Megalodon City, Tundra, Year 404 After Founding

  “Thank you.” Alanna said quietly, curling up into her seat next to James in the car. Last night, James had asked her to live. At the time, she thought it a preposterous request. She hadn’t expected him to hand her a life. But today, he did. Perhaps not a whole life but a real, precious glimpse into what life could be. Something that had always been far outside her reach but suddenly felt just a little more real.

  James looked over at her momentarily. He smiled, but otherwise remained quiet.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  The drive was longer this time, as they headed towards the outer rim of the city. When they arrived, James opened the door for her, pulling her out of the car and out into the unusually well lit parking garage. She looked down, bemused to see a path of green leaves painted onto the gray concrete floor of the garage, leading them… somewhere. Unexpectedly, she heard the sound of children laughing in the distance. She couldn’t make out the words, but could hear the excitement in their voices as they all headed in the same direction.

  “What is this place?” She asked, following the trail of painted leaves.

  “You’ll see.” James repeated, pulling her towards the elevators, both doors covered with a drawing of a deep green forest, and along the bottom, running from one elevator door to the other, an odd bird with a ridiculously oversized tail, spread out into the shape of a fan, the colors of its feathers shading from blue to iridescent green.

  “What happened to the purple trees?” Alanna whispered to James, leaning towards his ear.

  “There is no purple.” James shook his head as they piled into the elevator along with the children. “This is earth green.”

  The babble of kid’s voices overwhelmed anything else they may have said, until a young boy of about seven looked up and announced. “That’s Captain James Hawk.”

  “It is, it is!” A similarly aged girl in pigtails agreed, staring up at both of them. “And you.” She pointed an accusatory finger at Alanna. “You’re Sarayan girl.”

  “She’s a Tundran girl now.” James said with a smile, putting his arm around Alanna.

  “You the twaitor.” Another girl nodded, staring up at Alanna with huge dark eyes.

  “That’s why she’s Tundran girl now.” The one with the pigtails rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”

  “But she’s not all Tundran.” The first boy shook his head. “Maybe a little.” He added, his voice heavy with doubt.

  “Children.” The only other adult in the elevator finally spoke up. “Be quiet.”

  “I’ll be more Tundran later.” Alanna offered as the elevator doors opened. “I’m working on it.”

  She laughed, getting caught up in the excitement as James pulled her out of the elevator and towards the green world beyond. The world was suddenly filled with oxygen, moisture, and warmth. The scent of a thousand growing things filled her lungs. She leaned on James in momentary dizziness, trying to make some sense of what she saw. It was a mountain… or perhaps a cliff? They were standing at the bottom of a jagged peak reaching twenty, perhaps thirty stories up into the open sky over the glass dome high above. The day was unexpectedly clear, the sky a cool, washed out blue as the sun shone far overhead. A maze of tree lined paths wound its way up the mountain. And carved into the mountain itself, was a jagged panel of glass giving her a glimpse into an underwater world filled with its own wonders. She started, moving back as the shadow of something far larger than she expected passed by. Something in those shadowy movements signaled a predator dwelled deep within the mountain.

  James wound his arm around her, pulling her closer. “A very small, very safe view of the Tundran sea.” He explained. “Would you like to go to the very top?”

  “Yes!” Alanna looked up at him, her eyes glowing with wonder. They walked on through the green forest. Thick vines covered with flowers grew along the railings. Soft gold lights twinkled all around, sending out warmth that she could feel along her skin. And she breathed, pulling the warmth, moisture, and oxygen into her lungs. She suddenly remembered the choking feeling as she tried to breathe the air on Bernard Bernhard’s station, suffocating from the lack of oxygen. “Thank you.” She said quietly, pulling James close. “Just… thank you.”

  James nodded, catching her as she stumbled over an unexpected rock. “Find a spot you like.” He offered. “I need some time to set up your wrist comm.”

  “I can do it later, once you’re…” Alanna paused, shivering slightly in spite of the warm air. They had one day. Tomorrow morning, James would be gone.

  “I’m doing it.” James said firmly. “But we can take our time, there’s no rush.”

  A few minutes later, Alanna froze, watching something move in the undergrowth. “Are there things other than plants here?”

  James laughed under his breath. “I think that might be your fellow Sarayan, sweetheart.”

  Alanna cocked her head.

  “It’s a roach.”

  “Roaches came from old earth.”

  “Maybe. But they all stopped on Saraya along the way.”

  “So did we.” Alanna pointed out. “Anyway, I hate roaches. I was relieved when Tundran prison didn’t have any.”

  “Too cold.”

  “Sarayan prisons have a lot of roaches.”

  “What do they eat?” James asked, helping her jump over a small, clear stream as it wound across their path.

  Alanna gave him a look.

  “What?”

  “What do you think they eat?”

  “I don’t know, I didn’t think they fed the prisoners that much.” He paused. “Oh.” He added.

  “Yeah, the prisoners eat the roaches and the roaches eat the prisoners. It’s a whole eco system in there.”

  “Charming.”

  “What…” Alanna froze as something far larger, that she sincerely hoped was not a roach, moved in the undergrowth. “Oh.” She breathed. She thought it was the same bird they had seen painted on the elevator doors, its shining blue body blending into a massive tail of iridescent green. It paused, staring directly at her as she stared back. Then it turned, sniffing into the undergrowth. “It’s going to eat that roach, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” James agreed. “Yes, it is.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Because of the tail or because it’s going to eat the roach?”

  “Both.” Alanna said without hesitation.

  “That’s my girl.” James said with a smile. “But be careful. The peacocks are very controversial.”

  “The beautiful blue green birds?”

  “Yes, those are the peacocks.”

  “Are they Tundran? They’re not Sarayan.”

  “They came from old earth, along with the plants we have growing here.”

