Cosmic Callisto Caprica & the Missing Rings of Saturn Read online

  “Hey, Dad, the girls and I were thinking about going to Uncle Sal’s Diner to celebrate. Is it okay if we borrow your saucer?” I put on my best feel-sorry-for-me puppy-dog face. His tears evaporated; there were a few wrinkles in the middle of his forehead. I could tell the wheels in his brain were churning at top speed.

  “Oh, come on, Cedric. You can’t hog that saucer all to yourself,” someone from the crowd teased.

  “Oh please, Mr. Caprica, can we?” Martha asked with a sweet voice.

  “We won’t have it all night and we’re just going to Uncle Sal’s and then Cosmo will take us home,” Vicki interjected.

  I looked up at my dad. Very slowly, one by one, the wrinkles on his forehead started to disappear. “Alright, girls, you win.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the shiny keys to his brand-new flying saucer. “I’ll get Mia to drive me home,” he whispered in a slightly aggravated tone that was just loud enough for me to hear. A slight chill ran through my body, then my stomach started to tighten around its edges. Mia was here. He actually brought her to my graduation ceremony. I didn’t remember seeing her face out in the crowd when I was giving my speech. No doubt she was probably hiding somewhere nearby with her eyes fixed on my dad’s back, ready to leave at a moment’s notice so she could be alone with him. Bringing Mia to my graduation ceremony, acting as if he didn’t want me to have the keys to his saucer despite the fact that he desperately wanted an excuse to be alone with Mia, his personal assistant—that was my real dad. Every once in a while, he let his guard down—it was always for a brief moment. It was so quick that if you blinked you might miss it, but if you looked hard enough, you could see the real him, and he was anything but the perfectly polished senator he made himself out to be.

  After I took a quick breath and untightened the edges of my stomach, I held out my hands so he could drop the keys into them. “No boys in the saucer and be back by ten o’clock. Wendy said she has something for you and she wants to give it to you before she goes to bed.”

  I twirled the silver keys on my index finger. “Oh thank you, Daddy! You’re the best!” I jumped up and gingerly kissed him on the cheek. As angry as I was with him right at that moment, I knew that I had to keep up appearances while in public.

  “Say goodbye to your mother before you go,” my dad called out. With my dad’s keys in my hands, I swam through the thick crowd in search of my mom. I hoped she would let me leave. I knew she organized this whole thing for my class, but she had to understand that I had to watch this interview with Princess Rhea.

  My mother stood just a few feet from the exit. She was talking to Mrs. Kepler, who I’m sure was trying to explain in her own way how both of her daughters should have scored the highest on the Space Aptitude Test instead of me. She had such a snarky attitude and a way of saying things that implied she was not insulting you when, in reality, she was. I was not one for boasting or being an over-the-top show-off, but I really wanted to shove my armband in her face.

  “Hello, girls,” my mom said cheerfully. I could tell she was hoping we would rescue her from her, most likely, one-sided conversation with Mrs. Kepler.

  “Oh my, you all look so lovely with your little armbands on,” Mrs. Kepler said with a smirk. “And congratulations to you, Cosmo. Graduating at the top of your class. You must be very proud of yourself.” I could tell how painful it was for Mrs. Kepler to give me that small compliment. It was almost as if someone were dropping bits of acid on the tip of her tongue.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Kepler.” You know what? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she was actually capable of being nice toward other people.

  “Of course, I know for a fact that they made the Space Aptitude Test much easier this year than ever before. Cam could have been number one, but she was busy helping Phuong get ready for the test,” she boasted as the corners of her plump red lips turned up into a wicked grin. I should have known better than to expect her not to say something rude.

  “Is that so?” I managed to say through gritted teeth.

  “Oh yes! One of the test administrators and I play bridge every Sunday along with my neighbors,” she stated with complete confidence. Like we were all supposed to believe she had some sort of inside link through this mystery friend of hers.

  “Well, if the test was made easier, then both of your daughters should have been number one,” my mom shot back.

