by Mary Weber
“Vulnerability will pretty much always kill you. Give anyone a peek at your weakness and they’ll latch on and use it against you for the rest of your life. It’s just more knowing who it’s worth being indebted to.”
“Right. Because real relationships are a death trap. Hence, you keep them shallow.” She knew it was a low blow, but she couldn’t help it. The ache simmered beneath the surface. This space was getting too close. Too suffocating.
“Real relationships are a death trap only because they force you to die daily to shallowness. To care about the person more than your pride. So, yes, they’re a death trap. But anyone who complains has never truly understood that.”
She almost laughed. “And you’ve been in love?”
He froze. His expression going sterile even as his eyes flamed up with a thousand replies. But whatever the answer, he wouldn’t admit it.
“Have you?” His voice was lower.
Her gaze faltered and dropped.
And suddenly the gravity of Earth was seeping into the shuttle, increasing the weight between them. The distance. The loss. She opened her mouth, then shut it. And shoved down the ache and hunger for—what? Something that no longer existed. Something that wasn’t even real. That was never real. She uttered a curse in her head. Then leaned forward, until nearly touching him, and—
“Am I interrupting something?”
She flipped around to see Heller standing in the hall staring at them.
She choked. “Not a chance. Please.” Then pulled back, beckoning a hand toward his seat. “How you feeling?”
“Fine.” Except he clearly wasn’t. He was eyeing them both with a host of irritation.
When she glanced at Miguel, he’d casually leaned back in his seat and let a polite, “Me alegro por ti,” speak for his suddenly unreadable expression.
“How about you?” Heller growled, taking a chair. “Everything okay, Sof?”
She nodded. “Of course.” Then pointed at the planet.
The next moment she promptly forgot all awkwardness at the sight of Delon looming in front of the small windows. She gasped.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Miguel said.
Sofi couldn’t speak. It was more than beautiful, it was phenomenal. Just like the Delonese’s appearances, for that matter. Picture perfect—even down to its perfect placement beyond the moon, which had resulted in reversing Earth’s global warming. She watched the snow and ice and environment begin to take forms of mountains and shallow valleys. Each swirl of atmosphere and cloud like an artistic brushstroke over the entire globe. All sparkling whites and grays and evoking a homesickness for such a raw, simple, untouched work of glory.
Suddenly her chest began shivering again. As if her veins were simultaneously burning and flooding anxiety into every inch of her body. What the—?
Something was wrong. She frowned and looked down at her hands as another image flashed into her mind—this one through Shilo’s eyes of walking into a medical holding room.
She looked at Heller, then Miguel.
“How long until we get there?” she whispered.
28
MIGUEL
THE PLANET GREW LARGER IN THE WINDOW FRAMES, WITH ITS white hills and shallow valleys taking shape amid ice ponds and massive areas of green forests dotting the surface.
Miguel kept an eye on Heller, whose mood had finally switched from annoyance to fascination as he sat by the pane and fogged it up with his breath. The guy was typing fast on his handscreen.
Which would concern Miguel if he actually thought the kid could uncover anything not already allowed by the Delonese themselves. At least from this distance. Once they got close, everything would be contained by Delon’s tech-shield—even so far as wiping out any data or memory collected or recorded while there. Meaning info could get through to them but never get out. They were the consummate players at allowing one to see only what they wanted.
A degree of control that had initially impressed Miguel. Now it struck him on the level of creepy, like in old sci-fi movies.
Miguel caught Sofi’s gasp and turned to see her gaze flash with fear and wonder. Her skin paled, but she kept her jaw firm.
He furrowed his brow. Perhaps he’d ask the Delonese to run a scan on her once they arrived to ensure something else wasn’t going on. She’d have to keep the dreams to herself, but if they could rule out physical illness . . .
He frowned. Because everything within him knew it wasn’t illness.
Her visions. The images. The information.
