Fortified

by J. F. Jenkins

  Jaes peered at him, as if catching him in the lie. “Or things could end up worse. Mistakes aren’t something we can easily recover from right now.”

  “All I’m saying is it won’t hurt to listen to them when you ask for the reason why,” he said softly.

  “I’ll take that into consideration when we return the device,” Jaes muttered. Louder, he said, “Do you want to come with me when I do so? Having two of us might encourage them into being more honest about their plans.”

  Frowning, Alan finally chose to sit down in a nearby chair. “Are you expecting trouble from them? The Yumsaltanz have always been peaceful and supportive. I don’t think that’ll be changing now. All they want to do is get the support of the Alturan Unification Committee so the war can stop. Last I checked, their nation is suffering a great deal back home.”

  “And they want to find their lost royal family, don’t forget that part. If I thought it was to simply help aide in the ending of the war, I’d have less reservations over the matter. Finding ancient bloodlines doesn’t seem like a good priority. It won’t help them win.”

  “Their royal family all ties in with their ultimate goal,” Alan stated. “Part of the reason the royal family disappeared in the first place is because of the conflict with the Gelandrosimbol. Do you have a reason to think our allies would be capable of deception?”

  With a sigh, Jaes shook his head. “Not necessarily. My last conversation with Kimantkel was strained. She is not a good liar. Something else is going on.”

  “Then I’ll come along if it will help ease your mind,” Alan said. “But do not expect me to strong arm them into letting us keep the Ilotus. It isn’t ours and never will be.”

  Jaes’s jaw tightened for a moment, and then his expression softened into a smile. “How are things going with your team? Are they taking to the new addition well?”

  “They seem to get along with Gideon, yes,” Alan said, carefully. The sudden change in topic was exactly why he had problems wanting to tell Jaes everything. It seemed shady to only want to discuss issues on his terms. Alan got the suspicion that Jaes was not accustomed to being argued with, let alone being told he was wrong.

  I thought he didn’t want me to be his “yes man.” He said he was tired of those. More importantly, it implied Jaes did have secrets. For some reason that bothered Alan even though it was more than in his right to keep some things to himself. Is he capable of treason, though? He’s always been good at following orders, regardless of personal feelings. Unless his personal feelings have always lined up with the work?

  Thankfully, Jaes didn’t seem to notice Alan lost in thought and continued to keep talking.

  “Good, I thought he’d be a good fit there since he’ll provide Orlando with an ally at his school. I also saw good potential for him to help Cadence with her projects. She needs another person to bounce intelligence off of, and I’m not always able to do so since my schedule is so tight,” Jaes explained.

  And I’m incapable of this task? Alan scoffed. “She and I talk too.”

  “I didn't mean—”

  Alan held up a dismissive hand. “Gideon’s ability to get information from computers will help a great deal with her research. I understand the logic.”

  A soft sigh left Jaes’s lips. “How is she?”

  “Hmm? Gideon is male...” Though, Alan knew exactly whom Jaes referred to. It was another reason he didn’t want to discuss his team in detail. Jaes only cared about one person…

  “Cadence,” Jaes said. “How is she?”

  I don’t want to talk about her with you. But he also wasn’t surprised. Jaes was smitten with her, and it bothered Alan, a lot. Especially since he got the suspicion that his friend wanted to evict him of his role as leader just so he could have the opportunity to get even closer to her.

  “She’s well,” Alan said carefully. “The same as usual. She does the best at balancing her school life and her work with me. I often wonder if she feels less useful, so I am trying to think of more ways for her to be more active in our missions.”

  “She should come with us when we go meet with the Yumsaltanz.”

  Of course, so you’ll have a good excuse to sequester her from me...us, her team. “How about I bring a few others along as well, then. I’d hate for anyone to feel left out. A lesson in diplomacy might do them some good.”

