What Tomorrow May Bring

by Tony Bertauski

  “On the contrary,” Brad says. “Your mother’s been wanting to meet Kira. And how often do parents get to catch their grown son having a sleepover with his female ‘friend’? I just love those awkward situations, don’t you?” There’s a huge smirk on his face. Yes, to Brad Darcton this must be like Christmas.

  “Hi, I’m Vienna Darcton.” Ethan’s mother outstretches her hand towards me. I shake it. She’s stunning up close. Dark hair. Bright green eyes. Milky skin. Ethan definitely favors her over his father, but he’s more beautiful than both of them.

  “Kira Donovan. It’s really nice to meet you. I’m so sorry to barge in on your breakfast. I’m just going to change and get going.”

  “No, you’ll stay for breakfast. Sit down,” Brad demands. “I always enjoy our conversations.” I comply and sit in the chair Ethan pulled out for me. He squeezes my hand under the table.

  “Kira, please tell me something about yourself,” Vienna Darcton says.

  “What would you like to know? About my life back on Earth? Or my dead parents and friends who are now on Thera? Or my boyfriend, Blake, who is making bad choices and will probably face death or Exile? Or, how about my brother, Jared? He’s here on Thera, too—but in lockdown—because he was being a little too rebellious. Actually, I’m sure you know about all those things, being one of the Ten and all.” Ethan’s mouth is gaping open, and his parents look aghast at my tirade. I should know better than to tempt the universe again.

  “Blake may face death?” she asks Brad, a look of sheer disappointment on her face. Brad doesn’t respond. I assume that’s a topic they’re not going to discuss in front of me. She then turns to me and says, “How do you feel about your situation?”

  “I’m resigned to it. Though I would be more comfortable if a) Jared were released and b) Blake’s safety could be ensured.” Might as well put it out there. Brad said no pretenses.

  “You’ll see Jared soon. Later tonight, I assume,” Brad tells me. “And as for Blake…you were supposed to get him under control.” I avoid looking at Ethan. I’m not sure how much he knows, but obviously Brad has no issue discussing it in front of him.

  “You know that’s not possible. He fears his father as much as he fears you. And you know that I’ve tried and you know what I’ve offered to get him to abandon his plans.” Given how Blake reacted to the idea of a future with me, I’m not even sure that’s what I want anymore.

  “Yes, I do know the lengths you’ve gone to get him on board,” Brad responds. “And that kind of loyalty won’t go unnoticed or unrewarded. I’ll do what I can. As long as you continue to do as asked. Now, why don’t you enjoy this delicious meal my Cleave has prepared.” I pile some food on my plate and get no more than a couple bites in before Ethan’s mom interrupts.

  “I know how you feel about Blake. But how do you feel about Ethan?” she asks. I look at Ethan. He has covered his face, obviously embarrassed. Vienna continues, “You came to him when you had problems with Blake. Spent the night here. Are you toying with his affections?” Why does it not surprise me that Brad Darcton got Cleaved to someone as blunt as he is? As invasive as the question is, it’d be a valid question from any parent—whether or not they are members of the Ten.

  “I think it should be obvious to all of you, Ethan included, that Blake and Ethan share my affections. How could they not? Both have fathered my children—babies you’ve impregnated my friends with. Both are candidates to be my Cleave and ‘Father’ of Future Thera. I’ve spent considerable time under stressful circumstances with each of them.” I state. “So it’s only natural that I have feelings for each of them.”

  “What?” Ethan whips his head around, looking at me and then his father. “How come I’m the last one to know about this? Babies? Surrogates? Cleaving? Father of Thera? Explain!” Oops. Did I let the babies out of the lab? Shame on me. At least I’ll have someone to talk to about it now.—if Brad doesn’t Exile me on the spot.

  “Son, why don’t you and your mother discuss it in the garden while Kira and I finish our talk.” His mother forcibly pushes Ethan from the room. I mouth “sorry” to him.

  “Well played, Kira,” Brad says. “I never give you enough credit.”

  “Sorry. I figured he knew about your Grand Plan since you felt like you could openly discuss the rest of my life in front of him.”

