Chapter 11
Cassie
“This is Swift. He’ll be joining your flock now.
” The Aviarist sounded bored. He barely acknowledged her as he flipped through his datapad.
Cassie lifted her eyes ever so slightly.
A bored Aviarist was a dangerous Aviarist. It meant he would start inventing new ways to discipline the passeri.
Swift’s small hand tugged at her nearly see-through skirt.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“My full designation is Cassowary, but you can call me Cassie!” She wouldn’t show him the hand signs, not now. Not while the Aviarist was watching. All the passeri suspected he knew how to read them, but as long as they didn’t make them in front of him, it was an open secret.
“Yes, yes, this is all very charming.” The Aviarist waved a dismissive hand. “Take him to his new room. He can have Canary’s old bunk.”
Cassie tried to hold her composure, keep the serene smile on her face. Canary had been killed by a client. No one would admit to it, but they all knew it was true. She took Swift’s hand and shuttled him quickly out of the Aviarist’s office.
C-A-S-S-I-E. She spelled her name over and over again, reveling in the freedom it gave her to control the written words.
W-A-L-K. R-U-N. S-E-E. They would all be so shocked when they learned she’d figured out how to write.
Literacy had been the one thing formally banned from their educational programming.
The thought sobered her. Even if she learned how to read and write perfectly, there was no guarantee she’d ever see them again.
Cassie shook her head. She wasn’t going to cry.
She was Cheerful Cassie; she’d find a way.
She had to find a way to make sure they were safe.
A soft chime echoed from her wrist with a reminder from Wreeta that drills were starting soon, and S’samph wasn’t patient with lateness.
She smacked her hands against her cheeks to shock away the feeling of tears percolating.
The drills would be good. If she could grind her body into the ground, it would give her mind less chance to remember all the things she’d been repressing for so long.
After some consideration, she put the datapad in her bag, it might be nice to practice writing somewhere other than this tiny room after she finished with drills and before her next lesson with ?rim.
She hurried downstairs to find Eleri and Aglao staring at something on their holoscreen.
Rather than interrupt to say good morning, she snuck out past them.
But soon she was outside in the suns and trying her best not to think about how much her flock would like to see a place like this.
Cassie started to jog, even though no one had told her to.
If she didn’t move, her brain was going to explode out of her ears with all its sad whirling.
By the time she reached the training grounds, she knew she was late because everyone else was already running around the perimeter.
S’samph appeared to be ignoring her, but she could tell he noticed her arrival.
Cassie dropped her bag under the supply tent and fell into last place just behind Wreeta, who slowed just enough to give Cassie a chance to catch up.
“Hope you were doing something good to make you late because S’samph will probably make you run an extra lap while we’re practicing hand-to-hand combat.”
“That is a violation of my protocols,” Cassie said.
Wreeta twittered. “You’re funny, you know?”
Cassie regarded her with a strange expression. No one had ever called her funny before. “They call me Cheerful Cassie for a reason!”
The twittering intensified. “No way is that real! They really called you Cheerful Cassie where you were before?”
Her nose wrinkled. The only people who ever called her that were clients or her fledglings when they were trying to be rude.
S’samph caught up to them as they circled closer to the supply tent.
His long strides made easy work of the distance, and his walking pace was almost as fast as Cassie’s pathetic jogging.
“You were late, so you’ll run an extra lap. Those are the rules. Have some water and go finish your assignment.” S’samph handed her a hydropod.
Cassie was about to try to argue when someone caught S’samph’s attention in the distance. It was unusual for Eleri to be at the training ground this time of day. When she finally reached them, S’samph reached out a hand for his mate. “Did something happen?”
“No, I’m just here for Cassie. I have a surprise for her. Can we take your levibike?”
“I don’t want you crashing my levibike.”
“I won’t crash it.” Eleri placed her hands on her hips.
“I’ll drive you both myself.” S’samph turned to K’kaen, the other latil’e male. “K’kaen is in charge for the rest of drills today.”
