by J. M. Page
“I suppose I am, Sir.”
The old man grunted and Ben wondered what that was supposed to mean. Was he measuring him up? Wanting him to apologize?
“And were you a part of this… mutilation?” he grumbled.
Ben winced at the accusation. The thought that he’d ever want Celine to be anything other than exactly what she was.
“No. I didn’t know about that until recently,” he said.
The other man grunted again.
Ben thought back to all the times Celine mentioned her father — it wasn’t often, but it was enough for him to remember the man’s aversion to city-dwellers. The way he warned Celine off by saying they were blood-thirsty.
He sighed and stared straight ahead as the city’s shadow grew closer.
“You probably don’t think I’m good enough for someone as tenacious and brave as Celine. And you’re probably right,” he said. He had no idea if the other man was listening, but he’d started this and he wasn’t going to stop now. “From our first meeting, I saw that spark of courage and determination in Celine. She never wavers when there’s someone in need and never shies away from a challenge.”
Ben smiled at his memories, his stomach still clenching in anticipation. She was going to be okay, wasn’t she? He didn’t dare look over his shoulder.
“It’s admirable, really. I’ve spent my whole life wrapped up in myself and my identity as one thing or another… Celine’s made me realize how pointless it all is. She helped me see my identity is the sum of things I do rather than the things I am.”
His pulse was really racing now. This was the first time he’d put these emotions to words and it surprised even him.
“For her, I want to do better. I want to do right,” he sighed, pushing a hand through his hair, frustrated with how jumbled his words came out. “What I’m trying to say I guess is, though I don’t think I’m deserving of her, I’m going to do my best to be better. To be worthy.”
After a long beat of silence, the other man grunted and Ben deflated. He might as well have poured his heart and soul out to a brick wall.
Speaking of walls, the Great Terran Wall was visible, pushing through the clouds of dust, the city sprawling out behind, now blanketed in a foot of dust.
Ben sucked in a breath, steadying himself for what he might see, and turned around to ask how she was doing.
Before he could say anything, his eyes focused on Celine, her father propping her up against his broad chest, her eyes struggling to open.
“How are you feeling Bug?” the older man asked, his mechanical eyes glowing bright blue with love for his daughter. Ben swallowed his questions and navigated the ship as close to the palace as he could manage.
“What happened?” Celine asked, her voice weak, raspy, and unlike herself.
Ben’s chest tightened with anxiety again. What if they were too late? What if the venom already spread and was killing her slowly as they spoke?
“We’ll fill you in on the details later,” her father said. “Do you think you’ve got a repair in you?”
Celine blinked, only just realizing her arm was back. She flexed her mechanical hand and turned an eye toward the dust and the few stragglers still in search of shelter. The pale listlessness drained from her face and was replaced by hard determination. She knew what was at stake as much as Ben did.
Their gazes met for a moment that made Ben’s breath catch, and then she looked up at her father, gave him a curt nod, and said “Absolutely.”
Chapter Fifteen
Celine
“And then, he landed the ship on her!” Rufus exclaimed excitedly, regaling the story of Ben’s daring rescue for the dozenth time. He zoomed around the room, pantomiming the battle and mimicking the sounds for her.
Celine laughed at his antics, grateful for the distraction. In her one human arm, there was a series of tubes delivering medicine and anti-venom. She’d been in the hospital for almost two days and she was starting to go a little stir-crazy.
Darkening her doorway was the man of the hour. “He’s not telling that story again, is he?”
Celine giggled and nodded. “It’s all very impressive,” she said, reaching for Ben’s hand, giving it a little squeeze. He still looked embarrassed any time it was brought up, but he deserved to be proud.
“I think he’s decided he likes you,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.
Ben smirked, sending a suspicious look over at the robot. “What else has he been telling you?”
It was Celine’s turn to smirk. She had a pretty good idea what he was talking about, but didn’t want to embarrass him anymore. Once she’d woken up and wanted to know what happened, Rufus tapped into his recordings and played the whole thing for her, including Ben’s talk with her father.
Her heart swelled at the thought of the things he said, how his words made her soar, but he didn’t have any idea she’d heard them.
She shrugged. “Nothing too exciting. How is… everything?” she asked, careful to tiptoe around the subject.
The past couple of days were difficult for Terranys. Celine repaired the force field after they landed and the bewildered Terrans exited their homes to find modders cleaning up the destruction. It was a bit of a culture shock, but by all accounts, they’d been as welcoming as she hoped.
It helped that her people knew how to treat exposure — the hospital employed every last one of their medics to help with the widespread symptoms.
In the last day and a half, most of the refugees returned and then the rumor mill started churning.
The screen in Celine’s hospital room seemed to always be tuned to TNN, the Terran News Network, and she followed along with the breaking stories as a way to combat the monotony of being stuck in a bed.
It didn’t take long for word of the Prince’s love affair with a modder to make headlines. Even less time for people to realize he’d stayed behind to fight and save them while the King and other officials fled. It didn’t look good for his father, but Ben had never been more beloved. The women all swooned at his sacrifice and the men all applauded his skill. He was the Terran golden boy all of the sudden and it drove him a little crazy.
