The Girls From Alcyone

by Cary Caffrey

  The Girls From Alcyone

  by Cary Caffrey

  This novel is a work of fiction created by the author. All characters, events and organizations portrayed in this novel are works of the author's imagination.

  Copyright © 2011 by Cary Caffrey

  carycaffrey.com

  Cover art by Zoedev Studios

  Published by Tealy Books, NB, Canada

  tealy.ca

  All rights reserved.

  For Gisele, for all the reading and listening (and the listening, and the reading…). With thanks to Pete, Mickie, Flood, Tiffinie, Scott, Kelly, Michael, Bob, Andy and Stef. You all get a cookie.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Prologue

  March 2, 2339

  The wet cloak hung heavy over Dr. Lisa Garrett's shoulders. The wide hood kept slipping low over her face so she had to keep lifting it to see where she was going. She cursed as her foot found another deep puddle. Though cumbersome and stifling, the cloak at least gave her some protection from the torrential rains that always fell on Earth these days.

  She might have passed unnoticed through the narrow and crowded alley were it not for the three hired bodyguards who shadowed her. The men stayed close to her side studying all passersby, shooting warning looks at anyone who ventured near their ward. They kept their sidearms in plain sight, worn on clips at their hips in easy reach of their hands. There could be no mistaking their intent.

  Lisa knew the streets of Earth were no place for a young man or woman to be walking alone, but she felt ridiculous with the hired thugs traipsing after her. She couldn't wait to get back to Alcyone and the Academy where she'd no longer need the service. As much as she detested Earth, she had insisted on coming. Her work for the Kimura Corporation, the small but prestigious mercenary company, was at a critical juncture and she couldn't trust anyone to negotiate the meeting on her behalf. She needed this girl too much.

  Kimura hadn't wanted her to make the trip from Alcyone. On Earth, she'd be exposed to attacks from rival corporations—either from those who wished to steal her as an asset or kill her as a threat. While the dangers were real, she was probably at greater risk of becoming the victim of a simple random mugging.

  The heavy steel gate of the habitat groaned opened for her as she approached; the security system having already logged her as an expected guest. Inside, the small lobby was decorated in typical Earth fashion—garbage and graffiti, and smelling faintly of urine. She frowned at the puddled floor, almost as wet as the street outside and fed by a perpetually dripping ceiling.

  Lisa removed her hood. The constant humidity was doing a number on her hair. She ran her hands self-consciously through her damp chestnut curls. At twenty-five, she was much younger than usual for someone holding Ph.D.s in Neurology, Genetics and Biomechanics. Her soft, curved face and large hazel eyes belied a fiercely competitive nature and a sharp, analytical mind.

  Lisa knocked on the armored door of the small, cube-shaped apartment while her bodyguards waited at a discreet distance. "What a shit-hole," she muttered to herself, looking around at the crumbling hallway.

  As the door opened, a middle-aged couple greeted her, but Lisa's eyes were drawn to the young girl standing just behind her parents. She recognized Sigrid instantly. Nine years old, with long blond hair, she was very small for her age. The girl was just a tiny, timid thing, but she was perfect—a perfect physical specimen, an ideal, and a very rare, genetic match for her program.

  Finding her had not been easy. It was only her access to Kimura's vast resources that had enabled her to locate the girl. Now she just needed to persuade the parents to let her take their child away, halfway across the galaxy. Probably for the rest of her life. At least the family's current financial predicament was no secret. It was hardly an uncommon problem, but such information could prove to be important—and something she could use.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Novak," Lisa said, extending her hand. "I'm so very pleased to meet you."

  Mrs. Novak took her hand nervously. "Dr. Garrett...yes. Sigrid, come say hello to the Doctor."

  The woman urged her daughter forward. Lisa noticed that the woman pronounced the girl's name Seegrid, rather than Zigrid. She made a mental note.

  "Call me Lisa." She bent low, extending her hand to the small girl who took it politely.

  Mrs. Novak motioned her inside. "Come in—please."

