by JA Huss
This is a trick, Junco – it's not possible. You killed him! He is dead!
But Aren responds like he's reading my mind. "Do you think you're the only one with clones, you stupid bitch?"
Oh fuck.
"I'm gonna be sending your brother back to you in pieces. Very small pieces that I will personally cut off him each and every day. And just to show my sincerity, we'll make the first cut together." He motions to the man behind him, who proceeds to cut off a finger with a plasma knife. The flesh smokes up in thick tendrils as it burns. My fingers find the SEAR scar on my jaw as Moju's screams turn demonic and I cover my ears.
"I'm sure you remember how that feels, right? Except, Junco, he won't be treated with some special membrane to seal it all up pretty." He laughs and then turns back to Moju, apparently thinking he is off screen, or maybe he just wants me to think that. "She's not coming for you, Moju. She's gonna let you suffer just like everyone else."
And then the screen goes black and a deletion sequence begins counting down. In a matter of seconds the entire video is erased and a smoldering burn begins in the center of the card and spreads outward to the edges. I toss it onto a tray that holds a pitcher of water in the middle of the table and I'm halfway across the room about to kick Slag's ass when I catch myself and spin back around.
Fuck.
Think, Junco. Think.
I take a seat and let my head fall into my hands as my mind races through my options. I know Lucan is in on this. And Slag. I envision six different ways to kill them both using only three moves.
Shit. Think.
I force myself to stop and rationalize it. Why would Lucan want me gone? I ponder all the possibilities, but only one makes sense. To make sure Tier dies. That's the reason.
Trust no one. Show no weakness.
I take a deep breath and count to five before letting it out.
Calm, Junco.
No weakness.
I repeat the breathing until my heart stops racing and then I get up and walk around to make sure I can control it before knocking on the door.
Chapter Seven
They all file in, including Ashur, and each one takes a seat at the table across from me. I smile, and then push the hatred down as Slag begins describing the deal he's been sent to offer.
I interrupt him after only a few words. "Who sent you here, Slag?" My eyes pierce into him, rage at him, but I don't allow a single muscle on my face to move.
He looks at me, confused. "Your mother, Junco. Didn't she explain things on the video?"
I let out a breath and Ashur is on his feet so he can reach into the ashtray and pick up the remains of the tech. Only the extreme edges are left, and they are charred black. He leaves the table and walks around to my side and stands behind me.
"That tech did not contain a video of my mother, Slag. So, I'll ask you one more time, who sent you?"
Slag's mouth sags and it's Lucan who answers my question. "Junco, the launch credentials check out. It came from the Subjective planet pad in Vegas." He tilts his head up like he's thinking. "Recently acquired, since you were picked up."
I laugh. "That is so much bullshit."
He continues without a pause. "A lot has happened on Earth in the time you've been away. Vegas was captured the week after you left."
"It's not a very strategic move on their part. It's a long fucking supply line from Vegas to the Subs, isn't it?" I turn to look him in the face to wait for his answer.
Slag clears his throat and I turn back to him as I quiet down the slip in facial muscle control. "I was sent by your mother, Coot."
"She's not my mother, so quit fucking calling her that. Mothers give birth to their children, or at the very least care for them. She did neither. I'm done here."
I get up to leave but Lucan puts his hand up to halt my progress. "Junco, if you refuse this offer to return to Earth you'll be sent to Fledge. Immediately."
I shrug. "Whatever." I turn back to Ashur. "Take me to Fledge then, Ash."
He smiles and nods but Lucan is on his feet and already in front of me. "Just so I am clear here, Junco – you choose to stay and fight instead of returning to Earth?"
I laugh. "Lucan, you're clear."
Slag interrupts. "Coot, what the fuck are you doing? I was sent by your mother!"
I turn back and growl, "I don't have a mother, Slag. What part of my words aren't getting through to you?"
