12. Earth
1976 Words
We climb in 1 and the AI flies us down to the village that owns the ships.
"Look at that castle. That thing is big."
Victor watches. "Ours is bigger. There's is taller."
We agree, then the AI lands us beside some parked carriages. He stays with the shuttle.
"Let's go check out the village. I want to see it before we say hi." Victor pulls Maddie.
Maggie and I chase after them.
"This village is amazing. There is so much stuff here."
Victor points stuff out. "Our villages have more. This looks like a town from 600 years ago. It's like we went back in time somehow. Theater, park, carriages with animals pulling them. The market area."
I shrug my shoulders. "It's more than I'm used to. I've never seen anything like this."
Victor sees where I'm pointing. "It's a pool. It's for everyone to swim on hot days. Vacation building. People go there and book vacations. Looks like they have quite a few options. School building for learning to read and do math."
"We had those."
"Now the schools are a lot bigger."
"What is that?"
"I have no idea..." We stop and stare at a big thing with 4 legs.
Maddie perks up. "Can I touch it?"
Victor grabs her arm. "No, it might bite."
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but you need to check in at the castle before you go to the village. I will escort you."
I tilt my head sideways and stare at the man. "Are you artificial intelligence?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Definitely didn't have that."
"We still don't."
We laugh and follow the AI to the castle. Then up 2 elevators. There's a big issue in the middle. But we get summoned up. We get out of the elevator to about 14 men at a table.
A man shakes Victor's hand. "I'm King Dipak, welcome. Please have a seat." He motions us to the visiting end of the table.
I jump up and down and whisper to Victor, "I remember this when daddy used to do it. We're at the visiting end."
Dipak gives me a funny look. I didn't know he would hear me.
"Ok, girls sit."
"Where?"
Victor stands there rubbing his eyes. I run over and sit on 1 of the side seats. "Sit by me, Maddie." Victor tries to sit on the other side of me. "No, you sit on the end. Maggie sits there."
After a minute, we get our s**t together.
Victor looks at Dipak. "I'm Victor. This is Mayra, Maddie, and Maggie."
"How can we help you?"
"King Alden and advisor to see the table."
"Send them in."
Maddie jumps up. "WE'RE ONLY VISITING THE NEIGHBORS."
I nod and slide off my chair. I'll hide down here.
Victor moves over to my old spot. "Where the hell are you going?"
"I'M GOING TO HIDE. BE QUIET."
"WE'RE ONLY VISITING THE NEIGHBORS. REMEMBER THAT."
A man looks at Dipak as I crawl behind him. "It appears we have the children."
Someone with long hair laughs, "And here comes daddy."
I crawl all the way down the table and behind Dipak. Then over behind his couch in his sitting area. I'll hide here.
Dipak stands up and watches me hide behind the couch. Then he walks over to the elevator. Alden and Clark come in. I peek around the couch and Alden is so mad.
"Welcome. I'm King Dipak."
"Thank you, sir." He stares at the table. Then he looks back at Dipak. Dipak motions to the couch. Alden looks at it and I duck behind it quickly. I don't think he saw me. They sit at the visiting end.
Alden is on the end now. He rubs his eyes and looks like he's trying to calm down. "WHERE THE f**k ARE WE?"
Maddie screams. "VISITING THE NEIGHBORS."
"WHY?"
"TO SAY HI."
Alden looks at Dipak. "Hello."
"Hello."
"LET'S GO. NONE OF YOU ARE EVER GETTING OUT AGAIN."
Clark checks his papers. "How far away are we actually?"
Victor looks at him. "Little over 6 hours."
Alden jumps up. "YOU DROVE A BROKEN SHIP 6 f*****g HOURS THROUGH SPACE?"
"MY MATE WAS ON THAT SHIP." Now Clark is up and yelling.
"THE DRIVE ON THE SHIP IS NOT BROKEN. IT'S EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S BROKEN."
Alden slams himself down and rubs his eyes. "Why the f**k did you bring us here?"
"To see if they can help with the ship. They have their AI working. Maybe they can fix ours. And I was assured our ship would make it here."
"Victor, we don't know who they are. You can't stop on a planet. They could kill us on sight. Every planet is going to be different. They aren't all friendly. Don't ever think they are."
"They are our only hope to fix the ship."
"They aren't are only hope. And how the hell did you even find them?"
"The ping came back. Told us exactly where they were."
One of the boys on Dipak's side asks, "Why is the AI broken?"
Victor rolls his eyes. "Someone parked our ship in the ocean."
Clark nods. "There are a lot of systems that sustained heavy water damage. If you would be willing to look at it, that'd be great. Any assistance would be appreciated. We're very confused. I mean, what the hell is a .092 ejc tub or whatever it was?"
They laugh.
Dipak nods. "We can send some of our AI over to look at it. They know more about it than we do."
"Sure, Victor can go open the ship up. Why the hell did you even close the windows?"
"So you wouldn't see the other ships."
Alden rubs his eyes. "There's only 1 sun in the sky. Do you really think I'd miss that?"
