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He stands. “Like getting water for the shower so we’re not reliant on sonics for a start. I’d like to go back to gathering wood for when the weather turns cold. Getting to know you has been a wonderful distraction, but I don’t want you to freeze due to my ardor.”
No one’s ever called me a distraction in a good way. I like it. “How can I help?” I offer while following him to the tunnel entrance.
“Are you sure you want to? It’s physical work?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
I nod. “Of course, I do. I’m not meant to be a lady of leisure. I get bored too easily.”
He takes a couple of movie film cannister type things from the shelf next to the tunnel entrance. “I can’t guarantee you’ll be interested in the work, but you’re welcome to help. I’d like the company.”
The cannister uncompressed with a click into a bucket. There’s a handle and the container part is narrower at the top than at the bottom. He hands one to me and opens the other. “We’re usually better about keeping the shower tank full.”
“There’s been a lot going on.” I follow him into the tunnel. “Are there only two buckets?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Buckets?”
“Containers? Water carriers?”
“Ah, carriers. Yes. Every time I think about ordering more, I stop. We never use more than these two at a time. Double up on everything and soon, there’s no room in the habitat.”
“It makes sense,” I affirm and continue on behind him. The passage becomes a little less creepy each time I stroll down it. The lack of insects helps. Moisture clings to the walls but not enough to drip and form pools for us to splash in. I’m okay with that.
Cinq is this big, dark hulk of a guy in front of me and the wheels are still turning in my mind. I don’t know what to think about his self-punishment versus the empire’s, but ten years or so in exile seems like long enough. He deserves to rejoin society if he wants to. Part of me feels like he’d like to, but then I can’t be sure. When we’re in the cavern’s entrance, I ask, “What did you miss the most about civilization at first? I know for me it’s usually something silly like fountain drinks, my favorite hand soap, and fresh underwear. What about you?”
He laughs and slows so I can walk along side of him. “Good question. Fresh food was the worst. Everything I had was new colony rations until Aard overcharged me for a good used replicator.” He takes my hand. “I love the shower, sold to me like the replicator was, good, but clearly used. Modifying it to go from sonics to water when I wanted was a trick S’Tou helped me with. Hadn’t known how much I missed a real washing until then.”
“Hell yeah. The sonics are fun to play with but nothing beats a hot shower.” I smile as he lets go of me to step over a root, first. “I hope you’re not paying top dollar.…” I stop when realizing the idiom, “I mean, paying too much for the old stuff Aard brings you. Will he sell you new stuff or does he just run a second-hand store?”
Cinq sighs. “I’m lucky to get what he sells, actually. The empire pulled everything from me, my credits and citizen’s income, the work I was doing. Everything I had went to Raylin’s family.” He glances back at me. “I didn’t protest because they deserved it.”
Giving him a gentle smile, I look at him. “But now that you’ve found someone new and am tired of eating fake food?”
“I wished I’d kept my ship,” he admits, taking my hand to help me over a root coming up to my knees.
“Ship? You had a spaceship of your own to fly around?” I squeak, tripping a little on a root. “One thing I learned in a divorce and break up or two is never give up the ride. Or you’ll be memorizing bus, er, public transportation routes.”
“A wise observation and one I wish I’d known about before letting the empire take it.” He doesn’t let go of my hand as we descend to the stream’s edge.
The water is just wide enough for me to jump across, but I wouldn’t. The banks look too mushy to get a firm footing. “Too bad we don’t have boards to put down to keep from getting muddy.”
“I’d thought about it,” he begins, taking my container and going to the water’s edge. “But the mud falls off by the time I’m back at the entrance, so I never bothered.”
I squat, pinching the soil and rubbing the grains between my fingertips. Rough, round, like sand but bigger, but too small to be pebbles. I’d clean up a jar’s worth for use as an exfoliant but the grains might clog up the shower. Cinq stands as I ask, “How did you install plumbing in the cave?”
“I didn’t. The others haven’t, either. There’s a container in the shower’s bottom. It gathers and compresses out the water, letting it evaporate.”
“So, just dirt, hair, and dead skin? Ew.”
Cinq nods to the right of us where Quin and Nilt are sitting on a smooth bench like rock. “Don’t forget scales and feathers.”
“I don’t know if that’s better because it’s more interesting or just gross.” Okay, all gross but I keep the opinion to myself.
“Gross all the way,” Cinq says and I laugh. After giving me a wink, he walks over to them with me following. “You two seem way too serious for a couple of guys who narrowly escaped an argument.”
Quin looks at Nilt who shrugs. “We’ve been talking.”
I already don’t like this. Cinq slows, giving me one of the containers. Damn, it’s heavy. I don’t say anything, but he catches my expression and takes back the water. He asks them, “Do we need to go inside for a serious discussion?”
“Not really,” Quin begins. “We just think a vacation sounds fun. Have Aard pick up whoever wants to go and see a little bit of the galaxy. Look at the new Earthers, maybe volunteer to welcome them into the alliance.”
Poor guys, because their hopeful expressions are obvious. I take a step forward. “So you didn’t know how lonely you were until I came along, huh?” I comb back my hair like I’m gorgeous, the effect ruined when my fingers get tangled up. “Ow.”
“That’s part of the reason,” Nilt says. “All right, the main reason.”
Quin blinks, his eyes almost entirely obsidian. “Today it’s Earthers, tomorrow maybe Qzi.”
“And the next? Khscc, probably,” Nilt adds.
“Right, so we want to be ready to help our people get used to the rest of the galaxy,” Quin finishes for them.
“I’d be here alone, again, then,” Cinq says, then turns to me. “Fine. I’ll respect your wishes and contact Aard as soon as possible.”
