Naero's Valor

by Mason Elliott

  “You know Uncle Jan and how he exaggerates.”

  “But he showed me pictures, Mom. It was worse that Kath’s.”

  “I deny it,” Naero said. “I deny it all!” They laughed together. “Okay, so I was messy too. But see–I learned to be better, and so can you.”

  Naero flashed them over to one of the shopping malls on a nearby fleet planetoid. In plain clothing they appeared to be just another mother and her son, spending time together that day.

  Dae had his own credits, but Naero augmented them a little. Her oldest son was generous to a fault. He mostly bought stuff for his sibs and only a few things for himself. Naero used slight teknomancy to have everything shipped back to the flagship, without alerting anyone to her rank or identity.

  They stopped and savored some ice cream cones, even though it was close to dinner.

  Dae told her about various education projects he was working on. He talked to her about other kids that he liked, and the ones he didn’t. Even he and Kath didn’t always get along. In fact, sometimes the twins drove each other crazy. They usually got along with their younger sibs, Al and Selly. But they didn’t always want to play with the younger pair. And sometimes they even wanted alone time away from each other.

  A chime on Naero’s wristcom summoned them back for dinner with the whole family.

  After that madness, Dae asked if she could read to him, the way that he always liked her to.

  Naero agreed, and the two of them nestled down in her nanobed in her private quarters, with one of Dae’s favorite books. He loved fantasy stories of the epic variety, with dashing brave heroes, wizards, demons, and monsters. Lots of sweeping excitement and adventure, with moments of tragic sorrow, and even a bit of romance here and there.

  They read for over three standard hours, with Dae whispering for her to read another chapter again and again.

  Finally her brave young lad drifted off, smiling and clutching his magical book and the practice sword he had smuggled into bed.

  Naero kissed his brow and gave him to his own dreams and adventures.

  She turned over and slept herself, and did not wake her boy until the morning watches chimed.

  Khai slipped in and checked on them once, with little Kathron asleep in his big arms. They had spent their day together.

  He used telepathy to speak with Naero. Tomorrow we’ll switch, my love. You two had a good day?

  Yes, my heart. A very fine day. See you at breakfast.

  I’ll need your help with something tomorrow, beloved one. We can slip away for a bit. It will only take a moment.

  Naero laughed. I’m guessing what that will be, my love. Perhaps it will even take two or three moments.

  Khai laughed. Perhaps. Sleep well. Love you both.

  Love you both, my Khai.

  The next day, Naero and Khai did slip away for a while during breakfast. They made sure that they had good excuses, but Sharrah still smirked and gave them the eye when they snuck out, and when they ducked back in.

  Breakfast was as amazing as ever thanks to her cooks. Another beautiful day lay ahead of everyone.

  Kathron wasted no time with her mom. Kath enjoyed everything that her twin brother enjoyed. They went through the daily Spacer requirements of PT, sparring, fencing, fleet tactics, and starfighter training.

  But Kath liked to cook.

  She wasn’t very good at it–much like her grandparents–but unlike them, she actually enjoyed cooking.

  “Let’s go to the mess hall, Mom! I’ll make a late brunch for us both!”

  What the spirited nine-year-old made was a complete mess.

  She cooked everything at high heat, and usually ended up burning everything. They had just had waffles and fruit for their morning meal a while before, but Kath loved breakfast foods.

  They were actually in a separate small kitchen created just for Naero’s kids to play and experiment in with food and cooking. The nano walls, floor, and ceiling were all self-cleaning. A staff of three kitchen assistants rotated duty to work with the kids to help teach them the basic culinary arts.

  Kath always insisted on learning and experimenting on her own.

  From what her mom witnessed, that attitude needed to be adjusted slightly, but her daughter was still barely nine.

  Naero cooked, or rather scorched, blue eggs, smoked chacon, and Durry toast with butter and jam on the side. After cleaning up Kathron’s mess, the fresh squeezed berry and banango juice was actually pretty good, and they had it with their meal.

  Kath’s blackened eggs, chacon, and toast had to go away.

