"Hmm." Cecilia frowned as the meat touched her lips. The meat was spicy, setting her tongue aflame, but carried a hint of sweetness.
Across from her, Prince Imrele watched her, curious about her opinion. She sipped at some water to help cool her tongue.
"It's different," Cecilia said, sipping at the soup instead, a cheesy concoction more suited to her tastes.
"So you dislike it," Prince Imrele replied, but didn't sound offended.
"It's a little too spicy." Cecilia admitted.
"Next time I visit, I'll make sure my cooks adjust the triropus meat more to your liking," Prince Imrele said. "Truthfully, we like our food much hotter than this. But not all humans like such spiciness."
"Sorry," Cecilia felt guilty not liking the first meal this alien race had fed her.
"Don't worry about it." Prince Imrele waved a dismissive hand. "Our races have a great deal to learn from each other."
"You said when you return. What if your father throws you into a dungeon and throws away the key?" Cecilia asked.
"It won't be that bad. I doubt he'll disinherit me," Prince Imrele said with an easy smile.
"Okay." Still, Cecilia sensed the prince was downplaying the trouble he was in.
Prince Hallfar's hulking form walked into the dining room, catching their attention.
"Brother, sorry we started without you. But the hour's getting late, and I promised to return Cecilia home by her curfew. She has school tomorrow," Prince Imrele said.
"It's not a bother. There were details I needed arranging, anyway. I was reading a list of various buildings that might serve as Earth's Ectutai embassy. I was thinking somewhere neutral, like Geneva, Switzerland."
"Not the US?" Cecilia asked.
"No. From what I understand, some nations resent the US. They are the only country with a weapon capable of threatening the Altair." Prince Hallfar replied.
"And they were the first to engage in first contact with our race too." Prince Imrele grimaced. "That's sure to breed further resentment."
"A neutral spot like Geneva will help show that the Ectutai aren't showing favoritism." said Prince Hallfar.
"That's smart," Cecilia said, amazed.
Prince Hallfar pressed a button on the nape of his helmet. Steam hissed from the sides of its neck. Then the older prince finally showed his face, handing his helmet to a waiting servant. "I spent the entire trip to Earth cramming in everything in our database about your current global politics. Since the planet hasn't united yet, there's much to cover. Little rivalries and grudges fester everywhere."
Prince Hallfar was a handsome man, childlike like others of his race, but rugged, with a short trimmed beard. His features showed years of hardship, with a scar running across his nose. He spoke in a deep, rich voice. "Unifying your planet is a goal we'll need to work toward. It will make fighting the Altair much easier. It's an inefficiency that might get your species killed."
"I suppose." Cecilia shrugged. "I know little about politics."
"Not that I expected you to. This is the dull world of adult politics. It's nothing that should concern you, Cecilia." The older prince said with surprising kindness, talking almost like an older brother. "I, however, am not so lucky." He gestured, and a servant offered him a skewer of meat. The royal prince tore into the chunk with a surprising lack of decorum, like someone starved for days. Meat juice dribbled down his cheek.
"Sorry, I threw you into a tangle of problems, brother." Prince Imrele said.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." His older brother sounded more resigned than anything else. "Handling first contact is one of my duties."
While not completely placated, Prince Imrele nodded. "Still, I'll help however I can."
"Will the King eventually visit?" Cecilia asked, curious about the ruler of this republic of theirs.
"I'm sure he will, if just to see the mess I've caused." Prince Imrele replied with some humor.
"Our father never backs down from a fight." Prince Hallfar said, wiping his chin with a gauntleted hand. "But I will, of course, assess the scale of the threat first."
"Huh." Cecilia skipped the meat and stuck with the soup. She politely asked for a refill, which was promptly given to her. As she ate, the two princes talked amongst themselves about various topics, most local to their home planet. They were talking about some sports game, lamenting how their favorite team had gotten completely crushed.
"Do you like sports, Cecilia?" Prince Imrele asked. Truthfully, Cecilia was surprised aliens would even watch that sort of thing.
