She observed a great stone wall in the distance, hugging the rolling hills until it disappeared behind a multistory apartment complex. She wondered what was on the other side and why they bothered with walls when shuttles could easily fly over them.
“A credit for your thoughts,” said Jaxen, studying her again with a smile.
“A credit.” Cara laughed at his spin on the American expression. “Guess my pennies are worthless here.”
Jaxen held up his wrist. “Your nano-chip will track your credits, among other things.” He strode to the doorway and gestured for her to follow. “Come here and I’ll show you.”
Cara glanced at her inoculation scar. She’d forgotten that in addition to a thousand vaccines, the medic had implanted a data chip beneath her skin.
Jaxen pointed to a light switch–size box affixed to the outside wall. “There are stations like this everywhere—even inside your quarters. Hold your wrist under here, like this.” When he demonstrated, a beam of light danced over his flesh. “The system will scan you for personalized notifications.”
Cara extended her arm, palm up. Seconds later, a woman’s soft voice ordered, “Cah-ra Sweeney, please report to the first Aegis at your leisure.”
Impressive. They’d even programmed the system to speak English for her.
“The first Aegis is ours,” Troy said, pointing to the complex by the city wall. “It’s the closest school to the capital. Students from the other four campuses have to take the air train to get here.”
“What train?” Cara asked.
He pointed to a set of metallic pillars she hadn’t noticed before. Her gaze followed them upward to a monorail track.
“And at your leisure really means now,” Elle advised her.
“I’m staying at the Aegis?” Cara asked, a little disappointed. “Not the colony?”
Jaxen drew back in surprise. “No. The colony is on the other side of the world and still under construction.”
“The other side of the world?” But the entire population of L’eihr lived here, divided into five small precincts on a continent half the size of Canada. There was nowhere else to go except…“On an island?” She didn’t say marooned, but that was what came to mind.
Again, Jaxen seemed to have tasted her thoughts. “Yes, but don’t worry. The intent is to allow colonists the liberty to form a unique society, free from our influence…to some extent.”
Cara supposed that made sense, though she wondered to what “extent” The Way would interfere.
Jaxen turned to Troy and Elle. “I have sensitive matters to discuss with Miss Sweeney. I’ll deliver her to the Aegis shortly. You’re free to go.”
Troy hesitated, but Jaxen’s word was law, and the tone of his dismissal left no room for negotiation. Once Troy and Elle had strode out of sight, Jaxen led the way down the same path, motioning for Cara and Aisly to follow.
“Is everything okay?” Cara asked while glancing at the pavement beneath her boots. It had a slight bounce to it, like shock-absorbent indoor track. She hopped on the balls of her feet and grinned, realizing she’d always have a spring in her step.
Aisly shot her a curious glance and they began at an easy stroll. “Yes. We only wanted to give you a proper welcome.”
A soft whoosh sounded from above, and an air train jettisoned into the city at lightning speed. Somehow, it managed the job with barely a breath of wind. Cara craned her neck, marveling like a child as another train passed above her. Even higher, sky lanes directed a few shuttles to and from the city, though she had no clue how their pilots avoided midair collisions without visible boundaries.
“I imagine this is difficult to process,” Jaxen said.
Cara laughed dryly as her gaze darted from one unfamiliar object to the next. “I need another pair of eyes.”
“It was the same for me,” Jaxen said, “my first time on your world.”
She whipped her head around. “You’ve been to Earth?”
“Many times. I love your people—you possess such passion and creativity, the traits L’eihrs have lost over time.” Jaxen brushed aside an overgrown dandelion seed. At the contact, the thing flitted away like a jellyfish. “I can’t wait to return and explore other human cultures. I’ve never traveled much farther than the ambassador’s residence in Manhattan.”
“That’s where Aelyx is now.” A glance at the tan and gray trees lining the walkway brought a question to mind. “He told me there’s no green here because your plants don’t use photosynthesis. So what would happen if I brought a maple from Earth? Would it be compatible with your sun?”
“Irrelevant, as The Way would never allow it. Destroying an ecosystem is easier than you think.” Then with a slightly haughty tone, he added, “Earth’s current predicament should’ve taught you that. It’s a shame that such a dynamic race can’t be trusted to care for their own planet.”
Cara took her tongue between her teeth, literally biting back a scathing response. You forgot about the sh’alear, jerkwad. The clones didn’t hesitate to meddle with our ecosystem when it suited them.
“Your cheeks are flushing,” he said, as if this greatly amused him. “I’ve made you angry. See? Such passion. I envy you.”
Cara gestured at the trees and blatantly changed the subject. “So how do they derive nutrients if not from the sun?”
“From the air.” He reached over her head and plucked a leaf from its branch, then handed it to her.
“That’s right, like Spanish moss. Aelyx told me.” She rubbed the leaf between her fingers. It felt light and spongy, and when she brought it to her nose, she recognized the citrusy scent. “This is what I smelled when I stepped off the shuttle.”
“Ilar trees,” Aisly said. “They’re fragrant.”
“And plentiful,” Cara said, scanning the landscape. Ilars were everywhere. Their branches even loomed over the stone wall surrounding the city.
“Only in this precinct,” Jaxen told her. “In the marshlands to the south, you’d find shallow-rooted trees that absorb nutrients through their scaly bark.”
“They’re ugly,” Aisly said with a flick of her wrist. “The most beautiful trees are in the mountains. At that altitude, they have to grow higher to find nourishment, and their leaves are twice the size of your hand.”
Cara gazed to the west, recalling the quartz forest she’d admired from the shuttle. Now she couldn’t see anything beyond the great wall. “What’s on the other side of that?”
Jaxen’s eyes darted to the stonework. “We’ve kept the majority of our landmass in its natural state. The wall protects wildlife from our influence.” He pointed overhead at a flock of spotted birds resembling doves. “Except those that fly.”
“Or climb,” Aisly added darkly.
They were quiet until they reached the Aegis grounds, and then a nervous flutter tickled Cara’s chest. Suddenly she wanted the walk to last longer. She wasn’t ready for her first day of school.
“You won’t start classes until tomorrow,” Jaxen said.
Cara paused for a moment and studied him. On the surface, Jaxen resembled the others of his kind—tawny skin and silvery eyes. He wore his light-brown hair in a ponytail, his athletic frame concealed beneath the standard uniform. But there was something different about him. Maybe he had unique abilities. That would explain his position on The Way.
“Can you read minds?” she asked.
He laughed at her. “No, but I can read expressions, and your translucent cheeks tell me you’re afraid.”
Cara couldn’t deny it, so she turned to survey her surroundings. The Aegis reminded her of the community college back home—a large boxy dormitory opening to a courtyard, half a dozen scattered outbuildings, and multiple trails that led into a thicket of woods. She leaned forward and squinted, bringing an obstacle course into focus.
Aisly followed Cara’s gaze. “That’s where you’ll take your physical conditioning class.”
Cara groaned inwardly. Even in another galaxy, she couldn’t escape PE.
“But don’t worry,” Aisly continued. “The instructor will adjust your target time to compensate for your inferior respiratory system.”