One handy thing about my chain-breaker watchdogs: I always had a flight-limo available without ever having to ask. Sometimes their level of attentiveness made me wonder if Alexei had chipped me without my knowledge. Or was I so boring, my routines were easy to predict? When I thought about complaining, I’d remember I never had to walk anywhere or fight over public air-hacks, so I kept my mouth shut. Besides it meant Alexei cared, which made me feel all gushy inside thinking about him.
On Mars, energy was cheap. The HE-3 shortage hadn’t impacted here as it had Earth, where the fuel was eked out of the Moon and shuttled back. Mars was the gateway to the riches of the outer solar system with everything funneled through it first before shipping out to the rest of the tri-system. And like a corrupt One Gov official, Mars skimmed a portion off the top. Many people had their own personal vehicles, though mass transit was also popular. You could hire an air-hack to whisk you wherever you wanted to go, so the air byways were always jammed.
And the stories I’d heard about water being rationed on Mars—urban legends. I had all the hot showers a girl could want, with and without Alexei. When they’d terraformed Mars, the water-rich dwarf planet Ceres was tapped. I didn’t understand the planning involved to prevent Mars from shattering like an egg on impact; only that Ceres was harvested from the asteroid belt to increase the planet’s mass and give Mars a gravity boost more in line with Earth’s. Also, more water.
Mars was given two extra moons—Vesta and Pallas, also culled from the asteroid belt. Their combined gravitational pull was enough to heat the iron core of Mars, thus magnetizing the planet and protecting it from solar radiation. Mars was also nudged closer to the Sun, shifting its position farther into the habitable zone. Hey, I guess if you were going to terraform a planet, you may as well go all out.
Lotus fidgeted beside me on the bench seat while I applied more eyeshadow until my eyes shimmered like my dress. I touched up the rest of my face then threw the cosmetics into my makeup bag and stashed it in a compartment under the seat. Though the trip wasn’t long—fifteen minutes to the Vibe District—Lotus had already knocked back two shots of tequila from the minibar.
“Don’t like flying?” I asked.
“Just anxious. You took longer with that reading than normal.”
Though she might tease me about Alexei and act blasé about threesomes, I knew Lotus worried Buckley might hook up with another woman. If so, that would be the end of them and I knew she wasn’t ready to give him up. While I’d never interfere unless she asked, I couldn’t see them lasting much longer. Tonight could end with me either having to watch them fight or make out. Neither would be entertaining.
The twinge in my stomach warned me the flight-limo was descending to street level. I peered out the window. There was more than enough light to see the Vibe District in all its vibrant splendor. It encompassed three square blocks and catered to anyone with a mind to party, with some sort of entertainment always available at any time.
Originally, I’d wanted to locate my shop there. Alexei had flat-out vetoed me, claiming it wasn’t the safest part of Elysium City, no matter how low the overall crime rate. The buildings were a riot of colors and shapes, lit up with glaring neon outlines that chased away the darkness. It was so bright, you couldn’t even see the stars—not that anyone was looking given how intent they were on having a good time. The only objects you could really see in the sky were two of the four moons, Vesta and Phobos. Vesta was full as it made its way across the sky, while Phobos was a blip of light as it zoomed around Mars pretty much doing its own thing. It orbited the planet three times a sol, its presence in the sky so common a sight, you forgot it housed the harshest penal colony in the tri-system. After all, One Gov had to put its criminals somewhere. I guess outer space was as good a place as any.
Though we still hadn’t landed—there must be a line out front causing a delay—music from the club assaulted us. The thud of a heavy bass line made the armored flight-limo rattle. I could even feel the pounding on my body, thudding against my chest. It had been a while since I’d been to a club like Red Dust—big, loud, lots of dancing, too much drinking, and so many drugs. I tried to psyche myself into the right mind-set. I used to love hitting the clubs back in Nairobi. Of course this would be fun. I was going to have a good time. I would enjoy myself and not pine for Alexei and wish I was with him. “It sounds wild inside. Maybe I should be wearing ribbons too.”
Lotus grinned. “Maybe you should.”
“Think we’ll find Buckley?”
