preparing to fight and looked each other straight in the eyes.
“And what if I do?” She could not stop herself from saying it, his impertinence made her blood boil.
“Jo,” Alec tried to calm things down, “I know electronics better than anyone else. What if something brakes down? This is still a prototype.”
“Give it a rest.” Jo also cooled down a bit. She’d never have expected anyone could have this instinctive, infuriating effect on her. “Levi’s sending someone. I’m not going alone.” She leant over to him and whispered, “And if I was you, I wouldn’t go around calling an officer of military intelligence an arsehole. All you’ll accomplish is to sound like an arsehole yourself.” She looked him in the eyes and added, before turning back and returning to her craft, “Of the worst kind.”
* * * *
Silently, almost inaudibly, Margaret sneaked into the operating theatre. It was much bigger than the one she was used to on the Luna. It was fitted with the newest equipment, soundproof cabins and better computers. She used her code to open the large strongbox where the army stored memorial detectors. Luckily there was still one left, on a small table with wheels. She carefully pulled it out and pushed it towards one of the cabins. She set all the variables to exactly match the ones she had used onboard the Luna and began preparing the operating table.
A few moments later, Diana walked in, heavy with child. She ought to be thinking of nothing but childbirth, her health and family and of all the changes that new human being would bring into their lives.
Margaret felt heavy pangs of conscience as she watched her friend. She felt responsible. She should never have agreed to this; she should have tried harder to change Diana’s mind. What Jo did with her life was her business, hers and no one else’s.
“Please, Mag, let’s do it while everyone’s occupied with David’s mission and the Nobody will walk in on us now.”
“All right,” Margaret overwhelming fear she was beginning to feel. There had been many stories about the commodore. If he ever found out about this… “Get ready, then. Let’s get it over with.”
As she began plugging Diana up to the memorial detector, she realised that she was a coward, terrorised by a younger woman, but on the other hand, she’d never really liked Jo. Her perfection was irritating, as was her popularity and everyone’s admiration for her. Before she arrived at the Luna, Margaret used to be the most popular one and she never really got over losing that.
session of the Council.
agreed, ignoring the
* * * *
“Commodore, my position is 45 o N and 100 o W. I’ll be waiting on top of a hill.”
“Understood. We’re dispatching a ship to pick you up.”
Levi hurried off with David’s coordinates memorised. He needed to find Jo. She would have most likely already checked the ship and would now be preparing for the takeoff in her room. He walked past the gym and was surprised to see it nearly full at this time of day. As he turned back and entered the room, everyone stopped their exercises and grew silent. With intentional harshness, Levi gazed at them and spoke with audible reproach.
“I’ve waited for three hours for a volunteer. But it seems that you’d much rather feed your own vanity than set out to save a man’s life.”
Their heads lowered and their eyes avoided direct contact. The commandos stared at the floor – they deserved it, the lot of them.
“Luckily there’s still one among you with some decency left, but because it’s Jo, I’m asking once more for someone to go with her.”
Silence again. Cowards. Worried about their own arses and little else. They’d rather languish comfortably on-board their shuttles than take up an actual fight. He looked up again with one last hope of finding a volunteer, but no one would meet his eyes. He scowled and was about to give up when he noticed Alec entering the room.
“Commodore, I’m ready to fly
“And what if I do?” She could not stop herself from saying it, his impertinence made her blood boil.
“Jo,” Alec tried to calm things down, “I know electronics better than anyone else. What if something brakes down? This is still a prototype.”
“Give it a rest.” Jo also cooled down a bit. She’d never have expected anyone could have this instinctive, infuriating effect on her. “Levi’s sending someone. I’m not going alone.” She leant over to him and whispered, “And if I was you, I wouldn’t go around calling an officer of military intelligence an arsehole. All you’ll accomplish is to sound like an arsehole yourself.” She looked him in the eyes and added, before turning back and returning to her craft, “Of the worst kind.”
* * * *
Silently, almost inaudibly, Margaret sneaked into the operating theatre. It was much bigger than the one she was used to on the Luna. It was fitted with the newest equipment, soundproof cabins and better computers. She used her code to open the large strongbox where the army stored memorial detectors. Luckily there was still one left, on a small table with wheels. She carefully pulled it out and pushed it towards one of the cabins. She set all the variables to exactly match the ones she had used onboard the Luna and began preparing the operating table.
A few moments later, Diana walked in, heavy with child. She ought to be thinking of nothing but childbirth, her health and family and of all the changes that new human being would bring into their lives.
Margaret felt heavy pangs of conscience as she watched her friend. She felt responsible. She should never have agreed to this; she should have tried harder to change Diana’s mind. What Jo did with her life was her business, hers and no one else’s.
“Please, Mag, let’s do it while everyone’s occupied with David’s mission and the Nobody will walk in on us now.”
“All right,” Margaret overwhelming fear she was beginning to feel. There had been many stories about the commodore. If he ever found out about this… “Get ready, then. Let’s get it over with.”
As she began plugging Diana up to the memorial detector, she realised that she was a coward, terrorised by a younger woman, but on the other hand, she’d never really liked Jo. Her perfection was irritating, as was her popularity and everyone’s admiration for her. Before she arrived at the Luna, Margaret used to be the most popular one and she never really got over losing that.
session of the Council.
agreed, ignoring the
* * * *
“Commodore, my position is 45 o N and 100 o W. I’ll be waiting on top of a hill.”
“Understood. We’re dispatching a ship to pick you up.”
Levi hurried off with David’s coordinates memorised. He needed to find Jo. She would have most likely already checked the ship and would now be preparing for the takeoff in her room. He walked past the gym and was surprised to see it nearly full at this time of day. As he turned back and entered the room, everyone stopped their exercises and grew silent. With intentional harshness, Levi gazed at them and spoke with audible reproach.
“I’ve waited for three hours for a volunteer. But it seems that you’d much rather feed your own vanity than set out to save a man’s life.”
Their heads lowered and their eyes avoided direct contact. The commandos stared at the floor – they deserved it, the lot of them.
“Luckily there’s still one among you with some decency left, but because it’s Jo, I’m asking once more for someone to go with her.”
Silence again. Cowards. Worried about their own arses and little else. They’d rather languish comfortably on-board their shuttles than take up an actual fight. He looked up again with one last hope of finding a volunteer, but no one would meet his eyes. He scowled and was about to give up when he noticed Alec entering the room.
“Commodore, I’m ready to fly
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