by Sara Creasy
“I’m not interested in your secrets. Not those secrets, anyway.” Edie kept speaking over his next barrage of accusations. “I found a rogue protein in the mix. It was introduced only days after the BRATs came online.”
“Contamination? That’s unlikely. We were very careful.”
“You can never be careful enough. You have equipment and workers on this project from a dozen worlds. Any one of them could have carried exotic DNA with them and contaminated the ecosystem.”
“And what if they did? A certain level of contamination is acceptable, and irrelevant to the biocyph calculations.”
“On a regular terraforming project with primitive lifeforms and low biomass, maybe. When things are going slowly, the biocyph has time to code around a hiccup like this. It self-corrects. But thanks to that regulator code you installed, everything is evolving too fast. The biocyph was unable to integrate this protein into the Terran ideal. It went rogue, established its own path of evolution, and the error snowballed. And you deleted it from the error logs.”
“Because it’s irrelevant!” he said between gritted teeth, like she was an upstart with no right to challenge his superiority. “The point is that the process is working on Scarabaeus, where the pace of evolution is even faster. You walked around on that planet without e-shields, contaminating everything, yet it shows no signs of ecological degradation.”
“I can’t explain it. Yes, there must be something different on Scarabaeus, a control mechanism that Prisca’s missing.”
“I’m telling you, there’s nothing wrong with Prisca’s control mechanisms.” He pushed his fingers through his tangled hair. “Have you told Natesa about this?”
“Of course.”
Caleb groaned. Well, if he wouldn’t accept there was a contamination problem, Edie wasn’t going to push the issue. Let Natesa sort it out. With luck, Edie wouldn’t be around to see the rubble bounce.
“I don’t see the point of keeping this from her,” Edie continued. “And what about the VIP tour of the compound? You can’t hide what’s going on forever.”
“We have severe storms blowing in. I’m working on Natesa right now to cancel the dirtside tour. And keep your mouth shut tonight at that function. Theron’s bound to have sent his spies to dig up dirt.”
“I’ve already had this speech from Natesa. I don’t—” Her palmet beeped with a message from Finn. “I have to go,” she said abruptly, and cut the link. Thoughts of Prisca and Scarabaeus fled as she read a room number on Deck E and a brief text message:
Good news.
The room was Valari’s, in the meckies’ quarters. Valari sat at the console and Finn stood over her, leaning on the desk with one hand. As Edie approached, he slipped his free hand into hers and squeezed it. She smiled, marveling at how she could manage such a normal expression considering the way his unexpected touch jolted her.
On the holoviz was Cat’s grinning face, distorted by the scrambler.
“It’s a recorded message,” Finn said, giving Valari a quick nod.
Valari replayed the message.
“Listen up,” Cat said, “the crack worked! It’s only been a few hours, but Fairbairn reported that their BRATs came back online with no sign of the biocyph lock remaining. Amazing! You guys are gonna be heroes. Well, not quite.” She grinned again. “Couldn’t name names, see. So, basically, I’m the hero. I got the okay from the captain here to transmit the crack through the commsat network, so I’m just waiting on your word.”
“I’ve already sent the message to go ahead,” Valari told Edie. “I hope that’s all right by you,” she added quickly.
“Yes, of course.” Edie exchanged smiles with Finn, entwining her fingers with his. She wasn’t going to let Valari’s arch tone dampen her elation. This was what she and Finn had hoped for, ever since that night they’d huddled together inside a cold BRAT on Scarabaeus, when she had dared to hope she could take on the Crib with a single piece of code.
“Our navpilot Navin Ganesh on board the Molly Mei is a comms expert. He’ll ensure the transmission gets out, and that no one can trace it back,” Valari was saying. She sat back in her seat, her gaze falling briefly to Finn’s and Edie’s interlocked hands before drifting away. “I think we have reason to celebrate. And there’s even a party tonight—well timed!”
