The older man grasped his pants leg, but Striver pulled away, a razor edge slicing his pants cuff. “I have to see if it’s him.”
Just as he dangled over the fence, the man’s head of chestnut hair turned back. Green eyes bright as his own glimmered over a tightlipped scowl that sank Striver’s heart in swamp sludge. Weaver ducked under a moss-laden branch and disappeared.
Eri paced outside Aquaria’s new family cell, her redheaded halo reflecting in the dull chrome.
Should I disobey the commander and tell Aquaria about my mission?
She could trust her. Only her sister knew of her pairing requests, and she’d never spoken a word of it to anyone. But could Aquaria keep the information from Litus? Lifemates didn’t have secrets. Eri didn’t want to stand in the way of her sister and Litus. But she also didn’t want to leave without saying good-bye.
Eri buzzed and her sister’s heart-shaped face flashed on the hailing screen. Tears streaked her cheeks and she wiped red, blotted eyes. “Eri, I was hoping you’d stop by.”
Thoughts of her new mission fell away.
Her voice quivered, and Eri leaned toward the screen. “Aquaria? Are you okay?”
The screen flashed off and the particles of the portal dematerialized. Aquaria ducked out and checked both ends of the corridor before pulling her in. “Come and sit with me on the couch.”
The smell of brewing vegetable stew made Eri’s stomach gurgle. Passing by a wallscreen of daises bowing and lifting in a silent wind, Eri settled into the cyber-green plastic couch, wondering if the furniture had come with the apartment. Aquaria favored blue. “Is everything okay?”
“No.”
Her sister sat beside her and took a deep breath. “Commander Grier assigned Litus to the exploratory team.”
“Oh.” Of course. It made perfect sense she’d cry for Litus. Eri put an arm around her shoulders.
Maybe today isn’t the best time to tell her of my assignment.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s not all. He said you’re on the team, too.” Aquaria stared at her, as if daring her to deny it.
Eri frowned and watched the daisies. “I saw tree huts. The inhabitants are hardly anything to worry about. I’m just so excited Commander Grier asked me to be a part of the team.”
“It makes perfect sense. You’re an excellent linguist, the best that’s ever lived on this ship.”
“It’s a galactically spectacular opportunity to advance my career.”
Aquaria sniffed. “This is it—your chance to make a difference. Your destiny—everything you’ve been preparing for your entire life. You have to go out there and live it. I only wish it wasn’t so dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” Eri hadn’t even thought of it that way. More like advantageous.
Aquaria took her hand. “She didn’t tell you about Delta Slip?”
Eri leaned forward, denial blocking any open thoughts. “Yes, she did. I’m supposed to gather information and root myself in the aliens’ culture. Befriend them.”
Aquaria’s features grew solemn. “I don’t think that’s all she means to do.”
“What are you saying?”
“Litus hasn’t told me everything—he can’t.” Aquaria’s gaze darted to a holopicture of their wedding on the far wall. “He shouldn’t have even mentioned the fact that Haven 6 was inhabited, but I pressed him. I mean, what’s a marriage if you can’t even tell your spouse what’s going on?”
Aquaria clenched her hand into a fist and jutted out her chin.
Eri wanted to help, but she wasn’t a marriage therapist. She needed to figure out what Aquaria was trying to tell her about the mission. “What
did
you learn?”
Aquaria took a deep breath like she was repressing feelings Eri shouldn’t know of. “From the cryptic answers he gave me, I got the impression that you’ll be collecting information to use against the inhabitants.”
Acid burned Eri’s stomach. “The commander said I was to befriend them…learn their language…”
“Think about it, Eri. What kind of information did she want from you?”
Here was the red flag Eri had blatantly ignored. “She did mention weapons, but I thought it was only to protect us.” Even as Eri defended the commander, doubts crept in. “Her mission is to look out for us. Not any other species. If they did present a threat…”
Aquaria nodded conspiratorially. “Commander Grier would make sure they wouldn’t get in the way. In the most thorough manner she could.”
Eri ran her hands through her curls. “Which puts me in quite the predicament.”
