Orion: Arkadian Alien Mail Order Brides #1 (Intergalactic Dating Agency) Read online

  “We only have enough fuel for an emergency,” Hailey murmured thoughtlessly.

  “This is an emergency,” her father said, rushing back into the room with Chaz in tow. “We’ll explain on the way.”

  Hailey stayed silent, and in no time, the carriage was flying down the country road, heading for the orphanage. It had been so long since the last time she’d had a carriage ride that it should have been thrilling.

  But there was a funereal atmosphere in the coach that had her stomach in knots.

  “Hailey,” her dad said at last. “Have you ever noticed how little we’re getting for our produce?”

  “I guess,” she said. It was more credits than any other family seemed to have coming in.

  “Have you ever thought about how we maintain our farm equipment?” he asked.

  The truth was, they didn’t maintain a lot of it anymore. The carriage was a perfect example. It was glitching on the turns a little now from lack of use. And the hover-barrow wasn’t exactly in tip-top shape either.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” he said gently. “There are many things we no longer use. But think about the irrigators and the sweeping arms. We couldn’t operate without them.”

  She nodded. That was definitely true. They couldn’t produce at the level we did without that tech.

  “We feed a lot of people,” her dad said, his voice growing husky. “Some pay in credits, some in labor, and some don’t pay at all.”

  He was talking about the orphanage and some of their older neighbors.

  “If our farm folded, a lot of people would go hungry besides us,” her mother put in, her voice high pitched and anxious.

  “Surely the Tyvarrs won’t try to have us shut down over a box of ice-berries,” Hailey said, shaking her head.

  Her parents exchanged a look.

  “The Tyvarrs have been generous with us,” her father said carefully. “They pay for the service of the irrigators and sweep arms.”

  “Oh,” she said, surprised. Mr. Tyvarr didn’t strike Hailey as the generous type.

  “In exchange, we deliver twenty ice-berry boxes each week to their home,” her dad went on.

  “I really screwed up,” Hailey said, putting the pieces together. “But why didn’t we just pack up more ice-berries and go straight to the Tyvarrs?”

  Her father swallowed, like he couldn’t speak.

  “Because the boxes don’t just have ice-berries in them,” her mother squeaked suddenly. “They also have D-19 powder.”

  Hailey gasped in horror.

  Everyone knew what D-19 powder was. It was both a drug and a weapon. Partygoers snorted tiny amounts for the quick high and got instantly addicted. Dosing someone with a bigger amount made them soft and silly, an intoxication beyond what alcohol could provide, making them good-natured and malleable for up to eight hours. It had been used as a military interrogation tool before civilians had unscrambled the recipe.

  D-19 was the most illegal substance on the planet and Hailey’s family was responsible for distributing it.

  “Y-you make D-19?” she demanded, tears of shame already sliding down her cheeks.

  “Of course not,” her father said. “Not even if they threatened me. That’s too dangerous. But a truck arrives in the middle of the night once a month. I’ve never asked from where. We deliver it to the Tyvarrs a fourth at a time, in the ice-berry boxes.”

  “How long has this been going on?” Hailey asked.

  “That doesn’t matter now,” her father answered.

  “You never told me,” she breathed.

  “And you just gave a box to the orphanage,” Chaz spoke up at last. “You’re too good for your own good. This is why we never told you.”

  Her mother buried her face in her hands and Hailey looked out the window, wondering if she would ever be able to reconcile what was happening right now with her vision of the poor but noble family she had always thought she belonged to.

  What they had, they shared with others. But if what they had was only thanks to illegal trafficking, then who were they?

  The orphanage sign was visible now in the carriage lights.

  Prefecture 7 - Children’s Home

  Hailey held her breath as the gates opened for them before they even rang the bell.

  Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion.

  Prefecture police lights were strobing in the darkness, briefly lighting up the anxious faces of the Head Sister and Brother Zeff, who stood at the threshold of the orphanage.

  “Stay,” Hailey’s father said firmly, hopping out of the carriage and striding up to the police without even saying good-bye.

  One officer raised a blaster at him, then another.

  Hailey watched her father drop to his knees, hands above his head, before they dragged him away.

  The flashing lights lit up Brother Zeff’s face once more. He was looking right at Hailey.

  She tried to tell him with her eyes how sorry she was, that she hadn’t known.

  As she watched, his lip curled back in disgust, and he turned away, leading the Head Sister back inside so that she wouldn’t have to see the awful family who had brought drugs into the most innocent place in the prefecture.

  Getting hit by a giant asteroid was starting to sound pretty good to Hailey.

  3

  Orion

  Orion VynFleet ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against his desk.

  His publicity consultant cleared her throat and ogled his muscular forearms in a way she probably thought was subtle. It wasn’t.

  But he was used to it. His rugged good looks were part of the package that had helped get him voted onto sector council. Even if he preferred not to be objectified, he couldn’t argue with results.

  “Talk please, Kypha,” he reminded her. “I have a meeting with the mayor in an hour.”

  She took a deep breath and the tentacles on her head trembled.