Celine made sure to turn off the screen whenever he visited.
Ben squeezed her hand tight and shuffled from one foot to the other. “Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I just had a meeting with my father…”
The familiar grip of dread closed around her lungs and forced the air from her. What could it be now? Was the King going to kick the modders back to the Wastelands? Worse?
Celine felt guilty for jumping to that conclusion. She was the one always fighting against that prejudiced way of thinking, but it was too easy to be afraid with so much at stake.
“Well, it seems between the Grounding and the evacuation, the public’s opinion of my father… of the whole government really, is quite poor. On the other hand, stealing a ship to save the woman I love has seemingly done wonders for my image. He’s effectively stepping down to allow me to inherit my birthright early.”
Celine’s blood turned to burning ice, making her hot and cold all at once, barely hearing the last thing he said over the buzzing excitement roaring in her chest. “Did you just say…”
“I’m going to be King,” he said, his chest expanding. “And I wanted you to know that my first act is to grant all the refugees of the Wastelands full naturalized Terran citizenship.”
Celine heard him talking, but she was still locked in a moment, frozen there. “Did you say you love me?”
Ben laughed at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that endearing way she so loved. “Are you even listening?”
Celine rolled her eyes. “Yes, of course. That’s wonderful, really it is. Can we go back to the thing about love?”
He chuckled and shook his head, bending down to kiss her. “You’re impossible you know? Of course I love you. Wasn’t that obvious when I squashed a genocidal alien?”
Her breath hitched in her throa
t and she threw her arms — both arms — around him, her eyes wet, though she fought to keep the tears at bay. When she pulled away, she was frowning at her mechanical arm and held it out between them.
“Even like this?”
Ben nodded. “Even more. This is who you really are. You don’t need to pretend for me, Celine. Your arm is a part of you, so it’s incredible by default. It also helped you save the city, which we’re all quite grateful for,” he added with a teasing lilt to his voice.
Celine gave a watery chuckle, still in disbelief. “Yeah…”
Ben cupped her cheek in his hand and looked into her eyes, searching and holding her in place.
“I mean it. I love you just the way you are, mods and all. Don’t ever think you have to change for me or anyone else.”
She smiled, content in that moment. Blissful even. Of course, it couldn’t last long and a nagging thought tugged at her until she frowned.
“I suppose the King will need to be in his palace?”
Ben tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear and Celine leaned into his palm, happy for the contact with him.
“For a little while,” he said. “Until I can be sure everyone’s integrating properly and the bureaucracy isn’t going to send us into anarchy again.”
He paused for a beat, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
“But don’t think I’ve forgotten our trip. We’re still going to tour the galaxy. Besides, it’s going to take a few months before you’re ready anyway.”
Her brow creased in confusion. “Ready for what?”
He gave her a grin that could stop traffic and outshine the stars themselves. “Ready to fly, of course. I hope you don’t think I’ve overstepped, but a friend of mine is one of the top instructors in the Space Force. He’s agreed to teach you, if you want, that is.”
Celine’s eyes went wide as the moon. “Are you serious?”
Ben shrugged, unable to keep up the nonchalant act when it came to his crazy-broad smile. “No better way to see the wonders of the galaxy than from the pilot’s seat.”
Celine matched his grin with one of her own and pulled him in for a long-awaited kiss.
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Your Highness? King Bennett requests your presence,” Aris said, popping her head through the open doorway.
Celine frowned, sending an apologetic look to Alex.
“I’m in the middle of a session,” she said. “Is it urgent?”
Aris looked around and gave a little shrug and a knowing smirk that made Celine suspicious. “I’m afraid he’s insistent.”
Celine sighed, giving Alex’s new mechanical leg another look-over. “You don’t have any complaints? Phantom pain? Spasms? Anything like that?”
Alex grinned and stood on his one leg, hopping up and down. “I’ve never been better. Never thought I’d be able to walk without pain again,” he said.
Celine just smiled.
Over the past year, Celine and her father worked diligently to create parts for Terrans that needed them. Some had limbs that had failed them, like Alex, others wanted additions, rather than modifications. That provided a whole new challenge — one that Abatu and Celine had bonded a great deal over. They’d spawned a whole new movement of mechanical accessories, but insisted everyone learn how to properly use their new modifications.
Celine handled arms and she loved seeing tinkerers being born every day. People that never gave any thought to the machines in their lives that suddenly wanted to take everything apart to see the inner workings.
It warmed her heart.
Alex was the exception; he was Ben’s best friend and she wasn’t going to entrust his progress with anyone else.
“Alright, but we’re doing double therapy next time, you can thank Ben,” she said with a little smirk.
Alex groaned playfully. “You’re killing me,” he teased, wrapping her in a half hug before heading to the door. “Say hello to His Majesty for me, will you?” Alex added with a twinkle in his eye.
“I will,” Celine said, following Aris out of the examination room.
