“What? I thought you had your own shuttle like DaR and KyT, and MeK.”
“No, I initially arrived with MeK but brought my own provisions.”
“So, you have been pretty much camping all these months? Why didn’t you come up and stay on ANDI? I’m sure there were plenty of rooms you could have used.”
“I was never asked, and I came to help, not to hinder. I have everything I need with me. The communal ionizer and refreshing chambers provided what I lacked.”
“BuK, I feel like a complete ass. Here I’ve been staying in that big ass pod all by myself, when you are practically homeless. I can’t believe I didn’t know this, and shame on your father for not providing better for you. Ugh, this makes me so mad. You have no idea how many times I started to ask you to stay with me, only to think you would probably prefer your own personal shuttle.”
“You were going to ask me to stay in the same dwelling as you?”
“Yes, why does that seem to surprise you so much? BuK, you have to realize how much I care about you, and that’s not just because we work together.”
Her words make my heart leap, and I can tell from the look on her face that she expects me to say something back, but I amscared my need for her will frighten her away. My silence and the cold air blowing through the room must have distracted her.
“You’re right, we need to get busy and we can do this as long as we’re together. I’ll start on the viewer; luckily, I always pack more towels than I need. Are you sure you don’t want me to help you tear up Vedece’s house?”
“No, we each have things that need to be accomplished quickly, and anything I need to tear up, as you put it, we will repair at a later date.”
“I’m just teasing, I’m sure Vedece couldn’t care less.” Briar smiles, but I can see the worry she is trying to hide from me.
Walking around, I grab my tool belt and start unloosing some of the permanent fixtures, piecing together what I can so that Briar will be slightly more comfortable until supplies come. I refuse to consider the cargo bot not arriving, as there is nothing in this dwelling that can even be burned, especially as long as the water is working because the sprinklers would click on, and all we need is to get wet.
The wall seat pulls out easier than I imagined, and I hoist it onto my shoulder, carrying it into the main living area. Then I go back to get its foundation because I do not want it to have direct contact with the floor, as the metal will get cold and uncomfortable quickly. Briar found a larger rug somewhere and has laid it out, and I move the seat … bed thing next to it. I then move into the sustenance area to assemble the single chair that was ordered for that space, and even amid all of this, I think that is very sad. Why would Vedece only want one chair?
Several times, I glance up at Briar, who is using the end of one of her brushes to push the material into the holes. The airis steadily getting colder in here, and I catch myself constantly looking out the viewer for the cargo bot. Carrying the chair into the room, I frown at what little we do have as the ground continues to whiten outside.
Pulling out one of the sustenance bars from my bag, I motion for Briar to join me. She flops down on the small bed, folding her legs beneath her, and I hand her half.
“Should we be saving these?”
“I do not think it is going to make any difference if MeK is not able to get some sort of heat source to us, and the temperature keeps dropping like it has been. It will be in the negative marks before half a rising. I do not need to tell you what happens to an organic that is not properly dressed to deal with such low temperatures.”
“Ray of sunshine, aren’t ya? I’m already so cold that I’m having to fight to keep my teeth from chattering. I’m a beach girl, not a mountain goat. Cold and I have never been friends. It’s always been so depressing to me, since it’s always cold, dark, and gray for what feels like the rest of your life at the time. The winters in Kentucky lasted only about five months, but it seemed like it just wouldn’t let go; it loved to tease you. We would get that pretty, sunny, deceptive day that looked like it should be in the seventies, only to walk out and find the air so cold it felt like it was cutting you in half. Then, there were cloudy days that were so humid you couldn’t breathe. Toward the end, there was no rhyme or reason; things that should only bloom in the spring were blooming mid-winter. The temperature changed so drastically from day to day that you had no idea what to wear, and the storms were terrifying.”
“Do you miss your world?”
“YESSSS, and … no! I love the fact that this world is untouched. Back home, there was no such thing as a new idea; the world was crowded, loud, and moving a million miles an hour. Here, things are more relaxed, even though we are starting from scratch, and working every day is just different. Now, don’t get me started on food right now; that’s the last thing we need to be thinking about as we eat these pieces of cardboard, but … I miss my family the most.
As a daddy’s girl, I’m the first to admit I was spoiled rotten, but I promised myself that if I survived, I would not spend the time I’ve been granted by grieving them. I was one of the lucky ones; I didn’t have a bad childhood. I was never neglected, I was always well cared for, and I knew I was loved. My parents were always standing in the crowd, cheering me on. That alone is more than most can say, so I will thank the Lord for them and live for all of us.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there have been days when it was hard, especially waking up facing all of this on my own. But finding you and Lacie has really helped. I may have lost mom and dad and all that I had ever known, but I was granted a chance that few others received. I think if I’d been older, it would have been worse, even harder to adjust. However, the opportunities and friendships we are all forming now will follow us and our children for years and generations to come. Things could have turned out so much worse, and we all know it.”
“You have never spoken of younglings before.”
“Ughh, kids! I mean, things happen and that’s fine, but I’m in zero hurry to experience or try to raise a little one in a world that is so unstable. I mean, look at us right now. Can you imagine the horror you would be feeling if a child were with us?”
“Your words are true, but the worry is no less simply because it is only us. It is obvious to me that you are trying to hide your shivers and discomfort.”
“There’s nothing either of us can do, so I’m trying not to think about it or complain. I need to pee, but the thought of pulling my pants down right now is the only thing making me hold it. Do you think MeK will be able to send us what we need?”
“We both know if anyone can, it’s MeK. Come help me hang these tarps. Moving around will help keep us warmer.”
“Let me go pee first before my ass freezes to the toilet.”
CHAPTER 7
BRIAR
