Decay (16 page)
Authors: J. F. Jenkins
“So, why are you quitting again?” she whispered.
“Again, I made my mistakes. I have to accept them. There are few things that once done, you can't take back. This is one of them.”
“But you can, you areâ”
“At a price I don't want to pay anymore, even if the will is there.” He glanced down at Orlando. “It's been a week, and it's just too much for me to handle. I thought it'd be quick and painless, but it's not. You don't have to hear him whispering all of his questions that I'm scared to answer, or watch him fight it as his natural instinct to survive starts to kick in.”
She shook her head. “You know I'm going away this weekend to help my tribe. The yellow tribe is searching for something that will give them a lot of leverage over their enemies. They were even able to get help from the red tribe. I don't want to come here again after all of that and have you be gone. I'm going to need a lot longer than a handful of hours to say goodbye. I'd like to be able to take you to all those places I promised I would when you were living again. Just hold on for a couple more days. Then if you really want to end it, I'll...I'll let you go...” She sniffled.
Dallas reached out and brushed away the tears trickling down her cheeks. “That I can do, but I need you to help me break this. I'm only going to take enough from him to keep me around sufficiently. He needs to be conscious. We both need closure.”
“I'm sure,” she mumbled. Nia stood, moving away from his touch. His hands had a faint heat to them. What would they have felt like when filled with the full warmth of life?
I can't entertain the thought anymore. It's not going to happen. I'm back to being alone, all over again.
She glared down at Orlando's sleeping body.
He doesn't deserve it. Why is he being picked over me? All he's done is hurt and betray Dallas. I actually offer the guy something real, and it's rejected? This is so stupid.
“Are you okay?” Dallas asked, gazing up at her from the floor.
“Fine. I'll see you again Sunday night when I get back. Don't expect me to stop in before I go. I'll be busy tomorrow with school and then driving up, you know how it goes. If I can make it back early, of course I will.” She spoke fast and short, wanting nothing more than to leave, so she could go cry in peace. “I have a meeting with my alien boss, otherwise I'd stick around longer.” It wasn't a complete lie. She did have a brief meeting with the strange Alturan, Nehihe. It wouldn't be something too time consuming, though.
“O...kay,” he said, and she could sense the doubt in his soft tone. His gaze went downward, and his jaw tightened. “See you Sunday.”
Nia left quietly without another word. Anything else she had to say would be out of anger.
Breathe, just remember to breathe. Count to ten, take a walk, do something your therapist recommended, before you blow up.
She walked through the snow, letting the cold air fill and calm her. Her car wasn't parked far from the mausoleum, but she wasn't ready to return to it either. So she locked the door to the mausoleum so the boys wouldn't have any unwanted company, and took a stroll down the dark paths of the cemetery.
“Breathe,” she whispered.
A soft crunching of footsteps in the snow caught her attention. She stiffened where she stood, ready in case the intruder would try to attack her. When she realized it was only Nehihe, she relaxed and smiled. The alien was always a welcome sight. All of the yellow tribe members were nothing but a joy. They were all so peaceful and loving. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt them, which only proved how greedy and horrible the green and blue tribes were.
The first thing Nehihe did was reach down and hug her. He was a giant at nearly seven feet tall. At first he had intimidated her. The guy had a lot of muscle. He could probably crush her head in his biceps by simply flexing. His dark skin blended in with the night, making him almost invisible if not for the bright yellow long sleeved shirt and light cotton pants he wore. Nia would never be able to understand Altura fashion. The temperature was nearly below freezing, yet Nehihe didn't shiver despite his lack of layers.
Her arms wrapped around him, and she couldn't help but break down in his embrace. Which of course made her feel silly. She shouldn't have been crying in the first place, but she was just too angry and sad.
“What is wrong muffin?” Nehihe asked, his thick, almost English like accent making him a bit difficult to understand. She loved his voice, though. So rich and deep. It comforted her.
She shook her head. “He's changing his mind. D-Dallas doesn't want to come back. The guy who hurt him is still being picked over me, and it sucks.”
“Some bonds are deep. Friendship is the most painful of all loves to destroy.”
