Page 19 of Across The Stars
“Hey, these are valid questions. You know the council will want to hear about it. Natural surges have barely happened since the Thinning. This could be a good thing.”
“I am not planning on telling them.”
“What? Are you crazy?”
I spoke with more force. “If it was a surge, it was with a human, in which case it doesn’t matter and my body is sendingphantom signals to my brain. So let it go, Salukh. There are much bigger problems.”
“Who cares if it was with a human? We’re all fruit from the same tree. Our genetics are practically the same. Why else would we be using them to try and reverse our reproductive problems?”
“Salukh.”
“Sjak. Alright. Fine.”
Salukh groaned, reluctant to let the discussion fizzle out. Leaving the elevators leading into the docking bay, I couldn’t help taking a glance at shuttle 4. The recruits had all left the area and all that were left were a few maintenance workers who were checking on the shuttles and clearing any cargo out onto the larger elevators. When I passed the spot where I’d bumped into the human female, I felt myself revisiting the memory of her face for a second time. Her innocent surprise was ingrained in my head and I felt my veins swelling with hot blood as it raced beneath my skin. And yes, much of it was teasing the southern region of my body, though I’d never admit it to Salukh.
9: Innifer
The mess hall was large, just like everything on the Nexus. Along the walls, every ten feet or so, were food dispensers. I’d heard of them on Earth, but never thought I would be consuming something from one of them. I followed Omar’s lead, trying my hardest to look like I knew what I was doing. Grabbing a silver tray from a stack near a rectangular dispenser, which looked like a souped-up vending machine, I stood in line behind a few other recruits and more seasoned workers to get my dinner.
Omar went first, sliding his tray into a small window below a touch screen. On the screen, he selected a picture of grilled chicken with pasta and veggies. A silver barrier rose in front of the tray and there was a series of beeps, a low hum, and then thebarrier sunk down again and on the tray was a fully formed meal, steaming and fresh. He took his food and stepped away to find a table while I took my turn. I slid my tray into the compartment and waited for the choices to come up on the screen. I sifted through a few options until I came to a tomato soup and grilled cheese meal. The window closed and when it opened, a fresh platter was served.
Taking my dinner, I searched the mess hall for Omar and found him a few tables away with a couple other recruits in similar uniforms. I made my way to them and sat down.
“Innifer?” one of the girls said.
I looked up to see a woman with a strong face looking back at me. She had chin length, black hair, half of which was pulled into a ponytail, and a stunning pair of green eyes. Even with her sitting, I could guess that she was a tall woman with a fairly solid figure beneath her clothes. I assumed ex-military.
“Yeah,” I nodded.
The woman extended her fist across the table and I bumped it with my own in greeting.
“I’m Quinn,” she said. “I’m going to be a pilot here. Well, eventually. Right now, I work on the loading docks. That’s where you’ll be. That’s where most of the new recruits are for a while.”
“Yeah,” I said, stirring my soup. “Guess I should do some stretching.”
“It’s not so bad. We get to go out on cargo ships sometimes. It’s actually kind of exciting. Of course, I’d rather be piloting one of the ships, but it’ll happen soon.”
“So, we’re going to be there when the Nexus trades with valerians?” Omar asked excitedly.
“Yeah, but they never take their masks or suits off and they’ve barely let anyone get their hands on them for study. They’re elusive as hell.”
“I’ve heard that,” I said, dipping a corner of my grilled cheese in my bowl. “I mean, I’ve heard rumors about them.”
“You know,” Omar said. “Innifer here bumped into one of them when she arrived.”
I almost choked. “You saw that?”
“What color was his suit?” Quinn said.
“Black?”
“No, I mean the veins.”
“Um… blue?”
“He was a captain.” She said everything with an air of boredom. “The veins are ranks or titles. Blue and green are military. Blue specifically is a captain. I’m surprised he didn’t bite your head off. Captains are grumpy.”
“You’ve met one?” I asked.
