by Jocelyn Han
Lana raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m a control freak?”
“No. You just said that.” He grinned amiably.
“Tsk.” Lana nudged Tori in the side. “Vitusya, your boyfriend is teasing me.”
“Is he? I’ll have to punish him.”
Alen shot his girlfriend a devilish smile. “You’re on, draga.”
A small pang went through Lana’s heart as she listened to the happy couple flirting with each other. She’d hardly had light-hearted conversations like these with Bruce. In fact, there had been nothing light-hearted about their connection at all. It had been dark, intense and pretty violent. She should be happy it was over – after all, she’d have enough darkness in her familiar Elite world to cope with as it was.
Even though her father had been granted asylum on Desida Two, he was traveling with a fake passport, just like Lana. After all, he would be ‘fair game’ to the Russians prior to boarding the station. His temporary name was Artyom Kasparov. Nicolas had taken care of his fake papers, arranging for a complete set of forged ID-chips and cards that had been dropped off at the house in Sutton in the early morning.
Mr. Ivanov carried Lana’s suitcase and his own to the small room they’d booked on board the space cruiser with the money they’d borrowed from Alen. Her father had promised to pay the Croatian officer back as soon as he could – he felt hugely uncomfortable now that they were dependent on people’s charity.
“Well, here we are,” he said, pushing the door to their room open, looking around a bit forlornly. “Bunk beds. Hm.”
“I’ll use the top bunk,” Lana quickly offered. “I don’t mind.”
Her dad smiled. “In that case, you can use the table over there for all your stuff. Or as much as you can fit onto that pad-sized surface, anyway.”
Lana rolled her eyes. “Dad. Easy on the sarcasm, please. Your days of luxury are over. Get used to it.”
Mr. Ivanov sank down on the small sofa near the porthole. “Why is this so easy for you, Sveta? You make me feel like a spoilt brat.”
Lana shrugged. “It’s not. It’s just that I’ve accepted the fact that my life has changed. I’ll have to adapt.” She sat down next to her dad. “But I understand why you wanted the best for me and Mom. I probably wouldn’t have taken it so well if you’d told me we were out of money during my years on Mars.”
He blinked at her hopefully. “So you don’t blame me?”
“I do.” She sighed. “But I’m happy you’re here, and we’ll work things out.”
At that moment, the captain announced take-off on the ship’s PA system, so Lana quickly jumped up to sort out her baggage. Just sitting there would make her much too nervous. Her smart phone had been in the sun yesterday and was fully charged. From now on, she’d have to hook it up to her old charger if she wanted to keep it switched on. The sunlight near Desida Two was way too faint to charge her phone the regular way.
“What’s that?” her dad inquired when she put Bruce’s poetry book on the table next to her new make-up bag.
“A book,” she replied a bit hesitantly.
“I didn’t know you read paper books.” He smiled up at her. “Did Ava give you one of hers because you lost your pad?”
“No.” Her hand stroked the dust jacket. “It’s from the Randall house.”
Mr. Ivanov observed her curiously. “How come you have it?”
“Because...” She stopped, the truth lodged in her throat. She didn’t even know if it was the truth. Had Bruce given her the book because she loved it so much – or had he wanted to give her something to remember him by? Maybe it was even because reading the book would have reminded him too much of her.
“Sveta,” he said softly. “What happened in that house?”
She waited for a few beats, staring at the sun through the window in their room. “Why did you say Bruce killed Mom?” she whispered. “When we had that video call? I bet you knew that wasn’t true.”
He cast his gaze to the floor. “Because it was easier to blame him than blaming myself.”
“But it wasn’t your fault either.”
“It was.” Mr. Ivanov clenched his jaw. “If I hadn’t run the company like I did, Randall wouldn’t have had reason to ask your mother to visit the mines.”
She fell silent. “I don’t think you should blame anyone,” she finally said. “Mama was killed in a war that’s been going on for far longer than just these past few days.”
