Chapter 16 Children of the Moon

Chapter 16

Children of the Moon

 The pathetic sight of Kia huddled beneath her wings broke Alexander’s heart. Though he hardly knew her, he could not help but see her as a kindred spirit. She was Avy after all. How she came to be on Chimera was a compelling mystery that only deepened his interest in her. Now to see her like this, widowed and banished by her own self- loathing was almost more than he could bear.

   Carefully inspecting the cliff, he became convinced that it was sturdy enough for both of them. But that did not mean his landing there was a good idea.  He glided toward her lightly landing on the narrow space between her and the edge of the cliff.

  “Kia,” he said her name as if it were a feather he feared would blow away.

 She jerked, startled by his voice, then stirred beneath her wings. He neared crouching as he reached out and carefully placed his right hand on her wing. It quivered with energy, undulating against his skin like a living thing.

 “Lucius sent me to keep you…to make sure you were all right.” A wave of energy rippled through her strange feathers. He had never felt anything like it. “Your wings are alive. That is amazing.”

   “They gave them to me.” Kia said, sitting back against the stone surface as she retracted her wings and rubbed her red swollen eyes. “They made them just like they made me, must have forgotten that.”

  “That doesn't mean they own you Kia.”

  “Yes it does! They own everything and everyone. They are the Gods not us. They took Kress and the rest because they made them. They do what they please. Who knows if they are even still alive?”

  “We did not find bodies Kia, hope remains, hold that close against your heart.”

 “You are a kind liar Alexander. Maybe that is exactly what I need right now, kind lies and false hope.”

 Alexander dropped to his knees in front of her and did something he would always regret. He took her in his arms, held her as if she was his, and wished that she were….

  “Meat,” Kress wailed, “take it away, take it away. Why do you torture us so?”

   Penny put her hand over her lips as saliva began in to pool in her mouth, a sure sign she was about to throw up.

  “Not on your new clothes,” Maria yelled jerking the cart back, “you girls are big babies. Fine, I’ll take this perfectly good breakfast back and bring you something green and bland! But you must eat!” She then snatched the clothes from the side of the cart and threw them on the bed. “Have these on when I get back, we have a busy day ahead of us. You’ve wasted enough of my valuable time already!”…

  Kian exited the elevator that took him back up to the ground floor, having no idea how late it was. He was hungry, tired and relieved his training sessions were finally completed. Following the red line painted on the beige ceramic floor, he soon found his way back to the main desk. Sandra was waiting.

   “Here you go,” she said, smiling sweetly as he walked up to the desk and took a thick manila envelope from her. Thanking her, he turned and headed for the door. “Hey it’s dark out!”

  “Yeah, closing time, need a lift? Or is the company man sending a car for you?” 

  “Not that I know of, how is it dark?”

  Sandra looked at him as if he were crazy. “Beee, cause it late and the dome always goes dark about this time every day.”

  “Oh of, of course, just snuck up on me, that’s all.” Kian could see she was still smiling at him.

 “Yeah virtual reality and down loads can really mess with your head. Doctor Miles did not tell me he was coming to pick you up. I just happened to notice your new place is way across town. You don’t wanna walk that far do you?”

  “Actually I’m kind hungry, any good places to eat around here, free places.”

  “Well now that sounds a lot like a dinner date. And as for free, honey that envelope you’re holding has enough time credits in it to get you fat and keep you happy for months to come. But that stands to reason you risked a lot mining water in the south, risked a lot and lost a lot. But the Company does look out for their own. But we’re not going anywhere until you get your Camelot chip, your all access pass as long as you have the time credits to back it up, and that you have. It'll only sting a little, for a little while. ” With that, she ducked behind the desk, reappearing a moment later holding what looked a phaser right out of Star Trek.

 “You’re going to shoot me?” Kian asked only half joking.

  “I sure am,” Sandra said, as she walked from behind the counter desk and headed straight for him, “right in the finger, gimme.”

  Holding out his right hand she clasped his right index finger, held it up and pressed the barrel of the ‘gun’ against his skin and pulled the trigger.    

       Kian didn’t jerk his hand away, but he sure wanted to when the gun slammed a tiny bead of metal deep into his flesh.

  “Mighta known a mud hog like you could take a little chip prick without so much as a flinch. Come on Jimmie lets go have some fun.”

  “Huh?” Suddenly she ushered him out the front door into the artificial night…