She stepped over and around some genetically-enhanced kale and climbed into her hammock, supported by thin stakes on either end. It looked especially inviting today, as Ana had been up throughout the night checking on bacterial cultures. With all of the promise of robotics and artificial intelligence, it was a shame that nobody had developed a machine that would do her experiments for her, especially during the night. She yawned. Five minutes, she told herself. Five minutes to relax and get back on track. She opened the faded paperback to a dog-eared page, and after re-reading the same paragraph several times, gave in to a light and pleasant sleep.
Chapter Three
“Karlee likes you,” Nova said, stuffing a couple of fries into her mouth.
“She tell you that after she visually undressed me last week?”
Nova ignored her. “You should give her a chance.”
“Oh, please. I gave her one chance and that was enough. I don’t think I could deal with her following me around all the time. She gets way too excited about nothing. Thank God you didn’t adopt her attitude when you joined the sorority, or we wouldn’t be sitting here today.” Jolie kicked Nova’s foot under the table.
“I just think you two would be so cute together. That’s all I’m saying.” Nova raised her palms in surrender.
“No way.” Jolie laughed. “Easy to get is not my style.”
“But—”
“Next topic, please,” Jolie said in the least annoyed tone she could muster. The truth was that Nova had been by her side through thick and thin the last few years, but ever since her best friend had joined the sorority last spring, Jolie had felt a quiet distance wedging between them. It was especially obnoxious when Nova tried to set her up with her sorority sisters, and her main push lately was Karlee. She was fine being single, why couldn’t Nova see that? She glanced at her friend, who had her thick eyebrows raised in a holier-than-thou expression.
“Fine,” Nova said. “When are you meeting crazy inventor chick?”
“When are you going to stop being an asshole about it?” They looked at each other and broke into laughter.
“Okay, when are you going to be meeting your wonderful new roommate, who is sure to be normal and sane?” Nova asked again.
“Actually, this afternoon. I should go get ready in a few.”
“I’m intrigued. She’s not what you’d call unattractive.” Nova smiled slyly and Jolie rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to tell me you didn’t check her out, Jo. I know your type.” Jolie pursed her lips and glared. “Okay, okay.” Nova became serious and put her hand on top of Jolie’s. “Are you going to be okay getting over there? And making that trip every day?”
Jolie took a deep breath and sighed, imagining taking that ride every day, at least twice. “Yeah. I’ll get used to it,” was all she said. Her stomach tightened and she quickly changed the subject. “So, you think she’s hot? From that picture?” Damn. Wrong subject.
“Didn’t you see it?” Nova waved her off. “Trust me, girlfriend, I can tell a hot mama from a mile away. It’s called animal magnetism.”
“I don’t think that’s what that is.”
“Doesn’t matter. I have it, and I’m going to use it as long as I do,” Nova said.
“Okay. Whatever you say.” Jolie felt the uncomfortable tingle in her right knee that usually came on when she was anxious, and closed her eyes, envisioning the flat, agrarian landscape of home. In a moment, it passed. She was becoming more nervous about her upcoming meeting each time she thought about it. It wasn’t just the car ride that gave her pause. That part would take some getting used to, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Moving out here for school was the last major change she’d made. Aside from that, she coasted through life embracing the familiar, her days punctuated by habit and security. Did she really want to disrupt that?
“Your knee hurts again, doesn’t it.”
Jolie nodded, burying her face in her hands. “What am I doing? It’s nice here. I like it. Maybe I should just live with you after all,” she whined.
Nova took her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. “Woman. As much as I want to agree with you, you are going. You are going to impress her, and she will ask you to be her roommate, and you will say yes. Because I know, deep down, you want time for doing non-school and work things. Plus, I dared you,” she said with a wink.
“I know. I miss home. Not even the people, really, but the open space. I would love to have that again, but what if it really isn’t better? I’m so used to the noise here. What if it turns out I need that?”