“Yeah, well, it's stupid. He should let the jerk die like he wants to. It'd be one thing if his friend wasn't doing this voluntarily, but he is. The guy is providing a sacrifice, and he's not accepting it!”
“Muffin, you must not let this distract you. The situation has provided for much useful practice for your abilities, but he is a person and not your toy. You chose to awaken his spirit as well as his body, and his wishes must be respected. A person is not yours to keep as a pet.”
Nia scowled, wanting to fight him, to lash out, but deep down she knew he was right. Dallas had feelings and dreams of his own. She had to treat him like a human being, not like another of her zombie slaves. And that might have been what hurt her the most. She was pretty sure she felt more deeply about Dallas, than he did her.
But he's not my pet. I'm not sure what he is, but not that. The guy should be more grateful though, after everything I've done for him.
“Focus,” Nehihe said. “What I am going to have you do with your teammates will make or break our effort to end this war.”
“What is it you want us to do exactly? I know you said we're supposed to retrieve something important, but why is it so important?” she asked.
“When this first started, I explained to you how the war broke out over land differences between my people and the green tribe.” Nehihe said. Nia nodded, and he continued. “The mines holding the green tribe's religious artifact was an asset to my people, but we were willing to give it up. Not the rest of our homeland however. After all, we had lived there for centuries. We couldn't possibly uproot our way of life so easily.”
“Right, I get all of this.” She wished he'd just cut to the chase.
He started to walk, and she followed his lead, happy to wander through the cemetery as it always helped her make sense of life. Something about the steady and peaceful atmosphere. Her mind cleared and she could absorb everything he said, like a sponge.
“The artifact you will be retrieving is on a ship that landed here long ago. A ship piloted by my people. In it, is an important artifact containing vital documents we can use when we meet with our
Alturan Unification Committee. They are a group similar to your United Nations. With these documents, we'll have more political leverage over the green tribe. But there is more. This ship is one that went missing a long time ago. My people would like it and its contents returned to Altura to bring closure to the families, as well as complete our own history. I'm sure you understand.”
She did. “Long time ago huh? Like, thirty or forty years ago?”
Nehihe shook his head. “Try one-hundred-and-fifty. We have been observing your planet for a long time. Our technological advancements have been around for a while. That ship is believed to be the first to have made contact with your planet.”
“Woah.” Over a century ago, there had been aliens on Earth? Did Alturans come to Earth often? Is that how the planet was picked as the next battlefield for their war? Nia had a lot of questions, but she'd save them for later. The cold was starting to get the better of her.
The alien man must have sensed this because he rubbed her arms slowly, providing her with more warmth. “I will escort you back to your car. You should not come out this way alone in the darkness. It cannot be too safe.”
“Pretty sure my powers would protect me well,” she said. The cemetery was like her playground now, and all of the bodies were her friends to play with. If she needed help, she could call on them for it.
“True. Speaking of your power, I would like for you to conserve it for an important task on this mission. While your abilities are not considered aggressive, you are being allowed to come because we hope you can find the bodies of the ship crew for us.”
“I'm not sure how.”
“You can sense death can't you?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes. Especially if the dead want to be found.”
“They will want to be.”
“So you say,” but she wasn't too sure. Plus the idea of finding a corpse from over one-hundred years ago sounded unpleasant. There couldn't be much left outside of bones, possibly even dust. Who knew what kind of condition they were in.
Nehihe brought her back to her car. “I simply wish for you to try. If they are found, my superiors would like to speak with them. It is of great importance.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. “Okay, so you don't just want me to find them, you want me to bring them back for an interview?”
“Temporarily.”
“You guys are nuts, but okay. Again, I'll see what I can do.”
He bowed. “As always, we are in your debt for all of the hard work you put into our cause. I shall see you tomorrow evening with the rest of the group.”
“Right,” she said. Then got in her car to drive back home. Her night was not going the way she wanted it to. Of course, when she stepped through the door of her house, her mother was waiting for her in the hallway.
“What?” she asked, and pushed past her so she could go to bed, the last sanctuary she had.