  They ushered Lisa into a tiny living room where she took the proffered chair, while the Novaks and their daughter settled on the small sofa facing her. The apartment was typical of the identical habitat units found in any city on Earth; small and cramped, but efficient. The modular structures could be stacked on top of one another as needed. The cramped confines might be called intimate by some—mostly by the corporations who sold them—but Lisa found them stifling.

  "Lovely place," she observed.

  "Oh, thank you so much. It's not much, of course…"

  Lisa smoothed the pleats of her skirt. She knew how sensitive these meetings were, and how easily things could swing either way. Everything hinged on what she had to say next, and she chose her words carefully. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you agreed to this meeting, Mr. and Mrs. Novak. I know Kimura has already informed you they were considering Sigrid for the Academy—"

  "It does sound exciting!" the woman blurted.

  Lisa cocked an eyebrow, noting the woman's agitated state—or was it anticipation?

  "I want you to know that Sigrid is very important to us," Lisa told them. "Many girls are considered for the program, but few are chosen. But in your daughter's case…" Lisa's eyes fell to the small girl sitting between her parents. "I'm very pleased to say that she does qualify. We would very much like to have Sigrid come and stay with us—if you'll allow it."

  The parents breathed a relieved sigh, clutching each other's hands. Definitely a good sign—the family was clearly more desperate than she'd thought.

  "We're so relieved—and so happy for Sigrid!" Mrs. Novak said. "She's looking forward to the Academy—I know it. There's…just one thing…"

  Lisa braced for the question—the question that always came.

  "We were just wondering…we're very grateful, of course—we know how reputable Kimura is, but this program…what exactly is it you're going to do to Sigrid?"

  Lisa's answer was well-rehearsed, and she leaned forward with a warm smile. "Sigrid will receive the very best education and training from Kimura. I can promise you there's nothing like this program anywhere on Earth. You're very lucky, Mr. and Mrs. Novak. Sigrid is a very special girl. She's been blessed with a unique gift—one not found in millions of other girls."

  "A gift?"

  Lisa nodded and her smile widened. "Yes. And I will show her how to use that gift."

  Before Mrs. Novak could enquire further, Lisa took a data-pad from her purse and unfolded it, nudging it across the coffee table to the Novaks. On it was displayed the contract with the very extravagant sum Kimura would forward to the Novaks' accounts. "I believe this will be more than adequate to take care of your entire family's financial…situation."

  Discussing the finances always felt perverse to Lisa. Fortunately, Mr. Novak's eyes bulged at the amount displayed on the pad. He pressed his thumb to the screen eagerly.

  Mrs. Novak made a show of at least pretending to read the contract before signing. "The program does sound intriguing. I'm sure if Mr. Novak wasn't…well, if Peter hadn't had such bad luck with the markets…"

  Lisa grimaced. She never understood their need to explain their financial difficulties.

  Mrs. Novak sniffed. "No one could have foreseen the downturn in commodities. Still, I'm certain we would have wanted Sigrid in the program, regardless. We always suspected she was
gifted. Isn't that right, darling?"

  Mrs. Novak nudged her husband whose eyes remained fixed on the money displayed on the pad. He nodded, grunting assent.

  Lisa retrieved the pad and folded it back into her purse. "Of course."

  "And with Sigrid's birth-debt…" Mrs. Novak wrung her hands together. "Well, you know…"

  Lisa knew all too well. Birth-debts were the increasingly popular practice that allowed debt-ridden families to defer their burdens to their unborn children. Girls like Sigrid were often born into staggering seven-figure debts. For the Novaks, selling their daughter's life contract to Kimura would rid the family of generations of financial ruin. It would take Sigrid most of her life to work off that debt as an indentured laborer for Kimura.

  "Yes, of course," Lisa said, with practiced sympathy. "A tremendous burden on a young girl." Lisa believed in her heart that Sigrid would be better off with her than with these people—better off on Alcyone than on this crowded, dirty and crime-infested planet. The only people left on Earth were the people who couldn't afford to leave.

