Odyssey_Double Helix

by R. Patricia Wayne

  And it is also a fact that the commanding officer of the Heracles final mission was a young corporal named Talia Elizabeth Scott. But, there is absolutely no evidence, of any kind, that substantiates your story. You could have learned all about the Heracles and Talia Scott from the Archive, but it doesn’t explain the bullshit story you’re giving me here today.

  Explain yourself, soldier. Why are you risking a court-martial to give us this false testimony? What are you hiding that forces you to use this as your version of events? You know you could walk right out of here if you’ll just tell us the truth.

  “I’m not changing my story!” I told my interrogator. “It all true! Every word! So either court-martial me or let me go. And if you don’t court-martial me, then as soon as I’m free I’m going back into Chiron’s Grove! I’ll bring all those rangers back myself if I have to! With or without your permission, and even if I have to fucking hike there and back alone! Talia and her squad are NOT staying out there!”

  Well, it’s clear that this is the story you’re sticking with, so I see no other recourse but to adjourn to allow the staff make their ruling. You are to remain on the premises until their ruling has been made. And if a court-martial is so ordered, you will be immediately transferred to the nearest brig.

  *****

  Addendum to file number 1161-269R:

  As there was no evidence to disprove her version of events, and with no reason to believe she had been intentionally misleading the panel, Private First Class Katee Alexander was released and reinstated in her platoon.

  Shortly after that, Commander Graves promoted her to corporal for First Platoon under his command.

  One month later, Corporal Katee Alexander led a small team of rangers into Chiron’s Grove on what was labeled a training exercise. Corporal Alexander’s team returned with the bodies of all the rangers that were known to be aboard the Heracles 4 when it disappeared.

  And due to this turn of events, Katee Alexander has since been awarded a Bronze Star by General Kym Kurtz for her integrity and perseverance under extreme hardship. It has also been noted in her record, by this officer, that she acted in the best interest of the rangers during my interview and in her actions afterward.

  Staff Sgt. Nora Brent

  Chronometer Date: 225409.16

  Janna and Isadora

  By R. Patricia Wayne

  EDITOR’S NOTE: Prior to Book I, Chancellor Janna and Senator Isadora had spent their lives together. From the time they were born, they lived in the Chancellor’s Palace together. And as things turned out, Janna had spent her entire life torn between her feelings for Isadora and her duty as Chancellor of Mars. This is the day that Janna and Isadora discovered they were more than friends.

  Mars, Arcadia Colony

  Year: 2227

  Janna could feel herself slipping from a dream, but she didn’t want to wake up. Not yet. She was remembering one particularly special day. It was one of her birthdays when she and Isadora were still teenagers. That day with Isadora in the forest, at the thirty-foot waterfall less than a mile from the Chancellor’s Palace. Although it was nearly three decades ago, it was as vivid in her mind as if it were yesterday. She could never forget it. Or so she thought. But she had. Until now.

  The waterfall was a hideaway that few knew about and only she and Isadora ever visited. The forest was alive there. The scents of wet earth and forest flowers surrounded the water. White orchids and purple violets covered the banks, blossoming in the sun’s soft light. Rays of sunlight streamed through the emerald canopy above them, illuminating the misty air, making the entire area seem almost magical.

  The waterhole was a haven for the inhabitants of the rainforest. Birds sang in their nests, rabbits bounced through the underbrush, butterflies danced in the air. Isadora and Janna felt at home here. It was private, tranquil, and romantic in a way only nature could be.

  It had been a hot and humid morning, and Janna was kneeling in the water, which lapped at her shoulders. The sensation of the cool water on her naked skin was wonderful. She remembered kneeling in the water right here so many times when she was a little girl. She and Isadora swam here almost every day. On this day, Isadora came bounding out of the forest. She stopped long enough to set a bouquet of flowers on the dry surface of a moss-covered tree stump. Pulling off her dress and underwear, she dove into the water and resurfaced in front of Janna. She slicked her blonde hair back and sat down on her knees, eye to eye with Janna. Her blue eyes glimmered in a ray of sunshine that seemed perfectly placed to illuminate only her.

