by Jade Kerrion
Jem’s smile wobbled. “Standard operating procedure. Something we don’t understand? The anomaly did it. Is this state going to matter?”
Kir looked at the map. “Probably not. It’s just a small strip of land. Hopefully, its neighbors will look the other way and mind their own business.”
“Small state, big neighbors. I say it’ll learn, as you’re so fond of saying, and learn quick.”
Kir smiled faintly. “Did the ice-cream do any good?”
“A little. The chocolate fudge really helped.”
“Want another? I think I need one, too.”
She glanced at her empty cup. “Sure, why not.”
14
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. The intense secrecy surrounding the base, the very existence of which the U.S. government did not even acknowledge until July 14, 2003, has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component to unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore.
– Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
* * *
“Am I in time?” Jem asked. Her voice was a hushed whisper, but not even the low pitch could conceal the edge of excitement.
“Just barely. We slowed the star revolutions down to near zero so you’d get here in time. Look, there it is.” Kir directed her attention to the barely visible streak slicing through the atmosphere, racing up into space.
Kav, who accompanied Kir to class each day, watched wide-eyed, his mouth open in awe.
“It’s here! Space travel, finally!” Jem threw her arms around Kir’s neck. “We did it!”
“I know.” A wide grin spread across Kir’s face. “Can you believe it?”
“It’s taken forever to catch up to where all the teams started out, but we’re here at last. Where are our humans going?”
“Nowhere. They’re just taking a scenic tour of their planet. Actually, there’s nothing in the spacecraft.”
“What?”
Kir chuckled. “Unmanned missions. Our humans are planning to send up dogs and monkeys before they send up people.”
Jem’s eyes narrowed. “What a load of crock.”
“Cautious is okay, as long as they’re making traction.”
“They better be. I did set up the two superpowers in a race for space.”
“Superpowers? You mean empires?” Kir asked.
“No, empires went out of style after the war. The two superpowers are large countries with an even larger sphere of influence. They think they’re diametrically opposed, but they’re more alike than they care to admit,” Jem said.
“How so?”
“They both know they are absolutely right. Far more likely, they’re both wrong.”
“That’s the cynical Philosophy major talking,” Kir pointed out.
“Probably. Can we speed their progress?” Jem asked.
Kir arched his eyebrows. “You’re the one who slowed their progress to a crawl because you didn’t trust them to behave. Why the rush now?”
“I just ran into the Shixar Imperium. Did you know that it won the war?”
“Yes, of course. It was about time. It took the Imperium the equivalent of centuries. The Imperium’s getting bored again, but I don’t think I can find other galactic empires large enough to keep it occupied,” Kir said.
“I didn’t think so. We really need another plan, Kir.”
He chuckled softly. “Somehow, I knew you’d say that.” They watched as other spacecraft left the planet’s atmosphere, each one a step closer to true space travel. “How would you characterize our attempts to interfere with individual lives?” Kir asked.
“When did we change the topic?” Jem asked.
“Just answer the question.”
It sounded like a trick question, so Jem’s answer was couched in careful terms. “Well enough.”
“Do you think you have it down to enough of a fine form?” Kir asked.
Jem’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because I think we could use a bit of manipulation at an individual level to keep the Shixar away.”
“What did you have in mind?” Jem asked.
“The beauty of an Imperium like the Shixar is that there’s really only one person who matters: the Emperor. Would you say that the humans on our planet are attractive?”
“I should hope so. I designed them that way.”
“How about bloody damn good at duplicitous diplomacy?”
“Hell, yes, though I had nothing to do with that. I swear.”
Kir grinned slowly. “How do you think one of them would fare as consort to the Emperor?”
“Hmm…” That idea would never have crossed her mind. “It would be an interesting way to exert influence over the Shixar Imperium.”
“Do you think you could do that?” Kir asked.
“It’s well worth trying,” Jem conceded. “Whoa, check it out!” She grabbed at Kir’s arm and shook it hard. “They’ve just landed on the moon.”
Kir rolled his eyes. “Why would they want to go to the moon? There’s nothing up there.”
“Well, they don’t know that.”
“Now they do. You realize there’s no way to fly under the radar anymore, right? Once the other teams know we’ve opened up space travel, they’ll start making their way here.”
“Are we ready for it?” Jem asked.
“We are. The planet? Debatable. I think some people handle it better than others, but most are better off never knowing that life exists outside of their little sphere.”
“How are we going to keep it from them?”
“I don’t know.” Kir stared down at the planet and then laughed suddenly. “How are they handling the lines I drew in the sand?”
“Thousands of star revolutions ago?” Jem chuckled. “The humans believe that the lines are a runway for alien spacecraft.”
Kir laughed. “I knew they’d make something up. Their ability to deceive themselves is second to none. It’s time for our humans to think about ‘alien’ artifacts in a more consistent way.” His brown eyes gleaming, he pulled off his personal device, issued a few commands, and an astral image of a Shixar spacecraft appeared. He sized it down and then proceeded to fly it slowly over the planet.
