by Shelly Crane
“It’s okay, Ivan.” I looked up at Sophelia sadly as she looked down at us both from the doorway. “Sophelia doesn’t like me like that anyway. I was the bad guy from the start, wasn’t I?”
She blinked, her lips parting, her gorgeous face blooming crimson and clearly embarrassed. She licked her lips and tried to smile at my joke, but she looked down a few seconds before letting her gaze latch onto mine. I regretted my joke, both of them. Not because it hurt her feelings, because I didn’t think it did. She had a sense of humor. It was one of the things I love—liked so much about her. I regretted it because she was so embarrassed about my “she doesn’t like me” remark, and I wasn’t trying to force a confession out of her. I wasn’t. I knew that something was going on between us. It crackled in the air every time our eyes collided. So what the hell was I doing?
She let her gaze fall before turning her rosy face back into the door where I couldn’t see her. I sighed and scrubbed my face with my hands right before I felt the smack on the back of my head. I didn’t even have to lift my head.
“I deserved that.”
“Yes, you did,” he whispered, not wanting her to hear us. “What are you thinking about this girl?”
“Ivan,” I whispered back and looked up to his tired eyes, “I ruined any chance of anything, okay?” I sighed, wasting my oxygen and not giving a damn right then. “I…” I knew he was going to be disappointed in me. He knew what I did for a living and why I did it, but…what I’d done to her was too far. “I turned her in for the reward money.” His eyes bulged. “Twice.”
“Maxton,” he hissed.
“She stowed away on Havard’s ship and…I turned her in.” He listened. “I didn’t know her, I just knew that she was supposed to be an escaped slave and we needed the money and… It was so much money, Ivan, it was the money we needed to help them.”
He put his hand on my shoulder and nodded. “But you couldn’t go through with it.” He didn’t say it like a question and that surprised me. “You went back for her, defying Havard, and now you’re both on the run.”
I nodded. “Yes. And the other time I turned her in was just for show, it wasn’t real, but she no longer trusted me and thought it was. The look on her face…” I shook my head. “We needed the money. I needed the money.” I looked at him. “You needed the money.”
He got my gist and his eyes began to water. “You didn’t…”
“I did. I’ve got it.” I felt her eyes on me and looked up into the doorframe to see her watching us once more. “She got it; for you, for us, for them all. She’s the bravest female I know.”
Sophelia looked stricken by that comment and I made a mental note to compliment her more. “I didn’t do anything but—”
“Thank you, young one.” Ivan was full-on crying. I’d seen it many times in my days, but it must be a shock for most people to see a grown man of older age cry. Not just cry, but bawl and be passionate with his words of thanks. He looked up at her and held out his hand so she would reach down and touch his fingers. “Thank you. I know you don’t understand yet, but thank you. You’ve saved my heart.”
Sophelia shook her head forcefully. “I—”
Ivan just smiled and that stopped any other words she would have said. I noticed that about her. Smiles were her undoing, she didn’t know what to do with them, and that was a tragedy. She’d been deprived of pancakes, cheese…and smiles.
I wanted to give her all three.
I lifted my arm, calling up the screen under my skin, bringing up the program I needed. I punched the number I wanted to transfer to him, turned my forearm over, and waited. His mouth trembled as he turned his arm over and let me give him the silver that was not only going to save his life but his business and his family. Our family.
Ever since I was a kid, I’d known Ivan. And we’d always helped each other, stuck up for each other, dodged the Militia, hidden each other, broke the law for each other, gone hungry for a day so the other could eat and then they’d return the favor. There were things I’ve done for this man that I wasn’t proud of, but he’d done things for me that I could never repay.
When the beep signaled that the transfer was complete, I moved my arm away, but didn’t get far when he jerked me in for hug. “You be careful,” he said in his harsh, aged voice. “And take care of that pretty girl you got up there,” he said louder, for her benefit.
“Ivan,” I sighed and leaned away. “Now is not the time for you to play fairy godmother.”
He grinned, showing his little teeth and gripped both of my shoulders. “Something I’ve learned on this soulless planet is that if you find someone with one, you don’t let them get away from you.” He jerked his head toward the door and made a hoist with his hands for my foot. “Why do you think I held on to you for all these years instead of sending your aggravating behind out to pasture?”
I let him lift me a little, but grabbed the door quickly to pull myself up. “It wasn’t because of my good looks and debonair—”
“Pish posh.” I turned sitting in the door just as he was looking at his arm. His eyes jerked up at me and they were as round as melons were before they were broken down for protein packs and juices. “No…Maxton, no. It’s too much.”
“Old man, you’ve done more for me than any other person on this entire planet.” I held it together, just barely. I swallowed and gave him a hard look. “Take it. It’s for you and them. You take care of them. Get it ready.” I leaned in, swinging my legs up. “We’ll be back in the morning.”
He nodded, still looking stricken. He waved and wiped his face. I closed the door and was left in complete darkness with Sophelia, only our loud breaths to keep us company. I lifted my arm, letting the lit screen under my skin lead me. I grabbed Soph’s arm to guide her and she jerked, a small gasp erupting from her lips.
