High Flyght – Chapter 14

“Leave the bags and your shoes in the airlock, please,” Marcelo says, directing us to dump our wet belongings.

I struggle to get my poncho off until Ken’s deft fingers reach into the neck hole and pull the plastic over my head.

“Thanks,” I mumble. I sigh, close my eyes, and lean against the wall of Marcelo’s shuttle as he cycles the engines and prepares to get us out of this godforsaken place. We didn’t even stay at the fancy resort for more than a few hours. Those five-star beds will remain vacant for the night, if not longer.

Ken’s foot knocks against mine, and I snap my eyes open.

“You look tired. Maybe we should take the night off and tackle this tomorrow.”

I pull air in through my nose to wake myself up. “Nope. Can’t. Too much to do here on Rio before we pick up those raposquirrels and haul back to Palo Alto.” I start to walk away and get as far as lifting my leg to step over the airlock door lip.

Ken’s hand on my upper arm is firm. “You’re angry about something.”

Damn him and his perceptive ways. He can read me like the trashy novel I am.

“I’m angry about a lot of things.” If my voice were any colder, we’d be frozen solid. “I’m angry about Tomu and my life. I’m angry that everyone wants to make my decisions for me. I’m angry that I’m stretched so thin.”

“Who wants to take your decisions away from you?”

There are these moments where I can’t believe Ken is with me again. That we’re talking to each other. That we’ve touched each other again. And then there are the moments where I don’t believe he’s real. Three years ago, he would’ve blown up at me for being unreasonable. Now, the softness of his eyes shows he’s mellowed. He cares.

“My parents. You do. Jinzo does. Even Gus.” I jerk my chin at each of them. My frosty attitude has turned the room silent. I pull a wry laugh from my gut and shake my head. “You all walked right into that swanky hotel, took whatever bedroom you wanted, and left me cold and wet to the couch. Maybe I shouldn’t care. Maybe in other networks this is the way it works. All the men get the beds, and the woman surfs from one to the next.”

Gus turns white and raises his hand. “I’m just the medic.”

I reach forward and poke Gus in the chest. “That’s right. He’s my employee, so he gets his own room. You two?” I gesture to Ken and Jinzo. “Need to figure the rest out. I’m the head of this network, whether I wanted this or not. I need a home base, always. My spot. Don’t use me. I’ve had enough of that. I understand we’re still in a probationary period. Maybe you don’t want to always be around me. I get it. But I’m struggling to keep my head above water here, and I would appreciate the support.”

And with that, I join Marcelo in the cockpit. He’s running through his flight checklist, so I climb into my usual seat and strap in.

“Everything okay back there?” Marcelo’s eyebrows do their high jumps.

“Just peachy, thanks.”

He lowers his voice. “You did the right thing. You need to set the rules, whatever they may be, and keep them in line.”

I press myself back into the chair. “Why can’t they just keep themselves in line?”

“Oh, Ms. Vivian,” he says, chuckling. “You have a lot to learn.”

You could say that again.

“I was going to ask you for advice about this.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “But my temper got the better of me. Again. Sorry. I’m such a failure.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re not a failure, and you did exactly what I would’ve advised. So, continue to trust your gut, okay? Where are we off to?” he asks, calling up the navigation system.

I concentrate on the window, and the rain easing up. A break in the clouds lets the sun shine down on the lush green treetops.

“I need to talk to Carlos. He’ll be able to tell me.”

Marcelo accesses the Estrela system and asks for a vidcall conference with Carlos. Carlos pops up on the screen.

“Hey Captain! Marcelo, Jinzo, Ken, and Gus.”

I glance behind me, and the guys have approached. I try not to make eye contact because even though I asserted myself for all the right reasons, it still feels wrong to boss people around. I’m supposed to be a leader, not a tyrant and a bitch.

“Hey, Carlos. How did the hacking go?”

“Well, it’s done, like I said in my message.” He scratches his head. “But it was a real pain. I’ve never seen a datapad behave like this before. I had my decryption protocol program running on it, and since it would take a long time, I would leave it to do other things. But then the datapad would cancel it out. I have no idea how it even did that.” He shrugs. “I have heard of this fancy hacker out of Palo Alto that’s doing new stuff with data encryption, so I’m going to run it by her next time we’re there.”

“Okay…” Your point, Carlos?

“Anyway, I finally got the decryption program to take, and I downloaded all the information you asked for. I found an address in Sétimo. I’ll forward that to you and Marcelo now.”

“Great.” Marcelo and I nod to each other, and the guys get strapped into their seats as we take off.

