Jace didn’t even have to touch the controls to have the water turn off. He did it simply with his mind. He stepped out of the shower stall and grabbed an incredibly fluffy towel. He dried himself off. The door to his bedroom silently slid open. The cooler air flowed around him like an embrace.
He saw a small rectangular orange light on the wall. He went over to it and that portion of the wall popped open to reveal a drawer. Inside were what must have been his non-space battle uniform. It was a pair of fitted black pants that had a lot more give in them, a long-sleeved white shirt that hugged his new muscles like a second skin and a black jacket that felt like leather, but wasn’t. There were, of course, socks and underwear.
There was another orange light on the wall. When he went near that a pair of boots was revealed. Jace slipped them on as well to complete the outfit. The drawers closed and the wall became seamless again before a mirror appeared there so that he could see himself.
“Looking good,” he admitted with a grin.
No longer were his clothes baggy or his hair unkempt. Whatever the Osiris had done to him seemed to take all the fuss out of looking good. He shook his head at his own reflection. That sense that this was and wasn’t him was still there, but it wasn’t causing any consternation in him. It was like living a dream.
Though the Khul are a bit of a nightmare and I have to figure out how to stop everyone from killing each other.
His reflection lifted an eyebrow and his smile had turned from joyous to a little wry. But he’d take this life over the aimless one he’d been living. There was so much possibility here. He wanted to infect the Alliance and humanity with it. To show them that their narrow views of what should be, what could be and what they wanted to be were just that: narrow.
Here goes nothing.
He turned on his heel and headed towards the sitting room where his parents and Gehenna awaited him. He knew that the wall would once again become smooth and non-reflective even as the lights turned off after his leaving.
He found his parents and Gehenna sitting on the same couch like three awkward birds frozen to a line. His mother immediately jumped to her feet and came towards him. She was not a fan of the Terminator.
“Jace! You look well!” She cupped his face and turned it this way and that to confirm that her head-on view was correct.
“I feel good. Really good. A long rest was what I needed,” Jace assured her, letting her pet him and be a mom in that moment.
She smoothed her hands through his hair and shook her head. “You look now like I always saw you looking in my mind. But are the headaches and everything really gone?”
That was what he had asked the Osiris. “Mostly. I just experienced one on the Khul ship when we lost contact with the Osiris.”
She ran her hands over his shoulders. “I like the outfit. Perfectly tailored for you.”
“You don’t look too shabby yourself, Mom.”
She was wearing one of her skirt-suit uniforms, far more fancy than his, which was well-made, but seemed more casual. His father was dressed up as well and not in his flight suit.
Is that a bad sign or a good sign? Jace wondered. I’ve already asked Khoth really to abandon his life. Should I be asking my parents?
But all he asked them out loud was, “Want some breakfast? Khoth should be here shortly and--”
But his mother was shaking her head. “We’ve got to meet with the general.”
His heart was in his feet. “Ah, right, of course. Planning your all out offensive to take the Osiris from me? It will be unsuccessful so you might want to think about that before you pick a team.”
“No one is going to try and take the Osiris from you,” his mother said.
“Uhm, I’m pretty sure the Alliance is, but that’s neither here nor there. Guys, we have to talk. What are you thinking of doing?” Jace asked, shaking off his mother’s hands. He needed a clear head for this.
“Maybe, I should ah… go and do something? Somewhere else?” Gehenna asked, half rising up from her seat.
“Aren’t you going to know what’s going on in here anyways?” his father asked her.
“Well, yes, of course! But it would give you the illusion of privacy!” Gehenna answered truthfully.
“You can stay then. We don’t want illusions here,” his mother answered dryly.
“I’ll be quiet as a--”
“Terminator?” Jace’s left eyebrow rose even as a smile tugged at his lips.
“Mouse.” She sank back down onto the couch with surprising quietness.
