Dragon City, Tundra, Standard year 352 after founding

  “I’m going to see the dragons!” Samantha shouted, her pigtails bouncing as she jumped up and down in her excitement. She had just turned seven, and the school field trip to see the dragons was by far the most exciting event of her existence.

  “Shut up, Sam.” One of her two older brothers said with a roll of his eyes. “The rest of us have already seen the dragons. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  Sam glared at her brother, clutching her stuffed dragon protectively in case he decided to steal it. “It is so that big of a deal.” She said insistently. “You’re just jealous.”

  “We’ve seen the dragons.” Her second brother said. “And it was pretty awesome.” He admitted. Stuffing his entire breakfast bar into his mouth, he grinned and reached out to grab the stuffed dragon, with Sam escaping just in time and hiding under the table. Her brothers didn’t go under the table. They thought it was beneath them. As the youngest and the smallest, a certain amount of strategic thinking was necessary to survive in the family.

  “It’s mine.” She said insistently from under the table.

  “Yes, it’s yours.” Her mother said with some exasperation, thinking unkind thoughts about her husband’s request to have twin daughters in addition to their two sons. At least there was only one of her. No one could handle two Samanthas. “Now come out, we’re going to be late.” She waved a hasty goodbye to her husband, dragged Samantha out from under the table, and shepherded the children out the door and towards their massive building’s elevator banks. Thankfully, the children’s schools were inside the building so the drop off was fast and painless.

  The massive, self contained buildings were necessary to survive the inhospitable climate of their home planet of Tundra. For most of the year, the outdoors were not suitable for human habitation. But this was the height of summer, and in her warm boots and thick wool sweater, little Sam was ready for the outdoors. Waving goodbye to the children, their mother beat a hasty retreat to regroup and get ready for work.

  Sam’s bounce of excitement continued on towards her classroom, unabated. “I’m going to see the dragons!” She shouted for the hundredth time, running in to greet the other kids.

  ---

  Later that afternoon, the kids piled into the boat that would take them out on the open water of the Tundran ocean. Out here around the planet’s equator, the salty ocean waters were warm enough that the ice melted entirely, the intense blue of the water sparkling in the sun all around them. The dragons were giant underwater lizards, their powerful tails propelling them up and into the air, where their massive fins became wings, capable of propelling them many feet up over the water. The going theory was that the Tundran dragons evolved their gliding ability to escape underwater predators. But it had another function. Deep in the Tundran summer, the male water dragons congregated, flying up high into the gray Tundran sky as a show of prowess for prospective mates.

  Sam was standing near the prow of the boat, her eyes laser focused on the ocean ahead. She was the first to spot them. At this distance, from miles away, they looked more like a cloud than individual animals. “There they are!” Samantha shouted. “Dragons, dragons, dragons!” The shouting continued as the boat moved closer to the air show. Sam, had energy to spare. Soon, the other kids came outside to join her, braving the cold and the spray of the sea to watch the show. They were well over an hour from shore now, the city a faded gray line of high rises in the distance.

  Sam frowned as the blare of an alarm siren from deep within the ship interrupted her concentration. Doing her best to ignore the piercing sound, she focused on the beautiful dragons circling in front of them. Shading from silvery gray and lavender, to the intense cerulean blue of the Tundran ocean, she thought the flying dragons were the most beautiful and exciting thing she had ever seen.

  Sam frowned in annoyance as the alarm continued, worried that her teacher would come and make her go back down into the interior of the ship. And then one of the dragons screamed. The sound was far worse than the alarm, the high pitched scream echoing as it was picked up by the other dragons circling in the air. And then, as one, the dragons plunged down towards the water and disappeared.

  As the screams of the dragons faded, the soft rumble like that of a distant storm raged across the water. Rather than fading, the sound built up, stronger and stronger. Finally pulling her gaze away from the disappearing dragons, Sam turned to see that the other children were looking in the opposite direction, out towards land. An orange tower of flame, turning black around the edges, rose up over the city. Sam squinted, trying to make out the location of the buildings lining the edge of the coast, when someone grabbed her and forced her back into the interior of the ship.