  “Your polling numbers are down.”

  “Why?” he demanded, surprised enough to forget to modulate his deep voice.

  She ducked her head down to look at her notes. He knew Kypha had those notes memorized. She always did. She was just giving him a minute to lick his wounds.

  Well, he didn’t need it. He was a favorite of the citizens of Upper Arkadia after he’d brokered a deal between the schools and the skyway command. And the roadwork in Lower Arkadia’s fourth precinct was far ahead of schedule. The people there should love him. Those falling numbers couldn’t be right.

  “Uh, the numbers are down with women, and with the working class,” she said, glancing back up.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked. “The road project was done with the working class of Lower Arkadia in mind.”

  “They see you as unapproachable and cold,” she read from the sheet, being careful to keep her voice detached.

  “My performance record should stand for itself,” he said, frowning. “And it’s going more efficiently than construction with any of my predecessors. They should appreciate that.”

  He didn’t say out loud that few of his predecessors had even bothered to invest in infrastructure repairs for working class Lower Arkadia. And it wasn’t hard to see why. Figuring out how to hire local labor and deal with the zoning down there had been like reinventing the Bhimani drive.

  Orion wasn’t proud of the way Upper Arkadia had treated her lower half for all these years. But when most of the people in power literally couldn’t see Lower Arkadia because they lived on a land mass that floated above it… well, it made it easier to ignore the problems brewing below. Out of sight, and all that.

  He had made a point of trying to do better. It hurt to know that it didn’t seem to matter.

  “People don’t vote for the better candidate, Mr. VynFleet,” Kypha said gently. “They vote for who they want to do shots of sympltite with.”

  She was probably right about that. Kypha was almost always right about everything. That was why he listened to her
and tried not to lose his temper.

  “So, what do you suggest?” he asked, trying to focus on the positive. “Should I volunteer for the schools on both levels? Donate my personal funds?”

  “You already donate enough of your personal funds,” she scolded. “But you do it so quietly that I can’t make any waves with it. Would you really be willing to donate publicly?”

  He thought about it and shook his head.

  “My grandfather wouldn’t have liked that,” he told her. “And besides, I thought they already saw me as rich and stand-offish. Won’t throwing money around just make things worse?”

  “They see you as unapproachable and cold,” she reminded him. “But I see your point. There is one other thought.”

  She stopped, as if trying to decide whether to proceed.

  “Yes, Kypha?” he said.

  “Most politicians your age have a family,” she said carefully.

  “I have family,” he hedged. His sister had kids and a husband, and his mother was still around. Photos could be taken.

  “We both know that’s not what I mean,” Kypha said, lifting one eyebrow.

  “Are you proposing to me?” he teased.

  “That kind of promotion might require a salary bump even you can’t afford,” Kypha laughed, waggling her tentacles sassily.

  “I’m not getting married,” he told her, rolling his eyes. “I don’t even have time to date.”

  “There’s another marriage option, actually,” she said. “One that’s less… complicated.”

  “What in the outer rings are you talking about?” he laughed. “Marriage is always complicated. Just ask my sister.”

  Kypha grinned. She had been around enough times when his sister was here grousing with her husband and then immediately stealing kisses with him in the Conference Hall powder room.

  Instead of answering, Kypha pulled something out of the comm-board she was holding and handed it to him.

  The glossy paper felt good in his hands. It was old-fashioned. Most advertising nowadays was done via hologram or sensies.

  Are you ready for a change in your life?

  The partner of your dreams is alone right now, and so are you.

  Rescue the both of you from solitude by messaging us today!

  Make your house into a home with the warmth of companionship.

  Arkadian Brides Agency

  Something about the card stock and the innocent tone of the ad struck a chord in him.

  He was lonely. And his estate was beautiful, but it felt more like a museum than a home.

  But Orion VynFleet wasn’t interested in some kind of mail order bride. He was a modern man, not a pioneer. And he had work to do. So much work…

  “I know it’s a little old-fashioned,” Kypha said, sounding hopeful. “But the agency has a great track record. They employ a very sophisticated matching algorithm, with a success rate many times higher than conventional marriages. Plus, you wouldn’t have to waste time dating.”

  That was all fine and well. And Kypha usually gave him solid advice. But it wasn’t really for him. A knock on the door interrupted them before he could burst her bubble.

  “Come in,” he called out, grateful for a respite from the conversation.

  “Sir, there’s a, uh, delivery for you,” his assistant, Roddack mumbled, looking a little alarmed.

  Poor kid. He had a bit of a crush on Kypha, so he always acted a little weird when she was around.

  “Just set it on the hall table,” Orion told him gently.

  It was probably just the new workout gloves he’d ordered. He was really looking forward to breaking them in during his next session, but it was hardly worth interrupting a meeting for.

  “But, sir,” he said, alarm in his eyes.

  “I’m busy, Roddack,” Orion told him firmly.

  “Sir, I really think you’re going to want to see this right away,” he said with real conviction. “It’s not the kind of thing you put on a hall table.”

