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“People I invited here. It’s better if you don’t ask too many questions. Anything you’ve got questions for, you’re going to get the answers to soon enough anyway.”
Her mouth hung open and she continued looking at the blinking red light. “But… this is my sister’s safety we’re talking about.”
“Actually, we’re not talking about me turning on a beacon. That’s all. This has nothing to do with your sister… except incidentally.”
She’d been confused before but now, as her brow drew down into a frown, it morphed into pure irritation. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Having you steal from me and sneak off in the middle of the night?” I said. “Oh, yeah, sure. It’s a real hoot.”
I didn’t even try to conceal my temper.
“I can’t stay here,” she said. “You’re being unreasonable.”
“I’mbeing unreasonable?”
And she clawed at the shuttle’s door until she stumbled upon the release button.
I was sure she never would have struggled with it in the past when she had a cooler head.
She climbed out and took a few steps away from me, turning her back on me, before screaming at the top of her lungs.
It reminded me of my recent escape to this place too, although there was no young Chi shepherd to observe her breakdown nor listless gazing creatures nearby.
When she finally calmed down or, to be more accurate, after she had run out of oxygen to scream with, just stood there, panting, a hand over her face.
My temper flagged and I felt sorry for her.
She was clearly terrified and I had done nothing but flame those concerns.
I sighed, climbed from my seat, and got out.
I didn’t approach her — I thought she might fly out and strike me if I did — so instead I called out to her:
“Hey. Get back in the shuttle.”
She didn’t even turn to acknowledge me.
No doubt she considered that a victory.
“It’s cold out here. It’s warm inside.”
She just shook her head, gazing into the distance.
Then she marched over to a fence and I thought she was going to make a break for it.
I hurried around the shuttle as she scaled the fence.
I reached up to pull her down before she plunked herass on one of the thicker beams and perched there, her hands in her lap, staring at the horizon where the sun was turning the purple night into a reddish blanket.
I would have climbed up on an adjacent pole and perched there beside her but it wasn’t strong enough to hold my weight.
Instead, I took a leap of courage and approached her from behind.
With the added pole’s height, she would have been at about eye level… if she was turned in my direction.
“I’m sorry,” I said truthfully. “I know you’re under a lot of pressure but I’m trying to help you.”
She didn’t say anything and instead wiped a tear from her cheek.
