by K. D. Mattis
“Uh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were bringing guests.”
Pushing out of her father’s arms, Asher smiled and tilted her head behind her. “They’re security. They won’t be coming in, but they’ll be around while I’m here. Sorry I can’t stay longer.”
“No worries. Seems like that’s always the case.”
Asher stared at her dad for a moment, trying to decide if he was simply teasing, or if he meant what he said. He wasn’t wrong. She could rarely stay on leave for very long.
“You know I—”
“I know, babe, and I’m sorry. I’m just a little on edge.” He looked sideways at his daughter. “I did, however, finish what you asked. Everything you own is boxed up and ready to go.”
“Boxed up?” Asher asked.
Her father nodded.
“That’s not what I asked.”
Asher’s dad put his hands on his hips and looked to the ground. “Yeah, I know. It’s the closest I was willing to do. When you decide you want all that stuff back, it’ll be waiting for you in the attic.”
“I don’t need it. It needs to go in the trash. It’s just kid stuff. If you put it in the attic, it’s just going to take up space.”
The pair walked into the kitchen. Asher went to the fridge, but her dad pushed her away and pointed to the kitchen table. She groaned but sat down while her dad pulled an assortment of ingredients from out of the fridge and pantry.
“Whose house is this, again?”
Asher rolled her eyes.
“Come on.”
“It’s yours, Dad.”
“Right. So, if I want to waste space in my attic, that’s my right. And, for now, I think that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Dad, I’m just trying to—”
“Tie up loose ends?” Raising his spatula in the air and waving it around to emphasize his point, Asher’s dad said, “I know you think everything has to be taken care of, fixed up in a nice little package with a pretty little bow. It’s a good thought, but not for your family, and not for things that are important to you. You’ll always have a home to come back to. And as long as I have the space to waste, I’ll waste some space keeping your stuff safe. Besides, it makes me feel useful.”
For several minutes, the pair stayed in their places and talked. Asher took care to avoid subjects that she couldn’t really talk about, and her dad took care to avoid asking any questions that might put her in a tight spot. The conversation stopped for a moment as Asher jumped up to grab some plates out of the cupboard. Her father objected, but he did so too late.
Asher leaned in to smell the food in the skillet.
“Oh. What is that? It’s all burned.”
Her father divided the concoction in half and scooped it onto the plates.
“It’s supposed to be an omelet,” he said.
“That’s not an omelet, Dad.”
The man smiled and took his plate to the table.
“Yep. You’re right about that. I guess we’re having burnt scrambled eggs for dinner. You okay with that?”
Piercing a lump of the eggs with her fork, Asher gave the concoction a whiff and thrust it into her mouth, unsure of what to expect. A moment later, she took a second bite.
“Pretty good?” her dad asked.
Asher shook her head. “It’s terrible, but it’s better than the imitation eggs they give us on deployment.”
For a while, the pair ate in silence. Even when each finished all the food on their plates, they still sat there. The father passed some time scraping away with his fork at the thin film the food left behind, but eventually, he finished the task and his plate shone as if he had never used it.
With a sigh, Asher said, “I won’t be coming home again. Not for a long time.”
“I know.”
“I don’t like the idea of going away for so long, but—”
“I know. The world needs you more than I do. I knew this was coming sooner or later. I just—I guess I just figured you’d leave the house one day because someone decided to stick a ring on your finger. I planned for that, and I expected it.”
“Dad—”
“With all this alien business going on, I don’t like it, but I know what you have to do, and I understand. So, if you’re worried about that, don’t be. I understand, and I’m prouder of you than you could possibly know.”
Asher felt the warmth of her father’s hand wrap around her own. She expected to look up and see him staring at her, smiling, but he kept his eyes on his plate with a defeated look on his face. Pulling free, Asher stood, dropped the plates off in the sink, and stepped outside.
After lifting the heavy lids, Asher dug her hands into the dirt of her pets’ enclosure. She saw one turtle poking its head out from a fake, hollowed-out log, and another sitting in the water dish, enjoying a soak. She moved her hands quickly and carefully through the top layers of dirt. Every time her fingers struck something hard, she dug around the spot until she pulled out another turtle. Before long, all of her turtles looked up at her in anticipation of some food.
Not wanting to disappoint her pets, Asher hurried into the house and returned a moment later with a white, plastic container. She tore off the lid and let it fall to the ground before plunging her fingers into the dry mixture inside. Feeling something that moved, she grabbed a mealworm with two fingers and dropped it in front of her turtles.
The turtles moved forward. As much as they all watched and wanted the mealworm, they couldn’t take their eyes off the other turtles. The fear of competition didn’t last as Asher dropped mealworm after mealworm into the enclosure. She giggled with delight as each of the turtles grabbed one of the tiny creatures in their mouths and ate. The smallest turtle struggled to find a mealworm in time before one of the others snapped it up, so Asher picked him up, set him aside, and placed one of the creatures right in front of him. Grateful, he carefully craned his neck forward and snapped up his wriggling meal.
