Future Prospect

by Lynn Rae

  He found the security officer waiting on the dark front porch, looking down the main street of Pearl where a few lights glowed against the small buildings.

  “What do you think of their story?”

  Colan shrugged, imitating Emil. “I don’t know. You said it’s the same stuff as before, but I believe them when they say they didn’t do it.”

  Zashi nodded. “I believe them too. I didn’t get in this business to make children cry.”

  He made his way down the steps, and Colan followed him, ready for this night to be over. Zashi paused in front of the scientist’s house.

  “Coming back?”

  “To the suites?”

  Zashi nodded. Colan wondered if he was being propositioned by the quiet man.

  “Thought you might want to check on Lia.”

  Oh. “No. I’m sure she’s asleep.”

  The other man tilted his head in acknowledgement, his expression hard to read in the shadows. “Tomorrow then.”

  He turned and disappeared into the night, and Colan heaved out a sigh. He didn’t want to think about explosions, upset children, or how much he’d enjoyed having an excuse to touch Lia’s skin tonight.

  “They aren’t supposed to be here.” Lia denied the obvious. There was definitely a ship orbiting Gamaliel, she could see its projected trajectory on her datpad screen. It was filled with settlers, and according to her absolute, utmost, latest schedule, they were still supposed to be on Weave assembling their supplies. People must be mad for the chance to slop around in the muck searching for cortiglow and riches.

  “They are here, and the captain wants them off his ship,” Cordon replied with a casual air. He didn’t care that the first section of barracks had only gotten a roof that morning and the water wasn’t hooked up yet. That was her concern, and eventually Welti’s when he noticed a bunch of strangers obliviously using the non-functioning toilets.

  “The captain brought them here five hundred and eighteen hours ahead of schedule. Let them wait up there.”

  “You don’t get to make that call, Lia. I know you have your schedules, but we have to make some changes. You’ll be fine.” Cordon took a sip of his coffee and gave her a bland look. It was easy for him to say make it work when he had no concept of how this news had thrown everything into disarray. She’d have to modify shipments of supplies, reschedule bot charge cycles, find bed linens and hygienic tissues, and move up the orientation sessions. It was a horrible buffet of tasks, and she wasn’t hungry to take on any of them.

  “How long do we have before they drop down?”

  “Eighteen hours.”

  “I have to manage five hundred hours of work in less than a day?”

  “You don’t have to do the work personally. Welti said the rooms would be ready. So it’s not as if they’re going to be sleeping in the mud.”

  “That’s not all we have to accommodate, Cordon,” Lia sighed, tired of trying to explain the complexity of the project to him. “Not only do they require accommodations, we have to have food, medical supplies and staff, an office for them to come to if there are problems, and someone there to help them.”

  “Get that Tor fellow to man the information kiosk.”

  Lia took a deep breath and shook her head at Cordon. Again, he was quite clueless when it came to reality. The idea of Colan Nestor charmingly answering questions about where the nearest gelato shop was made her blood run cold. Or hot. It was hard to know how her blood was going to run whenever Colan was around. She hadn’t allowed herself time to reflect on how much she’d enjoyed those brief touches he’d given her the previous evening. There had been an explosion, after all. But faced with the terrible destruction of the schedule, her mind retreated into reviewing how nicely the calluses on his palms had roughed against her skin. The idea of him touching her in other, even tenderer spots tantalized her. A much more pleasant topic than spending a few hours reviewing supply flowcharts.

  “Eighteen hours?” Lia shook her head and wished Cordon would leave her barren office so she could get to work. He seemed to realize she was displeased and wished to be left alone, because he rose and gave her half a salute. He was wearing full civil service uniform, and his pips gleamed at his shoulder. The assistant magistrate wasn’t planning on going outside in the mud today, Lia realized. Suddenly, the idea of wandering around in these strange forests held an incredible appeal. She could almost feel the muck squelching underfoot as she walked under the silent, grayish trunks spiraled with mint green fringe. They always seemed to be waving at her whenever she looked out her window, even when there wasn’t a breeze. First, thinking about Colan’s strong and rough hands, and now, wondering about the native trees. She was losing her grip.

