Page 35 of HaL

“Thank you, SAGE. I’m trying my best to look on the bright side of all of this, but I will never, ever forget waking up in that cage alone, helpless, and completely cut off from everything I knew. I was scared when I woke up on the Destroyer/Destiny, yes … but that was nothing compared to my kidnapping. Nothing even close. And for that matter, I don’t care if I ever set foot on another spacecraft again for as long as I live.”

“Dawn, this is only a bump in the road, as Kira would say, though I know right now it may feel like so much more. Things will work out, they always do. I’ll be popping in and out for the next couple of risings, but duty calls, and I swear, the Commander is as demanding as a small child. That male can’t find a single thing without my assistance. But know this … I’m with you, even when I’m not here. All you have to do is call out, and I will come. Lots of hugs and kisses.”

And just as quickly as she came, SAGE is gone, leaving me standing in the middle of a very nice room all alone, while HaL stands on the other side looking at me like a puppy not allowed in with his favorite person.

The room is breathtakingly beautiful, as though it has been shaped not merely for comfort, but for intimacy and quiet wonder. A large bed rests in one corner, set slightly askew in a way that feels inviting rather than imperfect, as if it were placed to catch the light just right or to better frame the moments meant to be shared within it.

All around, ice crystals shimmer softly, glowing from within as if they hold a gentle, living warmth despite their frozen form. Their light spills across the room in delicate waves, painting everything in a dreamlike, almost otherworldly glow that feels both calming and deeply romantic. And I roll my eyes at that last thought, since the odds of me seeing any action anytime soon are getting lower and lower the hotter it gets in here.

Plush rugs line the main walkways, softening every step and guiding movement through the space like a quiet invitation from one intimate corner to the next. The room flows naturally, each area blending into the next with an effortless sense of closeness and care. SAGE never fails when she sets her mind to something, and this is just one of the many examples.

On the nightstand next to the bed rests a holo-pad just like the one I had on ANDI, and I wonder if I will be able to talk to Lacie and Briar clear out here. But the bed is not the only thing in this space because on another wall sits a small, thoughtfully arranged kitchen, complete with a replicator. Altogether, the space feels less like a room and more like a private sanctuary, slash efficiency apartment. And I hate it because he cannot share it with me.

HaL has not moved, nor has he said anything, but his eyes trace my every move. Knowing SAGE, she has put extra blankets and clothing in here somewhere. I get an idea.

“HaL, hang on a minute. I need to look around and see if I can find a few things. There has to be a coat or something I can wear so that I’m not stuck in here.”

He turns from me, and I sigh loudly in aggravation, before pulling my arm back against me where it’s starting to ache slightly. I take a second to steady myself before walking through a room that is obviously a closet but unfortunately, it’s all but empty. Determined, I walk back to the bed, ready to pull a blanket off to cut a hole in the middle, when I see HaL standing on the other side of the barrier with something in his hand. He motions for me.

“I have something for you if you want it, and I have turned the heaters up in here as well.”

I step through the bubble, the cold instantly making the hairs in my nose freeze as I fight not to cough.

“HaL dearest, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable in your own home, but I am not sure how we are going to work this out. The cold is so intense that I swear it’s seeping into my bones even with this heated suit on.”

“This may help.”

He holds up a huge coat and my fingers reach out only to recoil when I realize what it is. “Oh my God, is that like a dead ancestor you guys tanned or something?! NOooo, no touchy, thanks for the offer, but I’ll stay cold.”

I watch a dozen emotions flicker across HaL’s fuzzy face before he finally breaks into laughter, and I can’t help but smile in response. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen — or heard him like this, and it catches something soft and unexpected in my chest. His laughter is contagious, warm and unguarded, and I find myself giggling with him as he carefully settles the heavy garment over my shoulders.

“This is my own fur, little Roja. We all shed terribly, and up until a few orbital rotations ago we would simply discard it. MeK saw me cleaning my sleeping platform late one rotation when he was here helping with the compound, and he offered to send a cleaning bot. Well, it showed up, and within two risings, it stopped working because our hair is so thick. Aggravated with its incompetence, MeK’s words not mine, he started taking it apart. When he realized just how much we shed, and because his mind works completely differently than most, he asked me why we were not using the fur in some sort of textile.

Of course, I had no idea what MeK meant until he showed me how some cultures collect animal furs for garments and coverings. We have used furs ourselves for as long as I can recall, from the mountain wolves and the mammoths that we use for comfort but never thought about using our own.

He was like a youngling, suddenly excited about the creation floating through that very complex mind of his, and within a rising MeK was back here with what he called a fur catcher.” He points toward a small, round, black object moving along the floor that I had not noticed.

“OH, it’s a rumba?? Or that’s what ANDI calls them anyway. He used them on the ship; they’re little vacuums.”

“Well, I am not sure what their correct name is, but each dwelling has one of its own, and the occupants have the option of donating or disposing of their fur to the weavers. We just started selling some of the garments they have made on Targres Four. The income from their sales will help us expand and update some outdated surveillance equipment and possibly expand the compound. We are trying to become independent in our trades instead of always relying on the Elders to help. Father and MeK practically paid every credit for this compound on their own, and even though my people, including myself, are grateful, at some point we would like to have a treasury of our own to pull from.”

“So, this coat is a mixture of others’ hair/fur?”

“No … this entire garment is made solely from my own sheds, as are all the coverings in this place. I asked the others to contribute theirs, but when my turn came, I found myself unable to part with my own. But I did gather it until I had enough for several pieces. It was as if something deep within me, something I could not silence, was insisting I would need them one rising.

My beast would not … could not … endure the scent of another male on you, even though the hairs are meticulously sanitized before they are woven together. If you think my reaction in the passageway was extreme, it would be twice as bad if I smelled another on you. My kind are extremely territorial, and even though I am half Darverian, my Hallisterian genes are dominant when angry.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I probably would not have worn it if it had been made from everyone else’s fur/hair here. That’s just kind of yucky to me. But knowing I have a piece of you wrapped all around me, it’s quite comforting, even if it is so large it’s swallowing me.”

I pull the long coat closer, letting the fabric warm my skin, then slowly press my cheek against the softness of its collar. The thought that every strand once belonged to his body sends a quiet heat through me, spreading beneath my skin until the cold no longer matters. Especially with his beautiful blue eyes following every small movement I make.

A yawn suddenly creeps up on me, and even though the day seems to have just started, I am exhausted.

“You should rest.”

“I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing.”

“The body needs it to heal. Go on and lie down and I will be here when you wake.”