"Sometimes," she replied. "I enjoy playing basketball. My friend Rose has been pushing me to try out for our school team. I'm still considering it. I have little talent for it, but I enjoy playing the game."
"And what is basketball? Forgive me, Cecilia. I am still new to your planet's culture. I know a game called football is popular on your planet, but that's about it," Prince Imrele replied.
Cecilia paused, considering how best to describe it. "Basketball is a game where two teams fight over a ball across a court. You can't hold the ball, only dribble it. Points are scored by tossing the ball through a hoop on each side of the court. Two points if shot close, three points if shot far away."
"I get the gist of it," Prince Imrele said. "If you join your school team, I would enjoy seeing you play."
"Really?" Shoot. Was she blushing again? The thought of the prince watching her play sent an odd jolt of pleasure through her.
"Your height would certainly give you natural advantages," Prince Hallfar said. "The game we were discussing is called Lightning Ball. Two teams of three use rackets to hit a ball across the court. You get points if you hit three different spots on each side. They are worth one, two, and five points, respectively. The five-pointer is naturally the hardest to hit."
"A little like tennis, I guess. Why is it called Lightning Ball?" Cecilia asked.
Prince Imrele smiled, pleased to expound more about the subject."The ball is bright yellow with streamers attached to it, giving it the appearance of a lightning bolt,"
"Huh. Do you play, Prince Imrele?" Cecilia asked.
"A little. My younger sister Janit is the real player in the family. She's been obsessed with the game since childhood," Prince Imrele said, humor in his voice.
"True enough," Prince Hallfar released a long-suffering sigh. "She skips lessons to play. It infuriates her tutors."
"That sounds—" Cecilia trailed off, her eyes widening as the world around her changed. Another vision, now?
"This way, hurry!" Prince Imrele said, tugging her behind him. His suited hand was surprisingly warm to the touch, but her rapidly beating heart hardly noticed as they flew down the hallway.
Cecilia threw a quick glance behind her, praying they'd lost the creature. No such luck — the batlike monster was heavy on their heels. The creature had slaughtered so many people already, and they were next. She temporarily lost sight of the monster as they took a sudden right turn.
"We're not losing it," Cecilia said through labored breaths.
"It seems to know the ship's layout well," Prince Imrele wore a grim smile. "I'm guessing it's been here for some time."
"How is that possible?" Wasn't everyone screened before they came in?
"That's a problem for later." They took another turn, and Prince Imrele guided her to a section of the ship she'd never seen before. The corridors were less clean and more industrial. They took a flight of metal stairs until they reached a row of metal doors.
"Escape pods?" Cecilia guessed. A sign sat above them, but in an alien script unreadable to her.
"That's right." Prince Imrele slammed his hand against the nearest one. A door hissed open, revealing a padded seat.
Metal screeched as the monster landed on the railing, its weight warping the bars on impact. Their pursuer would be on them in seconds.
Cecilia gasped as a hand pushed her backward, and she landed with a thud on a cushioned seat. She winced and looked up at Prince Imrele. He was smiling at her, pressing some buttons on her pod. He snapped his fingers back as the door slammed shut, locking Cecilia inside.
"No!" Cecilia pounded against the glass window, her heart black. "No!"
"It's after me," Prince Imrele replied. "I had to see you safe, Cecilia. Don't worry about me." Outside, the creature was stalking the prince, careful that its prey didn't escape.
"Prince Imrele!"
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Cecilia Bronfreld," Prince Imrele said with a slight smile.
Cecilia screamed as the creature launched itself at her friend, his image becoming distant as the escape pod launched from the ship. Hot tears streamed down her face.
"Cecilia!" A voice pierced the moment, and Cecilia blinked, staring around in confusion. She touched her face and found tears. Prince Imrele eyed her with open concern. Even Prince Hallfar seemed worried.
Words failed Cecilia, and she burst into tears, sobbing into Prince Imrele's shoulder. "You're going to die! It's going to get you!" Why had the vision shown her that? Why must her visions torment her so?
"Shh. Nothing is going to hurt you." But Prince Imrele hugged her, doing his best to reassure her. "You are safe."
