Log 1 Matter | Antimatter (30 page)

“What? Not every lunch?” She looked wide-eyed
at Sacha. “Is he trying to tell me something?”

Sacha nodded sagely, exaggerating her look.
“He doesn’t want you cramping his style.”

“Style!” Pen entered, laughing, kissing him
on the cheek. “He has no style.”

Terance shook his head, his dark eyes amused.
“Here we go. Where are the other men?”

The drumming started up again and Dad moaned.
“Oh damn. Let me get that.” He disappeared and was practically
dragging Gralten up.

When Gralten saw the girls all looking at him
he grinned. “What?”

Mum threw a towel at him. They laughed and
teased while Dad made them lunch. Ara was excited. The opportunity
had nothing to do with engineering and her counselors told her it
was good for the soul. She just wanted to do it because she loved
animals.

“You kids off on another camping trip?” Dad
asked, a bit too casually.

Ara and Sacha’s eyes narrowed at the same
time. Ara answered first, “Yes, but we can stay home if you
want.”

Sacha burst out laughing and placed her hand
over her mouth.

Pen said, “We’ll find something to do.” She
gave Dad a wink and Ara and Sacha sniggered.

They heard the “elephants” as her other
brothers were yelling about getting their things together for their
camping trip. Before leaving, Ara used one of the many boxes her
guard placed her weapons in. It was a little odd receiving pretty
gift boxes with sharp daggers and things inside. She didn’t think
he’d mind if she used one for a purpose other than holding an
instrument of death. It had taken her six attempts to get Caleb’s
necklace just right. It was a blackbird, special to Saratoga. It
represented deep love.

Ara was so excited hoping he’d accept it from
her and she held off giving it to him, but only because she was
waiting for an addition to the intricate pendant—a special nanite
chain that could change form. It would allow him to place it on
anything, if he wanted it. “He’ll want it, silly.” She laughed at
herself, trying to push down her nerves. She was making the first
official move—wanting something much deeper, hoping he’d ask her to
exchange Cupids.

“Ara, Caleb and Terzon are coming camping
with us.”

Saratoga Beachside City

Cobra ticked things off his list.

Tick. Delayed apprenticeship

Tick. Overdue Virgo

Tick. Family member manipulated

“What does all that have to do with an
alliance?”

He tilted his head back seeing Viper’s
grinning face.

“Relax, it’ll come later. Trust me. Things
are heading in a certain direction and I’m already organizing for
the meeting.”

“And I’m priming for that?”

Cobra handed him an EBrain. “Pick one. Just
keep in mind Tarus has picked “Isolation”, I have chosen “First
Love” and”—the blue eyes were amused but held a warning—“working on
it already.”

“Wow, there are three things on the list.
That leaves me with, let’s see, ‘Family’?”

“Excellent choice.”

***

Ara hugged her pillow on the bed.

The camping trip three months ago had started
as usual, and had been a lot of fun. They talked of Mum’s
pregnancy. Caleb and Terzon spent a few days with them but everyone
noticed things were a little weird at times. Meg was alternating
between bitchy and weird the whole time. Ara just didn’t understand
some of the nuances as they shared experiences. After Caleb and
Terzon left, Meg announced that she was no longer a virgin and then
later announced she was pregnant.

And now Ara had just returned home from
school and found Dad crying. At a knock, she jumped out of bed, and
flung open the door. Dad’s keys to his truck dangled in his hands.
Meg ran up behind him.

“I need you to drive me, Pen’s in hospital.
Ara, we think your mum has lost the baby.”

Meg gasped and held her own stomach.

Ara nodded once, and grabbed the keys. “Let’s
go.” She glared at Meg. “You stay here.”

For once Meg just nodded.

Love | Hate

Vs.

First Love, Family, and Isolation

Six months after Meg announced her pregnancy they
were all invited to a party at King Delario’s estates. Meg chose
not to go so they piled into the new vehicles King Delario had
issued them with.

Marc leaned in and whispered in Ara’s ear,
“Methinks he’s embarrassed especially if we rock up in our homely
vehicles.”

Ara laughed. “Shit—”

“Ara. Language.”

