14. Maryse

CHAPTER 14

MARYSE

" A s you can see from the molecular breakdown charts..." June points to our holoscreen with perfect academic poise. "All matter is fed back into the system to begin the next cycle. And the best part?"

Eve bounces on her toes. "It can handle the biological waste of over ten thousand sapient species."

"Ten thousand DIFFERENT sapient species," June adds. "It's a normal sized toilet."

Laughter ripples through the lecture hall. Even stuffy Professor Chen cracks a smile.

"This could revolutionize long-range spacecraft design." Professor Chen adjusts his glasses. "The energy conversion rate alone..."

I beam with pride as he rattles off calculations. My fingers trace the edge of the collar again, remembering how Bruticus fastened it around my neck. The metal may be cloaked, but its weight grounds me, reminds me of promises made in darkness.

"The maintenance requirements are minimal," I say, forcing my mind back to the presentation. "Annual inspections of the containment field should suffice."

"Excellent work, ladies." Professor Chen nods approvingly. "This could have real applications for deep space missions."

My classmates applaud. June and Eve high-five each other while I gather our materials. Things really are coming together - my grades, my love life, everything. Tonight I'll celebrate with Bruticus, show him just how much his support means to me.

The collar tingles against my skin. Just a few more hours until I'm back in his arms.

"We need ice cream after that presentation." Eve loops her arm through mine. "Come on, my treat."

"Triple scoop for the engineering genius." June grabs my other arm.

The sweet shop's neon sign bathes us in pink light as we settle into our usual booth. Eve licks her spoon with a wicked grin.

"So, how's tall, dark, and bony treating you?"

"Eve!" Heat creeps up my neck.

"See?" June points her spoon at me. "A week ago that would have turned her into a tomato. They're getting serious."

"How can you tell?"

"She's not blushing as deep anymore when we tease her. Plus look at that smile she can't hide."

My hand drifts to my collar, hidden beneath its holographic cloak.

"We need to meet him." Eve leans forward. "Like, yesterday."

"Absolutely." June nods. "Best friend approval is mandatory."

"Girl, you know your best friends are going to look out for you."

The ice cream turns to lead in my stomach. They mean well, but will they understand? A Reaper and a human... Dad's face flashes through my mind, his expression when that woman confronted him at lunch. What would he say if he knew about Bruticus?

"Thanks guys." I force a smile. "Maybe soon."

June and Eve rush off to their quantum mechanics class, leaving me alone with my melting sundae. The chocolate swirls remind me of Bruticus's dark skin, how it feels beneath my fingers.

I scoop up a spoonful, wondering if he'd enjoy the sweet taste. My cheeks warm at the thought of feeding it to him, watching those red eyes light up with pleasure. Though so far, the only thing I know he enjoys the taste of is... me.

The compad buzzes against the table, startling me from my decidedly not-suitable-for-public thoughts. Dad's face appears on the caller ID.

My stomach drops. He never calls without texting first.

"Hi Daddy-"

"Maryse." His voice cuts through mine, sharp as a blade. "Tell me the truth. Have you been letting an alien stay in the spare condo?"

The spoon clatters to the table. Ice cream drips onto my hand, but I barely notice the cold. My throat closes up as I struggle to form words, any words.

The collar feels heavy against my neck, even through its holographic disguise. Like a brand marking me as a liar, a disappointment.

"Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry I didn't ask first." My voice comes out small, childlike. "He needed a place to stay and-"

"Is it a Vakutan?" The sharp edge in his voice makes me flinch.

"What? No, of course not."

The tension drains from his face, replaced by his usual warm smile. "Oh, well that's fine then, sweetheart. You know you can use the condo however you like. Just be careful with aliens, some species can be... unpredictable."

"Thanks, Dad."

"How are your classes going? That project on waste recycling-"

"Great, we presented today. Professor Chen loved it." The whiplash from his mood change leaves me dizzy. "Listen, I need to go. Library study session."

"Of course, princess. Love you."

"Love you too."

I stare at the dark screen. "That was weird."

The melted ice cream pools on the table, forgotten. Dad's reaction nags at me like a loose thread begging to be pulled. First that woman at lunch mentioning Rakura IV, now this thing about Vakutans...

The library's cool air hits my face as I push through the heavy doors. Maybe the historical archives will have something about Rakura IV that wasn't in the sanitized media reports.

My fingers hover over the search console. Do I really want to know? What if I find something that changes everything?

The weight of Bruticus's collar reminds me - I already chose my path when I accepted this. Truth matters more than comfortable lies.

I type "Rakura IV incident" into the search bar and press enter.

The search results populate my screen, each one matching Dad's version perfectly. Pirates took hostages. Security forces had no choice. A tragic necessity.

My shoulders relax. Maybe that woman at lunch was just confused, or-

Wait.

There, buried on page six of the results. A header catches my eye: "Death, Lies, and Cover Ups: The Rakura IV Massacre"

Massacre? My throat goes dry. No one's ever called it that before. The source is unfamiliar - Khurse News Network. The site's design looks ancient, preserved in some dusty corner of the archives.

A tooltip appears when I hover over the publisher info: "Defunct media company. Reaper-owned. Operations ceased 2187."

The collar feels ice-cold against my skin as I click the link. The ancient loading animation spins, each rotation making my heart beat faster.

My hands shake so badly I have to grip the edge of the desk. Do I really want to know what's behind that link? What truths might be hiding in those words?

The progress bar creeps forward. Ten percent. Twenty. Thirty...

I could close it. Walk away. Keep believing everything Dad told me.

But Bruticus's face flashes through my mind. His pain when he talks about his mother. The way his voice breaks when he mentions Rakura.

The loading screen continues its slow crawl across my screen.

A red X flashes across my screen, stopping the download cold. "Error: Content Violation - Access Denied" blinks in harsh crimson letters.

My heart pounds. A content violation? For a historical article?

"Excuse me?" I wave over the library's assistance droid. Its chrome shell gleams as it glides to my station. "I'm having trouble accessing this article. Could you help?"

"Certainly." The droid's optical sensors scan my screen. "Ah. This content has been flagged as restricted material under Station Ordinance 2187-B. Access is prohibited."

"Restricted? It's just a news article about-"

"The article contains banned content. All materials from the Khurse Network were officially restricted by Alpha Centauri Station authority."

"Under whose authority exactly?"

"Only Commander Daniels has the clearance level to enact such widespread content restrictions."

My father. The commander who claims he did nothing wrong on Rakura IV has banned all news coverage from Reaper sources about the incident.

The collar feels heavier than ever against my throat. If Dad really acted honorably, if he truly had no choice but to use force... why suppress the other side's version of events?

What really happened on Rakura IV? What is my father hiding?