Rain on Neptune

by Lisa Jade

  “What are you doing?” he asks.

  “Just covering any signs of what happened. This is a pretty easy fix – but I don’t know what we’re going to do about your eye. It’s already turning black. Maybe Luci can put some makeup on it for you?”

  “No, thank you. I know better than to let Luci come near me with that stuff. Last time I caved, she went a bit overboard. I’ll just stay under the radar for a while. The one good thing about my genetics is that this should heal pretty quickly. A couple of days, tops.”

  “You can’t stay in your room for two days,” I tell him, “this cruise is supposed to be fun.”

  “Well, it’s not. Nothing about this has been fun so far. Except…”

  He trails off, still avoiding my eyes. I gently shake his knee.

  “Except what? Let me guess – jumping off the Stem?”

  “That’s always fun,” he chuckles, “but I mean… it’s been fun hanging around with you.”

  I pull back suddenly, heat creeping across my face. Why am I blushing?

  “Thanks, I guess. I suppose having a Companion around to help isn’t the worst thing, huh? Never thought I’d be helpful in this role. Back home, my sister Alice, she…”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  He turns to face me, his amber-brown eyes piercing into mine, and a shiver runs up my spine. I lower the ice pack onto the bed, suddenly aware of how close we seem to be. So close that I can smell his skin. So close that I can feel the heat coming off him. My heart races.

  “Then what…?”

  He pulls away suddenly, looking at the floor.

  “All I mean is, it’s nice making new friends.”

  I disguise my disappointment with a smile.

  “Yeah. I agree. You know, I don’t have many friends back home.”

  “No?”

  “No. Since most people figure I’m just a waster, they don’t really talk to me more than just saying hello. They talk about me, sure – just not to me. Dad and Alice are all I’ve ever had.”

  And Cherise, a small voice corrects me; but I force the thought down.

  “Alice, your sister?” Isaac asks.

  “I guess so. We’re not blood related. But she lives with us and calls us family.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “It’s a long story,” I shrug.

  “Well, now I’m just curious.”

  He pulls back his lips in a small, encouraging smile. I sigh. This is another story I’ve never had to recite before; it feels strange, almost alien to sift through the memories.

  “It was about five years after my mother left. But before she disowned us. I was out playing – on my own, like Dad always said not to – when I heard a scream on Main Street.”

  His brows furrow. I push on.

  “There were two people standing by the shaft for the Elevator. The man had a gun clutched in one hand, and the woman was holding onto a girl around my age.”

  I close my eyes, the image flashing in my mind. Still vivid, even now.

  “They were surrounded by Operators. Apparently, the Operators had tried to attack their daughter, so the father had pulled out the weapon and shot two of them dead on the spot. Guns are illegal on Four. Nobody knew how he’d got it. It was an unforgivable crime, of course – much worse than my case of petty theft. The only punishment for murder is execution.”

  “Level Five,” he says weakly, sadness in his eyes. I nod.

  “Yes. They ripped the girl from her mother and threw her aside, then tossed both her parents over the edge of Four. They died the instant they hit the water.”

  I take a deep breath, fighting the thoughts of Cherise, and her identical end.

  “Then the Operators walked away, and the girl just sat there at the edge of the shaft, watching her parent’s bodies get swept away by the current. Nobody went to her. Everyone was too scared of the Operators coming back – coming back for her, and anyone who was too close. So everyone just watched as she sat and cried.”

  “Something tells me she didn’t cry for long,” Isaac says, hope glittering in his eyes.

  “No. I didn’t understand it, at the time. Why nobody was approaching her. I was too young to understand the consequences. I went over to her – but of course, she didn’t want a thing to do with me. So I sat down next to her, ripped two strips of cloth off the shirt I was wearing, and braided two loss knots into her hair.”

  Idly, I lift one hand to my own knot, caressing it gently.

