Page 44 of Skinwalker's Bane
Her heart soared. She kissed him again and this time, they didn’t stop.
Chapter Eleven
Anar Bader cleared Adam for work two days later and registered the fact with Noa’s AI, which would let the Institute schedule him back on the work roster.
Adam made his way to the engine compartment alone on the first morning, because he was coming from within the Palatine, while everyone else would squeeze into a single taxiboat to get across to the shield doors. Either he beat everyone there, or everyone was already inside, because the platform was empty when the taxiboat nudged up against it.
The guard let him in without comment and Adam made his way through the narrow corridors to the locker room the engineers had given them to use while they were skinning this end of the ship. The engine compartment was a dim place, the corridors filled with projections and pipes and more that could snag clothing and hit heads. Everyone had to walk single file. Like the Field of Mars, the engine room was made for a purpose and human access was a distant secondary consideration.
When Adam walked into the locker room, everyone was already there, changing into their undersuits and helping each other into their environment suits. It wasn’t the first time he had arrived later than everyone else. Normally, he was roped into the conversation that went on across the room as they got ready.
Today, though, everyone fell silent. It had to be because of the Caver thing. “I’m fine,” Adam told them. “I was cleared.”
“More than fine, seems like,” came a bodiless whisper from far to his right. Then, a snort and a giggle. Adam looked that way, puzzled.
Everyone looked back at him. Maria Pater smiled.
Adam turned away from her. A snotty comment from Maria Pater was nothing. It was normal. He looked at Perez Kimberley instead. “Are Tolly and Leyla cleared medically?” For both of them were sitting together on the bench, looking pale and exhausted.
“We have a full crew,” she confirmed, barely looking up.
As he was late, he was behind. He moved over to his locker and palmed it, already stripping down. He wanted to talk to Haydn before they went out. He wanted to chat with Perez, too. Something didn’t feel right this morning and that could be a bad thing out on the skin. Anything bad or negative could be dangerous. Anything that disturbed the solid sense of teamwork was definitely dangerous.
The conversation started up around him again. Slowly. He didn’t look around. Instead, he concentrated on getting into his suit properly. Underneath the conversation, though, he could hear whispering. Sub-chatter.
About him? What was there to talk about? He’d been an idiot, taking on the Cavers by himself? Surely they’d talked that topic to death in the three days he had been gone?
He ignored the chatter. Once everyone was in their suits, they wouldn’t be able to chat without the whole crew hearing it, including him. Better to let them vent and get whatever was bothering them off their chests now. He wanted them crisp and concentrating out there.
It took two other people to help any one person into their suit, holding up the heavy garment as the bio feeds were attached, as the wearer threaded their arms through the sleeves. Everyone helped everyone else—it was a team building exercise that Haydn and Noa insisted upon. Perez and Simon Pond helped Adam into his suit now.
He was half-way in, his legs encased, and was reaching inside to couple up the bio attachments. It was a delicate moment that they all went through, something that no outsider would ever get to see. It wasn’t talked about beyond the locker room, although Adam was sure that the other crews had their own way of handling it, because they didn’t talk about it either.
Most of the time, whoever was helping the wearer into their suit didn’t say much at all, sparing them any embarrassment. When it was the helper’s turn the same sensitivity was displayed.
Adam had gotten used to the complete lack of privacy. He barely thought about the fact that every inch of his body was on display while he went about attaching everything.
So he froze for a moment when Simon Pond said softly; “Looking a little wasted around the nether regions, boss. You working off the calories lately?”
The laughter from the other side of the locker room was louder this time and recognizable. Maria.
Perez made an impatient sound. “Simon, go and help someone else.”
“But…”
“Move it,” she snapped.
“Fine.” He let go of the suit arm he was holding. Adam could see him from the corner of his eye, stalking over to his own locker to sit and ram his feet into his boots.
Perez caught up the sagging arm with a grunt of effort. “Sorry about that, boss,” she said quietly.
“What was that all about?” he demanded.
“Give it a minute and I’ll explain. Let’s get you prepped first.”
“No, tell me now,” Adam said. “When have I ever hidden anything from you guys?” He said it loudly, intending that the whole crew hear him.
“Since you got yourself a Palatine girlfriend and started shacking up on the Table,” Baki Nistrom said.
