Future Prospect (18 page)

Standing up and stretching his back, he watched as a red-haired man broke off from the group of passengers striding toward the administration building and jogged back toward Lia. They spoke to each other and kept talking through the return of Zashi who took charge of Tully’s body. The stranger hugged Lia farewell, and Colan stiffened to attention. She must know the man to allow the familiarity. The other man jogged back to the people walking by the explosion site and stared at the destruction, laughing about something one of his fellows said. Colan took a good look at him as he passed; young, handsome, and relaxed.

Tossing a few more chunks of debris to the waiting claspers of his new favorite construction bot, Colan tried not to think about the intimate interaction he’d observed. He glanced over at the shuttle, now disgorging wrapped pallets of supplies onto the deck, and saw Lia making her diagonal way toward the admin building. Knowing her, she was going to help settle in the new folks instead of resting like she should.

She avoided coming close to the bomb site which meant he could observe her without detection. She walked slowly, without the spring in her step he’d grown used to seeing. She had to be hurting, both physically and emotionally. He shouldn’t have been so domineering with her earlier. He acted as if he had a right to tell her what to do—and he didn’t. He didn’t seem to have the social skills to ease his suggestions to her. He’d been gruff and authoritative, and it was no wonder she wasn’t looking over here trying to spot him.

Turning back to the task at hand, he threw a few more chunks of synthboard into a waiting bin and searched for more. There were none. In fact, during the course of the morning it seemed all the debris had been collected and removed from the site of the blast. The wet ground around him was pockmarked and torn, but there were no more bits of building to be seen. Glancing up at the façade of the barracks building, Colan could see Welti and his volunteers had sheathed all the open sections in clear seal and were busy working behind the barrier. No doubt already putting in all the support structures they would need for the rebuilding the facilities manager had promised would begin before the next day dawned.

The fortitude of these congressionals impressed Colan yet again. Rather like Lia’s determination to get back to work and contribute, even though the day before she’d been smashed in an explosion. He shook his head to work out some of his simmering anger and glanced up to find Zashi standing at the edge of the commons, frowning at the world in general. Or grimacing slightly, which for the security officer was an enormous display of emotion.

“Any leads?”

Zashi shook his head. “You heard the boys. After they’d gotten caught they spoke to anyone and everyone about what they’d done. The news was all over the settlement within hours. So, there’s no way to narrow the suspect list down.”

“What next?”

“Interviews. Lots of interviews.” Talking to so many people would be torture for Colan, but Zashi’s grim smile indicated the security chief looked forward to the task.

Colan nodded and stared at the broken building so he wouldn’t look over at the admin doors Lia had disappeared into a minute before.

“Know any of the new folks?”

Zashi propped his hands on his hips and spared a glance back at the shuttle. Bots were busy tugging the baggage away from the fuselage. There were a lot of vehicle components in the mix. How anyone was going to drive a crawler in the mud around here was beyond him.

“Some. One of them knows Lia.”

“Oh.” Colan tried not to sound as if he wanted to know every detail of the relationship. Lia knew lots of people all over the galaxy, he was sure. Some of them she hugged. Entirely normal.

“She’s not interested, but he is.” After he dropped that tidbit, Zashi sighed and went back to staring at the barracks as if they might start to talk with him and explain what had happened the day before. Colan wanted to ask who or what Lia wasn’t interested in. The man who hugged her? Someone else? Staying on Gamaliel altogether? “She’s maintaining.”

That didn’t sound promising. In fact, it sounded worrisome. “She’s pushing herself today.”

Zashi gave a brief nod. “She went over to help out Myklos.”

“I guessed that.”

Zashi shot a considering glance his way, and Colan realized the man read him very well and knew Colan had been watching the encounter by the shuttle and then Lia’s walk to the other building. Blast, he probably knew about their too-brief kiss, too. So much for keeping something private.

“This looks better.” Zashi gestured with his chin at the cleared space in front of them. It did look better, gashed earth and gutted building notwithstanding.

