Kat Farrow
Maradean
I looked past the wiry man in black and gray next to me scanning his visor display, and caught sight of a railgun launch out the Traverse-pod’s window. Its long, triangular launch track was not as massive as I’d thought it would be, but Iapetus’s gravity is weak enough, and resources held tight enough by the mining Triarchy, I suppose it’s the bare minimum needed. The payload should reach the processing facility above Titan in less than a cycle. I suppose I’ll be settling into my new home and married life by then.
I shifted back to scrutinizing the man beside me. The Space Bride LLC’s appointed minister and acting chaperone was sunk deep in his feed, oblivious to the barren, rocky landscape we raced through. The man, middle-aged with a hooked nose, looked like someone had broken it more than once. He doesn’t seem to like his job. Maybe he just doesn’t like me. He’d said little on the trip and his last words still sat heavy in my chest.
“It’s your last chance, Maradean. You know the consequences if this one fails.”
I didn’t need to be reminded.
Looking up through the curved, glazed roof, the clear image of Saturn and her rings punctuated the vast speckled darkness of space. Iapetus is her only moon with this view and it was beautiful.
The T-pod is packed with boxy supply containers plus a few other passengers intermittently dispersed along its length. Five people sat across from each other at the back chatting quietly. All wear badges on their sleeves for the Seville mine colony, past the branch line of my destination, the TurgisMal mine colony.
Four Triarchy Techs sit ahead of us toward the front. Only one Tech has paid any attention to us. Well, to me. They glanced at us when we first boarded, then must have recognized the minister’s colors and badge and turned to stare straight at me, mouth ajar. They snapped it shut and focused on strapping in with their companions. I’ve caught them glancing at me a few times. It must just be the Space Bride thing. Nothing about me says ‘clone’.
I shifted a little in my seat. The new weighted suit had been surprisingly comfortable despite the heavier micro-layers. Still, it’s the only time I hadn’t worn some type of wedding gown. I had a triplet-clip of red fiber-flowers pinned to my hair. The most I could do with the suit.
I wondered if it was a good or bad omen? I’d read many Sat-miners had grown superstitious in their isolation and minimal supplies. Will my miner be?
Xander Greaves.
I’d only had two comms with him and the first got cut short from a radiation flare. He seemed…nice? Solid? He hadn’t been very talkative and looked distracted and worn during the comm. Kind of friendly. His hair, thick and shaggy brown with a beard to match. Pale eyes of some undetermined color. His skin seemed a similar light brown to mine. He looked broad shouldered, though miner suits are thicker and more padded than the ones I’m used to.
It really doesn’t matter. I had to find a way to make it work. I hoped his son liked me at least.
I closed my eyes, concentrating on breathing until the T-pod slowed, and the automated announcement chimed.
“Arrival at Othon Way Station in one hundred twenty seconds and counting. Please remain in restraints until the pod completes dock-lock procedures.”
Xander
Everything always happened all at once.
I expected it to a degree with the colony only getting shipments every tri-cycle, but still…supplies, losing the Haedigs, and dealing with the Triacrhy Techs all at once?
And then there’s my bride-to-be.
Maradean. An unusual name. I like it.
I still don’t understand why a clone bride was listed in the normal tier of that LLC. I thought they were exclusive. Specially trained. A life like this? I couldn’t imagine her being willing to stay long. She must know the condition we’re in since the accident.
I paused.
Would she know about it? It’d been four months. The news must have spread. Unless the Triarchy had tried to downplay it. That wouldn’t surprise me.
I drummed my fingers on the stack of empty containers I’d hauled in to exchange. Mostly empty. We hadn’t been able to produce any material to refine. Still, recyclables needed to be processed up on Titan Septimus. The behemoth station might be where we end up if I can’t pull this together.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the growing pile of worries from taking hold.
As long as Maradean and Edison got along, that’s all I could hope for.
I watched the T-pod glide onto the platform and lock in place. The seals hissed and the clerk-bot opened the doors to start the disembarking procedures. I caught glimpses of passengers as they moved around behind the glazed shielding, weaving around supply containers.
