Eyes in the Sky by Viola Grace Page A

matched his breathing to hers and let the rhythm ease him into sleep.
     
    * * * *
     
    Riasa woke when dawn came in through the window and poked her in the eyes. She made a face and turned over, coming face to face with Natu. Blinking, she looked around and saw that she was not where she had fallen asleep.
    “You are a heavy sleeper.” He grinned.
    She punched him and winced as her hand struck him before his body could react. “Ow.”
    “It serves you right. Breakfast is at the base. Your bodysuit is at the foot of the bed. I will see you downstairs.” He kissed the tip of her nose and left the room.
    Grumbling, she went in search of an upstairs lav and was delighted to find one. Even she couldn’t go that long without seeking relief.
    Once she had grabbed a quick shower and finger combed her hair, she grabbed her suit and struggled into the heavy fabric.
    Dressed and a little dazed, she made her way down the stairs and let the annoyingly alert Natu lead her to the base again.
    The dining hall was filled with Citadel staffers that smiled and waved at her in greeting. It seemed that recovering was not an issue. Just the eradication of the old building had done wonders for morale.
    Reset was having her meal with Mist, and when Riasa looked around, she waved her over.
    Natu nodded and they both joined the healers.
    “You need to come in for a post-assignment check. It needs to become a habit.”
    “Yes, Reset.”
    “Call me Gray, call him Canil. You are on the Sector Guard roster now, so you have the security clearance, plus you are in our weird little club.” Gray smiled.
    Riasa was halfway through her breakfast when there was a weird pinging noise coming from somewhere. She looked around, but her companions just grinned at her.
    Gray laughed. “It is your suit. You are being summoned to the com centre.”
    Riasa sighed. “Seriously?”
    “Seriously. Just go, we will take care of your meal.” Canil smiled and covered her tray with mist. The food disappeared.
    Riasa headed to the com centre, and she was immediately bustled into the chamber she had occupied before.
    Relay appeared the moment that Riasa settled on the platform.
    “Hello, Vision.”
    “Relay. Good morning.”
    Relay smiled and waved. “Morning. Right. The courier is on its way down, and it has instructions to bring the canister to you and you alone. When the design is final, take the design crystal and put it in the canister, place the canister on the ruins, and press the needle on the top of the container. It is going to open for you and you alone.”
    “Why?”
    “Because the Avari didn’t want it available to just anyone, and a person from Resicor has a distinct energy pattern within their blood. You were the easiest option. Now, once the canister is activated, you have three minutes to get out of the construction site. This isn’t something that the Avari have done on another world and the nanites are going to die the moment the design is complete, but if this works, bases will be far easier to come by and far more secure.”
    “Why did you need to tell me this in person…so to speak?”
    “Because this is so highly classified that only you, I, Brodin and the Avari are aware of what is about to make a base out of rubble. It is an experiment on a grand scale.”
    Riasa nodded. “Right. I will wait here for the courier. Can I go finish breakfast now?”
    Relay laughed. “Yes. It will probably need heating up.”
    Riasa twisted her lips. “No, I will need new stuff. Mist ate everything else.”
    “Then, go and enjoy breakfast. Remember three minutes from the blood drop. Only do it when the design is complete.”
    Riasa saluted and Relay dimmed the projection.
    Her stomach rumbled, so she returned to the dining hall and tried to think of what to tell her companions if they asked her.
    When she got a new tray and sat down, no one asked her a thing, but Mist stole another one of her breakfast rolls. Stabbing him with a fork just had no