  ---

  They never returned to Dragon City. There was no Dragon City to return to. The small number of children who had survived the nuclear attack were relocated to the closest occupied island, to Megalodon City. Sam sat quietly, clutching her stuffed dragon and unable to understand what was happening. She wanted her mom, and while she was far too old to cry, a thick lump sat in her throat, seemingly impossible to dislodge.

  She watched as some of the older children congregated around a small but intense boy, his voice carrying across the crowded room. “A nuclear attack on the city.” The boy said. “My father said it might happen. He told me about it. It means everyone who was in the city is dead.” The boy added flatly.

  Uncertainly, Samantha walked up to the group of older kids.

  “Get out of here, pipsqueak.” One of them said, giving her a shove.

  Sam gasped in outrage as she ended up sprawled on the ground, her stuffed dragon flying out of her hands. “That’s mine.” She shouted, lunging for the toy. She didn’t quite get there in time. Another one of the kids grabbed her toy, sticking out his tongue at her with some satisfaction.

  “Give it back.” It was the serious boy everyone listened to, that walked up. “Give it back.” He repeated.

  “Who do you think you are?” The thief asked, hands on hips. “You’re not the boss around here. I can keep the toy if I want to. It’s mine now.”

  “No it’s not!” Sam shouted in complete outrage. She flew at the older boy with no hesitation. He shoved her aside easily, using his far larger frame to push her until she was sprawled back on the ground.

  “I’ll take care of…” The serious boy began.

  He never got to finish his sentence. Eyes blazing, teeth bared, Samantha lunged for the thief.

  “What’s going on here?” The sharp voice of one of the adults cut through the chatter of the children. The caregiver looked on in some horror from the tiny little girl with disheveled blond pigtails to the much larger boy, who was now bleeding from his hand.

  “He took her toy.” The serious boy tried to explain, stepping between Samantha and the adult.

  “You are both going into time out.” The orphanage caregiver said sharply.

  “You bit him.” The serious boy said a few minutes later, as they sat side by side in the small, dimly lit room. He sounded slightly stunned.

  “It was mine.” Samantha said, teeth bared.

  “We’ll figure out how to get it back once they let us out.” The boy promised. “My name’s Jim, Jim Hawk.” He offered up his hand. “What’s yours?”

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  ---

  8 years later

  Dragon City Memorial, Megalodon City, Tundra, standard year 360 after founding

  “He needs to die.” Samantha said conversationally, her intense gray eyes focused on Jim Hawk, her boyfriend, and her best friend in the world. She resolutely ignored the memorial looming over both of them. The names of three and a half million people were carved into a massive block of granite, reaching up into the cold, lavender gray sky over their heads. Taking the few surviving orphans of Dragon City to the memorial every year made for a great photo op, adding to the flames of rage fueling the Tundran war efforts against Saraya. Not that it was particularly necessary. It had been a mere eight years since Dragon City was destroyed by a Sarayan nuclear attack on their planet. The largest city on their home planet of Tundra, was left in ashes. Nearly a quarter of the Tundran population died in the attack. There was no need to fuel the flames of rage. The rage was going strong, no further fuel needed. And the photographer, was late.

  “I’m not disagreeing with you.” Jim said in that calm, controlled voice that drove her insane. “But if we simply kill him, it’ll be too obvious. Doing it my way will take more time, but in the end, he’ll still die. My way is safer.”

  “Do it soon.” Samantha said, ice dripping from every word. In time, they would all die, she thought as her eyes strayed up towards the memorial above. They would all pay, and they would all die. But she was going to start small. The creep at the orphanage who had groped her and did worse with some of the other girls, was just for practice. Practice, made perfect.

