Earth Girl (40 page)

I laughed.

‘The next thing was the newzies found out you were Handicapped. Some of the class think Krath sold the information to them, but I don’t believe that. Krath is far too occupied having a major fight with his father. Apparently, his father thinks the ships landing on Earth, and the crash, was made up by the Military to get publicity. Even Krath can’t accept that one. He’s seen the crash site himself. Dig Site Command got a full size freight portal set up at intersection 3 to shift out all the sleds and equipment we left there, and Playdon portalled the class over so they could help out.’

Fian shrugged. ‘The newzies probably found out you were Handicapped when they were researching your background. They’d already been talking about you as a heroine, so I can imagine there was some fast thinking. Some of them instantly dropped you from their news stories, but the others decided to go for it.’

‘So, brace yourself.’ Fian grinned. ‘You are now the heroic Military Honour Child who was tragically born Handicapped. I’m your off-world lover who is willing to sacrifice the universe for the sake of true love.’

I felt a need to double check the basic situation at this point. ‘You haven’t changed your mind? You still want us to stay together.’

Fian sighed. ‘Weren’t you listening to the things I said to you before they knocked you out with all those meds? Yes, I still want us to stay together. I’m your off-world lover who is willing to sacrifice the universe for the sake of true love. Watch the newzies if you don’t believe me.’

I giggled, but sobered up rapidly. ‘But what about your family?’

‘Well, they were a bit shocked at first, but all the romantic stuff about us on the vids got my mother on our side. She’s talked my father round now, which makes life a lot easier. My sister still thinks I’m mad, but she doesn’t really care what I do. She’s too obsessed with her research to worry much about her kid brother.’

Fian checked his lookup. ‘I think that’s most of the news. Everyone knew when the hospital would let you wake up from the meds, so there’s a queue of people waiting to visit you. I thought we’d better start with your ProMum and ProDad, because they’re outside having a huge argument in the corridor.’

‘My ProDad came?’ I stared at Fian. ‘I haven’t seen him in over a year.’

‘That’s exactly what your ProMum keeps saying. I gather they haven’t met before, and they aren’t getting on too well. Your ProMum thinks he’s irresponsible for not having regular contact with you. Your ProDad thinks she’s irresponsible for letting you apply to University Asgard.’

I giggled. ‘I bet Candace is winning.’

‘She is. Now, after your ProMum and ProDad, your next scheduled visitors are Issette and Keon. Then there are a bunch from your school and Next Step over in the cafeteria. Playdon and the class are planning to visit this evening. I thought you’d need a little more recovery time before you meet my parents, so they’re down for tomorrow afternoon.’

I gulped. ‘Your parents are here on Earth?’

Fian nodded. ‘The hospital thinks they’ll discharge you tomorrow morning, so I thought we could spend the afternoon with my parents at the zoo. Please try not to call yourself an ape in front of them. After that, we’ll head back to the dig site. Playdon says you’ll have to sit around in the dome for several days, because he wants to make sure you’ve fully recovered before you try tag leading.’

‘But …’

Fian held up a hand. ‘You can argue that with Playdon if you like, but it won’t get you anywhere. Now, we’d better get on with the visitors, and let in your ProParents before they try and kill each other.’

He opened the door. I could hear Candace talking in a voice icier than a New York winter. ‘You seem very eager to criticize my lack of control over Jarra’s recklessness. Allow me to point out that you’ve only seen Jarra three times in seven years, and have had no influence over her at all!’

‘Jarra is able to see you now,’ said Fian, in a determinedly cheerful voice, ‘but the doctors say that your visit has to be limited to fifteen minutes at maximum because she’s still extremely weak.’

I hastily lay back on the pillows and tried to look weak.

A month later, I was sitting on one of a group of 243 chairs in the centre of Earth Olympic Arena. On one side of me was Fian. On the other side of me was Rono, with the rest of the Cassandra 2 team filling up our row. The Earth 2 team were in front of us, so I’d worked out we’d been seated in the clock sequence from the excavation. Dig Site Command and other oddments seemed to be at the back with Achilles 1.