“Good luck, Captain. I’ll be around when you get back, but I may be pretty busy with Ai. She’s… I’ve done a lot to fix her code lately, but…”

Ai needs to wait. “Carlos, we’ll talk about Ai when I get back. Hold on a sec.”

I do my best to control my stomach as we launch from the pad, but Marcelo is an excellent pilot. He’s smooth as an Ossun summer day, and I’m able to relax after a moment.

Carlos is still on the line, so I lower my voice to speak directly to him.

“Tell me what else you found on the datapad.”

He holds up his hands. “I didn’t read anything, like you told me to.”

“I get it, but you must have seen what’s there.”

He shrugs again, so it must not have been anything groundbreaking. “Spreadsheets of income data, notes about some people, and a banking application with information in it.”

“Nothing on the seeds?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“Okay. Then go ahead and put your mind to whatever’s on there. I don’t have the time to sift through all the data right now.” I want to do these things myself, but this is why I have a staff.

“Yes, Captain,” he says with a smirk. “Not getting much time there to look at comms?”

“No. Be glad you didn’t come. A giant snake dropped out of a tree and tried to kill us all.”

He laughs.

“I’m not joking,” I deadpan.

Carlos loses his smile and apologizes. “Bet you wish you had stayed here.”

“With all my heart.” I soften my smile for him. “Never thought I’d think of the Amagi as home, but it is now.”

“We’ll be happy to have you back soon. Call me later if you need anything.”

When the connection silences, I’m aware of the tension in the shuttle. Marcelo is concentrating on the controls as we cruise through Rio airspace. The flight lanes on Rio are standardized, making auto-pilot easy, but unless you’re a commercial vessel with an AI, pilots are required to monitor the controls.

If I strain my ears, I can hear a quiet murmuring in the rear between Ken and Jinzo. Perhaps Gus is listening in, but I’m not going to turn around and find out.

I set my head back in the chair, let it recline, and close my eyes for the thirty-five-minute flight.

Sétimo is a new destination for me. When we exit the shuttle at the spaceport, I’m not surprised to find the same layout of shops as in Oitavo, where I was with Jinzo on our last trip to Rio. But I am surprised by the color and music. Oitavo’s culture is modern and wealthy, and Sétimo’s culture embodies art and excitement. The stores are older but have more charm. People are dressed in flowing skirts and light linen pants. A three-person band outside the station plays a samba.

“I like this place.” Ken steps up next to me and slips on a pair of sunglasses. “We never made it to Sétimo, did we?”

“Nope. I’m not sure how we missed this place.” I shield my eyes from the sun and look in the direction my wristlet is telling me to go.

I’m about to charge off in the indicated direction when Ken takes my hand in his. His fingers intertwine with mine, and his smile is soft and warm.

“Which way?” he asks, looking at the streets shooting off from the walkway in front of us.

“Uhhh,” I stammer as Jinzo steps up to my other side and nudges me forward with his hand on my lower back. “Aren’t you angry with me? If I had spoken to you like that three years ago, you would’ve walked right on out the door, never to return.”

“What? Who me?” Ken asks. His smile becomes mischievous.

“Don’t ‘what’ me,” I say with a huff and a laugh. “I was just a major bitch to you guys, and now you’re being all sweet.” I pull them towards the left street, paying attention to the directions in my optical implant. Three blocks straight, then turn left.

“You weren’t a major bitch. I was actually surprised at your restraint.”

No comment.

“Relax, Vivi. We heard you and understand. Jinzo has filled us in on your last few weeks, and I think you’re doing amazing under the circumstances.”

Okay, now I’m curious and a little concerned that Jinzo has divulged too much. I’m trying to protect them all from my worries and fears, not get them involved in everything.

Ken swings our hands between us, and my heart flutters and my stern frown softens. This is something he used to do that always made me smile, and it’s pulling at my heart, reminding me why these guys are here. They’re here to make my life easier and more complete, not difficult. I let the sweet gesture sink in and bring out my smile.

Is Jinzo jealous? I turn my eyes to him, and he seems happy and at peace.

He catches my glance. “It’s good to be outside and out of the rain, right? Sétimo is far enough away from the equator that they get nice weather most of the year.” He turns and faces the opposite direction of our walk. “The rings are further to the north here.”

We stop to gaze at them for a moment. Ah, Rio — both the most beautiful planet you’ve ever seen and the most terrifying. The rings swoop through the sky in the daylight, glittering like diamonds in the sun. I let the sight try to burn away the memory of the snake and bird, burn away my fears. It does a passable job.

