Chapter Text
A warm breeze brushes against my skin, moving the grass I was laying in gently enough to tickle instead of itch. Gently rays of sunlight wash over me through the shadows of the trees. This entire scenery was unfamiliar to me, ever since I could remember Earth never had any of this. It was just a cold ball of dirt now, too much smog to even feel the sun, lucky for us that meant we wouldn't be in risk of radiation for our collapsed ozone. I guess I was in one of those dreams again, whether it was a memory of my past life or vision of a possible future I always enjoyed it. It was like a film just for me. My favorite part of the dream would be coming as soon as the wind blew a few leaves from the tree. When the last leaf falls, I would get the chance to see the majestic purple bird that would fly over me, something about it always brought me such happiness whenever I saw it. Just before the last leaf could fall a blaring alarm went off near my ear pulling me from the peace of sleep and back to my cold single bedroom apartment. I grab my phone from the nightstand, the vibrating making me aware that this was a phone call.
"Kamari, your brothers drank himself into a stupor again and started a fight in my bar, can you come pick him up. He's close to base." I don't recognize the voice on the other line as I begin rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
I turn left to look at my alarm clock and sigh when it reads 3 am. "Yeah, I'll get him. Send me the address."
I roll out of bed and slip on a pair of sweatpants over my pajama shorts. As I head to my car, I grab my jacket off my armchair, the notification of a message popping up just in time. Looking at the address I groan as I make my way to the door, this bastard owes me so much money for gas that I could rent an entire pump for myself. News of Tom's death had reached me just the day before yesterday, but not Jake. He's known for at least a week, so he's been practically drowning himself in alcohol and I've had to pick him up each time he caused trouble. After carefully pulling up the now familiar location on my phone and driving for an hour, I find Jake sprawled out on the ground with two shady characters standing over him.
I quickly hop out of my car speed walking over to them. "Hey. What the hell is going on here?" I shout as I approach instinctually checking for my weapon holster. "If he made some type of trouble, can it wait till later? You know, when he's actually conscious."
The tallest of the two looks up at me. "Kamari Smith, it's been a while, how are you?"
I push past the men while eyeing them carefully and help Jake back into his wheelchair as I speak. "How do you know my name?"
"I operated as a recruiter for the RDA's security faction. I had a chance to go over your file before pushing you through. I'm still amazed you chose to go through to the science program." The taller one says, and I relax enough to decide that fighting them was unnecessary.
"Fine, but that doesn't completely explain why you're standing over my brother like that. But I'll give you both some time to do so." I narrow my eyes at them as I begin pushing Jake to the car.
"Brother?" The short one asks as he looks between the two of us.
"Yeah brother, you got something to say about that?" I knew what the man was thinking, with my darker skin and curly brown hair there was no way we were related by blood. Normally I found people's reactions to the news funny, but I was too tired to be humorous. "What do you want?" My patience has never been long enough to deal with people like them.
The taller man shakes his head at his partner before stepping in front of him in an attempt to redirect my attention. "We came with a proposition for Mr. Sully and to bring him to see his brother one last time. You're welcome to join to of course."
"Of course, I'm coming. Tommy may have stayed in the lab, but we trained together for a short while. Hell, he was my brother too." I ground out as I lift Jake into my car and he weakly fights back, three quick light slaps on the cheek make his focus center on me.
"Oh, hey Kamari. What're you doin' here?" He slurs before leaning his head back as I grab a bottle of water from the cup holders.
"Sobering up a drunken idiot." Without warning, I pour the cold water onto his face, suppressing a laugh when he jolts forward, looking around wildly. "Good morning sunshine."
"Yeah, good morning to you too princess." He huffs as he blows some of the excess water at me. "Who are those two?"
"I'll explain on the way."
We were brought to see Tommy's body as they spoke with Jake about their need for him to take Tommy's place as an avatar driver. Jake was unsure, he's always been a little old-fashioned when it comes to technology of the "new world". Once I told him I was also part of the program he reconsidered, he would rather be with me then alone any way is what he would say but he's always been a touch protective with me. So now after six years of cryo we were finally approaching the infamous moon, Pandora, Earths last hope. Jake and I sat side by side as the ship brought us closer to the moon, always finding time to mess with each other by pretending to try and turn off the others oxygen mask. When we land everyone pours out single file, Jake being the only one allowed to take his time as he sets up his military issued wheelchair. I hang back by the gates for him so we can get to orientation together, I could care less what the other soldiers think as we take our time to get to the meeting hall. Jake and I are the last to arrive during the safety brief drawing the eyes of the colonel and his men, I recognize most of them from training but I can't be bothered with remembering any of the names.
"Nothing like an old school safety brief to put your mind at ease." Jake mutters making me crack a smile.
When we were dismissed, we begin to head to our assigned rooms. As much as I was ready to get some shut eye, I'm more excited to see how my avatar has developed. We were stopped in our tracks by a lanky man calling Jake's name repeatedly. As we turn our attention to him, he falters for a moment when he catches sight of me. He looked at me like I was a rabid dog that would tear his arm off if he got to close.
"You're Jake, right? Tom's brother? You look just like him." Jake and I share a look before staring at him, he seems to get part of the message. "Sorry, I'm Norm Spellman, I went through training with your brother." He speaks while offering Jake his hand.
