Deviation

by A. J. Maguire

  Reesa glanced at the closed door and wondered where Matthew was. She didn't know Carmine and wasn't certain how much she could say to the woman. Telling her the truth would just make Reesa sound crazy. For a moment, Reesa considered reassuring the woman that she'd probably be dead in three months, if she was infected like she thought she was, but that would only stir up questions she couldn't answer.

  "Your son does me a great honor in marrying me," Reesa said. It sounded foolish, but she needed to be vague and polite at the same time. Carmine was the matriarch of the Borden family and in many ways just as powerful as the High Priestess.

  Carmine's dark eyebrow quirked upward; "To be sure," she said. "You've no money and no family, no skills to offer. I thought I had raised my sons to look beyond a pretty face, but it seems I was wrong."

  Reesa felt heat creep into her face. Good Lord, this woman was tough. She suddenly wished she'd spent more time exploring the feminine side of society in her writing. In the back of her mind she knew Jake would have balked at that. Action and violent adventures were what she was known for; attempting to paint a picture of the intricate dealings between women would have bored a good number of her readers.

  Besides, Reesa thought as she stood there and blushed, she was a woman and even she couldn't follow normal female thought patterns.

  "Miss Zimms, before I watch you make off with my son, I will have one answer from you." Carmine narrowed her eyes and frowned. "How did you come to be stranded on Oahu?"

  "I wasn't aware that was common knowledge," Reesa said, trying not to squirm.

  "It's not. I've my own sources here. Now please explain yourself."

  Reesa looked at the doorway and prayed Matt would show up soon. She preferred getting married to being interrogated by this woman. "Hedric Prosser took a disliking to me and abandoned me there."

  Carmine's glare turned hard. "And what is your relationship to Hedric Prosser?"

  Reesa looked down at the metal table. She understood now why Matt had such a knack for pinpointing the heart of a matter. For the first eight years of his life he'd been influenced by this woman, and Carmine seemed to go for the jugular.

  What could Reesa tell her? I wrote Hedric into being, he's my creation.

  But that didn't define their relationship. And she wasn't certain it was true anymore.

  "Hedric Prosser abducted me from my home. He also took a dear friend of mine, who he is holding hostage on his ship." Reesa said at last. "The only relationship I can think to tell you is that he is my enemy."

  "And the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Matt quoted from the doorway.

  Reesa relaxed as he entered the room. He paused beside his mother to kiss her cheek, then moved to Reesa's side. She was unaccountably pleased by the way he gathered her arm and smiled when he sent her a boyish wink. He was far more charming in person than how she'd written him. But then, she'd always found Jake to be charming so this shouldn't have come as a surprise.

  Matt reached over and tapped the edge of the table. The lights dimmed, the table hummed to life, and a three-dimensional screen shimmered into view. A moment later the screen seemed to disappear and the image of a man stood in its place. It was a hologram, she knew. His legs disappeared into the surface of the table and he fussed with the cuffs of his sleeves before realizing they could see him.

  "Oh, Mr. Borden, I didn't realize we were live," the man said with a sheepish grin.

  "We've a busy day after this, Reverend. I thought it wise to start early." Matt said.

  Reesa spotted the book tucked under the Reverend's arm and automatically assumed it was a Bible. She knew better than to question Matthew in front of another man, so she bit her tongue and tried hard to quell a spurt of fear. It wasn't illegal to be Christian, she reminded herself, it was just difficult. They were outnumbered, often ostracized from society, but not hated. Not like the tensions rising between the Makeem and the Novo Femina, anyway.

  Still, Matthew was risking quite a lot by going this route.

  "We have a witness?" The Reverend asked.

  "I am to witness," Carmine said. "I am his mother."

  "Very well," he looked at something out of their view. "I see all of the documents are in order. Did you have a preference for the type of ceremony I perform today?"

  "Whatever is in good taste," Matt said.

  "Certainly," the Reverend straightened and gave them a warm smile.

