Lost Flyght – Chapter 8

It’s late afternoon in Cuidad Paloma when we land at the spaceport. Each major island on Laguna has its own city and beach, so Cuidad Paloma and Playa Paloma are where we’ll be for the next few days. The doors to the terminal open up, and we step out into the tropical heat.

“Oof, I think I’m overdressed for this place.” I immediately begin to sweat, but I smile up at the beautiful blue sky and large, fluffy white clouds. Okay, I missed the fresh air and sun. There’s really only so much space travel I can handle.

Asteria exits the building next to us, inhales deep through her nose, and exhales it all out with an ‘ahhh.’ She pulls a pair of black sunglasses from her bag.

“I’m always overdressed for everywhere I go, but black goes with everything.” With her sunglasses on, she suddenly looks like she fits in. It’s like a superhero outfit that can morph with only one accessory. “Jonathan and I got married here. You’re gonna love it. Plenty to do or see.” She hails an autocab for us. “Or not do. The choice is yours.” She leans in to tell the driverbot, “We’re going to villa 313 at the Sundown Estates at Playa Paloma.”

All the doors slide open, and the luggage compartment lowers to the ground.

“I’ll put the bags in the back.” Gus takes my bag from my hands.

Skylar gives hers over with a smile. She leans in when he walks away. “He’s so polite. I can’t believe I originally told you not to consider him.”

She watches him go with an appraising smile.

“I’m not considering him,” I whisper back.

“Hush your mouth,” she says, and then smiles at Asteria. “How many do you have in your relationship network?”

“Just the three men. Jonathan, Donte, and Han-jae. I’ve only had kids with Jonathan so far.” She climbs into the car. “I’m going to stay for the night and leave in the morning. I need one good night’s sleep alone before I return to the grind.”

Gus climbs into the car, and we leave the station and merge into light traffic. I don’t expect any delays. Laguna is for the rich, much like Oitavo on Rio, except this place caters to the Californikos System. On this side of the world, most places will speak English and Spanish, and the food choices will reflect the Californikos culture. Not that I’m complaining. I’ve never felt out of place in this system.

The place feels too rich for me, though. Should I be staring out the window in awe of the beauty or playing bored? I wish Asteria weren’t here. I’d care less about my outward behavior if it were just Gus and Skylar.

“So, when was the last time you went on vacation?” Gus asks me. He’s leaning forward to look at the city as we pass through the center of town. Tall skyscrapers covered in green plants tower over us on both sides.

“Never. I don’t take vacations.” I look over his shoulder at the city. Cuidad Paloma is a lot like Concord City on Palo Alto, which is not surprising in the least. The Californikos System is all about conformity and making the best decisions possible about the settlements. That’s what happens when a generation ship is filled with technological and agricultural pioneers.

“Liar,” Skylar says with a sniff. “We’ve even been here on vacation, Viv.”

“We have,” I admit, a hint of weariness to my voice. “A long time ago.”

The car turns and accesses the highways that lead to the beaches.

“Well, that’s true, at least. We were, what? Fourteen?”

I close my eyes and count back. “Yeah, about fourteen, I think. It was the last real vacation I can remember.”

That was a good time, the Kawabata family reunion. I spent days in the ocean with my cousins, ate tons of great food, and danced in the teen clubs at night.

I reach over for Skylar’s hand. “Remember that boy who kept trying to hit on you at the club?”

Skylar’s face lights up. “Do you remember how much shit he caught from Raphael?”

I roll my eyes and laugh.

“Who’s Raphael?” Gus asks.

“Skylar’s older brother, my cousin. With so many boy cousins, it was rough for any guy to hit on us.”

My smile falters. Well, it was hard for any boy to hit on Skylar.

Gus, not noticing my change in attitude, plows on. “I’m sure your cousins had their hands full.”

“Skylar’s always attracted the boys wherever she goes.” I wink at her.

Hopefully, no one sees what I did there. I don’t want to call attention to the fact that I grew up the ugly duckling of my family. I’m still not as attractive as most of them, but that’s getting better with time and lots of spa visits.

