by Zaires, Anna
“The traitors will have a Protector,” Korum explained. “It’s a bit like your lawyer, but different. The Protector is someone who genuinely believes in the innocence of the accused – it could be their family member or a friend. When you act as a Protector, you stake everything on the line – your reputation, your standing in society. If you don’t succeed in proving the innocence of those you’re protecting, then you lose almost as much as they do.”
“And do the accused always have this Protector?” Mia asked, trying to wrap her mind around such a strange system.
Korum shook his head. “No. But these traitors do, unfortunately. One of them, Rafor, is the son of Loris – one of the oldest Council members – and Loris took it upon himself to be the Protector in this case. He’s one of the most ruthless individuals I know, and he would stop at nothing to protect his son. He also hates me. If I let you go up there as a witness, he’s going to do everything he can to make your testimony seem like it’s coming from an irrational, hysterical human that I’ve manipulated for my own purposes. He’s going to publicly humiliate you, make you break down in front of everyone, and I won’t let that happen.”
Mia swallowed, beginning to understand a little. “You don’t have some kind of rules about the types of questions that can be asked of the witnesses?”
“No,” Korum said. “With so much on the line, all is fair game. The only thing the Protector is not allowed to do is physically hurt you. But there wouldn’t be anything to prevent him from verbally destroying you – and believe me, Loris is really good at that.”
“I see,” Mia said slowly, her stomach tying into knots at the thought of going up against a ruthless Krinar Council member determined to protect his son.
“But don’t worry,” Korum reassured her. “It’s not going to happen. At best, they will get a recorded testimony from you – and that’s only if Arus really begs for it.”
“Who’s Arus?” Mia remembered that name mentioned earlier, during Saret’s visit.
“He’s another Council member and, among other things, he’s our ambassador to the human leaders.”
“You don’t like him either?” Mia guessed.
Korum’s lips curved into a grim, humorless smile. “Let’s just say we’ve had our share of political differences.” The look in his eyes was cold and distant, and Mia shivered slightly, glad that it wasn’t directed at her.
“I see,” she said again. She didn’t really, but she didn’t think it would be wise to pursue this topic further. Taking a deep breath, she remembered the original reason why she’d wanted to talk to him. “Um, Korum, I wanted to ask you something . . .”
His expression softened a little. “Sure, what is it?”
Mia looked at him imploringly. “I have to call Jessie. My cell phone doesn’t seem to have reception here . . .”
His eyebrows rose. “Call your roommate? Why?”
“Because she’s going to be worried if she doesn’t hear from me for a couple of days,” Mia explained, “and because I have to ask her for a big favor. All my stuff is still in my room, and the girl who’s subletting it will be moving in on Monday. I should’ve been packed and out of there yesterday, but . . .”
“But you ended up here instead,” Korum said, immediately understanding. “All right, you can contact Jessie and let her know where you are. Maybe she can pack your things for you. If she does, I’ll have my driver pick them up and bring them to my New York apartment.”
“That would be great, thanks,” Mia said, smiling in relief. “And if I could do a quick call to my parents too, that would be really awesome.”
He smiled at her. “Sure. I just wouldn’t tell them where you are.”
“No, definitely not,” Mia readily agreed. She tried to imagine her parents’ reaction to the news that she was in an alien colony in Costa Rica, and it wasn’t a pleasant picture. Thinking ahead, she asked, “What about when I go to Florida? What am I going to tell them then?”
Korum shrugged. “The truth, I imagine. I’ll be with you, so they can ask me whatever questions they want to reassure themselves of your safety.”
Mia’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to meet my parents?”
“Of course, why not?”
“Um . . .” Mia could think of a dozen reasons why not. She settled on the first one. “Well, I’m not sure how they would react to, you know, what you are . . .”
He looked amused. “A Krinar? They’ll have to get used to the idea if they want to keep seeing you.”
Mia stared at him. “What do you mean, if they want to keep seeing me?”
“I mean, Mia,” he said softly, “that you’re with me now, and your family will need to come to terms with it.” At the anxious look on her face, he added, “And don’t worry, I’ll be patient with them. I know they care about you, and I’ll do my best to set their mind at ease.”
* * *
A few minutes later, with Mia still in shock at the thought of her parents meeting her alien lover, Korum gave her a thin, silvery bracelet that resembled a wristwatch.
“This is something I just created for you,” he explained, placing it around her left wrist. “This will be your personal computing device while you’re in Lenkarda. I made it so that it’s capable of connecting with human cell phones and computers, and you can use it to call or video-chat with your family. I programmed it with all your connections –”
Surprised, Mia studied the pretty object on her arm. It looked very much like a stylish piece of jewelry, and she vaguely remembered seeing some Ks on TV wearing something similar. “How does it work?” she asked, not seeing any obvious buttons on it.
“It will respond to your verbal commands – that will be the easiest way for you to operate our technology right now.”
“So it will understand me if I just say the instructions in natural speech?”
Korum nodded. “It will understand you perfectly in any language because I designed it specifically for you.”
Mia blinked. She wasn’t sure, but she suspected that Korum was one of the very few Ks who could do something like that – create a unique piece of technology solely for the use of his charl. “Thank you,” she said gratefully. “I’ll call Jessie right now.”
