Dawn Arrives Read online

  She arrived at the door, which was slightly ajar, so she pushed it open and stepped inside. The place looked the same as it had the last time she had been here, although it was maybe a little tidier. She wondered idly if she had caught him the day after his cleaner had been there.

  “I’ll be there in a second,” he called.

  Yuko waited just inside the door. Sunshine streamed through the windows as if the outside world didn’t know or care that her world was about to end.

  There were shuffling and scrambling sounds in what must have been his bedroom. She wondered briefly if there was someone in there with him.

  Eventually he appeared, his hair freshly combed and damp as if he were fresh from the shower. He wore a button-down shirt and a casual pair of slacks. If Yuko didn’t know any better she would have guessed that he had in fact just showered and dressed.

  “Hi,” he said brightly, standing in the doorway.

  “Hi,” she parroted. “So I...” He started speaking at the same time, so she waved for him to go ahead and he did the same.

  She lowered her eyes. “I wanted to see you before we go.”

  He looked disappointed. “So you’re leaving?”

  She nodded, a hand gesturing toward the window. “It’s my duty. My life is out there...with my people.”

  He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes on the ground. “So you just came to say good-bye.”

  “Yes.” she answered, but then a small voice which sounded suspiciously like Eve’s added, “Well, no. It depends.”

  He glanced up, confused.

  She straightened her shoulders, “It’s like... Well, I made a mistake, Hirano.” She moved her hair out of her eyes, “I wanted to keep you safe, but that wasn’t a mistake. And I needed to go, but it wasn’t that recently. I mean...I’m not explaining this very well.”

  She took a deep breath and tried again, this time using her hands as she rambled. “I realized over the last few weeks that I’d been using that as an excuse. I was scared that the people coming after us were going to kill you, but I was also scared of...us. And now we’re leaving in a few hours and it’s the last chance I have to see you and I wanted to ask... Do you want to come with us? I mean, with me specifically?”

  Hirano had a smile in his eyes as he looked up, but despite all her skills in reading body language she still couldn’t tell if he was really pleased or not.

  Anxiety washed through her. His answer was either going to be very, very bad or very, very good—there was no in-between at this point. She held her breath, waiting.

  “I’m glad you came to talk to me,” he started slowly.

  Yuko felt from that his tone was about to let her down, and he was just being polite.

  “But…” he continued.

  She nodded. It was a polite let-down. He was probably involved with someone else and didn’t want to leave his life here. Or he was committed to the job. She didn’t need to know the details. She sighed, trying desperately to hide her disappointment.

  She started to leave.

  “But I wish you’d come to see me sooner. I’ve been waiting all this time with no way of contacting you.”

  Yuko turned back around. “You mean you still feel the same way?”

  For once the Diplomat had nothing in her arsenal that allowed her to understand. Her own emotions were doing to her what countless others had tried and failed to accomplish.

  They confused her.

  Hirano grinned as tears welled in his eyes. “Yuko, of course I do. I just wish you hadn’t left me hanging all this time.”

  He didn’t move.

  She narrowed her eyes. “You mean you were just…”

  “Keeping you hanging so you had a taste of your own medicine?” He chuckled. “Pretty much,” he confessed, still not budging from the other side of the room.

  Yuko couldn’t decide if she wanted to kick his ass or kiss him, but in an instant, she had crossed the living room to him and he had lifted her up in a hug so tight that she thought he’d perhaps found some nanocytes of his own.

  He spun her around, kissing her face and any area of her he could contact with his lips.

  —

  Yuko sat at the kitchen bar watching Hirano make tea. “You know you can bring some things with you!” she told him.

  Hirano shrugged and checked his handheld. “I’m just waiting for my friend Zen to call me back. I’ll leave the apartment and everything to him. He has friends... Cousins, even, who could use it.”

  Yuko twisted around to look at the place. “You’d walk away from all this just for me?”

  Hirano grinned and peered at her from under his eyebrows. “And for adventures in space,” he teased.

