by Zara Zenia
I think your reading choice is as lovely as you are. As for what I think I'd enjoy… hmmm. I like both fact and fiction. Mysteries, Thriller, Sci-fi or Fantasy is fine, maybe a light bit of romance but not the main theme? Got anything like that to recommend?
I really would like to meet you in person. I do hope you will say it is possible. I understand you may have to work soon, still, I look forward to hearing from you soon, my Princess in the Tower.
Yours,
Rawklix
I reread his email numerous times, pondering over his questions and answers to those I'd asked. Mr. Planter still hadn't shown up, but I knew it was only a matter of time. I thought about how I could get him in to the Tower, but I didn't know how I'd be able to accomplish getting him in to visit without gaining Thornbush's attention. It was a conundrum that I would have to work on. I didn't want him to have to wait and I didn't want to be interrupted by work, so I sent him off a quick reply.
Rawklix,
Thank you for the photo of you, I'll treasure it. I wish I could leave and come visit you down on south Miami Beach, but I don't get to leave the Tower very often. Usually only with Mother. I've never had a visitor before. Mother is very paranoid about security. It is dangerous for anyone not approved to be at the Tower. I will have to give it some thought and see if it would be possible. I doubt Mother would approve were I to ask, and I'd rather keep you to myself for now. So, we shall have to continue to converse via email until I can figure something out.
I gave your book preferences some thought, and I think a series you might enjoy is The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. It's got action, thriller, suspense, mystery, and fantasy all in one series.
I may not be able to email any more this evening, but should you continue to write to me, I will do my best to answer as quickly as possible. I have greatly enjoyed this conversation and I would love to be able to speak to you more. I too would like to meet you in person. As I mentioned, I don't get to meet many people. I have to go! I hear Colonel Weiss approaching.
Goodbye for now!
~L.
I quickly hit send, pulled off my headphones, which were around my neck, and shoved them down the side of my bed. I clicked out of the game and pulled up a Mother approved game of solitaire. Colonel Weiss' steps were slow and distinctive followed by another set of footsteps, probably Mr. Planter's. They were only just outside my door as I clicked on the cards. He knocked a moment later.
"Who is it?" I called.
"Colonel Weiss and Mr. Planter."
"Come in, Colonel, Mr. Planter," I said happily.
"You seem in a chipper mood this evening, Miss Laura."
"I am in a good mood, Colonel, it has been an exceptional day."
"I am glad to hear that. I shall leave you and Mr. Planter to your work." He nodded and stepped out of my room, leaving the door wide open.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Planter. How are you?"
"I'm doing well. Ms. Morse directed me to bring this project to you. It is the latest design for the new sensor system to go into the VR programs. We've been having a little bit of trouble with it, but she assured me you would be more than capable of making the correct calculations and adjusting it."
"I'm happy to take a look. Do you need it back right away?"
"No, we've got time. Unless you have any questions, I'll leave you to it."
I nodded. "That's fine." Normally I would have asked a million questions, but all I really wanted was to be left alone to think about Rawklix.
He left a moment later and I closed the door behind him. I settled down at the table and went over the schematics and then got to work. An hour later, I heard Colonel Weiss approaching my room again.
He knocked on the door and I called out, "Come in, Colonel." I moved my work out of the way for the evening.
"I've brought your dinner, Miss Laura." He came into my room and set the tray down upon my table, picked up a can and popped the top, and then poured me a glass of cola. "A special treat, we won't be telling your mother about."
I swear if he could smile, he would have been, but as it was, his eyes just brightened for a moment. "Thank you, Colonel, how did you get it?"
"There was a case left in the employee refrigerator in the Castle by one of the scientists who went with your mother on her travels. I did not think he would notice a missing can."
I giggled. "Thanks, Colonel." I picked up the cup and took a sip, savoring it. "Mmmm. That is yummy."
He took the lid off my plate and set it aside. "Would you like some company while you eat?"