  He’d been expecting Jaes to back down from the idea at the mention of the others. When a full on grin appeared on his face instead, Alan realized he’d just shot himself in the foot. “I’ll let Sir Orioltogorthan know!”

  Great, and he’ll still find a way to keep Cadence all to himself. Alan rubbed at his forehead. “Yes, be sure to do that and let me know what he thinks about the idea.” Hopefully he hates it and sees it as a waste of time. Because it would be one. Knowing my luck, because Jaes will be the one proposing the idea, Sir Oriol is going to think he’s invented the wheel.

  “Are you okay?” Jaes asked.

  “Headache,” Alan said. It wasn’t a total lie. A splitting pain was beginning to form between his eyes.

  The genuine frown of concern on his friend’s face almost had him regretting all of his hostile thoughts. “Has it been a long day?” Jaes asked. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so inconsiderate.”

  “You haven’t done anything wrong,” Alan said. “My day has been long, but there is nothing to share about it. Thank you for keeping me informed. I should go lie down.” A quick exit before he let the wrong words slip from his mouth. Every phrase had to be carefully constructed. Jaes couldn’t lie to him, and he wanted to at least give his friend the same kind of courtesy. Alan didn’t like being rude, though. I’ve got to figure out how to clear him soon because being around him is just uncomfortable. I don’t know how to talk to him without spilling the beans. Maybe I should just tell him? No, I can’t. Not until I know the right way to do it.

  Jaes continued to frown as he nodded. “By the time you wake up, I’ll have the clearance you need to bring your team back when we meet with Kimantkel.”

  “Great.” Alan tried to hold back as much sarcasm as he could. It was a newer form of expression for him, one he didn’t particularly enjoy. In moments like this, however, it did come in handy. Too bad for him, Jaes knew about the mannerism as well so Alan couldn’t use it as often as he’d like. Not like he wanted to be mean to his friend, but he had a hard time getting excited over this particular assignment since Jaes was clearly only putting it together to be close with Cadence. He stood and headed back to his bedroom before he got any more sidetracked. That wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The next time we meet, I’ll have a better handle on what I want to do.

  Rather than climb right into bed, he went to his window and gazed out at Earth. He’d chosen a room where he could view space. Unlike most on the ship, he found it comforting. His love for the universe was part of what inspired him to enlist in the first place. That and the desire to find his fiancée at the time—Alona. She was placed in charge of a group of Earth teens as well. The group that Sprout belonged to. Alona was from a rival tribe, one that had, up until a few nights ago, been aligned with the green one. The green tribe was trying to commit genocide on the yellow. No one seemed to truly get along. A trend Alan found in the Earth nations as well.

  They handle their fights differently here, he observed. There is war and death, pain. But they fight it on their lands. Why did the Gelandrosimbol think it a good idea to take this conflict off of Altura? There’s so much I don’t understand. He’d joined the army for one reason, and soon lost sight of it. Because while Alona might have been forced into doing the horrible crimes she’d committed against the people of Earth, she’d still chosen to do them. She didn’t fight back. She showed no remorse. The woman he’d been in love with on Altura no longer existed.

  Altura felt like a fictional place to him. He’d been away for so long. Earth was so much like home, even with the culture shock. At the core, where it mattered most, Earthlings and
Alturans were exactly the same. They processed the same emotions and had the same motivations. Alan couldn’t fathom hurting these people. It disgusted him that there were some from his planet who saw the people of Earth as lesser beings. Alona is one of them and she is poisoning the minds of her charges into thinking the same way.

  His stomach churned at the thought, and yet he understood completely the spectrum of feelings Orlando went through in regards to his feelings with Sprout, because he often found himself going through them as well. Because just as quickly as he latched onto the anger he held toward Alona, in a second it would fade into sadness over the hollow feeling that’d been left in his heart.

  He could still remember the good moments they shared. Moments where they shared similar dreams and goals with one another, where he saw the goodness inside of her and not the evil. Each day they faded a bit more as his heart healed from the trauma of realizing she wasn’t the woman he’d once thought her to be.