Seeking a little privacy, Mia went into the bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, she lifted her left wrist closer to her mouth and spoke to the bracelet. “Call Jessie, please.” Two seconds later, she heard what sounded like dial tones signifying that the call was connecting.
“Hello?” It was Jessie’s voice, and it emanated from the little device on Mia’s wrist. Unlike with the speakerphones that Mia was familiar with, she could hear Jessie with crystal-clear precision, as though she was in the room with her.
Hoping that Jessie could hear her just as well, Mia said, “Hey Jessie, how’s it going? It’s Mia.”
“Mia? Where are you calling from?” Jessie sounded surprised. “It shows up as an unknown number.”
“Uh, yeah, about that . . . I’m actually out of town right now –”
“What? Where?”
“Um . . . in Costa Rica.”
“WHAT?” Jessie’s shriek was earsplitting.
Mia rubbed her ears. “Yeah, it was kind of an unplanned trip, but everything’s fine. I’m with Korum and –”
“Oh my God, what the fuck are you doing in Costa Rica? Did that bastard make you go there? Because if he did –”
“No, Jessie, everything’s fine! Look, I just wanted to call you and let you know where I was –”
“Mia, what are you doing in Costa Rica?” Jessie sounded marginally calmer, though Mia could still hear the panicked undertone in her roommate’s voice. “And where exactly in Costa Rica are you?”
Mia paused for a second, trying to think how to best explain everything. “Well, I’m actually in Lenkarda – that’s the Costa Rican K Center –”
“Oh my God, Mia, he brought you there? Did he find out?” There was sheer terror in Jessie’s voice now. “Does he
know about . . . you know?”
Mia sighed. “Yeah. He knew all along actually. Don’t worry – it’s all cool now . . .”
“What do you mean, he knew all along?”
“Look, Jessie, I don’t want to go into the whole story right now, but just believe me when I tell you that I’m not in any kind of danger, okay?” Mia spoke quickly, knowing that she probably only had minutes before Jessie did something drastic – like contacting the Resistance again. “We’ve talked about everything, and there was a misunderstanding on my part – and now everything’s fine. I’m just here for the summer. We’re going to go to Florida in a couple of weeks to visit my parents, and then I’ll be back in New York for the next school year. It’s really nothing to worry about, I promise you . . .”
There was silence for a few seconds, and then Jessie said quietly, “Mia, I just don’t understand. You’re telling me that the alien you’ve been spying on brought you to a K Center, and you expect me to believe that everything’s okay?”
Mia took a deep breath. “Everything is okay. Honestly. I made a mistake becoming involved with the Resistance. Korum explained everything, and I just didn’t understand the situation before –”
“And now you do? How do you know you can believe anything he says?”
“Look, I have to trust him, Jessie. He has no reason to lie to me now.” At least, Mia hoped so.
“And he’s letting you call me?”
Mia smiled. “Yes, of course, so you see – it’s really not what you think.” She could almost hear the wheels turning in Jessie’s head.
“So you’re honestly telling me that you’re in a K Center and you’re totally fine? You’re going to come back for school and everything?”
“Absolutely,” Mia said, relieved that Jessie was coming around. “It just turned out that instead of going to Florida for the summer, I went to Costa Rica, that’s all.”
“What about your internship in Orlando?”
“That I haven’t quite figured out yet,” Mia reluctantly admitted. “I’ll have to call them and explain that I won’t be able to do it anymore.”
“So you’re not going to do an internship the summer before your senior year? That’s a really bad career move, Mia . . .”
“Yes, I know,” said Mia, not needing her roommate to remind her of that. “Maybe I’ll be able to get something during the school year with the career placement office . . . I’ll figure something out. But I’ll be going to Florida for a few days soon, so that’ll be nice.”
“Going with him?”
“Yep.” Mia grinned, imagining her roommate’s reaction to what she was about to tell her next. “He wants to meet my parents.”
“WHAT? Are you kidding me?”
Mia laughed. “I know, right?”
“What, does he want to marry you or something?” Jessie sounded as incredulous as Mia still felt.
“No, of course not,” Mia said, her mind boggling at the thought. “I think he’s just being nice. Maybe. I have no idea if meeting parents is a significant thing in K culture or not. Besides, he’s way older than my parents, so it’s not like he’s going to be intimidated by them . . .”
“Wow, Mia,” Jessie said slowly. “I don’t even know what to tell you –”
“You don’t have to say anything, Jessie. I know the whole thing is crazy, but I’m totally fine. Look, I actually wanted to ask you for a humongous favor . . .”
“Let me guess,” Jessie said dryly. “Rita is moving in on Monday, and all your wonderful new clothes are everywhere.”
“Yes, precisely.” Mia injected a pleading note into her voice. “Jessie, if you do this for me, I’ll be so grateful . . .”
She could hear Jessie sighing. “Of course. I’ll do it for you. But where should I put everything? In storage?”
“No, Korum’s driver in New York can pick it up and bring it to his place.”
“Oh . . . I see,” Jessie said, sounding oddly hesitant. “So does this mean you’re officially moving in with him?”
