by L H Whitlock
“Notify me within four days,” the Coordinator said before standing. “It was a pleasure.” He nodded at the two girls and walked toward the door.
“Would you like to see Aray?” Ulrick asked, once the Coordinator had left.
“Yes!” Lily blurted out and jumped to her feet.
“I’m tired. I think I’ll head to the room.” Gloria stretched her arms over her head and yawned dramatically.
Lily rolled her eyes, she saw right through that act. Fine, I’ll go on a walk with Ulrick…alone…no big deal.
Ulrick nodded. “I will escort you to the materialization room. I have the guest room activated.”
They walked down a hallway, the only distinguishing feature were the bolts that split the solid chrome panels. Lily imagined that this is what walking through a pipe would be like. A door-less room opened the hallway, disrupting its sleek features. Glowing white panels shone on the floor, a white pedestal extended from the corners of the glowing blocks with a swipe pad on top. The back wall was covered in a picture of blue grass, a champagne sky, and a large stone coliseum. Bolts interrupted the brightly colored mural, distorting the serenity.
“Gloria, step onto the white pad and use this info card. I live on the top floor of building MK.” He handed a swipe card to Gloria.
“What?” Gloria’s purple eyes seemed to haze over.
“Just swipe the card and you will materialize into my house. The guest area is the green colored room. The bed and everything you need has been activated,” Ulrick explained.
Gloria hesitantly took the card.
“I will go with you. We don’t have anything like this. What do you mean activated?” Lily asked.
“While not in use, the bed, bathrooms, and other items are stored within the walls. These are controlled using the tablet in the room. I have already activated all of them, but will teach you how to use them once we go back to the room,” Ulrick explained.
“No El, you don’t have to go with me. Check out Aray, see your people,” Gloria said and swiped the card. Gloria’s body faded in and out then disappeared.
“Will she be safe?” Lily asked.
“Yes. My house is on the top floor with an extremely advanced security program. No one will be able to get in or out. Unfortunately for Gloria she cannot get back out without my approval.” Ulrick placed a hand on Lily’s lower back, extending his fingers until they were gently resting on the curve of her hip. His pinky slid a little lower then it should have, but Lily pretended she didn’t notice. He guided her out of the materialization room and back into the long hallway. Lily fought the heat that rose to her cheeks but allowed his guidance. They walked in silence until they left the building and stepped onto the metal streets.
Lily had to tilt her head all the way back to see the top of the building they had just exited. Skyscrapers in staggered heights filled the area in a mixture of steel beams, gears, rods, and glass; each a geometric wonder. She slowly walked past a building made entirely of glass and watched the people inside wander around the rooms. One lady pressed her palm to the glass and it crystallized over, no longer transparent.
The next building was solid chrome with rusted gears fitted together along its side. They turned, powered by what appeared to be water falling from the top of the building, too high up to see. She followed the path of the water, it mixed with the gears then free fell toward the streets, pixilating just before it splashed to the ground.
The next sky scraper was dwarfed by the others and designed using a series of pulleys. They rotated and turned and sections of the building jutted out. A child stepped out onto the newly formed balcony and placed a pot with overflowing greenery on the ledge.
The sidewalk turned from dull metal to a mirrored surface. Lily looked down into the reflection of Ulrick and her walking. Though he followed just behind her she could tell from the stiffness of his body that he was working hard to keep his distance. His markings danced across his arms, his eyes scanning her protectively. Their steps echoed on the ground in a coordinated rhythm. She tried to mess up their matching pitter patter, but they somehow re-synchronized each time.
Hilians walked through an artificial park made of chrome sculptures. Couples held hands and sat beneath the man-made trees and laughed. Lily gazed up at a sculpture. Thick wire twisted into an odd trunk, then branched out in delicate arms. Colorful leaves adorned the tips of the branches. Lights bounced off them, casting bright spots across the ground. Ulrick caught her hand, mimicking the other Hilians. She looked up at him to argue, but saw the content look on his face and allowed her arm to sway with his.
“Tell me about the Developers,” she said as they walked past a brushed iron sculpture of a Guff-Ik fish with water spewing from its mouth. Each of its meticulously carved scales was finished in a dusting of pyrite. Lily dipped her hand into the dark blue water. Instead of being met with a cold wetness, her hand passed right through. She found herself disappointed that it was just another hologram.
“They are a race of Cyborgs. They started out in Golan’s army a long time ago, probably one of the original alliances. Golan betrayed them and destroyed their planet overnight, like he did with Hilia. They engineered a small floating platform at first and grew their technology advancements and resources. Eventually they engineered their very own planet, untraceable to Golan who has been pursuing them for hundreds of years.” He ushered Lily under one of the bronze trees, the tips of the branches were bare and leafless. He sat beneath the tree and leaned against the trunk, patted the ground for her to sit next to him.
She sat, crossed her legs, and rubbed her hands over her cargo pants. A cool breeze nipped at her arms, she shivered in response. Ulrick wrapped an arm around her shoulders, rubbing up and down in an attempt to ease the chill.