  “This must be just like walking through an old earth forest.” Alanna said wistfully, looking around in wonder. “But why are the peacocks controversial? They’re beautiful.”

  James grinned, putting his arm around her. “You have to understand, this goes to the very spirit of what it means to be Tundran.”

  “The controversial peacocks?”

  “Mhmm.” James nodded, pulling her along. “Come on, I’ll tell you about it after I get you ice cream.” He pulled her towards what looked like a small wagon made of hand painted wood. An explosion of multicolored flowers and vines covered every surface, and the girl selling ice cream cones gave Alanna a distinctly suggestive wink as she handed over two cones.

  “You were saying?” Alanna prompted as they walked on up the mountain, ice cream cones in hand.

  “Ah yes, the controversial peacocks. My mother was a foremost participant in this debate.”

  “Was she pro peacocks or against them?”

  “Guess.”

  Alanna considered. “What’s the alternative position?” She asked.

  “Good question.” James nodded. “The alternative, is chickens.”

  Alanna took another bite of her ice cream. “So it’s chickens versus peacocks? And that goes to the very sprit of what it means to be a Tundran?”

  James nodded.

  “These peacocks, are they edible?”

  “Not in the slightest.”

  “Chickens are edible.” Alanna pointed out.

  “Apparently, so are roaches.” James said, somewhat drily.

  “Good protein.” Alanna agreed, without missing a beat.

  “If this is intended to speak to the spirit of what it means to be a Sarayan…” James began, easily blocking the punch she aimed towards his stomach.

  “I’m team chickens.” Alanna said definitively.

  James nodded, looking up towards the sky lit by their distant sun. “This place, the fact that it exists…” He shrugged, gesturing out at the expanse all around them. “Everything about this place is an indulgence, a luxury.”

  “It’s taking resources away from the war effort.” Alanna finished for him. She understood. It wasn’t a very Sarayan way of thinking, but it was a Summers way of thinking. The orphans understood limited resources in a way the rest of her home planet, had not yet understood. But they would, she thought. She looked over at James as he walked by her side with easy confidence, noting once again the soft golden tan of his skin. James, was going to Saraya.

  “How about here?” James stopped, pulling her over onto a wood bench in front of another window of jagged glass cut into the mountain.

  Alanna pressed her nose to the glass, trying to make out the things that dwelled in the murky blue darkness beyond. “Ok.” She agreed.

  James grabbed her wrist, pulling off the shiny new wrist comm before she had a chance to object.

  “How did team peacock win?” She asked.

  “They didn’t.” James replied, most of his focus on the wrist comm.

  “But there are peacocks.” Alanna pointed out.

  “Very few. It’s mostly chickens.”

  “Compromise is the foundation of a well functioning society.” Alanna nodded, pressing her face back against the glass. She had seen another shadow. “What is that? There’s something big, and dangerous, deep inside the mountain.”

  “Probably a dragon.”

  “Dragons aren’t real.” Alanna sat back down on the bench next to him.

  “They are on Tundra.”

  “What makes it a dragon?”

  “They’re scaly reptiles, with wings. In the summer, when the ice melts, they swim through the water, gain speed, spread their wings, and fly.”

  “They do not!”

  James smiled, finally looking back up at her. “They do.” He said. “I’ll show you videos of the dragons sometime. They’re beautiful.”

  Alanna tried to imagine the wingspan such a creature would need, to overcome Tundra’s gravity and take off into the sky. And shook her head. It was impossible.

  “I’m giving you access to my accounts.” James said into the silence, his focus back on the wrist comm.

  “What? Why would you… don’t do that.” Alanna frowned. “I don’t need that.”

  “Don’t get too excited, it’s somewhat less than five million credits.”

  “I don’t need…”

  “It’s done.” James interrupted, ignoring her protests. “I’ve added instructions on where to get groceries and clothes, contact info for everyone you know. The utilities for the apartment are paid automatically.”

  “Stop. Please stop.” Alanna turned to him, fear a tight knot in the pit of her stomach. “I… can we talk about this when we get home?”

  “Sure.” James said, putting his arm around her. For a long time, they sat together in silence, soaking up the warmth of the artificial lights.

  “Come on.” It was Alanna who got up, holding out her hand to James. “We’ll never make it to the top at this rate.”

  James got up, following her lead.

  “What’s at the top?” Alanna asked.

  “Dinner.” James replied, speeding up slightly.

  Alanna loved every second of the walk. The mountain narrowed as they came closer to the peak, giving her an even better view of the green trees and multicolored flowers below. As promised, they met many more chickens along the way, and no other peacocks. Once she knew how to look for it, she saw other wildlife in the undergrowth. There were mice, lizards, and unfamiliar insects all around. The stream that wound its way along their path was teeming with fish and other life. And out beyond the greenery, the Tundran city below, a sea of gray concrete decorated by a million softly lit windows, rose up towards the sky. They were up above most of the buildings now, looking down at a dizzying world blanketed by snow. Home. It had been easy to think that way about James’s apartment. There was something comfortable and right about being in his home. But the city below seemed as wildly alien as ever, as did the green jungle all around them. She understood that these were old earth trees, old earth flowers and vines, old earth insects and animals. To her, they were as alien as Tundra itself. Alien, but in their own way, beautiful.

  The restaurant was nestled at the very top of the mountain, tables covered in crisp white tablecloths sat underneath the trees, uncovered crystal glasses and gleaming silverware sparkled in the light filtering through the glass dome above. The soft notes of a violin echoed around them, and she caught a glimpse of the man playing. He was sitting on the ground, the two stumps of his legs spread out in front of him. Somehow, Alanna wasn’t surprised when James led her to the exact table she wanted. It sat in the very back, providing a perfect view as well as privacy. “You can regrow limbs, right?” Alanna asked, thinking of the man playing the violin.

