Rain on Neptune

by Lisa Jade

  Isaac plucks it from my hand and rubs the blade on his swim shorts before winking.

  “Don’t want them to find our prints and think it was us.”

  Later that day, Isaac asks me to accompany him to visit the Captain, much to my dismay.

  “You do realise he’s the last person I should be around?” I ask, running my hand through my hair, “I don’t want him to even know I’m here.”

  “Look, Quinn. Full disclosure, I don’t want to do this alone.”

  I pause for a moment, watching him closely. We’re bathed in the light of the ballroom, a soft, blue-white glow dancing across the marble underfoot. In this light Isaac appears pale, even shaken – and that same concern as before stabs at me. The same concern I felt when Lucinda suggested he may have been threatened.

  “Isaac… be honest with me. What is the deal with your Dad?”

  He meets my eyes, then pulls his lips back into a grimace.

  “It’s hard to explain.”

  “Try.”

  He shakes his head.

  “Come on,” I whine, “I told you all my stupid family crap. Now it’s your turn.”

  “Alright, alright.”

  He sinks onto the nearest chair, fixing his gaze on a spot just above my head, like he can’t bring himself to look me in the eye.

  “Dad’s a bit of a ballbuster.”

  I gape.

  “Wait, that’s it?”

  “What do you mean, that’s it?”

  “I expected worse,” I confess, “after everything I heard.”

  His face creases.

  “Look, I’ve been born into a position with a lot of pressure. I’m expected to be every bit as great as he is, whether I want to be or not. And I can’t get away from him, no matter what I do.”

  “Sure you can. You’re already twenty-four, right?”

  He shakes his head.

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “Sounds easy to me,” I smile, “just do what you want. That’s what I do.”

  “And that’s how you ended up a stowaway on a goddamn spaceship.”

  “Hey, it’s been pretty fun so far. You know, aside from the whole ‘sabotage’ thing.”

  He looks at me for a long moment, then heaves a sigh.

  “You know what, never mind. I’ll go alone.”

  “Hold up, don’t get upset. I’m coming too.”

  His eyebrows furrow.

  “But you just…”

  “I can’t pretend to know what it’s like on One, or to be expected to be great,” I admit, “people always thought I’d be a failure, so that kind of pressure isn’t something I can understand. But the guy clearly scares you, so I’m tagging along.”

  “He doesn’t scare me…”

  “It’s alright,” I say with a wink, “I’m not scared of him, either.”

  Isaac taps the door to the Bridge firmly – but as he lowers his arm, I can’t help but notice his hand is quivering. I reach out and grasp it for a moment, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze.

  “It’ll be alright,” I breathe. He shoots me a disbelieving look and turns back toward the door, taking several long, slow breaths to calm himself. He pulls the Crysalin blade from his pocket and turns it over in his hand, contemplating the glossy blade.

  “Come in.”

  The Captain’s voice booms even through the wall, setting us both on edge. I grit my teeth. Why am I so nervous? Are Isaac’s reactions making me worry, or is it something more? The man’s intimidating, sure – but I’ve met plenty of people like him. I think about Gray back home, with his broad shoulders and thick muscles. I never felt afraid of him, not even for a moment. Physical strength isn’t everything; I don’t doubt I could have handled him.

  This man is no different. Even if he is the one person with the power to end my life, should the need arise. I swallow back on the nerves. I’m not scared of him. I just need to figure out how to interact with the guy; and once I know how to talk to him, how to appeal to him…

  The door clicks open and I tense.

  That’s when it’ll fall into place.

  Fourteen

  The Bridge is wide and shining, with a series of complex-looking computers circling the room. At the front is a broad window revealing the cosmos, along with a dozen black screens displaying data I could never hope to understand. A few desks line this side of the room, but to my surprise, they’re empty. All the crew must be elsewhere.

  And in the middle of it all, donned in his flawless white and gold uniform, stands the Captain. He scours the screens as though searching for something specific, before turning to face us.