Gus is quiet again for a moment. “My family goes on vacation about once a year. Usually to the mountains of the Western continent on Ossun. We’re outdoorsy people.” He rubs his beard and pushes back into the seat. “You know. Hiking, camping, sightseeing, kayaking, fishing in the lakes.” He shrugs. “It’s a fine time. Good food and good conversation. I can’t complain.”

But something below the surface tells me there are complaints. In the few weeks Gus has been with us, he’s never spoken about his family, his sisters and brothers, or even his parents. He’s talked about his time at the hospital, and I’ve heard him talk about football with Jinzo, Ken, and Carlos. But that’s about it.

Asteria, who’s been quiet this whole time, accessing the duonet on her wristlet, catches her breath. “Oh, dammit. The Carnival is coming up in four days!” She moans. “I have such shit timing. I wish I could stay…” She closes her eyes for a moment, and her shoulders droop. “Maybe…?”

“You should stay!” Skylar insists. “Carnival? It sounds like a party.”

Skylar loves a good party.

“Uh, no. I can’t, but…” She presses her lips together. She’s holding something back.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing. I just thought of something, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. Probably it’s nothing.”

Hmmm, I don’t like the sound of that, whatever it is. Foreboding feelings, the kind that flatten out someone’s features and produce a frown out of nowhere? Those are the feelings we should pay attention to.

But this is Asteria, and I hardly know her. She may be Jinzo’s sister, and he may be my number one, but we haven’t signed contracts yet. We’re not family. I can’t pry.

After a twenty-minute drive, we pull up to a gated resort, full of cream stucco low buildings with terra cotta roofs, palm trees, and hibiscus flowers. My knowledge of tropical plants ends there. They’re nothing I can grow on Ossun.

But forget the flowers. All I can see is the luxury surrounding me on either side — the intricate tile work, the manicured gardens, the private pools. Even the hotel we stayed at when we came to Laguna as a family wasn’t half as posh as this place.

Dread fills my chest. If I found the Lee’s wealth intimidating on the Lee home ship, this compounds it. I want to run away. ‘It’s a trap!’ screams in my head.

The car glides up to building 313, and a team of three men in uniform wait for us at the entrance. Once the vehicle opens the luggage gate, they come forward to help.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Asteria,” the lead man says, bowing. “Your mother called ahead to have the villa readied for you and your guests.”

“Thanks, Raul. It’s good to see you again. I’ll only be staying one night, but our guests will be here through the next four or five days.” She leans into Raul. “Probably five days. They need the break.” Her voice is a conspiratorial whisper, and Raul takes the bait.

“Oh, I see. Well, we have relaxation in abundance here for you and your guests.” He turns and points to a walkway that leads out to the ocean. “Your cabana is also number 313. Feel free to call for food or drink or a massage any time you’re out there.”

Wow. Our own private cabana on the beach? I wonder how much that costs. I swallow my guilt at being here.

Raul points in the opposite direction. “Over this way is the main property with all of our restaurants. Dancing is available every night. Check in there with the concierge if you want to do excursions, or you can call for me.”

Raul’s smile is polite and easy as if I’m Hera Lee, not some third-rate guest. I have a feeling Hera made it clear we were to get the five-star treatment.

Gus smiles at me, and I can see in his eyes, he wants me to smile too. When did I stop smiling? Around the time I started calculating expenses in my head.

As Raul leads Skylar and Asteria inside, Gus reaches over to lay his hand between my shoulder blades at the base of my neck.

“You okay?”

“Mmmhmm.” With his touch, I’m aware of the tautness of my muscles, the stress I carry even while getting the tour of a paradise resort. Will the doubts ever go away?

Inside the villa, I’m not surprised to find it has five bedrooms and seven baths, laundry services, a sauna, a stocked kitchen, an entertainment center with a mini-theater, and a covered porch out back with a tropical garden. My stomach sinks with every new feature or amenity that’s pointed out to me.

Definitely a trap. There’s no way I’m supposed to enjoy all of this. If I do, I’m a gold-digging bitch. If I don’t, I’m ungrateful.

Fuck. How did I get myself into this mess?

“Pretty great, right?” Asteria beams at us after Raul leaves. “You’ll love it. And you should take advantage of everything while you’re here. Mom wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I narrow my eyes. Her grin is suspicious. It’s almost as if…

“Did you talk to Jin before we left?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. We talked about your ship repairs.” Her nodding head is like it’s on a spring.

