The Chaos of Luck

by Catherine Cerveny

  On the doorstop, Novi turned to me, grabbing my hand and pumping my arm vigorously. The move jostled the baby, but the girl showed no signs of waking up.

  “Thank you!” she babbled. “You’ve really made me feel so much better about this. I’m going to tell my friends. They’ve wanted to see you, but they always found this part of town too intimidating. I’m going to let them know otherwise and how much you helped. Thanks again.”

  Before I could say anything, she released my hand and hustled down the well-lit street. A few skips later, she was gone. Lotus and I stood there looking after her, both of us openmouthed. Lotus recovered first.

  “That was a lot of love,” she said drily.

  I shrugged. “I’d like to hope I really helped her.”

  “Maybe, but it was too much love, like she was forcing it. Something tells me not to trust her,” Lotus murmured, watching the street, trying to follow where Novi had disappeared. Then she turned to me. “You’re too naïve sometimes, wanting to help everyone and always getting taken in by a sob story. You’re reading cards, not doling out life advice. I’d never use Granny G’s cards like that. I’d use them for the good of the family.”

  Great, this again. How many times would I have to endure this before my family gave it a rest? Besides, I was hardly naïve after what I’d been through with my mother, Roy, and even Alexei. It amazed me I’d come through with my ability to trust still intact.

  “This is what I want to do with my life and my cards, so get over it,” I retorted. “And I do use them to help the family. You all get readings for free whenever you want. Besides, everyone knows I’m better at this than the whole lot of you so suck it up.” Then because I was feeling mature, I stuck my tongue out at her. “Now tell me why you don’t trust her because I’m not feeling it.”

  Like me and almost everyone in the family, Lotus experienced the same gut reactions I did, all courtesy of the luck gene—another thing I hadn’t told my family about. No one else needed to carry the weight of that knowledge around. They didn’t need the burden of second-guessing their actions or trying so damned hard not to question whether people’s feelings were genuine.

  “I can’t put my finger on it yet. Maybe it was the way she kept gushing, or how her story went on and on. You’re the card reader. You’re getting paid to figure that stuff out, not have her drop the answer in your lap and regurgitate the words back to her. And did you see how she handled her baby? It was like she’d never held one in her life.”

  I frowned. Why hadn’t I felt anything? Was it because my own reactions had been haywire since Alexei had left? Maybe my gut couldn’t process the finer details. “You don’t think her story was true?”

  “Hard to say. I just know it had too many details.”

  Spoken like a true Sevigny, brought up in a family of con artists. Still, “How do you even know what we were talking about?”

  Lotus shrugged. “I wanted to know how much longer you’d be, so I listened at the door. Thin walls, remember?”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  Lotus snickered. “Speaking of the Russian, you going to tell him there’s a troublemaker in the mines?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t talk about things clients tell me in confidence, but if I think it could be a problem, I might. I’ll see what the cards suggest.”

  Lotus nodded and left it at that. One thing I had to say about my cousin and made me glad she was there even if she annoyed me sometimes—she got me. No one understood like family did.

  “You heard from him at all?”

  “No, but it’s barely been two weeks. He said it might be three before he got back.”

  “If I couldn’t see Buckley for that long, my girl parts would dry up,” she sympathized. Then she brightened. “Well, if we’re done here, Buckley says he’s at the club. I told him no need to wait because you were our secret line-skipping weapon. Ready to party?”

  I looked dubiously at Lotus and her ribbons, and wished Alexei were with me instead of wherever the hell he was. “Okay, let’s party.”

  Chapter Three

  One handy thing about my chain-breaker watchdogs: I always had a flight-limo available without ever having to ask. Sometimes their level of attentiveness made me wonder if Alexei had chipped me without my knowledge. Or was I so boring, my routines were easy to predict? When I thought about complaining, I’d remember I never had to walk anywhere or fight over public air-hacks, so I kept my mouth shut. Besides it meant Alexei cared, which made me feel all gushy inside thinking about him.

