Off Planet Page 2

  If things could get worse, I wasn’t sure how.

  The news tonight was normal. One image caught my eye. A massive SpaceTech warship was landing on Terra 10—one of the colony planets on the edge of SpaceTech’s official empire. A report of increased Aunare activity in the area sparked SpaceTech’s IAF—Interplanetary Armed Forces—to arrive in force, quickly securing the area.

  If they said the Aunare were dangerous, and they needed more forces in the area, then it had to be true. Right?

  Except it probably wasn’t true. I’d bet my day’s wages from the diner that the Aunare weren’t even close to that colony. SpaceTech wanted the humans to feel the alien threat all the time and used it to justify all the crap they did.

  Another image caught my eye. The Albuquerque spaceport. Large ships—some commercial, but most were SpaceTech issued—lined up, waiting to land as far as the eye could see. The ticker underneath said that there was going to be a gala for the groundbreaking of the spaceport’s expansion.

  I shook my head at the screen. That meant that there were going to be SpaceTech officers showing up for it. I needed to be extra careful until they cleared out.

  Slowly, all six channels—including my off-the-grid ones—changed to cover a new story happening on Earth. I flicked the button, linking all the vidscreens to show one large image: a half-Aunare guy, maybe a couple years younger than me, being dragged into an execution arena in Ohio.

  Damn it. I looked away for a second but then made myself watch.

  He was bleeding and dirty. Whoever had found him had beaten the crap out of him. SpaceTech liked to make a big spectacle of murdering any person with Aunare blood or ties left on Earth. There was a sizable reward for whoever turned in the enemy, and they got the added bonus of the best seat to watch the execution.

  I whimpered and squeezed my eyes shut, but that didn’t stop the sound coming from the screens. The guy pleaded for his life, and the crowd yelled, calling him names that should never be uttered. Not ever.

  It wouldn’t be long before a pack of rabid dogs would be let loose in there. When this kid started fighting for his life, he’d move with his inhuman speed. And, if he was from a strong Aunare bloodline, his skin would give off a golden glow like it was lit from within and tattoos would appear along his skin.

  Once it was over, SpaceTech would come on the screen and tell Earthers here and across all the colonies how the Aunare were the problem. The Aunare were the reason Earthers’ lives sucked ass. The Aunare were why there was so much crime and poverty.

  What a crock of shit.

  “Hey,” Roan said as he gripped my shoulder. He’d changed into a pair of black pants and a bright blue button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a shiny pair of kicks I hadn’t seen before. He looked a little more dressed up than usual. “I’ve been calling your name.”

  I shook my head and pointed to the screen.

  “I saw the alert and hurried. How many times do I have to tell you not to put yourself through this?” Roan shut down the screens with a flick of his finger. “You okay?”

  I nearly laughed at the absurdity of his question. “Is any of this okay? That kid will be dead soon and for what?”

  “I know, but—”

  “But nothing,” I snapped. “There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s done. That kid did nothing wrong except exist, and that’s how it is for all halfers. I have to hide or that’s happening to me. And if SpaceTech ever finds me, I’ll be wishing for the end that poor bastard is about to get right now. I haven’t even heard from my father since I was six, but that won’t matter to them when they make an example of me. Or worse. Use me to start the war they’ve wanted to fight for the last thirteen years.” The air was rushing in and out of my lungs in quick gasps, and I knew I had to calm down before I really lost it. Roan wasn’t the one I was upset with. This wasn’t his fault. I shouldn’t be yelling at him.

  I wiped a hand down my face, giving myself a second to get it together. The mad started to fade, and bone-deep exhaustion took its place.

  A searing pain ran through my finger, and that was it. I was done. My eyes burned, and I struggled to keep the tears from falling. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. It’s been a long day. I worked a twelve-hour shift at the diner before coming here to teach, and I need to get home and—” My voice broke and I cleared my throat, trying to cover it up.

  He reached a hand down, and I took it, letting him pull me out of the chair. “I’ll walk with you,” he said.