“The meckies are invited to that?” Edie had assumed the VIP function was only for admin and technical staff.
“Yes. We were warned to dress up and behave ourselves,” Valari said. “Celebrations aside, tonight we make our exit. The Molly Mei is about to make the jump into this system as soon as Cat has sent that transmission.”
“We’re ready,” Finn said. “Until then, we carry on as normal. I need to get back to work. My boss has assigned my team to clean up the workshops in case there’s an inspection.”
“I have a few things to do as well.” Edie started to follow him out. One thing she needed to do was visit Ken’s store and see if he had anything she could wear for the function.
“Edie, wait,” Valari said. “A word?”
Edie hesitated at the hatch, wondering what Valari would have to say to her that she didn’t want Finn to hear. Finn left without comment.
As soon as they were alone, Valari said, “Assuming the Learo Dochais’s captain allows our ship to dock, the only remaining problem is these children you insist on rescuing.”
So that was all. Edie wondered why Finn hadn’t already told Valari of her decision. “It’s okay. I realize now it’s unrealistic to take them. And I’m okay with it.”
Valari looked surprised but quickly recovered her poise. “I appreciate your change of heart. I failed to persuade Finn to take a stand, so I thought I had a real job ahead of me persuading you.”
Edie wondered exactly what means of persuasion Valari had intended to use. Emotional blackmail? It didn’t matter now. She’d decided to put Finn’s freedom first, as she should have done from the start.
“I’m glad I made things easy for you,” she said.
“You’re very close to him, aren’t you?”
The question took Edie by surprise and she stammered a response. “Y-Yes…well, not exactly. I mean, we’ve been through a lot together.”
That sounded so weak. Finn and Valari had no doubt been through much more. She felt awkward discussing this with Valari, who was so much more alluring and self-assured than she’d ever be. Especially when her relationship with Finn was at a crossroads. They’d never directly discussed how they felt. They’d never made love. They’d never talked about a future together. And once they were free, it was likely their lives would head in different directions. He had the Saeth to return to. She had to make her own life out there, and the single skill she possessed was so powerful, so sought after on the Fringe, she’d have to hide it if she didn’t want to be hunted for it.
“Listen to me, Edie. He is very attached to you. For some reason…well, I don’t know. He’s not the same young man I used to know. He feels very protective of you. More than that, he would do anything for you. I hope you won’t take advantage of that.”
Edie drew a deep breath, preparing to tell Valari it was none of her damn business. Then she breathed out in a rush, her protest dying on her lips, because Valari was right. She had already taken advantage of Finn by convincing him to kidnap the children—not because he thought it was a good idea, but only because she wanted it.
Well, that was over. She and Valari had both made Finn sign up to their causes. Whatever happened to them or to the children, she wouldn’t do it again.
CHAPTER 18
Edie had once made a promise to Finn—that she’d wear a dress for him if he grew out his buzz cut and combed his hair. Well, the buzz cut was gone. Now that she knew Finn was going to be at the function, maybe it was time to wear the dress. She’d be pandering to Natesa’s request at the same time.
She spent the rest of the day mentally preparing herself for a visit to the quartermaster. By the time she left the lab s
he was ready, and detoured to the supply room where Ken was closing up. He was already dressed for the evening’s occasion in creased pants, a collared shirt, and a purple waistcoat.
“You’ve left it a bit late,” he said. “You want a frock for the party tonight, am I right?”
“Uh, just something simple. I have no idea about this stuff.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
He looked so eager, she half expected him to rub his hands together with glee. He scrutinized her for a full minute, circling her slowly, then yanked open a closet, pulled out a few clothing items, and dropped them on the low shelving unit in the center of the room. Sorting through them quickly, he selected two and handed them to Edie.
“These will fit.”
Apprehensive, she picked them up. The dresses were made out of smooth sheer fabric, one dusky pink and the other dark shimmery blue. Did people really wear these things?
