Facsimile

by Vicki Weavil

  “This,” says Dace, staring at the clusters of alien creatures, “could be dangerous.”

  I lay my hand on his knee. “I don’t think they plan to harm us.”

  Dace’s gaze shifts to me. “They told you?”

  “No. They don’t really speak—sorry, I guess ‘think’ is the better word—in complete sentences. I get these fragments. More like ideas, but they’re very basic concepts. Nothing as elaborate as language.”

  “It’s communication.”

  “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  We sit in silence, examining the Selk as they examine us.

  After several minutes, the Selk that greeted me in the water waddles toward a dark patch in the cavern wall. It turns its head to stare back at us.

  Dace scrambles to his feet. “I think it wants us to follow again.”

  “Seems like it.” I rise and trail after Dace as he threads his way through the clusters of creatures. The scent of damp fur assails my nostrils, and I press my hand beneath my nose to block the smell. “Looks like we’re heading for a dead end, though.”

  “Nope.” Dace disappears from view, and I realize what I took for a solid wall is a short section that blends into the blackness of the surrounding stone.

  I slip behind the panel of rock and into another passageway. A narrow path runs along one wall, bordering a body of water as straight as a man-made canal. “So your theory’s correct—it’s all connected.”

  Dace shoots a grin at me over his shoulder. “Despite your obvious doubt, I am occasionally right.”

  Our Selk guide rises up, balancing on its flipper, and dives into the canal. Its awkward waddle is transformed into sleek symmetry as it swims toward a sliver of light.

  Dace and I increase our strides, reaching the point where the passage makes a sharp turn to the right. The Selk has already vanished around the corner as we stumble, blinking, into another chamber.

  This one is small but open to the sky. The Selk stops swimming and bobs in the pool of water, which is clogged with more of the flat-leafed plants as well as other vegetation. Light. Air.

  And food? I kneel beside the water and touch the curling tendril of one of the plants. It’s purple as a ripe eggplant.

  Dark brown eyes regard me with interest. The Selk plucks a piece of the floating vegetation with one paw. Lifting it to its snout, it takes a quick bite. Eat.

  “Amazing.” Dace whips out one of his monitors and holds it out before him. “Can you grab me a piece of that stuff, Ann?”

  I break off a bit of the vine. “Sure. Seems to be what our friend wants, anyway.” I snap the tendril in half and hand Dace a piece while I sniff the other portion. “Smells like green beans.”

  “But with much more protein.” Dace inserts the piece of alien vegetation into a Lucite vial and tucks the tube and his monitor into the pouch strapped to his waist. “The colonists never discovered this? I would’ve thought your grandmother might have searched it out long ago, being a botanist and all.”

  “She doesn’t come out into the wild.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, my mind wrestles with this truth. I’ve always considered my grandmother fearless, but the fact she’s never, to my knowledge, discovered these native botanical wonders makes me question this belief. “They weren’t sent here for exploration, you know.”

  Dace shrugs. “I suppose not. But I bet she’ll find this fascinating.”

  I jump to my feet. “We can’t tell them yet. Remember?” I wipe my dripping hands on my equally damp shorts as I eye Dace with suspicion.

  “I thought maybe you’d change your mind about that.” Dace meets my gaze without flinching. “Considering what your mom and my uncle are up to. If they knew about these creatures and your connection to them … ”

  “No way.” My tone’s obviously troubling the Selk. It swims closer to the shore, chattering a string of squeaks. Okay, I think, although that’s probably not a concept it can understand. Good.

  “They need to know, Ann. If they have all the facts, I’m sure they won’t bring in machines to wreck the Selk’s habitat.”

  “I’ll talk to my mother. I’ll find a way to stall them.” My nails dig into my palms. “Just don’t say anything. Or … ” I fix Dace with an icy glare. “I’ll never bring you back here. You know your uncle won’t let you go outside the compound unescorted.”

  “I could sneak out.” Dace’s gaze doesn’t waver.

  “You could. But I could plant a little bug in your uncle’s ear, mention hidden dangers and how I feel we shouldn’t continue exploring. I bet he’ll lock you in your berth until you leave this planet.”

