by Kelly Curtis
“Oh they put on a good show for you and all of their other customers,” Alma refuted. “You can’t be a cargo captain and not be ready to defend your goods.” Alma thought for a minute and then asked nonchalantly, “Is there any part of the book that would remind you of Terra Nova?”
Grace almost dropped her wine glass, “Terra Nova?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose if you were a Terra Nova supporter you might name your ship Dante as a metaphor for going through hell and then finding paradise. Paradise at being successful in bringing technology back to humanity.”
Alma just sat in silence trying to put the pieces together, Admiral Jackson, the Titan Station Master, Terra Nova and the Dante.
Grace interrupted her thoughts, “I also heard a rumor that you have a witch onboard. What’s that about?”
“She’s not a witch. She’s a clever young woman. I need a loyal protégé and a doctor is a good one to have.”
“Oh and there I was thinking you really had lost the plot and signed on an honest to goodness witch.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. Next time I meet a witch in the Military Guild, I’ll definitely sign her on just to amuse you.”
Grace laughed, “But it’s strange, no? Did this Junior Doctor abandon her guild or her parents’ to join the Military Guild? I heard she has no record. I mean, I know you all are desperate, but that desperate?”
“She’s happy in the Military Guild and we are happy to have her.”
“And it doesn’t bother you that you don’t know where she comes from?”
“Nope,” Alma responded casually.
“Really?”
“Yes, I’m not so concerned with the twelve. I’m concerned with humanity. Julia James is a clever woman who keeps to herself. She wants to be where she is and doesn’t want to talk about where she’s been and I’m fine with that. She’s given me no reason to question her, she probably just ran away from parents who refused to allow her to join the guild she wanted, you know it happens.”
“What if she left Mars or her parents were pirates or something? What if she lied and she isn’t one of the twelve?”
“Are you going to raise a standard against her, Grace?”
“No. Of course not. Why would you ask me that?”
“Because you are beginning to sound like an exclusionist. One of these people who wants to eradicate humans not born of the twelve.”
“You know I’m not. I just don’t want people taking what they didn’t earn, what their parents didn’t earn and so forth. All of us give up a lot to live this way. We’re sacrificing a lot of conveniences to keep humanity safe. I think it’s easy for you to lose sight of that because you get to work with technology. You never have to long for the convenience of it like the rest of us.”
“Yes, and because of that, I’m confident that the way the JC has chosen to live is the right way for humanity. A lot of people cannot handle technology in their daily lives. You know the kind of illnesses it brought to humanity in the 22nd century. And this is why people are checked for tech flu all the time in the Military Guilds. Humans outside the twelve that live with this technology, I guarantee you, they’re not a drain on the JC. They live much shorter lives, make terrible decisions, probably because they use too much technology and cannot think in reality to make good decisions when they must…”
Grace interrupted her, “Give me an example.”
“I’ve seen a father forget a baby because he became distracted looking at his IC at Titan Station.”
“No, I don’t believe you. How can you forget you’ve a baby with you. It cries. It’s completely dependent on its parent.”
“You can forget because your mind is on your IC and not in the present, not in the reality you are standing in. Even when some people put their IC away, there’s a delay in getting back to reality and some people cannot snap back fast enough, and then more mistakes are made.”
“But not everyone,” Grace said.
“No not everyone, but enough people. And these people think they can’t live without their ICs, they’ve been so brainwashed, so there is no reason to think they would ever move to Earth or Mars to live, where personal technology is banned. Even people in the Ethereal ban it. The only way we can get people, not of the twelve to come live on Earth is to put them in a MAC as punishment. So don’t think for a second anyone I saved last week is a drain on the JC resources. And definitely don’t think this Junior Doctor is either, I suspect she had a terrible relationship with her parents and just wanted to start again. It can happen to anyone.”
“I personally wouldn’t risk hiring someone who was hiding something.”
“No, but thankfully you don’t have to find people willing to die for their jobs either. There are a lot less good candidates to choose from when you add in that clause to the job description.”
“That’s for sure. I heard that they are allowing people to combine their SCs now for procreation permission. That should help the Military Guilds.”
Alma didn’t want to talk about children or Scott with Grace so she simply said with a smile, “I’m so sorry. I’ve got to go.”
Grace was surprised, “So soon? You’ve only been here a few hours. I thought you’d stay the night. I made up the guest bedroom for you.”
“Next time I promise. You know, I’d love to stay.”
“Suit yourself. I hope to see you again before your birthday,” Grace said jokingly, but was somewhat serious. Like most JC citizens, Grace had limited permission to travel on the long distance magnetic trains. Alma’s birthday was still ten months away, “Oh wait, speaking of birthdays,” she said rising and walking towards her bedroom. “I’ve some of your favorite soap for you.” Grace returned with a beautiful, blue, small cloth bag and handed it to Alma.
Alma put the rose scented bar soap into her pocket, “Thank you. This is so much better than what’s available in Atlanta.” All transportation of non-necessity goods was forbidden. These restrictions did inadvertently bring the pleasure back into traveling.