He crosses the room and grabs me by the arm. My body reacts without the extra squirt of adrenaline that appears during even the most benign of confrontations. My elbow hits him in the face and I turn just enough to knee him in the balls. He stumbles, but stays standing. Ashur steps between us, and Lucan is bending down into my face, his mouth contorting into ugly lines.
My heart never misses a beat and I realize I've wanted to do that for a long time. "I'm not leaving, Lucan."
"Ashur, take him outside and have him escorted back to his ship while I have a private talk with her."
They make for the exit and Lucan snarls at me, "Sit down, Junco. We're not done here."
I take a seat and watch him as he formulates his next move. One thing is very clear about Lucan, he has no idea who I am. He's read reports, seen videos maybe. Some first-hand accounts. He knows nothing beyond the few confrontational words between us.
When he speaks, he is calm. "You do realize you've tilted your hand, do you not?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lucan. Please, just get to the point."
"You have no real reason to stay here, Junco. Your morph is over, you're free to leave, you have a long life ahead of you. Your decision to stay is based on your desire to save Tier from his fate, and not this silly rebellion directed towards your mother."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I burn hot with rage, then see his smile and tone it down. "Are you really going to sit there and tell me you think that tech contained a message from my mother? You fucking piece of shit." I get up and see a slight movement backwards from him. "That wasn't my mother on that tech asking me to come home, Lucan. It was a clone of my first boyfriend snipping off Moju's finger. And I swear to my own fucking God, I will slice your fucking head off with my SEAR if you say another word to me about it."
I realize I'm up in his face – as far as I can manage with the height difference – and I take a step back. Then I turn and walk away.
"I'm staying," I say over my shoulder. "Moju's a big boy, he can certainly handle that little fuck without my help. When I'm done with this Fledge bullshit I'll go back on my own terms."
"When you're done with this Fledge bullshit, Junco, you will belong to the Aves Cluster. And you will go where you're told. Is that understood?"
"As long as someone tells me to go back to Earth and kill people, I've got no problem with that."
He lets out a breath and I can feel him roll his eyes at me. I turn to face him. "You're not going to win this game, Lucan."
"Says the one small girl with no power."
"I'm just warning you. Don't be disappointed in the end when I take back every drop of satisfaction you extract from my failures."
He sighs. It hints at exasperation, boredom even, and I sense I may have miscalculated. "One of these days, Junco, we will have an honest conversation. If it's Fledge fights you want, girl. Be my guest. Go and kill. But it won't save Tier. He's been on his way out for a very long time. Long before he refused orders, long before he waged war on the RR for you, and long before he gave away his genetics to a man who helped him kill more than two dozen Earth leaders."
Shit.
I look up at him, too quickly, having misplaced that little secret Tier told me out on the rock. Lucan reads my face and smiles. "Ah, I see some recognition there. Don't worry, Junco – when you testify the drugs will get it all out in the open." He stops and stares into my eyes, burns into them. I look away, feeling a little beaten already.
But he continues, "So, just remember, when we are at the end, when I am standing over you a
s you break in half, and I am forced to leave you with nothing, Junco – don't say I never tried to help. Don't tell me I made your life a living hell, because you will have done that all on your own.
"And if – this is a gigantic if, Junco – but if you can take back everything you'll lose by choosing this path, then please know that my satisfaction will come from that, and not from watching you fail."
He walks towards the door, palms it, and then turns. "By the way, has anyone ever mentioned that your language is filthy?" His voice is pleasant, like he's pondering the meaning of something quizzical, but he wrinkles his lip like he has a bad taste in his mouth. "I don't care for it. Cheapens you, Junco."
He leaves me standing there, facing the emptiness of space scowling, and feeling rather cheap and filthy, if I do say so myself.
But not minding one bit.
