Mourning Ember Read online

  “Yes, Fariem,” Nara sighed as her oppressors departed, poking at the film coating her skin, now a perfect match to her skin tone.

  Garrett disguised his uneasiness and slinked into a chair, finding it astoundingly comfortable and form fitting despite its harsh appearance. Watching the interaction gave him a swift reminder of how far out of water he was. The intimate familial connection was an outlandish concept, given his upbringing by blood relatives.

  He had prided himself on being an expert on etiquette, deftly navigating through distasteful interactions while remaining the epitome of respectful toward offending engagements. But the few people he had met here were as cold and distant as Nara when he first met her and experts in all forms of intimidation.

  Perhaps all it took was a shift in mindset, learning what it takes to crack the chill in new exchanges. And given what he knew of the terms of her departure from her home planet, he resolved to remain patient with his curiosity.

  “You’re unusually quiet,” Nara commented.

  “I—” Garrett was startled by her prompt. “It’s a lot to process.”

  “This world is considerably different from Arcadia. Complete with its own set of problems.”

  “I’m sure I can adapt.” Garrett broadcast a nervous smile. I’m going to have to if I’m a fugitive.

  “Mmm.” Nara stared up at the ceiling. Why the fuck am I here?

  To stop a civil war, or at least that’s what she convinced herself. But she was absolved of that responsibility the day of her exile. The most reclusive civilized planet in the galaxy could settle their issues with cataclysmic fire, and not a single mote of dust would reach her if she had remained where she was.

  Abberon… Her jaw clenched as the name bore through her ears.

  Was that it? Nothing more than a personal vendetta? The rotten creature was just a childish annoyance that did everything in his power to provide opposition. The issue was resolved, and he had been removed from the Council even before her trial took place. But apparently, half the planet followed his lead, and there was no telling how deep his poison ran through the waters of the legislature.

  Unanswered questions she painstakingly buried so long ago began to claw their way into her mind. The search for closure was not enough justification to shatter the traditions of a culture over twenty millennia old.

  “Fuck this. I want to sleep in my own damn bed.” Nara stomped to the floor and dusted herself off.

  “Won’t Fariem have an issue with your moving around?” Garrett watched her agitated march to the door.

  “They haven’t stopped me before. They won’t now,” she said. “C’mon, you’ll probably want to see this.”

  ##1.1##

  Nara scanned the area behind the warehouse, escorting a torso-sized gunmetal crate. Its engines warbled happily as it tagged along behind her, the compact jet playfully stirring the grass beneath it. She ordered the curiosity to land at the far corner of the back wall, then prodded at the screen on its top face, nudging the system awake.

  >> INITIALIZING SETUP. WELCOME WARLORD ELAM’MUTAVREH.

  Ugh, that name. Nara scowled as she wove through the grid of the last saved floor plan in the device’s memory. She slid her fingers around the display, examining the modest accommodation. Kitchen, facilities, bedroom, all the minimum regulated size. Her office space took up nearly all of the area, as it was where she spent the most time on the rare occasions she visited home. If she decided to sleep, it was on the patio floor, where she could enjoy nature and pretend the world wasn’t a blazing inferno of policy and duty.

  She dragged a square of floor from the selection menu and snapped it to the grid, attaching an additional bedroom to the second floor. With pinched fingers, she stretched out the dimensions, attempting to make the space more comfortable for her unaccustomed aristocratic roommate.

  >> YOU HAVE UTILIZED 75 OF 500 ALLOCATED CREDITS. PROCEED?

  Her status had perks, but she never had the desire to take advantage of them. Work was her main priority, never taking a breath in case the race in her mind caught up to her.

  She shook her head at her predicament and accepted the configuration. What was good enough then was good enough now.

  >> ACKNOWLEDGED. SCANNING ENVIRONMENT.

  “Hey, hold still for a bit,” she called to Garrett.

