Astra: Synchronicity (28 page)

The door to the bathroom opened, and when he
emerged, his gaze landed on her. In a smooth motion he scooped her
up in his arms and kissed her, causing her to forget all about
their little squabble earlier. Bryan's embrace was warm and
inviting, and for those few minutes, watching the approach to Xur
didn't matter. He was the sort of lover every man should be:
passionate, tender, and hopelessly romantic. She felt fortunate to
be among the lucky few to have found their soul mate.

Once their desire had been quenched, Nadine
led him back to the window. The sight that awaited them was
shocking, almost horrifying. The rolling hills looked desolate.
Remnants of long-dead native grass littered the countryside, and
what had once been thriving trees cast wasted shadows from their
gnarled limbs. These were not desert plants, yet the ground
appeared parched and lifeless under the unrelenting sunlight. The
ships passed over desiccated houses that no one had lived in for a
great many years.

While they headed farther north, signs of
life began to emerge. Green fields replaced the straw-colored
scrub, and deciduous trees mixed with modern buildings, both
increasing in density as they continued north. Nadine tried to
catch a glimpse of the mechanoids that Eniqua told her about but
did not see any.

In several minutes the
Schenectady
descended even more in preparation for landing. The ships cleared a
high wall made of icy marble with silver accents. Every building
appeared to be made out of the same ivory material, but none of the
buildings had any windows. A row of silver arches streaked by and
they were suddenly over a plaza filled with Xuranians, eager as
they had been to catch a glimpse of the alien race setting foot on
their soil. After clearing one more set of buildings, the ships
landed on smooth gray surface with the dull thud everyone had grown
accustomed to. They had arrived.

Nadine sighed, trying to collect her rampant
thoughts and slow the fluttering of her heart. Would this go as
smoothly as the Xuranians had led them to believe or were there
devils in the details…only time could answer that question.

The human peace delegation filed off their
respective ships and headed toward a group of Xuranians nearby.
Despite the fact she was with her husband, Nadine felt troubled
leaving the safety of their ships. Just a minimal crew would remain
behind. No sooner had Commander Mundammi stepped onto Xur, she saw
him light a hashish cigarette while Lieutenant-Commander Martinez
waved its toxic smoke from her face and reminded him they didn't
know Xuranian laws on such matters. Chairman Dodd sidled up to
Councilwoman Stewart, who wore a gaudy party dress with white
heels. Somehow in the crowd, Magnius managed to find her and
followed several paces behind the second couple with Amii and
Xander in tow.

None of the humans had been allowed to bring
weapons onto Xur. Like the UE, the Xuranians had a strict policy
that citizens could not bear arms. If no one had weapons, they
could threaten no one, which made security far easier. That made
Magnius' presence vital. He didn't need a weapon because his mind
was one. She wondered how much havoc he could wreak if he really
wanted to, knowing only a select group of powerful telepaths could
stop him.

Her mind gravitated toward Magnius, who was
easy to pick out in a crowd when he wasn't shielding himself. He
broadcasted louder than the humans around him due to the fact he
was psionic. His age made him a lot more traditional than most men
she knew, but she found the characteristic quite redeeming in him.
His reserved nature masked his optimism and intellect while his
humble upbringing tempered his pride—a collection of traits that
suited him well.

Ever since she'd met him, she'd known about
his fascination with Amii. Whenever he looked at her, his aura
warmed and his racing heart took over. He did everything he could
think of to hide it. He could fool himself if he wanted to, but
there was no fooling a telepath. Subliminal loyalty to his wife
kept his emotions restrained thus far, but his budding affection
for Amii seemed boundless.

When it came to Amii's feelings about
Magnius, Nadine didn't know what to think. She felt like a first
grader trying to tackle Shakespeare or a preschooler hoping to
understand one of Mozart's great operas. Amii's stoicism and
naïveté contradicted one another. She doubted an educated woman
who'd traveled Astra at Xander's side would be so open-minded. And
yet, on the surface nothing seemed wrong with her. If anything, her
particular blend of characteristics complimented Xander's.

