Well, that was interesting, Levi thought. He walked over to his family and picked up Bockie’s carry-on. All three of them met each other’s eyes in a “this is it” exchange and without a word they walked together into the airport.
After boarding, Levi took the aisle seat next to Axella, who was clutching the armrests in a death-grip. She was inhaling and exhaling in short shallow breaths like a woman in labor. Just watching her made his blood pressure rise. How was she going to get through the next twenty-some hours of flying? Levi took the chance and reached into his pocket, grabbing one of the three small pills between his fingers. He tried breaking it in half but it shattered into multiple pieces. He asked the flight attendant for a glass of water and dropped a speck of a fragment into the glass, watching the pill bubble and dissolve away as he swirled the liquid.
“Here, Mom, drink this,” Levi handed her the glass.
Axella took the glass from Levi with a shaking hand and gulped its contents. When she was finished she handed the cup back and continued her strenuous panting. He watched in fascination as her breaths slowed and her eyes started to glaze over. She leaned back in the chair and was passed out a minute later. Levi looked up and saw Bockie frowning at him.
“You’re not a drug dealer are you?” Bockie asked him.
“What? No!” Levi answered defensively, not realizing Bockie had just witnessed what he had done.
“Mm hmm. I should yell at you for drugging your mother without her consent but she was getting rather annoying, wasn’t she? Well done,” Bockie declared, throwing on a pair of headphones and pulling out a magazine.
Levi reclined Axella’s seat when they had reached altitude and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. He then settled into his own and pulled out his tablet to study surfing videos. The hologram of a professional surfer appeared above the device and began surfing waves across his lap, the spitting water disappearing into thin air. Levi turned the image over gracefully with his fingers to get a better view of the feet placement. After a few minutes, he again went to change the angle and jumped backwards when the silver shadow of a shark appeared in the corner of the hologram. The surprise caught Levi off guard and he looked up to make sure he hadn’t woken Axella. He then swiveled in his seat to see if anyone had witnessed the incident. Two girls way too young to be looking at a man like they were sat grinning and giggling in their seats across the aisle.
Suddenly, in his periphery, he caught sight of dark auburn hair, rich and flowing in wild waves. As he turned, the female figure was disappearing around the corner. He only knew two women with hair like that…but it couldn’t be either of them. Could it? He hopped up from his seat and made his way down to the next cabin. He surveyed the room but did not see the mysterious ghost. Must have been his imagination, he thought, and found himself a little disappointed. Grudgingly, Levi returned to his seat.
Bockie had the window chair, and sat bouncing away with her headphones in as she flipped through her second magazine. In complete contrast, Axella was still passed out asleep, snoring so softly that Levi thought it cute. Her sun-streaked chocolate tresses splayed over her face, pieces spilling into her open mouth. She really was exhausted, and Levi couldn’t blame her. The packing and moving would have been enough to exhaust a normal person, but Axella had had a dark and trying last couple of weeks.
Just under a fortnight ago, Axella had come to work for the morning shift at the hotel to find her best friend, Pila Terry, murdered by knife in the linen room. The investigation that ensued did not have much momentum. Despite the voluminous amount of blood, the killer left no trail to follow. The police informed Axella that although they had done all they could, it would most likely become a cold case.
Axella had known Pila since their college days. They had been dormitory roommates their freshman year and swam together on the university team. Their friendship had grown into a sisterhood over the next couple decades and, because of Pila’s lack of other family, Axella had to be the one to bury her sweet friend. She had been the sole organizer for the memorial service down to the dress Pila wore as she was lowered into the ground. To Levi, she was Aunt Pila, and the last memory he had of her was her lush auburn hair laying around her like a halo in the black casket. The same unique hue he had just seen moments before…
Levi felt the urge to go to the bathroom, to look one more time for the vision. He stood up and walked to the restroom door, which was a mere twenty feet from their seats. It was occupied, so he turned to take a quick stroll through the cabins, peeking down the aisles as best he could without seeming like he was looking for someone. The bathroom was still occupied when he circled back around. He leaned against the wall, trying not to take up any more space than he already was with his broad shoulders.