“You’re freaking people out,” Jem warned, laughter in her voice as she studied the burst of reports coming from the sensors.
“It’s better for them to get freaked out now by an astral image than to completely flip out later when the real thing shows up. Here, give me your personal device.”
“I don’t think so. You’re not turning my personal device into a Skrun ship. Here.” She pulled the engagement ring off her finger. “You can fly this instead.”
“They’re going to start thinking that alien spacecraft are round.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why would anyone think that? Circular objects aren’t particularly aerodynamic and at some point, spacecraft have to travel through atmosphere…” She studied the reports generated by the planetary sensors. “Never mind, apparently, they are gullible enough to believe that spacecraft are round.”
“Told you.” Kir smirked.
“And we think they’re up to the task of subverting the Shixar Imperium?” Jem sighed. “I’ll never be able to find anyone to do it.”
“Sure, you will.”
Jem shook her head. “SimOne, I need your help on this project. Let’s leave Kir to his toys.”
“What do you want from me, Jem?” the android asked.
“A short list of some of the more impressive genetic bloodlines you can find.”
“Generating.”
Jem studied the list with single-minded focus, blocking out the hoots of amusement as Kir and Kav zoomed astral toys over the planet. A chill started at her fingertips. By the time she was done with the report, she was cold all over. She looked up slowly at SimOne. “This can’t be right.”
“You wanted the more impressive genetic bloodlines,” the android said.
“They’r
e mutants.”
“What?” Kir looked up sharply. He gave his astral ship to Kav and went over to sit down beside Jem. “What’s this about mutants?”
“The humans on the planet. They’re mutating.”
“Into what?”
Jem pressed her face into her hands. “There were always mutants. It’s standard evolutionary theory. Life forms tend to adapt in order to survive. Most mutants don’t make it. Some do, and they become the transformative force for the next phase in life. The humans didn’t evolve much for a long time because we’d put out a superior model to negate the need to slowly evolve into a half-way decent model, but they’re finally starting to mutate and evolve again.”
“Is that good or bad news?” Kir asked.
“Well, that would depend on your point of view. There are some truly impressive mutants running loose right now. The better news, in my mind, is the fact that there are so few of them.”
“But if they’re impressive…”
“They’re going to upset the status quo. I don’t think our planet’s ready to deal with social turmoil on top of the startling revelation that they’re not alone in the universe.”
“Still, there’s got to be something we can do with them,” Kir said.
Jem’s mind raced as she sorted through her options. “I think I know what we can do. We can’t keep the other teams from poking their noses into our affairs, and we can’t capably defend our turf, but what if we accelerated the technological capabilities of some of our humans?”
“Our mutants?”
“Right. It’s their planet after all. Their stake in its continued existence is actually higher than our stake in it.”
“You’re talking about setting up an elite military unit to defend the planet,” Kir said.
“Military is taking it a bit further than I’d thought. My idea was, more simply, to give them the edge they need to stand up to the Shixar, if necessary.”
Kir snorted. “A handful of people against the entire might of the Shixar Imperium?”
“You said it yourself. The one weakness of the Shixar Imperium is that it comes down to one person. Our mutants don’t have to fight an entire Imperium. They just need to get to one person.”
“Right, but how are we going to give them the edge they need?”
“From others. Who are the Shixar’s natural enemies?”
Kir grinned slowly. “I can find them for you. I’ll have them abduct our humans, and when our humans ‘escape,’ they’ll abscond with the superior alien technology.”
Jem nodded and smirked at him. “Sounds great. I’ll pick out people who are actually capable of escaping. We have to get the right technology back to our planet.”
“It’s a dangerous game we’re playing here,” Kir cautioned. “Selectively infusing alien technology into our planet, and then dispatching our more evolved humans to the Shixar Imperium in the hope that they’ll be able to embed themselves into its government—”
“Life is dangerous. Sometimes, even breathing is dangerous. It’s a risk we’ll have to take.” Jem’s brown eyes glittered, her expression resolute. “I’m not going to be a vassal planet of the Shixar. We’ve come too far for that.”
Their scheming and hard work paid off in under a week. Feeling celebratory and much more relaxed, Jem and Kir toasted each other with glasses of wine over their planet.
“This is what I call a resounding success.” Kir smirked. “You raised an incredible human.”
Jem allowed herself a faint smile. “I’d like to claim the credit, but I think he did it himself.”
“Married to the Shixar Empress is a hell of a feat. What will you do for an encore?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “We’ve made our planet a little safer for a while, but we’ve also pushed it closer to the precipice. If that one man screws up, he endangers the whole planet.”
“Sometimes, it comes down to one person.”
“Well, I like backup plans, and backup plans for the backup plan.”
Kir laughed and reached out to ruffle her hair. “I don’t how I ever got on before you.”