  He was about to question her intent when the panels of the box burst into a lotus of metal, revealing menacing needle-like protrusions aiming toward him. The pincers stabbed the air with an orb of lasers, flourishing in a precise choreography as the emerald feelers passed over the surrounding area. He blinked as the intrusion assaulted his eyes, sending clouds of green billowing across his vision.

  The box continued its luminous assault, collecting information on every inch of the ground, from each leaf in the shrubbery, every blade of grass, and even the collection of jagged rocks that littered the surface of the earth. After a final explosion of white, the damnable contraption quieted down, offering its findings to Nara on the screen.

  >> SCAN COMPLETE. INITIALIZING CONSTRUCTION PROTOCOL. PLEASE REMAIN STATIONARY DURING PROCEDURE.

  The sides of the box rhythmically unfolded into snakes of square tiles, slithering over the grass in systematic steps to coat the ground it in their cold embrace. Garrett jumped back as the metal snakes snapped toward him, threatening to surround him with their sharpened scaled plating.

  “Relax,” Nara rebuked, remaining in her patch of grass as she checked the status of the machine. The screen provided information as it resumed construction, highlighting the active areas with a white glow.

  Garrett forced his flight response to still as the paneling crawled around him, shrinking to a rigid stick to keep as far away from the mechanical menace as he could.

  The metal grid began to unfold and march up toward the sky, constructing the walls in precise stitches. When the shelter reached half completion, the onslaught of metal began to creep into the building, dividing its cells to form rooms within the borders.

  As a barrier neared a pair of trees inside the perimeter of the house, the metal slipped around the trunks, leaving the green guests in peace as it formed a cocoon around them. From there, the wall continued its mission, carving out the living room and the kitchen access.

  A thin slab of metal extruded from the wall, branching out until it formed a sturdy tabletop. Two legs stretched down from the far edge of the surface, latching to the floor with a confirming click.

  Another piece of furniture began to cut itself out of the floor, the seams of a side of a chair etching into a panel. It slowly raised from the ground until it stood upright, stretching into a seat and a back frame. The floor produced the other face of the house, bringing it toward the first with a gradual arc. The procedure repeated three times to form an orderly row of perfectly congruent pieces.

  The floor began to carve a stairway into a second level, stepping up in jagged motions until it reached its destination on the programmed second level. From there, the ceiling began to unfurl, stretching to start construction on the bedroom spaces.

  While it completed its tasks on the second floor, the side wall split open to reveal a modest patio self-contained with transparent barriers. The center of the deck dipped into a cushioned pit, a cozy respite for meditative contemplation.

  >> CONSTRUCTING ENERGY AND RESOURCE COLLECTION UNITS.

  The screen desaturated the floor plan, shifting through menus as it initialized the outer workings of the maintenance channels. The earth below rumbled as the machination bore sensors into the soil.

  Pipes slithered over the screen, connecting the kitchen and facilities to water collectors and filtration units. Panels spread out on top of the ceiling, spitting out information on the status of the sky. As the drills and collection units injected themselves into the ground, information on material collection joined the revelry on screen, filling up colorful bar graphs in an attractive display.

  >> INITIALIZING GROWBED PRODUCTION AND RATION
SYNTHESIZER. PLEASE STAND BY.

  Noises erupted through the kitchen as a curious tray stretched from out of the wall, gradually filling with moist soil. Display screens emerged from the trays, broadcasting pH levels and nutrient conditions and a selection of vegetation options to choose from. The trays were divided into quadrants, each set up in a distinctive environment that was ideal for plant life in separate locations from across the globe.

  >> CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE. PLEASE STEP ON TO INTERIOR PLATFORM.

  “Come on up,” Nara said. As she examined the results of the assembly, the central computer melted into the building, the screen sliding across the floor until it reached the wall next to the front door. She raised a finger and waited for the device to meet her at eye level.

  “Whoa. Is everything built like this?” He watched the floor slide over the patch of grass he had abandoned, poking at the tile with his toe.