"Not me! You, Prince Imrele! The Altair are going to get you!" Cecilia replied, her words garbled by her sobs and violent emotions.
"The Altair?" Prince Imrele looked at his brother with concern, unsure how to deal with this sudden outburst. But Cecilia only sobbed further into his shoulder, unwilling to let go.
"I'll call a medic," Prince Hallfar said, standing. "She's having some sort of episode."
"No, you don't understand," Cecilia replied. "An Altair is on the ship!"
"It was only a dream," Prince Imrele replied, trying in vain to reassure her. Cecilia knew the truth. Her visions never lied. An Altair was on the ship. "There is no Altair. You are quite safe."
Cecilia pulled away, giving Prince Imrele a hard glare. "I'm not being silly."
"What makes you say that?" the prince replied, frowning.
"Doctor Dhierryn will be here soon," Prince Hallfar said.
"I'm not being silly!" Cecilia said, fuming.
"No one says you are," Prince Imrele replied. "Just help us understand."
Cecilia hesitated. They'd think her a freak — because that's what she was. The scientists had created her as one. It was a state secret, too, only known to a select few. But that hardly mattered with the prince's life on the line.
"Listen, what I saw wasn't a dream but a vision." Cecilia wiped away her tears, mortified that she'd cried in front of everyone. "I get them sometimes. That's why LUVOLT has me around."
"Visions?" Prince Imrele blinked, staring at her in amazement.
Prince Hallfar only sighed, clearly thinking Cecilia was just a silly child. "Really?"
"It's true!" Cecilia snapped. "I wasn't born like a normal human. I was… created in a lab by some unscrupulous scientists. They modified my DNA to give me special traits."
"You're a spliced?" Prince Imrele said, recoiling. He stared at her in shock.
"That explains your unusual height for someone of your age," Prince Hallfar said thoughtfully. "And this gives you visions?" He still sounded skeptical, but also interested.
"For whatever reason, I can tap into the Akashic Records. They contain a collection of all human knowledge, both past and future. It tells me things. I can't control what they show me. Sometimes I have visions. It's random, as far as I can tell."
"The Great Unconsciousness?" Now Prince Hallfar sounded completely unconvinced. "That's just pseudoscience, Cecilia."
"You can see the future, truly? Have they come true?" While skeptical, Prince Imrele would hear his friend out.
"Yes. I had one where Rose got hurt. I saw the Altair's attack in every detail," Cecilia replied.
"Okay. What happened in this newest vision, then?" Prince Imrele asked.
Cecilia nodded, explaining what she'd seen. As usual, she recalled the vision in perfect detail, not an iota forgotten. She even remembered the smell of her own sweat during the chase, the clawing heat of the maintenance area. An older Ectutai in a white coat arrived and attended her as she finished her story.
"Quite a tale, young lady," Doctor Dhierryn said.
"It is what I saw," Cecilia said defensively.
"My knowledge of human biology is limited, but she seems hale enough," the doctor said, waving some sort of medical instrument in front of her face .
"What do you think, brother?" Prince Imrele gave his brother an inquisitive glance.
"I think this girl has an overactive imagination." Prince Hallfar held up both palms as Cecilia gave him a scathing glare. "No offense meant by it."
"What if an Altair is hiding on the ship? We can't rule it out." While Prince Imrele didn't sound completely convinced, he took the possible threat seriously. "We screen everyone, but one might have slipped in disguised as an insect or rodent. It's not impossible."
"That is true," Prince Hallfar scratched his chin, considering. "And it won't hurt to check, just in case. We can't allow you to return home with an Altair on board. I'll oversee the search myself."
"Thank you," Cecilia said, relieved they hadn't completely dismissed her. She watched as the older prince strode out of the room, guards in tow. The doctor gave them a nod and followed them. They might need a medic on hand.
"For the meantime, my prince, stay here," a guard said. He gave Cecilia a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, miss. If an Altair is onboard, we'll keep you safe."
"Sure," Cecilia nodded, but his reassuring words did little to quench the worry in her stomach.
