“I don’t think that’s how love works,” I mutter.
“Why not?”
“Not for her at least.”
“It’s been over a week,” Dad says. “You don’t have to come back, and if you don’t, let me guess what you’re going to do.”
Dad and guessing. He likes to guess all the time and enjoys having others guess too. Mom told me once that this only started after I started with all of my thousands of questions. Dad turned it into a game and tried to get me to guess what might have caused this or that.
“You’re going to eventually find a way to get past Ava’s defenses and get to know her. The two of you will acknowledge your love, and all I ask is that when you two get married, either on Earth or on Kuria, is that your mom and I can be there for it.”
“Dad,” I protest.
“Please.”
“If it happens, sure. Fine. Whatever.”
I hear the centuricmobile pull up out front. I’ve been staying at a hotel. The owner is just like the one from the sushi place—willing to let me stay for free. In the days I’ve been here, more and more people are now, and the owner makes it sound like they’re here because they want to catch a glimpse of me. It’s a bit strange and unsettling, and I’m sure that it’s not something Ava would be too fond of, not if it happens everywhere we go. When I can, I try to help clean up the place, not just my room either. I spied a spilled drink and found the utility closet and started to clean it up until a maid came over and hurried to do it for fear she would get fired. The maid was one of the few women to not flirt with me, and I really appreciated that. Her name is Opal, and I guess you could say we’re friends. She has a kind heart, and she’s saving up her pennies to be able to get out of her tiny apartment and into a small house. She has three young kids to support. Her husband died two years ago. A heart attack. She doesn’t complain, though, and I almost wish she would find happiness again. No. Never mind. Her face lights up when she talks about her kids. She has happiness, and she’s more happy than sad when she talks about Rick, so maybe she doesn’t need a second husband. Who knows? I don’t, that’s for sure. Love is confusing.
“I have to go,” I tell Dad as I hear the vehicle door slam.
“All right. I’m glad we had this chat. Maybe next time, you can call me?”
“Maybe,” I grunt. I end the call and leave my room to head on down to meet up with the guys. I’ve given Ava enough time and space, haven’t I? Maybe I can go and see her soon.
Or maybe that Earthling expression about absence makes the heart grow fonder is a load of crap, and she’ll want nothing to do with me when I show up.
Either way, I can’t just ignore the feelings I have for her because I do have feelings. Whether or not those feelings are love remains to be seen.
10
Ava
A scowl crosses my features when I wake the next morning. I stare at the phone I swiped from the base on my way out. It has a lot of numbers programmed in for high and important people, and I opt to start calling around.
They aren't the most receptive people, military guys and gals, and I have to be put on hold more times than I would like for a much longer period than I prefer. Each time I give my spiel, they either interrupt constantly with questions or else they say nothing at all. Very quickly, I get the impression they aren't giving me their undivided attention.
“I would love to show you what the device can do in person,” I always finish up with.
“I don’t think that will be necessary.”
Click.
That’s how almost every single one of the calls ends. Not one of them is impressed, and it makes me wonder what’s going on. Are they focusing solely on their ships, on space stuff? What about life here on Earth? Why can’t we do the space stuff, yes, but also stuff here too? I don’t understand why it seems like it has to be an either/or type situation.
Life isn’t black and white, but I don’t think the military will ever get that. There’s no one else I can turn to, though. There aren’t billionaire tycoons like there used to be in the past. The war really crippled the world for a long time afterward, and we still feel some of the effects to this day. It’s unnerving how strict some things are, and the military is a powerful entity, more powerful than anything else. The entire world has a global government now, and the military is the enforcer of that government. Maybe… maybe this phone can help me to talk to someone at the government instead of the military. That’s my only other option.
I scroll through the contact list again, this time looking for anyone who isn’t military. There are only two names without rank, and I call the first, a woman named Karen Yeardly.
“Hello, General,” Karen answers almost immediately.
I swallow hard. She’s the first to answer like this, although I did have to explain to every person I’ve called so far today how I got their number.
“Hi, Karen. This is actually Ava Kyle calling. I’m a—”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“Please let me know when you have time so that we can talk about something big.”
“Something big?” she asks skeptically. “I don’t know who you are, Ms. Kyle, but I am not in the mood—”
“I’m sorry you aren’t in the mood, and I don’t want to waste your time. I’m certain you have a busy day ahead. If you