  “Yes. But it can take years.” James pulled out a comfortably padded chair for Alanna, placing her on the inside, with her back against the thick trunk of a tree behind them, as he sat on her right hand side, leaving his own right arm free. Just as he had taken the side of the bed closer to the door and the window. Almost from the very beginning, James had placed himself between her and any potential threat. Alanna wondered if he realized he was doing it, or acting on pure instinct. Her eyes skimmed over the table, already set, the pristine white table cloth reminding her of the blanket of snow covering the outside world. James poured water into her glass and the waitress appeared as if by magic, two menus in hand. “You planned this.” Alanna said softly.

  “Of course I did. Good planning is the foundation of any successful mission. And you deserved a real date.”

  “I liked our first date.”

  “Another real date.” James agreed easily. “Would you like me to order for you?”

  Alanna nodded, reaching for the fresh bread that had been brought to the table. “Now that seems unwise.” She murmured, watching as one of the numerous chickens, a rooster this time, wandered past their table. The rooster looked up at her, as if sensing the criticism, its beady eyes focused on the bread. “Can I feed him?” She asked.

  “We’re not supposed to.”

  “But I can?”

  James laughed. “Yes, you can.”

  Alanna watched with satisfaction as the rooster pounced on a large chunk of bread, grabbing it in his beak and running off to wherever it was that roosters went.

  “The smallest step is the biggest stride.”

  Alanna started, turning towards the cold, beautiful voice. The woman and her group approached them from the side, perhaps taking advantage of the distraction provided by the rooster. She wore the most beautiful dark leather boots, hugging the curve of her legs all the way up to her thighs, and a short silver gown that glimmered in the light, a perfect accent to her dark hair and cool, confident blue eyes. Two silver combs pulled back her hair on either side, exposing the perfect symmetry of her face. Unconsciously, Alanna pulled back into her chair slightly, feeling dowdy in her jeans and sweater. The restaurant was certainly formal enough to justify the silver silk gown the beautiful woman was wearing. Alanna was the one who was underdressed.

  “Incoming.” James said softly. A split second later, he placed his left hand over Alanna’s right, preventing her from reaching for a weapon. “Not that kind of incoming.” He clarified even more softly, his hand holding down her right wrist.

  “Isn’t that what you always say, James?” The woman continued, her eyes on their hands.

  “The smallest step is indeed the biggest stride.” James agreed. “I can see it now. First, she feeds the chickens. Next, she’s turning the nuclear minefield in our orbit on Tundra and destroying the planet. It is a natural progression.”

  Alanna shot James a look out of the corner of her eye, but he seemed amused rather than annoyed, at least to all outward appearances.

  “So good to see you, James.” The woman replied, without missing a beat.

  “And you, Thea.” James responded. He could feel Alana’s tension as she sat by his side, but she did not react to his words. Clearly, she had already guessed.

  Thea stepped forward, leaning onto the table and exposing the graceful line of her throat. “Are you all right?” She asked, the laser like focus of her gaze zeroing in on Alanna. “All those bruises on your throat and your delicate wrist.” She turned back to James. “Does she like the rough treatment? But then…” Thea gave a delicate shrug. “Does it matter?”

  “Why are you here?” James asked flatly.

  “I came to congratulate you, of course. To congratulate you both. Truly James, I think she was made for you. Just clever enough to be interesting and so very, completely helpless. That is what you like, isn’t it? Helpless” Thea paused, knowing she now held not just the attention of James Hawk and Alanna, but others in the restaurant “helpless” she continued “and weak.”

  Alanna raised an eyebrow, ignoring the way James tightened his hand on her wrist in warning. She leaned back against him, relieved to feel his body lean back into her in support. And further relieved when James took his hand off her wrist, draping it over Alanna’s shoulders in an even more unmistakable gesture of support. “Victory” She said, her eyes meeting Thea’s cold blue gaze “is all.”

  She heard James’s breath catch slightly, as if he were stifling a laugh, but he remained otherwise silent, making no outward move to respond to Thea’s attack.

  Thea’s eyes flashed in rage but when she spoke, her voice was as cool and controlled as ever. “Really?” She drew out the word, her eyes widening in mock surprise. “I thought surrender was your specialty.”

  “Alanna finds allies, wherever she goes.” James said quietly. “Making allies, is a gift.” He paused, making sure all eyes were on him. “So is making enemies.” He added, an unmistakable note of warning in his voice.

  Watching closely, Alanna noted the way each of the four people in Thea’s group reacted to those words. In that moment, all four leaned back slightly, physically distancing themselves from Thea, the obvious target of the threat. Thea, did not appear to notice.

  “If you’ll excuse us.” James continued, the dismissal clear in his voice as he turned towards the waitress, hovering uncertainly behind the larger group, and waiting to take their order.

  “Of course.” Thea smiled graciously. “As you say, James. It’s always your call, isn’t it? What was that other thing you always said? You remember, the one about your control problem?”

  James just looked at her.

  “You don’t have a control problem…” Thea began.

  “I have a control preference.” James finished.

  Thea’s smile grew broader. “Do enjoy your meal. And you might want to ask for some ice for all those bruises.” She called out over her shoulder as she walked away.

  “A control preference.” Alanna repeated as she watched Thea walk away.

  “Yes.”

  Alanna continued to watch somewhat glumly, not missing the fact that the eyes of every other man in the vicinity followed Thea as she walked away. “So, that was Thea.”

  “That was Thea.” James agreed.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “How did she know we were here?”

  “Because she knows me.”

  “Predictable.” Alanna shook her head.

  “Speaking of predictable, you don’t have to react every time someone calls you weak.”

  Alanna cast him a sideways glance. “I thought you liked it.”

