Remembrance

by SJ Moquin

  “What?”

  “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” Lark’s brows shot up as if waiting for an answer both knew wasn’t coming.

  Gwelle shrugged, glancing back where Raiden had been but neither he nor the girl were there. Her eyes scanned the outer area of the market. The minute they locked with Raiden’s where he stood a few paces away, for one brief moment, the years apart vanished. The surrounding hustle faded. There was an understanding in his eyes.

  He hadn’t reported her fall. Why? She’d asked herself that more than once, but now the need for an answer almost drove her across the space between them. Then she remembered. Letting a shutter drop back in place, Gwelle spun, choosing the fruit she came for, and walked off all while Lark followed her without a word.

  The girls walked in silence towards the housing perimeter. Children played in the commons, running and kicking a ball in their version of rugball. They wouldn’t become competitive in the sport until later on, Gwelle thought remembering the many games she played against her friends. They paused at an intersection of houses. Lark’s family lived a few roads over while she and her mom lay straight ahead, closer to the outside of the settlement. She could stand on their porch and see outside the large, slatted fence, which was both disconcerting and peaceful depending on the time of day.

  “When are you going to admit it?” Lark asked, kicking the dirt path with the toe of her shoe.

  “Admit what?”

  “That you like him. Raiden,” the curly haired girl added when Gwelle opened her mouth to ask who, even though she was very aware of who her friend spoke about. “It’s time to forgive him,” she added.

  “You know why that won’t happen.”

  “You’re both stubborn. I miss the way things were.”

  They’d all been good friends despite Raiden being a couple years older. She knew for a fact he and Knox still spoke. But not Lark. She refused to speak to him, whether out of loyalty to Gwelle or simply not wanting to be the go between, she wasn’t sure.

  Gwelle shook her head, not wanting to remember. “Things will never be the same.”

  “I’m sorry the pain is still there.”

  “It’s not. Well, it wasn’t. Not until a few weeks ago.” She didn’t have to explain why. Lark knew of her expedition and who her escort had been.

  “Maybe it’s time to let the past be the past. Nova-Zera is too small to hold grudges.”

  Gwelle hated seeing the hopeful look in her friend’s eyes. “It’s best this way. Besides, there are new arrivals from Endeavor every day now. Who knows? Maybe we’ll meet some cute guys we didn’t have to grow up with.”

  “Ha! I’ll stick with the familiar. Thank you very much,” Lark barked out, but quickly changed the subject when Gwelle’s brows shot up. “I’d best head home. Mom’s waiting for these supplies.”

  “I’ve gotta run too,” she replied, sending Lark a quick wave as they parted ways.

  “Think about it,” Lark called out after a few steps.

  Gwelle didn’t reply but knew she would do exactly as her friend ordered, however unwilling it would be. Raiden Vargas wasn’t an easy boy to get off her mind despite how badly she wanted to forget him.

  Chapter Five

  In the Dark

  Gwelle’s mom sat across from her at the small table which divided the kitchen and the living area.

  “That was delicious,” Gwelle exclaimed, leaning back in her chair.

  Their small home wasn’t much more than a box, the bedrooms and a bath being off a short hallway across from where they sat enjoying the last of the evening meal her mom had prepared. No matter the size, it was home, and so much nicer than the cramped quarters they shared aboard Deliverance.

  A private corporation built and equipped the starships which carried the colonists here. The same corporation that funded the escape from Earth recruited the best and most knowledgeable people in their fields. A lottery was held for any remaining slots ensuring a diverse selection of Earth’s populace, along with their cultures and heritages, lived on. Disaster after disaster left Earth almost uninhabitable by the time those early travelers departed. No one knew at the time how long they would wander space in search of a new home world. Despite planning, it had been much longer than their sponsors intended.

  The only family members of the corporation’s chairmen that still existed were the Asamas, so she’d heard. Maybe the rest dispersed among the other starships had fared better. Life had been harder in space than they originally thought. Jade Asama headed the governing council made up of individuals from their settlement, like Commander Corsin and her mother, Nia Airda. Together they focused on making sure the laws were kept, the settlement thrived, and people were happy.

  “Thank you, sweetheart. I can’t believe you found a durango. I didn’t think there were any ready for harvest yet.”

  “The gatherers found a wild grove not far off the charted areas.”

  “No wonder it was so good,” Nia chuckled.

  Gwelle agreed. While their agriculturists could grow many plants brought from Earth and replant some of the most useful ones found here on Varax, nothing beat the originals found in the wild.

  “I’ll clear. I’m sure you have work to look at.” Gwelle reached for her mother’s empty plate.

  “Not tonight. Tonight, I’m just going to relax.”

  Gwelle had heard that before but didn’t say so aloud as her mom joined her at the sink, washing up their dinner dishes. A crash sounded outside just before the lights overhead flickered, sizzled, and then went out. Nia dried her hands and walked to the windows. She peeked through the wide wooden shutters that covered the open window.

  “Lights are out as far as I can see.”

  “What is it? Power surge?”

  “I don’t know. Generators should have kicked on if that were the case. Something might have happened at the power field.”