  I’ve changed too, though. Maybe part of the reason we didn’t survive this circumstance is because I’m just as different. What happened to the guy who used to play pranks on his teachers? The guy who broke curfew when he couldn’t sleep? I can’t think of the last time I had any fun. Alan used to be all about fun. It might have been good for him to gain some direction in his life, some sense of responsibility, but he wasn’t so sure he liked the cost. The closest he felt to being his former self was when he was with…

  “Cadence,” he whispered her name, his eyes closing. With her, he was a normal person. No pressure, no responsibility. He was just a guy. And there is no way I can fall for her. She doesn’t need another potential suitor to stress her out. I’m lonely, nothing more. It’s been so long since I’ve experienced any kind of companionship, and with Alona out of the picture everything feels worse, amplified.

  He kept his gaze on the blue, green, and brown planet in front of him. Besides, it’d never work out anyway. JD and her are best friends and have a lot of history. Once they work out their differences, everything will fall back into place. And if not, Jaes has far more appealing attributes to him than I do. Jaes… What was he going to do? I can’t avoid him forever. After we give back the Ilotus, I’ll tell him everything.

  It gave Alan the perfect excuse to delay the conversation. They were too busy working and finalizing plans. It was the kind of conversation that needed real time dedicated to it. He also had the perfect opportunity to test Jaes and have it not appear as if he were doing so. Sighing, Alan shook his head. “I’m not a good friend.”

  Chapter Six

  Gideon came home right away after his meeting with the others. A pleasant surprise. The few times they’d gotten together, he’d been out for at least an hour longer. Normally, he wouldn’t care. There was a lot he wanted to get done, however, and the sooner he did, the better. Once he got his shoes off, he made a beeline for the bedroom. He threw his bag onto the bed and went straight to his desk to get to work. Just as he logged onto his computer, he heard a knock on the door.

  “Everything okay? You’re home early, today,” his mother said through the door.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “You can come in, Ma.” He liked that she respected his privacy. Not a lot of teens got to have that privilege. She also treated him like glass: one wrong move and he would break. It’d gotten to the point where she didn’t do anything for him without his permission. I still want her to be my mom. Does she think I’m going to choose to be with Dad full time in New York? Because I’m not.

  Gideon shook his head, knowing in his heart that wasn’t completely true. The guy did spend a lot of time away, though, and the few times Giddy had visited him, he’d been left alone in his father’s fancy apartment in a foreign city, while his dad went out to be with his new girlfriend. They’d only had a few days together. Why waste them apart? What was the point of his even making the journey?

  There was no way he planned on moving across the country. Not now. He was too angry to even consider it regardless of the opportunities doing so might offer. Timing was bad all around, anyway, given the war. Even without all of that going on, there was no way he could leave his mom alone to fend for herself. I need her just as much as she needs me.

  Timidly, she opened the door and peeked her head inside. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “You’re not. Well, it’s just homework, so you’re always welcome to get in the way of that,” he said with a smile. No matter how important his work for Alan was, it could wait a few more minutes if it meant helping her get better. “What’s up?”

  “Like I said, you’re home earlier than usual,” she said.

  He forced his smile to remain on his face. “My club meeting ran short today. Since it’s nearing the end of the year, it was more like social free time. We’re talking about getting together over the summer, though, and keeping in touch.”

  In truth, he didn’t have any clubs. Lying to her made him feel as sleazy as his father, but there was no way he could explain to her that he was working for aliens in an intergalactic war. Saying he was in a club did two things: it provided him with a cover that was logical, and got her off his back about not participating more in his high school experience. Because while he got along with everyone, and was generally well liked by all, he didn’t have anyone he called his friend either. Not anymore. He drifted from group to group, and that was fine by him. His mother, not so much. She seemed to think it was unhealthy for a teen his age to not have “playdates” anymore.

  “Seems kind of early to me. Don’t you have one more competition or whatever it is you do? School is done when?” she asked.