“Don't 'what' me!” her mother snapped. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
Nia glanced at the clock and shrugged. “I'm in before curfew, not sure it's a big deal.”
Her mother also looked at the clock before stomping into the next room. As she passed Nia she grabbed a few fingers full of her side and gave it a good pinch. “The boys would want to keep you longer if you weren't so fat. You used to be pretty. I don't know what happened.”
As her mother disappeared to somewhere in the house, Nia closed her eyes and waited for the sound of a door to shut before taking a step. Her father was out again. If he had been home, no one would have been waiting for her to get back, nor would her mother be so angry. The woman was most likely going to get drunk, and Nia didn't want to be anywhere near her tonight when she did.
Tomorrow. I only have to make it through tomorrow afternoon, then I can disappear for the weekend. I'll forget about her, and about him, and about everything. The girl called Nia will no longer exist â only the powerful and beautiful Ophelia will remain.
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On Friday, Cadence didn't say goodbye to JD before he left on his mission. If she said goodbye, she'd cave and tell him everything she felt. Then he would do something sweet, and wiggle his way back into her heart again. It didn't sound all bad, but she wasn't sure if she was ready. The week apart had helped, and the extra three days would also be good for their relationship too. He was respecting the distance she'd created, so he obviously cared about her feelings.
The time away was good for her in other ways too. Instead of spending her time dwelling about what JD said, or did, or how much he frustrated her, and how much she loved him, she thought about everything on her 'to-do' list, which was getting larger every day. Homework didn't take long to do, thankfully.
First on her list was cracking Orlando's cellphone. She desperately needed to find him. Everything fell apart with him gone. The group was different. Alan was on edge, JD was angry, and Angela couldn't focus. Cadence herself was worried sick because the logical side of her pointed out every negative possibility of what might have happened. The smart phone would also be the easiest task on her list. All she had to do was get it to turn on and find a way into his GPS history. How hard could that be?
She took a bus to The Apartment. Working there always seemed easier for her for some reason or another. Mainly because she knew she'd have privacy. At home, her mother could walk in and start asking questions. Lately, she'd been doing that a lot. Ever since Cadence's grades started going up, her mother had an extra interest in what she was doing after school, no doubt curious as to what caused such a positive turn around in her daughter's academics. Her mother would never be able to understand the work Cadence did for Alan. Plus, she had more supplies at her disposal, more space, and a fire extinguisher.
The first thing she did when she entered the make-shift laboratory, was plug in her digital music player to the computer. It would probably be a long night. In fact, she'd told her mother she would be spending the night at a friend's house so she could get away with being out all hours and avoid taking the midnight bus back home. The Apartment had a bedroom for her to use. When figuring out the layout for the wing of Orlando's mansion, the group had made sure to include every possible necessity. Orlando hadn't had any issues with paying for it all either.
Music blasted through the computer stereo. With all of the changes in her personality and life, one thing that remained the same was her taste in music. Then again, she'd always enjoyed a broad number of genres, putting together mixes that ranged from classical music, to hip-hop, and ending in hard rock. The songs queued on her current playlist were all upbeat, “power” songs. The tunes would keep her optimistic even if she felt anything but. Especially the “break-up” songs. Every feeling she held inside of her was expressed through the music, as if the artist knew and understood everything she was currently going through emotionally.
There were definitely things she missed about being in a relationship. Particularly being wanted and adored by someone.
Stop
, she ordered herself.
Don't torment yourself like this anymore.
She did
not
need to run back into JD's arms just because she felt down about herself. But she did miss him.
She looked up from the computer and screamed when she saw Alan standing in the doorway. The alien blinked his hazel eyes, just as startled as she, and shrunk as he stepped away from the room. Cadence waved her hands in front of her.
“No, stay. You startled me is all. I wasn't expecting anyone to be here.” She peered at him. “What are you doing here? Don't you have your big mission tonight?”
“Yes, an intelligence and recon meeting will be held tonight with all of the charges, then rest, and the work will begin tomorrow first thing in the morning. I am to meet my father and other superiors for a leadership meeting in approximately thirty minutes. However, I wanted to check on you and make sure you are in fact okay with staying behind.” Alan walked into the room and to the computer. He grabbed the mouse, watching the screen, and for a moment she thought he was going to turn off her music, but he left it on and shrugged. “These are songs Orlando put on the music player he gave me for the holiday, Christmas.”
