Aurora found the comment funny, but Zeven was embarrassed. ‘He’s not my father.’
‘I know,’ Aurora confirmed, and then Zeven realised she didn’t know.
‘Actually, he is my father,’ Zeven stated to confuse the issue, and Aurora looked to him, grinning and stunned.
‘I’ve missed something, haven’t I?’
Zeven raised his brows and gave a nod. ‘We’ve got a bit of catching up to do, yeah.’
‘Can’t wait.’ Her smile was so sincere and such a sight for sore eyes.
‘I was afraid I was going to lose you to somebody else.’
She glanced down at Ray. ‘No fear of that now, huh?’
The joy of the moment filled Zeven up. Just about all his fears had been laid to rest — Aurora was his, he had his power back and the next time he went to work he’d discover whether the study had all been worthwhile, when he got his exam results. His future seemed more on track than it had ever been, and he finally had a family to share that with. For the first time since AMIE had been disbanded, Zeven felt a true sense of being home.
After three days with Aurora and his new baby, Zeven really didn’t want to go to work — if it wasn’t for the fact that he’d be getting his exam results, he would have been calling in sick for the first time all year.
Aurora and Ray were on the jetty to wave goodbye, and Zeven kissed them both before boarding. ‘You girls have fun with Grandpa while I’m gone.’
‘Oi!’ Mythric, who was already in the boat, tossed a spare sinker at Zeven’s leg.
‘Ouch!’ Zeven objected.
‘Don’t use the G-word,’ Mythric cautioned in all seriousness, and Aurora laughed.
‘It’s true, that title looks ridiculous on you. BA suits you better,’ Aurora agreed.
Mythric looked more mature than Zeven did, but they acted more like mates than father and son, and Mythric was still the source of many admiring glances from the ladies. He loved to flirt with women — he did it constantly — but as long as Zeven had known him, he’d never slept with any of them. He suspected that it was not just the Juju stone on Mythric’s arm that was holding him back, but that he was still in love with his long dead princess.
‘Good luck today.’ Aurora waved to Zeven as he boarded their runabout. ‘You should bring your study buddy back to meet us, we’ll celebrate!’
Zeven wasn’t so sure that was a good idea, but he hid this well. ‘I’ll see what she’s up to.’
Aurora had heard from Mythric the tale of Zeven’s heroic rescue of Kalayna, and Zeven had been afraid that Aurora might get the wrong impression. He need not have feared, for Aurora had been viewing him remotely since they’d parted and knew that he’d done right by her. Zeven never would have imagined that his girlfriend being a remote viewer could have advantages too. Aurora sincerely just wanted to meet the girl that he and Mythric had become so friendly with.
At pod-link, Kalayna was waiting where they usually met, out on the tree-lined green by the fountain in the shade, and she was bouncing around all jittery. ‘Hey!’ She ran to meet him. ‘Are you nervous?’
‘Nope.’ Zeven grinned, strolling along like the world was his oyster and he was in no rush to eat it.
‘Jeez, how can you be so relaxed about this?’ Kalayna was bouncing out of her skin. ‘We might have just accomplished something that’s never been done before! Aren’t you excited?’
‘Sure.’ He shrugged.
‘Sure?’ Kalayna emphasised how non-thrilled he sounded, and then swung around in front of him to grab his upper arms and grind him to a halt. ‘Hold on, what gives?’ She demanded an explanation with a large grin on her face. ‘You’ve got the chilly factor of someone who has just got laid.’
Zeven grinned. ‘Guilty as charged.’
Kalayna’s jaw swung open, but she did not seem down about it. ‘If it wasn’t me, it had better have been your girl, or I’ll kill you!’ She shoved him away.
He wiggled his brows a few times to confirm. ‘And guess what else?’
‘What?’ Kalayna was still grinning.
‘I’ve got a daughter,’ he announced proudly. The comment shocked the life out of Kalayna, and she clasped both hands over her mouth — this hid her true reaction, but there were tears in her eyes. ‘Her name is Thurayya, and I’d really like you to meet them both.’
‘Wow,’ Kalayna found her voice at last, but she was sounding a little flat. ‘I’m so stoked for you, Kale, really, that’s … amazing!’ She found her enthusiasm.
