Log 1 Matter | Antimatter (18 page)

She checked her nails for grease. “Remind me
to finish work on the no. 6 tractor when I get back.”

“I will, glad you’ve taken over the farm
machinery duties.”

She preferred that job to the picking and
getting twigs in her hair all the time, not to mention the
scratches, cuts, and sunburn. Of course, if she wore long sleeves,
as Dad told her, and gloves, as Mum told her, and put on a hat and
cream, as Sacha told her, she would have been injury free all those
years. She sighed and turned. “I’m ready.”

Saratoga Park

Ersen drove her to the party and stopped in
the car park after he found a shady place. “Ara?”

She paused after the door swung open with one
foot already out.

“The Maya’s Virgo date for you … it doesn’t
mean you have to do it then.”

She laughed softly. “I know, but thanks,
Ers.”

Out of her brothers, Ersen was someone she
could really talk to about normal stuff. She scanned the full car
park. “Do you know much about Cupid?”

“If you mean personal experience, no. Don’t
they teach that at school now?”

She nodded. “Just the technical data about
how it’s a special type of Exergon Line and Link, where the plasma
energy meshes Superlunary, Nexus, and Sawol of two people.” She
gave him a sly look. “It really was quite intriguing.”

He snorted in laughter, not hearing her
little dig. “For once I get the impression it’s the non-technical
aspect you are interested in.”

She feigned disinterest but Ersen knew her
too well. At least she had been able to keep her knowledge of who
he was a secret. It was dangerous knowledge and the less it was
spoken of and thought of the better. She had no intention of
endangering her family and inside her the fear grew. Fear of
accidently blurting it out verbally or mentally. Fear of genocide.
Fear of those who often stared and whispered when she was
around.

Ara spotted her group while a number of
others waited for their safari vehicles to come and pick them up.
Sliding out, and closing the door, she smiled at Caleb who was
still in his vehicle. Ara waved goodbye to Ersen as she shielded
her eyes from the glare of the sun. She was greeted by a few other
girls as she joined them, aware that Caleb’s eyes were on her. They
headed to the gardens and walked around admiring the flowers while
the males eyed them off. Caleb sauntered over, his body had filled
out, pale, lithe like she was, his red hair left free and long. He
was gorgeous, more so to her because she loved him. As usual, she
struggled to talk unless it was to tell him off or correct him. As
usual, he started bragging about something, usually about his
Spatial Engineering abilities. What they couldn’t manage to say,
their braids with secret messages at least offered them some
anchor. It was a childhood game that turned into a meaningful way
to communicate their affection.

Two off roaders approached and they piled in.
During the hour of being crammed in the vehicles, they avoided
painful awkwardness by chatting with everyone else. After they
arrived at the park’s main meeting place, Ara and Caleb walked
together down a sheltered and cool path in the forest.

For some reason, time alone calmed them down
but, as usual, before they could talk, someone would join them.
They gave up trying to be on their own and headed out to the bigger
park. It was here the animals were held, not restrained by fences
or enclosures. Caleb rubbed his chin after Ara mentioned she’d love
to see some monkeys.

“There’s none here!” Her complaint had been
taken to heart by Caleb.

The group wandered around the trees trying to
find some. Caleb disappeared into a jungle part of the gardens that
they had just come out from.

“That’s too bad, Ara,” Terzon said,
scratching his now short, brown hair. He had tried to grow it long
like his brother’s after Ara had said how much she liked Caleb’s
long hair. “Maybe next time.”

They walked back out to the open fields when
they heard noise behind them.

Terzon frowned and turned around. “That
sounds like—”

They all stared and then out from the woods
Caleb came sprinting, with at least twenty angry monkeys screeching
at him. Some of the party started running away, screaming or
yelling. But Ara froze, staring at the spectacle. Caleb was running
at her. “Ara, run!”

She turned and managed to get her legs
working.

Caleb sped past her and grabbed her hand.
“Hurry.”