  On Mars, energy was cheap. The HE-3 shortage hadn’t impacted here as it had Earth, where the fuel was eked out of the Moon and shuttled back. Mars was the gateway to the riches of the outer solar system with everything funneled through it first before shipping out to the rest of the tri-system. And like a corrupt One Gov official, Mars skimmed a portion off the top. Many people had their own personal vehicles, though mass transit was also popular. You could hire an air-hack to whisk you wherever you wanted to go, so the air byways were always jammed.

  And the stories I’d heard about water being rationed on Mars—urban legends. I had all the hot showers a girl could want, with and without Alexei. When they’d terraformed Mars, the water-rich dwarf planet Ceres was tapped. I didn’t understand the planning involved to prevent Mars from shattering like an egg on impact; only that Ceres was harvested from the asteroid belt to increase the planet’s mass and give Mars a gravity boost more in line with Earth’s. Also, more water.

  Mars was given two extra moons—Vesta and Pallas, also culled from the asteroid belt. Their combined gravitational pull was enough to heat the iron core of Mars, thus magnetizing the planet and protecting it from solar radiation. Mars was also nudged closer to the Sun, shifting its position farther into the habitable zone. Hey, I guess if you were going to terraform a planet, you may as well go all out.

  Lotus fidgeted beside me on the bench seat while I applied more eyeshadow until my eyes shimmered like my dress. I touched up the rest of my face then threw the cosmetics into my makeup bag and stashed it in a compartment under the seat. Though the trip wasn’t long—fifteen minutes to the Vibe District—Lotus had already knocked back two shots of tequila from the minibar.

  “Don’t like flying?” I asked.

  “Just anxious. You took longer with that reading than normal.”

  Though she might tease me about Alexei and act blasé about threesomes, I knew Lotus worried Buckley might hook up with another woman. If so, that would be the end of them and I knew she wasn’t ready to give him up. While I’d never interfere unless she asked, I couldn’t see them lasting much longer. Tonight could end with me either having to watch them fight or make out. Neither would be entertaining.

  The twinge in my stomach warned me the flight-limo was descending to street level. I peered out the window. There was more than enough light to see the Vibe District in all its vibrant splendor. It encompassed three square blocks and catered to anyone with a mind to party, with some sort of entertainment always available at any time.

  Originally, I’d wanted to locate my shop there. Alexei had flat-out vetoed me, claiming it wasn’t the safest part of Elysium City, no matter how low the overall crime rate. The buildings were a riot of colors and shapes, lit up with glaring neon outlines that chased away the darkness. It was so bright, you couldn’t even see the stars—not that anyone was looking given how intent they were on having a good time. The only objects you could really see in the sky were two of the four moons, Vesta and Phobos. Vesta was full as it made its way across the sky, while Phobos was a blip of light as it zoomed around Mars pretty much doing its own thing. It orbited the planet three times a sol, its presence in the sky so common a sight, you forgot it housed the harshest penal colony in the tri-system. After all, One Gov had to put its criminals somewhere. I guess outer space was as good a place as any.

  Though we still hadn’t landed—there must be a line out front causing a delay—music from the club assault
ed us. The thud of a heavy bass line made the armored flight-limo rattle. I could even feel the pounding on my body, thudding against my chest. It had been a while since I’d been to a club like Red Dust—big, loud, lots of dancing, too much drinking, and so many drugs. I tried to psyche myself into the right mind-set. I used to love hitting the clubs back in Nairobi. Of course this would be fun. I was going to have a good time. I would enjoy myself and not pine for Alexei and wish I was with him. “It sounds wild inside. Maybe I should be wearing ribbons too.”

  Lotus grinned. “Maybe you should.”

  “Think we’ll find Buckley?”

  “We’d better or I’ll kill him.”

  So much for true love.

  Our c-tex bracelets both shimmered and vibrated at the same time, which was weird and a little freaky. Lotus got to hers first, then groaned.

  “It’s Celeste. Family chain-shim time. It’s one thirty in the freaking morning. Why isn’t that crazy broad asleep?” Lotus complained while tapping the screen.

  “She told me she has anxiety issues so she has trouble sleeping. She keeps her mind busy until she passes out from sheer exhaustion.”

