Invaded

by Melissa Landers

  “You dillhole!” she hissed. “He’s worried about me because of what happened with the tablet.”

  “Whatevs.” Troy dumped a ladleful of ground meat over his flatbread. “Just say the word and I’ll introduce you to a couple of my friends. They’re jackasses, but at least they’re not stalkers.”

  Cara grabbed the ladle and positioned her plate near the steaming vat of meat. She hated t’ahinni, but her muscles would ache for protein once she joined Satan on the intermediate course in a few hours.

  She’d just sat down opposite her brother when Dahla swooped in and lifted Cara’s plate from the table. “Thank you, sister,” she sneered, then took her ill-gotten breakfast to the table she shared with her friends.

  “You gonna put up with that?” Troy asked.

  Cara remembered all the times Aelyx had turned the other cheek during his portion of the exchange at Midtown High. She could be mature about this. “I like to think of it as being the bigger person.” But on her way to fetch another serving, she strode by Dahla’s table, licked her finger, and dipped it in the little thief’s t’ahinni.

  Maturity was overrated.

  After breakfast, she and Troy had just slid their plates into the sanitization chute when shouts drew their attention to the other side of the dining hall. Dahla had fallen to the floor in convulsions and lay on her side moaning in pain. She lurched, and the breakfast she’d stolen came back up.

  Elle and her medic friends rushed to Dahla’s side and assessed her while someone called for help. Soon the kitchen supervisor came out to investigate, and Cara moved closer to see if the girl was okay. Dahla was a total jerk, but Cara hated to see anyone suffer.

  After pricking Dahla’s finger with a handheld machine, Elle frowned at the screen. “She has poison in her blood, a neurotoxin from the h’urr blossom. She’ll be all right, but we’ll have to cleanse her system.”

  Odom pointed at Cara and loudly announced, “The human put something in Dahla’s food. We all saw her.”

  Cara froze.

  Everyone at that table confirmed it, and without bothering to ask for Cara’s side of the story, the supervisor ordered her to report to the headmaster’s office. Her first instinct was to stay and defend herself, but Troy tugged her elbow.

  “Come on,” he whispered. “You don’t want to be here if things go south.”

  When Cara glanced around and noticed all the hostile glares, she understood. She was a scapegoat, and with emotions running high, it wouldn’t take much for her classmates to turn on her. Probably best to hang out with the headmaster and wait for tempers to cool.

  They’d barely taken a dozen steps when Aisly intercepted them in the lobby.

  “Where are you going?” Aisly asked, gesturing toward Cara’s room. “You’re supposed to report to your quarters so I can fetch you for our outing.”

  “What outing?”

  The girl grinned and leaned in as if sharing a secret. “Jaxen will be back momentarily with our shuttle. Then we have a surprise for you.” Her chrome eyes twinkled and she bounced on her toes, reminding Cara of a child eager to present a gift to her parents.

  There was something odd about Aisly. On the outside, she resembled the other clones, maybe a few inches shorter than most of the girls. However, much like Jaxen, she seemed almost human, but with an icy edge that made her every bit L’eihr. Cara sensed another difference in the siblings, but the answer lingered just beyond her grasp, making her wonder for the hundredth time what gifts they possessed that had earned their positions in The Way.

  “I can’t go. I’m in trouble,” Cara said. Or at least she thought she was. She kept forgetting that Jaxen and Aisly trumped the headmaster by about a thousand steps on the hierarchical ladder. “Maybe you can talk to the headmaster for me.”

  “What did you do?” Aisly asked.

  Cara explained everything, making sure to mention all the times Dahla had bullied her. “I didn’t put anything in her breakfast. As much as she hates me, I wouldn’t be surprised if she poisoned herself to make me look guilty. It’s easily cured, so she wasn’t risking anything.”

  “I’d believe that,” Troy said.

  Aisly studied him for a moment, then abruptly asked, “Did you poison her?”

  “What?” he cried, hand flying to his chest. “Me? Why would I do that?”

  She shrugged. “To avenge your sister.”

  “I had nothing to do with it,” Troy told Aisly. “I wouldn’t poison anyone, especially in a place like this.” His last words were charged with contempt.

