Fractal

by Rachel J Mannino

  Anna pushed herself away from the counter and stalked toward him. He flashed her a genuine and charming smile. She almost felt guilty for resisting him. Almost. She didn’t smile, but her shoulders relaxed as she slid into the chair he offered her. He dragged out the chair beside hers.

  “Coffee should be done any minute. I’m going to go upstairs to check on Brendan, help him with his homework or something.” Hannah strode to the threshold of the kitchen

  Anna protested. “But—”

  “Have a good chat.” Hannah bounced out of the room.

  Anna rolled her eyes and sighed. She glanced at him. His eyes held none of their warmth from this morning. Now they were piercing. She shifted in her chair, her gaze dropping to the table

  Varick shook his head. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to stare. You look very much like your mother.”

  Her eyes snapped to his. “How do you know my mother?”

  “I don’t. I never met her, not in person. There are stories about her, pictures, and your father too. I knew it was you when I saw you, because you look so much like her.” His eyes dropped to her mother’s necklace. Anna covered it with her hand to protect it from his unsettling gaze. He couldn’t possibly know it once belonged to her mother.

  “What do you mean there are pictures and stories about my parents? Why?” She ran her fingers over the smooth silver, as she had many times since her mother’s death

  He pursed his lips. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I wish they had told you. I wish they had educated you about our ways and our people. It wouldn’t be so hard for you now to understand why I am here. I don’t even know where to begin.”

  Varick studied the ceiling. He struggled for a few minutes, opening his mouth and closing it again several times. Then, he met her gaze. Anna held her breath. The metal of the necklace bit into her palm as she squeezed it tight.

  “When you were born, you were chosen as the next Vadana, the next ruler. The prophets always choose the next Vadana at birth. When you were a year old, there was…an accident. A terrible accident at a science station on one of the outer planets.”

  “Wait. You live on more than one planet?”

  “Three. Our people live on three planets very close together in our solar system. Dahrel, Assis, and Loren. There is a fourth, an outer planet we use for scientific research. The accident…warped the minds of the people there. Our society was peaceful. There hadn’t been a war in centuries. Those people became violent…stealing, killing. The scientific colony collapsed into chaos.”

  Anna shifted in her seat. This sounded like the opening of a new science fiction flick. She should have made popcorn. She released her death grip on the necklace and sat back.

  “Those who made the experiment died before we even knew anything went wrong. The rest of our scientists tried to undo what had been done. They weren’t able to, and the sickness spread to our other planets. When it touched our home planet, your Protector at the time—my predecessor—gathered you and your parents and put you into a military escape vehicle. You and your family fled to keep you safe. It was decided we would not try to locate you until we found a way to reverse the darkness that overcame our people and restore you to power.”

  There was no logical way for her to dissect his story. It sounded plausible in all of its fantastical elements. Except for her part as a royal refugee. It would mean her parents kept everything from her. That she still could not accept. She shook her head. Varick scrutinized her every move, his emerald eyes boring holes into her.

  “So, how did you fix the experiment? What went wrong?”

  He took a deep breath. “We haven’t been able to stop it. The last prophet had a vision a few years ago. A vision of you halting the sickness.”

  She fought the urge to roll her eyes, but the derisive snort that came out of her couldn’t be stopped. Varick’s jaw tightened.

  “How am I supposed to halt a sickness I know nothing about?” She crossed her arms across her chest.

  Varick hesitated. He looked down and away. “We don’t know yet.”

  “So, you expect me to believe I’m a royal refugee from another planet, which my parents never happened to mention to me. You want me to leave my home and my life, to go with you, to some planet I’ve never heard of, but before I get there I have to save the world from an experiment gone wrong. You want me to do all of that, but you have no idea how. Did I get that right?”

  He sighed. “I understand your skepticism, Your Majesty, but what I tell you is the truth.”