“The temperature will stabilize in a moment.” Ulrick promised then continued his story. “It was a happy coincidence when I stumbled onto their world. They didn’t trust me at first, but once I explained what Golan did to my people, we began to build trust. I was surprised to find that the Developers were the masterminds behind the alliance.”
Lily’s brow furrowed. “The masterminds behind an alliance? What alliance?”
“Like us, the Developers were betrayed by Golan. They worked for years to build their strength and grow in numbers, with the eventual hope of destroying Golan and his army. Golan made a mistake by getting rid of them; they possess the most advanced technology in the galaxy.”
Lily gazed up into the tree branches and gasped. The ornate branches held a vast hologram of spiraling galaxies and elaborate nebulas. “It looks so real!”
Ulrick followed her gaze. “It’s a picture of the known universe.” He scanned the picture then reached up touching one of the spiraling, glowing galaxies. “We are here. The Developers consider themselves artists, though they lack the ability to add life to their masterpieces. They consider this cold, lifeless world their greatest artistic achievement. They cannot wait to get it back.” Ulrick twirled his finger around a curl in her hair. “They accepted me and my small alliance and eventually put us in charge of the army. They used to have me as a recruiter, but you can image how that worked out.”
Lily couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, I could only imagine.”
“They have worked tirelessly to develop the technology they needed to shut down Golan. Now, all we need is a planned attack and some luck. Could you imagine our galaxy not being destroyed by Golan?”
Lily looked at him. For a moment he looked younger, less fierce. “Why didn’t someone come to us sooner? We could have attacked by now, saved so many more people.”
“We couldn’t. We had discussed it many times but the Developers wanted to be sure we had a good plan and the numbers to support it. It was a security risk, the more people we introduce to our alliance, the greater our chances of being discovered.”
“Doesn’t it seem odd that the same Developers who are trying to destroy Golan are the same ones who provided him with the w
eapons that make harvesting a planet and converting the Synthnic possible?”
“The Developers made a grave mistake, but trust me when I say that they paid for it. Golan turned on them as well, and they nearly went extinct because of it. They are our greatest chance to take down Golan.” Ulrick ran his hand over her thigh. She gently pushed him away, her hand lingering on his thick forearm longer then intended.
“We are in public,” she scolded, looking around at the couples wandering through the artificial forest. She was beginning to become frustrated with everyone looking at her. Some stared at her then darted their eyes away once she glanced in their direction, others shamelessly gawked. Why don’t they mind their own damn business and quit looking at my damn arm! “Can we go somewhere else?”
“They are just curious. Many believed I had been cursed for what I have done. They are simply excited. You are like a celebrity to them.”
Lily watched a youngling wave wildly at her with a too wide, toothless smile. Her parents hushed her. Their markings lay silent on their arms, not moving in the dance of a preordained match.
Lily couldn’t help but wave at the pigtailed child. It was strange, Hilians were normally a shunned race. Many people immediately didn’t trust her or worse, felt sorry for her. Here it was like everyone couldn’t wait to meet her.
“Does that ever happen? That someone does not have a match?” Lily puzzled at how the couple with the child seemed to be in love, yet their marking showed no sign.
“It used to be rare. But, when Hilia was destroyed, many couples got together to help re-build our numbers.”
Lily stared up at Ulrick. His eyes had softened, the only evidence that he was bothered by the topic. “So that couple with the child…” her voice trailed off. “They are not a true match?”
“No, they have joined together as a pair to procreate and offer support, friendship, and family.”
“That’s sad.”
Ulrick dipped his head to kiss her forehead. “They are happy, they survive together. They may not be Ja’ Keo Gruna, but they love each other. They would not want you to mourn for them. Let’s go back to my house and I will make some tea to warm you.”
Lily nodded and followed him to a nearby materialization room; it seemed there was one on every block.
***
Ulrick felt like a nervous adolescent trying to court the training academy’s ‘most highly revered’. His heart raced, his palms were sweaty, and he couldn’t stop the thoughts that ran through his head. Would she like the décor he chose? Would she be comfortable with him? Would she finally begin to trust him?
He held the door open for her and couldn’t help but watch the sway of her hips as she walked past. Using the touchpad he activated the room. Walls shot up from the floors, banging as they hit against the ceiling, compartmentalizing the large open space. The room separated into a kitchen with a dining area, a common room, and then a bedroom with a wash room. Countertops jumped from the floor, oversized chairs and large white sofas darted out from the walls. The fabric of the cushions added a nice texture, offsetting the sleek metal. Panels on the wall flipped revealing assorted artwork from the many worlds he had visited.
“Please join me in the sitting room. I will bring tea.” He immediately felt like banging his head against the wall. Why do I sound so awkward?
Lily nodded and wandered through the room examining the paintings on the wall. Ulrick prepared an herb tea in the kitchen, one that was good for sleep, and opened the window in the common area. The steel wall split, revealing a floor-length window overlooking the iron coliseum of the training facilities. Lily jumped off the sofa and rushed to the window, nearly pressing her forehead to the glass as she gazed upon the Hilian inspired coliseum. She looked back at him, her face alight with a smile. The sight of her curved pink lips made his chest ache. He placed the tea cups on the end table and joined her at the window.