She’s in there somewhere. Hope she didn’t have to sit with the Techs.
The way station’s been less busy than usual for a delivery run. Usually some of the crew would have ridden in with me to make comms and such, or just take a break. There’s too few of us now. Hopefully, when this inspection’s done, the company will authorize more staff and things will settle down.
There’s a commotion on the platform as one of the Techs tried to make demands of the clerk-bot. I chuckled. Good luck with that. Their colleagues grouped up behind them, Triarchy badges prominent on sleeves, chests and backs. Properly tagged in case they got lost, I guess.
They’re bunched up and blocking the pod’s exit until the deep clearing of a throat behind them caused them to shuffle forward a few steps.
The minister pushed through and waited, dressed in his black with silver trims. Skinny, with a broken nose. Looked unpleasant.
And that must be…oh.
She’s much prettier in person. Taller than I expected, and her hair’s a much richer brown than I’d thought. The flowers went well with the reddish highlights. A nice touch.
My jaw popped open, and my head dropped to stare down at the stains and patch marks running down the front of me. I forgot to change into my nicer suit. I fingered the ends of my ragged beard and heaved a sigh.
Roman Gods. She’s going to think I’m a cretin.
Way to go, groom. Way to go.
The clerk-bot pinged me and I sent a wait request, took a deep breath and headed over to meet my bride.
Maradean
The minister cleared his throat. The Techs finally moved out of the way so we could exit the T-pod. I’ve never been to this type of way station before. It’s both smaller and larger than my imaginings. Lots of stacked, aluminum-carbon containers, a cargo-bot standing by, and the clerk-bot who the Techs seemed to have taken issue with.
A wide, arched passageway headed off the platform and I glimpsed an eatery of some sort, and part of another shop that didn’t seem open. The five other passengers shuffled past us and headed toward the eatery.
Even though there weren’t many people about, the number of towering containers made it feel crowded, almost claustrophobic. The minister moved off to one side. I followed, setting down my kit to wait.
Standing next to a stack of containers several meters away I noticed a dark-haired man, head bent, wearing a scruffy, gray Sat-miner suit.
When he looked up, I realized it was him. Xander. He tapped his wrist cuff and headed our way.
My foot started to take a step back and I forced myself to freeze. I glanced at the minister, took a determined breath, and plastered a warm smile on my face to greet my husband-to-be.
Xander halted a few steps away and dipped his head before meeting my eyes. “Maradean. I hope the trip wasn’t too unpleasant.”
His voice was a warm baritone and his eyes a gray-green. Striking against his light brown skin and dark hair. I felt my cheeks grow warm. “It was fine, thank you.”
He turned to the minister and held out his hand. “Minister.”
The minister rolled his eyes and didn’t take the offered greeting. “Not necessary. Will there be witnesses? Are we waiting on anyone? I don’t want to miss the departure time.”
Xander slowly shook his head, dropping his hand back to his side. He gave the minister a quick once-over before he answered. “Not to worry. It takes a while to exchange the cargo. I can guarantee the pod won’t leave without you on it.”
My smile felt a little more natural suddenly. I’m not the only one who didn’t appreciate my travel companion.
Xander shifted his attention back to me, and my smile froze in place again.
“Shipment deliveries tend to be rather chaotic. We also have someone leaving the colony, and, of course, you’ve noticed the Techs.” Xander nodded toward the four, still in discussion with the clerk-bot. He stared at the continued commotion, then sighed before he returned his attention to me.
“We’re not waiting on anyone. The clerk-bot cleared itself to attest to the ceremony, and it can be quick as long as that’s agreeable to you, Maradean?”
Well, he didn’t seem to have any misgivings at first sight. He did seem a bit harried. I appreciated him speaking to me instead of the minister. “That’s fine with me.”
“All right. I’ll need to deal with a few things before we start. Do you have your things yet? I wouldn’t want them to get lost in the shuffle.”
I tapped my kit with my foot. “This is it.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “That’s everything?”
“Yes. It’s the half-square meter your company recommended.”
The minister cleared his throat again. “I’m sure it’s fine. Didn’t you say you needed to do something before the ceremony?”
