Planet: Eteran

First Insurgency War

AVA

Eastpoint changed with the news Mrs. Falae delivered. Subtle, but no less noticeable. Before, people shouted across the street to catch up or chat. In light of the thinning bubble, most kept to themselves or close friends for safety of the unknown. Soldiers and Elites patrolled the once bustling streets, datapads and weapons close at hand while they examined the architecture of their little town.

The first alarm test changed her darkness into a nightmare. Sirens grated on her ear and tears welled through her throat from the awful, screaming sound. In the morning, the last thing she wanted was to be alone.

Her fist knocked off James' wall in her flail to escape, and he rushed into her room after a minute of wailing. He hugged her while the test ran its course.

"I'm here." He gripped onto her. "Nothing is happening."

I know, but... I can't get the sound out of my head.

Today was the winter dance. Today she made sure to wipe all the stress from her mind. Nothing ruined her fun. Evening hit, and she grabbed her coat to head over to where the dance took place and met with Rayan. Elites stood close as silent guardians, but otherwise never disrupted the fun. Her fear from the morning died with the cheers and laughter of her classmates taking joy in their winter break after grueling school tests.

James sat underneath the decorated branches with his datacam in hand. Dark shadows rested underneath his eyes as he grimaced and held his stomach while classmates skated past him, but she found herself unable to follow the steps of the bubble.

Ava flinched when the megaphone in Katie's hands splurted out white noise. "We're going to shift moods for the next couple songs!" she said. "Please enjoy the fun. Hot chocolate is all ready in the old shed!"

Yiv scoffed from beside her and placed on her clamp skates to trace circles around the ice rink. Ava turned to Rayan, who nodded at something Jon said. Her hand found his arm. "Give me a moment, Ray, and then we can dance."

Ava approached her brother, who lifted his datacam to take a picture. Ava leaned closer to him. "Enjoying yourself?"

"I'm much more suited to being a wallflower compared to you silly dancing people." He tilted around her to take a picture of the skating couples, and Ava frowned when his gaze drifted on Rayan, who cheered with Jon when Yiv zoomed by in rebellion of the slow music.

Ava sat next to him, but frowned at the heatwaves radiating off his shoulders and slicked clamminess on his brow. "Can I ask you something, James?"

"Huh?"

A part of her longed to confront him for his shut out behaviour, but the heaviness forced something past her lips instead. "Do you remember when I said I wanted to be an explorer? That I wanted to document all the places and sights that I see?"

"Yeah, and Meryn was on board with it." James shuffled in place and rested his hand against his stomach with a tight huff. "You better be careful — he's going to start calling you Captain Ranier any day now and never stop." He switched his datacam to a skating couple.

"I... was wondering what you planned to do."

His smile fell, and Ava frowned at his ashen pallor. "What do you mean?"

"If..." Ava stopped herself. "If you're not planning on going to the Pero Flight Academy... it'd be nice if you joined me. If I start this group, would you come?" Her hands wound around his forearm.

I need to stop the door from closing.

James lowered his datacam into his lap. "Ava..."

"If you don't want to, I understand," Ava said. "I just... I just thought I'd ask. I've been thinking about a lot of things recently and..."

"How awkward would it be to call you Captain Ranier?"

"You and Meryn could be Vice-Captain's," she explained and tapped him on his boiling brow. "You could be my pilot."

"That's way too confusing," he complained. "Captain Ranier and Vice-Captain Ranier? Terrific and unstoppable Ranier twins? Meryn and Rayan's heads would explode on the first job." He folded his arms with a scoff. Ava longed to hear laughter, but her heart twisted on herself when James shook his head with a softer smile. "It's your dream. It's not mine." He raised his hand to her. "If you need me, I'll be with you every step of the way... but I just don't think I have it in me to be a space explorer." He captured a snapped moment when a couple spun.

"Ava!" Rayan called. "You want to dance?"

"Besides," James whispered and crawled away from her. "You've already got people, so smile."

"But that's my line," she mumbled as he shambled to the hot chocolate shed. Smile. Smile. Rayan's footsteps came closer, and she turned around and forced it on her face. "I'm ready. Let's go do what we're supposed to be doing."

Music thrummed as she slid onto the ice with Rayan. For a single moment, she found herself alone with the supposed troublemaker. Her heart skipped a couple beats when he smiled at her. "You know, we don't have a lot of ice rinks in Odaport."

Ava followed his glided steps. "Where'd you learn to skate, then?"

"Rollerskating, it was popular for a while," he explained. "It's a little different, but the same concept. It took a while to get used to though. I've been practicing for this dance — but after seeing Jon fall on his ass, I don't know what I was worried about." He giggled, and the sound lifted her heavy heart back where it belonged, in the warmth of a bubble.

Practice makes perfect. Dad echoed the sentiment. One spin into a balanced cross, her legs wobbled with her head. Her foot slipped past Rayan's, and time slowed as his golden-brown eyes widened in realization. Never missing a beat to the music and before she joined the falling parade, he leaned forward and tugged her back onto her feet, forcing them to skid to a stop with his arms wrapped around her.

