by Frost Kay
What was she thinking? Surely flying to a different planet was better than being dead.
She stiffened when a predatory smile graced his face. “Always do,” he whispered as he tweaked her nose. Then he turned his back on her and strode from the room with all the grace and dignity of a king.
Bastard.
A smile graced her mouth despite the fear knotting her stomach. Her family brewed moonshine whiskey. It was a practice that went back to her ancestors in the twenty-first century. Her family’s whiskey was famous for all its recreational and medicinal properties. What most people didn’t know was that if improperly brewed, the whiskey was poisonous.
Despite how her stomach rolled with nerves, her smile sharpened. Her failed attempts at making whiskey were legendary, as were her poisons. That Lock had better watch his cups, or he would find himself in the bathroom for the rest of the trip.
She leaned back in her chair and tipped her head back. She could get through this. Starting from a hundred, Allie began counting down.
She’d poison him as soon as her heart stopped trying to beat out of her chest.
2
Anxiety and Booze Don’t Mix
She’d counted from a hundred twenty times and it wasn’t working. Allie pulled deep breaths, but she was still dizzy.
“You okay?” a smoky voice asked.
Allie twisted her neck to stare at the woman next to her, squinting at her flaming crimson hair that just about blinded her. She blinked repeatedly, meeting the woman’s twinkling blue eyes.
Quick, say something.
“It’s like you escaped out of a cartoon,” she blurted. Allie wanted to bang her head against the wall.
The woman arched a red brow as she cocked her head. “I’ve heard worse things.” She scanned Allie head to toe. “You don’t look so good.”
She waved a trembling hand at the woman. “Just afraid of flying.”
The redhead blinked once slowly, then burst out laughing. Allie stared at her until the woman sputtered to a cough.
“I’m s-sorry. You’re serious.” A pause. “It’s just that…”
Allie groaned. She hated this part. “I know, I know, it’s terrible. If I could have chosen my fears I would have picked spiders.”
The redhead just stared. Allie stretched her hand out to the woman. “Allie Sai.”
“Jer Blake.” Jer clasped her hand, then settled into the seat next to her.
“Jer Blake. Unusual.”
“You’re telling me.”
“Aren’t those boys’ names?” Allie asked, her tone apologetic.
A wry smile touched Jer’s mouth. “My father wanted boys and all he got was me.”
Allie snorted. That sounded like something her father would do. “Men…”
“Men,” Jer echoed as she picked up one strap.
Allie eyed the strap like it was a snake. “Beware the secure straps. Once you’re clicked in, there’s no getting out.”
Jer’s eyes rounded. “Why?”
Allie waved a hand. “Who knows?”
“It’s bad enough they drafted us, but now they’re shackling us to the ship?”
“They’re watching us, too,” Allie added.
The redhead chuckled. “That’s not anything new.”
Allie raised a brow in question.
“My father is part of the military. They’ve been monitoring us for centuries. The Bermuda Triangle? A hoax to keep people out. It hosts the biggest surveillance operation in the world.”
“Should you be telling me this?” Allie whispered, her eyes darting around the room to the other passengers.
Jer waved a hand at her. “We’re not a concern to them anymore. They’re sending us away. By the time we reach Sars, everyone we know will be dead.”
A lump rose in Allie’s throat. She’d never see her family again, her mama, papa, or sisters. The back of her eyes began to burn and she blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay. Once she started crying, she didn’t think she would stop.
“Shoot, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Allie shook her head and rubbed her eyes, peering at the wild-looking woman next to her. “It’s just … today’s been a lot to handle.”
Jer’s blue eyes softened as she reached a hand out and placed it on hers. “No one’s prepared for this, even the ones who volunteered, like myself.”
She gasped, stunned. “You volunteered?”
“Yes, ma’am, I did.”
“Why?”
A shrug. “Nothing here for me.”
That about broke Allie’s heart. No one should feel that way. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. When one door closes, another opens.”
She absently nodded and glanced at the door as a flight automaton gracefully stepped through. That was one way to think of it. A person’s positive outlook on life was always a choice, albeit not always an easy one, but still a choice.
The silver-limbed automaton, or AM, walked along the row of chairs, double-checking all the straps, and paused in front of Jer. “Please fasten your seatbelt.”
Jer scowled at the AM as she clicked the straps in. “You happy?”
The AM stared at the redhead blankly through opaque orbs. “Thank you,” it said, then moved on.
Jer shuddered next to her, rubbing at her arms. “Creepy things.”
Allie’s lips pulled into a smile.
The redhead rolled her eyes and pointed a finger at her. “I don’t like them. They know too much.”
Both of her brows raised. “They’re not real.”
“Exactly. Automatons are stronger than Humans, have access to anything connected to the net, and are run by Humans. That makes them superhuman. It’s not natural.”
“They’re just machines.”
“So is this ship,” Jer retorted.
“Touché,” Allie said.
The floor beneath their feet rumbled and panic fluttered in her chest as vibrations thrummed through her body. “Oh God, we’re all going to die.”
