by Anna Zaires
Chapter 21
“What’s wrong?” Mia asked after the second time Korum fell silent, as though absorbed in his thoughts.
They were eating a late dinner on the beach – a romantic outing Korum had suggested the day before. Mia had expected something over the top . . . and it was. All around them, hundreds of tiny lights floated in the air, looking like a cross between stars and fireflies. The sun had already gone down, and these lights, along with the new crescent-shaped moon, were the only sources of illumination.
For their meal, Korum had prepared dozens of little dishes, mostly of the finger-food variety. They ranged from tiny sandwiches made with a delicious artichoke paste to some exotic fruits Mia had never tasted before. It was a spread fit for a king. Mia had been greatly enjoying everything – until she noticed Korum’s oddly distracted manner.
“What makes you think something is wrong?” he asked, his lips curving in a sensual smile, but Mia wasn’t fooled. There was definitely something on his mind.
“Don’t you think I can tell by now when you’re worried about something?” Mia cocked her head to the side, staring at her lover. He could still be a mystery to her at times, but she was getting to know him better with each day that passed.
He looked at her, his gaze almost . . . calculating. “You’re right, my sweet,” he said finally. “There is something I need to talk to you about.”
Mia swallowed. The last time Korum had needed to talk to her about something, she’d found out that her mind had been tampered with. What could it be this time?
“It’s nothing bad,” Korum said, seemingly understanding her concern. “In fact, it’s all good news.”
“What is it?” Mia couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling.
“We found someone on Krina who can reverse Saret’s procedure,” Korum said, watching her closely. “She can undo everything he’s done to you – including the memory wipe.”
“Oh my God . . .” Mia didn’t even know what to say. “But, Korum, that’s awesome!”
He smiled. “It is. And there’s something else.”
“What?”
“Do you remember my petition to the Elders about your family?”
Mia almost stopped breathing. “About making them immortal like me?”
“Yes.”
“Of course I remember,” Mia said, her heart beginning to pound in her chest with a wild mixture of hope and apprehension.
“There’s a chance they might grant it.”
This time, Mia couldn’t contain an excited scream. Jumping to her feet and laughing, she launched herself at Korum, who got up just in time. “Thank you! Oh my God, Korum, thank you!”
“Hold on, my darling,” he said, gently pulling her away. “It’s not that simple. It requires something you might not want to do.”
Mia stared at him, some of her excitement fading. “What?”
“We would have to go to Krina and take your family with us.”
* * *
That night, Mia couldn’t sleep. She kept waking up every hour, her mind buzzing with a million different questions and concerns. As Korum had explained, the trip to Krina would serve two purposes: to undo Saret’s procedure and to present Mia’s case in front of the Elders. “They want to meet you,” he had said, shocking Mia into silence.
A large warm body pressed against her back, startling her out of her musings. “You’re awake again,” Korum murmured, pulling her into his arms. “Why aren’t you sleeping, my darling?”
“Why do the Elders want this?” Mia couldn’t stop thinking about it. “Why do they want to see us? I thought they were like your gods or something. What could they want with me and my family?”
Korum sighed, and she felt the movement of his chest. “They’re not gods. They’re Krinar, like me – only much, much older. As to why they want to see you, I don’t know. They have taken an unusual interest in my petition, meeting with me several times and asking a lot of questions about you and your parents.”
“And they didn’t say they would grant your request, right?” Mia turned in his arms, so that she would be facing him.
“No,” Korum said, the faint glow of moonlight from the transparent ceiling reflecting in his eyes, “they didn’t. However, Lahur said he would give us one more chance – and he implied he would be on our side.”
“Lahur is the oldest?”
“Yes. He’s the one who’s lived for over ten million years.”
Mia shivered, goosebumps appearing on her arms.
“Cold?” Korum drew her closer, pulling a blanket over them.
“No, not really.” His naked body was like a furnace, generating so much heat that she was never cold when she slept next to him. The temperature in Korum’s house was always comfortable too – cooler at night, warmer during the day. It was tailored specifically to meet their needs. When Mia had lived in Florida, she’d always hated air-conditioning; the cold air was too startling after the heat outside, and usually cranked up too high for her taste. In Lenkarda, intelligent structures kept the inside of the buildings at a perfect temperature, creating micro-zones of climate around each person.
“We don’t have to go, you know.” Korum gently stroked her back. “We can stay here. You’ve adapted to everything so well. If the memory loss doesn’t bother you, then nothing has to change –”
“No,” Mia said, burrowing against his chest. “If it was only that, then we could consider staying. But my parents, my sister . . . If there’s even a chance they can live a longer life, we have to do this. I could never live with myself otherwise.”
“I know, my darling,” Korum said softly. “I know that.”
“Couldn’t we meet with the Elders virtually?” Mia drew back to look at his face. “That’s how you met with them, right?”
“Yes,” Korum said. “But they don’t consider that a real meeting. When Lahur said he wanted to meet you, he meant in person, in real life.”
“Old-fashioned, is he?” Mia said wryly.
Korum laughed. “That’s the understatement of the century.”
