Earth Girl (19 page)

Fian got the table in position and gave me a worried look. ‘Will it hurt you wearing an impact suit tomorrow?’

I shook my head. ‘The area is covered by my skintight, so it shouldn’t be a problem.’

He was from Delta sector, so he blushed at the implied mention of a personal area of the body, and didn’t say any more on the subject.

I put my glass on the table and brought a chair over. Fian fetched a chair too and sat down beside me. Well, I couldn’t exactly avoid him, and it was important to keep on good terms with my regular tag support. Fian was the person I trusted most among this group to watch my back, so I needed to walk the fine line of being polite and friendly, but giving him absolutely no encouragement at all.

‘I was really grazzed that the Betans are married,’ said Fian. ‘I thought they didn’t even like each other.’

This seemed a pretty safe topic of conversation, and I was feeling nosy about the Betans too. ‘If they’re married, then I suppose they must be older than us.’

‘I’ve no idea,’ said Fian. ‘Betan marriage rules are very different to ours, and the whole Betan clan system just bewilders me. Lolia and Lolmack do look a bit older than us, but Betans have this … sophisticated look. It’s hard to tell how old they really are.’

I nodded.

‘I never understood why they were on this course to start with,’ said Fian. ‘They hate the dig sites and they’re bored by history. The vid this afternoon was the first time I’ve seen them take a real interest, and since they’re from Artemis …’

I nodded again. I was trying to think of a good excuse to leave but there are few convincing excuses you can make in a dig site dome. I decided I’d better try alternative tactics. I couldn’t walk off and leave Fian, but I could get other people to join us.

We’d only been on this course for a few days, and a lot of the class still had a lost, lonely and confused look. I remembered feeling that way myself on my first school history club trip. I was 11 years old, I hadn’t known the other people, the place was strange, I didn’t know how anything worked, and I wasn’t sure what I should be doing. It had been rather scary.

It only took an encouraging smile and wave to get a nervous looking Gamman boy to come in our direction, and Joth instantly followed him over. Within five minutes, I had a full table of people, and Fian was wearing a resigned expression while everyone happily discussed Ventrak Rostha’s vids.

Time flew by. I’d dragged Dalmora over, and we were all interrogating her about her father’s future plans for the
History of Humanity
series, when my fatigue finally overcame my excitement.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said, getting up. ‘I have to get to bed. I hardly slept last night, and I need to be up before six tomorrow.’

Joth looked panicky. ‘Is there something special happening tomorrow that I don’t know about?’

I shook my head and grinned. ‘No, no. I’ve just got my two-hour slot booked to talk with my …’ I broke off. I’d nearly wrecked everything by saying the word ProMum. I tried more carefully. ‘With my mum. Given the difference between time zones, before breakfast was the best option.’ That was safe enough. Parents off on Planet First could be in any time zone.

‘You have to book a slot to talk to your mother?’ Joth seemed even more confused.

‘I suppose you can’t just call up and chat when someone is on Planet First,’ said Fian.

Joth started to laugh. ‘Oh yes. Just imagine it. They’re fighting a giant, man eating, whatever, and ask it to wait a minute because their daughter just called for a chat.’

I headed off before I said something else that was stupid and gave myself away.

My lookup woke me punctually at twenty-to-six the next morning, and I groaned before struggling out of bed. I would have loved to sleep for another hour, or six, but it was vital that I called Candace.

Since I’d joined the course, I’d only made one proper call to anyone, and that was the one to Issette. I’d had my lookup set to reject incoming calls with a message saying I wasn’t currently available. I couldn’t accept calls when I was outside in an impact suit. I couldn’t accept them when I was in class or asleep. The rest of the time, I could accept them, but I daren’t. If a call came in on my lookup when I was lounging around in the hall, then people might overhear something that gave away I was a smelly ape girl.

So, I hadn’t been making or receiving calls. I’d just sent a few recorded mail messages, and Candace was getting edgy about it. Her last mail to me had been pretty strongly phrased. I’d deliberately put myself into a very difficult situation. She wanted to know how I was, and recorded mail was not enough. She insisted on a person to person call, or she would be over to check on me personally.