  ---

  Jim pulled strings to get them both out of the orphanage. Jim always had strings to pull, Samantha reluctantly acknowledged. There was something to be said for his ability to grant the sorts of favors that earned him loyalty from people high and low. The guard at the orphanage waived them out with a wide smile on his face and a broad wink. His ideas of how they planned to spend the afternoon clearly far diverged from reality. Sam snorted. As if they would need to leave the orphanage for that.

  “Just follow the plan.” Jim reminded her, the slightest edge of nervousness in his voice. He hated this part. Hated it with the fire of a thousand nuclear warheads. The idea of Sam in any kind of danger left him lying awake in a cold sweat every night. These days, it was the only thing that ever did. But Sam would insist. She always did. And it was easier to send her in when he had control of the situation. God help him if Sam ever went out on her own.

  “Shoplift, figure out the location of the hidden camera. I got it Jim, it’s going to be fine.” She sent him the breeziest of waves before walking into the fruit store, adding an extra sway to her hips as she went in.

  Jim watched her walk away before rubbing his forehead in pure, unadulterated frustration. He leaned his back against the wall in a shadowed portion of the hallway, eyes focused on the small shop Sam had just entered. The crowds of people ebbed and flowed around him, the bright neon lights of shops lining the low ceilinged hallway on either side flickered, drawing in the loud and rambunctious crowd. Jim’s eyes remained laser focused on the slight, slim figure of Sam as she entered the shop. Fruit was a luxury good on their frozen, ice covered planet. These days, the orphans finally had enough food, but most of their nutrition still came from the mushrooms that were the only edible that could survive outdoors on Tundra. They were nutritious, but not especially appetizing. Jim couldn’t remember the last time he had fruit. But he knew that because fruit were such a high priced item, at least one camera would be placed strategically within the shop, to catch anyone trying to shoplift.

  Sam walked into the fruit shop with a broad, confident grin on her face, only momentarily phased by the explosion of bright colored fruit that lay out on every available surface in the small shop. Could they really have so much? With a careless shrug, she walked up to the counter, watching the elderly man carefully as she walked up. His cool dark eyes looked back at her, taking in her faded jeans and the ratty sweater that looked like a multi generational hand me down. Sam looked like she didn’t belong. And she knew it. That was the idea. Veering off at the last minute, she let his gaze follow her as she walked up and down the aisles. Sam picked up one perfectly green apple, wondering just for a moment what it would actually taste like. It looked so perfect… she tossed it up in the air, catching it easily and smiling at the shop owner. “I wonder what this tastes like.” Sam said out loud. If she ate the apple off camera, it was the shop owner’s word against hers. Of course, once the cops knew she was an orphan, they would believe the shop owner without question. Even Jim’s influence may not be enough to save her from juvie. But the shop owner didn’t know that. Not for sure. He would try to get her to eat the apple on camera. They should be able to figure out the location based on that. “I bet it tastes great.” Sam continued, strolling up and down the aisles.

  “Pay and find out.” The shop owner said quietly.

  Sam paused. There was something about the shop owner’s calm, cool voice and sharp eyes that she didn’t like. Sam had good instincts. And she trusted them. “In the war, were you?” She asked quietly, walking back up towards the counter.

  “I’ve been around.” The shop owner said shortly.

  Sam tossed the apple back up in the air, catching it easily. Lightning fast, she hurled it at the shop owner’s head.

  He ducked, his hand replacing his head just in time to catch the apple. “Nice throw.” He said calmly. “Fast. Good aim. You’ve got talent.”

  “That’s what they tell me.” Sam said. There would need to be a change of plans. But Jim told her to get the camera. And she made it a point to never, ever disappoint Jim. “You got a camera in the shop?”

  The man’s eyebrows climbed up at the brazen question. “Why do you ask?”

