How many of the worlds are filled with people?
What happened to the two other human ships that left their home seeking a new one?
What happens to people who never find a home?
3
ALISHA
I’m double-checking everything is ready for tomorrow—the last thing I want is cargo sliding around risking damage to the ship or people—when Hrad walks up to the ship. He stands by the open cargo doors, watching me work.
After several minutes, I stop and put my hands on my hips. “Can I help you?”
He didn’t say much in the meeting, but then he didn’t need to argue about what to take. He’s not a scientist or an engineer; he’s only coming to help Erica with the anthropological observations, and to assist if we find trouble. Aside from being a banished warrior and single, I don’t know much about him. But I also don’t like being stared at.
“You’re busy; it doesn’t matter.” His voice is rough, as if it doesn’t get used much.
Clearly, it does matter, or he wouldn’t be there.
“I’m doing final checks.” I walk toward the door where he waits. “I’m the pilot, Alisha. We met at the meeting a few days ago.” I go to offer my hand but remember that extending my fingers towards him is considered threatening. Showing my teeth when smiling is also considered rude.
He nods. “Hrad.”
“I remember.” I keep my lips pressed together as I smile and step out of the ship. “Do you have something you want to bring?” Why else would he be here?
He shakes his head. “I wanted to see the ship. I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”
“It’s my ship and my responsibility.” I lean against the hull. His gaze flicks from the interior of the ship to me and back again. The late afternoon sunlight catches on the metal stud in his nose, and in the amber of his large eyes. They are a deep orange, weird and mesmerizing at the same time. “What do you want to know about it?”
Lines form across his forehead, and he’s silent for a few seconds as if considering his answer. From a human man I might suspect an ulterior motive, but Hrad seems worried. He is returning to the other continent, and there are tribes who want to kill him because he had the misfortune of being the fourth son. If it were me, I’d be worried too.
“I’m not used to ships that fly,” he rasps. “It’s metal.”
“It is.” I knock on the hull. It’s only then that my brain catches up with the first thing he said. “You’re used to wooden sailing ships. I can’t imagine crossing the ocean in one of them. Was that terrifying? There are some big sea creatures in the ocean.” I’ve seen them when doing scouting trips along the coast…and that’s the ones that came to the surface.
His lips twitch but don’t quite make it into a smile. “I can swim, but I do not have wings.”
I laugh, then pause. He wasn’t making a joke. “Oh…”
Hrad has never flown before, and he doesn’t understand the technology.
“Come in and I’ll give you a tour of the ship. I can explain a bit about how it flies if you’d like?” I indicate for him to step in.
For a moment, I think he’s about to refuse. If he won’t step into it landed, he’s going to hate flying.
He gives me one firm nod and walks up the ramp. The beads in his hair rattle as he walks. Like the others, he has a few braids in his long hair along with beads made of metal and wood and other precious stones, as well as some made of bone. As he passes me, I realize how tall he is. I only reach his shoulder. My heartbeat quickens. We are far enough away from the other ships and people that if he wanted to drag me deeper into the ship, no one would hear and there is nothing I could do to stop him.
Hrad steps into the cargo area and casts his gaze around. “It’s a lot of equipment.”
“The scientists want to take a lot of readings and samples.” They are acting as though there will never be another trip. I am hoping this is the first of many.
He makes a low noise in the back of his throat, which I take for agreement.
“If you follow me, I’ll show you the cabin.” I lead him through the cargo bay to another set of doors. “So if something goes wrong and the back door opens, this set of door seals.”
He frowns. “Why?”
Oh shit, he doesn’t know anything about air travel. “When you’re high enough, the air becomes thin and hard to breathe.”
