Page 27 of Zalis
GEMMA
One sleepless night later and Zalis was missing when Gemma finally stopped pretending to sleep and got out of bed.
No big deal, she told herself. He had things to do. Reports to file. Paperwork to push.
Doubt and anxiety were very much present and helpfully suggested that Zalis’ disappearing act could be the sign of a major problem.
Thanks, brain.
Gemma ambushed him with a shotgun engagement. They signed a license last night to make it official, so that was settled. No going back.
Unless Zalis changed his mind.
Had he changed his mind? Was she being ghosted? He just dumped her in this apartment that he clearly did not live in and vanished.
Not that it was a bad apartment. It was nice in a generic way and had about as much personality as a hotel room, furnished with the basics and not much else. The general layout was a shared common space with a little nook for cooking and dining, which failed to impress a professional baker. There were two bedrooms, one with an enormous bed and the other meant for a single person. She had zero complaints about the bathroom with a massive Mahdfel-sized tub and shower.
It was empty. That was her major complaint. She slept poorly, waiting for Zalis to return and he never did.
Fortunately, Gemma didn’t have much time to brood about the empty apartment or what it meant that Zalis failed to return last night. Her own schedule had been commandeered by a surprising number of administrative tasks.
A knock at the door interrupted her staring contest with the screen built into the wall in the kitchenette area. Gemma deduced that the screen controlled the appliances, possibly even the organic matter replicator, which was fancy, but she was interested in the coffeemaker.
If she could get past the login screen.
A human woman with long, wavy hair, flanked by a wall of muscle greeted Gemma. Behind her stood two other women, one human and one Sangrin, and Emry.
“Hi. I’m Mercy, the Warlord’s wife, and I’m the welcoming committee.” The woman flashed a disarming smile. “This is your orientation.”
“Umm, I wasn’t expecting company.” Gemma was dressed in yesterday’s clothes, an outfit she borrowed from Emry. She hadn’t brushed her hair or done anything to prepare herself for the day.
“We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. First, security to get you into the system. Then supply and requisition, to outfit you with the things you need, followed by a five-point tour of the ship and amenities.” Mercy clapped her hands together and rubbed, like she was eager to begin.
“How much walking will there be? The doctor told me to stay off my feet.” A tour sounded super helpful but her ankle already ached. The two pain pills Zalis left for her last night had wornoff long ago. Plus she didn’t want a lecture about not following orders from the grumpy doctor.
The other two women shuffled to the side, allowing her sister to push a wheelchair to the front. Emry gestured broadly with both hands, silently announcing that Gemma’s carriage awaited.
“Are there coffee and bagels on this tour?” Gemma asked. The apartment’s fridge was bare, and she had already lamented her struggle with the coffeemaker.
“We can do that,” Mercy answered.
Gemma settled into the chair and got a quick tutorial on how to use the motorized controls. Pressing a lever, the chair rolled forward and then backward. “I’m going to abuse this,” she said in a mock-whisper, earning a snicker from Emry.
Mercy glanced down at Gemma’s feet. “Don’t you have shoes?”
“Just the slipper socks the hospital gave me.”
Surprise and understanding flickered across Mercy’s face before finally settling back to an amiable smile. “Well then, supply and requisition will be a priority. Now, some facts about theJudgment?—”
Mercy led the entire convoy down the corridor at an easy pace. Emry stayed close but gave Gemma enough space as she figured out how to maneuver in the chair.
“Someone told her about me but no onetoldher about me,” Gemma said, her voice soft to keep the conversation between her and Emry.
“Maybe she gets a list of new arrivals but no details,” her sister replied.
“Makes sense.” Gemma could see the necessity of a new arrival orientation, and frankly, having a human face to welcome her aboard was comforting. She twisted in the chair to get a better look at her sister. “Let’s talk about what you’re wearing. Oh, my heavens, Emry. I’m so embarrassed.”
Emry looked down and gestured at her plain black tee shirt and black leggings. “What? You’re wearing the same thing.”
