Page 5 of The Death Striker's Partner
“Is she okay?” Charlie asks and I sigh. Everyone who sees my sister shut down asks that. Obviously she’s not okay, otherwise, she wouldn’t have mentally withdrawn into herself. I didn’t snap that at him though. Charlie was asking out of genuine concern. It was coming from a place of kindness. So I smiled and kept my hands on the table and focused on him with a smile.
“Billiewillbe okay. She’ll come back when she’s ready. She likes to call this rebooting. Sometimes it’s quick, sometimes it takes her hours. It doesn’t matter how long she needs. I’ll wait with her until she feels ready to come back.” I hate the way people stare at her when she’s struggling like this. I also have to watch myself for judging people who genuinely don’t understand. You can’t, unless you have or love someone with autism. Sometimes I feel like I’m having to take care of not just my sister, but the people around her so they relax too. It’s tiring but worth it. Billie is worth it. She is worth knowing, and I help other people know her. “Billie has a degree and a masters in computer programming. It’s so above my head I don’t understand it when she talks to me about her coding and her algorithms.” I make sure to keep my voice down and quiet and nod to Charlie to join the conversation. The more normal we are, and the more relaxed we seem, the less anxious Billie isof how we’ll react once she resurfaces from behind her knees. Sometimes she prefers total quiet, but she isn’t tense so for now, soft talking is the way forward. I discretely check on her as I peer down over my shoulder to make sure I read her right. “She’s amazing with computers.”
“A real asset to the mission.” Charlie nodded and got the message. “As a doctor, technology is absolutely vital to saving lives. I expected to be in a lab studying potential allergins and microorganisms to boost our immunity so we can colonise the planet more easily. Now though? I expect I’ll be deployed to a medical clinic to treat Ucfeni patients.” I nod, agreeing how likely that will be. Allico Barbie AKA operator Lilly Ellisdidsay that people with medical expertise would end up being positioned in Orna for that reason. “What about you?”
“Hmm?” I hum curiously.
“What is your specialism?”
“Big sister. Best job in the world. Trained my whole life for it, and still learning all the time.” Charlie smiled and waited for the punch line. Either that, or he thought I was teasing and would answer his question properly if he waited. Nope. I’m not kidding. “My day job used to be a barista in a café. I’m only here because Billie issosmart, they needed her for the mission, and I do my best to help her achieve her potential. I’m proud of her, and wasn’t going to let her go to another galaxy without me.” I turned to look down and catch her honey eyes peering up at me from behind her knees. “She told them we were a package deal or no deal, so here I am.”
“…understandable.” Charlie nodded slowly. “You must be hot stuff for Allico to bring your sister on board just to help you settle in.” I watch my sister for her reaction. Billie lowers back behind her knees. She isn’t ready yet, and that’s fine.
I engage Charlie in idle chit-chat about his previous positions and he revealed that he prefers Petri dishes to people.He isn’t looking forward to dealing with livingtalkingpatients again, but is intrigued about havingalienpatients. We land all too soon and my anxiety starts to pick up behind the scenes of my calm smile.
One, Billie is still in shut down mode. They’re going to expect us to get off the shuttle right away, and that isn’t happening. Guard mode will engage and I will kick some serious ass if anyone tries to move my sister.
Two, we’re officiallyonan alien planet. We’re going to live amongst aliens. Well, Charlie will. Billie works with computers so I bet she goes back to one of our established human compounds to the comfort zone of a dark room with at least three computer screens. Set up just the way she likes it. Probably wearing her favourite snoogie she carefully folded into her suitcase before we left Earth forever. I got the real impression that Allico were willing to do whatever my sister needs to be comfortable just so she would agree to join the mission.
The door to the shuttle opened and I was about to begin my attempt to explain to the attendant that we wouldnotbe getting off right away, when Billie leaned back in the chair. She still held her legs but she looked at me with watery honey eyes. I started singing you are my sunshine and slowly she lowered her feet back to the floor. I cautiously lifted my right hand and she eagerly cupped it in both of hers. I smiled even more and together we slowly stood and followed the attendant down the landing ramp. I didn’t need to look to know Billie had her eyes clenched shut. Charlie moved to stand on her other side and made sure to wave off anyone who got too close. That’s sweet. He’s making sure no one bumps into her again like earlier. He’s a keeper that one. If only he wasn’t gay? He’ll make excellent best friend material. I just need to find myself a dude like him who is kind and isn’t into other guys. Who am I kidding? He wasalways too pretty for me. I smile, having amused myself at my own expense, and guide Billie as we follow the attendant.
Chapter 6
Ambassador Rerasha
Charlie
Man, I’ve done it already. I’ve engaged mama-chick mode. I told myself I wouldn’t. I have a fundamental need to find people who need someone to lean on and offer my hands before thinking about it. It’s cost me a lot of time and heartache, this particular habit of mine. I don’t like drama, but people who are hurting and broken and need a prince charming figure tend to have so much baggage I can barely stand at the end of it.
And it always ends. Once my chicks are all patched up and ready to face the world, they fly off and leave me behind. Usually broke and wondering where my friends went. See, the ones who tend to take my hands don’t ever become my friends. We all think they do at the time, but once I’ve finished patching them up physically and emotionally, off they go without a second glance. My boyfriends have been no exception.
Who’d have thought that within a couple of hours of being reanimated from cryosleep after a century of space travel, and preparing for a brand new life on an alien world, I’d have two brand new chicks to fuss over? I was drawn to Hannah right away. I thought she was a strong woman with a snarky streak I could relate to. Relax with. But here I see she’s been a lifelong carer of her sister. She told me her parents passed away one at a time, tragically, by the time she was 18. Collage was never an option for Hannah. She got multiple jobs to keep paying the billsfor her sister’s last year of high school. Then to pay for Billie’s college and their new smaller apartment near her campus. Now she upped and left Earth for an alien world just tocontinuelooking after her?