  We face each other, both breathing hard. The Selk sings out a long trill of ringing tones. “Maldición!” I clutch at my ears. The reverberation is rattling my thoughts.

  “Truce,” says Dace, with a quick glance at the water creature. “Let’s just work together, okay?”

  I nod as the ringing fades away. “Deal.”

  “There’s actually a way to the surface.” Dace points toward a jagged path that leads upward. “Funny, that.”

  “The paths?”

  “Yes. Almost look like they aren’t natural, only … ” Dace shakes his head. “Don’t think the Selk could carve out something like that.”

  “No.” I contemplate the implications of this thought as I stare into the Selk’s face. “How ’bout we head back to our bikes? We have to make that swim again before we’re too exhausted.”

  Dace looks over at me, his dark eyes shadowed beneath his thick lashes. “I think you could swim it in your sleep.”

  “Don’t give me that half-fish crap again. I just have some natural ability, that’s all.” I twist the band one more time around the bottom of my braid. It snaps and my hair springs free. “Now look what you’ve done.”

  Dace cocks one eyebrow. “Me? My hands were nowhere near you.”

  “You and your weird genetic ideas—always making me nervous.” I comb my fingers through my hair. “It’s going to be all up in my face while we’re swimming.”

  Dace fishes around in his equipment pouch. “Here.” He tosses me a coil of elastic. “Always keep some lastic-rope on me. Comes in handy.”

  “You stashed a whole laboratory in there?” I eye Dace as I wrap the springy rope about my hair, tying it off to create an impromptu ponytail.

  “Pretty much.” He waves at the Selk. “Goodbye for now, and thank you.”

  The creature cocks its head and examines Dace.

  “It likes you, I think.” I move toward the dark passage that leads underground. Friend. I wave my hand in Dace’s direction.

  Friend. The Selk propels itself backward in the vegetation-clogged pool. It dives under the surface and disappears—headed, I imagine, back to its colony.

  Dace and I navigate the dark passage without conversation. When we reach the lake, I note that most of the Selk have disappeared from the ledges. Several dark heads bob in the water, but not enough to account for all the creatures. “That’s odd. I didn’t see any of them in the canal, except for the one guiding us.”

  Dace stretches his arms above his lean body. “Probably other underwater passages leading to who-knows-where. More to explore another day.” His face lights up in anticipation.

  “But not today.” I sit down on the smooth ramp and use my hands to propel my body into the water. “Come along, we’ve experienced more than enough adventure for now.”

  Dace slips by me, sliding down the ramp headfirst. Surfacing, he splashes water over my bare shoulders. “There’s never enough adventure. Ouch, if looks could kill … ” He grins. “Okay, show the way, fearless leader.”

  I snort and give a strong frog kick to glide away from him. “You are so full of shit, Dacian Keeling.”

  “Could be.” Dace swims up alongside me. “But it’s interesting shit.”

  I laugh, swallowing a mouthful of water. Lifting my head, I expel the liquid—in Dace’s direction.
>
  He dives too quickly to be hit. I follow him under the wall that separates the two caverns, and when we clear the wall I make a grab for one of his fluttering feet.

  He rolls as my fingers close over his ankle. He shakes off my grip and leans in to place his hands about my waist. Entwined, we kick and shoot upward, breaking the surface.

  “Let go!” I fling my head, whipping my ponytail into Dace’s face.

  He sputters and throws up one hand to brush the wet strands away. His other hand locks firmly to my waist. “Your attempt to capture me failed. Now I’ve got you. Admit defeat.”

  “Never.” I use one hand to slap a tiny tsunami of water into his face.

  Dace shakes his head and leans in, pressing his forehead against mine. “Not so fast, fish girl.”

  His eyes are fixed on mine, inches from my face, mesmerizing as the heart of an unfolding flower. Layers upon layers.

  I tuck my chin to my chest. “I told you not to call me that, science geek.”

  “But I like fish. They are infinitely interesting.” Dace’s full lips slide down my damp cheek and land on my mouth.

  The lake laps against my skin, feet flutter, the feel of Dace’s lips on mine as we bob in the silky water.

