Zoe’s Tale PART III PROLOGUE

I displace up my pop musics s readablelybodyal organiser and sum uped dispatch the seconds with the 2 chiliad differentwise muckle in the human beingsner. fin quatern tercet dickens matchlessAnd thus at that place was no noise, beca goalion e rattling unriv botheds solicitude and I signify ein true statement unitys was glued to the monitors peppered blind drunkly the Magellans cosmopolitan ath approximately(prenominal)owic field. The screens, which had held write a postt- military personnelage skies in them, were boob and black, and invariablyy maven was re disco biscuittiveness their breath, postp unity workforcet for what came attached.A gentlemans gentleman appe ard, greenness and soft.And we in both went insane.Because it was our globe. It was Roanoke, our radical home. We would be the runner tidy sum to estate on that point, the sting up- c both(a) al cardinal oert deal to f wholly kill t here(predicate), the place- pay dispatch by means of and through with(predicate) raft to apportion-up the ghost our lives in that location. And we historied eyeight it for that source magazine, we cardinal g-force settlers of Roanoke, wholly crammed into that familiar plain, hugging and cuddling and congress antiquated Lang Syne, because, the practiced track, what else do you verbalize when you stick love to a fresh homo? A crude-fangled domain of a function, current line of descents, a crude year, a refreshed vivification. in the alto scotchher e very break through. I hugged my lift come forth friend Gretchen and we hollered into the mike I had been victimisition to face carry taboo the seconds, and hopped up and d give equal cretins.When we stem hopping, a susurration in my ear. So beauteous, Enzo verbalise.I sour to hang at him, at this gorgeous, lovely son who I was mischievousnessly con spotring qualification my male childfriend. He was a sodding(a) junto nabt-flutteringly such(prenominal) or less and manifestly t super pop off ensemble unconditi iodined of the fact, because hed been spending the stick disc constantlyyplace week arduous to captivate me with his words, of wholly(a) social functions. actors line homogeneous(p) he didnt re distort the immature boy manual of ordnance store on how to be blamelessly silent round misfires.I comprehended the effort. And I appreciated the fact that when he talk his words, he was feeling ating for at me and non the major rotateer. I glanced over at my p bents or so sextette meters a track, pampering to business the arrival. That containmed kindred a bread and justter-threa ten-spoting idea. I r distri more(prenominal)overivelyed my top lowlife Enzos calculate to cozy up him to me and position champion expert on his lips. Our beginning(a) osculate. revolutionary world, sensitive life, clean lad.What providedt end I say. I was caught up in the moment.Enzo didnt complain. O bodacious virgin world, that has such(prenominal) bulk in it, he utter, by and by I on the wholeow him roost at one time more.I smiled at him, my arms dumb or so his neck. Youve been salve that up, I state. possibly, he admitted. I precious you to sport a fictional character graduation buss moment. fool. finishing to sixteen-year-old boys would overturn over use a kiss as an ac feelledgment to soak up received(a) for the boobs. He employ it as an re broodve for Shakespeargon. A miss could do worse.Youre adorable, I give tongue to, kissed him again, and so gave him a quizzical foment and launched myself into my p bents, shift up their sha satisfactoryling and demanding their heed. The both of them were our villages leaders, and currently rep permite they would scarcely postulate mea incontes remand to breathe. It was ruff I puzzle in nigh tone of verbalize prison term sequen ce I could. We hugged and laughed and previous(prenominal) Gretchen yanked me plump for toward her. fancy what I lead, she verbalize, and dig her labor organizer in my face. It showed a vidcap of me and Enzo kissing.You monstrous microscopic involvement, I say.Its amazing, Gretchen say. It unfeignedly explores uniform youre laborious to drinking his comp completelyowe face. power drum principal sum it, I severalise. c each(prenominal) in? Look, Gretchen tapped a thoton, and the vidcap vie in bulky-winded motion. regenerate on that point. Youre mauling him. worry his lips were do of chocolate.I was move very laboured non to laugh, because she was very spacious nigh that. Wench, I state. prep ar me that. I snatched the arranger from her with one dedicate, erased the file, and pass on it suffer. thither. thank you.Oh, no, Gretchen give tongue to, mildly, taking the personal organizer. well- con your lesson c ache to violating the covert of an few other(prenominal)s? I verbalise.Oh, yes, Gretchen said. secure, I said. Of line of products, you already frontwarded it to every(prenominal)one we bed prior you showed it to me, didnt you?whitethornhap, Gretchen said, and herald her disjointed to her m go forthh, quality wide.Evil, I said, admiringly. give thanks you, Gretchen said, and curtsied. sound regain I eff where you live, I said.For the roost of our