Jupiter's Halo Book Two: The Fall

Red looked over every feature of the face before her. They were familiar. The shape of the nose, the close bridge where those big eyes almost met under dainty brows. The slight creases at either edge of the mouth. There were hints of freckles on the high cheekbones and she cursed the files they’d used for failing to include this detail. It was subtle but important. The copy had to be exact in every measure. Anything less was a failure that could lead to suspicion or worse. Any flaw could damage the mission. She’d have to add the freckles herself before she left. She examined the eyes; green irises flecked with yellow bleeding into brown around the pinprick pupils. They had shrunk in defence against the sudden flood of light from the open doorway. Red watched how the skin creased delicately around those eyes, how the brows furrowed and the mouth opened gently to reveal the edges of white teeth. She mirrored the expression, her features aping the aspect she saw, her memory storing the images in micro detail to be replayed and practised. Surprise. Confusion. Bafflement and open disbelief. They would be useful. This woman was young, younger than Red, really just a girl. She had a look of innocence about her that spoke of a naivety Red almost envied. To be so clean in this dirty universe was a blessing and a curse. One that she had been rid of since she was old enough to speak. Before that even; since she was old enough to listen. Red tilted her head to the left, watching the way her movements were slowly copied. She noted the line of the neck, the collar bones, the way the shoulders twisted ever so slightly. It was all-important. She had worked on the mannerisms, the habits and unconscious peccadilloes that created a unique individual among billions of others. It was all study. All worthwhile practice from the best sources Martian intelligence could offer, but none of it was like this. None of it had been the same as standing here, so close, breathing the same air and seeing every tiny detail. None of it had been like this. None of it had been real. She lifted a hand, raising the fingers slowly and smiling gently with satisfaction as the girl's digits rose to meet hers. They touched softly. The fingertips felt smooth, still free of the marks of too much time and the rigours of hard labour. They were virgin, clean, practically new. Months of observation and training guided her movements. She was pleased to see the girl’s thumb curl slightly, just as her own was doing. It was so ingrained now as to almost be unconscious. She was nearly ready. So close. So close. The mission was everything. It was always everything, but this one was more so than any had been before it. This time it wasn’t for family or politics or to shift the ever unbalanced petty struggles for power. This time she was playing for far more. This time she was playing for every one of them and a future most didn’t even know was under threat. This time it meant something. Meant everything. The eyes before her - those soft, pretty eyes - moved slowly from their touching hands. They travelled up, searching for understanding and settled on Red’s. The lips parted further, revealing even lines of teeth. She was too pure, too pale, too sheltered. This life was not for her, or she for it. What happened next would be a mercy in a time where such a thing was all too rare. Red felt no guilt. “Who… who are you?” The slight stutter, the high, almost breaking tone evident even in a whisper. Red curled her fingers, wrapping them deftly around the girl’s and pushing her hand back to guide her into the musty darkness she’d stepped from. Red moved forward to follow. "I'm your future," she replied gently as the door swung closed behind them.o see the girl’s thumb curl slightly, just as her own was doing. It was so ingrained now as to almost be unconscious. She was nearly ready. So close. So close. The mission was everything. It was always everything, but this one was more so than any had been before it. This time it wasn’t for family or politics or to shift the ever unbalanced petty struggles for power. This time she was playing for far more. This time she was playing for every one of them and a future most didn’t even know was under threat. This time it meant something. The eyes before her - those soft, pretty eyes - moved slowly from their touching hands. They travelled up, searching for understanding and settled on Red’s. The lips parted further, revealing even lines of teeth. She was too pure, too pale, too sheltered. This life was not for her, or she for it. What happened next would be a mercy in a time where such a thing was all too rare. Red felt no guilt. “Who… who are you?” The slight stutter, the high, almost breaking tone evident even in a whisper. Red curled her fingers, wrapping them deftly around the girl’s and pushing her hand back to guide her into the musty darkness she’d stepped from, as she moved forward to follow. “I’m your future,” Red replied gently as the door swung closed behind them.