  “Is it true that you have feelings for both Blake and Ethan?” he asks.

  “Yes.” The exact nature of those feelings may differ, but there’s no need to mention that. Particularly when the balance seems to be continually shifting.

  “How do you plan to reconcile that?”

  “I thought you planned to do that for me.” Didn’t he make it clear that I have no choice in the matter?

  “And you will abide by whatever the Ten decides?”

  “Yes—with the caveat that if Jared or Blake are harmed, my loyalties could fade,” I say. “Let me be blunt. You know Blake is being forced to help his father, and he has every reason to do so given his precarious upbringing. I ask you to consider his upbringing when making a decision between Exile and death. One night, his father could push him too far. Or if the Exilers fail as expected, he may see the error of his ways.”

  “We shall see if you can keep from slipping sensitive information to Blake like you did to Ethan.” He appears to be deep in thought. “Now run along home and try to explain to Love #1 why you didn’t come home last day, and I’m going to go help mop up the mess you created for me with your Love #2. Be at SCI Headquarters promptly at 2200 hours Thursnight. I want to show you and Ethan something.”

  “What?” I ask.

  “It’s classified, but I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

  “The last time kids my age showed up at Headquarters, they got Cleaved.”

  “True, but that’s not my plan for Thursnight,” he says with a smile. “Go home. Perhaps Jared will be there by now. You should be there to celebrate the terms of his release.” That’s all the motivation I need to leave. I’d like to say goodbye to Ethan, but Brad makes it clear that’s not going to happen. So I change into my dry clothes and head home.

  I can hear his drawl the moment I enter my house.

  “Jared,” I yell. I run into the living room and am a little confused when I see not only Jared but also Blake and his sister, Leila. “Hey, you’re out. Thank goodness. How was training? You okay?” Jared has a guilty look on his face. Leila’s stroking his arm in a fashion that seems a little too intimate for my liking. She’s pretty, but she and Blake don’t look much alike. She has got long, straight dark hair but small hazel eyes in contrast to Blake’s large emerald ones.

  Jared responds with a half-cocked grin and, “I’m all trained. I never thought I’d finish, but then Brad Darcton came by yesternight with an interesting proposition for me. After weighing the alternative, I accepted.”

  “What proposition?” I ask, glancing over at Blake, but he won’t even look at me.

  “Kira, I’d like you to meet my Cleave, Leila. We did the whole Cleaving ceremony and feast at Headquarters, and then they gave us a house a couple doors down from you,” he says. “We came over as soon as we, uh, made everything official.”

  Leila kisses him on the lips and both Blake’s and my eyes go wide. They apparently waited for me to arrive to drop the bomb. They Cleaved my little brother to Blake’s little sister? I know she’s a freshman, but I don’t think she is even sixteen yet. Blake told me that she had skipped a year in school. Can the Ten be Exiled for disregarding their own Canon?

  “The kitchen. Now.” I scream. I don’t wait for him to obey, yanking him along with me. “You agreed to what?”

  “It sounded a whole lot better than a bullet through my brain, Kira,” he whispers. “I’m fine with it. Leila’s cool, and you’re right that it’s better to go with the flow than face the consequences.”

  “Uh huh.” I pace the kitchen. My brother is Cleaved at the age of sixteen. Insanity. Brad Darcton gave him the option of getti
ng a bullet in the head or Cleaving Leila. If I maintained any hope of a future that didn’t involve Thera or the SCI, it just vanished. The only thing I don’t know is who my future will be tied to. I have to try again with Blake but can’t with Jared and Leila here.

  “Come on, Kira. Chill. Come get to know Leila. For me?” he begs. “Hey, since you’re not Cleaved yet, I bet I’ll make you an Aunt before you make me an Uncle.” He’s wrong about that. He’ll be an uncle forty times over soon enough. The thought of my baby brother having kids makes me a little ill. He can’t even clean his room, do basic chores, or wake up for school on time. How can he possibly handle raising a child? Heck, how can any of my friends raise children? My children!