I was 18 now, and I didn’t think Candace could use her ProMum authority to force her way through a secure portal into a dig site dome being used by University Asgard, but I wasn’t prepared to bet on it. An Earth ProMum muscling her way into the dome would totally ruin my Military kid act. Anyway, I didn’t want to upset Candace. She wasn’t like my ProDad. Candace really cared about me and I cared about her.

So, I washed, dressed, and called Candace exactly at six. It was eleven in the morning in her time zone, and from the speed she answered it was clear she had been sitting waiting for me.

‘Jarra,’ she said, as she appeared on the screen. ‘I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.’ She was sitting in her study at home. I’d never been to her house of course, but she’d called me from her study lots of times.

‘There’s been a lot happening,’ I said, ‘you don’t get much privacy in these domes, and the time difference is difficult.’

‘I understand that,’ said Candace, ‘but I’ve been worried about you. It’s not just this crazy masquerade of yours, but your physical safety as well. I’ve always felt that working on a dig site was very hazardous. I know you’re with an official university pre-history class, but do people from Asgard really know about dig site safety?’

‘Well, Lecturer Playdon seems to know what he’s doing. The class are novices, but they’re coming on well. I’m tag leading of course, and for team 1!’ I added jubilantly.

‘Congratulations,’ said Candace with a smile. ‘I know you’d want key spot.’

‘I’ve got Fian on my lifeline. He’s from Delta, and he’s good.’ I grinned. ‘I don’t get tag point itch when he’s watching my back.’

Candace laughed. She’d had to endure many hours of me talking about my dig site experiences, and knew all about tag point itch. ‘I know a good tag support is important.’

‘Absolutely vital,’ I said. ‘New York Main is a lot tougher than the Fringe. I really had doubts about the other students to start with, but you’ll never believe what happened on our third trip on site.’

I told her every thrilling detail about the tower collapse, and how I’d been the tag leader for the rescue of Cassandra 2. Of course, I didn’t explain exactly how dangerous it had been when I dived down to get the person in the failing suit. It’s never wise to scare your ProMum into fits.

‘Fian was on my lifeline, of course, Dalmora on sensors, and Amalie and Krath on heavy lifts. Playdon was helping with sensors too, because Dalmora is doing well but there’s a lot to learn about sensor displays. Playdon was going to tag lead, but I said we needed him on sensors and I should be tag leader.’

She laughed again.

‘What’s funny?’ I asked.

Candace shook her head. ‘I just feel a little sorry for Lecturer Playdon. I can just imagine you taking over his class.’

‘I wasn’t taking over. I was just trying to help,’ I said. ‘Oh, I don’t think I’ve told you. Dalmora is Ventrak Rostha’s daughter!’

‘Really?’ Candace looked impressed.

I nodded. ‘It was totally amaz yesterday, because she showed us the new
History of Humanity
vid. It won’t be out officially for weeks yet, but she had special permission from her father to show it to our class. It’s about Artemis.’

I told Candace all about the vid. ‘Dalmora says that her father isn’t sure how much closer to the present day he can go with the
History of Humanity
series, because people get more sensitive about recent events, but he’s planning a follow up series on pre-history. Dalmora says she wants to specialize in pre-history so she can work with her father on it. He specializes more in history than pre-history himself.’

Candace raised a hand. ‘Permission to speak.’

‘Sorry,’ I said. Candace often complains that when I’m excited about something she never gets a chance to say a word.

She smiled. ‘I just wanted to say that you should have explained Ventrak Rostha’s daughter was going to do pre-history at University Asgard. I’d have been a lot less worried about agreeing to your crazy plan if I’d known that Ventrak Rostha was part of the reason for it.’

She looked thoughtful. ‘I know some of the University Asgard staff are advisers on the
History of Humanity
series. I’ve seen them listed in the credits. If the real motive for going on this course was to meet Dalmora Rostha, and you’re hoping to be an adviser yourself one day for Ventrak Rostha and his daughter when they make a pre-history series, well …’

She shook her head. ‘You could have told me. I think it’s a little over ambitious, but I wouldn’t put anything past you. You’ve achieved some amazing things in the past, like getting your pilot’s licence. I certainly wouldn’t have laughed at you, Jarra.’

I blushed. I’d picked Asgard because of a vid series, but the series hadn’t been
History of Humanity
, it had been
Defenders
. I’d picked Asgard because of an off-world hero of mine, but the hero was Arrack San Domex, not Ventrak Rostha.

