by Dasrim Hasik
And most importantly, did they love and miss him anymore? He doubted he would be missed. With the bills piling up, it wasn't like having another mouth to feed was really that great of a thing anyway. It was time for him to get out of the house and let them try to save some kind of money. It was also time for him to let them go. I never belonged there. I just have to figure out if this is my home or not. He was interrupted by a small and very feminine hand touching his bare chest. "Hi there," Alara said sleepily, her eyes adjusting to the morning light.
"Something on your mind?" Her tone indicated that the answer she wanted was far, far away from what he was actually thinking. Although now that he was thinking in that direction, that wouldn't be a bad idea at all.
He wasn't good at seduction, intrigue, or any of that slick James Bond stuff. But when he rolled over to give Alara a kiss, none of that seemed to matter.
Bridget had managed to figure out the kitchen setup, and was pleased to find that everything was stocked to her liking. Despite her misgivings with Alara, she had to admit that the tall woman knew how to keep a home looking nice. It was all of the other issues under the surface that were getting to her.
Jack was the biggest issue. Would he honestly return to being the king they needed, or would Alara drag him down once again. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know why they hadn't come downstairs for breakfast yet. She remembered the nerdy boy she knew from chemistry and physics class and realized that Alara would be like winning the lottery in his eyes.
She would be something he felt almost unworthy of, and would therefore do anything to keep. She had been on Earth long enough to know that men that acted like Jack typically did not get the attention of women in any way, shape or form. Was that why he vanished from Reversia the first time?
Bridget assumed that he got tired of living around people that cherished him so much, but he didn't seem to remember even being on the planet. She wondered if he would honestly be ready to take over again. The young man that she had pushed through the gateway didn't seem to even know who he was. Maybe I can ... She shook her head, clearing it of any silliness.
Jack was the king of the planet, a man who would eventually learn to manifest more than just a nice car and a beautiful home. He would have to learn to shape and refine his power if he wanted any chance of being the king they needed. With a sigh, she also realized that there could be nothing between her and Jack. Absolutely nothing. To even attempt it would earn her more than just a cold stare from Alara.
Might as well go and make some breakfast for everyone. That was where she hid her feelings best — under the guise of taking care of everything. It was all she had ever known how to do, and she couldn't deny the fact that taking care of everyone around the clock gave her a sense of peace. There weren't any hurt feelings if she never said anything.
Bacon and eggs floated their way into a skillet, one after the other. Thankfully the pan and the burner were large enough. Walter floated quietly around Bridget, not bothering to strike up conversation. Although the household unit was more than able to discuss everything from Seneca the Elder all the way over to the Beatles, Walter preferred to provide silent yet comforting companionship instead.
Bridget knew the robotic household helper could sense her frustration, and decided it best not to interrupt. Some help he would be. As Bridget hurried around the kitchen, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs slowly, in a pair.
Jack and Alara were hungry and looking for breakfast. Thankfully she wouldn't have to say anything or do much more than provide them with their needs. No matter what she wanted, or thought she wanted, she needed to make sure that Jack's needs were met.
After all, he was the king. Would always be the king she followed and served. The king she adored, even loved — if she felt like being honest. But he wasn't the Jack she knew, and it was time to let it go and be more guide than lover. It wasn't a soothing thought, but it was definitely a truthful one.
Alara was in a good mood, showing up in the kitchen all smiles and smug satisfaction. It was refreshing to know that she had at least showered before coming downstairs for breakfast, but that didn't mean that Alara was trying to hide anything. Her large grin told Bridget that she had gotten her man precisely where she wanted him, and there was nothing that the other woman could do about it.
Jack, however, seemed oblivious, even a little embarrassed. He too had showered and redone his copper-toned hair into little spikes. It was an edgy look that made Bridget wonder what shift had begun to take place. It was the mark of a man slowly establishing his own style, but it would take more time for his true self to emerge. He needed that time and Bridget knew it. Didn't mean she had to like it. Didn't mean she had to appreciate it. But it did mean she had to accept it. So be it.
Jack yawned, looking at the growing spread of food that was landing on the kitchen's dining table. Walter hovered around Bridget, but didn't seem to say anything. Every now and then she would tell the floating robot helper what to do, and it would be done, but for the most part the pair didn't say much at all.
Jack didn't really know what to think about all of that. He wanted to talk to Bridget, see if she was really okay. Even though he couldn’t say he really had time to develop any serious feelings for Bridget, he didn't want her harmed by anything either. She had taken a big risk bringing him back to this planet, and what had he done to thank her?
Apparently, he had gotten caught up in Alara, and didn't really know how to go back. If he even wanted to go back at all. It wasn't like he tried to actively compare and contrast the two women. It was just that Alara's welcome had taken him aback and he wanted to weigh his options. All of his options.
On Earth, he had been the guy nobody noticed. He couldn't even say that he was the guy that finished last, because he didn't even get a chance to get in the game. Women just ignored him, and when men did pay him any attention, it certainly wasn't respect given to an equal.