I glanced at Fian and saw that he was looking terrified. I don’t think it was the size of the audience sitting around the arena that was bothering him, as much as the vid bees floating around covering this for all the newzies.

I was trying not to look at the audience to my left. There was a bank of seats over there packed with Playdon, the rest of the class, a bunch of my friends, Candace, Fian’s parents, and his friends. Most of them were behaving themselves, but Issette was wild with excitement. Whenever I looked towards her, she would bounce out of her seat to wave at me, and Keon had to grab her and drag her back down again.

My brother and sister were on Planet First assignments, so they couldn’t be here in person, but they’d be watching the vids either now or later. Their friends would see this too, so I hoped I didn’t embarrass them by doing anything silly. I kept my eyes firmly forward, and tried to look suitably calm and serious.

In front of the massed dig teams was a podium, and on the other side of it, facing us, were another bunch of chairs. These ones were filled with members of the Military. There would be 350 of them. There had been 352 on the solar arrays, but two had been killed when the ships landed.

The Military suddenly seemed to straighten up, and everyone else picked up the signal and quietened down. There was a moment of silence, and then the anthem started to play. Around the arena the huge flags unfurled, and then the anthem ended and the arena screens came to life. They were showing clips of vids, some that I’d already seen and some that were new to me. Scenes from the solar arrays, on board the ships, views of the ships crash landing, and coverage of the rescue of Solar 5.

That must have lasted for ten minutes, and then the screens swapped to show the flag of humanity and the hymn began to play. Everyone stood to attention as it played through to the high note, and then we saluted, sat down and relaxed. The screens started showing images from the vid bees around the arena.

A Military General stepped up to the central podium, and there was a rustle of expectation from the audience. I’d been expecting Colonel Torrek to do the presentations, but now realized that was a silly idea. He couldn’t present his own medal.

‘The Thetis and the Earth Star,’ said the General’s hugely magnified voice. ‘Solar 1.’

The first batch of Military stood and came forward to collect their medals as the crowd applauded. I knew the Thetis was traditionally awarded to Military risking their lives to save civilians. The Earth Star was the beginning of a new tradition, and it looked like it was intended to be both a Military medal and a civilian award.

The crews of Solar 2, 3, and 4, followed. It was the last group that really interested me.

‘Solar 5, Colonel Riak Torrek commanding.’

I leaned forward eagerly to see Colonel Riak Torrek lead the crew of Solar 5 to collect their medals. I also spotted the doctor who’d helped treat me at the crash site.

‘The Earth Star,’ said the General. ‘Earth 2.’

Earth 2 dig team went up for their medals, and I applauded madly.

‘Cassandra 2 and Asgard 6.’

That was us! I heard Fian gulp as we stood up and went to be presented with the little medal boxes. As I turned round with mine, I caught sight of Issette. She was going nuts again. My magnified face was being shown on screens all round the arena, and those images would be going out live on the vid stream, so I forced myself to stay looking serious rather than give in to a fit of giggles.

Dig Site Command were the last to pick up their medals. Their round of applause died down, the General stepped down from the podium, and his place was taken by Colonel Riak Torrek. He spoke two words that changed the mood of everyone.

‘The Artemis.’

Everyone stood in solemn silence as the flags around the arena dipped in salute. Two members of the Military had died when the ships crash landed, and they were giving them the highest Military honour of the Artemis. I approved of that. Its roll of honour began with the four Military who died at the Artemis solar array, so it was more than appropriate.

‘Lieutenant Uri Ray Ivanov. Solar 3.’

For two minutes, the screens around the arena showed us the face of a young man who couldn’t be here to collect his medal.

‘Captain Marra Leonie Meyer. Solar 3.’

For the next two minutes, an older woman smiled at the crowd from the arena screens. They went dark for a second after that, then swapped to showing the Colonel standing at the podium, and the flags returned to normal. The audience started to sit down, but hastily stood again in confusion as another name was announced.

