Dusk is falling on the city of a thousand hopes, the long shadows made darker in contrast with the fading pinks and oranges of sunset. But even here as twilight looms the darkness is not as oppressive as it had been on station, the lights of the city twinkling to life without the threat of attack. Even CentComm had been dark, and when I finally stepped foot on the shuttle home, it was blinding after a shift spent with only the thin beam of a flashlight to guide me on the ruins. For once I was thankful for the glaring, buzzing, LED’s NanoTrasen puts on their long-range commuter shuttles, finally enough light to read by. I got through a whole chapter on the shuttle, then another half under the soft golden bulbs at the prime city terminal before my train was announced, first in the Vox-tongue, then Arachiss, and finally English
“The Gray-Crest train is now boarding at platform six, please ensure all baggage remains behind the blue line.”
I make my way over and find a seat at the back of the car, tucking my extra limbs tight and close to my body. I’m already a big guy, no need to take up more space than I deserve. I open my book for a minute before a familiar purple hand ruffles my head-fur, and Curi takes the seat next to me. She’s already taken her wig off, a bright pink tuft peeking out from the corner of her satchel. She slumps her head onto my shoulder.
“You would not believe the day I had.”
I slip my book back into my bag and spread my arm over the back of the seat.
“Try me.”
As the train speeds along the rails, making its way out of the city proper, she tells me about her shift. How she had been unable to track one anom for far longer than was comfortable, and had finally found it; A gravitational anomaly on the verge of criticality inside the singularity engine. Her voice is weary, all her adrenaline long spent, and she dozes, the motion of the train relaxing as a lullaby. It isn’t a long trip, but long enough for her to startle out of half-sleep when we reach our stop at the bottom of a hill, a few other passengers departing with us before the train speeds off deeper into the Gray-Crests. She looks down at me with her most pleading expression, all batting eyelashes and stuck out bottom lip.
“Steevie..my feet hurt...and I’m sooo tired.”
I roll my shoulders, I’m sore from salv work, but I’m used to it, so I squat down and smile as she coos and hops onto my back. She asks about my shift as I walk us up the hill, but I don’t really know what to say, so I brush it off as just another day of fixing the station and keeping the lights on. Finally the soft glow from the porch light comes into view, shining off the well-loved metal of Jeffreys motorcycle where it sits on the path. I can’t help but smile as I brush my fingers along the leathery seat, hoping he’ll let me borrow it for long ride into the desert again. The door opens silently for my card, voices drifting over from the kitchen over the sounds of table setting. My family sits around the table; Papa helping Trilla cut her food, Jade and Jasper asking Jeffrey about his upcoming cases, and Dad taking the last dish from the fridge. He smiles when he spots us, lips curling up just enough for a gleaming canine to begin to peek out.
“Looks like you two are just in time.”
I finally let Bound slip off my back so we can take off our shoes and hang up our bags, then sit at the empty chairs around the table. Everything is warm and relaxing, idle chatter filling my head as I fill my plate. School awards, mechanical repairs and legal cases, my family is a wealth of life events to talk about. Then, Dad casually drawls something that makes my fur puff up, skin prickling with a small shiver.
"You know, I heard about the strangest thing today. Apparently one of our stations in the Scarlet sector was at the edge of disputed territory today. Upper management had the crew remove all the interior lights to avoid drone attacks."
A bite of pasta forms a lump in my throat, sticking to the walls of my esophagus until I force it down with a hard swallow. I look over at Papa, his brow furrowed with concern.
“Seems like a dangerous place to have a station. Don’t ya’ll have people go out and clear them spaces before ya build em?”
Dad just shrugs, running a claw around the edge of his plate.
“Oh you know how it is my darling, imaginary lines in space change at a whim and nobody files the proper paperwork.” He sips at his wine. “In any case, the crew did a remarkable job. No major incidents occurred. And, it seems someone had the brilliant idea to deploy a decoy. Apparently the salvager lit up an asteroid after mining it, and a drone went right for it! Isn't that just marvelous Steeve?"
He looks over at me, his face the picture of nonchalance. Those piercing blue eyes that tear apart false narratives fixed on me, and I feel like my heart is about to explode. Does he know I quit the engineering department? Is he going to transfer me back? Will I never get to work for cargo ever again??
“Yeah...really cool.”
"It's just like your favorite movie Master and Commander isn't it?” He shrugs, a gentle smile on his face. “Either way, I'll be sure to send some congratulations to Mr Daniel Vernandes for coming up with the plan."
Curi glances over at me before piping up, tracing her finger around the rim of her glass.
"Oh I think I've seen him around robotics, didn't know he worked salvage too. Was he the only salvager that shift?"
Dad nods and leans over to refill her wine.
"It would seem so, in any case he had a solid idea and executed it well, that deserves recognition at the very least. And some form of compensation, in my opinion."
The rest of dinner passes smoothly, conversation once again turning to lighter subjects. Play-dates and art projects, the recounting of a sports victory. When the table is finally clear I head down to my room rather than staying upstairs for a movie. The mattress wooshes as I fall onto it, spreading my limbs all the way to the corners. The view out the window reminds me of the views from the station, all dark expanse and countless tiny points of lights. Each star is a sun, a million worlds revolving around them, and each light here is a person with hopes and dreams. And we’re all connected because we’re all here in the same universe. I’m finally broken from my thoughts when Curi flops down next to me.
“You’re welcome for getting your name wiped off the manifest lil bro, but I’m a tad hurt you didn’t tell me you transferred departments.”
I keep my face half-buried in the pillow and murmur.
“Thank you Curi.”
She flexes her spines until they click, then pokes me in the side.
“Hey, look at me.”
I crane my neck over to see her frowning, pink brows deeply set over her glowing eyes.
"You really should just tell them. I get that Dad is…. I get why you don’t wanna tell him, but he really can’t stop you from doing what you want. And even if he worries, Papa would be so proud of you.”
I turn over and sigh, she’s right, of course she is. Trained to maybe one day follow in our father’s footsteps, wise and sensible Curiosity.
“I...I’m gonna tell them, I promise. I guess I just..want to feel ready you know?”
She nods and smiles, not her normal toothy grin but something softer, like how she always smiled when I took her hand as a kid on the way to the park. From big sister to little brother.
“Alright, just make it soon tough guy, or I’m gonna start needing bribes. And baby? You cannot afford me~.”
I can’t help myself from laughing out loud, pedipalps spreading wide with no regard to how it looks or what people might think. She giggles in return even as I push her off my bed, snatching one of my novels before scampering out of my room. I sigh again and turn off my lamp, staring out the window until my eyes can no longer stay open, slipping into dreamless sleep.