“Oh, come on. I hate being in charge of drills.” The other latil’e’s frill flattened. “Fine. But only because we know Eleri is a f’fret driver.”
S’samph led the way to his levibike, and Cassie soon found herself holding onto Eleri for dear life as they sped back toward town with S’samph driving like he had something to prove.
“You don’t even know where we’re going!” Eleri called over the rumble of the engine and the whipping of the wind.
“Then tell me where we’re going,” S’samph called back.
“To the holocall booth.” Eleri pointed forward. When they arrived back in the town center, S’samph parked his levibike to allow Cassie and Eleri a chance to dismount. Then he turned, nodded at Eleri, and sped back in the direction they’d come from.
“I think you’re really going to like this,” Eleri said as she walked with Cassie toward the booth. “We’ve been planning it for a while.”
At Eleri’s urging, Cassie sat in the booth while a call initiated.
It took a few long moments, but soon Cassie stared back at the holovid of Swift on the screen.
His big gray eyes were bright with excitement beneath the bright green feathers around his face, evidence of his mixed human and giradey genetics.
Cassie! You’re okay! We didn’t know what had happened to you. My family has been trying to help me look for you since we left the IA facility.
She smudged a tear away from her eyes with the corner of her sleeve before replying to Swift. I’m okay. Everyone here has been kind. It’s been good for me, really. I promise. The quiet is good. Have you spoken with Rhea?
I have! Rhea and Piper sent me a holovid the other day. I think their new families know each other and they get to visit.
That’s really good, Swift. I’m so happy for all of you.
What about you, Cassie? Do you have a new family?
I’m an adult. I didn’t get placed with a family.
Why not? Everyone should have a family. They’re great.
My parents took me and my new sister to an aquarium last week.
Did you know they have whole glass cases just to look at big fish?
His characteristic grin split from one side of his face to the other.
Cassie tucked away another slice of hurt.
She didn’t want him to see her upset. She didn’t want him to worry about her when he was enjoying his new life so much.
Swift was the youngest of her voicelocked fledglings—only twelve standard years when they had been rescued.
He’d just been fitted for his voicelock before the IA liberated the Aviary.
This time to talk was a gift. She didn’t want to waste it on her tears. I didn’t know they put fish in glass cases like that. You’ll have to show me one day.
I will! You should come to Oscilla Dor to visit me. I’ll show you all the best places for sweets. We can go to the laser volleys arena. You can meet my mom.
Cassie let him tell her all about having his own room in the big communal family nest and how he’d learned to sing new songs with his adopted sister.
She’d never realized it was possible to feel so fulfilled and so destroyed all at once.
When they ran out of time on their holovid and the connection fizzled, Cassie said her farewells, promising she’d find a way to talk to him again soon. She didn’t know when soon was.
Alone in the holocall booth, she finally let herself cry.
It was a long cry. Probably too long. She had reading lessons to get to.
Cassie wiped her eyes and the dusty grit that had blown into her face while she’d been sitting there.
A few steadying breaths, and she could go on smiling like nothing had happened.
Cassie walked over to the schoolhouse where some of the younglings were lingering outside the front steps playing a game of Galactic Conquerors. Grumm and Wyk sat with their cards in hand while younger Grora peered behind her brother to see what he was doing.
Grora poked at a card while Grumm made an irritated puff of his throat. “You don’t even know how to play.” He whisked his cards away from her, and Grora stumbled, making a sad thrum. “You’re so annoying.”
“Teach me!” Grora insisted.
“Go away.” Grumm turned his attention back to his hand while Wyk threw a card out.
“How can I play if you won’t teach me?” Grora hopped from one foot to the other. Grumm puffed his throat again, reached into his pocket, and tossed a pack of cards at her. “Figure it out yourself.”
“But I…”
“Shut up and let me focus on the game, or I’ll throw your dolls in the canal.”
