by M. Stratton
While the Humans had a chip inserted behind their ear that would make Meta manipulation of their thoughts be impossible, Fandare’s power didn’t work on the mind. His worked on the body. I could see Merrill’s blood slow in his veins and his muscles relax. Mentally he could still be angry, but psychically, the fight had gone out of him.
“I’m still watching you,” he spat.
“And we thank you for your service,” Fandare said. “Here, let me buy your coffee.” He held his hand out for Halley to charge his account. “Now, why don’t you take one of those seats over there by the window? It looks like they are going to make it snow soon, you wouldn’t want to miss that.” He escorted the officer away from the counter.
“What was that all about?” Halley whispered.
I lowered my voice so only she could hear. “He doesn’t like me.”
“I got that, I’m not stupid. There’s more than what he’s saying.”
“I honestly have no idea. He sought me out while I was in line to enter. Been like that since the beginning.”
She pursed her lips and looked at the man sitting there alone, watching the snow start to fall. “There has to be something more. Aren’t you curious?”
“I’m always curious.”
“Why did you antagonize him? He has the means to get you kicked out of here.”
I shrugged, I didn’t want to tell her part of the reason I was so angry was because of the way he looked at her. “It’s in my nature to question authority.”
She shook her head. “I’m not buying it.”
“No, you don’t have to, but there is a line of customers we should serve.” I turned and walked away from her.
I had no idea why I felt so protective of a Human. I didn’t want to think too hard on that. I wanted this shift over, so I could go home and ignore everyone, while I planned a way to make my idea for the tunnels happen.
Chapter 7
February 3, 4 AS
Halley
Over the next few weeks, I settled into a pattern: get up and go into work. Every day I attempted to ignore Lucian’s powerful presence. I was used to being in the background while my sister, Starr, shined; I observed people. I couldn’t understand why he seemed so protective of me. He didn’t treat the other employees the same.
Walking from the my dome to work, I enjoyed the crisp air and the fresh dusting of snow that was on the ground. The smell of the pine trees filled the air and the sun shone through the glass panels of the Complex. I was enjoying myself. Something I wasn’t used to.
With every day that passed, my life on Raxu was further and further behind. My dull existence, always catering to Starr, was fading and the colors of the Complex were replacing those memories. While everything tended to be made of white materials, the Humans and Metas were anything but the one-dimensional color.
I tried to, at least, say hello to everyone I passed, trying to work through being so shy. When you’d spent your life fading into the background, it was hard to step forward into the light. Every day I became a little more comfortable. I still hadn’t seen the type of Meta that had attacked my sister, which I was thankful for, but I knew it was only a matter of time.
Sniffing, I caught a scent that made me pause. Looking around, I tried to see what it was that caused me to have my instincts telling me to be careful. Watching couples walk by, all seeming happy, and not paying any attention to me, did nothing to calm me. Looking deeper into the shadows, I thought I saw something move to my left. Squinting my eyes, I could barely make out the Intra uniform hiding in an alley. Merrill.
I turned from him and walked briskly toward the Uni-Brew, listening carefully for the sound of his boots coming my way. As I reached out my hand to automatically unlock the door, I screamed when a hand fell hard on my shoulder.
“Sorry.” Fandare backed away from me, concern crossing his face. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”
I jumped when the door opened quickly and Lucian stood there glaring at his brother. “What’s going on?”
“I was hoping to charm Halley here into opening up a little early. I have a client coming in and she absolutely loves how Halley makes her coffee. It would win me extra points to have a hot steaming cup ready for her when she arrived.”
“Sure, no problem, Fandare, I can do that for you.” I looked up at Lucian. “Ummm…can you move, please?”
Without a word, he stepped to the side and let me by, closing the door behind me, leaving the two of them outside.
“You might want to wipe the scowl off your face so you don’t scare the customers away,” I said to him, knowing he’d be able to hear me. I waited for him to nod before I went back into the office to hang my jacket up. Quickly setting everything up, I had Fandare’s coffee ready to go. Since they were still outside talking, I didn’t want to disturb them and went about preparing for the day.
Cynthia was supposed to be here for the morning shift, but it seemed like she was going to be late again. She was tall, thin, beautiful, and outgoing. Everything I wasn’t. She was extremely popular and was out every night. I wanted to be something in-between what I was on Raxu and what she was. I was working on it; someday I might have the life I had just started dreaming about.
Going into the kitchen area, I easily picked up a tray of coffee cups, impressed at how much strength I had built up since I started working here. I typically picked up jobs where my brain was used more than my muscles on Raxu. I was enjoying this.
Turning quickly, I screamed, again, as I ran into Lucian. He easily caught the tray and none of the cups broke, thankfully. I didn’t want to have to pay for them.
“What is it with you and your brother today? Do I have to get a couple of bells to hang around your necks?”
“Bells? Why would you do that?”
I sighed. “Because you both are always sneaking up on me and scaring me. If you were wearing a bell, I’d at least be able to hear when you were near.”
“We only mean to help.”
