"And the night shifts are gradually returning to normal. That means each member will have two shifts per week instead of four. Only Sunday, I still want to have full manual security beside the automation system, because the tourist arrival at ORCA on weekends is really big... "
Dave Harley said steadily, as he held the meeting between the officers and the Youth volunteers.
Since ORCA was put in a wartime situation, Commander Bates though it is possible to trust the ORCA's young residents who are 16 years old and above, instead of having too many security personnels coming from the mainland. Brett and Cass volunteered to join the ORCA security patrol. The duty wasn't hard to do, except that the lessons of the process, situation handlings... were always presented again and again every morning.
"Why are you guys using us without trusting us?" Brett complained while nibbling on the second hamburger.
Jason grinned, nor did he seem to notice what his one-time trainer was saying.
"By the way, Neri came this early morning. She asked about you, but you're on duty on the bridge."
Jason sat up straight when he heard about Neri. "So where is she?"
"Back to the island already. Queen Shalamorn planned to get on the broken spacecraft today."
" I see. The Queen definitely wants to find some memorabilia of her husband and the crew. They will also have to thoroughly investigate the cause. Mera said, that accident was one of history's deadliest and mysterious disasters, in Ocean Planet."
"Yep. Especially that spacecraft carried the Prince, the Princesses and some royal members. It's huge..."
Both of them were sinking into their own thoughts before Brett cleared the air:
"How about joining them after this meeting?"
Jason hesitated. The thought of meeting Neri again and being personally Ocean Planet scientists explain that hi-tech "scrap" in the spacecraft was really fascinating, but...
"I have to check the diving equipment allocations for the units. A new package is going to reach the pontoon."
"Not a big deal. Just bring your Macbook then, you can make a quick report on the island." Brett was enthusiastic.
"You just go ahead." Jason answered while leaning against the side of the chair, added. "Anyway, we'll meet them this Saturday, to farewell Queen Shalamorn and Mera, right?"
"It's up to you, but ... not long before, you couldn't stop going to the island everyday. And now, as far as I remember, the last time you met three of them was four days ago, when Mom and Dad invited Queen Shalamorn to visit us at ORCA."
"So?" Jason sat up straight again.
Brett shrugged. "Nothing much. Just why do I have the funny impression that you're avoiding Neri."
"Me? Why must I do that?" Jason smiled wryly.
His face was slightly red with a sense of embarrassment that Brett had noticed something. Actually, it's hard to not notice. Neri came with Shalamorn and Mera once, and in other occasion, only the girls came to visit them. That was the only 2 times he met Neri in over a week. Of course, Jason was delighted to meet them, and they had the pleasant conversations as usual. But indeed, he didn't actively tend to meet Neri, neither try to meet her in private.
"Of course, you didn't have any reason to ..." But after a second looking at your brother's face, Brett aroused a doubt "... or you did?"
Brett had always been a little creep, but sometimes, he had a great sense of sensitivity, especially what concerned his brother, who joined at the hip with him. Jason knew that. He looked forward where Dave Harley was still enthusiastically lecturing, considering whether to tell the truth. Finally, he sighed:
"I really don't know!"
"WHATTT?"
Dave Harley turned back: "Excuse me?"
"I mean, What ... should we know more?" Brett tried to handle the choking attack.
"Thanks for asking, Brett. Just make sure that you guys don't ignore any suspect elements, which are listed on ORCA Security Essential Requirements as well as..."
Other volunteers shot Brett with bullet-shaped eyes. But for once, he didn't care to shoot back.
"Jase, what happens?"
"Nothing."
"Why the hell are you acting like that?"
Jason folded his laptop and stood up after glancing at the wall screen in the conference room, a mid-range ship just anchored at the pontoon. "Everything's still fine. I just think they need some private time together, as a family."
"That's not all." Brett frowned. He wasn't ready to let this conversation end.
"I'd better go for the new diving equipments. They have just docked."
ORCA was still bustling as usual. Brett found out his brother as he was walking through a long and spacious hallway, towards the main elevator. Some kids were holding their cheeks on clear tempered glass, fascinated to watch the ocean floor. Light was filtered through the crystal clear water, glittering on the corridor floor.
"Wait, Jase!"
Jason turned back, waited patiently for a few seconds until Brett caught up, gasping for breath.
"What exactly is going on with you guys? Intergalactic war ended then 3rd World War started, huh?"
"I didn't lie, Brett. We're alright, even best ever. Just some ... private stuff to deal with."
Jason didn't really want to talk to someone else about his feelings, but he knew it's hard to hide from Brett. Not that Brett had the experience in romance stuff but they grew up together, Brett understood Jason better than anyone else.
"Private stuff? Let me translate it." Brett winked. "Have you ever confessed to her?"
"I don't wanna talk about it." Jason was stern while walking along with Brett, passing dozen groups of postgraduate, scientists and security staff.
"Come on Jase. If there is only one who cares deeply about you guys, it's me." Brett somehow's voice no longer had the shadow of the usual tease. "And if you have something to worry about, you know you can count on me."
It made Jason pause for a moment. He shrugged: "Actually, not yet."
"So the issue wasn't her answer. I was right ... as usual. So what is it?"
The two brothers stopped at the elevator waiting area. On these days, the elevator operated at full speed to bring people up and down the pontoon. Jason crossed his arms over his chest.
"Just don't know how and when to talk to her."
"You worried that she would reject?"
That sounds so weak and... funny. But not that it was not true at all:
"Yes, I guess."
"Jason, how or when doesn't matter if someone falls in love with you."
"It's the problem, I'm not sure how she feels about me." Jason admitted.
"Take it easy, Jase. As an outsider, I don't see any reason for you to worry about this. She thinks about you in the same ways." Brett was persistent. "So tell me, anything made you doubt."
Somehow, Jason knew that Brett was right. Proof that she fell in love with him seems easier to find than the proof that she didn't. Jason was momentarily confused, then resisted:
"Such as, nothing made me sure."
Brett groaned. "Come on, it is that you messed up yourself, isn't it? Tell her, unless you wanna be stuck in the friendzone forever."
"Hey, I don't mean to be in the friendzone ... like forever. I'm just waiting for the right moment, and letting things... evolutive naturally."
"Evolutive? Of course, Jase. After a long time of loving a princess as a citizen, you are promoted to King ... of that friendzone."
In the second half of the sentence, Brett bowed and swung his arms as if bowing to a fictional King.
Jason wanted to give Brett a stern look, but his effort was suddenly broken to a laugh. Instead of getting annoyed, he suddenly found everything so simple and ... funny. After all, it's still very comfortable to be able to tell someone, especially Brett, who always finds something funny in ironic circumstances.
The elevator opened and Jason rested his hands on his hips more comfortably as he shot out the last question: "I'll talk to her next week, some days after the farewell. You think it's the right time?"
Brett pretended to look at his watch: "Let me see! Today is Thursday, but with this hesitation ... maybe next two years!" The elevator door closed and Brett grinned as he imagined the expression on his brother's face.