During her time at the Carter’s farm, she’d been talking to Alen and Nicolas a lot. Ever since Tori had told her about her boyfriend’s prison past, she’d been intrigued by Alen Novak, a rags-to-riches man from a Croatian backwater town. He’d told her about his struggles. And Nicolas had related to her how his family had always frowned upon his amicable dealings with commoners, finally casting him out of their Lunar community when he’d announced his engagement to his partly common half-niece Ava. Commoners and Elitists didn’t often see eye to eye, and even members of the Elite had to play by the rules, as Bruce had put it, or risk being pushed out. It was shocking to discover just how sheltered her life had been thus far – she’d never known how bad the situation truly was. The two men’s stories had brought back to mind what Hikaru had related to her about his former employers. Of course, the Sanyo family was notorious for being disagreeable even in Elite circles, but she was pretty sure Hikaru’s case wasn’t an isolated event.
“So, what happened?” her dad gently interrupted her musings.
Lana closed her suitcase with a thud, pushing it under the bed. “Nothing important,” she said, turning away from her father. “It’s just an unfortunate memory.”
Traveling on a high-tech cruiser had exceeded their budget. The Ivanovs’ trip to Saturn took them two whole days instead of two hours. By the time they assumed orbit around the gas giant, following the path of the Saturnian G-ring, it was late night. The ship ran on standard Earth/Martian time, so fifty hours had elapsed since their departure from Old London. Lana felt drained from the constant, slight apprehension she’d felt during the journey. Every little ion storm they’d hit had made her tense up and seek out Tori’s company, who was always so wonderfully calm on board any kind of vessel.
“Look, we’re here,” Tori enthused, gaping out of the biggest window in the mess hall. “That’s our home. And it’ll be yours, too.”
Lana followed her gaze and sucked in a breath. It looked so much like Desida One that she couldn’t help feeling she’d simply returned to her own station. The only difference was the gigantic, ringed planet of gold and amber in the background. “Yes, I think I’ll fit right in,” she replied softly. “Thanks for taking us in, Vitusya.”
“Don’t thank me, thank Kelso,” Tori grinned. “Oh, and Alen, of course. He talked to the commander on your behalf.”
The ship swiftly approached the station. It didn’t take long before Mr. Ivanov entered the hall to find his daughter. “From now on, we don’t know each other,” he said sternly, handing her the small suitcase that belonged to her. “I’ll leave the ship by myself when they dock at Hydroponics. I’m supposed to report straight to Geotechnology.”
Lana bit back some tears. “Well – maybe we can become friends,” she suggested. “You’re working in the same department as Tori, so we might run into each other every now and then.”
Her father smiled. “I’ll make sure of that, miss Petrova.”
“Don’t you forget it, Mr. Ivanov.”
Saturn Boulevard was the first docking point for the cruiser. The enormous walkway was practically deserted at this late hour, save for a pair of beaming girls waiting for them to disembark.
“Oh my God, you’re back!” a blonde girl with a pixie haircut exclaimed as Tori exited the airlock. Lana blinked in astonishment – Shirley had changed so much. She hadn’t seen the girl in years. Anna, standing next to her blonde friend, still looked more or less the same, albeit a bit more voluptuous than she’d been in high school. They both hugged Tori tightl
y before turning their gaze to Alen and her, still standing near the exit.
“Lana?” Anna ventured. “It’s you, right?”
Lana cracked a smile. “Yes, it’s me.”
“Well have you ever,” Shirley laughed. “What are you doing here?”
“I was on the same ship Alen and Tori were on when we were attacked,” Lana explained. “We spent some time on Earth together.”
“Well, we’re gonna design T-shirts for all of you,” Anna said decidedly. “I already told Jari to book the laser printer in Repro. ‘I was attacked by pirates and survived!’ How’s that for a slogan?”
Giggling and chatting, the group walked down the boulevard, Lana trailing a bit behind. At some point, Alen caught her eye and fell into step beside her. “Will you be all right?” he inquired.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just – I feel lost. Even though this station looks a lot like Desida One.”