  I return to the living room after making a pit stop to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up, and I make nice with Leila for a half-hour while Jared and Blake talk. Then Jared and Leila leave to have some more “alone time” which means I’ve got to smooth things over with Blake.

  “Can we talk?” He still won’t look at me, his eyes focused on a patch of garden on our wall with yellow sunflowers.

  “How’s Ethan?” he says, still turned away. “Did you have a nice slumber party?”

  “Ethan’s fine. Nothing happened—if you are curious. We just ate and played games. Slept in separate rooms. Had breakfast with his parents.”

  “Sounds like you’ll make a happy Cleaved family.” His tone is bitter, eyes narrow and brooding.

  “I love you, Blake. If you recall, I offered to Cleave you and spend my life with you. I haven’t offered that to anyone else, and you know what a big deal it is to me.” I sit by him on the couch. “Please, look at me.” He turns his head to me, but his look is sour.

  “You’d Cleave with me—right here, right now?”

  It takes some effort to shove thoughts of Ethan out of my brain and say, “If you agree to have your sole focus to be on us and nothing else from here on out. Then, yes, I’ll Cleave you. Here and now.” I can see him struggle with my offer. He rubs his temples, and I reach up and stroke his face with the back of my hand.

  Moments later, he kisses me and then pushes me back on the couch, takes off his shirt, and lies atop me. More passionate kissing ensues—the most intense it has ever been. I’m extremely nervous. I’m not ready. But I must do this. To keep him alive. He starts to lift my shirt off and then abruptly stops. Did I hear a door slam?

  “I’ve got to go,” he says. “I can’t do this.” Huh? That’s supposed to be the girl’s line.

  “What’s wrong?” He’s already up and has his shirt on. “Blake, don’t leave. Why won’t you talk to me?”

  “I just can’t commit to what you’re asking. Had we gone through with it, I would end up disappointing you by going back on my word. I love you, Kira, as best as I can. But as amazing as you are, I’ll never forgive myself if I’m not true to myself and what I believe in,” he says. “As much as it kills me to say it…I think Ethan’s the better Cleave for you.”

  “You can’t mean that.” Tears fill my eyes.

  “I’m sorry. That’s just where I’m at.”

  Lovely. Where does that leave me?

  I arrive at SCI Headquarters at ten to 2200 hours Thursnight. I’m a little nervous to see Ethan, given the bomb I dropped on him at breakfast the other night and hoping he is in good spirits and can cheer me up. Blake’s barely been home since he rejected my offer to Cleave. When home, he has been silent. It’s breaking my heart.

  Ethan shows up precisely at 2200 hours.

  “Hi,” I say. I’d hug him, but his body language says he won’t be receptive. His hands are in his pockets, he is tense, and has a cold look on his face. He looks like he hasn’t slept in nights.

  “Yeah, hi.” He is distant and businesslike. I’m repelling all the men in my life. Before I can delve into which thing I did that pissed him off, Brad Darcton shows.

  “Excellent. You’re both right on time,” he says. As if we’d dare be late. “Kira, I wasn’t sure you’d be here with all that Cleaving you’ve been trying to do with Blake lately.” Well, kudos on making things even more awkward, Brad. Of course, that’s his intention.

  “That’s a bit of an overstatement,” I respond. “Blake hasn’t spoken to me in nights.”

  “Well, looking at it from his perspective…you stay overday at Ethan’s house and then come home and throw yourself at him. Those kind of mixed messages would be a huge blow to any guy’s ego.” If he’s attempting to solicit a reaction, he’ll be sorely disappointed.

  “I did what I thought was right to try to protect his life and your interests, as requested,” I say. “My sales pitch failed.”

  “Yes, didn’t he suggest that Ethan would be a better Cleave for you?” Ethan shoots his father a glare so cold that Brad must get brain freeze.

  “Ethan’s not happy with me either. Do you have a plan C for the Father of Thera?” I quip. “I should have some more viable eggs left.”

  “I’ll make note of your willingness to provide more offspring. In the meantime, let’s proceed with our tour.” It’s unwise to plant ideas in his head, but they’d do it whether I agreed or not.

