The New Ka'Adri (Epic Literary Universe Series) - R.S. Penney

The New Ka'Adri (Epic Literary Universe Series) by R.S. Penney

Book excerpt

Ragnos: Capital World of the Ragnos Confederacy

Submerged to her shoulders in bubbles, Kezia Berel sighed as she rested her head against the bath pillow. With her eyes closed, she delighted in the caress of hot water. This was the first time she had owned a bathtub since she was a girl. When she was ten, her mom had been lucky enough to rent a house with a full bathroom. They had stayed there for about a year, but after that, it was always showers. Usually, cold showers. Or, well, lukewarm.

Technically, she didn’t own this place; the apartment was a perk that came with her new job. But even so, the Leyrians were far more generous than she would have ever thought possible. They just gave you stuff when you needed it.

Turning her head with a sigh, she opened her eyes to check the clock on the wall. It was only…12:25! Oh, crap! It was evening already? She was going to be late!

Water sloshed as she climbed out of the tub and grabbed a towel off the rack. Wrapping herself, she proceeded across her bathroom on wet feet, every step producing an audible squish. No, no, no! That was no good! She would have to mop up the floor before she left! Agh!

Scrambling over to the mirror, she paused when she realized that it was completely fogged over. A quick scrub with the palm of her hand revealed just enough glass for her to check herself.

Everyone said that her face was her best feature. With an olive complexion, vibrant, hazel eyes and a tiny dimple in one cheek, she had a look that lots of boys found cute. And some girls too. Her dirty-blonde hair, cut in a short, chin-length bob, was wet at the tips. She would have to comb it. Oh boy, she didn’t have time to comb it.

Makeup! She needed makeup! Hastily, she pulled open a drawer and started fishing around for a good colour. A little blush on the cheeks, some dark-red lipstick…Wait, what was she doing? Get dressed first, then makeup! Gah!

Rushing into her bedroom, she pawed through the closet for some clothes. Nice, black pants and a matching top with the frills! That was good first-date attire, right? Right? She directed the thought to Jessa, but her Nassai was oddly silent on the matter.

Normally, the alien who resided in Kezia’s cells would reply with some kind of emotional guidance: warm, happy emotions if she approved, cold apprehensive ones if she didn’t. Their Bond was less than a year old, but they had become fast friends with Kez seeking Jessa’s advice on just about everything from home décor to battle tactics. But today, Jessa had nothing to say. Or nothing to feel. The Nassai didn’t talk; they just sent emotions at you. You had to go into a trance if you wanted to speak to your symbiont directly, and Kez was still struggling with that. Mental focus? Kind of not her thing. She had only managed it a couple times.

Throwing on her clothes, she hurried over to the full-length mirror in the corner. It had a duroplastic frame that was painted to look like wood, but you could tell the difference if you touched it. Much too smooth.

She looked…adequate.

As usual, her appearance provoked a bit of anxiety. She was short – the top of her head barely reaching the chest of a tall man – and more than a little on the plump side. And she had grown up in a culture that never ran out of ways to remind her of that. The burst of love and sympathy she felt from Jessa was almost enough to make her start crying. Now, where was she?

Right!

She needed shoes!

As she headed back to the closet, her multi-tool started buzzing. The small, disk-shaped device sat on her dresser, its touchscreen interface and the gauntlet where it normally resided sprawled out beside it.

Kez ran to answer the call, hopping over a pile of PJs that she had left on the floor. She grabbed the screen – the disk contained the central processor, but the interface would still link to it even if they weren’t directly connected – and swiped her finger across it.

The SmartGlass lit up with the words “Audio only.”

“Hi, Kezia?” Cam said through the speaker on the disk. So, she would need that after all. At least if she wanted him to hear her. Why was her date calling? Was he going to cancel on her?

Snatching the disk off the dresser, she raised it to her mouth. “Um, hi, Cam,” she replied, sitting on the edge of her unmade bed. “Listen, I hope you’re not upset. I know our date starts in like-” She checked the time. “Twenty minutes. But I’m just running a little late. I’ll be there real soon, I promise!”

“Whoa! Whoa! It’s all right!” Cam replied. “I just wanted to tell you that the Vine is a little busy tonight, and maybe we should meet at Silver Arch instead.”

Kez winced. That was even further from her apartment. “Yeah, okay. Just give me a little time, and I’ll be there.”

“No problem!”

He ended the call.

Retrieving her shoes, she hurried out of the bedroom and through the little hallway that led to her living room. When she passed the bathroom, she felt a waft of warm, muggy air that reminded her of the water she had left on the floor. She was about to grab a towel when she noticed the small, dome-shaped robot that did the job for her.

Her roommate, Winston – Melissa Carlson had suggested the name – emerged from the living room. Okay, “roommate” was a bit of a stretch. He was a tall, skinny robot with a chrome body and blue eyes that glowed.

“Can I help you with anything, Ms. Kez?” he asked.

Squeezing her eyes shut, a blush singeing her cheeks, Kez replied with a small smile. “You’ve already helped me so much.” She stood on her toes to kiss his metal cheek. “I don’t know how I ever got by without you.”

Winston was another gift from the Leyrians. Though technically not alive – his software was only a simulated intelligence and not a true AI – he was wonderful company.

“I tried to interface with the local Network to arrange transportation,” he said. “But the cost of a personal driver is listed as three hundred and thirteen credits which is nearly a quarter of your monthly rent. As such, I thought it best to ask permission before purchasing a ride.”

“No ride needed,” she said. “I’ll walk.”

“The city does offer public transit, Ms. Kez.”

Rolling her eyes, Kez let out a burst of cold laughter. “Which comes once every hour if we’re lucky.” And of course, the personal drivers charged exorbitant rates because she lived in the bad part of town. “I have super stamina. I can handle a walk.”

Winston examined the heeled sandals that she carried in one hand. They had been fabricated on Leyria. She could never afford a pair of shoes like that here on Ragnos. “Might I suggest your sneakers, ma’am?”

“For a date?”

“You must walk over three kilometres to meet your date. You will travel faster in sneakers.”

Well, he had a point. Sneakers, it was.

A quick ride in the elevator brought her down to the first floor, and then it was just a short hop across the lobby. The moment she walked through the door, a gloomy mood settled over her.

It was a pleasant evening in springtime; according to her multi-tool, sunset was at least an hour away, and yet her front step was smothered by darkness. The streetlights had to come on just so people could see where they were going. Why? Well, that would be the island that floated directly over her head.