By Brandy Brow
Gaela clacked down the street, heavy on her four legs after a long workday. Even her prickles ached. Her tabular dinged and a message floated up. She scanned the holographic text hoping her 338—er, 335—kids hadn’t eaten one another again. Because that’s what happened when there wasn’t enough money.
Clancy Mays needs a new cleaner. Yes, the Clancy Mays. Check in now: 242m 58 Longsouth Angle. DON’T FLIT IT!
Jerks. They could go eat themselves. But Clancy Mays, the ancient mogul who created the world’s transport system! Rumor had it his rare species outlived everyone by centuries. Ooooo, if she could meet him, jealousy would flay her neighbors. This job was epic. She had to gleam.
Without delay, she clacked to the next transporter terminal and punched in the address. The portal’s dusky surface smoked, and plum haze enveloped her. When it cleared, she stood in a corridor lined with something she’d never seen—liquid violet windows. Her reflection rippled in the one directly ahead. Immediately, she arrived inside a giant windowless dome, its circular wall pulsating the same violet hue she just passed through. Energy suspended every hair, even lifted her body braids.
A sinewy insectoid towered over her, eyes scattered everywhere across his jeweled exoskeleton. Gaela gulped and tried not to tremble.
“Sir.”
“Ma’am. Thank you for coming.” His proboscis clicked. “I’ll get straight to the claw. This job is essential, yet everyone assigned to it has failed. If you succeed, I will employ you indefinitely and you will never scrape again. Is that acceptable?”
She choked on her secretions. He was giving her a choice? Unheard of in this “obey or suffer” world, but steep costs always accompanied such offers. Grovel now for mercy later…
“Forgive me, sir. I don’t know the terms, and I have… children.”
He frowned. “Then you should leave.”
No! That was worse than failing. District Cleaners would blacklist her from ever working again. “Sir, please.”
Multiple eyes narrowed. “All right. One chance.”
“Thank you.” She bowed. “Where are the cleaning supplies I should use?”
“You have everything you need.”
“Sir? Clients are required to provide supplies. I carry none.”
“I understand. Directions are on that table.” He motioned to the center of the otherwise empty room. “You have one phase.” He tapped his sternum and disappeared in lavender smoke.
One phase? Not much time at all. Still, what could be so difficult to clean that everyone failed?
She checked the table. Instructions on paper? Words glared up at her.
Cleanse the portals.
She gasped. No wonder everyone had failed. She might as well count herself childless.
You have everything you need echoed in her mind.
Chittering, she rotated to survey the room. Where was the portal? Violet haze still filled the air. The only thing in their world so purple was transporter technology. Wait—was she inside the portal?
Gaela approached the wall and ran her antennae across the surface. They tingled as it rippled like the liquid window. Amazing… Now, how to clean it?
“Hmmmm.” The window had activated by her reflection, so if she stared…
Nothing. What else?
He hadn’t sent the instructions to her tabular. Why use antiquated communication? Unless… Her antiquated cleaners.
She uncovered her body suckers usually reserved to bathe her kids, set an alarm to leave time if this failed, and suctioned onto the wall. Highly disconcerting, like being stuck on an electric fence, minus the death factor.
The timer buzzed. She detached, the room unchanged. “Spittles!” She slammed the alarm silent, glimpsing the time.
What? The phase was almost gone. But it shouldn’t be. She clutched her braids and paced.
Maybe the paper itself was the answer. She jammed the sheet into the pliant wall. Waves billowed across the dome. Frozen, she watched them die with her last idea.
Clancy Mays would soon return, and life forever change. The neighbors would chitter when she returned jobless, forced to sell some of her kids to the scavengers to buy food for the rest; never mind they’d do the same. Some already had.
Gaela slumped to the floor. She’d worked hard to raise good children after her husband died. And she was kind, sort of, to those who deserved it. Apparently, that wasn’t enough.
“Unfair!” she cried out and wailed, emitting a faint odorous plume. Her resolve crumbled.
No. She deserved nothing. She thought about letting her kids eat each other. Everyone did. And she liked being away. A lot. Because, rubbings, 338—335—kids wear fast on the antennae. Even work… She purposefully skipped things to spite management.
She covered her head. Neighbors would now judge her as she always judged them. Life, everyone… she was rotten.
A whir sounded. She sensed Clancy Mays behind her but couldn’t face him.
“How does emancipation sound?”
Gaela looked up. The wall was gone. Their images reflected everywhere to infinity. “What? How?”
He smiled. “You saw yourself, your real self, and assented to it. That act here”—he motioned around—“restored the transporter’s heart to its original state and transferred to its extensions. Every portal is now flawless mirror.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You cleansed the portal.”
Cleansed, not cleaned… Ohhhhhh. “But why do this? They worked before.”
“True. When I invented instant travel, I didn’t know the machinery would produce so much more than transportation. Lucent portals made everyone face themselves. It penetrated their souls and inspired them to live better. Made them kinder. The core mirror required special maintenance, though. Someone willing to continually self-examine.” His exo-luster dimmed. “I couldn’t bear that anymore after I lost my life mate four centuries ago.”
Like my husband. Fresh pain wedged deep in her bosom. Four centuries of that. She couldn’t imagine. “I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “The system clouded and culture reverted. It has devolved ever since. I fear for our future.”
“Will cleansing fix things?”
“I hope so.” He raised a gentle expression. “May we discuss ‘the terms’?”
She hoped so too. “Yes.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wow – what an engaging, thought-provoking story. Facing ourselves honestly is something most people don’t do. Very cool story!
fascinating.
Thank you so much, Pam and SC. I’m thrilled you liked my story.
This grabbed my attention straight away. The endearing personality of the main character pulled me through this alien, yet buman-like experience. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story!
I love the message in this story! Great job!
Krystatawlks, thank you so much for taking the time to comment and tell me things you liked about my story. It has been an honor getting to share Smoke and Mirrors with Havok readers. Thank you also to the editors for choosing it and helping me make this the best tale it could be.
Thank you, Laura!
Good job, Brandy! I liked the theme of the portals reflecting individuals’ true selves. The use of non-human characters was well done.
Very offbeat story with a touch of humor and pathos mixed in (esp. the children).
Wow! I loved everything about this. The strange world and characters that I still don’t *quite* understand but that makes them better, the heartfelt plot, the humor. You nailed it all!
Oh, wow. I never did manage to figure out what Gaela looks like, but I found that ending fascinating. It’s worth reading again.
Thank you so much for all the positive comments. It was a challenge to get in character descriptions in such a short word count. I’m thrilled to hear that what I was able to include worked well. Thank you for reading and voting on my story. :)