At his name I perk up feeling the mischievous smile spread across my face. "Spellman, yeah I remember you." I took half a step toward him chuckling when he stepped back. "You and Tommy hung out a lot during breaks. You were a real teacher's pet."
"Yeah, and you and your buddies were real class bullies. felt like I was in high school all over again." He half smiles making me shrug. Jake smirks and shakes Norm's outstretched hand. "He was a great guy - funny. It was a big shock to all of us."
Jake was no longer smiling as he retracted his hand, I subconsciously place a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah."
Jake starts wheeling away and I walk with him but of course Norm follows along now rambling. "And duh! Obviously, you look like him. I mean, if you weren't genetically identical, you wouldn't be here taking over his avatar."
I turn sharply to Norm, I understand what he's saying but the way he's saying it sounds awful. He jumps back slightly but Jake flicks my arm without looking, telling me wordlessly to ease up on the guy.
"Thats why I'm here." He answers boredly while still rolling onward.
"So, you want to go check it out?" Norm says attempting to correct his obvious fumble. "The avatars?"
That got Jake's attention, he's always been as curious as I am, and it often got the both of us in trouble. We follow Norm to the bio lab, quietly making fun of how skinny the guy is and how the way he walks just screams awkward. The lab is dark save for the almost ethereal glow of the blue lights from the amino tanks housing the large blue bodies of our clones. Jake rolls up to the first one admiring its size.
"Damn they got big." He laughs as he looks it over before looking back to me with childish wonder.
I leave the boys to talk while I search for my own avatar, didn't have to look hard, she was right beside Jake's. As if the body was aware of my presence she twitches in my direction, and I lay a hand on the glass. It was like looking into a fun house mirror, she was huge, from their reports roughly 8 foot 5 inches which is just over the common height for the native females her age. She had naturally wavy hair coming from the mix of the Na'vi's silky straight and my tightly curled hair. Aside from that and obviously the skin color she was a perfect clone. My gazing was interrupted when Jake called for me as we were supposed to prepare to meet the rest of the team we would be joining. Max was one of the leading scientists here and he would be introducing us to the chief of operations. We head to the link room, the psionic units reminding me to much of coffins.
"Grace Augustine is a legend. she's the head of the Avatar Program, and she wrote the book- I mean literally wrote the book- on Pandoran botany." Norm rambles making me roll my eyes.
"Teachers pet." I whisper to Jake.
"Whose got my goddamn cigarette?" A firm female voice shouts over all the scientists collective chatter.
An older woman with hair as fiery as her personality sits up from the link taking the cigarette from one of the assistants. Her eyes catch onto the four of us and the clear look of annoyance makes its way to her face. I noticed the deep breath Max took before he moved to introduce us but Grace cuts him off after he said Norm's name.
"Norm. I hear good things about you, how's your Na'vi?" She asks while completely ignoring me and Jake.
"May the All Mother smile upon our first meeting." Norm says with deep concentration on his face as he searches for the right words.
Grace nods approvingly as she takes a drag of her cigarette before she responds to him. "Not bad. You sound a little formal."
"There is still much to learn." Norm says with a bashful smile and I fake a gag.
Jake sits patiently waiting to be acknowledged, but my patience is too short for that. I clear my throat, and they are still chatting in their own little world. I hate being ignored. "The all mother may smile on your meeting but I do not. Do not ignore us as if we do not exist." I speak casually as I smile.
This surprises all the scientist and Jake is just shocked that I could even respond to whatever they were talking about. Grace's eyebrow raises with intrigue, but Max gets her attention. "This is Kamari Smith and Jake S-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know who you are and I don't need you, I need your brother." Something about this woman makes me more aggressive than I would like to admit, I repeatedly clench and unclench my fist while keeping my focus on my boots. Jakes hand is on my arm, he was painfully aware of my temper. "You know the PHD who trained three years for this mission."
"He's dead. I know its a big inconvenience for everyone." His face is joking but his tone is serious. "But don't worry Mari's studied enough to help me catch up."
Grace rolled her eyes before coming to terms with the situation. "How much lab training have you had? Ever run a glass chromatograph?"
"No." Jake answer simply albeit a little confused.
"Any lab work at all?" She asks growing annoyed.
"High school chemistry, I dissected a frog." Jake smiles, enjoying the womans growing irritation.
She turned to Max with her eyes blazing. "You see? You see? There pissing on us without the courtesy to even call it rain." She begins storming out of the lab. "I'm going to Selfridge."
"That could have gone worse." I say to Jake who smiles at me.
"Be here tomorrow oh eight hundred and use big words." Max says quickly as he tries to run after Grace while Norm wonders off.
"What an asshole, she out right ignored us. And what's with her attitude towards you huh?" I mutter as I grab my pack from the floor and stomping to the exit.
"Be nice Mari." Jake says as he lifts his own pack onto his lap before wheeling beside me.
I scoff trying my best to exhale my irritation. "I'm going to hit the gym before I hit somebody, you wanna tag along?"
"No thanks, I'm bushed, not as young as you are." Jake says with a sigh missing his younger years.
"Remember that the next time you want to get piss drunk and I have to be responsible for you." I joke as I lightly slap his shoulder when I walk past.
"Noted." He calls from behind me.