He smiled at me and I narrowed my eyes. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “What makes you think I’m up to something?”
Deciding to ignore the question, I asked him one, or more. “Did Fandare get his coffee? Have you heard from Cynthia? If she’s going to be late again, maybe we can adjust schedules so we aren’t left shorthanded all the time. Oh, and we’re going to need some more sugar. I know it’s a luxury, but it goes so well with the coffee.”
I knew he’d followed me as I walked behind the counter and started making the one cup of coffee I was allowed as an employee. It was the best time of day for me. As the aroma filled the room, I inhaled the scent and smiled, there was nothing better. Without a word, he handed me a cup and I put more sugar in it that I should have, but it made the coffee taste so good.
“Yes, Fandare has the coffee. No, I haven’t heard from her. Between the two of us, we can cover for her. With you working that machine, I can do everything else. I already ordered the sugar, it should be here later today.”
“Well, then, great. Thank you.” I smiled at him, took my first sip, and sighed. I was afraid I’d become used to the taste, and it wouldn’t be as special as it was when I first started working here, but every day it seemed to taste better.
At the top of the hour we opened the doors. I didn’t have much time to think, and I liked it that way. Once Cynthia came in, I took my break and sat down. Rolling my shoulders, trying to work the kinks out of the muscles, my mind began to wander for the first time since Fandare scared me this morning.
I had no idea what Merrill was doing out there, hiding in the shadows. It seemed, at one point or another, he made a point of coming in here and giving Lucian a hard time. But why would he be watching the place? Was he hoping to find Lucian doing something wrong, so he could kick him out? I didn’t like the thought of that and decided to make sure to keep my
eyes open. I wasn’t going to say anything right now. If he kept popping up, I needed to warn Lucian, even though I was sure he probably already knew, heightened senses and all.
Going back out to finish my shift, I tried to join the conversations Cynthia had with the customers. I was learning how she was able to talk with them, and she was always so nice to me. It certainly made the rest of the day go by quickly.
Grabbing my jacket on my way out the door I was surprised one of the pockets seemed to have something in it. When I stuck my hand it in and pulled out a small package of sugar. I smiled. Lucian.
He was nowhere around when I left, I was sure he planned that. He’d be embarrassed about me thanking him for the gift. I had to think of something I could do for him.
Once I was outside, I looked around, searching for Merrill, but he wasn’t around, at least nowhere I could see. With my hand in my pocket, I kept a firm grip on the sugar.
Chapter 8
February 10, 4 AS
Lucian
Standing in the shadows of the Uni-Brew, I looked out into the street, wondering where Merrill was hiding today. The morning Fandare had scared Halley was the first morning he’d started watching us. How he thought he could hide from us, I had no idea. Of course, he could be doing it on purpose, letting us know he was there.
I was distracted by Halley coming into view and I couldn’t help it, I smiled. For a Human, she wasn’t half bad. Thankfully, she wasn’t like some of the Humans that talked all the time or the ones that needed to touch. I shuddered. Fandare was the one who liked all that touchy-feeling stuff. I was doing everything I could to get through the next two years and four and a half months. At least I wasn’t counting down the exact days. Yet.
Something in the way she moved shifted and I felt it. Instantly I went on guard, my magic flowing out of me, trying to sense what the danger was. Within seconds, Fandare was out of the Uni-Body and walking toward her. Thankfully, Merrill didn’t hate Fandare like he hated me. We had talked about it, and knew it would be best for him to be the one that deals with the corrupt Intra.
Halley calmed down once Fandare was next to her, since she was safe; I moved quickly out the door and made a lap around the area where she first noticed something odd. Sure enough, there was Merrill, this time on the second floor of an office building. How he got into the office to look out the window, I had no idea, but it was something we were going to have to keep an eye on. Thankfully, he was focused on me and not her.
I made it back to the Uni-Brew before they did and was waiting, inside for them. “Good day, Halley.”
“Good day, Lucian.” She smiled at me and her eyes lit up. “Cynthia late again?”
“Seems like it.” What I didn’t tell her was I had shifted Cynthia’s hours, so we could be alone in the morning. Being around her was calming to me, almost as much as when I was in my quarters, alone.
“Since it is just the three of us, again,” Fandare said. “What should we talk about today? Maybe how blue the sky is today outside of the Complex? Or that wicked storm we had last night? Oh, I know-”
I glared at my brother and used my magic to push him toward the door. “Don’t you have work to do? I know we do.”
“Alas, fine maiden, duty calls.” Fandare bowed to Halley. “Until we meet again.”
Her musical laugh filled the Uni-Brew. “Good-bye, Fandare, save that charm for your clients.”
I watched her gracefully go about setting up for the day, enjoying the lines of her body and her scent, which filled the room.
“Good-bye, brother.” Fandare’s words startled me away from watching her. I glared at him and he waved good-bye.
“I hope Cynthia doesn’t get in trouble with the Ama Seldova for always being late.”