“We’d better or I’ll kill him.”
So much for true love.
Our c-tex bracelets both shimmered and vibrated at the same time, which was weird and a little freaky. Lotus got to hers first, then groaned.
“It’s Celeste. Family chain-shim time. It’s one thirty in the freaking morning. Why isn’t that crazy broad asleep?” Lotus complained while tapping the screen.
“She told me she has anxiety issues so she has trouble sleeping. She keeps her mind busy until she passes out from sheer exhaustion.”
“Huh, I didn’t know. There’s drugs for that,” Lotus said, not sounding the least bit interested. Then her tone turned disgusted. “Ugh! Another reminder about the fucking picnic in a couple of weeks. She’s really set on being queen bee, isn’t she?”
“I guess someone needs to herd the cats,” I answered, tapping my own bracelet and releasing the shim. “She’s been really welcoming since I arrived on Mars. She gets my vote if she wants to be queen.”
“So you’re going to the picnic?”
“Not this time. Celeste is great, but for once it’d be nice if the family was excited to see me rather than Granny G’s deck.”
Celeste was yet another distant cousin on Mars. She was forever making announcements and hosting parties, pulling together whatever family was available and turning ordinary gatherings into “events” that bordered on ostentatious. While I’d met most of the family on Mars thanks to her, at times it felt like she was taking advantage of me and that made everything a lot less fun.
“I don’t know if you can skip out. I think it’s going to be a big deal. She’s after everyone. Hell, she’s sending shims at one thirty in the morning, for fuck’s sake. It’ll be your chance to introduce everyone to the Russian.”
“Oh, hell no then! I don’t need a baptism by fire.”
“You have to bring him around sometime. You can’t keep the family in the dark forever.”
I sighed. “I know. I’m just not ready for my two worlds to collide yet.”
“Let me know when you are. I want to make sure I’m there to enjoy the show.”
“Geez, thanks for the support.”
Lotus grinned. “Isn’t that what family’s for?”
The debate on family politics came to a halt as the flight-limo door slid open. Music blasted us, with the ground seeming to shake beneath me. A hand reached in and we were helped out by one of my chain-breakers. Looked like I had an army of four on babysitting duty tonight—a big step up from the usual one or two.
The evening was warm and people milled about. After the Witching Time and with the fireworks over, people were either on their way home or deciding what to do next. Finding Buckley would be a chore in this crowd.
A giant red neon sign in front of us boldly displayed the club’s name—Red Dust. In halting Russian, I asked the closest chain-breaker if we’d be able to get inside. He gestured for me to wait before cocking his head to the side, obviously in touch with someone via the CN-net.
“Do you see Buckley?” Lotus asked, standing on tiptoe and scanning all directions. “He said he’d be by the door.” Then she was tapping her c-tex before scoping out the area again, grinding her teeth in frustration. “If he’s not here, he’s a dead man.”
A few more minutes of Lotus tapping and cursing until I heard a voice vying for our attention. Following the sound, I saw Buckley frantically waving at us while another chain-breaker detained him a few dozen feet away. Rolling my eyes, I told the closest chain-breaker to let Buckley through. Seconds later, he bounded up like a frisky dog—I’d seen enough dogs lately to know—and threw an arm around Lotus.
Buckley was average height with a long swath of dirty blond hair that swept to the side and covered his right eye. The rest of his head was shaved clean. He was cute, but not particularly memorable—the way most people were when their parents couldn’t afford MH Factor upgrades beyond the basics. His internal t-mods were base model too, so he actually didn’t rate much higher than either me or Lotus with our c-tex bracelets. He worked in the booming Martian construction business, and spent his off time at the gym though he wasn’t as dedicated as Alexei. Compared to Earth, it was difficult to build muscle mass on Mars with its slightly lower gravity though I suspected Alexei’s MH Factor allowed him to maintain muscle more easily than most.
“Get off me! You’re all sweaty,” Lotus complained, smacking him. “Where were you?”
“I was here the whole time! I just couldn’t get by them,” he said, jerking his thumb at the chain-breakers.
“Sorry. My fault,” I apologized.