  “Huh, I didn’t know. There’s drugs for that,” Lotus said, not sounding the least bit interested. Then her tone turned disgusted. “Ugh! Another reminder about the fucking picnic in a couple of weeks. She’s really set on being queen bee, isn’t she?”

  “I guess someone needs to herd the cats,” I answered, tapping my own bracelet and releasing the shim. “She’s been really welcoming since I arrived on Mars. She gets my vote if she wants to be queen.”

  “So you’re going to the picnic?”

  “Not this time. Celeste is great, but for once it’d be nice if the family was excited to see me rather than Granny G’s deck.”

  Celeste was yet another distant cousin on Mars. She was forever making announcements and hosting parties, pulling together whatever family was available and turning ordinary gatherings into “events” that bordered on ostentatious. While I’d met most of the family on Mars thanks to her, at times it felt like she was taking advantage of me and that made everything a lot less fun.

  “I don’t know if you can skip out. I think it’s going to be a big deal. She’s after everyone. Hell, she’s sending shims at one thirty in the morning, for fuck’s sake. It’ll be your chance to introduce everyone to the Russian.”

  “Oh, hell no then! I don’t need a baptism by fire.”

  “You have to bring him around sometime. You can’t keep the family in the dark forever.”

  I sighed. “I know. I’m just not ready for my two worlds to collide yet.”

  “Let me know when you are. I want to make sure I’m there to enjoy the show.”

  “Geez, thanks for the support.”

  Lotus grinned. “Isn’t that what family’s for?”

  The debate on family politics came to a halt as the flight-limo door slid open. Music blasted us, with the ground seeming to shake beneath me. A hand reached in and we were helped out by one of my chain-breakers. Looked like I had an army of four on babysitting duty tonight—a big step up from the usual one or two.

  The evening was warm and people milled about. After the Witching Time and with the fireworks over, people were either on their way home or deciding what to do next. Finding Buckley would be a chore in this crowd.

  A giant red neon sign in front of us boldly displayed the club’s name—Red Dust. In halting Russian, I asked the closest chain-breaker if we’d be able to get inside. He gestured for me to wait before cocking his head to the side, obviously in touch with someone via the CN-net.

  “Do you see Buckley?” Lotus asked, standing on tiptoe and scanning all directions. “He said he’d be by the door.” Then she was tapping her c-tex before scoping out the area again, grinding her teeth in frustration. “If he’s not here, he’s a dead man.”

  A few more minutes of Lotus tapping and cursing until I heard a voice vying for our attention. Following the sound, I saw Buckley frantically waving at us while another chain-breaker detained him a few dozen feet away. Rolling my eyes, I told the closest chain-breaker to let Buckley through. Seconds later, he bounded up like a frisky dog—I’d seen enough dogs lately to know—and threw an arm around Lotus.

  Buckley was average height with a long swath of dirty blond hair that swept to the side and covered his right eye. The rest of his head was shaved clean. He was cute, but not particularly memorable—the way most people were when their parents couldn’t afford MH Factor upgrades beyond the basics. His internal t-mods were base model too, so he actually didn’t rate much higher than either me or Lotus with our c-tex bracelets. He worked in the booming Martian construction business, and spent his off time at the gym though he wasn’t as dedicated as Alexei. Compared to Earth, it was difficult to build muscle mass on Mars with its slightly lower gravity though I suspected Alexei’s MH Factor allowed him to maintain muscle more easily than most.

  “Get off me! You’re all sweaty,” Lotus complained, smacking him. “Where were you?”

  “I was here the whole time! I just couldn’t get by them,” he said, jerking his thumb at the chain-breakers.

  “Sorry. My fault,” I apologized.

  “Hey, Felicia,” Buckley said, throwing his other arm around my shoulders. “No worries. Just glad I’m not having my ass handed to me.” Then as if remembering himself, he removed his arm and glanced about. “Is the Russian here?”

  “No, he’s out of town. He’ll be back next weekend or the week after.”