‘Will you come over to celebrate after work?’ He repeated the question.
‘Yeah, sure …’ she agreed. ‘I’d love to.’
Zeven stopped in his tracks — pretty sure he’d just put Kalayna on the spot. ‘Look, I completely understand if you’d rather not.’
Kalayna looked at him, pained but convinced. ‘You’re my best friend and I’d really like to meet your family.’ She swallowed hard on those words, but she meant them.
‘They really want to meet you,’ he assured, grateful she was taking it so well.
Aurora and Kalayna had been more than just friends once, what were the chances that they wouldn’t at least get along this time around? Zeven wasn’t sure if he was looking forward to finding out.
There was a large company meeting held to present the pod-link trainees with their exam results. In the program they worked their way from the first year trainees up to the year ten graduating class. However, when the unit one students all got their results, Kalayna and Zeven’s names were not called, nor were they called with the unit two students. They were both really starting to worry as the last of the ten unit graduating class got their results.
‘However,’ the head of the student program announced in closing, ‘top honours this year go to two of the unit one students, who have accomplished a first in the pod-link trainee program by completing two units in one year, and achieving passes in both.’
Kalayna had a killer grip on Zeven’s arm as their names were read out. They rose and headed up onto the platform to receive their results, but then the MC had another special announcement.
‘We at the pod-link trainee program feel such an extraordinary achievement deserves an extraordinary reward …’
Again Kalayna gripped Zeven’s arm, as nerves and excitement got the better of her.
‘… and we would like to offer you both a scholarship in the space program where you can complete the rest of your degree with …’
Zeven didn’t hear what the MC said after that, Kalayna was cheering so loudly, and then the applause was deafening. This scholarship was the ultimate dream for Kalayna; he knew that from their time together in space in the future, and he was ecstatic for her. Yet, for Zeven, the space program would bring with it the kind of attention he was trying to avoid!
So he watched Kalayna lapping up the acclaim she so rightfully deserved, knowing that this wonderful twist of fate would bring their association to an end. Still, deep inside, it felt like this past year was meant to unfold as it did. Kalayna had taught him how to study and he had led her to the destiny she always should have had. Hopefully, this new and exciting path forward would lead her to the one soul who would complete her, the way that Aurora completed him.
‘Do you believe this?’ Kalayna was bursting with excitement by the time the assembly ended. ‘I mean I know they probably only did this to get us out of pod-link, in case we cause any more trouble, but, shit yeah, I’ll take it!’
‘It’s going to be awesome for you,’ Zeven affirmed, trying not to be a killjoy, but Kalayna picked up on his choice of words.
‘But not for you?’
Zeven shook his head.
‘Why not?’
‘I can’t accept that scholarship,’ Zeven was out with it, ‘I have a daughter now and I’ll never get to see her if —’
‘You’re giving up the space program to play house? Kale, that’s fucking nuts!’ She was completely stunned, and he guessed he could understand that. ?
??This is the space program. Only the elite of the elite get this kind of opportunity —’
‘And I’m happy for you, Kalayna, you are elite’, he acknowledged.
‘So are you!’ she appealed like he was a five-year-old and didn’t get it.
‘I don’t want to be elite right now.’ Zeven appealed for her to listen. ‘In the future, yes, but right now I have an opportunity that I will never have again, not with Thurayya.’
He could see that for friendship’s sake Kalayna was trying to understand, but at the same time she was shaking her head, like she knew he was making a massive mistake.
‘Just come meet them,’ Zeven said, but Kalayna was backing away and still shaking her head.
‘I’m not going to give my consent for you to throw a promising future away.’
Zeven did his very best pleading face. ‘Kalayna, come on —’
‘No,’ she decided, turned and stormed off in a huff.
‘Nuts.’ Zeven cringed. ‘Ah well, it was going to end anyway, it just ended a bit sooner than expected.’
Back home around the dinner table at the beach hut, when Zeven explained what had gone down at work today, Aurora was stunned.