A sound caught his attention. A balding man in the row in front of them had turned on an electronic device. Levi could clearly hear the unnatural emphases of a news broadcaster: “No, Jezebel, I do not believe the world, at least on the ground, will be much affected by the outcomes of this conference. After all, the people who wish to stay on the ground can do just that…”
Levi stood on his tiptoes and saw Axella stir underneath the blanket he had thrown over her shoulders. He frowned at the insensitivity of the man. Could he be any harder of hearing to have it so loud?
“Excuse me, Jerry, but I have to interject. The midaki’s DSO has unethically excluded technologies that could help improve life on the ground as well as help us reach out into space. It’s downright unfair and…”
“Unfair is a very harsh word considering we wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for the midaki. We signed an agreement with them after The Great Rescue that we would not interfere with their space governance and, in return, they would help keep our Earth sustainable. We have Mars now, Jupiter’s moons, Ohmani…”
“Yes, well, that was twenty-two years ago and times have changed. We should have the freedom to jump across the universe and do our own exploring. It’s not fair that they think they have jurisdiction over the entire univer…”
WACK! Levi watched a rolled up magazine hit the old man on the shiny spot atop his head. He recognized that magazine…
“Can’t you see this woman’s sleeping behind you, you old fart?” Bockie leaned forward whispering forcefully. “Turn that political crap off or get a pair of headphones like a normal person!”
Levi gawked at his grandmother’s audacity. She had just hit a complete stranger like a disobedient dog. The man stood and stared straight ahead for several moments, collecting himself. Then he turned.
“Do you know who I am?” he began quite calmly.
“A very rude person.”
His brows furrowed. “No, ma’am that would be the person who just hit someone for watching the news in a public space. I am the UN Ambassador for Midaki Relations, chosen to oversee this ‘political crap’ you speak of. I think it important for people to be informed, if not involved in such matters.” He then walked over to stand in the aisle.
Bockie huffed.
Levi’s muscles tightened.
“I can see by your manners and…,” he took the entire hundred pounds of her body in, “…upbringing, that you have not been made aware of normal social etiquette or the ways of the world outside of whatever microcosm you come from. Or perhaps because of your age you believe you are above politeness? Here, let me begin your education of the new world we live in.” The man reached clear over the seat Levi had been sitting in and then leaned across his sleeping mother. Levi left the spot he was standing in, infuriated that baldy invaded his family’s personal space. He would worry about the consequences later.
Then the man pressed a button on the armrest of Bockie’s chair, straightened and sat back down in his seat. Levi stopped dead in his tracks and watched his grandmother curiously. She seemed to be screaming expletives at the man and yet Levi could not hear a sound.
“Is there a problem, sir?” A flight attendant approached.
Levi looked a
t the scene in front of him again. The balding man had turned on his newscast at the same ridiculous volume and yet, he could not hear his grandmother’s voice.
“Err…no, I think everything is fine. But, how is that possible?” He motioned at his grandmother, who sat pointing to various parts of her body in the all-too familiar cancer speech that thankfully no one could hear at the moment.
“Ah, you have not flown recently?” she inquired.
“No.” Levi replied.
“A couple of years ago they added noise silencing fields around each seat, activated by that yellow button on the armrest,” she explained. “Are you sure everything’s alright?” She looked at Bockie quizzically.
“Yes, yes, thank you. I will take care of it.” Levi sat back down in his chair, deciding to forgo his bathroom trip. Someone needed to babysit a certain member of his family since her emotions were apparently as short-lived as a child.
Axella stirred herself awake after a decent two hour nap, stretching and yawning like a kitten. She even purred like one too. “Mm, that was nice,” she said rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “How are you doing, Bock?” When Bockie did not so much as glance over at Axella she turned to Levi and immediately felt the tension radiating from him. “Did I miss something?”