  Mrs. Kepler squeezed so hard on her plastic cup that the insides of it spilled over the edge and onto the floor. She could say whatever she wanted about me or the test being easier, but that would never change the fact that I earned the highest score in our class and her daughters didn’t.

  “Well, ladies, if you will excuse me, I need to refreshen my drink.” Mrs. Kepler quickly turned around and walked back toward the bar.

  “God, that woman is a nuisance,” my mom murmured. Normally, my mom was able to keep her emotions in check. She had to, since she was the captain of a warship. She had to keep a level head at all times. Talking underneath her breath was not like her. But I guess it was hard to keep things to yourself when someone was talking about your own child right in front of you. My mom turned to me. “I take it that you’re leaving the party a bit early to watch the princess.” She knew me all too well.

  “Yes, ma’am. The girls and I are going to Uncle Sal’s Diner.”

  “All right, then. Have fun, girls.” My mom caressed my cheek with her hand before letting us leave. She looked into my eyes for just a few seconds. She didn’t have to say it. I already knew, just by the look she gave me, that she was proud of me. My relationship with my mom was different from the one I had with my dad. We loved each other, but we were not touchy-feely and huggy all the time. But even though we were not like that, I still knew she cared about me.

  The girls and I left my mother and we headed toward the exit.

  “Wait, don’t move! Say ‘cheese,’ guys!” Gloria jumped in front of the exit door with her camera hovering over her right eye. The four of us squeezed in for a quick group photo. After my eyes adjusted from the intense flash of Gloria’s camera, the girls and I headed for the ship’s hangar, where everyone had parked their saucers for the evening. Dad’s flying saucer was at the far end.

  “Oh, Cosmo, your dad has such great taste in vehicles,” Vicki said. With just a simple press of the button on the key ring, the clear oval-shaped top opened up and two small ladders with thin side rails fell onto the ground. Patty ran her fingers across the cherry red exterior before climbing up the ladder. Vicki covered her mouth in an attempt to hold in any squeals she might have had within her. Martha just quietly climbed in with a smile on her face.

  I made my way up the ladder on the opposite side and into the driver’s seat. “Alright, everyone have their seat belts on?” After hearing a collective “yes,” I turned the key in the ignition, the stepladders folded back into the sides of the saucer, and both sides of the oval top reconnected, making a quiet snapping noise. All four of the saucer’s pencil-shaped legs pulled back into the bottom of the saucer. A quiet humming noise emerged from the anti-gravity engine, which helped to keep the saucer afloat. I put the saucer in reverse and drove toward the exit. The young man in the booth high above the hangar opened up the gates to let us out.

  “I’m so excited! Summer vacation has officially started!” Vicki yelled.

  Martha leaned forward and began to adjust the radio dial that was next to the steering wheel.

  “Oh, Martha, go back! Go back!” Vicki yelped. WKFM was playing our favorite song by Lunar Luke and the Moon Boys, “I Wanna Rock Around the Cosmos Tonight.” The four of us sang the song loudly in unison as I drove toward the space colony. As I looked out toward the stars, I could feel in my heart that, just like space, the possibilities for us were endless.

  Chapter 2

  Uncle Sal’s Diner was located on the far end of Moonsville. They served the most delicious milkshakes and the best cheeseburgers. Then there was the large dance floor with the huge multicolored
discbox, which had all of the latest music. I always loved the soft baby-blue seats, which were outlined with hot pink lines, and the license plate signs that Sal decorated the walls with.

  But, most of all, it was really the only place where we could bring Martha. Uncle Sal’s was one of the few restaurants with a decent Martians-only section. It was truly unfortunate, but the law stated that humans and Martians must be separated. Humans and Martians had to have their own separate colonies, schools, grocery stores, and seating arrangements for public places. Martians invaded our way of life. Some people couldn’t bear the thought of having to live with Martians, so in order to keep peace we had to be “Divided, Yet One.” This was the phrase used to describe our way of life. We might be separated, but we were still one unit, trying our best to live in harmony.

