Legacy (The Biodome Chronicles) (24 page)

Her hazel eyes missed nothing as she observed him. “Well, you’re in a good mood,” Lynden said, readjusting her position in his chair.

“Yep. I’m finally leaving and he won’t be there every second to micromanage my existence. I’m free, Lyn. Two days and I’m free.”

“Free from what? Your stubborn pride and his? You’re bringing that with you into captivity, you know.” Lynden flopped back against the chair rolling her eyes. “You two just need to beat each other up and get it over with. You’ll both feel much better afterward.” She stood with stiff movements while shaking her head, then marched toward the door. “Male pride. Yuck! You could use a girlfriend, too.” And with that, his door shut on a rainbow blur.

Fillion groaned into the air. He just wanted some peace. But he knew he needed to finish a conversation with Lynden about her recent activities. Jumping off his bed, he raced down the hallway to her room and barged in without knocking. Face down in a pillow and shoulders shaking, Lynden ignored his entrance. Fillion stepped into the room, then closed her door behind him quietly.

He had a soft spot for Lynden, one of the only soft areas in his life. They were Irish twins, born eleven months apart, the only spawn their parents could create apparently. But with their academic and social differences, they may as well have been years apart. While he unfortunately favored Hanley in aptitude, Lynden was like any other American girl her age.

“I don’t want you to go!” she wailed into a pillow, the cry muffled.

“Did Hanley discuss the arrangement with you?” Fillion walked over and sat next to her on the bed. He bounced up and down slightly, hoping to get her attention and make her smile, or at least earn a playful hit. Instead, Lynden barely raised her head above the pillow so she could be understood.

“No. I overheard him talking with John. He’s staying for dinner, by the way.” Lynden returned her face to the pillow.

Fillion slowly let out a breath. Once again, the responsibility of raising Lynden fell on his shoulders.

“I made an arrangement with Hanley. He’s going to get you a tutor so you don’t have to return to the elite school.” This got her attention and she sat up, wiping away the angry tears. “He’s also going to hire you to take care of the exchange from New Eden. Whoever it is will need an introduction to our world, our ways, culture, technology.” Lynden nodded her head in agreement. “Think you can handle that?”

“I’m not as stupid as you think. Of course I can handle that.” A red strand of the rainbow had fallen in front of her face and she blew it back.

“I need an agreement from you, Lyn. No more Pinkie or any others like her kind. Got it? She’s using you. She only wants your connections and the fame you’ll bring her as a Cyber Call Girl. Pinkie’s not your friend, and it would kill me to see you harmed by the bastards who hire those kind of girls. It’s not the same as socially hooking up. Think about it. Why do they need to hire when they can get for free?” Fillion paused to allow his words to sink in. “Don’t throw your life away. Her so-called friendship isn’t worth it.”

“Says the hacker who has belonged to the underground for three years thanks to Mack. Why should I listen to you?”

“Because I have belonged to the underground for three years thanks to Mack and know exactly how it operates. There are many levels to this hell. I’m in a fringe group on the first level and would never go deeper. My soul doesn’t belong to the underground and neither should yours. Promise me, Lyn.”

“You’re such a dictator!”

She tried to look mad, but Fillion knew better.

“Don’t forget it!” he commanded, throwing a pillow at her.

She ducked, laughing, and looked at him curiously when the giggles tapered off.

“What?” he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

“You look so weird without your piercings.”

“Thanks, you know how to make a man feel good about himself,” he said dryly, standing up and heading toward the door.

“Oh, please. The girls fall over wherever you walk. They would probably kiss the ground, too, if they thought it would go anywhere with you. Seriously Fillion, you need a girlfriend to make you stop moping around everywhere. She would be my personal savior. I wouldn’t have to put up with your sorry ass anymore.”

“Put up with
my
sorry ass?” Fillion started laughing. “Girls are too much work.” He gave her a mischievous look. “Girls are
always
in trouble,
always
needing saving. It’s safer to flirt with disaster than engage with it.”

Lynden chucked a pillow at him. “Get out!” she scoffed playfully.

He shut her door quickly as another pillow was hurled through the air in his direction.

As he walked down the hallway, Fillion played back Lynden’s earlier words about male pride before brushing it aside again. She had no clue. Fillion fell onto his bed, tucking his hands behind his head, and stared at the black ceiling. Silently, he begged the black hole to yawn open and swallow him up.