Nova shook her head. “Just go and find out. And if you don’t think she’s cute, give her my number.”
“You’re incorrigible.” Jolie felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of her best friend dating her future roommate.
“I’ll help you get ready. Want to hang out on the quad first?”
Jolie nodded. “Sure. I have nothing better to do.” She playfully punched Nova in the arm.
“I’m glad I’m your nothing-better-to-do friend.”
They pushed their chairs out, squeaking them across the linoleum floor, and walked past the afternoon coffee crowd trickling into the campus center.
Chapter Four
Ana wiped her clammy hands on her jeans. She busied herself with tidying up the few items in her house that didn’t have a designated storage space. Jolie was due in forty-five minutes and Ana had never felt so wretched.
“Cassiopeia, please conduct a health scan,” she said, her cheeks on fire.
“Conducting scan. Stand in front of me.” Ana moved in front of the wall monitor and waited. “It appears you are having an episode of acute anxiety. Blood pressure and heart rate are elevated. There is no indication of any illness. I believe you are nervous about your upcoming meeting.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m supposed to be saving humanity and I can’t even deal with meeting a potential roommate?” Ana silently cursed all of her carefully constructed socialization the last thirteen years. She had her mission crew, she talked to people, just not on her own terms. All of it was related to her work, though the lines between work and life blurred so heavily that she’d never been able to separate the two. She was prepared for so many different spacecraft and medical emergencies she’d likely never encounter, yet her mother had neglected to put something as simple as screening roommates into the training plan. Ana knew it was because that work had been done years ago for her. She closed her eyes and tried to center herself, but couldn’t shake the jitters emanating from somewhere deep inside.
“Ana, please go meditate. I will alert you when Ms. Dann arrives.” Cassiopeia dimmed the screen in a show of finality. Sometimes the droid was too intuitive for its own good.
Ana sighed heavily and smoothed her flannel shirt. If this was how she was going to feel until she got used to having a roommate, maybe she should forget the idea. “Mom, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she mumbled. She turned to face the screen again and almost called on Cassiopeia to cancel the meeting, but a burn of defiance rippled through her and she strode out the side door instead.
Picking up a colander lying upside down in the dirt, she began to harvest the large cherry tomatoes that hung from her eight tomato plants. They’d stood up as best they could to the hail storms that came in late summer, and many of the fruits now displayed the familiar brown pockmarks. Ana hoped Jolie liked to snack on damaged tomatoes. She heard a rumbling and looked toward the sky, surprised to see that dark clouds were rolling in from the Northeast. They were as black as she’d seen them. She touched the bracelet on her wrist and brought up a weather report. She should have seen this by now, but she’d been thrown off all day nervously anticipating the meeting.
Ana jogged to her shed and pulled out some old sheets and a bag of stakes. Within a few minutes, she had covered her entire garden from the large hail and high winds of the advancing nor’easter. She stood back and looked at her work, the once white sheets billowing slightly with the wind. Th
is was at least the tenth time this year that she’d had to do this, and there were even a few storms she had missed, when she was away or asleep. By far the worst year yet, according to Luke’s research. The last report her fellow mission specialist had sent included a milestone for North America. Thirty straight years of steadily increasing storm numbers, rising temperatures, and elevated sea levels. Ana knew this wasn’t even the worst place to be living these days. At least there was relative peace in the States.
She cursed the impending storm, wishing it would move out to the Midwest where the rain was sorely needed. But she couldn’t will it away. All she could do was hope that her work with the mission would somehow make the future better. She’d known she would be a part of it her entire life, and now, as the time for launch drew near, the responsibility weighed heavily on her psyche. Unfailingly, she felt it most acutely each time it stormed.