  “Dad approached her too,” I say quietly, “and asked her if she wanted to stay with us. After that, she became my sister. We grew up together. She’s always taken care of me, even when I don’t deserve it. She braided my loss knot. She stopped me drawing into myself after the incident. She encouraged me to come out here.”

  I blink hard, surprised by the tears pricking the back of my eyes.

  “I owe Alice so much.”

  “That’s actually a really sweet story. I know you’ve had some crap in your family, but it honestly sounds like you’re happy together.”

  “Compared to your family? I guess so. Even the rest of Four eventually eased up. Once I grew up and stopped giving a crap what people thought about us, it got easier. Alice is an upstanding citizen. She earned their respect quickly. When people found out that I wanted to go on the Neptune, they began treating me differently. Oh, they gossiped about me – but they also wanted to see what I would do next. If I would succeed or not.”

  He chuckles.

  “I’d say you succeeded. You’re on the Neptune, acting personal Companion to the daughter of the Captain. Whoever doubted you, be sure they’ve been proven wrong.”

  My hand tightens around the ice pack and I cross the room, putting the thing back into the freezer, which bursts from the floor at the touch of a button. I want to remind him that nobody back on Four knows anything, that the last thing they saw of me was a figure racing to certain death. I haven’t proven anyone wrong; not if they don’t know.

  “Hey, are you free tonight?”

  Isaac’s voice is suddenly brighter, like he’s had some brilliant idea.

  “Probably,” I shrug, “I think Luci’s going on another gallery trip with Sabina. They don’t seem to need two Companions for carrying stuff and I don’t understand art the way they do, so I usually sit it out.”

  “In that case, meet me at midnight.”

  “Why?”

  I turn to face him, unnerved by the sudden feverish look in his eyes. His cheeks are flushed again, but it doesn’t seem to be from the pain. Instead, he seems excited.

  “Tonight, we’re passing one of those ‘celestial events’ you always talk about.”

  I pause. In all the chaos, I had nearly forgotten – tonight we’re coming in range of a dying star, and the light display is supposed to be incredible. I’d hoped to sneak away for a few minutes and watch it in peace, but the whole thing had slipped my mind.

  “What about it?”

  “I have an idea I think you’ll like. Meet me. Midnight, at the door to the Bridge.”

  I swallow hard, ignoring the twinge of pain in my throat.

  “The Bridge? But your Dad…”

  “Won’t be there. There’s a viewing party tonight, so the Captain will be expected to attend. The whole area will probably be empty, so we can use the Bridge as a through route.”

  I stare.

  “Through route to where? What are you talking about?”

  “If I told you that, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

  “A surprise…?”

  He falls back onto the bed with his arms spread, and for the first time today I can see a look of contentment playing on his face. It’s nice to see him smile again.

  “Should I bring Luci and the others, too?” I ask, half-hoping the answer is ‘no’. I enjoy their company immensely, but a small part of me longs to spend more time with Isaac – one on one, if you will.

  “I was thinking just you and me,” he says, muc
h to my relief.

  “Alright. Well, I think Luci has probably finished with her visit by now, so I had better head out and accompany her to… well, wherever she wants to go.”

  He shoots me a worried look.

  “She might be with Dad. Will you be okay?”

  I touch one hand gently to my neck, then nod.

  “It’ll be fine. Now, I know what to expect.”

  Fifteen

  As I pace the marble corridors in search of Luci, the heat finally fades from my face. I’m not sure what it is about Isaac’s words that made my cheeks burn; but now I’m away from him, I feel a little less flustered.

  It’s quiet today – people are likely getting ready for the ‘viewing party’. Momentarily, I wonder why Luci hadn’t mentioned the event. She loves a party. But then I correct myself. It’s a viewing party. Lucinda doesn’t have any interest in that sort of thing, so it makes sense that she would prefer to relax with Sabina.

  I step into the next stretch of corridor – and pause.

