Beyond The Veil

Chapter 1

1

Anna checked herself in the bedroom mirror.

Her round face was framed by tendrils of light, red hair. She had put blue beads on the end of each one, choosing a colour to match her shirt. It was her way of getting fancy before a night out.

Pressing her hands down on the white, wooden dresser, Anna leaned forward until she was almost nose to nose with her reflection. “Acceptable.” She wasn’t usually this fussy, but her mom was coming along tonight, and Sierin Elana could be a bit judgy.

She turned away from the mirror and yanked open the bedroom door, stepping out into the hallway, where she found Melissa waiting. The young woman was in a short, purple dress, looking immaculate with her black hair pulled back in a clip. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

Anna looked down at her blue jeans and t-shirt, then back up at Melissa. “Don’t you start,” she said, clapping the girl on the shoulder as she strode past. “This whole tradition seems a little…weird.”

When she entered the living room, she found Spock snoozing on the white couch. Which meant his ginger fur would be all over the cushions. She could just imagine what her mother would say about that. For half a second, she contemplated shooing Spock into the bedroom, but no. The little prince deserved a nap.

The sky in the large, front window was a deep, twilight blue. Her guests would be arriving any moment now. That should have made her happy, but the only emotion she could scrounge up was a torrent of irritation. With everything else that was going on, she was in no mood for a bachelorette party.

She had spent most of the afternoon contemplating the very high probability that she would be dead in two weeks. Harry’s suggestion was a good one; she wanted to marry Jack, but why did that have to come with a hefty side of stupid Earth customs?

Kez emerged from the kitchen in a red dress that clung lovingly to her gorgeous body. She had a big glass of lemonade in one hand with a straw poking up over the rim. “There’s no booze in this house,” she remarked. “Are you aware that there’s no booze in this house?”

Anna raised an eyebrow.

Continuing her story without missing a beat, Kez peered fretfully into her glass. “I had to go to that neighbourhood store thingy,” she went on. “They just let me take what I wanted. I felt like a thief.”

“That’s because it’s a supply depot, not a store.”

“Right. Okay. Whatever. I wanted to get zenthalo, but they didn’t have it. So, I had to settle for this stuff they made from fermented potatoes. I hope it’s good.”

She closed her lips around the straw.

Anna rushed forward, seizing the glass with both hands, gently pulling it away from Kez. “You can’t get drunk!” she exclaimed. “It’ll mess with your spatial awareness, and you won’t be able to walk!”

“Oh.”

“Plus, it’ll make your Nassai super cranky.”

“Oh.”

Closing her eyes, Anna shook her head in dismay. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I really haven’t had time to explain all the rules. There’s no booze in this house because Keepers seldom drink alcohol.”

A blush reddened Kez’s cheeks. “Well, that would have been good to know,” she said. “Before I procured twelve bottles of liquor.”

“Regretting your choice?”

“Not at all! I’ll happily give up booze if it means I can save people the way you do. It’s just a little embarrassing is all.”

Anna sensed a flicker of movement just before Melissa came into the living room. The young woman was checking her reflection in a makeup compact, frowning as though she regretted her choice of purple eyeshadow. She snapped the thing closed and sighed. “I’ll bring her up to speed,” she promised. “Kez and I are going to be friends.”

“We can use the extra booze to mix drinks for the other guests,” Anna added. “Don’t stress about it.”

“Sounds fun,” Kez replied. “I used to be a bartender, you know.”

Their conversation was cut short by the door chime.

Marching across the living room, Anna pulled the door open to find Crystal and Lauren Hunter on her porch. Both women greeted her with hugs and kisses on the cheek before hurrying into the house.

Two seconds later, Anna caught sight of her mother and sister shuffling along the narrow, stone path that cut through the grass. Alia was visibly pregnant; so, of course, Sierin had to fuss over her. She had a hand on Alia’s shoulder, gently guiding her to the house. “Easy now,” she murmured. “Just a little further.”

Anna tossed her head back, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “Five months, Mom!” she snapped. “She’s five months pregnant! She can walk to the door without you treating her like a toddler!”

That earned her a glare.

Stepping onto the porch, Alia smiled as she took Anna’s hands. “Hi,” she mumbled, bending forward to kiss Anna’s cheek. “You look good.”