  “Everything apart from the few relics they preserved from before we had this tech.” She walked over and kicked at a chair to dislodge it from the perforated metal flooring. “Most have been deconstructed for environmental reasons.”

  “What does it run on?” He pressed a palm against the cold metal wall.

  Nara emphatically shrugged as she poked orders into the screen. “Science.”

  She swiped through the decoration configurations until the wall displayed a soothing muted blue. With a drag of a fingertip, she bifurcated the walls waist high from the ground. She pawed through the selection of patterns on display until the lower half projected a cozy lumber motif. The wood shifted colors as she cycled through choices, stopping when the grains were tinted a deep mahogany.

  After another flurry of swipes and prods, the ceilings shifted transparent, displaying an unaltered glimpse of the sky and forest above. Though the camera views weren’t intended for security, the ability to see above her offered a mild sense of comfort.

  “Step over here and stick your arms out,” Nara beckoned. Garrett silently complied, forcing his eyes shut as another scanner snapped a ray at his body, feeling over his proportions with invasive digital fingers. “New clothes will be in your closet shortly. Hungry?”

  “Yeah, sure,” he breathed, his thoughts vanishing from the sight of the technology surrounding him.

  Nara walked toward the kitchen and poked through the screen sitting above a curious alcove. “It’ll be prepackaged instant meals until the plant beds produce something fresh.”

  “Ah, that makes sense,” he tried to convince himself.

  She swiped until a carton of distilled liquor came into view and pressed a confirmation. With an obliging beep, the dumbwaiter snapped shut. After a burst of green light and a jarring ping, the door opened again, revealing the same carton inside the device. “If you want meat, you go out and get it. I certainly don’t feel like hunting.”

  >> SCANNING PROVISION STORAGE, the room announced.

  Zips of electronic noises whined through the orderly row of cabinets, sensors searching the void inside with grids of glowing beams. With a flurry of whirrs and clicks, the kitchen resolved to act upon the barren storage.

  >> DISPENSING VITAL LEVEL ARTICLES. PLEASE STAND BY.

  A series of thunks exploded across the room, settling down as an innumerable legion of objects dropped to the bottom of the cabinets. Nara opened a compartment and dug through the newly spawned collection of grey labeled parcels, selecting one and unwrapping the contents.

  She took the tray of desiccated nutrients and shoved it back into the alcove, poking through cooking configurations until the meal she chose came into view. After confirming her selection, the alcove slid shut, chanting acknowledgement with a sizzling expletive. Within an instant, the door popped open, filling the air with a delightful savory aroma of earthy notes and herbal bitterness. She removed the steaming plate from the alcove and slid it before Garrett.

  He pulled at the utensil attached to the dish, dislodging the device with a satisfying series of clicks. The meal was a hearty stew that looked about as appetizing as expected, a mass of unknown lumps surrounded by a reddish-brown goo. He poked at a morsel, selecting an ivory lump he thought was a starch. He decided to trust the smell rather than the appearance and put the food in his face without question.

  Despite being instantly prepared, the textures of the contents appeared fresh and full of nutrients. Vegetables were crunchy and the meat-like proteins were juicy, a contrast to the barely edible rations he’d found himself eating back in Under. Pangs in his stomach churned a chorus of approval, and he proceeded to devour the meal

  “Everything’s just… ready? No cost?” Garrett said through a mouthful. The notion was curious to him, having been raised in the capitalist domination controlling every resource back in Arcadia.

  She shoved the packaging into a hole in the countertop, which was received with satisfied munches. “Yeah. You want something fancier, you’ll have to trade with the farm scientists or find a soldier with a green thumb.”

  “Trade?”

  “There’s no money here, Upworlder. Offer something nice, you get nice things back.” She cracked open the seal of the carton of liquor, then proceeded to down the entire contents, embracing the familiar berry and citrus-laced fire coursing down her throat. Oh, fuck yes, I miss this. Not that watered-down shit humanity passes off as booze.

