I raised an eyebrow. “And what’s the reward?”
She smiled. “Better pay, for starters. Today’s job is worth more than the usual construction shift. And after today, your job list will start including a wider variety of higher paid postings. More options, more departments, more chances to show what you can do.”
So it seemed that was Hayden’s secret. He must’ve set himself apart early, picking the odd jobs as soon as they appeared. Now that I knew, I’d have to ask him directly which ones were most worth it. There was no sense in wandering blind when someone else already had the map.
The woman checked her watch and gestured down the dock toward a long, dark-gray vessel, half-submerged in the water. It looked like the submarines I’d glimpsed in one of ourcolony’s encyclopedias: sleek, sealed, and built for deep water. “Time to board,” she said. “That one’s yours. Wait inside for instructions.”
I walked along the narrow platform, letting two workers with heavy black containers go ahead. The open hatch yawned before me, and I stepped through into a cramped, dimly lit seating area. The other men disappeared through the door, leaving me alone with one figure at the far end—blue uniform, elbows braced on knees, gaze fixed on the floor. His posture was composed, not collapsed, like a man deep in his own thoughts.
I hesitated at the aisle, recognition suddenly stirring.“Hayden?”
He looked up, not startled, but sharp, eyes flicking over me for a split second, as if measuring before letting any reaction slip through.
I made my way over and settled into the seat opposite him. “Didn’t expect to find you here,” I said, keeping my tone light.
He shrugged, rolling his shoulders as if to work out a knot. “Didn’t expect to see anyone I knew, either.” There was a dry edge to his words.
For a moment, we just sat, letting the noise from the dock fade behind the hatch. The air between us was full of questions neither of us seemed ready to ask.
I broke the silence. “I take it you don’t always play it safe.”
A faint, almost wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Safe jobs are for people with something to lose.”
His words made me pause. “And you?”
He only met my eyes for a moment, something passing there that I couldn’t name. “I take the work that’s given. Some days, that’s all there is.”
I studied him, trying to decide if that was deflection or the truth. “You seem to know your way around. Anyadvice?”
He considered that, then shook his head. “Pay attention. That’ll take you farther than advice.”
Others filed in wearing gray and blue uniforms, the small room filling around us, but he seemed separate from it all, as if he could have slipped away at any moment.
I tried again, voice lower. “Is this how you moved up so quickly?”
He gave a slow half-shrug, as if the question amused him. “Up, down—it all looks the same from inside.”
Before I could press, the door clanged open and instructions rang out. Hayden stood smoothly, nodding once toward me, the ghost of a smile flickering at his mouth.
“Stay sharp,” he said, not looking back.
Hayden melted into the next compartment with the rest of the group, leaving behind a puzzle I wasn’t sure I was meant to solve.
The new room was smaller, little more than a narrow passage. The group of us clustered inside, the air tight with anticipation. Hayden stood near the front, arms folded, eyes fixed on the floor. I kept my distance, but found myself watching him anyway.
A silver-haired man entered, uniform crisp, tablet in hand. His gaze swept the room, landing on me.
“Tanisha Lockwood, correct?” His voice was rough-edged, practiced.
“Yes, sir.” I tried to sound steady, catching Hayden’s outline in my peripheral vision, still and impassive.
The man—Greg, according to a badge on his chest—ran through the short list of names, confirming each with a nod. “Good. All assistants present. We’re leaving the dock in less than five minutes.”
A woman near the door spoke up: “What’sthe job today?”
Greg’s eyes didn’t leave his tablet. “Installing a new grate. Defense duty.”
I frowned. “Defense?”
