Opal 77: Skewed Space (Jerrie)

Part 11

"Ms. Jade, your mother is here to see you."

Jade lifted her head with a groan. "Tell her I'll be out in a bit."

Though weeks had gone by since Jade's return, she was still just as exhausted. Maybe this had to do with her insomnia, or maybe it was the fact that her motivation to live was hanging by a thread. She spent most of her days in bed trying to tune out the world, but it was a different story at night.

When the earth's moon was up so was she, scrounging around on the dark web to find any traces of a connection to Perrie. Corporate secrets, illegal military operations, genetic enhancement, the "plantation". Nothing. Every search lead to another dead end, made worse by a flicker of hope that this wasn't the end of the rabbit trail. There has to be some evidence of this somewhere. Some whispers of incredible human strength, a lone survivor of a deadly massacre, anything. But every direction Jade looked brought about more questions than answers, and a spoon full of despair.

She grabbed a shirt from the floor and threw it on, not caring if it was clean. She was unfazed by the comments her mother would make, already preparing for the worst as she entered the living room of her flat. She hadn't seen her mother since Claud's funeral service, being slightly surprised that she would call on her so soon. After James died Norma married her work, so visits were few and far between.

"What do you want?" Jade asked coldly, not caring to put on a warm facade.

"Oh dear, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this... Afternoon." Norma joked, but there was a spiteful undertone to her words. "And who says I want anything? Maybe I just stopped by to say a nice hello to my dearest daughter."

"I'm your only daughter."

"Now Pet, don't be so snappy." Norma replied, walking over to greet her daughter. She gave her a polite kiss on the cheek, but it was really kissing the air beside Jade.

"You really need to take better care of yourself." Norma exclaimed after passing by Jade to look at the kitchen. "This place is a mess! I should fire your maids."

"I told them not to touch anything." Jade said as she followed her mother into the kitchen, briefly making eye contact with her current maid as she peaked around the corner. She never bothered to learn their names, but made sure they knew to refer to her as just Ms. Jade. It was bad enough to be reminded by her mother constantly, she would rather be exempt of expectations in her own home.

"Should I ask why that is, or will you tell me?" Norma asked, a disgusted look on her face as she took a gander at the sink.

I don't want them to wash away the last remnants of Claud. Jade thought to herself. She was unwilling to admit this to her mother, who could already tell by the silence that she wouldn't receive an answer.

"Well anyway, I came by to remind you about the fundraiser tonight."

Jade's heart stopped. Of course her mother wouldn't just stop by to say a nice hello to her dearest daughter. There's always an alternate motive when it comes to Norma Thirlwall. "What fundraiser? What are you talking about?"

"Jade Amelia Thirlwall, do not joke about this." Norma pauses, studying her daughters face as she was met with a blank stare. "You can't be serious! Your fathers annual fundraiser gala, for medical engineering!"

"Do I have to go to that?" Jade grumbled, turning away from her mother to hide the tears springing to her eyes. Though her voice was steady her temper wasn't. After everything she had been through she had assumed her mother would be more understanding. But even now Jade was expected to engage in civil conversation at a fundraiser dedicated to her late father, after being stranded on a foreign planet for weeks, and loosing her best friend, and loosing-