  “I do.” James grinned. “Especially this time.”

  “But it makes me predictable.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m still new, but even I see how Tundrans react to weakness. How your family reacts. We both know I can’t let it go. And you can’t fight every battle for me.”

  James shook his head, turning her towards him to make sure she was paying attention. “Alanna, you’re a war hero. A war hero who helped us take back Titan. And I think you understand what Titan means to us. You act as if you have something to prove. But you have nothing to prove. You’ve proven yourself in battle. You don’t need to stoop to petty infighting.”

  “Hmmm.” Alanna said, taking a sip of her water.

  “What?”

  “I may not need to, but I can if I want to.”

  James laughed. “Yes, all right.”

  “And speaking of predictable…” She leaned forward, placing her hands on his thighs.

  His eyes widened in surprise but James made no move to stop her. Instead, he pulled her closer in open invitation, making it perfectly clear that he was willing to let her go as far as she wanted to go.

  Alanna rolled her eyes slightly, letting her hand slide into his pocket and pulling out the scanner she saw him use to scan the car for listening devices earlier that day. Pointedly silent, she placed the compact scanner on top of the pristine white tablecloth and looked back at James expectantly.

  James looked back at her for one long moment. “Have I mentioned recently” he said, his eyes on hers “how very much in love with you I am?”

  Alanna shook her head, remaining resolutely silent. She pointed her finger at the scanner.

  With a slight shrug, James picked it up and started moving it across the table. The soft buzz that signaled a listening device had been identified went off almost immediately.

  Alanna grinned, looking smug.

  “Apparently, I am terribly predictable.” James admitted.

  Best table in the house always goes to the Hawks, Alanna thought. And remained silent.

  James found the listening device tucked underneath the table. Pulling it off, he placed it next to the scanner, eyeing it thoughtfully. He would have found it amusing to keep on talking with an audience, but Alanna was clearly uninterested in playing the game, making it clear that she would remain silent until the listening device was gone. With a twinge of regret, he pulled a knife out of his ankle holster, placed the listening device onto the stone covered ground, and smashed it into pieces, handing the remains to Alanna. “A gift for my lady.” He said with a bow.

  “Finish scanning.” Alanna said flatly.

  “Such high standards.” James murmured. But he did as she asked, completing a more thorough scan of the area.

  Waiting for him to finish the scan, Alanna took a moment to focus on her wrist comm, finally logging in to her own email account. She knew it wasn’t safe for her to keep in touch with her friends and family on Saraya. But it was hard to keep away. And in the end, it was their choice.

  “I’m sorry.” James said when he was finished with the scan, pulling her into his lap to further soften his words. “You’re right. It would have ruined our meal.”

  “I don’t know enough to play this game.” Alanna said. “But it’s all right.” She put her hands around him, leaning into the embrace. “And thank you for not watching her walk away.” She added. “In case you didn’t notice, everyone else did.”

  “Thea knows how to own the room.” James looked down at her, winding his hand in her hair. “You could do the same, if you chose. You’re no less beautiful. You choose to hide.”

  Alanna pushed off against his shoulders, sitting back down in her chair as the waitress returned, waiting for James to order. She kept uncharacteristically silent, waiting for the waitress to return with their drinks.

  “Peach lemonade.” James pushed the drink towards her, studying her closely.

  Alanna took a sip, blinking in surprise as something that felt oddly like sharp needles bit into her tongue. “What the…”

  “It’s carbonated.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “I don’t think the carbonation would work with Sarayan water filters. I can get you something else.”

  Alanna took another sip. The needles felt good. It made no sense at all, but they did. “I like it.” She said. “Actually, I like it a lot. And I like hiding.” She added. “I don’t want to own any rooms. It isn’t me.”

  James took a sip of his own drink, looking out over the courtyard and the city beyond. “If you stand by my side” he said quietly “you will be noticed. And I want you by my side.”

  “You think beauty is power.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “We come from different worlds.” Alanna said. “You and Thea already have power. In your world, beauty combined with power gives you more power. In my world, I have no power at all. In that world, beauty makes you a target.”

  “I’m not sure I agree. Beauty is a weapon. It may make you a target as well. That doesn’t mean you can’t use it to your advantage. But you’re right, I don’t understand your world and I won’t speak to it. It is no longer relevant, Alanna. Today, you do have power. You have incredible power. And you have to learn how to use it. Unless you do, you’re a danger to everyone around you. I know you don’t want that.”

  Alanna thought back to some of the first words he ever said to her. ‘It’s not the right strategy here, hiding. It just makes you less valuable.’ She opened her mouth to say more when a slight buzz on her wrist signaled that someone had sent her a message. Ignoring whatever else James would have said, she logged in to see who had reached out. She knew it was dangerous, but she wanted that thin thread of contact to her old life, her friends, her family. She was about to open the message when she glanced up, noticing the distinctly annoyed look on James’s face.

  “What?” She asked.

  “Are you texting right now?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “On our date?” James said pointedly.

  “Only for a minute.” Alanna said, about to return to the message when the heat of his gaze brought her eyes back up to his. “What?” She repeated, in genuine confusion. “You said I could keep in touch with people on Saraya.”

  “Right. But not on our date.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’re texting. On our date.” James paused. “No one’s ever done that with me before.” He added.

  Alanna looked up, giving him her complete attention. “No one?” She repeated, eyes wide.

  James shook his head. “No one.” He repeated. “Ever.”

  “Wow.”

  The waitress arrived with the food, smiling hesitantly into the somewhat tense silence. She placed a large plate in front of Alanna, a variety of what she guessed was seafood both steamed and covered in some sort of golden crust, lay on one side of the plate. Small portions of steamed green vegetables and potatoes lay on the other. James got the steak, the scent of which made Alanna’s mouth water.

