Authors: Hana Starr
“We learned your life and history from only a few hours of
observation. You are obviously vastly more important than any other scientist
that we have not heard of. And then there is the fact of your invention. You
know how to make plants grow quicker. That will be important for a struggling
remnant of a people such as us.”
He had a point, but an easy way around all this suddenly
occurred to her. By this point, she had long since accepted the whole situation
and didn’t feel any weirdness discussing it like she would the weather. That
was just her way. “Why don’t I just tell you how to use the serum?” she
suggested. “Even better, I’ll show you how to make it. The formula I use to
make the plants grow faster, I mean.”
Eban shook his head however, and she wasn’t sure whether her
disappointment and excitement was bigger. “We don’t need merely that. We need
someone who can show us how to work the earth. Someone who can perform tests in
the first place to let us know whether or not we might settle down at all. You
are all of the above and more. I am asking you to come with us. Please.”
She hesitated. A path opened up before her, one of
indecision and longing. The one route was clearly-marked and bright all the way
down, a continuation of her fame and good fortunes. She could keep her house
and continue to work at the lands as the seasons went by, acquiring that horse
and those ducks she always wanted since there was a pond out there on her
property, too. It would be a shame to leave this all behind just as she was
beginning to enjoy it. Her father would like it. Clear-cut, relatively no
risks. Her fate was in her own hands.
But, down that darkened side path, there was no knowing what
might await her. There was only knowing what wouldn’t: a steady life, a horse,
ducks, perhaps a family when she was ready. Perhaps that was the allure of it,
the reason she knew her answer long before she actually thought through the pros
and cons. This might be her death, but she was going to die someday anyway.
That was just a fact of life which had to be accepted.
And her whole life, she had known where she was going.
Perhaps it was time to follow in her mother’s footsteps and embrace the
mystery.
“Okay,” she agreed. The decision paid for itself right then
and there, just watching the wave of relief wash the stress from his face.
Actually, in that instant, she thought he was quite handsome. Perhaps not the
type of man she normally found attractive, but perhaps his stiffness could be
excused.
Hell, look at me too,
she thought.
I’m not acting
like myself right now, either.
They stood there in silence for a moment before she broke
it, preventing any awkwardness or second thoughts from coming between them.
“So, what do we do, now? Do I…go back with you now?”
Eban shook his head, leaving her relieved and disappointed.
On the one hand, she wanted the time to prepare but on the other, she really
didn’t want to have second thoughts. Never before had she broken a promise but
now she was just as scared that he would change his mind, too. But all he said
was, “The pod is calibrated only for my needs currently. And do you not have
any loose ends to tie up? I would understand that if you did not live in such a
place, but all this belongs to you.”
Saffron just shook her head in response. She had no
boyfriend, her parents were both dead by now –her mother of cancer, and her
father by his own hand- and the neighbors treated her like…an alien.
Smiling a little now, she said, “I’m good whenever you come
back.”
“I will be as swift as I can,” he promised, and then turned
to his craft. “You may wish to stand slightly back. Perhaps several hills over,
actually. The thrust is quite powerful and it would be a shame to hurt you.”
Something lilted tenderly in the back of his voice, and she
wasted no time in doing what he said. From her perch in a ditch between gentle
hills, she watched as Eban climbed back into the pod. The ceiling panel slid
back into place, sealing so firmly that she couldn’t remember where it had been
only a second later. Then, it rose up with a whir and a blast of flame that
made her turn her face away even from such a distance.
In the end, she missed the actual takeoff because while her
face was turned away, the ground heaved and knocked her over again. By the time
she brought her dizzy head back up again, there was nothing but a plume of
smoke trailing up high into the sky to remind her of what used to be here.
Well, that and the gigantic hole in the ground.
