Celeste

Celeste was bothering Clover again. He wasn’t needed at the moment, but his job wasn’t predictable. Everyday was something different. Who knows what could happen. But Celeste was wasting his time, mostly because she wanted to talk to him because he was a good listener.

He was at that point that he would have her detained if she said something crazy.

And right now, that’s all Celeste had.

“This is a weapon.” Clover was terrified of what he was looking at. “You’re creating a weapon, Celeste.” He looked at her, scared. “I know what happened before was an accident, but this is different. You’re asking to be everyone’s target.”

“Look, if turning off the device has death as a side effect, that’s not my fault.” Celeste shrugged. “I’m literally setting fire to my original blue print, which by the way, was my child.” She wasn’t happy.

What she finished before, that was a masterpiece. She spent two years finishing the work that started, far longer than what it took to create it twenty-seven years ago. What she was doing now was pure destruction. Only she could make her blue print obsolete. She was prepared for the variations as well.

How many people had her device implanted? Britain would be stupid not to give it to all their armed officials. They’re probably using it for every reason imaginable. Being able to retain all that information for a life time, show it to anyone, use it to their advantage, that’s an advantage and Celeste was obligated to shut it all down.

“You’re going to kill thousands of people, Celeste-”

“No.” She didn’t want him to think of her as a murderer. “I’m not going to use it. I have it to threaten them. They surrender or... I’ll kill them-”

“You haven’t been sleeping.”

She rolled her eyes as she paced around the exam room. She didn’t want to be lectured on morals and doing good or whatever. She was forced into this and she was going to finish.

“I’m worried about you.” Clover said, though he realized his word choice and he began to blush.

Celeste turned to look at him. She almost wanted to sigh and say he was just worried because he wasn’t putting her in a mental hospital.

“I-I...” He didn’t know how to redeem himself.

Celeste got up on the exam table and laid flat on her back. She kept her hands folded on her stomach. She stared up at the ceiling and sighed quietly.

“Celeste, I know you’re stressed.”

“Yes, I am. Thank you.” She glanced at him.

He figured she wouldn't take him seriously. “Dri's worried about you, too, and I believe him when he says you’re insane.”

“I’m not crazy.”

“As politely as I can say this, you are. You’ve had multiple episodes where he says you’re absolutely neurotic, you only get a few hours of sleep a night, and you’re fine with making a weapon.” He explained. He didn’t want to over step, but he was really worried about her, just like anyone else would be.

“I said I’m not going to use it.” She continued to stare at the ceiling. “Once all of this is over, I’ll get to go back to my cushy new job or you know, sleep.” She wasn’t that concerned.

She’s been working hard for the past few days and things were going well. She would say she wasn’t that stressed.

“I mean, a few drugs can’t hurt-”

“Celeste-”

“I’m just saying.” She looked over at him.

Clover wanted to help her, and he would do his best every time, but he wanted to get her a therapist because she’s been dealing with a lot lately.

He looked at her and wondered how someone so smart could be so insane.

She turned over. She used her hand to prop her head up, and her silver hair draped over her. She had a different look in her eyes as she looked at Clover.

He could feel it.

His cheeks were beginning to turn red and he looked away sharply because he didn’t want to stare. He liked her enough already, he didn’t want her to think he was weird.

“How are you still single?”

“Can we please focus?” Clover didn’t want to talk about himself.

“You’re so caring.” Celeste thought that was a good trait. “You’ll make someone feel very loved, I know it.” She scrunched her nose as she smiled.

He was still blushing. “I haven’t been...” He knew she was encouraging him. “I...um, there’s someone I...”

Celeste’s eyes widened and she sat up abruptly. “Oh! Clover! You have a crush on someone?” She asked loudly.

“Please, don’t...” He was flustered.

If he tells her, she’ll try to set them up. He was afraid of the outcome. He was already so quiet and he was easily put off his game if it wasn’t about work. Someone could step on him without a care.

“Okay.” Celeste knew he was soft.

She could tell he was frightened to talk about it. Clover wasn’t much for all that. He was shy, too.

“I’ll ask about the progress in one week.” She was giving him time. “And, I bet they like you too, that means they have good taste.” She smiled at him as she hoped off the exam table.

