Callisto 2.0 by Susan English (love story novels in english txt) 📖

The next morning, I got up early and headed straight to Naomi’s quarters. I knocked lightly on the door. “Naomi,” I called. “Are you awake?” I heard her ask Annie to open the door, and when I stepped into her cabin, I saw she was still in bed.

“Calli, what’s going on? What’s wrong?” She stared at me.

“Something’s happened, and I don’t know what to do,” I said, hovering directly in front of the now-closed door.

Naomi unzipped her sleeping bag and jumped out of bed. “How can I help?”

I started crying, tears drifting around my face. Then she was holding me. I clung to her, sobbing.

“What happened? Would you like to talk about it?”

I shook my head no, crying uncontrollably.

Gently, she led me over to her couch and sat me down, putting the strap over my lap. Then she got a towel from her bathroom and sat down next to me, holding me tightly. All I could think about was Amélie, that she had no one to hold her. I was bent over, hugging my knees to my chest, my entire body wracked with sobs. “It’s okay, Calli, I’m here,” said Naomi, over and over.

Finally, the storm of emotions subsided, and I used the towel to wipe my nose and eyes. Naomi’s eyes were like saucers.

“Can you tell me now?” she asked tenderly.

I nodded, and touched my wrist computer, activating Amélie’s holomessage. “This is Amélie, the woman I was with on the Moon.”

Naomi was silent, eyes fixed on the image. I started the message.

The second time was even more painful to watch. Naomi cried quietly as we both stared, transfixed. When the message ended, Naomi put her hand to her mouth. “Oh my god, Calli.”

“I know.”

“Do you think she’s telling the truth?”

“You can’t know how much I wish she wasn’t, but I believe her.”

“How can Hiroki be this awful? He’s a monster.”

“Naomi, I told her everything, everything about the work here on Shambhala. Not only my work, everyone’s.”

“But you had no clue! It’s not your fault. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“No, I did do something wrong. I signed a contract, promising I wouldn’t share any details about my work for the Foundation.”

Naomi’s eyes widened. “The non-disclosure agreement, I totally forgot.”

I stared at her. “I don’t understand what that … that man Hiroki has to do with the Foundation. Could it possibly be true? That they stole his money, his inheritance?”

“No way Izumi and Diana would ever do that.”

190

“You’re right, that doesn’t make any sense.” I shook my head. “Diana told me the Foundation was privately funded. Besides, neither of them is capable of doing something so heinous. But what about the ideas for the incredible innovations here on Shambhala? Are they his? Is it possible?”

“I don’t see how.” She furrowed her brow. “Speaking for myself, my ideas are my own. And you were working on warp technology long before you were even a part of the Foundation, Hadley as well.”

“Then what is it? Corporate espionage? Some kind of sick vendetta?”

“I don’t know, I just don’t know.” She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

“The technological advances here on Shambhala are extraordinary. I imagine there are plenty of companies who would love to get hold of our ideas and research.”

“But we’re not a corporation!” Naomi’s voice was laced with frustration. “We’re a scientific organization.”

“What should I do, Naomi?”

“About what?” she asked, her eyes soft.

“All of it! I don’t know what to do, what to think.”

“I suppose you could contact Amélie, talk to her. She’s in a world of hurt and confusion right now.”

“Okay.” I blinked rapidly, trying to dry my eyes. “Can I do it here, with you?”

She nodded. “I’ll be here throughout.”

I searched my wrist computer for Amélie’s contact information, then input it into the holochat application. I waited for the connection, heart pounding. A message appeared on the holoprojection: client does not exist.

“Perhaps she changed her contact info,” Naomi said.

“No, it was a lie. She made it up.” I started crying again. “I thought we had a real connection. But it was all a fantasy.” I stared at my hands resting just above my thighs.

“Oh, Calli, I’m so sorry.”

“We made love, Naomi. It felt so intimate, and it was all an act for her? Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.” I buried my face in my hands.

“You’re both victims here.”

“But how did I not see it? How could I have been so naive? It felt so real.”

“I’m sure Amélie felt something for you.” She rubbed my back. “From what she said, we can only guess what horrible things happened to her in the past, but, even so, she was open to love. That’s got to count for something. She accepted your love, and loved you back. Otherwise, you would have felt it, no?”

“I don’t know anything anymore.” Taking a deep breath, I stood. “I can’t think about all this right now.”

She looked up at me. “Would you like to join me for breakfast?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to see anyone. I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

“Fair enough. Take time for yourself.”

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ll go to the gym this morning. I can’t face Izumi.”

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Naomi