  She giggled and leaned her arms on the countertop.

  He looked around too. “I need to pack some clothes to wear, but everything else is just stuff.”

  Yuko nodded. Having spent a hundred and fifty years on Earth, she had come to the same conclusion. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate all the things she had and had built, but when push came to shove there were things that were far more important.

  Like friendship.

  Like loyalty.

  Like love.

  She smiled, content to watch Hirano putter around the kitchen.

  His handset started to ring and he answered it. “Hai. Hai, Zen. It’s happening. She came for me.”

  Yuko sat up straight. He’d been planning this. She glared at him playfully as she put it together. He glanced over and winked at her.

  She made a show of putting her hands on her hips and scowling, and he started laughing before he headed out of the kitchen into the living room so he could pay better attention to the conversation with his friend.

  Yuko listened. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop exactly, but she wanted to know exactly what they said and her vamp hearing afforded her the luxury without too much effort.

  “Yes. I want you to have that too. I’ll leave it in the safe. You can use it to tell the stories to your grandkids,” Hirano told Zen.

  She could hear Zen laughing on the other end of the line. It was a bittersweet laugh. Apparently they’d had numerous conversations on the topic. It also seemed that Zen was thrilled for his friend’s good fortune in finding the love of his life and having a chance to be with her.

  But he would miss him dearly.

  The two men ended with quiet words of respect and wished each other the best of fortune in the years to come.

  “I’ll never forget you, Zen,” Hirano said softly.

  “Nor I you, my friend,” Zen replied before they hung up.

  Yuko’s heart was heavy, and when Hirano stepped back into the kitchen she had tears streaking her face. “I feel awful, pulling you away from your life.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I am blessed to have some good friends, but the one thing I’ve learned so far in my very short life is that the only constant is change. I’m excited to move on to the next chapter.”

  Yuko could feel his heart beat as he held her. She could tell he was crying, but despite that he seemed ready.

  “We should pack up and go,” she told him. “The ships will be leaving, and we don’t want to miss our ride.”

  When he released her, though they both had tears they were smiling, their eyes full of hope.

  “Ok, I’ll go pack,” he said, squeezing her shoulders before he hurried off.

  Yuko knew Bethany Anne would not leave her behind, but she didn’t wish to have the Queen Bitch herself show up and tell her she would put her size sevens up her ass if she didn’t get a move on.

  She smiled, knowing she was home.

  Home wasn’t a place, like this apartment or the ships above. It was who you were with, and how you worked it out together. She had stayed with her parents on Earth waiting for Michael to come back, and her Queen and her family had come back for him and for her, Akio, and Eve, Terry Henry, Valerie, and the others.

  And her family had grown larger by one per
son this day.

  She whispered, knowing full well that somewhere on her body was a bug her sister had planted on her. “I love you too, Eve.”

  Hirano came out of his room with two suitcases. She reached for one of the suitcases and he held them back, then smiled and handed one to her, which gave him the chance to hold her around the waist as they each carried a suitcase into the next stage of their lives.

  Somewhere in the world dawn had arrived. Not just physically, but in her heart as well.

  QBS ArchAngel II, Orbiting Planet Devon, Bethany Anne’s Shuttle Bay

  “You can’t bullshit a bullshitter,” John told Kiel as he, Akio, Eric, Michael, Darryl, and Scott waited for Bethany Anne to hitch a ride down to Devon, the planet she owned.

  They had finally left Earth, some ships heading back toward the fledgling Etheric Federation and some ships coming here, to the planet she had been working to hide for the past few years.

  Kiel shook his head. “No, no bullshit. I’m here to retire, maybe have a female for longer than three months.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Harass Kael-ven.”

  “Ha!” Eric pointed to Kiel. “That’s what brought you here…Kael-ven!”

  Kiel shrugged. “I decided on the G’laxix Sphaea, that much is true.”

  “Kael-ven’s staying?” Darryl asked, “I mean, once we go out again?”