  “Isaac. What are you doing here?”

  The younger man takes a deep breath then steps forward, extending his hand with the blade. The Captain snatches it and holds it up to the light just as I had, admiring the way the blade catches the soft glow of the lights overhead.

  “What is this?”

  “It’s called a Crysalin blade,” Isaac starts, “they’re used for…”

  “I know damn well what it is,” he snaps, “I mean, what is this.”

  He waves at the two of us, his brow furrowing.

  “Why on earth have you brought your sister’s Companion? Don’t you know that this time is precious? You should be out forming professional contacts, developing relationships with the leaders of tomorrow. Not hanging around with the help.”

  Isaac winces, sending a flare of irritation through me.

  “If I can, sir,” I blurt, “I believe I can shed some light…”

  “No. I don’t think you can, somehow.”

  He tightens his grip on the blade, then brandishes it at his son.

  “Now, why have you brought this to me?” he asks, his voice like ice.

  “We found it,” Isaac says, “in the Oasis.”

  “What were you doing in the Oasis? It’s blocked off.”

  “Um…”

  Isaac shoots me a helpless look, and I sigh inwardly. Luci would have already lined up the perfect lie for this. I shuffle uncomfortably.

  “We were looking for something,” I lie pathetically.

  “What, exactly?”

  My mind races.

  “Jewellery. Luci’s jewellery.”

  “Oh?”

  I pick through my memory as best I can. What jewellery was she wearing that day in the Oasis? A particularly glimmering necklace pops into my head and I decide to hedge my bets.

  “It was a diamond choker,” I say, “the one she wore to the party. She hadn’t seen it since then, so she asked me to try and find it. That’s all. Isaac accompanied me.”

  The Captain waves the blade again, as though testing how effective it would be in a fight.

  “So, Isaac. Why have you brought this to me?”

  “I-it’s a specialised knife designed for cutting metal thread. Like the ones on the platform. Since it was in the water, we figure someone might have used it…”

  “What?!”

  The older man allows the blade to slip between his fingers, and it hits the floor with an unnerving, echoing clang. He whips round to face Isaac, anger flashing in his eyes.

  “You were in the water?!”

  Isaac steps backwards, clearly frightened by his Dad’s outburst.

  “I-I… it was...”

  “So not only were you not doing as I instructed, you were doing more stupid, dangerous things. Like your damn Stem jumping.”

  “Dad, I…”

  “Is it this one’s influence?” the Captain growls, waving one hand in my direction, “this… girl. Seems like she’d settle for anything. So of course you took your first chance to copulate in a private place. I wouldn’t put it past you to choose the lowliest, most pathetic female aboard.”

  Isaac’s face contorts into a look of horror.

  “Copulate? No way, that wasn’t it…”

  The older man fixes me in his gaze, his face twisting with hate.

  “Look, son. We all have our wild times, w
here we jump into bed with whoever wants us. I’ve done it myself. But you have superior genes. You need to pick a partner who can do something good with them. Not screw the servants.”

  I raise my hands in mock surrender, a little unnerved by the sudden change in his demeanour.

  “Sir, no, it’s not like that…”

  “Shut it.”

  I snap my mouth closed. Great. I’m making it worse. His eyes swing back to Isaac, who’s clearly fighting to remain calm.

  “When will you stop this ridiculous rebellion?” the Captain barks, “you have the whole world within your reach – the universe, even. All you have to do is follow the path I’ve already set for you – but at every turn, you disobey me. And the lies!”

  He waves his hand as he speaks, seemingly unaware of the way it makes his son flinch.

  “The Oasis is off-limits until we figure out what the hell happened. Taking your little whore to a cordoned off area is bad enough. You have a million things you should be doing other than that. But this… bringing me something you’ve found and trying to pretend you’re being helpful – it’s disgusting.”

  Isaac takes a step back, unable to keep his expression stern a moment longer.