* * * *

It had been two days since she’d last seen Colan, and Lia was anxious. She’d assumed he would stop by and check on her sometime that first day after he’d brought her breakfast, but he hadn’t.

The day had passed in a blur of pain and grief over Tully and endless data input to help settle in the new people, most of whom were fellow civil servants—which helped lighten her work load not at all. Despite all the volunteer input and aggravation, she had the mashed schedule flowing better by the time she did her merges the day after. Everything fell into place on the third day, and she felt as if she was back in some sort of control, both over her work and her body.

But Colan hadn’t stopped by with more food for her or growled orders to rest, and she grew more and more distressed over his absence. She certainly hadn’t expected a message from him. The man was allergic to electronic communications. Maybe he had taken her seriously when she’d told him he wasn’t to tell her what to do. She was fully capable of managing her own life without his surly input. Except…

Making a few adjustments to the day’s work schedule before inputting it to the local network for all to access, Lia decided it was good he’d found something else to occupy him. If he’d shown up again, she would’ve had to think about something other than door hinges on backorder and the inexplicable slowdown of the resin casting vats which delayed the repairs on the barracks walls. Another shuttle was due to arrive in the morning, and they absolutely had to have more living space ready. Most of the first arrivals had already ventured out in the jungle to explore their claim sites, but there still weren’t enough beds available.

Scanning the hospitality report for Claude one more time, Lia decided the shortages of food oil and clean napkins were things he was capable of working around. She closed out her work displays and stretched her back as she looked around her shadowed office. It was well past the evening meal time, and she should go home and rest, find something to eat, and prepare herself for the morning which would be busy. As they all had been since she’d arrived here.

As she stood up from her desk chair and flexed her legs, there was a knock at her door and Stev appeared, dressed in a snug, clean uniform and beaming as if he was happy to see her. She’d managed to avoid him since their awkward encounter on the landing deck. Sometimes having a busy schedule came in handy. Here he was, giving the impression he had an agenda, and Lia tried to fortify herself for what was to come.

“Lia! It seems like I haven’t seen you since I arrived.”

“We’re busy around here, Stev.” Lia tried to sound dismissive as she powered down the wall displays one by one, hoping he would get the hint she was done for the day and ready to head home.

“I noticed! I don’t think I’ve ever started a project with so many problems. Your guy Tully must have been running ragged before, before…” Stev trailed off, having the sense to look abashed.

“He was. I was helping him out setting nodules when it—”

Lia stopped speaking as she recalled Tully’s last excited calls for her to return to the Barracks. He’d wanted her to be by his side when he activated the full network. That was the last time she’d heard his voice. If she’d been there sooner, she might have died alongside him. Another unbidden thought intruded, she’d stopped kissing Colan to answer Tully’s summons. His kiss had saved her, and if she’d stayed with him, she never would have been injured. Stars, what a strange combination of events that had been.

“Setting nodules? Like I showed you how to do on Ten? That’s funny, Lia. I never thought you’d do that sort of thing again. Those were good times.” Stev took a step into her office and leaned against the wall as he watched her, his blue eyes alight with memories. He’d decided to teach her some basic network construction when they’d both been involved in the construction of the space station. It had been a good excuse for them to spend time together and to find all sorts of hidden spots in the station where they could indulge the physical side of their relationship. Lia hoped she wasn’t reacting to the obvious effort Stev made to remind her of them.

“Tully needed my help, and I was glad to have the ability to do so.” Lia collected her datpad from her desk and turned to face him, regretting that he forced this encounter when she was so weary. “Listen, Stev, you know we didn’t part under the best of terms.”

That was an understatement. There had been emotional garbage hauled in those last week’s they’d shared the posting. Lia remembered the relief when her transfer came through and she’d boarded the shuttle that took her away.

“I know, Lia. That’s why I was so glad to be reassigned here. I know I treated you badly. I know I hurt you, and despite how terrible the circumstances were that led to the opening here, I’m glad this gives us a chance to reconnect. I missed you.” He took another step her way, and Lia backed up until her rear hit the edge of her desk.

