Page 31

He petitioned for me.

I got work, a schedule, a place where I was useful for something other than fertility.

And eventually I stopped asking how far the outer settlements went.

Now I wished I hadn’t.

I rubbed a hand over my face.

“Great plan, Talia.”

A Zunatorian male standing beside me glanced over.

I smiled. “Not talking to you.”

He stared for a moment, then slowly moved away.

Smart man.

The board refreshed.

A supply transport was departing for the western distribution station in twelve minutes.

Not a passenger route.

Better.

Supply workers came and went constantly. The station fed several smaller settlements and connected to independent freight routes farther from the capital.

I knew that because our lab received shipments through it twice a month.

If I could get there, I could figure out the next step.

One disaster at a time.

I headed toward the lower platforms.

My work badge got me through the first checkpoint. That surprised me enough that I almost hesitated. The scanner flashed green.

Of course it did.

My laboratory clearance hadn't been revoked.

Not yet.

I stepped through before it changed its mind.

The lower transit levels smelled different from the clean administrative corridors above. Hot metal. Machine oil. Something sharp and chemical that reminded me of the industrial settlement I'd grown up near on Earth.

That smell nearly stopped me.

For one second, I saw gray skies instead of red-gold ones. Concrete walls. Women walking quickly with their heads down. Security patrols pretending not to notice things until someone important wanted them noticed.

Then a freight cart nearly clipped me.

I jumped aside.

The operator shouted something I didn't understand. “Bapʼǔn batʼǔt!”