  Angelique walks towards me from the other end of the hallway. Her hands are folded neatly together, and her hair is pulled into a hundred tiny braids that hang stiffly from her head, oddly mismatched with her flowing movements.

  Momentarily, I consider backing from the room before she spots me. But then rebellion flares in my chest; why should I cower at her presence? Why should I give her any power over me? I’ve been warned not to touch her, not to interact with her. That doesn’t mean I can’t walk by, head up, ignoring her the same way she’s always ignored me. So I propel myself forward a little faster, swinging my arms loosely at my sides as though to counter the polite precision in her walk. I listen to my own breathing, making sure it sounds calm and steady. I don’t want to give her a single reason to think she’s getting to me.

  But then she halts, snapping her head up and staring at me. I slow to a halt too, fearing another slap if I confront her. I’ve taken enough abuse today.

  Finally, she speaks.

  “You shouldn’t be here.”

  Her voice is flat and empty, devoid of the happiness I remember.

  “I’m collecting my allocated passenger,” I say matter-of-factly, “so I’m permitted to be on this floor.”

  “Not the floor. The ship. You shouldn’t be here.”

  My chest tightens. Is she angry that I’m on board? Does she think I’ll embarrass her in front of the ‘leaders of tomorrow’? Frustration licks through me. I’ve dealt with one asshole today. I’m not going to let this one walk all over me, too.

  “I’m a Companion to Lucinda.”

  “You need to leave.”

  I clench my jaw, irritation growing.

  “I knew you recognised me. You might have acted like you didn’t, but I saw. You wouldn’t give anyone else that instruction.”

  Her head dips momentarily, like she’s trying her best to formulate words.

  “Of course I recognised you. Now leave.”

  “Don’t you worry, Angelique,” I spit, “there’s not a soul aboard who knows who I am to you – and I don’t intend to tell them. I wouldn’t want to be associated with you.”

  Her hands twitch at that, betraying her anger. Nevertheless her face remains still, her expression convincingly calm.

  “You are not welcome here.”

  “Good thing you’re not in charge, then.”

  “Quinn.”

  “Don’t!” I snap, “don’t say my name. You don’t have the right. Not after all you’ve done.”

  What’s wrong with me? Any trace of patience has dissipated, allowing anger to fill my chest like smoke. I look into the eyes of the woman who raised me, and feel nothing but seething, endless hatred. I take a step forward; she takes a step back.

  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? How much pain you’ve caused? You abandoned your family to go and play with your rich friends. I hope you’re proud of yourself, Angelique.”

  I wave at myself, at the bruises lining my neck and the ferocity burning in my eyes.

  “I hope you’re proud of the chaos you left behind.”

  And with that I keep walking, striding past her with cold indifference. As I slam the next door shut behind me, I come to a single, undeniable conclusion.

  I have no mother.

  That night, I see Luci off with a smile. She flicks back a lock of glossy hair and looks back at where I stand, leaning casually against the doorframe.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” she asks. I shake my head.

  “No, thank you. I know that you appreciate art, but I just don’t get it.”

  “Well, if that’s what you want. Don’t miss me too much.”

  I roll my eyes as she leaves, then close the door and take a deep breath. I need to meet with Isaac soon; but without Luci around, I need to try and make myself look presentable. It’s a challenge in itself. Makeup is a luxury I’ve never been able to afford, and I daren’t touch any of Luci’s sparkling wardrobe without her permission. So instead I tip out the contents of my beloved rucksack, eventually pulling out the only dress Alice packed for me. It’s black, and a bit shorter than I would typically like, but the sleeves are long and the neck is high – perfect for hiding my various battle scars. I also pull out my comfortable boots, admiring the worn leather. There’s a little dirt dried on the heels. I shake it off gently, slightly sad to lose the last shred of our home planet.