She laughed. “Not surprised. I'm guessing he wanted to help you get past everything that happened with Alona.”
“It did help some, though some of the songs are silly. I consider myself further enlightened about your culture. He also put a brief history of popular music on it as well.” He faced her, his gaze making contact with her own. “Does this music help you?”
“Sometimes. I know some of it is silly, but it makes me feel like I can do anything.”
“A trait I enjoy as well,” he said and nodded. “We haven't gotten to speak much about personal matters. I haven't been sure how to address the situation except to give you both space, but I don't want you to think that I do not care. Your happiness is also a concern of mine, not just your work.”
She couldn't help but smile. “It's been rough, but I'm getting there.”
“These kinds of things always are.”
“Have you been through it before? I mean, before what happened with your fiancé?”
He nodded. “There was a girl I dated in school before I met my betrothed. I suppose you could call us first loves. She was the first girl I'd ever cared deeply for, you know, beyond simple hormone driven desires, and light fluffy feelings. When we broke up, I thought my life was over. Four months later, A-Alonauxoonamondae transferred to my school close to what you refer to as graduation. We hit it off well, and the rest I'm sure I don't need to explain.”
“How old were you when all of this happened? How old are you anyway?” she asked, laughing. Never before had she gotten him to share so many deep personal details with her. It meant a lot to her to have so much of his trust.
“Time passes differently on my planet, but I would say I'm the equivalent of being twenty. I should say I will be twenty-one in a handful of months, I believe. It's hard to keep track of my calendar from home. There are more hours in a day, and around fifty more days in our year.” He shrugged, and his body slouched. She made a note to refrain from asking for too many personal details. Alan was opening up, but he clearly had to do it on
his
terms.
He shifted his weight. “Anyway, I met my betrothed when we were around your age. You are seventeen? Nearly Eighteen? We were closer to sixteen, if I'm being honest. We were friends for around a year and a half before we dated. Our courtship before engagement was quick, only a handful of months. The engagement on the other hand has...had...been long and trying. Her family did not approve of me for political reasons. They thought I was an arrogant tuveen, which is a racial slur where I'm from. We had finally settled on a date when she left my country to fight in the war on the side of her people. Not something of her choosing, I should add. I had hoped to bring her home before said date, wed her, and then finish my time serving, but...”
“You're obviously having second thoughts,” Cadence whispered.
“Yes,” he mumbled. “Which is why we are no longer together, among other reasons. I don't think I need to explain it.”
She shook her head. He didn't need to explain anything. Cadence understood. The woman he was in love with experimented on, and used, the teenagers of Earth, treating them as nothing more than convenient lab rats. She showed no remorse for her actions. Imagining the woman ever had a heart was difficult for Cadence to do. How could a guy as gentle, patient, and kind, as Alan, date a woman who was so selfish? Let alone marry her? It made no sense.
Unable to hold back any longer, Cadence moved toward him and hugged him tightly. She'd wanted to do that for a long time, but had stopped herself, uncertain of what would be considered appropriate behavior. Not anymore. He was her friend as well as her superior. Right then, he needed her to play the part of his companion, not his underling. It took him a moment, but he reciprocated the hug, his long, strong arms, wrapping around her just as tight. She never realized how strong he truly was until then. Not just physically, but emotionally. Deep inside of him, she could sense he was about to crack from all of the pressure, and she wanted nothing more than to be able to take all of the pain and stress away.
Her gaze lifted to his face, and she saw his usually strong, chiseled face, resemble something more soft and tender. Even his body seemed looser, human even. Alan did have emotions beyond stoic and confident after all. With a shaking hand, she touched his face, wanting to somehow tell him it would be okay. Everything would somehow work itself out; even if she wasn't quite sure she believed it herself. Without even thinking, she placed her lips lightly on his. They had barely touched when she pulled away, backing up against the far wall in a matter of seconds.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered.
