42. Quandary
FORTY-TWO
QUANDARY
Elena
I shower, unpack, throw my clothes in the wash, and make some pasta while they tumble dry, amping myself up for the mental load of reuniting with my sister and tonight with Lukys.
Meanwhile, I listen to my sister’s music on the sound system.
Despite this, I’m hurried in my movements, glancing outside often for Lukys, but he hasn’t reappeared.
I wish he would.
I repack my bag—just in case—and place it by the closed hatch door.
My sister is alive.
The relief I feel in finally knowing is immense.
Leaving the pack behind and the hatch open for Lukys, I march to Mateo’s ship and open the panel. I press the call button and ask the AI to let Jenna and Mateo know I’m outside.
The hatch rises, disappearing into the wall above.
A short hallway with a large seating area appears with an opulent lounge space on the other end.
Gleaming white plastic, cut through with silver bars, line the walls.
Under the bars, soft, white light brightens the luxurious interior with a pale white glow.
I’ve never been inside Mateo’s ship before.
“Elena.” Jenna appears from around the corner. “Come in?” She looks behind me, her expression nervous.
I step into the ship and meet her at the end of the hallway. “Where’s Mateo?”
“He’s on the bridge, trying to negotiate with some of his investors. There have been many responses since we landed, and he’s been able to reach some of his people in other star systems.”
I don’t know exactly what Mateo does, but I know he’s important to his business. “Where were you guys?”
“Hold on.” She nervously glances outside once more. “I command the AI to close the hatch.” As the door closes, she clasps my hand and tugs me deeper into the ship, sitting me on one of the round, cushioned seats within the lounge.
“It’s so good to see you.” I take in her slender form. Noting the makeup on her face, I assume she has been living… mostly okay this past month. She has more than the basics about her. Mateo has been taking care of her well. She’s taking care of herself.
“It’s good to see you too. I’m so glad we were able to find you. Mateo’s been wanting to take the ship to the colony pod, but I wouldn’t let him, not until I was certain you weren’t still here. Now that we’re together, we can leave. We all can.”
I lick my lips. “I lost contact with you when The Dreadnaut erupted. What happened?”
She sits down on the chair beside me and shudders.
“We barely escaped.” She’s silent for a moment.
“We got lucky that a freighter ship, a massive one, was between us and The Dreadnaut, it kept our ship shielded from some of the minor explosions, but we almost didn’t make it.
We ended up outside the orbit of the moon with hundreds of others, dodging pieces of the ship. ”
“The moon?”
“And you went to Earth it looks like.”
“It’s where Lula took me.”
“Mateo didn’t have the AI pilot. He piloted himself.
But it was probably the smarter move. It was hard for people to move between the spaceships as supplies ran low.
I also didn’t hear your broadcast until a few days ago.
The moment your voice played, I screamed.
Mateo had to calm me down. I tried to contact you immediately.
When you didn’t respond, we flew to your coordinates.
It only took a little convincing.” She wiggles her fingers and I see a red gem on her hand.
“Did you see the blue dome when you descended?” I watch as she crosses and uncrosses her legs.
It’s then I see that her nails are nicely polished as she settles them on her knees.
I glance down at my uneven, chipped ones, realizing there’s more color to me than ever before. I’m not as white as I used to be.
“Yeah, what is up with that? We saw the beam of light too. We flew past the dome but made sure to keep our distance.”
“It’s from an ancient powercell within the military encampment east of here.
It’s where I was. I saw it go off. The commander of the camp mentioned it would give us the ability to reach other galaxies.
If you just got my broadcast a couple of days ago, and Mateo is getting comms now, maybe it’s actually working. ”
“Interesting…” She squeezes her knees then releases them, leaning forward with a smile. “But guess what!”
“What?”
She throws out her hand, spreading her fingers, and the red gem reappears, big and ostentatious. “Mateo and I got married!”