For a moment Nadine wished she were a less
ethical telepath, one with no qualms about forcing herself into the
scientist's mind and making him reveal all of Amii's secrets. But
as she'd told her friend not long ago, perhaps it was best not to
know.

Even though they were a good distance back
from where the Xuranians waited, she could tell there was something
very different about one of them. He stood proudly, like a
confident commander used to asserting his authority in all kinds of
situations. "Welcome to Xur." His booming voice echoed among the
buildings. It sounded musical and inviting. "Thank you all for
coming. Please accompany us to the palace for a formal introduction
with the Divine Chancellor and an afternoon meal."

The palace was not far from the landing area.
Nadine couldn't see beyond the tall, white buildings that lined
streets for as far as the eye could see. Their group headed east
through an ornate silver archway, and upon turning north, an
unusual structure loomed. It looked like it had risen straight out
of the sea adjacent to it.

The sandstone castle had a wide base and each
level was smaller than the one below it, bordered by enough roof to
cover the tier beneath. Silver and gold accents adorned
crescent-shaped shingles. Four large towers reached toward heaven
from its corners. The structure appeared to continue down into the
turbid water. The stark absence of windows disturbed her.

What secrets might such a palace hold? She
considered the possibilities, each thought exciting her and
advancing her curiosity of the Xuranians. Her husband told her the
Xuranians had once been a world of many hundred clans, allied but
not bound together under one rule. Bryan didn't understand how one
family came to divine power though. Perhaps she'd have a chance to
ask Eniqua this afternoon. She seemed more personable than the rest
of the Xuranians.

"How old do you figure that castle is?" Bryan
wondered aloud without breaking his stride.

Nadine smiled. "Older than Aliane, without a
doubt. The city must've been amazing when all the buildings had
that style. I wonder what happened…"

"Maybe it was bombarded by other aliens,"
Magnius said, keeping pace behind them. "I don't think the galaxy
is as friendly a place as the Xuranians make it out to be."

She wondered if he was right and hoped, for
humanity's sake, that he was wrong.

***

Magnius stood at the edge of the hall and
tried to feel useful. His boredom had gone to a whole new level
during the pompous diplomatic rituals of the afternoon. For the
handful of officials catered to by packs of fawning aliens, the
gathering had worth, but he felt like an insect to them. So much
for the glamorous life of diplomats.

To pass the time he studied the Xuranian's
vast collection of art. The life-like murals on the interior walls
displayed a meadow in astounding realism complete with
white-shouldered mountains and a fairy-tale forest. Cumulus clouds
on the ceiling hid light fixtures, which provided illumination so
natural he couldn't tell it didn't come from the sun. He didn't
miss the lack of windows whatsoever.

Fantastic statues grew out from the corners
of the octagonal ballroom in glorious scenes depicting the triumph
of Xuranian heroes over great beasts or serpents. The
fifteen-foot-tall sculptures had been cast from polished metal in
shades of yellow, rose, and green. When he touched one, he closed
his eyes and realized it was composed of various gold alloys. He
allowed his mind to peruse the atomic structure longer than he
should have, but it calmed him and pushed aside his worries a few
minutes more.

He glanced across the room at Xander, who
wandered from table to table devouring every plate of food on
sight. Amii had done her best to smuggle food out of the cafeteria,
but the meager rations weren't much to subsist on. She treated him
better than he deserved, but Magnius did nothing to dissuade her.
He had no desire to get into another fight with her. If anything,
he admired her for standing by her convictions even if they were
misguided.

He arched his back and stretched it to
relieve some of his discomfort. For the past few days, a nagging
backache irritated him, something he could thank Amii for. The
quarters had two bunks, and Xander took the top one without asking
anyone's opinion; thus, her only options had been a chair or the
floor, of which she preferred the floor. He wasn't about to let her
sleep there the whole trip so he offered her his bed. Every night
she declined his offer, yet every night he moved her there anyways
while she slept. Using telekinesis, he didn't lay a hand on her
once.

