Horizon Seeds (Complete)

Chapter Three

Headline: GOVERNMENTS SCRAMBLE TO BLOCK BANCROFT LAWSUIT
Headline: RIOTS IN AUSTRALIA OVER BORDER CONTROL, 309 KILLED
Headline: UN TO HOST WORLD TRADE SUMMIT IN PAKISTAN
Headline: CHINESE BLAME INSECT CONTROL MEASURES ON FOOD CRISIS
Headline: LOCAL CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL SEED TRADING

Arriving back in her inner city apartment after her shift, Valerie placed her hybrid plant on the kitchen island, not sure where to put it. She showered and threw her uniform into the small washer unit, and with the load full, she turned it on. Her apartment was spacious for inner-city living. The white and pale blue décor gave a clean feel, with warm overhead lights highlighting the faux wooden furniture in each room. The kitchen with its breakfast bar had all the latest appliances, just not the latest models. The bedroom led to the bathroom and the alcove next to the lounge housed her study desk and a few antique books. Personal touches, conch shells, blue vases, and simple pacific island ornaments adorned shelf edges and the kitchen island. A large, hand-blown glass fruit bowl sat on the extra deep window ledge in her lounge. There was no fresh fruit sitting in the bowl, just a potted orchid plant with large white moth-like petals.

Dinner was a microwave meal that cost her a lot, but eating out downtown cost her way more than she was willing to fork out for, so TV dinners it was. It wasn't that she couldn't cook, her mother had taught her how as a pre-teen, but she couldn't afford the fresh produce necessary for a home-cooked meal. Gone are the days of fresh food and real meals. She'd only had one of those since she'd transferred back into the state to work for the Hamilton City PD and that meal was catered for by her alien charge when she and Chan had invited to their annual Remembrance Day celebration. She had guessed it is like America's Independence Day celebrations or Chinese New Year, but with more frills and less BBQ. Talk about culture shock. Both the cops at the celebration were under-dressed along with many of the other human delegates that attended. Awkward that it was, the best thing about it was that it was held on Laupshi'i Flivve's ship in atmosphere over Hamilton City. At 8 kilometres above sea level, it made for an incredible view, and the ship itself was a marvel of alien technology and resourcefulness.

A knock sounded on her apartment door, a knock she had been expecting. She placed her half-eaten meal on the kitchen island and straightened her hair. The LED screen next to the door showed the face of the man she was looking forward to seeing that night. His dark brown hair looked like he'd been running his hands through it all day and his blue eyes matched the smile on his stubbled face. She opened the door, took his raised hand as he was about to knock again and dragged him into the apartment and into a warm hug. Releasing him she quickly closed the door against nosy neighbours dragged him further into the lounge space.

'So good to see you, Brandon.' She said.

'Missed me? Or was your day just a tad too exciting for you, like always?' His sarcasm earned him a smile and they both dropped down onto the cream fleather couch. It might be two years out of date, but the Othshali'i-inspired, fake feather covered couch was the softest piece of furniture she owned and she wasn't giving it up.

'How was your day, Valerie?' he asked. It was the same routine. She'd recount her boring day babysitting aliens while he talked about his latest court appearance.

'My day was slow, but mostly uneventful. My client thanked me for my service and gave me a gift.' She pointed to the pink and green plant on her kitchen breakfast bar. 'It was a really nice gesture. How was your day?'

'Wow. Its not everyday you get given an alien plant.' He smiled at her. 'My day was super busy.' He tucked am arm around her and she leaned into his warmth. Listening to her boyfriend talk, with his deep baritone voice was always pleasing to Valerie.