After landing, they collected their carry-ons and exited the plane. A rare silence fell over them as they made their way down the long white hallway that would lead to the spaceport. When they made it to the end of the corridor, Levi stopped dead in his tracks. He stood in the vestibule looking towards the heart of the massive building. Crowds hustled around him, robots flew over his head, and digital screens flashed information on every visible surface. His ear drums vibrated with the beeps of gadgets and roars of rockets all over the constant deafening noise of fervent voices.
His knees suddenly felt weak and he couldn’t seem to take another step. He was just a small-town kind of guy. How was he going to do this? Normally he would have tucked a surfboard under his arm and calmed himself in the waves, but that was not an option anymore. He needed to step up; he needed to become a man worthy enough to lead his family.
His pride would not let him stand like a nervous animal for much longer so he took a deep breath and opened his tablet. According to the flight schedule, they needed to catch the monorail from where their plane had landed clear to the other side of the spaceport. He looked at the chaos in front of him and wondered where to start.
“Good day. May I be of any assistance?” came a voice to Levi’s left. He glanced over and came face to face with a human-like android. It was clearly a machine, with a sleek metal body that was rounded to look more like an appliance than a person. It hovered several inches off the ground, lifting and falling ever so slightly. It was wearing an official-looking navy-blue uniform with a logo that read “OAH” pinned to the breast of the collared shirt. It blinked several times, waiting for one of them to respond. Bockie spoke first.
“Why do you have eyelids?”
The humanoid blinked again. “Well, I do not know,” it replied. “To assist in showing emotions, I suppose?” Levi picked up on a slight accent in the robotic tone but couldn’t place it.
“What kind of emotion requires blinking? Do you have a penis too?” Bockie asked.
“BOCKIE!” shrieked Axella.
“What? Like you’re not curious. We don’t have androids where we’re from, you see,” Bockie explained to the machine.
“I do see,” it replied after studying her mock-style dress and lace up boots.
Was this machine actually sizing up and judging his grandmother? Furthermore, was it really that obvious that they didn’t belong?
“Well, you know I am not a fully independent machine, right?” When neither Levi, Axella, nor Bockie answered, it continued. “That was illegalized in fear of an artificial intelligence uprising. I am merely an Extension.”
“A what?” Axella asked like an eager school girl.
“An Extension. My name is Fletch Hemingway and I am an eighteen year old man.”
“Awe, you’re programmed to think you’re human. That’s sweet,” Bockie simpered rather condescendingly.
Levi hoped she had hit her rude comment limit for the day.
“No, I am a real boy,” the robot countered. “I am in a control room right now in Ohmani. This android is a physical avatar linked to me. I am controlling its every movement in real time, which would make you, ma’am, a pedophile.” He winked at her. “And that,” he paused, “would be an example of why one would need eyelids to demonstrate an emotion.” The robot straightened.
Levi’s eyes shot wide. He had never seen such a thing and found it absolutely fascinating. A boy his age, currently located where he would be living in the exosphere, was connected to Earth. How wonderful!
“Whoa!” Levi reacted authentically. “I just turned eighteen in January. We’re on our way to Ohmani…permanently. Mom just got transferred for work,” he explained, nudging his chin in Axella’s direction.
“Awesome! You all are going to love it! Where will you be living?” Fletch asked the group as a whole.
Levi looked at his mother. She needn’t be so timid…especially since she was being promoted to hospitality manager in one of the most progressive cities in the solar system.
“Stellar Grand, the chain I work for, will be giving our family a suite within the hotel. I think it’s located downtown on Ferraway.”
“Dang…you’re going to be right in the thick of it, aren’t you? What’s your name?” Fletch asked Levi.
“Levi Avondale…and this is Axella and…Orella.” It was strange saying Bockie’s real name. He had only seen it printed.
“Call me Bockie.”