  “I was about to yell at you to hurry up,” she said to Isadora. “You know it’s supposed to rain today.”

  Isadora’s neutral expression hadn’t changed. “Janna, I need to tell you something. But I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

  Thunder rumbled in the distance as if nature were warning her the rains were coming.

  “Why would I be mad at you?” Janna asked.

  “Logan asked me to go out with him tomorrow night.”

  Janna lost her smile. A sudden anger swelled up in her. “Goddamn it, Izzy. You knew I liked him. Why? Why would you steal him from me?”

  “I didn’t tell him yes. I was just excited. No guy’s ever asked me out on a date before.”

  “You didn’t say yes?”

  “No.”

  Confusion filled Janna’s mind. “Why not? He’s cute.”

  Isadora slapped Janna playfully on the arm. “Because I didn’t want to go out with him. That’s why.”

  But Isadora’s explanation made no more sense than her refusal to go out with him. Was there something Janna didn’t know about him? Or something else? She decided she was excited for Isadora. One of them was going on a date!

  “I’m so jealous,” Janna said to her. “What’s wrong with you? You better tell him yes when we get back.”

  “Do you have any idea why I spend a half hour picking flowers for you every time we come out here?”

  “Because we tell my mom we come here to pick flowers?”

  Isadora narrowed her eyes. “You know, I have an entire mansion to myself. So why do I spend all my days with you? Why do I sleep over almost every night? Why did I give you that box of chocolates this morning?”

  Janna’s lips twisted and her brow furrowed. “Because... because you’re my friend? You like sleeping at my house? We always do that. You gave me chocolates because it was my birthday. And you know I love chocolate?”

  “Did it ever occur to you that I do all these things because I like you?”

  “I like you, too. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “If I were a guy, it would mean something. Wouldn’t it?”

  Janna paused to consider this. “Wait. What are you saying?”

  Isadora blinked but said nothing.

  “Spit it out, Izzy.”

  Isadora swallowed. “I’m... I think... I really, really like you... a lot... love maybe... I think—”

  “Izzy! That’s it!”

  “I don’t think it’s icky,” Isadora said.

  “No! I said, Izzy!”

  “Whatever.” Isadora shrugged. “If one us was a guy, we’d be kissing right now.”

  Janna grimaced, trying to erase that image from her head.

  Isadora sighed. “What’s the problem? So what if I like you? Really, really like you. It’s not like two women don’t get married all the time.”

  “What?” Janna shouted. “What? Who said anything about us getting married?”

  “I’m not saying we’re getting married.”

  “Then stop talking about marriage. Jesus, we haven’t even had sex, yet.” Janna shook her head. “Wait! I didn’t mean sex together.” Unable to think how to fix her mistake, she just gave up. “Oh, forget it. You know what I meant.”

  Isadora laughed. “You’re so adorable when you’re flustered.”

  “Shut up, Izzy. You’re driving me crazy.”

  But Isadora pressed on. “Let’s say you
and I were stranded on an island for like twenty years. Would you be lonely for twenty years? Or would you end up liking me like I like you?”

  “But, I don’t like you, Izzy,” Janna tried to explain. “I mean, I do like you. I mean, we don’t like one another. Well, we do like one another. It’s just that I don’t like you, but—”

  Isadora let out another peal of laughter.

  “Horseshit!” Janna said. “You and I are not in love. I mean we are. Sort of. We’re both in love with Logan and that’s why you’re going on a date with him tomorrow.”

  “I’m not in love with him.” Isadora shook her head. “You are. Sure, I like him, but I like you more.”

  “No. You’re going out with him. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  Isadora laughed. “You may be a princess, but you can’t command me to go out with him. To actually date him. As a friend, you should want me to be happy.”

  “Izzy, I do want you to be happy.”

  “Sure you do,” she said sarcastically. “Have you ever kissed a guy?”