What's gotten into me?
Something about her vulnerability mixed with his had prompted the kiss, made him even more handsome than usual. Alan was by far the most physically attractive man she'd ever seen in the flesh. Everything about his body was perfect, and what made it even more wonderful, was he didn't even seem to realize it. There was no arrogance in his attitude. But good looking or not, there was no excuse for her behavior.
If Alan was bothered by the action, he didn't show it. He was more expressionless than ever, in fact. With a shrug, he sat down at the computer desk. “You've done no harm.”
What does that mean? Does he like that I made a move? Does that mean he likes
me? Panic filled her. She didn't want him to be interested in her. “It didn't mean anything, I promise. I just...you seemed sad...I was sad...I wantedâ”
“Comfort,” he finished. “I'm aware it meant nothing. I certainly didn't feel anything beyond what I always feel around you. Again, you've done no harm.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “I don't know what my problem is.”
“You're brokenhearted. A silver lining would be nice for all of us right about now,” he said with a small smile.
She was about to say more, when there was a loud bang and a puff of smoke in the middle of the laboratory. Startled, she squeaked and tried to get even further away than she already was. Hard to do with a wall in her way, but if she could have found a way to melt into it, she would have. She relaxed when she noticed that the cause of the smoke and noise was Alan's shipmate.
“Sir Tuliy...I mean, Jaes,” Alan greeted. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same,” the young man said. He smiled, and it widened when he caught sight of her. “Good evening Cadence.”
“Hi Jaes,” she said and waved at him weakly. Once her heart started to slow, she took a step toward him. “I didn't know you could teleport too.”
“It's a new ability. Alan was kind enough to let me copy it so I could work easier with you, as well as run to the ship. It is tiring to schedule all of my travels between there and Earth. While I could have spent the whole time making sure the ship is running smoothly, that is dull. Plus, I know how much work you have. You'll need an extra set of eyes for it all. I thought it might be a good opportunity to make sure both of your projects were finished,” Jaes explained.
Cadence could only nod. “We can rotate, or both focus on the same one. There is a lot of material to test andâ”
“You're worried for your friend. I've been searching while I have time.”
“Thank you,” she said, touched by his desire to help find Orlando. The guy didn't have to. It's not like any of them were his responsibility to care for.
Alan glanced between the two, his jaw tightening slightly. “I should leave. My meeting will be beginning shortly.”
“Farewell,” Jaes said.
In a much more quiet, and clean fashion, Alan disappeared from the room. Jaes sighed and shook his head, laughing.
“I have a lot of practicing to do.”
“It'll come with time. So you're staying behind on the mission? I thought for sure you would be going as well,” she said and returned to the computer so she could begin working.
He moved closer, but respected her personal space. Jaes was nothing like Alan. The two couldn't have been more opposite. Alan was tall, strong, and confident, whereas Jaes was shorter, in fact only a couple of inches taller than her, calm, and thoughtful. Each presented a completely different persona, and it made sense how they could work so well as a team and be nothing alike. There was balance and respect. She was glad Jaes was getting more involved with the team. He seemed interesting, strange, but interesting â like a puzzle she had to solve.
Jaes found an extra chair and pulled it up to the computer so he could sit as well. “I have been left in charge of the ship.”
“A big task. And you don't want to be there to do it? What if they need you?”
“I have a communicator for any emergencies. Commanding a vessel is not something that has ever interested me, unfortunately, but I am honored to be chosen for the responsibility. Still, I feel claustrophobic if I am on it for too long. I much prefer to work in the field,” he explained.
“So long as you're not blowing off something important, I will let you stay and help.” She smirked at him.
He half-smiled. “Thank you for your permission. I wouldn't want to step on your toes. They are far too beautiful to be squashed by my ugly feet.”
Was he flirting with her? She studied his face, trying to understand him. All she found was an innocent smile.
It's only a compliment and nothing more.
Which was how she preferred it.
“That's very considerate of you,” she said. “Are you ready to work? I've got a cellphone to hack, test tubes full of drugs to analyze, and equations to decode. Which one sounds most interesting to you?”