A peer.A fellow. An ally. No, it was simple disgust and hatred simply because he was who he wanted to be, or at least who he thought he should be. How much was nature, and how much was nature, really? Great, what a question to ask myself.Like it even matters. He was on a strange planet that allowed him to create anything he desired. He could slowly see living here, even ruling here — permanently. If the people would have him.
Alara and Bridget were eyeing each other, making Jack nervous. He didn't really know what was going on between the two of them, but he hoped he wouldn't have to get caught in the middle. He wasn't very good at resolving conflicts, having had to deal with a lot of conflict in his own home growing up. It never seemed like there really was an end to all of the fighting and fussing that went on, and he wasn't sure how he would deal with any fighting if it broke out here.
He didn't want to be unfair to Bridget, but he really didn't want to blow his chances with Alara, either. Great, as if this is the only issue that's important. The bigger problem of running a city and a planet at large was greater than anything else — even the simmering discord between the two women. Reversia needed a lot of help, a lot of love, and a lot of understanding in order to be whole again. Jack couldn't forget that dusty ride through the city, all of the old buildings that looked like that had sat unused forever.
He didn't want to belong to a city that was made of dust and despair, of regret and repulsion. He wanted a shining city on the hill that could serve as an example of what could honestly be achieved...if you could just believe. Now I sound like an after school special for kids. Stay in school, eat your vegetables, and oh yeah — you can do anything you put your mind to! But you can. If you have the guts, that is.
The first thought didn't surprise him. But the second thought felt different. Not wrong, but not precisely right either. It whispered seductively from some other corner of his mind, and the voice sounded similar to his but very different. It was something that made him wonder yet also not wonder at the same time. Was it his real self, the part he couldn't remember,
or was this planet playing tricks on him?
The only regret we have is when we do not plunge ahead, seizing our destiny. You know that. That voice seemed to be taunting him. Be quiet. Just be quiet. Almost on cue, the voice went silent. This didn't please Jack as much as it should have. Where did that voice come from, and why was it so insistent?
Alara touched his hand, making him look up at her. She smiled softly at him, the purple-green freckles lighting up a little bit. "Jack? Eat some breakfast. You look positively pale."
Bridget rolled her eyes, but didn't seem to say anything. She tore into her plate after pushing the serving spoon at them both, ignoring their line of conversation completely. Whoa. I really have to talk to her soon. In private...without upsetting Alara.
Jack did as he was told, smiling as he looked at Bridget. He took a bite and made a noise of approval. It tasted very, very good, hitting his tongue with a variety of flavors and textures. All that from a good plate of bacon, eggs, porridge, and a nice casserole that blended just about every vegetable he could think of? He was completely on board from there. As he ate with relish, he watched the two women carefully. Really, at the end of the day, how much could he trust them both?
Lines would have to be drawn and things would have to come out in the open eventually. He wished there was a way to really tell what they felt about him, and what they each wanted to get. He learned on Earth that everyone, absolutely everyone had their own agenda. Everyone acted based on their own self-interest.
Even though Alara and Bridget weren't human, he figured Reversian women would still follow the same humanoid paradigm. It was only a matter of time, he figured, before both women's true colors would come shining through. He just hoped he could remain logical. Although Jack prided himself on being pretty smart, he also realized that like most humans, he had his flaws. He was really starting to fall for purple, green, and orange freckles. Who knew?
Chapter 10: A City Showdown
Jack sighed. Breakfast had gone smoothly enough. It was a little bit tense, but he was well used to tense. Tense didn't really bother him too much anymore. He knew that not everything was as it seemed, but that was no shock. If anything, it was a comfort. It meant that he could stop assuming Earth and the Planet Rubicon were going to be too different for him to understand either world. Now that he realized he couldn't go back, it was time to explore everything that was waiting for him.
Quiet River was a nice compound, but there was more to life in Reversia, wasn't it? He decided that he wouldn't get straight answers from either woman, not completely. It was time to explore. "I think we should go out now. See the city and talk to anyone that's still around."
Alara made a face, clearly not expecting to leave the compound. Bridget grinned wickedly, seizing the opportunity to surge ahead with the idea.
"That's great news, Jack. You should definitely go out and explore. I would be more than happy to give you a tour of the city as well. Alara can even go with us."
Alara shakes her head. "Oh, I really can't — there's so much to do out here on the land that I don't think I would be really helpful. I can however be waiting for you when you return."
Jack cupped her hand. "Nah, I'd love for you to come with us. It's your home as well as Bridget's, and I think I need you both in order to bring this vision of mine to life." For a few moments, he thought that Alara would shrink back for good, rejecting him completely. But apparently she felt in the right mood to do him this large favor of accompanying them. He wanted to dig into it, logic telling him that there was more to things than what was being displayed to him.
However, he knew he didn't really have the type of time to dig into anything but getting into the city rather than hanging around the compound all day. That really wouldn't get him anywhere — right? Right, he told himself. It was time to either man up, or...not. He wasn't sure if he had any choice.