She knew in her heart they weren't safe. Her visions always came true. She'd seen Rose get stabbed by an Altair. Her friend had entered into a coma she almost didn't wake from. True, she hadn't exactly seen Prince Imrele die in her vision, but she doubted another miracle would happen like it had with Rose.
"Have you been having these visions long, Cecilia?" Prince Imrele asked, breaking her reverie.
"Oh, uh, yeah. As long as I can remember," Cecilia replied. "I had my first one when I was three. I really surprised the scientists when what I insisted would happen actually came true."
"What was it? Do you remember?" Prince Imrele stared at her, amazed.
"I never forget whatever I see." It gave her a weird, garbled collection of knowledge. "There was a sporting event the scientists obsessed over. The vision, for whatever reason, told me the result. LA Clippers versus Phoenix Suns. Clippers won 103 to 100. I was even able to describe how the game ended — a three-pointer." It amazed Cecilia how open she was being with the prince about this. She hadn't even told her best friend, Rose, about this.
Prince Imrele smiled in amusement. "That must have excited them."
"Yeah. Then they became obsessed with using me to get rich through betting. Though, funnily enough, I've never had a vision about another sports game."
"They realized you had access to phenomenal cosmic knowledge, and they wanted to use it to get rich?" Prince Imrele said, confounded.
"Yeah." It was rather pathetic, really. It was also what got them caught for their illegal genetic experiments. She wasn't the only person they'd created. Most had sadly died, however. Another sign of their shortsightedness.
"They turned you into a spliced for that," Prince Imrele said, not hiding his disdain.
"Spliced. Is that what they call genetically engineered people on your planet?"
"Yes. It's a highly controversial, illegal technology where I come from. Some claim it will better help our race explore the stars. Others call it an abomination of science. Unscrupulous individuals have used it to further their ambitions for conquest. Petty warlords, mostly." When Prince Imrele saw Cecilia's expression, he was quick to relieve her fears. "Not that I think that about you. It wasn't your fault they made you this way."
"It's not really legal on my planet, either." It had created a great deal of discussion about her. No one hated her for her altered genes, but she was different. It wasn't hard to notice, no matter how friendly people were to her.
"Still, that's an amazing power you have, Cecilia," Prince Imrele said. "And a responsibility. I can see why you're always so serious."
"Yeah. They show me whatever they want, with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes it's highly technical knowledge. Other times it's about people and events I know nothing about."
"I wonder if there's a way to control it."
"Not as far as I can tell." Cecilia was glad her new friend was starting to believe her. It would've been terrible if he thought her crazy.
Prince Imrele's comm chimed. "Have you found something, Hallfar?"
Cecilia could hear the frown in the older prince's voice. "Seems your human friend might be onto something. We found Altair residue in a maintenance tube. No sign of the creature yet, but we doubt it's far."
"Okay." Prince Imrele shared a glance with Cecilia. "Keep me informed."
"I knew it," Cecilia said, clenching her hands.
"Your story was convincing, if somewhat fanciful." Prince Imrele seemed somewhat dazed. "But this — this is actual proof."
"My visions never lie," Cecilia said, her voice hard. And that meant they were in terrible danger. Her friend's older brother would fail to catch the intruder.
"But the future isn't set in stone." Prince Imrele said quietly. "I refuse to believe that. We must do everything we can to keep it from coming to pass. Langrin, prepare my shuttle. We're leaving the ship until it's safe."
One of the prince's bodyguards nodded. "Yes, my prince. That would be for the best. It would guarantee you and the young lady's safety."
"Don't worry, Cecilia. The nearest shuttle bay isn't far — only a quick jaunt." Prince Imrele smiled, pleased with himself. "Your vision can't happen if we aren't on the ship."
Cecilia nodded, but didn't share her friend's confidence. Still, she supposed it was worth a shot. It seemed unlikely the Altair intruder would find them during the short walk to the shuttle bay.
Hopefully. Just for once, maybe one of her visions wouldn't come true. If the prince died… Cecilia clinched her fist hard enough to cause pain. He just couldn't get hurt. Her body trembled uncontrollably. He just couldn't.