Talia's Planet

by Heather Lee Dyer

  I find my stack of crates and run my fingers over the raised labels until I find the one containing my suit. I grab it and turn to Zayn. "Ready?"

  "Yes, my dad just called me. He sent one of the scout ships for us." He grabs my hand and we head toward the lift again.

  "A scout ship? Instead of a jump ship? Is that safe with Kae's threat and the distance between our ships?" Scout ships are meant for long distance voyages and aren't as fortified as jump ships, which were designed to carry heavy cargo between the planets of Sol system.

  "This one is different." He squeezes my hand. "Just wait. I think you'll be impressed."

  We head down the lift and I'm surprised when we go all the way to the cargo dock instead of the passenger dock. But I stay quiet because it really doesn't matter to me since I'm used to working with mechanics and pilots anyway.

  The dock greets us with a symphony of mechanical noises and crews bantering back and forth. A heaviness in my chest settles in as I realize how much I miss the Gryphon and its crew.

  We zigzag through the chaos until we find the waiting ship. There seems to be a lot of activity here today. The supplies we need for the retrofit must be coming in.

  "Here, Talia, feel this." He brings my hand up and I feel cold metal. I trace the rectangle and find the ship's call letters and grin.

  "This isn't a scout ship. You commandeered one of Kae's gas cats. How did you manage that? When I redid the schedule last night, I accounted for every one of her gas cats that would join us."

  "Your Captain thought it would help make us less of a target, so we had one of our inside guys borrow this one for us. It was one of the ones you left on the Aurora's maintenance schedule. Now it's classified as one of the scout ships."

  "Nice! It's one of the smaller ones too, so it's faster and less obvious on sensor readings. Are you piloting it?"

  "No, they sent a pilot with it."

  "One of hers? Can we trust them?"

  "No, actually it’s one of our scout pilots." Zayn's voice has a tone in it I haven't heard in a while. That hesitation when he's trying not to tell me something.

  My defenses go up. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing's wrong. We can trust this pilot."

  I narrow my eyes in his direction and straighten up. "What aren't you telling me, then?"

  A loud klaxon sounds, temporarily making it impossible for Zayn to answer. When it's done, I wait.

  "How is it that you're blind, yet you can see right through me? Even when I'm not really hiding anything. Not like with New Earth or my nav boxes."

  I take a deep breath. "Then what is it, Zayn? I thought we were done with secrets." My stomach churns as nerves settle in again. "If you're not hiding anything, then what do you have to be so secretive about?"

  "Well, it's just—"

  "There you are. We have clearance to leave." The voice comes from the open door of the ship. She sounds about my age, which makes sense if she's a scout pilot. A good percentage of our generation was brought up to be scout pilots or comm engineers, for the good of the Migration. Those are the two most needed jobs right now.

  "All right, we’re ready, Erin." The familiar way Zayn says her name sends a warning jolt through me, and I wonder if this has something to do with his uneasiness a few minutes ago.

  I mechanically follow Zayn as he barely touches my elbow to assist me up the ramp. I tell myself that of course they're familiar with each other. They went to school together and have lived on the same habitat.

  The ship we're on is one of the smallest models. These little gas cats just fuel the scout ships like the one Zayn pilots.

  I stop Zayn before we close the outside door, the girl's footsteps fading down the corridor.

  "Is that what you were trying not to tell me about? Her?"

  "Kind of. No, I wasn't trying not to tell you, I just didn't want to upset you over nothing."

  "What kind of nothing?"

  He drops his hand from my elbow and pushes the button to close the door behind us. He takes both of my hands and pulls me close. "Erin and I dated for a while. I didn't want to say anything, because it was over a long time ago. But I didn't expect her to be the one to come get us."

  "So if it's been over for a while, why are you sweating?" I take my hands back and wipe them on my pants.

  "I just don't like confrontation, Talia." He lets out a long sigh. "And I didn't want it to be awkward."