  Orion’s eyebrows went up in surprise. Roddack was a great assistant. He never pushed back. What could possibly have been delivered?

  Just then, the android intern BX-12 rolled in with something cradled in her arms.

  Something small and very noisy.

  Something that looked way too much like a tiny baby, wrapped in a lavender blanket.

  Orion was just wondering what happened to his workout gloves when the baby began to wail.

  4

  Hailey

  Hailey awoke at first light, feeling like some kind of unanchored ghost.

  The sight of her brother stuffing her clothing into a bag didn’t help. He was working so hard sweat beaded on his forehead.

  “What are you doing?” she asked

  “You have to leave,” Chaz said, without even looking up. “Right now.”

  “Why?” she asked, horrified.

  Their father had been taken away last night in mag-cuffs. He had sacrificed himself, claiming the rest of the family hadn’t known about any of the shady business dealings. But without him, the farm could hardly run.

  “The police went straight from the orphanage to the Tyvarr place,” Chaz said, pressing down hard on the bag to seal the seam. “Sounds like they’ve been wanting to bust the Tyvarrs for a long time. It’s really bad.”

  “Gods of the rings,” I whispered.

  “The Tyvarrs got caught off guard because of us. Now they’re going to want revenge,” Chaz said, without meeting my eyes. “They know who made that delivery, Hailey. I don’t want you to be here if they come looking. Do you have somewhere you can stay for a while to lay low? Maybe a friend’s house?”

  Hailey nodded wordlessly, her heart breaking. This meant the end of the farm, of everything they had all worked so hard to hold onto.

  “Mom and I can try to find some temp labor to help,” Chaz said, as if reading her mind. “We can’t replace you and dad, but maybe we can get by for a little while, until this whole thing blows over and you’re both back.”

  She nodded, happy to hold onto wishful thinking, to any kind of hope.

  “I’ll walk you to the airbus,” he offered.

  She shook her head. There was no point putting him in danger. And it was probably better if he didn’t know where she was going. Of course, she didn’t even know where she was going yet, but she’d figure it out on the bus.

  “You have too much to do here,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”

  He nodded and pulled her in for a fierce hug.

  “I love you, kiddo,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed.

  “Don’t be,” he told her, pulling back. “We made the bad choices, not you. And we should have told you.”

  She smiled through her tears. “Laters, Chaz.”

  “Laters, Hailey,” he replied, his own eyes glistening.

  She grabbed the bag and threw it over her back, jogging for the front door and almost tripping over her mother, who was reprogramming the security system.

  “Sorry, Mom,” she said.

  “You’re leaving.” Her mother’s voice was flat and dead.

  “I think it’s safest for everyone,” Hailey said. “Just for a little while.”

  Her mother bit her lip and nodded. “Stay safe, little one.”

  “Love you, Mom,” she bit out, unable to hug her for fear she would break down.

  Instead, she jogged outside and headed down the street for the airbus stop a kilometer away.

  She wanted to look back, but didn’t let herself. Looking back longingly was for people who would never go home again.

  Hailey was definitely not leaving forever.

  A little voice in the back of her head warned her that even if she came back, things would never be the same. But Hailey hadn’t come this far by listening to sad little voices. There had to be a way to fix this situation for her family, and she was determined to find it.

  By some miracle, an airbus arrived at the stop just as
Hailey did. It was headed downtown, which Hailey took as a sign about where she should go. She swung onboard and swiped her bracelet. Thank the gods, there was enough credit on there to get her to Myn’s house.

  Her best friend Myn always knew what to do. They would figure it out together, she decided. And though Myn’s family lived in an old retrofit shipping container, they would never turn away a friend in need.

  Hailey settled into a pod near the back and let the newsfeed scroll past on the personal screen as the bus swung into high drive and rumbled toward the city.

  On the screen, a feed of police transports and helio-bots surrounded a huge warehouse. The text began to scroll, and Hailey stopped breathing.

  The scene before dawn this morning at the Tyvarr compound in Lower Arkadia, where sector police confiscated large sums of credits and several pallets of pure D-19 compound. Four people have been arrested so far, including the junior Mr. Tyvarr, and many more have been detained for questioning. This is a breaking story. Details to come on the hour.

  Hailey’s heart sank to her stomach and her vision started to go dim. She fought to stay upright and conscious.

  She had just unwittingly brought down an entire criminal operation, and the head of what was clearly a major crime family.

  The Tyvarrs would not take kindly to her ruining their business. Or causing their humiliating arrest on television.

  This wasn’t just about lost credits anymore. This would mean war.

  And that meant running away to Myn’s wouldn’t be enough. Anyone who did minimal homework would figure out to look for her there. And she would never put her friend’s family in that kind of danger.

  Or her own.

  Somehow, she was going to have to come up with a way to get them all out of Lower Arkadia before the Tyvarrs caught up to them.

  Hailey was going to have to figure out how to change her whole life. And fast.

  Belatedly, she remembered to tap the sidebar to let the driver know to let her off at the next stop. If someone tracked her bracelet, she wouldn’t want to be recorded getting off anywhere near Myn’s place.