Shaking her head, she held her nose and breathed out hard to
unpop her ringing ears. She sat there on the ground for nearly ten minutes, just
mulling over the events, before pushing herself to her feet. Clenching her
fists around her determination, she nodded and started to head inside. There
were some things that she did need to take care of, just to make her
disappearance easy on those who were going to be slightly affected by it.
For once, she was glad at how far away she was from her
neighbors. While it saddened her that they would never be close enough to her
to realize that she was nothing at all like the stuck-up celebrity millionaire
the newspapers made her out to be, she was glad that none of them would come
out to investigate the strange sights and sounds.
They might wonder, because there was no hiding the streak of
fire that Eban’s ship left as it came and went, and the plume of smoke was
spreading out before dissipating, but they wouldn’t come.
Returning inside her house, she shut the door, cracked her
knuckles, and set down to work.
When she woke the next morning after a long night of writing
down a will that parceled out her land to her various neighbors in equal
amounts, everything had changed. She wasn’t in her bedroom, but in a sort of
medical bay. Her first thought was confusion and fear, wondering what had
happened to her, but then she remembered the day before and started to get
excited. That excitement was tempered with disappointment that she hadn’t been
awake for the actual process of being picked up, but that hardly mattered when
she started looking around and taking the sight in with greater detail.
It was a large, round, clean room overcast with blue lights
that played daintily over the tiles and various pieces of medical equipment.
Somehow, she liked the sight of this room even though it reminded her of the
hospitals where her parents died. The equipment, beeping monitors, and various
information-flooded screens were all rather serious but the lighting soothed
her somehow. The shadows were mellow, dulling any harsh edges. And though there
were several rows of beds all across the room, they were all empty but for hers
–though each was as plush and fluffy as the last.
She was so comfortable that she could have laid her head
back down and gone to sleep again but that was a bit of an impossibility at the
moment. There was too much to do, too much to see.
Trying to sit up, Saffron suddenly realized that, despite
her comfort, there were strange lines of pressure across her chest and stomach
whenever she moved. Her arms were free, however; grabbing the blankets and
thrusting them away, she saw there were straps holding her down. The fear
returned, but she could have smacked herself for being stupid about what was
quite obviously a normal nursing procedure. Even on earth, patients were
strapped in to keep them from rolling around and hurting themselves.
And she was apparently free to undo them as she liked, so
she did.
Immediately, she felt a lightness overtake her whole body
now that she wasn’t held down. It was like floating in her dreams, but she
wasn’t exactly getting any lift. It was just as though her limbs felt lighter
rather than heavier. As if she tried to drop them, they might head in the
opposite direction.
Turning her head, she saw her hair drifting loosely like it
was suspended in water. And the tossed blanket was just tumbling through space
without falling.
There was the pneumatic sound of a door opening. “You’re
awake!” Eban’s voice crowed.
Saffron turned to watch him. He ran up to her, but his
strides were practically leaps. “I understand what you mean now about having
low-gravity requirements,” she murmured, watching as he slid to a stop near her
on his heels. He was like a man on rollerblades, incredibly graceful and
beautiful. “Is this what it was like on your home planet?”
“Yes,” he replied, lowering his voice to match hers. “Home
was called Daeden, by the way.”
“Daeden,” she repeated. “The Icari people, from Daeden.”
Why are these words so familiar? Maybe it has something
to do with how we’re so similar in appearance.
“That’s correct,” he beamed at her. “There are so many people
here who would love to meet you, but I suppose you might have some more
questions first?”
“Why is your gravity so low?”
A grin broke out across his face. She swallowed hard, a
little breathless at that look. “You will see in time,” he replied mysteriously.
“In any case, do not worry about that quite yet. What else is there that you
have a question about?”
“How did I get here? And where are we? In orbit?”
Eban shook his handsome head. “I returned in the night with
a pod calibrated for myself and your approximate requirements. You were awake
for the process, but our estimates weren’t quite right and you collapsed when
we broke atmosphere. There are no lasting injuries to your person, but that is
why you don’t remember.”