Misinterpreting her look, Ken said, “Go on, they’ll fit. I’m never wrong. Which one?”
“I can’t wear these.” She put them down.
“Nonsense.” Ken selected the pink dress. “You’ll look pretty as a rose in this.”
“No one will ever get me to wear pink.”
He raised a thick brow at her and relented, replacing the dress. He held up the blue dress against her. It was a little shorter than she’d have liked, reaching halfway down her thigh, but the color was more subdued and the neckline not quite as outrageous.
“Perfect. Now—shoes?” Ken waved at the footwear selection lined up at the bottom of the closet.
“Forget it. I mean, thanks for your help, but who wears pumps on a starship?”
“Stick to the center strip in the corridors so you don’t catch a heel in the gravplating. Here we go.”
He found a silvery-gray pair. Reluctantly, Edie pulled off her right boot and stuck her foot into the stupid thing. It was too big.
“Hmm. I’ve got more that might be your size.” Ken found a pair of black strappy sandals with ridiculously high heels.
Edie had had enough. “Sorry, I’m not wearing those. Just…no way.” She glanced at the dress, trying to imagine herself in it, and failing. “Let’s forget the whole thing. Just find me a tee with glitter on it, something like that.”
She put her boot back on while Ken watched. “You’re not leaving my shop without a nice frock. Take the blue one. I’ll rent it to you for half price.”
He was very persuasive. She did manage to resist his imploring when it came to the shoes and matching accessories, but handed over creds for the dress and got out of there as fast as she could.
“These storms are giving our base camp a real battering,” Caleb reported that evening. He’d made a direct call to her quarters while she was getting ready for the evening’s function. Natesa had told her to be there in ten minutes for something called cocktails. “Finally got Natesa to agree to postpone the VIP tour until the weather improves.”
“As if sunshine and rainbows are going to make Prisca look any better.”
“If you think Prisca is unsalvageable,” he said, sulking now, “just say so.”
“I think Prisca is unsalvageable. More precisely, I don’t think it was ever viable.” She sounded more phlegmatic about it than she felt. Her years of working with alien ecologies had given her an appreciation for the creativity and beauty of nature. Three billion years or more of unique evolution were about to be destroyed on Prisca. Not just altered and redirected, but wiped out—turned into organic sludge. “Look, I really have to go,” she told him.
She signed off, took a quick shower, and yanked a comb through her damp hair—then stepped into the dress. She had to move slowly to avoid ripping the fabric, so flimsy and soft, with a sheen highlighting the neckline and bodice. The back was cut rather low, and the halter-style top exposed her shoulders and framed the inlaid shell between her collarbones. All in all, she did not feel like herself. In the mirror, she didn’t look like herself, either. But she did look pretty good. Her reflection gave her a boost of self-confidence.
She started wishing for the sandals Ken had shown her. But those heels…there was no point tottering around feeling insecure all evening. In any case, it was too late now. She freshened up her work boots and pulled them on. Who looked at a person’s feet, anyway, when there was cleavage up top?
Outside her room, a couple of admin staff headed to the lift in front of her. Edie stepped into the car with them. The man wore a smart sport jacket, the woman a scarlet-and-gold dress that was much fancier than Edie’s. She’d taken some time with her hair and makeup, too. Edie tucked stray stands of hair behind her ear, feeling mousy by comparison. Then the man gave her an appreciative look, which helped.
The admin suite, cleared of office furniture, was set up with lounge chairs and trestle tables laden with finger food. Bland music wafted through the air. In one corner, a few meckies had assembled around the drinks table. They wore colorful scarves and bracelets, and chinked glasses with exaggerated mock manners. Finn was nowhere to be seen. Edie had never found a reason to wear a dress before and now she had one—but couldn’t find him. Winnie gave a tipsy shrug and claimed not to know where Finn was.
Edie already wanted to leave. She hated crowds and speeches—especially Crib ’crats giving speeches, and there were bound to be plenty of those coming up.
