Fractal

by Rachel J Mannino

  She gave up trying to sleep. Unzipping her bag, she unpacked it, laying out her family pictures on the shelves behind her. When she finished, she contemplated them. Instead of making her feel more at home, they appeared awkward and out of place. Clutching one photo to her chest, she returned to her bedside.

  Anna propped the picture up atop the table beside her. It was her favorite photo of her family together just before her parents died. The day’s events overwhelmed her, and tears welled in her eyes.

  Why was she on this ship? She didn’t even know who she was anymore. How did they expect her, an apparent refugee, to save an entire race? She tried to calm herself by remembering that Brendan and Hannah were with her, but it was little comfort for the mountainous challenges she faced. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she wept into her pillow long into the night until she drifted off to sleep.

  ~ * ~

  Varick left Anna and entered his own quarters. He touched the panel by his door and had a short argument with Fayn about which way to go before they settled on the most expeditious route. Then he took off the Earth-style clothes he’d been wearing and changed into a loose shirt and pants.

  He paced for a few minutes, and then ambled to the control panel. He stared at the panel, unable to move. Checking on Anna would be too overbearing. Yet, he shouldn’t have left her alone.

  There was something vulnerable and lonely about the way she stood in the center of the room, and the way she held that gown. However, he couldn’t stay with her either—it wouldn’t be proper. The ship quivered as they lifted off the Earth’s surface and hurtled into space.

  He considered sleeping, but adrenaline still raced in his veins. He finally achieved one objective. He had something to protect. Three somethings, which he hadn’t anticipated. He went to the control panel and called two guards. He assigned them to protect Hannah and Brendan..

  With that out of the way, he returned to pacing. His mind jumped from one piece of advice given to him during training to another. Then he spotted a report sitting on his desk. He had ordered it earlier that afternoon, after having realized the Vadana knew nothing of Dahrel and her parents raised her on Earth customs. The report gave a full review on the culture, communications, and traditions of Earth so he wouldn’t offend her as he had that morning

  With some relief, he dropped into the chair at his desk. Reading would calm him. He leafed through the historical summary, the various religious beliefs, the entertainment. He read every word of the customs section. The section on courting and marriage rituals engrossed him. On Dahrel, marriage was arranged, so the concept of anything else intrigued him.

  Anna’s region of Earth had dating, courting rituals, chocolate, and something called Valentine’s Day. His heart raced at the description of kissing. He’d never heard of it. Touching lips? Then tongues? The thought was…exotic. He’d been with several women on his travels from one Dahrelian refugee colony to another, but touching lips had never even occurred to him.

  Varick pushed the report away. It wasn’t having the relaxing effect he needed. Half of his mind rested across the hall with the woman he had to protect. He was struck by how different her upbringing would have been on Dahrel. She would’ve been waited on by hundreds of servants, schooled and trained every second of the day. She would’ve spent few precious moments with her family. Raise her younger brother by herself? Impossible.

  He had been trained to serve a different kind of Vadana. He remembered how she folded into his arms after her father’s heart-rending message. She was more vulnerable, more open, than any Vadana in the history books he had read. Somehow, that made her more precious

  He tapped his fingers on his desk. He browsed a few other reports he had, but he didn’t absorb them. Instead, he touched the control panel and leafed through a tedious collection of star charts, but it wasn’t what he wanted to see. The last shred of his discipline snapped.

  “Show me the Vadana.” His voice came out as a hoarse whisper.

  The screen in front of him flipped from a chart to the Vadana’s quarters. Anna lay in her bed. It was foolish, but it made him feel better to see her and know that today hadn’t been a dream. The tension at the base of his neck eased until the sound of soft crying floated out of the comm panel.

  His heart sank, and his shoulders slumped, as the camera focused on her. She wiped away large tears, trembling underneath the heavy covers. A photo of her family stood on the bedside table. He averted his eyes and commanded the screen to shut off.

