Chapter 3 - Seaside Breakfast

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She woke up in the most uncomfortable way. She was coughing water out of her lungs who burned with a vengeance. Spitting, she saw Jabrina on top of her pushing at her chest with both hands joined. She bent over to put her mouth to Catherine's lips but was stopped when Cat put her hand on her mouth.

"Welcome to the land of the living. Sit, if you can." Jab helped her to sit and held her hand as she spit the remaining water from her mouth. Something bubbled its way up her throat and she let out a big sonorous burp.

"Eww, that tasted like..."

"Seaweed?"

"Yeah. I know I was dirty, but did you have to drown me in the ocean?" Cat asked Jab.

"It was for a good reason."

"Why?"

"So mother could smooth out the DNA modifications made by that fucking serum in your veins."

"Did it work?"

"You still feel angry?"

"No. I feel balanced... and weak."

Jab helped Cat to her feet and motioned to go back to her truck.

"Can't we stay a little? I promise I'll be good. I've been cooped up in my cell since the attack. Can we just sit on the ground here and watch the ocean? Just for a few minutes?" Cat pleaded.

"Sure. I don't mind. It's one of my favorite place." She stood up and went to the truck. Opened the door and took out a thermal box. She brought it over.

"What's this?" Cat asked curious.

"Breakfast. You like eggs? Comes from a chicken."

"What's a chicken?"

"Some kind of Earth bird. Very good, white flesh when cooked."

"Like fish?"

"Not really. There, just try the eggs. Those are scrambled." Jab passed a covered dish to her and she opened the lid. Inside was a yellow mound of spongy matter with some mushrooms imbedded. A sauce was covering it. Next to it was some carrots and some round white vegetable she had never seen before.

Jab had followed her puzzled stare. "Potatoes."

"Potatoes? The ones we grew in the field were bigger and oval. I didn't know they could be that small."

"The field?"

"Asteroid field."

"Oh."

"Your nose better?"

"It'll be fine, your colonel is impressive but she fights dirty."

"Yeah, nobody in their right mind would pick a fight with that woman." Jab said reminiscing.

"Hmm, good thing I wasn't."

"You weren't what?" Jab asker her.

"In my right mind."

"Oh."

"You say 'oh' a lot."

They ate in silence, on top of a chalk cliff. Both girls enjoying their meal and Cat savoring her newfound serenity.

"I'm sorry about your mother." Jab blurted out of nowhere.

Cat, startled, coughed and choked on a piece of egg. "What?"

"I'm sorry about your mother." Jab repeated.

"Hmm." Cat didn't reply and continued munching her bread.

"I'd like to say I'm sorry about your father, but after what he did to my husband..." Jab continued.

"Listen Jab. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to deal with the loss of my parents right now. I feel better than I ever felt in like... ever. But you got my mom killed and killed my father."

"You pushed me into your mom who was hanging precariously over the rail."

"Enough! I said I wasn't ready. I know I pushed you and that I'm partially responsible." Tears streaked on Cat's face. "I just... don't want to talk about this. Especially not with you."

"Wow" Jab said. Opening her yogurt container and jabbing her spoon in it.

"What?" Said an irritated teary eyed Cat.

"You didn't try to choke the life out of me. You're making progress."

"I didn't, didn't I?" A smile slowly formed on Cat's handsome features.

They finished and put everything back in the big thermal box. Jab bent to pick it up, but Cat said. "I'll do it. It's the least I can do after... this." She grabbed the handles of the big box and hefted. It didn't budge. She heaved again, a grunt escaped her mouth. "What the hell?"

"Oh, yeah. Ah. I forgot to tell you what happened."

Cat sat on the box she couldn't move. "I'm listening."

"I asked mother to take care of the side-effects of the serum like she did for me."

"And it worked, I can feel it."

"I also asked for something else."

"Out with it for God's sake! Don't leave me hanging like a moronic Earthling!"

Jab gave her a look.

"Sorry." Cat said, smiling impishly.

"I asked mother to build a kind of... how can I put this? To build a bio-A.I. To leave a small part of herself in you, so she can guide you."

"What!? You put an alien babysitter in my brain!? So why can't I hear her in my head? Is it like a HUD?"

"Kind of. It will take a while to form. It's okay, you're not in a hurry."

