5 months before the Versus 2350
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Calista heard her sleep capsule whir as it opened.
The Artificial Intelligence for Domestic Assistance started its morning narration. “Good morning, Miss Calista Medley. It is now 10:00 in the morning of August 16th, 2349 in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.”
The 17-year-old girl groaned, rising with a black bird’s nest on her head. The AIDA immediately fixed her hair for her, leaving it in a perfect, shiny waterfall. “Morning,” she yawned, a bit disoriented from the weird nightmare. Since when did she have nightmares like that? “Any messages?”
“You have a pending message from… The SociaLights… which arrived at 10:00 PM on August 15th, 2349.”
A screen projected in front of her, showing all three of her childhood friends; Danica, Rebecca, and Elizabeth. Three girls that drained the life out of her every waking moment.
“Hi, Cali,” Danica said sweetly. “We’re thinking of doing a special anti-Versus broadcast soon. Let us know what we can say. You should have a lot, since you got rejected by them so many times.”
“Also, you should tell our viewers how you’ve changed since you decided to stop applying,” said Rebecca. “Tell them how you realized it was a killer game and that it wasn’t worth it. There’s a lot of people still deciding if they’re for the Versus or not.”
“It’s good timing, too. That fighting school’s almost done with apps. Liza’s gonna see if she can get her little sister to talk about it. She got rejected last year for the Junior Versus, like you.”
“Yeah, um… you could maybe give her some advice, Cali,” said Elizabeth, twirling her ginger red hair around her finger.
“Advice about moving on from that game,” Rebecca added, flipping her blond hair back.
“Yeah… that’s what I meant.” Elizabeth forced a smile.
“We’ll see you tomorrow!” All three of them flashed their signature hand signs— a heart, a peace sign, and wings— and saluted. “SociaLights out!” The screen closed.
Calista couldn’t help the uncomfortable guilt in her stomach. Love, Peace, Freedom… and her sign was Loyalty, a fist on her chest. With the thoughts she had about the Versus, she felt incredibly… well, disloyal.
Unbeknownst to them and her family, she’d been following the Versus. She’d told everyone that she quit, that she wanted nothing to do with that competition, that she’d given up on training and studying martial arts. For almost her whole life, she’d dreamed of earning a spot in the United States’ fighting school, Fistborn Academy. There was a fighting school in each of the participating countries of Earth, but Fistborn was one of the absolute best on the entire planet.
Twice, at 12 and 14, she’d applied for the school’s Junior Versus program; a smaller version of the competition that featured younger fighters all over Earth. Both times, she was rejected, despite training so hard for a spot. Now, she was within the age range to apply for the real competition and compete in the Games, or at least have a place in the academy. But after giving up all those years ago, she doubted she even had a slight chance of getting in.
She suffered in silence every day, withstanding the daily broadcasts she did with her friends, set on the path to become a Socializer— influential people on Earth that showcased various talents and interacted face-to-face rather than behind a holo-screen, which was the usual norm for human society. The SociaLights was a growing channel, with over 10,000 Earthians following them, but that was nothing compared to bigger Socializers that actually made thriving careers.
Her mother was part of that rarity. She started as a humble, shy Socializer at the age of 13, then grew her following enough to go to the Washington Socializer School and win various pageants. She won the Miss Milky Way pageant twice, representing Earth, charming the crowd with her beauty, grace, and kindness. The SociaLights weren’t like that. They didn’t have that kind of talent and personality. Calista sure didn’t inherit that.
But what else would she do? This was her only hope of becoming someone on Earth, a planet so stereotypically mediocre compared to powerful planets like Hajja, Dnili, or even Mercury. All she was moderately good at was fighting and looking pretty. Two worlds that differed so much.
She went to her closet and stepped inside. Her pajamas were switched out with a pink crop top and white capris she’d designed, and her face was coated with a thick, but subtle layer of makeup. She sighed with dread, heading out to the Thinning Spa to meet her friends. They usually planned their broadcasts there.