“No we’re not.”
Yes, she was.
“Please, make sure your seatbelt is fastened and that all luggage is stored beneath your seat. We will depart immediately,” the AM recited.
The ship tilted, making Allie’s stomach cartwheel. There’s no way she would survive this. “This isn’t right,” she cried out as the ship lurched.
“You’ll be fine, I promise,” Jer said. “Each alien airship prototype is tested over and over again. One in a million malfunction.”
That didn’t help her. With her luck, they’d be the millionth one. The ship banked, making her body shift in the seat and press against the safety straps until she was suspended horizontally, staring at the other passengers. “Oh God.”
“He’s not here right now,” Jer joked.
Allie clutched the straps of her bag until her fingers turned white. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
The passenger below her glared. “Don’t you dare,” the man yelled.
Her stomach rolled again. “I can’t.”
“HOLD. IT. IN,” he threatened.
She swallowed, trying to keep the bile where it belonged. The man below her blew out his breath when the ship settled and he was no longer below her. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked.
“She’s afraid of flying,” Jer answered, while she sucked in big lungfuls of air.
Flying. She was flying. Little black spots dotted her vision as a dull ringing filled her ears. Even the air seemed thinner, like she couldn’t get a proper breath.
“Does she need a medic?”
“I don’t know.” A hand touched her shoulder. “The medics can sedate you,” Jer offered.
Allie slammed back into her chair. “No!” At least this way she knew what was happening. If they put her under, she would be vulnerable. “No,” she wheezed.
Jer eyed her with doubt. “You need to calm down. You’re about to give me a heart attack, and if you get too agitated the AM w
ill have you sedated. Is there anything you can think about to calm you down? Or anything you can take to take the edge off?”
She shook her head, and then froze when a thought entered her mind. A brilliant one. Her parents had sent her with some of their moonshine so she could continue the family business on Sars.
Allie slipped a shaking hand into her bag and rummaged around until she clasped one of the cool glass vials. Carefully, she pulled it out of her bag and lifted her hand to inspect the whiskey. The amber liquid moved like it was alive. She’d watched her parents make it, so she understood nothing actually lived in the moonshine, but it still creeped her out. As a child, her father told her scary tales of the moonshine refusing to run down someone’s throat, instead crawling out. Allie shuddered and squeezed her hand around the vial. This would take the edge off.
“Is that what I think it is?” Jer drawled.
Allie glanced at her. “Yeah.”
Her family were well-known moonshine whiskey brewers. Everyone wanted vials of the amber liquid. It was prized, and it was expensive.
“How did you get a hold of that?”
“My family makes it.”
Jer’s blue eyes lit up. “No way. I’m friends with one of the moonshine royals?”
That damn nickname. It was ridiculous. One night her father had tested too much himself and declared their family the royals of moonshine. It stuck.
“Well, that will help you calm down.”
Allie’s eyes dropped back to the vial in her hand. Her parents had never let her sample this proof before. It had hallucinogenic properties and tended to kill people if they weren’t careful—or more like, people drank too much and ended up dying. But it also soothed and relieved pain. At this point, she would probably die on this damn ship. She might as well go happy.
Her hand trembled as she uncorked the glass. She lifted the vial to her nose and sniffed the moonshine’s familiar white oak scent, mixed with something nutty. A sip or two would help. With care, Allie placed the tube to her lips and let the liquid slip into her mouth and down her throat. Dark chocolate burst across her taste buds, making her eyes roll back into her head. The best thing about her family’s whiskey was that when you drank it, it tasted like your favorite sweet. That’s why it was in such high demand. No one else could do that.
It burned down her throat and her body loosened, warmth infusing her limbs and belly. Allie held it up and eyed the amber liquid.
It was magical. With a capital M.
No wonder her parents never let her test it. The stuff was potent. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if she drank more than a couple sips. Hell, why was it even legal? Allie squinted at what was left. There was no way she would drink any more. She held the vial toward Jer, wiggling it in front of the redhead’s nose. “You want some?”
Jer’s smile was all teeth. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Her new acquaintance took the tube from her hand and threw back the moonshine, a happy sigh escaping her. “I love this stuff.”
Allie blinked, trying to see the redhead clearly, but her eyes wouldn’t focus. That wasn’t good. A giggle escaped her. No fears. Just peace. Her parents should have introduced her to this stuff a long time ago. She settled back in her chair and closed her eyes, floating in a lake of clouds in pure, utter bliss.
Sleep. She’d sleep through the trip. Sleep, the answer to everything.
3
Blueberry Pie and Alien Abduction
“Mama?” Allie called from her porch swing.
Her mam’s graying blond head popped up from the flowerbed she was digging in. “Yeah, baby girl?”
Allie stared into blue eyes so similar to her own and hesitated. How would her mama take the news?
Her mama raised a brow, leaned back on her heels and stretched her back. “Out with it, Allie. I can tell you wanna talk about something.”
Unease rolled in her gut. How could she explain that she’d been drafted and would never see her again? Just thinking about it made her want to burst into tears. She could feel the heat burning at the back of her eyes.
