When she sat down with her grandfather’s things, she wished she had something stronger than the weird, coffee-like, but definitely not coffee, beverage Luv had made for her from some powder she’d found in the lounge. The containers were stacked in the back of the bedroom closet. Alyce and Luv had disposed of his clothing, but packed up everything they thought might be of interest to his family. Holly sat on the bedroom floor and went through them one by one, looking for anything that might help her understand the man, or the station, or why he’d put such odd conditions in his will.
She found…well, nothing. Some hideous kitchenware. An old cookbook and an even older pocket watch. Some even older books, which were interesting and something she’d look at more later. A handful of data chips that she plugged into her d-pad with hope, only to find they contained nothing beyond old correspondence and maintenance logs she already had access to. No personal letters. No images. No evidence of hobbies or interests or a life lived with any warmth at all. She could not kick the sense that something was missing from this collection of belongings. That an item should have been here, but was not.
Holly sat there and tried to feel something for the man who had lived here before her. Pity, perhaps. Or understanding. But all she felt was the absence of anything to feel. Charles Moone had lived here for decades and left behind two crates of nothing.
She repacked the crates, moved them into the empty room, and closed the door.
Ten
“What would you like from the NuProd before Alyce picks you up for your station tour?”
Holly’s head whipped toward Luv. “What station tour?”
Luv made a staticky sound from her interface. “Did you not check your schedule? It is on your schedule.”
It was the morning after she’d gone through Charles’ possessions and she wasn’t in a particularly great mood. Her dreams had been anxiety-ridden messes involving being lost in mazes. Holly looked up from her d-pad. “What schedule?”
“It should be in your d-pad,” Luv said. “And in your wrist comm. Bloody hell, I will not babysit you, too.”
“Fine.” Holly made a show of changing menus in her d-pad to an option she hadn’t thought she needed so far, here. Sure enough, a calendar item appeared:Station tour with Alyce: 09:00.
“Oh.” When had that happened?
“Yes,” Luv snapped. “Oh. Do check your agenda on a regular basis. You are the owner of this station now. Best you not be as unreliable as your late grandfather.”
“This is the first I’ve heard of this,” she said with a scowl. “Don’t yell at me, Luv. I just got up.”
“I apologize,” Luv replied without sounding at all apologetic. “Now, about breakfast. Porridge, hot or cold?”
Holly was reaching a point where the word “porridge” was making her stomach literally clench. Even with Luv’s additions to it—some berries for breakfast and vegetables for other meals—it was becoming intolerable. Holly sighed. Nevertheless: “Hot, please. The same way you made it yesterday, with the berries.”
“Berries.” Luv’s tone suggested this was a tall order, even though they seemed to be easily obtained in the lounge. “I’ll see what I can manage.”
The robot turned toward the door, then stopped and rotated back to face Holly.
“Take the dog outside before you do anything else,” Luv said. “Or else he’ll empty his bladder on the floor.”
Holly looked at Bean. The beagle was sitting by the door, his body tense with urgency. He stared at her with an expression that clearly said,hurry up.
“Right.” Holly grabbed the leash from the hook and clipped it to his collar. “Come on, Bean.”
The dog bolted the moment she opened the door, nearly yanking her arm from its socket. Holly stumbled after him, struggling to keep up as he dragged her through the hotel lobby and out into the square.
The morning light was soft and golden. The dome arched overhead, its crystal-plex panels catching the glow and scattering it across the stone walkways below. Holly drew in a breath and let it out slowly. Despite everything, this place really was beautiful.
She looked up and saw the gas giant hanging in the sky beyond the dome, enormous and striped with bands of toxic color and dusty rings. The system’s star was smaller than the sun she had grown up with, but warm enough to cast gentle shadowsacross the square. The light felt different this morning. Softer. More forgiving.
Bean tugged on the leash, pulling her toward the patch of trees that clustered at one edge of the square. There lay an opening that would lead down a dirt path that wound through the forest. It was their usual route and the one Bean always went for. Holly didn’t mind. The trees rose around her, their branches reaching toward the dome roof. Birds fluttered between the leaves, chirping and calling to one another. Insects buzzed in the undergrowth. Something rustled in the brush nearby, and Holly heard the scurry of small feet. Critters. The forest was alive, despite the neglect.
She never let Bean take themtoofar in. She didn’t know what lived in these woods, and she wasn’t eager to find out until she had a bit more information. Stations like this were often infested with odd creatures. Some arrived as stowaways on ships. Some were abandoned. Either way, she wasn’t eager to encounter them.
Her wrist comm pinged, and Holly’s heart lifted, knowing who this likely was. She tapped the simple white bracelet that served as a communicator. A small earpiece popped out when she received a call. She pried it off and tucked it into her ear.
“Holly?” Her father’s voice came through, warm and familiar. “Are you there?”
She smiled at the sound of his voice. “I’m here, Dad.”
“Oh, good. This frequency sounds shaky, but I hope it holds.” Her mother’s voice joined the call. “We were worried when we didn’t hear from you for over a week. How is it going? What’s it like?”