"Whoops," Ava said while Rayan grinned at her.

Jon whistled past them. "Nice save!"

Ava rubbed the back of her neck as Rayan let go of her. "I was wondering if you... wanted to go out for dinner with me," she mused.

Smile. Rejection haunted her mind. Imperfection.

He clasped his hands together. "Sure... I'm assuming you mean we go to the restaurant in Eastpoint? I can do that."

Her heart pounded while Katie waved her over. "Thanks for catching me," Ava said. "Light-speed reaction time."

Yvonne and Jon raced circles in the slow music, while others kept closer together.

Ava bowed off the rink and took off her clamp skates and took Rayan's hand once she finished to lift herself out of the snow, then tugged him into a warm embrace. "I needed this," she whispered, then let him go to turn to where she last spotted James among the bushes and trees to capture his perfect shot.

Ava tipped her head at the position of his legs, as if he lay down on the frosted ground behind the tree. Drawn to the strange sight, she hurried over while the music picked back up into a steady tempo against her bones. "James," she called.

No response.

Not even a twitch of acknowledgement.

Around the bend of the tree, she froze at the sight of her brother on his side, breathing heavily into his own forearms while his datacam rested screen up in the snow.

"James." Ava leaped for his side to put her hands on him. He winced and glanced at her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

He rolled over onto his stomach and sat up as Rayan rushed forward at her gasp. "Sorry... just didn't get enough sleep last night," he mumbled as he stood on shaky knees, resting his hand against the tree for support. He scowled at the bark, and Ava dove forward when he made to pick up his datacam, but his knees hit the snow instead. "I'm fine, just... tired."

"What's going on?" Rayan asked as James packed up the datacam through half-lidded eyes.

"Great..." James whispered, and then nudged her away with a wipe to his brow. "I'm fine, but I think I'm going to go back home."

"Ray, can you go get a blanket from the first aid station?" Ava asked as she grabbed her brother. "James, don't go anywhere."

"I just need to lie down in soft bedding... and the snow was looking pretty soft," he grumbled as Rayan rushed away. "I don't need you mothering me, Ava. I'm fine."

"The more you say I'm fine the less inclined I am to take your word for it."

Do you have to be so damn stubborn?

Rayan returned with a blanket, and gave it to her to wrap around James' shoulder, who stared into the darkness. Her hand rested against his back, and she said, "I have to take him back home."

"You're being a worrywart," he complained as she wrapped an arm around him and swung his arm over her shoulders. "I can walk myself back. I have two working legs."

"I don't think you'll even make it to our house," Ava accused.

"Here we go." James huffed out a misty plume through his nose.

"Here." Rayan came closer to join her on James' other side.

James grunted something under his breath, but they moved out of the party area. Away from the crowds. Away from the happiness and fun. Music became a distant memory.

"One thing I hate," Rayan commented as they walked arm and arm with James, who no longer spoke with his head near lolling against his chest. "Is the snow. If it gets stuck in my boot I'm going to kick something."

James breathed. "I think you need better boots if you're having issues."

"You think so?" Rayan leaned closer to him. "These were my best pair."

Ava tightened her grip on them both. "Are you going to go back to the dance, Ray?"

"Hm... no, the cold saps the energy right out of me," Rayan said and adjusted for James' slacking weight. "I'll just see you two home and then head home myself."

"I'm sorry."

He gave her a bewildered expression. "Why?"

I... I don't know. Ava let go of them when they reached their front porch, and James hadn't made a sound. "Thanks for walking us back, Ray."

"It's no problem." He smiled, which made her and everyone around him echo it. He gave her a mock Sanctum salute before heading back down the path they took.

Lights off in the house, she suspected their parents to be asleep. Kicking off her boots, she shooed James upstairs. "I'll make you something to warm you up," she said. "Go lie down."

"You sound like Mom." James scoffed and crawled to the second landing.

Ava ignored him to head into the kitchen. A light breeze crawled up her spine. Mom must've left the window—

Cigar smoke rode the wind.

Dad sat against the windowsill with his cigar crushed between his teeth. Tendrils slinked through the frosty air. "I wasn't expecting you two home so early."

"Oh... I don't think James was feeling well."

Dad considered her, then nodded. "Go on upstairs." He heaved to his feet with a huff and a hand against his back. "I'll take care of it."

"Okay." Ava sidled out of the kitchen then ascended the stairs to James' room. Cold blasted into her face which hummed off his bed's controlled temperature unit. Ava adjusted them for a lukewarm temperature. "James, don't freeze yourself out, will you?"

She stopped at his heavy breathing, where he sprawled over his covers instead of under them. Ava poked him in the back, and got no response to her prod.

He fell asleep in the time it took her to talk to Dad and check on him, while discomfort rolled across his clammy brow.

... I don't think that's solely exhaustion, James.