The door is still open when I walk through a few seconds after Lucan. I watch his figure walk away, down the long hallway, then turn to find Ashur. He's talking to a girl farther down the other end of the hallway and I make my way towards them. The girl is taller than me, but that might be due to her high heels. She has long black hair and wears what I would consider to be housewife gear. I can hear her deep voice murmuring towards Ash, who seems to be on drugs or something. Even though he's looking right into my eyes, it takes half a dozen seconds for him to acknowledge me.
"Junco, there you are."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "You OK?"
The girl turns and a flood of memories waft over me with her scent. I see my toddler self leaving church with my parents, my chubby hands firmly clutched between their palms as we cross the street and head towards the bakery in town. She smells like the bakery.
"Junco." Her voice is deep and entrancing. "I tried to get away as soon as I heard, but was delayed. I am so sorry I was not there when you woke up."
My head spins as I look up at Ashur. "What's going on?"
He smiles but says nothing and my head is swimming.
"Let's go get a stim, that will clear you two up. I was just at the clutch and I'm afraid that the effects won't wear off."
She pulls on us and we follow her.
"– so, like I said, Junco – hey, you still with me? Drink that, will you? It won't get better until you drink it all down."
I look at the drink in front of me and I have no idea how it got there. "Where are we?"
"Oh, for Seven's sake, Junco. I've answered that question seven times. Please, just drink it all right now."
I pick up the glass and bring it to my lips, drinking whatever it contains. I stare out the window, and then get up and press my face against it, amazed. We are at the top of a very tall structure, and the ground is so far away I can't even make out the bottom. I swoon with the realization of how high I am and her hands come out to steady me.
"Sit down, Junco. You're going to fall."
I let her lead me back to the chair and my head clears a fraction. "Where are we?"
She smiles, then breaks into a laugh. "Oh, for fuck's sake. Why don't you just tell me when you're feeling normal and I'll continue talking. I'm tired of telling you everything seven times."
I look at her. "Who are you?"
Her green eyes twinkle. "I'm Esta, Junco. Your sister, from the clutch."
"Why do I feel this way?" I try and look around but my head throbs, like I have a hangover.
"I'm afraid it's an occupational hazard. The wings, Junco. Mine cause people to become sedated and easily controlled."
"What kind of power is that?"
"The kind that makes it possible for me to spend all my days with the Aves Clutch." I squint up at her. "Children, Junco. I raise the children."
I nod my head, understanding. I think. Things are beginning to come in a little clearer and I look around me. The bar is massive. I mean huge. Probably fits like three hundred and fifty people. And every single patron is smashed up against the far wall, sipping drinks and eyeing us with caution. "Shit, Esta. You can really clear a room." My eyes track to the far end of the bar and I spot Ashur. He waves to me and laughs. I wave back.
"Feeling better now?"
"Yeah." I nod. "Wow, you're pretty intoxicating. That could come in handy."
"Yeah, if you spend your life babysitting, it's great."
"No, I mean with anyone. You're like a little drug factory. Controlling people is quite impressive."
"Yes, well, it only works on the Aves, Junco. No one else is affected. Besides, self-healing like you've got is a lot more practical."
"I can't self-heal. I can't do anything." I let out a little sigh and look at the bottom of my drink. "How the hell can I get another one? And a cigar?" I look up at her and wait for an answer.
"Here," she says, taking my finger and moving it towards the pad at the edge of the table. "Press there."
I do and a display pops up. I flip through it and choose a beer and a cigar. It beeps and shuts down. "Did it work?" The words are barely out of my mouth when the servos arrive to deliver my goodies. "Damn, that was quick." I gulp the beer and shake the cigar out and strike it up. I puff slowly and look back at Esta. "Like I was saying, I don't have any powers."
She smiles and I know what the children must feel when she's about to gently correct them. "All warriors can heal, Junco. And you're dressed as one, so I'm assuming you are one."
"No shit? What else can I do?"
She shrugs. "I'm not sure. Typically you get the powers associated with your Cluster, then whatever special talents you have."
