Log 1 Matter | Antimatter (32 page)

She lifted her face and snorted at him.
“Geez, thanks.”

In the few interviews she’d had with the
Planet Engineer, Kavela seemed to avoid her, and that caused her
some concern. Jesran continued as her best friend, supporting
her.

“How are Meg and Tara?”

The moment Ara had set eyes on the little
strawberry blonde-haired baby she loved her. So, with Caleb and
Meg’s approval, Ara took little baby Tara out on picnics and
spoiled her. She shrugged. “Meg’s like upper class Inferors while
I’ve been relegated to escaping to the tiny dorms.”

“Ara—”

“You’re my friend, aren’t you?”

“Of course. I’m sorry. Feel free to bitch and
moan.”

She sat closer to him. “No, I’m sorry. We
came out here to have some fun and relax. Not listen to my
bitching.”

“What about the moaning then?” He teased as
he handed her the plate. “Eat.”

“Why does everyone think food is what makes
me happy?”

He shrugged. “Because it does?”

Ara shoved some tasty, melt-on-your-tongue
meat in her mouth, and scooped up some carrot. With a mouthful, she
said, “Maybe.”

Beachside City

Cobra fumed, staring out at the smooth ocean
sparkling in the sunlight. The office was too bright, the day too
bright, and there were too many people on the beach having fun.

“Don’t be too disappointed. It’s just the
start.”

“Nothing, she didn’t even blink!”

“You worry too much; self-doubts,
self-esteem, hurt, pain, and confusion are all consuming her
inside.”

Cobra fell back into his chair. “Are you
sure?”

Viper smiled smugly. “Oh, I’m sure. We have
to chip away at her resilience. I’m energy you know. You only see
her Nexus, which is undented, but I can see her in a way you
can’t.”

Cobra nodded and smiled, an idea forming.
“Since you saved my plan and used ‘lust’ to manipulate Meg and
Caleb, what if I disclose that someone deliberately tampered with
Pen’s baby? They’ll be even more worried and put under
pressure.”

Viper nodded. “Now you are thinking.”

“Are you sure her memory block isn’t
eroding?”

This time Viper looked uneasy. “I’ll
check.”

Jamie’s Cabin

Jamie worked in the stable. It had rained on
the ride home. He was due some time off again but thought back to
when he had heard of Caleb and Meg’s baby, he had hurt as much as
Ara. He had cancelled his holiday after he found out Ara struggled
to get out of bed and refused all meals. They had watched the two
when on Saratoga but it wasn’t Jamie’s job to watch Meg when off
world—not that he could have interfered anyway. He and the others
had all been talking of her gift to Caleb, her offer of a more
solid relationship. They couldn’t even soothe or support her
openly, only grieve silently for her wounded heart. So he had kept
watch. She was entitled to no privacy but it never seemed to deter
her. And Jamie discovered Caleb was equally as heartbroken. That
gave him pause to think about “why”. He read the latest report on
Ara; after studying and growing bored, she turned back to making
jewelry. Jamie finished brushing Dagma, his new stallion who was a
bit of a doofus, and went to shower before making dinner. He
spotted a parcel on his bed. That was odd. Jamie wearily walked
over and picked it up. He wanted to run scans on it, but there was
a little note from Diane.

“It’s from Ara. Cleared.”

He unwrapped it with a grin, feeling a little
foolish. What had she given him? She knew the daggers and knives
were from him. Was this some joke or a return? He flushed then.
Don’t be stupid. Not a joke, she was still too forlorn. He threw
the paper on the bed, feeling like a kid, and opened the dark grey
velvet-covered box.

It had been a long time since someone had
given him a gift out of the blue. In fact, Jamie thought back and
remembered that Ryama had been the last to have left a gift for
him. He lifted the leather thong, and watched as the black stone
worked into a jagged infinity symbol, and dangled. Jamie went to
tie it around his neck but thought better of it. Shower first. He
dropped the box and spotted the note. “Thank you for Jesran.”