  Dace pulls away first. “Didn’t plan that.”

  “You’re not supposed to.” I tap his nose with one finger. “Lesson number two in my kissing girls course, free of charge.”

  Dace’s lips twitch. “Thanks, I think. Now—race me to the shore, mermaid.”

  He releases me and turns a somersault under water. Swearing, I follow, kicking as hard as I can to keep up with his fierce strokes. We reach the ragged shoreline at almost the same moment. We hoist our slippery bodies onto the rocky ledge.

  “What a great idea,” I pant. “Talk about exhaustion. And we still have to climb out of here, you idiot.” I wave my hand toward the path.

  “Oh,” says Dace, in quite a different voice.

  I follow his gaze to the bottom of the inclined ramp.

  Raid is standing there.

  Raid says nothing, merely saunters toward us, exaggerating his customary swagger.

  “How’d you find us?” I jump to my feet as Raid moves closer. We’re toe to toe. I stiffen my back. Might as well meet that sneer with bravado.

  “Followed the tracks. Saw your bikes parked outside and boot prints leading to an opening in the rocks. Figured it out fairly quickly.” Raid’s eyes narrow, slicing his face like razor blades. “May not be as clever as the professor here, but I do possess a few brain cells.”

  Dace rises to his feet. “Don’t get the wrong idea.” He sweeps up our discarded clothes. “We’ve just been exploring.”

  “Obviously.” Raid shoots a fierce glare my way before gazing around the cavern. “What’s this place, anyway? Besides your personal playground, I mean.”

  “Part of an interconnected cavern system that runs beneath the surface of Eco.” Dace refuses to take the bait. He moves closer, dropping the clothes at his feet.

  Raid looks me over. “Interesting outfit. Been swimming? Didn’t know you had it in you, Solano.”

  “You don’t know everything about me.” I pluck at the edge of my tank top. My wet top and shorts cling to my curves like a second skin.

  Raid’s expression changes. The anger morphs into something else, something that sends a flush radiating out from the nape of my neck. I cross my arms and hug my body.

  Raid flexes his fingers before shoving his hands into his pockets. “Learning more all the time.”

  Fabric drapes over my bare skin. I turn my head. Dace is standing behind me, adjusting my jacket around my shoulders.

  “Anyway … ” Dace steps back. He grabs his T-shirt and continues to talk while he slides it over his head. “We suspect Eco’s laced with a network of underground lakes and rivers, all linked together.” Pulling down the shirt to cover his slender torso, Dace eyes Raid without rancor. “Something you might have found sooner if you’d bothered to, you know, explore the planet you live on.”

  Raid yanks his hands out of his pockets. The fingers are balled into fists. “Think you’re pretty clever, don’t you, spacer? Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, some of us have to work. Don’t have the luxury of farting around all day.”

  “It’s not play.” I lift my chin so I can stare into his face. “Dace’s research is every bit as important as your job, Raiden Lin. And I’ve been his guide, not some follower.”

  Raid taps my lips with two fingers. “No doubt. Seems like you’ve been teaching him quite a few things.”

  I swat away Raid’s hand. “Who says I had to teach him anything?”

  I catch the flash of a smile before Dace ducks his head and concentrates on pulling on his pants.

  “So, thought you’d experiment a bit before spacer here blasts off for parts unknown?” There’s a flicker of pain in Raid’s eyes.

  “Honestly, Raid,” I grab one of his fists and pull it to my chest, “is that all you think of me? Just some girl making out with any guy she can get her hands on? I thought you knew me better than that.”

  “So did I.” Raid unclenches his hand under the caress of my fingers. “But I did see the kissing, Ann. More than once. Don’t think you can pass it off as a bet this time.”

  Dace fishes through the pile of clothes at his feet. “Ann might be blasting off with us, you know.” He tosses my jeans at me. “And—what bet?”

  “Never mind. Isn’t important.” I shoot Dace a warning look. Turning my attention back to Raid, I toss my hair and lift our entwined fingers to my lips. “Kisses are fun. But I’m not looking for something more right now. You should know that better than anyone, Raid.” I press a kiss into his palm and drop his hand. “And when I am, it’ll be me that decides, not any boy. You got that?”

