Clone Earth : MELVIN

Trevon fidgeted with the strings on the hooded shirt next to his collarbone. It was another one of Robie’s that he’d stumbled across inside that never ending heap of a closet. His roommate had shown him the campus convenience store several days ago. Underwear and sock were a wonderful purchase, but seeing as half the clothes in the boys room were never worn more than once, Trevon took it upon himself to take care of the laundry. On Meckam everyone was in charge of their own laundering from a very young age, and he hoped that the gesture would be a step in showing his appreciation, to both Russ and Phantom Robie.

With a deep breath in motion, Trevon closed the bedroom door and opened the communication platform on the computer. He was three minutes early for the scheduled meeting but he’d never been reprimanded for being early. The link connected, opening up to the General’s office. The desk was pointed away from the door leaving a picture of the chair and large viewing window of the starscaped universe behind it. Yet the one sitting in the chair wasn’t General Bishop.

“Good Day Mr. Kana.” Said Petty officer Harrow. The woman, in her late 20s smiled kindly from his uncle’s chair. Her dark hair was pulled back in two trim braids. “The General suspected you would be early and didn’t want you to sit an wait alone. He’s finishing up in the other room and will be right in.”

Trevon blushed, he would have been just fine starring at a blank screen worrying. “Thank you Petty Officer but I’m sure you have more important things to do than keep me company.”

“Oh that I do.” She opened her mouth to continue but was cut off by the sound of an opening door. The Petty Office quickly rose attention, and from off camera Uncle Clint’s voice excused her. She gave Trevon a quick glance as she slipped from his view. The sound of the door swishing closed proceeded the General’s appearance.

In full uniform Uncle Clint held the bearing of a recognized General. Compared to the last time they had been together Trevon felt the need to sit straight in his chair.

“Trevon.”

“General.” Trevon quipped in return. This broke the generals stern mask. With a short burst of air his smile cracked across his expression. Trevon felt his body relax at the appearance of his uncle. “It’s good to see you. I’m sorry for avoiding you. I really haven’t had the courage to message Ari, so I’ve been avoiding the comm links all together. Which was starting to get really hard.”

“Yeah,” Clint nodded his eyes shifting off screen momentary. “I assumed that was it. How is it going? President Warrington warned me of the hoops you were jumping through.”

“I think it’s going well. You warned me I might not get very much assistance, but I got lucky.”

“Oh?”

“This boy, Russ Mikayo gave me a place to stay.”

“I know about the Mikayo Clan, good people. Their son Russ is your age?”

“A year older. He uses … “ Trevon paused, “Can I talk about you know, on this channel?”

“I would say be careful but I’m looking a your channel, did you know the Device your calling on has an encryption that’s scrambling the signal?” Clint was impressed though Trevon was surprised. “Petty Officer Harrow suspected Ari had taught you how to do that.”

“Didn’t think about it.” Trevon admitted. “It’s my roommate’s setup.”

“Ah,” Was all the General returned with.

“Anyway, Russ is skilled in Elemental Magic, so I wanted to try it out.” Clint’s head tilted so Trevon continued, “I know, I’m a healer but I’m hearing so much about everything Mage can do I just …”

“You want to learn it all. I understand.” Clint shifted forward on his elbows. “Has the University Counsel said anything?”

“Not yet. But it’s only been a few weeks, so it should happen soon. I’m doing extra work to get noticed in my Healing courses. We haven’t gotten to put anything into practice, but my desk partner pointed out hints that I’m winning the professors over.”

“They find it refreshing to have one student they don’t have tiptoe around.”

“Yes, what is it with the clan relations here?”

Uncle Clint full out chortled. “It may seem strange but it’s similar in the Military world. You would have been on the opposite side of the spectrum had you come to the Academy.”

Trevon’s head tilted back as he considered this new perceptive. A place where everyone knows your family history, is watching your every move and expecting you to get preferential treatment by certain higher-ups. Sometimes he wished for that, “I still think this is a better fit for me.”

His uncle nodded, “I can see that. You look a lot happier, not as weighted down by the world.”

“I’ve only been focused on getting admitted and by focusing on that one thing I’ve learned a lot about myself. Planet life is levels above Station living. I know I lived on a planet before but I don’t remember the clothing, the food or the fact that everything smells so good. You can generate oxygen all you want but it doesn’t come close to stuff produced by trees.”

His uncle laughed again.

“But I do feel guilty for ignoring Ari,” Trevon admitted, “but I’m focusing on my own growth and trusting that everything will be alright with Ari. Just like you said.”

Uncle Clint winced, obvious enough Trevon couldn’t miss it. Silence feel between them. His uncle tried to put the preverbal mask back on, but failed.

“About Ari,” he started pausing long enough for all the options to run through his head. She got away from the midway security guards, she assaulted the midway security guards and now she’s permanently in lock up. She made it back to Meckam and had beaten up all the orphanage boys, or they beat her up. Maybe she’s refusing to do her community service hours, or she found out that Uncle Clint sent her back and she’s now made at both of them for abandoning her.

“What did she do?” Trevon asked, Uncle Clint shifted his hand to a spot above his eyebrow where he pressed hard enough that spot changed color.

“She never made it back to Meckam,” Uncle Clint’s voice cracked and Trevon’s eyes grew wide. “Somewhere between Midway and Meckam her shuttle malfunctioned. Trevon, she’s missing.”

CHAPTER END