One Awake In All The World-2
673 Words
Candle and Stiletto lowered their arms so the beams of their headlights weren’t flashing right in the little girl’s face.
Candle told the girl his name, his flash-brain converting his speech into audio she could understand. “This is Nona,” he added, hiking a thumb at Stiletto. “What’s your name?”
“Luma,” said the little girl. She wore a simple white shift and sandals. As she spoke, she hugged a ragged doll tightly against her chest.
On one wrist, Luma wore a gold bracelet set with a blinking amber crystal. A glance at the flash-brain screen confirmed Stiletto’s suspicion that the bracelet was the source of the distress signal transmissions.
“Cool name,” said Candle. “Nice to meet you, Luma.”
Luma c****d her head to one side and narrowed her faceted eyes. “You look funny,” she said. “What’s wrong with you?”
Candle smirked at Stiletto. “There’s nothing wrong with us,” he said. “We’re just not from around here.”
“Okay,” said Luma.
“We want to help you,” said Candle. “Can you tell us why you’re all alone here?”
Luma dropped her chin against the head of her doll and twisted slowly from side to side. As Stiletto watched, the little girl’s skin changed color, shifting from dark purple to deep blue...signaling a mood change?
“I’m lost,” Luma said softly. “I can’t find my family. I woke up and went outside, and now I can’t find them.”
“Do you know where there’re more people like you?” said Candle. “People who look like you?”
“You mean Sagrans?” said Luma.
“Is that what the people’re called?” said Candle.
Luma nodded. “Sagrans.”
“You know where they are?” said Stiletto.
Luma shook her head. “There’s no one around except the Skilla.” As she said it, her voice dropped to a near whisper, and her skin shifted to deep purple again.
“The Skilla aren’t people like you, are they?” said Candle.
“No,” said Luma, shivering. “They’re scary. Everyone says the Skilla are holy, but I think they’re scary, too. I think they’re going to get me.”
Candle scooped the little girl up into his arms.
“Don’t worry, Luma,” he said, patting her back. “You’re not alone anymore. We’ll keep you safe.”
“You will?”
“Yeah. That’s why we came here. To help you.”
“Will you find my family, too?” Luma’s skin changed from purple back to deep blue.
“We’ll do our best.” Candle smiled and bounced her affectionately in his arms. “I promise.”
Stiletto’s heart beat faster, but not because of any impending danger. It was the sight of Candle with Luma, the way he held her and reassured her.
Stiletto wished he’d do that for her, too. She wished he’d love her the way that she loved him.
She hadn’t always felt this way. She’d been working with Candle since he’d freed her from the Squatter three years ago, and she’d only been sure she wanted him within the last six months.
She really didn’t know if he felt the same way, though, and frankly, she hadn’t been going out of her way to find out. The hardass routine that was so important to her job and just getting through the day was hard to push aside...plus which, her head was still a wreck from her time as a Wipeout. The Squatter was gone, but it had left behind a boatload of poison. Sometimes, Stiletto still felt echoes of the bastard swimming around in there, and she wondered if he was regenerating somehow.
That was what worried her the most and kept her from reaching out to Candle. What if she was still a danger to him, a sleeper agent with secret orders implanted at a deep level her deprogramming had missed?
Unfortunately, the more she tried to lock her feelings away, the stronger they grew.
And seeing Candle comforting Luma made them stronger still.
* * * *
Candle put Luma down but held on to her tiny, green hand as he and Stiletto talked.
“Any ideas?” he said in a half-whisper.
Stiletto stared at the blinking lights on the flash-brain screen. “I’ve detected low-level mechanical vibrations.”
“Where abouts?” said Candle.
“Center of the city. Four kilometers that way.” Stiletto aimed her headlight into the murk.
“Where there’s working machinery, there might be people,” said Candle. “Shielded from sensors, maybe.”
“There’re a lot of non-humanoids between here and there.”
Candle nodded. “And we can’t take the Sun Ra in,” he said, “because there’s nowhere to land. Not even a flat rooftop.” He sighed. “We’ll have to keep going on foot.”
Candle heard a whooping cry like hysterical laughter in the distance. Luma’s hand fluttered, and he tightened his grip on it.
“Up for a hike?” he said to Stiletto.
She nodded. “I’m ready.”
“How about you?” Candle gave Luma’s hand a squeeze.
“Ready,” said Luma.
“Then let’s get going,” said Candle.
- Writer