  He dragged himself to his bed. Guilt lay heavily on his chest. He had taken her from her home, revealed that her parents had lied to her every day of her life, and now he had invaded her privacy. It was necessary—he had done everything today for the survival of their people, but seeing his Vadana crying into her pillow tore his heart apart. He could do little to comfort her, and making this journey was going to be very hard for her.

  He resolved to do whatever he could to make her comfortable, to make her happy. He fell asleep trying to think of everything he could do to bring some sense of joy into Anna’s new life.

  Chapter Three

  Anna woke with a start. She surveyed her room with half-lidded eyes, forgetting where she was until the previous day came rushing back. She rolled over and buried her face beneath the pillow, but the light from her window grew steadily brighter. She gave up and emerged from her bed.

  As she tiptoed toward the bathroom on the cold, metal floors, the sight outside her window stopped her. She sucked in her breath, looking out into the expanse of space. In the distance, an intense white light churned. Two long, spiraling arms shot out from the center light in swirls of red, blue, and gold stardust. There were a few neighboring pinpricks of white, the mesmerizing sight set against a void of blackness.

  Oh, God. I really am hurtling through space. And that is an entire galaxy. She placed her hands on the ledge of the window. The spiraling arms were filled with smaller balls of light, stars of every order and magnitude possible and too many to count. The stardust pulsed and spun before her like an epic dance

  The door chimed. She tore her gaze away and eyed the door. “Who is it?” she called

  There was no answer, so she touched the comm panel by the window.

  “Who is it?” Her gaze returned to the expanse of space beyond her window

  “Varick, Your Majesty. May I come in?” His voiced echoed through the panel

  She touched her tousled hair. Oh, God, he can’t see me like this. “Just a few minutes.”

  She combed her hands through her hair as she ran to the closet. She meant to order something to wear, but a lilac-colored dress hung there. She yanked it off the hanger and put it on, folding her nightgown and depositing it at the base of the closet. She slipped on the golden shoes that were waiting for her.

  The dress had sheer, short sleeves, but the rest flowed over her in waves, hugging her curves as it gathered and pleated at the waist. The outfit was more dainty and delicate than she was used to, but it would have to do. She didn’t want to keep Varick waiting any longer. She touched the door, and it disappeared, leaving her face-to-face with him.

  His eyes widened, and he sucked in a quick breath.

  “I’m sorry. I just got up.” She ran her fingers through her hair

  He smiled at her, and his eyebrows rose. “You look beautiful.”

  Anna flushed and smiled. “Thank you.” She moved aside to let him in.

  “I didn’t expect you to be in royal dress. It suits you.”

  “Oh, it was just hanging in the closet this morning. I don’t normally wear a dress.”

  Anna smoothed down the skirt. Varick tracked the movement of her hands. Her hands fluttered for a moment. She didn’t know what to do with them, so she crossed her arms and hugged herself.

  “I guess the language training worked.”

  “Language training?”

  A knowing smile spread across his lips. “Yes, you’re speaking in Dahrelian now. You didn’t real
ize it?”

  Her jaw went slack as she contemplated the table. The word “table” popped into her mind but not in English. The English word came to mind, but a parallel word was there as well. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. “How did you do that?”

  “We use electromagnetic waves to deliver information to the brain overnight. That’s how we’ve trained in languages for over a century. It’s completely safe. A great deal of our schooling is done this way.”

  Anna rubbed her neck. They altered her brain without her knowledge? It was intrusive and strange. Dahrelian was foreign to her, and yet she spoke it without hesitation. She put aside her unease; she would sort through her feelings on that subject later

  Frowning, she gestured to the box in Varick’s arms. “What’s that?”

  “Huh? Oh, yes.” He stared at the box as if he’d forgotten he had it

  He set the glass box on the table and snapped it open, revealing a potted flower. The stalk and leaves of the flower were blue, and the six long, droopy petals surrounding a black center were violet. The potting soil around the flower had a sandy appearance. She gaped at it in wonder.