  “Huh.” His mind was failing to process, the new environment barely registering.

  “This button switches to Galactic Trade.” Nara pointed at the computer. “But stick to these categories for food until I get you a translator from the scribes to explain all this shit. They’ll have all the time in the world to inform you of the fine details of hybrid onion breeds. I don’t.”

  “Oh, sure.” He collected his thoughts and attempted to stand from his seat, swaying abruptly to the side as his body argued with the sudden movements.

  “Go to sleep if you’re tired. Your room’s upstairs and to the right.” She pointed with her drink hand. “Nightfall isn’t for another twenty hours or so, so it’ll still be light out when you get up.”

  “Huh?” He blinked.

  “64-hour days, human.” She ordered another drink from the computer. “They operate under three work phases here. Do what you need to adjust.”

  “Oh, uh. Sure. Yeah.” He wanted her to expound upon that, but travel fatigue was setting in his muscles, and Nara was already midway through the second carton of whatever liquid she took part in. “Goodnight, in that case.”

  Garrett managed his way up the jagged stairs, drifting toward the room Nara had built for him. It was almost as large as the lower floor, the limited furnishings making the place appear an oppressive void.

  He wandered over to the bathroom, finding the facilities as to be expected. But as he became aware of the grime coating his skin, he was faced with the greatest challenge a guest at a new home could face.

  Wait, how the fuck does the shower work? He could not find a spigot. Nothing, as a matter of fact, except for another computer screen at the far wall. He poked at the console, already forgetting the command Nara had shown him to switch to Trade. He was too shy to ask again, letting his brain be assaulted by a barrage of foreign symbols and pictures.

  Agitation began to manifest beyond his mental barriers, and a garbled string of syllables exited his mouth as he scrubbed at his face. The strange world he would call home for the unforeseeable future daunted him. Where to go and what not to say, he would have to re-learn it all over again. Nara would not be forthcoming with advice, having her own world of problems to deal with. Loneliness began to creep over his thoughts, the futility of his situation pressing hard against his spirits.

  Fuck it. I’m just going to go to sleep. His eyes wandered over to the unwelcome-looking bed, a self-contained box that nearly reached his ribcage. The mattress was massive, fit to accommodate the colossal statures of the people here. He poked at the plush material, finding it surprisingly springy.

  He groaned as he pulled himself
up into the box, rolling over face first into the cushiony pool. Holy shit!

  The mattress welcomed him with the most comforting embrace, the gentle device swallowing him with warmth. He didn’t bother to pull himself toward the pillows, the thought of the effort draining him as the soreness in his bones began to melt away. It was not long before his rampant mind was calmed, pulling him toward a gentle sleep.

  ##1.2##

  Nara restrained the inebriated fog teasing her brain as she scrolled through the narratives of the last decade. Names she was barely familiar with flipped across the screen, references to events she had never witnessed. She mapped out the shift in power, the figures she once knew and where they currently resided.

  Though not many years have passed, everything had moved as if generations had elapsed. Eons of political patterns from an army of nations had been crammed into her skull from years of training. The conflict was clear before her, but what was she expected to do about it?

  A soft chime prodded her. A presence outside her home demanded her attention. With a groan, she flicked a switch on her desk, the front door sliding open to reveal the venerable Loremaster Khuul’Ren seeking her audience.

  “Managed to get past Fariem’s defenses?” she called down.

  “It was difficult, yes.” They smiled as they made their way up the stairs. “But knowing you, I figured you would still be active.”

  Nara chewed on the side of her mouth, disquieted by her mentor’s analysis. She averted her eyes as they entered her office, trying to pull herself back underneath the waves of documents.

  “Straight to work, I see.” Loremaster regarded her weary expression illuminated by the screens, moving their gaze to the small collection of cartons on her desk. “Haven’t slept?”

  “The sooner I fix this, the sooner I leave.”

  “I see.” They looked across the hall. “The human with you?”