KYLIE'S SONG #SciFriday

Chapter 10

Fiona grabbed the girl and dragged her out to the main corridor. The flesh under her fingers felt human enough, but her instincts were tight with the knowledge Melvina was alien to the people of Earth.

"I have one hundred and eight souls under my care and if one of them gets more than a hair pulled from their heads, I'll be coming for you and Vardek."

"That is truly amazing that you already grasped the customs of our society. You would do well to back up your words with action."

Fiona was lost, but she moved her face closer. "I know you're hiding something in that sick and twisted little head of yours."

"We all have secrets, I know how to cover my tracks."

"We'll see," said Fiona, fully aware she would die on Avalon, "we'll see." She combed her curly hair back behind her head and gazed into Melvina's eyes, searching the depths for any sign of remorse, but the only thing there was calm. "You're a master of your destiny, aren't you," said Fiona through clenched teeth. She fought the urge to stab the girl here on the spot. Better to beat her at her own game and she knew Kylie was the one person who could do it.

"The others are waiting, shouldn't we be on our way?" Melvina touched her arm. Her voice was tender now and they walked to the shuttle bay arm in arm, as if mortal enemies could be best friends just before they killed each other.

The shuttle ride to a space platform was short. Then they took a sky elevator to the planet's surface. The drop sent a euphoric wave into Kylie's stomach as they descended, and now the scope of the civilization they encountered was pressed upon her senses.

The buildings were tall, kissing the edge of space before ending in observation balls and massive penthouse platforms whose roof was the stars. Soon the elevator dropped through a dense cluster of buildings set apart from the rest. The cart rode on a thin cable, bucking violently in the cross winds as if it would be torn free at any moment. The ground rushed up and a massive arena could be seen nestled between the buildings.

A blur of color assaulted Kylie's eyes and she stared transfixed by the beauty below her. The color turned to ants and the ants turned to people. It was a multitude like she had never seen spread out before her as the cart screeched to a halt. They stepped out on the platform overlooking the arena where they stood as if they were victorious warriors returning from battle.

A cheer ran through the crowd and washed over Kylie. The euphoric approval of a million souls resonated in her heart and the power of those emotions struck a familiar chord. The power of that moment came close to matching the joy she felt every waking moment. Until now she had nothing which to compare it to.

Now she could say, "My joy is like the admiration of a million fans. It feels like summer rain and the passion of a first kiss all rolled into one. Now she had a point of reference to describe the indescribable.

We have always been governed by the idea of relativity, whether we are an outside observer or observing from within our own minds. We always compare and contrast. It's intuitive to our nature. Today Kylie experienced something close to what she felt. She could finally relate her inner power to something tangible.

"There are millions who love you," said Melvina in her ear. "They know what you did to get here. They are aware you murdered your father with such heart felt passion and cunning deceit that they love you even more than they love me."

Kylie turned to the broken girl next to her and realized she had underestimated her. Behind the mask was a cold calculation which Kylie knew well. Like looking in a mirror or singing a familiar song, they were a lot alike.

"You have millions more watching from work and school and home. Today will be remembered in history," continued Melvina, "you are a model citizen."

"I don't understand," said Kylie.

Now Melvina addressed the crowd and her voice carried across the sea of faces as she seemed to rise in stature. "We have one law placed above all others. It is the core of our civilization. We have an ethnic and moral obligation to uphold this one principle. It sets us apart and makes us civilized."

"You mean the sanctity of life?" asked Kylie. Her voice echoed far across the arena. A hush blew over the people when they heard her speak for the first time.

"No, the sanctity of death.

You said it yourself, what's better than death? Murder is legal on Avalon, encouraged even. It's what keeps our society in check and the people safe from war and prejudice." Melvina stared at the seven officers from Darkstar and enjoyed the look of horror on their faces. Even Quint was caught off guard.

"As long as a person doesn't get caught, then it's a legal kill. If they do get caught, it's immediate termination without a trial. This one law has ensured our survival for fifteen hundred years." She turned and lifted Kylie's arm with hers. "I give you the new champion of Avalon." The roar was deafening. Fiona stared in horror at the sadistic blond girl she thought of as a daughter. Kylie soaked it in, a look of pure euphoria written across her features. They were cheering because she murdered her father in the perfect crime.

This moment solidified the neural pathways and memory learning synapses in her brain. Her moment of coming out tugged at her base strands of DNA and ensured this one trait would be passed down to the next generation. Now the true meaning of joy washed over her because she finally knew her purpose.

She turned to Melvina and smiled. Melvina bowed to the people, relinquishing her own hold on the title of model citizen, then hugged her sister.

When they were done, Melvina spoke to the crowd. "It was Kylie's own father who said not long ago that it's, "Survival of the fittest." The crowd continued clapping.

Kylie smiled back at Melvina, then addressed the people. "We're not natural born killers, we were naturally born to kill." The crowd roared its approval, working itself into a frenzy. The last inhabitants of Earth were evolving in one generation, adapting to survive in the harsh environment of deep space. In this way the sick and twisted nature of the Galaxy's most common life form continued to flourish.

Melvina bent low, kissing Kylie on the neck and whispering, "I'm coming for you."

Kylie kissed her back and said, "I've been waiting all my life." And a new plan began to form in Kylie's head...

THE END