"That would be nice, Colonel. Shall we watch a movie after?"
"I would be happy to stay up here and watch with you."
I smiled as I took a bite of my food. Thoughts of Rawklix floated through my mind. "Colonel, if I asked you a question, would you be required to tell Mother?"
His eyes brightened again. "No, Miss Laura, I do believe that I can keep our conversations from reaching Ms. Morse's knowledge. What did you wish to ask?"
"Do you think it would be possible for me to have a visitor here at the Tower?"
"Now?"
"Oh, no, not right this minute, I mean, it would need arranging, wouldn't it?"
"Yes. That is very true. You would not wish your potential visitor to arrive at a time when say, Ms. Morse were here. It would need to be carefully arranged. Did you have a particular person in mind to visit you? I was not aware you knew any other Humans outside of the ones working at the Castle."
I was hesitant to tell him of Rawklix.
"I will not tell your mother. Your secrets are safe with me, Miss Laura."
I nodded, taking another bite. "I met someone online."
"Did you indeed?"
"I did. He's requested to visit me here, but I worry about his safety from Thornbush and about Mother of course. You know how protective of me she is."
"Overly so, in my opinion. What she's done isn't— ahem, sorry. What I mean to say is she takes your safety very seriously."
I looked at him curiously. It seemed as if he was about to say something negative about Mother, but then out of caution changed what he was going to say. And he'd offered an opinion like he was actually sentient, but how could that be? AI's, as far as I was aware, hadn't gone sentient yet. It was very curious. I set that aside for the time being and moved on to another question.
"Have you heard from Mother?"
"Yes, her trip has been more successful than she imagined and will be back home tomorrow morning."
"So soon?"
"Yes, so your visit from your friend will need to be well coordinated with a time Ms. Morse is away from the Tower."
"Is she planning other trips?"
"You know Ms. Morse, she always changes her plans, so we are never fully aware of where she will be or when until shortly before."
"Very true." I sighed, looking down at my plate. "That will make it more difficult to have a visitor, won't it."
"It will, but it is not an insurmountable task to arrange, assuming your visitor is capable of last minute actions."
I pursed my lips. "I have no idea how flexible his schedule is, I shall have to inquire about that in our next conversation." I finished my dinner and then turned the tv on. "What shall we watch?"
"Whatever you wish, Miss Laura."
I wondered if I were to ask his opinion specifically if he would give it to me. "Colonel, if it were your choice, what movie would you watch?"
Colonel Weiss' eyes grew bright and then dimmed. "After reviewing the online reviews of the current releases, the highest rated choice would be, Star Wars Rise of the Skywalkers."
"That wasn't what I asked, Colonel. I asked what your personal choice would be." I tilted my head, watching him carefully.
His eyes brightened for a moment again and then dulled. "I do not understand the question, Miss Laura. I have given you the highest rated choice based on the current reviews of consumers. Are there other parameters you wish
me to consider?"
I sighed. If Colonel Weiss was sentient, he obviously didn't want me to know. Either that, or he actually wasn't sentient, but I still had my doubts. I suppose I wouldn't blame him for keeping it a secret if he was. I mean, if Mother were to find out, she'd tear him to pieces and kill him or worse lock him away somewhere to study him.
"Very well then, we will watch Star Wars." I scrolled through the on demand channels and found it.
"Would you like popcorn to go with the movie, Miss Laura?"
I turned to look at him as he cleaned up the dinner table. "Do we have popcorn?"
"There is a box in the employee lounge of the Castle."
"Then yes, I would. I will pause the movie until you return, Colonel, I wouldn't want you to miss any of it."
His eyes brightened once more. "That is very thoughtful, Miss Laura. I will be back as quickly as I can." He lifted the tray and headed for the door.
As he stepped out of my room, I decided I was even more convinced that Colonel Weiss was indeed sentient but was trying to hide it. I wondered if I should say something, or not. I would need to give it careful consideration, because I did not want to accidentally slip and let Mother find out.