“No, of course not! It’s just for the summer, instead of storage, you know.”
“I don’t know, Mia.” Jessie sounded upset again. “Somehow, I don’t see you living here again . . .”
“Jessie. . .” Mia didn’t really know what to say. She couldn’t promise anything because so much was still uncertain. Would Korum want her to live with him in TriBeCa when they came back to New York? And would it be a bad thing if he did? She’d only known him for a month at this point, and it was difficult for Mia to imagine what their relationship would be like in another two months.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything,” Jessie said, sounding falsely upbeat. “We couldn’t stay as roommates forever, you know. This was bound to happen. Granted, it happened under some pretty strange circumstances, but I’m sure his penthouse is much nicer than our roach-infested building.”
“Jessie, please . . . It’s too soon to talk about that –”
“I don’t know,” Jessie said, a teasing note entering her voice. “You guys seem to be moving along pretty fast – already meeting parents and everything . . .”
Mia laughed, shaking her head in reproach even though her roommate couldn’t see it. “Oh, please, now you’re just being silly.”
They chatted some more, with Jessie asking about Mia’s experience thus far in Lenkarda. Mia gladly told her about the food and bragged about the intelligent technology she’d encountered, describing the bed in minute detail. As expected, Jessie agreed that there were some definite perks to having an affair with a K. She was also blown away by Mia’s newly acquired language abilities.
“Do you really understand me?” Jessie asked in Mandarin, a language she’d picked up from her immigrant parents.
“Yes, Jessie, I really do understand you. Isn’t that amazing?” Mia answered in the same language, and rubbed her ears again when Jessie shrieked with excitement.
Finally, promising to call Jessie again in a few days, Mia told the little device to hang up and disconnected.
Her parents were next on the list.
Her mom was happy to hear from her, even though she seemed concerned that Mia was not calling from her usual phone.
“Don’t worry, mom,” Mia explained. “My cell is malfunctioning, and I just got this temporary phone to use and haven’t figured out all the settings yet.” That was mostly true. Her cell phone was indeed malfunctioning in the K Center, and she hadn’t yet explored all the capabilities of Korum’s device.
“All right, honey,” her mom said. “Just don’t forget to call or text us, please.”
“I won’t,” Mia promised. “I’ll be busy for the next few days with the volunteering project, but I’ll definitely call you on Wednesday.”
“How is that going, by the way?” her mom asked, sounding a little irritated. Mia had told her parents she was staying in New York for an extra couple of weeks to help out her professor with a special program for disadvantaged high school kids. Naturally, her mom hadn’t been pleased with the delay in seeing their youngest daughter.
“It’s great,” Mia lied. “I’m learning a lot, and it’ll be phenomenal for my resume.” She mentally cringed at having to lie to her parents like this, but she couldn’t tell them the truth, not yet. Korum was right: it would be best if they learned about him in person and had a chance to talk to him to alleviate their concerns. If Mia told them where she was right now, her parents would be beside themselves.
Trying to redirect the conversation, she asked, “How is dad doing? Has he had any headaches recently?”
“Yeah, he had one a few days ago,” her mom said, sighing. “It was not one of his worst ones, thankfully.”
“Tell dad to stop stressing and take it easy with the computer. And take regular walks, okay?”
“Of course, honey, we’re trying.”
“Take care of yourselves, all right?”
Her mom promised to do so, they chatted some more, and then Mia said good
bye and went to find Korum before he left for the trial.
He’d offered her the opportunity to observe the proceedings, and Mia intended to take him up on that offer.
Chapter 5
Mia entered the tall white dome without hesitation, a chunk of the wall disintegrating to grant her passage. Korum had assured her that nobody could see, hear, or feel her in this particular version of his virtual world, and she could get the full experience of attending the trial without any stress or unpleasant encounters with the Protector. There were interactive versions of virtual reality too, he’d explained, but those were not appropriate for this situation. He himself would attend in person; it was his responsibility as a Council member and one of the chief accusers in this case.
Stepping inside the dome, Mia gasped in amazement. The place was teeming with Krinar, both male and female, all dressed in the light-colored clothes that their race seemed to favor. It was an incredible sight, with thousands of tall, gorgeous, golden-skinned aliens occupying the giant building from floor to ceiling. The spectators – at least that’s what Mia assumed they were – were literally stacked one on top of another, each occupying the floating seats that Mia was beginning to learn were a staple here in Lenkarda. The seats were arranged in circles around the center of the dome, with each circle floating directly on top of the next. It was a neat arrangement, Mia realized, like an arena of sorts, but with floating seats.
At the center, there were about a dozen podium-like places, with roughly a third of them occupied by Krinar. The rest were empty.
Carefully making her way toward the center, Mia tried to avoid bumping into anyone, but it was unavoidable. The place was simply too tightly packed. The attendees couldn’t feel her, but Mia could definitely feel them when she would get rammed by someone’s elbow or have her foot stepped on. How this virtual reality business worked, she had no idea, but it was annoying and rather painful to be the invisible girl in a crowd. Finally, she succeeded in getting through to the center, where a large circular area was completely empty.