Checking herself in the mirror screen, her perfectly painted lips twisted at the slight bulge that was accumulating around her waist. Her friends had repeatedly pointed it out to her. They were right; it was an eyesore. The Thinning Spa would rid her of that insecurity, though.
Her parents were just leaving for work, talking in the dining room. Her mother, Jennifer, turned, her matching black hair swaying. It was cut to her shoulders, fixed in perfect curls. “Where are you headed, babycodes?” she asked.
“Um… to the spa.”
“Again?” Her father, Henry, stepped forward, sipping his coffee.
“Yeah, uh… the girls and I are gonna talk about our next broadcast.”
“You can’t do that anywhere else?” Jennifer inquired.
“Let me guess, you have a bulge.” 9-year old Carter entered, heading to the HARP room to watch his favorite show.
“Shut up, bugcode,” Calista retorted, instantly irritated by her little brother’s sarcasm. He could never go a day without making fun of her. This kid could read her like binary code and he knew it. Hence the constant air of cockiness he had around him.
“What? It’s true,” he told her. “You go to the spa because you’re a tiny bit fatter, even though you look the same. Get over it.”
“That’s not true. We just like hanging out there, that’s all.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Just butt out. Shouldn’t you be sleeping or something?”
Carter shrugged, lazily yawning. “I wanted to watch something. AIDA, put on Race to the Moon.” The HARP played the children’s show for him.
“Carter, don’t you have coursework to do?” Henry said sternly.
“I’ll do it, Dad,” he said irritably.
“The girls haven’t been hassling you over your waist, right, honey?” Jennifer frowned in concern at her daughter.
“No… no. They haven’t.” Calista’s green eyes averted her mother’s brown ones. She could never lie properly.
“Calista, going to that spa all the time isn’t healthy,” her father told her.
“Don’t you guys have to go to work?” Flustered, Calista headed to the entrance teleporter, stepping in the circle.
“We’re just worried, Cali. You’re always so insecure about-”
“I’m gonna be late. I’ll see you guys later.” Before they could say anything else, she teleported herself into the family’s Air-Car. “Take me to Thinning Spa 84, #432 West, Entertainment District, please.”
The car zoomed off at her command, joining the many other vehicles smoothly flying through the streets. It drove towards the Portals to take her to the required district. The residential neighborhood transformed into glowing billboards and blinking signs once she crossed the threshold. She would reach her destination in only a few minutes.
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She never had a break. It was either spend time with the girls, or hear the speeches from her family. If only she could have a moment to clear her head…
In the meanwhile, she tuned into the many announcements echoing through the air, the Air-Car capturing the sounds and replaying them so she could hear them clearly.
“… playing at the HARP Experience August 29th…”
“… this Friday at 6:00 PM…”
“… Lisa White has now been officially hired as the new Dean of Fistborn Academy’s Versus School, giving our planet a lot of hope for…”
“… it’s that time of year, citizens! Fistborn Academy’s applications will be closing at the end of this month! The new freshman class will start at Fistborn the Tuesday after Labor Day…”
“Air-Car, stop replaying,” Calista sighed. The sound stopped at her command.
She could never, ever catch a break. That competition would hover over her head, torturing her with the bitter decision she made almost three years ago:
She gave up.
===
Catalina closed her Augmented Design course for the day. As much as she loved fashioning buildings, rooms, and ImaginationStation maps for kids, she still needed a break every now and then. The human mind needed time to relax.
Her parents were at work and Carter was sleeping— as always. That boy was the definition of lazy. Like many other humans were in this day and age. Calista was out with her masky friends, probably at the Thinning Spa. She could never be too thin. If her waist was ever so slightly thicker, she had to get treated. No exceptions. She was lucky Danica shared her membership with her and the other SociaLights; their parents could never afford so many treatments.
What had those girls done to her sister? Catalina could just barely recall a time when Calista was so determined and passionate, training every day in all sorts of fighting disciplines. She would go on and on about entering the USA’s fighting school, the top school on Earth.