Mia fell silent, thinking about the upcoming trip again. “Do you think we’ll be back soon?” she asked after a few seconds.
“I don’t know,” Korum said. “It depends on what the Elders want.”
* * *
The next day Korum watched as Mia rang the doorbell at her parents’ house. He knew she was worried about this part: telling her family about Krinar life extension capabilities and convincing them to go to Krina.
She was wearing human clothes today, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. As much as Korum liked seeing her in dresses, he had to admit that the shorts looked good on her, showing off her shapely legs. Maybe he should have her dress like this more frequently.
Mia’s mother opened the door with a huge smile on her softly rounded face. “Mia! Korum! Oh, I’m so glad you two came by!” She embraced Mia first, and then Korum found himself enveloped in a perfumed hug.
Smiling, he brushed a light kiss on Ella Stalis’s cheek and stepped into the house, following the two women inside. Mocha, the tiny dog Mia had called a Chihuahua, ran out of one of the rooms, barking happily and trying to jump at Korum. He bent down and petted the little animal, which immediately rolled onto its back and presented its belly – apparently to be rubbed as well.
“Wow, Korum, she loves you,” Mia said wonderingly. “I can’t believe she acts that way with you. She’s normally so shy with strangers . . .” And to prove her point, Mia extended her hand to the dog, which instantly turned over and ran away.
Korum grinned. It seemed like small, cute creatures had a thing for him.
Mia’s parents had a lovely place – the epitome of what he thought of as American human. It had a comfortable, lived-in vibe, with overstuffed couches showing minor signs of wear and family photographs everywhere. Korum particularly enjoyed seeing those of Mia as a child. She had been a pretty toddler, with her long curls and big blue eyes. For a second, those photos made h
im ache to hold a daughter of his own, with Mia’s features – a strange and impossible urge he’d never felt before.
Mia’s father walked into the living room just as they sat down on the couch. Mia jumped to her feet. “Dad!”
“Oh, Mia, honey, I’m so glad to see you!” Dan Stalis embraced his daughter, kissing her cheek.
Korum got to his feet as well and extended his hand in a human greeting. “Hello, Dan.”
“Korum, it’s good to see you as well,” Mia’s father said, shaking his hand. He was more reserved than he had been with Mia, and Korum knew her father was still partially on the fence about their relationship. Korum couldn’t blame him; if he had been in the human’s shoes, he wouldn’t have been nearly as accepting of someone taking his daughter away.
“Where’s Marisa?” Mia asked when everybody sat down again. “Is she coming?”
“Yes, she should be here in a few minutes,” her mother replied, still beaming with happiness at having her daughter home. Mia was glowing as well. Watching them, Korum was more convinced than ever that he had done the right thing in reaching out to the Elders. His charl would’ve been miserable if she’d had to watch her parents aging and withering away, knowing all the while that Korum had it in his power to prevent that from happening.
“Can I offer you some tea? Maybe some fruit?” Ella asked, addressing Korum. “Are you two hungry? I made a delicious beet salad yesterday –”
“I’m all right, thank you,” Korum said, softening his answer with a smile. “We ate just before we came here.”
“I’ll take some tea,” Mia said. “But don’t worry, mom – I’ll get it myself.” Getting up, she walked toward the kitchen, leaving Korum by himself with the two older humans.
Ella and Dan Stalis were watching him strangely, almost expectantly, and Korum had a sudden flash of intuition. They thought he and Mia were getting engaged – and likely expected him to ask them for permission, in the old-fashioned human way.
Korum felt an unexpected flicker of regret for letting them down. That wasn’t why he and Mia had come today at all, nor had the idea ever occurred to him before. As far as he knew, no Krinar had ever married a human; it just wasn’t done that way. By claiming Mia as his charl, Korum had already made a commitment to her – even if she didn’t necessarily view it the same way.
To his relief, the doorbell rang again, diffusing the awkward moment. Both humans got up and hurried to the door, letting their older daughter and her husband in. Mia came out of the kitchen as well, a broad smile on her face.
Korum stood up to greet them as they walked into the door. He kissed Marisa on the cheek and shook Connor’s hand, genuinely glad to see the young couple. Mia’s sister was just beginning to show, her trim figure rounding out with the baby, and she looked radiantly happy.
At the light brush of his lips against her cheek, Marisa blushed, her fair skin as sensitive as Mia’s. Korum suppressed a smile. He knew human women found him attractive, and he rather liked having that effect on them. It was better than having them cringe in fear, as they sometimes did because of what he was.
Connor didn’t seem to mind his wife’s reaction, smiling as calmly as before. Korum couldn’t understand his placidity. If Mia had blushed at the touch of another man, that man’s lifespan would’ve been numbered in minutes. Humans were definitely more laid back about such matters; some males were as possessive as the Krinar when it came to their women, but the majority were not.
Mia greeted them next, and then everybody walked back to the couch area.
“All right, baby sis,” Marisa said, taking a seat on the sofa. Her husband pulled up a chair next to her. “Tell us what’s going on.”