“Hey, Felicia,” Buckley said, throwing his other arm around my shoulders. “No worries. Just glad I’m not having my ass handed to me.” Then as if remembering himself, he removed his arm and glanced about. “Is the Russian here?”
“No, he’s out of town. He’ll be back next weekend or the week after.”
I couldn’t help but be amused at the relief on his face or how he allowed his arm to drop back over my shoulders. “So it’s just the three of us? Should be fun.”
“That’s if we can get inside,” I cautioned.
“Oh, I think I know how to get inside,” Buckley answered, shooting us both a look that said he meant getting inside more than the club.
Um…gross. Buckley may have been the perfect guy for Lotus given his low-tech status, but I felt she could do better. If my boyfriend had creepily implied a three-way with my cousin, we would have had serious words about it. I definitely wouldn’t be engaging in the tonsil-licking session they’d abruptly started. Thankfully, it didn’t last long as a chain-breaker approached and gestured for us to follow. I got out from under Buckley’s arm and pulled Lotus after me.
“Come on, kids. You can save that for when I want the retinas burned out of my head.”
One chain-breaker led us past the line of club-goers waiting to get inside. Another prevented people from getting too close, deflecting anyone reaching out to stop our progress. Lotus grinned, and I returned it. I couldn’t help but get a kick out of the whole “being connected” thing and made a mental note to thank Alexei later.
Like the buildings, many in the crowds wore outfits tinged with neon fringes. It was the latest fad in the Elysium City club scene, something even a person like me could try. You lined your clothing with a thin, flexible tubing of tiny filaments that dangled and swayed when you danced. The color variations were endless though green, pink, and blue were the most popular. I’d heard that when you took a Euphoria hit, the neon created color waves that tripped the mind into a state of consciousness you couldn’t achieve anywhere else—not even on the CN-net. Though I hadn’t tried Euphoria myself, I was curious. It caused intense hallucinations, heightened sexual arousal, and even dulled pain. Maybe I’d give it a whirl if Alexei was with me, but not when the only person looking out for me was myself. What if the Euphoria state went bad, which had been known to occur. I didn’t have any stabilizing t-mods to save me. What might happen to me during a Euphoria trip was anyone’s guess.
Instead of heading to the main entrance, we were taken to a side door around the corner. Our chain-breaker sized up the club bouncers, some words were exchanged—Russian, though it was too fast and the music inside too loud for me to follow. However, I heard Alexei’s name, then a gesture toward me. Abruptly the side door opened and we were whisked inside.
“Remind me to go places with you more often,” Lotus noted with approval.
I laughed. “It isn’t always like this.”
Lotus linked her arm through mine while pulling Buckley after her. “Come on, let’s ditch the watchdogs and have some fun!”
We were in a back hallway behind the main part of the club. In front of us were a series of doors that likely went to staff offices. With Lotus urging us, we abandoned our chaperones, Buckley whooping excitedly behind us. The thudding music grew louder until we rounded a corner and cleared the hall. There, we stood on a balcony overlooking the whole club, blasted with sound and light.
“Wow.”
I wasn’t sure who said it. Maybe it was all three of us. I felt Lotus clutch my hand as we looked down at the writhing mass of bodies and sea of neon. It just seemed to go down into forever as if the floor had been dug out and descended another several stories. On the walls were abstract red-hued projections that moved and twisted in time with the music, looking like an actual dust storm swirled around us. Up above on the blackened ceiling was an array of lights that twinkled like pulsating stars. I saw three separate bar areas serving drinks with colorful liquor bottles lined up in pyramid formations, backlit in a way to entice patrons to drink. The bartenders looked sexy and chic, dressed in skintight black catsuits with neon red piping. Somewhere down there was the Euphoria bar, where patrons could take a hit of the latest designer vapor and scramble their neurons for the night.
In the center of it all was the dance floor—although I wasn’t sure it could technically be called that since no one was on the floor. Everyone floated in midair in a caged-off area that prevented people from drifting back to normal gravity. To get in and out, people stepped onto the floor and immediately started rising, then used the caged sides to climb up and down. It made me wonder what the liability might be if people started dropping to the floor like flies. Still it looked amazing, like the true zero-g of outer space.
