Encrypted

by Weaver, Nicole

  Lucky noticed the chip in Samantha's plate and snickered, then batted her eyelashes at Phalanx. "Hey, Phalanx, I'll chip your plate, if you'll chip mine."

  He sighed. "What does that even mean?"

  "I dunno, but it sounded bad, so I went with it." She stuffed another bite in her mouth.

  Samantha waved a hand for Lucky's attention. "Um, are you two an item?" She pointed at Phalanx. "I can move so you can sit together, if you want."

  Lucky choked.

  Phalanx's jaw dropped.

  I'm sorry, please don't make me leave. It won't happen again. Eyes scrunched shut, she waited for the yelling to start.

  Silence reigned for two heartbeats.

  Peeking with one eye, Samantha let out a shaky breath. No one was looking.

  They were all watching the blush creeping across Lucky's face.

  "Sweet. Love. Of. My. Life," Lucky wheezed, bursting into shrieking laughter. She waved one unsteady finger at Phalanx.

  He blinked a few times, until a slow smile slid across his face, before he went back to his breakfast.

  Eventually Lucky caught her breath and wiped fresh tears from her eyes. "He’s married." She waited expectantly.

  "Congratulations?" Samantha said cautiously. I have to learn their rules if I want to be able to stay here.

  "Holy crap babe, are you trying to kill me already?" Lucky wheezed again. "Phalanx over there is married to my sister. There’s nothing between us; I just tease him to keep him on his toes, and so I have something to laugh with Sis about the next time we talk."

  Frowning at Samantha's look, Phalanx cleared his throat.

  Lucky caught on. "Oh, babe, it's fine. No one's angry, it's just funny because I spend so much time trying to get Phalanx to say something. I didn't stop to think you would take me seriously."

  "Let’s talk training." Phalanx said, changing the subject.

  "Oh, poo. I guess if you have to." Lucky dove back into her food.

  "We need to get her started with basic endurance and strength training," Battlestar said. "I thought we'd add martial arts next week after we have a better idea of her limits."

  Phalanx nodded.

  I guess there really is no rest for the wicked, but training is what I wanted, right?

  Shaking her head vigorously, Lucky waved her fork for attention while she swallowed. "Samantha, er, Phase Shift… can I call you Phase? …has had a rough week. Understatement there. I vote we give her a full day of rest and video games before we do anything else."

  Oh, yes please. Samantha nodded vigorously.

  "Good point," Battlestar said, not looking at Samantha. "But keep in mind we do have a timetable and maybe she doesn't want to rest."

  "She's our newest recruit, and deserves some slack on her very first day," Lucky pointed out. "I think we should take our cues from Phase."

  They all turned expectantly to Samantha.

  Oh crap, they want me to decide. "Um, if it's all right," she said slowly. "I'd like to rest today and get started with everything tomorrow."

  Battlestar winked at her. "Fair enough. I'll switch my spare monitors over to movies, video games, or whatever else you want."

  Lucky cheered.

  Phalanx nodded his agreement.

  I forgot how good this feels. Samantha ripped into her own flapjacks with renewed excitement and a smile of her own. She had finally found a family.

  November-24-2008

  Hey sis, I know I said I'd write every day, but they keep me super busy here so it's going to be more like once a week.

  I'm super excited, little sis, but I can't tell you much about the project, just the broad theory that a few governments are researching. It's crazy, but some people believe our world is part of an actual multiverse. An infinite number of dimensions separated by some sort of barrier that keeps everything from crashing together. Most of the scientists think there's nothing living in between universes, but not everyone is so certain. The official name is hard to pronounce, but I like to call it The Void. It's nice and dramatic. LOL

  Now, imagine if we could interact with all that energy directly, like Ed and Al, and use it to do great things? We could change the world!

  Oh, I forgot to ask. I hope it's all right to call you little sis all the time. I mean, I know your legal name is Samantha now, but it's just weird calling you that after all our lives being Ed and Al. Little sis just fits better for me. I'll work harder at remember to use your new name and hopefully have it figured out by the time we can watch that new Full Metal Alchemist series together. Brotherhood, I think it is called?

  I don't have much time left if I want to get some sleep, but I wanted to get started writing you. I like to think Mom and Dad are still out there in another world, looking down on us proudly as we support each other, just like they wanted.

  I love you and I hope you are safe, little sis,

  -Eddie-

  January-17-2009

  WE DID IT!! Oh my god, we did it. Well, I didn't do it, but I fixed it. I just reached out and fixed it, turned a massive tidal wave into a gorgeous river. I didn't know I could do it until I did it, but I saved the day. It stopped growing is the important thing, gravitationally locked and stable. Mostly.

  No one knows, little sis, and no one can know. I can't even send this letter by regular mail; they'd lock me up for sure if they knew it. Well, they kinda already did, but the important thing is that I don't think it's a good idea to leave, but I have to tell you what happened, why I didn't come back for you.

  I miss you little sis and I am so sorry I won't be able to see you again. The work is too important for me to leave right now. Funny how being a genius barely got me a job as a glorified janitor, but luck made me the most important person here.

  You might never see this to know I did it, but I used one of the tiny windows I get sometimes and messed with the Orphanage's files. Put you at the top of the foster system. I want you to be happy without me, so I nudged the system to match you with a good family. Jon doesn't have much of a digital footprint. He's in security, but he doesn’t have a criminal record and Mildred used to be a columnist under a pseudonym. She wrote some fantastic pro-LGBTQ stuff. I think she will take good care of you.

  Please don't forget me. I will love you always.

  Love always,

  -Eddie-