  “Why didn’t I get the steak?” Alanna asked somewhat hopefully, looking over at his plate.

  “When was the last time you ate red meat?”

  Alanna cast another hopeful look at his plate, breathing in the smell. “Um.” She said eloquently.

  “You can have a few bites of mine.” James offered, cutting off a few pieces and placing them on her plate.

  Alanna took one of the pieces, closing her eyes in pure bliss. She didn’t usually crave red meat this way but for some reason today, it was all she wanted. She ate another two pieces before stopping herself, knowing James was right about her ability to digest the red meat after so many years of living on ration bars. She attacked the green vegetables on her plate next. Real food was amazing. Eating her food at top speed, Alanna paused only when most of the food was gone. “That was incredible.” She said happily. “And I will now read my text.” She added firmly. “And you will wait for the ten seconds it takes me to do that. Because… well because that’s just how it works in the real world, with real people who are not James Hawk.”

  “But I am James Hawk.”

  “I’m reading my text.” Alanna said. Looking down at her message, she paused. “Oh crap.” She added.

  “What?” James asked, visibly annoyed.

  “It’s a video.”

  James Hawk’s eyes narrowed. “Is it a video from your Sarayan friend? The one Tony kept talking about?”

  “Uh, yes?”

  “I want to see this video.”

  “James you can’t…”

  “Oh yes.” James grabbed her wrist with lightning speed, holding it in place as he pulled off her wrist comm. “Yes, I can. And I will.”

  “What is it you think is in this video?”

  “I’m going to find out.”

  “Fine.” Alanna said in exasperation. “Go ahead. We can watch it together.”

  “You sure we don’t need to go home before we start watching?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Just what exactly kind of a video do you think this is?” Alanna hissed, lowering her voice when she realized she was speaking loudly enough to be overheard at some of the neighboring tables.

  “What I think, Alanna, is that I will definitely find out. Now or later?”

  “Let’s watch it now.” Alanna crossed her arms, uncrossing them only because she wanted more bread with butter. “And I want another peach lemonade after this.” She added.

  “All right.” James enabled the holographic function on her wrist comm. “Here goes.”

  “It’s not going to be that kind of a video!”

  James adjusted the image to be small enough to be blocked by their bodies as they both leaned in, watching the beginning of the video.

  The camera focused in on a woman sitting alone in a chair in the center of a dark, windowless room. Even in the somewhat blurry light of the wrist comm holograph function in the bright light of day, he could see that the woman was beautiful. Thick dark hair flowed down nearly to her waist and her large, light blue eyes focused directly on the camera. Because of the light color of her eyes, James could see that the pupils were unusually dilated, the woman clearly under the influence of some mind altering substance.

  “Your name is Jane Thomson?” A male voice asked, the speaker remaining invisible outside the view of the screen.

  “Why not?” The woman responded.

  James leaned closer so that he could hear. Even through the tiny speakers of the wrist comm, the near hypnotic quality of the woman’s flowing, beautiful voice came through clearly.

  “And it says here you’re… an accountant. Is that right?” The man James was beginning to suspect was an interrogator asked.

  “I do the books.” The woman responded, her beautiful, flowing voice blurring slightly in a way James thought might be related to the drugs she had clearly taken.

  “You work for Jonno Summers and you do the books?” The interrogator repeated, doubt heavy in his voice.

  “Yes.” She the woman responded softly. She shifted as if wanting to do something with her cuffed hands but the cuffs prevented any further movement.

  “You do anything else?” The man’s voice asked, the tone clearly suggestive.

  “I do nothing else.” The woman said, her head tilting slightly.

  “Darling, looking the way you do, you’re not gonna walk around Jonno’s establishment doing the books.”

  “I do nothing else. Jonno’s.” She paused. “Jonno’s is a strictly voluntary establishment.”

  James hit pause. “Do you know her?” He asked.

  “Yes. That’s Jane.”

  “Does she really do the books?”

  “Yes, James. She really does the books.”

  “And nothing else?”

  “Tell me, do you think echoing the words of a Sarayan interrogator puts you in a positive light?”

  “It’s a reasonable question given how she looks.”

  “How does she look?”

  James gestured towards the frozen image. “She’s unusually beautiful.” He said, stating the obvious. Yes, the Sarayan interrogator had been sleazy, but his questions were reasonable, and James would have asked the same.

  “You recently said I was beautiful. Would you like to know if I do ‘anything else’?”

  “Well Alanna, if I had found you at this Jonno’s instead of on a Sarayan military outpost in a Sarayan navy uniform, I might ask different questions.”

  “She does nothing else.” Alanna said, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

  “This Jonno, he also rescue stray dogs?” James asked sourly. Having someone looking like Jane working in an administrative capacity at what sounded very much like a whorehouse, was an obviously terrible idea born out of either charity or ill intent. Given the establishment’s reputation as a voluntary establishment, charity was the only option remaining.

  “Would it bother you if he rescued dogs?” Alanna asked.

  “Cause for concern.” James muttered under his breath, and resumed the video.

  “I heard that.” The interrogator responded. “You’re not there to make that any easier for him, are you then?”

  “I am.” The woman paused. “I don’t get out much.” She said.

  “Something you should know, then.”

  “Yes?”

  “This here’s a Sarayan interrogation facility. We’re not what you’d call a strictly voluntary establishment.”

  For the first time, another woman’s voice could be heard, barely audible. “That’s one of Jonno’s people. This isn’t the time.”

  “No way she looks like that and…”

  “Have you ever seen this man?” The female interrogator’s voice interrupted.

  The woman’s eyes, still clearly unfocused, moved slightly to the right, presumably to view the photograph.

  “Maybe.” She said vaguely.