  Aisly picked up on it, defensively folding her arms. “A place like what, exactly?”

  “A place where the punishment could get me whipped or killed.”

  Aisly peered at them both as if trying to see inside their heads.

  “I. Didn’t. Do it,” Troy forced out through gritted teeth.

  “He’s telling the truth,” Cara said. “Troy didn’t touch her food. Besides, it’s possible the toxin got into her system some other way.”

  Aisly didn’t appear convinced, but she told Cara to wait for Jaxen at the courtyard landing pad while she stayed behind to resolve the incident with the headmaster. “I’ll meet you there shortly,” she added before striding toward the administrative offices.

  “What a bitch,” Troy muttered under his breath after Aisly had moved out of earshot. “Wherever it is they’re taking you, I’m going, too. I didn’t get an invite, but I don’t care.”

  “Fine by me.”

  On their way toward the front doors, Vero crossed Cara’s path and gave her the animal equivalent of the evil eye. Aaaeee-oooo, Vero howled, pumping his tiny raccoonish paw in the air. Indecipherable as it was, Cara knew his impassioned rant reflected the sentiment of nearly everyone on the planet.

  “Yeah,” she said, striding out the front door. “I hate you, too.”

  Cara squinted against the sun’s glittering reflection as she jetted over the sea at speeds so fast she could barely lean forward in her seat. As it turned out, her big surprise was a visit to the colony, a sneak peek of sorts to help her explain the lifestyle to prospective humans who might settle there.

  To her left, Jaxen piloted the small four-person shuttle, while Troy and Aisly sat together in the back. Judging by the charged silence filling the rear of the craft, neither was thrilled with the seating arrangements, but Jaxen had insisted Cara take the copilot position because it offered the best view.

  And, boy, was he right.

  “Look there,” Jaxen said, slowing down and pointing out Cara’s window. “A pod of maru.”

  She pressed her fingertips to the glass and gazed at a family of shimmery white whale-like creatures slicing through the water by using their oversize flippers as wings. She thought she spotted a baby among them, but the shuttle sped past in a flash, and they were gone.

  “Wow.” She tried to turn in her seat to face Troy, but velocity held her still. “I wish you could see this,” she called to him. “It’s amazing.”

  He answered with a grunt.

  “I could slow down,” Jaxen offered, “but I don’t want to lose daylight. It’ll be nearly dusk when we arrive at the colony.”

  “What’s the time difference between the colony and the main continent?” Cara asked.

  “About six hours.” Jaxen pointed out her window again. “There’s Allahn, one of our ancient societies.”

  “Oh!” This was Cara’s favorite part of their journey. She loved catching glimpses of the L’eihrs’ ancient ruins.

  She turned her gaze to the island, trying to form a mental snapshot of its crumbling temple. The sandy stonework reminded her of a cross between the Parthenon and the pyramids of Giza. She’d learned in humanities class that the ancients had occupied these islands before discovering the continent. Here, they’d battled over trade routes and fertile fishing waters, even invading one another to impound slaves, much as humans had done. Jaxen explained that without weather controls in place, storms would have ero
ded the structures several millennia ago.

  “And their greatest foes,” Jaxen said as the shuttle approached a larger island, “the Ellohi. They were a terrifying force. If they perceived a threat, however slight, they launched a preemptive attack. Very proactive.”

  “I’ve read about them.” If Cara’s memory served, the Ellohi were relentless warriors who’d sought to dominate the sea, Roman Empire–style. “According to your legends, they’re the ones who were supposedly abducted by aliens and scattered across the universe, right?”

  “Yes, if you believe that.”

  She slanted a glance at him. “I don’t.”

  “That’s right,” he said with a smile. “You’re a fan of Larish’s theory—that our ancients were abducted from Earth and transplanted here.”

  “It’s the only thing that makes sense,” she told him. “First of all, our people have to be related, because the odds of two genetically identical species existing in this universe are zero.”

  “Agreed,” he said.