  Two quick messages later, Lia felt she had a better idea of the challenges ahead. Welti assured her water and power would be functional in the barracks by the end of the work day, and Claude had arranged to barter with the ship’s crew circling overhead for an emergency pallet or two of basic foodstuffs, which should hold them until their regular supply drop in two days. The doctor hadn’t replied to her message about medical readiness, so she decided to walk over to the clinic. It would be good to stretch her back and breathe some fresh, humid air.

  She arrived in medical and found the doctor in full panic mode. Deval Polin lay half underneath the new scanbed in the diagnostic bay, and she cursed loudly when Lia entered the room with a knock on the doorframe without a door.

  “Doctor Polin,” she called out, and the doctor’s legs shifted as she shimmied out from under the machine. Davel Polin was tall and red haired with striking green eyes which always made Lia think of a heroine in a romantic story. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think this thing was jammed during the drop. All the test readings are skewed to the hot side.” Polin threw a disgusted glance at the machine. Lia had no idea what she meant but realized the other woman had been far too busy to check her messages or get back to Lia about her dilemma.

  “Can I help?”

  “You sure can. Do you have a few minutes to spare?”

  Lia shrugged, she could spend some time if the doctor was willing to talk while she worked.

  “Great. Lie down and let me scan you, so I can recalibrate this thing manually.”

  Lia crawled up on the foamy surface of the scanbed and settled back in the gently buoyant material. As Deval ran tests, Lia explained about the expedited shipment of settlers and asked the doctor what her preparedness was. After hearing a long string of curses about the stupidity of anyone rushing untrained folk onto an unsettled planet filled with unknown hazards, Polin settled down and ruminated as she studied Lia’s readings.

  “See, it has your basal temperature at twenty two degrees and your core temperature at eighteen. Completely off.” Polin disappeared under the bed, and Lia heard her clicking something several times. The lights of the scanners above Lia winked on and off and she blinked, worried she’d get another headache.

  “If I can get this damned machine working, I should be able to handle any normal illnesses and injuries for that size group. Once my staff arrives in the next scheduled shuttle, I’ll be better able to cope with any disasters.” Polin popped back up and stared at another monitor. “If that explosion last night had been inside the building rather than outside, I don’t know how I would have handled the wounded.”

  “It was scary until we realized no one was hurt.” Lia closed her eyes and relaxed. She might be able to manage this new wrinkle in the schedule in a halfway competent manner.

  “Lia, would you mind if I checked the anesthetic module on you? I’m just going to make you sleepy.”

  Lia’s eyes snapped open, and she stared at Polin. “You just said this thing isn’t working right, and you want to knock me out with it?”

  “Totally different functions, Lia. Relax, I’m a doctor.” The woman peered down at her with a quirked smile, and Lia tried to settle herself. Nodding agreement, she closed her eyes as a minty fragrance filled her nos
e, and the foam supporting her arms, back, and legs grew softer and she fell…

  Colan wasn’t sure why he entered the new medical clinic. There was nothing wrong with him other than he hadn’t found Lia in her office, and the communications person he’d seen in the hall told him she was going to medical. This news had made his blood pressure rise but not to dangerous levels.

  He was breathing harder as he headed down the corridor toward the only room with a light on, but that was because he’d walked faster to get here. Maybe she’d suffered some sort of delayed reaction to last night’s explosion. She’d seemed fine afterward, but shock waves could do strange things.

  He rounded the corner of the room and saw Lia unconscious on a scanbed. He came to an abrupt halt, his heart hammering in his chest. She looked pale and limp, and he scanned the room for a doctor or caretaker of some sort. Stars, what had happened to her?

  A tall, redheaded woman popped from behind the scanbed and gave him a curious once-over.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Are you a doctor?”

  “Yes. Are you ill?”