People didn’t look at her with expectations that one day she would become owner of New Eden Biospherics. She was free from being their dad’s protégé. Hanley didn’t make it any easier either. He gloried in the fact that his son was heir. God, what an idiot. Fillion was going into the lion’s den, ready to fight, lifting a shield and sword against Hanley’s “Space Age of Sustainability” nonsense. Yet he would be willing to lay them down for Willow and Leaf. They were connected, each victims in a world not of their making, each a marionette manipulated by the same puppet master.

He sat up and grabbed his blue guitar once again. Thoughts cooled as he strummed away at favorite songs from various bands, losing himself to the music and singing on occasion. At one point, he heard a light thump against his door and, seeing a shadow blocking the light beneath, knew that Lynden must be leaning there, listening.

His gut told him that she would see Pinkie again, and his fingers stumbled. He wouldn’t be around to protect or guide Lynden. His sister couldn’t find an ID or Cranium for Pinkie, confirming his suspicion. The pink-haired girl knew to conceal her identity well. Why would Lynden do this? His sister knew that he would get her any connection she wanted, and yet she chose Pinkie. Perhaps Mack could act as an older brother while he was cut off from civilization.

***

Adams:
I have a burning question. How is this experiment influenced by live action role-playing, or LARP as it’s commonly called? Will elves exist inside New Eden Township?

Hanley
: (laughing) No, there are no elves. Although that would be fun to see play out within an enclosed Mars colony. Only the human race is inside New Eden Township at this time.

    
I have designed a style of live action role-playing for the benefit of science and research called Substantive LARP. In other words, the game world is fantasy, they are characters in a story, there are rules and a game objective—but the purpose is to learn an actual reality. In this case, a not-so-distant future reality. They are not really a colony on Mars—that is part of the pretend element. But we want to discover what would happen if they were, and how that colony might behave, or even survive, under certain strenuous conditions.

    
The gaming will be freestyle, so I will not continuously plan adventures. Rather, I will take on more of a referee role, adding elements as I see fit for character development and to change the course of the story and, thus, the experiment. The Aether, as discussed earlier, is the internal Gamemaster; and I will set up one of The Elements to be the figure head Gamemaster, speaking to the community on my behalf and that of The Aether.

—Hanley Nichols and Jennifer Adams,
Atoms to Adams Daily Show
, August 15, 2030

***

A
small voice reached Oaklee’s ears, a happy sound competing with the lull of sleep, and she began drifting into oblivion once again. “Willow? Are you awake?”

She felt a disturbance, and opened her swollen eyes, surprised to see her dark room. She must have been asleep for a long time. Laurel crawled into her bed, and snuggled up against her for warmth, rearranging the blankets to cover both their bodies. Oaklee reached out and placed an arm around
Laurel’s small form. Seeing the outline of her little sister warmed her heart. Her sister was a blessing, a gift made from pure joy.

“Willow?”

“Yes?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No, darling. How could I be mad at you?”

The silence stretched for a small period, and then Laurel began speaking again.

“Are you sick?”

“I am heartsick. I miss father. I miss my life before he died.”

Laurel leaned up on her elbows and kissed Oaklee’s nose, then fell back on the pillow, facing the wall.

“I love you, Willow. Please do not leave me.”

“I love you, too, Frog. Do not fret, dear one, I have no plans to leave. We shall be two peas in a pod, yes?”

Laurel giggled at the imagery.

“Do you wish for me to address you as Willow or Oaklee?”

“You may address me by whichever name you prefer. I am fond of both names.”

“Ember shared that you preferred Oaklee and to remember to address you by that name to ensure your happiness at present.” Laurel turned to face her.

“I have expressed wishes for Leaf and Ember to address me as Oaklee, but you may call me Willow if you prefer that name.”

Laurel whispered dreamily, “I do. It is such a pretty name.
Very
romantic.”

“Romantic?” Oaklee whispered back in disbelief, more at hearing her sister say something in a faraway voice.

“Oh, yes. All the girls say so. Lady Willow…” Her name trailed off into the darkness as her sister sighed.

This made Oaklee laugh. She could not stop herself. Just the mere thought that little girls were discussing her name was so absurd it was hilarious.

“Are you troubled, Oaklee? May I assist you?” Ember poked her head in the door and walked in farther when noting that Laurel was in the room as well.