Cassie, who had been watching quietly, finally approached and grabbed the spare set of cards off the ground, out of the dust. She gestured for Grora to sit. Galactic Conquerors had been a favorite pastime in the Aviary, even if they never had anything of value to use as a wager.
“Would you like to try again?” Cassie asked. Grora sat across from her.
“You know how to play Galactic Conquerors, big sister Cassie?”
Cassie nodded and dealt two sample hands. The blue and silver cards were bent in the corners. She showed Grora how to assemble her army and how to pick a general. Like this, Cassie signed even though she knew Grora wouldn’t understand.
It was harder without language, but Galactic Conquerors was a visual game, so she caught on quickly enough.
After they played an open-hand sample round, where Grora beat her handily, Cassie glanced up to notice ?rim was standing behind her, watching.
Her face went red. She’d been so distracted by the game she’d completely forgotten the reading lesson.
Gently, Cassie directed Grora back to where her brother and Wyk were still playing. The urtazi youngling clung to her arm in a hug until finally releasing her and hopping back to rejoin the others. She turned back to ?rim.
“I am so sorry! Let me try again.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I find it fascinating to watch your communication style.
The younglings like you. I don’t think I have the same affinity with them.
” He offered her a hand to help her to her feet.
Cassie frowned at the unexpected gesture but accepted anyway.
His hand felt like someone had taken glass and turned it to something harder, something more enduring.
She followed him back inside the schoolhouse, where his datapad was sitting on his workbench, already open to the writing program.
Cassie pulled up a chair next to him with her own, much less sleek datapad.
He was close enough to touch now, his leg just a whisper away from hers as she practiced writing out some short sentences.
“I know your voicelock is programmed to talk about calligraphy and laser volleys, but maybe you can write out what you actually like to do instead?” ?rim tapped her interface, his fingers brushing past hers as he did.
Cassie frowned. What she actually liked to do?
She thought about a response for a long moment before responding honestly.
I-D-O-N-T-N-O-W-U-T-I-L-I-K-Y-E-T. S-T-I-L-L-U-R-N-I-N-G.
“I see. You probably don’t even know what laser volleys is,” he mused. Cassie shook her head. She’d seen holos of the game but had never actually played herself.
What about you? she asked with her hands. What do you like to do?
?rim observed her gestures, mimicking them with surprising proficiency. “Are you asking about my preferences? Can you repeat your gestures?”
Cassie nodded and repeated. ?rim copied. “Now try writing out the question, so I know exactly what you’re asking.”
W-U-T-A-B-O-U-T-Y-U? W-U-T-D-O-Y-U-L-I-K-T-O-D-O?
“I see. It’s technically two questions then.” ?rim repeated the hand signs a third time. “When I’m not busy with my research, I enjoy crafting. I like to make creatures out of wires. Not a very useful hobby, but I enjoy it all the same.”
Why isn’t it useful? Cassie asked before writing out the same question on the datapad.
“Oh, well, artistic endeavours don’t have any merit value on Teos.”
They sound pretty. I’d like to see one day. Cassie found herself blushing as soon as she’d said it.
“If you remind me, I can bring one to show you.” ?rim had moved slightly closer, and now their thighs were touching. He didn’t seem to notice, but Cassie certainly did.
Do you miss your home? Cassie asked.
“No. Not really. There isn’t anything left for me there.
Teos is a cold place.” His response was short.
Cassie realized perhaps she had pushed too far with her questions.
There was something painful there, and it wasn’t her place to prod at it.
“We should finish there for today.” ?rim rose to his feet.
“Keep practicing longer constructions. We’ll move on to reading symbol words soon. ”
For the first time since their reading lessons started, he walked with her out of the schoolhouse, rather than just letting her leave on her own. On instinct, she touched his hand again.
“Thank you!” she said the words and repeated with the hand sign. ?rim repeated the hand sign back at her before seeing her off. He lingered outside, watching her until she reached the doors of the clinic.