Xander gave him a quick glare before he returned his attention to my kit. Was it too much? I hadn’t needed to pare down very much, but still.
His wrist cuff pinged and he headed off to do whatever needed to be done before he became my husband.
Xander
The clerk-bot pinged me again.
“I’ll get a few things settled, then we can do this,” I tipped my head toward the minister, and added to Maradean, “then I’ll show you where to wait until we’re ready to go.”
I tried to give her a reassuring smile. Her puzzled expression left me unsure of my effort. I couldn’t believe the company would suggest such a small amount of personal items. Even one other suit would take up nearly a third of the space. If she’d brought a bulkier miner’s suit? We’ll have to see. Maybe we could get a few things in on the next shipment. I exhaled loudly as I headed over to the clerk-bot. By the Roman Gods, I hoped our marriage worked.
I finished signing off on the goods transfer and caught sight of the Haedigs coming toward the dock.
I understood why they’re leaving.
Adam losing both wife and husband. Jess expecting their third.
My…wife? Not such a loss.
The Haedigs were who I’d gone to commiserate with after Calla’d told me about the quit requests. Quitting the colony. Quitting me. Not quitting Braden.
Adam Haedig was my best friend. It took an accident to make me realize how much he really meant. It’ll be a much sadder place without him and his kids.
He saw me, waved, and headed over. Five-year-old Nada nestled against his chest, her slightly oversized suit scrunched up under her chin.
“Is she actually asleep?” I asked.
Jansen rolled his eyes. “She fell asleep as soon as we got on the pod.” Two-years older than my Edison, Jansen is his close friend.
All the kids had been close.
Adam shifted Nada a little and she let out a muffled grumble. “I thought we’d be on the pod with you. Just how early did you get here?”
“Early. I brought half the containers and sent it back so there’d be plenty of room for you and your things. I also needed to make some comms while the reception was good.”
“Huh.” Adam gave me a skeptical look. “Not nervous or anything?”
I shook my head. “Techs. Like they’re gonna find anything we didn’t.”
“I didn’t mean them.” Adam nodded toward the T-pod. “You sure about her? Kinda soon and all.”
I turned my head and saw Maradean still stood in the same spot with the minister, hands clasped and trying not to look at everything.
“You know Calla and I were over long before…” I didn’t finish.
The Haedigs had been one of three communal marriages at TurgisMal. Usually, those were good for a colony. More people committed to looking out for each other. It’d never been my thing. Too committed to my job and making sure everyone had everything they needed. I had Calla, and we had Edison.
Apparently, I had no longer been enough for Calla.
I turned back to Adam. “I am surprised the request went through so fast with the Triarchy and the LLC.”
He studied Maradean. “Cute. Let me know if it doesn’t work out.” He quirked a half-smile. The humor wasn’t quite there, just a dim glimmer in his eyes. I missed it. I was going to miss him. The corner of my eyes stung.
“Hey! Are you the foreman? Greaves?”
The hail came from one of the Techs. They’d tried to ping me earlier, but I’d ignored it. They were huddled together, one counting their cartons off on a pad. I tried not to glare as I met their eyes and gave a brief nod.
I clasped Adam’s hand, and we leaned in to touch foreheads. “Take care.”
“We will. Come see us on Titan Septimus.”
I tried to pull the corners of my mouth into a grin as we separated. “You take care of your sister, Jansen.” I tousled the boy’s thick, white hair then nodded at Adam. “And him.”
“Tell Ed I’ll comm him.” Jansen’s lip trembled a little, and I gave him a wink before I turned to deal with the Techs.
Maradean
Xander had given me a quick peck on the cheek at the end of the ceremony. I honestly thought he did it to spite the minister more than anything else. He’d also taken my hand as he led me away from the platform to the eatery, his other hand carrying my kit. His hand felt calloused, yet warm. I found myself not minding as he guided me to the counter through the continued bustle of loading and unloading.
The closed shop I had noticed earlier stocked supplies. All automated, and only accessible with proper clearance. On the other side of the eatery, stood a fully equipped exercise station. A large storage area at the opposite end of the way station held mined mineral and element containers awaiting transport to the processing facility.