“The Developers modeled the facilities to replicate the coliseum on Hilia. Each quadrant is designed specifically for one use. Located in the north is the water training facility. It has been designed to replicate the environment on Ha’ Wera. The south is the Energy training facility, where warriors are trained to yield their power. The west is weaponry, and the east is hand to hand.”
“There was one of these on Hilia? It’s massive!” Lily’s voice was pitched with excitement. She pressed her hands against the glass as she leaned in for a closer look.
“On Hilia, it was carved from the ancient gray stones of the Vul mountain range. Folklore said it was there when the first settlers arrived. Inside there were hundreds of stairs and training rooms with a natural spring in the center. We used it for underwater training. I used to be an instructor. I taught hand to hand and Bio-Energy generation.” Ulrick stopped, realizing he was rambling about the past.
“It looks like that mural in the transporter room.”
“Yes, the Coliseum provides Hilians with much pride. One day, when we are off this planet, we will design a new one, in honor of old Hilia.” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, holding her soft body to his and watched a hand to hand match through one of the windows of the fortress. Two Hilians circled each other. The smaller man lunged at the larger, grabbing at the larger man’s waist. His opponent lunged out of the way, sending the other toppling to the floor. The smaller man jumped up and ran at his opponent. The other kicked, knocking the attacker on his back. A light came on and the fight ended.
Lily twisted from his grip and took a seat at the sofa, tucked her legs beneath her, and sipped at her tea.
Ulrick sat next to her, his weight causing her to tilt toward him. “Do you see now that everything I did had a purpose?” His heart nearly stopped as he waited for her answer.
She took a long sip of tea, refusing to look at him as she answered. “You Harvested planets and you destroyed civilizations. Just because you did it to save one race does not make it acceptable.”
Ulrick rubbed a hand over his face. “I personally did not Harvest any planets, but I didn’t stop it, so the fault is the same. But, it was for more than that; I was building an army that could eventually take down Golan. I see those planets every time I close my eyes. Most of those civilizations are still alive. I always warned them so they could start to evacuate. Do you think it was just coincidence that you always got there a few rotations before Golan? No! It was because of my warnings. I tried to make things right, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to make any real progress. Unlike the Renegade, I am actually trying to end this war.” His last few words came out in a bitter bark. He wished he could take them back the instant they blurted from his mouth, but he was so tired of always being the bad guy; tired of hearing ridiculously exaggerated horror stories about him. A cold blooded planet eater? You have got to be kidding me. Who made up such an outrageous story?
Lily stared at him, her cup frozen midair. “You think everything we did was for nothing? The Renegade may be small compared to the scale of your army, but we work our asses off and if we save even one person, at least that is one person that is not forced into slavery by Golan.” Tears pooled in the corners of Lily’s eyes, she quickly wiped them away as though denying they were ever there.
Ulrick felt sick. He couldn’t control his temper around her, hell, he couldn’t control anything around her. He had hoped that showing her Aray would ease her fears, but he was making things worse by lashing out at her.
Ulrick pulled her to him in a forced hug. He needed her close, needed to show her how much he cared, that he was sorry. “A’ Kilini, I did not mean that. I would never have given the planets warning if I thought it was all for nothing. You saved many from the Harvest. I, and many civilizations are eternally grateful.”
Her body stiffened, refusing to melt into him as she had done earlier. It left him aching and longing.
“I am going to wash up.” She stood abruptly, pulling herself out of his embrace. He let his arms drop to his side. He couldn’t i
gnore the disappointed look on her face. His heart sank knowing it was because of him.
***
Lily stepped into the washroom. What an ass! Just because he’s Mister Deep, Dark, and Sensual does not mean he is excused for his actions. Damn him and his sculpted chest! Damn me for thinking about that sculpted chest!
The chrome floors were surprisingly warm and covered in a hologram of thick purple grass. How dare he say that he was the reason for the Renegade’s success! Who the hell does he think he is? Mr. High and Mighty? In a bout of anger she tried to tear the bowl sink off the counter, but realized quickly that it wasn’t going anywhere. Instead of the sink coming off, a flower bloomed in the bottom of the bowl. Fuck his flower! She tried to rip off the delicate petals but her hand passed through the white petals…Damn illusions.
She pulled off her clothes then stepped into the shower, moss and rock covered the bottom with dainty lily pads floating on the top. Though it appeared to be a creek, the surface she stood on was smooth and the walls seemed to morph into stone, like a cave.
Warm water trickled over her, soothing her anger. What kind of delusional bastard helps destroy planets for the ‘greater good?’ He had said he never actually Harvested a planet himself, but he didn’t stop it, and that made him just as guilty. Though she would never understand how he could Harvest a planet, she knew he held a lot of guilt. She did believe that he was the one who had been alerting the Renegade, they did always get a tip from someone, and they were able to save a lot of people because of it. Her mind spun. What would I do if I were in the same situation? She thought long and hard on it, getting lost in the heat of the soothing water. Her mind raced until she was no longer thinking about Golan or the Harvest, but only of Ulrick. She closed her eyes and wondered what it would feel like to be wrapped in Ulrick’s arms under the tranquil water fall.