While we took in the view, chain-breakers surrounded us again. I shrugged when Lotus scrunched her face in irritation. She leaned in, her mouth next to my ear. “How can you stand them around all the time?”
I shrugged. “You get used to it.”
“Are they going to follow us all night?”
“Me, yes. You, don’t worry. They can be discreet. Plus, they’ll get us VIP access and you’ll live your dream of drinking for free. After a while you won’t even notice them. You can make out with Buckley in some dark corner to your heart’s content.”
Lotus beamed. “You had me at free drinks.”
A chain-breaker took us down a set of stairs and to the main level. I didn’t think it was possible for the music to be louder. I was wrong. It actually felt like a physical thing bouncing off the top of my head. Thank the gods the shop was closed tomorrow because I was pretty sure I would need the whole day…uh, sol, to recover from tonight.
Lotus made the universal “I need a drink” gesture, and the three of us headed to the bar. We were stopped halfway by an intimidating-looking bouncer, all flexing muscle and shaved head, who directed us to a roped-off platform near the dance floor. There, plush velvet couches and elegant tables waited. I sat on one of the couches and it felt like sinking into a dream—even better than what I had at home. Lotus and Buckley took the couch across from me, equally dazzled.
We’d barely made ourselves comfortable when a server appeared and took our drink orders. Moments later, she was back; I don’t think I’d ever been served so quickly in my life. Lotus and I both had a Cassini Swirl—three layers of vodkas, each with a different mixing point, with a layer of chocolate between each vodka. Buckley went for the more traditional gin and tonic.
Lotus clinked glasses with me. “I could get used to this. Any other clubs the Russian owns we can enjoy?”
“Don’t know. I never asked,” I admitted.
“Well, ask! Hook us up,” Buckley said. “The crew is never going to believe we’re here. I’d shim them and tell them to meet us, but they’d never get in.”
“I could probably leave word at the door and say we had more people coming,” I suggested. Generally, I liked hanging out with Lotus and Buckley’s friends. Also, it wouldn’t hurt having more people around. I’d feel like less of a third wheel that way.
“Excellent!” Buckley grinned then downed the rest of his drink before signaling for another. “Let’s see who I can round up.”
I sipped my Swirl while Buckley scanned the CN-net. The first sip burned before the sweetness hit. Next came the warm glow and I relaxed into the couch. I could feel my gut unwinding, the tension giving way under the alcohol’s influence. It was still there, but the uneasiness wasn’t so sharp.
“Looks like something interesting is going on,” Lotus commented, pointing to a commotion on the other side of the VIP lounge.
I turned, rising from my couch for a better look. A crowd of people were clustered around one of the table groupings. They were loud and boisterous, dressed in outfits more outrageous and revealing than even Lotus and her ribbons. There seemed to be some excitement in the middle, focused on a single person. I could feel my face break into a grin as I turned back.
“It’s Mannette Bleu.”
Lotus bounced in her seat and clapped her hands, screeching with excitement. “Mannette Bleu? Here? Could this night be more awesome? Come on, let’s go see her!”
The three of us were out of our seats before Lotus even finished speaking.
By all rights, I should have hated Mannette given how she’d screwed me over when I first arrived on Mars. If Alexei hadn’t walked back into my life and swept me off my feet, maybe I would have. Instead, Mannette Bleu was far and away the most interesting person I knew.
An old friend of Charlie Zero’s from Earth, she was to be my planet-side contact on Mars. Unfortunately, she was highly unreliable when not properly motivated. She’d forgotten I was coming or that Charlie had even contacted her. In fact, I think she was on a two-week Acidalian cruise when The Martian Princess docked at the space elevator. When Martian Immigration Services couldn’t reach her, I was placed under arrest, spent two nights in jail, and endured a week of hell as I tried to prove I had the right to be on Mars. You’d think I would have seen that one coming, but no. It went without saying that Alexei had a meltdown of epic proportions and dragged Mannette off her cruise. Between the two of them, they cleared up my problems with both Immigration and Martian Planetary Law Enforcement.
