Something he’d known all his life.
But she’d never experienced before.
“It’s insanely beautiful. Almost like magic.” She reached out to touch it again, and this time, made contact. The shielding wavered, a light rippling out from her impact.
“It is beautiful,” Karuk said. Though he wasn’t speaking about the shielding. He only saw her and her joy and curiosity.
Something he didn’t see enough in his life.
Jenny glanced at him, then down, then back at the shield. “I was, uh, talking about the shield.”
“I know,” he said. He took another step toward her.
He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face, his fingers lingering in her hair.
She met his gaze.
“Hey there. Karuk and Jenny, right?” A male came out onto the platform. He looked to be another Earthling.
The Earthling broke the spell that was weaving itself around the two of them.
Jenny turned and looked at him. “Yeah, that’s us.”
“I’m Jeff, and I’m your go-to liaison here on The Bridge, and I’m here to make sure you’re happy with your accommodations.” The male smiled widely and seemed genuinely pleased to see them. He pushed a repulsor pad cart toward their bags.
“I’m sure they will be adequate,” Karuk said, returning to their things.
Together, he and Jeff placed all their bags on the cart.
Jenny carried Mister Fluffikins, but Karuk took the crate from her.
“He will ride smoother here,” he said, placing it on the cart in a way so the cat could see out as they walked.
“Oh, you have your own pet! How fun.”
Jeff pushed the cart around that moved like it weighed nothing. “Come on, then. Let’s get you all settled.”
“What is that?” Jenny asked.
“A repulsor cart, tech from up there. It’s like pushing nothing.”
“Really?” Jenny asked.
“Here, have a try.”
Jenny pushed it. “Wow, that’s lighter than an empty shopping cart.”
“They are so handy,” Jeff said, taking control of the cart again.
Karuk couldn’t help smiling at their excitement over basic technology. Well, basic to him, anyway.
As they entered the main area, he noticed it seemed to be a large circular space with counters all around. Bright and clean, and it had a lot of plants scattered about the station.
Karuk took a breath. The natural air smelled different from the reprocessed air of the space station. Of being in space.
Organic air always filled him better.
He missed the organic. He admired the flora they passed as they walked through the sizeable area. Plants of all shapes and colors brightened the level. He noticed as he walked by that many had little cards in the front, with the name and the region of the world they came from.
