Free Binary Cycle - (Part 1: Disruption) by WJ Davies

through her sandy-blond locks. She didn’t think her hair looked unruly, but MiLO was acting pretty strange today so she figured she’d go along with whatever game he was playing. It wasn’t every day he was
quite
so mysterious, and she wanted to get to the bottom of his unusual behavior. 
    “So, it’s not your birthday… yet. But let’s celebrate your four-hundredth when it comes, ok? I would love that.”
    “Of course, Skyia. As you wish.”
    She finished combing her hair and MiLO prodded her toward her closet and tapped a small button beside the door. He wheeled backward as the door swung open, revealing a breathtakingly elegant dress: A gorgeous pattern of red and orange silk with designs splattered throughout of a vast landscape of mountains and rivers. Skyia gasped, putting her hands to her face. The overall impression reminded her of an Earth book her mom used to read to her as a child:
Legends of the Orient
.
    “MiLO, we already celebrated my birthday, what is this? It’s so beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like it before! Oh please MiLO, won’t you tell me what’s going on?”
    “Remember I told you your mother was coming home?” he asked.
    “Of course! But I thought she wasn’t due back for, what, another ten days?”
    “There was a change in her plans,” he said. “She left earlier than expected and wanted to come back before Nightfall.”
    Skyia’s eyes opened wide. “Why didn’t you tell me? I need to clean my room, I was going to bake something and—”
    “No need to worry. This is all quite unexpected, I only received your mother’s voice call this morning. And don’t worry about your room, it looks splendid, as usual. Rest assured the cleaning bots are implementing a full sweep of the house as we speak.”
    She flashed a smile and reached down to hug the little bot. Hugging MiLO was like hugging a toaster. His sensors and antennae poked her in the arms and ribs, but she hardly noticed.
    “I’ll leave you alone so you can try on the dress,” he said. “Your mother brought it home after her last expedition to Ganji and she asked me to give it to you at an ‘appropriate time’ while she was away. I thought I’d give it to you now so you can show it off before the novelty wears off.”
    Skyia shook her head. “Novelty, are you crazy? This is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. Get outta here so I can try it on.” She twirled away from MiLO toward her bed as he left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him.
    Skyia laid the dress out across her woven Spindex duvet, relishing the perfection of the moment. Her mother would be home soon. She had everything to be thankful for and nothing in her life she wanted to change—no regrets.
    She shrugged off the simple white tunic she had been wearing, the synthetic fabric sliding off her body with a musical hum. Standing in her underwear, she picked up her dress of fire. Holding it up to her shoulders, the cool fabric caressed her body. She turned to the mirror, examining the fiery shades and intricate collage of images and symbols. She loved the way her golden hair shimmered against the red and orange rays of light streaming in through her bedroom window. Her green eyes shone out in stark contrast to the autumn colors of her dress. She caught her gaze in the mirror, her own eyes looking back at her. 
    Her father’s eyes
, her mom had told her when she was very young.
    She thought about her dad as she walked with the dress toward the open window, thinking about how little she knew of him, and really, how little that mattered to her right now. He had left them before Skyia was born. Her mother had told her he left in order to continue his successful career in science and discovery, not wanting to be burdened with a family.
    Skyia didn’t really hold it against him. Considering how perfect her life was now, she couldn’t imagine anything changing. What more could she ask for? All that she needed was here in the Tower.