Masters of Their Fates: Constant Stars, #3

By Jae Shanks

It's been nearly three cycles since the Canary landed, and now the base is beginning to wake others in cryo; strangers from a ruined Earth unused to everything the base has to offer. Dylan and Levi are fighting to promote unity, whether those from the Canary and Aeneid can get along or not. 
***
Former Canary crew member Cameron Valdez just wanted to the opportunity to stay in this time; not having a genetic match means cryo, even on the ground. But when she matches to the new captain's former partner, Harper Harris, he may not give her a chance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jae Shanks
• Release date: Feb 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386224099

Jae Shanks

A sound designer currently living in Kansas City, Jae Shanks has been writing since she was in middle school. Although originally from Austin, Texas. She's quite at home here in the Midwest with its tempestuous weather and religion of coffee. When not in the theatre or writing, she is constantly cooking something new with local ingredients.

Book preview

Chapter One

Ipunched in the code to let me into the botany offices, glancing around until I found Levi meekly hiding behind a wall of roses, reading reports on his holo-rib.

Corlevi Hark, I snapped. What are you doing?

He looked up at me with confusion. I didn’t believe it though; Levi was a good faker when he wanted to be.

Reading? he said. I haven’t missed anything, have I?

"You had a meeting five minutes ago with Madison!"

His puzzlement morphed into a grimace. Dylan, I’m so sorry. I truly forgot this time.

As opposed to every other time, where he would conveniently forget his appointments and schedule meetings or plan to be across the base at the time. I marched up to him, and turned his wheelchair around, pushing him out of the room.

And you’re not supposed to use my code anymore, you promised, Levi remarked.

I don’t care, I retorted. Why is this one thing so difficult? It’s like you don’t want to walk again.

I regretted my words the moment they left my mouth. Levi was quiet as we left the botany wing, and I wished I knew how to apologize.

I do, ma belle, Levi sighed. I’m just tired of believing that I will.

He had faithfully attended each and every therapy session Madison and Shelley had planned for him for two cycles. After that, he had come up with every excuse on the planet to not go.

And please don’t say, ‘give it time’ like you always do, he continued. I have given it time. I would rather just spend my time doing anything but.

How about a year? I asked. Give me a full year of humoring me, and if nothing changes, we’ll talk, pas mal?

No quiero eso, he grumbled.

I don’t care, I replied, rolling into the medical wing. I’m pushier than you.

Madison bounded up to us with a wry smile on her face. She nodded to me, and I half wanted to stay, making sure that Levi didn't try to escape. But no, he would behave, at least for a week or two. I had Madison message me his scheduled appointments so I could get him there.

Are we still doing dinner tonight with Emerson and Bell? Levi called.

I groaned. Yes. But I don’t have time to make anything. Could you...

Of course, Dylan, he answered as Madison wheeled him away. Hasta luego.

I had said I wanted to learn the languages he knew, but I hadn’t expected our regular conversation to be sprinkled with Spanish.

Having now deposited Levi at his therapy appointment, I headed towards my lunch date with my madre. We had started the habit of having lunch twice a week. Sometimes, this was the only time we saw each other, outside of meetings of course. Once she was voted as captain, she had become busier than I could have imagined. And now that my papa was mostly retired, I was in charge of all of environment, making me equally busy. This way we didn’t lose our relationship to what had ostracized my papa from us: placing our jobs over our family.

The base now had signs at all the intersections. I had found it odd at first, but as we were rapidly expanding, I was grateful for the aid. Environmental was all colored green. I took a shortcut through research, smiling to myself that they were stuck with black for their signage.

Dylan! Do you think we could start building the greenhouse? called a voice from an open doorway I passed.

I backed up to see Grimm and Frieda balancing some piping as Ibsen drilled holes into the pipe.

What is this? I asked.

If all goes well, the next phase of irrigation, Ibsen replied. Vertov doesn’t answer my calls anymore, and I want to build a trial greenhouse so your partner can stop complaining he has nowhere to grow tomatoes. 

