Axira Episode One (6 page)

And yet she had stepped to my side to offer me
help.

I did not understand her. Yet I let her help me towards the
2nd Dormitory.

Chapter 3

I looked at the snippet of view through my dormitory window.
I was in my room, sitting on the corner of my bed, head tilted as I
considered the clouds racing beyond.

Outside in the main room of my apartment, my flat mate was
having a party. Despite the sound-proof door and walls, I could
hear every footstep, every word, and every breath.

I’d been invited to join; I’d refused.

I knew that I could not distance myself too much from my
colleagues – I understood the Coalition valued comradeship – but it
was unwise to socialize too soon. I was starting to realize I was
not as prepared for Academy life as I’d hoped. My mistake this
morning on the track was all the evidence I needed that I had to
study harder – learn every quirk of soft-fleshed biology and
behavior – to fit in.

Yet rather than study, I was staring at the view.

I wasn’t emotional – I couldn’t be. 450 years of internment
had scraped every care from my body, leaving nothing but cold hard
efficiency.

Despite that fact, I couldn’t ignore I was … feeling
something. It was inside my chest somewhere, or up near my throat,
or buried in my cheeks. I didn’t know what the feeling
meant.

I flicked my gaze down to my bare wrists, letting my eyes
settle on my scars. Occasionally, when the light came in at a
certain angle, you could see them glimmer. I hadn’t lied to the
medical technician this morning – they were unstable. I hadn’t told
the full story though – they were continually painful, like knives
sticking into my hands.

Ordinarily I wasn’t one to brood. I was one for action. So
why was I sitting on this bed staring at the sky again?

…

Jason Singh

I sipped at my drink, wondering why I was here. Okay, I knew:
this was my best friend’s little sister’s welcoming party. Still,
wasn’t I a little too old for this?

I saw a recruit bounce in from the corridor. He looked fresh
out of high school.

I was way too old for this.

I tried to sidle towards the windows to hide behind a large
pot plant. It was the only cover I could find.

I’d stick around for a few more minutes, then make a discreet
exit.

“
How’s she for company?” Someone asked.

I turned to see Mason – my best mate – sidle up with a smile
painted over his face.

“
Ah, who are you talking about?”

“
Your date in the corner there.” He gestured towards the pot
plant beside me with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

“
Can you please not say the word date in here?” I coughed into
my drink. “I’ve suddenly realized how young everyone is. Why did I
agree to come here again?”

“
Because it’s my sister's first day at the Academy, and this
is her first party – and I want to shoot any potential suitors a
real clear warning that if they break her heart, I’ll break
theirs.”

“
You mean you’ll date them, string them along until they think
it’s serious, and dump them?”

“
Ha, ha. Now shut up, drink your drink, and look
menacing.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed as I took another sip. “Don’t
drag me into this. You can do all the menacing on your own. Do I
really need to be here?”

“
Yeah, Mandy wants you here. By the way, she has a crush on
you,” Mason pointed out with a casual shrug, which he followed up
immediately with a stiff waggle of his finger, “But if
you—”

I spread my arms wide in surrender. “Dude, she’s your little
sister. That’s never going to happen.”

“
That’s a good answer – I like that answer. Now return to your
drink, and start looking menacing already. I know you have it in
you – I’ve seen you take on Kore assassins. A couple of upstart
spotty recruits shouldn’t be too hard.”

I shook my head and wondered when I’d be getting out of
here.

Before I could sidle back to the comfort of my plant, Mandy
bounced up, playfully hitting Mason on the shoulder then shooting
me a red-cheeked smile. “I’m glad you could both make it. It’s so
exciting. I mean, I know it gets serious tomorrow when the classes
start, but it’s great to get a chance to meet everyone
today.”

“
Yes it is,” Mason agreed as he shot a tall young recruit a
warning look as the guy walked up to Mandy with a drink in his
hand. The recruit – clearly smarter than he looked – quickly turned
and gave the drink to someone else.

Mandy turned her red-cheeked smile on me, and I found myself
sinking further towards the plant.

Realizing I couldn’t stand there in silence, I cleared my
throat. “Ah, how are you settling in? How’s your flat
mate?”

Mandy’s broad smile faltered. She shot the closed door on the
opposite side of the room a quick look, before leaning in and
whispering, “She is so
weird.”

“
What do you mean?” Mason asked protectively.

“
She wouldn’t come out for the party.”

“
Maybe she’s just shy,” I offered. “What race is
she?”

“
Taskarian.”

I paused, drink halfway to my lips. “The woman from the track
this morning? The one who ran for four goddamn hours in 30 degree
heat?
Her?”

“
I wasn’t at the track this morning, but a few of my friends
were. Yeah, it’s her.”

“
Wow,” Mason looked interested, “I heard about that. Damn, I
want to meet this woman.” He looked excitedly over his shoulder at
Em’s door.

I remembered her name – Em. You don’t forget someone like
that. News of her exploits this morning had already spread halfway
around the Academy. By this time tomorrow morning the whole track
team would be lined up outside her door begging her to
join.

“
Go and get her to come out,” Mason encouraged his sister.
“Jason is probably right, and she’s just shy.”

“
Nah,” Mandy refused. “She’s … weird. Her reactions aren’t
normal. It’s like she doesn’t know what you’re saying half the
time. She always tilts her head at you in this weird
way.”

I knew that head tilt – I’d seen it this morning.