"And what about this?" Cat pointed to the thermal box she was sitting on.

"I asked her to bring your strength back to normal levels."

"Normal levels? Like regular people? So a girl my size usually can't lift a thermal box this size?"

"Afraid not. You'll have to get used to it."

"Easy for you to say. You won't have to spend most of your life in prison."

"You still have the other benefits of the serum. Including faster reflexes. That should give you an edge in a tight spot. Besides, I'll try to get you out from time to time. There's no avoiding what's coming to you." Jab said as she pushed the rack back in position in the middle of the truck.

"Would you go inside and flip the magnet's switch please?"

"I'm not going back in the rack?"

"No need. If you promise to behave, you can ride shotgun on the ride back."

"Thanks." Cat said. She climbed inside the truck's cabin and activated the electromagnet's switch. The rack flew up and latched on the upper spine. Empty this time. Jab climbed in the driver's seat and they made their way back to Terra Nova City's jails.

As they rumbled back the way they came on the dirt road, Catherine asked: "So my strength was nullified?"

"Not exactly, it's dialed back but it's still there. Smoothed out is more like it. Only the strength and the side-effects are gone. The side-effects for your sanity and your strength for our safety. Plus, you'll get a regular cell. I hear they're more spacious and comfortable. Also, Sleepy won't have to be afraid of you anymore."

"What? I scared him? Poor man. He's such a nice guy. I like Charlie." Cat said.

"Charlie?"

"What about jail? Without my strength..."

"You'll do like the rest of the human race and have to do without it I'm afraid." Jab said in a decisive tone.

"Shit." She observed the other girl driving. "Jab?"

"What?"

"You know what I regret the most about all this?"

"All the people you killed?"

Catherine's face crumpled.

"Sorry," said Jab.

"I deserved it. I miss him."

"Who?"

"Zacharia silly."

"You know, you're the only one who calls me 'silly' with a straight face."

"Oh? Really?" Cat was silent for a while.

"Why Aquarius? That was your codename wasn't it?" Jab suddenly asked.

"Aquarius is the new age. An age where man would enter a golden age of spirituality. My father said I represented that new generation and I would rule the new world order. So he called me Aquarius."

"A new age of spirituality doesn't start with bloodshed. It starts with enlightenment. We need to go past our animal nature and stop these stupid wars to dominate each other."

"In a perfect world, I would agree with you Jab, but we don't live in a perfect world. Far from it."

"The strong must rule over the weak, it's only the natural order of things? No thank you. My father taught me that this kind of thinking leads to war, because, believe it or not, even the weak don't want to be dominated. Nobody wants that. Anyways, your definition of weak people is different from mine."

"Oh?"

"My definition of weak people is the ones that use their strength to dominate their fellow man thinking that they have all the answers. I'll let you in a little secret. Nobody is right on everything. We all err. We're all... human."

"You may have a point. I mean, I'm re-evaluating myself right now and I don't like what I'm finding." Cat said.

"Welcome to the human condition girlfriend."

"Am I?"

"What?"

"Your friend?"

"You were the first person who showed me the value of having friends and you've always been decent with me. I didn't forget." Jab said pointing at her head.

"Thanks." She thought a little. "Jab?"

"Hmm?"

"What will happen with me?"

"A trial, I'll testify and give them all the mitigating circumstances of your peculiar situation and upbringing but I'm not very hopeful."

"At least you'll try."

"That I'll do but the people want your head and I'm afraid they'll get it."

"Yeah. I know I deserve it all but I wish I could have a second chance."

"Me too. That would be nice but I wouldn't hold my breath." Jab said sadly.

"Que sera sera." Cat said philosophically.

Jab parked the big truck next to her lifter hanger. She stopped the big engine and exclaimed. "Shit."

"What?"

They both got out of the vehicle.

"It's almost 1030. How am I going to sneak you in now? The market place will be packed."

"Easy peasy." Cat said gaily.

"Easy!?" Jab pointed in Terra Nova City's direction. "They're going to rip you apart."

No response. Jab turned back and noticed with panic that she was alone. Cat had disappeared.

"God dammit! Come back here you moron. I can't protect you. There's nowhere for you to go. Caaaat!" Fuming, she set off on foot for the one kilometer walk back to the city.

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