Page 10 of Galaxy Circus Act One

“You have to pack up the apartment and move all your shit into Mark’s. Does he really know what he’s getting into with asking you to move in? Does he know you have more clothes and shit in storage?” I ask, hoping to distract her. It seems to work, as the frown starts to look a little guilty.

“Ah no,” she says, “I’m going to move all my stuff from here and then slowly, day by day, empty the storage unit. He’ll never even notice, and if he does, I’m just going to tell him it’s yours.”

Laughing, I shake my head at her. “I’m not sure that will work, but hey, no harm in trying. Look, I just wanted to check in and let you know I’m okay. I have some reading I need to do before dinner tonight, so I’ll call you later in the week and give you all the deets then.” Knowing what that crinkle between her eyes means—there’s an argument coming—I interrupt before she can speak. “Love you, miss you, talk soon!” I hit the end button on the device.Phew, that was close.I may have to do a voice-only call next time. If she asks something I can’t answer, she’d take one look at my face and know I’m lying through my teeth.

Throwing the device on the bed, I get up and walk through the door on the left. I know William had told me what they were, but he didn't say which was which, meaning I accidentally walk into the closet instead of the bathroom. Well, might as well be productive while I’m here. Going back out, I grab my suitcase and carry it into the closet, opening it up and shoving my clothes into the built-in drawers. When that’s done, I store the suitcase on a shelf above a clothing rail that already has outfits hanging on it.I guess they wouldn’t put me in here if I wasn’t free to poke around.That in mind, I browse through the clothes and find some very space age-looking black jumpsuits with the Galaxy Circus logo on them. How veryStar Trek, I hope they have size tits and ass. Shaking my head, I ignore my self-consciousness, sure not all the performers are tall and lean like the grandpas,Phillip, and Fiona. Although I didn't really pay attention to what anyone looked like as we walked down the corridor, nothing stood out as different. Which is strange because the grandpas gave me that warning. Maybe all the people I saw were Skarrians like my family members? It’s probably a good thing that I didn't see anything too crazy because I might not have gotten the poker face in place quickly enough.

I keep flicking through the hangers, realizing feathers, sequins, satin, and lace dominate the space. A huge grin crosses my face; this is a little girl’s dress up fantasy. A squeal leaves my mouth when one particularly mind-blowing costume catches my attention. On the hanger sits a ruby red corset top that has boning and lacing, guaranteed to push my boobs to the sky. Over it, hangs a black and white-striped jacket with tails. There’s a pair of black hot pants and a pair of fishnet stockings hanging over the corset. Underneath, a pair of black knee-high boots with gold embellishments up the front and a four-inch platform heel round out the ensemble.

Holy guacamole, I would lookhotin that. I flick a little further and see the same outfit in different color combinations, so it seems a safe bet that this’ll be the “uniform” for one of the roles I’m supposed to undertake. Probably the ringmaster if any of the human circuses I’ve attended are to be trusted. There are also some other costumes on the rack, but I don’t stop to take a good look. I don’t really have the time, so I wander past the rack to a set of cubby holes. In the first one, I come to a ruby red suede top hat, and lying next to it is a black cane with a luminescent, opal-like oval jewel sitting in the handle, stamped with the Galaxy Circus logo. The other cubbies contain the matching top hats to the other color combinations.

With a sigh, I move away from the treasure trove and back into the main bedroom, choosing the bathroom door this time. To the right of the doorway, there’s a mirror with a sink andcabinet below it. Directly in front of me is a huge shower big enough for four. I would like to live in that shower. There’s no bath, but I guess the jets in the wall of the shower will make up for it.Where does a spaceship get its water from?On the wall next to the shower setup is a panel, and when I look a little closer, I realize the shower has a few functions. Score!

There’s another door to the left, which I open to reveal a separate toilet, but then the reality of my thoughts just hits me.Spaceship!Holy fuck. I sink down onto the closed lid of the toilet as the situation finally catches up to me. Aliens, spaceships, traveling through the galaxy. My grandpas aren't human, and neither am I.I’m not human.