As she walked back toward the house, the first few drops of rain fell. Soon, it was coming down in sheets. She watched from her living room window as it poured, and worried about Jolie traveling in this weather. By now it would be too late to reschedule. Besides, with a renewed sense of purpose and her mission before her, she realized that she really did need someone to take care of everything while she was gone. She couldn’t leave it to chance, or her mother, who was competent beyond measure, but not compassionate. She wanted to know exactly what would become of the little plot of land she’d called home for over a decade. She’d miss it more than anything, and believing that it would be in good hands was some comfort.
“A vehicle is approaching with Ms. Dann inside,” Cassiopeia chimed suddenly. Ana snapped to attention and moved to the kitchen to warm two mugs of water. She peered outside and watched Jolie step out of the driverless taxi, her clothes immediately soaking through in the drenching rain. Ana ran to the door and held it open, motioning her inside as the car backed down the gravel driveway.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” Jolie said as she reached the door. “I’m dripping everywhere.” Her strawberry hair was matted to her head and her clothing clung in a way that made Ana draw a quick breath. She realized she was staring and a blush crept up her neck.
“Uh, hold on a second, let me get a towel.” Ana dashed to a cabinet and grabbed two of them. “Here,” she said as she pushed the towels toward Jolie. Their eyes met for a moment and Ana saw Jolie shiver.
“Thanks.” Jolie took the towels. She smiled distractedly as she blotted her clothing and hair. “Not sure how much good this is going to do, but I appreciate the effort.”
Ana silently chastised herself for not being able to work through this problem. Obviously she should offer her dry clothes and tea. Why couldn’t she think? Her planning and problem solving skills were usually impeccable. She cleared her throat and put her hands on her hips. “Here, uh, wait here for a second and I’ll get you something to wear.” She fumbled the words like an idiot, and realized that she was acting like one as well. “I’ll put your clothes in the dryer while we chat.”
“Thanks, that would be great. Oh, by the way, I’m Jolie,” she said, grinning widely. She stuck her trembling hand out toward Ana, who had begun to walk away. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
“Ana.” She turned back sheepishly and shook Jolie’s cool hand. “Guess the weather could have been better for your trip. I was going to reschedule, but by the time I realized how bad the storm was, it was too late.”
“It’s no problem. Just a little rain, right?” Jolie chuckled, but her eyebrows arched in a way that made it seem like the drive had indeed been precarious. They both listened for a moment as some hail started to pelt the windows.
“You might be stuck here for a bit,” Ana said.
“Tornado warning?”
“Usually. Follow me,” Ana said as she walked toward her room. She emerged with an armful of clothing and a thin blanket. “Just some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Here’s a heat blanket, too. Oh, and if you want to change in there,” she pointed toward the spare room, “that would be your room.” Ana opened a sealed door to reveal a bed pod inset into the wall with some shelves over it. A small desk fit into the corner next to a door that opened into a closet and some storage space.
Jolie glanced around the room and nodded. “This is cozy, and very white.”
Ana suddenly realized that it must seem tiny and sterile to someone used to living in a Singer dorm room. When she had designed the house all those years ago, she wasn’t expecting to share it with anyone, though she’d added the guest room just in case. An unexpected wave of panic rose in her as she realized what little space and privacy she had to offer a potential roommate.
“But, you know,” Jolie continued, “it might be just what I’m looking for. Let me change and I’ll let you know for sure.”
Ana let out an audible sigh and realized she’d been holding her breath. “Okay. I’ll just be on the couch. With the tea.” Ana winced at her awkwardness as she walked out and shut the door. She put some tea powder in the mugs and sat down, tapping her foot on the floor. What was she doing inviting a stranger to live in her house? There were so many ways this could go wrong. She had only months to go before departure, and a lot of classified experiments to be running in that time. Hopefully, Jolie wouldn’t have the science background to realize what was going on, but what if she figured it out? Ana heard the bedroom door open and snapped her head up.