  I took in his outfit again and remembered. “It’s gamer night at Starlite, right? That’s where you’re heading?”

  “It is.”

  “Then go. Have fun and forget about me and my problems.”

  “Come on, Maité. Don’t be like that. I’m not letting you walk home alone. Not tonight. Not when you’re upset.”

  “I can take care of myself, and you have plans. Just because a halfer fifteen hundred miles away is being brutally ripped apart by savage, diseased dogs doesn’t mean I will be. At least hopefully not tonight.” I tried to laugh, but Roan just stared at me.

  “I know you’re capable of handling everything on your own, but we both know it’s better if I go with you. No one will bug you if we’re together.”

  He was right. A girl walking alone at night attracted too much attention. I didn’t want to mess up his evening, but if he was offering, I couldn’t afford to refuse him. “You’re right. I hate it, but you’re right. Will you please walk with me?” I asked as I zipped up my hoodie, put my backpack on, and tightened the straps.

  “That’s why I offered.” He pulled me toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get you home. I know how you like that beauty rest.”

  I gave him a small smile. “Sleep is very important. Critical even.”

  Roan opened the door, holding it for me. “I’m aware.” He might have heard it from me a time or two.

  “Well, as long as you know.”

  I set the lock for the warehouse and then quickly undid my braid. I bent my head down, letting my long hair fall to shield my face as we stepped into the crowded streets. Patrol bots zoomed overhead, scanning everyone. I’d yet to be picked up by facial rec, and I was doing everything I could to make sure it stayed that way. I tried to wear neutral colors that didn’t attract any attention. Since I hadn’t even broken a sweat tonight, I kept on my black active leggings and tank top. I pulled my hood up over my head.

  Someone bumped into my shoulder as they pushed through the crush of people, and Roan tugged me closer to his side.

  A ship flew low over the mishmash of buildings in Albuquerque’s warehouse district. The engines were so loud I had to cover my ears. I watched it disappear from view but kept looking up for a second. Smog and light pollution hid any inkling of the night overhead, but I still tried to make out the stars. Hoping to see something to wish on. Hoping that something would change. But hoping never did me any good.

  A Tykson revved its engine down the street. The single-person, hovering motorcycle was on the wish list of every eighteen-year-old I knew, except me. I was saving every little bit I had to buy my own ship so that I could safely get off this planet. It was my only chance at not getting caught. Another solid five years, and I might be close to having enough.

  The blast of air under the Tykson spat dirt along my leg as it zoomed past. “Asshole. SpaceTech isn’t even attempting to clean up the city anymore.”

  Roan ignored me because I could go on forever once I started on the company. “Haden stopped by during your intermediate class.”

  I winced. I’d seen my ex stop by, but thankfully, I hadn’t talked to him. “What’d he want?”

  We separated for a second to let someone pass between us. The side streets were way too crowded tonight. It was making me antsy.

  “Jorge has a new recruit for you to train.”

  “What’s the recruit’s story?”

  Jorge was the head of the ABQ Crew. He’d been the one that found my mom and me
nine years ago when we first got to New Mexico. He set us up with a safe place to live and papers so we could finally stop running. I owed him everything.

  In return, I trained his recruits for free so they could help patrol the streets. Someone had to make Albuquerque safe, and SpaceTech wasn’t doing shit. This city owed a lot to the Crew, even if SpaceTech viewed them as a vigilante gang.

  “Guy a year older than us wants in. He’s got some medical training, so he’ll be an asset, but he has to learn how to handle himself in case shit ever goes bad.”

  Anyone with medical training was welcome in the Crew. “I can do that. He’ll have to start in my beginner class, just like everyone else. No bitching about being in with kids.”

  “That’s fine. He’s already agreed and won’t be complaining. He’ll be there tomorrow.”

  “Frosty.” Teaching was the only thing I actually liked doing on Earth. It made me feel like I was making a difference.

  “And…”

  Oh boy. Roan never hesitated to say anything unless he was about to piss me off. “What?”