  For a minute or two I play with my hair in the mirror, trying to scrape it into something vaguely decorative. Instead I grow bored and tug a brush through it, leaving it to fall around my shoulders in its natural waves. A glance in the mirror tells me I need more; more glitter, more drama, and I laugh it off. I guess Luci’s had more of an effect on me than I thought.

  Isaac is already waiting for me at the Bridge when I arrive. He looks up when he sees me, a hint of relief in his face.

  “You showed up.”

  “You asked me to.”

  Colour fills his cheeks and he looks away.

  “I thought you might have wanted to go to the viewing party. Rather than spend your whole night with me, that is.”

  “Are you kidding?” I laugh, “hang out with you, or go to some stuffy party? Easy choice.”

  He looks me up and down, eyebrows raised.

  “You look different.”

  “Yeah… sorry. I had to get ready without Luci’s normal pizazz – as you can tell, I’m not exactly high fashion.”

  “No,” he smirks, “you look great. Much more you.”

  I ignore the heat building in my cheeks and look around.

  “So, then. What’s this ‘surprise’?”

  “It’s not here. We need to take a detour, first.”

  He holds open the door and I follow him into a long, narrow tunnel, then another few rooms that remind me of the storage units from the lowest levels. I pick my way between the crates, staring at the back of Isaac’s head.

  “I don’t understand – we’re not even supposed to be in this part of the ship. What are you planning, exactly?”

  “You’ll see.”

  There it is, again; the same infectious excitement that make me agree to come along in the first place. Isaac clambers onto a box and begins to unscrew a huge, metal hatch overhead.

  “Need help?”

  “It’s a bit high up for you,” he teases, “here we go. Alright, hop up. I’ll give you a boost.”

  I hesitate as he leans down, locking his fingers together for me to jump up. A quick glance through the hatch reveals nothing but darkness.

  “Are you sure this is safe?”

  “I already scouted the place out. Found it on the blueprints Dad left lying around. Trust me. You’re going to like this.”

  I take a long, slow breath, and opt to trust him. I place my foot in his hands and he lifts me easily, pushing me up towards the hatch. As I clamber onto a cold, metallic-feeling surface, I look around wildly. Just darkness.

  “There’s nothing up here.”r />
  “That’s the light coming from the hatch. It’s messing everything up. Give it a second,” he says, climbing up beside me. I do as I’m told, and after a moment or two, the darkness begins to fade. As light builds around us, Isaac shoots me a smile. Even with the bruise above his eye, he’s undeniably handsome.

  And then the darkness fades altogether, and there’s a moment where all the air vanishes from my lungs.

  We’re standing on the Neptune. On top of it.

  The metallic surface underfoot is the smooth, metal top of the ship. We’re surrounded by what seems like miles of perfectly polished, untouched steel. And above it, so close I could touch it – the whole damn universe. I slap a hand over my mouth.

  “Don’t worry,” Isaac whispers, “there are shields around the ship that store breathable air out here, as well as artificial gravity. You won’t suffocate.”

  I eye him carefully for a moment, then take a deep breath. Clean, fresh air fills my lungs and I look back at him with a stunned look.

  “What is this place?”

  “In the case of a collision, there needs to be outside access. I saw on the blueprints that there was a hatch to the very top of the ship. The light filters through in a similar way to the windows, so you can see everything. I thought you might like it. I thought you might like that.”

  He points to something behind me – and as I turn, my knees start to tremble.

  The red giant looms before us, larger and more alive than anything I could have imagined. It burns like lava, cracks of white and gold covering its crimson surface. Like a globe melting from the inside, slowly shattering into itself. As I watch, breath still held, a lick of flames bursts from the star, then dissolves into nothing.

  That’s not all, though. Beyond it, I can see everything. I can see stars lined up in their millions, glittering like one of Luci’s fancy gowns. I can see the remains of a supernova swirling in the distance, purple and blue and pink twisting together to form a perfect cloud of stardust. And I can see planets, small orbs spinning like tops as they soar overhead, sucked in by the gravity of the dying star.