  “Maybe I can help jog your memory.” The male interrogator’s voice suggested.

  The woman’s eyes moved with unnatural slowness, from the right to the left, presumably refocusing on the male interrogator. “Are you…” she paused “you are threatening me?” She said, forming the words slowly, as if she were having a hard time understanding the situation.

  “I’m not threatening you darlin’. I’m offering you a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

  “You are.” She cocked her head. “You are threatening me.” Suddenly, the woman started laughing. It started out as a small stuttering laugh that seemed to build on itself, until the peals of laughter were echoing strangely around the interrogation room. The woman’s head was thrown back, her body shaking with laughter as her arms strained against the restraints attached to the heavy wood chair used for witnesses during interrogation.

  James lowered the sound further, looking around surreptitiously to see if anyone else had noticed. “Really not what I expected from this video.” He said mildly, offering Alanna another bite of his steak. “Shall we keep watching?”

  “Of course. Now I want to see how it ends.”

  James nodded in agreement and pressed play.

  “You. You are threatening me.” The woman repeated, the dark pupils of her eyes even more dilated now as she stared slightly to the left of the camera, towards her interrogator. “You are nothing.” She whispered. “There is nothing.”

  “Why?” It was the female interrogator who asked.

  “There is nothing you could do.” The woman said softly. “That I would notice. You think you have power. You think you can make people afraid. You are nothing. You don’t know what power is. They are coming. They are with us. They exist.”

  “Who?” The female interrogator asked.

  “Good interrogator.” James interjected quietly, his eyes focused on the recording as he sat side by side with Alanna, continuing to listen. It was clear that this was not the initial purpose of the interview, but as any good interrogator, the woman had picked up on a loose end, unobtrusively asking all the right questions.

  “The aliens.” The woman said, her eyes now focused on the camera. “They came for us. They came to old earth. They will come for us here. To touch and to hurt – that is not power. That is nothing. Power is to take everything and change it to your will. He can take my thoughts and change them until they are no longer mine. He can make me hurt with a thought. What I feel, what I believe, what I want. It isn’t mine. That’s what slavery is. Until there is nothing left.” Her eyes shifted slowly, refocused. “Try me.” She said. “Try and see if you can touch me. If it matters. If there is anything left.” Her eyes opened wider. “Try me.” She repeated. “They are coming for you. One mistake. One mistake and they can take more than you can begin to imagine. More than you ever thought you had. And it can go on and on and on. For years. For decades. For centuries. They are coming. They are coming. They are coming!!!”

  The recording froze, the image of Jane’s face, her dilated pupils looking directly into the camera, remained. “Huh.” James cleared his throat. “That took an even more unexpected turn.”

  Alanna picked up the last piece of steak he left for her and chewed it thoughtfully. “Yes, yes it did.” She agreed.

  “Did your Jane ever mention these aliens before?”

  “She’s not my Jane, and no she didn’t.”

  “Well, whatever she took was one hell of a drug.”

  Alanna looked away, avoiding his gaze. “Maybe.” She said.

  “Is there another explanation?” James asked carefully, as an old childhood memory resurfaced in the back of his mind.

  “Can I get another peach lemonade?”

  James nodded, flagging down the waitress and making the order before turning his attention back to Alanna.

  “Talk.” He said shortly.

  “Her symptoms could be explained by the interrogation drugs.” Alanna said.

  “Exclusively?”

  “Theoretically yes, exclusively.”

  “But it’s also possible she had taken something else and the drugs interacted badly.” James pointed out.

  “It’s possible.” Alanna agreed.

  “Did Jane take drugs?”

  “Never.”

  “How did you meet Jane?”

  “We’ve known Jane a long time. After we… after I left the orphanage, we all lived together in the same tree. On Saraya instead of buildings we have…”

  “You have trees. I know.”

  “So we were neighbors. That’s how I know her.”

  “And Jonno?”

  “James.”

  “Alanna. We both know he’s the friend.”

  “Jonno Summers.” Alanna said, looking up at James. “His name is Jonno Summers.”

  “Another orphan.” James acknowledged. “But Jane wasn’t a Summers. She wasn’t one of you.”

  “No. She was older than us. She was just there. You remembered how you asked me if I knew how to use the knife?”

  “Yes.”

  “I do. That was Jane. No one was better with a knife than Jane. She taught all of us.”

  “Why?”

  Alanna shrugged. She didn’t want to bring up the memories of who she had been, in this beautiful place. But James deserved an answer. He always did. “There were three of us. Jonno, Yasmin and I. There were four of us once, but that was a long time ago. Anyway, it was Yasmin who got into trouble. It usually was. Jane saw someone bothering her and stepped in. She taught Yasmin first.”

  “Where’s Yasmin?” James asked.

  “In prison.”

  “For what?”

  Alanna looked up as the waitress returned. “Thank you.” She said, accepting the second glass of lemonade and letting the needles hit her tongue. She watched the waitress walk away, ensuring she was out of hearing range before responding. “For mass murder.” She said.

  “You could have been in prison for mass murder.” James noted, his eyes unwavering as he looked at her.

  “Tony has a big mouth.”

  “Tony did what I asked.”

  “Yes, I could have been in prison with her.”

  “Was the cause of her mass murder similar?”

  “It was… it was similar.”

  “But not identical?”

  Alanna shrugged. “I went after the people who came after me. After us. Yasmin refused to stop. She wanted to save everyone.” She looked over at James, trying to gauge his reaction. He hid his thoughts well, but whatever his reaction, he wasn’t leaving the table to get as far away from her as possible, which struck Alanna as a positive development.

  “And then there was Jane.” James said thoughtfully. “Was she involved in the murders?”

  “No, not involved in any of it. We didn’t know her that well. She was never one of us. Jane… Jane kept to herself.”

