Infinite Day by Chris Walley

month or so, I will have some spare time. What better way of spending it than developing my simulation? He put it in his pocket next to the cedar cone. An artificial tree and the seeding body of a real tree. Together they will remind me of who I really am—Merral D’Avanos, Forester . He smiled. And, just maybe, they will point to who I will be again.
    Then, locking the door behind him, Merral set off with Lloyd for the airport.
    They entered the hangar by a back door and were greeted by a weary-looking Vero, who outlined what sounded to be satisfactory progress.
    â€œWhere is Ludovica?” Merral asked, staring at an apparently interminable number of requisition forms awaiting his signature.
    Vero looked uneasy. “She’s gone to talk to Azeras and Betafor. But Luke is here somewhere.”
    â€œThat’s one piece of good news. Look, I shall be up in the office, and when you can separate Betafor from her admirers, can you send her up? We need to talk.”
    â€œWill do. Merral, the pilot is here. Laura Bezemov. You’d better like her.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œNo other candidates have suitable experience.”
    In other words, we are running out of pilots . “I want to meet her. Send her up too.”

    Twenty minutes later, as Merral was checking long lists with a team, he heard a familiar booming voice call out his name.
    Making apologies, Merral made his way to the door where Luke Tenerelt stood. The thinness of the man’s face seemed accentuated by a small, neat bandage on his right cheek.
    They hugged each other, and leading Luke away to a quieter corner of the office, Merral began to apologize for not having seen him since the battle at Ynysmant.
    The chaplain gave Merral a dismissive pat on the back. “Oh, I gather you did what you had to do. Anyway, I was busy.” His face clouded with sorrow. “Aah, there were a lot of needy folk there that night.”
    â€œYes. . . .” Silence hung between them. “What did you do to your cheek?”
    â€œOh, that? I rather stupidly got too close to a Krallen. I thought it was dead. It was, pretty soon afterward. But it could’ve been worse. In fact, I quite like it. It is going to make a slight but striking scar.”
    â€œI’d never have thought of you as the sort of person to seek trophies!”
    Merral saw a gentle look of reproof. “It’s not that, Merral. It allows me to look the men in the eye. I am now one of them.”
    That’s Luke for you. Merral realized that the chaplain had a backpack at his feet. “You can come?”
    â€œI would count it an honor, Merral.”
    â€œThank you. You know what happened with Lezaroth and the hostages?”
    â€œI heard. So we are going after them?”
    â€œIt’s a rescue. But it’s going to be tricky. And there are no guarantees, Luke. None at all.”
    The dark, deep eyes smiled back. “Oh, yes there are, but none from you.”
    A thought came to Merral’s mind. “Luke . . . you’ve brothers and a mother and father, I know, but is there anybody else? some lady waiting for you?”
    Luke looked away for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet and reflective. “It’s that sort of a trip, isn’t it? We may not be back.”
    â€œYes. I won’t take any soldiers with dependents. Same goes for chaplains. So is there anyone?”
    A slight, enigmatic smile crept across Luke’s mouth. “Merral, about five—no, six—years ago,— I knew someone who might have been . . .” His gaze shifted focus as though he were peering into the vanished years. “Might have been . . .” Luke shook his head as if trying to free himself from his memory. “Our parents were happy enough for it to proceed to commitment. But I prayed about it and it just didn’t seem right. She married someone else.” He looked thoughtful.