  Brad leads us into Headquarters and facilitates an express route through security. He then leads us into a multistory atrium of sorts that takes my breath away. A short, overweight man signals Brad by waving a folder.

  “You two stay here for a moment while I consult with a colleague,” Brad says. Fine with me. I want to take this place in. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on Thera…maybe ever.

  “You get to work here?” I ask Ethan. “This is incredible.”

  “You offered to Cleave Blake?” I guess he doesn’t want to discuss the stunning glass mosaic gardens that bring the atrium walls to life.

  “Yes—to keep him from proceeding with activities that will lead to his death. He’d prefer sticking to his plans than to have a life with me, however.”

  “You said—that evening at breakfast—you have feelings for both of us. Is that true?” he asks. Why’s he so worried about my feelings when he has declared that the only girl who will ever make him happy isn’t me?

  “Yes, I shouldn’t, but I do. I’m sorry.” I look into his eyes and watch as he swallows hard. I’ve been really jealous the last couple nights about his admission that he’s still in love with the other girl and beating myself up over it for stupidly caring.

  “Yet you rejected my kiss and said you just wanted to be friends?”

  “Just because I have feelings for you doesn’t mean I can act upon them or that you should want me to since you are in love with someone else. When you kissed me, you were in love with someone else, and I can’t condone cheating. Plus, I had a relationship of sorts going with Blake and needed to figure out if that was going anywhere. I felt guilty enough pretending to be your girlfriend back on Earth, knowing what it must be doing to the other girl. Had things been different…had you not had someone else…,” I say. “But they aren’t different, and anyway, you’re the one that suggested we stay friends. If you don’t want that, then tell me.”

  “I came by to talk to you after my parents left—to talk about all the stuff you said at the breakfast table. Your front door was open. I knocked, but no one answered, so I came in. I saw you and Blake on the couch. Needless to say, I left right away.” That explains the door slam I heard. I shake my head. Ethan must think I’m such a jerk—talk about a huge blow to a guy’s ego. No wonder he’s giving me the cold shoulder. But wait, he shouldn’t care. He loves someone else.

  “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. Obviously I’m an immature idiot and an excellent argument for raising the Cleaving age to 21 or higher. I’m just not equipped to deal with this.”

  “I’m not sure any of us are equipped to deal.” He turns away from me. I feel guilty at what he saw and how much it hurt him. Why is this bothering him so much?

  “Ethan, who’s the girl you are in love with?” I ask.

  “What do you m
ean?” I can see the nerves kick in as he shoves his hands in his pockets and starts rocking.

  “You’re confusing me. You tell me that you love this other girl so much that you’d do anything for her, yet you are upset that I haven’t acted upon my feelings for you. The way you look at me and flirt with me…how can you do that when you love someone else? You say you aren’t that guy who’d ever cheat or convince someone else to cheat, but you are being that guy. Every moment we spend together you’re that guy. So who is she?” He throws his hands up in air and rolls his eyes, before settling his hands on my shoulders.

  “Do I really need to answer that? Isn’t it obvious? Wasn’t it obvious the first time we met? How can you not know? I never said it was anyone else,” he says, staring into my eyes.

  Oh. Holy crap. It’s me. What an idiot I am. I can’t help it, but my mouth and eyes go wide.

  “I wasn’t even supposed to talk to you that night,” he mumbles. He shakes his head and walks off a few feet. I’m having trouble processing this.

  Before I can discuss it with Ethan, Brad returns and tells us the history of the glass mosaics. I attempt to listen to try to get my mind off Ethan and what I’ve done to him. I’m not sure I can ever fix the mess I’ve made. Ethan won’t even look at me. How could I have been so stupid? It should have been obvious all along; it certainly is now. The SCI needs to revamp their tests. If they thought I was good at puzzles and problem solving they were dead wrong.

  Brad tells us that the atrium took two-dozen artisans more than ten years to complete, and it represents the garden of Hadrian and Helina—where the first Cleave occurred. Now, every Cleaved couple has their feast in this very spot and is sworn to secrecy to keep the experience fresh and new for every Cleaved couple. Well, except for me. And Ethan. And Blake since I know he has been in the building with Ted’s passkey.