  Reesa took a deep breath. She was getting married. She was really getting married. Her first thought wasn't about the lack of a white gown or the general plainness of the room she was standing in. The panorama of Earth just outside was overwhelming enough to be considered decoration.

  No, her first thought was of Kate.

  Weddings were supposed to include at least one person close to you. Kate should be here, she thought. Her heart pinched, remembering quite clearly the day Kate had asked her to be her maid-of-honor. Reesa had a picture in her hallway of a joyful Kate, ensconced in the most beautiful gown either of them had seen in person, with tiny white flowers braided throughout her hair. And for a mind-numbing moment, Reesa thought maybe she'd killed Mesa out of jealousy.

  ***

  Kate woke the moment the door to her room opened, instinct shoving her into an upright position before her mind could catch up. Still groggy from restless sleep, she confused the little room with a memory of her barracks in the Army. Lights snapped on, immediately blinding in their brilliance, and she almost jolted to her feet, half expecting a drill sergeant to come in barking orders.

  No such orders came. Instead, a woman in bulky gray segmented armor stood in the doorway, silently surveying her. Light glinted off the steel robotics that curved around her skull, encompassing the right half of her face. Where the eyeball should be was a protruding tubular camera lens that whirred as it focused on her.

  Quelling a spurt of horror, Kate stood up.

  "The High Priestess says you should eat." Her voice was surprisingly warm for all the robotics on her.

  "I thought food would be brought to me."

  "You are not a prisoner, Mrs. Woodson. I can take you to the dining facility."

  Kate snorted. "If I'm not a prisoner, then I would prefer if you took me home."

  "Until you have served your purpose, the Temple is your home." The woman nodded to the mounted shelf at the southern wall. "Clean robes have been provided. I will be outside when you are ready."

  Kate watched the door close, locking her back inside, and growled in frustration. She moved to the shelf, surprised to find several options available to her. They were all robes and pretty dresses, varying in shades of blue and green and auburn. She knew some of them were meant to replace her space suit, but Kate opted to keep the temperature regulating outfit on. It was surprisingly comfortable and easy to move in. If she had to ditch her robes at some point, she'd want at least that to cover her.

  Choosing a dark green robe frilled with yellow printed pansies, Kate donned the new clothing quickly. The material was light and breathable, flowing around her in such a way that she was reminded of prom. Ben hadn't been her prom date, but he had been there. She could remember the look on his face when she'd smiled at him from across the room, the way his drink had paused halfway to his mouth and his eyes went wide with shock. She'd felt as pretty as a rose in bloom.

  It seemed strange that this concealing robe could make her feel just as fine and delicate. Perhaps there was more to them. Perhaps they were merely an accent to the beauty beneath. Not necessarily physical, she thought, pushing away an image of the woman waiting outside her door, but of the real woman underneath it all.

  Still, she opted against wearing the hood and face mask. Deciding she looked as good as she was going to after seventy-two hours with very little sleep, Kate moved to knock on the door. It slid open and the armored woman began to lead her through the corridor. Kate was awake enough to catch some of the details she had missed the day before.

  The lava rock comprising t
he walls was perfectly angular at its corners, proving that the subterranean chamber was man-made. Well, she thought as they walked past a group of five headed the opposite direction, woman-made anyway.

  Her guide led them through the main chamber and Kate squinted up at the high ceiling. Rafters and ramps made a checkered pattern above them, leading to and from several bulky machines that resembled air conditioning units. She imagined those were the air filtration systems. They were underground, after all, and would obviously need to breathe.

  She glanced at the broccoli cluster of computers as they passed it, then looked for the elevator that had brought her down here.

  "There are guards at the exit, Mrs. Woodson," her guide said. "We may not be allowed to shoot you, but I promise that my girls are trained. They can take you down."

  Kate's pride ruffled at the comment but she chose to remain silent. She'd learned a long time ago that it was an advantage when an enemy underestimated her. And, if she was honest with herself, there were too many armed women around. If she needed to, she could do some damage, but in the end it would be fruitless. She'd still be stuck, and likely wounded, so it was best to keep calm and wait.