  “You know I haven’t.”

  “Me, neither. Kiss me. Just once. So we’ll know what it’s like.”

  Janna sat there in confusion and frustration with Isadora, and yet enjoying the coolness of the water on her body.

  “Why are you so scared?” Isadora asked. “It’s just a kiss.”

  “I’m not scared. I already told you. I don’t like you. Well, I do like you. Just not in a way that makes you think I really like you.”

  Isadora laughed again. “Just admit it. You want to know what it’s like to kiss someone.”

  “I’m not going to admit I want to kiss you, Izzy!”

  “Seriously, I just want to know what it’s like to kiss someone. Don’t you want to know, too?”

  Janna rolled her eyes and groaned. “Yes, but for the last time, no!” After realizing she was speaking in riddles again, she tried to clarify what she thought she meant. “I mean, I don’t like girls. No, I do. Some of them, but I don’t like you. I mean I like you, just in a non-kissing sort of way.”

  This made Isadora giggle. “It doesn’t have to mean anything, Janna. It’s just a one-time thing. Just to know what a kiss is like. Then you’ll know. You know?”

  Janna searched Isadora’s eyes. Why was Isadora so intent on kissing today?

  “Are you asking because you’re going on a date tomorrow?” Janna asked.

  Isadora shrugged.

  Maybe Isadora was only teasing her. Perhaps she really was going out with Logan, even though she denied it. If so, maybe this was really about kissing and not looking like an idiot on her date. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with kissing Isadora. Especially if it was simply meant as practice. If nothing else, Isadora was safe. They both knew all their secrets and she could be trusted to keep one more.

  Okay, she decided, she’d kiss Isadora, but she’d have to picture Logan and there needed to be some rules. She narrowed her eyes.

  “Izzy, if I do this, will you shut up about it? You’re not expecting more kisses after this, are you? You’re not going to hate me if I don’t like it, are you? You know this doesn’t mean we’re having sex, right?”

  Isadora looked into the air. “Yes, no, no, yes. I asked for a practice kiss, for crying out loud. Not a commitment.”

  She... ASKED... for a practice kiss.

  Wait, that wasn’t suspicious. She knew that already. Janna looked at Isadora through narrowed eyes.

  “Will you promise you’re not going to act like you like it?”

  Isadora shrugged. “Sure.”

  “No moaning. No making expressions like you’re in ecstasy.”

  “Okay.”

  “A short one, no tongue. I don’t want to taste your lunch.”

  Isadora blew out a breath. “Whatever you want, Janna. It’s just practice.”

  “No one can know, Izzy. I’m serious.”

  Isadora stood up long enough to draw an imaginary cross over her heart, then returned to kneeling in the water. “I’ll just sit here and you can kiss me. You can do it however you want.”

  Janna inched up to Isadora, then paused. She looked into Isadora’s eyes. The rain had started and she hadn’t even noticed. The drizzle had created dots of water on Isadora’s face. If she was going to do this, and only do it once, then it had to be perfect. She ran her hands over Isadora’s cheeks to remove the rain droplets. She ran her hand over Isadora’s hair, then brushed all the rain from her neck and shoulders. Then she paused to wonder why she was grooming Isadora. She needed to stop hesitating and just do it.

  Janna blew out a breath as she stared into her friend’s eyes. After a long moment, Isadora rolled her eyes, then Janna understood her procrastination was noticeable.

  Okay. Just do it. It’s just a kiss.

  Janna reached up and cupped Isadora’s face with her hands. Almost in unison, they both licked their lips. Committing herself to doing it, Janna swallowed hard, closed her eyes, then leaned forward.

  Their lips met. Thunder boomed overhead. Although the sound was intense enough to feel it in her chest, it didn’t startle her. Isadora’s lips were warm and wet. Janna felt Isadora’s rapid and erratic breath steaming against her cheek. She smelled Isadora’s orange-blossom perfume, tasted her orange-flavored lip gloss, sensations threatening to overload her senses. Janna began to quiver, her heart burned, her own breath stuttered.

