by Magus Tor
As Jonathon went to arrange for a transport pod, Elza stood to take her leave.
“You're not coming with us?” Aurelia asked.
“Not tonight; I've got a few things to take care of,” said Elza.
Aurelia noticed that Elza too was wearing a dress and that there was makeup on her face. She was a truly beautiful woman, one whom any man would be all too glad to spend time with. And Aurelia had the feeling that that was one thing Elza spent a lot of time doing for the Resistance.
“A man?” she asked curiously.
Elza laughed. “Sometimes they call me Mata Hari,” she said. Then, noting Aurelia's confusion: “Look her up, then you'll understand.”
The blonde woman came over and gave her a hug. Aurelia could smell a flowery perfume on her skin and caught a glimpse of a white stimulation patch on her neck. Elza must be exhausted, living this double life. “I'm glad you're joining us, Aurelia,” whispered Elza. “I know how you feel, but it will all be worth it in the end.”
Aurelia was waiting on the couch when Jonathon came back.
“Our chariot awaits,” he said, smiling.
“Our?”
“You didn't think I'd let a beautiful woman travel home all by herself, did you?” he teased.
“You let me travel here all by myself,” countered Aurelia.
“Ah, but that was before I saw you in that dress. Come on, or we'll lose the pod and have to wait for another.”
He took her by the hand and led her out of the restaurant. But it wasn't until they were strapped in and the pod was gliding out of the parking bay that he spoke to her again.
“Still confused?”
He wasn't looking at her, instead choosing to look out into the night.
Was she? “Overwhelmed is maybe a better word,” she replied. “There's a lot to take in.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I know. And I know you never wanted to be involved like this, which is part of the reason that we want you in with us. You're not looking for power for yourself; you don't want money or even privileges. And that makes you perfect. Aurelia, you're doing the right thing.”
She sighed; she still wasn't so sure. Besides, she didn't know yet what exactly it was that she was supposed to be doing. She hoped that she wasn't going to have to do what Elza was clearly doing.
Jonathon turned to her. “Look out here - look at all that privilege, the bright lights, the entertainments, the food and clothes and hair. Then compare that to your own City.”
He was right. There were colours here that she'd never even seen before.
“We're mining Earth. We're taking what we need, using Earth and her people as servants for our needs. That's what needs to stop.”
His eyes burned, and he sounded so passionate, so sure about what he was doing.
“And when I'm president, it will stop. I swear to you.”
Power was dangerous, she reminded herself, but said nothing.
He went back to looking out of the window, and she could see that something was on his mind, but she didn't want to push the issue. It would come out in time, she decided. Besides, she had things of her own to think about. In everything that Jonathon and Elza had said, Clones had never been mentioned. Were Clones going to carry equal status under their new rule? She had seen both of them react in the predictable way to Nicholas, giving him orders, pulling rank. Was that a part of their cover story? Or how they really felt?
It made it difficult to know whether or not to mention Nicholas and his role in proceedings. She had a gut feeling that now probably wasn't the time, whatever Jonathon's feelings about Clones were. She also decided that she was going to take Nicholas into her confidence at the first opportunity. He had been the one to speak to her about Resistance, which meant he either knew of their existence or was somehow a part of things. And, truth be told, she wanted someone to confide in, someone who wasn't trying to push her into a role that she wasn't sure even now that she wanted. She would get hold of Nicholas as soon as she was in her quarters, she thought. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late.
Jonathon coughed a little, breaking the quiet between them.
“Aurelia, I've got to admit something.”
He looked very awkward.
“I do think that you will be very good for the Resistance, and Elza has had her eye on you for quite some time.”
That explains a few things, thought Aurelia. The transport pod was nearing the hospital now; she could tell from the surroundings that were becoming more familiar.
“But, since I actually met you, well, there's something else.”
“Mmm?” said Aurelia, having a feeling that she might have a sneaky idea what was going on and just why he was looking so uncomfortable.