“We are well, Ember. I was sharing with Lady Willow—I mean Oaklee—that her name is romantic.”

This made Ember giggle as well.

“According to Laurel,
all the girls
say so.”

“What a lovely confession to hear,” Ember said, giggling once again.

Oaklee had forgotten how giggly Ember could be. Was there a bad bone in her body?

“Come join us, Ember,” Laurel said, scooting closer to Oaklee. “It shall be great fun. A bed for girls only. No boys allowed.”

“Well, in that case.” Ember climbed in from the foot of the bed, squeezing in between the wall and Laurel.

All three were quiet for a few seconds and then spontaneously erupted into laughter. Oaklee was certain they looked very silly packed together in her small bed, various shades of blond and amber spilling over the single pillow in endless strands, curls, and braids.

Perhaps living with Ember would not be as awful as Oaklee first imagined. The idea of Leaf and Ember marrying had been rooting and growing within Oaklee’s heart the entire day, beginning with Leaf’s confession and continuing with Ember’s care.

Oaklee slowly inhaled a deep breath, clearing her head, which pounded from all the emotions and bouts of tears. It was strange to be this close to Ember, especially after Oaklee had rejected her twin brother and spoken so hatefully to Leaf. Ember appeared so accepting, so kind. Oaklee was not sure she would feel the same if the roles were reversed.

The Daughter of Fire was a gentle rain while the Daughter of Earth was a torrential storm. Perhaps when she was sixteen she would be as calm as Ember, Oaklee mused. She let out a long breath. No, that was an indeed a lofty expectation. Oaklee knew she was too spirited for a reserved demeanor and thoughtful composure. And for this reason, Ember’s inherent goodness was never stimulating enough for Oaklee’s interest. And yet, it was that very trait that held all of Oaklee’s attention at present.

All her life she had preferred a bright blaze when it came to meaningful friendship, something to rival her own personality. But Ember lived up to her name, providing a strong and constant source of energy. Easy to overlook with just a faint glow from the ashes when compared to a dazzling flame; but at the center of that light is a heat sometimes as powerful as the fire that created the burning coals.

Ember and Coal. They were such apt names for the Hansen twins. Lost in her thoughts, she did not realize that her bedmates had fallen asleep. This allowed her to relax, and before long, she joined Laurel and Ember in slumber.

Morning light spread across their bodies, snuggled tight against each other for warmth, their blanket twisted near the foot of the bed. Unable to sleep anymore, her lower back matching the pain in her head, Oaklee eased out of the bed slowly to ensure she did not waken her bedmates. The shadows in her room swayed with the golden rays and bio-breeze, and she estimated it was eight in the morning time.

She ambled into the lavatory and used the composter before trudging toward the living room with heavy eyelids to sit and allow her mind to waken prior to readying herself for the day. Leaf rested stoically upon one of the high-back wooden chairs, embracing a pillow she had made as a child, and she tarried at the stone-capped entry. Fatigue harshened his features, the dark circles under his eyes stark against his pale skin.

Remorse clutched at her heart as memories of her attitude yesterday played back in her mind, and then she remembered he broke a promise. Could she ever trust him again? Nevertheless, if he was going to be absent for three months, she did not wish for them to part on unhealthy terms, especially for Laurel’s sake.

“Good morning, My Lord,” Oaklee said, continuing her path into the living room.

“Oh, my apologies, Oaklee. I shall leave. I was waiting for Ember, but I shall not go against your expressed wishes. Do let her know that I came by, if you would be so kind.” He averted his eyes onto the floor, and refused to look up at her while walking toward their front door.

In a whisper she said, “Leaf, wait.” He halted in front of the door, and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “You are welcome to wait here for Ember.” He nodded, turned around and went back to the chair, still refraining from any eye contact.

The familiar strains of guilt made music in her heart, sad tunes expressing what words could not, while angry thoughts hummed in opposition inside her head. Her soul and spirit were waging a war within her body, and she felt a scream forming in her gut.

“I am sorry I disappointed you,” Leaf said with a cracked voice. He covered his face with his hands, resting upon the elbows that dug into his knees.

He sounded
sincerely aggrieved; however, the familiar resentment she held against him became the louder voice. “You have, but I shall survive. I must thank you for your encouragement yesterday. Laurel does indeed need me. I shall pull through for her, but not for
you
.” Oaklee leaned up against the wall, too full of emotion and thoughts to sit down, feeling her lower back burn with pain.