“Are you making fun of me?” she asked.
“Would I do that?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes.”
“You doubt me?”
“I know you. Are you done playing with your toys?” she asked.
“Toys?” Kir sounded offended. “They’re meticulous copies of Shixar and Krey space cruisers.”
“They’re toys. The real ones come equipped with pulsar beams.”
“Details. Anyway, those toys are paying off. The humans are taking life outside their planet seriously now.”
“I can’t believe they’re just figuring it out. That flying kid is still around, isn’t he?” Jem asked.
“Yes, but he’s not a kid anymore. Anyway, most of the countries have set up installations and research bases to look into what they call ‘unidentified flying objects,’” Kir said.
“It’s not unidentified. It’s a Shixar space cruiser.”
“Did you want a stylus? You could write that down for them.”
Jem swiped the stylus away with one hand as she set her glass down with the other. “Don’t be childish. Those are real people down there.”
“And I suppose that’s why you just set that glass down on their crops.”
“Damn it.” Jem yanked the glass up and stared in consternation at the perfect circle she had left in the field of crops.
“Here.” Kir stifled a chuckle as he dragged his stylus through the grass. “Your turn.”
“What are we doing?”
“Drawing pictures and giving them something to talk about.”
“Kir…” She dragged out his name with an exasperated tone.
“It’s grass. It’s harmless fun, and honestly, I think we need a good laugh every now and again at the planet’s expense. This is about as harmless as it gets.”
“Except for the poor scientists who will be racking their heads trying to think what made it.”
“A glass.”
“They’d never believe it.” Jem giggled as she added another squiggle to the picture. Kir was right. What was a bit of silly fun after everything else they had put their planet through? “What are you doing for spring break?” she asked.
“I’m just hanging around with Kav. I also have a couple of job interviews.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise. “But what about the Academy?”
“The Academy’s not really on my horizon. They don’t accept many people. Besides, the Academy is expensive, and without a scholarship, I wouldn’t be able to pay my way.”
She bit down on her lip. She had not realized how insensitive her question might sound. Of course, Kir would have to work. He had to provide for Kav, and with their parents dead, he was all Kav had left. He did not seem resentful, though. In fact, there was excitement in his tone, as if he relished the next challenge life had to offer.
“Are you spending spring break with Rio?” Kir asked
“No,” she said. “I’m going home.”
15
The Sylvania Palace was, for all intents and purposes, Jem’s now, but it did not feel like home, not anymore. The building, as ancient as the centuries-long Meiran Dynasty, glittered from basement to each flag-tipped spiral, oozing elegance and grace. The Meiras had never ruled through brute strength, preferring instead the subtle dagger’s edge of diplomacy. Their reign was considered absolute, though largely benevolent.
It was a lovely fiction while it lasted.
The palace still had her stepmother’s artistic stamp—stark white marble pillars softened with velvet drapes in hues of deep sapphire, cozy reading corners dominated by cushion-covered armchairs and glowing fireplaces. Her stepmother had added comfort and warmth to a place that was too large to be considered homey. She had made the palace a home, and then she had destroyed it.
Tension clawed at Jem’s shoulders as she walked throug
h the long corridors, her head held high. The servants were properly deferential. They were too well trained to be careless in look or speech, but she knew they watched her.
For what exactly, she did not know.
If they were expecting her to step into her late stepmother’s shoes, they would be disappointed, and if they were expecting her to step into her father’s, well, they were in for a long wait.
Her destination was her father’s large suite, which dominated one of the towers overlooking the western lake, but his valet blocked her progress at the entrance to his suite.
She arched an eyebrow, the rebuke mild but pointed.
His stoic expression quavered.
“Where is my father?” she asked.
“He’s resting right now, Lady Meira. Would you like to see him after dinner?”
“I’d like to look in on him right now. I won’t disturb him.”
Her father’s valet pursed his lips disapprovingly, but Jem quelled him with a glance. All those months of working beside Kir had toughened her spine. She was no longer easily intimidated.
She was escorted to her father’s bedroom. The valet did not leave her side. Was he afraid of what she could do to her father? Jem snorted quietly; there was nothing she could do to her father that would be worse than what her father had brought upon himself by marrying that woman.
Still, she had not been prepared to see him. Jem pressed her lips together to control the quiver of a sob. Her father was frail. His once large bulk lay shrunken on the bed, shriveled from a general malaise. His skin had taken on a pale yellow tinge, and his eyes were sunken in the hollows of his face.
He was dying.
Jem swallowed hard and blinked to keep the tears from her eyes. “Is he in much pain?”
“No, Lady Meira. His medication keeps the pain at bay, but limits his moments of lucidity. When he is aware, he asks for you.”
Yeah, right. “He’s probably just calling for her.”
“Her name was not Livia.”
Her throat seized. “When do you think he’ll wake next?”
“We’ll wake him for dinner in about two hours. Would you like to join him for dinner in his room?”