Money or not, Jai could see no honor in being the Eldest. Ceremonies, celebrity, and, yes, money, would abound, but being the Eldest would destroy her privacy, and open herself up to an unending number of blood draws and tests, by sentient and human scientists alike. Nefarious purposes were guaranteed on either side. No, Jai enjoyed keeping her identity in the shadows.
Chapter 9
2119
By 2119, three years had passed since sentients had been discovered, and the search for the Eldest had grown cold, but interest in sentients had not. The networks reported on what they could: the science. They focused on one human scientist in particular: Dr. Jensen. At the forefront of sentient research, he’d published at length about “Patient X,” a male sentient whose data comprised the most significant contribution to sentient science thus far. Dr. Jensen guarded Patient X’s identity with the utmost care and, though his lab would have benefited significantly from the “donations” being thrown at him, he declined anything that required him to disclose Patient X’s identity. Dr. Jensen even went so far as to hire a liaison to handle the influx of network interviews, all of which he eschewed. Instead, he let his publication record speak for itself. But, instead of quelling the storm, the media hounded him, attending every conference talk he gave. They even televised his most recent public lecture. There, for the first time, Dr. Jensen released X's birth year, a year no other confirmed sentient had surpassed: 2066.
Joy paused the newsfeed and laughed. “2066? He’s only 53 years old, Jai. Just imagine if they knew you’re a 2050 baby!”
“Don’t want to,” Jai said, leaning over the kitchen island. She stuffed her mouth with a slice of pizza, and mumbled, “Privacy’s just fine, thank you very much.”
Joy twisted on the couch, to look back over her shoulder. She flashed a knowing smile. “Can’t say I blame you,” she said, and turned her attention back to the news. “I wouldn’t want those vultures sweeping down on me, either.”
Jai laughed and popped a hot pepper into her mouth. “Which ones?”
“Take your pick. The newscasters. The scientists with their needles to poke and prod. The unending companies looking for another pretty face to endorse their product. I’m all for scientific posterity, but the Cover Girl offers were quite nauseating.” Joy motioned to the stack of mail from the latest fashion house that was after Jai. “Can’t say I’d mind taking a peek at Patient X, though. Maybe you could do a blind date, and I’d get some pretty grandkids out of it.” She laughed. “Or, X could look like a donkey’s ass, like that sentient in Denver. Did you see him?” Jai shook her head and rolled her eyes. Dating was a foreign concept to her. Back in her 20's, long before sentients had been discovered, she'd dabbled in dating. Eventually she gave up, wondering what good would it do. Why put in the time and energy if she’d have to disappear a decade or so later, before her youthfulness outed her? Her 20’s were over. But, discovering sentients didn't alter much. And, it had been decades since she’d been interested in anyone.
Joy did have a point, though. Many sentients were reportedly beautiful, but they were not universally so. Scientists emphasized their intellectual and athletic skills far more than their physical appearance, but modern America? The news networks? Advertising? They were infatuated with looks. Over a century had passed since companies had started investing billions of dollars into youth-centric research. If it wasn’t a laser or a cream, it was a probiotic or other dietary fad. Now, “Youth In a Bottle” was a common advertisement plastered above a vial of sentient blood. Numerous companies were willing to pay top dollar to bring whatever sentients had to market for the regular, age-fighting populace.
Jai could appreciate the urge to appear young, but she’d grown numb to her looks. She had a penchant for hiding under baseball caps, hoodies, shawls, whatever took her fancy. Joy found it extremely humorous and let her know it was an exercise in futility. “Stop trying,” she would say. “You’ve grown increasingly beautiful with each passing year.” Jai’s long brown locks and thick eyelashes had a satin-sheen. Her high cheek bones emphasized a full, pillowy pout. Her ripe, supple breasts were the envy of her girlfriends. And, her legs went “on for miles,” as they say. Endless compliments blared in the background, with so many talent agents and modeling companies coming after her, asking her to pose for their latest edition, to walk the catwalk for their spring/summer show, to find someway, somehow to plaster her face and sprawl her body on some thing. After decades of headache, Jai finally resolved to wipe her electronic footprint clean. She anointed Caleb as a figurehead for her companies, and hoarded her privacy. A polite grin was all she could muster in public and, when that didn’t suffice, she put her telepathy to work. She'd found a way to hide herself, a mental cloak that shielded herself from view. A quick stare and she could distract anyone for a few moments. She didn’t bother to concern herself with the regret they would feel after they’d “lost” her in a crowd.