“I never tire of that view. It’s something I missed on Ossun,” Gus chimes in. “I did my medical training here on Rio at Terceiro Medical. But I got the job on Ossun almost immediately after graduation, so I could never travel.”

My smile fades at the word ‘graduation.’ I take Ken’s hand and pull him back around to walk to our destination.

Unfortunately, he reads me all too well.

He gasps. “Oh, wait. Didn’t that OEN newscaster say you graduated this semester with honors?” I don’t answer. “She did. I remember it. When’s graduation? We should all go and make a huge party out of it.”

I gesture to the left, and my optical display points to a high-rise building up on the right. I hope it doesn’t have security.

“Graduation is next week, and I already indicated that I won’t be attending.” I keep my eyes focused on the building. “With Mom in the hospital and all the scandals surrounding me… and you… and…” My voice quietens. “Cressida calling for my head in every interview she can give and… Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” I try to force a smile, but I just can’t. I’m gutted that I can’t attend my own graduation because of these issues. “It wouldn’t be fair to the other attendees.”

Ken glances at Jinzo, and Jinzo shakes his head. This is new. Ken squeezes my hand and lets go.

Surprise precedes relief that Ken didn’t push the issue. What did he and Jinzo talk about on the shuttle?

Gus steps up next to me. “So, where are we going?”

“This is the building up here on the right. Apartment 724.”

Gus allows me to step forward and take the lead, so I head across the street with the three of them following on my heels.

I call up Carlos on my wristlet. “We’re here. Now what?”

“Just a sec,” he says into my ear.

The front vestibule door pops open with a buzz.

“There. Take the elevator to the seventh floor.”

We walk in like we live there, past the automated front desk, past the coffee bar in the lobby, and into the elevator to the seventh floor. Hand it to Tomu to pick a place with all the amenities.

Apartment 724 is down the hall, on the corner of the building, and I know before the door opens, it’s going to have a fantastic view.

“Damn,” Ken breathes out as we step in.

The edge of Sétimo stretches left and right from both banks of windows, and the sea reaches to the horizon. It’s a beautiful day to sit and enjoy the view.

“Toss the place.” I point to the bedroom, the living room, and then the bathroom. “And don’t be gentle about it.”

I head to the kitchen, grab a knife from the drawer, and set it on the counter. Taking no extra time, I sift through the other kitchen drawers, cabinets, and the refrigerator. If Tomu spent any time here, it doesn’t show in the kitchen. Almost every drawer is empty with only the barest of essentials next to the stove. The fridge yawns open, almost bored with its sparse contents. This is worse than the poorest of bachelor pads.

With the knife in my hand, I join Ken in the bedroom.

“What have you found?” I ask, ripping the covers and sheets from the bed. He watches with wide eyes as I spear the mattress and open it up.

“Nothing yet. It looks like he barely lived here.” Ken waves to the closet. Three shirts hang next to two pairs of pants. One pair of dress shoes sits next to an empty laundry bag.

“Huh.” I continue to dissect the mattress and pull it open. “What about the dresser drawers?”

“Nothing.”

Gus appears at the door. “Nothing out in the living room.” He eyes the knife in my hand. “Want me to do a little surgery on the couch?”

I sigh as I hand the knife over. “Might as well. There’s nothing here.”

The bedroom mess taunts me, and I can’t help but grow angry with it. “Fuck,” I bite out, kicking the sheets on the floor. “Damn it.”

There has to be something here. Has to be. Everything we’ve come across has been a clue, a new way to find Tomu.

He didn’t disappear and go nowhere. He’s on the run, and I just need one more indication of where he went.

Damn him. Universe, give me a sign!

Fatigue pulls me down. All I want to do is sit and never get up again. I want the mysteries to solve themselves. And it would be great if the farm handled itself and came back to me with no more effort.

“Vivian,” Ken says, and I focus my eyes on him. I had been staring into space, dreaming of a carefree day on the farm, the smiles of the farmworkers, greens growing in the field. “I’m so sorry.”

“What? We’re not done. There could be something.”

I hike up my pants and push up my sleeves.

“No. I mean, for everything,” he says, approaching me. He puts his hand on my arm like I’m a crazed animal about to bolt. “Let’s go sit down.”

“Ken,” I insist, “keep looking. This was his base. I’m sure there’s something here.”

“Gus, Jinzo? Put the couch back together.” Ken urges me forward, and I decide to humor him.

Fine. I’ll sit. I’m tired, anyway.

The sun is dipping into the horizon, and at this time of the year on Rio, that must mean it’s really late in the day. My bones creak as I lower myself to the couch and look up at Ken.