Blowing out a deep breath, I try to get my racing heart under control and make sense of my chaotic thoughts. Finally, I go to the sink and turn on the cold water, cupping my hands under the cold stream. The water pools in my hands before I splash it onto my face. Grabbing the towel off the railings next to the shower, I pat my face dry. I hadn’t bothered with makeup for the flight, so that is going to be as good as it gets for now. Hanging the towel up, I walk back into the bedroom, pull the door to the bathroom closed behind me, and flop down on the bed.

Looking around the room but not really taking in anything, I think about all I’ve learned. Why am I so ok with all of this? Why haven’t the panic and worry set in? I should be running,screamingin the opposite direction, yet I sit here, fairly relaxed. Is it because the few vague memories I have of my parents make this feel familiar? That the bedtime stories they used to tell me prepared me for a future of aliens and outer space? Pulling myself onto the bed, my body sinks down into the softness. I can feel my eyes closing, jet lag catching up with me.I’ll just shut my eyes for ten minutes then get up and read the rundown on the circus.My eyes become heavier and heavier until darkness descends.

The next thing I know, someone is repeatedly pressing the buzzer on my door. Oh, fuck! Shit! It’s seven in the evening; I must’ve overslept, and I haven’t read any of the information. I fell asleep before I even climbed under the covers. Major failure on the first ever job that my grandpas have asked me to do. Moving off the bed, I walk over to the door and press the intercom to see who it is. Of course it’s William. I can see him looking at the camera in the door, his lips moving like he’s shouting.Hmm, the rooms must be soundproofed, good to know.I push the handle and open the door, rubbing my eyes at the same time.

“William.” I smile at him sheepishly. “How nice of you to come and get me. I’m afraid I must have fallen asleep. Jet lag and all that.”

His face softens marginally. “Yes, well, it’s dinnertime,” he grunts. Ahh, back to grunting. “Come along then.”

Just as I step through the doorway, I’m forced to backtrack, grabbing my swipe card before putting it around my neck and walking out the door. I follow William further down the corridor. I wasn’t paying much attention when they first brought me to my room, but now that I have the opportunity to look around, I notice there are numbered doors on either side of the corridor.

“Are these all bedrooms?” I ask as we continue along the same path.

“Yes, all of the performers have bedrooms here. The tech department and crew have rooms down to the right of theelevator. The corridors both lead around in a circle to the dining and entertainment areas. We have a small theater, library, and games-style room. The dining room isn’t much more than a big cafeteria, but it gets the job done. We don’t have chefs; the food is all created through the dining replicator, a very nifty piece of technology. Because we have different species, they can program in what they need.” Now that I’m in less of an awkward state of shock, I can hear some noise coming from some double doors just a bit up the hall.

William stops abruptly and turns to face me. “Lila, did you get to readanyof the information provided on the circus and the species involved?” he asks seriously.

I shuffle my feet back and forth and avoid looking at him. “I’m afraid I fell asleep before I got a chance to,” I tell him quietly.

“Hmm, well, nevermind,” he says with a frown. “Can’t be helped now. Be prepared for some interesting sights and try to keep your face neutral. You can insult some of these people if you flinch, not to mention lose their respect, and you will need that in order to run this show effectively.” He puts his hand to my back, pushes the door in, and we step through.

HOLY SHIT.What was previously a noisy bustling room grinds to a silent halt. Everyone turns to look at us in the doorway, and I struggle to keep a smile on my face instead of allowing my mouth to drop open. I can see fur, fangs, tails, and tentacles. They weren’t fucking around when they said some of the aliens like to relax in their half-form. William doesn’t let us pause for long before he leads me to a table at the top of the room. The noise resumes, albeit at less of a dull roar than before, but I’m sure more than one pair of ears is focused on our table and whatever I might say.