The little minx, she was smarter about her
security than he’d given her credit for. How much did Ara actually
remember before she was placed into a baby biosuit, and how often
did Maya talk to her via the Cardinal Unit? Jesran reported his age
was still fluctuating corresponding to Ara’s fluctuations, but less
than when they first met. The entropy was stabilizing, but not
stopping. Whatever Maya was doing to control Ara’s instability; she
was doing more of it now that Ara was older. That could only mean
one thing; Ara was growing more powerful. He had a quick shower and
tied the necklace around his neck. He must not ever underestimate
her or forget that he held a privileged position in her life.

His Voice beeped. It was Diane. “Hi, what’s
up?”

“You aren’t due for a report on Ara’s age
fluctuations but I was just reviewing them during the time that
coincided with Caleb and Meg’s news.”

This made him sit down on the bed hearing
excitement and incredulity blended in Diane’s tone. “I’m sitting
down.”

“Good. The down movement was only slight as
one would expect. But her age shifted so far up the scale, in terms
of being old, we couldn’t read it.”

“Nuts!”

Light laughter filtered through the Voice.
“That’s not all. Caleb apparently tried to force his way to see
Ara, and defied his father, and had made some declaration—and this
was all before he and Meg had done the dirty deed—that we aren’t
exactly sure what triggered the Cardinal Unit to send sentries and
arrest him.”

Jamie fell off the bed.

“Are you okay?”

He scrambled up. “Go on.”

“That little bit of news just came from
Korbet. He said something odd too. He said to watch our two little
blackbirds. He told me to tell you to read the old blackbirds song.
Don’t bother, I looked it up. It says, ‘Two little blackbirds are
playing tricks, pulling up the twigs and laying down some sticks.
Poke a little hole and all go tumbling in. But don’t forget the
blackbirds atop the nest who will trap you in their spin.’ So, mean
anything to you?”

Jamie groaned. “Unfortunately, yes. Let me
get some clothes on and I’ll come and see you.”

Homestead

Tara giggled as Ara chased her around the pond.

The horses were dozing while standing in the
warm sun, and Sacha had come home to spend a few days with her and
Tara. They were all in shorts and t-shirts. It had taken her older
siblings a long time to stop being angry over her ability to stay
friends with Caleb.

“She really is lively. Much like you were at
five years old.” Sacha glanced at the bulwark-jamming device Ara
was placing on the picnic basket.

“Precautionary, Sach.” Ara sat down, smiling.
“I’ll say but very pretty.” Caleb told her Meg was concerned over
some strange age fluctuations when Tara’s last test came back a few
months younger.

Sacha took out and prepared the bubble maker,
and gave Tara the wand. Tara ran around laughing as a trail of
bubbles floated behind her. “How’s Mum?”

They watched Tara play, and Ara began to
unpack the basket. “She’s working hard. It’s really messed her up
especially with the recent news reports triggering her own grief
again.”

“What about those rumors?”

Ara looked at Sacha sharply. “Not here.”

There were more rumors that babies were
dying, someone was killing them. Ara just couldn’t understand why
anyone would do that. What sort of world did they live in? Tara
tripped and yelped, but, unlike Ara, she just got up and brushed
herself off.

Sacha teased Ara. “And she hasn’t charged
over here, even after looking at the food.”

“Shut up, sis.” Ara shoved a hunk of cheese
in her mouth.

“Honestly, Ara. Where do you put it all?
You’re almost rake thin.”

“Stress.” They’d all picked up on “honestly”
from their mum, and Dad had shared his wealth of farm swear
words.

“And Meg?” Sacha’s words were casual but Ara
knew she was getting at something.

Ara shrugged. “If you mean is Meg upset I’m
more a mother than she is, the answer’s no. I wish my family would
come to me with this rubbish. Caleb is happy, and while he’d prefer
Meg to do what I’m doing out of love, Meg is just—”

“Turned into a snob?”

“That’s very polite of you.” Ara beckoned the
laughing girl over. “I refrained for some time, but Meg was hands
off. You saw her.” Ara was suddenly worried. “I didn’t interfere
did I?”

Sacha put her hands up. “No. We were worried
how “hands off” Meg was. It’s odd because Meg and Caleb seem to
have no interest in each other, and Meg seems almost surprised at
having had a baby.” Sacha plucked a grape and sighed. “No, I think
Tara needed you, needs you.” Sacha smiled as Tara sat down and
handed back the wand.

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

Ara smiled at her, patting the blanket.

“After lunch, Aunty Ara, may I play Mystery
Minimobi?”