"I did."
They crack up laughing.
The man with long hair look at his AI. "Send 5k brains over to their ship once Victor opens it. Have them fix what they can and get a print out of the damage that they can't fix."
Victor smiles. "Thank you." Then he goes out the elevator.
"Yes, sir."
The elevator dings and my dragon wants out immediately.
-Give me control. Sister.-
"What?" The girl who walked in is talking to herself. "NOBODY MOVE."
-I release control.-
I jump up with red eyes.
She looks at me with her red eyes. "What the hell are you wearing?"
"Not all planets allow women to show skin. They were playing it safe." I pull the veil off my head.
Everyone at the table looks back and forth at us.
"That's smart actually. Better not to offend anyone getting off the shuttle."
"That's what I thought. They are a smart group at times."
"They're confused because we look so alike." I smile at the table. "We're sisters."
One of the boys on Dipak's side nods. "The dragons are sisters?"
"Yes."
"How many of you are there?"
I smile. "4. I didn't know she was here. But we look a lot alike except for our skin color. If the other 2 survive, they will be very white and black. She is more of a sand color, and I am a caramel shade."
"Is that the only way you're different?"
"No. We're different as any other sisters are. We're completely different individuals. We also have different powers. I'm water. Don't tell Kehlani she doesn't know."
"Of course. We won't say anything. And I'm earth. Hypatia knows already. She's getting quite good at it."
"That's wonderful news. And it seems like you have a few mates as well."
"7 of them now. You?"
"1. Alden."
She glances at him. "Are you aware that he doesn't have a dragon?"
"Yes."
"You know you can give him 1, right?"
"Nobody told me how."
"The elders on your planet?"
"All dead. We are the last remaining royals."
Her eyebrows shoot up. "That sounds like a hell of a story. Dipak can tell him how to get the dragon. He's not afraid to say anything. Come to think of it, nobody told me how either. I figured it out after a couple of them got their dragons." She looks at Alden again. "You know he's not marked, right?"
I shrug my shoulders. "They get married on the planet now. I don't think anyone knows how to mark. At least they didn't tell me. Everyone is always talking about marriage."
"No. All mates should mark either other. It seals the bond."
Maddie jumps up, "WE CAN MARK OUR MATES?"
Hypatia smiles. "Dipak, they need the s*x talk."
I look at him. "Later please. Not with me in the room. She's too young."
"She has her mate, she's not that young."
"They have issues."
"What issues?"
"She has trust issues. So she is pushing him constantly, trying to get him to crack. She's convinced he's either going to kill her or abandon her. She is having fit after fit. I am losing my mind in here. Damn teenage drama."
She smiles. "Let's give them back and see how long they stare at each other."
I laugh and release the power.
I stare at someone who looks a lot like me, her skin and hair are lighter. She is staring back at me. I don't know how long we stand here. But the boys at the table laugh, and it breaks us out of the trance.
I shake my head. "You look like me."
"No, you look like me."
"I looked like me first."
"No, I was me first."
"No, I was."
"How old are you?"
"915."
"Damn, you were first." She glares at the boys. "Why do we look alike?"
"Dragons are sisters, baby. They said there are 4 of you total. But they don't know if the other 2 are living. You have different skin colors and hair but are a lot alike in appearance other than that."
Maddie jumps up. "CAN YOU DO THE MARKING SPEECH NOW?"
Alden shakes his head. "Later."
She slams herself back down. "FINE."
Nadine puts an eyebrow up. "My dragon is confused. How are you a teenager at 915?"
"I'm not. My dragon likes drama. How's the ship doing?"
Their AI answers, "It has sustained heavy water damage."
I smile. "Don't park your ship in the ocean."
"I'll remember that. Thank you." Then she motions to Alden. "Have a seat, let's talk."
I sit by him. I will not look at him. I know he's pissed.
She smiles. "Tell me about yourself."
I shake my head. "I don't want too." I motion at Maddie. "You go."
Maddie stands up. "I was a servant. Then Clark found me a few months ago. He's my mate. Now I'm an advisor's wife." She sits back down.
"Maddie is my sister. We were servants of the castle together. I guess now I'm Clark's sister-in-law. I don't think I'm a servant anymore. They stopped telling me to do stuff anyway. And now I have an apartment in the castle."
Clark raises his hand. "I'm Clark. Hello." He goes back to writing.
Dipak stands up. "Anyone who doesn't want to hear my next speech should find something else to do." I jump up, and my hand shoots up. "Yes Mayra."
"Can I have some money?"
A man halfway down the table cracks up laughing. "There really are 2. You better lock that drawer, Dipak."
Another smiles. "Why do you want money?"
"Food. I want to go to the village and eat. I'm hungry. But my money is no good here."
Nadine stands up. "Actually, deliver everyone lunch here. Me and Mayra can eat in my office."
Maggie puts her hand up. "Can I come too? I don't want to hear the s*x talk."
"s*x talk?" I sit back down.
"No. Come on. We'll talk about clothes and get you 2 out of those blankets."
- Writer
