Betrothed Episode One

All characters in this
publication are fictitious, any resemblance to real persons, living
or dead, is purely coincidental.

Betrothed

Episode One

Copyright © 2015 Odette C
Bell

Cover art stock photos:
Blue sunrise, view
of earth from space © rfphoto, and Posh redhead woman in black
dress © FlexDreams. Licensed from Depositphotos.

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BETROTHED

EPISODE ONE

Chapter 1

The day
I woke up, I threw up. I shook, I cried, and I almost
died.

Again.

But it
didn’t last.

Soon I
said hello to the future.

I’m a
newfound one.

On the
1st of January 2020, I died of a virus. No one knew what it was,
and no one could treat it.

I was
put on ice – cryogenically frozen until they found a
cure.

The cryo facility wasn’t on land; it was in orbit, and over
the tumultuous 22
^nd
century, the
facility broke orbit and drifted away, just another piece of space
junk traveling through the solar system.

In 2420,
they found us.

I was the only cryo pod still viable; space can be
unrelenting. If they hadn’t found me when they had, in a few short
weeks I would have died too. This time permanently.

They
woke me up.

I
was now referred to as
a newfound one. I wasn’t the only person who’d
ever woken up from a frozen sleep. Apparently the universe was full
of those who’d been awakened from some kind of slumber, be it cryo
or stasis or something more alien.

And all of us arrived in a strange new world.

2020 did
not prepare me for 2420. Not at all.

Fortunately I wasn’t alone.

I awoke on Earth.

And there, my
story
begins
.

...

Anna
Carter

“
Hey, Annie, you still writing in your diary?” Mark leaned
against the wall to my room, crossing his arms and
smiling.

I turned
around, dropping my pen onto the table.

He
chuckled. “I can’t believe you’re still using pens and
paper.”

“
I like pens and paper.”

“
They were old fashioned even back in your day,” he
snorted.

“
Well I guess that makes me old fashioned too.” I stood primly
but shot him a friendly smile.

He
grinned. “Anyhow, you still want to go through with
this?”

I
nodded.

“
Annie, you don’t need to do this.”

“
Mark, I have to give back. I need a job. I have to stop
skiving off the benefactors of the Foundation.”

“
You’re not skiving; this institute was set up to help people
like you. We all know how hard it is to adjust to this time when
you weren’t born here. Christ, it took me ages to figure this place
out when I was woken up.”

“
Mark, you woke up five years ago. I woke up three years ago
now. And look at you – you’re a lieutenant in the Foundation
Forces. I’m nothing at all.”

“
Don’t be so hard on yourself.” He shot me a serious look.
“Waking up is hard on us all. It just takes longer for some people
to adjust.”

I shot
him a pressed-lip frown. “Mark, it’s time for me to be more like
you. It’s time for me to move on and get a job.”

“
You don’t want to be more like me,” he muttered under his
breath. “And anyhow,” he said louder, “you don’t need to get a
job.”

“
Yeah, I do. I’ve already picked one, too.”

“
Don’t tell me, pen seller. You’re going to open a
planet-to-planet service, like a floating ice cream van, except
you’re only going to sell pens.”

I rolled
my eyes. “Has anyone ever told you you’re funny? Nope? I would take
that as a sign.”

Mark
chuckled as we walked along. “So what’s the job?”

“
I want to work for the government,” I said
excitedly.

One of
his eyebrows twitched up. “... You’re serious, aren’t
you?”

I
nodded, my long, tousled red hair bouncing around my ears. “I
researched the recruitment program. Apparently once you’ve cleared
all their security checks, they’ll do a detailed assessment of your
abilities, and then match you to a job anywhere in the universe.” I
made a show of spreading my hands wide.

Mark
pressed his lips together. “You don’t need to pretend to be brave.
The thought of going anywhere in the universe scares you
senseless.”

I turned
from him and tucked my hair behind my ears. “I’m not
scared.”

“
So why’s your voice shaking?”

I didn’t
answer.

“
Annie, come on, you don’t want to go on a government
deployment. We’ll find you a job closer to home.”

“
No,” I said forcefully, and I meant it. Yeah, Mark was right,
and the thought of being deployed anywhere in the universe for any
kind of job was terrifying. But ... I had to do it, because I had
to do something.

I
couldn’t stay in this facility forever.

“
Are you sure … the Facility is okay with this?” His brow
crumpled as he looked at me directly. “I mean, they know about
this, right?”

I
nodded. “Of course they do.”

“
... And no one’s got a problem with it? You leaving, I
mean?”