  I laugh. Yes, Zayn and I and his ex-girlfriend alone on a small ship for the next three hours. What could be awkward about that?

  "Does she know about you and me?"

  "I'm assuming so."

  "Assuming?"

  "Well, everyone in the Migration has seen the vids of us being rescued and going before the Council together."

  "And I guess that gives her every idea that we're together." My sarcastic tone even surprises me, and I frown. This is not me. I'm not a jealous person. And it's not like Zayn has officially asked me to be his girlfriend, or whatever this is between us.

  I shake my head. "Sorry, Zayn. What happened in your past is part of who you are, and I can't judge you for being nervous about this situation. And neither of us has had much sleep."

  "True. I feel like I could sleep for a week. Let's get strapped in for take-off." He lightly grasps my hand, and we walk slowly up the corridor.

  The bridge door slides open, and Zayn releases my hand so I can go ahead of him. I know every inch of these gas cats, but I let him steer me to a seat. His hand is on my lower back as we cross the bridge. I'm extremely glad to be blind at this moment. I don't want to see the look Erin might be giving us.

  "Okay, if everyone is ready let's go home." Her cheeriness sounds forced, and I don’t miss her stress on the word "home." I sink back into my seat and close my eyes.

  The take-off is a bit rough, and Erin apologizes. I'm not sure if she's just not used to flying this type of ship or if she's nervous.

  "Zayn, how come this stupid sensor isn't working?" Erin asks, easing the thick tension in the quiet bridge.

  "Which one?" I hear him unbuckle and move over to her.

  "The distance sensor. They said to make sure we had them all on to get early warning."

  The chair next to Erin creaks as Zayn sits down. The familiar sounds of several diagnostic programs opening and closing tell me he's nowhere near fixing the problem. But he is very near to Erin, so I'm not sure what to do. If I get up to help them, he'll think it's an act of jealousy. So I bite my lip and wait to see if he figures it out. In the meantime, I take out my cube and check my own sensors just to make sure we aren't being followed.

  A small blip is flying parallel to us. Oh Rigel's ice. I'm going to need to interrupt Zayn's pitiful attempt to try to impress Erin. Ugh.

  I unbuckle and step over to the two of them. I tap Zayn on the shoulder. Not trusting my voice with the unfamiliar feelings coursing through me, I simply say, "My turn."

  "Talia?"

  "We're being followed, Zayn. I can't wait and play nice while the two of you pretend to know what you're doing. Let me fix it, please." My pulse quickens as the seconds tick by.

  Zayn gets up, and I slip in next to Erin. I can hear her expression of annoyance but I ignore it. Although this computer isn't modified for me, I know the layout of the buttons and screens, and hope that Zayn didn't mess anything up too badly. The gas cat's systems are completely different than the scout ships or jump ships he's used to working with.

  I soon hear a satisfying beep and Erin exclaims, "It's on! And she's right, Z, there's a ship at the edge of our sensors."

  I just about throw up at the pet nickname. I get up and go back to my seat. I try to focus on the part where she actually said I was right. That helps calm my queasy stomach.

  "How'd you know how to do that?" Erin asks quietly.

  "You mean because I'm blind, or because I'm not a pilot?" I ask, trying to be careful to keep my tone level. I suck at fakeness, and it comes out sounding harsh.

  "S
orry, I shouldn't have asked."

  "No, I'm fine with your questions, Erin. In fact, I'd rather you ask than judge me or make up your own ideas about me." I'm surprised that I really mean it. "And I can do that because I'm a gas cat fuelie and a mechanic, and I've taken these ships apart and put them back together dozens of times. I know where every nut and bolt belongs in this ship. And in this case, where the overrides are for the sensors."

  "Admirable. As scout pilots we're taught very little about how to work on our own ships."

  Zayn laughs before I can comment. He comes to sit back down next to me. "Oh, Talia found out exactly how limited our education is when she came to rescue me on my ship. If I had known how to fix the damage on my bridge I might not have needed rescuing."