The shuttle slid to a stop.
“Escort you to your quarters, ma'am?” said Jonathon with mock chivalry.
“I'd be delighted.” She smiled.
He accompanied her into the elevator and waited until the doors slid shut.
“I want you to join me in the Resistance for personal reasons as well,” he continued quietly. “I know we've only just met, and I know that you don't know me quite as well as I know you.”
He turned to look at her, grasping her arms. “I would like very much for you to be by my side, whatever happens.”
His hands were warm, his scent spicy and fresh. Instinctively she tilted her head towards him, offering him her lips, and he bent towards her, taking them. The kiss was soft, tender, but she wanted more of him. She pushed her body against his, the kiss got harder, and her breath came faster.
Then the doors opened.
They sprang apart, looked at each other and giggled guiltily. Jonathon reached for her hand and walked her to her door. He bent to kiss her again.
“Can I come inside?” he asked, huskily.
She thought for a minute. She wanted him to. But Nicholas kept interrupting her thoughts. Not that she was in any doubt about which of the two men she wanted, though both were attractive. She felt that she owed Nicholas something, a debt she hadn't discharged. And she would like his blessing, as stupid as that sounded.
“Not tonight.”
He smiled at her. “Maybe tomorrow?” He was half teasing and half serious, she could tell.
“Maybe tomorrow,” she said.
She closed the door behind her and dropped onto her couch. Gods. Deep in her heart she knew she was doing the right thing. She just needed her head to accept that. She could taste Jonathon on her mouth, smell his scent lingering, though he hadn't been in the room. She hoped that falling in love wasn't clouding her judgement.
Chapter Eleven
As much as she tried, Aurelia couldn't contact Nicholas at all. In the end, she left him a message and went to bed. Her sleep was interrupted, filled with nightmares and dreams. In some she was with Jonathon, in some with Nicholas. Sometimes she was a brave Resistance fighter; in others she was a traitor. When the dome slowly started to change shade to a lighter blue, Aurelia pulled herself out of bed and took a shower. If she wasn't going to be rested, at least she could work. And working always helped her think better. Sometimes taking her mind away from a problem was all she needed to do to solve it. She checked her intercom before she left, but there was no message from Nicholas, nor from Jonathon.
The hospital was buzzing, and she found plenty to keep her busy. As head of trauma (with the red-and-white flash on her uniform sleeve to prove it now), she saw cases that were interesting or difficult and found that the challenges, no matter how hard, were surmountable. Jason, her grinning second in command, was turning out to be a very skilled physician in his own right, and Aurelia enjoyed working with him. He even remembered to bring her a coffee every now and again, which surprised and pleased her. It was early afternoon when he brought her a fresh cup.
“There's someone looking for you,” he told her, placing the cup on a counter next to her screen.
Aurelia, who was trying to decipher some hospital paperwork, didn't
even look up. “Yes?”
“It's a Clone.”
The dismissal in his voice was obvious. Like a Clone wasn't important enough for her to step away from her desk. Sure, he'd helped her out in the Clone ward, and done a good job too, but he still had the same attitude as anyone else in Lunar.
“Did he give you a name?” Aurelia asked him, wrenching her aching eyes from the flashing screen.
Jason shrugged. “I didn't ask. I just overheard him asking for you at reception.”
Aurelia took a gulp of her coffee, then grimaced. It was hot. She rolled her screen up and stood, stretching. “I'll go there, then,” she said. “Oh, thanks for the coffee.”
“No probs.” Jason smiled, watching her walk out the door.
Weird, thought Aurelia as she made her way through the corridors to the hospital's main reception. He was so worried about being seen together or overheard before, and then he just shows up here like it's perfectly natural? She saw him before he saw her.
“Nicholas!”
He turned, and she could see that he was pale, worried looking. But when he saw her he smiled.
“You're okay?”
“Sure, why?” she asked.