  Anna stared at him hard for a few minutes. She had no idea why she listened to this strange man. The whole thing was preposterous, ludicrous. She wanted no part in this story

  “Your Majesty—”

  “Stop calling me that. My name is Anna.”

  “Your Majesty.” His expression was stern, his voice harsh. “I’m forbidden to call you by anything except a royal title.”

  He rose, towering over her. Anna steeled herself. She gripped the polished wood of the table. He glanced at her hand clutching the table and took a step back.

  “I need to find the escape vessel your parents used to bring you here. It contains the homing signal that brought us to you, and it might lead other, more destructive species, to this planet.”

  She laughed, and Varick cocked an eyebrow at her. “There isn’t a spaceship here in the house, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t one anywhere in town.”

  He gestured to the room surrounding them. “No, it’s here, in this building. The signal is strongest here. May I look?”

  “Why should I let you wander around my house?”

  “If I find the vessel, it will prove to you what I say is true. If I don’t find it, I will leave, and you will never hear from me again.”

  Anna weighed her options. This whole episode needed to be over and done with, and Hannah and Brendan were still upstairs if she needed their help. He appeared to be strong and very capable of using brute force, but she sensed no danger from him. If anything, he treated her with more respect and admiration than any other man she had ever encountered

  She shrugged. “All right, I’ll help you find this ship. I’m only giving you half an hour. I have a shop to run tomorrow.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of his eyes. “Thank you. It won’t take long, I’m sure.”

  Varick drew out a hand-held device the size of his palm. He flipped it on, hit a few buttons, and information scrolled across the screen. A map appeared, with several blinking dots, and he shifted to face her. “We’re on top of it. Is there another level below us?”

  “Yes, the basement. This way.”

  Anna got up from the table and grabbed a flashlight from the blue cupboard. This was silly, searching her house for a spaceship. She suppressed a giggle. She shuffled over to a small door in the very corner of the room. She opened it, and a cool wet draft met her face.

  She switched on the light, revealing a set of wooden stairs. “After you.” She gestured to the stairs.

  He gave a polite nod and proceeded down. When he reached the bottom, Varick surveyed the barren room. The timbers and beams stood out against the planking of the floor above. A thin layer of dust covered the raw cement at their feet, stacks of boxes stood off to the side, and pipes and machinery wove about the room in a haphazard fashion

  “Varick, there isn’t a spaceship down here.”

  “No, it’s here. It’s hidden. This vehicle wouldn’t have a stealth mode, so it must be somewhere.”

  He marched up to the wall in front of him. The timbers and planks were all uniform and in good condition. He read his hand-held gadget, and ran his hands along the wall

  “What are you doing?”

  “There is another room behind this wall. I’m looking for the way in.”

  Her lips pursed as she blew out a heavy breath. He kept feeling the timbers. He stopped, looking at one spot tucked next to a vertical beam.

  He offered her a sidelong glance. “Do you know
what this carving is? Do you recognize it?”

  She tromped over to him and pointed her flashlight at the faint carving of a circle surrounding a bird in flight. She didn’t recognize it, but trepidation crept up her spine and settled between her shoulder blades

  “It is the sign of your father’s house. There are six royal families. This is the insignia of the fourth house.” He ran his fingers along the board that stretched to the other vertical beam. He rested his fingers next to another spot. Varick smiled. “This is the sign of the first house—your mother’s family.”

  Anna gasped and clasped her necklace. A hot flush of anxiety constricted her chest, and she struggled to take a breath. It matched the silver oval and gemstone necklace she wore

  “Your mother’s necklace has been passed down from mother to daughter, for generations.”

  She gulped at her surprise, clutching the necklace until her nails bit into the flesh of her palms. A shiver racked her body. “That’s what my mother told me when she gave me the necklace.”

  “Let’s see what’s in this room.”

  He placed both his hands on the carvings, and the wall dissolved. In front of them, a small, ovular pod sat atop two long, thin planks about a foot high. A curved piece of metal arced from the engines up to the ship’s body. Layers of dust made the white ship look gray. Inside, a light blinked.