  Raid examines me with great deliberation. After a moment a smile curves his lips. He reaches out to smooth down my unruly hair. “Got it.”

  “So, might as well chill, dude.” Dace sits on one of the scattered boulders and tugs on his socks. “Ann hasn’t sworn her eternal love or anything. We’ve really been concentrating on the research. And, news flash—we’ve discovered some amazing things down here. Pretty major stuff.”

  To my surprise, Raid looks at Dace with admiration. “Yeah? Well, I’ve already heard about the mineral that’s going to make us all rich.” Raid’s lips twitch. “Promissium, your mom’s calling it.”

  “You must be joking.”

  “No. Kind of stupid, but the others are already throwing around the term like it’s some magic spell. Like it’s going to change everything.”

  “So they’re going along with Ms. Solano and her mining plans?” Dace glances up from his boots, his expression darkening.

  “Cooper,” I reply automatically. “Tara Cooper. She never took my dad’s name.” I slide past Raid and scoop up the rest of my clothes. “Stupid tradition anyway.”

  Raid nods. “One of those independent types. Like mother, like daughter.”

  “And proud of it.” I wobble on one foot and then the other, aware of Raid’s scrutiny as I work my jeans up my damp legs. “So—the colonists agree with Mom? We’re going to mine the crap out of Eco?”

  “Maybe. Your grandparents are opposed. And a few others.”

  “My father?”

  “Goes back and forth.” Raid steps forward to offer me his bent elbow. I meet his sardonic grin with a frown as I balance against his arm.

  “And the kids?” I pull on my socks.

  Raid shrugs. “Not really decided. Wait, that’s the wrong foot.”

  “I’m aware,” I snap, making the switch with my boots.

  Dace stands and strides over to us. “We need to get back. As soon as possible. Ann needs to talk to her mother about delaying the mining.”

  “Ann? Talk to her mother?” Raid’s grin broadens. “That’ll be interesting.”

  “Interesting or not, it needs to
happen.” Dace’s gaze never leaves my face.

  “It will.” I let go of Raid’s arm and press my toes down into my boots. “I’ll corner her as soon as we get back. As soon as I can trap her alone, that is.”

  “What the hell is that?” asks Raid, peering over my shoulder.

  Dace and I turn as one, just in time to see a sleek brown head lift above the surface of the water.

  Raid moves to the edge of the lake as if drawn by a tractor beam. The Selk swims closer to shore and rises up before him. Its dark eyes scan his face for a full minute before it emits a trill of sounds.

  Dace and I dash forward to catch Raid as he stumbles and falls.

  “Shit! Make it stop!” He claps his hands over his ears.

  The sounds ring in my head as well, but I allow them to ripple through my body without fighting the sensation. Hello. Friend. Good.

  I tap Raid’s leg. Yes, friend. But sound hurts.

  The Selk cocks its head to the side. No hurt. It snaps its mouth shut.

  As the reverberation falls away, Raid slumps back on his heels and stares at the water creature. “It said ‘friend.’ I mean,” he shakes his head, “it didn’t say that, but that was the idea in my head, somehow … ”

  “Yes, they can communicate with us, to a certain degree. Conceptually, anyway.” I grab one of Raid’s arms as Dace grips the other and we help him to his feet. “I hear it too.”

  Raid looks down into my face. “But it didn’t affect you.”

  “Not anymore. It did at first. What you have to do,” I reach up to sweep the fall of dark hair out of his eyes, “is allow the ideas to just roll over you. Don’t focus on the sounds.”

  Raid traps my falling fingers between his palms. “So how long have you known about these … creatures?”

  “Not long. Dace and I encountered them a few days ago. We call them the Selk.”

  “And what are they?”

  “Don’t know exactly,” Dace says. “Mammals, for sure. They breathe air but live primarily in water. I mean, they’re an alien species. I haven’t worked up all the biological info yet.” Dace fiddles with the closure on his equipment pouch. “I’ll know more when I can run a full panel of tests.”