Page 51 of Solar Bound
Not just for their survival, but for what might come after. For the possibility of returning to Earth, of reuniting with their friends, of continuing whatever this was between them that had ignited so quickly and burned so bright.
Dani rolled up her sleeves and moved to Solar's side. "Tell me what to do."
He glanced at her, surprise briefly crossing his features before being replaced by approval. "Can you read this energy distribution matrix?"
The display showed patterns and symbols she'd never seen before. "Not even slightly."
"Then I will teach you," Solar said. "Starting with the basics of subspace navigation and dimensional stabilization."
"Of course," Dani nodded, as if this were a perfectly normal educational opportunity and not a crash course in alien technology while hurtling through interstellar space in a ship held together with the equivalent of alien duct tape. "Let's start with why this panel is smoking."
Solar's lips twitched in what might have been the beginning of a smile. "That would be the tertiary life support system."
"The what now?"
Dani looked at Solar, who merely raised an eyebrow in response.
"Let's fix that first," she suggested. "And then maybe you can teach me how to say ‘you're a fucking idiot' in Bob and Gary’s language. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."
Solar's expression softened. "That is a phrase I have had frequent cause to employ since meeting them. Don't worry, their translators are working. They will understand you."
As they worked together to stabilize the life support system, Dani realized something important. Yes, they had left Earth behind and were floating in deep space where very few humans had ever been, but she didn't need to be afraid. Not really.
Because for the first time in her life, she wasn't running away from something.
She was running toward someone.
Chapter
Fourteen
Solar had never known darkness like this.
Even in the deepest reaches of space between stars, radiation bathed the universe in a constant glow that his enhanced perception could detect. But this manufactured vessel with its failing systems and questionable construction created a darkness that felt almost personal in its oppression. He wasn’t sure how, but it was worse than when they had traveled to Earth.
He stood in what Bob had grandly called the observatory, though it appeared to be nothing more than a storage compartment with a single viewport. Outside, Earth hung suspended against the blackness, a swirl of blue and white that seemed impossibly fragile from this distance. It was strange to watch a planet not in a tidal lock. The light moved across the surface, ever changing it.
Solar pressed his palm against the transparent barrier, allowing his natural radiance to brighten enough to illuminate the cramped space. The golden light revealed walls lined with mismatched storage containers, many of which were labeled with symbols he recognized from half a dozen different star systems. Galaxy Brides' sourcing methods were evidently as questionable as their ethics.
"I thought I'd find you here," Dani's voice came from behind him.
Solar turned to see her silhouetted in the doorway, her form outlined by the dim emergency lighting from the corridor. Even in the near-darkness, she moved with the same precise grace he'd observed during her fire dance. An efficiency of motion that spoke of discipline and control.
"This is the closest I can get to an energy source to rejuvenate myself. And the view helps me calculate," Solar explained, gesturing toward Earth. "I can determine our orbital position and monitor for Milano activity."
Dani moved to stand beside him, close enough that he could sense the subtle electrical currents of her nervous system. The medical treatment had healed her physical injuries, but he detected lingering stress patterns in her biorhythms.
"Any sign of them?" she asked.
"Nothing conclusive. Earth's orbital monitoring systems are primitive but extensive. Milano would require significant resources to launch any pursuit craft without detection." He studied her profile as she gazed at her homeworld. "How are your injuries?"
"Good as new," Dani replied, rotating her previously injured ankle. "Whatever that laser beam was, it works miracles. I've never felt better."
Solar nodded, satisfied with her recovery. "The medical technology prioritizes complete cellular restoration. Your Earth medicine often merely encourages natural healing processes and pharmaceuticals."
"How long do your people typically live?" she asked.
"The average Solarus Zone citizen survives approximately three hundred and seventy Earth years," Solar answered. "Though warriors often face earlier termination due to combat risks."