The VIPs were easy to spot among the milits and the regular crew because their attention was focused on the children, who sat in a small circle in the center of the room. A globe of dancing lights surrounded them—a glamorous demo, not a meaningful example of their Project Ardra work. But it served its purpose, which was to impress the guests. The children’s stifled yawns, indicating it was past their bedtime, were perhaps not quite so impressive.
She noticed Pris among the children—she hadn’t realized the girl was well enough to attend. Edie could tell which of the four patterns in the holo was hers. It wasn’t quite in sync at times, causing the other children to throw her irritated looks. Not enough for the audience to notice, but it was clear Pris was having trouble with her interface.
Natesa stood nearby, wearing an emerald-green sheath with a slit up the side. She nodded in bored acknowledgment to the elaborately dressed man chatting in her ear. From his uniform, Edie realized he was the captain of the Fortitude, the ship that had ferried the VIPs to the Learo Dochais. Natesa kept her eyes on Pris. Her hard expression told Edie exactly what she thought of Pris’s performance, and Edie knew the woman well enough to know what was going through her head—she may not blame the child for her mistakes, but she was sorely disappointed. And Pris would suffer under that disappointment. She would be made to feel it was her fault, however subtly, because she’d been brought up to believe that her value as a human being lay solely in her ability to perform as a cypherteck.
Pris already knew that. She looked devastated, and Edie’s heart went out to her. How could she abandon these children to such a life? She alone was uniquely able to empathize with them, and she was going to walk away.
Through the tumbling lights of the holo, she noticed Finn at last, watching her from the other side of the circle. He wore his regular work clothes—no party dress-up for him. She was grateful he could no longer sense her emotional state because at that moment she could barely breathe. Anger and guilt congealed into a solid lump in her chest. She turned away from the children and pushed blindly through the crowd. She needed to get out.
She was going the wrong way. Whirling around, she headed for the exit. Someone brushed her arm as if to slow her down, and she pulled away sharply before realizing it was Finn—he’d moved to follow her. The concern etched on his face did nothing to alleviate the heaviness dragging at her heart.
Natesa was suddenly at her side. With her was an older man in a black tux and an absurd silver bow tie. Natesa wrapped her bony figures around Edie’s upper arm, firmly enough to force her attention away from Finn.
“Edie, this is Administrator O�
��Mara. He’s interested in your work with the children.” Natesa gave a charming smile as if she and Edie were best friends. Then she moved off with a meaningful look that Edie interpreted as a warning to start parroting random boasts about CCU’s wonderful protégées.
“Lovely to meet you, Ms Sha’nim. Call me Eric.” O’Mara’s grandfatherly manner put Edie somewhat at ease as he corralled her toward the drinks table. Edie looked around for Finn, but he’d faded into the background noise and motion of the party. “What’ll you have?”
She looked at the colorful assortment of bottles arranged on the table and swallowed, confused. O’Mara smiled, further eroding his image of a fearsome senior ’crat.
“Try this.”
He mixed a clear liquid from one bottle with fizzy water from another, and added a squirt of amethyst syrup. He dropped in a couple of frozen glowing spheres and handed her the glass. Edie took a sip. The bubbles stung her tongue with a vaguely fruity taste and then the alcohol burned her throat. She nodded with a smile and took another sip to please the attentive old man.
“What do you want to know?” she asked. May as well get this over with. Then she would leave this wretched party.
“You probably don’t know this,” O’Mara said, “but I was a biologist for Crib Central, stationed on Talas for several years while you were at Crai Institute. I oversaw the resettlement camps and unofficially advocated for the Talasi during that difficult period.”
“No, I didn’t know.” Edie wondered why he was telling her. She’d had no involvement with the Talasi since Natesa removed her from the camps as a child.
“Tragic situation.” O’Mara stared into his drink. “Still, I understand things are looking up. Detoxification of the forests is proceeding well, and several tribes have moved back to their ancestral zones.”