Mia took a deep breath and Korum squeezed her hand for encouragement. “I’m immortal,” she said baldly. “I can now live as long as Korum – and if you come with us to Krina, you might be able to also.”
For a moment, there was complete silence in the room. Then everybody started speaking at once. In the cacophony of voices, it was impossible to hear any specific question. Only Dan Stalis was quiet, leaning against a table and observing the proceedings with an expression of mild curiosity on his face.
“You’re not surprised,” Korum said, looking at Mia’s father.
“No,” Dan said. “I’m not.”
“Why not?” Korum asked.
“Because it makes all the sense in the world,” Dan Stalis replied. “How else could you and Mia be together? She has never talked about a future with you, yet she never seems upset when we bring it up. How could that be when she loves you and wants to be with you? And besides, you cured my migraines with nothing more than a small capsule. It’s not that big of a stretch to think your people could cure other things, like cancer or heart disease.” He paused for a second. “Maybe even aging.”
Korum smiled, involuntarily impressed by the human.
“Dan, you never said anything to me.” Ella’s tone was bewildered. “In all the times we discussed Mia, you never once voiced these suspicions to me!” Her voice rose at the end, her eyes narrowing as she stared at her husband.
“It was never anything more than a guess,” Dan said soothingly. “Ella, sweetheart, I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case I was wrong.”
“So are you now a K?” Marisa was looking at her sister with a shocked expression on her face. “Do you drink blood too?”
“Wait,” said Connor, “can we go back to the part where we can all be immortal if we go to Krina?”
Mia opened her mouth to reply, and Korum squeezed her hand again. “Let me try to explain, my sweet,” he said, “and then we’ll answer any other questions your family might have.”
Everybody fell silent, staring at him, and he continued, “We do have the means of curing cancer – and aging and any other maladies that may plague humans. The way that’s done is by the insertion of nanocytes – nanomachines that mimic the functions of cells in a human body. They clean up any and all ongoing cellular damage and allow for rapid healing of injuries. That’s all they do; there’s no transformation from one species to another.
“Mia has these nanocytes in her body. I gave them to her a couple of months ago. And you’re right, Dan. That’s the only way we would be able to be together longer term.”
Korum paused and surveyed the room. “The reason why Mia didn’t tell you about this earlier – and why you’ve never heard of this before – is something called the non-interference mandate. It’s set by our Elders. We’re not allowed to do anything that would significantly alter the course of natural human progress. That’s why we don’t share our technology or science with you: because doing so is forbidden. The only exceptions to that rule are humans we call charl: those like Mia, with whom we enter into serious relationships.”
“But why?” Connor asked, frowning. “Why have that mandate in the first place?”
“I don’t know,” Korum admitted. “There are many theories, the most popular of which is that the Elders are still conducting their experiment in regard to your evolution. They were there to see the beginning of your species, and they want to see how you turn out with minimal interference from us –”
“What do you mean, in the beginning? Just how old are these Elders of yours?” Dan interrupted, looking at Korum.
“Old,” Mia answered for him. “Very old. Like ten million years old.”
Mia’s father visibly paled. “Ten million years old?”
“Yes,” Mia said. “When Korum said they were there for the beginning of the human race, he wasn’t kidding. Two of the Elders were actually in charge of overseeing our evolution way back when. Right?” She looked up at Korum.
“Yes, exactly,” he confirmed.
“So if there’s this mandate in place, why are you telling us about this stuff now?” Mia’s mother asked, looking confused. “And what was that you said before, about going to Krina?”
“I petitioned the Elders on your behalf,” Korum explained. “To have you underg
o the same procedure as Mia. They didn’t exactly agree to it, but they made a very unusual request: to see Mia and your family in person.”
“The Elders want to see us?” Ella Stalis looked like she was about to faint.
“Yes,” Korum said. “They want to see you and Mia in person.”
“Why?” It was Dan again.
“I don’t know,” Korum said honestly. “I wish I could tell you.”
“So let me get this straight . . . They want us to come to Krina, but they don’t guarantee that they will give us these nanocytes?” Connor asked, his frown deepening. “They’re asking us to leave our lives behind on the remote chance that this might happen?”
“Yes.” Korum didn’t bother to sugarcoat the situation.
“What would happen if you disobeyed these Elders?” Marisa asked, her slender hands twisting together. “If you broke the non-interference mandate?”
“It depends,” Korum said. “If it’s just a minor infraction, it results in a loss of standing – that’s something like our reputation – and there are frequently financial and other penalties. If it’s something more serious, then it’s treated as a criminal offense on par with murder.”
“Oh,” Marisa said faintly.
“So let me get this straight,” Dan Stalis said. “You’re giving us the possibility of having an infinitely long lifespan, but only if we go with you to another planet.”
“Yes.”
“And what would happen if we refuse?” Connor asked, a stubborn look on his face. “What if we don’t want to uproot our entire lives to fly off into space?”
Korum shrugged. Truth be told, he wasn’t certain what would happen if any of Mia’s family decided against accepting the Elders’ invitation. In the normal course of events, if humans found out something they shouldn’t have, they would have a portion of their memories erased. But this was different, and he didn’t know what guidelines applied in this case.