“What’s this about?” she asked as Aris led her to another wing of the palace.
Aris’s narrow shoulders lifted in a shrug. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy, Your Highness.”
Celine rolled her eyes. “You can stop calling me that, you know. Just because we got married a couple of months ago doesn’t mean you have to start acting all weird around me.”
Aris just offered a demure smile and opened the door to Ben’s office.
Celine waited for Aris to leave and close the door before she turned to her husband, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. “What are you up to now?”
Ben feigned innocence. “Up to? Whatever do you mean my darling?”
Okay, now she was certain he was up to something.
She pursed her lips and waited for him to dig himself in deeper.
Ben cleared his throat. “How are your flying lessons coming?”
She frowned, really confused now. “Why don’t you tell me? You let me fly all the way home after we visited the Caudata Nebula.”
Ben faltered, looking like she’d caught him in something. But what?
“It’s not fair when you look at me like that, it takes all the fun out of surprises,” he pouted.
Celine couldn’t help but smile, crossing the room in three quick steps to lean over his desk, her lips hovering just above his. “Maybe you should stop trying to surprise me,” she said, her voice low and teasing.
“Never,” he said, closing the distance between them. His kisses never failed to send a jolt all the way to her toes.
“Come on, I have something to show you.”
Celine let her husband take her by the hand and lead her through the palace. At long last, they ended up where they always seemed to end up: the hangar.
“Are we going flying?” she asked, wondering why it couldn’t have waited until after her session.
Ben’s expression brightened, like she’d just answered a question for him. “Yes! Yes we are. Come on.”
He was still acting very strange. Celine resolved to keep a close eye on him.
“Where to?” she asked, pressing for more information.
Her husband practically hopped from one foot to the other. “I thought we’d survey the Outskirts and see how things are coming along.”
Celine nodded and didn’t voice her objection that they’d just done that very thing a week earlier.
Ben huffed. “You really do take all the fun out of it, you know,” he said, a smile still betraying his words.
“Just tell me already, then!”
“Fine! I got you a new ship. Are you happy?”
Whatever she thought she was going to hear, that wasn’t it. Celine felt her jaw go slack and her eyes go wide. “Really?”
“Really,” Ben beamed. “And I thought you’d wanna take it for a spin. They just finished everything and are fueling her up now.”
Celine’s face hurt from how hard she was smiling. “Who says my ship is a girl? Maybe it’s a boy ship.”
Ben rolled his eyes and gestured. “You tell me.”
It was the most magnificent thing Celine had ever seen. Sleek, aerodynamic, it looked like it could out-maneuver the nimblest fighter and still want for a challenge.
“That’s really mine?” she asked, taking a step toward it with one arm outstretched. It was a far cry from the pasted-together ship she’d once tried to build herself. “Can I touch it?”
Ben laughed. “You’re gonna do a lot more than that, come on!”
He took her by the hand and pulled her up the steps into the cockpit of the two-seater. Every surface was shiny and new, begging for her to come closer. She gave Ben one last questioning look, and with his nod of encouragement, plopped herself into the pilot’s seat.
“I can’t believe you got this for me! It’s wonderful,” she said, her throat closing up with emotion.
“You like
it?”
“I love it,” she said, spinning in her chair to give him a kiss.
“Good, now let’s see what she—” Celine shot her husband a sharp look. “—or he can do. Why don’t you start your pre-flight checklist?”
She did as he said, following the procedure her instructor laid out, an extra layer of pressure on her under the watchful eyes of Ben. He’d always be twice the flyer she was, but she’d never stop trying to match him in skill.
Soon, they were hovering above the city, heading for the wall.
Things had changed there, in the last year, too. After she fixed the force field, Celine couldn’t stop tinkering with it, and finally, she managed to extend the borders, giving them land enough to work.
It wasn’t easy and Ben had brought in countless specialists from across the galaxy, but eventually, they were able to farm the land. Now, where it was once barren and dusty, there were tidy rows of crops, lush green plants, and people happy to be free from the depths of the city. Urban life wasn’t for everyone, after all.
It amazed her what they’d been able to accomplish together and she wondered how they ever became so fractured in the first place. Just as Celine felt Ben was her other half, the Terrans felt the modders were theirs. The transition had gone better than she ever could have hoped.
They circled the perimeter of the city before Celine tilted the ship up, aiming for the heavens. Even though she could see them from the palace with the expanded force field, nothing gave her as much joy as seeing the stars past the atmosphere.
Well, almost nothing.
“This really is quite a lovely ship,” she said, watching Ben out of the corner of her eye.
He turned to her, eyes narrowed. “Why do I hear a but?”
She pressed her lips together, fighting back a smile, and shook her head. “No buts.”
Ben crossed his arms, his expression still trying to read through her. “So what’s wrong with it?”
She shrugged. “Oh, nothing really… Although,” she paused, trying to appear thoughtful. “It’s a bit small don’t you think?”
Ben looked around, frowning. “How many people are you wanting to fit in here? Call me selfish, but I like to have you to myself.”
