Space Cadets

Eliza didn’t mind the garden stroll as much as she normally would have, feeling her cheeks grow a little pink as she thought about the night before. She was still fairly certain that Colin had just been trying to make her feel better, but that in itself was enough to throw off her snarky exterior facade. At least he cared enough to cheer her up so she’d been able to survive the evening without gauging her own eye out with a dinner fork. But despite the beautiful morning and the spectacular blooms in the gardens, she was anxious for the walk to be over. Something was clearly wrong even if Colin was carefully keeping a blank look on his face. She knew something was off. She would ponder later on why she was now so able to decipher Colin’s moods, and why exactly it mattered so much.

She was so lost in her own jumbled thoughts that she didn’t notice everyone had stopped to admire some genetically altered tulips, and she bumped right into Bianca and almost knocked them both into a fountain. Bianca shot her a bewildered look and then laughed.

“Still with us, space cadet?” she asked.

“Sorry,” Eliza mumbled. She was surprised when Bianca linked arms with her as the party resumed their stroll.

“I noticed you disappeared from the ball for a while last night,” Bianca remarked. Eliza grimaced.

“Did Mom and Dad notice?”

“No. They were being chatted up by important people all evening. So, where did you slip off to?”

“I just needed some air. You know I hate big parties.”

“And your guard… he was with you?”

Eliza felt heat crawl up her neck. “He wasn’t with me. He had to follow me. He’s my guard. I got a little dizzy so I went outside for a while. That’s it.”

“He’s quite cute, don’t you think?”

“What? Who?”

“Your guard,” Bianca replied, smirking.

“Colin? Cute? I hadn’t noticed. Um. Oh look, roses.” Eliza slipped free from Bianca and scurried after her parents, pretending to be absolutely fascinated by the rainbow maze of rose bushes. It was actually quite a sight to behold but mostly she was just avoiding making eye contact with her sister.

“You simply must try the maze at some point,” Queen Korrine remarked. “It took three months to put together.”

Finally the garden walk was over and Eliza resisted the urge to simply drag Colin off to privacy to demand what was going on. She walked calmly until she skirted a corner and found a shady alcove before tugging him into the shadows.

“Colin, what’s wrong?”

“Maybe we should discuss it later, I don’t want to upset you-“

“Colin.” Eliza gave him a stern look. “Something is upsetting you. Is it…” she trailed off and her expression turned concerned. “Is it something back home?”

“It’s Dad. He… he’s gone. They told me he had a heart attack yesterday and he didn’t make it.”

Eliza’s eyes flew wide and she felt her heart sink. “Colin, I’m so sorry,” she said gently. Then she frowned slightly.

“What are you doing still following me around? Shouldn’t you be getting ready to go home, to see your-“

“They won’t let me,” he said. He cleared his throat. “I already used what time I was allowed off.”

“So they’re just not letting you go to your own father’s funeral?” Eliza asked, disgust flaring in her chest. How could they ask Colin to stay here following around some nobody like her when his own family needed him? She set her irritation aside as she watched Colin attempt to keep his emotions in check.

“Come on,” she said. She grabbed his hand and began towing him to her room.

“What are you doing?”

Eliza shooed him into the room despite his protest. She wasn’t entirely sure what to say, so she hugged him. He seemed startled but hugged her back after a moment.

“We’re going to stay in my room today, and you’re not going to focus on non-existent assassins,” she said.

“That’s not exactly appropriate-“

“What’s “appropriate” can eat me,” Eliza said. She nudged him till he sat on the bed. “Do you want to talk about him? Do you want to be alone? I know I can’t wander around by myself but I can lock myself in the bathroom if you want. I don’t mind.”

“You can stay,” he said quietly. His head dropped into his hands and Eliza sat down beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“He seemed like he was doing better,” Colin said, voice cracking slightly. Eliza felt the prickle of tears.

“He was really sweet,” she sniffed. Colin was quiet for a while but she could feel him shaking. Anger and guilt mixed in with her sadness but she didn’t leave Colin’s side. After about an hour he wiped at his eyes.

“I should-“ he started.

“Stay right where you are,” Eliza said firmly. “You don’t need to act like Mr. Hero right now. You need to just rest and worry about yourself for a minute. I told you, no one is trying to kill me.” She fussed at him until he reluctantly laid down. Then she ordered up a lunch and set the sandwich on the nightstand.

“For when you’re ready to eat something,” she explained. “Because you will have to, you know.” She sat beside him again while he laid there looking puffy eyed and miserable. Feeling at a loss for what to do but wanting to be helpful, she hesitantly reached out and brushed his hair out of his face. His eyes were closed but cracked open slightly to look at her. She flushed and started to yank her hand away.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “You just look so sad… do you want me to go stay in the bathroom now?”

He managed the faintest of smiles. “No.”

“Okay.”

“My dad liked you, you know.”

“That’s because he didn’t know me.”

“You were a good nurse.”

Eliza smiled slightly. “Then that means you’re going to listen to me, right? You’re going to stay there and rest and eat your sandwich. I’m not above chaining you to the bed.”