“And he told you to make sure I relax and not worry about the bills, right?”

Her lips twist.

“Because this?” I throw my arms out to indicate the fucking palace they so lovingly call a ‘villa.’ “This is just the kind of extravagance I’ve been trying to avoid these last couple of weeks. I’m struggling to save money, not fritter it away. And there’s no way I can repay your family for this.”

Asteria sighs and grabs her bag. I try not to look at either Skylar or Gus. I shouldn’t have said anything. I should’ve remained quiet, faked sickness tomorrow morning, and insisted on leaving.

“Understand something about our family.” Asteria’s face is stern, her hands on her hips. “When my mother treats you to something, you take it. Her generosity doesn’t extend to everyone, you know. Cressida never stayed here. Not even once.”

This brings me up short.

“You are an honored guest here, and I expect you to use and enjoy the place like Jinzo seems to think you deserve.” Her face is bright with anger, and I immediately hate myself. She doesn’t agree with Jinzo on this.

If only I could learn to keep my mouth shut when I’m tired, hungry, and cranky after a long flight. I am an ungrateful bitch.

Asteria nods once. “Good. Now, I’m going to get changed and take a walk on the beach. We can all have dinner together later if you like.”

She turns and glides off to her room upstairs with her chin held high.

“Fuck,” I mutter when I’m sure she can’t hear me.

“Yeah, you can say that again,” Skylar whispers. “What the fuck is your problem lately, Viv? And what’s all this shit about paying them back? They are giving you a gift, and you’re stomping all over it. Are you determined to make his family annoyed with you?”

“No, I…” I throw my arms up and turn away from them both. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

I only know that I keep hearing the same phrase over and over in my head, ‘Obsessed with wealth and fame.’ Argh! I want to open my skull and manually erase it from my brain.

I close my eyes and try something different. I go back to the dinner date Jinzo and I had in Oitavo at the casino restaurant. We spent that evening just talking about life and the things we loved, and his excellent conversation skills and his smile had charmed me.

Not his influential family.

Not his wealth.

Fuck, Vivian. Try to act like a gracious adult.

“I think,” I say, pushing through the creak in my voice and turning around, “I’m going to go to sleep and hope I wake up saner and happier.”

Skylar frowns. “Vivian, you’re too practical for your own good sometimes.”

“I know.” I pick up my bag.

“Just fucking chill, okay?”

“Okay.” My voice is as empty as a vacuum.

“You don’t want to eat?” she raises her voice to my retreating back. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re losing weight! You’re going to waste away!”

When I make it to the top of the stairs, I pause to figure out which room to choose. Easy. One door is closed to the right, so that’s where Asteria is. I’ll take the bedroom in the exact opposite direction.

“It’s fucking wrong,” I hear Skylar say downstairs. “She usually eats when she’s stressed. Skipping meals is un-Vivian.”

I choose my palatial bedroom, and I fear I have the grand bedroom. Fuck it. It’s mine now.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I stare out the window and listen to the sound of the ocean in the distance. My behavior has been shameful, and I need to do better. But old habits die hard, and I have a lot of reprogramming to do. There’s code in my brain that needs a complete overhaul.

If only plugging in and fixing it were that easy.

Rest assured that, if my mother were here, she would’ve been scheming to leave as soon as possible too. There’s no way she’d accept this kind of gift without wondering what she would have to owe in return. That’s just the way we are. I cover my face with my hands. It’s so frustrating to be able to see the bad behavior and not correct it right away. I told myself not too many days ago that I have to be better.

Be better, Vivian.

A soft knock pulls me out of my head. The door opens, and Gus slips in with a glass of water in one hand. He sits down next to me, shrugs, and hands me the glass of water.

“I completely understand what you’re going through, and I am always here for you.” He holds out his curled up fingers. He has something to give me.

Two small blue pills land in my hand.

“I can’t. I’m so tired that if I take these, I’ll sleep right through dinner. And I should not do that. No, no. I need to fix things with Asteria.”

His eyes widen. “Don’t try to fix anything. Please. Save yourself.”

Ugh. Fine. “What about the nightmares?”

“Like I said. I’m always here for you. I’ll take the room next door.”

What do I have to lose?

I throw the two pills down the hatch.