She was a pseudo-celebrity with her own reality show on the CN-net where she put every minute of her life on display for the tri-system to watch. She had a staff of eight, who trailed her, recording and uploading her exploits to the CN-net, running simulcast experiences so a moment was never missed. Whenever she visited my shop, my clientele actually increased for a few sols afterward thanks to some weird celebrity halo effect. She was fun, smart, and had more business savvy than I ever would. She was also vain and extremely selfish, so I’d learned to take the good with the bad.
Tonight Mannette was in her element as she whooped it up with her entourage. She was gorgeous with mocha-colored skin, a cascading mane of white-blond hair, and blue eyes that looked like the Caribbean back on Earth. She wore a sleek white dress that barely covered her butt or breasts, trimmed with enough hot pink neon it almost hurt to look at her. White knee-high platform boots completed the outfit, making her taller than everyone as she pranced around, the drink in her hand perilously close to spilling.
With her were two of her live-feed streamers—PVRs—recording everything with their optic implants, running it through their memory blocks, then spooling it to the CN-net for the tri-system to consume. She had four others with her—two men and two women—who encouraged her antics as they alternated between drinking and taking hits of Euphoria from the clear glass bowl on the table.
It was easy to get by the crowd of onlookers—people from other VIP tables who wanted in on the stir Mannette created. She always traveled with her own bodyguards, who recognized me and let us pass. Plus, with Lotus and I both pushing our way through, who was really going to stand in the way of a double dose of the luck gene?
“Felicia! Lotus Flower!” Mannette shrieked. She slammed her glass on the table, breaking its fragile stem. She tottered over to capture first Lotus, then me, in hugs bordering on strangulation. “It’s been too long! What are you doing here?”
“We needed a night out.” Lotus jerked her thumb toward Buckley. Then a gesture to me. “And Felicia is on the loose because the Russian is out of town.”
Mannette grinned down at me. This close, she smelled of some exotic perfume that actually made me want to lick her. “Still with him, huh? The man may be every woman’s wet dream, but he will seriously fuck up your life.”
This was exactly the conversation I didn’t want spread all over the CN-net. “Yes, we’re still together and everything is perfect. But what about you? Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Para-skiing at Olympus Mons. Can you believe it? It’s phenomenal! That’s where I met Glitch.”
She pointed to one of the men on the sofa, who got up to shake our hands. Glitch? As in, a mistake? Talk about irony, because that was all he would be on Mannette’s radar—another relationship mistake. I didn’t even bother to remember him because he wouldn’t be around long. Mannette went through men like they were an all-you-can-eat buffet and she wanted her money’s worth.
“Sit!” she cried, pushing people aside to make room. She held my hand now, pulling me to her. “I need another reading! The last one you did was unbelievable, it was so dead-on accurate. But I need to know more about this man you saw. Was it Glitch, because if it wasn’t, I don’t want to waste my time.”
This was said while Glitch sat beside her, obliviously sucking back a hit of Euphoria.
“Sure. Come by my shop whenever you want.”
“Wonderful! Let me tell you about what happened while I was in Olympia!”
And she was off, describing her trip in vivid detail until we all howled with laughter. Drinks were refilled and I could feel myself unwinding more. Gods, it felt so good to have a sliver of peace after being on edge for weeks. I sighed and sank back, letting myself enjoy the alcohol, the music, and the laughter.
Lotus leaned in close to me. “Don’t make it weird, but there’s a guy over there checking you out.”
I sat up abruptly. “Really? Where?”
“I told you not to make it weird! He’s by the bar where we came in. Blond. Black suit. He’s just standing there, not doing anything. Just looking at you. It’s kind of hot, in a creepy, stalker-y way.”
“Is someone checking out our little Felicia?” Mannette asked, catching the last bit of our conversation. “Where is he? I wanna see! The Russian isn’t gonna like this.”
She stood up, making a spectacle of herself as she searched in all directions. I groaned and covered my face, hoping whoever he was didn’t take Mannette’s display as an invitation to approach. When I looked up again, the entire group scoured the club for my admirer, laughing as if it was the funniest event of the evening.