  “Do you know anything about her past? Where she grew up?”

  “No. She just appeared one day.”

  “No friends, no family coming to visit?”

  “Never.”

  James took a sip of her peach lemonade and sat back thoughtfully. “So, what does your brother the pimp want you to do with this recording?”

  “Don’t call him that!”

  “What should I call him?”

  Alanna glared, ignoring the question, she looked back down at her wrist comm. “He says that someone from the Sarayan government came around, looking for Jane. She’s disappeared. And then someone sent him the tape.”

  “The female interrogator.” James said, without hesitation.

  Alanna frowned. “You see too much. What you know puts all these people in danger.”

  “These people put themselves in danger. I won’t be the weakest link.” James reached out, taking her hand. “I won’t be the weakest link.” He repeated. “What does Jonno want?”

  “Nothing. He just wanted to show me the tape.” Alanna perked up. “Unless you want to help. Any advice?”

  James raised an eyebrow. “You want me to help the Sarayan pimp?” He shook his head. “Did he ever…” He paused, seeing the flash of warning in Alanna’s eyes.

  “Did he ever what?” Alanna asked into the silence.

  “I feel like you don’t want me to ask. But I still need an answer.”

  “As to whether my brother ever pimped me out?” Alanna asked, her voice dangerously low. “Do you know James, at the moment, this date isn’t actually going all that well.”

  “But the venue’s nice.”

  “Probably for the best that you have that going for you.”

  “I need an answer.”

  “No. Jonno… is a friend. A good friend.”

  “And just to be very clear, you’re not in any way biologically related?”

  “You really are being an ass about this.”

  “Bad data makes for bad decisions. What do you think he should do about the recording?”

  Alanna took another bite of bread, chewing thoughtfully. “I don’t know.” She admitted. “I thought I’d ask you.”

  James drummed his fingers lightly against the table. “Do you want desert?” He asked.

  “No.” Alanna shook her head definitively. “No more food. Not just yet.”

  James laughed. “All right.” He agreed, holding out his hand. “Let’s go home.”

  Alanna raised an eyebrow. Apparently, whatever James had to say, he wanted to say in the privacy of his apartment.

  “Do you want to walk down, or take the elevator to the garage?” James offered.

  “Walk!” Alanna laughed, trying to shake off the chill that had settled on her shoulders. She didn’t want to think about Jane, or even Jonno. She wanted to walk through the old earth forest with James.

  ---

  They were sitting across from each other in front of the fireplace, the scanner James used to check for listening devices sitting out between them.

  “I could use the recording.” James said, getting to the point. “I think it has the potential to cause unrest on Saraya. Between this and martial law, I believe it may be enough to make a difference. This would help.” And really, he thought silently, there may be all sorts of reasons why it would be best for that particular recording to come out to the public. And the sooner, the better.

  “You would be putting my brother’s life at risk. He’s mentioned on the tape. And you immediately assumed the female interrogator gave him the recording. Others will make the same assumption. You’re signing her death warrant.”

  “Yes. I can try to extract your brother.”

  Alanna froze, her breath frozen in her lungs as she realized, far too late, just how far this had escalated. James could take the recording from her and use it whether she agreed to it or not. Just like that, a private conversation between her and her brother could be used against Saraya, could destroy lives. Talking to James wasn’t like talking to other people.

  “Don’t.” She whispered. “Please don’t do this.”

  James looked at her for one long moment of genuine, uncharacteristic indecision. “It’s your choice.” He said finally. “It’s your recording. I shouldn’t have had it.”

  “Thank you.” She collapsed back into her chair, her hands gripping the armrests to stop them from shaking. “Thank you.” She repeated. She looked up into this eyes and shrank back. “Are you asking me to volunteer?” She asked, trying to read his face. “Is that what you need from me? To volunteer the recording to support the Tundran war effort, my family be damned?”

  “No.” James sighed, leaning forward to place his hand over hers. “No.” He repeated. “I don’t need that. Alanna.” He hesitated, refusing to drop his gaze from her face. “You realize I’m going to Saraya.”

  “Yes.” She whispered.

  “You know what I do. I promised not to use you and I won’t. But you know what I do. Can you live with what I do?”

  Alanna turned away from him, staring into the fire. “Saraya destroyed Dragon City.” She said finally, speaking past the weight on her chest. “An eye for an eye. I have no right to judge you for that.” She looked back up at him somewhat sourly. “As long as you don’t blow up the whole damn planet.” She added.

  “Deal.” James offered pulling her up and into his arms, his hands wrapped around her as he held her close. “It’s important.” He said. “It’s important to me that you’ll understand.”

  Alanna pushed away slightly. “Would you want to?” She asked. “Would you want to blow up Saraya, if you could?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Why not?” Alanna asked, turning to face him. “There is no greater victory, than destroying your enemies.”

  “The best way to disarm an enemy is to turn them into an ally.” James said, quite unexpectedly. “A friend, and an ally. When you start destroying all who oppose you, it’s hard to stop. We are not a peaceful people. One enemy is gone but another always comes to take their place. If I succeed and destroy all opposition, until no one stands against me, how many allies will I have left? When the next enemy comes along, there won’t be anyone left to stand with me.”

  “Nice words, but you’re not going to Saraya to find allies.”

  “That may not be why I’m going, but I wouldn’t turn away an ally if I found one.”

  They sat in silence, staring into the fire. “James.” Alanna said finally.

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think my brother should leave Phoenix City?”

  “Yes.” James responded immediately. “Yes, I do. And not because of me. Forgive me Alanna but he should do it because of you. Your connection cannot remain hidden forever. He’s taken too many chances already. I will get him out if I can.”

  “And then you can use the recording.”

  “Yes.”

  “He won’t leave.” Alanna said quietly.

