you ventured below the military level of the base, which you never do. Oh, the Great Star Base Commander Jamis Dexxirs might visit the market level of the base he's in charge of, just to make sure it was running up to his standards, but he would never actually socialize with those that keep the base running."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it? When have you ever gone below the market level? The Brink is the most popular bar on the base. It's where both your people and those that keep the base running meet and relax, and yet you've never stepped foot in it."
"How relaxed do you think your patrons would be if I were there?" he demanded.
"Oh, I see. You deny yourself for them because that's what the Apre do… think of others’ comfort first."
She felt the rumble build in the chest beneath her hand, revealing he didn't like her calling him out like that. But it was the truth. Apre went where they wanted and did what they wanted, no matter if it made others uncomfortable.
Instead of speaking, the arm keeping her close moved up along her back, passing over her head. She wasn't sure what he was doing until he finally spoke. He had touched his ear where his communication link was.
Nearly every being in the universe now wore some version of the links for communication and language translation. They positioned it near whatever auditory orifice the species used. The links had become something of a status symbol, decorated with jewels and precious metals. Some beings even had more than one and altered them, so they glowed when in use.
Jamis’s didn't glow, but she wouldn't expect it. He was military, and it would give away his location.
"This is Dexxirs."
She couldn't hear what was said, which was the whole point of the link. It was directly placed in the wearer's inner ear guaranteeing privacy unless the other person was nearly ear-to-ear.
"We’re uninjured."
There was a pause.
"There are two of us. Yes, I said two. Exterior conditions are not currently conducive for extraction."
There was another pause, and his breath ruffled her hair as he sighed.
"I see, then lower the tube. Yes! I said the tube. Make sure the air is properly heated. Notify me when you're in position, and we will climb up."
She felt him disconnect the transmission and asked. "Tube?"
"There is a small meteor storm heading this way. It will hit right before the end of the dark hours. We need to evacuate."
"Again…, tube?"
"The recovery ship is outfitted with a ship-to-ship recovery tube. The ship will get into position over us and lower it. We will then exit the shelter and climb up into the ship."
"Those things only work if there is an airtight seal."
"In space, yes, but here it will only need to make contact with the ground. It will protect us from the environment well enough to be able to exit and climb up to the ship."
"Climb, as in a ladder or just a rope?"
"It will be a flex ladder. You should have no problem climbing it, but we must be quick. The ship will get as close to us as possible since the tube isn't meant for atmospheric recoveries and will not last long."
"Great," she muttered. "Just what I needed after having to evacuate a crippled transport and then crash landing on some unnamed planet… a never-before-attempted rescue."
"How do you know it has never been attempted?"
"Wasn’t too hard to figure out with the way you had to order the crew to lower the tube. Obviously, they weren’t too happy about it."
"They should have been equipped for all types of environmental rescues. Not being so is a dereliction of their duty."
"Yeah, well, our escape pod should have been equipped with a shelter that accommodated all sizes of beings, not just the undersized pilots the company hires. That's a dereliction of their duty too. Life sucks sometimes. Live with it. How long are we going to have?"
"Have?" Even though she couldn't see it, she knew he was frowning.
"To get out and climb up?"
"Five to ten standard-minutes once the tube is in place."
Suddenly the shelter filled with an almost blinding light.
"That is the positioning beacon," he told her, sitting up, his hand going up to his ear to listen. "They are lowering the tube."
She shoved the blanket aside and moved off of him, noticing for the first time that his link blended with his slightly dusky skin tone and was affixed just in front of the tragus of his Earthan-shaped ear.