It was too similar. His mouth soured and he turned to Heller, abruptly aware the guy had been asking a question for the past minute. “Hmm?”
“How’s it stay in place?” He was on his handscreen now, sliding graph after graph to examine Earth’s scientific theories regarding Delon.
“Same way the moon does. A perfect alignment in Earth’s gravitational pull.”
“Yeah, I’ve read that. But it should be messing up our weather insanely.”
Miguel shrugged. “If they don’t kill you first, you’ll have the opportunity to ask the visitors this evening. I’m sure they can explain far better than I. If they’re willing.” He smiled. He wasn’t trying to dismiss him—it’s just that Miguel had asked the same thing and never received an adequate answer. Some things they preferred to keep to themselves. Or perhaps they just assumed the details were too far advanced for human understanding.
He sniffed. They were probably right.
He returned to his handscreen notes—
“Good afternoon, crew. This is your captain speaking. We’re about an hour out and heading into Delon’s atmosphere. You might want to brace yourselves, as it can get a bit bumpy. Ambassadors Miguel and Claudius, you may want to alert our hosts as to any preferences—”
The ship jostled and hit the planet’s atmosphere, and Sofi and Heller gripped their seats as Miguel steadied himself.
“There’s my cue.” He picked up his handscreen and unbuckled. “If you’ll both excuse me, it’s time to work some magic on our hosts before they fry us. I’ll be back.”
He crossed to the bedroom door and, once he’d shut it behind him, nudged Claudius before hopping onto the upper bunk. “We’re on, primo.”
Claudius rolled over to glare at his friend. He rubbed his eyes and barely reacted in time to catch the handscreen Miguel dropped down at him. Then heaved himself up beside Miguel. “How they doing?” He tipped his head toward the door.
“She thinks she’s telepathically connecting to her brother and experiencing everything he sees. It’s all surrounding the Delonese taking children.” He kept his voice steady. “He seems to think I’m putting the moves on Sofi and is apparently pissed and jealous.”
“Are you?”
“No.”
Claudius faked amusement as he eyed Miguel.
“I’m not. I was simply checking on her because of her extraña vision thing.”
Claudius licked his lips. “Whatever, dude. Lie to yourself, but just don’t expect me to believe it.” He swiped his screen. “Do you think she’s actually connecting with him?”
Miguel shrugged. “I’d say no chance, except according to her, the visions are chronological. And so far her brother’s been in a cargo ship with a bunch of other kids.” He peered at Claudius. “Apparently they just landed in a hot, giant metal warehouse with white interior and were met by Delonese medical personnel.”
The look on Claudius’s face said exactly what Miguel expected. “Ah. Okay, so, super weird, but too detailed and coincidental to be written off.”
Miguel nodded.
“Meaning maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.”
“¿Qué? Say that again?”
“Very funny.”
Miguel grinned and smoothed a hand through his hair, then pressed his thumb over his screen. “You ready for this?” A moment later he set up a holo-call and put it through to Delon’s ambassador general.
“Ethos!” he said when the Delonese
’s face blinked and became a hologram extending a foot off the screen pad.
The man tipped his head at them as the handscreen translated, “Ambassador Claudius, Ambassador Miguel. We greet you.”
“And we you.”
“I was about to contact you. My individuals just informed me that once you passed our shield they picked up extra life-forms on your ship. I thought perhaps Ambassadors Danya and Lee had decided to join you rather than take their own shuttle.”
His words were polite but his tone suspicion laced. He was offering the benefit of doubt. To which Miguel pasted on his most brilliant smile.
“Ambassador, my deepest apologies. I couldn’t contact you from Earth before we departed. We barely made it out in time, due to some personal circumstances, which I was, frankly, unsure how to handle. The two people aboard this shuttle are Heller—” He looked at Claudius. Crud. He couldn’t remember the kid’s last name.