Jai closed the pizza box and carried the last slice to the couch. “Altogether I’m rather impressed with the public,” she said, handing Joy the pizza. “At least they’re approaching sentients with an open mind.”
“So far,” Joy said, only half-joking. She took a few bites and paused. “Humans have the capacity to accept change. Or not. Don’t be surprised if they fight it, kicking and screaming.” She swallowed, hard. “Which is the perfect segue-way…you’re meeting your new instructor tomorrow.”
“Come again?” Jai hated surprises.
“Jai, you know I haven’t been able to spar with you…physically, I mean. It’s been years. It’s not fair to you.”
“It’s fine, Joy. Our mental spars are enough.” Jai enjoyed their mental spars as much as their meditation sessions. When their minds synced, Joy was a force to be reckoned with, just as fast and lethal a fighter as she’d ever been.
Joy smiled. “I know I still kick your butt in there,” she said, tilting her head down. “But, that’s not what I’m talking about. Practicing martial arts is more than your mind, love. You need the physical component too.”
“Seriously, Joy.” Jai groaned. “I’m fine without it. It’s not like I’m wasting away over here.”
Joy pushed lightly against Jai’s arm, and put the last bit of pizza in Jai’s mouth, cutting off any excuse. “2 p.m. He’ll be waiting for you.”
Chapter 10
2119
Over the years, Joy’s age had climbed, but so did her taste for training gadgets. The night before, she invited Jai to visit the training space they'd constructed on the top floor of the penthouse. Joy would’ve loved sparring there, with the New York skyline behind her, but the most she could do was walk in the rooftop zen garden. “You’ll love training there,” she told Jai wistfully. “Please, go take a look.”
Early the next morning, Jai realized months had passed since she’d last walked the penthouse. She looked down at her watch. She had hours to spare before her 2 p.m. meeting with the mystery trainer. Now’s as good a time as any, she thought, and took the elevator upstairs. With a ding, the wood-paneled doors opened to a wide, open space. She admired its simplicity. Joy’s taste was simple, streamlined and, though the electronic floor could transform into many different terrains, Joy had left the tatami mats on. Jai walked the length of the room, past the innermost climbing wall, and entered a room on the left. Immediately, she understood why Joy had asked her to develop an electromagnetic system to suspend varying weights against the wall. Joy had amassed a large collection of weapons, and each piece was appended to the wall with varying degrees of force. The invisible velcro must have worked well because Joy had already filled the first two sections with the swords she’d amassed over the years, and many new knives and daggers Jai had yet to see. Jai walked down each hall, admiring every weapon. Their silver blades shimmered under the soft lights, levitating from above.
Past the newest trinkets, Jai stopped at a halberd. Two-handed, she gripped the six-foot pole with an ax topped with a long spike, and laughed. Some w
ealthy mothers might spend their time and money researching and collecting famous paintings. Jai thought Joy owned her own share of those, but, given the massive weaponry displayed before her, Jai could see Joy’s true passion was clearly collecting weapons from centuries ago, in this case, the 14th century. Jai felt the halberd’s weight in her hand, and examined it. It had a spear; and, opposite the axe, it had a hook blade, a nasty thorn to snag and pull horse-bound opponents to the ground. The halberd was a triple-threat. Used properly, a single strike could pierce armor or slice through a skull, even at a distance. Jai wondered how many men this blade had killed, and ran her index finger alongside it, slicing it to the bone. Blood oozed out, a red streak glowing fiercely under the light. Quickly, before a drop could hit the ground, she placed her finger in her mouth and sucked. A slight sting and the taste of iron in her mouth. She pulled her finger out and looked. It was in pristine condition, with no sign of a cut; no slight redness or marking; not even an indent. Her healing had quickened, even faster than before. Most times, cuts healed too fast for even Jai to see. As if nothing had occurred. She wondered how egregious a wound would have to be, for others to see her wounded. Better to move on, she thought, and pushed the thought aside, favoring a Mongol saber instead. Genghis Kahn, 1200 A.D.