  She reached across the table and took the little girl's hand in her own. "You and I are going to have a tremendous adventure. Have you ever heard of Alcyone?" The girl shook her head. "It's a beautiful planet, and it's full of girls just like you." Lisa smiled as she watched the girl's eyes light up. The girls always responded well to that. "There will be fields and mountains and grass, and lots of other girls to play with. Would you like to come with me and meet them all? I'm sure they'll love you so much."

  Sigrid nodded vigorously, but Lisa could feel how nervous she was as the girl's tiny hand tightened in her own.

  "Come then."

  She led the girl to the door. Her parents already had her bags packed.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Kimura Academy for Girls

  February 17, 2341

  Sigrid felt herself being prodded awake. Peeling back the covers, she stifled a groan It couldn't possibly be morning—she'd only just closed her eyes. The darkness still lurked outside and the ceiling lights of the dormitory glared painfully bright. All around her the thirty-one other girls of the Kimura Academy were struggling to rise from their bunks, still exhausted and sore from the previous day's activities.

  "Wake up, sleepyhead."

  Shielding her eyes with a hand, Sigrid looked up at the eleven-year-old girl standing over her. Suko was already up and dressed, and tying her long black hair into a ponytail with a bright red strip of cloth.

  Suko smiled down at Sigrid and reached out a hand to help her up. "Time to get up."

  "No!" Sigrid pulled the blanket back up over her head. "Go away."

  "Come on. You'll miss breakfast," Suko said, her thick Kiwi accent making breakfast sound more like brickfist.

  "I don't care. I was dreaming." Of sleep, she realized.

  Suko pulled at the blanket, but Sigrid held fast, curling up even tighter in the sheets. "You'll get in trouble—again."

  "Traitor!" Sigrid said, throwing her pillow at Suko.

  Sigrid felt a pang of guilt for yelling at her friend. It wasn't Suko's fault—Suko was her best friend, but right now…right now, she just needed to rest. Just for a few more minutes…

  Sigrid's whole body ached. Her muscles were stiff and twisted in painful knots. She felt positive they must be trying to kill her. They never let her sleep, at least never enough. Every minute of every day consisted of classes, lessons, and hours of brutal physical training. The physical training was the worst. The girls were drilled endlessly in calisthenics, and the martial arts classes seemed to center around Sigrid being punched repeatedly. Sigrid found herself completely intimidated—the other girls were so much bigger and stronger than her. She was rapidly becoming exceptional at being knocked down, always to the delight of the other girls.

  Even stranger were her sessions with Dr. Garrett; sometimes they'd just talk; other times the doctor would poke and prod her with strange devices. Sigrid didn't understand what the weekly sessions were for, and Dr. Garrett would just say, "This is to make you better," and then she'd stick her with something again.

  "UP!"

  Without warning, the sheets were torn from her bed. Felix Rosa, her instructor, glared down at her, eyes narrowed in disapproval. He took care of all their training, watched over them at their studies, and dealt out punishment and discipline when needed; which was often the case, especially where Sigrid was concerned. As hard as she tried, she could never keep up or get anything right.

  Decades of disciplined training had kept him so lean and hard-muscled that he appeared to be chiseled from stone. He wasn't always horrible. He was actually often pleasant and nice to her, but right now, she hated him.

  "You slow the progress of the entire group, young one," he scolded. "Do you think everyone will appreciate two extra laps around the track in the rain today because of you?"

  No; that would only mean more beatings from the other girls. Even as he spoke, they stood by their bunks, regarding her with raw contempt.

  "Come on, it won't be so bad," Suko said. She reached out a hand and yanked Sigrid out of bed.

  Sigrid was a little in awe of Suko. She had such an easy grasp of things. She excelled in all their classes, especially math where Sigrid felt completely hopeless, and she never seemed to tire or falter during the brutal physical activities that made up much of their days. She was tall for her age, at least three inches taller than Sigrid, and very pretty. And all the girls liked her—something Sigrid couldn't even dream of.