But one jumped on her back and Caleb wrestled
it off, getting his face scratched. They set off again and jumped
into one of the two vehicles. They were panting. Caleb sat back and
his eyes drifted to her, he looked humiliated.

“Did you—?” She looked at the monkeys jumping
up and down the bonnet of their vehicle and on the roof of the
other. The crazed monkeys gave up after a few minutes and left them
to troll back to the forest. Their friends left the vehicle,
laughing now. Two park rangers ran up and began to scold. “I think
we should stay in here for a minute.”

Caleb glanced back and laughed. “I wasn’t
expecting them to react like that.”

“The monkeys or the park rangers?”

Caleb turned back and grinned. “Both.”

She lifted out the medical kit, turned his
face to the right and looked at the cut.

He sat very still but connected to her
implant easily; they’d been doing it for years, ever since he
showed her how in his tree house as kids.
“This was worth
it.”

Terzon walked up and said through the window,
“They’re well gone. We’ll head out to the picnic place by the
stream. There’s a swimming hole there.” Terzon locked gazes with
her for a moment, his brown eyes warm, winked at her and left,
whistling.

She applied some cream to his face. “Funny
how it was only us in this vehicle.”

“Funny.”

“Anyone would think they knew we were annoyed
that we were continually interrupted earlier.”

His eyes were unrepentant.
“I didn’t want
to scare you off.”

“
With the monkeys?”

He grinned at her and said aloud, “Aside from
looking like an idiot, something I seem to do a lot around you, I
meant the ArT. We haven’t used it for some time.”

“It’s okay. I’m usually being an idiot around
you too. Just not something I do at home either, Monkey.”

He smiled but took her hand and squeezed it.
“Let’s join the others?” There was a hard look to his face but he
was blocking his thoughts. She didn’t need to access his thoughts
to know what he wanted, a jolt of pleasure rushed through her body.
She nodded gratefully.

They walked out to the water hole without
talking.

The others were already naked and hanging
their clothes over branches. She tried not to compare the generous
curves, full breasts, and softness of female Gens along with their
inherent beauty with her own sporty figure and sharp face. Ara
waved to the few who looked back at them. She slipped off her dress
while walking in front of him. She turned, smiling. He was staring
at her, his eyes roving over her body. She shivered and turned to
watch him while a few hooted at them nearby. He took off his shirt
and she loved the play of muscles under his skin. He slipped off
his pants, tripped and laughed. She laughed with him, so glad that
she had come. He stood before her, penis erect, and she sensed a
slowing of his thought processes. A male reaction to sex. Well,
they were too young. Weren’t they?

He grinned then and grabbed her hand. “Come
on, PuG.”

They swam out, playing as they went. A little
later, she sunned herself on a boulder, tummy down, and he splashed
some cold water over her. She turned her head and saw him looking
at her arse.

“Hunger has set in for this poor FiG, Baby.
Come and eat.”

But now he leaked a little of what he meant
by “hunger” and a whole new world opened to her. He also leaked
what he’d be doing that night. His eyes held hers. She slid into
the water and stood close in front of him. His hot lips caressed
her ear and he pressed his erection below her navel.
“I could
eat you.”
He ran a hand up her arm and moved in to kiss her.
Their lips touched, and she felt him contract over her mound.

Shivering, the tingling that often
accompanied their kissing spread over her body; her nipples were
hard against his chest. For just a moment, their kissing grew
urgent but he pulled away and smiled, gently tucking her almost dry
hair behind her ear. He shoved her into the cool water, towards the
middle, and swam back with her. They dressed, and helped sort
through the food. Before they left, they both braided a message
into each other’s hair.

“Monkey.”

“Baby.”

But when their eyes locked, neither was
grinning.

“
Any more logs, Ara? Best I ask using
ArT.”

She linked to his implant and sent the
data.

CARDINAL Unit 9 (CU) Cycle and
Logs

Reporting on MONITOR Mobile
Unit

1117317627853875

MONITOR returning to date 5.7%
feasible data

COLLATE data

COMPARE data

End check

“
Damn it, Ara. I wish I could help
you.”