Alma smiled and said ‘tschüss’ to her cousin with one kiss on each cheek.
It was evening as Alma walked down the straight streets of Paris to where she had left her transport. She was so deep in thought, in the light in that twilight phase of the evening, that she didn’t notice the man walking too close behind her until it was too late.
Alma grabbed for her gun instinctively but then realized she had left it in her transport. She then elbowed the man hard and tried to get out of his grip. She half succeeded until he pulled her back by the wrist harshly and began punching her in the face, all the while saying, “This is for John Peterson,” her dead crewman.
Alma took the punches and then punched back until the man slumped in defeat. Then she let go and before she could put a foot on him to keep him with her and summon the police, he surprised her by getting up and running away as fast as he could. She was too tired to chase him.
Alma’s assailant had broken her nose. Her face hurt and there was both of hers and his blood on her hands. He’d been a professional, she assumed. There had been implanted metal in his knuckles. She needed to go to the hospital, but she was so tired. Suddenly she felt dizzy as if she was in a dream and wondered if there was anything else on his hands when he hit her. She half fell and half sat down on the empty evening street and tried to right herself. It wasn’t long before two very concerned citizens stopped to help her.
“Pouvons-nous vous aider?” they asked.
“Oui, un aggresseur m’a attaquée,” she replied as if in a strange dream, explaining she had been attacked, and they winced at her heavy American accent. But Alma almost smiled that at least they didn’t retrieve their handheld translators. Unlike other civilizations in the galaxy, humans had rejoiced in their linguistic diversity and refused embedded universal translators.
“Nom de Dieu! On vous emmène à l’hôpital. Ce n’est pas loin,” one commiserated and suggested a trip to the hospital as th
e other extended his hand to Alma and she took it. She wanted to tell them she might have some kind of mind-numbing chemical on her, but she couldn’t find the words.
At the hospital Alma was treated for her injuries. The doctors confirmed her assailant used a drug that would slow her mind and movements but was not poisonous.
The police took her statement. She didn’t name the dead crewman’s family who had obviously paid for the man to attack her. Alma didn’t think it was necessary as it probably wouldn’t happen again.
Before she was released her mother turned up at the hospital.
“Alma, was ist passiert?” Anna said walking into the crowded hospital room seeing her daughter sitting on the edge of a bed. She and her mother always spoke German to each other when their father was not present.
“Mutter, what are you doing here?” Alma was expecting someone from the Military Guild or Grace.
“The hospital called me. You know, I’m still your mother no matter how old you are and you’re on my continent now.” Hospital protocol, no matter how minor the incident, was that the patient couldn’t leave alone. In the JC, personal human interactions were seen as just as valuable as doctors’ prescribed medicine.
Alma made a mental note to put Grace as her next of kin in Europe, “I’m fine. I was just attacked.”
“Why? Was it …” she didn’t finish. Robberies didn’t happen anymore as no one carried money on their person and it was almost impossible to get someone else to transfer UCs unwillingly. Anna was not stupid, what had happened to Alma was personal, but to what degree she didn’t know. Just a pervert wanting to rape a woman or someone wanting to specifically attack Alma for something she had done. Anna suspected the latter and wanted Alma to tell her about it.
“I don’t know,” Alma lied.
“Do you think it had something to do with the crewman who was killed?” Anna asked in an exaggerated whisper.
Alma shook her head, “Let’s talk about it elsewhere.”
“Come back with me. I’ve already cancelled all my plans for the evening and we can talk about this. I don’t like the idea of you going home if someone wants revenge.”
“I’m sure security will take care of it and my apartment building is in the government ring of Atlanta. It’s secure.”
“It’d make me feel better if you would at least come with me tonight. I do miss you, you know?”
Alma could not resist such an invitation from her mother so they left and took her transport to Berlin.
June 17th 2635, Berlin, Germany, Europe
Anna’s Berlin apartment was lavish. She had been an actress for a long time and had climbed up one of the most prestigious acting guilds in the JC. Living in this apartment was part of her reward for being so dedicated to her craft and also such a good citizen at the same time. In the JC’s eyes, Anna Valentin was almost a star citizen, her only fault was not having more than one child. However, as Alma grew, some people began to whisper that maybe it was a good thing Anna and Harold only had one child.
Alma sat down in her mother’s beautiful drawing room which had a spectacular view of the Berlin’s skyline. Anna went back into her bedroom without saying anything and returned with some clothing for Alma. They were exactly the same size.
“Here,” she said as she handed the clothing to Alma. “I won’t have you getting blood everywhere.”
Alma took the clothing without protest and went back to the guest room, the room she always stayed in when she was with her mother and changed. After she dressed, she looked at herself in the small mirror hanging on the wall. She touched her face where there was a small band aid now. Beside the mirror, a picture caught her eye. She looked at it closely as she didn’t remember seeing it before. It was a picture from her childhood. She must have been around seven or eight years old when it was taken and judging by their clothing and the background, it was summer in Europe somewhere.