Aquaria shrugged, her intense gaze turning to the blowing daisies. “Maybe we’re worrying over nothing. You said you saw thatched trees huts. Maybe they’re not a threat at all. I don’t mean to belittle your mission. In fact, it’s probably the most important mission in all of this ship’s history. I’m just asking you to keep your eyes open.” Her voice fell to a whisper. “I snuck a look at the mission’s supplies. They’re bringing gallium crystal void rays.”
Gallium crystal void rays hardly sounded diplomatic. Eri covered her face with her hands. “I don’t want to be a spy.”
Aquaria grabbed her hand, squeezing so hard, her fingernails dug into Eri’s skin. “Listen to me. You’re going to have to find out if these creatures are peaceful. If they are, you’re going to need to decide.”
“Decide what?”
“Whether or not to warn them.”
Eri froze. Blasphemy leaked from her sister’s mouth.
“I can’t go against the commander or the Guide.”
Aquaria nodded and looked away. “That’s a decision only you can make.” She spread her hand over the layout of her new family cell. “Look at me—I’m hardly one to speak. I follow the Guide to the letter, and what has it gotten me? A cyber-green couch and a wallscreen full of daisies.”
“And handsome Litus.”
Aquaria’s gaze roamed to a distant place Eri couldn’t see or understand. “How could I forget? I just wish I knew more about him. I want to know who he is inside, not the façade he puts on for everyone else.”
Eri’s mouth snapped shut. Maybe the façade
was
the real him. For Aquaria’s sake, she hoped not.
The wallscreen beeped and a smooth-toned voice sung out, “Fourteen hundred.”
Aquaria dabbed at her eyes, brushed off her pants legs like she had crumbs all over her, and stood up. “Litus will be home soon. Come, I’ll make you a cup of tea.” The change in her voice and her composure was a shock, like walking from the rainy biodome into the fluorescent halls.
Eri balked, unwilling to get up from the couch or leave their conversation. So many questions lingered.
As if on cue, the portal dematerialized and Litus stood in the doorway in his navy officer’s uniform. Aquaria walked over and gave him a peck on his cheek. “Welcome home, hon.”
He noticed Eri on the couch. “I didn’t know we had company.”
“Eri stopped by to see our new place.” Aquaria disappeared into the kitchen.
Eri stood up, plastic crinkling, hoping the cyber-green didn’t melt onto her white uniform. “I like the daises on the wallscreen.” She didn’t mention the couch.
Litus set his workbag down by the portal. “That was Aquaria’s idea, right, dear?”
Aquaria shouted back a response between gurgles of the food congealizer. “I thought it would brighten up the room.”
“Are you staying for dinner?” Litus turned to Eri, his face somber and unyielding. Eri wondered what thoughts swam behind his unwavering blue gaze. He seemed to size her up, calculating her inner feelings.
“No, I have a lot of work to do.” Not wanting to burn in his gaze any longer, she ducked her head into the kitchen. “Bye, Aquaria.”
“Good luck, Eri. Remember what we talked about.” Aquaria whipped her head around from the countertop preparation to give her a steady stare.
“I’ll remember.”
As Eri passed by Litus, a faint smile brightened his handsome face. “See you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Was Litus coming by to learn Spanish?
“The first training session for Delta Slip.”
“Oh, yeah.” Aquaria’s new information had blindsided her so completely, she’d forgotten. “Of course.”
“Looking forward to it, I hope. It’s an honor to be chosen for the team.”
Eri traced the doorframe with her pointer finger, collecting dust on her fingernail.
An honor. Yeah, right.
…
The laser-training arena sat in a bay near the library. Eri had walked down the corridor countless times to research old texts and run her hands over real books from Old Earth. She’d never had a reason to stop for target practice in the arena. She almost passed the portal and waltzed directly into the library out of habit.
The conversation with Aquaria from yesterday still swam in her head. Did the commander plan on cohabitation or annihilation?
If it was the latter, the commander asked her to represent a civilization that would ultimately spell the natives’ doom. She was more than a delegate. She was a spy, a bringer of death. Shriveling inside, Eri wondered if she possessed such cool callousness. A thousand doubts clouded her mind. This mission struck a dissonant chord inside her. Even though it came directly from the commander, it wasn’t right.
Thatched tree huts were hardly the handiwork of a mechanically advanced society. Commander Grier was overreacting to the threat, and Eri was her pawn. But did she have a choice?