“Just...well, I was just worried that maybe I'd put you in danger or something, that's all.”
His voice was quiet, and she could tell that he really had been worried about her. It was sweet in a way. She could also tell that he was nervous about being seen or overheard, despite his trip to the hospital.
“Fancy a coffee?” she asked him.
“Now?” he said, with surprise.
“One of the pluses of being head of trauma is that there are other people to do the work sometimes.” She smiled. “Besides, things are quiet now. I was just catching up on some paperwork.”
“You know,” said Nicholas, as they began walking back into the main hospital itself, “paperwork used to be actually done on paper.”
Aurelia laughed. She remembered that he'd talked about coffee being made from beans when they'd met at the shuttle bay. He seemed to take an interest in history. “I know,” she said. “Thank Gods that it's not now; I'd be killing three trees a day with the amount of forms I need to fill in.”
She took him to the cafeteria and grabbed both of them a coffee before finding a small table in a corner.
“So, everything went okay?” he asked once they were seated.
“That depends,” said Aurelia. “Well, no, not really, well...” She pursed her lips. Where to start?
“But you're okay?” he pressed.
His concern was touching, though she didn't understand quite why he was so worried. “I'm fine. Why do you keep asking?”
He frowned. “Because I've potentially put you in danger, that's why.”
And she could see that he felt guilty for this. A pleasant change from Jonathon and Elza, she thought; they seemed to feel no guilt about placing her in this position.
“Look, I think we should probably go upstairs,” she told him. “So that we can talk properly. Okay?”
He nodded. “Fine.”
She quickly arranged for Jason to cover for her absence and met Nicholas back at the elevator. They didn't speak again until they were in her room. Then the story spilled out.
“I was fairly sure he was Resistance,” said Nicholas, after she had told him. “I've been tracking the guy, after all, and some things didn't add up.”
“If you could figure that out, then so could someone else,” Aurelia pointed out. “Which could be why you're supposed to kill him.”
“Doesn't make much of a difference, really,” Nicholas said. “And what about you? Are you comfortable with your decision to join them?”
“Maybe,” she said, thoughtfully. “It's the right thing to do, I guess. But where does that leave us?”
“You didn't mention us?”
Aurelia shook her head. “You're supposed to kill him, so, no, I didn't exactly say anything.”
Nicholas was beginning to get angry. “Do you understand how short time is?” he asked her. “How few days we have to get things sorted out?” He stood and began pacing around the living pod. “What's at stake here?”
She understood his anger, knew he had to let it out. But she didn't have the chance to respond to him.
The door slid open, though she hadn't rung anyone in or given anyone her code. Elza strode into the living pod, something metal and shining in her hand. In one movement, and before Aurelia could even get up, Elza had extended her arm and clicked something. Nicholas opened his eyes wide, then collapsed to the floor.
Elza turned to Aurelia. “We trusted you,” she hissed. “We believed in you.”
She manipulated the metal device again, but Aurelia held up her hands. “Wait!”
Elza paused.
“Elza, what are you doing? What are you talking about?”
The woman laughed bitterly. “I heard, Aurelia. I heard everything.”
“Heard what?” Things just weren't making sense.
“You told him everything,” she said, gesturing towards Nicholas lying prostrate on the floor. “You told Jonathon's assassin everything. We trusted you!”
Aurelia was starting to panic. She could feel her breathing getting faster, her mouth drying. What in hell was going on? She glanced over at Nicholas.
“He's stunned, that's all, for the time being,” said Elza.
“I don't understand,” Aurelia blurted out, and she didn't.
“I heard everything.” Elza's voice was cold, the device was ready in her hand, but she didn't move it.
Aurelia thought back over the conversation that she'd just had with Nicholas. Gods. She saw how it could be misinterpreted, looking like she was feeding him information.
“But, but you said it was safe to talk in here!” Aurelia was playing for time, trying to think of a way out of this.