  Varick whirled and smiled at her, his eyes alight. She tried her best to process the scene before her. He entered the room, scattering dust and cobwebs everywhere. He touched a button right below the windshield, at shoulder height, and the pod opened. Varick flipped a few switches on the control panel. A blinking light inside the pod faded.

  He turned with a crooked smile. “I don’t think the homing signal needs to be on anymore.”

  A figure appeared above the ship, and he jumped. He moved between the figure and her, but Anna took a step forward as the ghostly vision solidified

  “Dad?” Her whisper sounded hallow, swallowed up in the darkness of the room.

  The figure came into focus, and coughing, spoke. “Well, uh, if you’re seeing this now, then it means your mom and I didn’t come home from the hospital. I hope that is not the case, but this sickness seems to be difficult for us. We don’t have the natural immunity the humans here have developed from childhood.” He paused to catch his breath.

  “I am sorry. By now the recovery team, and hopefully your Protector, are with you. We didn’t get a chance to tell you everything you deserve to know. We wanted you to adjust to life here. In the event that you couldn’t go back to Dahrel at all, well, at least you would have some happiness right where you are. We hope you are returning home—our people need you.”

  The image wavered as her father coughed and sputtered. He wheezed, gripping his chest, and memories of her parents falling ill flooded her whole body. Her stomach clenched in a tight fist as sorrow ripped through her heart. Tears stung her eyes, and her chest squeezed tight as her father regained his voice

  “We hope you have a long and peaceful reign, and Dahrel has been restored to the beauty and splendor we knew there. You deserve that much, Anna. That much and more. Whatever happens to you during your lifetime, know that your mother and I love you with all of our hearts, and we will be with you always.”

  Her throat constricted, and her eyes filled with tears she hadn’t let fall in years. She bolted for the stairs. Too much—the day had been far too much. Ever since that rocket fell out of the sky, her world rotated until it was upside down. She ran up the stairs and clear across the room to her kitchen sink. She leaned against it, trying to catch her breath, when Varick crashed up the stairs behind her

  “Your Majesty?” He halted at her side

  “Go. Leave.” She backed away from him, bumping into the refrigerator.

  “But, your father… The ship—”

  “Just get out. Get out, and leave me alone.” Her tears came down fast and heavy.

  Anna dissolved into her grief. When she slid down the refrigerator to the floor, he caught her by both arms and tugged her to him, enveloping her in his embrace. She laid her head on his chest and a great weight lifted from her shoulders. His scent—an exotic, heady spice—calmed her.

  He ran one of his hands from her shoulder blades to the middle of her spine. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know they would leave you a message. I didn’t mean to upset you like this. I’m very, very sorry.”

  Her tears slowed to a sniffle. Two sets of footfalls sounded on the stairs, and she pushed away from him. Brendan and Hannah appeared at the kitchen doorway. Brendan grinned at Varick, until he looked at Anna.

  “What did you do to my sister?” Brendan stepped to her side.

  “Sister?” His eyebrows shot into his hairline.

  “He didn’t do anything, Bren.”

  “Then why are you crying? He was the only one down here.” Brendan placed an arm around her shoulders. He glared at Varick.

  “I just had a bit of a fright, that’s all.” Anna hugged Brendan to her

  “Why? What did he do?” Brendan took a step closer to Varick, pushing her behind him.

  “Bren, I don’t even know what to tell you right now.” She glanced at Varick before continuing. “Varick…he found a ship. A spaceship that belonged to Mom and Dad. This is so crazy.”

  Anna’s explanation trailed off as she cradled her head in her hands; it spun, and her heart raced. She didn’t know what to think anymore or what to say

  “Are you leaving? Are you going with them?” Hannah’s face drained of color

  “What ship? Where?” Brendan asked.

  She hesitated, and then nodded toward the basement door. “In the basement.”

