Chapter 85

Chapter Eighty-Five

After sending Elise after the missing files, Connor plopped down in the galley and started on his first cup of water. He needed to work his way through a liter as part of the recovery, so he didn’t pay much attention to the flavor.

Just get it done, he thought.

From the way the modest-sized room smelled, he wasn’t the only one fighting a hangover. There wasn’t much that could be done about the human body: When you drank alcohol, the processed elements were disposed of through urine and sweat, and the odor was distinctive.

Yemi wandered through at one point, but he didn’t do more than wave after gulping down a meal of yam and vegetable paste. At least that smelled pleasant.

By the end of the liter, the water had taken on a taste Connor couldn’t ignore, like it was stagnant. That sometimes meant a bad filter.

Repair work never stopped.

At least the air recycling was working again. When he climbed up to the top deck and stepped into the bathroom to start draining some of the water, the air was cool and clean.

Just as he unzipped his pants, the door opened.

Someone in boots clomped across the floor to stand directly behind him.

He didn’t turn. “I’m going to be a minute. I just drank a lot of water.”

“I know.” It was Selen. “I’ll wait.”

Now Connor looked over his shoulder. “I could meet you in the galley.”

“Me being back here bothers you? After all we’ve done?”

“It’s just an odd sensation.” Then again, everything with her had become odd—uncomfortable lately. “What’s up?”

“I’ve been running analysis on our supply situation.”

“I was going to talk to you about that. The water tasted a little funky, so I think before we dust off, maybe we should head back to those abandoned ships and grab some more—.”

“Dust off? You think we’re leaving?”

“Well, I talked to Mosiah, and I didn’t get the impression he would say no if we requested to bail and come back better prepared.”

“I didn’t give you authority to talk to him as a representative of my team.”

Connor tensed. Once again, it was her team, and he didn’t have authorization. “I didn’t say I was representing your team. I actually talked to him about why those ships of his were abandoned and those skeletons inside.”

“And he just so happened to offer up that we could leave whenever we want?”

“No. I said I didn’t get the impression, not that I asked him straight up.”

“Then leave it alone. I’m not having our reputation destroyed.”

“Reputation matters more than lives?” Connor zipped his pants up.

Selen stalked him to the sink. “No reputation, no jobs. No jobs, no money. No money, you die. Or you live like Drew, and that’s the same as death.”

“We wouldn’t be abandoning the job. We need to replace the dead and—”

“We’re not done here, Connor.” She yanked towels from the dispenser and handed them to him when he was done washing his hands.

Then she followed him into the passageway, close to his side, jaw clenched.

He led her forward, hoping she might break off at the hatch to his cabin, but she pushed past him when he opened it, then settled on the edge of his bunk, legs crossed, feet swinging.

It was awkward having not just her scent in his quarters again but her physical presence. She wore a black, sleeveless T-shirt that clung tight to her and emphasized her form and her shoulders. And despite the tone in her voice earlier, she seemed almost playful now.

Connor let the hatch close, then leaned against it. “You really want to head back into the ruins?”

“We have to. It’s the job. The one you made me take. Remember?”

“The only one we had available to us on Mara. Remember?”

She laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re upset.”

“I don’t appreciate…anything, really. Everything in the last few months has been a mess. It all looks like it’s my fault, and you know it isn’t.”

“You made mistakes.” She leaned back across his bunk.

“We all made mistakes. That’s part of being human.”

“And it’s what gets people killed, and then here we are.” She pulled the sheets back on his bed and arched an eyebrow. “You get your new girlfriend in here yet?”

“Toshiko’s thousands of parsecs away.”

“I meant the dumpy archaeologist. You really have lowered your standards.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “You know the team isn’t up for this.”

All of Selen’s playfulness evaporated. Her eyes narrowed. “Is that a threat?”

“What’s wrong with you? A threat? I don’t make threats. You know that.”

“How am I supposed to take that? My team isn’t up for this? Really.”

“Have you talked to them since we got back? Any of them?”

She sat back up. “I’ve been busy looking over our supplies. Logistics. It’s part of leading a team.”

“Well, maybe your team has been pushed too hard and won’t go back.”

“Who? Who’s going to disobey my orders?”

“I don’t know. Have you given it any thought? What if they all said they’d rather walk away from their contracts than go back out there?”

Selen pushed off from the bunk. “Did you suggest that to them? Hm?”

“Why would I suggest anything to them?”

“Then tell me who said they’d quit. I can pull them aside and explain the ramifications and get everything under control.”

“I don’t know if threatening is the way to go, Selen.”

She jabbed a finger against his chest. “It’s your job to keep them in line now that Rudy’s dead. If they’re thinking of quitting, it’s your fault!”

Of course it couldn’t be her fault that Rudy died in the first place. It was the same pattern of deflection and accusation, framing Connor for every failure. He held up his hands in surrender. “All I’m saying is that you should maybe do some relationship repair work before you think about demanding another trip to the ruins.”

“That’s your professional opinion? Huh? That’s how my second-in-command has assessed my team? I need to coddle my employees?”

“You’ve pushed them too hard, Selen. Things have gone terribly wrong.”

She put her hands on her hips and leaned toward him, as if she were ready to launch into another outburst.

Then she straightened, spun around, and walked to the hatch.

When it opened, she pressed a hand against the frame. The muscles of her arm tensed. “You know what I think has gone terribly wrong?” She glared at him over a shoulder. “I think I’ve been trusting the wrong person.”

She stormed out of the cabin.

Connor’s stomach flipped. He was pretty sure he’d just been fired.