I’ll talk to Lully, I promised. Send me a message, will you? I don’t want to forget.

He nodded, and I continued down the corridor, getting out of research and back into environmental. My papa nodded to me as I passed his office, but we didn’t talk much nowadays. I hadn’t truly forgiven him for his part in Levi’s return to cryo, and being constantly reminded of the damage it had done to Levi’s body didn’t help matters; that was for certain. My parents’ berth was only a corridor away, and I rapped on the door as my madre opened it.

Did Levi forget? she inquired.

"Levi says he forgot," I grumbled.

How has your day been? she asked. My madre already had sandwiches made, and I took one, seating myself on the couch with a glass of water.

Fine. The former Canary crew are assimilating; they’re so formal with me though. One of them called me ‘ma’am’ yesterday.

My madre laughed. That comes with being in charge, Dylan. And you should really stop calling them ‘former Canary crew.’ They’re part of the base now.

I suppose, I said doubtfully. They still were their Canary uniforms. They half expect me to salute them in the morning. Julius is always giving me attitude about my age, but I still know more about environmental than anyone else. No one else could do my job.

They’ll come around, she assured me. Just give them time; they’re used to a different sort of hierarchy.

My madre received a call from her holo-rib, and she frowned at it.

You can answer if you need to, I told her.

She nodded her thanks, picking it up. It’s Shelley, I can’t imagine what she’s calling about. Hello?

Do you have time to come down to my office? Shelley asked.

There was an edge of stress in her voice, and I rose to move dishes into the sink, grabbing my own holo-rib to check the time. I wanted to see the new pump that filtration completed today, but I had a couple of hours yet if my madre needed me.

I do, my madre said. I can be there in a couple minutes.

She gestured for me to come along and we hurried out the door.

See you when you get here, Shelley replied and disconnected the call.

I really hope this is not an emergency, my madre noted. I mean, of course, it is, why else would she call me, every time I get a call like that, I worry that it’s you or Levi.

I stay out of trouble, I protested.

She shot me a knowing look.

Mostly, I amended.

Esperanza was also in the medical offices; she gave me a worried smile as my madre walked past her into Shelley’s office. Shelley shut the door, but I could see them talking through the small window.

What’s happened? I asked.

Esperanza glanced at the office and then back at me with a sigh.

Cameron’s been matched to Harper Harris, she told me.

I froze. Harper was my madre’s former partner from the Aeneid. They had been split up when they had entered cryo for disobeying the captain, and my madre had believed that she would never see him again.

Esperanza nodded as if knowing that I would question the validity of what she just said. In the office, my madre put her head in her hands. I opened the door, giving my madre a hug. I had no idea what to say.

Does she...have any other matches?

One, but he’s twelve, Shelley replied. So we’d probably opt for cryo in that case.

My madre nodded. Pas mal.

You’re the captain, Shelley said as if reminding my madre. You don’t have to let them partner. I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you.

My madre let out a strained laugh. Non, you really can’t. She leaned back in the chair. I can’t make this kind of decision. It’s not fair. It’s not fair to anyone.

She didn’t say anything more. I patted her on the arm, wishing I knew what to do.

Esperanza, did you manage to intercept Gliére? Shelley called.

I did, she said. He had already told Cameron she’d been matched, but hadn’t told her who. He said he’d let her know there was a temporary hold on the information, said that we were cross -referencing our data.

Something like that, Shelley agreed. You don’t have to make this decision today, Taylor. But you will have to make it soon.

There’s no decision to be made, my madre sighed. I’m not going to unmatch them on account of my own feelings. I have a whole life that I’ve lived without him; I’m twice his age. I saw how waiting affected Dylan, and I don’t want that to happen to anyone else. I just... I’ll need time to adjust. She snorted. And it’s not like he’s going to join the builds team any time soon.

Oh?

Harper do manual labor? He’s a tekcom person, she explained. Merci, Shelley, for telling me. I don’t know what I would have done without a warning.