“Sorry, Mum.” Ara turned to Marc. “Dad could
have come in the tractor and we could have torn up his nice front
lawns on our bikes.”

Marc sniggered but Dad laughed without
turning around. Mum shushed them all. The driver glanced at them
through the mirror. They arrived ten minutes later and the gardens
were filled with people and decorations, music filtered from a
portico, ducks quacked by the lake telling guests not to get too
close, there was a gentle breeze bringing warmer air from the
ocean.

“We could have had a points competition too.”
Marc grinned, peering out past Ara. “People, royals, ducks,
servants—”

“I would have won in my tractor. That’s
enough from you two.”

“And you, Terance. Honestly, you do encourage
them.”

Dad grumbled, twisted around, and pointed at
them. “Behave.”

“How’d we end up with Mum and Dad anyway?”
Marc held up his hands to ward off their comments.

Terance hid a grin. “You four are the
worst.”

“We didn’t say anything!” Henry grumbled from
behind Marc and Ara.

“Unusually quiet,” Pen said with annoyance.
“You boys didn’t bring your games did you?”

There was a little shuffling behind Ara as
they packed up their EBrains into their rucksacks. Marc shoved at
Ara’s shoulder for her to get out of the car. She placed her hand
on the handle.

“You must wait until we drive up to the arch,
the attendant will open your parents’ door first.” The driver’s
voice was loud and disapproving.

Ara pulled a face at Marc who was blushing.
Mum and Dad, who were both shaking their heads, had made them read
the Delario Protocol Instruction and King Delario had sent a
majordomo to brief them all. She checked her blue dress and used a
little hand mirror Sacha gave her. There were no biscuit crumbs on
her face, and her eyebrows weren’t mad.

“Mad eyebrows under control.”

Marc had to put his hand over his mouth to
stop laughing too loudly but Ara felt pleased at him being
chastised like that. He was so sensitive to criticism and conflict
she worried sometimes. She looked out the window. There were
hundreds of guests including several kings and queens. During the
dreadful day, Ara was presented to them all and met Vinicus again.
She had met him after Ike had attacked her and Ersen had saved her.
One friendly face at least.

He held her hand. “My lady.”

“Vin, it’s good to see you.”

He was still lean and handsome, his black
hair longer now. Vin passed her along to the next person with a
wink. She tried not to groan. Around they went until Ara,
exhausted, had to stop conveniently by a buffet table where Caleb
found her. He held out a hand.

“It feels inappropriate now but I am
presenting you with a gift, Ara.”

His face looked strained and she thought it
was because Pen had lost her baby and no one could find out why. It
had been a sad time three months ago, and Meg had become reclusive,
constantly fussing over her own health.

The fanfare blaring around them told her it
was an official gift from Prince Caleb to Ara Katron, an Aryan Lady
who might be a queen one day. From the looks of some of the
Pure-Gen males, many were already planning to request they be her
province kings. Ara would ask Vin before she asked any of the
others she had met today. With regret, Ara put down her half-filled
plate. They walked around the side of the palace grounds, followed
by the hundreds who were filling the castle grounds and tiers, and
her eyes rested on the small space port. She had only seen it once
before. Two large, sleek space vehicles rested on the pads.

As they neared the rangers she admired the
sleek lines, both cigar shaped, and was appreciative of the size.
She looked around for her present when Caleb stopped her at the
base of the steps. It was at least three or four decks high. She
glanced at him. His face, which had looked pale and serious,
suddenly broke out into a smile. He looked at the closer
spacecraft. She looked again and saw a small ribbon on the side
hatch, which was opening. Steps slid down.

“That’s not—for me?”

“It’s your Seeker, Ara, twin to mine. It’s
Kulindros Engineered with two sable engines. They are already
registered as the KE2AK with the SpaceCorps so all the latest HaV
entry and exit coordinates are programmed in. Come on, I’ll show
you.”

But he leaned in first, and kissed her.

Applause broke out from behind them. Ara
remembered spotting a large screen in the grounds and knew they
were on display. She tried to keep her smile genuine.

“I’m still working on a special plaque.”

He connected directly with her implant.