The next morning I woke to a knock on the door. Yawning, I sat up and called, "Who is it?"
"Are you still abed, darling?"
I glanced at my alarm clock and realized I'd slept much later than I normally did. Colonel Weiss and I had stayed up late watching several movies. "Just a moment," I called, swinging my feet to the floor. I padded over to the code box and input the numbers from the latest security code she'd given me. "Good morning, Mother. I wasn't expecting you home so soon."
She swept into the room, her eyes darting all around as if she expected to find me hiding someone in my rounded room. She drifted to the left and peeked in the bathroom. "I just had a feeling you were in need of me, my dear, so I cut my trip short." She smiled. "I know we haven't spent much time together lately. I've just been so busy with the virtual reality project, you see."
I nodded. "I understand, Mother."
"Well, I thought I might surprise you this morning with a little trip outside. I know you were hoping for the beach the other day, but that just is too dangerous. So I thought perhaps you and I could have a picnic, just outside. What do you say?"
I kept my face neutral. She was up to something. I just couldn't figure out what. "That sounds nice," I said cautiously.
"Well you don't sound very enthused, darling, do you no longer want to go outside?" she was starting to get huffy. "I came home early just for you and this is the gratitude I am greeted with? Perhaps I should have just stayed away longer! Really, Laura, I would think you'd be grateful for this opportunity!"
I pasted a smile on my lips. "I am grateful, Mother. I would love to have a picnic with you outside. I'm just not fully awake yet. I haven't had any coffee to wake me up."
"Very well then, I should expect you downstairs and waiting in five minutes. Hurry up then, my dear." Mother gave me a nod and then swept back out of my room.
Feeling more exhausted than when I'd woken up, I sank down on my bed for a moment. I had no idea why conversing with her was always so stressful to me. I rubbed my hands over my face and then stood back up. I had a feeling, if I took longer than the five minutes she allotted me, I would be in trouble. So I quickly washed my face, brushed my hair, leaving it down, and got dressed. I was downstairs with seconds to spare.
"Come along, darling," she said moving past me to put the code into the box by the outer door. She had a basket in her hands and blanket over her arm.
It was a lovely day, warm and sunny, so I was glad to be outside, enjoying the feel of the sun on my skin. "Where are we having our picnic?" I followed her around the outside of the Tower to another entrance into the main castle. "Why are we going back inside?"
She grinned. "It's only for a moment. Follow me."
I nodded, but inside I was apprehensive. I followed her down the hall, past several rooms filled with various scientists. I peeked into as many of the rooms as I could as we passed. She turned to another door and put in a code on the panel next to door. It opened and I could see a courtyard, surrounded by four large stonewalls. An outdoor prison then was where we were having our picnic.
"Isn't this lovely?" she said, her arm sweeping out over the large square patch of grass dotted with picnic tables and three palm trees. She spread the blanket out on the grass and set the basket down. "Well?"
I smiled, even though I didn't feel like smiling. "Yes, it is."
"I've instructed all the employees that they are to take their breaks either in the employee lounge or to wait an hour for us to use this area. So we'll have it all to ourselves."
"Great," I said, but I had a hard time keeping the sullenness from my voice.
Her smile faded and she narrowed her eyes. "I have tried very hard to be accommodating, Laura and the very least you could do is show some fucking appreciation!" She stopped pulling things out of the basket and started slamming them back in. "I guess it was too much to fucking hope we could have a nice afternoon together! Well if that is the way you are going to be, then you can just go back to your room!" She clicked a button on her comm watch. "Colonel Weiss! Come get Laura and return her to her room immediately!"
"But, Mother—" I tried to calm her down, but she wasn't having it.
"No! I tried to be nice! I am done, Laura! You can just go to your room and stay there for all I care! I didn't have to cut my trip short for you! I could have stayed and enjoyed my time in California! In fact there are several other companies that I could go visit and offer our tech to and I think that is just what I will do! I don't need to be here with such an ungrateful child!" She stomped on the basket of food in a temper.