  Colan shook his head, stepping closer to Lia and staring at her. He should have walked her back. There was no need for him to have helped with Ermil and Perrin’s interview. What if she’d been lying injured in her room the whole night? He reached out to touch her hand, but the movement interrupted the phasefield circling the bed. It emitted a faint tone, and he drew back quickly.

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Nothing a massage and a hot bath won’t cure.”

  “What?”

  “Hi, I’m Doctor Deval Polin.” The woman held out her hand, and Colan shook it automatically. This doctor seemed unconcerned about the unconscious woman lying between them. Colan scanned Lia’s body. He couldn’t see any obvious injuries, certainly nothing different than the previous evening. What was wrong with her?

  “Lia’s too tense.” He glanced at Polin, still confused by what she was saying. “She needs to relax. Have some fun. Maybe eat a little more.”

  The doctor wriggled an eyebrow at him and turned her attention to a display. She tapped it twice, and the phasefield around Lia shimmered silver and then disappeared. Colan reached for her hand, and relief filled him when her fingers shifted and circled around his.

  She wriggled, and her eyelids tightened once before she opened her eyes. Her gaze caught his, and as she gave him a sleepy smile, Colan sucked in a quick breath, his stomach contracting as if he’d been punched. Lia sighed and stretched, the bedding making little creaks as she moved her legs and hips.

  “Hello, Colan. How are you?”

  The doctor seemed engrossed in monitoring some displays, so he felt safe keeping hold of her hand. “Just checking on you after last night. Are you not feeling well?”

  “I’m fine. Doctor Polin just needed someone to use as a sample as she recalibrates this thing.”

  “That’s right. Thanks for your help, Lia. Don’t try to sit up yet, you’ll be shaky from the anesthesia for a few more minutes.” The doctor pulled out a hand scanner and held it up to Colan. “Can I check this one with your readings?”

  Colan shrugged, not really caring as he watched Lia lying on the bed. The scanners made faint clicking noises as she lay quietly, glancing between him and the doctor all while squeezing his fingers.

  “Good, both machines are running clear now. Thanks for your help.” The doctor turned away to review some data scrolling on a wall display. “You can try and sit up now Lia, just be careful not to overbalance. I don’t want any nosocomial injuries because of a medical procedure. It would look bad on my quarterly report.”

  Without a word, Colan moved to help her sit, sliding her legs over one side of the bed and supporting her back as she balanced at the edge.

  “All right?”

  “I think so. I’m just sleepy.” She blinked slowly and tilted her head up to smile at him. He wanted to touch her cheek, slide his thumbs against her temples but instead, moved his hands away from her, regretting his excuse to touch her was gone. Considering how aware he was of her body, a little distance was in order or else he’d crawl on top of her on the scanbed. Then what kind of readings would the doctor be able to record?

  “Just stay still for a few more minutes,” Doctor Polin said. “Lia, you’re calorie deficient, you need to eat at least six hundred calories within the next hour. According to your baseline, you’ve lost weight since you’ve arrived on planet. And you’re slightly dehydrated.”

  “It’s been a busy morning.” Lia yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Her breasts moved under her thin shirt, a faint outline of her nipples barely visible, and Colan decided to stare at one of the incomprehensible wall displays.

  “You just told me you have everything under control. You have time to eat.”

  “Doctor, something could have changed for the worse while I was knocked out.”

  “In two minutes? So you’ll find out about it after you eat. You’ll do a better job with some nutrition on board. You weren’t knocked out; you were under a very slight sleep inducement. You aren’t getting enough sleep if you were that easily sedated.”

  Doctor Polin turned her gaze on Colan and smiled at him. “And you, your heart rate and body temperature are elevated. Localized temperature elevation. If you’d like, I can run a scan on your hormone levels.”

  “No, thank you,” he replied quickly, very sure he didn’t need to have the doctor explain he was aroused right now. The worry he experienced when he’d heard Lia was in medical morphed into something beyond relief when he realized she was fine. Fine except for not eating or drinking properly. She really was too attached to that damned datpad.