  “Dad, please. We have a theory about why the platform collapsed, I thought we should tell you. It could help the investigations. People got hurt.”

  Anger flashes in the Captain’s eyes and he moves closer to Isaac, forcing the younger man to crane his neck to see.

  “What happens on board this ship is none of your concern,” he spits, “you should be thinking about building position and power. Or maybe you should just focus on spawning during this trip – maybe your offspring won’t be such a failure.”

  He snarls the last word and Isaac flinches back as though it’s physically wounded him. My heart races. He’s terrified. What do I do?

  And then the Captain curls his hand into a fist, striking Isaac across the face with a blow so hard the younger man is thrown to the floor. He rolls over and stays crouched on the ground, one hand clutching his quickly-swelling eye, which is wet with unshed tears.

  Anger licks through me, and suddenly my body moves of its own accord. I leap in between them, grabbing the older man’s arm and pushing it away with all the force I can muster.

  “Don’t you dare!” I shriek, “what kind of father are you?!”

  For a long moment the Captain looks at me, as though soaking in every detail of my appearance. His brows furrow, and for a second I think he might be open to reason – but then vast hands lock around my throat, and he slams me hard against the Bridge window.

  Instantly, my head pounds from the impact. The Captain’s hands are still fastened around my neck, and with every passing moment his grip grows tighter. Already, it’s hard to breathe.

  Above me, he lets out a guttural sound, more animal than human.

  “You little rat! How dare you touch me!”

  I squirm in his grasp, but he’s stronger than me. My wildest struggles aren’t doing a thing – he barely seems to feel it.

  “Quinn…”

  Isaac’s voice floats up from the floor, where he’s still slumped. Fear fills his eyes – drowned out by a helplessness I’ve never seen in him before.

  I grasp at the Captain’s wrist, scratching at the folds of his sleeve. It doesn’t even faze him. His eyes are focussed and cold, his face filled with a steady, calculated rage.

  “People like you don’t understand your position,” he snarls, “I should teach you a lesson. Show you the importance of a little respect.”

  I choke on nothing, suddenly aware that there’s no air left in my body – and almost instantly, my struggles weaken. Darkness clouds my vision.

  “Dad. Let her go.”

  The Captain pauses, then glances back. Luci stands with her arms crossed and an unsurprised look on her face, like she’s seen this scenario play out a million times before. The man nods in acknowledgement.

  “Luci. Your Companion has overstepped her bounds. I’m educating her.”

  “She’s not yours to discipline.”

  His expression changes momentarily, and suddenly he releases me. My body hits the floor with a jarring thud and I sit up, filling my lungs with air and immediately coughing. I touch my neck and wince at the pain.

  The pain isn’t what holds me down, though – it’s fear. I can feel my hands shaking, my eyes filling with tears. I force myself to look up at my aggressor, and my heart pounds.

  This man… he’s a psychopath.

  He fixes Lucinda with a cold expression.

  “Why are you here?” he says coolly.

  “I came by for a visit, but I can see you’re busy.”

  He looks back at us and gives a small, satisfied grunt.

  “I think my point has been made. Get them out of my sight, won’t you, Lucinda?”

  With that he turns tail and swoops from the room, leaving an unpleasant silence behind him. I lean against the glass, still fighting to calm my breathing. Isaac is clearly feeling much the same, nursing his already-blossoming black eye – only with an exhausted, exasperated expression that tells me he’s far too used to this.

  Luci drops down next to me.

  “Let me see your neck.”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Shut up and let me see.”

  She tilts my head back a little, her brows furrowing at whatever she sees. She heaves a tired sigh and stands up, dragging me with her.

  “You’ll have bruises in an hour or two,” she shrugs, “but that’s all. They’ll probably fade in a couple of days.”

  “Why do you sound like you’re talking from experience?” I croak. She doesn’t answer. Instead she whips round to face Isaac, who’s still slumped on the floor.