  They made a quick pace to the opposite side of the chamber where several tables and benches were set up. Eanmar, Kate recognized the puckered face, met them at one table.

  "Captain Bonsway," Eanmar nodded to her guide.

  The so-called Captain bowed to Eanmar, who nodded once, dismissing Bonsway from their company. Kate watched the armored woman leave to take up a guard post near the computer cluster, then refocused on Eanmar. The tall, red-robed woman gestured to the empty table and Kate moved to sit down. D-FAC, her mind registered. They must be sitting in the Dining Facility, though it wasn't enclosed from the rest of the chamber.

  Long minutes of uncomfortable silence settled at their table as a woman delivered a tray full of food to Kate. This woman, Kate noticed, had no apparent abnormalities, but walked with a severe limp. She felt bad enough for the girl that she almost stood up to help her carry the tray, but Eanmar stopped her with a hand. Kate stayed sitting, obedient and disgruntled, while the serving girl arranged plate, glass, and fork neatly before her.

  With another nod of her head, Eanmar dismissed the girl, and Kate realized with some trepidation that Eanmar held no small amount of power in the Temple. She imagined that being Celeocia Prosser's right hand placed the woman as a sort of "First Sergeant" rank. If, of course, they were discussing enlisted soldier's ranks, which they weren't, but at least Kate felt like she was on an even kilter with the hierarchy of the Temple now.

  "The Priestess has asked me to tell you my story," Eanmar said.

  By the flat tone of her voice, Kate knew this was less than pleasing for her breakfast companion. Out of respect, Kate chose not to touch the food in front of her, though the familiar sight of scrambled eggs and toast made her stomach growl.

  "She believes it will help you sympathize with our plight," Eanmar sat down beside her and nodded to the food. "Please eat while I relay the facts to you, Mrs. Woodson."

  Kate picked up her fork and forced herself not to look at the woman beside her. She didn't like eating alone, especially while being observed, but knew her body needed the fuel. The eggs were bland and the toast had no butter, but at least it was warm.

  "My father died when I was young, but he made certain I had a respectable dowry. When I came of age, my brother arranged my marriage to one of his friends, a man by the name of Hans Jacobson." Eanmar spoke matter-of-factly, her body poised beside Kate, so still that it was a wonder the woman was breathing. "On my wedding night, Hans removed my face veil for the first time. Upon seeing my disfigurement, he left the room. It was the last time I ever saw him."

  Kate lowered her fork and closed her eyes. Her heart ached at the hollowness in Eanmar's voice, and she felt absolutely ashamed by her own reaction to the woman. She'd stared, she knew she had, horrified by the twisted features. Kate couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be on the other end of that stare, to be gawked at and avoided by the people around her.

  Was this why Reesa did it? Had her friend deliberately chosen to alter women in an effort to confront human vanity? Was it meant to force them all to look past the skin, to really look beyond the societal definition of beauty and into the woman herself?

  Even as she hoped this was the case, Kate knew she was at least partially wrong. Reesa's books only barely mentioned women. The disfigurement was a side note, a detail of the world and not the focus.

  But, oh, Kate thought as she opened her eyes again, what a careless detail it was.

  "My brother Jarem brought me to the Novo Femina consulate on Earth the next day. He had forced Hans to return my dowry as the marriage was never consummated." Eanmar finally shifted in her seat, turning to look at Kate. "Jarem is a good man. Still, even he could see there was little hope in another marriage for me. He said the Temple was the safest place and left me with my dowry to do with as I pleased."

  "I'm ... " Kate stopped herself from apologizing. She wanted to; the compassionate side of her wanted to run out and find this Hans idiot and teach him a lesson in manners. But beating Eanmar's ex-husband into a whimpering pulp wouldn't help anything. In fact, Kate thought as she pushed a bit of egg around her plate, there was nothing she could do to help any of the women here. "Maybe Reesa can do something."

  "Perhaps," Eanmar said. "Though I doubt it very much."