  “Okay. So now that we’ve established that, why would anyone think ancient L’eihrs brought blue eyes to Earth when brown-eyed humans existed for thousands of years before that mutation? Where do they think brown-eyed humans came from? And as for L’eihr mono-ethnicity, I assumed it was because your people had been around longer, but really, I think it had to do with your ancestors being abducted from a single nation.”

  Jaxen glanced at her with a grin. “You don’t need to convince me, Cah-ra. I realized Larish’s thesis was valid before he’d even written it. You and I are descended from ancient humans, as are countless other societies throughout galaxies we’ve yet to discover.”

  His concession surprised her. According to Aelyx, only a handful of L’eihrs believed they were related to mankind. “But Aelyx said—”

  “Gods on fire,” Jaxen swore. “I’m tired of hearing about the nonsense Aelyx told you.”

  She thought she heard Troy snickering from the backseat.

  Cara quietly cleared her throat. “But aren’t most L’eihrs ashamed to admit their connection to Earth?”

  “I don’t see why,” Jaxen said. “If anything, our shared lineage proves the superiority of the L’eihr race. We’re younger than mankind, and yet we’ve managed to evolve beyond you.”

  Cara suppressed an eye roll. “You’re leaving out one key piece of information.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Larish wrote that the abducting aliens probably gave technology to your ancients when they left them on L’eihr.” While the human race was still mastering written communication and domesticating animals, the L’eihrs were beginning to experiment with solar power. The rest of their advances were achieved through organized breeding, which the aliens had probably helped with, too. “You had a head start.”

  Jaxen gave a haughty laugh. “I admire your competitive spirit, Cah-ra. You and I are alike in that way.”

  “It’s not a contest or anything,” she said with a shrug. She just didn’t like the L’eihrs acting superior all the time. “But it explains a lot.”

  He took his eyes off the controls and watched her for a long moment, the way a dieter stares at the last cookie. “I do love mankind. Despite their shortcomings, they’ve managed to produce a few fine specimens. Quite fine.”

  After that, the mood shifted. Cara stared out her window and took in the aquatic sights, but Jaxen tainted the experience. He felt too near, his knee resting inches from hers, his elbow brushing her sleeve, and she couldn’t wait to get off the shuttle and away from him.

  When they arrived at the colony an hour later, Jaxen smiled as if nothing had happened. “Behold—your future home!”

  He slowed the shuttle and circled the island so Cara could take in the entire settlement. She glanced out the window, heart fluttering as her spirits lifted.

  The miniature town was adorable, reminiscent of a theme park in the way narrow streets and pathways connected each structure, all compacted within the span of a hundred acres. An ancient temple crumbled near the beach, but instead of the sandy-colored rubble, they had imported blocks of gray stone from the continent, so the buildings within town resembled those at the capital. Cara imagined they’d done so for the clones’ benefit, to make them feel at home.

  “It’s still a work in progress,” Jaxen said, drawing Cara’s attention to empty plots and slabs of slate. “Think of this as the skeleton. We’ll flesh it out later with landscaping and recreational areas.” He pointed to a flat expanse of land in the distance. “And we’ll plant the first season’s crops for you.”

  Crops. That probably meant The Way intended for the colony to sustain itself. Cara didn’t know the first thing about agriculture, but that was okay. They’d recruit people with a broad range of talents. She liked the idea of existing independently of the continent.

  “What kind of animal is that?” she asked, pointing to the north beach, where hundreds of small creatures dragged their bodies onto the sand. They had sleek tan skin and flippers with a single talon at the end, which they used to gain traction. Cute, in a freaky-deaky sort of way.

  Jaxen leaned aside to peer out her window. “Ah, the mahlay. They come here to lay their eggs because the rich soil beneath the sand keeps the ground a few degrees warmer than other islands. Don’t worry. They won’t bother you.”

  Cara turned her attention to a cluster of apartment-style buildings that resembled the Aegis. The grouping sat at the center of town, with each road and pathway leading back to it. “And what’s that?”

  “We call that the Living Center,” he said, hovering above one of the buildings to give her a closer look. “We tried to blend human and L’eihr cultures, so colonists will reside in family units as opposed to occupational barracks. Each unit will contain basic sleeping quarters and a living room, but you’ll dine together in the main hall and share communal washrooms.”