After eating their fill, the turtles retreated to their hiding places. Most went to one of the fake logs, but a couple wasted no time in burying themselves in the dirt. Asher said a quick goodbye and closed the lid.
Turning back to the house, the woman saw her father sitting on a bench by the back door. She stopped by the water spigot to clean the dirt off her hands and then sat beside him with water still running down her fingers.
“You want to talk?” Asher asked.
Her father shook his head. “There’s not much you can talk about, is there?”
Frowning, Asher leaned in and placed her head on her father’s shoulder. “No. Not really.”
“I know what’s going on. At least, I know enough. I wish I could make it all go away, but I don’t think I can. Of course, it’s been that way for a long time now.”
“What do you mean?”
Asher’s father leaned in to kiss her on the top of her head. “You may not remember, but when you were young, you used to have me check your room almost every night for monsters.”
“I remember,” Asher whispered.
“I used to use a spray bottle. It was just water, but I sprayed it around the room and told you it was monster repellant. You believed it for a long time, and you always thanked me for making the monsters go away.”
Asher laughed quietly, but her father continued.
“These monsters, the ones you’re facing today, I can’t handle that, and I can’t make them disappear. You can, in a way, but I can’t. You outgrew me a long time ago.”
Pushing up off her dad’s shoulder, Asher crossed her arms and looked into the sky with its streaks of red and gold shining down on her.
“No, Dad. I didn’t outgrow you. The monsters that matter most, the ones that can actually hurt me, you can still chase those away. You do every time I visit. That’s why I keep coming home.”
24
The convoy moved out of Asher’s neighborhood. As it drove, Asher couldn’t help but notice the constant eyes that followed her car. Each house they pas
sed offered the chance for another family to see her, to watch and pass judgment. Some of the eyes offered signs of support. Others offered nothing but the pained look of loss. The young woman couldn’t tell if they held anything against her for her inability to save members of their family.
In truth, she didn’t blame anyone if they held something against her. She knew it wasn’t her fault, not really, but she understood. Every problem needed a face, and she found hers used more often than ever.
“Sir,” said the guard in the front seat of the SUV, “we can stop at a gas station if you’d like. We’re in for a three-hour drive.”
“There’s no need to stop for me, but if other people would like to stop, feel free.”
With a smile and an appreciative grin, the man picked up the radio and made a quick transmission. A few minutes later, the convoy of SUVs turned into a gas station by a field. Several of the vehicles didn’t fit into the parking lot, so they made do and parked by the curb across the street.
More than a dozen men and women climbed out of the vehicles and made their way into the store. Asher watched them closely. Though she didn’t see their weapons, she knew each person was heavily armed and more than capable of defending themselves. Still, they walked so carelessly, shouting as they talked together, slapping each other on the back and shoulders. She smiled. If they could find time to relax, Asher didn’t intend to put a stop to it.
The woman behind the counter watched with wide eyes as the group entered the store. Despite her surprise, she continued chewing her gum in a consistent rhythm and with a steady smack.
Making her way to the drink refrigerators in the back of the store, Asher looked over the bottles of water. She knew water was the right choice, but instead, she moved two doors to the right and pulled out a soda. When she caught one of the guards looking on, she offered him a smile.
“I’ll be back on the Explorer soon enough. Might as well enjoy some soda while I can, right?”
The guard returned the smile and grabbed a soda of his own. “I just like soda, sir.”
At the counter, Asher found herself waiting in line behind most of the guards. When they noticed, every single one of them stepped aside to let her move to the front of the line. She smiled but stayed in place. One by one, the men and women fell back into place and paid for their snacks. By the time the line moved far enough along for Asher to pay for her items, the woman behind the counter was no longer surprised by the group and looked at the register with dull eyes.
With the entry of several commands, the woman made the total pop up on a little screen by the cash register, but she didn’t speak. Asher ran her card. When she finished, Asher grabbed her items and walked away, still without a word from the woman.
The first guard to reach the counter after Asher slammed down his items and stared the woman right in her eyes.
“Do you know who that is?” the man asked, pointing to Asher.
The woman shook her head without looking over.
“That woman saved your life. You could at least tell her to have a good day or something.”
“Oh,” the woman said. “That’s cool. Have a good day.”
Frustrated, the man snapped his items off the counter and walked out of the building. Asher thought about saying something to him, but she didn’t know the right way to approach the subject, so she kept silent and re-entered the SUV.
“Admiral,” said the guard in the front seat, “we’re almost there. Air Force One is already prepped and ready to go. Our orders are to drive onto the tarmac and let you out.”
Slowly stretching her neck, Asher said, “Is the president onboard?”
“I don’t think so, sir. From what I understand, he’s already in Washington, preparing for the address. The First Lady was down here for some public relations business. She specifically requested you to join her on her flight back.”
“I guess Central Command liked the idea.”
“I suppose so, sir.”