Bridget made it clear to him that he couldn’t go back to Earth, so it was truly all-or-nothing at this point. You can't go back. You can never go back. Once the hostility had died down a bit, the group moved back out to the front, sailing through the door as if the argument before had never happened. The break to get dressed for the outing gave everyone enough time to get their thoughts in order, including Jack.
He knew in his heart that things could slide into a bad pattern, but he wasn’t really sure how to honestly fix things. He assumed that it was his domain to fix, but how do you really get people to say what they mean, and mean what they say? It was a classic psychology problem that even reared its ugly head on Earth, so it wasn't a shock to find that Reversia had its own share of conflicts for him to deal with. Great, just great. Least I have a sweet ride here. Would be nice to figure out some cash. I guess I can address one thing at a time.
Jack saw that JANE was waiting for him, the car flashing its lights happily as he approached. A sensor flashed again, and Jack assumed it was scanning all of them as a group. "I want to go into the City and find anyone that can talk to us. Maybe...ah...well, where do the leaders discuss matters? That might be the best place to go first."
JANE's voice was as pleasant as usual. "City Square will be where you need to go, Jack."
Alara nodded. "Yes, the Elders of the City generally like to meet there, or at the Remembrance Hall."
JANE's sensor zoomed in on Alara and scanned her again.
"Alara Reversio. Age 24. Five foot eight, one hundred forty five pounds. Female citizen, leadership class. Threat level: moderate."
Jack seemed a little taken aback, but Bridget just smiled to herself. "Why does JANE find you threatening?"
Alara looked a little thrown off guard, not sure what to say. She gave Jack one of her bright smiles and blushed.
"JANE's probably remembering the day before when I didn't realize it was you and began firing from my pulse rifle. You can't blame a girl for freaking out, right?" She rubbed his chest in slow, steady circles, trying to get him to understand her fear and panic.
On one level, Jack did understand, but he also knew logically someone wasn't saying the whole story. Instead of pressing Alara on the spot, he decided to go ahead and just nod his head. "No problem, sweetheart. It must have been a shock."
Bridget rolled her eyes, but slid in the backseat. She knew better than to get into the passenger spot in the front.
They took off, with Alara squeezing Jack's hand for reassurance and support. Jack leaned back in the driver's seat, beginning to like life on the Planet Rubicon a bunch. It meant that he had a nice ride, a woman that was pretty much his girlfriend, and he even had a friend that was looking out for him. He hoped Bridget was still his friend. Ever since Alara had came on the scene, she had gone pretty silent.
Hope and change. Hope and change. I'm starting to sound like a Presidential campaign. Yikes. He chuckled to himself and tried to catch a light nap on the way back into the city. Chances were good that he needed to reserve his real strength as much as possible. The leaders that had taken residence after his departure probably weren't going to be in the mood to hear from him, and he needed to keep his guard up.
He also wondered about JANE's recall of Alara's stats. What did leadership class really mean, anyway? Was she paired with him for a reason, or did she honestly care for him? Too many damned questions, and answers seemed scarcer than precious metals.
Arriving into the dust-covered city was interesting, as he began to see more people milling around. Granted, it wasn't anything like the type of numbers he imagined for a big city to have, but seeing people was a good thing. He noticed a lot of them were in long tunics, carrying little speakers that were attached to keyboards. They talked, laughed, and checked on this and that. Were those the futuristic version of cell phones?
He would have to ask Alara and Bridget when they got settled. For now he was taking in all of the locations he saw around him. He saw the street they were on had a nameplate on a wire above him. Stonewell Expressway. He made a face and tried not to gag. Did he name a main thorou
ghfare after himself? Ego, I has one. Yikes. JANE finally drove them to a big clearing, almost a roundabout where traffic broke off into a half dozen directions. Jack realized that the City Square was actually quite huge. It was a green space that attracted people, with plenty of benches to check out.
Cars had spaces to park, but nobody dared to even tread an inch onto that lush green carpet. He saw the double suns off in the distance, tucked against a deep blue sky that felt almost like home. It would take some getting used to, the whole dual sun thing, but he figured that wasn't too weird. Maybe at night he might find a telescope and see what the stars looked like against the Planet's atmosphere.
They got out of the car, with Alara pulling out one of the speaker-phone-computer hybrid deals he had seen from people on the street. She fanned it out and let it float around her, checking on this and that. Jack looked confused until she said, "Well, you want a meeting with the leadership in town, right? I can bring them here." Leadership class. She's part of the leadership class. I just wish I knew why that was important.
Bridget followed them onto the green space, deciding to stay quiet. She saw a group of citizens coming towards them from the south, moving quickly. From this distance, the three of them could tell that the oncoming group were dressed to the nines, but that didn't mean anything.
Alara kept walking, pointing to a circle of chairs and tables in the middle of the Square. "That's usually where we all sit for matters like this." They moved through the meeting grounds, stepping through the lush grass in silence until they reached the circle of chairs. They were made out of stone yet covered with leather cushions. Whoever built them wanted a blend between overall durability and some level of comfort.