  Of course, I would never say out loud how I felt like this theory was a load of bull and that it should have been abolished immediately. If I did, I’m sure I would have been branded a traitor to the Lunar Federation. The Federation didn’t come up with this law; the people—well, certain people—demanded that it be made and the Federation gave in to what they wanted. I hovered around the edge of Uncle Sal’s lot, trying my best to find an available parking spot.

  “It looks like we’re going to have to park on top of the restaurant,” Patty jokingly said. The entire parking lot was filled to the brim, which was to be expected, since school was over not only for us, but for the other schools here on the Moon.

  “Oh look, there’s a spot over there! Hurry! Hurry!” Vicki cried out.

  On the far right-hand corner of the lot was a spot directly in front of the entrance. I glided the saucer over. We climbed out and made our way into the crowded restaurant. For a moment, I was afraid we were going to have to leave. A bunch of kids from Our Lady of Selene Academy were hanging out near the jukebox and a few were lurking around the milkshake counter. Most kids who attended Our Lady of Selene Academy came from families who owned second homes on different colonies, which they thought gave them the right to look down on others. Especially people like Martha. I found myself hoping they would leave us alone.

  The Martians-only section was located in the back of the restaurant to the far right. Separating this section from the rest of the restaurant was a two-foot-tall black divider with a small revolving door in the middle. There was really only enough space at the counter for two customers, plus seeing as it was at the far end, it made placing an order a little difficult. But as luck would have it, Bucky was clearing the dishes from off of our favorite table in the Martians-only section. It was the only pink table that didn’t have shaky legs or chairs that looked like they would fall apart if you touched them.

  “Hey, y’all. I’m gettin’ yer favorite table all shined up for yah.” Bucky flashed his signature bucktooth smile at us.

  Bucky had been working at Uncle Sal’s for a few years. He was around our age, and he had the most adorable Plutonian country accent. “If y’all want, I can take yer orders now before I head back to the kitchen.”

  “I’ll have the steak hamburger with extra gravy and an extra helping of fries,” Patty called out.

  “Just get me a cheeseburger and fries,” I said.

  “I’ll have that as well,” Martha said.

  “And what can I get you, V?” Bucky said in a hushed tone.

  “Oh, the meatloaf dinner special please, darling.”

  Bucky’s cheeks turned a fiery crimson red. “Yah, s—s—sure thing, V.” Poor Bucky; he really couldn’t keep himself together whenever Vicki was around. Anything that she said, he would eat up like sweet syrupy honey.

  Bucky clumsily made his way back to the kitchen with his stack of dirty dishes and our order for the evening. Martha tapped me on the shoulder, “Do you think those guys would mind if we changed the channel on the TV to Princess Rhea’s interview?”

  Uncle Sal kept the TV on the left-hand corner of his milkshake counter. Underneath the TV was a little round swivel disc that allowed you to turn the TV in any direction. Unfortunately, a couple of guys from Our Lady of Selene were crowded around the TV watching a baseball game. I doubted they would say yes.

  “I’ll handle this, girls.” Vicki got up from her seat. She marched toward the cluster of boys. She gently tapped one boy’s shoulder. He looked pretty cute, with charcoal-colored skin and curly hair parted to the side. When he turned around, Vicki ran one finger down his navy blue tie. “I love your tie. It looks so good on you.” I watched as the boy struggled to hold himself together. Poor thing. Vicki had him right where she wanted him and he didn’t even know it.

  “Thanks,” he said with a slightly shaky voice. I’d seen her use this method of attack before. She was getting ready to strike the final blow. Vicki rested her elbow on the counter. With one single tug from the boy’s tie, she brought his face close to hers.

  “I was wondering if me and my friends could borrow the TV for a little bit.” Vicki brushed her cheek against his. She rested her lips at the edge of his left ear and said, “We would really appreciate it.”

  The boy ran one of his hands over his flushed face. “Hey, guys, let this girl have the TV for a bit, okay?”

  One of the boy’s friends, a young man with slicked-back black hair, said, “What? Heck no. Tell her to beat it!”