While we waited for the server-bot, Xander suggested, “You might want to use the exercise station before we leave. The one we have at the colony is quite basic.”
My body was grown to withstand slightly wider variables of gravity than baseline humans. I still needed to exercise daily to keep in shape on Iapetus.
Xander glanced at the menu. “Feel free to select whatever you’d like to eat.” His tone sounded apologetic. “Our diets are a bit restricted depending on what supplies we have.” He told the server-bot to put my food on his account then grabbed a large energy drink bag for himself. “I need to finish supervising the supply transfer. I’ll be back soon.” He hurried off.
Glancing around, I observed the minister sitting at the table closest to the platform, buried in his feeds again. The five Seville Sat-miners sprawled across three tables they had pulled together with what looked like far too much food. The Techs sat bunched up near the exercise station. I settled in the middle and awaited my order.
“Maradean. Mind if we sit next to you?”
Adam and his kids pulled out the stools at the table next to mine. He had wandered over to the wedding ceremony just as the minister pulled up his script pad. Xander had given him a strange look and Adam gave a one-shouldered shrug, saying, “We’re already here, Xander. It’s fine.”
As we ate, he told me, “My family and I are relocating to Titan Septimus.” He snagged a few of his son’s vegetable crisps and received a grunt of complaint in return. “We’ve been at Turgis for almost seven years.”
His daughter woke up halfway through the meal and wanted to go to the exercise station. She and Jansen ran off as soon as they finished eating. Adam watched them, the corner of his mouth quirking up, then he turned to me. I saw sadness in his warm, brown eyes.
“Xander’s a good person. He’s…under a lot of stress right now, so you won’t see him at his best. He has a kind heart, though most of it belongs to Edison. Keeping the colony together and going means the moons to him. If he seems remote right now.” He shrugged and let out a sigh. “I hope you’ll still give him a chance.”
I didn’t know what to say.
Later, Xander sat next to me in the T-pod traveling the dead-end spur of the monorail heading to my new home. The Techs were with their gear in their own compartment behind us. I realized we were alone for the first time.
Our compartment, at the front, offered us the view of the approaching Turgis crater and the towering mountain range beyond. As we entered the Cassini Regio, Xander dimmed the compartment lights and I could see much more detail in the pocked landscape.
They had proven the theory of an asteroid ring collapsing onto Iapetus to create the massive equatorial ridge to be true. It held a wealth of different minerals and elements, and the range was dense enough to allow laser-cut tunneling without issue.
I’d read TurgisMal had been established to test a chain of mining stations going throughout the entire range. The original mining company went under, then the Triarchy scooped them up a few years ago. The project had supposedly gotten back on track. I’d heard something had happened recently.
I felt Xander watching me and turned to meet his eyes. His worn expression looked even more troubled than I’d seen so far.
“Do you know about the Turgis colony? About what happened a few months ago?”
I blinked. He’d been quiet since we’d strapped in for the ride. It wasn’t a question I expected. “The Triarchy informed me there had been an accident and some of the crew were killed.”
“Some,” he muttered under his breath as he nodded and stared up at the towering vertical mass ahead. “Well…you should know what you’re in for.” He took a deep breath. “TurgisMal had twenty-eight of us living there.” His shoulders sagged. “With the Haedigs leaving, that leaves twelve.”
Lucky thirteen with me I thought, but didn’t interrupt.
“Adam and Rumi, our recycler tech, had taken most of the kids on a way station run.” He paused.
I watched his chest expand and contract in two deep, silent breaths before he continued.
“A few of us were inspecting some of the new mining tunnels in full gear. The tunnels sealed themselves off from the main chamber when a temperature change registered. We worried it was a breach. A crack somewhere in the cavern housing the colony. But it was a simple equipment failure in the heating system.” His next words fell to a hoarse whisper. “Everyone in the main cavern froze to death within moments. Those of us who survived we…we moved back into the original base camp. We’ve lived there ever since.”
He motioned back at the compartment behind us. “Hopefully, the Techs will finish their inspection quickly and give us the all clear to officially move back in and get back to work.”
