Chapter 97

Chapter Ninety-Seven

Connor wasn’t sure if he’d drifted off to sleep and dreamed the noise, or if he’d heard it just before slipping off.

He sat up in the bunk, head tilted as if that might help him to hear, straining for any sound other than the grumbling air recycler pushing cool air through the overhead vent.

Breathing. Somewhere in the darkness near his hatch, someone was breathing softly.

And then he recognized the scent: the soft perfume that might be orange blossoms on a sea breeze, the gentle musk he’d come to miss when waking.

“Selen?”

Bare feet shuffled across the floor, and her flesh pressed against his hand. She was cool when she normally was warm to the touch. “I dreamed about you. I was scared.”

“You can’t just override security like that. What if someone else saw you?”

“No one’s awake. No one has to know.”

He pulled away. This was the last thing he needed. “It’s a violation—”

“You were dead in my dream. You were with me, holding me, and it was pure bliss, and then you were dead.” Her fingers clutched his thigh. “I can’t lose you.”

“I think you already terminated my contract.”

“It’s just a computer record. I can do whatever I want with the system. Tell me you’ll stay with me, and I’ll extend you forever.”

Toshiko wouldn’t approve of that. It had taken him a while to think things through, but after the argument in the bathroom, Connor had realized he was looking forward to the freedom of a new life.

He took Selen’s cool hands in his. “Go put something on. We can have a mug of synthcaff and talk about it.”

She pulled her hands free, pushed up onto the bed, and planted a kiss on his lips, then backed away.

A moment later, her bare feet whispered across the floor, and the hatch opened. She stood in the light from the passageway, looking fore and aft, then turned and flashed a pixie grin. “No one’s there.”

Then she sauntered across the way to her cabin, which seemed to glow with an alien blue light before the hatch close.

Connor rubbed his eyes, then realized he’d gotten her scent on his face.

Toshiko, you don’t know how much I need you, he thought.

He took several deep breaths, then washed up in the sink.

Synthcaff. Think about the synthcaff. That’s all he had to do.

He heated enough for two mugs and flavored Selen’s the way she liked it—a double measure of cream.

Then he set the mugs down and assured himself she would be dressed this time.

She was, thankfully. There was a sleepy-eyed sultriness about her that was still distracting—partly her ruffled hair, partly the way her outfit had been tossed on. A few sips of her drink, and that cleared up.

With her eyes lowered to the steam coming off her drink, she sighed. “Sorry.”

He took a sip—hot and a little sweeter than he’d wanted. “No worries.”

“You were in this dark place. I called for you, but you wouldn’t run.”

“This place is messing with everyone. Just…be careful about people’s boundaries, okay?”

She nodded. “This tastes good. I didn’t realize how cold I was.”

“Enjoy it while you can. The patch we put on those pipes isn’t permanent. We’ll have to do more work on the coolant system any day now, and I’d imagine the water will be close behind.” He didn’t mention Vicente’s complaint.

“We need to make another run to those abandoned ships?”

“I have a different idea.”

A cloud passed over Selen’s face as she set her mug down but was quickly gone. “The mercenary wreck is off limits.”

“We could yank spare—”

“All of the problems related to morale tie to what you did going to that ship.”

“Just…” He waved her down. “Let’s agree what I did wasn’t helpful.”

She glared, and this time it didn’t pass. “Mutiny isn’t helpful.”

“Give me this, okay? Bad call, didn’t help, caused problems—we’ll take all three for the moment. The thing is, there’s still a huge, unrealized upside: the light armored vehicle.”

“Still no.”

“You said you were thinking about hovering over the well and letting us rappel down. Now that’s off the table. With that vehicle, we could toss our gear in and just about double our pace.”

“I’m not changing my mind.” But some of the heat left her eyes.

“We could move between the various ships without putting so much pressure on the Lucky Sevens’s landing gear. You know that won’t last forever.”

She shook her head. “Not happening.” Now there was less heat in her voice.

“Yemi’s a much better driver than pilot. This plays to his strengths.”

“Did you even talk to him? He hasn’t seen this thing. It could be a complete wreck. Why would they leave it behind, otherwise?”

“Leave it behind?”

She waved away his confusion. “You said there were survivors. Remember?”

“Oh. Maybe. One, possibly two.” He couldn’t recall what he might have told her. “But it’s still latched into place. If they were injured, it might have been too hard to undo. And then it would need repairs.”

“The batteries could be useless after all these years.”

“I don’t think it’s that old. That pistol I—” He almost said took. “—gave you wasn’t even available fifteen years ago.”

“Not widely. If you knew people, you could get one.”

“How far back?”

She spun her mug in slow semicircles—left, then right. “You get the vehicle, you grab some parts for the Lucky Sevens. How long does that take? How risky is it?”

“Figure an hour to salvage the pipes and filters. Figure another two to get the vehicle out.”

“I can’t keep the ship hovering over you that long. It’ll draw those things in from all around.” She was giving up ground.

“You drop us off and go.”

“What if you can’t get the vehicle working?”

“Then we fall back to the spot where Martienne dropped us off and you extract us.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Why don’t you come back to bed. I’ll think about it. We can talk about your contract.”

“You’re letting this place get to you.”

“Get to me?” Her knuckles whitened as she clutched the mug.

“It’s messing with our minds. You would never have tried to abuse your position like you just did, not before we came here.”

She pushed the mug to the center of the table. “We’ll go in the morning.”

“Thank you.”

Selen stood. Her gaze lingered on the mug, the table…anything but him. “You’ll take the team.”

“Absolutely. I was thinking—”

“You, the Moon twins, Yemi, and your little archaeologist.”

“But we’ll need firepower—”

“Those are the terms.” Selen turned. “I don’t want to abuse my position, do I?”

Connor groaned inwardly. He’d fooled himself into thinking he’d made a connection with her.

But Selen was still being influenced by the planet or the stress of their situation.

And her behavior was going to get people killed.