  “Haden wanted to talk to me about something more personal,” Roan said as he pulled me back to his side again.

  That didn’t sound right. “More personal? With you? You’re not even friends with him.”

  “He, uh… He wanted my opinion on how to get back together with you.” Roan blocked his face as if I’d hit him.

  I rolled my eyes dramatically, and Roan stood straight again.

  Haden was a bad decision that wasn’t going away. “No. He thinks he wants to get back together with me.”

  Roan laughed. “How is him thinking he wants to be with you different than him actually wanting to be with you?”

  “Because as soon as we’re together, he’ll start whining again. I’m not opening up. I’m not letting him in. Blah. Blah. Blah. He’s got this picture of what we’d be like in his mind, but when it’s not actually like that, all he does is complain. I couldn’t ever be myself around him.” And that had been the downfall of our relationship.

  “Honestly, I’m starting to think I’m not built to be with anyone,” I said. “Haden was sweet, caring, has a good business. In his spare time, he cooks for the homeless with the Crew. In theory, he’s pretty perfect. Maybe even too perfect. But I don’t know. That night when… I just wasn’t feeling it. He touched my tattoo, and I ran. And then he kept calling and calling and calling. The more he called, the more I wanted him to leave me the hell alone. He doesn’t deserve that. He should have a girl who actually wants to answer his calls.”

  “You’re so touchy about your tattoo. Vanessa did a good job on it.”

  “I know it’s weird, but I don’t want anyone to see it, let alone touch it. It’s personal.”

  Roan was quiet for a second, but I knew he didn’t understand. I wasn’t even sure I understood what my hang-up was.

  “Well, you’re the girl Haden wants,” Roan said finally. “And that he showed up to talk to me? That takes balls.”

  “I guess, but don’t you think it’s a sign that you’re my best friend and you’re not friends with him?”

  “No. He’s in the Crew, just like us. Which means he’s already been vetted. And I’m not in the relationship. That’s just you and him. He really wants to try to see what’s between you two, and you say he’s perfect, so maybe it’s worth another shot?”

  Enough with this already. “Don’t make me feel bad about it. I didn’t feel a connection with Haden, and I tried. That’s it. It’s over.”

  “But did you try? Did you open up to him?” Roan raised his voice over the sounds of the people around us as we moved through a crowded intersection. “Did you tell him about your dad?”

  “Are you crazy? No. Of course I didn’t tell him about my dad.” The only people who knew exactly who and what I was were my mother, Roan, and Jorge. Telling Haden was too big of a risk. One I couldn’t afford to take.

  “Maybe you should’ve.”

  I shrugged off his suggestion. “I just didn’t get that feeling. That click. And I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth.”

  “But you told me barely five minutes after we met, and I’ve never said anything.”

  I glanced at Roan for a second as we waited for the next crosswalk to light up. There were too many people around to really talk openly, but I knew what he meant.

  Roan could’ve turned me in and become one of the richest people on Earth. The bounty on halfers was big enough to set a person up for life, but the bounty on me and my mom? It was astronomical. But Roan hadn’t turned me in. I’d be shocked if he told me he’d even considered it.

  Roan stared at me pointedly, giving me his best see, it’s okay to open up expression. But he was wrong. For me, opening up meant death.

  “You’re different. I trust you.” I wasn’t sure what was different about him, but it was a gut feeling. I’d learned the hard way to trust my gut, and it said that hanging out with Haden was okay—he was damned pretty to look at—but nothing more.

  “You could always just date me,” he said way too loud, and I laughed. He gave me one of his big, infectious grins.

  The light changed, and we started making our way closer to the intersection. Some girl pushed me into Roan as she wove past us. “Aww! Give him a chance. He’s cute!”

  I gagged. “Nope. Not happening.” The idea of being with Roan wasn’t appealing at all. I didn’t have a sibling by blood, but Roan was more than my friend. He was my brother. He felt the same way, but we hung out so much everyone liked to think we were a couple. It’d turned into an inside joke with us.

