After Impact: After Impact Trilogy, Book 1 (12 page)

Brody’s ongoing absence served as a constant reminder of the importance of finding a cure. Xin scolded Avalon on occasion as she began to get some things wrong and fell behind on her work queue. It was increasingly hard to compartmentalize her work life from everything that was happening in her personal life.

Avalon grew to find comfort in meeting Ilium in the storage room. One afternoon they met to discuss the results of her blood test.

“An analysis of your blood revealed some interesting results,” Ilium said.

“Like what?”

“Well, as you know, all babies are gestated inside of artificial wombs by government mandate.”

“Yeah, that was the law for about twenty years before we entered cryosleep. The government said it was best because mothers with various detrimental addictions could still have healthy babies and receive optimum nutrition levels while having everything monitored. So what does this have to do with anything?”

“According to my analysis, you lack the promoter region necessary for the virus to bind to, which is why you are immune to the virus.”

“So, perhaps you can somehow use me to save others?” Avalon asked.

Ilium nodded. A smile formed on the corners of Avalon’s lips.

“So, what do you plan to do with me?” Avalon asked.

“I need you to retrieve something from Kael.”

“What?”

“I think the missing piece may be hiding in plain sight. I need his smartwatch.”

“What do you hope to find on his watch?” Avalon asked.

“It’s just a hunch, but I suspect he may have the missing piece for making the vaccine more effective.”

Avalon chewed a piece of loose hair.
Kael was many things. A playboy. Confident. Attractive. But was he a killer?

“Why would Kael have it instead of his father?” Avalon asked.

“Because the President would expect someone to suspect him , but not his son.”

Avalon chewed on that tidbit a minute. It was logical. She remembered her father’s words, to trust no one
.

Avalon locked eyes with Ilium. With a sigh she asked, “Do you need the watch or just the info on it?”

“Just the info. Once I have it, I think I can change the drug efficiency rate from 17 to 97 percent,” Ilium said.

Avalon made several steps towards him.

“You are absolutely brilliant,” she beamed as she wrapped her arms around his torso. She could stay there forever, as he was a whole head taller than her, as he patted her hair. She listened in silence as he sniffed her hair. After a couple of moments, they dropped the embrace and Avalon left the room.

A few days later Kael and Avalon had a date in a private dining hall. A Compatio served them a five course meal. As someone courting an Accipio, Avalon received a red form fitting one-shoulder dress from Kael that was made by a Compatio seamstress. Made of luxurious silk, it hugged her figure in all the right places. Kael also sent a set of earrings and high heel red bottomed shoes to her dorm. The vintage shoes were four inches high, and made her calves jiggle a bit. After walking around inside of her dorm to be sure she could walk without falling, Avalon stepped outside where Kael waited for her.

“You look absolutely gorgeous,” he said taking her all in.

“Thank you,” Avalon said. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she added.

Kael wore a dark suit made of the finest material, complete with sterling silver cufflinks, a white shirt, and a navy blue tie. He possessed a swagger and confidence which showed in his posture. Avalon slid her arm inside of Kael’s and they strolled together towards the private dining room in Accipio hall.

Kael swiped his hand, and they walked past the Accipio hall doors and stood before large frosted glass double doors. These did not require swiping to enter. Instead, Kael held his eye to a scanner. Once scanned, he held the door open, and Avalon entered the hallway.

The Accipio hall was in stark contrast to the rest of the habitat. First they were greeted by a gorgeous foyer with a large domed fake skylight, mimicking a gorgeous sunny day. The floor was made of marble tile and the walls were painted a pleasing cream shade with museum quality artwork hanging on its walls. A large fountain stood in the middle of the foyer. Guards surrounded the hallway, protecting the inhabitants therein. Real plants appeared in random alcoves.
The main habitat didn’t even have the luxury of artificial plants!

They continued to walk passed the foyer and into the dining room for Accipios. Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting beautiful shadows onto the hardwood floor. Five round tables with white linen tablecloths, crystal goblets, and silverware sat in the room.
How on Earth are they keeping something like this secret?

Kael pulled her chair out and Avalon sat down. Then he scooted her chair back up to the table and sat down opposite her.

A Compatio waiter immediately flanked her side.

“What would you like to drink?” the waiter asked. He wore a white shirt and a black vest with a black bowtie. His hands were gloved.

“Water, thanks,” she said.
Where did they get the material to make these outfits?

The waiter looked at Kael.

“I will take the same, thanks,” Kael said.

Kael smiled at Avalon. She returned his smile and they held hands above the table.

“Did you have a good day today?” Kael asked.

“Yes, thank you. How about you?”

“It was good, thank you,” he answered.

“Is that Ilium?” Avalon asked, and as Kael turned his head she quickly touched her smartwatch to his, and downloaded the information. All the smartwatches contained this feature for transferring information, but only an elite few knew about it. Avalon was one of the few since she worked with the computer software team.

When Kael returned his head to face her, he scowled. “That wasn’t him.”

“Oh. Well, I figured. I mean this place is really fancy and I am sure only the Accipios even know about it.”

