Planet Athion: The Complete Series by Angel Lawson
8
Alex
A shadow crossesover the window and I pause, hand instinctively reaching for the weapon at my hip. These dormitories are exceedingly safe, locked down and secured by a system unheard of back on Earth, but with the recent disappearance of one of the women and a possible perimeter breach, I can’t help but be overcautious.
Especially knowing Mercy is just down the hall.
I brace myself, waiting for the shadow to appear again. It could be another Custo on patrol, or just the wind blowing the wide-leaved trees with large yellow flowers that dot the landscape. There are times when I don’t understand how I found myself in such a strange new land, then I remember the savagery on Earth. The invasion. The destruction.
I came here to fill a need as much as to escape the bleak reality of my home planet.
The shadow moves and just as I’m about to lift my laser, a face appears in the window.
Kai.
I exhale and use the sensory pad to unlock the door. The door opens with a whoosh, confirming how sealed and safe the building is built. Kai steps in and the door closes behind him, locking silently.
“Everything okay out there?” I ask, recognizing the worry on his face. Kai and I met on Earth when he and I were both fighting the Trads that had infiltrated South America.
“It’s definitely quiet,” he says, which isn’t a confirmation. “There’s something that’s bothering me about this whole thing.”
“How so?”
“The breach seems to be from the inside—as a way to take the female out of the facility. It doesn’t appear to have been the other way—outside in. Also, the girl in question, Debbie? Her classmates and roommate said she was accounted for at all times. Apparently, she was a hard worker, stayed after class on numerous occasions, asked for extra assignments.”
I study the man who’d become not only my friend in the trenches down on Earth, but a brother. He’d been the one to ask me to come back to Athion with him and his unit. That it would be a good place to heal from the horrors of war. “She was conscientious.” Sounds like another woman we know. “Have you talked to her instructor?”
He hesitates. “I haven’t. Not directly. That’s one of the things that’s nagging at me.”
“How so?”
“Her professor is a scholar of intergalactic history. Well-renowned in his field, from what I’m told. He’s young—handsome. The students are all very charmed by him.”
“And?”
“And it seems Debbie spent a lot of time with him—maybe too much time, according to our rules and conditions.”
“So you think the rumor about her running off to the city may be true, that she had her heart broken? That she’s pregnant?”
“It’s possible.”
The educators, professors, doctors, and other staff at the transitional facility are not to have relationships with the women when they arrive. It seems harsh because of the close quarters, but it’s for the security of the women who have just arrived from Earth. They spent years unsure of their safety from the Trads who preyed on them. They needed time to acclimate without fear and uncertainty. Once they transfer into society, they’re welcome to pursue whatever relationships they would like. The differences in Athion relationships alone is one of the reasons for the transition period. I’ve learned things are different here than back home. Due to the lack of women, men were more likely to seek comfort and relationships with one another. Homosexual relationships are the norm. Women are often shared—harems encouraged, but only on the terms dictated by the female. Other men settle into a life of celibacy that is understood and revered.
It’s all incredibly advanced from what I’m used to back home, and some of the studies the women receive are to prepare them for these differences.
“So you’ll talk to him soon?”
“In the morning.” He looks down the hall, toward the lounge. “Did she come down tonight?”
I nod. “She had questions. It seems you’ve been speaking too loudly in her presence.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Oh, I was well aware that she was around the corner. I wanted her to hear and understand how serious this situation is.”
“Why not just tell her directly?”
“She’s already been reprimanded for being too informal with the Custo. It was to protect us all.”
Kai is aware of my attraction toward Mercy, just as I am aware of his. We also both understand our limitations and hers, as well. Since there is no way to act on our feelings, we do what we can. Protect her while she’s in the facility.
“Can I come with you for the interrogation?”
He nods. “Dimka will escort her to the medical center in the morning. Meet me at the education wing when your shift ends.”
“Perfect.”
He unlocks the door again, slipping back into the Athion night, leaving me alone to protect the women in the dormitory. After what I’ve seen, it’s a reprieve, and I continue on my patrol until sunrise.