Going Home: Ulterior Motives (2)
13 May 2023Vasil Vasilescu
After having dinner with Andrei and Ioana I have no doubt they are here on vacation and not for some other purpose. Maybe all the time I spent trading has made me automatically suspect the motives of others: after all, no one in the business of making money does it to make as little as possible, and it is nearly impossible to turn large profits without lying to some degree. But there are times when what you see and hear is the truth no matter how much you try to find hidden motives in others.The truth is that Andrei and Ioana are so sugary sweet when they are together that watching them nearly gave me diabetes. Even an old cynic like me can see they are still devoted to one another after fourteen years together. It is evident in the doe-eyed looks they share, the way they feed bites of their dessert to each other, and how they always seem to be shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand, or otherwise attached . When they decide the time is right to have children I doubt they will be raised by nannies and slaves like me and my siblings.
With regard to siblings, Ioana said that they had sent a message to Octavia but had not yet received a reply. Just like our first meeting in the concierge lounge, I had the feeling that there was something more she wanted to say, but was holding back.
After we left dinner, I mentioned it in the lift on the way back to our rooms. “I have the feeling there is something you want to say, but are not.”
Ioana glanced away like a nervous child caught doing something they should not. Andrei took a deep, steadying breath. “There is,” he said. “But Ioana and I have talked about it and it is probably not something you should hear from people you just met.”
“It should probably be family that tells you,” said Ioana.
“My sister, you mean?”
Ioana nodded. “It would probably be best. We hoped to hear back from her before dinner, to see if she wanted us to tell you, but we did not received a reply.”
The lift stopped on their floor. The door opened with a quiet shhhh and they stepped out. “We’ll be leaving for home in two days,” said Andrei. “Maybe we -or you- will hear from your sister before then.”
“If not,” said Ioana, “I promise we’ll tell you what it is before we leave.”
I smiled and nodded. “That will be fine, Ioana. Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
The lift doors closed and the lift continued to my floor. Once in my room, I keyed in a secure link to the Always Lost using my wrist pad. The Jefferson COVAS replied. “Secure comm established, commander. How may I assist?”
“Are there any messages from the Cemiess system?”
“There are no messages originating from the Cemiess system.”
It could take hours for the message sent by Andrei and Ioana to reach Cemiess and be returned. After so long not interacting with my family, a few more hours made no difference. I saw no reason to worry about it; three decades without contact had eroded whatever familial and emotional bonds that once existed. In spite of what the romantics say, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Rather, it grows indifferent. Yet no matter how apathetic a heart becomes, no amount of time or estrangement could diminished the sense of duty an Imperial feels to the family.
“Jefferson, set priority alert for any message coming from Cemiess.” I closed the connection and fixed myself a whiskey.