‘Davide Jenning of Earth. Tag leader Earth 1.’

The arena screens showed chaos among the ranks of dig team members, as everyone turned to look at a shocked young man. The rest of Earth 1 pushed him to his feet, and he staggered his way out from among the chairs and across to the podium. The Colonel pinned on the Artemis and shook his hand. The audience had realized what was happening now, and went crazy applauding.

Next up was the tag leader from Hera 6. I just sat there, watching in disbelief. You had to be dead or wounded to receive the Artemis. It was the highest Military honour, and had never before been awarded to civilians.

Fian turned to look at me. ‘Jarra. It’s the tag leaders! The tag leaders who got hurt.’

I was still sitting there with my mouth open. The Military were used to being the ones doing the rescuing, not being rescued themselves by civilians. They were making a point here, and they were doing it in style. They were giving us the Artemis. They were going to give me the Artemis!

It was fortunate that I was fifth and last to be called, because I needed every second to get in a fit state to move.

‘Jarra Tell Morrath of Earth. Tag leader Asgard 6.’

I went up and Colonel Riak Torrek pinned the Artemis on my left shoulder next to the Earth Star. This time he didn’t need to say my grandmother would be proud of me, but I knew he was thinking of her. He’d shaken the hand of the other four tag leaders because they were civilians. I was an Honour Child, and the granddaughter of Colonel Jarra Tell Morrath, so he caught my eye and we went for the salute simultaneously.

His eyes flickered sideways after that, signalling the next move to me, and I realized they’d called me up last for a reason. The Colonel and I turned to salute the group of other dig team members, and the crews of the Solar ships stood to salute as well. The Artemis wasn’t just for the tag leaders. It was the Military saying thank you to all of the rescuers, and at that moment I was counted as both rescuer and Military.

So that’s about it. There’s been a lot of silly stuff on the vid channels about me, and about Fian too. That’s why I’ve been writing this, to tell you what really happened, to tell norms what it’s like to be the one in a thousand who’s born Handicapped. I may not seem all that nice in places, but at least it’s the real me, not some saccharine invention of the newzies. I’m Jarra, I’m an Earth girl, and I’m proud of it. You can laugh at me for being an ape if you want, but there are only eleven living people entitled to wear the Artemis, and I’m one of them. I’m proud of that too.

Issette says they may finally be researching something that will lead to a treatment for our handicap. She says they think the mistake was trying to find what was on the other worlds but not on Earth. They now think the problem is something they screen out in Planet First. Something that seems bad but is actually vital for some of us, and they’ve been deliberately picking worlds that don’t have it. If they can find what it is, then maybe they can find a way of treating us to get round the problem.

Issette is excited, but personally I don’t believe a word of it. They’ve been looking for hundreds of years and I expect they’ll keep looking for hundreds more. I’m Handicapped, and I always will be.

I can’t join the Military, but I’ve got history and Fian, and I think they’re the most important. There’s a very old saying that dates back to pre-history, and I think it sums up the way I feel. Two out of three ain’t bad. In fact, two out of three can be pretty good.

Fian says that two out of three can be even better than chocolate ice cream, so I’m going to stop writing this now and let him prove it.

To my husband, with thanks for all his help and support. I’d also like to thank Chris Morgan for encouraging me to take my writing seriously, as well as my agent Ian Drury, and my editor Amy McCulloch.

Janet Edwards lives in England. As a child, she read everything she could get her hands on, including a huge amount of science fiction and fantasy. She studied Maths at Oxford, and went on to suffer years of writing unbearably complicated technical documents before deciding to write something that was fun for a change. She has a husband, a son, a lot of books, and an aversion to housework.
Earth Girl
is her first book.

HarperVoyager

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Copyright © Janet Edwards 2012

Janet Edwards asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

EPub Edition © August 2012 EISBN: 978 0 00 744352 9

This novel is entirely a work of fiction.

The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.