The soft whirring of the T-pod as it glided over the rail filled the space between us for a time.
Xander cleared his throat. “There’s one other thing you should know.”
My stomach clenched as I braced for more misfortune.
“My former wife, Calla. She filed a quit for our marriage, and one with the company, six months before the accident. She, and her lover, Braden, were set to leave Iaputus as soon as the official paperwork came through.” He glanced at me. “The Triarchy took its time. The official quit arrived the day after the accident.”
My jaw dropped.
He gave me a weak smile. “I’m not sure if I’m a divorcee, or a widower.”
Xander
Well, now she knew. She needed to know. Hopefully, it wouldn’t scare her off too quickly.
We were quiet for a while as we passed into the far crater wall tunnel and started up the slight incline.
“You don’t seem to like the Triarchy much. Especially the Techs.” She sounded curious, not critical.
I chuckled. “Obvious? I signed on with the original company when TurgisMal was first established, long before they got bought out by one of the Triarchy.” I shifted in my seat, adjusting the straps. “I guess the theory behind having a principle entity over mining was well intentioned. Some resources are scarce. Overseeing things so no one hoarded was a good idea. So was setting ceiling prices of newly discovered elements. But…they got to policing everything. They have to verify everything before any kind of change is made. If the Triarchy doesn’t approve of something, it doesn’t happen.” I took a breath, not used to talking so much. “It surprised me when they passed the request for you so quickly. I thought it would take much longer.”
I glanced at her and saw she grimaced slightly as she watched the smooth dark surface of the tunnel lit by the rail light. Enough light reflected off the glazing from the dim interior lights to illuminate her face. She had light-golden brown eyes and flawless skin. Maradean really was quite lovely.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I have to ask. I mean, I’d never heard of a clone bride being listed in the regular tier before. I thought all LLC clones were high tier?”
She hesitated. “There was one other. But yes, clone brides are usually special orders and trained in a specific support role.”
“Were you trained in something specific?”
“Bio-Tech assistant. They originally trained me for Enceladus.”
“Huh. So why were you in the regular tier? Enceladus Techs are pretty specialized, aren’t they?”
“My history would have been listed in the contract specifications.”
Her words came out clipped and monotone. I pressed on. “Probably. I’ve been rather busy, so I’m asking you.”
I noticed her fingers worrying at the cuffs of her suit and waited.
“This is my fifth contract.”
My neck gave a loud pop as I jerked to look at her. “Fifth?”
I hadn’t expected that revelation.
Her shoulders dropped as she sighed. “My first contract was seven years ago. My spousal contractor drowned accidentally just before I arrived on Enceladus. The second contract…Well, there were two children, and they didn’t like me, so they annulled it. I heard he ended up marrying his childminder. The third, my spouse died two weeks into the marriage. A freak accident on Titan Quintus. A malfunctioning dock-bot crushed him. My fourth…” She took a slow breath and let it out before continuing. “His coworker declared his undying love for him during our ceremony. The ceremony paused as they discussed things and then they left together.
“There were talks of another contract on Io. After the last eruption the company didn’t hear from him again.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I think they were trying to get me out of the Saturnian system.”
“Wow.” Words failed me as I processed her unfortunate past. “So wait, the company discounted you after that?”
“Clone brides have a ninety-nine percent success rate. I’ve been bad luck for the company’s ratings.”
“But it doesn’t sound like you caused any of those issues. They just happened.”
“The company puts a great deal of emphasis on their success ratings.”
“Hmmm. Yeah. Companies do tend to do that.”
I felt the T-pod level out as we drew closer to the base camp.
“What would have happened if the Io one had gone through but hadn’t worked out?”
Maradean fell silent, staring at her hands. I wondered if I’d finally crossed a line.
“I don’t want to put any pressure on you.” She paused and bit her lip. “If this doesn’t work, you’re within your contractual rights to annul it. It’s fine. But…this contract is my last chance.”
“What do you mean, your last chance?”
“I’ll be decommissioned.”