  “June third,” he said. He had a countdown on his calendar and everything. A little over a month. Summer was so close he could taste it. For three months he wouldn’t be forced into mingling with people who didn’t genuinely want him around. Not outside of my team, at least. Just have to win over Cadence, I think. She seems to be the hardest one. It’d also be nice to go out on his terms and do the kinds of things he enjoyed for a change. Going to museums, spending time in the library, being out in the park, taking pictures. He’d be alone, but he’d be at peace for a change. Comfortable in his own skin.

  She blew him a kiss. “I’ll stop bugging you, promise, at least until dinner is ready.”

  “Another happy interruption,” he said, blowing a kiss back. “Love you.”

  “I love you too.” Those three words always put a huge smile on her face, something he didn’t see a lot of anymore. The ongoing divorce caused too much stress.

  If Dad would stop trying to pressure her into giving me up, things would be so much better. It’s like he’s fighting her on purpose. As soon as I get there, I’ll probably get shipped off to some kind of prestigious boarding school so he doesn’t have to deal with me full-time. I don’t care how many presidents and CEOs graduated from there. I’m not leaving. Why does Mom have to be punished? Why do I? Thinking about the whole thing made him livid all over again.

  Gideon took a few deep, cleansing, breaths, so he could refocus. Forget him. Time to figure out who this Stas kid is.

  The good news was, Gideon had enough hacking skills on his own that he didn’t think he’d need to use his powers to obtain the information. Connecting to a computer not his own while sitting at home would be a huge stretch of his abilities. A stretch he’d rather not use if he didn’t have to. Besides, the Internet was good at doing all the hard work for him. He just had to know how to use it right for his advantage.

  Gideon entered the phone number into his web browser search engine and watched as a multitude of results showed up. Most were spam advertisements for reverse phone number look-ups. One result gave a city location of the same town where he lived. Good start. Place isn’t too big, so if all else fails, I’ll just keep dialing until I hear his ring tone on the street. Though, the idea of calling the guy and having him answer made Gideon queasy. He’d only be allowed to get away with that a handful of times. Let’s try social media.
Come on! Don’t let me down!

  Sometimes, one could look up a person by finding them through their email or phone number. Depending on the privacy settings, that is. He entered in the phone number and crossed his fingers as all of the results popped up. On top was an exact, perfect match for a Stas Willems. Gideon clicked the link and found a mostly private profile. The city was the same, and he found out the guy worked as a mechanic at the local shop. He was also out of high school, another interesting tidbit. Most importantly was the picture. A young man close to Gideon’s age looked out at a picturesque lake. Half of his face was hidden, but a few things could be made out. Dark hair, tan skin, and a lean build. Enough to help narrow things down. All other information remained hidden.

  “Got a face to go along with the name, though. Progress!” He pulled out his cellphone and dialed Angela’s number. She seemed eager to help, though he couldn’t quite figure out why. Maybe she’s got a crush on me. We are in the same grade, after all. Girls like dorky, brainy guys. It makes sense. Not like he was going to let himself get too excited over the idea. When it came to girls, he never knew how to interpret anything they did. She was cute and all, but he didn’t know her well enough to let himself see her as more than an acquaintance. He cleared his throat as he waited for her to pick up.

  “Uh, Giddy, hi,” she said.

  “Hey! I found our mystery dude! He’s a Lunar Falls alumni and hasn’t left home. Feel up to some investigating?” He spun his desk chair around while he spoke in an effort to calm his nerves. Social interactions always got him a little anxious. Add a girl into the mix and it was even worse, like all of a sudden he stopped knowing how to walk and talk. Why they made him so nervous, he didn’t know.

  She was quiet for a moment. “Definitely, but I need to figure out when it’s going to work. I don’t have access to a car often, and there is no way I can tell JD about this. He’d freak out and then put a ban on the whole idea. I’d rather not get lectured for an hour.”