‘But maybe she is right, Zeven … the space program is so you! Are you sure you want to pass it up? I don’t want us to stop you doing anything that you want to do … as long as it doesn’t involve having sex with another woman,’ she clarified.
Now Zeven was the one looking shocked — she was so different from the Aurora he’d known before, always holding him back. ‘I think the temptation to show off and get big-headed will be far too great out there. And there’s another reason …’ His eyes turned to Mythric, who was perplexed a moment. ‘I haven’t had the chance to talk to you about this yet …’
‘Oh dear.’ Mythric suddenly knew what was coming, and although the idea made him gasp a second, after one glance at his granddaughter, he nodded to agree.
‘What are you boys up to?’ Aurora was wary.
‘Well,’ Zeven plucked up his courage, ‘and I’m not talking right away, but when she’s a little older.’
Aurora’s mouth was gaping in shock before he’d even made the suggestion. ‘You want me to leave Ray here with you two?’ She tried not to sound so horrified about that idea as to offend Zeven. ‘Um?’
‘On long assignments you’ll only leave her with a nanny anyhow,’ Zeven reasoned — she’d told him so herself.
‘But the twins are proving to be great nannies,’ she argued, ‘and the thought of not seeing her on a daily basis …’ This was obviously stressful at present.
‘The twins are minding our daughter?’ Zeven objected. ‘That does it, she’s definitely coming here before she can comprehend what “line-of-credit” means.’
‘Oh, Zeven, they aren’t that bad.’ Rory laughed off his objection.
‘Who are the twins and why haven’t I met them?’ Mythric wanted to know.
‘They’re a couple of man-eating shopaholics, is what they are.’ Zeven hammed up his view, and Aurora would have argued, if she hadn’t been giggling in agreement.
‘Sounds interesting,’ Mythric said. ‘Why don’t you send them along with Ray, to help out?’ His wriggled his eyebrows up and down, to emphasise how keen he was on that idea.
‘Oh no, not here,’ Zeven begged. He was finding it hard enough to stay faithful. ‘They never wear clothes, those girls.’
‘Hired!’ Mythric slammed his hand down on the table and Aurora just lost it.
‘You guys are a couple of clowns, baby raising is a serious business.’ Aurora demanded they think through what they were asking. ‘And look at where you live!’ She pointed to the water washing up onto the doorstop. ‘Take your eyes off her for a second and …’
‘Yeah, Rory, I know that, but we could start small,’ Zeven suggested.
Aurora was perplexed as she looked to Mythric, hoping he’d be more of a realist. ‘I had my chance at parenting stolen from me,’ he confessed. He was all for it. ‘I’ve worked as a strategist for the secret services for over twenty years, I know how to be vigilant.’
‘Well, I guess that’s true, given that you’ve managed to keep Zeven out of trouble all this while.’ Aurora’s mood lightened.
Zeven pulled her onto his lap. ‘Who aced his program today, huh?’
‘Always the Starman, hey, my love.’ Aurora kissed him, and in the hush of the moment they heard the knock on the door.
‘Kalayna!’ Mythric announced, and the lovers came up for air.
‘So sorry to interrupt.’ Her eyes were upon Aurora and her smile was genuine and not at all forced.
‘So glad you did.’ Mythric got up to greet her, whereupon she pulled a bottle of mescaline from her bag and handed it to him. ‘That’s my girl.’ He kissed her forehead for the gift, and then kissed the bottle.
‘That stuff is evil,’ Zeven objected, as Aurora stood and freed him to greet his friend.
‘Only in the hands of amateurs,’ Mythric assured, wandering into the kitchen to find some glasses.
‘I’ll pass.’ Zeven was never going there again — ever.
‘I’ll find us something a bit less lethal.’ Aurora headed into the kitchen after Mythric, sensing that Kalayna and Zeven needed to talk.
‘How did you get here?’ he wondered.
‘I caught a water-taxi,’ she explained, feeling awkward. ‘I was a total jerk today —’
Zeven waved off her apology. ‘Forget that.’ He grabbed her hand and led her toward the bedrooms. ‘Check this.’ He took her to where Thurayya was sleeping, and Kalayna was overwhelmed with delight as she viewed her.
‘Oh Kale, she is gorgeous.’