“We couldn’t have taken a shuttle? It would have been more fun.”
“They didn’t ask me, sir. I tend to agree with you.”
With a smile, Asher looked out at the blue and white airplane sitting on the runway in the distance. Countless men, women, and vehicles surrounded it. Asher cringed at the sea of flashing lights around a podium. She could make out someone standing behind the podium, moving their arms enthusiastically, but she couldn’t tell who it was.
“I’m not giving some speech, am I?” Asher asked.
“Not that I’m aware of, sir.”
“At least that’s something.”
The convoy pulled onto the tarmac. The guards stepped out of the vehicles and immediately set to work retrieving Asher’s bags and forming a line both in front of and behind her. She moved forward toward the stairs leading up to Air Force One.
A few cameras turned her way, but Asher was glad to see that most of the reporters and the cameras kept their attention on the first lady as she finished her speech. To ensure no one could catch her before the speech finished, Asher hurried up the steps of the airplane and found her seat.
As she sat down, Asher couldn’t help but think about the workload coming her way. Hoping to alleviate it a bit, she pulled out her tablet and ran through reports and emails. By the time she finished one report, a message popped up on her screen, alerting her to two more reports requiring attention. After only a few minutes, Asher leaned back and sighed.
In leaning back, Asher couldn’t help but notice the seat. She remembered the luxury of the seats from her last trip on the massive plane, but she never took the time to fully appreciate its decadence. Her body sank down, but the seat material supported the contours of her body in just the right spots and pulled her in, lulling her into a sense of peace. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
Asher jumped and stood at attention. She looked over at the first lady, a notably tall woman, and stuck out her hand.
“No, ma’am,” Asher said. “Just relaxing a bit.”
The first lady offered her own hand and they shook.
“Don’t stop on my account. After all, from what I understand, you should enjoy every bit of relaxation you can. There won’t be much of it soon enough.”
Asher nodded in appreciation and sat back down, closing her eyes again. In that seat and in that moment, Asher found it easy to forget. To forget everything she had seen over the past few years, and to forget the horrors she knew were on their way.
“My husband always speaks fondly of you,” said the first lady, taking her seat.
“Always?” Asher asked.
“Well, most of the time. You have to admit, you’ve put him in some tough spots.” With wide eyes, the first lady added, “Not compared to your problems, of course. He fully understands and appreciates your situation. He just—”
“I know. This hasn’t been easy for anyone, least of all him. No one said it would be, but for better or worse, we all have our parts to play. Even you.”
The first lady nodded and smiled warmly. She forced small talk for a while, talking about family, the sights in Washington, and mentioned some restaurants that Asher simply had to try. Asher responded politely, nodding and smiling at just the right moments, but it was no more than a practiced skill.
In truth, her thoughts weren’t in that moment at all. She stared out the window of the plane as it moved into position for takeoff. She saw the houses and buildings where people lived and worked. While she kept a positive face on for the first lady’s sake, her heart sank as she wondered if she could really keep everyone in those houses safe.
The plane shook as it sped down the runway with the wind on the outside roaring out of the way.
“That’s a pleasant smile,” the first lady said. “Something on your mind?”
Realizing she gave herself away, Asher blushed. “Yes, ma’am. I love the takeoff and landing of a plane. It reminds me of home.”
&nbs
p; “Home, dear?”
“Sorry, I mean the Explorer. When it accelerates, there’s nowhere for the vibrations to go, so you feel it throughout the whole ship. I found it terrifying at first, but after a while, it makes you feel like you’re part of the ship.”
“Sounds scary.”
“It’s intense, but it’s beautiful. In its own way, I mean.”
The plane continued to rise in the air but settled in its course. The vibrations quieted to virtually nothing.
The first lady shifted in her seat and stared at the admiral, as if she was studying her.
“You love that ship, don’t you?”
“More than anything.” After a pause, Asher continued. “Well, not just the ship, of course. It’s the crew, its capability, and what the ship stands for. Without that ship, I don’t know where we’d be right now.”
“You’ve certainly put it through its paces. My husband told me that it needs almost a complete rebuild after every time you take it out.”
Asher forced a smile, unsure of how to feel about the last comment. “It would take a lot more than what the Culdarians have thrown at it to take the Explorer down. I can promise you that much.”
“Do you know what the announcement is about today?”
Nodding, Asher leaned back, settling into her chair. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Are you ready for that?”
“I’ve been ready.”
The first lady leaned forward.
“Speaking of ready, I have some good news for you.”
“Oh?”
“Your friend, Captain Reynolds, he’s receiving a full pardon.”
25
With the constant assault of flashing lights, Asher strained to see as she made her way toward the building. Her guards escorted her until she made it to the front door. Then they stepped aside and fell back.
Walking alone, Asher felt vulnerable. She looked around the auditorium. They weren’t obvious to the casual observers, but she couldn’t miss the guards patrolling the catwalks high above. Each carried a large rifle and wore full combat gear.