  Gwelle watched Nia worry her bottom lip. She knew her mom’s thoughts were on the patients at the clinic. “Go on.”

  “No. Jamisen is on tonight. He'll handle it,” Nia replied, walking over to where her plex lay on the counter. When it didn’t come on, she slid it back and paced away.

  The energy force stored in the cells at the large power field outside the colony automatically ran everything from the bio-beds at the clinic, the plexes they used daily to the lights in their homes. If it went down, everything went down. It had only happened one other time since the colony opened, and that was during the first weeks when it was still in its experimental phase. She wasn't quite sure how it all worked. That was a whole other field of science. She knew enough to know the grid absorbed the sun’s energy and converted it into energy waves that powered the colony. She was more than happy to let the engineers who created it keep it running despite being taught the basics of the new science technique during school.

  Her mom grabbed her satchel, turning back to Gwelle with an apologetic smile a few moments later. “Stay inside. I’ll be right back. I’m just running down to make sure the clinic and patients are alright.”

  “I’ll be fine, Mom.”

  “Maybe you should go to the Valoori’s.”

  “I’ve stayed by myself before. I promise I’ll be alright. But should something come up, I’ll go to Lark’s or come by the clinic.” Gwelle’s reassurance seemed to satisfy her mom, who was already heading out the door calling goodbye over her shoulder.

  She shut the door then leaned against it for a moment and looked out over the dark room. Her feet padded over the floor as her simple flat shoes slapped against the wooden boards. She peeked out the windows at the inky dark before retiring to her room. Feeling her way along the wooden walls, she’d just reached the sliding door to her bedroom when a rustling came from somewhere close by.

  Her feet stuck to the floor, half inside the bedroom, half out. Her ear turned, straining to hear the noise again, but nothing came. Maybe she’d imagined it. She tried convincing herself it was a figment of her
imagination as she peered into the inky blackness around her. She scooted out into the hall. If she could reach the kitchen, there’d at least be a pan or knife she could use to defend herself. Reaching the end of the hall, a shadow moved on the floor in front of her where the moon shone in the windows. A scream bubbled up inside her as the floor creaked. Without thinking, she kicked out, then jabbed with the heel of her hand when the shadowy figure moved into her line of sight. She continued to punch as the person doubled over. Then she heard his voice.

  “For heaven’s sakes, Gwelle! It’s me.” He didn’t have to say who. She knew by his deep baritone. Her fists hung half up, half down, still clenched. He straightened, stepping close to her.

  “What are you doing here?” she snapped. Raiden stood in her home in the dark. Her thoughts jumbled in an incoherent heap aside from that thought.

  “I came to see if you were alright.”

  “By breaking into my house?”

  “It’s not breaking in if the door is unlocked,” Raiden reasoned.

  Gwelle rolled her eyes. No one locked their doors. Or almost no one. That was the upside of knowing everyone. The downside was standing in front of her, she thought as a frown tugged her lips down. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

  “I never said you weren’t. I knew you taking that… what was it? Karado… would eventually get you hurt.”

  “It’s called Karate. And it didn’t get me hurt. Quite the opposite,” Gwelle snapped back as her lips turned up at the sight of him holding his nose as he spoke.

  All the hours and credits she’d spent on the holodeck program, after she’d discovered martial arts on an old archive reel, finally paid off. She’d originally dragged all her friends with her, but only Raiden actually tried it. Even then, he didn’t last long. She’d chosen to spend most of her downtime for months learning the new skill.

  Raiden huffed, wiggling his nose back and forth, before removing his hand. He stood to his full height, blocking what little light shone in from the two large moons high in the sky.

  “You’re not even on duty,” Gwelle added.

  She took in his casual attire of light, loose pants and shirt. His messy hair and clothes made him look younger, more like the boy he’d been a couple years ago. Her heart raced at the thought, sending tingles up and down her spine. She hated her lack of self-control when it came to Raiden and her thought process.

  “I passed your mom on the way to the clinic. She said you were alone, so I thought I’d check…” His deep voice trailed off as he shrugged.

  The darkened house was suddenly much too small, not at all cozy. She stepped back, rubbing the back of her neck wishing for the awkward silence to fade away. In order to do that, one of them would have to carry on a conversation, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She walked to where Raiden left the front door cracked open, moonlight filling the entryway. His breathing was the only thing letting her know he followed. For someone as tall and broad as he was, he was light on his feet, she thought peering out into the night.

  Raiden walked onto the porch, sitting on the swing attached to the low hanging roof on the far end. After a moment, he patted the empty spot beside him, pausing the back-and-forth motion. Her feet trudged down the porch of their own will. She had a million reasons in her head why this wasn’t a good idea, but none seemed to override her actions as she sat down beside him. The swaying motion resumed once she settled.

  “You always said you’d have one of these even if you had to build it yourself,” Raiden whispered into the surrounding silence, jiggling the swing a bit as he did to let her know what he referred to.

  “It’s probably a good thing the replicator could build it off the holodeck pattern. I’d hate to think what it’d look like if I built it,” Gwelle snorted, thinking back to the hours she’d spent planning the silly contraption they sat on.