“That’s disappointing,” she remarked.
“If we find a suitable planet for testing, you will be able
to experience it,” he reassured her. “And now that you are here, you won’t have
any problems next time. As for where we are, we could not remain within your
orbit any longer. We were attracting attention and were forced to leave. I’m
sorry.” His low voice dropped to a cracked whisper. “I know what it’s like to
lose a home and not be able to say goodbye.”
Sadness tugged at her heart, but not for herself. Eban had
lost his entire life and was forced into this, while she came willingly.
Reaching out, she lay her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” she reassured him
gently. “I’m here now. It’s okay. Can I please meet your people? I want to
learn what you have here. I want to learn about the ship.”
“Of course,” he said, relief again making him look younger
than she initially thought he was. He actually couldn’t be much older than her,
to be honest. And to already be a commander? That was a huge weight for such a
man, for anyone.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, Saffron stood up
and spent about ten minutes walking around with Eban’s guide before she was
able to more around at all. It really was like skating or something, which
she’d only done once when she was 13 years old.
“This is more exhausting than it looks,” she panted.
Eban held her hand in his and smiled. “Don’t worry. After
living here for a time, it will become fun and second-nature.” A shadow crossed
his face, seeming to belie the inherent happiness that shone from within. “We
are a very relaxed people. I am working to combat that by instilling mandatory
exercise. Maybe sometime you will join in with us.”
“I’d like that,” she said, holding onto his hand as he led
her out through the sliding door. He showed no sign of letting go, and she
didn’t exactly want to. “Your people would laugh at me, though. I’m so out of
shape compared to you!”
Eban paused and looked her right in the eyes. When he spoke,
it was even and proud without a bit of arrogance. “In our short time studying your
planet, we noticed a great deal of inequality amongst your people. Ours is not
that way. We accept all for what they offer, and make sure that we all stand
within the same places. If it cannot be done, I make allowances to allow the
special circumstance to follow through to as much of a greatness as it can
accomplish.
“Your place has already been decided. Even if you never
learn to fly, you are so invaluable. Do not ever feel inferior. That is now how
the Icari work, and you are one of us now until the day you die.”
Tears sprang to her eyes at his speech, sadness for the
stupidity of earth, and admiration for him as a leader. Still, a bit of
information stuck out to her amidst all the rest. “Fly?”
But, he only gave her that mysterious smile. “You will find
out as soon as we step out of here,” he answered, and pulled her beyond the
sliding door and down the length of a short hallway.
At its end, he stepped aside to let her see.
Saffron gasped.
Out in front of her, the ship opened up into a wide space
which could only be described as an atrium. The space in the middle was open
and wide, nearly longer than her eye could track, and only slightly less wide.
There were several floors, doorways and store fronts and walkways everywhere.
It resembled a mall, with Icari milling everywhere, strolling around, talking
and living their lives.
But these Icari were different from Eban in one extreme way:
they were winged. Some of them were flying, swooping through loops which hung
from the ceiling at various heights, perched on wide surfaces all the way up to
the top of the ship, or performing practiced yoga-esque movements upon a
variety of gym equipment which protruded crazily from the walls and floor. They
were like parrots at play, preening and fluttering and soaring, exploring
joyfully whether they were that elderly man currently munching on a piece of
fruit or that supervised child and her father. Innocence abound, she suddenly
understood everything Eban talked to her about.
She turned to him, her mouth open wide with astonishment.
Her heart was fluttering with strange, trembling feelings, and her stomach was
nearly as light as the gravity. Eban grinned at her. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?
These are my people. Your people, now.” He spread his arms like wings, proudly
displaying. “Icari.”
And now she understood that too, the realization whacking
her over the head. Perhaps this generous commander didn’t wear wings because
his people were his pride. They wouldn’t understand that of course, but she saw
in his black eyes that it didn’t matter to him as long as everyone was happy.