Ever since she was rejected by the Junior program for the second time, she’d devoted her life to the SociaLights channel. She didn’t even choose to complete her secondary education level. She stopped at Year 8 and went to waste her time on those fake, annoying girls.
“Calista Medley has arrived,” AIDA announced.
Catalina left her room and took the teleporter to the first floor of the house. At the front entrance, Calista looked absolutely exhausted. She was as thin as ever, her makeup and hair perfectly done, her fingernails painted. To everyone else, she was a pretty and put-together Socializer.
But as soon as she teleported into the house, the mask came off. Calista looked so mentally drained that her makeup seemed to slip off her face. She went to the Holo-Augmented Reality Projector room and crashed onto the sofa, activating the computer. A Phoenix game instantly showed, the holographic projection playing out around Calista.
“AIDA, play the latest episode of Astrana,” Calista said. A few moments passed, but the AIDA didn’t obey. “AIDA?”
“I apologize. Playing Astrana, season 8, episode 34.” The Phoenix game vanished, morphing into a medieval fantasy world. Calista shook her head at the defective AI, muttering under her breath.
Catalina entered the HARP bubble. She leaned back, startled, as the Prince Rainer character swiped his sword. She then went through the hologram, plopping next to her sister. “Hey…”
“Hey,” Calista sighed.
“I see you Thinned.”
“Yeah, it was overdue. I haven’t done it in a while. Can’t let myself go.”
“You looked fine.”
“I don’t like fine.”
Catalina sighed. She knew this conversation would be futile, but she started it anyway. “You know… they’re offering free self-defense courses through-”
“Nice try.”
“Calista-”
“I told you; I’m not doing it again. Stop. Applications close in a week, anyways. That’s all I heard on the way to the spa.” She rubbed her forehead. “Nothing but news about how Lisa White’s Dean of the Fighting School now. Like that’s gonna change anything. Sure, she’s great, but I don’t think we’ll have a human winner just through her.”
“We had one last time.”
“Who, Harrison Smith? He didn’t place. And people say he cheated, so… doesn’t count.” She shook her head. “Why are we even talking about this? I’m not going back to that.”
“But look at you, Cali, you’re miserable.” Catalina scooted closer. “You’re drained by those girls. They’re so fake and-”
“Masky?” Calista rolled her eyes. “You say that. All. The time. Uber-annoying.”
“Well, it’s true. I know you don’t like them. No one likes them.” Catalina scooted closer, leaning her head on her sister’s shoulder. “You used to admire Lisa White so much. You wanted to be just like her. She was all you talked about.”
“I was a kid. People change.”
“I just wish you gave it another chance. You gave up so easily.”
“I just saw that the fighting thing wasn’t for me. I figured I’d give up before I hurt myself more.” She huffed. “HARP, restart the episode. I got interrupted.”
“Cali, I was just trying to-”
“I know. But it’s not gonna do anything, so just go, okay?”
Catalina gazed at her sister and sighed, standing and leaving the HARP bubble. A few moments later, she heard Calista squealing, probably fangirling over the handsome Prince Rainer. She scoffed. Those actors weren’t even real people. Obviously, they would be perfect.
She missed old Calista. She missed the sister that played in the ImaginationStation every day, conjuring up scenarios of her winning the Versus Games. She missed the sister that was so confident, never minding so much about the way she looked or dressed. She missed when she wasn’t so insecure about herself.
The path she was going down was a dead end. That little SociaLights channel would never grow to be as huge as most celebrities’ channels on Earth. Not with the horribly unlikable personality those girls had. Catalina liked Elizabeth the most; she was sweet. But Danica and Rebecca were just ridiculous wannabes that constantly put ideas into Calista’s head— to them, she wasn’t ‘pretty’ enough, or ‘thin’ enough.
Why did Calista value their opinions, anyway? She didn’t even really like them.
It was hopeless. It seemed that her ‘last resort’ would have to be put to use after all.
===
Lisa White blew her blond bangs out of her face, scrolling through the many applicants vying for a spot in the Versus school. Many looked promising; others, not so much. A very small percentage of humans would make the cut.
