silence.
As we entered the privacy of the elevator, he spoke in a hushed tone. “Listen, I know you saw your mom slip that laser knife in her pocket, but we’re all safe here on Paradise 21. Scout satellites have explored the environment for years. Besides, after we brought you back to the ship, Grandpapa had teams comb the jungle around the shore. They looked for miles into the dense growth and found nothing.”
Grandpapa involved several teams? Now I really was embarrassed. All of those people wasted their time because of me.
Dad must have seen my horrific expression. The elevator beeped and he pressed the door jam button, buying us time. “You have a lot to digest with the life assignments and the landing. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“Sure, Dad.” I squirmed under his attention. “But I don’t need to talk. I’m fine.”
The portal finally dematerialized and I took off into the hall. He wouldn’t understand my situation. He loved Mom, and they were perfectly paired. Sometimes the stupid computers got it right.
Just as I assumed the day couldn’t get worse, I turned the corner and Corvus sat in the hall next to my family’s unit. He rose instantly, straightening his uniform across his large chest.
“Andromeda.”
“Corvus.”
Dad mumbled, fumbling with the panel to open the portal. “I’ll let you guys talk, okay? Andromeda, I’ll be in here if you need me. Dinner’s in an hour.”
I pleaded with my eyes. “Don’t you need me to help?”
His eyes moved to Corvus, then back to me. “Mom’s got it covered. You two have some catching up to do.”
We were destined to be married, after all.
Corvus bowed as Dad entered our family unit. “Nice to see you, sir.”
“You too, Corvus.” With a swish of air the portal re-materialized, and Dad was gone.
This time I didn’t think about being polite. I waltzed right up to Corvus and pointed my finger in the air. “What are you doing waiting outside my family unit?” Just a little stalker-ish.
Corvus shifted from one foot to another. I could tell he was nervous. “They wouldn’t let me come into your medical cell since we’re not, you know, not yet…”
My courage balled up inside me. “When did you find out?”
“Find out you were taken to the medical bay?”
“No.” I wanted to roll my eyes. “Find out about us.”
“Oh.” His face turned as red as a dying sun. I wondered if he’d shrivel up and walk away, but he stood his ground and looked me straight in the eye. “The day the assignments were made. The message popped up on my computer, and I read it right away.”
“Why didn’t you say something to me when you saw me in the hallway?”
“I planned to, but when I caught you, you were in a hurry. Besides, I didn’t know what to say.”
I stood there gawking at him.
“I came today to see if you were all right. When I heard that something attacked you in the forest and you were taken to the medical bay, I wanted to come see you right away. I knew they wouldn’t let me in, not being a family member…yet.”
It would have been sweet had it not been Corvus. My tone softened a bit. “I wasn’t attacked. I thought I saw something.” I looked away, slightly embarrassed even though I really didn’t care what he thought of me.
“Oh.”
Corvus didn’t press me. I guess he assumed it wasn’t his place. Yet.
Instead, he started to ramble on about his experience. “There’s some pretty weird stuff out there. I saw a few crazy things too.” He took a hesitant step toward me and whispered, “After I moved all of that equipment, I went into the jungle in the place where you disappeared.”
I leaned forward. Maybe he’d seen the same thing. “And?”
“This vine wrapped itself around my leg. It just shot up from the ground and began winding. I took out my wire cutter and slashed it, but a part of it still clung to my leg. I had to pry it off.”
“Wow.” Although it wasn’t as
As we entered the privacy of the elevator, he spoke in a hushed tone. “Listen, I know you saw your mom slip that laser knife in her pocket, but we’re all safe here on Paradise 21. Scout satellites have explored the environment for years. Besides, after we brought you back to the ship, Grandpapa had teams comb the jungle around the shore. They looked for miles into the dense growth and found nothing.”
Grandpapa involved several teams? Now I really was embarrassed. All of those people wasted their time because of me.
Dad must have seen my horrific expression. The elevator beeped and he pressed the door jam button, buying us time. “You have a lot to digest with the life assignments and the landing. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“Sure, Dad.” I squirmed under his attention. “But I don’t need to talk. I’m fine.”
The portal finally dematerialized and I took off into the hall. He wouldn’t understand my situation. He loved Mom, and they were perfectly paired. Sometimes the stupid computers got it right.
Just as I assumed the day couldn’t get worse, I turned the corner and Corvus sat in the hall next to my family’s unit. He rose instantly, straightening his uniform across his large chest.
“Andromeda.”
“Corvus.”
Dad mumbled, fumbling with the panel to open the portal. “I’ll let you guys talk, okay? Andromeda, I’ll be in here if you need me. Dinner’s in an hour.”
I pleaded with my eyes. “Don’t you need me to help?”
His eyes moved to Corvus, then back to me. “Mom’s got it covered. You two have some catching up to do.”
We were destined to be married, after all.
Corvus bowed as Dad entered our family unit. “Nice to see you, sir.”
“You too, Corvus.” With a swish of air the portal re-materialized, and Dad was gone.
This time I didn’t think about being polite. I waltzed right up to Corvus and pointed my finger in the air. “What are you doing waiting outside my family unit?” Just a little stalker-ish.
Corvus shifted from one foot to another. I could tell he was nervous. “They wouldn’t let me come into your medical cell since we’re not, you know, not yet…”
My courage balled up inside me. “When did you find out?”
“Find out you were taken to the medical bay?”
“No.” I wanted to roll my eyes. “Find out about us.”
“Oh.” His face turned as red as a dying sun. I wondered if he’d shrivel up and walk away, but he stood his ground and looked me straight in the eye. “The day the assignments were made. The message popped up on my computer, and I read it right away.”
“Why didn’t you say something to me when you saw me in the hallway?”
“I planned to, but when I caught you, you were in a hurry. Besides, I didn’t know what to say.”
I stood there gawking at him.
“I came today to see if you were all right. When I heard that something attacked you in the forest and you were taken to the medical bay, I wanted to come see you right away. I knew they wouldn’t let me in, not being a family member…yet.”
It would have been sweet had it not been Corvus. My tone softened a bit. “I wasn’t attacked. I thought I saw something.” I looked away, slightly embarrassed even though I really didn’t care what he thought of me.
“Oh.”
Corvus didn’t press me. I guess he assumed it wasn’t his place. Yet.
Instead, he started to ramble on about his experience. “There’s some pretty weird stuff out there. I saw a few crazy things too.” He took a hesitant step toward me and whispered, “After I moved all of that equipment, I went into the jungle in the place where you disappeared.”
I leaned forward. Maybe he’d seen the same thing. “And?”
“This vine wrapped itself around my leg. It just shot up from the ground and began winding. I took out my wire cutter and slashed it, but a part of it still clung to my leg. I had to pry it off.”
“Wow.” Although it wasn’t as
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