  “It’s a tirwyn. Translates to English as ‘changeling.’ Touch it.”

  “Touch it?”

  Varick nodded. She stroked one of its petals. It slipped through her fingers like rough velvet. The petals stood at attention. The deep violet faded to a brilliant, cobalt blue.

  “Oh, wow.”

  “The petals change to match the mood and disposition of the first person who touches it once it’s fully grown. It’s one of our most rare flowers. Up until now, they’ve only grown in the wild, but Councilman Meroca finally got a crop to grow onboard. This is the first one to attain full maturity.”

  “Really? This is the first one?”

  “Yes. I know how much you love plants, and I wanted to make you feel…more at home here. Now, this tirwyn is yours forever.”

  She studied him. A hint of tenderness crept into Varick’s eyes, an unspoken understanding. His concern touched her, and she smiled up at him. “Thank you. That’s really thoughtful of you.”

  Their gazes locked. Gravity shifted. Something pulled her toward him, and she couldn’t identify it. She glanced down at the flower, and the strange sensation vanished.

  Her door dissipated, and Hannah stepped into the room. She was smiling, but when her gaze took in Anna and Varick together, her smile transformed into a wicked grin. “Morning. I came to wake Her Majesty up, but I see you already beat me to it.” She sauntered over to the dining table

  “Hannah.” Brown crept into the tips of her tirwyn’s petals. Smart little flower

  “What? I think it’s sweet.” Hannah slipped into a chair and propped her chin up with her hand.

  He cleared his throat. “Is Brendan with you?”

  “No, I haven’t seen him this morning. Just the handsome guard you posted outside my door for me.” Hannah winked.

  Varick’s smile vanished. “If he isn’t with you, then how did you open the door?”

  “I just touched it, the same way you do.” Hannah traced circles on the table

  He tensed and scowled at the door. Anna shook her head. It was just a door. She didn’t care if Hannah could open it.

  “The doors are programed to only open to the person who occupies the room and those who share their gene profile. As the Vadana’s Protector, I am also allowed to open the door. Unless you two are related, you shouldn’t have been able to access it. I must have the mechanic look at that door.” He imparted a quick bow

  “I’m sure it can wait until we’ve had breakfast.” Hannah stared at him with impatient eyes.

  Varick looked down at Hannah, startled.

  “I’m not allowed to eat at the Vadana’s table. That would be improper.”

  “That’s crazy. Of course you can eat with us.” A flicker of annoyance passed over Hannah’s features

  He started to walk away, but Anna called him back. She agreed with Hannah for once

  “Varick, there is no reason you can’t eat with us. Where we grew up, it’s a sign of friendship and respect to eat together. Please stay and have breakfast with us, and then you can call the mechanic. I doubt anyone here is going to harm me, especially with you right beside me.” She smiled sweetly at him, but an edge of finality threaded through her voice. She didn’t want to be the kind of person who couldn’t dine with anyone, even if they considered her a ruler

  Varick studied her for a few minutes. He glanced at the table then the door. His brow furrowed for a second or two, but he finally smiled and bowed his head to her. “I would be honored to dine with you.” He strode to the table

  Hannah chuckled, and Anna gave her a sharp look. Hannah didn’t need to make it more awkward for him

  Brendan burst into the room. “You’re not going to believe what I did this morning. This is the greatest place I’ve ever been. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole life.” Brendan sprinted to her.

  “Okay, first, I woke up and there was this massive thing outside my window, and I was like ‘whoa’, right? Did you see it? This massive, swirling star-thing? It was awesome. Then, Desen—that’s the guy who’s guarding me, massively cool that I have a guard, by the way—”

  “Bren, Bren.” She laughed, putting up both hands to stop the flow of words that tumbled from his mouth like a waterfall. “I’m really glad you’re this excited, but you need to slow down. I can barely understand what you’re saying. We’re about to eat breakfast. Why don’t you tell us while we’re eating?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m starving.” Brendan plunked down into a chair

  Anna gestured for Varick to sit. His eyes glowed as he slid into the seat next to her.

