak them. “I know aliens invaded, and I know what I’ve been taught since I joined Skywatchers, but don’t you think it’s important to ask questions? To make sure you know the whole story?”

  “I know the whole story. If I had any hint what I believed was wrong I’d ask questions. But I don’t. So I’m not.”

  He changed the subject. “What’s in the envelope?”

  Remembering the object in my hands, I opened it and slid out a piece of paper. Someone had scrawled an address across it in blue ink. “
It’s an address. I guess it’s where we’ll be heading tonight.”

  We spent the afternoon poring over maps of the area. The address was a house in a quiet suburban street across from a park. The thought of the alien being near kids made me sick to my stomach.

  “Is it hard to kill them?” Reece asked as I packed up the maps.

  “No. Just a bullet to the brain will do the trick,” I replied.

  “No, I mean is it hard to get yourself to pull the trigger? To kill another living thing?”

  “They don’t care about killing us, so why should we feel bad about killing them?”

  “But they look so, so… human.”

  I put the pile of papers on my desk and turned to him, my expression softening. “That’s why we train, to make sure we know the difference between a human and an alien. Killing a living thing isn’t easy at first, but it gets easier with each kill.”

  A sadness filled his eyes that I didn’t understand. It made me uncomfortable, so I changed the subject. “What made you decide to join the Skywatchers? How did you even find out about us?”

  “They killed my parents and little sister during the initial invasion, so I went searching for answers. They led me here, and now I’m an alien hunter. What do your parents think about what you do? Do they know?”

  I shook my head. “They died in a car accident four years ago. It was just my brother Tyson and me until the aliens killed him. He died the night of the invasion too.” I went still at my admission. Never had I spoken so candidly about the events of that night. The night the world as I knew it ended.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too. About your parents, I mean.” I swallowed hard, angry at myself for saying too much. “At least now I know what drove you to join.”

  Maybe getting to know the recruit wasn’t so bad. It might give me ways to help make him become a better hunter. Ricko had known plenty about me, and used the knowledge to mould me into the hunter I was. At the very least, if I looked like I was getting along with the rookie it’d get both Ricko and the Commander off my back.

  Chapter Six