I stared at her. “You’re not an irreparable bot. You’re a person. They can’t—”
“I’m technically the property of the LLC. They created me for a specific purpose. They don’t want my bad luck to rub off on anyone else. I’ll be recycled.”
Maradean
I met seven-year-old Edison shortly after I arrived. He had bright, curious, green eyes and similar features to his father, and the same slightly haunted look I’d seen in everyone else here. He quizzed me about meeting Jansen at the way station, and I could tell he already missed his friend terribly.
Edison owned a maradoo, the small, six-legged pets bred to aid against Sat Isolation Syndrome. He currently has three, actually. Dodger belongs to Jansen and is a sibling to Edison’s Remmy. The third, Celeste, belonged to Ana, one of the children who was killed in the accident. They are lovely, soft creatures who bound off the walls in the light gravity. Celeste proved skittish after all the changes, but both Dodger and Remmy took to me right away.
Remmy’s approval of me went a long way with Edison. I even saw a true smile from him and heard a laugh. He found it funny my name is so similar to the little creatures, though. Hopefully, I don’t get a new nickname from him.
Xander had been gone for a few hours getting the Techs situated. He introduced me to a few people before he left, then Adrian took over and showed me around. I’ve met everyone except Rumi and Vekka, who are still out doing a perimeter check on the mine tunnels.
The bots do most of the mining with humans supervising different aspects. Everyone is cross-trained on at least two other systems other than their specialties. Handy considering what happened. I can tell everyone feels both overworked and under-used at the same time.
I found out a little more about the accident and of the condition of the proper TurgisMal colony. A lot of the electronics, from drives to control panels, were damaged since they were designed for livable environments and not exterior extremes. The crew spent most of the past tri-cycle doing salvage and repairs, all the while mourning friends and family.
The extreme temperature change destroyed most of their food production. A few young plants survived. They’d been raised in hyper-insulated hothouses undergoing study. The colonists hoped to use those to propagate from. Unfortunately, the lead herbologist had been one of the casualties. Hopefully, my bio skills will help. I’d love to be useful in other ways, not only tending the few remaining children while the others try to get the mine running again.
With Jansen gone, there are four remaining, counting Edison. I met them briefly. All had the same traumatized look in their eyes. I’m glad I’ve taken survival recovery modules. The training will be useful, and not just for the kids.
Edison told me I might have some trouble with Shaeda. She’s turning thirteen soon and thinks she should help the adults. Not be babysat by some stranger.
No one seems to like the Techs being here. There’s an undercurrent of uncertainty that the Triarchy wouldn’t mind shutting the mine down, or at least restaffing it completely after shunting the current crew somewhere else for “safety reasons”.
Everyone seems to hold Xander in high regard. That’s a good sign.
He’d said little after I’d shared my story and my potential fate. His silence had worried me at first.
I kind of have a good feeling about this place. It seems to be on its last chance too. Everyone here seems to be ready to fight for it. Until the end.
Xander
Damn Triarchy Techs!
We spent the last week packing everyone’s living space tight with supplies so the Techs could set up in the storeroom. They took one look at the place and refused. “No.” They’d camp in the main cavern in the modules they brought while the inspection commenced.
So I had to spend extra time taking them down the tunnel in the spare Sub-pod. They wanted me to leave the pod! I told them, “No.” They’d have to wait until Rumi and Vekka were back safely from perimeter check. I’d have the bot take the spare back for them to use.
They had the audacity to argue!
I let slip I needed to get back to help my bride settle in and the looks they gave me.
I swear by the Roman Gods, if they hadn’t been wearing their faceplates I would have popped each and every one of them.
Ugh!
I needed to pause the Sub-pod’s trek halfway back so I could compose myself. I hadn’t felt so angry since I’d been a hot-headed seventeen-year-old. Not even when Calla told me about the quit she’d filed. I mean I’d known about Braden. How could I not? The quit to leave the company entirely, though, had surprised me.
One of my comms at the way station had been with the survivors’ councilor. I’d made sure everyone else placed the comm, but I’d kept putting it off. There’d been no time to grieve. I’d known it would be a hard day with the Techs here. Hearing about the LLC contemplating recycling a person and then the Techs’ comments and attitudes! Any benefit from the comm had evaporated.