“I don’t see anyone. Where is he?” I asked, scanning the club for myself.
Lotus huffed with annoyance. “Well, he’s gone now. These idiots here scared him away!”
“He probably saw my place holder flat-file avatar on the CN-net and lost interest,” I consoled. “Besides, I’m not the one who’s looking to pick up, remember?”
“I can help with that,” Mannette volunteered, plunking down between us. “Just show me who you want and we’ll see if he’s interested. You too, Buck. See anything good out there?”
Buckley looked like he’d just been set loose in a candy store, and Lotus punched his shoulder. “If we’re picking up, I’m doing the picking,” she informed him.
“I’d pick both of you girls, if you were into it,” Mannette said to both me and Lotus, grinning. Then she laughed. “Come on, we have to dance. I want to see how those ribbons hold up, Lotus. Everyone take a Euphoria hit and let’s go.” She gestured to the clear bowl. Attached to its top was a long thin tube that fed into the bowl. Inside I saw thick swirling mist—Euphoria. It writhed into sinuous shapes, beckoning me.
“Me first,” Glitch said, picking up the tube and inhaling deeply. Then he slumped back, a blissed-out look on his face—that was how fast it hit, between one breath and the next. He handed it to the woman beside him and so it went around the table until it came to me.
I’d never been a casual substance taker. Most of the drugs were so powerful, they knocked someone like me right on my ass—someone without any tech implants and no MH Factor. Everything was designed with an extra kick to get around the One Gov gene modifications so I knew I couldn’t handle what was in the bowl. Even my gut knew it, warning me against taking the tube Lotus held out. But in that moment, I was so sick of the jangling roiling feeling inside me, I wanted to shut it down if only for a little while.
So I took the tube and inhaled while the group cheered their approval.
I felt the Euphoria fill my lungs and everything in me narrowed down to a single breath. I held it a beat, and when I exhaled the thick haze of smoke, everything changed. My gut fell silent for the first time in my life. The calm I experienced was like nothing I’d ever known. I exchanged a look with Lotus, who gave me a lazy grin before her head rolled onto Buckley’s chest.
In my next breath, the music felt more intense, the velvet couches more luxurious, the zero-g dance floor more inviting. All outside stimuli were more vibrant and the internal ones were just…off. When I looked to Lotus again, she and Buckley were heading to the zero-g dance floor. Mannette got up and pulled Glitch after her, giving him a “come hither” look. In fact, it seemed they were moving to the party to the dance floor, where they could bump and grind against each other. I waved away the hands that tried to pull me with them. I had the most spectacular feeling of calm invincibility and all I wanted to do was be alone to enjoy it.
That feeling lasted all of five seconds—about the amount of time it took me to realize I wasn’t really alone. I still had Consortium chain-breakers watching me, didn’t I? How could I be by myself when they were always there? It followed then that to be alone, I actually needed to be alone. The idea intrigued me and took up all the available space in my brain. Did I have what it took to ditch them? Time to find out.
“I have to go,” I said aloud to absolutely no one.
Standing, I walked to the edge of the VIP platform, where the roped-off entrance separated me from the rest of the club patrons. The Euphoria gave me the sensation I could do anything, even disappear in a puff of smoke.
I made eye contact with one of my chain-breakers posted nearby, standing in traditional bodyguard stance—massive arms crossed over a deep chest, looking like his suit jacket could barely contain his shoulders. I smirked a little, and then like I was diving into a pool, I let myself fall into the crowd.
I was swallowed in an instant. It was as if the people parted then closed behind me like ripples of water. I felt like a fish, swimming with the current. I laughed then clamped a hand over my mouth to hold in the laughter, afraid to let it get away. Then I removed my hand because obviously I had more laughter. It wasn’t like I was storing it up, which was just as hilarious as thinking I might be a fish.
I swam through the crowd. It seemed wonderfully simple and everyone moved exactly the way I needed. If I was jostled, I didn’t feel it, though it was difficult to judge how hard the jostling might be. Probably not too badly or it would hurt more, I reasoned.