  “Cit. Nestor, would you be willing to assist me?” He tore his gaze away from his study of the way Lia’s braided hair curved around her neck and looked at the doctor with concern.

  “Another scan?” Colan shook his head; sure he didn’t want the woman waving a scanner around his genitals.

  “No. Take Lia here to the dining facility and make sure she eats a good meal. Slowly too. No rushing or taking it back to the office.”

  “Deval, I’ll be fine.” Lia sounded irritated as she slid off the table and stood, wobbling a bit until Colan tucked his arm around her waist, and she leaned against him. Dangerously full body contact, but he wasn’t going to let her fall.

  “Right. You’ll be fine after you eat. If you don’t, I’m placing you on leave until you gain back the two point three kilograms you’ve lost. And that means no work.” Doctor Deval Polin squared her shoulders and used the stern medical tone which meant no arguments.

  Lia swallowed and nodded. Threatening to take away her work certainly made her a more cooperative person.

  “All right, Citizen Nestor, you have your assignment. Have a good time.” The doctor gave him a quirked smile, and he knew she was well aware of exactly how high his temperature was, and she’d likely already monitored his increase in localized blood flow and testosterone levels. Damned nonexistent physiological privacy.

  Chapter 7

  Lia slurped up another slice of succulent tomato and quickly daubed at the juice running down her chin. It was amazing how hungry she was. Maybe that quick nap in medical had made a difference. Or perhaps it was because Colan watched her intently as he monitored her food intake, and she didn’t want him to growl at her.

  “This is really good,” she complimented as she reached for another stuffed egg sprinkled with some sort of herb blend that was somehow sweet and sour at the same moment. They were in Colan’s small tree house, and the unique environment hadn’t been able to distract her from the lovely food he kept placing in front of her. Claude might prepare elaborate and innovative meals for them in the living quarters, but Colan seemed to have some creativity in the kitchen as well. “How long have you been cooking?”

  “Long time. Not much else to do when you’re working in isolated areas, unless you like stuff squeezed out of a softpack.”


  Lia winced at the thought of pre-made emergency rations and stabbed another slice of tomato. No wonder Tila had wanted to save her plants; Lia had never tasted tomatoes with such strong flavor before. “These tomatoes are incredible.”

  “Yep. Some sort of nematode in the soil here makes them grow like monsters. They make good jam too.”

  “Tomato jam?” By all that was possible in the universe, how had she never heard of tomato jam?

  “Sure. You want to try some?”

  Lia nodded agreement, thrilled with the idea that Colan, the original grumpy hermit, had made jam. He now slid a plate with a split-open, flaky biscuit slathered in scarlet jam across his small wooden table to her. Picking it up and taking a small bite of the warm, soft, buttery thing, Lia closed her eyes as the rich flavor of sweet tomato filled her mouth. Stars, it was fantastic.

  “You made a biscuit too?”

  “Actually about a dozen. Ready for more?” Colan watched her with those dark, unwavering eyes, and Lia tried not to quiver with equally dark thoughts. She’d known it for a while now, and it had solidified last night in the moments after the explosion; she was sexually attracted to this man. Not that she was interested in acting upon such a reckless impulse, but all those warm twinges in sensitive areas of her body were exceedingly pleasant. Perhaps that’s why she was suddenly so ravenous; she was sublimating.

  “Sure. What’s next?”

  Colan finally stopped staring and opened the door to his small chiller to brood over the contents. Lia took the opportunity to glance around his living space; small room with a rounded ceiling, walls lined with stacks of equipment, well-worn boxes, and a hodgepodge of furniture made from odds and ends of things. The house perched on the top of two bent tree trunks above the backyard of the head scientist’s house. She hadn’t realized the day of the bucket blow-up he’d lived there; she’d just assumed it was some sort of play house for the two misbehaving boys. Just climbing up the ladder stairs had made her feel as if she was sneaking away from the adult world and all her pressing problems.