We would have never let that happen, you know that, Shelley replied.

Hello?

We all turned at the sound of Cameron’s tentative voice. My mother grimaced. Cameron was standing just outside of Shelley’s office; Esperanza greeted her warmly. Cameron had been the first Canary crew members we had met, and now that she was in personnel, she worked hard to integrate her shipmates with the base.

I’m going to go, my madre said, rising from her seat. I can’t.... I’ll see you later, Dylan.

I nodded, and my madre hurried from the medical wing. Cameron watched her go and then stepped into Shelley’s office.

Gliére told me to come down here, she said. I didn’t mean to interrupt.

No interruption at all, dear, Shelley assured her. Gliére told you that you have a match, right?

Cameron nodded, a soft smile appearing on her features. Alcott was trying to convince her to grow out her blonde hair, but so far Cameron had been resistant. Her bob made her look like a soldier out of one of the Earth movies. I felt a twinge of guilt, wishing for my madre’s sake that Harper had been able to stay in cryo.

No worries then, we’ve finished cross -referencing, Shelley continued. You can go back and tell Gliére to start the paperwork; it’ll probably take a day or two to get you into a berth of your own and ready for your partner, pas mal?

All right, Cameron agreed, her smile broadening. What’s his name?

Harper Harris, Shelley said, her own smile faltering a little.

Cameron probably didn’t notice the slight delay and nodded, leaving the medical wing.

Thank you, she called.

Esperanza and I stared after her and then turned back to Shelley who let out a sigh.

It’s all well and good that Taylor is informed, she said. But we have no guarantees about Harper. Who knows how he’ll react?

I can get Levi involved? I suggested. He’s calm; surely he could explain the situation.

Dylan, you broke every rule we had getting your partner out of cryo, Shelley pointed out. Taylor didn’t. That’s going to hurt, especially given how much time has passed. I know that you two are friends with Cameron, just... keep an eye on her, will you?

We will, Esperanza promised. Should we tell her?

I was going to say non but paused. It was Cameron. She was level -headed and practical, and I believed she would be more hurt if we didn’t say something. I didn’t like secrets, especially about relationships.

I’ll leave that up to you, Shelley said. On one hand, she can then choose for herself whether she’d prefer cryo to Harper. On the other hand, I think this would be very hard to hear. Nothing like this has happened before. Splitting Taylor and Harper to begin with was cruel.

There was no one left to blame for that problem. Anatoly and Austen were among some of the oldest on the base, and they had been children when my madre had been sentenced.

I’ll talk to her, I sighed. We’ve got some time though, right? Paperwork and getting a new berth; she’ll have to wait for that at least.

Shelley nodded, and I left her office, wishing there was a better solution. Esperanza saw me out, touching my arm before I left to return to my work.

Do you want to speak to Cameron alone? she asked.

I nodded. I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to wake Harper without her there. We can’t lie to him and say that Taylor is dead; she’s the captain.

True, she admitted. Well, I won’t keep you. Are there any plans to go to the lake this weekend?

I shook my head. Levi has therapy, and I have a congress meeting. Maybe Alcott and Marcus want to go?

I’ll ask, she said. See you!

I walked back to my office, pondering the situation. Most of me wanted to seek Cameron out and tell her today, but I had work and dinner with Emerson and Bell tonight. Life -shattering truth talks would have to wait.

Esperanza let her mind wander as she stocked the inventory trying to focus on anything up the upcoming match of Cameron and Harper. Her thoughts drifted to her conversation with Lully last night.

She and Lully had spent most of their evening outside staring up at the stars. They liked to imagine a couple sitting on Earth, looking out into the Milky Way.

And they are sitting outside their home and staring out at us, Lully had said. And they’re all bundled up because it’s cold, and they’re thinking about the other worlds out there. Or maybe it’s a couple on another ship, wondering what their future holds on the ground.

The future is cold, but the view is amazing, Esperanza giggled.

"Do you miss the view from