The crowd carried me until I was splayed against one of the red wall projections, looking up with awe as dust swirled above me. I’m not sure how long I stared at it, mesmerized. I think someone groped me, but I wasn’t sure. It was difficult to pay attention as I stared up at the dust. Maybe hands were on my ribs, then my breasts. Maybe they weren’t. It hurt a little, but not much. Someone pressed against me and I didn’t care until I realized I didn’t like it. I elbowed them in the ribs and they let go. Then I remembered I was sneaking away from my chain-breakers so I crept along the wall until I ran across a door.
It opened at my touch, which was perfectly sensible. Doors always opened for me. I wanted it open, so it was. Easy. I was in a dark hallway. Not the least bit surprising. I ran as far as the hall would take me. My shoes cut into my feet so I took them off. I tried carrying them since I was sure I liked shoes but holding them exasperated me. I probably had more at home anyway so I could just leave these.
When I got to the end of the hall, I found another door. Another hall. Another door. Then another hall-door combination until the cycle got annoying and all I wanted was to get to the end.
At the last door, I was outside. Wow. I looked around. I was in a back alley with very little light. But no chain-breakers. I, Felicia Sevigny, had finally given them the slip! I fist-punched the air, cheering for myself. Then I fell down, but that was okay since it didn’t hurt.
If the air was cool, I couldn’t tell. All I wanted was some light, so I ran toward the street. It was farther away than I thought and I may have fallen, but I didn’t think so. If I didn’t feel it, how could it have happened?
Once I made it to the street, I looked up at the sky, pleased with myself. I was on Mars and I was doing okay. The moons weren’t the same as on Earth though, which bugged me. Mars had too many. I could see three now. There was Vesta, full and pale. Then Pallas, low in the sky but almost identical in size. Then Phobos, rocketing past everything. I held up a hand as if I could catch it. I couldn’t, but I liked to think I could if I put in the effort.
“Hello, Felicia. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I whirled at the voice. I was supposed to be alone! Not fair!
Male. Young, but everybody looked young. The only immediate tell that gave away age was the eyes, but I couldn’t see his in the dimly lit alley. Blond hair cut short. Above average height. Probably blue eyes since those just sort of went with blond hair, didn’t they? He looked familiar and I felt I should know him, but didn’t. I’d never met him before and yet…
“I don’t know you,” I announced.
“I know, but I know you, and for now, that’s enough. Though the circumstances aren’t ideal, I’ve looked forward to this meeting.” His voice was mildly accented. I couldn’t place it, but it sounded like something I’d heard before…Something about the way he rolled his r’s.
“It’s good that we’re alone. I’m sure the Consortium wouldn’t be pleased we were meeting, certainly not Alexei Petriv after the trouble he’s taken to hide you from the rest of the family.”
The family? I already had all the damn family I could handle. This man wasn’t any family of mine. He didn’t look like me at all. No wait…He looked like…What had Alexei done? What was going on?
Suddenly I was very aware of how alone I was.
“Your grandmother wanted to meet you, but it wasn’t possible for both of us to make the trip to Mars.”
Grandmother? She still hated me because I got the Tarot cards when Granny G died. That old bat wouldn’t cross the street to help me if I was dying, and I would have told him that if I could get the words out.
I backed away. He advanced. “I know you’re nervous. I am too. But family is important, and we’ve waited a lifetime to meet you. Your mother demanded we stay away, but…I suppose that’s in the past now.”
And then I had it as that slip of something I couldn’t quite grasp fell into place. Monique. Somehow this man was connected to Monique Vallaincourt.
I backpedaled away in horror. Monique—the nightmare I couldn’t ever forget was now in front of me. I turned and ran down the street, fighting to move in the murky Martian gravity. Sprinting was almost impossible and I fell, skidding across the concrete. I barely felt the pain. Instead, I forced myself up, searching the sky to get my bearings.
That was when I saw the explosion—a dot of light high in the sky that I could reach out and catch in the palm of my hand. In an instant, it brightened the entire night sky and turned it into day before everything faded back to darkness again.
Phobos, it seemed, was falling out of the sky.