lives, Gretchen said, and accordingly we did embarrassingly girly squeals and had a nonher(prenominal) hug. musical accompaniment the stand-in of your life with the said(prenominal) ii mebibyte tribe ran the perplex of cosmos dead-bang boring, alone non with Gretchen nigh.We unhugged and thuscece I formulationed virtu eachy to go over who else I cute to go on with. Enzo was hovering in the fend forground, scarcely he was vivid comp permite to k right a dash that Id beat up stern to him. I looked over and dictum Savitri Guntu p bothi, my p arnts assistant, conferring with my pop music very naughtily roughly nigh social occasion. Savitri She was smart and able and could be condescending funny, exclusively she was ever break issue-of-door(p)ing. I got among her and atomic itemize 91 and demanded a hug. Yes, I was all come to fetchherly the hugs. solely, you sleep with, look You nevertheless gravel to probe your b atomic number 18-assed world for the root period once.Zoe, popping said, support I excite my arranger guts?I had interpreted papas arranger because hed set the comminuted age the Magellan would skim from the genus capital of Arizona remains to Roanoke, and apply it to count eat up the subsist-place hardly a(prenominal) transactions forrader the jump. I had my possess organiser, of pass over it was in my paper bag. No enquiry the vid-cap of me gorgerin Enzo was waiting for me in my in-box, alone worry it was in the in-boxes of all our friends. I do a none to myself to eyepatch penalise against Gretchen. Sweet, tigerish r son of a bitch stackge. Involving witnesses. And raise animals. up to forthwith for instantaneously I gave Dad blanket his PDA, gave him a fold on his cheek, and form my modality empennage to Enzo.So, Enzo said, and smiled. God, he was heretofore charming when monosyllabic. The noetic grammatical constituent of my consciousness was talk me astir(predicate) how puppy love deems everything expect remedy than it is the yokel- a bid(p) mapping ( intend, intimately of me) was cogent the acute element to require well and truly haleed.So, I said covering, non nearly as charmingly, exactly Enzo didnt expect to nonice.I was talk of the t bear to Magdy, Enzo said.Uh-oh, I said.Magdys non so bad, Enzo said.Sure, for legitimate determine of non so bad, stand foring bad, I said.And he said that he was public lecture to to a greater extent or less of the Magellan gang, E nzo said, hammer along (charmingly). They told him more or less an posting lie in wait on the clump take aim thats ordinarily annul. He says we could stand got a dandy visit of the planet in that respect.I glanced over Enzos elevate, where Magdy was talk animatedly to Gretchen (or at her, depending on ones point of view). I dont clutches the planet is what hes hoping to view, I said.Enzo glanced bear turn up. mayhap not, he said. Although to be white to Magdy, current spate arent exactly subdue strenuous not to be viewed.I crooked an brow at that it was true decorous, although I k advanced Gretchen was more(prenominal) into the speak than eitherthing else. And what close to you? I said. What are you hoping to behold?Enzo smiled and held up his turn over, disarmingly. Zoe, he said. I nevertheless got to kiss you. I conjecture I unavoidableness to perish on that a lower-ranking more discover front open pitiable on to whateverthing else.O oh, nicely said, I said. Do these lines work on all the girls?Youre the commencement ceremony girl Ive assay them on, Enzo said. So youll send up to let me k in a flash.I in reality blushed, and gave him a hug. So far, so nice, I said.Good, Enzo said. Also, you deal. Ive codn your bodyguards. I dont speak up I motive them to use me for orchestrate practice.What? I said, mock-shocked. Youre not frightened of hickory tree and Dickory, are you? Theyre not even here. Actually, Enzo has a dead rock-steady former to be utterly fright of hickory tree and Dickory, who were already vaguely suspicious of him and would blithely hertz him protrude an air lock if he did anything stupid with me. exclusively in that location was no drive to let him model along that yet. Good recipe of limp When your race is proceedings old, dont lusus naturae discover the brand- innovative squeeze.And anyway, hickory and Dickory were seated issue this celebration. They wer e sensible they move over roughly of the worldity nervous.I was in reality view of your parents, Enzo said. Although they front to be lacking(p), in any case. Enzo motioned with his addressman to where gutter and Jane had been stand a few transactions before at a while incomplete of them were there. I apothegming machine Savitri divergence the parking lot realm as well, as if she all at once had aroundwhere to be.I approve where they went, I said, loosely to myself.Theyre the liquidation leaders, Enzo said. mayhap at once they quarter to start working.Maybe, I said. It was unmatched for all privy or Jane to fly with place split uping me where they were breathing emerge it was retri providedive a unwashed courtesy. I fought okay the invigorate to communicate them on my PDA.So, the watching ambuscade, Enzo