  "The High Priestess seems to think ... "

  "The High Priestess is looking for something to prove the Makeem in the wrong, nothing more. Reesa will only be able to spur us into war."

  "But ... why would you want to go to war?" Kate felt her heart flutter at the idea. She'd been trained to fire a weapon, she knew how to fight, but that certainly didn't mean she would go looking for a war.

  Eanmar frowned and looked away. The movement placed the serene side of her face in Kate's view, almost blotting out the evidence of genetic manipulation.

  "Change only ever comes about with bloodshed," she said after a moment. "Perhaps we will all die in the fight, but it will be a fight that sparks movement into our race. The Community will be forced to choose a side. There will be no more straddling fences, no more compromise."

  "But compromise is the only way to ... "

  "Compromise is the death of freedom. It means we must bow to the whims of another. It means we must wear robes and hide our faces for the sake of keeping the peace." Eanmar stood suddenly, and Kate shifted to watch the woman, uncertain of what to do. "Make no mistake, Kate Woodson. We will fight, and we will die. But for once, we will do it with dignity and pride."

  *

  "The Community passed the Anti-Evangelism Law today. Gregory Martin, current head of the World Scientific Community, has issued the following statement in regards to the controversial decision; "This law is not meant to say you cannot choose a life of faith. If you desire to practice the traditions of your individual cultures, you are welcome to. But you must do so in the privacy of your own home." - A.P. April 16, 2462

  Chapter Seventeen

  Reesa hugged the cotton sheet to her body and tried to wrap her mind around her current situation. Thousands of "day after" scenes took place with one of the members holding a sheet around their body, wondering where their clothes had got off to. The problem for her was that she knew exactly where her clothes were. She could see them strewn around the plush chair sitting beside the window and she could remember - with blushing clarity - how each piece had gotten there.

  Matthew had left early in the morning. Like most ambitious men, he was an early riser. He had kissed her temple before leaving, she could remember that much.

  Some Higher Power had to be making fun of her.

  The complications as to why and how and what it meant that she had married a character she had created warred in her mind. What exactly did that say about her anyway? Self-love? The ultimate conceit? The fact that she'd spent the last three years single, da
ting only when Kate had insisted she do so didn't seem to help.

  And then there was the problem of Jake. Had she been holding Jake on her wedding night, dreaming it was him, or had she really be making love to Matt?

  Staring at the dark blue robe draped over the arm of the chair, Reesa frowned. If Matt was fiction, then she must have been writing him in an effort to get closer to Jake. Or her own adaptation of who she wanted Jake to be, anyway.

  Her mind snagged on a memory of Jake at a New Year's Eve party. They'd shared one kiss that night and Jake had made certain it never happened again. He'd made his feelings on the matter quite apparent, avoiding all personal communication with her and speaking to her only on a professional level. It had hurt a bit, but Reesa had silently acquiesced to his wishes, letting the moment fade into their history without speaking on it.

  But then, he'd taken a bullet for her.

  Had that been his sense of nobility or something more? Had she inadvertently written Matthew Borden to love her because she had sensed that love from Jake? Or was it just because she had hoped for that love from him?

  Flopping back on the bed with a groan, Reesa decided she could dissect the situation later. When she'd at least eaten breakfast, she thought.

  The door to the room opened and Matthew stepped in. He smiled at her, suave and calm and all thoughts of Jake seemed to vanish. She heard the hiss of magnets closing behind him as he walked to her, making a swift, fluid movement of leaning down and kissing the side of her neck. His hands braced on either side of her head, his nose grazing the side of her jaw as he kissed his way back to her face and for a moment Reesa forgot about the trouble he represented.

  Smiling, she tilted her head to allow him better access and stretched under his body. He leaned into her, hard and warm, his mouth trailing over her exposed collarbone. She felt his teeth lightly scrape her skin and her mind went dizzyingly blank. His lips skimmed up her neck, brushing her jaw, aligning him back to her mouth again. Reesa held onto him, her heart skittering in her chest as he kissed her.