Liars and Thieves

by Kaye Jeffreys -

Jaren reclined on his bed. Neenah batted at Jaren's toe with her paw then stretched herself out with a long yawn and let her head flop over the side of the bed. Jaren looked back at the forms on his note screen. There was so much to fill out before becoming a full citizen of Avenir.

Neenah jerked into a crouched position and stared toward Jaren's bedroom door. She bolted from the bed to hide under the desk.

Father was home.

Jaren concentrated back on his forms.

The door to their appartment opened. An unfamiliar growling sound entered with Father's heavy footsteps. "Jaren, we need to talk."

This could not be good.

#

Father set a cage on the carpet in the front room. A small dog chewed on the bars from the inside as it growled.

Jaren's stomach hollowed out. "What's the dog for?"

Father had that smirk on his face. "This is Boris the Cyber-Mutt. Isn't that a funny name?"

Jaren didn't feel the humor. "Why is he here?"

"He's programmed to hunt down pests, especially unwanted cats."

"Neenah is not a pest. She's Jereth's cat." A shiver ran through Jaren.

"Jereth stole money from me and you won't tell me where he's gone. I will not pay to feed the cat of a thief, first born or not. And I certainly won't support a worthless cat when my younger son betrays me to protect a thief. "Father bent over and put his hand on the latch of the cage.

Jaren made a bold face but could find nothing inside to back it up. "I told you, I don't know where he went."

"You are lying." Father opened the cage. Boris shot out like a missle toward Jaren's room. A blur of brown and white, barking wildly.

"Stop! I'll show you his note." Jaren tapped his note screen to bring up Jereth's letter.

Neenah howled and then shrieked.

Jaren shoved the note in front of Father's face. "He went to Zirconia, see? Call off your mutt."

Father pushed a button on the side of the cage.

The barking and screeching silenced.

Jaren bolted to his room.

Boris trotted past him with blood on his mouth and scratches on his face.

Little drops of blood stained the carpet by the desk. Jaren kneeled on the floor and reached under the desk for Neenah. A lump hardened in his stomach.

She hissed and scratched him. "I'm so sorry, Neenah." Jaren leaned back and pulled a blanket off his bed. He used it to shield himself against her claws as he fished her out. He gently wrapped the blanket around her as she fought against him. "Let me help you." He gathered her up and raced through the front room.

"This could have been avoided if you had told me the truth." Father stood with his arms crossed and victory in his eyes. "You know I hate liars and thieves."

Jaren stopped at the door. He turned. "You hate liars and thieves? Then you should hate yourself." He looked down at Neenah. Her struggling weakened. "I hate murderers."

Your Mother's People (FLASHBACK)

by Kaye Jeffreys -

With graduation from tertiary school in a week it was hard for Jereth to take this last Seacology field trip seriously. It was hard to take anything serious that wacky Professor Bonswarzick taught either in the classroom or here on the observation decks of Zirconia. Others hung on his every word. His eyewitness stories concerning angels had half the class mesmerized including Lessie who scanned the sea held back by glass as though an angel would appear any minute. Of course, Lessie also had an eyewitness account concerning an angel.

All Jereth ever saw was oppressive amounts of water that filtered and colored the sunlight, causing dull and splotchy patterns on everyone. Oh, and the occasional floaty thing that meandered in the sea without enthusiasm.

Jereth whispered in Lessie's ear, "Kind of romantic, huh?" At least he hoped she thought so. All he felt was boredom and was looking for a diversion.

Lessie leaned into Jereth's whisper, a smile pulled at her lips.

"Let's go find a quiet corner somewhere and you can tell me about your angel sighting again." He pulled her away from the center of the room and she came willingly, even as she kept searching the sea.

In the corner Jereth put his arms around her and pressed his cheek against hers. It was all right that she searched over his shoulder for angels. She snuggled more when she thought of them.

"So tell me again what that angel said to you," he whispered in her ear.

Lessie whispered back. "She told me go landside and help the less fortunate."

"She said all that?"

"Not in those words. Not in any words. It just felt like she said something like that. She thought it to me."

"Fascinating." He pulled her tighter.

"There she is." Lessie broke free and rushed back to the middle of the observation area amidst the other spectators who gasped and spoke in hushed tones to each other.

Jereth stood alone in the corner glaring at the thing that hung suspended in the water out beyond the glass. He missed Lessie's warmth already. Why did it show up now?

It looked like it smiled at him. Then he felt it enter inside his thoughts. Your mother's people.

Jereth could not breathe. A weight on his chest kept him from getting air. He had to get away from it. So he turned and left.