“I didn’t miss you, Stev.” She let some of the frustration and anger she felt toward the galaxy in general show in her tone. Who was he to show up and expect her attention again? She’d been working non-stop since she’d gotten here, had traumatic injuries, and was never investing any of her scant personal time with the man in front of her again. Another man, yes, but definitely not Stev. “We’re going to have a working relationship only from this point forward.”

Stev shook his head and softened his expression as he approached her. “I know I have a lot to prove to you before you’ll trust me again. And I will. You were the best, Lia; we were the best together. It had never been that good for me before. I know we can get back to that again. Just give me the chance.”

Right, sexual intercourse with her had been so good he’d needed to go out and make sure it wasn’t as good with the several other women he’d been seeing over the course of their relationship. Just for comparative purposes. Shaking her head, she tried to edge past him. She regretted he had moved into one of the suites in her corridor, and it would be entirely logical for him to walk her all the way to her door, trying to convince her to let him in all the way. Stars, getting involved with him again would be a huge disaster. And she’d already made that mistake once.

“No, Stev. I have to go.”

“I’ll walk you back; we’re neighbors again.” He smiled and held out his hand, and Lia shook her head. There were plenty of new women stationed here for him to court and more would be arriving tomorrow. He didn’t need her, except for additional comparative purposes.

“I’m not heading back. I have plans,” Lia lied, frantically trying to think of a place she could go this late in the evening. The night life in Pearl was nonexistent from what she’d seen. Maybe she could go to that restaurant where she’d met Colan, if they didn’t kick her out considering the way she’d been treated the last time. At least going into town would keep her away from the congressional buildings. She could take a walk and just breathe in the air and not think for a while.

Making her way past Stev, she hurried down the corridor toward the entrance, listening for his following footsteps and relieved when she heard none but her own. She exited the admin building and stepped out on the soggy ground of the common area, intermittent lights illuminating patches of the darkened complex. She headed toward the huddled buildings of Pearl, grateful Welti had laid in a solid path that morning, exactly on time. She didn’t see any other people and slowed her pace as she passed the low buildings. The lights were on at the restaurant, but it seemed quiet, and she decided she didn’t want to go in and face any scowls or rudeness. Some of the native folk had reacted with sympathy after the explosion, but some remained implacable in their disapproval during the few encounters she had with Pearlites in the busy days afterward.

Continuing her walk, she passed the science station, lights visible through the windows. So she wasn’t the only one working late tonight. Turning the corner, she kept going, noticing some flying creatures swooping over her head. It was quiet along this path; the forest close by on one side, a fenced yard on the other. A tinge of unease fluttered in her belly. Someone in this little town had been angry enough with people like her to set a sizable bomb off. Perhaps it wasn’t wise to wander around alone at night. A grating noise from the shadowed forest a few meters away startled her, and she shivered, halting and staring into the blackness as if she could see what was in there making scary noises.

“It’s just a clarkia,” a familiar deep voice drawled out from above. Lia spun on her heel, looking above the fence to her right to see a deck illuminated by a tiny light hanging from an arching pole. A hammock swung, anchored to the wall of a house and the base of the pole. It was Colan’s tree house, and of course the bored voice was his. She exhaled and tried to relax. The hammock moved, and she saw his face appear. He reclined in the swinging perch as if he’d been there for several hours and had no intention of moving. She wasn’t surprised. He’d probably lurked here for the last two days.

“Since I have no idea what a clarkia is, you’ll pardon my caution.”

“Fine. Be jumpy.”

“Can you blame me?” Lia knew her voice quavered, and she regretted it, but she was too tired and unhappy to care.

“No, I can’t. But a clarkia is nothing to worry about. They’re about a centimeter long and are permanently attached to the fronds of cockers, so they can’t even touch you. If they did, they wouldn’t hurt you. They don’t even have mouths, technically.”