Aetherbound - E.K. Johnston Page 0,30

colonnade, and I think you should go talk to her.”

“Why?” Ned said. “She can find a job if she talks to the quartermaster. There are signs posted everywhere.”

“She’s a gene-mage, Ned.” Fisher resisted the urge to shake him by his shoulders. “Not like our doctors. She can alter things.”

It hung there for a moment between them, and then understanding dawned in Ned’s eyes.

“You’re out of your mind,” Ned said, leaning back in his chair.

“She ran away,” Fisher repeated.

“Maybe she murdered everyone else on the ship while the captain was in the hold,” Ned said.

“I think we should go talk to her,” Fisher said.

“Oh, it’s we now?” Ned said. He winced, immediately regretting what he’d said. “I’m sorry, Fisher. It’s always both of us. I know that. I just . . . did not imagine meeting girls this way, you know?”

Fisher managed not to roll his eyes, but it was a near thing. In space, the Harland’s engine fired. It would take a month of controlled burning to bring it back to Brannick now, and it would use up all the fuel in its reserves. Having just unloaded cargo, they would never be able to afford to refuel. Maybe this escape attempt wasn’t so morbid after all. Or maybe this girl was like Fisher, and things just worked out for her. But she was still running from people who couldn’t come back for her.

It didn’t matter. They were all here, and they had an opportunity, the three of them, even if they didn’t know each other yet.

“Should I brush my teeth?” Ned asked. He checked his reflection.

“Ned, you make business deals with total strangers all the time,” Fisher said.

“I think my hair looks too spiky.”

“I will murder you.”

“Can I see a clearer picture of her?” Ned asked. Fisher raised an eyebrow. “So I recognize her at the bar, jerk.”

Fisher cued up the camera and found a good image of the girl’s face. She was pale, but not entirely unattractive. Her eyes didn’t suit her face, which was a strange thing to think about a person, but he couldn’t shake the thought once it occurred.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Ned said. He did not sound ready, but he did sound determined. “Let’s shut down operations for the night and go to the bar.”

It was almost that easy. It took Ned half an hour to extract himself since they had to walk out the main doors to get to the colonnade and people had questions for him. After that, it was only a few more minutes to walk to the bar. This late, no civilians were going to pester the Brannick.

They heard the music before the rounded the corner. The bass was pumping, making Fisher’s ears throb before they even got inside. He didn’t actually mind the song, just the volume at which it was pounding through his skull. He spotted the girl quickly enough, pulling on Ned’s sleeve to get him moving in the right direction. She was sitting at the bar, eating the little nuts that the bartenders put out to make everyone thirsty.

For the rest of his life, Fisher could never think about what happened next without dissolving into uncontrollable laughter. He watched as his brother made his way across the floor, moving like a person who commanded a space station, only to lean against the bar and say the worst possible thing.

“Now tell me,” he said, with all the grace of unevenly packed ore crate, “what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

12.

PENDT MANAGED NOT TO punch him, but only just. The other boy burst out laughing, and she didn’t know what to do. No one she met was ever so open with their emotions. The first boy’s line had seemed calculated to impress her, but now that she really looked at him, she could tell he was a bit nervous. She had no idea what was going on.

“Will you stop that?” the first boy said. “I am trying to make a good first impression.”

“I think that ship has launched, Ned,” the second boy said. “Possibly at light speed.”

“Ned, is it?” Pendt said, trying to get control of the conversation. She didn’t like facing this many unknowns. The Harland had probably launched by now, but she still didn’t want to attract attention, and these boys were clearly magnets for it.

“Ned Brannick,” he said. Pendt froze. “This is my brother, Fisher.”

“You’ve scared her, Ned,” Fisher said. “You didn’t need to throw the Brannick at her already.”

“I was being honest!”