  Kiel nodded. “I think we are both ready to live a sedately dangerous life.”

  “’Sedately dangerous?’” Michael asked, “I’m not sure I understand that phrase.”

  Scott answered. “Devon needs to be straightened out, so a few of us who will be living here will,” he raised his hands to apply air quotes, “‘occasionally,’” he dropped his hands, “help stomp out shit that is going on. It’s a rough planet, and we are mighty, but we are few.”

  Kiel flipped his right hand to one side, then the other. “Plus, I still get to play with armor and high-velocity firearms.”

  The men chuckled. Michael turned a moment before everyone else when Bethany Anne had entered the shuttle bay. “Be back, guys,” he told them and walked toward her.

  “Something different about the boss?” Darryl asked.

  Scott said, “You mean, other than getting some?” POP! Scott looked at John and rubbed his shoulder, “Ouch, you bastard! What the hell?”

  “Super-hearing?” John said, pointing to his ears.

  “I am not that base,” Scott answered, “but I appreciate the warning anyway.”

  —

  He started walking in her direction with a look of confusion on his face, and Bethany Anne slowed down and waited for him to join her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, not sure what Michael’s look meant.

  “You are different,” he explained, moving a bit of her hair over her ear.

  She swatted at his hand. “Stop that!” She grimaced when some of the hair fell back into her face. She tried blowing it back and looked at Michael, who was smiling at her problem. She pushed her hair back again and pointed at it. “Your fault!”

  He smiled. “I got what I wanted,” he told her. Then he stepped a little closer and his eyes locked on hers as he looked into her soul. “What. Is. Different?” he asked, his breath warming her.

  “Michael, I just want to say this wasn’t planned.” She looked up, but he was already starting to put two and two together.

  “I’m pregnant,” she told him.

  His eyes shot open. “YES!” he shouted. He grabbed her under her arms, lifted her off the ground, and twirled her around.

  Bethany Anne was laughing. “Put me down. I’m not a blender here!” she argued, but he ignored her for a moment, her feet flapping as he spun her around and around. The two of them laughed in concert.

  Michael gently slowed down, bringing her in for a kiss as her feet softly touched the deck.

  “So,” Bethany Anne played with his shirt. “Along with our dog…”

  “And cat,” Michael added.

  “Daughter Tabitha,” Bethany Anne said.

  He nodded. “Wards Mark and Jacqueline, and other daughter Eve.”

  “Ah, Eve.” Bethany Anne nodded.

  “Six Bitches,” Michael continued. “Although we need to add one so I can inform them we have changed their names to the Seven Dwarfs.”

  “I’m sure John will be pleased.” Bethany Anne nodded. “And a fleet of people and ships.”

  “And a planet to run.”

  “And another planet to keep hidden and safe…”

  “We will now have our own child,” Michael whispered. There was a tear at the corner of his eye. “I’m going to be a father.”

  “You already are.” Bethany Anne raised up on her toes and kissed him. “We are just adding one more very special child.”

  He pulled her closer. “Thank you, Bethany Anne. When I met you I was training my replacement, ready to walk into the sun.”

  She smirked, a hint of humor in her voice. “I sent you into the sun, remember?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, and please do me the favor of never doing that again—like ever. I can’t come back from that.”

  She hugged him hard. “I won’t ever let you go, Michael Nacht.”

  Because I’m not raising this child alone, you bastard, she added, mentally.

  I heard that, Michael replied.

  Good.

  This knowing what you are thinking is going to make for a very interesting life, Bethany Anne.

  Damned right it will.

  You have to have the last word, don’t you? he asked, humor coloring his mental speech.

  There was a long pause before she replied.

  No.

  He chuckled, leaving the discussion where it was. Together they turned toward the guys and walked over, ready to go down to the planet they would call home for a while.

  Then they would continue the search for the Kurtherians.

  Together.