  “Loyalty to Saraya?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “No. Loyalty to Yasmin. She needs him. And he won’t leave.”

  “She’s in prison.”

  “He helps.” Alanna looked away, into the fire. “He always helps.”

  “Which prison?”

  “Phoenix Penn.” The most secure prison on the planet. There was no way to get Yasmin out. No way to get Jonno out. And she should have been there with them, helping. Not sitting here in James Hawk’s perfect apartment, her head resting against his chest. She should be on Saraya. No matter the consequences. Alanna turned in his arms, facing him again and meeting that steely gray gaze head on. “Let me come with you.” She said. “You know it’s the right choice. You’re not using me. For this, I freely volunteer. I know why you’re going. And I’m not Clara. I will do what needs to be done. I will back you. Let me come with you. You don’t need the recording and you don’t need to put the people involved in danger. You can have me.”

  James smiled, framing her face with his hands and looking back into her eyes. “There is” he said with utter certainty “not a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening.”

  “You’re bringing Clara! Is she really the best person for this job? Why not Tony? Why not me?”

  “Tony is great if I need to shoot my way out. I can’t shoot my way off Saraya. People trust Clara. They trust her immediately for the simple reason that she is a genuinely good person. And even you my darling, as charming as you are, take time before people warm up to you. I need Clara and I need Henry. And the only way you are coming is over my dead body.”

  “You could die.” Alanna whispered. “You could die and leave me to wonder if I could have…”

  “You don’t have to wonder.” James interrupted. “Because I would never allow it. I would never allow you to come. And if I die, it will be because of the decisions I made. You have no say in this.”

  “I…”

  “I’m not captain Mace or Bernard Bernhard or any of your other commanding officers. I’m James Hawk and you will follow my orders.”

  ---

  Alanna was walking back up the mountain alone. The soft rustle of old earth green leaves and alien insects surrounding her as she walked. Outside the glass dome overhead, there was only darkness. “You will watch every one of them burn and turn to ash, for what they have done.” Captain Arden’s voice whispered. But still, she was alone. “Listen to me you crazy bitch. There is something on that station. There was something on that station! I never missed! I don’t miss. Something stopped me from making that shot. Something stopped me from… from…”

  “Screw off.” Alanna said, shaking her head at the sound of Bernard’s voice as she continued walking.

  “Will you play with us?” Vasia asked, appearing in front of her, her dark eyes serious as she looked Alanna over suspiciously.

  And then suddenly, directly in her ear, Jane’s voice. “They are coming. They are coming! They are coming!”

  “They’re not real.” Alanna said into the darkened forest.

  “Not like this.” Jane’s voice from long ago. “You hold the knife like this.”

  “I’m never going to win, no matter how I hold the knife.” Alanna said, speaking her part of a conversation that took place nearly a decade ago.

  “You will. All it takes is practice. Years and years of practice. Victory doesn’t just happen. It takes patience, and dedication.”

  “Sometimes you just can’t win.” Alanna said. She had been sixteen at the time, but it was a lesson she had already known well.

  “Yes.” Jane agreed, her eyes distant. “Sometimes you can’t win. Get strong and fight the battles you can.”

  “And if I can’t win?” Alanna asked.

  “Then you run. Run as far as you can and hide so deep no one can ever find you.”

  “Does that work?”

  “For a time.”

  “And then?”

  “And then you die. Now come on, hold the knife like I told you and try it again.”

  “They’re not as good as you.” Alanna said, unsurprised to find James walking beside her.

  “No.”

  “How do you win when others can’t?”

  “Details matter. And bad data makes for bad decisions.”

  “We need more information.” Alanna said.

  “Yes.”

  “Some battles even you can’t win.”

  “I know.” James acknowledged.

  “And if they’re real?”

  “Just a few inches over.” James said. “My existence, is inexplicable.”

  Alanna tried to sit up, gasping for breath. The heavy weight of his arm across her waist trapped her as surely as if she had been chained. But she didn’t mind. She never really minded. She wanted this as if she were made for it. Just like Bernard had said.

  “Bad dream?” James asked, pulling her closer.

  “No.” Alanna shook her head, turning in his arms. “It wasn’t a bad dream. Just an odd one.”

  “Want to tell me about it?” James asked, his voice still thick from sleep.

  “No. Go back to sleep.” She looked out towards the floor to ceiling window beyond the bed, seeing the slight lightening across the night sky. There wasn’t much time left.

  “I’m not sleepy.” James whispered into her ear, his hand moving up her thigh. His touch moved up along the healing skin on her hip, under the thin sleeping shirt she had worn to bed and up around her waist, pulling her closer. “We’re going to have to rethink the clothes.” James murmured against her ear. “I want you in bed naked.” His hand slid down along her arm, towards her wrists. “And chained to the headboard.” He added.

  “You don’t have a headboard.” Alanna murmured, curling up closer into his arms.

  “I’m going to get one. Something heavy and welded to the floor.”

  “Some serious engineering work to be done here.” Alanna said sleepily.

  “I’m good at planning ahead.” James agreed, now fully awake. He turned her until she was facing him, trapping her face in his hands, those intense gray eyes fully focused on her. “I want everything.” James said. “Look at me.”

  Alanna looked at him. There was no escape.

  “Do I have everything?” James asked.

  “You have everything.” Alanna whispered.

  ---

  There was more light coming in through the window now, bathing the bedroom in its soft, silvery glow. Alanna ran her hand along the blue velvet surface of the comforter. “Secondary mission objective.” She said out loud.

  “Achieved.” James agreed, his arm wrapping more tightly around her waist. “You really get me sweetheart.”

  Alanna laughed, curling up closer.

  “I wonder…” James began, stopped.

  “What?”

  “I wonder what Jane’s mistake was.”