Once dressed in trousers with a subtle red floral pattern and a complementing shirt, Alma emerged and joined her mother in the drawing room where a glass of wine was waiting for her.
“Now don’t you feel a little better?” Anna asked admiring her beautiful daughter in clothes that she should wear, not that dreadful uniform. She still held out hope that Alma would leave the military and at the very least take a job in the government. They were connected guilds so it was possible.
“Thank you,” Alma said obediently taking a sip of wine. “I noticed you hung up a new picture in the guest bedroom. When was that taken?”
“Oh, how can you not remember?”
“Sorry, I just was hit on the head,” Alma was grateful for the excuse because obviously that had been an important day for her mother.
“It was the day that you won the junior singing competition. You were so fantastic that day. You sang every note so beautifully and do you remember how you were invited to visit all the singing guilds in Europe afterwards?”
Alma gave her mother a half smile, “Of course, I remember now. It was fun.”
“You know you can still sing. That kind of talent doesn’t disappear immediately.”
“I don’t want to be a singer,” Alma said becoming defensive. “I’m sorry,” she added when she saw her mother’s crushed face.
“You’ve just been beaten on the street like some kind of criminal by another criminal and you’re shocked I’m not proud of you? That shouldn’t be happening to my daughter. That doesn’t happen to good citizens like us. You’ve taken everything your father and I have provided for you, all of our social connections and joined the most unfashionable and unfavorable guild in the JC. And for what? What do you have to prove, Alma?”
“You’re ashamed that I was attacked? As if I planned it just to upset you.”
“It’s more than just what happened today. You’ve had every opportunity to live a good life, better than most, and you’ve thrown it away and I don’t know why. Why did you join the military? That is for people who have nowhere else to go or traditionalists,” she said ‘traditionalists’ with disdain.
“I joined the Military Guild because I love being a pilot. And now, close your ears if you don’t want to hear this, I love being out there in a starship in space doing something more than singing songs and being concerned about who said what in which guild here on Earth. There’s a whole galaxy out there of interesting civilizations and I want to be a part of that, out there.”
“How can you be so obstinate? Humans are not meant to be a part of the galaxy in the way that you want. Those other civilizations, they embrace technology. They don’t respect their ecosystems. Their planets are shells of what they are supposed to be. They’ve no art, no reasons for living except for technology and war and no respect for the most fundamental aspects of life.” Anna paused and then asked acquisitively, “Are you a part of Terra Nova? Are you planning on destroying our peace? Is that why you let the Dante’s crew go?”
“What? No.” Alma looked at her mother disbelievingly, “How can you ask me that?”
“You refused a direct order to destroy a ship of pirates.”
“There were innocent people on that ship, I’m not a murderer.”
“They weren’t innocent. They were outside the twelve.”
“They were still humans.”
“Alma, my darling daughter, what is wrong? How have you become so lost you don’t even know right from wrong anymore?”
“I’m not lost.”
“I think you should give up your position immediately before things get worse. You’ve had your fun playing with your space ship, now it’s time to get serious. Join the Choir Guild, have beautiful children with Scott and live your life as it is meant to be. Reap the benefits of the JC. You’ve earned it and your father and I have earned it for you.”
Alma had tears in her eyes, “I know you never want to hear this, but I’ll keep repeating this because it’s the truth. I don’t want to be a singer. I don’t want to be the most popular person on planet Earth. I really don
’t care what strangers think about me. I want to be who I am.”
Anna looked sternly at Alma, “You’re still my daughter and as long as you continue to make these mistakes I’ll continue to correct them. I cannot in good conscious just watch you throw all of your talent away to be some kind of space policewoman chasing humans who have adamantly chosen to shun our way of life and live like beasts outside the twelve.”
“Then, as always, we’re at an impasse,” Alma stood up. “I’m going to sleep now. I’ll leave early before breakfast.”
Anna stood and gave her daughter a hug that Alma didn’t return, “I just worry so much for you.”
“I know,” said Alma quietly after half a minute. “But I can’t be who I’m not. I can’t pretend,” she left off saying, ‘I’m not an actress like you.’
Chapter 7
June 21st 2635, Atlanta, Georgia, North America
Alma put on the white linen dress she had rented especially for Midsummer and then placed the amateur flower crown that she had bought from the neighborhood children in her hair. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, thinking about her own childhood when she and the other children used to also sell homemade flower crowns for UCs or candy to people in their neighborhood.
Alma was lost in her Midsummer childhood memories when Scott came up behind her and kissed the back of her neck. She put her hand gently on the back of his head.
“You look positively gorgeous,” he murmured as they both looked at their reflection together in the mirror.
She smiled, “And if I sleep with seven different flowers under my pillow, do you think I’ll dream about you tonight?”
He laughed, “Who else? Or do you have a mysterious alien lover I don’t know about?”
“I’ll put the flowers under my pillow and we’ll see if I dream about you or an alien,” she joked. There was only one species in the galaxy remotely compatible with humans, but humans considered them to be vile.
“Who says you are going to sleep tonight? It’s Midsummer. Remember last year?”