  “And you,” Luci says, her voice hard, “another black eye, really? What did you say to him this time?”

  “Nothing! I was just telling him about the blade, and…”

  “He didn’t say anything wrong,” I interject, “Luci, your Dad… he just flipped.”

  She fires me a knowing look, then sighs.

  “I know who my Dad is, okay? This isn’t exactly new for him.”

  “You mean…”

  “So tell me, how did you end up being choked out by the Captain? It’s not like you’re trying to keep a low profile or anything.”

  My heart sinks.

  “He hit Isaac. What was I supposed to do?”

  “You stood up to him? Wow, and here I thought you were clever.”

  I open my mouth to retort – but she shoots me a look that makes it clear I shouldn’t dare. I snap my jaw shut.

  “Listen, Quinn,” she says softly, “I’m only going to tell you this once. If you have any sense of self-preservation whatsoever, you’ll stay the hell away from our father. If he finds out who you are, you’re dead. But that doesn’t mean you’re safe if he doesn’t know. He won’t hesitate to kill you, if you cross him too many times.”

  Her expression softens a little, and she looks back at her brother.

  “He’s our Dad. Our problem. We’re the only ones who should have to deal with that. We’re the only ones who can handle what he dishes out.”

  The siblings exchange a knowing, disappointed look; one filled with years of camaraderie. Suddenly, things click into place. Why Luci acts so sickly sweet around her father, why Isaac tries his best to remain distant. My chest tightens. This isn’t new, is it? This is the way it’s always been.

  “Why don’t you leave?” I ask.

  Luci sighs.

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “There has to be something you can do. You don’t have to put up with this.”

  “There’s nowhere else to go,” she snaps, “this is what it’s like on One.”

  I stare.

  “Wait, what?”

  “Dad isn’t the first to raise his kids like this, and he’s far from the last. We’re not a special case. This is how it works on One. There’s nowhere we can go wh
ere he won’t find us, and nothing we can do that he won’t hear about. Do you have any idea what he’d do to us if he found out about you?”

  She runs a hand through her white-blonde hair, and I realise she’s quivering.

  “Until that man dies, he owns us. Nobody is going to stop him, so we have to deal with it.”

  I rest a hand on her shaking shoulder, trying in vain to provide some small comfort. It’s not like this back home. There’s judgement, sure, but not this. The only violence I’ve ever known is from the Operators, and there’s always been an understanding that they’re in the wrong. Every beating instigates concern and support. I remember the way that Four rallied around Dad after my Branding. Despite knowing who I was and what I had done, they still cared for our family.

  My stomach churns. They think this is okay on One? This is sick.

  Isaac stands now, brushing himself down. There’s a redness in his cheeks, betraying his otherwise calm expression. When he looks at me, his expression twists.

  “I’m sorry,” he mutters, “I should have tried to stop him.”

  “Are you kidding? If you’d tried to do something, you’d have been badly hurt. More importantly, are you okay? That looks like it’s going to be a real shiner.”

  He shrugs.

  “It’s fine. I’m used to it by now.”

  “It still needs to be treated.”

  Luci rubs an exasperated hand over her face.

  “Quinn, would you mind seeing to his black eye? I have to find some way to check in with Dad. Make sure he’s not angry anymore.”

  “Is that safe?”

  “I can handle it. You guys had best hurry, though. Before he comes back.”

  Isaac gives a small nod, but as we head towards the door, I can tell he’s fighting to avoid my gaze.

  “Ow, ow, ow…”

  “Don’t be a baby.”

  Isaac winces as I press the ice pack to his face. We’re sitting in his room, taking advantage of a brief moment of quiet. I look up at his face, which is still red-hot and swollen. It’s a shame, really – those gorgeous amber eyes are puffy and sunken, drowned by the flesh around them. He’s still averting his eyes, like he can’t bring himself to look at me. Idly, I wonder if the bruises on my neck are making him uncomfortable – and quickly untie my hair, allowing it to fall down and cover them.