  I couldn’t help but be amused at the relief on his face or how he allowed his arm to drop back over my shoulders. “So it’s just the three of us? Should be fun.”

  “That’s if we can get inside,” I cautioned.

  “Oh, I think I know how to get inside,” Buckley answered, shooting us both a look that said he meant getting inside more than the club.

  Um…gross. Buckley may have been the perfect guy for Lotus given his low-tech status, but I felt she could do better. If my boyfriend had creepily implied a three-way with my cousin, we would have had serious words about it. I definitely wouldn’t be engaging in the tonsil-licking session they’d abruptly started. Thankfully, it didn’t last long as a chain-breaker approached and gestured for us to follow. I got out from under Buckley’s arm and pulled Lotus after me.

  “Come on, kids. You can save that for when I want the retinas burned out of my head.”

  One chain-breaker led us past the line of club-goers waiting to get inside. Another prevented people from getting too close, deflecting anyone reaching out to stop our progress. Lotus grinned, and I returned it. I couldn’t help but get a kick out of the whole “being connected” thing and made a mental note to thank Alexei later.

  Like the buildings, many in the crowds wore outfits tinged with neon fringes. It was the latest fad in the Elysium City club scene, something even a person like me could try. You lined your clothing with a thin, flexible tubing of tiny filaments that dangled and swayed when you danced. The color variations were endless though green, pink, and blue were the most popular. I’d heard that when you took a Euphoria hit, the neon created color waves that tripped the mind into a state of consciousness you couldn’t achieve anywhere else—not even on the CN-net. Though I hadn’t tried Euphoria myself, I was curious. It caused intense hallucinations, heightened sexual arousal, and even dulled pain. Maybe I’d give it a whirl if Alexei was with me, but not when the only person looking out for me was myself. What if the Euphoria state went bad, which had been known to occur. I didn’t have any stabilizing t-mods to save me. What might happen to me during a Euphoria trip was anyone’s guess.

  Instead of heading to the main entrance, we were taken to a side door around the corner. Our chain-breaker sized up the club bouncers, some words were exchanged—Russian, though it was too fast and the music inside too loud for me to follow. However, I heard Alexei’s name, then a gesture toward me. Abruptly the side door opened and we were whisked insid
e.

  “Remind me to go places with you more often,” Lotus noted with approval.

  I laughed. “It isn’t always like this.”

  Lotus linked her arm through mine while pulling Buckley after her. “Come on, let’s ditch the watchdogs and have some fun!”

  We were in a back hallway behind the main part of the club. In front of us were a series of doors that likely went to staff offices. With Lotus urging us, we abandoned our chaperones, Buckley whooping excitedly behind us. The thudding music grew louder until we rounded a corner and cleared the hall. There, we stood on a balcony overlooking the whole club, blasted with sound and light.

  “Wow.”

  I wasn’t sure who said it. Maybe it was all three of us. I felt Lotus clutch my hand as we looked down at the writhing mass of bodies and sea of neon. It just seemed to go down into forever as if the floor had been dug out and descended another several stories. On the walls were abstract red-hued projections that moved and twisted in time with the music, looking like an actual dust storm swirled around us. Up above on the blackened ceiling was an array of lights that twinkled like pulsating stars. I saw three separate bar areas serving drinks with colorful liquor bottles lined up in pyramid formations, backlit in a way to entice patrons to drink. The bartenders looked sexy and chic, dressed in skintight black catsuits with neon red piping. Somewhere down there was the Euphoria bar, where patrons could take a hit of the latest designer vapor and scramble their neurons for the night.

  In the center of it all was the dance floor—although I wasn’t sure it could technically be called that since no one was on the floor. Everyone floated in midair in a caged-off area that prevented people from drifting back to normal gravity. To get in and out, people stepped onto the floor and immediately started rising, then used the caged sides to climb up and down. It made me wonder what the liability might be if people started dropping to the floor like flies. Still it looked amazing, like the true zero-g of outer space.

  While we took in the view, chain-breakers surrounded us again. I shrugged when Lotus scrunched her face in irritation. She leaned in, her mouth next to my ear. “How can you stand them around all the time?”