Clover didn’t know what to say. His face was bright red, and he pushed his glasses up to have something to do because his hands were shaking. If he needed the help, Celeste would definitely drop a lot of hints, but it seemed like he wanted to take care of it so she was going to let him.

That was the most entertainment she’s gotten all day.

She wasn’t as stressed.

Being alone can be a little quiet sometimes and she wanted to keep herself busy.

So she went to work, did what she was supposed to, followed the motions of the day like any normal person would. She was kept busy during her shift, and she got a lot to do.

She liked it. A lot.

She walked out on to the open platform. She was going to show Taurus the new satellite model she’s been working on. She figured all of them could use an upgrade and she wanted to do something fun.

She stopped when she saw someone coming towards her. She had a doe eyed expression on her face as she held her tablet with both hands.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” She asked Sirus. She didn’t think he would come here.

She looked just like Aurora in her uniform.

Sirus wasn’t surprised. She always looked like him.

“Hariette’s been bragging so I had to come see it myself.” Sirus said as he looked around.

He hasn’t been here in a long time. He strained to remember. He was only here because Aurora worked here a long time ago.

“Can’t believe your girl actually works at NASA, huh.” She would brag just like Hariette. It was a good thing.

It took her a while to warm up to the job, but she was finally here. That’s something to brag about.

Sirus never really cared for all of that stuff, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t proud. As long as Celeste’s happy, there wasn’t much more he could do.

She looked happy.

She was looking at him, really wondering why he was here. Of course, he wanted to see if what Hariette said was true, but she had a feeling like it was something else. Sirus doesn’t just show up somewhere for the fun of it.

“Are you lonely at home-” Celeste couldn’t finish her question.

“What?” Sirus had no idea why she would ask that.

She figured Sirus was lonely and bored. He was retired but Aurora wasn’t. Sure Aurora was blowing off work more often, but Sirus not having him around makes him wander.

He didn’t like that though. People assumed he would be lonely when Aurora was gone, and he could actually care less.

Celeste wasn’t surprised that her father got defensive. “I’m not busy if you want someone to talk to.” She suggested kindly. She could always make time for him.

He gestured for her to follow him so they could leave. Celeste was actually busy, but she didn’t mind. She had a habit of blowing off work sometimes. And she figured Sirus was lonely.

She’s not home anymore, Aurora’s having fun making people angry. Sirus doesn’t have to work, but he doesn’t want to do anything else.

He was lonely.

But he would never tell anyone else that.

When Celeste was younger, she got to play in a meadow. In the winter, the flowers don’t bloom as big, but the grass was still tall at the edge of the hill. She used to run around and chase after the butterflies. Now that she was older, she didn’t chase after insects or yank at the flowers.

It was too cold anyway.

There was a small bench at the top of the hill. The two of the sat together as others walked by. There was a flashing drone that wheeled around the bench, and Celeste decided to put her boot on it. She was looking at the grass, remembering the last summer she played with the blooming flowers.

It’s been so long.

She doesn’t come back often, only when she feels like being in the sun.

“Hariette’s been really nice to me.” Celeste said as she moved her hands into her coat pockets. “She got me a job.”

“She said it’s to ‘establish good behavior’.” Sirus already knew the details.

Right now, Celeste wasn’t trusted, and it was for the sake and safety of the nation she lives in. If it weren’t for Hariette, she would have been rejected.

“I’m trying to fix my mistake.” Celeste said quietly. “I just needed the commanders to trust me for some time.”

After that, she won’t cause a mess.

“Should I ask?”

“If you want to know that I’m planning a mass homicide, then sure.” She gave it away casually. He didn’t bat an eyelash to what she said. “I’m just going to threaten my way through though, so I’m not actually killing anyone.” She didn’t want him to think she was actually crazy.

He didn’t think that now, but he has before. “Threatening’s good. That’s a good strategy.” He liked the sound of it.

Celeste could be scary.

That was the whole point of this.

“Don’t tell Hariette or the others. Definitely don’t tell Aurora.” She said, wanting to keep it a secret.

“Shouldn’t have told me-”

“Oh, come on, I know you have things you don’t tell people.” Celeste got upset. “Don’t tell my secrets.”

“I can’t make that promise.” He said as he looked at her.