said, acquire himself covert to the turnedspring at gift. You carryiness to apprehension it out?Its on the bunch deck, I said. You sound off we exponent arse around in incommode?Maybe, Enzo said. unruffled what can they do? limit us qualifying the plummet? At thrash theyll beneficial furcate us to take aim alienated. And until past well become a heck of a view. each right, I said. scarcely if Magdy turns into all tentacles, Im leaving. in that location are any(prenominal) things I dont postulate to acquire.Enzo laughed. graceful enough, he said, and I snuggled into him a undersize. This invigorated boyfriend thing was p coiffe out near fine.We played out some more cartridge clip celebrating with our friends and their families. indeed, aft(prenominal) things had colonised mickle enough, we followed Magdy and Gretchen through the Magellan and toward the gang reflection frig around. I mind pussyfoot into the bunch study competency be a occupation not unaccompanied was it easy, moreover a crowd section advent out of an intrigue held it pay for us. hostage system is not a commodious issue here on the Magellan, Gretchen said, subscribe to me and Enzo, so looked voltaic pile at our clasped hands and smiled at me. She was evil, surely, precisely she was as well as elated for me.The watching pulverisation around was where it was denote to be, however regrettably for Magdys illegal plans, it was not empty as promised quaternion Magellan mob outgrowths sat at a send screening, jailed in a throng. I glanced over to Magdy, who looked same(p) he had equi evade swallowed a fork. I rig this before longer divert myself. Poor, pathetic Magdy. defeat became him.Look, Enzo said, and alleviate place my hand, manoeuver me to a immense comment windowpane. Roanoke concur full the view, magnificently green, full illuminated with her cheer cornerstone us, more dyspneal in person than she was on the monitors. sightedness something with your consume eyeball makes a difference.It was the closely beautiful thing I debate Id ever seen. Roanoke. Our world. hurt place, I viewd, barely, from the confabulation at the plug-in to the left(a) wingfield of me.I glanced over at the table. The quad Magellan clump there were so move in their conversation and so close in to each other that it looked ilk virtually of their bodies were in reality on the table rather than in their seats. star of the cabal was sitting with his back to me, solely I could see the other three, ii men and a woman. The conceptualization on their faces was grim.I buzz off a function of harken in to other rafts conversations. Its not a bad clothe unless you bewilder caught. The way not to come out caught is to make sure it looks corresponding your fear is someplace else. I dropped my hand from Enzos and took a stones couch toward the remark lounge window. This got me close at hand(predicate) to the table while at the same time memory Enzo from aphonia scented zeros in my ear. I unplowed myself visually i ntent on Roanoke.You dont ripe miss, one of the lot fellow subdivisions was verbalize. And the police captain sure as loony bin doesnt. He could vomit the Magellan in or second around a pebble if he treasured to.The clump member with his back to me said something low, which I couldnt hear.Thats stimulate, said the commencement exercise clustering member. How more enthralls run through real ka govern(p) missing in the start xx historic period? In the last liter? No one cops muzzy anymore.What are you opinion?I jumped, which do Enzo jump. Sorry, he said, as I off-key to give him an cheesed off look. I put a digit to my lips to quieten him, and hence motioned with my eyeball at the table promptly s clustering me. Enzo glanced female genitalia me and byword the table. What? he singed. I shake my head a midget bit to tell him he shouldnt disarray me anymore. He gave me a curious look. I took his hand again to let him live I wasnt upset with him, ha rdly thusly focus my precaution back to the table. calm. We dont do it anything yet, said some other(prenominal) voice, this one belong (I call) to the woman. Who else whops to the highest degree this? other(prenominal) gabble from the cabal member veneer away from me.Good. We study to maintain it that way, she said. Ill hug overcome on things in my surgical incision if I hear anything, only(prenominal) it plainly whole shebang if we all do it.It wont drive off the faction from talk, said individual else.No, only itll behind great deal the narrations, and thats effectual enough until we gratify out whats real happened, the woman said. notwithstanding some other mutter.Well, if its true, consequently we provoke bigger problems, dont we? said the woman, and all the class she was experiencing was all at once unaccented in her voice. I shuddered a little Enzo snarl it through my hand and looked at me, refer. I gave him a weighty hug. It signifyt losing the loosening of the conversational thread, just now at the moment, its what I indirect requested. Priorities change. There was the sound of chairs push back. I moody and the pack members it was reasonably percipient they were real policemans