Aetherbound - E.K. Johnston Page 0,47

ships, which wasn’t a bad start.

Pendt became a regular feature in operations. The other operators soon started bringing questions to her if Fisher was busy. She couldn’t always answer them, but her honesty and her willingness to learn made her very approachable, and everyone was charmed.

The colonnade was another place Pendt began to frequent. The food shops and restaurants were already familiar with her because of her work in hydroponics, but now she talked with all the shopkeepers and store owners. She learned the ins and outs of the gossip chain. Dr. Morunt often joined her for lunch, and the two of them would talk about æther, but never family. It was pleasant.

And the people loved her, which was the strangest thing. They would say hello in the morning when she walked past. A café owner would have a flavour of juice she hadn’t tried yet and press it into her hand when she was on her way to operations. A parent would thank her for increasing the grain yield. A worker would wish her a good shift.

At first, she hardly knew how to react. She was thanked more times in a single morning’s walk to work than she had been in her entire life. She’d never had this sort of power before—she’d barely had any power at all—and she found that she liked it. It wasn’t like being the captain, where everyone relied on her whims and wishes. It was like being part of a crew, a real one . . . or a family. This was what it was supposed to be like. Mutual, genuine, caring, and real. She loved every single minute.

Her favourite time of the day was still the evening, when she and Fisher were home in the apartment, sitting in the lounge. She would read or watch him play a game, or they would talk about something she’d observed during the day. It wasn’t exactly an idle time; Pendt often found her brain made connections during those quieter moments that had eluded her in the bustle of the day, but it was peaceful. With her feet up and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Pendt was comfortable. She liked comfort quite a lot.

Fisher sighed and put the game controller down.

“Are you tired?” Pendt asked. It was still early.

“No,” he said. “This game is really better with two people.”

Pendt had tried playing, but she didn’t entirely grasp the difference between moving in real life and moving in the game and, as a result, just dragged Fisher down with her. He was patient, but it was hardly relaxing for either of them. He was used to playing with his brother.

“I know this is going to sound strange, but I think it must be kind of nice to miss your brother,” she said. “I certainly don’t miss any of mine.”

“He’s always talked about leaving,” Fisher said. “And I always knew he’d find a way to. I even wanted it, because I knew I’d get to run the station if he left. But I didn’t imagine this part. The part where he was just gone.”

“I’m sure he feels the same way,” Pendt said.

“Do you think we’ll hear from him?” Fisher asked.

Pendt considered her answer. She had learned how station communications worked, but she knew that Fisher meant a more personal message. It was unlikely that Ned would be able to tell them anything detailed, but she suspected Fisher would appreciate literally anything his brother were to send.

“He might,” she said. “When it’s safe for him to do so.”

They heard astonishingly little about the rebellion. It was nothing but rumours and stories, supplemented by the occasional ship that came out to Brannick Station for supplies. The bulk of the fighting was based out of the stations that were closer to the Hegemony’s base in the Stavenger solar system. There wasn’t much in the way of reliable news. Most of what they heard came thirdhand through merchants, who reported that prices on Katla were high, indicating an influx of people. They didn’t know where Ned had been sent, and none of the news was specific enough for them to make even a general guess about where he was or what he was doing.

“What are you reading?” Fisher changed the subject.

“Just a story,” Pendt said. “It’s about a girl who finds out she’s the descendant of a powerful warrior and has to find the others in her group to fight injustice.”

“One of Ned’s?” Fisher asked.

“Yes,” Pendt said. “He told me I could