CHAPTER 3
Lio was laid out on her side, her elbow propping up her head, “And the Khaash?”
“The Khaash originate from a planet called Ajira. Ajira is hazardous to life due to its close proximity to a yellow dwarf star. The Khaash evolved flight over time to avoid the searing heat, traveling in tandem with the planet’s rotation. ” The machine answered just as dutifully as it had the last several hours.
“Interesting,” Lio said with a shrug. She had spent the wee hours of the night creating a catalog of information about the other races within the Rhoth Initiative, or RI. Each race was mostly humanoid but varied greatly in how they had evolved on their home planet. The Rhoth were the exception; their home planet had been destroyed. Lio had tried to learn more but the files had been restricted.
On the surface, most of the other races had definitive advantages or an obvious benefit for the RI. They had forces adept in all terrains; ground, aerial or aquatic. So why humans? Lio debated asking her question aloud but the communication node gave generic or restricted answers when it came to the Rhoth or humanity. Which, as a one-day recruit was kind of understandable. Lio’s eyelids began to sag.
“You still have one unread message, would you like to view it now?” The AI’s voice snapped Lio back to consciousness. She must have dozed off.
“Oh, uh yes please.” Lio blinked the sleep from her eyes, trying to focus on the words on the screen.
ID: LIO FRYE HM03-19-6671
SUBJECT: URGENT CONFIRMATION NEEDED
“Shit,” Lio should have read this message earlier rather than follow her own white rabbits through the database. She skimmed the message shaking off her fatigue. Lio had an orientation on the 8th, recruits would be given some brief assessments and have the ability to sign contracts. The orientation lasted four days and they would pick her up at her local terminal. She read the information in the last paragraph twice. Recruits who signed their contracts could immediately begin service or postpone their departure date for two weeks.
Lio felt her entire existence condensing and after this week her life would be altered forever. She wouldn’t come back for the two weeks. She would say goodbye to her mundane life now.
“To continue your recruitment process you need to attend the Recruitment Orientation on the 8th. Would you like to confirm your attendance?”
“Yes, I confirm it,” Lio answered with surety.
“Thank you for your confirmation please be advised that…”
A knock sounded as the door opened, “Lio? I heard a voi-” Maya stood in the doorway her face frozen, mouth open in shock.
Lio stopped hearing the machine when she saw Maya. Hurt began to register in her friend’s face.
“I was going to say something today,” Lio tried to explain. It was another thing she had kept to herself.
“So you got in?” Maya asked simply. Her expression shifted into a mask for whatever emotions roiled underneath.
“Yeah, but-” Lio began, almost a plea.
“Well,” Maya sighed, locking in her composure. “Congratulations, I know how much you wanted this.” Maya’s athletic form became rigid and her tone was clipped.
“It’s not official. I still have to go to orientation and there is the Proving. So…” Lio’s voice dropped, she should have told her last night.
“You’ll make it.” Maya’s confidence infused the words. Lio needed to believe that.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Thanks, Maya,” A warm feeling spread through her chest. Her friend had taken this a lot better than she had expected.
“Listen, it’s almost five. I have to open the gym. I should have some time around two, let’s talk then.” Maya’s face lit with a smirk.
Lio realized her mistake, “To spar-?”
“Yup,” Maya nodded with expectant glee. Oh, she was definitely still upset.
Lio gave a defeated nod and Maya shut the door behind her with a laugh. They had sparred last week; her forearm was peppered with a greenish bruise. She needed to rest so she could block, or better yet dodge. Outside the window, the brick buildings in the neighborhood were cast in amber light. There were still a couple of hours of darkness. She crawled into bed, exhausted but eager to begin the New Year.
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“You do realize you’re putting me in a bind?” Terry folded his arms, resting slightly on his paunched belly.
“That’s why I’m working tomorrow Terry.” He had guilted her into working a last-minute shift. A sort of penance for making other people cover her shifts this week. She hadn’t loved her time at Saver-mart but she did feel some responsibility to her coworkers.
“And I’m going to have to call Janet to redo the schedule.” Terry’s nasal voice whined. She already regretted tomorrow.
“Looks, like you know what you need to do.” Lio’s patience was slipping.
“You know this is all very unprofessional. I don’t think I can put you down as a rehire.” A smug look flashed across Terry’s face. He had used his last card to manipulate the situation, or as a weak retaliation.
“Honestly, Terry, do I look like I give a shit?” Lio pulled the last of her belonging from the break room locker and slammed it. She should have just left her crap in the locker and done this over the phone.
Terry’s face puckered and turned scarlet. He leaned in front of the entrance, his lip drawing up in disgust. “You know I won’t help you save face. You might be lying saying you got a new job out of state but we both know the truth.” Lio had always disliked Terry but this new facet of him was repulsive. She hefted the box in her arms, but Terry was blocking the exit.
“You sold yourself to the Rhoth. And I’ll make sure they’ll all know it.” Lio took one second to process what he said.
“Move.” She glared at him with icy wrath.
Terry held her stare and didn’t budge. Lio dragged her eyes from his face to look pointedly at the camera mounted in the left corner of the room. He followed her line of sight.
“I’m going to walk through this door, you’re going to move and it’s going to be the last time I have to look at your ugly face.” Terry had size in his favor, but she counted on him wanting to keep his job; where he could wield his small crumb of power over employees.
Finally, he turned his torso, resting his back against the nearest wall. Lio clutched her box and walked briskly towards the exit.
“Whore.” Lio felt his hot breath mingled with the jeer. He had leaned over to whisper the obscenity closely.
She fought her instinct to flinch or step out of his proximity. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Lio kept walking, her steps steady and unhurried. She knew he would read the insult. For someone who felt such inferiority, her slight would be more damning. Behind her, she heard him exhale gruffly. I wonder what color his face is now, Lio thought.
“That’s what you all are… Selling yourselves to your alien masters. Real humans don’t sell their freedom.” Terry’s voice grew incensed, spouting his humanist ideas.
Lio continued to the front of the store, pleased that she had kept her cool. Lio thought about the hypocrisy in Terry’s beliefs. The truth was: we all sell ourselves.
The Rhoth were just paying more than Saver-Mart.
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Lio pulled the leather fingerless gloves over her hands. Her shin guards were already strapped on and she held her mouth guard in her hand.
“You know this is not a normal way to have a conversation.” Lio looked over to Maya who was resting against one side of the cage. Maya flashed a smile that showed her lime green mouth guard.
“You’re not right in the head,” Lio said placing her own mouth guard firmly between her teeth.
“Yehsh-Ah-Nohh” Which was muscle-head-Maya for, yes I’m fully aware - but so what?
Lio rolled her eyes but raised her hands and lowered herself into a wide stance. She was at a complete disadvantage. Maya outclassed her in every way: weight, experience, reach. She had said as much once as a moody pre-teen. Mr. Silva had pulled Lio to the side of the ring, “Mija listen, everything you say- She already knows. But it makes your hits hurt worse. Because when you hit, you hit her pride.” That moment had changed their sparring forever. Lio no longer focused on winning the match, she focused on dodging, on blocking, on making her next hit. She rarely won, at a certain point, Maya would always put her in a hold out of frustration. But in those moments Lio could use Maya’s irritation, it gave her opportunities to squeeze in a few more hits.
Maya stood up from the cage drawing her fists in tight in front of her. She dropped her center of mass, knees bent and ready to spring.
“Lesh Du Diss,” Maya said over the mouthpiece.