“Oh, nothing at all. I was just praising you.”
“Specifically?”
“She was sneaking glances at you, so I told her you were gentle, kind, and—according to the women who keep asking about you during our stopovers—rather handsome.”
“And that made her laugh?”
“No, I think it was when I added that you were sweet and that your little trunk was cute, even if it’s small and not very useful.”
“My tr—? No. You didn’t.”I roar into his mind, mortified.
I swear, I’m going to throw that little menace into the nearest airlock and launch him straight into space!
“Hey, at least she laughed,”Wingo says, trying to justify himself.“That’s better than the endless gloom she’s been wrapped in since she got here.”
“Wingo, you can’t talk about this! It’s private! And let’s not forget—she’s not a child!”
“Oh, stop whining. She’s human. You know how important humans are in Earth movies. And I said you was cute…”
“Don’t even describe my… situation… like that!”I choke, mortified.
“You’re so sensitive! Want me to go back and tell her she’s taller sometimes? Because I’m pretty sure she—”
“Stop!”I snap, shooting him a glare.
I’d been looking forward to this fragile, growing friendship. And now he’s out here ruining my image in front of my Dedicated Soul. He tries to look innocent, but I’m not buying it.
Ileana retreats to the restroom for a few minutes, returning with a fresh shirt—one of mine. She’s still wearing my clothes, and though they hang a little loose on her, they somehow highlight her long, graceful legs. But right now, she’s avoiding my gaze.
I turn away and focus on the view through the panel. Below us lies the dwarf planet that will one day be known as Jaga-32 or Jaga-33. For now, it’s just MyFaS. From orbit, its surface looks rugged, tinted with a soft pink hue, dotted with faint blue pustules—the life domes of terraforming, expanding so slowly they’re almost imperceptible.
SILMAR guides us toward the main dome, the only one currently equipped for habitation. It’s where the technical team began the terraforming process. The other domes are still in early growth stages, nurturing the first signs of life.
Ileana steps up beside me, her eyes scanning our final destination with visible concern. Wanting to reassure her, I decide to give her as much information as I can.
“Our base is right there,”I say, pointing to the largest dome.“It covers roughly two square miles.”
“Two point zero square miles,”SILMAR corrects.
“And beyond that?”Ileana asks, her voice tight with worry.
“Outside the energy domes that hold the atmosphere in place, there’s no life. The AI managing this world is slowly expanding the habitable area, depending on how well the vegetation grows. But inside these life pockets, I promise—we’re completely safe.”
She doesn’t look convinced. Her eyes stay fixed on the alien landscape, her expression wary and uncertain.
We’re only going under the main dome. That’s where the living complex is—it’s not huge, but it’s got everything we need.
She doesn’t answer. Just keeps looking out at the view like she’s trying to see something I can’t. And I can tell—my words haven’t really reassured her.
She finally turns to me, her expression tense.
“Are those energy domes held in place by generators?”
“Yes, just like on Base BN-35, where you spent most of your life.”
“But on BN-35, the base was mostly indoors. Here, it’s just a force field standing between us and death. That’s how my biological parents died—when a generator failed.”
“Inside the living quarters, you’ll be completely safe. And if it helps you feel more secure, you can always carry a breathing mask when you’re out in the natural zones. But honestly, I have zero concerns about MyFaS’s solar generators.”