  “We need to borrow it. Just for a few days. Here.” Sam reached into the pocket of her jeans, the one that didn’t have a hole in it, and pulled out two crumpled Tundran credits. “I can pay you two credits for it. Call it a rental. And we’ll bring it back as soon as we’re done.”

  The man studied her for one long, drawn out moment. “Good cause, is it?” He said mildly.

  “The very best cause.” Sam said with an enthusiastic smile. “Truth, conquers all.” She added, not sure where she had heard the phrase. But it struck her as fitting to the moment.

  “And you’ll bring it back in a week?” The shop owner said with a sigh.

  Sam’s grin got just a little bit wider as she nodded. She had him. And they wouldn’t even need to release the rats. The original plan had been to catch and release rats into the fruit shop as a distraction for the theft of the camera. Seeing the shop owner, she knew it wouldn’t have worked. Her plan was better, and Jim would be impressed. Not that she cared. With a toss of her long blond hair, Sam thanked the shop owner sincerely, took the camera, and turned to walk out of the store.

  “Wait.” The man called out.

  Tiny camera in hand, Sam considered making a run for it but in the end, with some reluctance, she turned back around. “What?” She asked, not particularly graciously.

  “Take the apple.” The man said, tossing it towards her at top speed.

  Sam caught it without thinking, nearly dropping the small camera in the process but in the end managing to hold on to both. She gaped at the man in stunned surprise. And it wasn’t easy to surprise Sam.

  “Keep the camera, too.” The man continued. “And when you graduate, if you’re not sure what to do next, come see me. I know of something that may be of interest.”

  “It include throwing apples?” Sam asked with a grin.

  “Something like that.” The man agreed easily. “Good luck to you.”

  “And to you.” Sam replied without missing a beat, before turning to walk back out of the store.

  ---

  “Are you all right?” Jim grabbed her arm as she walked past, just barely stopping himself from moving in sooner, where he would be within easy view of the shop owner. The shop owner had already seen Sam’s face. And the harsh reality was that if Sam ever got caught, she would need him on the outside to help.

  Sam grinned, pulling him further down the crowded dark hallway lined with shops and teeming with people, until they were both in an out of the way hollow between two pillars. Pushing him back against the wall, Sam kissed him as hard a she could, pleased when his arms wound around her waist in response.

  “What…” He tried to get out as he pulled away momentarily.

  “Camera.” Sam said, putting the tiny camera into the palm of his hand. “And an apple.” She grinned, holding it out between them.

  “What…” Jim repeated in utter confusion. “But... how?”

  “My charming personality gets them every time, dear boyfriend.”

  “Did you…”

  “Did I what?” Sam asked, a note of warning in her voice.

  “What did you do?” Jim asked, refusing to back down.

  “I asked nicely.”

  “That doesn’t sound like you.”

  “Doing what it takes sounds exactly like me. He was in the war.” Sam added. “Might be special forces or… or something. I don’t know. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. I don’t think our plan would have worked. But failure, is not an option. Isn’t that what you always say? So, it’s not an option.”

  “So you asked nicely.”

  “Yes. I can ask nicely, Jim. I know how to be nice.”

  “And in return?”

  Samantha hesitated.

  “Sam.” Jim said warningly.

  “Look, all I said, and I swear this, all I said was that I might talk to him after I graduate.”

  “Talk to him about what?” Jim asked grimly, pulling her closer protectively.

  “About, you know, opportunities.”

  “What…”

  “Not that.” Sam said sharply. “He wouldn’t even bother to give me an apple for that. This was… this was something else.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t like anything. Let’s see if you like apples.” Sam held out the apple.

  “You eat it.” Jim shook his head. “You’re the one who got it.”

  “You take one bite and then I’ll have it.” Sam insisted.

  With a resigned sigh, knowing he wouldn’t win the argument, Jim took a small bite of the apple.

  “What does it taste like?” Sam asked, fascinated.

  “It tastes like you owe the shop owner more than you should.”