  She promised her mother that she’d do better next time.

  Mom had a little discussion thereafter with her girl about getting older, and that perhaps this was the proper time to start accepting some instruction from her cooking tutors.

  Kath finally sighed and saw the logic in that.

  Progress was made.

  They had a nice brunch despite all of the smoke in the air. The filters would fix that.

  Kath wanted to go shopping after lunch. She was flat broke, so Mom footed the bill for quite a bit of loot–all of it for Kath. And on top of everything else, she had inherited her mother’s tastes for rare and weird junk foods.

  “Mom, Mom, Mom–Funky Munky Sour Grape Spum is the absolute ultimate in snak food Nirvana. You have got to get me some. Buy me at least thirty pods!”

  Naero chuckled. “How about a dozen? That’s a full case.”

  “Not enough, Mom. No way!”

  “Sorry, my Funky Munky junkie. You’ll just have to make it last, sweetie. That stuff turns your face purple.”

  “I know. Isn’t that grape?”

  “You mean great, right?”

  Kath clucked her tongue. “Haisha, I said ‘grape’ on purpose, mother. I was making a pun?”

  “Oh, okay. I get it now. Very punny. It is to laugh.”

  “You’re so non-avazing, mother.”

  “Avazing is not a real word, Kath.”

  “You should keep up, Mom. It is now. Tweens have made it one.”

  “You’re nine. You’re not a tween.”

  “I will be soon.”

  “Your dad and I can’t wait for that. Soon you’ll be drooling over cute Spacer boys.”

  “Eww…Mom! That is so gross. I am not going to fall for all of that sickening, lovey-dovey crap like you and Dad. Don’t you old people realize how nauseating that is? People want to vomit. Exchanging spit and who knows how many germs? Not me! I never want to kiss anyone–not ever!”

  Naero laughed. “Well…then that’s too bad, because I’m going to kiss you right now!”

  “Augh. No! Get away from me, Mom. Don’t touch me!”

  Naero flashed in front of her daughter and scooped her up.

  “Ready or not, here come the kisses!”

  “No. No! Let me go. I don’t want any of your germs!”

  “Well too bad, because I kiss your dad, I have all of his germs, too!”

  Naero covered Kathron’s squealing face and head in kisses until the two of them broke down into laughter and sat down on the floor of the mall together.

  “Well, I hope you’re happy, mother. Because you probably just killed me.”

  “Spacers are very tough, honey. You guys never get sick. So don’t worry about the germs. Now get up from there. Let’s keep walking.”

  Kath crossed her arms defiantly, he skinny little legs stuck out in front of her. “Where’s all of my loot?”

  “I sent it on ahead to the flagship, like we always do. Now give me your hand, spunky. I’ll help you up.” She pulled her daughter up by one hand.

  “I hate it when you call me that. Spunky is for babies. I’m not a baby. I want a new nick name…one that I like. One that I picked out.”

  “Okay, sweetie. What nick name do you want to go by from now on?”

  “Well, I’ve thought about this for a long time. The one that I came up with is super blizzard, Mom. But before I tell you what it is,
you have to promise me that you won’t laugh. Dad laughed when I told him, and I wanted to kill him!”

  “Well, we can’t have that. I hope you took it easy on him.” Naero got serious. “I promise, sweetie. I’m sure it’s grape.”

  Kath rolled her eyes and bounced at her knees. “Mother!”

  “Okay. I won’t laugh. Just tell me.”

  “Here it is then, Mom. From this moment on, I want to be known as…” She actually growled the words out in a deep voice. “Killer–Kath the Killer!”

  Naero stared at the child.

  She just couldn’t keep a straight face.

  She tried. Then she covered her mouth with both hands.

  Finally she exploded with laughter.

  Kathron clenched her fists and shot both arms ramrod straight at her sides as her face glowed red like fire. “Mom! You promised. You said you wouldn’t laugh.” She stamped one foot. “Oooh!”

  “I’m sorry, honey, it was funny.”

  “No, it’s not. I don’t wanna be called spunky. I want people to fear me. I want them to say, ‘Look out! Step aside, here comes Killer.”

