Callidus Rising | Complete ✔️ | Book 1

1: Much More Safe

I roll around in my bed (or pod as it's called do to it's unique curved shape). It is filled with luxurious blankets and pillows despite my current situation.

It almost feels like nothing has happened when I am lying here.

Sometimes I am convinced that my family will be waiting for me to wake up and will make fun of my sleeping in when I finally join them.

But they aren't.

And they wont ever be again. 

So reluctantly I roll out of the comfortable little cocoon for the second time today, and the familiar wheezing of the oxygen purifier fills my ears.

I stand up, stumbling a little bit as I do so. The fabric of my cargo shorts swishes as I walk over and adjust its settings a little.

A spherical figure is at my feet, a small camera on the top of it aimed directly at me.

"Good morning, Superstes," a heavily accented male voice practically sings. I groan inwardly.

Lukas. Gross.

Im still tired despite having slept in and already showered before take yet another nap.

I avert my gaze from the white sphere at my face, and turn to go glance out of one of the windows.

You know I'm not a morning person, I think.

Just leave me alone, kick ball.

A few quiet clicks occur before a light whirring noise fills my ears.

I glance over my shoulder at the small white box that hovers beside my face and that is currently annoying me.

It's transformed.

"Well that's not very nice, puella," it says, some playful sternness in its voice as it responds to my thoughts.

"You aren't supposed to be listening to my thoughts anyways, Lukas," I grind out, even further annoyed that the voice is closer to my ears, making it even louder.

"Yeah yeah, but how am I supposed to help you learn if you won't talk to me? I just settled on listening to your thoughts... it's much easier, dulcis."

Oh god.

"God? Well let's see, God in Latin is Deus. It's often used to refer back to a greater po-" I raise a hand to my face in what resembles an annoyed salute is a sort of annoyed salute as I cut it off.

"Quiet, please Lukas. I tried to tell you I'm not interested in learning anything. Especially not Latin. What I care about is-"

"Food, water, survival in general. I know," the voice says, changing to a young man's Australian voice.

"But you also care -cared- about your family, and your parents programmed me to educate and protect you."

"So I'm doing what I was made to do, by your own flesh and blood, nonetheless," it says flatly, because it is tired of explaining over and over why it is here.

Just get out of my head, will you?

Then maybe after scavenging today I'll let you attempt to teach me a dead language with no use to me in my current situation.

"Hmmmmmmm... Deal," Lukas agrees.

I groan again. This time out loud.

"Just come over here and help me with this," I snap.

I lay a thin black sheet of what feels like rubber on the room's dirtied floor, and lower myself into a crisscrossed position.

I scavenged the map from the lobby, hidden in the very bottom of the front desk of the hotel.

I don't have to do anything for Lukas to know what I want.

The hovering sphere returns to the ground before rolling up to the mat and sliding out a thin cable that fits the map's plug-in perfectly.

A six-digit code appears in front of me, Lukas displaying it conveniently.

"87-52-43," I say clearly.

"Passcode accepted," says a monotone feminine voice.

Lukas removes the thin drive, and silently watches the map beside me.

Immediately, bright lights appear and then they are situated into a holographic display of the city I am currently in.

I type in what I am looking for, and the closest carrier of it.

A few hilighted buildings pop up around.

I double tap on one of the buildings displayed near me. It looks about 2-3 miles away. I think.

That's gonna be challenging.

"That building is multiple hours on foot," says the montone voice.

I look down at the small speaker built into the 3-D map

"Tell me, Lukas, do you think I should go for this store, or do you think I should scavenge the building again?"

"The building is much more safe," Lukas says.

"I say buil-"

"This building is more secure due to the passcode required Jumpers, but there aren't many supplies left within it," says the Map's voice,"But if you're searching for 'distilled water', as you typed in earlier, the risk is worth taking," says the map.

I hold back a laugh, and cast a look down at the sphere beside me.

It's camera is facing me, although I think it's what Lukas considers a glare.

The teacher just got schooled.

Lukas suddenly rolls off and hovers a pretty good distance for me. I grimace and shoot the little AI a look.

Liar.

You really can't stop reading my thoughts can you?

"You know I can't unless I'm under certain duress," it scolds.

"And calling me a liar is quite rude," Lukas states, the automated Australian accent dipping on the pronunciation of 'quite'.

You being in my thoughts is quite rude after you said you wouldn't, Lukas.

Silence.

"I'm going to the store," I declare.

"Thank you," I say to the black rubber sheet as it begins to go dark.

A pleasure, Miss," the speaker in the map responds just as the lights vanish.

Lukas is silent as it sulks in the corner.
*****

The definitions that were here previously sucked as a first authors note so when editing I decided the change it.
Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for tuning in!
Also, please do not hesitate to comment on anything unclear or tell me what's going through your mind as you read!

Boring Previous Definitions:
Superstes: Survivor
Puella: Young lady
Dulcis: Sweet

Thanks for reading!
♥️