I nod and puff on the cigar.
"Anyway, as I was saying to Ashur back at the conference room…"
My mind drifts again, I'd forgotten all about Lucan.
She snaps her fingers in front of my eyes. "Junco! Over here, dear. I'm talking to you, please pay attention."
I laugh.
"I'm so glad to finally have another Sibling here, it's been awful. I only want to read the history, Junco. And Lucan refuses–" She crinkles her forehead and half a dozen furrows appear.
"Wait, what? You're unhappy?"
She lets out a large breath of air as Ashur walks up. "Feeling better, Juncs?"
I nod. "Yeah. Esta is unhappy."
He pulls back as he looks at her and she covers her face and turns away.
"We gotta get going, Junco." He puts his hand on Esta's shoulder. "She has to fight tomorrow, Esta. She needs to get acclimated. You can walk with us if you want, let me just get a couple stims to go." And then he smiles at me and goes back to the bar.
I can tell she's struggling to hold it together, so I grab her hand and pull her up and lead her back over to Ashur.
She holds my hand all the way to the dorm and when we finally get there, she's even talking again. The stims help keep her chemicals at bay. How fucking horrible to have this effect on people. I mean, it would be cool if she could control it, but just leaching that shit out all over probably breaks a lot of deals in the Aves Cluster.
The dorm is a huge building far out in the middle of nowhere. I'm still not sure how the habitat is laid out because I've never seen a map, but we had to take two trains to get here. And there is literally nothing, I mean nothing, around the building except the train stop and a few benches in front of it.
Ash leaves to check me in and do whatever it is people do when they report for Fledge while I sit with Esta. "So, what was your Fledge like, Esta? Did you do this one?"
She gives me half a smile and shakes her head. "No, the mothers have their own special Fledge. Everyone does, actually. The General Fledge is like a last-ditch attempt to save your life. It's all pretty fucked up."
"So what did you have to do? Take care of kids or something?"
She looks away but the words come out with practiced clarity. "We had to cull them."
"Cull them? You mean kill them?"
She nods. "Yes, the Aves Cluster has specific requirements that must be met by age five. If they don't meet them they must be culled. The Fledging moth
ers do the culling for a year."
"Holy shit, that's awful. I'd rather kill grown-ups at least." In fact, I find it revolting and my stomach protests with a surge of acid.
"Yeah, me too. I can't do it anymore, Junco." She turns in a sudden jerking movement. "Life like this isn't worth living. I want to do something else, anything."
"I'm not too familiar with the rules here, Esta, do they let you do that?"
She shakes her head. "Not really. Lucan must agree to it."
I huff. "Well, fucking forget it then, I don't see him giving a shit about anyone but himself."
She looks into my eyes, pleading. "That's not true, Junco. He listens to you guys – you warriors. He'd listen to you, for instance."
I laugh. "Esta, he hates my guts. He literally told me he was going to break me in half back there in the conference room."
She searches my eyes, desperate.
"Plus he hates Tier, and he thinks I love Tier, so–" I look for Ash to avoid her gaze and when I find him he waves me over. "Hey, he's calling me over now so…" I get up and she follows. "OK, you can come too."
He's standing at a long desk, like you might see in a hotel back on Earth. Behind him, in another room farther off, I can see other avians who must be Fledge participants as well. They are looking out at us with interest. "So, Ashur – am I the last one here?"
He smiles down at me. "Yeah, Fledge actually started last week. You don't get to train before the first fight, but you'll be fine, Junco. I'm signing up as your sponsor so I'll come back the day after and we'll train for the second fight, OK?"
I shrug. "Whatever."
"I'm a sponsor too," Esta pipes up to the avian guy manning the desk.
He's about middle-age and a little overweight in the middle. His wings droop low down his back, like they're broken or something and the stubble on his cheeks might look good on any of my teammates, but on him it looks unkempt. "Who the hell are you?" he asks Esta.