  Roan cupped his hands around his mouth. “Thanks for the support.” He climbed up the light pole to stand above the swarm of people moving across the intersection in all directions. “Maybe you could meet me one night? I chill at Starlite every Thursday. It’s frosty,” he shouted.

  The girl laughed and waved as she disappeared from sight.

  Roan looked down at me. “I might have scored a date!”

  His grin was infectious. “Dude. You’re living in dreamville. She didn’t even turn when she waved at you.”

  “No way. I’m so in with her. Trust me.”

  I laughed a real, gut-deep laugh for the first time in weeks.

  He gasped, pretending to be hurt. “If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d be offended right now.”

  “That’s why I love you. Now will you get down from there before we get into trouble.” I waved at him to hurry up. He was attracting way too much attention.

  “Don’t worry so much.” He hopped down. “I love you, too. I just wish you could be happy.”

  “I’m as happy as I can be given my circumstances.” That had to be good enough.

  He dragged me across the intersection as the light changed to yellow.

  I jerked my hand from his. Roan knew I didn’t like to break any laws—even jaywalking—but it was already too late. We were the only people in the intersection now, and that was bad. I hurried across, dragging Roan behind me.

  “Chill out. It’s still yellow,” he said as it turned to red.

  Shit.

  “Freeze!” A booming voice came from behind us. “IDs. Now.”

  We froze as ordered. The cop’s words echoed in my ears, and I closed my eyes. My ID would never pass an official inspection, but running now would be worse.

  This so wasn’t happening. It was a bad dream. A nightmare.

  I opened my eyes to find a SpaceTech police officer standing in front of us in his navy and gray uniform. He didn’t have any medals over his right pocket, so I knew he was a newbie, but that was almost worse. Newbies liked to find ways to prove themselves.

  The traffic and commotion around us had slowed a little as lookie-loos all stared, wanting to see what the officer was going to do to us.

  “What’s the problem, officer?” I asked in what I hoped would be a calm voice, but it came out way too high-pitched.

  Roan grabbed my hand, and I wove my f
ingers with his.

  “After your buddy here illegally climbed that light pole—which as you know is official SpaceTech property—you crossed the intersection on a yellow.”

  “I’m sorry, officer. We didn’t notice it had turned yellow until we were already in the intersection. It won’t happen again,” I said a little too quickly.

  The cop’s eyes narrowed as he spotted something behind me. “Halt! Right now!” He lunged past me.

  Across the street, some kid took off running. People started yelling as the kid pushed into the crowd, holding a bag in his arms. The cop dashed across the street, a speeder missing him by a fraction of an inch.

  Roan dragged me to the curb so that traffic could move again, but I could barely move. I stood there frozen as people walked around us on their merry way. Meanwhile, my world had been seconds away from ending.

  I tried to calm down, but all I could hear was my heartbeat thundering in my ears as if it was urging me to run, run, run, yet my feet stayed firmly in place.

  “Maité?”

  I swallowed, but I couldn’t speak. Not yet. I wasn’t even sure how to process the fear that still coursed through my veins. I felt Roan’s arms wrap around me and I crumpled against him, my forehead resting on his sternum.

  “Inhale.”

  Roan was quiet for a second, and a moment later, the sound of a pod stopping to hover in front of us made me jerk away from him.

  I blinked a few times at the bright yellow, double-capacity pod. I almost didn’t believe it was there. “You called a cab?” They traveled on tracks above the human-driven vehicles and had a sharp fee as a result.

  “I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night. My treat.”

  As we sat down in the cab, that smelled way too much of body odor and cheap booze, I wondered how long I could actually keep hiding. My heart-shaped face made me look all too much like a female Aunare. I wasn’t as tall as their women—they were six feet at a minimum, and I was five feet, seven inches. But if the shape of my face didn’t give me away, the size of my eyes might. They were a little too big. Thankfully, I had my mother’s light brown eye color instead of the brighter shades of Aunare blues and greens. Still, if anyone looked too closely, they’d know I was a halfer.