“I’ll ask Tori to show you to your new quarters, okay?” He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “And after you’ve settled in, you should meet us for a late-night drink in The Spark.”
“The Spark?” she echoed.
“Yeah. It’s the coolest bar on the Boulevard.”
“Oh yeah? Why?”
“They play the best music.” His eyes glinted. “Plus, it’s where I kissed Tori for the first time.”
It was official – Alen was the cutest guy ever. “So what was that like?” Lana wanted to know, a smile spreading across her face. “I bet it was romantic.”
He grimaced. “Up until the point she shoved me away and told me I was just playing games, yes.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, that hurt. But it all worked out in the end.” He shrugged. “Sometimes you hurt the ones you love the most.”
Inadvertently, Lana rubbed the spot in her neck. The bite mark had faded away, but the memories of Bruce holding her that night he’d told her how he became the man he was today still lingered. “I guess,” she mumbled, her voice thick.
At that moment, Tori turned around and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go to your new apartment,” she said with a warm smile. “I’ll show you. It’s very easy – the escalator right next to the fountain will take you there. You’re lucky, being so close to the Boulevard and all.”
“Thank you,” Lana whispered, feeling deeply grateful for being here. She didn’t have to feel lost and lonely. Although her dad was now officially no longer her dad, he’d be there for her if she needed him. Tori, Anna, and Shirley would settle her in. Alen would become a good friend as well. She was among friends and family.
When the door to her new quarters swished open and Lana’s gaze landed on the moving boxes of stuff she thought were still on Desida One, she grabbed Tori’s hand. “How did you – oh, everything’s here!”
Her friend shot her a wide grin. “I told Commander Kelso to go the extra mile. Thought it’d make you feel welcome.”
Lana pulled Tori into a tender hug. “You’re the best,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“That’s okay,” Tori said a bit shyly. “I’ll leave you to it. Will I see you in The Spark later on?”
“Oh, the bar where you first spurned Alen’s advances?” Lana winked.
“He told you that?” her friend spluttered.
“Yes, he did. Now get out of here. You can tell me more about that bad start later.”
Silence descended in the barely-furnished room after Tori left. Lana looked around, mentally trying to figure out where to put what before opening a single box. She’d have to get the rest of her belongings from Mars soon – provided she could pay for that. Her first paycheck had yet to materialize. She’d have to get new clothes, too. Parading around in Elite outfits was out of the question now. She was no longer a trade liaison for the Elitists on Desida One, and the fictitious Lana Petrova wasn’t Elite – her alter ego had been a scholarship student.
Just as she set course for the adjacent room to inspect the bed and the bathroom, a rumbling sound filled her quarters. In fact, the whole station seemed to vibrate, as if it were a ship about to be hit by a massive wave.
Lana screamed at the top of her lungs when the floor suddenly quaked under her feet, a potent shockwave from space rippling all over and through and around Desida Two. The tremor was so powerful it knocked her to the floor. What the hell was going on? Was the station under attack?
A blaring alarm in the corner made her jump out of her skin. “Attention, all station personnel,” a calm, female voice announced. “Please make your way to the nearest emergency assembly point in an orderly fashion. There is no need for panic.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re a computer!” Lana snapped at the intercom above her head. “Bozhe moi.” She scrambled to her feet, staggering to one side as a second wave struck the station.
When she emerged into the hallway, droves of people were making their way to the escalator she’d used to get here. Deciding that the herd mentality was the way to go for now, Lana fell into step beside an elderly man staring straight ahead. “What’s going on?” she addressed him.
“I have no idea,” he replied, his voice remarkably steady for a man his age. “It could be an ion storm, but that must be the biggest one in history, then. It felt more like a giant explosion.”
An explosion – could the Promethean war have landed at their doorstep? “Why aren’t they telling us more?” Lana grumbled.
“Commander Kelso probably doesn’t know what’s going on either.”
For now, the waves rocking the station had abated, but Desida Two was still trembling slightly. Downstairs, Lana bumped into her group of friends, who’d all assembled in front of the big fountain near the security office.