“Are you disappointed in me?” she blurted instead. That was not what she was expecting to come out.
A smile warmed her mama’s face. “No, baby. You can’t brew a lick of good moonshine to save your life, but you’re a good girl. I’m proud of the choices you’ve made. Why do you ask?” she said, placing the spade on the grass next to her thigh.
“No reason,” Allie murmured.
Her mama scoffed. “No one asks a question like that unless there’s something bothering them. What’s this about?” She stared at Allie in her particular way, like she could see every one of her thoughts, like she could see what Allie was hiding.
She swallowed, uncurled her feet from her swing and stood on wooden legs. Allie trudged down the steps and knelt. Her mama’s smile had melted into concern as she reached a flower-stained hand out and took one of Allie’s into her own.
“Your hands are like ice.” Her mama rubbed them between her own hands. She dropped Allie’s hand and cupped her cheek. “You’re starting to worry me. I can’t help unless you tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’ve been drafted,” she forced through numb lips while staring at the ground.
Her mama frowned. “Drafted? For what?”
Allie’s hands began to shake. “For colonization.” Silence met her statement. The hand holding hers began to tremble. She forced her gaze from the ground and tears flood her eyes at the horror on her mama’s face. “I’m sorry.”
Her mama’s bottom lip trembled. “It can’t be true. It can’t be.”
“I received the news four days ago,” she choked out.
An inarticulate sound of pain escaped her mama right before she yanked Allie into a fierce hug. “They can’t take you. You’re mine.”
“I already sent in an appeal but it was denied,” she cried into her mama’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Mama.”
“Baby, they can’t just draft you. You have to opt in,” her mama stuttered.
Allie pulled back, tears dripping down her face. “That’s what I said. I never opted in, but then they sent me proof that I did.”
Her mama gasped. “How?”
A watery laugh escaped her. “I filled out a dating profile in a magazine as a joke. It turns out the government has been using those to draft from.”
“That’s not legal!”
She wiped her nose on her shirtsleeve. “I know, right?”
Her mama’s expression hardened. “We’ll fix this. Your father and I have a lot of clout. We’ll find the best lawyer possible.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” Fear soured her belly. She’d never been to the Earth Hub before. Her knowledge of alien races were limited. And then there was the flying. She shivered. God, she hated flying. The idea of flying across the universe made her break out in hives.
“It will have to.” Her mama cupped her cheeks, the smell of freshly-turned dirt on roses teasing the air. “I love you. I can’t promise you that we’ll win, but I can promise you I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
“You would break the law for me?” Allie joked, trying to will away the panic rising inside her.
“Nothing. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do.” Her mama dropped her hands and picked up her spade, viciously stabbing it into the earth around the flowers. “They’ve gone too far this time. It’s their fault the Earth is overcrowded. Now they’re trying to take my baby? I don’t think so,” she grumbled underneath her breath.
“Should I tell Papa right now?” Allie asked.
Her mama jerked a weed out of the ground and threw it angrily over her shoulder. “No, he’ll go on a rampage and do something stupid. It’s best we tell him together, after he’s eaten a proper meal.”
A small smile curled up one side of her mouth. Her papa was always in a better mood after he’d had one of her mama’s meals.
“Speaking of which, would you go start the biscuits
? Hell, make a blueberry pie while you’re at it.”
She nodded and began to stand, then her mama’s hand curled around her wrist and pulled her back into a hug. Allie smiled when her mama’s soft lavender scent curled around her. Everything was going to be okay. Slowly, the knot inside her stomach loosened as her mama’s heat sank into her.
“I love you so much. More than you’ll understand until you have children of your own.”
“Love you too, Mama.”
“Love you more.”
Allie’s heart squeezed. “Love you mostest.”
“Allie…”
She groaned and snuggled back into her seat. It was like she could still feel her mam hugging her.
“Allie…”
“Go away,” she grumbled.
“Allie!”
She pried open her eyes to slits and glared at the annoying redhead interrupting her wonderful nap and memory. “What?” she barked. All she wanted was to go back to her happy dreams.
“We’re under attack!”
Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand the words coming from Jer’s lips.
Eh, thoughts for another time.
Her eyes slowly closed as she tried to delve back into her slumber. A sharp pinch on her arm had her jerking and cursing. Allie growled, rubbing her arm.
“What the heck, Jer?”
“You need to wake up. Now!” Jer commanded.
“I’m tired. I need to sleep.” Even now, the siren song of slumber called to her. Her eyelids were so heavy.
Jer reached over and grabbed Allie’s chin. “Look at me.”
Allie opened her eyes as wide as she could.
“Good lord, seriously?” The redhead shook her head. “You’re still influenced. How?”
Allie tried to smile, but it was like her lips weren’t doing what they were supposed to. “This is my first time.”
Jer’s big blue eyes widened. “No, Allie. Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Nope,” she said popping her p.
Jer dropped Allie’s chin and rubbed her hand over her mouth. “We’re in big trouble. This is so screwed up. What are the chances?”