  I smile, not only at Zayn's compliment, but because it feels like a peace offering. I sink back into my seat. This is going to be an intriguing headache of a visit.

  CHAPTER 6

  The Blue Ridge

  The unknown ship stays at the edge of our sensors and then disappears as we get within range of the Blue Ridge. I breathe easier now that it’s gone.

  The little gas cat we "borrowed" apparently had some modifications done to its bio star drive. It only took us half the time to get here than I expected.

  I wonder what other modifications Kae made to her fleet, and why. I can understand faster ships to increase efficiency and monetize her business. But does she aim to monopolize the bio star fuel business? But then why suddenly drop all your customers and stop supplying to the Migration completely? How does that further her business? It makes no sense.

  This little gas cat does, however, prove that Kae is up to something. My stomach curdles as I realize the timing of all this. Kae drops out of sight just as we're working on the most important projects of the Migration.

  Zayn elbows me. "We're here Talia," he says excitedly.

  I groan inwardly. "That was quick. You don't see anything strange about a gas cat making it this distance so fast?"

  "No, the modifications seem normal, at least according to what diagnostics we can get into." He unbuckles and stands. I hear him stretch and I wonder if Erin is watching.

  I shake myself mentally. Focus, Talia.

  "I think I'll check it out later all the same." I throw my pack over my shoulder and head off the bridge. I find the diagnostic port just outside the hatch and hook my cube to it. The dock we're in sounds busy, busier than either the Gryphon or the Resurrection. Several ships come in loudly through the dock barrier while I'm standing there. I can tell by the engines that they're all jump ships. My knowledge of how most habitats work makes me sharpen my focus on the sounds around me. A few jump ships a day would be normal operations, but I can hear the low hum of at least three that are already docked here and plugged in for data upload and resupply. The renovation of the Blue Ridge could be a reason for all the activity, but I doubt it. I haven't finalized the whole plan yet with Destry, so he wouldn't waste resources by ordering supplies ahead of time.

  My attention is drawn back to my cube as it beeps. I trace my finger over the small screen. I download all of the diagnostic reports since before Kae's retrofit to study later. The only thing glaringly odd is the date of the upgrade. It's right after she took Zayn and me hostage. The day after, to be exact. I frown.

  Laughter behind me brings me back to the present. I unplug my cube and stash it in my pack. Zayn and Erin come down the ramp laughing at some inside joke, no doubt.

  "Talia, there you are." He brushes up to me and lightly takes my elbow, propelling me along with the two of them. "Dad wants us to head to the comm room first. Seems he has information for us before we start on our plans." Zayn's steps are light, and he sounds like he's smiling from ear to ear. I'm thinking I should've done this meeting by vid.

  I make sure this time to pay attention to everything around me. I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I must rely on Zayn again. He's already distracted with this “friend.”

  The Blue Ridge is a different design than any of the others. The last time I was here was to speak to the Council. That was when Zayn gave me my cube. I was able to see how beautiful the Blue Ridge was from the outside.

  "We have the newest pilots dock at the very bottom level. Less chance of them hitting the habitat that way," Zayn explains to me as both he and Erin laugh.

  I'm barely listening to his explanation of each laboratory and comm center and residential level we go through. I already know the layout of the ship. I know he's trying to draw me into his world, make me feel like a part of it, but I'm having a hard time lowering my defenses. I'm irritated, not only because she's hanging all over Zayn, but that he's letting her.

  I'm also irritated at being uncomfortable with my disability. I feel like a small dog that Zayn feels responsible to lead around because it can't defend itself. I haven't felt this way in years.

  "There you guys are." I realize we've just walked into the comm center when I hear Destry's unhappy voice.

  "Sorry Dad, just giving Talia a quick tour," Zayn quips as we head over to Destry.

  "I've got some great news, Talia. And a bit of bad news." I notice he doesn't even address his son's comment.

  "What is that, sir?" I place my pack between my feet.