  "Less talking, more attention," Rosa said, pointing to the spots at the foot of the bed where he expected the girls to be standing. "All of you, two minutes to dress, then outside."

  Sigrid groaned and her shoulders slumped. It was the same instruction every morning. The girls would run ten full circuits of the academy field, return to the dormitory, bathe, dress and be ready for a modest breakfast before the hours of lessons began. Tardiness and lack of cleanliness were not tolerated and always punished.

  Sigrid couldn't believe she'd ever been excited about attending the Academy. It had all sounded so incredible back then—a trip in space, new friends, an entire new planet to explore. Now, Sigrid only wanted to be home in her own bed, to see her mother and father again. But that wasn't going to happen. The Kimura Corporation owned her and it was her duty to serve them, doing their bidding until her family's debt was repaid in full. The next years of her life would be much the same: lessons, training, beatings, more running and more lessons.

  Sigrid had barely finished tying her bootlaces, still struggling to pull up her pants, when Suko pulled her by the hand. With Sigrid firmly in tow, Suko trailed the other girls heading for the training grounds outside.

  A blast of rain greeted Sigrid as she left the dorm. The wet wind sent a chill through her, jarring her awake as it whipped at her hair and face.

  "Nice day for it," Suko kidded.

  Sigrid snorted a laugh. As miserable as she felt, Suko was always able to lighten her mood, and side by side, the two girls started off on their morning run.

  The rain threatened to turn to sleet, or even snow, in the late winter cold, making the muddy ground icy and slick. Sigrid's legs felt weak and her shoes skidded in the slush. She feared she might fall and muddy herself—that would be just great—but Suko steadied her.

  The training area was in the center of a large courtyard, framed by the four main buildings that made up the Academy. The buildings were all two-story structures with tiled, pointed roofs, connected by a six-meter-high wall that wound its way around the entire perimeter. Outside the walls, the high, snowcapped peaks of the Northern Mountains loomed on all sides. There were no roads leading to the Academy; the only way in and out was by air.

  Sigrid heard one of the instructors shout, "Move it, ladies," as she forced one tired foot in front of the other.

  "Come on, you'll feel better after brekkie," Suko said, treating Sigrid to an encouraging smile.

  The other girls lapp
ed Sigrid—some more than once—as she hobbled along unsteadily. By the time she reached the dormitory she was soaked and frozen, her lips blue. The other girls were already bathed and eating—all except Suko, who stayed with her until she was washed and dressed.

  She was late for breakfast, of course, and extra lessons were assigned to the entire class as punishment. Sigrid knew her real punishment would come later, delivered by the other girls. She didn't know what form it would take, but her classmates would make her pay, just as they always did. She could see them already sizing her up, figuring out how best to make their feelings known.

  Her answer came that night. She had just finished brushing her teeth and was making her way back to her bed when one of the girls thrust out a foot to trip her. Another girl pushed her roughly from behind sending Sigrid tumbling to the floor, scattering her towel and toiletries. The other girls gathered in a crowd, laughing at her.

  Sara stood over her. Her thin brown hair hung loose over her face, and she pulled it back behind her ears as she sneered at Sigrid. "Why is it that you're the slowest, but we always get punished?"

  Sigrid knew there was no right answer—a sarcastic answer came to her lips, but she didn't have the courage to utter the words. Instead, Sigrid ignored her and began gathering up her dropped items. Sara kicked them away and pushed her back down.

  "Come on. Get up," Sara said, challenging her.

  Sigrid was too weary to fight back. The outcome seemed inevitable, Sara would pummel her, as she always did. Sigrid just wanted them to go away. She hated the school and she hated them. She wanted to go home. Her sudden burst of tears took her by surprise, only deepening her embarrassment and humiliation.

  "Crybaby," Sara spat. She went to kick her again, but she suddenly found herself sprawling as Suko pushed her from behind.

  Sara leapt to her feet and spun around, charging back, but Suko stepped forward, placing herself between Sigrid and the other girls. There was a warning tone in her voice when she said, "Leave her alone!"