Sacha frowned and looked at Ara who said,
“It’s playing the Mobile Unit, pint sized. We go around and collect
‘matter’.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Do you?” Ara leaned back with a sigh. “Meg
thought it would be good for Tara to know I am just the Mobile
Unit.”

Sacha swore and big, blue eyes turned to her.
She blushed. “I’m sorry, Tara.”

Tara resumed eating her sandwich but her eyes
were huge. She was distracted by a large bee droning close to her
foot. “Aunty Ara, are you going to catch bees soon?”

Ara smiled. “I’m helping the beekeeper to lay
some honey traps and see what bees come. We won’t actually catch
them. We just need to record how many and what species comes to
visit.”

Tara nodded wisely.

Sacha smiled over Tara’s head and then she
asked, “I thought bees were attracted to different kinds of
honey?”

Ara shrugged. “I don’t actually know anything
about bees. I haven’t had any bee training yet but there’s
something in the honey traps that will draw a range of bees.”

Sacha studied her for a moment.

Ara saw her concern. “What is it?”

Sacha glanced down at Tara who seemed more
interested in eating and watching the horses. “I just had a thought
as to why you are on Saratoga.”

Ara’s interest piqued. “Go on.”

“Honey trap. Ur, maybe some king bees were
here before the queen bee came to sort things out. Maybe then a
special working bee was allocated to a central hive and has to live
in that same hive day in and day out. Meanwhile the great big queen
bee tracks every bee that comes and goes because … ah … they are
worried about what the special working bee is doing and what its
purpose is.”

Ara’s mouth dropped open. Korbet to this day
called her “Honeybee”. Queen Silvia had moved to Saratoga several
years before her arrival. Memories tickled her conscious mind, but
she couldn’t recall them all. But Korbet must be in on the greater
issue. Did he know why she was on Saratoga? What had gone on
here?

“Aunty Sacha, I don’t think there are king
bees.”

Ara tried not to laugh. “There are, on
Tatsela.”

A. We should have talked like this

S. We don’t do a lot of this!

They smiled fondly at each other.

Sacha then laughed at Ara. ‘Tatsela? Where’s
that?”

Ara scrunched up her forehead as she tried to
recall where she had gotten that information. In the end, she
shrugged. “Maybe some fairy tale I used to read. Anyway, Sacha,
that’s a good thought. I’m not sure what to do with that
information.”

“I’ll look after it, sis. This might be a
breakthrough but if the big queen bee decides to block this line of
inquiry there’s not much we can do.”

Ara sighed but agreed. Maya could be a real
bitch.

***

Over the years, Tara came to her more and
more.

Not just for the fun things, but for her
worries and fears. Ara knew she was only a temporary mum, but that,
like many things, would prove wrong. An attachment grew between
them, forged over the years, proven over and over that love knew no
boundaries. Tara and Caleb were inseparable when he wasn’t working
or she was at school. And when Caleb wasn’t there, Ara was. Tara
tried to get the three of them to go out as a “family” but it was a
little awkward especially since they were well known on
Saratoga.

Two years after deciding not to join the
military, Tara came out of a class moaning. Ara picked her up, and
arranged to take her skiing over the weekend. As they drove up the
mountains to the resort, Tara moaned.

“What’s up?”

“The Adonis.”

Ara glanced at her but turned back to the
road. “Karu?”

“He was in class today, the room was jam
packed with three hundred students, mostly female—”

Ara chuckled.

“—hanging on his every word. What’s wrong
with them? He was talking about the Nature of Conflict, and how the
Avatara are trying to settle their disputes. He talked about the
wrongs being done to Earth, and the females are drooling!”

“Maybe they were listening too.”

“Sure, Aunty. As we filed out, which seemed
to take a long time, all they talked about was, ‘I’m picking him
for my Virgo,’ ‘He’s so handsome,’ ‘He makes me want to come.’”

Ara took a second to process the last one,
and burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny,” Tara snapped.

“Didn’t he have equal amounts of male
admirers?” Ara teased her a little more.

“Not many and who cares?” Her voice was
petulant.

Ara tempered her response. “Was Balin
there?”

“Yeah, he delivered the Nature of Conflict
talk. It was really, really interesting but most of the gazes were
off to the left where Karu was sitting. Why?”