  “Pfft! You can do about anything you set your mind on, Gwelle Airda.” Raiden’s voice held a bittersweet admiration.

  The deep tone sent a pang through her chest. She turned, looking out toward the moons. Varax’s two moons were a beautiful sight on evenings like this when both were in close orbit.

  “They’re beautiful.”

  “Yeah,” she whispered, not trusting her traitorous thoughts to say more.

  “Every time I see them, it reminds me of that song. You know, about the moon.” The squeak of the porch swing and the scuff of their shoes were the only sound for a moment until Raiden’s voice filled the night air around them. “You’d have two to fly to now,” he whispered before winking at her.

  Gwelle’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his teasing words. “You remembered.”

  “Of course I remember. That was the first song you found in the archives from the pre-expansion period. You sang it for weeks on end, learning every word.”

  Gwelle’s mouth hung open at the words. She’d been about nine or ten when she found out how much she loved that era of music. She hadn’t realized Raiden would actually remember the first song she’d learned, though.

  “And then you spliced bits and bobs of every song from that time period you found in the archives onto an emplay for me.”

  “I couldn’t take another day of those same words over and over,” he laughed at the memory. “Why did we stop this?” he blurted, the laughter dying on his lips.

  “You know why,” she whispered, but the sharpness wasn’t there. A few weeks ago, that question would have been enough to send her scurrying. But not tonight. Not in the darkness with warm memories floating around them.

  “I was on my way to Bayard’s when I ran into your mom, actually.”

  “Don’t let me keep you then.” An emptiness chilled Gwelle. Had Raiden been on his way to meet someone? Maybe the girl she’d seen him talking to in the marketplace. She had no right to these feelings, not after the fact she was the one who pushed him away all those years ago.

  “I was only going to see if you were there.” An unwanted smile tugged her lips up at his confession. “Will you ever forgive me, Gwelle?”

  She wanted to blurt out yes. She wanted to ask him to forget her stubborn pride and outburst two-and-a-half years before. But she didn’t. She clamped her lips shut in a firm straight line and instead looked out over the darkened landscape. He sighed as she enjoyed the dark beauty they rarely saw. Only moonlight lit the compound wall, causing the forest butting against it to grow darker, more chilling. In the deepness, she saw some small plants glowing. She’d always wanted to see them up close, but this would be the best view she’d get as venturing past the wall at night was strictly prohibited except by work permit. And then only with a full escort.

  Raiden shifted beside her. She knew she should say something, figuring it was too late again when he rose. But he didn’t leave, instead he leaned against the railing, looking away from the view she’d been enjoying. Glancing back at the forest, a gasp left her throat. She jumped up, peering into the dark.

  “What is it?” Raiden asked, authority of a protector returning to his voice, no longer the carefree boy he’d been moments ago.

  Gwelle raised a finger pointing out into the dark. “I saw a girl go into the forest.”

  “Where?”

  “There.” She pointed again, but no one was there now.

  “Who?”

  “I’m not sure. But it looked like the girl you spoke with earlier today. In the market.”

  Raiden walked swiftly off the porch, Gwelle following him to the border where the tall fence stood. They peered into the dark, not seeing anything but tall trees and glowing mushrooms and plants.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I saw her. I know I did.”

  Raiden nodded once, squeezing between the large logs which made up most of the fence. Only reinforced with steel every few feet, the compound walls were strong but not impenetrable.

  “Raiden!” she hissed.

  “Stay there. I’ll be right back.”

  Gwell
e nodded, but once Raiden strode off in the direction she pointed, curiosity rose in her, causing her feet to twitch until she followed.

  This was not her most well thought out plan, she murmured to herself as she squeezed between the railings, jogging to catch up. He cast her a dark scowl for not listening but held out a hand for her to take. Her heart lurched as their hands connected. Tingles swirled up her arm as the warmth of his hand seeped into hers. She shouldn’t be here. With him. In the dark. But at this moment, she couldn’t think of another place in the universe she’d rather be.

  Chapter Six

  Dreams Don’t Come True

  Raiden and Gwelle trudged through the forest, dark and quiet. Looking back, she could no longer see the fence for the giant trees and brush behind them. Strange how quickly one could get swallowed up by the nature surrounding them in this world.

  A screech from a strix echoed around them. The bird of prey reminded her of a cross between the tiny owls and magnificent eagles she’d seen in the holodeck version of an Earth zoo, but five times bigger and much meaner, and not as picky about where their meal came from, friend or foe. With four wings and a hooked beak, she had no intentions of getting up close and personal with one. Small mushrooms bloomed up as her shoulder brushed the bark of a tree, glowing in the dark before swirling back into the mossy surface once she’d passed.

  “Are you sure she came this way?” Raiden asked, releasing her hand to check a branch about shoulder height which swayed broken in the wind.

  “I saw her blend into the forest. She disappeared so quickly.” It wasn’t like Gwelle to second guess herself, but she seemed to be doing that a lot recently. Raiden’s sudden stop caused her to bump into him before stepping back. He ran a hand over his face in frustration. “You don’t believe me?” she asked more than accused.