  “How do we get food?” Hannah shot Varick an impatient look

  He touched the control panel on the dining room table. “What would you like?” He glanced at her.

  “Um…an omelet? With toast and strawberry jelly and nice, hot coffee?” She sat forward, waiting to see what would happen

  Varick repeated the request. The table glowed for a few seconds, and the plate of food appeared at the center of the table. He passed it to her.

  “That’s amazing.” Brendan’s pitch climbing several octaves. “Can I have anything?”

  “You can order an omelet, or cereal, or toast. No junk food.” Anna pointed her fork at him for emphasis

  Brendan’s face fell. “Can I have what Anna got, please?”

  Varick gave instructions to the control panel for Brendan’s breakfast, as well as Hannah’s and his own.

  “Now can I tell you about what I did this morning?” Brendan chewed on his toast. She nodded. “Right, so, when I first left my room, I was going to come over here to see if you were awake, but Desen was outside my door. I asked him where everything was in the ship. He told me about the game room, and the training room, and everything. You said I couldn’t go on my own, but Desen was with me.”

  He paused, looking at Anna warily. She nodded. He hadn’t done anything wrong – so far.

  “He took me to the game room, and we played this star and laser game. It was so cool. The whole room became the game. Then he took me to the place where they train, and he showed me how they use their swords and everything. It was awesome.” Brendan stopped waving his silverware around long enough to poke at his eggs

  “I don’t know if I want you swinging a sword, Bren.” She raised an eyebrow at Varick.

  “It was easy. It’s just a practice sword.” Brendan scowled.

  “Is it safe? Will he be in the way there?” She sipped her coffee as she questioned Varick

  He waved his hand, donning an indulgent smile.

  “Desen is highly trained, Your Majesty. He would never let him come to harm.” Varick swallowed a bite of food

  “Please?” Brendan clutched his fork in his fist.

  “Okay, but if you’re in the way or you get hurt, then it stops.” Anna shot a look at Varick
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  He ducked his head in acknowledgement of the silent message. Some of the tension in her neck eased. Varick was good at that – making her feel cared for, protected. She hadn’t felt that in a long, long time.

  “I won’t. It’ll be great. I want to train to be a Guardsman, and then I can guard my sister in a few years.” Brendan ripped into his toast

  Varick choked. He coughed and sputtered until he regained his voice. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. You’re destined for the Council. You’re a member of one of the six high families.” He set down his fork and ordered juice from the cybernetic

  “What if I want to be a soldier?” Brendan turned his palms up in supplication

  Varick shook his head. “No, young lord. People of your status rule from the Council. I don’t know if there is a word on Earth for this, but there are different levels to society. Yours rules the planetary systems. Below you are the priests, the healers, and the prophets. I was born into the status that makes one a warrior, explorer, or scientist. Below me are the everyday people, the merchants, workers, and servants. Do you understand?”

  “You mean you have a caste system? Your whole life depends on what family you’re born to?” Hannah puckered her lips

  She glowered at Hannah, warning her not to insult Varick or Dahrel’s customs.

  “Yes. Doesn’t Earth?” Varick raised his eyebrows and glanced at Anna

  “Earth used to, but now, for the most part, we’ve gotten away from that. Now most people can be whatever they want so long as they are trained and educated for that profession.”

  He considered her words with a furrowed brow. She waited to see what he would make of the idea, surprised that such a system had never occurred to him.

  “What if I don’t like the Council? What if I’m not good at it? I liked sword fighting.” Brendan slouched.

  “Bren, do you even know what a councilman does?” She regarded him with raised eyebrows while sipping her coffee

  Brendan shifted in his seat, and Anna waited.

  “No,” he finally admitted