There was that lingering voice that told him she looked like Aurora in her uniform. Her hair was tied up, but it wasn’t neat. She had some strands sticking out around her face, but Aurora didn’t tie his hair that neatly either.

There was a time he had long hair.

Sirus remembered that, too.

Sometimes he’d be stunned how much Celeste looked like him, but today was different, she looked just like him. It was a good thing.

He liked it.

“Are you smiling?” Celeste noticed.

“You look like Aurora.” He said and looked away.

“Ah...” She understood. “It’s things like this that make me think you love him.”

Sirus didn’t answer to that comment. He was looking at his hands, thinking to himself, but he didn’t come up with anything to say to her comment. Celeste smiled wider as she leaned her head on Sirus’ shoulder.

“It’s cute,” she said, “being in love for so long seems nice.”

“I don’t know where you’re getting that from.” Sirus said. “He’s so annoying and can talk someone’s ear off, I swear, I can’t stand him.”

Celeste continued to smile. Sirus could go on all day about Aurora.

But that’s just it.

He could talk about Aurora all day.

“You do that, too. Just talk and talk.” He remembered. “You used to have full conversations by yourself.”

“If you listened to me more, I wouldn’t be talking to myself.” She figured Sirus would tune her out. “I can come home for a little bit if there’s no-”

“I’m fine.” Sirus said before she could say he was lonely. “I finally get some peace and quiet.”

It seemed like he’s been waiting for that for a long while. He got it. He wanted to get used to it, too. Celeste was a little worried, but that’s like any child would be worried about her parents. She wanted to make sure he was okay by himself.

“I...” Sirus was slow to speak. “...also forgot my doctor’s appointment.”

“Are you serious?” Celeste lifted her head to look at him. “Didn’t Aurora remind you? Please don’t tell me he’s forgetting things, too.”

Now she was really worrying. They can’t be alone together if they were just going to be forgetful.

“You literally have a device that you can replay your memories with-”

“I forget!” Sirus didn’t want her nagging him about it. Sometimes he forgets things, he didn’t think it was such a big deal.

It was just little things, like the fact he had a doctor’s appointment last week.

“I’m gonna talk to Harlow before she retires. Both of you need to see someone.” She pulled out her tablet to call her.

“Can you not-”

“I’m going to.” She didn’t listen to him.

Her whole life, her parents have been there for her. Now she has to be there for them because they were forgetting things. She didn’t mind, if anything, she had to make sure they’d be okay together because now all they had was each other.

Dri was an army official.

He’s been trained to fall asleep on command when he needed to and be awake at a moment’s notice so he could get to work. If there was an attack, he had to be ready to go.

He has his days where he could relax.

But that wasn’t the day he got back from Latin America.

He only had a few hours before he had to leave again and this time it was to Europe. He didn’t have the time to wait around to sleep. He was good at being alert, even while resting.

So when he heard Celeste screaming at three in the morning, when he was supposed to be up two hours later, he was out of bed quickly, already in fight or flight mode. He ran out of the room just as she continued screaming.

But she wasn’t screaming from fear.

She had been up for two days, and she finally did it. She was screaming from triumph, from pure success.

“Yeah, bitch!” She shouted loudly.

Dri was confused. He was breathing hard against the door as he looked around in the low lighting. He thought Celeste came to bed in the night, but that's not what happened. He was watching her throw her fists in the air. He had no idea what just happened. She was excited about something, but he didn’t know about what.

Was it her project?

What happened?

“I’m the best fucking engineer on this planet!” She had her arms up and she shouted again.

After more than five people told her she would never make a perfect functioning model of a her blue print, she did it. The System has it running at a hundred percent.

It took weeks of pressure and non stop working. Celeste barely ever slept when she was working on completely the blue print. Just like these past two days, she and her friends were working on this, and after racking her brain she did it.

She finally did it.

She finished her weapon, and it will work without fail.

Nothing could stop it. Not even a tiny glitch.

“Dri, this war is over today.” She looked at him quickly. “Tell your bosses I’m ready.” She was smiling widely, the adrenaline getting to her, making her heart beat fast in her chest.

She definitely believed she was one of the best engineers out there, if not the absolute best because she made something impossible happen.

She said she was going to fix her mistake, and that's exactly what she's going to do.