“
Mandy, this is a big wide galaxy, full of many, many aliens.
Not everyone is like you. And the first lesson you need to learn at
the Academy is how to get along with people from other species and
cultures. Now go ask her to come out so I can meet her.”

“
No way am I going in there,” his sister resisted.

Maybe I would stick around this party for a little longer. I
wanted a chance to talk to Em and thank her for what she’d done for
Elle. Without Em’s incredible efforts on the track, Elle would have
been cut already.

Before I could go and do something brave like actually knock
on her door, she came out on her own.

Several mingling recruits scurried out of her way as her
statuesque form cut between them. She was less like a body and more
like a scythe slicing through the air.

Without a word or a smile she walked towards the doors, as if
in a daze. No, daze wasn’t the right word – she didn’t look
confused, just focused.

“
Go make an effort; she’s your flat mate. And bring her over
here,” Mason demanded as he pushed his sister forward.

Mandy reached Em before she could walk through the
doors.

I walked closer to hear their conversation, Mason at my
side.

“
Ah, don’t leave – you should join us,” Mandy offered
awkwardly as she gave an uncomfortable, toothy smile.

Em looked at Mandy blankly, as if she had no idea what to do
next.

“
Ah, have a drink.” Mandy gestured to a full bottle of Caskcar
– one of the most intoxicating drinks in the galaxy.

Mason had confiscated it after an idiot recruit had offered
Mandy a shot.

Em gave the bottle a quizzical look, returned her gaze to
Mandy briefly, then tilted her head at the bottle. Without a word,
she reached forward, plucked it up, and poured it down her
throat.

Without flinching.

Without gurgling.

Without choking.

Without passing out.

The whole party went silent, several people dropping their
drinks. Mandy made a wheezing sound as she sucked in a long breath
of air.

Em finished, without spilling a drop, and returned the empty
bottle to the counter. “I’ve finished your drink. I have enjoyed
this party. We should do it again sometime. Goodbye.” She turned
and walked for the door.

Mandy stood there with her mouth wide open. “Y-you weren’t
meant to finish the drink.
T-that’s
really alcoholic.”

Em paused. She tilted her head. “I apologize. You offered it
to me. I misunderstood. If you require compensation, I will
oblige.”

“
No, I mean are you okay? You just drank a whole bottle of
Caskcar.”

Em’s expression changed. Slightly. You had to be looking at
her as closely as I was to even pick it up. Her gaze quickly darted
over the shocked, awed crowd. “I am fine. Do not worry about me, I
used to … drink professionally.”

“
You … what?”

“
I am fine. I should leave now. Enjoy the rest of your party.”
With that, Em walked away, shot the empty bottle a calculating
look, then promptly exited through the stunned crowd and into the
hall.

Mason leaned close to me. “Holy shit,” his voice shook, “Who
the hell is that woman? Did you see that?”

I saw it alright.

“
How can she be standing? I mean, I know Taskars are different
to humans, but dammit, Caskcar is some of the most lethal shit this
side of engine plasma. Do you think we should go and check on her
to make sure she’ll be fine?”

“
I’ll do it,” I offered bravely, moving through the party
before Mason had a chance to go in my place.

I left Mandy standing in a sea of her friends, all madly
discussing what Em had just done.

Wow, the woman had only been here for a day, and she was
already the talk of the Academy.

What would she get up to tomorrow?

Chapter 4

I needed to be more careful. I appreciated that now. As I sat
down to my first class and registered the awed expressions of my
classmates, I understood I had made another mistake.

I could hear them all mumbling amongst themselves – even the
ones still out in the corridor. They were discussing the fact I had
imbibed one of the most intoxicating drinks in the galaxy and that
I was still standing.

I briefly considered faking some kind of illness, but thought
better of it. It would be worse – in my estimation – to end up
drunk in the med bay on my first day than to endure
rumors.

I lifted my chin and stared at the podium at the front of the
hall, waiting for the lecture to begin. Before it could, someone
sat next to me. This was unusual, as thus far every recruit had
gone to extreme lengths to sit as far from me as they
could.

“
Hey, I thought you could use some company.” Elle Singh sat,
somehow out of breath even though she’d only climbed ten steps to
reach me.

I looked at her impassively, then quickly realized a rumor I
was unfriendly and weird was also spreading, and I tried to
smile.

I wasn’t used to smiling. I felt like I was hanging my cheeks
up on nails.

If Elle noticed something strange, she didn’t say anything.
“So, how was your first day yesterday? I decided not to go to any
parties last night, and hit the books instead.”

I refrained from pointing out a wiser plan would have been to
hit the track. If she did not increase her physical fitness, she
would be expelled before her first test.

“
What did you get up to?” She smiled. Her smile was natural,
effortless.

I tried to copy her move, but quickly gave up as the
unnatural feeling spread through my cheeks. “I … walked.” It was
true – after my incident at the party, I had walked, though I would
have preferred to space jump – using my ability to open subspace
pockets to dart from one point to another. It was a true pleasure –
something my body was made for.

“
That makes sense. I overheard this weird rumor that you
downed a whole bottle of Caskcar. I didn’t believe it of course.
Those recruits are all young and excitable – they make stuff up all
the time.”

I refrained from pointing out she was also young and
excitable.

“
Anyhow, ignore them,” she continued to counsel me, “They’ll
grow up soon enough. Just keep your head down and study – that’s
what my mum says.”

I had not forgotten her mother was Admiral Singh. Elle was a
dangerous cadet to associate with. If I was smart, I would politely
excuse myself and sit somewhere else.