If Edison truly hated Maradean, and I couldn’t imagine he would, someone with bio-tech skills was valuable here. Even if the marriage turned out to be a pretense, there was no way she would be leaving.
Unless we all do.
I headed back to the base camp and set the Sub-pod to standby before making my way to our quarters. As I approached the door, I heard…laughter?
I slowed and cautiously peered through the sidelight. Edison laughed as Maradean played with the maradoos. It was a full-on laugh. I hadn’t heard it since before the accident.
The corners of my eyes prickled watching Edison rock back and forth on his heels, as he continued to giggle. Maradean tried to coax Celeste out from under a blanket with a treat. Remmy draped across her shoulder, nuzzling her hair. Her true smile, warm and broad, graced her features. Not the stiff one she had greeted me with at the way station.
Absolutely beautiful.
“You finally done with them?”
I jumped. The voice came from behind, and I turned to see Adrian standing with hands on hips. He was possibly the only other person here who distrusted the Triarchy more than I did.
I mentally shook myself. “Yeah, I need to send the spare Sub-pod back when Rumi and Vekka get here. They don’t seem to want to mix.”
“Good. Means more food for us. We’re still having the group dinner as soon as the wanderers get back.” Adrian nodded at the door. “You going in or just admiring the view?”
I felt my cheeks heat. “First time I’ve heard Edison laugh in ages.”
Adrian grunted and clapped my shoulder. “He seems to like her. That’s good. You could use a break. I’ll ping you when everything’s ready.”
I nodded, placed my hand on the control panel and went inside.
Maradean
I got to tour the main cavern today. It’s odd and a little eerie.
They have stripped down many of the surviving bots and equipment, looking for less obvious damage, some of it done by the crew and some done by the Techs.
It looked skeletal, like a ghost town.
The colony had been thriving with fruit trees and a well-established hydroponic greenhouse. After being flash frozen, even the slightest touch turned the leaves and stems to shards, then dust.
The bio-cleanup had begun. Not the crew’s remains. They took care of those in the first few days. They’d spent the first few weeks examining the cavern and ruling things out. Then the work of damage reports, assessing what could and couldn’t be fixed.
They had left the greenhouse and hydroponics alone, concentrating their effort on the bots and equipment, since they had been good about keeping foodstuffs stocked at the base camp and other supplies could be shipped in.
The Techs had made progress with the inspection and even allowed me to enter Xander and Edison’s home. It’s more than double the quarters at the base camp. I thought the three of us could be quite comfortable there.
Vekka had been ecstatic when Adrian told her I’d studied bio-tech. When she saw me in the cavern, she ushered me over to look at some of the hydroponic equipment. Vekka had helped work with the plants, but the system was already set up when she joined the colony. She’d been at a loss. She explained what repairs she thought needed to be done. I thought she was right, but before we could dig into it, one of the Techs angrily shooed us away.
It’s true most of my time has been minding the kids, yet the adults circle in and out whenever they’re not busy. I don’t think it’s a trust issue with me. Everyone has been kind and welcoming. I think it’s still the shock of losing so many people all at once. They just seem to want to see the kids, and each other, as much as possible.
I asked Shaeda a lot of questions about the colony and about what the other kids liked to do. My questions seemed to have countered any qualms she had about me being in charge. She’s turned out to be very helpful. She and her three-year-old sister, Bree, are the only survivors of their family. I just can’t imagine what she’s going through. I’m hoping I can become someone she feels like she can talk to.
The colony’s still small enough that everyone knows each other well. The communal families were especially close to each other, since they all had at least one child. So I know Shaeda has support already.
It makes me wonder about Xander. Adrian told me Xander had been very insistent on everyone scheduling time with a survivors’ councilor. He wasn’t sure if the foreman had actually done so himself.
I hope the Techs leave soon. More importantly, I truly hope we pass the inspection. The stress level would drop tremendously for everyone.
Maybe less stress would allow the two of us to get to know each other better. Adam was right about Xander being kind. He’s a good father to Edison. He’s good with the whole crew. Only the Techs continued presence seemed to annoy him.