“
Oh, I imagine they’ll be happy to see the back of me. Mark,
no matter what you say, this is happening. I’m joining the
government.”

“
Alright,” Mark let out a sigh that shook his shoulders and he
shoved his hands into the pockets of his unbuttoned jacket. “But
you’re lucky the future is so open minded. Back in our day, you
would have been knocked back for your tats and sense of humor.” He
shrugged towards my bare right arm.

I had a
beautiful flower-motif tattoo along my shoulder and down my arm. I
wasn’t the kind of girl to have ink, but it artfully obscured a
birth mark. “You’re just picking on my tattoo and sense of humor
because you’re jealous.”

He
nodded and shot me a faked serious look. “Yeah, I really wish I had
an enormous colorful flower pattern covering my left
shoulder.”

“
See, you try to be funny, but you just aren’t.”

He chuckled. “Well, now we’ve got that out of the way, if
you’re hell-bent on doing this, how can I help?”

I tilted
my head back. “I don’t need help.”

One of
his eyebrows kinked up. “You sure?”

I shot
him a grin. “Pretty sure. I’m going to do this on my own. It’s time
for me to spread my wings. I’m three years old.”

He
sniggered. “That’s definitely old enough to sign your life away to
the government. Seriously though, let me help you. There’s a
government office on Earth. I can have you there by this afternoon,
me’ lady.” He crooked his arm and leaned it towards me.

I
chuckled. “Mark, I’ll be fine. Plus, I’m not going to apply on
Earth.”

His brow
crumpled with a twitch. “What?”

“
I’m going to spend a little of my savings to go to the Alpha
System.”

His lips
slackened. “What?”

“
I’ve always wanted to see the Alpha system – ever since you
showed me holo photos. So ...” I swung my arms back and forth, “I’m
going.”

“
... Annie, are you sure the Institute knows about
this?”

“
Yeah,” I fobbed a hand at him. “Of course they do. They
helped me book tickets.”

Mark
looked confused. He even wiped a strangely stiff hand down his
face, then he hid it behind his back as he pretended to bow. “Well
then, who am I to stand in your way? But how about I come with you?
The Alpha System is pretty mean. You’ll need someone to hide behind
– someone strong.” He brought up an arm and flexed his
bicep.

I rolled
my eyes, determined not to let my gaze linger on his muscles. “You
really need to work on your jokes. But I’ll be fine. Plus, the
Alpha System is described as one of the most peaceful spots in all
the universe. I most definitely will not have to hide behind anyone
strong.”

“
... You sure the Institute is happy for you to go off on your
own to the Alpha System?”

I
snorted. “Like I said – they’ll be happy to see the back of me.
Everyone’s been wishing me well. They’ll probably have a parade
when I leave,” I joked.

Mark
didn’t laugh. “... I better check with the Institute, just to make
sure you’re not doing a runner.”

I
sighed, but it quickly turned into a frown. “You don’t have to keep
checking up on me, Mark.”

He
patted his chest, and for a brief second his usually cheery
expression became oddly serious. “It’s my mission, kid. Anyhow,”
his demeanor changed as he flicked me a trademark grin, “I’m also
heading off on patrol. I’ll be at your beck and call
though.”

I shot him a look. “Really, the Foundation Forces will allow
you to be at the beck and call of some random newfound
one?”

“
You’re not random. And they know I have existing duties with
the Institute. Plus, no rest for the wicked,” his voice dipped
low.

I hit
him softly on the arm. “You aren’t wicked, Mark, so that doesn’t
include you. And what are you saying? You only hang around me
because it’s your job?”

“
Pretty much,” he joked. “The pay’s pretty good
too.”

“
Ooh, you’re cruel, you are. Admit it, you like hanging out
with me.”

“
Okay,” he put his hands up in surrender, “the day you woke
up, Annie Carter, was the day I died and came back to
life.”

I
laughed awkwardly. “You tell the weirdest jokes.”

“
It’s a gift. Anyhow, when are you leaving?”

“
Today.” I pressed my hands together and shot him an excited
but nervous grin.

“
Well then, how about I see you to your transport?” He held
his hand out to me.

“
That would be nice.”

I
smiled.

There
were times I felt lost in this new world. Times the future seemed
too big to ever understand.

Then I
was reminded I still had friends.

Or at
least I had Mark.

He’d
been assigned to me the day I’d woken up. I’d thrown up on him,
three damn times, but he’d still stuck around.

He was a
newfound one just like me, and he was my guide to this modern
universe.

He
always made me feel welcome and safe, especially when he flashed me
one of his handsome, cheeky smiles.

But it
was still time for me to spread my wings.