Earth Star(21)

I was always interested in pre-history, so I signed up to spend four weeks on the New York Fringe Dig Site when I was only 11. I’d done my gold safety award, but the club were worried about my age and insisted on my ProParents giving their consent.

I talked Candace into agreeing, but my ProDad called up one image of the New York ruins on his lookup and absolutely refused. I explained all about New York Fringe being much safer than New York Main Dig Site, but he still said little kids couldn’t go somewhere so dangerous and maybe when I was 16 he’d consider it. I was spitting furious, so I forged his consent and went anyway. He ignored me for weeks after the argument, so he didn’t find out until the day before we came back.

After that, he tried to get me thrown out of the history club, but was outvoted because I’d got glowing reports for my work on the dig site and Candace and the teacher were on my side. The next summer, I signed up to go to London Fringe Dig Site with the club. There was another huge argument, and my ProDad said he washed his hands of the whole business and me as well. I told him he could nuke off, and I’ve hardly seen him since then. When I got my leg fried, he showed up at the hospital, but only because he wanted to keep getting paid for being my ProDad.

Anyway, I didn’t care what my ProDad thought, if he thought anything at all, about me vanishing when Alien Contact grabbed me. Candace was a different matter. She really cared about me, and I didn’t want her to be worried.

‘I’d better call Candace right away, it’s past ten o’clock at night in Earth Europe and …’ I stopped. ‘Well, I’ll call her right after I change out of Military uniform. It wouldn’t be easy to explain why I’m suddenly a Military Captain.’

‘You do that,’ said Fian, ‘and I’ll send Playdon a mail to reassure him the Military understand you can’t portal off world.’

I grabbed my civilian lookup, and dashed into the bedroom to change before calling Candace. She’d probably be busy or in bed by now, but if she didn’t answer I could leave a message.

She did answer, and frowned anxiously at me. ‘Jarra! Are you all right? I’ve only known you miss your appointment with me twice, and both times you’d been taken to hospital.’

‘I’m fine,’ I said. ‘I’m really sorry I didn’t call. We had to pack our bags and move in a hurry. There wasn’t any warning and …’

‘So long as you’re all right.’ She smiled, and looked her usual calm and relaxed self again. ‘Why has your class moved? You’d only just arrived at Eden Dig Site.’

‘It was a complete shock,’ I said. ‘I can’t explain the reason. It’s classified.’

‘Ah.’ She nodded. ‘Like when they evacuated New York Fringe?’

I remembered the time she meant. Some buried stasis box must have had a containment field failure and released some very nasty contents, because there was a big radiation spike and Fringe Dig Site Command got everyone to evacuate at top speed. Our school history club were working on site at the time, so we left through the nearest emergency evac portal and ended up in a Hospital Earth America casualty unit getting checked for radiation exposure.

‘Not exactly like that, but yes.’

‘You’re sure you haven’t had a dose of radiation?’ she asked.

‘Perfectly sure,’ I said. ‘We had a whole batch of medical checks.’

‘So where have they sent you?’

I evaded her question. ‘I’ve got a room, but it may just be for tonight. It’s not clear what’s happening yet.’

The bedroom door opened, and Fian stuck his head cautiously into the room. He was still in uniform, but safely behind the lookup where Candace couldn’t see him. He came in and leaned against the wall, watching me.

I could see Candace looking around her limited view of the bedroom. ‘Your room looks much better than the ones you get in the dig site domes. Did they give you a larger room because you’re sharing it with Fian?’

I froze.

She laughed at my expression. ‘I don’t know why you’ve been trying to hide it from me, Jarra. You’re both 18, legally adult, and you’ve a Twoing contract. I’d have no justification for objecting, even if I didn’t approve of Fian, and I do. I’m very happy that you’re in a relationship with someone so dependable.’

Fian had his hand over his mouth, obviously finding this incredibly funny. I tried to ignore him.

‘I know you like Fian, it’s just …’

‘You’re always very defensive about your private affairs, Jarra. I understand if you aren’t comfortable discussing this with me.’