Claudius just shook his head and leaned in. “We have a tech and a head gamer—both from Corp 30. The first a gentleman by the name of Heller and Corp 30 CEO’s daughter, Sofi Snow.”
They both paused as the ambassador stared without expression. Something Miguel had gotten used to over the past two years. They never blinked. “May we continue to explain, sir?” Miguel added after a moment.
The Delonese nodded.
“I understand that when the delegates and I meet with the council tomorrow, we will be discussing the Corp situations on Earth as well as the explosion. However, on a note of personal confession to you, I have been contacted three times now by unknown individuals pressuring me to blame Corp 24 for the explosion.”
Claudius nudged him as if he was giving away too much info. But that was exactly the point. Give enough of the truth to entrust him with a bigger request.
“Sir, as you know, I have no connection with either Corp 30 or 24,” Miguel continued. “I have no understanding of what’s at play there, but the last time they contacted me was yesterday evening in my home. The girl Sofi Snow was there, and the assailants attempted to attack us and kidnap her. She barely survived, and only did due to action on the part of her and myself. At that point, I thought it wise to bring her to you. Seeing as, not only would you be able to provide far better protection than any of the Corps or security could give, but if she is such an asset to the terrorist who perpetrated this crime, perhaps you might assist me in questioning her. Either way, I felt that whatever she is to them, she would be better used in your care than in the tense environment my people are currently sorting out.”
Claudius nudged Miguel’s arm and whispered, “Nice.”
“This is completely against our policy.”
“We know that, sir.”
“Not only that, it’s dishonoring to our relationship—both with Earth and particularly with you, Miguel. I personally consider this a massive breach of trust and friendship, as will the entire Delonese council.”
“I understand, sir. As you should.”
“I will contact you again.” With as blank a face as ever, the ambassador’s holohead disappeared.
The room fell so silent Miguel could hear Claudius breathing. “Well . . . ,” his friend uttered after several seconds passed. “That went well.”
Miguel nodded. “Far better than I expected.” He grinned at Claudius.
“Nice job. Great play on their honor.”
“Gracias.”
Except they both knew it wasn’t merely a play. It was, for the most part, true. Miguel reached down and grabbed a water from the room’s wall dispenser and took a long gulp to ease his nerves. Then set it down and waited.
It didn’t take long.
The handscreen blipped and the holo of Ethos’s head appeared. “Miguel, Claudius. I have discussed the predicament you have put upon us with my immediate advisors, and they would like me to convey again our sincere offense and insult we take at your disrespect and lack of honor. That said, we agree that this may be the best place at this time for both the girl and tech who survived the explosion. We will permit their attendance with you. However, we are forced to take extra measures in screening them along with severely limiting their activities and whereabouts.”
“Of course,” said Claudius. “We would insist on it had you not.”
“In that case, we will see you shortly.”
The holo once again clicked off, and Miguel and Claudius both let out deep breaths. Claudius slapped Miguel’s back. “Good work. Guess we can break the news they’re not getting incinerated yet.”
Miguel followed as Claudius hopped off the bed in a considerably more cheerful mood and opened the door. “Oh look,” Claudius deadpanned as he stepped into the shuttle’s main area. “You’re both still here. Goody.”
Sofi ignored him.
“What’s the news?” Heller asked.
Miguel ran a hand through his lavender hair. “You’ll need to go through more vetting than we will, but . . .” He eyed Claudius. “For whatever reason they’ve chosen to accept your presence.”
“Much easier than they should’ve,” he didn’t add.
“And that’s not what you expected?” Heller said.
“I always expect, ese,” Miguel growled. “Doesn’t mean I always win. But you’re welcome, all the same.” He turned back to the room to change his clothes into something more starched for their landing and introduction to the Delonese meet-and-greet crew. And ignored the hesitation in the back of his mind. That it hadn’t just been easy—it’d been way too easy. Ethos’s response had been a mere formality, as if for political show, but without any bite. He frowned as a question about Sofi hedged to mind.