Elza laughed that bitter laugh again. “Do you honestly think that anywhere on Lunar is completely safe? The only reason I knew that no one else could hear you in here was because I knew that the Resistance were the ones listening to you. We had to check you out, make sure you were as trustworthy as you appeared. And it seems like it was a good job we did.”
Aurelia took deep breaths. She tried to relax her muscles and seem as nonthreatening as she could. “Elza, you don't understand. This isn't at all what you think it is.”
“So Nicholas wasn't sent to kill Jonathon?”
“Yes, he was, but listen...”
“No, you listen. All you had to say was no. All you had to do was turn around and leave the restaurant, and we'd have let you go. But this.” Elza shook her head. “This can't go unpunished.”
Aurelia was thinking as quickly as she could but could come up with no way to get out of the room. “Elza, will you let me explain things?”
“Why should I?”
Hurry, hurry, think - what was the right answer to that? “You're right, you shouldn't,” said Aurelia. “But Jonathon should. I'm sure you'd agree that I owe him an explanation.”
Elza ran her tongue over her teeth. Then she nodded. “Fine. Get him here. Intercom him and get him to come, and then we'll see which of us he believes.”
It was a start. A small one. She wondered why Elza was making her make the call, but then, it was her home. And Jonathon would respond faster to her voice; she knew he would. Very slowly she got up off the couch and walked to the intercom on the wall. Elza's eyes never left her. With shaking hands she pressed the appropriate icons. To her relief, Jonathon answered immediately.
“Jonathon, I need you to come to my quarters.”
“Sure, I can drop by later this evening; is that okay?”
“No, now, please. Quickly.”
“Aurelia, is everything alright?”
She wanted to scream “no” but controlled herself. She didn't need Elza getting excited. “I just need you over here, please. It's a bit of an emergency, but I'm alright right now.”
“I'm on my way.”
>
The intercom clicked off, and Aurelia turned, making sure both of her hands were in full view. “He's coming. Do you think we can relax a little now?”
Elza nodded towards the couch with her head, and Aurelia took her seat. The doctor then took a chair opposite her.
“Elza, I promise you that I can explain everything. Please believe me. I thought we were friends.”
“I don't befriend traitors.” Her mouth was a thin line.
“I understand how you must be feeling, what you're trying to do.” Aurelia's voice was as smooth and calming as she could make it. “You're only trying to protect what's yours. But I'm not a traitor.”
“Protect what's mine? You have no idea, girl. No idea at all. You're so young.” She sounded almost sad at that.
Aurelia remembered that Elza had been recruited in much the same way she had. She presumed that she'd been torn away from Earth, had left her family, her friends. And then had been forced to live a double life. It was hard to feel sympathy for someone who thought you were a traitor, but at the same time Aurelia found herself feeling bad for Elza.
“I'm old enough to hear you out when you explain things to me,” countered Aurelia. “To listen to what you have to say about the Resistance. To decide to help you.”
But Elza's eyes were blank; she obviously didn't want to listen to reason. She kept flickering her gaze down to Nicholas on the floor, then back up to Aurelia, as though daring either of them to do anything. Nicholas wasn't about to help, though. Aurelia saw that his breathing was deep and even, but his eyes were firmly closed.
She decided that it was pointless to talk to Elza further. She wasn't listening, and she was angry. It was far better just to sit and wait, and then Jonathon would be there. For a second she worried that he might not listen to her either. Elza was head of the hospital and presumably had worked with Jonathon for a long time. Would he take Elza's word over her own? She didn't think so, honestly didn't. She trusted him, though she had no real reason for doing so.
The minutes ticked by. Elza seemed jumpy, but Aurelia guessed that was understandable. Aurelia concentrated on getting her story straight. She wanted to explain to Jonathon in as few words as possible what had happened here. The dome outside was slowly changing in hue, becoming darker, and Aurelia was just about to switch the lights on when there was a knock.