“Briar, I have already retrieved the cart, and it, along with our supplies, are waiting up ahead.”
“I suck as a partner, don’t I, BuK? You’re always a step ahead, and I’m always running behind.”
BuK grabs my arm gently. “From now until the end of time, I would wait for you if I knew you would be by my side. I will and would not change a single thing about you, Briar.”
Reaching up I cup his cheek, and run my fingers down his strong jawline as he stares down at me with those bright yellow eyes so much like his father’s. “Where have you been my whole life?”
“Apparently waiting on the other side of the universe for your arrival.”
Giggling, I try to lighten the mood. “Things are so much simpler in your mind than my own … boy likes girl/girl likes boy, all problems solved. I think of all the whys and why-nots.” I’m just about to initiate the kiss that I didn’t know he thought he needed to earn, when I hear others coming our way. Aggravated by the interruption, I force a smile on my face when I see Ricky and Owen coming around the bend, so deep in conversation that BuK actually moves me out of the way so that they don’t accidentally bump into me. Ricky looks up when he sees movement.
“Hey guys, sorry we almost ran you over. We were kinda in our own little world there. Something has been hitting the fences in various areas over the last few days and whatever it is, the cameras aren’t picking it up. BuK, do you know of any other species in the area that might be able to camo or block their heat signatures? I was going to talk to the Commander about it this morning, but they’re already gone, and I’ve commed him several times, but it’s not getting through.”
“The fences that were installed were more for wildlife than any sentient beings. Many races have the technology to mask their presence, but ANDI and SCOUT are both constantly scanning the atmosphere, so a ship would have been detected if in range.Unless whatever is interrupting the signals are also blocking their capabilities. Being this close to the Nebula, it would be easy to hide a shuttle in the debris. How many are on guard through each shift?”
“Two.”
“Do you have more?”
“I think I could get more volunteers for a few days if needed.”
“See what you can do and make sure to check in with each other regularly. Remember, if someone is trying to get in, they will find a way. However, the sooner we are notified, the quicker we can respond if need be. I will be in one of the outer pods most of the rising, but if you require any assistance once Briar is safely back in her pod for the evening, please let me know. I will gladly join you to discuss any new issues that might have happened and take on a shift to help.”
“Thanks, BuK. We weren’t sure what the next steps should be. The Commander has been the one we’ve all reported to each day. With him gone, I wasn’t sure who should do what, and I didn’t want to overstep.”
“Between all of us, we will decide on a path forward. I will notify KyT to also be on the lookout, as he and Vedece are regularly outside the confines of the wall.”
Ricky nods his head, and he and Owen take off down the path.
“That was quite impressive. You took command easily right then. I have not seen this side of you.”
“They needed instructions and I had the knowledge. I will retrieve our cart, and then we can proceed.”
I watch him walk off, only to realize I really know very little about my pink alien. Then it dawns on me that I’m calling him mine in my head, and I wonder about that thought. Should that worry me? After all, we’ve never discussed his plans for the future once all the main work here is done. I’m not sure how I’d handle him leaving permanently. The thought of never seeing him again bothers me more than I realized. My thoughts heavy, I jerk when he brushes against me. “Sorry, I was in La-La Land again. For some reason, I can’t seem to focus today; my thoughts are all over the place.”
“Our routine has been off the last few risings, and so that is to be expected. Come, we have many tics of work ahead of us.”
CHAPTER 6
BUK
All rising, I have observed Briar looking off into the distance, staring out at nothing, and I wonder what has her in such deep thought. My own are restless, as the dream I had last darkness seems to be on repeat in my mind. My brain must not have wanted to let go of the happiness or the feeling of Briar in my arms, even after the event was over. Because I no sooner closed my eyes, than she appeared before me in that gorgeous dark purple dress that highlighted her every curve and the length of her long legs with each and every step as she walked toward me.
In my dream, there were no others around, only the two of us, and my eyes devoured her beauty. Bright blue eyes flickered with her inner fire and luscious, thick black hair touched the ends of her fingertips as it swayed behind her with each step. I tried to move toward her, but my body would not obey. She reached out her arm and gestured for me to join her, but I couldn’t move. Just as I freed my legs, the scene changed and shadows suddenly surrounded us. I could hear her calling my name, but no matter where I looked, I only caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye.
A sound had me turning abruptly and I fall to my knees next to her broken body. Grabbing her up in my arms, Briar is unusually cold and ice crystals hang heavily on her long eyelashes. I shook her gently, but she did not respond; her inner light has been extinguished, leaving me here in the darkness alone.
Panicked, I screamed out her name, only to sit upright on my sleeping platform. It took a tic for my mind to realize where I was. Grasping my head in my hands, I must force my breathing to calm and for once, I am glad to awaken from a dream that seemed much too real at the time. Needing to see her, I appear at our usual meeting spot with much too much time to spare. Each tic seems to be twice as long as I stand there impatiently. Of course, this would be the rising she is running late. But her smile loosens the knot that my heart had been tied in since I had awakened. However, in the back of my mind, a sense of foreboding still haunts me.
Each rising I crave her more, but I do not know if she feels the same. I am afraid to act upon my feelings further because her words and actions confuse me. She says I am her favorite, but that can mean so many things. Even though I crave more, I would rather be near her always than do something unwanted that would make me lose her friendship altogether.
Grabbing one of the large crates from the storage pod, I carry it back into the main living area, only to notice Briar has lowered all the sunshades in this area and is humming to herself as she cleans their large coverings. After thirty-one pods, we have settled into a routine. While she cleans a specific location, I unpack the items ordered for that spot. Once the area is tidied to her liking, I start bringing in and placing things where she instructs me. Only to move the larger items several more times until they are in the ‘right spot’. Even though she is particular,I will admit when Briar is finished, the pod transforms from an empty shell into a home.
Even though we started later than usual, we have managed to clean and partially furnish three of the main rooms. The cargo bots have been steadily delivering more items to the lower lift while I move them into the upper areas. This pod is located further into the Timbers than most others, likely because Vedece wanted a more private spot. Unfortunately, when I went to bring in the bottom of the large sleeping platform earlier, I heard a rattle and found that several rivets were not inserted correctly. Once MeK returns to duty, I will have to inform him, as they must be removed manually. I have just popped the lid off another crate when I hear Briar yelling from the other room.
“BuK honey, do you know if the maintenance bots figured out what was going on with the hot water or not? Twice now I’ve gone into the bathroom to get fresh water only for the cold to work. I mean, water is water, but my fingers are freezing. And the lights are not working in any of these upper rooms either.”
“I saw one of them working on the pod closest to us. It may be a piping issue. I have already sent a work order for the lights. I do not think they have fully energized the pod yet; they may need approval from the Timbers on this new design before going any further. Let me comm ANDI and see if he knows anything about it.” I click my comm unit, “ANDI, can you inform us on the status of the hot water and power in pod thirty-one?”