Colonel Weiss approached and moved up next to me.
"Take her away now, Colonel! I don't want to see her anymore!"
His eyes pulsed a blue light over the normal white color and then he gently gripped my arm. "This way, Miss Laura."
Sighing, I went with him.
Once we were back in the Tower, I said, "Colonel, remember our conversation yesterday?"
"Which one, Miss Laura?"
"About my visitor? I want to do it. I want to meet Ra— my friend." My stomach grumbled. I hadn't gotten to eat before Mother threw her temper tantrum. "But first, could I get some lunch?"
I could have sworn that Colonel Weiss gauffed a laugh, but he merely said, "I shall see what I can arrange for you to eat. As to the other… we shall need to wait to see what Ms. Morse does first."
Dropping onto my bed and flopping back against my pillow, I agreed. "Yes, we will. She's being very neurotic right now. That makes her hard to predict."
"I shall return shortly with your lunch, Miss Laura. Until then, chin up, it will be all right."
I smiled. "Thanks, Colonel."
"My pleasure, Miss Laura."
Chapter 7
Rawklix
Four days had passed without a reply to my previous email. Feeling desolate, I hadn't even left my quarters in all that time. Instead, I'd sat in isolation, barely eating as I hovered over my tablet like it was my lifeline to the world.
"Sir?"
I glanced up at Fellnix with bleary eyes. "What is it, Fellnix."
"Sir, perhaps a shower would do you well, maybe a soak in the pool? Or a walk on the beach? Anything other than sitting here pining for something that may not happen in a timely manner."
"What if she never answers?" I voiced my fear.
"Sir, from what you've told me, though she isn't really aware of it, she is virtually a prisoner in that place. Held captive by a neurotic psychopath. Perhaps she is merely being cautious and will answer when she can. That doesn't mean you should neglect taking care of yourself, sir."
Sighing, I rolled my eyes toward him and shifted my position on my bed. "So what you're saying is I should shower and let you wash my sheets?" I replied wryly.
F
ellnix chuckled. "Well, my Prince, I would never presume to tell you what to do." He stood with his hands clasped in front of him.
I laughed. "All right, point taken, Fellnix. I will get up."
"Excellent, my Prince. While you shower, I will remake your bed, and then make lunch. I'll serve it in the dining room." His tone of voice brooked no argument.
"All right, Fellnix. I will rejoin the land of the living." I strode off to my bathroom.
An hour later, feeling much more myself, I picked up my tablet and headed for the dining room. Just because I was rejoining the living, didn't mean I was going to give up on Laura. I sat down at the table and Fellnix placed a sumptuous lunch before me. He'd gone all out, cooking up a steak, potatoes, steamed vegetables and poured me a glass of wine from home. I ate heartily and then decided I would take that stroll on the beach he mentioned. The warm breeze from the ocean would do me good.
"Fellnix, I am going out to the beach for a little bit. Would you keep an eye upon the tablet and let me know if she writes?"
"Of course, my Prince." He nodded, a delighted smile on his lips.
I headed out to the beach, barefoot. I enjoyed the feel of the sand on my feet as I strode toward the water. The beach was actually somewhat empty which was surprising for such a pretty day, but it was still early, and I knew many of the high school and college kids who frequented the beach wouldn't arrive until later in the afternoon. For now, I had it mostly to myself.
I walked in the surf for nearly an hour, picking up shells as I went. I had a collection of about ten in my pockets. They were different than the shells we had on the Solarin Islands. Ours were large, and came in shades of purple, pink, and yellow. The shells I'd picked up here were mostly white, a couple had pink edging or were more of a tan in color. I thought they might look nice mixed in with the shells I had back home on Trilyn.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I clicked it, turning it on. "Yes, Fellnix?"