Sitting there with Fiona and Phillip are John and Eric, who both stand as we approach. John pulls out a chair in the centerof the long table and says, “Sit here, Lila, as our guest of honor.” I smile at everyone at the table and take a seat, letting John push in my chair before he sits down on my left. William is on my right as a buffer between Fiona and Phillip, I’m sure, and Eric is next to John. We look out at what seems like a sea of tables. William is right; it does look like a standard cafeteria except for a wall of what looks like ATMs, with keyboards and a big hatch, along the left side of the room.

Eric stands and clinks a fork against the glass he is holding aloft. The noise dies down, and he clears his throat. “Everyone, it is a momentous day for our family as our granddaughter has been returned to us.” There is quiet murmuring around the room, but it’s all too soft and muddled to get any idea of what sentiment lies behind the conversation. “I would like you all to join us in welcoming Lila to the circus. We know we can trust you all to make her very welcome. To Lila!” He raises his glass, and everyone joins in. “To Lila!”

I smile and nervously raise my hand, waving at everyone and hoping I don’t look like an idiot. By the time he sits back down, conversation starts back up. “Lila, did you decide to embrace your birthright and drink the water from Skar?” he asks, getting right to the difficult question.

Crap, I haven't really had any time to think about it, but my gut is telling me to do it. If Mom and Dad had survived, none of this would be new to me. I would have been drinking the water and known about all of this.Not to mention that the idea of a brain-swelling coma doesn’t give me much leeway for planning my future.I think it’s that thought that tips me over the edge—that, and the excitement of the unknown. My life really has not been fun or exciting up until now, so the thought of this new adventure has my blood racing in both nerves and anticipation, and that far outweighs the niggle of negativity inmy mind. Swallowing nervously, I nod. “Yes, I’m ready. What will happen?”

“We’re not actually sure,” replies John, a cautious note to his voice that isn’t exactly encouraging. “Most are drinking it from birth and have never gone through such a long period without it. Maybe nothing will happen at all, and you’ll have lost all powers.” I can see Phillip and Fiona smirking and whispering furiously to each other after that, no doubt liking those odds since it would probably increase the likelihood of the circus passing to them instead of me.

“That’s why we’ve decided not to make it a big deal. We’re going to let you drink it here with no announcement. We’ll monitor you afterward, just to make sure that there are no side effects or shows of power that require intervention. We don’t want to lose you right after we’ve found you.”

Eric had disappeared while John was talking, but he returns quickly, holding a ceremonial-looking pewter goblet. He hands it to me and says, “No matter what happens, we love you and will find a way for you to be with the circus.”Because that doesn’t sound ominous. Oh well, c’est la vie. I grab the glass and chug down the contents, refusing to give my mind a chance to second guess the decision. The water is sweet, cool, and has an effervescent buzz to it, tasting like nothing I’ve ever had before. There’s none of the typical chemically treated taste that our tap water has or even that fresh sterile taste of bottled water. I can’t even point out anything it might be similar to. Placing the goblet back on the table, I look up to find everyone at the main table is staring at me.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” I say, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand “I was expecting …” And that is as far as I get. My whole body starts to tingle like a fine current of electricity is running through it, and I can feel my hair rising as if I’ve suddenly stepped into an anti-gravity chamber. Mybody soon joins it, levitating toward the ceiling, with lightning crackling and wind blowing all around me. I bet I look like Storm from X-men, which would be much cooler if this wasn’t such a clusterfuck.

“Aghhh! A little help here,” I scream in panic, throwing my arms out for balance. A bolt of lightning flies from my outstretched fingertips, and when I look to see where it goes, I realize it hit someone in the ass. Squeals and growls sound out through the dining room. Oops! Suddenly, all the energy drains out of me, which would ordinarily be a great thing. At this point, looking down at the floor ten feet below me, not so much. I start to drop just as darkness descends.

“Oh, fuck.”