Being Dean would only get her so far. With President Chrisman being as authoritative as she was, it was unlikely that she’d follow her advice. She already disliked her solely because of her species.
Lisa knew what she was doing was wrong, but if she could find a way… maybe. It wasn’t right, having Earth represented by so many non-Earthians that believed themselves superior. What right did they have? Earth needed its own children to become its pride and joy. There were plenty of capable humans that didn’t fit the stereotype they were forced into.
It wouldn’t be cheating, technically. Ruhirian visions always came true one way or another. She was just looking ahead. If the Ruhirian saw something, then that ‘something’ would be completed regardless if Lisa knew about it.
She restlessly scanned the diner, double-checking her Mask one more time to ensure her identity was completely concealed from the other patrons. After all, she was quite the famous face. Her amber eyes finally locked on an approaching woman, her face shaded under a black cloak.
Her palms instantly began sweating. To the outside world, the Dark Horse had nerves of steel. That was the second choice for her call sign; Lisa ‘Steel Nerves’ White. But the truth was that most of the time, she was a wreck.
She’d never met a Ruhirian in her life. It was rare to find one on Earth; they were quite the minority. Their planet was very far. A people of ocean-blue skin with glassy black marbles for eyes and a concealed third eye in their forehead; their vision eye. The eye that would let them look forward in time, that would only open when they received a vision. The mere thought made Lisa shudder inwardly.
The woman sat across her, her face still concealed. Lisa could only see her blue chin. She checked her Mask one more time before speaking. “It’s nice to see you again,” she said.
“Likewise,” the woman replied. “I just finished the interview.”
“Good. Was it promising?”
“I’d say so.” The woman ordered a drink on the diner’s AIDA, which was instantly generated in front of her. She sipped briefly, then continued. “I’m not completely sure whether she will make much of an… impact on the company, but it does seem she will go far. She has a lot of potential.”
“Who is she?”
“She’s an Earthian. A young one, just beginning her womanhood.” The woman sipped again. “Very pretty, very determined. She’s a bit vain, however. Very concerned about her appearance.” She laughed lightly. “Ironic, considering the line of work she’ll be in. But she is willing to face discomfort and all sorts of obstacles. She must be, if she’s as promising as she seems. I feel that she will benefit our company. I’m not sure if she would be the one to acquire that alliance for us, but either way, look out for her and let me know what you think.”
“Do you have a name?” Lisa asked quietly. “Appearance?”
“It’s as if she’s been training to be the next Miss Milky Way. I’m afraid her name is unknown. It was a very short… sort of muddled conversation. Her signal wasn’t great.”
“I see.” Lisa kneaded her hands together, itching to finish their little meeting. “When can I expect her?”
“In about three weeks.”
Lisa nearly stood. “What? But… the hiring period’s over by then. It’s ending in one week, so… this is for… next period, right?”
“No, it’s this coming month.” The woman sipped again, casually.
“But… we won’t have the room in our company.”
“You will somehow. I’ll let you know if I find any solutions.” The Ruhirian woman stood. “Now… I have another appointment. It was nice talking to you. Let me know when you have a chance to contact the girl. I’ll send you her profile.”
Lisa stayed in her seat, dumbstruck. This ‘mystery student’ couldn’t possibly enter Fistborn in three weeks. By then, their freshman class would already be chosen and no one else would be accepted into the program.
And this girl honestly didn’t sound like a fighter. An appearance of a beauty queen? The next Miss Milky Way?
Her Pet beeped with a message. She discreetly opened it, the screen shaded so only she could make out the image. It was quite blurry, being a projection of the woman’s vision, but she could make out the girl’s face. A pretty one; bright green eyes and long black hair. She wore Fistborn’s combat suit and stood in the middle of a battle map. She had her leg up in a graceful kick, but it almost looked like she was pirouetting rather than kicking.
Lisa stared at the image, boring the girl’s likeness in her head before the picture deleted itself.
Well, at least she knew there would be a human improving her species’ reputation. She just had to hope that the Ruhirian’s vision was as positive as it looked.