Janet Edwards - Earth Flight

The recording ended and the screen went blank. I stared at it for a few seconds before speaking. ‘They’re questioning three more people. Petra and …?’

‘Two people on Atalanta in Beta sector,’ said Playdon. ‘I suggest you eat now. I want to start the mandatory dig site introductory and safety lectures straight after breakfast.’

Fian and I obediently headed for the food dispensers and picked up trays. ‘I wasn’t taking much notice of things when we portalled out of London Main,’ I said. ‘I know we’re in Earth America, because Leveque wanted us in the same time zone as Military Base 79 Zulu at White Sands, but which dig site are we at?’

‘California Rift Dig Site,’ said Fian.

‘What? But … Foundation classes aren’t allowed there.’

He shrugged. ‘Playdon must have special permission from Dig Site Command California.’

We loaded up our trays and went across to join Dalmora, Amalie and Krath at their table. Fian tugged a couple of air purifiers closer to us.

‘Sorry about the smell,’ I said.

‘The flower scent is quite pleasant,’ said Dalmora.

Krath’s lookup chimed. He checked it and groaned. ‘My nuking dad wants me to tell the Military I was involved in the attack so I get arrested.’

We all stared at him in disbelief. ‘Why does your dad want you arrested?’ asked Fian. ‘I’m not totally against the idea, but …’

‘He says it would be a great exclusive story for his nardle conspiracy vid channel, Truth Against Oppression .’

‘I hadn’t thought it possible,’ said Amalie, ‘but your dad has even less sense than you, Krath.’

I had a terrible thought. ‘Oh chaos! My ProMum and my friends must have seen reports of the attack on Earth Rolling News. They’ll be worried sick, but they won’t have been able to call me because my mail is blocking everything except Military calls. Major Tar Cameron’s working on a filtering system to relay recorded messages from my personal contacts, but …’

I tapped frantically at my Military lookup, and saw Candace’s face appear.

‘One moment,’ she said, and her image froze as she put the call on hold. That meant Candace was with one of her other nine ProChildren. I felt a stab of guilt at stealing part of someone else’s precious two hours with her.

About a minute later, she was back. ‘Sorry about that, Jarra. My other ProChildren mustn’t find out I’m your ProMum. It would be very psychologically harmful for them to feel I’m comparing them to the famous Commander Tell Morrath.’

I was too grazzed to speak. Hospital Earth rules forbade Candace from discussing her own family or her other ProChildren with me, so she’d never mentioned them before, and her calling me famous felt …

‘Hospital Earth has a standing injunction preventing newzies breaching ProParent confidentiality,’ Candace continued with an anxious air, ‘so it shouldn’t get public as long as you don’t mention me in any interviews.’

I wasn’t stunned any longer, just hurt. I’d thought Candace would be worried about me, but she hadn’t even asked how I was. I fought to keep my voice maturely calm and untroubled. ‘If we ever do interviews, I’ll be careful not to mention you.’

‘Good.’ She smiled. ‘I’m relieved to see you’re already looking better. The picture on Earth Rolling News frightened me, but Colonel Leveque explained about the medical gel and said the skin discolouration would be gone within a few days.’

My selfish feeling of hurt vanished. I should have realized the Military would contact my ProMum as well as my clan council, and that was why Candace wasn’t as worried as I’d expected.

‘I’m afraid I was a little rude to him at first,’ said Candace. ‘I was angry about the Military letting someone attack you.’

I think I groaned at this point, because she looked apologetic. ‘I’m sorry. It’s been such a short time since you were getting into trouble at your Next Step. It’s hard to adjust to you being not just an adult, but a high-ranking Military officer. Fortunately, Colonel Leveque was very understanding and we had a nice long chat about you.’

My ProMum had had a nice long chat to Colonel Leveque about me! I held back a scream of embarrassment. ‘What exactly did you say?’

‘Oh, we discussed your childhood. He seemed very interested.’

I remembered all the times I’d made a total nardle of myself, imagined Candace telling Leveque about them, and held back a shudder. ‘I’m taking up someone else’s time with you, so I’d better go now.’

When I ended the call, Fian laughed. ‘I’m just picturing Candace scolding Leveque for not taking proper care of you.’

I gave a whimper of heartfelt despair. ‘And then boring him by chatting about my childhood!’

Fian shook his head. ‘Leveque’s quite capable of reassuring Candace and getting rid of her at high speed. I’m betting the conversation was his idea. He likes collecting information.’

‘But why would Leveque want information about me?’

‘No idea. I’d better call my mother. My father too I suppose.’ Fian stood up and gestured at my untouched plate. ‘Please eat something, Jarra.’

I watched with a frown as Fian backed off a discreet distance and tapped his lookup. Fian’s mother would be worried about his safety. She might join in his father’s attempts to split us up.

‘Jarra,’ said Dalmora.

I turned to look at her. ‘Yes?’

‘Eat!’ Dalmora, Amalie, and Krath chorused the word in unison.

I sighed, picked up a toasted wafer and took a bite. It tasted of Osiris lilies. ‘There’s no need to nag.’

‘You always stop eating when you get hurt or upset,’ said Dalmora. ‘It’s bad for you and it worries Fian.’

Fian’s call to his mother seemed to end amicably, so I relaxed and dutifully munched more scented breakfast, then recorded a quick message about how I was fine but hated stinking of perfume. I sent that to all my friends from Next Step, and then wrinkled my nose as I considered my ProDad. I’d always felt he cared about the money he got from Hospital Earth, not about me, but he might be worried. I’d just sent him the message too when Fian shouted a single word.

‘No!’

The background chatter of the class abruptly stopped, and everyone turned to look at him. A Major standing in a characteristically Military pose, his left arm raised in front of him as he gazed at the lookup on his left sleeve with a grim expression. I felt a stab of shock, remembering the Deltan boy I’d met at the start of this year, and realizing how the last few months had changed him, had changed both of us. My Deltan wasn’t a boy any longer.

‘I told you, the answer is no.’ Fian’s voice was only slightly quieter than before. ‘I’m not coming back to Hercules, I’m not studying science, I’m not quitting the Military, and I’m not leaving Jarra for some drearily dutiful Deltan girl. Goodbye, sir!’

Fian gave his lookup an aggressive stab to end the call, and lifted his head. All around the room, people hastily faked an intense interest in eating. Fian marched back to our table and sat down, his simmering anger obvious enough that even Krath wasn’t fool enough to say anything.

The awkward silence continued until Playdon stood up and walked to the front of the hall, indicating he wanted to start his lectures. The class automatically responded by dumping the remains of meals into the waste disposal, putting dirty dishes into the cleanser, and moving furniture. Within three minutes, the tables were stacked at the side of the hall, the chairs were lined up in rows, and we all took our seats.

‘Half of human knowledge was lost in the Earth data net crash in 2409,’ said Playdon. ‘Science, technology, history, literature, medicine, all obliterated in a mass of data corruption. There are no surviving detailed records of the history of this area between 2100 and 2250, but at some point in that period there were either one or two massive earthquakes.’