  For a brief second, Janna’s lips opened and Isadora’s did, too. They pressed together again, then Janna pulled back. There was a long moment of silence while they studied the other’s eyes. Then Janna realized she was still cradling Isadora’s face.

  “Sorry,” Janna said as she thrust her hands into the water.

  “I won’t tell anyone,” Isadora whispered.

  Janna wasn’t sure how she felt. She licked her lips. They still tasted of Isadora. As she traced her lips with a finger, she realized she didn’t mind kissing Isadora after all.

  “It was different than I thought it would be,” Janna said. “It was kind of...nice.”

  “I feel horribly guilty.” Isadora backed away a few inches. “I tricked you into this. I really like you, and I just wanted to know what it would be like to kiss you. I promise I won’t do it again.”

  Janna couldn’t stop looking into Isadora’s eyes. “I knew what you were doing, Izzy.”

  “You did? Then why did you let me do it?”

  “I thought it was because... oh, never mind.” Janna placed her hands on Isadora’s shoulders. “Okay, now that we know what to expect, let’s do this one more time. It still doesn’t mean anything, it’s just an experiment.”

  “Just an experiment, that’s all.” Isadora smiled as she sat up straighter and put her hands on Janna’s arms. They closed their eyes, drew themselves together, and their lips met again.

  The rain was falling harder now, and every time Janna opened her mouth, water rushed in and filled her with the taste of oranges. She felt hot again, began trembling again. Isadora’s gliding hands on her arms felt wonderful on her skin. Then Isadora’s tongue traced her lips.

  Isadora abruptly pulled back. “Ohmigod, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have done that. I promised I wouldn’t—”

  But Janna pulled her back, and this time, when mouths parted, tongues gently caressed. Janna’s body was now warm all the way to her fingertips. After what seemed like an eternity of pleasure, she pulled back to catch her breath and just far enough to look into Isadora’s eyes.

  Why did it feel so good to kiss her? She didn’t understand her confusion. “Izzy,” she whispered with nothing else to say after it.

  “Did I mention the I’m sorry part?” Isadora whispered back.

  Lightning flashed overhead and rain pelted against them, but neither girl moved.

  “We should go home,” Isadora said. “It’s, like, raining and stuff.”

  “Is it?”

  Janna inched forward until her lips met Isadora’s trembling lips again. S
he wrapped her arms around Isadora’s neck. Isadora moaned, and Janna whimpered in response. Isadora’s hands found Janna’s waist and another wave of pleasure washed over her.

  Even though the pouring rain felt like rocks hitting her skin, and even though it had surely ruined their clothing, still lying on the bank, and Isadora’s bouquet, too, she didn’t care. She only wanted to keep kissing Isadora.

  Then this memory began fading and the colors washed out. Janna’s eyes opened and she was alone in bed.

  It was time to get up. Hopefully, Isadora was waiting for her at the breakfast table. She needed to talk to her, and tell Isadora how much she means to her.

  If she could find the right words this time.

  The Face of Amy James

  By R. Patricia Wayne

  EDITOR’S NOTE: In the Double Helix universe, the last known refuge of humanity resides on Mars. And as Mars has been completely terraformed into a tropical paradise, the remaining 500,000 humans now live within seven colonies.

  Centuries after the genetic bottleneck caused by Earth’s Armageddon, humans have learned to survive thanks to genetic engineering. But, even our ingenuity had limits. The human population had become 95% female, entirely blonde-haired, and men who were born sterile. And now, humans can no longer reproduce without geneticists. And even though centuries of hardship has passed, humans have failed to learn from history. In fact, the people themselves haven’t changed at all.

  This is the story of Amy James. A suburban housewife who lives in the upscale, gated community known as Sunset Ridge. She has no friends, no family, and no means to support herself. She’s invested everything she has into a failed marriage. What will she do when she realizes she’s finally lost everything?

  I