  The boy with the curly hair shoved his friend aside. “Here, it’s all yours,” he said to Vicki.

  The boy with the slicked-back hair didn’t look too happy about giving up the TV. “Come on, Rick, our team’s losing anyway. Look, I’ll buy you a milkshake if you stop all that bellyaching.”

  “Thanks, guys.” Vicki turned the TV in our direction and twisted the dial at the bottom of it until she found the Lunar Broadcasting Company. The LBC was the only major news station out there and it was owned by the Lunar Federation, and of course they had the money to get someone like Princess Rhea for an important interview like this. There was no way in the world they would let some small-fry local news station cover a big story like this. As Vicki made her way back to the table, the boy with the curly hair called out, “Hey, can I talk to you later?”

  Vicki tossed her head back and said, “Maybe.” She sat back down in her chair with a smug look on her face. “That’s how you do it, ladies.”

  I sucked air through my teeth. “You’re completely awful.”

  “I know,” she remarked.

  Thankfully, we hadn’t missed a thing. Princess Rhea had just sat down for her interview with Walter Dailey. “Oh, she’s wearing traditional Martian garb!” Martha squealed.

  The princess was wearing a beautiful pearl-colored spaghetti-strapped dress that came to a halt just above her ankles. The edges to the dress were trimmed in gold. In the middle of her dress was a matching braided belt that accentuated her waist. At the top of her dress straps was a pair of white clamps that held down her shimmering gold cape, which was connected to her wristbands. Lastly, there was her golden wreath crown; each leaf was covered in various exotic stones. She was the very definition of gorgeous.

  “I wish I could wear a nice dress like the one Princess Rhea is wearing,” Martha mumbled.

  “Oh, Martha, you can wear anything. You just need to stop doubting yourself all the time!” Vicki said.

  Bucky emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tray with our orders for the night. “Here yah go, ladies,” he said as he placed our plates in front of us.

  Mr. Dailey, who was sitting across from Princess Rhea, leaned forward and asked, “Do you really think a thoughtful dialogue between Martians and humans will come forth because of your jewelry showcase?”

  The princess readjusted her crown. “Oh yes, I do! I believe that by sharing our culture, we can bring humans and Martians closer together. Perhaps bring us close enough to the point where we can be rid of the ‘Divided, Yet One Law.’”

  Walter Dailey let out a small chuckle, then he lightly patted Princess Rhea’s knee. “Now, now, now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The law is there for a
reason, Your Highness.” I swear he couldn’t have been any more condescending with his tone of voice.

  “God, Walter Dailey is so disgusting! I don’t even know why they have him interviewing the princess anyway. It’s no secret that he’s a part of the anti-Martian movement,” Vicki said before she shoveled more food into her mouth. It was also no secret that Vicki hated Walter Dailey’s guts. She actually wrote a report on how someone else other than Walter Dailey should be the face of the LBC because of his anti-Martian point of view. Vicki was going to start studying journalism next semester so she could work for the LBC after graduating.

  Walter Dailey flipped through the stack of cards in his hands. “Well, it says here that you have a special treat for our viewers!”

  Princess Rhea picked a small golden bag from off the table beside her. She reached into the bag and pulled out a golden bracelet. “Oh, that looks lovely. Tell the viewers at home what they’re looking at, please.”

  The camera zoomed in on the shiny bracelet, which was cupped in the princess’s hand. Dazzling multicolored gems were sprinkled all over the bracelet.

  Martha placed her hand over her heart. “Oh, how beautiful! It’s covered in rainbow gems.”

  “Aren’t those things like crazy expensive and rare?” Patty remarked.

  “They are. You can only find them deep in the mountains of Planet X. You would have to be super rich or of royalty like Princess Rhea to get your hands on them,” Martha commented.

  I turned my attention back to the interview. “This tiny thing in my hands is actually one of The Rings of Saturn. This is what’s known as the inner ring. There are eleven more rings. Each ring is bigger than the last.” How nice of the princess to give those who wouldn’t be at the showcase a chance to actually see one of the rings.