  FINIS

  Transcript:

  Confessions of a Space Archeologist

  (Five years after Giles left planet Earth and the curtain was dropped)

  Loop Galaxy, In orbit around Luna-7, The Oloude system

  Transcript: Giles Kurns

  I stood defiantly in front of the Lord High Fucktard of Fuckery. “Release the children, and I’ll let you live!” I commanded.

  The ugly son of a bitch gnashed his pointy teeth at me. “You puny creature!” he bellowed. “What makes you think you’re any match for us? Seize him!” he shouted to his minions.

  Of course, he was speaking in Oloudeese, so I’m giving you the rough translation. This species is an off-shoot of what Earth humans knew as Grays. Except these guys are far more vicious. They have teeth that are set like a shark’s, and apart from horrendous dental hygiene, they’re often covered in blood because, well, they’re prone to biting their own tongue for a start.

  Dumb fucks.

  “Release them, I tell you! Or you’ll be sorry!” That was me giving them my last warning. Social posturing is everything with these guys. And if I did it right, they may not have figured out I was bluffing.

  “You’re bluffing, human!” he cried out to me, cackling.

  Well, it was worth a try. On to plan B.

  I quickly drew my second blaster from my left thigh and started shooting at the adults. The children started screaming, cowering in the sacrificial pit these arseholes had thrown them in.

  At least in their position, they’re not going to be caught in the crossfire. Although, I do need to make sure they’re safe sooner rather than later. Some of these muppets can’t seem to hit a target to save their lives. Literally.

  Ouch. Shit! One nearly hit my arm. Thank goodness for my supercharged, newly upgraded nanocytes and spacesuit, which has a special carbon reinforced layer underneath the tweed patterning.

  Yes, tweed. Harris tweed to be precise. Tweed is cool, dammit . . . don’t look at me like that.

  So anyway, I dove back behind the rock that’d been providing cover befor
e I’d made myself known.

  Pew pew. Pew pew! I shot again, and again from my hiding place, getting maybe one or two of them each time I peeked up over the rocky edge. Pew pew.

  Their blasters had me pinned down. And holy fuck with a whistle . . . something started rumbling.

  ***

  Now, let me just take a timeout for a moment to catch you up on what’s happening.

  I’m here in a cavern; more like an underground labyrinth. These scum of the earth, Oloudes, have taken children from their own people and brought them down here as part of some brutal ancient sacrifice—a sacrifice to stay young and healthy and to provide their people with fertile land and good harvest—yadda, yadda—for the next cycle . . .

  The cycle being about the next twenty years in Earth terms.

  The thing is, I take issue with people using children in sacrifices. I also take issue with people hurting children in any way at all. So these motherfuckers are well and truly on my shit list.

  Arlene’s voice (interrupts): Yeah, but remember, we weren’t there to interfere with their cultural ceremonies to begin with.

  Giles Kurns: True. But this is what we discovered, and this is the situation we needed to deal with.

  (Arlene remains silent, and Giles clears his throat.)

  Anyway, as I was saying . . . there I was, pinned down behind this rock in the middle of a tunnel labyrinth, with all kinds of artificial gravity devices all over the place, which meant that I had no clue about which way was even up. But then I heard the rumbling.

  I figured it was probably you, Arlene, coming in to save the day. Maybe even with the Scamp Princess—in which case that would mean extra firepower to show these bottom feeders just who they’re dealing with.

  Arlene: Yeah, well. Sorry. I was kind of dealing with my own mess at the time. (Arlene brushes her hair aside, revealing a black eye and a graze down her otherwise flawless complexion.)

  Giles: Yeah, you’re right. And I feel bad about your injuries. (sheepish)

  So there I am, and the whole cavern starts rumbling just at the precise moment I decided I’m going to run forward and make my move. I figured if they needed the children for their sacrifice, they wouldn’t shoot them before it was time in their ceremony. Therefore, I also figured that if I was in amongst them, they wouldn’t end up shooting me, and I might be able to have half a chance of getting the kids out unharmed.