“I wonder what just happened,” Alen said, keeping an eye on the crowd around the fountain to calm people down if need be. “Pavel’s waiting in the office for further instructions. He said we might have to evacuate.”
“Damn,” Anna gasped, looking around with a wild look in her eyes. “I wish I knew where Jari is.”
Lana froze. Speaking of which – where was her dad? She pulled Tori’s arm inconspicuously. “Where’s the assembly point for Geotechnology?” she hissed.
“On Deck Thirteen. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Let’s just stay put for now.”
Several minutes went by, during which the station wouldn’t stop shaking. The people on the Boulevard were starting to look increasingly alarmed, a buzz of impending doom going around like a swarm of bees.
“Where’s Pavel?” Tori asked anxiously. “Shouldn’t he have received more detailed instructions by now?”
Right at that instant, the overhead speakers crackled to life and an authoritative, booming voice addressed the congregation near the fountain. “This is Commander Kelso. Desida Two will not have to be evacuated. I repeat, no evacuation will be necessary.” He paused for a few seconds. “We’ve just received word from the authorities on Mimas. The shockwave we experienced was caused by a giant explosion. Apparently, Prometheus has been destroyed.”
Lana’s mouth fell open. The entire moon was gone?
“What the...” Alen was a pale as a sheet. “They nuked the moon with all those rebel troops on it?”
That’s when it dawned on her.
Bruce was dead. They’d bombed Prometheus to take out his troops.
A shaky gasp escaped her throat as she sagged to her knees in the middle of the hallway, clasping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out his name. “No,” she whispered. “Oh, God, no. Not like this.”
It was too late to ever try and see him again. He was gone – taken in the line of fire, because he’d wanted to somehow change the world. Dark as his soul might have been, she could have tried and taken him closer to the sun to chase away his shadows.
And then, she felt Tori’s gentle arms around her shoulders. “Calm down,” her friend tried to soothe her. “Just hold on to me.”
Lana complied, not knowing
what else to do. Hot tears burned in her eyes. They were tears of loss and regret. She’d lost someone she didn’t know she cared this much about, and the fact that she realized it too late filled her with deep sorrow.
As the crowd around her dispersed, she softly cried in her best friend’s arms. Slowly but surely, the station stopped shaking, yet the tremors in her body wouldn’t subside. When Lana finally looked up again, her father was standing over her, his hand on her shoulder, watching her silently with a helpless look in his eyes. He knew – surely he knew why she was crying. Whom she was shedding her tears for.
“Come,” he said. “Let’s go upstairs and have a drink. I sure as hell need one.”
Lana wiped her cheeks, slowly letting go of Tori. “But – we can’t be seen together.”
“I don’t care,” Mr. Ivanov replied. “I want to be there for you.”
She smiled through her tears. “Okay. Let’s go down some vodka.” She turned to Tori. “Still up for a drink?”
The German girl let out a deep sigh. “You bet. We can watch the news on the big screen in the bar.”
Lana looked around. “Where did Alen go? And the girls?”
“Alen went back to his office to talk to the Mimas border patrol. They’ll know what happened exactly. An and Shir are waiting for us in The Spark.”
“Okay.” She staggered to her feet, grabbing her dad’s shoulder to steady herself. In a daze, she followed her friend upstairs to the balcony overlooking the boulevard, which was a part of Deck Nine. Tucked away in a less busy corner of the floor level was a quaint-looking, cozy bar with a glow-in-the-dark comet sign above the door. Lana felt the ghost of a smile pass over her face when she heard they were playing a Bowie song inside. No wonder this was her friend’s favorite hangout. The place looked great.
It was quiet. Anna and Shirley were sitting on a sofa near an old flat screen TV on the right, beckoning them over. They were both sipping wine and watching the latest news with disbelieving eyes.
“These images just came in,” Shirley pointed at the screen. “It’s surreal. The entire moon is gone. Imagine what this will do to Saturn’s rings.”