“And you’re glowing.”

“Oh, well that makes all the back pain worth it.”

“Come inside!”

Taking her sister’s jacket, she hung it up on the coat rack. She was just about to make the introductions when she sensed her mother coming up behind her. Sierin was a misty figure in her mind, standing stiff-backed with a frown of disapproval. “Leana,” she said in clipped tones. “I see you’ve done so very little with your new home.”

And so, it begins…

Anna held back the biting comment that wanted to burst out of her mouth. It would only be filed away as yet another piece of evidence that she was an uncouth, disrespectful daughter. Just get through the night, she told herself for the fiftieth time. If you think this is bad, imagine what Jack must be going through.

As he peered through the shuttle’s cockpit window, Jack found himself mesmerized by the faint point of light in the infinite darkness. No matter how long he stared, it never came any closer. He was starting to think that was a metaphor for this god-awful journey.

He had been at warp for over thirteen hours, traveling at full speed to the nearest SuperGate. After that, it would be a twenty-minute jaunt from Proxima Centauri to Earth. He sometimes wondered why the Overseers would put a Gate within spitting distance of the Sol System, but today, he didn’t care. Anything that shortened this trip was a good thing. Not that he didn’t enjoy the company.

The cockpit door slid open, allowing Harry to come plodding through. “Make a note to whoever supplies these things,” he grumbled. “Whatever that powered stuff in the ration packs is, it’s not coffee.”

Grinning into his lap, Jack shook his head. “Why exactly did you come on this trip again?” He swiveled his chair around. “Doesn’t all of your family live on Alios now?”

Harry stood behind the starboard console with one hand in his jacket pocket, staring wistfully out the window. “My brother still lives on Earth,” he explained. “I want to see him one more time before…”

“Before we do something unbelievably stupid?”

“Something like that.”

With a heavy sigh, Jack got up and strode toward his friend, nodding once when Harry met his eyes. “I get it,” he said. “It’s ‘eat, drink and be merry’ time. But we have been through our share of dangerous missions.”

“We have.”

“So, I’m thinking all the doom and gloom is a bit premature.”

“Uh-huh…And this wouldn’t have anything to do with you not wanting to tell your father that you’re getting married?”

Jack’s smile widened, a flush staining his cheeks. He scrubbed the back of one hand across his forehead. “Well, if you insist on being all insightful about it,” he muttered under his breath. “You got any advice there?”

Harry looked up sharply, shocked by the question. “You’re asking me for marriage advice?”

“I assumed you had some little morsel of wisdom that you’ve been itching to share. I thought you liked being father-figure guy.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Harry shut his eyes. “No,” he breathed. “No, I’m the last guy you should go to for advice on making a marriage work. I think you’re gonna have to ask actual-father guy.”

“Yeah, like he knows the answer.”

Reclaiming his chair, Jack spun around to face the console. His hands flew over the SmartGlass. “We’re approaching the Gate,” he reported. “We should be on Earth in about half an hour.”

“I lied,” Harry blurted out.

Jack froze.

Now, what was this about? His relationship with Harry had been so strained lately that the thought of hearing the other man’s confession left him feeling uneasy. Summer was urging him toward patience, which was usually good advice.

Falling back against the seat cushion, Jack shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “What did you lie about?”

“I’m not going to Earth because I want to see my brother.”

“Then why?”

When he turned around, he found Harry standing by the door that led into the cabin, looking very much like a rabbit that wanted to bolt. “Do you recall the Overseer device that modified my brain?”

“The one that gave you the ability to control the N’Jal?”

“Yes. There was an Overseer in there – or a simulation of one, anyway – and it seemed to disagree with what the others were doing to humanity. I want to visit that device. I want to learn everything I can from that creature. Anything it tells us might be useful.”

“If I recall correctly, that device was in a Northern Ontario forest. The nearest town was at least a hundred kilometres away.”

Harry stepped forward between the port and starboard consoles, resting a hand on each one. “Yes,” he said. “Which is why I need you to drop me off within walking distance.”

“Sounds like a good plan. You want me to come with?”

A grimace twisted Harry’s face, and he shook his head. “No,” he said. “This is something I have to do alone. Trust me, Jack. I know what I’m doing.”