Homestead

After Ara returned and showered, she played
with Meg, who was now eleven. Caleb had been distressed for her
regarding the matter levels rising and how she hated being used but
neither really understood what it meant. At dinner, Ara ate
heartily with her mind replaying Caleb undressing.

“Someone’s appetite is up.”

Somehow, many of the sly comments in the past
made sense now. She had stepped over some barrier, understanding
the subtlety of the language. She considered what Caleb was going
to do. She eyed off Marc. “More energy to play with myself later
on, hey Marc?”

Mum choked but Dad laughed. Marc turned
red.

Ersen sighed with exaggeration. “Touché. But
her innocence has gone.”

After Meg left, Ara turned to Dad. “I don’t
understand. If Virgo isn’t for another three hundred and seventy
years for me, what do I do before that?”

It was Dad’s turn to choke out his drink. Ash
and Henry sniggered as he used a cloth to mop up. Mum’s head leaned
on her hand and she groaned.

Marc snorted. “Three hundred and seventy
years?”

“Give or take a few.” She winked at
Ersen.

“Can you tell on others?”

“Yes, but I realize sometimes things are
better left to the mysteries of life. But as to my question, please
don’t say ‘mysteries of life’.” The way she moaned made Pen and
Terance smile. “I mean aside from the self-gratification.” She
slyly looked at Marc who reddened again.

“Pen, would you like to answer your
daughter?”

“No, no. You take this one.”

He grinned at his wife and turned back to
her. “Ara, Virgo is about the tradition and final … um …
penetration.”

“So some play is allowed before that?”

“Yes. There is the Al’kalay, the Fyr’Lahlia,
and the Ph’bashra.”

“What the hell are those?” Ara’s mind boggled
and her spoon hovered close to her open mouth. Why hadn’t Tricia or
Sacha mentioned those on the girly day? Oh, she had phased out a
few times with utter boredom.

Ash and Henry’s eyes were wide.

“Ara.” Dad’s voice was stern, but amused
too.

“Sorry, Dad. Caleb better not try those on
me.” She spooned in some stew, chewing while thinking about what
they could be.

Marc laughed while Ersen shook his head sadly
at her. “Not listening at school again?”

Mum and dad looked at each other. Pen asked,
“You’re still too young for the last two. But, that’s it?”

She swallowed and shrugged. “Well, from where
I am now, to Virgo, determining everything in between isn’t that
hard. Why did they have to name those … things?”

Marc threw a carrot stick at her. “You don’t
even know what they are!”

Tricia must have had him on a raw vegetable
diet again, since his plate was full of colorful, uncooked
vegetable matter. She shook her head at him. He looked at his next
green stick with distaste, shoved the plate away and grabbed a bowl
to ladle the thick stew.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out one
has something to do with masturbation, and one … licking ice cream,
um, not sure about the last one.”

They laughed at her.

“Well, I’m glad I can be endlessly amusing to
my family.”

“And we love you.”

She smiled then. “I know.”

“And you love us,” Pen said with a smile.

“If you insist.” Ara exaggerated a sigh.
Afterwards, as she walked down the steps to her room, Ash and Henry
ambushed her. She told them what she thought they meant. They
laughed, whispering to each other, and ran out to play ball. Males!
Always playing with their balls. Ara’s face burned seeing her face
bright red in a hall mirror. Where had that thought come from? She
remembered one of her school friends saying it, and all the girls
giggling over something she hadn’t understood then.

Ara mused a little. Mum and Dad said she was
too young for the last two. She stared out the window. Below she
could see Mum and Dad holding hands, going for an evening walk.
Marc was backing out from the carport.

It was still light.

She walked into her room and called Caleb on
her Voice.

“Have you heard of a thing called,
Al’kalay?”

There was a pause and then a rush. “I have, I
haven’t tried it yet. Do you want to try it?”

“Sure.”

“Meet me by the ponds in an hour?”

“I’ll see you then.”

What should she wear? What did one wear to
Al’kalay?

King Delario’s Palace Grounds