We’re sleeping in separate hammocks right now. He proposed we wait on any physicality until we were settled back in the main cavern. It’s true that our small quarters are tight with Edison, the maradoos, and extra supplies. I really think he didn’t expect me to arrive so soon. I don’t think he was really ready.
He’s not sleeping well. I swear if he wasn’t zipped into the hammock, he’d fall out. I’ve even woken up to find him not in the room. Tempting to try and to follow him.
Xander
We passed! Thank the Roman Gods.
The Techs pinged me while I ate lunch. I almost choked. Won’t be official until they relay their report to the Triarchy. They finished in time to catch the next T-pod passing through the Othon Way Station. In less than two cycles, they’d be gone.
Everyone took it well. As in, everyone screamed and bounced around. I felt relief. We’d won.
I’d slept so poorly. I thought the end of not knowing our future would allow me to sleep at least ten hours. No. I slept for a while, but awoke to Edison’s snores and Maradean shifting slightly in her webbing.
I turned my head to watch her silhouette in the dim light. Maradean. She’d fit in with the crew well. Everyone seemed to like her, especially Edison. Even Shaeda seemed to like her, and she’s hit the age of not really liking anyone. Her bio-tech skills are already coming in handy. She’s smart and eager to learn. I’ve seen her lending an empathetic ear not just to the kids, but Rumi and even Adrian.
When I sent in the request for a new bride, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t really know why I did it. With Calla set on leaving the colony, I started thinking it would be good to have someone else here for Edison. I mean, we were all one big family to an extent. Yet…
Honestly, I guess I really just wanted someone here for me.
I slipped out of the hammock, donned my shoes and left as quietly as I could. Rumi sat in the monitoring room reading and waved when he saw me. I continued on, meandering down the tunnel toward the pod dock. I perched on the rim of the platform, gripping the edge as my feet dangled.
I thumped my heels against the well wall, lost in thought. I didn’t hear the approaching footsteps until they were right behind me. I looked up to see Maradean.
“I hope I didn’t wake you,” I inquired.
“I woke up thirsty and noticed you were gone.”
She sat down on the ledge next to me.
“Do we have to wait until the Techs are gone before we start moving to the cavern?”
“There’ll be less friction if we do. I doubt most of the crew will wait. It’ll take multiple Sub-pod trips and a lot of prep to live there full time again. The Techs started the air filtration system and upped the heating the last few degrees a little after dinner. By lunchtime tomorrow, it should be livable.”
I met her golden eyes. She gave me a warm smile. I felt my face relax into a matching one. How could anyone have ever thought of recycling her?
Her cheeks tinged pink, and she glanced away.
“Maradean, I’m sorry. I haven’t really paid much attention to you since you arrived.”
“Well, you have been rather busy. Seems like the chaos is starting to settle down.”
I chuckled. “Well, it will be a much more manageable chaos as we get things up and running again.”
I felt her fingers tentatively settled over the top of mine. They were cool and trembled slightly.
I hesitated half a second, before interlacing my fingers with hers. Gently I squeezed until she stopped trembling.
“Nothing about you has been bad luck, Maradean. In fact, I feel incredibly lucky right now.”
She met my eyes again. “A time of new beginnings?”
I leaned close and kissed away the tear trailing down on her cheek.
“A time of new beginnings.”
~ * ~ * ~
Kat Farrow grew up skinning her knees and listening to the wind among the rabbit trails and red rocks of the Four Corners area of the western U.S. A multi-genre author, her works span fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, historical, and children’s stories.
Her short stories appear in several anthologies including The Librarian Reshelved (Air & Nothingness Press), Noncorporeal: an Anthology of Ghosts, Haunts, and Spirits (Inkd Publishing), Parliament of Wizards (Hemelein Publications), and Mistletoe Merriment (Camden Park Press).
Bobbin and the Magic Thief, her children’s fairy tale retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, released in 2023.
Kat drinks vast quantities of tea and spends far too much time as cat furniture. When not writing, she is often battling weeds, gaming, or watching anime.
Find out more about Kat and her work at Loreweaver.com.