“I do trust you.” It was a pleasant surprise to realize that he meant every word of it. Harry’s deal with the Overseers had isolated him from the rest of the team, but no one else understood the aliens as well as he did. And there was no doubt in Jack’s mind that his friend had the best intentions. “I’ll put you down in the same place as last time. But I’m going to stay in the shuttle. If anything goes wrong, you call. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Deal.”

Raindrops slid over the taxi’s window as it settled to a stop on the curb of a quiet, suburban street. Streaks of water obscured Jack’s view of an old, yellow house with green shutters next to every window. The cloudy sky threatened to unleash another downpour, but for the moment, it was quiet.

The driver, a spindly man with a bald head and a blonde goatee, twisted around to favour Jack with a smile. “Fifty bucks,” he said.

Jack handed him a wad of bills, prompting a grunt that might have been this guy’s way of saying, “Thank you.” Squirreling the cash away in a bright, orange bag that he tucked under the seat, the driver shot a glance toward the house. “You want me to hang around for a few minutes? Take you back to the bus station?”

“No,” Jack sighed. “This’ll take a while.”

He pushed the door open, climbing out of the cab. The muggy air of a warm, May afternoon pressed in on him, clinging to his skin. The house was just how he remembered it: a cute, little building with two dormer windows poking out of its gabled roof. Almost like a pair of eyes.

Shuffling across the front lawn with his head down, Jack prepared himself for a very uncomfortable conversation. “Just get it over with,” he whispered. “Tell him you’re getting married; ask him to come. If he says no, that’s his choice.”

He knocked on the green front door.

A moment later, it swung inward to reveal Arthur Hunter standing in the foyer. Like the house, he hadn’t changed very much. There was a little more gray in his beard and his hair, a few more lines around his eyes, but for the most part, he was the same man Jack had always known.

He didn’t react to his son’s unexpected arrival; he just stood there with that thousand-yard stare, waiting for Jack to say something.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Jack.”

“So…We should talk.”

Arthur stepped aside, allowing Jack into the foyer. It had been a year since his last visit to this place. His eyes were drawn to the old, wooden staircase that went up to the second floor. For some reason, it was gloomy up there. Maybe it was just a trick of the light: an overcast sky, curtains left shut.

It saddened Jack to realize that this place didn’t feel like home anymore. Summer was pensive, her emotions percolating into his mind. She was always uncomfortable around Arthur. And for good reason.

Arthur didn’t like Nassai.

He had said as much many times over the years, even going so far is to insinuate that Summer had taken his son away from him. He seemed to think that the Nassai were controlling their hosts, and no amount of evidence to the contrary could change his mind.

Following his father through a long, narrow corridor, Jack kept his eyes glued to the floor. “So,” he began with a shrug. “How’ve you been?”

Arthur paused abruptly, glancing back over his shoulder. “Can’t complain.” He ducked into the family room, taking the leather easy chair that he liked so much. At some point, he had replaced the old TV with a newer model that displayed the ball game in brilliant 4K video. Boston was playing against Toronto. And it was sunny in Ontario.

Fiddling with the remote, Arthur scowled as he got lost in some sub-menu that controlled the sound settings. “These b****y things!” he barked. “You can never figure out how to work them.”

“You realize that’s complaining, right?”

“What do you want, Jack?”

Bracing one arm against the wooden door-frame, he studied his father for a long moment. “Straight to the point then,” he said. “Well, all right. Anna and I are getting married. We’d like you to come.”

Arthur turned his head, his blue eyes blazing when they fell upon Jack. “Uh-huh,” he said. “When did you get engaged?”

“About six months ago.”

“And I’m just hearing about it now?”

“Sorry about that. Been a little busy fighting a war, saving millions of people from an ugly death. Guess I got a little sidetracked.”

“Yeah, I heard. My kid’s an outlaw now.”

Jack plopped himself down on the old, blue couch, heaving out a breath. “Look, I’m not gonna argue with you,” he said. “Anna and I are getting married. Do you want to come or not?”

Arthur was silent for a moment. If he had to think this hard about it, then the answer was probably no. Jack had to resist the temptation to get up and walk away. “Yeah,” his father said at last. “Yeah, I’ll come.”

“Then pack your stuff. I’ll pick you up in a few hours. I have a friend who needs me to help him run an errand.”