“She’s a good worker and stays later to make up the hours. This way we have some overlap, so it all works out. There won’t be a problem.”
“Good.” Again, we worked in silence. We had a system that worked well together. She was the only reason this hideous job was bearable.
The ‘business’ we set up in the tunnels was coming along quite nicely. Humans looking for some extra money, and Metas willing to pay for it were our main business; not to mention some items that were on the black market list. This was a perfect front as Metas and Humans were starting to get along, and therefore, coming to a coffee shop wasn’t out of the norm now for certain Metas. It was the perfect way for them to let me know what they needed. Once I found it, they’d come and collect.
We were making quite a profit for our clan, and everyone was happy. I ran a tight business and made sure no one was ever taken advantage of. The Humans knew exactly what they were getting into, and what the Metas required, even before they met. The Metas also knew they’d have to deal with me if they hurt any of the Humans.
I was always paying attention to what Halley wanted and made sure she got it. Granted, most things were easy enough to create with my magic, but I didn’t want to waste my energy making something if I could buy it. Not with Merrill hanging around. The last thing I wanted was to not have enough magic if he ever attacked me.
Looking over, I saw Halley stretching up on her tiptoes to reach something on the top shelf. Before I could go over there and help her, she was able to reach it.
I frowned and went back to my office to think. She’d never been able to reach anything on that shelf before. Replaying everything in my head, I know what I saw. It seemed like she was able to make her arm a little bit longer in order to grab the bowl that was up there. She was Human; she couldn’t possibly be able to do that.
Chapter 9
March 1, 4 AS
Halley
Lucian and I fell into an easy friendship, I was excited to see him every day. While he wasn’t as easy-going as Fandare, I preferred Lucian’s quiet strength better. To me Fandare was like a brother I never had, what I’d always thought a sibling should be. We always had fun together, but he also knew when I was nervous or scared of something and showed up to ease my mind.
While Lucian would always be by my side at the Uni-Brew, whenever Merrill came in, they would end up almost coming to blows. With Fandare, he was able to calm Merrill. Between the two of them I felt safe, when they were around.
What I didn’t tell either one of them was that on numerous occasions I had seen Merrill following me around Main City, not just around the Uni-Brew. This was one of the times I was thankful for all the surveillance that went into the Complex. But I still didn’t feel safe unless Lucian or Fandare was around, or I was locked in my quarters.
I sighed. Lucian. A Meta. A Strogi. Something so different than what I was used to. I couldn’t get him out of my mind: he way he moved, the way he smelled, the way he made me feel safe and like I mattered. It wasn’t like we spent hours talking, because neither one of us were big talkers, but whenever we did, he listened to what I said. Like I was important.
There were times when I could tell that he was working hard to not let his Strogi side show, and other times, well, I wasn’t sure why I was intrigued so much by him in that state. I shouldn’t be. I never expected to have any kind of relationship. Something like that wasn’t for me, only Starr, and after her attack, well, I still came in second. But now, being around him, I began to want one. To have someone make me feel like I was special, that we were in this crazy ride called life together.
Once I was home for the evening, I spent my time reviewing all the information on the different kinds of Metas that were at the Complex. I was able to get my hands on their history books and it was amazing to read about P-Extinction from their perspective, instead of the Human side. I was learning more than I could possibly ever dream to know about them and it was fascinating.
While most of the time I didn’t mind being alone, for some reason today I didn’t want to be. Even though it wasn’t part of my normal schedule, I went ahead and went down into Main City. I still had an hour before the sun went down and I had to leave, but that would give me plenty of
time to grab a cup of coffee, maybe have a conversation with someone. Anyone. I didn’t realize I would be so lonely, or have to work outside of my comfort zone and go up to people and talk to them, in order to have any kind of interaction, but I was getting better at it. Maybe this whole experience was going to be good for me. I tried to block out what it would be like to go back home. To go back to being nothing compared to Starr.
I went to the Uni-Brew because I thought it was the best tasting of the coffee shops here in Main City. I had plenty of time to try they all out.
Grabbing a cup, I sat at one of the tables near the office, happy to be around other people and surprised that this late there were more Metas in here than usual. I was hopeful this experiment was working, that we were all learning to live together and in the end, would have a more peaceful system.
“You’re out late.”
I knew that voice anywhere, and I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Merrill. My heart rate increased and I was scared. I should have known better than to come out so late. I didn’t want to get trapped anywhere with him. Now I wished I had just stayed in my quarters.
“Yes, well, I just wanted a fresh cup of coffee.”
The chair he pulled out slid loudly across the floor. “Must be fate I decided to come out tonight. And here we are. Together.”
I tried to smile as my mind spun, trying to think of different ways to get away from him.
Frantically my eyes searched out for someone I could use for help. There was no one. I wasn’t even sure of the evening staff. I hardly interacted with them, coming in so early for my shifts.
“Halley, what’s your problem?” His sharp voice scared me. “Why aren’t you paying attention to me?”
“Sor-sorry. I was supposed to meet someone here and I didn’t want to miss them.”