C. It’s a secret project involving a spatial
anomaly held in the materials I’m forging. A matching one will sit
in my bridge

Ara caught an odd thought from him, “She may
not want to talk to him, but she could.” Why on earth wouldn’t she
want to talk to him? Was Delario making him leave? Was this about
her being the Mobile Unit? There was a tense undercurrent that Ara
couldn’t shake.

Ara stepped up followed by Caleb who gave her
the tour. “You’ll have to learn to navigate and operate the craft,
Ara. I’ve arranged for your lessons and instructors. You just need
to contact them and talk of times suitable to do your ranger
ratings. It’ll have to be here on Saratoga.”

Ara hugged him tightly, realizing he’d tried
to help her get off the planet. He hugged her back but she felt it
was almost desperate as he buried his head in her shoulder and
wouldn’t meet her eyes when they headed back down the ladder.

“You’ll have your present soon; sorry it’s
taken so long.”

“I haven’t forgotten, Ara.”

Her smiled faded a little. “Caleb?”

He kissed her and then said, “Shhh.”

It was a long, drawn out day. It was clear
that everyone approved of her and Caleb, but there was almost a
self-satisfied mood in the way the queens and kings spoke to them.
Queen Silvia and Jon, her husband, were the only ones to be
genuinely interested in the gift, and Ara’s comfort. Ara felt she
had stepped over into their realm, some invisible society that
Caleb was a part of. That meant First-Gens as well as Pure-Gens. In
the distance, she had spotted Jadan and Bel but it was only Terzon
who managed to get a dance with her.

“Tough day?”

Ara saw amusement and a little wariness in
the brown eyes. “A little. A nice surprise, a bit
overwhelming.”

“He’s been planning it for some time.”

Ara glanced around the estates where many
eyes were trained on her and Terzon.

“Don’t let them get to you, Ara.”

She tried to relax in his arms but said,
“There’s something odd—” She let it hang but Terzon, after an
initial look of worry, saw her looking at a small group of queens
and kings.

“They feel you are close to taking your place
with them. More controllable that way.”

Ara jerked in his arms, her eyes locking on
to his. “More controllable? Have I been out of control?”

“Think about it. You are the Mobile Unit.
They feel you are some kind of herald, a herald of change to their
society and social mores. It’s made worse by the secretiveness of
your role in their society.” He squeezed her arms then. “They may
be worried that Maya intends for them all to become farmers.”

Ara burst out laughing, grateful to Terzon.
She admired how he drilled down to the heart of her worry and
alleviated it with his humor. He swept her around on the dance
floor.

Finally, it was time to get into the
vehicles. No one joked on the way home, and Ara was depressed
despite Terzon’s attempt to cheer her.

Over the next couple of weeks, to try to
break the mood, she went into her room and tried to work on the
love poem for Caleb. She was terrible at writing poetry and being
romantic, but knew Caleb would love it, and love her effort. The
final attachment was a special brooch, which would allow Caleb a
moment to decide if he wanted to open it.

Marc knocked on the door. “Ara, you’d better
come up. Caleb’s here.”

He sounded upset.

But she picked up the box, having tucked
everything inside. Hesitating, she decided not to put the brooch on
top so that everyone could see it, but held it in her hand. It
might be a good time to announce their love. When Ara entered the
lounge, excitement filling her, she froze. Everyone was huddled in
the room, with Caleb and Meg standing in front of the unlit fire.
She frowned a little and then went to stand next to Marc.

Caleb’s eyes fell to the box, and he looked
like he wanted to cry. He had distanced himself a little in the
last month, and she thought it was because he had to leave
Saratoga, and Terzon had told her that she would know why. Terzon
was looking pale and he and Ara locked eyes for a moment. His brown
eyes settled on the box too, and he glanced at Caleb.

Caleb tried to avoid Ara’s gaze but then took
a deep breath. “I would like to announce that I am the father of
Meg’s child. Our daughter will be a part of the Xoria Prime
Province, registered as a Fourth-Gen.”

Ara’s world collapsed around her.

The box fell from her cold fingers, the
brooch clattered on Marc’s foot. He was quick in snatching it up
but everyone had looked and seen it, except Meg, who was looking at
Caleb and frowning.