  “Family units?” Cara asked. “Does that mean children will live with their parents?”

  “Yes. Younglings will spend their evenings in the family unit and their days in the Aegis, to ensure developmental consistency.”

  Cara released a breath. “That’s good. Otherwise, you won’t get many humans here.”

  “We understand your attachment to your offspring.”

  There wasn’t room to land the shuttle in town, so Jaxen touched down on the beach. Once the thrusters died, Cara exited the craft and stretched her stiff back and legs. She’d become unaccustomed to sitting still for so long, thanks to Satan’s PE class.

  Right away, she noticed a dampness in the air that made her skin feel sticky, and it seemed several degrees warmer here than on the continent. She supposed the temperature difference made sense, considering the island’s position near the equator. L’eihrs only controlled their weather systems enough to prevent destructive storms.

  Troy hopped down from the backseat and pointed to a thicket of tall taupe trees and leafy underbrush. “Be right back,” he whispered. “Gotta drain the lizard.”

  Laughing, Cara faced the softly crashing waves and let the ocean breeze caress her face. She shielded her eyes from the sun, which hung low on the horizon. Beautiful as the L’eihr sunset was—with smudges of salmon and gold contrasted against a slate sky—it couldn’t compete with Earth’s cotton candy dusk. But the air here smelled sweeter than the beaches of home—an unpolluted mixture of salt, sun, and a scent that reminded her of pine. Sharp-beaked winged animals dove, kamikaze-style, into the surf to spear fish. That, at least, was familiar.

  Hugging herself, Cara gazed into the heavens and mentally recited Aelyx’s words: Soon we’ll stand together and watch the L’eihr sky from our colony. An electric charge passed through her. They were really going to do this—build a life here. She could picture it: barefoot strolls on the beach under a tri-moon glow, weekends spent fishing and gathering shells, nights in Aelyx’s arms, falling asleep to the sound of distant waves.

  This was paradise. They didn’t even have
to worry about hurricanes.

  Jaxen surprised her by capturing a loose lock of hair and tucking it behind her ear. “What are you thinking?”

  Not wanting to encourage his casual touches, Cara moved away. “I’m imagining what a typical day would look like.”

  Aisly strode to Jaxen’s side and answered for him. “Much like your days now. You’ll scan for updates, engage in physical conditioning, eat in the dining hall. But instead of classes, you’ll report to your assigned vocation.”

  Cara didn’t like the sound of that. “We won’t be able to choose our own jobs?”

  “No.” Jaxen kicked aside a chunk of driftwood and began walking over the dunes toward town. “Our method of optimal placement in the workforce is too efficient to abandon.”

  Paradise just lost a point.

  Troy emerged from the bushes, zipping his fly. He nodded toward the ancient ruins. “Are they going to leave that temple standing?”

  “It’s not a temple,” Jaxen said, staring into the rubble. “It’s a tomb. Or it was.”

  “For a warrior queen and her consort,” Aisly added. “Killed in battle. Their bodies lay undisturbed until recently.”

  That sounded cryptic. “They didn’t tear it down for the colony, did they?” Cara asked.

  “No. The remains were exhumed and relocated decades ago.” Jaxen pointed ahead and quickened his pace. “Hurry. We don’t have much sun left.”

  As they strode onward, something needled at the back of Cara’s mind—a warning bell of sorts—but she couldn’t put her finger on the problem. She scanned storefronts and offices as she passed, finding nothing amiss. In fact, the apartment complexes were homier than she’d anticipated, complete with benches along the sidewalk and the beginnings of a swimming pool in the courtyard. The L’eihrs weren’t big on leisure time, so she knew this was a concession for them.

  “Can we go inside?” Cara asked. She wanted to see the living quarters she’d share with Aelyx.

  “No,” Jaxen said. “They’re not finished. All you’d find are stairs and plumbing.”

  “Too bad.” She gazed up and down the vacant street, half expecting a tumbleweed to blow down the center of town. “I’d love to get a sneak peek at…” She trailed off, finally realizing what had been bothering her.