Still, there was that shadow over his mood but she wasn’t
going to press him for that. Not yet.
“I guess those aren’t real wings then,” she said lightly.
He nodded, leaning back against the wall to watch his people
contentedly. Saffron did the same. “Do you see these?” He touched the odd metal
parts of his outfit, and she realized for the first time that it wasn’t
connected to the rest of his skin-tight clothing. “This is my flight harness. I,
and every other member of the Icari, are granted a harness when we come of age
at five years old. Our harness is adjustable. It grows with us. Our wings
attach easily with only a few hooks and straps. They are mechanical, bonded
with biomaterials. They are operated through a variety of upper body motions.”
“If you keep the same harness, do you keep the same wings?”
He nodded again, loose strands of hair hanging in his eyes.
“The biomaterials bond well with additions throughout the years. As a child grows,
we add on to their wings to ensure weight is no issue. Of course, the older we
get, the slower we grow and the less additions are made.”
Saffron just shook her head with amazement, marveling at the
blue strips of light that banded the high ceiling. She’d read somewhere that
blue light had a calming effect and could even lower suicide rates; right now,
she believed it. This was a wonderland. “And these wings are free to everyone.
A necessity. Amazing.”
Eban glanced her up and down and then mused, “Perhaps
someday I’ll fly for you. And then, I’ll teach you.”
She was too astonished to say anything, and he didn’t give
her the chance. Grabbing her hand again, he led her down a long, sloping ramp
to the nearest group of people. They were young adults with glossy fabric
feathers and glowing eyes.
“Sir,” they said together, and bowed to him. Saffron was
impressed that they’d managed to override their curiosity of her enough to remember
their manners.
Eban bowed his head right back, respecting them as they did
to him. “My friends, I am honored to say that you are the first who will be
introduced to the human woman I made an announcement of.”
The fanfare was embarrassing, but the three young men were
looking at her with astonishment and awe. Acting on instinct, she lowered her
head to them and was amused when they started bowing and sweeping their wings
around in a display of joy. “It’s my honor,” Saffron said, smiling at them.
“It’s so good to be here. I can’t even describe what this is like to me.”
The next several hours were much of the same. The Icari
commander toted her around to groups and individuals, seeming content not only
to stay with her but to help her around the various ramps and ladders. Never
once did he complain about a lack of flight, but instead tirelessly played the
perfect host. He introduced, moderated, and fielded questions that pressed at
personal boundaries.
Saffron hardly cared. She didn’t exactly love the attention
or the way these people treated her like she was equal to the commander, but
she knew that it was how they did things and just let it happen. It was just
enough to watch them fly over, gathering around before dispersing to chatter
and spread the news.
Their wings worked just like bird wings. Their humanoid
bodies couldn’t be held horizontally like birds in flight but that didn’t seem
to matter. Nothing did. They were all so carefree and joyous that she lost
herself in it and only remembered she was here for a specific purpose when Eban
finally led her away from the main atrium and down a quiet side hallway.
“That took a bit longer than I thought it would,” he
admitted. “I apologize. It’s not often there’s something to break the monotony.
But, don’t worry. Within a few days, everyone will probably ignore you.”
Saffron laughed a little, and squeezed his hand. His skin
burned against hers suddenly, warming her from the inside out. “It’s okay,
really. It’s perfectly normal. Where are we headed now?”
“I don’t know about you,” he said, “but I am rather hungry.
What say you I take us to get a meal, and we spend the day talking and getting
you situated? I’m afraid you can’t stay in the medical bay forever.”
“Sure,” she said, laughing. “And I guess you’ll want to make
sure I know my way around, right? The commander has things to do other than
escort a guest around.”
For the first time, she saw Eban blush and it was adorable.
Her loins suddenly gave a throb, a wrenching ache of arousal the likes of which
she’d never felt before through all her sexual experimentations. She stopped walking
and swallowed hard, because now even the motion of her thighs rubbing together
was turning her on.