  Brendan almost knocked her to the floor as he ran for the open basement door. Hannah gaped at her a moment and then ran after Brendan. Anna let out a shaky sigh as they disappeared. She glanced up at Varick; he stared back at her, unblinking.

  “Oh my God. This is so awesome.” Brendan exclaimed from downstairs

  Anna blew out a puff of air and offered him a half-smile.

  “Are you all right?” Concern filled every syllable, and Varick appeared to be ready to pull her back into his arms.

  “This has been a lot to take in.” She folded her arms across her chest

  He nodded. “I understand. I wish these were different circumstances, but your people need you. You are our leader, and our lives depend on having you on our planet.”

  Varick’s words, and her father’s, ran through her head. She rested her skull against the fridge’s cold metal. So much of her life now made sense. The little things her parents said, their lack of friends here, the reason why the townspeople avoided them, why her parents stayed here despite how unhappy they were. They weren’t from here. They were biding their time until they could go home, and time just ran out for them.

  Brendan and Hannah thundered up the stairs and burst into the room. “We’ve had a spaceship downstairs the whole time?” Brendan raced over to her and gave her a bone-rattling shake

  “It would seem so.” She clasped his hands

  “So, wait,” Brendan gazed up at Varick. “If Anna’s your queen, does that make me a king? Do I get to be king of an entire planet?”

  “Oh, no. Only a woman can be the supreme ruler.” He frowned at Brendan, and Brendan’s face fell. “Male descendants of royal houses join the Council. As a councilman, you will oversee the affairs of the state. The Council may make laws without the Vadana, so long as there is complete, unanimous agreement. That is rare. Otherwise the Vadana creates the laws and edicts, and you will be expected to advise her.”

  “Oh, well, I guess that’s still okay.” Brendan produced a half-hearted shrug

  He fixed his eyes on the basement door. Her heart clenched. Brendan was already gone. He was on that rocket with Varick’s soldiers, picturing a life for himself on some other world. He had already shrugged off the house and the mountains of North Carolina.

  “Are you going? Are you leav
ing?” Hannah grabbed onto her and Brendan’s clasped hands

  Anna gaped at her, unsure how to answer

  “Please. Can we please go with them? I want to be a councilman.” Brendan tugged on her arm, but his plea touched her soul.

  “If you’re going, take me with you.” Hannah dug her nails into her arm until she winced

  “What? Why? Why would you want to leave here?” She let go of Brendan and faced Hannah

  Hannah met her eyes. “Oh, come on. There’s nothing here for me. I hate my job; I have no family. The only thing that keeps me here is you. You’re my best friend. If you’re leaving, then I want to go where you’re going.”

  She wrapped her arms around Hannah. It was the most genuine and loving thing she’d ever said.

  “I can’t take an Earth woman off her world. The Vadana and her brother are Dahrelian, but you’re not.” Varick’s voice broke them apart

  “I can’t go anywhere without Brendan and Hannah. Either they go with me, or I don’t go anywhere at all.” Anna raised her chin.

  He stared at each of them. “All right, I’ll take all of you, but if any of you are ever asked where you are from, all of you will say Dahrel. Agreed?”

  “Yes, yes. Absolutely.” Hannah rocked on her heels, clapping her hands together.

  “Do we have time to pack?” She contemplated the room

  He held up his hand. “You don’t need to, everything you need is onboard.”

  “No, but…pictures of our parents and things like that.” Anna begged him with her eyes, and his stance relaxed

  He bowed his head to her. “All right, a few minutes then. Take very little. Your quarters won’t have very much room.”

  Hannah sprinted out the back door, slamming it in her wake. Anna and Brendan raced to gather up their favorite things. She grabbed photos of her parents and their family together at the zoo and the amusement park. Shoving everything into a small duffle bag, her favorite books, a few of her favorite trinkets, and anything that evoked a special memory clumped together until she could barely zip up the bag.