As the baby’s eyes opened, she looked directly at Kalayna. ‘Who is that then?’ Zeven noted her interest as he picked her up, and still Ray was focused on the stranger.
‘Hello, sweetness.’ Kalayna brushed her cheek and Thurayya frowned, like she was going cry, but didn’t.
‘That’s not Mum, is it?’ Zeven humoured the baby. ‘Where’s Mum then?’ He made a move to take Ray to Aurora. ‘Where’s Mum?’ He stalled, as he was in transit — the baby’s frown ever growing — and he hadn’t made it to the bedroom door when Ray vanished from his hands.
‘Shit!’ he gasped, horrified, and then looked to Kalayna, who was even more horrified. ‘Shit!’ he repeated, not knowing what to tell her.
‘Kale!’ He heard Mythric yell from the kitchen, and so Zeven bolted out there to find Ray in her mother’s arms.
‘Fuck me!’ He gripped his head amazed.
‘Kale?’ Aurora frowned at his language.
‘You shouldn’t be screwing around when we have company,’ his father stressed in a whisper.
‘It wasn’t me, I swear!’ Zeven defended. ‘I just asked her where her mother was?’
Kalayna had wandered into the room, as she knew she’d just witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to. ‘You have Powers.’ She was stunned, and everyone in the kitchen stared blankly back at her, not knowing what to say. ‘I’m not freaked out by that stuff but … wow, just give me a minute to process.’
Zeven wasn’t about to tell Kalayna that her way with machinery was a Power too, she’d find that out in her own good time. ‘No one can know, Kalayna, and I mean no one. Not even Trayan.’
‘I get it.’ She nodded.
‘Drink?’ Mythric offered up a shot of the strong stuff.
Kalayna waved it forth. ‘Definitely.’
Mythric took the bottle and two glasses and led Kalayna out onto the front veranda, as clearly Aurora and Zeven had a lot to talk about.
As soon as they were alone, Aurora turned to Zeven to resume the topic of their daughter. ‘Maybe you did it by accident?’
‘No,’ he shook his head, ‘not with Kalayna in the room next to me, and I would never put Ray at risk like that, I swear!’ His horror turned to pride and he took his daughter back in hand. ‘She’s got her daddy’s skills.’
Aurora was frowning at this.
‘I know that’s a bit of a nightmare,’ Zeven agreed, ‘but not if Mythric and I are her babysitters, there is nowhere she could zap herself to that we wouldn’t find her.’
‘There is that, I guess.’ Aurora had to admit that if Ray did have PK there was nowhere safer than here for her. ‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘When she’s off the breast, we’ll give it a shot.’
‘That’s the best news I’ve had this life!’ He kissed Aurora, and Ray objected to the crush and broke it up. ‘You won’t regret it.’
‘I know,’ Aurora said. ‘And as I can see you both from anywhere, at anytime, then I shouldn’t miss too much.’
Kalayna had slugged back a couple of shots and still felt stunned to the core. ‘Is it all of you, or just Kale and the baby?’
‘Best not talk about that,’ BA suggested. ‘He’s harmless, so what else do you need to know?’
‘That’s how he got to me so quick that day.’ She finally figured it out. ‘But then why take such a beating?’
‘It’s a secret,’ BA whispered. ‘No one can know, so he would’ve had to have killed them all, wouldn’t he?’
‘And he could have.’ Kalayna suddenly realised and understood that with great power came great responsibility. ‘Wow, that’s even more impressive really. In his place, I don’t think I could have been so restrained and selfless.’
‘Yeah,’ BA agreed. ‘But Kale was not always so masterful and his heroic tendencies have near got him killed on many an occasion.’
The man Kalayna had thought she’d known better than anyone, she realised she did not know at all. ‘I guess that explains why he’d rather avoid the space program?’
‘Yes, again.’ He raised his glass to her.
Now she’d seen the love of Kale’s life with her own eyes, Kalayna had to agree that the woman was a knockout, and their baby was very beautiful, although scary, too. ‘So, if it runs in the family, and you are Kale’s father, then …’
‘Don’t go there.’ BA poured Kalayna another glass, to distract her.