  Naero burst out laughing even harder. She needed to sit down. She covered her face with both hands and laughed until she wept.

  “Oooh! I’m so mad, I could kill you, Mom!” Kath stomped both feet, her little scarlet face twisted with hate.

  Naero laughed, feigning fear. She held up one arm protectively. “Oh, no! Don’t kill me…Killer!” Naero laughed so hard she fell face down and pounded the ground with one fist. “Stop…you’re killing me…Killer.”

  Little Kathron nodded her head with her eyebrows straight up. “Yeah, you need to die. And I’m walking away.”

  Naero sat up and held out both arms. “Come on, sweetie. Don’t leave. It was funny; you have to admit that much at least. Come on back…Killer?”

  Little Kath flapped her skinny arms and hung her had back as if someone had shot her. “Still not funny, Mom!”

  It took two dishes of velato and an hour of holo games in the gaming arena to make it up to Killer.

  Killer didn’t really like spirals that much, so they went swimming at a faux nano beach water park.

  They pieced together dinner from a bunch of junk food stands, including pods of Funky Munky Sour Grape Spum.

  Killer fell asleep that night at the holo theater while watching the romantic comedy that had her favorite child vidstar in it.

  Naero flashed them home to her private quarters.

  Khai came in with Dae slumped in his beg green arms. The Enforcer was just checking in on them like before.

  “How’s Killer?” he inquired.

  “Grape!” Naero told him, flashing him a purple smile.

  Both of them laughed quietly.

  The next day, Naero took Allantar with her.

  Khai took his little special girl, Selly with him for the day.

  At seven years old, quiet little, cerebral Al barely did PT and sparring. He didn’t like swords that much either, and only fenced when he had to.

  Naero asked him what he wanted to do most on his day.

  He looked up at her with his big brown eyes and whispered back. “Mom, can we go inside the KDM again? I love it there.”

  Naero hugged him close. “Sure, sweetie. Whatever you want.”

  She brought both of them to the meditation center set up within the flagship Medical Bay. They climbed up on a wide, two person medbed.

  Naero enfolded her seven-year-old in her arms. “Al, just close your eyes like we’re meditating.”

  “Yeah, Momma. I know how to do it. It’s like going to sleep, and then we wake up somewhere else. We wake up inside the KDM. Shetharra has been telling me more and more about it. I can’t wait.”

  A few calm, quiet moments, and they were in.

  They started out in Kexxian Music Wisdom.

  Like Shetharra, Al didn’t need a working spirit form interface. He was powerful enough already to remain himself within the KDM. That fact could not be denied.

  To her wonder, Allantar began singing–in Kexxian.

  Spheres lit up all around them, echoing the light he created with his own music.

  When Orean looked closer, each sphere was made up of fleeting, glowing quasi-Kexxian musical and mathematical symbols.

  “Al, sweetie, are we seeing music, or math? I’ve never seen this place like this.”

  “It’s both, Momma. This is pure wonder, and beauty, and ideas. Shetharra said that it could be like this for me more and more. It’s like this because I’m here, and I can see it this way, and it can interact with the thoughts and imagination within my mind. You’re seeing echoes of things that are inside of what I think. I love it here.”

  Her son was right. As they floated through the inner expanse of that Wisdom, everything continued to flare and light up around them in a rare and unique way. All of this phenomena was something new, and it changed and adapted with every instant that passed and with their movements.

  A small glowing golden dragon about the size of a fingernail zipped in and buzzed around Allantar’s forehead several times.

  Al giggled and sang to it.

  The tiny golden dragon sang back to him.

  Waves of radiant, flowing, coruscating power and flashing symbols erupted in multitudes of vibrating rings around Al, like rippling pools of liquid energy cutting into one another and breaking up.

  Then the tiny dragon zipped away.

  “What was that, Al?”

  “Juri buzzed in to say hi. He’s funny. Shetharra told him to watch for me. She’s right. I like him. I wanna meet all of them, when they’re ready for me. They say I’m very un-…un-…uh, what’s the word, Momma?