“When are you due?” Lauren asked. She was seated on the living room couch with her back to the large, front window, a glass of red wine in her hand. Her easy smile made it clear that she was in her element. This was her kind of party. Anna was a little envious.

Alia was right next to her, cradling a cup of tea in both hands and smiling shyly for some reason. Anna had no idea why. Her sister loved talking about the baby. “The second week of Barlan,” she said. “In the new year.”

“You must be so excited!” Crystal chimed in.

“Yes,” Sierin replied. “She is.”

Hunched over in a small, folding chair, Anna looked up to fix a glare upon her mother. “She’s a grown woman,” she said. “She can answer for herself.”

Sierin stood behind Anna with a glass of wine raised to her lips, peering over the rim at her eldest daughter. “Yes,” she agreed. “I suppose she can.”

Retrieving the clear bottle from the coffee table, Lauren topped off her glass. “So, what about you, Anna?” she asked. “Do you ever wish you could have kids?”

Anna burst out laughing. “No!” she said, shaking her head emphatically. “No! No! Big no on motherhood. I love kids, I just…I don’t think I ever wanted to be a parent.”

Spatial awareness made it impossible not to sense her mother’s grimace. It was no secret that Sierin objected to her daughter Bonding a symbiont. Anna had always thought that it was out of concern for her safety. But maybe Sierin really wanted grandkids. Well, Alia’s got that covered.

“I just don’t know how you guys can do it,” Lauren remarked. “Steve and I put off having kids until we were financially secure. But now that we’re here, I guess that’s not really an issue anymore. I was in no hurry to get pregnant, but I’d never want to give up the option.”

Jena and Larani stood side by side against the wall, both exchanging nervous glances. Had the sacrifice been hard for them? It had never occurred to Anna that some of her colleagues might have wanted children. “The life of a Keeper does not allow much room for children,” Larani said.

“Okay, new topic,” Anna said. “Let’s play a game.”

Kez perked up at that, turning away from her quiet conversation with Melissa. “How about that Earth game you like so much?” she suggested. “It is your night, after all.”

“You mean chess?”

“Yeah, the one with the horse and the castle.”

The thought of playing chess was like a knife through Anna’s heart. Memories of her many games against Telixa came roaring back. The admiral’s death was still fresh in her mind. She hadn’t had a chance to grieve. It had been one thing after another from the moment they left Ragnos.

Rising from her chair, Anna winced and shuddered. “Excuse me for a moment.” She turned on her heel and marched into the kitchen before anyone could ask what was wrong. Now was not the time to talk about it.

She braced her hands on the counter, head hanging as she tried to calm herself. How was she supposed to get married when the grief she had been ignoring was always there in the background, threatening to break through her defenses.

Anna shut her eyes, hot tears streaming over her cheeks. “It’s gonna be okay,” she whispered. “It’s gonna be okay. She knows you forgive her.”

She wasn’t at all sure about that last one. Once upon a time, her faith in the Companion and the afterlife had been unshakable. But now? After everything she had seen? You would think that having Jena return from the dead would do something to rekindle her belief, but it only made things worse.

If the Overseers were to be believed, the human soul was nothing but a collection of particles that had not yet been identified by human science. Sure, you could transfer it from one body to another, but even the Overseers didn’t know what happened after you died. That didn’t bode well for anyone trying to maintain a spiritual side.

She had a moment’s warning when Melissa’s misty silhouette stepped into the kitchen doorway. Kez was with her, the pair of them standing side by side, trying to work up the nerve to say something.

“I’m okay,” Anna said before they could speak.

“You don’t look okay,” Melissa observed

Turning around, Anna leaned against the counter and brushed a tear off her cheek. “I am,” she assured them. “It’s just…Chess reminds me of Telixa.”

Kez was frowning thoughtfully. “Your admiral friend.”

“I’d heard that she died,” Melissa added. “Anna, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just…How many people have we lost since this all started? Raynar, Ben, Gabi, Jon.”

“We got someone back too,” Melissa noted.

Kez scowled, trying to figure out what in Bleakness they were talking about. “You got someone back?” she asked. “How exactly does that work?”

“It’s a long story,” Anna said. “I’ll tell you later. Right now, we have a party to attend.”