“I see.” He lifted his head while maintaining a downcast gaze, carefully running a hand through his dark curls. “I am unclear when you suddenly felt so strong about me leaving, but it clearly bothers you. I am most regretful for the surprise.”

Leaf met her eyes, and she knew his openness and sincerity was an attempt to dissipate her fury.

He shifted in the chair and then said, “Although you are right to pull through for Laurel, I hope you shall pull through for yourself as well. You deserve happiness, Oaklee. You deserve a good life.”

“Thank you, My Lord. I appreciate your concern for my welfare. I do deserve happiness and a good life. Perhaps with you gone I might find it. I only wish you could take Coal with you. At this moment, I am not sure who I wish gone more so than the other.”

She heard him inhale and he clenched his jaw again. Strong hands gripped the arms of the chair, positioning as if he might pounce at any moment. He took a slow labored breath, and exhaled in a low hiss, closing his eyes in concentration. When they opened again, his steel resolve pierced hers with a warning.

“Are you purposely withholding a reasonable explanation to punish me? Perhaps Coal’s assessment is true: You may not be woman enough to know the workings of your own heart.” He stood up and marched over to where she stood, meeting her intensity eye to eye. “Yesterday morning you encouraged me to leave, and then yesterday afternoon you responded as if I had intentionally betrayed you.”

Oaklee was outraged, and before she could think any further on his words, she raised her hand and slapped him soundly across his face. Leaf’s eyes enlarged, touching his cheek as his mouth slacked open, an expression she was quite sure mirrored her own.

Several tense and awkward heartbeats passed, and then an amused smile slowly brightened his features. Eyes twinkling, he grabbed the offending hand and kissed it. A lighter feeling bubbled up inside of her, and the oppression evaporated, causing a giggle to escape as she peered at her hand in confusion. Her brother was either a rascal, or affected with a touch of insanity like her. Men normally found a slap the ultimate offense by a woman. As much as she wanted to remain angry with him, he had properly disarmed her. Oaklee returned his smile, offering her hand to seek his forgiveness.

“Oh, no,” he said, wagging his head. “I want to hear you say it.”

The taunt was dripping with each word, his eyebrow raised, and a wide smile stretched across his face, challenging her further. Oaklee pushed him away, rolling her eyes.

“You shall wait an eternity then,” she said with a humored scoff.

“Not woman enough,
Willow
?”

This gained her acute attention, and she marched over to where he stood, hoping the righteous fury communicated through her eyes.

He smirked at her response. “Do not try and slap me again, I shall be expecting it.”

“It is
Oaklee
, and what about this?” Oaklee kicked him in the shin and watched Leaf hold his leg while he howled with laughter.

“You are a piece of work, Willow Oak Watson,” Leaf managed through laughter. “I relent, and shall grant that perhaps Coal is not man enough for you.”

“That is more like it,” she purred, sitting down. The ache in her back intensified.

“I agree,” a soft female voice said from the hallway.

Ember walked into the room holding Laurel’s hand, who peered at her siblings wide-eyed.

Both Leaf and Oaklee sobered, trying to look respectfully at Ember, but then Leaf began to laugh again and Oaklee joined him, unable to control the giggles that rumbled despite all efforts to stop. At this moment, Oaklee was convinced that both she and her brother had lost their senses. The grief inside of them had burst, and the only solution was to go mad from all the internal pressure. Ember added her laughter to the happy symphony, giving Laurel a reassuring look.

“Did you injure Leaf?” Laurel looked up at Oaklee with round eyes.

The laughter died with her sister’s question and
Oaklee swallowed nervously while trying to find words to explain. Did her sister know that Leaf was leaving?

“I deserved it, Laurel. Oaklee did nothing wrong. I am quite fine.” He walked over to Laurel, kneeling before her with open arms. Laurel gave him a hug, fitting her head against his neck and closed her eyes. Leaf patted her small back, and then glanced up, sucking in a small breath.

Awe softened her brother’s face, his gaze openly cherishing Ember’s features as a light illuminated her pearl-colored nightgown edged in tatted lace. Long hair draped over elegant shoulders and cascaded beautifully to her waist in soft curls. She appeared magical and otherworldly. Golden light from the window enchanted even the dust motes which sparkled all around her form.