she would be able to breathe and move. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing she had ever worn, but she would be able to take it off as soon as she was in a safer place. Until then, she hoped she didn’t have to run very far. She might pass out if her lungs were pushed too hard.
She made quick work of pulling on the faded, old pants and the long-sleeved shirt. The two pairs of socks layered atop each other helped with the too-big boots. After throwing the filthy coveralls into the trash chute, she returned to the wardrobe and picked through the box of hats until she found one similar to the type ship’s crewmen wore. It was dirty and stained and the brim was a little bit bent. She put it on and then grabbed an oversized hooded jacket with a mended patch on the elbow and a pair of leather work gloves to stuff into the pockets.
Not wanting to go out and see Terror with that woman, she sat on the edge of the bed and waited. She considered firing up the tablet the general had given her, but she wasn’t sure how secure the networks here were. Instead, she started making mental lists of options. She had heard of a planet in a nearby sector, outside of Alliance control, that welcomed refugees to work in their booming agricultural industry. She didn’t know the first thing about farming, but she figured she could learn to pick fruit or vegetables quickly.
Movement in the doorway interrupted her train of thoughts. She turned to see Terror standing there. He had changed his clothing and wore glasses that projected a perfectly matching eye to his unharmed one. There was a slight blue tint to the lenses, and she wondered if they had some kind of tech function.
Even with the glasses, there was no hiding the shock on his face. His mouth had gone slack with surprise, and then he stormed toward her, his expression dark and angry. Before she could stand up, he snatched the hat off her head and revealed the extent of her hasty haircut.
“What did you do?” he demanded.
She rolled her eyes and yanked the hat from his hands. Not even caring that he couldn’t understand her sign language, she answered, “I cut my hair. Obviously.”
“Lose the sarcasm, Maisie.”
Narrowing her eyes, she wondered if he had actually understood her hand movements or if he had guessed. As if reading her mind, he tapped his glasses. “They’re universal translators. I can see what you’re saying right in front of my eye.”
“Really? Let’s see if it can translate this,” she said before rudely signing in his direction.
“Go fuck myself? That’s real cute, Maisie.” He gritted his teeth and took a step back. “You shouldn’t have cut your hair.”
“You saw the way they looked at me in the street. Cutting my hair and making myself look like a man is our best chance of avoiding detection.”
“You don’t look like a man. You look like a boy. A very pretty boy.” He reached out and touched her face, dragging his thumb along her cheek and jaw. “Your skin is too smooth.”
“Unless you plan to pump me full of hormones and wait for me to grow a beard, this is the best I can do.”
His thumb moved across her lower lip, dragging it down slightly. “Your mouth is too soft and kissable.”
She slapped his hand away from her face and stood up. “Your chance to kiss my mouth is over.” She grabbed the still damp backpack she had been hauling around since leaving the cargo ship and slipped it over her arms. “Why don’t you go kiss your girlfriend and leave me alone?”
Terror clasped her upper arm, not hard but with enough strength to turn her to face him. He started to talk, but the woman with the violet hair appeared in the doorway behind him. He grimaced, and she shook free of his hold before signing another rude remark. From the grim set of his mouth, she could tell he understood it.
The woman strode toward her with a friendly smile and held out her hand. “I’m Pam.”
Maisie shook the woman’s hand before spelling out her name. “Maisie.”
“I’m so happy to meet you, Maisie. Anyone who saved Terror is my friend for life,” Pam replied. “I wish there was more we could do for you, but we’re closing down and running, too. There’s something happening on Prime, and most of us off-the-books