I couldn’t help myself. “One day, you’re going to get used to me. And you’ll stop gasping every time I touch you.”
I still had her arm in my fingers as we stood in the dark. I could barely make out her face in the small light the screen provided.
She shook her head, looking down at the floor. “I’m not…gasping, Maxton. You’re…taking my breath away.”
I didn’t know what to do as I stared at her downturned head, but I knew this wasn’t the time or place to try to start anything, and honestly, her confession sounded more like something she was confused about it. So I just moved us to the light switch I knew was there and pressed the button on the wall, looking over to see her blinking.
She looked at the switch on the opposite wall. “No command lights?”
I shook my head. “Ivan said it would be picked up by bots and scanners if they were looking. These are old-school. Some of the first kind that were brought when they arrived here from Earth. There’s hardly anything tech in here, to keep them safe.”
Her face went blank. She knew this was it. My big, terrible secret. “Who?” she whispered.
I smiled and turned to the door knob, putting my hand on it, but knocked on the door first. It was our secret knock, so they’d always know if someone had found them, or if it was just me or Ivan. Knock, knock, knock…knock, knock, knock, knock…knock.
“He’s home!” I heard shouted in a child’s squeal on the other side of the door and couldn’t help but smile.
I looked back at Sophelia to see her face had gone ashen. Oh, great job, Maxton. It hit me what that look was for. The child squealing for me. She was thinking the obvious, that the child was mine and I had a wife on the other side I was hiding or something. I opened my mouth to explain, but the door was yanked open and Belle was there.
Damn it all to Earth and back.
She smiled so wide and jumped up, throwing her arms around my neck. Belle was a couple years younger than I was, however you couldn’t tell it by looking at her. But there was absolutely nothing between Belle and me. We were basically brother and sister. It was on both ends. We’d grown up together and when you’re stuck together a
ll the time, in the same house, sometimes in the same room, all the time, day and night, with kids running around, doing dishes and babysitting and—No. We were nothing more than two people who loved each other very much.
When we weren’t trying to kill each other with sarcasm.
I held her at arm’s length and looked back at Sophelia once more, alerting Belle to her presence. Sophelia looked between us awkwardly just as Ambrose ran between our bodies and pointed at her.
“Who’s she?”
I grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. “Hey, little man. Where’re your manners?”
“I left them under my bed.” He cackled like he’d just been poked by the tickle monster.
I scoffed a laugh at him, shaking my head. “Well, you better find them, quick. This is Sophelia. My friend.”
Sophelia’s eyes darted to Belle when I said that and I really wished I’d had a second to talk to her before all this started. Now, we wouldn’t get a second alone until we left. She looked down at Ambrose instead and tried to smile. “Hi.”
“Hey. Your hair is pretty. It’s so red, like the sun used to be.”
She gasped and touched it as if she were protecting it. “You know the sun wasn’t always white?”
He tilted his head. “I know lots of things, baby cakes.” He took off running back through the door before I could catch him to scold him or…give him a high five? I was his uncle. Not technically, but... I wasn’t sure what protocol required of me in this situation. Luckily, when I turned back, Sophelia was hiding a smile behind her hand.
“Ahem,” Belle practically barked at my side.
“Right,” I grumbled. “Soph, this is…” I looked at her. “Sorry. Sophelia, this is Belle. She’s—”
Belle jerked forward and snatched Sophelia through the door before she could even think about backing away. “I can’t believe there’s another female here to actually talk to about something other than—”
“Is that Maxton?” Mumma yelled from across the room in her old chair. We all turned to look at her because when Mumma spoke, we all listened. She didn’t speak that often and when she did, it was important. She was a people-watcher, an observer. She could read you like a computer screen and you’d better watch it if you were hiding something. Speak what you mean and mean what you speak, she always said.
Mum looked worried, her face even more worn than the last time I was there only a few short four months ago. I came closer into the room, hearing them follow me in and close the door.
“You’re early,” she exclaimed and looked at Sophelia, immediately taking offense, as if she was the cause. Mum was as sweet as pancake syrup…unless you put her family in danger. “Something’s wrong.”
“Something’s right, Mumma.”
Sophelia’s eyes had been scanning the room, as I knew they would be, but they swiftly looked over to me where she stood a few feet away. Yes. Yes, a grown man called his mother Mumma. It was kind of funny, really. It was all Marshall’s fault.
“You wouldn’t come early unless there was trouble. Unless—” Her eyes filled with hope. “You got it?” I nodded and she beamed. I hadn’t seen her really smile since I was a kid and it blinded me for a minute. “You’re here to stay then. You’re…home?” Her eyes glanced back over to Sophelia, confused.
“Mum, you know I can’t do that. Especially now.” I looked at Belle and Ambrose. “We’ll talk, okay? Where’s Marshall?”
I heard his squeal from the other room and felt my grin, but my back straightened as well. I looked at Mum and could tell she was angry with me for bringing someone there. I didn’t blame her. She didn’t know Sophelia yet. And the girl I knew—there was no way she’d disappoint me with Marshall. At least, I hoped and prayed not.