  “Unusual?”

  “That’s it. I’m unusual, Momma.”

  Orean gasped slightly. Juri was the Word, Juri the Mighty–the greatest of all the Kexxian Seven Dreamers, and he came by to greet her seven-year-old.

  “Let’s play, Momma. This is great! Sing and play with me.”

  The two of them lost track of time, as their world blazed with sound, light, and vistas of color and wonder never seen before.

  Orean entered her son’s inner world of imagination as it detonated in mirrific splendor all about them into infinity.

  They laughed, and wept, and sang together and to each other.

  It was a very special, touching time for both of them.

  Shetharra was not her only child of pure amazement.

  Even the Seven recognized Allantar as a unique Dreamer in his own right–as something new and fabulous.

  Allantar was literally stuffed with impossible dreams and the Fantastic.

  All of these things made him a phenomenon to the entire universe.

  Yet to his mother, he would always be her little boy at play.

  His toys just happened to be Cosmic math and the energy music of the limitless spheres.

  Orean became like a child herself.

  Before they both knew it, Shetharra popped in to call them to dinner. Hours had passed. Her father had sent her to find them.

  Dinner was actually over.

  Al was so exhausted, that he went right to sleep, immediately after eating.

  Naero kept him in her arms all that night.

  She traded Khai for Selly in the morning.

  “Where’d you guys go? You were in the Medical Bay on a medbed, according to Trudi.”

  Naero grinned at him. “We went inside the KDM and spent all day with the Music Wisdom section.”

  Khai smirked. “In there? You’ve seen it all so many times over, I’m surprised you weren’t bored to tears.”

  Naero raised both of her eyebrows high, shaking her head. “Not like this, my heart. You need to come with us sometime, and see it all through Al’s imagination. You’ll be astounded.”

  Khai smiled. “Knowing Al, I probably would. He asked me to take him into the Expanse, where he can watch and play with the possibility bubble rushes. Then we’ll do all kinds of
holographic puzzles, one right after another. You know how much he enjoys those.”

  “I do. It will be interesting to see what the Mystics make of Al. In his own way, he’s a Dreamer Khai–perhaps even more powerful than Shetharra.”

  “He’s a good boy, N. and I know he’ll grow up to be a good man–perhaps even a great one. You and Selly have fun; we sure did. Haisha, I love that little sweetie. She sure knows how to melt my heart.”

  At the age of six, Sellendil was the definition of cute. With her big azure eyes and her dimples, Selly was adorable beyond belief.

  She carried a love-worn, often washed and soon again just as dirty plush polar bear clutched in one small hand or arm. She had named her pet bear and closest friend Mr. Booga-Booga. Usually she called him “Boo,” or “Booga,” for short. She still spoke to him like he was a real person, and to her, he most certainly was.

  “Yay, Boo! We’re going with Momma today to have fun, just us. Momma loves us, Booga!” The little angel gritted her teeth, grinning and squinting up at Naero.

  What mother’s heart could not melt at that?

  It really didn’t matter where they went or what they did. Selly had her Momma all to herself, and chattered endlessly about this or that, explaining all sort of things that of course were of the greatest importance.

  Naero smiled, and listened, and cooed. She repeatedly swept Selly up into her arms and covered her little girl with kisses as the lovable imp exploded with laughter at all of the attention.

  They flashed over to one of the larger fleet ships that kept a wonderful menagerie–a mid-sized zoo, really. Selly loved what she had once called the “animables.”

  They ate food and snacks and shared drinks when needed as their day.

  They also went Spiraling. Selly loved floating, spinning, and tumbling in zero-G, like most Spacers. She didn’t even throw up.

  She and Selly even zipped back to her quarters for a nice sweet nap.

  Unlike the other kids, Selly still liked shopping for toys. Naero sent several new toys and games back to the flagship.

  Like Al, after a long, fun-filled day with Momma, Selly conked out right after eating a few bites of her dinner that evening.

  Naero tucked her little girl in bed, and sang Tua songs to her gently throughout the night, at different times.