Cousins Esther and Tempest have been separated by cities, countries, and continents all their lives; but now, when both girls need each other the most, they are separated by lightyears.
Tempest is stuck on a vessel to Janus, forced into keeping the...
"We have a lot of power as ambassadors for the World Alliance. We can help rebuild the world however we'd like. We need to make sure we are creating a world that reflects our beliefs instead of the beliefs of men from the past. We can't have another empire like Roberts and Cooper tried to create. We have to have one that is built for the people by the people."
-Ava Becker
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TEMPEST
I had been far too distracted by Yuri to really notice the Mayflower's size and greatness; but now that my parents and I have climbed aboard, past the halls and halls of safety mandated vaults and pressure stabilization containers, I shelf my anger long enough to take in the ship around me. From the outside, it looks like we've been placed inside a gigantic bullet some sick God plans to shoot into the stars to tear my universe apart. But once we pass the sterile pressure vaults, we enter into an entirely different vibe.
Mom groans and Dad breathes a little uneasily, but I feel like a hotshot walking through the ship now. The decor is all high-class and glamorous. Rich golds and reds and purples paint the wide hall, and the marble flooring is so polished, I can see myself in the reflection. "Okay, this is pretty awesome," I say, but my parents don't seem as convinced. Both of them look tense, and for the first time in a while, they have nothing to say. Maybe it's because I'm finally not arguing with them about condemning me to this trip through space, but I'm certain that's not it. They're uncomfortable. To the point of silence.
Whatever. If they're not going to enjoy the fancy atmosphere of my prison, then at least I'll appreciate it. Pieces of art recovered from around the world hang on the walls, filling the crimson space between each of the gold doors where passengers will sleep. Guards from the various countries that are represented on this voyage—Japanese, Chinese, South African, British, Greecian, Israeli, Canadian, French, Italian, and American—stand on either side of the hall to greet us, unarmed for moving day. They bow their heads and smile back at me as I strut through the hall. I suddenly wish I had come dressed in the fanciest dress I could find, so that at least I could have a few moments of escapism when I didn't have to remember that I am Tempest Becker, prisoner of spoiled-brat-emperor-to-be Yuri Oshiro's affection.
Toward the end of the hall, a soldier steps out of the line, and salutes us. "Becker Family," he addresses us.
"At ease," Dad replies.
The soldier—a young man with dark skin who wears the emblem of Appalachia on his uniform—relaxes and after a moment of standing perfectly straight for my parents, breaks into laughter. Dad opens his arms for the soldier and embraces him, patting him on the back a couple of times before letting go. This must be someone they know from back in Hicksmon, I think, but I don't recognize him. It's been a while since I was in Hicksmon, though.
"How are you Neo?" Dad asks.
Upon the question, I remember the soldier. The name is familiar, and as soon as I place it, his face finds its match in my memory. It's an old memory from when I was little. This soldier was a boy then, only five years older than me, and he and his twin sister Oriana babysat us in Hicksmon. Esther and I ran around the then newly developed Hicksmon and occasionally stopped our running to dance with our parents and our friends after Celia Rivera and Julian Guzman got married. As Esther and I jumped up and down to the music, Oriana and Neo came to take our hands and lead us in more rhythmic movements. Neo took my hands in his and hopped back and forth with me. I don't remember anything else but the childish laughter that bubbled out of me and the smile that shone brightly on his dark face.