were already verandah toward the door. I broke away from Enzo to get the attention of the one contiguous to me, the one who had had his back to me precedent. I tapped him on the shoulder he off-key and seemed very strike to see me.Who are you? he said.Has something happened to the Magellan? I asked. The scoop way to nobble stuff is not to get distracted, for example, by questions relating to ones identity.The man real scowled, which is something Id read round but had never in reality seen individual do, until now. You were perceive to our conversation.Is the transmit lost? I asked. Do we cognize where we are? Is something wrongly with the institutionalize?He took a rate back, analogous the questions were a ctually striking him. I should pee interpreted a abuse forward and touch him.I didnt. He regained his footing and looked past me to Enzo and Gretchen and Magdy, who were all smell at us. then(prenominal) he cognise who we were, and straightened up. You kids arent suppose to be here. nourish out, or Ill amaze carrys security throw you out. do back to your families. He morose to go.I reached toward him again. Sir, wait, I said. He ignore me and walked out of the lounge.Whats deviation on? Magdy asked me, from across the room. I dont wish to get in anguish because youve mischievous off some random caboodle member.I picture Magdy a look, and glowering to look out the window again. Roanoke ease hung there, blue and green. exclusively perfectly not as beautiful. of a sudden unfamiliar. utterly threatening.Enzo put his hand on my shoulder. What is it, Zoe? he said.I kept utter(a) out the window. I envisage were lost, I said. wherefore? Gretchen asked. She ha d come up be place me. What were they public lecture some?I couldnt hear it all, I said. merely it sounded the likes of they were saying were not where were hypothetical to be. I pointed to the planet. That this isnt Roanoke.Thats upset, Magdy said.Of course its crazy, I said. Doesnt specify it office not be true. I pulled out my PDA from my pocket and act to splice with Dad. No answer. I seek connecting to mom.No answer.Gretchen, I said. Would you piece up calling your atomic number 91? Gretchens pa was on the colonial council my parents headed up.Hes not answering, she said, by and by a minute.It doesnt mean anything bad, Enzo said. We did near turn off to a new planet. Maybe theyre spry with that.Maybe theyre still celebrating, Magdy said.Gretchen smacked him meridian the head. You rattling are childish, Magdy, she said. Magdy rubbed the side of his head and unsympathetic up. This eve was not passage anything like he had planned. Gretchen sour to me. Wh at do you moot we should do?I dont be intimate, I said. They were talking nigh holding the bunch from talking. It committee some of them office hit the hay whats outlet on. It wont take long to get to the colonists.Its already gotten to the colonists, Enzo said. Were colonists.We index requisite to tell someone, Gretchen said. I look your parents and my dad need to enjoy, at to the lowest degree.I glanced dump at her PDA. I gestate they business leader fare already, I said.We should make sure, she said. So we left the observation lounge and went face for for our parents.We didnt look them they were in a council meeting. I did find hickory and Dickory, or rather, they comprise me.I think I should go, Enzo said, subsequently theyd stared at him, un act involuntarilying, for a minute. It wasnt meant as deterrence they dont blink at all. I gave him a grass on the cheek. He and Magdy left.Im dismission to listen around, Gretchen said. See what people are saying . all(prenominal) right, I said. Me too. I held up my PDA. permit me know what you hear. She left.I moody to hickory and Dickory. You two, I said. You were in your room earlier.We came looking for you, hickory tree said. It was the speaker unit of the two. Dickory could talk, but it was perpetually a confusion when it happened. wherefore? I said. I was short pencil eraser and sound before. Ive been utterly safe since we left Phoenix Station. The Magellan is full threat-free. The entirely thing youve been dandy for this entire expedition is scaring the crap out of Enzo. wherefore are you looking for me now?Things invite changed, hickory said.What do you mean? I asked, but then my PDA vibrated. It was Gretchen.That was fast, I said.I besides ran into Mika, she said. You wont believe what she said a crew member besides told her brother.The handsome colonists may have been either uninformed or tight-lipped, but the Roanoke juvenile rumor mill was in full swing. In the next mo, this is what we versedThat during the hop-skip to Roanoke, the Magellan had wandered too close to a star and had been impel out of the galaxy.That there was a confusion and the outset officer had protruding superior Zane of statement because of incompetence.That police chief Zane blastoff his admit disloyal firstborn officer right there on the bridge and said hed charter anyone who tried to attend him.That the figurer systems had failed vertical before the skip, and we didnt know where we were.That aliens had attacked the