“Listen,” Ken says, holding out his hands, “we need to take a different tack because running around after Tomu is killing Vivian.”

He looks at Gus sitting in the opposite chair and Jinzo standing to the side before crouching down at my knees and taking my hands in his.

“I’m so sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I realize now that I should’ve fought harder for you three years ago.”

I open my mouth to speak, but he shakes his head.

“Don’t. Don’t make excuses for me.”

My eyes fill with tears, and my chin wobbles.

“Vivian, I saw your future, and even though I loved you and wanted to be with you, I thought you would be fine without me. That you would go on to bigger and better things. And I hoped that when we would meet again, it would be like no time had passed.”

The tears spill from my eyes and course down my cheeks.

“I knew you didn’t want to say no. You said you didn’t want to say no. I should’ve gone straight to your parents.” He hangs his head. “Your life has become… Oh God, it breaks my heart to see you like this. If I had stuck around —”

“You would’ve handled the finances.” The sob that jumps from my throat rips it in two. “Tomu wouldn’t have been involved.” I press my hand to my mouth. “Shit. He just takes more and more from me the more that I think about it.”

Gus leans forward in his chair and presses his hands together and to his lips, holding back his emotions. Jinzo is frozen in one spot.

“It kills me to see what’s happened to you, Vivi. I was angry when you showed up at Flyght because I wanted to approach you first. It was such a stupid and vain thing to want. I hate myself for it now. But I wanted to come back to you and make everything whole again. I had no idea how much you had suffered between the loneliness, the celibacy —” I suck in an embarrassed breath and close my eyes. “And then your brother’s betrayal. This… This is not what I wished for you when we parted. And this search for Tomu is destroying you.”

“Ken’s right.” Jinzo, seeing an opening, steps into the conversation. “We need to burn this place, burn Tomu, and leave him far behind. You have enough other things to worry about.”

I shake my head and tears fly off my cheeks. “No. He needs to pay me back. He needs to make amends to Mom and Dad.”

“Vivian.” Jinzo’s voice is hard, even if his expression is soft and caring. “You’re looking for revenge, an easy way out. That’s not who you are. Let’s cross this task off our list.”

I sob and lean forward to bury my forehead in my arms on my legs. I don’t want to let go. The anger, the need for vengeance — it has fueled me the last few weeks like nothing else could.

“If I give up on finding Tomu, then what?” I lift my head and sniff up. “What do I tell my parents?”

Ken looks up at Jinzo, and Jinzo nods, giving him permission to speak. “You tell them you’re moving ahead with your life. That you’re finding the husbands you need to support you and buy back the farm. That’s the most important task on your list. Forget Tomu. He may already be dead, for all we know. Then when your parents are settled, we need to celebrate your diploma. Do something to feel normal again. Didn’t you graduate summa cum laude?”

“Yeah, but…” I sigh and look to Jinzo for this one.

“You do deserve to celebrate,” Jinzo says, sitting next to me, “even if you don’t walk with your classmates.”

“See?” Ken says, resting his hands on my knees. “When we get to Palo Alto, we’ll throw a celebration at my place.”

“You don’t have to.” I use my full palm to wipe the tears from my face.

“We want to. Right, guys?” Ken stands up, and Gus joins him.

“Yep. We could use a party.” Jinzo agrees, knocking his foot against mine.

“I love a good party,” Gus says, “and as your resident medical expert, I agree with Ken and Jinzo here. This kind of stress put your own mother in the hospital. When you were admitted, I noticed the signs of sleep deprivation and stress. You need rest and relaxation.”

I can easily see the two paths in front of me. I could run myself ragged and thin, searching to the ends of known space for Tomu and everything he took from me. Or, I could get married to some great guys, establish a reliable relationship network, bring in enough money to buy the farm, have kids, and live out our lives together in peace.

It really is one or the other. I can’t have both.

Am I the reckless woman with a hundred different personalities to call on?

Or am I ultimately Responsible Vivian? The Original Vivian who will hold the family business together whatever it takes?

“You’re right. You’re right.” I let out my breath and lean back into the couch, resting my head on Jinzo’s shoulder. “Tomu is probably dead or long gone. We need to move on without him.”

Ken smiles in relief, and Jinzo and Gus echo with satisfied sighs.

I’m willing to move on.

But the nagging memory of two large men who told me their boss was searching for Tomu sits in the back of my brain. They wanted to kidnap me if it would get them what they wanted. And they will be watching us, looking for an opportunity to collect on whatever Tomu took from them.

Something tells me I have no choice but to soldier on, even if finding Tomu is no longer my top priority.

Things are way out of my hands.