I went to the curtain of the small room where he slept and opened it slowly. He squealed again when he saw me.
“Hey, buddy. You sleeping the day away?” He reached for me and I went, kneeling at the side of the bed. “Miss me?” He laughed and beat his fists gently against my hands, his main source of communication. He kept his eyes on yours though. He was so good about that. He knew who you were and he knew you were there, he just couldn’t get the words out to tell you what he wanted to say.
He was five years older than me and he was born this way. The second he was born my father knew that he had to do something or the government would process him. They’d been able to cure cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, hell, even alzheimer’s, but they never could figure out why people were born this way, or what to do about it, rather. The Elites went in and messed with the DNA and altered things to their choosing, picking everything down to the hair color and teeth size, giving them the perfect little bundle they always imagined for their future babies to be born, but the rest of us fared the way God intended. And sometimes that meant that some of us came out a little different. It wasn’t a bad thing to be different, like the government made it seem, just different.
People in the stacks and the business district didn’t get to pick and choose their embryos in utero, so if your baby was born special and different and you didn’t have the silver to pay double taxes for them for the rest of their life—and no one did in the stacks or anywhere else that wasn’t Elite—then the child went for processing. And they never came back. We all knew what it meant. They said everything but the words. If you aren’t contributing to society and someone can’t contribute on your behalf, then you can’t stay here. End of discussion. They said it made us strong, to preserve ourselves, to keep our planet from harm and going back to the ‘old ways’, which was Earth’s downfall.
Euthanizing children didn’t ever come up in Earth’s history except for that one guy. And they didn’t remember him fondly.
But somehow, it was all portrayed as the greater good here and people just did as they were told. When the whole government is against you and offering you bribes if you help them, I guess it’s really easy to see why so many people fall for it.
But with the money I got from the reward, they’d be able to come out of hiding now, be normal, have Marshall out in the house, and not have to worry about taxes. They would be fine for a long time. Then we’d worry about what was to come later. For now…I just wanted them to live.
I brushed Marshall’s hair back playfully. “You look good, brother. Almost as good looking as me now.” He laughed so loud and hard. I looked back through the open curtain and saw Sophelia being accosted by Belle in the way most females are when they get together. She seemed to be taking it like a champ, though Mum’s eyes on her couldn’t have been helping anything. I decided I needed to go save her.
“Wanna get up for a while, buddy?”
He made one of his usual noises of agreement and I hoisted him up into my arms. He was light and that worried me. I’d been sending them silver through a trusted messenger, almost everything I had left over, after every full moon’s turn, that way they knew when to expect it. But it just wasn’t enough to save up for taxes and feed them. When I came through the curtain and turned around, Sophelia’s gaze slammed into me with so much force I faltered a bit, making Marshall peal with laughter and hit my chest with his fist. I could imagine him telling me to “Go faster!” if he could only speak the words.
I smirked down at him and shook my head. “You’re getting heavy, buddy.” I placed him down on the small chair next to Mum and pulled the blanket over his legs. “You need to cut back on the pancakes.”
He laughed, covering his face and hitting his leg with his curled fingers. Everyone else laughed, too, because they knew I was flat-out lying.
Except Soph. She looked sick. I didn’t know what that meant. Had I really misjudged her so badly?
“Guys, this is Sophelia.” I looked at Marshall so he’d know I was talking to him, too. “Sophelia, this is my family.”
My dirty little secret.
Chapter Nine
con·tra·band - goods that have been imported or exported, or purchased illegally, either in def
iance of a total ban or without payment of duty or rights to them by some law.
Sophelia
I looked around the room at all the contraband trinkets and gadgets, most of which I had no idea what they were or what they did. Some I could guess. There were a few pictures there, too, but when I touched it, it wasn’t a computer screen, but a still picture behind glass. But I knew they were priceless and apparently precious, otherwise, why would these people risk their lives to keep them there when they knew it was against the law, and just having the items would get you taken to confinement? The walls were completely covered with them, in every room that I could see. Even on the ceiling they had things hanging from it. On one wall, they had an old cutting tool that people used to hold in their hands and clamp their fingers together over and over to cut things. I couldn’t imagine such tedious work. And then there was a small stick object with a lightbulb on the end of it, a cup with a handle and no cover over the top, a small device with balls on it that looked like actual wood that seemed as if it were some sort of children school device or plaything, a gun, but it was unlike any gun I’d ever seen. It was fascinating to look at it all. I bet it was even more fascinating to live there and be amongst these things when they were in use and not have so much technology rule you.
Even our government says that technology was partly to blame for the fall of Earth, but they didn’t plan to let it go. If anything, they got more tech every turn of the planet.
This was why he needed the money so badly. This was why he needed his job so badly. Oh, God… As I looked around at them, at his family, his brother, his mother—who obviously hated me—and his…wife? Girlfriend? I didn’t know and didn’t want to know. Oh, God, I just wished he had let me go to confinement, taken the money, and kept his job and his name clean. Now what? He’d ruined all that for me? Because of…guilt? All because I wanted to sneak onto a ship and hitch a ride.