Ding. The elevator interrupted her.
“Time,” Jai said, loudly.
“It is 7:14 a.m.,” the Home system announced. It began listing the menu options. “Temperature, news….”
“Cease.” Jai cut it off. Joy must be up, she thought, and placed the saber down. With the labyrinth of weapons behind her, she stepped through the doorway and walked past the climbing apparatus. She turned toward the open floor, when suddenly a kick came flying at her face. She raised her fists upward, blocking it, and leaned back, her feet grounded to the floor. Bracing her stance, she leaned back, away from a second kick. It fluttered past her left shoulder as she moved fast, out of the way. A masked figure crouched down, swooping a left leg in a circular motion. Jai lifted her leg, foiling the apparent attempt to knock her down. Won’t be that easy, she thought, and raised her forearms in front of her face, ready to block the left back-kick being launched at her. The figure flew upward into an upright stance. Six foot three, Jai noted. He slammed his leg up, then down at her. Jai punched his side and stepped into a side kick. She kicked again, as he stepped back, just inches from her knee. She punched and threw another kick toward his waist, but he blocked it. He kicked his right leg to her chest. It knocked the wind out of her. She was barely able to catch her breath as he came at her face. She dodged and blocked each blow. She went after him, fist over fist, slamming repeatedly into his chest and ribs. He came at her harder, with left and right side kicks to the head. She blocked each kick to her temples, then squatted down. The heel of his foot swiped across the top of her hair. His leg fell to the floor. For a second, they were face to face, his intense green eyes staring at her through the open sliver of his mask. With a look of fierce determination, he whipped back.
Jai flew at him, punching in quick succession. He furrowed his brow and kicked back at her. Blocking him again, she pulled him down by the sleeves of his shirt, kneeing at his sides. She could feel his sinewy arms pulse as he ripped each of his arms away, launching his own counter-attack. What the hell? Jai thought, mid-kick. 2 p.m. is far off, and this asshole isn’t letting up. It wouldn’t be the first time an intruder had tried to bypass the Home system. Did someone break in, successfully this time? Jai refocused her attention on ending the fight. Whoever this masked guy was, he wasn’t holding back. She could feel his muscles tense; he was moving with increasing power. The pain in her chest began to subside. She could feel her adrenaline quicken, and she released a barrage of kicks and alternating punches. She hit him, crashing against his chest and sides, until he somersaulted with a back flip. Mask damp with sweat, he threw it off.
“Not bad,” he said, a wide smirk across his face. Jai held her stance and flexed her fists, arching her brows at him. He winked a bright green eye at her. “Joy said you’d be out of practice, but I don’t go easy for anyone.”
“You don’t do punctual, either,” Jai quipped. She straightened herself out.
“What’s the fun in that?” he said with a smile. “I’m Sean.” He extended his hand. Jai fought the urge to slap it out of the way, and shook it. Boys, she thought, with a sigh.
“I’ll spare you the introduction,” Jai said.