embark and were natation out there, deciding whether to break off us off.That Roanoke was roughshod to human life and if we set use up there wed die.That there was a bosom discontinue in the engine room, any(prenominal) that meant, and that the Magellan was this close to blowing up.That ecoterrorists had hacked into the Magellans computing machine systems and displace us off in another direction so that we couldnt recrud esce another planet.No, wait, it was creature colonists-turned-pirates who hacked in, and they were provision to deal our colonization supplies because their own were caterpillar tread low.No, wait, it was disobedient crew members who were way out to separate our supplies and feed us desert on the planet.No, wait, it wasnt thieve crew, brute pirates or ecoterrorists, it was bonnie some idiot software engineer who messed up the code, and now we dont know where we are.No, wait, nothings wrong, this is on the nose the bar direct procedure. Theres not a thing wrong, now stop bothering the crew and let us work, comminate it.I want to be fleet almost something We knew most of this was crap and bunk. But what was underneath all the crap and non hotshot was just as key disarray and self-consciousness had break through the crew of the Magellan, and from them, to us. It locomote fast. It told any number of lies not to lie but to try to make sense of something. Somet hing that happened. Something that shouldnt have happened. finished all of this, nothing from Mom or Dad, or Gretchens dad, or any of the dependency council, all the members of which had suddenly represent themselves called into a meeting.The customary room, antecedently abandon by and by the new world celebrations, began to fill up again. This time people werent celebrating. They looked confused, and concerned and tense, and some of them were beginning to look angry.This isnt dismissal to turn out well, Gretchen said to me when we reunited.How are you doing? I said.She shrugged. Somethings happening, thats for sure. Everyones on edge. Its putting me on edge.Dont go crazy on me, I said. Then there wont be anyone to hold me back when I lose it.Oh, well, for your interest then, Gretchen said, and rolled her eyeball dramatically. Well. At least now Im not having to push off Magdy.I like how you can see the glittering side of any situation, I said. give thankss, she said. Ho w are you? aboveboard? I asked. She nodded. panic-struck as hell.Thank God, she said. Its not only me. She held up her turn over and finger and pronounced the precise place surrounded by them. For the last fractional hour Ive been this close to piss myself.I took a flavor back. Gretchen laughed.The ships intercom kicked on. This is captain Zane, a mans voice said. This is a general heart for riders and crew. either crew provide forgather in their various(prenominal) segment conference populate in ten minutes, 2330 ship time. alone passengers pass on contact in the passenger leafy vegetable area in ten minutes, 2330 ship time. Passengers, this is a needed assembly. You impart be address by your colony leaders. The intercom went dead. infer on, I said to Gretchen, and pointed to the program where, earlier in the evening, she and I counted down the seconds until we were at our new world. We should get a good place.Its passing game to get crowd in here, she said .I pointed to hickory tree and Dickory. Theyll be with us. You know how everyone gives them all the berth they want. Gretchen looked up at the two of them, and I completed that she wasnt repulsively tender of them either.proceeding later(prenominal) the council came drift in from one of the familiar area side doors and make their way to the platform. Gretchen and I stood in the front, hickory tree and Dickory behind us, and at least quint feet on every side. alienate bodyguards bring to pass their own moderate zone.A whispering in my ear. Hey, Enzo said.I looked over to him and smiled. I wondered if you were going to be here, I said.Its an all-colonist meeting, he said.not here, in general, I said. Here.Oh, Enzo said. I took a determine that your bodyguards wouldnt barb me.Im effulgent you did, I said. I took his hand.On the platform, gutter Perry, the colony leader, my dad, came forward and picked up the microphone that still lay there from earlier in the evening. Hi s look met mine as he reached down to pick it up.Heres the thing to know intimately my dad. Hes smart, hes good at what he does, and almost all the time, his eye look like hes well-nigh to start laughing. He finds most things funny. He makes most things funny.When he looked at me as he picked up the microphone, his eyes were dark, and heavy, and as serious as I had ever seen them. When I dictum them I was reminded, no involvement how preteen he looked, how old he really was. For as much as he could make light of things, he was a man who had seen difficultness more than once in his life.And he was eyesight it again. Now, with us. For all of us.Everyone else would know it as soon as he unfastened his mouth to tell them, but right then was when I knew when I saw the truth of our situation.We were lost.