“Ah, well it is very nice to meet you all,” Fletch said candidly. “Levi, you and I will be attending the same school: Ohmani Academy High,” he said pointing to the pin on his uniform. “Lucky for you it’s just a hover away from your hotel! How cool is it that you will be staying at the Stellar? That’s, like, the fanciest hotel ever. Mrs. Avondale, are you gonna let me and Levi throw you a little house warming party?” he jested, elbowing playfully in her direction.
“Ms. Avondale, actually. And I don’t think so.” Her sense of humor had always been a little lacking. Levi was worried that talking about having to relocate was bringing up memories of Pila’s death.
“So, are you all catching the five o’ clock?” Fletch asked.
Levi double-checked his tablet. “Yes.”
“Awesome! I will take you all there. Follow me,” Fletch instructed.
Levi felt in lighter spirits. Not only was he not going to have to navigate this spaceport alone, but he had made a new friend in the process. Fletch Hemingway…or the robot avatar version of him at least…drifted in front of them. Levi found it curious that the android seemed to bounce like it was walking when clearly it could have floated as smoothly as butter. Did eyelids and bobbled walks really make people feel more comfortable with the machines?
Fletch led them through the crowds for several minutes, peering back to make sure he wasn’t losing anyone. They finally arrived at the maglev train station, where they all boarded. Levi, Axella, and Bockie took their seats near the back while Fletch and other similar Extensions helping passengers floated in the aisle.
Levi noticed a reflective surface bouncing the ceiling’s fluorescent lights into his eyes. The same bald head that was in front of him on the plane was now blinding him again. The old man even took out his laptop in the same obnoxiously loud fashion. Levi was relieved to see that Bockie had not yet made the connection. She sat talking to Axella in a rather in-depth conversation.
The train jerked forward. Another wave of anxiety washed over Levi.
“You’ve got your hand over your heart,” Fletch pointed out in his automated, accented vernacular.
Levi had not noticed, but his muscles responded to the comment by pulling away. “Yes, I guess I am a little nervous. This is all pretty new to me,” h
e explained.
“I know. Your heart beat is one standard deviation above other men your age and general fitness level, indicating to me that this may be a novel experience for you,” Fletch reckoned. “Along with other evidence such as your clothing.” The alien then coughed awkwardly.
“Err…you have measured my heart rate?”
“Yes. It is one of the programmable features,” Fletch replied.
“And my clothes?”
“Well, that’s just common sense. You look like an old world hippie…no offense,” Fletch added.
Levi surprised Fletch by taking the observation as a compliment. “Thank you.” The two men exchanged grins. “Tell me more about this avatar connection. We ignorant hippies don’t know much about these things,” Levi joked.
“Working the New Mexico Spaceport as a Customer Specialist is my temporary internship for ‘Careers in the Cosmos.’ It’s a class that you have to take as a junior and senior. Basically it’s a job that’s supposed to ‘get you ready for the real world’ by giving you experience. I’m not really sure what I want to do yet so they just placed me here. I like it though because I get to meet new people and hang out on Earth for a bit. It’s so much more relaxed here.”
Levi swallowed hard. He had wanted to know more about the mechanics of the Extensions, but didn’t want to sound any more naïve than he already was. “So…you’re at school right now? It’s four,” Levi asked confused.
“It’s not four o’clock here. Actually it’s two-fifteen. I connected to my avatar for fourth period.” Fletch let that settle in before continuing. “Ohmani is at L5 so you all are going to have to make a trip around the Earth and go through a few time zones to get here. Get ready for some intense jet lag.”
“L5?” Levi asked.
“Lagrangian Point. There are five areas in the sun-Earth-moon system where the gravitational forces acting on an object cancel out — gravitational equilibrium. Ohmani is located at one of these points — the fifth one to be exact. At this one special spot in space, no energy is spent keeping the asteroid stationary, it just…stays. It’s science.”
Journey to Ohmani (Across the Infinite Void Book 1) Page 4