She pulls her hand back and looks at her ring, twirling it with the fingers of her other hand. “It was a small ceremony, just the two of us… And the AI officiating… But when we get back to the colony ships, we’re going to have a huge celebration. After we have a memorial, of course.”
I sit back and force a smile, uncertain about the news but happy for her anyway. “Mom and Dad would be excited.”
Her eyes flicker with sadness and I feel bad for mentioning them.
She knows, as well as I, that our parents didn’t make it off the ship. They were still on it when we had left.
“They loved Mateo.”
“They loved his money.”
Jenna laughs and it lightens the mood. “Yeah, that too. He’s going to relaunch my music career on The Sovereign and we’re going to apply for permanent resident status. You’ll have to as well, Mateo said he would pay for it.”
“So, you’re really going to another colony ship rather than staying?”
“Staying?” She gawks. “Here? There’s nothing here but wilderness, aliens, and death. I can’t sing here. I’m not a colonist.”
“Of course you can. The people at the encampment I was at, or one of the others, I’m sure, would love to hear you sing.”
“No thanks.”
“Some of those people have lost everything, far more than we did.” This might be the first time I’ve wished to have my sister’s talent.
“If you’re planning on leaving”—I peer around at the enormous interior of Mateo’s ship—“you could offer to take some people with you. I’m sure there are many who don’t want to live in a military camp and would love passage back to the colony pods. ”
“Elena, don’t get this way. You’re trying to make me feel bad.
You know I don’t do well around people I don’t know.
There are too many crazies out there. Any one of them could decide to murder us and take Mateo’s ship for themselves.
I can’t believe you would suggest such a thing.
Especially after everything I’ve been through.
” She huffs then pauses. “You’re talking like you’re not coming with us. Why?”
I look at the hatch down the hallway, wondering if Lukys is outside waiting for me.
“Is it because of the naga?” she asks when I fail to speak.
“Yeah.”
She sits back, her eyes widening with surprise. “You’re with him… like with him, with him?”
I tilt my head and shoot her a look. “Yeah. I’m with him. And I just vowed I’d stay.” Kind of like your marriage… but without the ring.
“You can’t be serious. You can’t stay here for him! You have to be with me! There’s nothing here except our parents’ old, dirty ship. Not only that, he’s half animal. He has a tail, for god’s sake. Elena, I’ve always wanted to see you with someone, but not something.”
“I think it’s best I leave.” I stand and turn, walking to the closed hatch.
Jenna rises and follows me. “Leave? You can’t leave. You just got here. And I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sure he’s helped you—”
I face her. “Jenna, tell the AI to open the door.”
Her face wrinkles. “No. Not until you say you’re coming with us.”
My eyes narrow then I drop my head back with a sigh.
“Please just open the door. I know you want me to go, and truthfully, I want you to stay. But I already know you’re not going to so I’m not going to bother trying to convince you.
Either way, I’m not deciding anything right now.
I just got back from being in the forest for the majority of the past week, and I’m exhausted. ”
Jenna hugs herself. “Fine. But come back later after you sleep. Mateo’s not going to be happy waiting, but I’ll make it worth his while. I command the AI to open the hatch.”
The door opens.
I turn and step off Mateo’s ship before facing her again. “Thank you. I’ll be back.”
She walks to the threshold, hugging herself tighter. “I know I’m a little selfish, and vain, among other things, but I really love you and I hope I don’t have to kidnap you to take you out of here.”
“Don’t even try.”
“I might.” Jenna steps back and with a wave from her, the hatch closes.
Alone once again, I search for Lukys. I walk to the open hatch of my ship and call his name. When I see my pack undisturbed and all I get is silence, I frown.
Where is he?
It’s not like him to say he’s going to do something then not do it. He promised not to vanish on me…
Turning full-circle, I face the mountain.
Balling my fists, and praying for courage, an excited thrill, knowing what will happen if I return to his cave of my own free will…
I take a step forward and don’t look back.