#

In the rest area, Jereth supported his weight with one hand on the sink and rubbed water on his face with the other. He could not shut out the alien voice in his head.

Your mother's people.

What about them? he thought back at it.

Release Lessie and go find them.

Why would I look for filthy grit breathers on a God-forsaken vol...?

God-forsaken?

Then Jereth understood. It was never his place to decide who or what God had forsaken. But he asked-thought again. Why should I look for them?

If you don't you will turn into your father.

Jereth covered his eyes and nose with one hand while he continued to support his weight with the other on the sink. His mouth turned dry as it silently formed the words, "I don't want to be weak."

If you find your mother's people, you will also find strength.

Jereth's resistance drained away with the cold water down the sink.

The feeling of the angel's presence backed away. The weight on Jereth's chest lifted. He took in a deep breath. And then another.

A custodian walked in, "There's a young lady out here worried about you."

Jereth stood up straight. "Yeah." He wiped his hands on his clothes and checked to see if all the pain of his life had leaked out down his front. It hadn't. At least the angel had left him a little dignity. "I'll take my girlfriend to a nice place to eat, then take her home."

"Good, treat your lady right."

Jereth managed a meager smile. "I will."

Meeting at Maddie's

by Kaye Jeffreys -

Gritty wind is hard to breathe, even through a face mask. And boots are heavy to walk in. In fact, you don't really walk in them. It is more of a trudge. And Jereth trudged down the street in Adagio. Once he arrived at the pub he pushed against the heavy door and went in.

"Shut the door," some lady called from behind the counter. That must be Maddie.

Jereth did as she said then moved the goggles from his eyes to his forehead and removed the mask from his nose and mouth.

A man at one of the tables stared at him. Jareth turned away and found his own table. The man was familiar but Jereth didn't take a second look.

The man got up, threw a coin onto the counter and left.

Jereth didn't sit for long. The door opened again and two people walked in. Lessie spotted him immediately, "Jereth!" she ran to him and gave him one of her famous bug hugs.

Her eyes were red and her face smudged, just like everyone he'd seen landside. "I can't believe you are here. I'm so glad to see you."

Jereth smiled. "It's good to see you." Then he turned to Carter and extended his hand, "And you too."

"Jereth." Carter shook his hand but kept a guarded expression.

Lessie put her hands on her hips. "You better have a good reason for abandoning the cat I gave you."

"Neenah? She likes my brother way better than me." Jereth pulled out a chair for Lessie.

Lessie sat. "Yeah, right. Jereth, you look great."

"I wish I could say the same about you." Jereth motioned for Carter to sit by Lessie.

"After a while you'll look like us. Are you ready to get grit in your eyes and nose?"

"I already have it in my teeth." He wasn't kidding.

Lessie laughed. "That will teach you to keep you mouth shut when you breathe."

Then it hit him. He remembered who the man was.

"What is it?" Lessie put her hand on Jereth's arm.

"Nothing." Jereth glanced at the table where Jax sat moments ago.

"Liar. You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Maybe I did. Some guy I know from Avenir was in here."

"So?"

"So, he's supposed to be dead."

Lessie shrugged. "Probably just someone down here who looks like him."

"Probably." Jereth grimaced. Too bad he wasn't smart enough to fake his own death. Then he wouldn't be looking over his shoulder for his father's thugs.

Aid Work?

by Kaye Jeffreys -

"Jereth, what are you doing here?" Kinsee stood at her door, motherly as always.

"You said to drop by whenever I'm nearby."

"I certainly did. Come in, come in." Kinsee stepped back.

Jereth walked in, set his pack on the couch, and surveyed her friendly entertaining room. Some of the best times he'd ever had were spent here with his school mate, Lessie, and her parents, Kinsee and Mitchel.

"You can stay in Lessie's room until she returns. Sit down." Kinsee sat down herself and motioned for Jereth to do the same. "What brings you under the sea?"

"Lessie finally got to me with all her talk about aid work landside. I want to join her team up there."

"Aid work? You, Jereth?"

"Yes, me. Don't act so surprised." He leaned back into the comfy sofa.

"You know that her fiancé is with her?"

"Carter? I introduced Lessie to Carter. He has nothing to worry about from me."

"It won't keep him from worrying." Kinsee shook her head then put her hand on her cheek. "Aid work? You, Jereth?"

"Aren't I allowed a social conscience?"

"You will hate it up there. It's nothing like the contained systems of Avenir and Zirconia."

"Are you trying to talk me out of helping the less fortunate? I'm serious about this, Kinsee. I've raised my own support." He patted his pack.

"I'm trying to help you understand the hazards of going landside for someone like you."

Jereth feigned mild offense. "Someone like me. You mean spoiled?"