Jolie emerged with a lightness that warmed the room. She was wearing the gray sweatshirt and matching pants, and toweling her hair. The sweats hung off of her slight frame, the shoulders drooping comically, but she seemed happy and the color was returning to her cheeks. Ana once again found herself staring. She would have a lot of weird behavior to think about tonight. Hoping Jolie wasn’t put off by her awkwardness, Ana motioned her over to the couch.
The hail had changed to rain, and the light filtering into the living area was gray and dull. Ana handed a mug to Jolie, then lifted her own and blew on the hot tea. She moved her fingers over the corner of the coffee table and the light in the room changed to a late afternoon scape.
“So, what do you think?” Ana asked.
“This place is interesting. I like it. And it’s definitely in my price range.”
Ana laughed and pulled her dark hair over her shoulder. “Oh, that,” she said. “I had to put an amount in there. Honestly, I don’t need the money. I already own the house and I don’t really have any expenses that need to be covered. If you’re willing to help me out when I’m away, then just chip in for any extra food we buy. There’s not much, since I grow almost everything here, anyway. Everything except meat.”
“I don’t eat meat. I mean, I would eat it, it’s just usually out of my price range.” Jolie shrugged.
“I haven’t had meat in years,” Ana said. “I do like the occasional bag of roasted crickets, but now that I think about it, it’s been a while for those, too.”
Jolie crinkled her nose. “Never understood the appeal, honestly.”
Ana leaned in and said, “You know what’s really disgusting? Those frozen caterpillars that are supposed to be some kind of replacement for sausage. I can tell you definitively that they are not at all like sausage.”
Laughing, Jolie held her stomach. “You have to stop. I’m going to throw up. I guess I’m lucky I grew up in the middle of nowhere without all the selection you had. We had some chickens for a while, but I think wild animals got them and we just never got more.”
“Speaking of food, I was thinking we could try to share, if you want,” Ana said. “I mean, I like to cook, so I’m happy to share meals. But no pressure,” she added quickly.
“I’m okay with that, yeah. I cook, too, and it’s been a while since I’ve been in a real kitchen. I have a weird schedule, though, so I don’t know if we’ll be home at the same times.”
“Trust me.” Ana laughed. “It can’t be weirder than mine. I’m at Singer a few days a week to teach biochem courses, and I do some of my research there. A
nd sometimes I’m up in the middle of the night working on…things.” Ana caught herself before she gave away more than she should. She saw Jolie’s eyes widen in interest, or perhaps admiration.
“Wow, so you’re a professor? Will it be weird living with a student?” Jolie shifted slightly with discomfort.
“God, no. I’m only a lecturer, and that’s not my real job anyway,” Ana said, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. She wondered at how it was so easy to play down her role as liaison between the biochemistry department and their biggest donor, the Hammer Corporation. That part wasn’t entirely secret. Usually, she had to use her clout to convince the corporation stakeholders of their investment’s worth.
A low bell startled the women. “Ana, Martine would like to speak with you. Would you like me to take a message?” Cassiopeia’s voice reminded Ana that there was, and would always be, a third person in the room, watching.
“I’ll call her back later, Cass.” Ana turned away from the wall displaying a picture of Martine, dressed to the nines in Paris.
“She’s really pretty. Who is she?” Jolie asked.
“One of my best friends in the world.” Ana smiled. Martine was gorgeous and brilliant, and if she hadn’t already found her soul mate in Liv, the mission specialist from Antarctica, Ana may have been interested. “Anyway, back to us.” Ana cringed at her suggestion that they were an “us.”
“Do you still keep in touch with your old roommates?” Jolie asked.
Ana looked down at her hands. Would Jolie think it was weird that she hadn’t lived with anybody in thirteen years, didn’t even have friends who came over, and really just wanted a roommate to spite her mother, among other things? If she were in a meeting with stakeholders, or talking to her mother, she would have simply evaded the question. But as Jolie sat intimately next to her, upsetting her equilibrium in what seemed to be a pleasant way, the truth tumbled out without censorship.
The Universe Between Us Page 2