‘I’m much happier now,’ said Candace. ‘I know you had a lot of hostility towards people who aren’t Handicapped. I’ve been listening to you talk for two hours, and I think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard you talk that long without saying the “exo” word. You talked about that rescue, and I wasn’t hearing any hostility in your voice when you mentioned the other people involved. You’ve overcome your bitterness towards them to go on this course, and I’m proud of you, Jarra.’

She paused for a moment before continuing. ‘I’m proud of you, Jarra, but I’ve got to warn you too. They’ll find out you’re Handicapped eventually, and you may get a very bad reaction from some of them when they do. I’d like you to bear that in mind, and try and be prepared to face it. You’ve proved what you wanted. You’ve been accepted by the finest off-world historians. If they have any silly prejudices, then it doesn’t change anything. Don’t let it upset you.’

Candace had got the wrong idea, but if it kept her happy that was fine. She’d mentioned how long I’d been talking. I checked the time and realized I’d used my two hours. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t notice my time was up.’

‘That’s all right, Jarra. This is important, and I can talk some more if there’s anything else I should know.’

I shook my head. ‘I’d better go. I don’t want to steal anyone else’s time. I should go and get breakfast anyway.’

I hastily ended the call. I’m sensitive about stealing some other kid’s time with Candace. There’ve been a few occasions when she’s arrived late for a meeting with me because one of the others has had a crisis. I try and be polite about it, but underneath I really hate it. Candace is mine for two hours a week and they can keep their thieving hands off my time. Equally, I shouldn’t be stealing part of their two hours.

For one or two things, like my application for my Foundation course, I know she has extra time arranged for me. That’s Candace being generous to me, giving up her own free time, and that’s different. It’s a gift to me from Candace that I value, not something I’m taking from anyone else.

I was hungry, but I didn’t go into breakfast for a few minutes. Instead, I sat there brooding on what Candace had said. She had the wrong idea about some of it. She often did have the wrong idea, because I like to keep some things to myself.

She was wrong, but she was right too. I had to prepare myself for when my classmates found out what I really was. I’d made a lot of mistakes already, I was bound to make more, and eventually I wouldn’t be able to think of a lie to cover things up. I’d be in real trouble then. Playdon already knew, and one or two of the others might react like decent people, but I could be hit by a barrage of ape insults.

When I applied for this course, I’d planned what to do when they found out I was a nean. That was the moment when I’d turn round and laugh in their faces. That was the moment when I’d call them exos and scream out my anger. I’d already discovered I didn’t want to do that anymore. I couldn’t yell abuse at Fian, who’d been on my lifeline and saved my neck several times, and then walk away and feel proud of myself. In fact, I didn’t really want to scream insults at any of them any longer, not even the Betans. Maybe Krath deserved it, but …

Unfortunately, having given up on my original idea of screaming my fury, I didn’t really have an alternate plan. I certainly didn’t want to do anything stupid, like bursting into tears and running away. I already had a lot of anger and bitterness to deal with; I didn’t want to add a mountain of humiliation to it. I was going to have to calmly listen to all the abuse they could throw at me and then make a dignified exit with my pride intact. I could do that. Maybe.

I pulled myself together, and went to have breakfast. We spent the morning on a dig site as usual. I was a bit distracted by my worries and I made a true beginner’s mistake going in close to tag a rock that obviously wasn’t stable. Fian pulled me out of trouble. I don’t think either he or the rest of the class realized how stupid I’d been, but I got Playdon talking to me on my private channel.

‘Jarra?’ he said.

I cringed and waited for him to yell at me. He knew I was just a dumb ape, and this was his chance to say so.

‘Are you all right today? You don’t seem quite your usual self.’

‘I realize I made a silly mistake, sir.’

‘Everyone does sometimes. Don’t take it to heart. No one can be perfect all the time.’

I forced myself to pay attention after that, and I didn’t make another mistake, but I was relieved when we went back to the dome. After lunch, Playdon talked about New York. First, he showed us some graphics of New York, showing the city at ten year intervals. They ran from the nineteenth century up to Exodus. He showed us detailed pictures of some of the skyscrapers when they were originally built, and talked about construction methods through the years, and the materials used.