"Vulnerable." There was nothing but concern in her voice. No judgement, no condemnation.

"The Landsiders aren't vulnerable?"

"They have built up some natural tolerances that you simply don't have."

"What about the children?" Kinsee had a soft spot. If he brought up children maybe that would make her believe him. "What tolerence do their little ones have?"

"But you doing aid work?"

"Stop saying that. You are starting to hurt my feelings. Yes, Kinsee, I want to do aid work."

He hated lying to her as much as he did his brother. But he hoped it would get him a to a place where he would never have to lie again.

Just Remember (FLASHBACK)

by Kaye Jeffreys -

Jereth crept around the corner, resting his little hand on the wall. Mommy sat on her bed in the dark with her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook. Jereth had never seen her cry before. She often stared off into space. But the child had never seen silent sobs make her whole body shudder.

He could take it no longer. "Mommy, don't cry."

She turned. "Jereth, what are you doing here?"

"Sergie brought me home early." He looked to the floor, ashamed.

"Come here." She reached with both arms. Jereth ran to her. She lifted him up and set him on her lap. Mommy always smelled sweet like the desserts Sergie made.

"Why are you crying?"

She smiled at him. A tear pressed from her eye and she wiped it away. "Sometimes I get sad."

"Why, Mommy?" He brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes, like she did to him when he cried.

After looking at him with eyes that said, 'I love you so much,' she said with her mouth, "Jereth, I will tell you if you promise never to tell your father. He would be angry if he knew I told you."

Fear pulled on Jereth's stomach. He knew his father's anger and whispered, "I won't tell."

Now Mommy stroked his hair. "I miss my home."

"We are home."

"This is my home now, here with you. I lived somewhere else before."

"Where?" Jereth snuggled into her shoulder.

"I'm from the High Country of Eclectia."

He twisted a bead on her long necklace between his finger and thumb. "What is Ecle...tia?"

"You will learn about it in school. But if something happens to me, I want you to know about our family in the High Country."

"What is going to happen to you?" Jereth sat up. Fear tugged again.

"Nothing," Mommy's smile soothed him. "I just want you to know about our family so that if you ever want to leave this place, you can go find them."

"They are my family too?"

"Of course they are."

"How will I find them?" Jereth yawned, rested against her shoulder and twirled the bead some more.

Mommy rubbed his back. "Look for them among the Miners of the Five Rims. Can you say that? Miners of the Five Rims?"

Jereth shook his head and pressed his face into her blouse, ready for his nap.

Mommy whispered in his ear, "Then, just remember."

Until Again

by Kaye Jeffreys -

"Jereth, wait!"

Only one voice on Avenir had the power to slow Jereth down…and that was it. Jereth stopped pushing through the crowd in the narrow corridor and turned. A man in a flight suit cussed him. Jareth lifted his chin and stared him down. The crew member looked away and scooted around. Social status had its perks.

Jaren caught up with him. "Are you leaving without telling me?"

"If I told you, then I'd have to explain." Jereth looked up at the silvery lighting system rather than at Jaren. Regret hollowed his stomach.

"I know why. It's him. You had another fight."

"You heard us?"

"Not just me."

"So much for maintaining appearances." Jereth adjusted his pack's strap on his shoulder. "How did you know I was leaving?"

"I found the note that you scheduled for tomorrow. The 'take care of Neenah' note. Where are you going that you can't take your cat?"

Jereth deflected him. "Will you take care of her?"

"I will spoil her. Where are you going?" Jaren wasn't thrown off.

"Zirconia. I explained in the note." Jereth lied but gave Jaren the best believe-me look he could summon. After all, he was going there first.

"I come of age soon. You couldn't wait?"

"He would have expected it and stopped me. I can't risk that. These walls are closing in on me." Jereth scanned the bobbing heads of people rushing to and fro. A woman glared at him as she pressed by. This time Jereth smiled. They were in the way and he didn't care. He was over this place.

"Don't forget me." Jaren's words brought Jereth out of his small enjoyment.

"I could never forget you, brother."

"Half brother." Jaren hung his head.

Jereth rested his hand on Jaran's shoulder. "You are the only brother I have."

Jaren wouldn't look up.

This was what Jereth was trying to avoid. An emotional separation. Neither of them were good at it. He fought off a tear that pricked his right eye.

"Look at me." Jereth released Jaren's shoulder, brought his forearm in front of his chest, parallel to the floor, and fisted his hand.

Jaren reluctantly brought his arm up so that his fist touched Jereth's elbow and Jereth's fist touched Jaren's elbow, making the sign for the Farewell Promise.

They said in unison, "Until again."