“There’s certainly no need. I’ve known about you a long time. At least, it feels like I know you…through Joy.” Sean flashed a smile again. Cryptic, this one, Jai thought. She fought the urge to flip on her spidey-sense. After all, she’d decided the night before, it would be better to meet people the old-fashioned way whenever possible, and Joy seemed to trust this nutcase. The nutcase opened his mouth to speak. “Joy was my Master’s adviser at Columbia University. Back then, she was ‘Dr. Dean,’ Emeritus Professor, but she’s become a close friend since, not just a trusted mentor to me.” He smiled at the surprised look on Jai’s face. “Yea, I figure she wouldn’t have told you about me. Joy’s so private. She wouldn’t say much about you, either. But, I can’t say I didn’t follow your company or you…at least before you disappeared from the news. I run the Division. It’s a —…”
“Global defense company,” Jai said. Jai had recognized it immediately. A younger company, it’d taken the industry by storm, with increasingly substantial mergers. The company had captured the majority of the market’s intellectual property in defense, and it had amassed an unparalleled breadth of relationships, once held by its competitors. But, rather than focus on annihilating all competition, the company took a unique approach: forging cross-continent partnerships to guide humanitarian efforts in war-torn countries. It was precisely the salve that many underdeveloped countries needed. Families were often separated and barely able to grow crops in the increasingly arid climate throughout the world. Given the amount of revenue and resources the Division donated to spearheading its charity work, it’d become a media darling.
And, outside the trade journals, the media had made much of its mysterious owner. It seemed no one knew the owner’s name or where he was from. It was fitting. After all, he ran a company replete with defense experts. It was a hook news reporters loved to run. There was a long line of subsidiaries and shell companies, and the registration paperwork only identified a Registered Agent, not Sean. Even the highest officers in the company had never met Sean in person. He video-conferenced, with an avatar comprised of ever-shifting faces, and he always relayed directions electronically, with the highest levels of encryption.
Somehow the news found undisclosed sources, though. They doled out the details, small little crumbs on the mysterious trail that led back to him. Given Jai’s relatively recent experience of hiding her own identity, she was particularly interested in how he had remained anonymous. And, eventually, even she began to wonder what was true or false, especially when the news gave such conflicting reports. One source described a remarkably hooked nose. Another detailed a large arched back and uneven gait. Some said he was a giant of a man, while others reported he was unusually small in stature. They even reported he had a B.O. problem. It baffled her, given the electronic directions they all swore they’d received remotely. Such strange and disjointed details surfaced over time that the media dubbed him the Quasimodo of the Modern Era. Collectively, it presented the owner as a less-than-attractive mess.
Seeing the mysterious owner standing in front of her, Jai could not contain herself. She let out a hearty laugh, her mouth agape. He just smiled, not needing an explanation. Before either of them could speak, Joy entered the room. “There you are!” Joy gave Sean a hug and turned to Jai. “So, I see you’ve met my little artiste!” she said, teasing Sean in a thick french accent. To Joy, Sean was passionate, deeply committed in all things, an adonis, even, in appearance. With his mask off, Jai realized that “chiseled” was not the word for it. He had deep green eyes and golden
chestnut hair. He was painfully handsome, yet somehow approachable. It made Joy laugh no matter how many times she’d seen women, no matter their life’s season, fawn at him. Babies grinned their gummy grins at him. Teenage girls giggled at the sight of him. Grown women leaned in, lusting after him. Even the local grandmas’ eyes sparkled when he came nearby; they couldn’t help but hold on to his bulging biceps and pinch what they could of his chiseled cheeks…up high or down low. So charming, he took all the adoration in stride, without even a hint of machismo. It all seemed inconsequential to him. Clearly, he’d had no qualms with his nickname.
“Yes, I’ve met Quasimodo,” Jai said. “Funny you never mentioned you knew him.”
“Sorry, dear. Sean’s the only one who loves privacy more than you do. You know, you should count yourself lucky he wanted to meet you.” She smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Jai smirked and averted her gaze.
“It’s true,” Sean said. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time. And, don’t begrudge Joy’s secrecy. I enjoy my privacy, and I’d like to keep it that way. Being Quasimodo’s a blessing in disguise. Trust me.”
Obsidian: Birth to Venus (The Obsidian Chronicles Book 1) Page 6