Pain I can live with
, he thought.
Living one day as a selfish asshole like Xander…I'd sooner kill
myself
.

The synchronicity of her sudden appearance in
his quarters boggled his mind. In his limitless boredom that night,
he'd searched the network for any mention of Xander Adams in the
news since arriving in Northampton, without any success. An amateur
photographer's portfolio titled "Life in Northampton the Day First
Contact Changed Humanity" caught his attention. A panorama of the
Capitol and Westwood Estate revealed high-definition images of Amii
and Xander on the Capitol steps. And after searching her marbled
blue eyes for some hint of her whereabouts, she crashed through his
ceiling and plunged back into his tattered world.

When his gaze returned to the room, he saw
Amii moving across the floor toward him. She had a free, open gait
that radiated a lust for life. As she approached, the sight of her
brought him the first semblance of happiness he'd had since his
ordeal started. He was glad she'd found her way back into his
world. Now that she had, he didn't want to let her go. The more
they talked the more his heart connected with her. Every day she
captivated another piece of him with her beautiful mind, and he'd
forgotten how good love could feel.

"I have no idea where Xander is putting all
that food," she said after she came to a stop. Her pink shoes made
a perfect forty-five degree angle. "I didn't think anyone could eat
that much."

"Maybe he has a hollow leg. My mom was like
that. She could eat anything and would just dance off all the
calories." His words felt barely coherent and forced. The rush of
having her near him turned his mind into tapioca.

"His coat probably weighs a hundred pounds.
Stocking up for the return trip to Northampton, I'm sure. Either
that or he's hibernating for the winter."

"I wish."

Thanks to her, Magnius hadn't gone insane the
past few days. He only felt at ease when he left with Amii to visit
the mess hall. The two of them stayed for the entire two hours
allotted to them because he hated listening to Xander talk to
himself. In the room she said nothing, pouring over her book for
hours on end like it contained biblical prophecies. From all her
silent stares, he got the impression she liked him too, but he
could never be sure.

A melodic feminine voice called out from
behind him. "Matt Zoleki, you have to be the last person in Astra I
expected to see here on Xur."

Magnius cursed under his breath before
turning toward her with a smile. Her name was Leslie White, the
gossip reporter for
Viva Vega
he'd loathed for the past five
years. "Well, we're not in Astra anymore, are we," he said.

Although Leslie was hailed as one of the
sexiest women alive, he didn't see it. The annoyance she'd brought
him over the years cast a dark shadow over her unnatural beauty.
After all this time, he just wanted her to leave him alone.

She cast her emerald eyes on Amii for a
moment before returning her attention to him. "Who's she?"

"My sister. Any other tasteless questions for
me?"

"What brings you all the way out here?"

"We came at the request of Nadine
Taylor."

"I had no idea you knew her. I've been trying
to get an interview with her for years."

Amii rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't hold my
breath if I were you."

He stifled a chuckle, though the statement
annoyed Leslie, who turned toward her and put her hands on her
hips. "Oh? And why is that?"

Magnius moved closer to Amii and wrapped his
arm around her shoulders to diffuse the situation. "Why did you
come over here, Leslie? I have no intention of talking about the
divorce."

"The divorce? That's yesterday's news. I'm
not interested unless your sister has anything she wants to add."
Her palpable contempt for Amii made him unintentionally hold her
tighter. "And besides, I'm not the host of
Viva Vega
anymore. I'm the chief correspondent on the Xuranians for ANN."

"Was that a demotion?" he asked.

"I asked for the reassignment. I felt like
the time was right for me to move back to doing stories that really
mattered. The prospect of peace with Xur is one of high interest.
It's a very important topic for me. I'm happy to be a part of
it."

Her motives surprised him. She'd always
struck him as nothing more than a shameless fame-whore. Perhaps she
wasn't the shallow celebutante she seemed. "Then I'm happy for
you."