As the day stretched on Colin told her some stories about his dad, until the smile faded from his face again and he gave a shuddering sigh. “I was supposed to be helping them,” he said.

“You do. Colin, everything you do is for your family.”

“But now my dad is gone and my mom will have to work even more, and Becca can’t afford her tuition even though she worked so hard. And George is just a little kid but he’ll probably have to start working soon, too. I feel like I let them all down.” He sat up with a jerk, seeming angry. Eliza reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Hey, don’t say things like that,” she scolded gently. “ You were in the shower at the time but your dad told me about all your dangerous jobs and your impressive record at the academy. Your dad was really proud of you. They’re all proud of you. You didn’t let anyone down.”

“I can’t even call them,” he muttered. General Hannon said it wasn’t on the approved call list.”

He finally slumped back against her pillows looking defeated and Eliza stayed where she was until he had drifted into sleep. She carefully adjusted the pillows so he was laying more comfortably, then she tugged the blanket up over him. She stood there a moment just looking at him. He looked sad even in his sleep. Her jangled emotions couldn’t take it anymore. She used her comm-screen to look up Colin’s family, then sent a quick message telling them they could contact Colin on her own number in the morning. She left the screen on the nightstand and grabbed her bag, slipping quietly from the room so he wouldn’t wake up. Then she set off to find the guards’ offices.

Eliza had become a raging little volcano by the time she made it to the office of one General Hannon. She marched past the guards’ quarters with a determined stride and she noticed Jocelyn and Bianca’s guards sitting on their bunks as she went by. They glanced up from a card game they’d been playing and exchanged a curious look. Eliza rapped on the General’s door.

“Who is it?” The voice inside sounded mildly annoyed.

“Eliza Rothchild,” she said. The door opened quickly.

“Miss Rothchild, do come in.”

Eliza was strangling the strap on her bag as she took a seat. Hannon sat across from her, looking a bit bewildered but trying to remain polite.

“What can I do for you, Miss Roth-“

“Why are you not letting Colin go home?” she demanded. “His father has just passed away. His family needs him.”

“Ah. Well I’m afraid we really can’t let the guards go, we don’t have anyone to replace them and-“

“Does his family at least receive compensation? To help with expenses and let them take some time off?”

“There is some bereavement pay offered by the factory-“

“Not enough to do anyone much good, I’m assuming?” She interrupted him yet again, her tone getting increasingly testy. The extended silence was answer enough. Eliza took a breath.

“All right, here’s what we’re going to do, then.” Eliza dug aggressively in her bag until she found her bank card. She slapped it hard on the table. “My trust fund is expansive, and since Colin is stuck here while his life is in disarray because the people running this place are a bunch of incompetent beanheads, you are going to transfer funds to the Holman family. Enough to cover a proper funeral, enough for the wife and daughter to take two weeks off, and tuition for the first year at the Zenian Academy for Rebecca Holman so that her spot is reserved. Tuition and room and board. And you are going to personally call them yourself to give them your condolences since they can’t have their son and brother back. And you’re good to recommend that Colin get a raise. Because so help me, if you don’t, I will march right to Queen Korrine and I will tell her exactly how inept I find your leadership and suggest that maybe you’d be better off mining for pilithium crystals and freezing your ass off on Axxon 9. Do you understand me?”

The general spluttered, his eyes wide as saucers. “You can’t-the queen would never listen to such a thing!”

“Why don’t you just try me, General?” Eliza leveled him with her well practiced narrow eyed glare. “You really want to call my bluff, or do you just want to make that fund transfer now?”

There was a moment of silence, and then the general reached out and slowly took the shimmering strip of nanoplastic. Eliza sat back, smugly satisfied. When the transactions were complete and everything was in order, she snatched the card back.

“Thank you General, you’ve been most accommodating. Don’t forget to comm the Holmans in the morning.”

She breezed back out of the office before he could say anything more. She received more nosy looks from guards as she swept away but she ignored them. Colin was still asleep when she returned to her room. She tiptoed to the window seat and sat down, not wanting to disturb him; he certainly deserved a proper night's rest in a comfortable bed. And he probably didn’t want to wake up to find himself in said bed with her. Her ears turned hot and she contented herself to read a book by the light steaming in the window. She wished she could get him home to see his family, but she hoped she had at least helped them in some way. It was her fault he wasn’t home, anyway, and the thought made her stomach lurch.

She crept to the nightstand and picked up her comm-screen one more time. On one final impulsive whim, she ordered a child’s hover-bike and had that set to be delivered to the Holman house too; for George. The kid was going to need some fun to lift his spirits. Eliza set the comm screen back down and returned to her window seat. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but she woke with a yelp and a thud as she shifted and fell out of the window seat, smacking her head on the floor and wincing. Sunlight was steaming in the window, and as she rubbed her head Eliza looked up to see a stunned-looking Colin sitting up on her bed and gaping at her.

“Oh… hi, Colin.”