“Exactly,” he answered.

The waiter looked a bit nervous as he walked up to them and asked, “What will you have to eat Mr. Frost?”

Avalon had paid little attention to the menu, so she looked to Kael to speak first.

“You can call me Kael,” Kael said. “ And I will take the blackened swordfish with dirty rice,”

Avalon’s lips parted open in surprise. Rumors spread about synth-meat but she imagined it could only produce something akin to spam. At most, a hamburger.

“And you madam?” the waiter asked.

“I will have the house salad and rockfish.”

“Very good choices,” the waiter said before sauntering over to the kitchen. Avalon had never eaten rockfish before, but it sounded interesting.

Avalon and Kael fixed their gaze on each other. Avalon was nervous, which meant a dovetail of questions was going to pop from her mouth. “Have you ever thought about the clouds? About how they stopped forming shapes before the asteroid hit? It was as if they sensed the atmosphere changing,” Avalon stated.

“What are you talking about? Do you mean the simulations?”

“No. the real clouds. Before we entered the habitat, they stopped forming shapes. You know how people used to look to the clouds and they could picture the shapes of dogs and cats.”

Kael stared into her eyes.

“Why are we having a philosophical conversation when all I want is to get to know you better?” Kael asked.

“You are right,” Avalon replied. They sat in silence, with Avalon quietly begging the waiter to return with her food. He was right on time, placing a salad before her made of mixed greens, tomatoes, bleu cheese, and tossed in light vinaigrette. Avalon smiled at the waiter, said ‘Thank you,’ and then bowed her head to say grace silently.

Once she opened her eyes, Kael looked at her oddly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just… I didn’t know people still prayed anymore.”

A blush flooded Avalon’s face. She quickly stuffed her mouth with the lettuce, trying to stuff the awkwardness by stuffing her stomach.

“That’s refreshing,” Kael said with a smile on his face.

“What?”

Kael pointed to her plate and said, “You aren’t afraid to eat in front of me. Most of the Accipio girls are.”

Avalon reflected back to the quartet of otherwise beautiful girls with intentional and large thigh gaps.

“Well, I can’t bear the thought of wasting food in our predicament. Food is life.”

Kael nodded politely. “You are quite unusual. Very unique.”

You don’t know how unique.

After a few moments of small talk, the synthetic swordfish and rockfish arrived. Avalon took a bite.

Kael asked, “Do you like it?”

Avalon took a bite. It had a mild flavor, tender, and a nice flaky texture. “Yes. It is quite good.”

Kael smiled. “That’s another thing I like about you. You are adventurous.”

Avalon took a sip of water. “You like to read, yes? Tell me about your favorite authors?”

Kael listed Ray Bradbury, Suzanne Collins, and George Orwell as some of his favorites.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I like those authors, as well as E.B. White, Mark Twain, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.”

After the meal, Kael took her hand and escorted her into a different room.

“Where are you leading me?” she asked.

“You will see. You have got to learn to enjoy surprises,” he said with a gleam in his eyes.

Surprises. That’s all my life has been lately.

Kael pushed on what appeared at first to be a normal wall, but which opened into a large room. The domed room showed the real midnight sky, full of stars. All around the room were bottles of bubble bath gels, nail polishes, and fresh fruits.

“What is this place?” Avalon asked.

“My sanctuary,” he said, taking a step towards her. “I am really glad the AI chose you to be my partner.”

Avalon had her skepticism about that with Elena and all. But at the same time, she believed he spoke some truth.

“Why did you do all of this?”

“Why does any male do anything for a female?” he chuckled.

A blush rose to her cheeks.

“You are a rare breed. A sweet girl. Innocent even,” he said.

Avalon tried to avert her glaze to the nail polishes. He was so close, she smelled the woodsy scent of his cologne.

Then he turned on his heels and she faced his back.

Have I offended him?

“Thank you, for all of this,” Avalon said.

“You’re quite welcome.” Then he turned around to face her again. “ I want to ask you something.”

Avalon looked into his face.

“My dad. I feel like there is something wrong with him.”

“Well he is under a lot of stress,” Avalon said.

“No. It’s more than that. He is acting strange.”

“What makes you say that?” Avalon asked.

He paced the floor. “ Dad always used to drink caffeinated coffee. Now he only drinks decaf.”

“Maybe the doctors detected a heart problem and he had to switch?” Avalon proffered.

“I thought that too. But then he used to write with his left hand. Now he writes with his right.”

“Perhaps he is ambidextrous and never told you?”

Kael nodded. He looked so different in his sanctuary, in this moment. Normally, cool, calm, and confident, he now looked vulnerable.

“This job does strange things to people I am sure. Just being in this habitat does strange things to people,” Avalon said, placing her hand on Kael’s back.

He turned around and as their eyes met, he leaned down and kissed her.

Electricity coursed throughout her body. While it lacked the sweetness of Ilium’s kiss, it had a passion to it that Ilium’s lacked.

After a while, Kael escorted her back to her dorm.