  "Actually, I really wish I could show you." I hear excitement in his voice as he cues up the main vid screen for the others.

  "Wait just a second." I get my cube out of my pack and hand him the attached umbilical. "Just plug this into your computer."

  I hear the satisfying click as my cube connects with the habitat's mainframe. I run my fingers over the touch surface. "Ready. Show me first the good news."

  "Seriously? You can see with that thing?" Destry sounds doubtful.

  "Kind of. This is a smaller version of my modified computer. Zayn built it for me, actually." I hold my breath, waiting for him to acknowledge his son's expertise.

  "Great. Well let's get started then." My heart deflates for Zayn, but I keep my face steeled.

  "Since we designed the upgrades to Midpoint Station, our crews have been working around the clock to create and install the new long-range sensors. Although they aren't all functional yet, we have some amazing images coming in from Planet 1."

  I study the images as they scroll into my cube. Planet 1 is the planet we found near our original New Earth. It would mean the Migration would be able to continue in the same direction, just a bit farther. Planet 1 is on the far side of the galaxy from New Earth. "Looks livable, although much smaller than we hoped for." I widen the maps that show the surrounding area. "But there are many other asteroids that could be mined for resources. It could work. What does the Council think?"

  "The Council likes what they see but is doubtful it can sustain our numbers for the long term."

  "Long term? Like we would go live there for a few years and then leave again?"

  "More like they're still encouraging us to look at your planet. They would prefer that we find a home that can sustain all of us so we can stay together. We don’t want the next generation be forced to find a new home again. Or split our already small population."

  I nod. The planet I discovered would take us longer to reach, but we need more data. "Can we see my planet yet?"

  "No, not yet. Those sensors should be online soon."

  The scans look clear, showing a wide variety of images. I don't see anything that is toxic or catastrophic to human life, yet. "These look good. So what's the problem?"

  Destry takes a deep breath. Not a good sign. "The Council doesn't want to tell the Migration about this planet being habitable."

  "What? Seriously, after what we already went through with the last secret?" I grit my teeth to keep myself from saying more.

  "I know, Talia. I understand your reasons for releasing the truth about New Earth. But you've seen the riots and political turmoil it’s caused."

  "But it isn't just the Council's future we're dealing with here. It's all of our futures at stak
e. If Planet 1 isn't viable in the eyes of the Council, fine. But the people should know why we have to travel extra time to reach another viable home planet."

  "But we don't know yet if your planet, this Planet 2, is livable yet. We still need Midpoint to be fully functional to be able to see that kind of detail."

  I bite my lip. "I do agree with that."

  "So, then I suggest that we all agree to wait at least until we know for sure if Planet 2 is a possibility before we release any more information to the Migration," Destry quickly says before I can interrupt.

  The images cycle under my fingers of Planet 1. It does have many great attributes. It has plenty of raw minerals, a great atmosphere for humans and vegetation, and plenty of bodies of water. But the size is truly too small for us. We would destroy it quickly just trying to support the lives aboard all the habitats. It would make a great colony planet someday. Maybe in the future small groups of explorers could be placed here as a jump off point out of the galaxy. Although mankind craves a home planet, the drive to explore will always be part of us.

  I pull up the long distance maps that Midpoint has sent us in both directions. "The two planets are in very different types of galaxies. It won't be an easy decision even once we have all the data."

  Destry grunts. "Yes, it will be. As much as I opposed you taking the situation into your own hands by uploading the data for New Earth, I think your idea of getting the people more involved with the all-important decisions is a good one. Once we have all the data first."

  My hand freezes over the cube. "Really? I thought the Council was just humoring me when I suggested that."

  "They were I think, at first." He pauses. "But then they saw merit in it after watching the faces of our best engineers as you described the three projects." He chuckles. “The Council has already started working with the Circles."

  The little group goes silent. I chew the inside of my cheek as I struggle with my hatred of secrets with the bigger picture Destry has offered.

  "How many people are here in this room right now?" I ask.