The next second he grabbed the wall just as the ship’s vibrations picked up—their descent garnering speed. The captain’s voice came on. “Just alerting you we are preparing for landing. Please find your seats and strap in.”
Well . . . guess he was about to find out.
29
SOFI
“LET’S BE HONEST,” RANGER HAD ONCE SAID TO SOFI. “THAT whole not-blinking thing the Delonese do is bizarre. I mean, who doesn’t blink?”
“All of them apparently.” Sofi had eyed the visitors from across the room.
They’d been at a FanFight dinner, watching the Delonese with the Ns, just like Sofi’d habitually watched the visitors either in person or on the news every day since they’d arrived. And it was true, they never blinked. They just stared, as if peering into a person’s mind or soul to gauge what was inside, and it was freaking unnerving.
“I’d be more worried at their emotional health,” one of the Ns murmured, prompting Ranger to agree around a bite of tofu. One minute the visitors were the essence of life and energy, and the next they were an expressionless void. Heller suggested maybe they were wired that way—to simply feel all or feel nothing.
But usually it was nothing.
Why the heck Sofi was remembering that convo right now, she had no idea. Except for the fact that she was standing once again watching them not blink, as twenty unemotional peacekeepers and Delon’s lead ambassador, Ethos, stared down at her from their insanely tall height. With those perfect humanlike faces and perfect dark hair and perfect human features that had never seen a wrinkle. She squirmed.
The ambassador handed them earcoms to put in, and Sofi could promptly understand what his unblinking face was saying. “Welcome, Ambassador Claudius, Ambassador Miguel, boy Heller, and girl Sofi. We are privileged to host you for the next three days.” Knowing his words didn’t help.
In fact, it made her shoulder blades itch.
Sofi took in the docking station they’d landed in, which was for receiving high-class guests, obviously, with its bright, smooth silver walls and clear glass ceilings that looked straight up into the planet’s golden afternoon atmosphere.
Was she more relieved or disappointed it looked nothing like her dream? During the flight’s descent, she’d noted it was attached to a larger main docking station. What she wouldn’t give for a window t
o peer out at the actual structures and world they were in.
She clenched her teeth and tried to eye what sat beyond the two opaque doors in the otherwise blank room.
“You will find we have provided rooms for you in our limited space,” the ambassador continued. “And we invite you to attend the gathering we have created this evening. As of now . . .” Ethos looked over Sofi and Heller. The politeness in his tone made Sofi uneasy. “We will proceed with processing you per our protocol and then put this unpleasant intrusion behind us in order to make the most of your time here.”
“Thanks for having us,” Heller blurted out, grin blazing.
Sofi ignored him and glanced at the peacekeepers, more specifically at the tech-bots attached to their wrists that could stun for a minute or incapacitate for life. She’d often been envious to own one. She smirked and winked at the security team. Then realized the ambassador’s silence had become awkwardly long and swerved to find him watching her.
She raised her chin.
Without pause he turned. “Follow me.” And they were suddenly all striding after a seven-foot-tall human-looking alien whose green cloak and pants flowed with every movement.
He led them through a sliding door to a med room, where Sofi almost choked up yesterday’s coffee right then and there.
The blank white room was full of Delonese medics wearing the same coats she’d seen on the visitor who took Shilo. She shut her eyes and reopened them, her spine feeling like it would shake loose from her bones and collapse on the ground in front of them.
“Do we have to undress?” Heller asked.
“Absolutely not.” Claudius swagged a hand down his slacks and button-up shirt. “You think I look this fabulous just to strip?”
“We have wondered,” Miguel murmured, bumping Sofi’s arm. When she peered up he wrinkled his brow as if to ask if she was okay.
She licked her lips. Nodded. Looked away.
“Our technology does not require that.” Ethos stopped and put out a hand without turning. “Ambassador and Ambassador, this way. Boy Heller and girl Sofi, you’ll step through there.”
