“The general, what did he say about it?”
Karen gestures for Ava to sit, and she does. The government woman rests her chin on her joint hands, her elbows on her desk. “He tried to downplay the device. I think he was more impressed than he let on, but he was worried. I don’t know if it was because of the calibration or if it was because of how utterly revolutionary it would be.”
Ava’s grin is huge.
“Yes, yes. You weren’t lying when you said it was something big, but you didn’t have to try to build up suspense. You should have just said flat out why you were calling.” Karen exhales through her nose. “If you’re going to talk to the general next—”
“We are,” I say, speaking up for the first time.
Karen glances at me for the first time and nods. “Then I suggest that you don’t beat around the bush with him. I have to say that stalling is not his way. He’s a good man, stern, no-nonsense, and that’s why I just don’t see it.”
“It’s not as if this hasn’t happened before,” Ava says evenly.
“Perhaps with other people, but not with me, and I can’t believe the general would’ve had a part in anything like this ever. He’s a good man, and he’ll be retiring soon. Honestly, he should’ve retired already. He’s up there.”
“So maybe he wanted to have a shortcut, to have one last mark in his case file, another tally for the good,” Ava says.
Karen shrugs. "I'll set up the meeting for you if you would like."
“No. We’ll just go on the base and not leave until he sees us.” Ava grins. “I’m sorry I’ve been a bit… ah…”
"It's all right," Karen says. "I've been a bitch myself. So much stress, but that's no excuse. Peace isn't easy to maintain, but it is being maintained."
“Is it?” I challenge. “Because whether it was the government, the military, or someone else, someone stole Ava’s prototype.”
Karen grimaces and nods. “Yes, and whoever it was will face justice. I will see to it myself.”
We leave, and I eye Ava. “You really believe her?”
“I’ve gotten good at reading people’s faces and can detect lies fairly easily. I’ve done a lot of observing people despite staying away from them for the most part. Yes, I believe her. Come on. Let’s go to the base.”
It’s a long walk there, but Ava marches at full force, never once slowing down, and I stay beside her easily, helped by my long strides.
It’s a two-hour wait before General Spencer Moore will see us.
“What is it you want, Ava?” the general asks. “Rix, it is good to see you.”
“Is it?” I ask.
The general scowls. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Did Karen call you at all today?” Ava asks.
“No. Why?” The general lifts his eyebrows. “You’re the one who stole my phone.”
“I borrowed it, yes.” Ava leans forward. “Someone stole my levitation device. Was it you or one of yours?”
The general crosses his arms. “I can’t believe you would ask that, that either of you would think that.”
I grimace. “Ava, maybe it wasn’t the government or the military.”
“No one else knows about the device except for you! If not them, then who?” She throws up her hands.
“I must say that hearing this does alarm me,” the general says. He rubs his chin. “I’ve been thinking about the device more and more, and honestly, it could be something extraordinary if it could be perfected.”
“That’s why it’s a fucking prototype,” Ava spits out. “It needs more tests, yes, more trial runs, and it especially has to be seen if adding a carbon-based life form on board changes anything, which it shouldn’t, but still. Tests need to be done, but that can only happen with the prototype in hand!”
“I will be willing to lend you men to help you search—”
“No, thank you,” she says stiffly.
“What about access to a centuricar? I can provide you one.”
“How will that help?” Ava snaps.
The general grimaces. “What can I do to help you? Do you want guards at your place to protect the rest of your equipment?”
“That might be a good idea?” I murmur to Ava.
“Fine.”
The general taps on his watch. “You’ll have two guards there within the hour.”
“You know where I live?” Ava asks.
The general just looks at her.
“Of course you do,” she mumbles.
We head out of there a few minutes later, and Ava leans against me as if trying to draw strength from me. Then, she marches back toward her place, and I follow.
Somehow, I get the feeling I’m always going to follow her. She’s an amazing woman, and we’ll get past this, and then, maybe we can be amazing together.
18
Ava
Honestly, I’m ready to lose it. This is such fucking bullshit, and I can’t handle it. I won’t. My life has been so shitty, and I finally did something right, and now, it’s been stolen away.
It’s not fair.
Life isn’t fair. Everyone knows that, but some experience it more than most, and I’m sick of it.
Rix being here with me helps, and I really appreciate his presence during the meetings.
By the time we near my place, I slow down and glance at him.
“I feel like an ass,” I mumble.
“Why?”
“Because I went off on them. Karen is a bit of a bitch, yes, but she was telling the truth, and the general might not have jumped up and down when I showed him the device, but the demonstration didn’t quite go as planned. He’s not that bad of a guy, and I accused both of them of stealing from me.”
“You’re upset. It’s understandable.”
“Understandable or not, if I want to become an inventor and maybe sell my devices under my terms and stipulations, then I need to become more of a people person, and I need to be able to better handle my emotions.”
“Hey, you don’t have to be so hard on yourself,” he says, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder.
I place my hand on his and stare into his neon