You’re going to have to decide…
Whether or not to warn them…
That’s only a decision you can make for yourself…
She had no idea her sister was a closet rebel. All those pretend games they had played as kids suddenly had new meaning. One question rose above the rest. How deep did Litus’s alliances lie? For once, Eri was glad she wasn’t paired with someone like him, because she wanted a partner who shared her dreams, someone who was able to open up and tell her how he felt.
A burly man passed by, flicking his ID badge to open the arena portal. Eri stepped into a jungle. She reached out and her hand passed through a thicket of vines, feeling thin air. Holograms. Designed to resemble the environment they headed into. A shiver ran up her spine.
She moved to the center of the arena where a group of men and women congregated. Some were lieutenants in training, others special ops, and a few were the commander’s highly trained bodyguards. All were built like they could wrestle a bull to the ground and eat its guts raw. She felt like a mouse cowering in their shadows.
A whisper hissed from the crowd of giants. “What’s she doing here?”
“She’s a linguist.” The other voice dripped with sarcasm.
Eri turned to identify the speaker. A man with a buzz cut and bristles on his chin looked down at her like she was some annoying cleaning droid. “Going to talk to the aliens, huh?” He held up his gallium crystal void ray with large ionic chambers on either side, a weapon almost as long as she was tall. “Here’s my medium of negotiation.”
Everyone chuckled. Eri must have paled because one woman with thick eyebrows taunted her. One small braid stuck out the top of her shaved head. “Don’t worry, we won’t let them hurt you.”
“Enough, Mars.” Litus’s voice resonated across the arena. He walked through a fern cluster to meet them. “We have a small team of ten and everyone’s here. Let’s get the show on the road.”
The crowd quieted. Litus’s leadership skills impressed her. She’d never seen him in action before. Wouldn’t Aquaria feel lucky with her pairing now?
Litus waved his arm in an arc. Thatched tree huts littered the canopy. The scout droid flew down from a branch, collecting samples from the jungle floor. “These are pictures shot from our satellite droid on Haven 6. Pictures taken before this happened.” He pointed to a section of the jungle. An arrow whizzed through the air and Eri ducked. The man behind her didn’t flinch as the shaft flew through his body and out the other side.
Holograms.
Embarrassment flooded her and her cheeks burned. Someone laughed, but Litus’s glare stifled any further derision. He raised an eyebrow at Eri. “Good instincts.”
Another arrow followed, and a portion of the wallscreen fizzled out and went blank.
Litus turned to the crowd. “The video input feed was disabled. That’s all the info we have.”
The man with the buzz cut stepped forward. “Arrows. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It does seem primitive, Tank. Still, you can never be too careful. That arrow knocked out our scout in one hit. That’s why the commander is sending us first. Our mission is to collect as much data on our new environment, and on those who inhabit it, as possible. Eridani Smith is our interpreter, and everyone, and I mean everyone—” Litus glared at Tank. “Must listen to her.”
Mars’s voice purred like a lioness. “Why the target practice, chief?”
Eri watched Litus’s reaction carefully.
Yes, why the humongous laser guns?
Litus shifted, bringing the gun down to his waist. “Like I said, we can never be too careful. We’re invading their planet, taking over their home. We don’t know how our visitation will be received. There’s a good possibility we’ll have the same welcome party as this unfortunate satellite droid.”
Taking over?
Eri raised her eyebrows, sizing him up. Did he just give away an element of the plan? Or was he being overly dramatic to warn them of what the creatures might think?
Litus held up his weapon. “Everyone’s laser is set for practice mode, which means you are shooting harmless light. But try to take this as seriously as possible. We wouldn’t want friendly fire once we landed, so let’s not shoot each other today.”
No matter what the mission was, Eri questioned having her own laser. Would a leader of state attend a meeting with a laser gun? No. Having a weapon might make her a target.
Rustling disturbed the leaves behind her and Eri whirled around. “What is it?”
“A target.” Litus stepped over to her and offered her a hand laser. “I’ve already input the code.”
She took the laser in both hands and the weight dragged her wrists down.
Litus stood aside as a gray figure darted in and out of the foliage. “Target anything that moves.”