Who looks after Hannah?
Damn it. Baby chick one acquired.
Then of course there’s little Billie. And I do mean little. Hannah is about 5ft8, by my estimations, but Billie is only 5ft4. Hannah is curvy and has a working woman’s body. Billie is petite and soft. I think my mama hen instincts identified her as my second acquisition when I saw Hannah walking her through the corridor towards the shuttle. Her eyes clenched shut and her body tense as she clung to Hannah’s right hand with both of hers. Some arsehole who was too busy on their phone to see where they were going bumped into Billie’s right side.
Oh the cry she made and the way she cowered into her sister. I nearly knocked the bastard’s block off for frightening her.
Baby chick two, acquisition confirmed.
Before I knew it I was walking on her right side and using my superior height and muscular frame to look as big as possible. Hannah smiled at me, knowing what I was doing, but she didn’t ask me to stop. We escorted Billie down the landing ramp and behind a group of fellow colonists with their eyes and mouths open with wonder. I had to admit, Thelia looked beautiful.
It was a tropical planet alright. A jungle planet. There was so much green it was vibrant and eye-catching. The trees were enormous, like Kapok trees back in the Amazonian rain forest, but these had a vast network of thick branches that seemed to be fused to the branches of the next tree, and so on. I looked up and saw that our shuttle had landed in a circular clearing, but everywhere else was cast in shadows. Vines grew like webbingacross the trunks and hung down from branches that made me wonder if animals used them to swing back and forth. Did Thelia have monkeys and apes?
We walked along a path, the first sign of architecture, as it was made of smooth yellow stones that had been placed intentionally to make a walkway.
“Follow the yellow brick road to Oz.” I joked to Hannah, and she giggled. I smiled, glad to have made her laugh, and we followed the group in front without getting too close to listen to their chatter. Ahead of us were more ‘operators’ in grey suits. We were too far back to hear them, but that was likely intentional. Hannah seemed to be trying to reduce the stimulus her sister had to deal with until she was ready to deal with it. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for Billie. I look down at her face and see that she’s struggling, but determined. Impressive little chick.
As we reach another large clearing we’re being gathered into what looks like an amphitheater. More of the same smooth sandy yellow stone slabs have been arranged to make rows of seating into the side of a slope. As I expected, we hung back until everyone else took their seats, and then we sat on the back row. We were facing a river and then a large open space under a cluster of massive trees with a dense canopy. I half expected actors to start leaping out from behind the trees to start reciting Shakespeare.
Instead, two men in grey suits moved a shiny white podium into the middle of the ‘stage’, and in front of the river, to be as close to the front row as possible. Two speakers hovered on either side of the podium and then out came the big cheese himself. Alaric Fitz. The founder and moneybags of Allico Incorporated. He was handsome if I was into sugar daddies. The sides of his head were tripped shorter than the grey mane on top, and his grey suit was crisp, despite the tropical heat alreadymaking me roll up my sleeves to try and stay cool. I glance over at the girls, and Hannah has shoved her long black hair behind her ears. She’s humming you are my sunshine whilst watching the stage. Billie sat between us and I made sure not to touch her. She’s holding Hannah’s hand in her left one, and the right is tapping her thumb and her middle finger together on her lap. Her eyes are still closed but she isn’t tense.
“Ladies and Gentleman.” Everyone apart from Billie focused their eyes on Alaric. She was listening though, from the way she inclined her head curiously. “Welcome to Thelia. I know you’ve had your orientation so I won’t repeat that. You’ve been told of the hard work that went into securing an alliance with the indigenous people of Thelia. I’ve gathered you here today to talk to youaboutour new friends.” I braced my hands on my knees and couldn’t help but be a tad nervous. My imagination drew upon every Science fiction movie I’d ever seen. The Ucfeni were sentient, but that didn’t necessarily mean humanoid. AU 471 had everything needed for humanoid life. Even the composition of the air and the proximity to the nearest star promoted photosynthesis in the planets, and therefore respiration in them and any other carbon-based lifeforms. Not that they are necessarily carbon-based. “The Ucfeni are sentient, intelligent, and altruistic. Gaining their trust has taken time and is therefore very precious to us.” Translation? Don’t piss off our hosts, or we’ll kick your ass. “I would like to introduce you to the Ucfeni Ambassador. He is our liaison with the Ucfeni and the Monarchy, and has been vital to our efforts in forming our own colonies and cohabiting with the Ucfeni.” Alaric didn’t move off the podium. He held it with both hands and smiled. “Ambassador Rerasha is wearing a communication gem and will thereforesoundlike he’s speaking English, even though he isn’t. You will not be able to ask him any questions, as as you have yet to be issued with your CG’s to translate your native language toVrisha. Their language.” Still, he didn’t move. I folded my arms and started to wonder if he was reluctant to do so. He seemed tense. I’m not sure I like our leader beingtense.
I looked over at Hannah and Billie to make sure they were okay. Billie had her eyes open. That was a good sign, right? Her right hand adjusted her glasses on the ridge of her nose and she turned her head left and right to look for the alien. I wondered if her most dominating personality trait was her curiosity. “We are guests ontheirplanet, and establishedgood friends, so I ask that you remember all of this and how intelligent and compassionateweare, as we welcome Ambassador Rerasha to the stage.” Translation? Don’t scream at the alien.
