wits.
Grey stood behind the helm station, arms
folded and relaxed. He alone seemed undaunted with the idea of a
novice attempting such a delicate procedure. Cidra prayed he didn’t
see her hands tremble while she maneuvered the large ship over the
small red landing mark in the corner of a bustling, cavernous
landing bay.
The deck crew remained
conspicuously subdued and Cidra could feel their concerned glances
her way. She was now close enough to see the faces of the ground
personnel waving Calíbre in. The churning mass of activity parted just
enough for them to land.
Cidra tuned every ounce of concentration
into the landing, checking and rechecking current status from the
plethora of displays surrounding her. After what seemed like an
eternity, a gentle thump confirmed touchdown. Cidra shut down all
systems with a small sigh of relief.
“ Landing cycle completed,”
she announced while giving silent thanks.
The deck crew chatted freely and dispersed
in haste, leaving her and Grey alone.
Cidra gathered herself, stood up and
smoothed her jumpsuit trying to act as though nothing momentous had
just occurred. “Now what?”
Grey placed his hand on her back and ushered
her down the portside corridor.
“ I ordered a ground shuttle
to take us to my home. It should be waiting. Is Barrios
ready?”
Cidra slanted him a smile. “Are you kidding?
He can’t wait to visit the market. I don’t think he cared much for
Mora’s cooking.”
She wanted the words back as soon as they
slipped out and threw Grey a conciliatory glance. He said nothing,
but she sensed the sparkle slip away into foreboding darkness that
accompanied any reference to Mora. Cidra cursed the woman for
ruining yet another bright moment.
They exited Calíbre in silence and
were immediately assaulted with the blunt essence of Landing Bay
Number Sixty-two. As predicted, Barrios was busy loading bags into
the waiting ground shuttle amid the mass confusion and deafening
noise.
Cidra stopped, overwhelmed
by the chaos swarming around Calíbre and several other large ships
in the general vicinity. The walls reverberated in the deafening
clamor of massive surging engines, shipping containers being
unloaded, voices straining above the discord. The air hung thick
with the smell of fuel and lubricants.
The bay bustled with a strange assortment of
humans and aliens. Old acquaintances waved and embraced.
Information blared from speakers high above the bay, barely
discernible. Orders were shouted from every corner. Cidra caught
fragments of several languages, voices of various modulations, and
a few vulgarities mixed in.
She jumped when Grey touched her arm and
spoke directly into her ear over the noise level. “I’ll be back in
a minute. There’s someone I need to talk to.”
Cidra nodded, fighting the rush of awareness
the intimate gesture triggered.
He squeezed her arm. “By the way, nice
landing.”
She shot him a brilliant smile.
For a brief moment he
froze, his silver eyes intensifying as he stared at her. The smile
faltered. Air crackled between them. Without a word, he headed out
through the throng of activity. She breathed. What was that all about ?
Cidra followed his progress to a big man
standing under the belly of a massive, black ship. As he
approached, the man turned and greeted him sportingly.
“ Hey, are you going to help
or what?” Barrios yelled at Cidra over the pandemonium as he flung
another bag onto their waiting shuttle. She dismissed him with a
careless wave and set to work.
As soon as the gear was
loaded, the driver gestured in no uncertain terms that he was ready
to depart. Now .
Cidra surveyed the bay anxiously and found Grey still in deep
conversation with the other man. She hated to interrupt him, but
the driver was becoming downright belligerent. After persuading him
to wait a few more minutes, she hurried toward the
twosome.
As she slipped underneath the large ship and
approached them, Grey pinned her with a stern
Grey stood behind the helm station, arms
folded and relaxed. He alone seemed undaunted with the idea of a
novice attempting such a delicate procedure. Cidra prayed he didn’t
see her hands tremble while she maneuvered the large ship over the
small red landing mark in the corner of a bustling, cavernous
landing bay.
The deck crew remained
conspicuously subdued and Cidra could feel their concerned glances
her way. She was now close enough to see the faces of the ground
personnel waving Calíbre in. The churning mass of activity parted just
enough for them to land.
Cidra tuned every ounce of concentration
into the landing, checking and rechecking current status from the
plethora of displays surrounding her. After what seemed like an
eternity, a gentle thump confirmed touchdown. Cidra shut down all
systems with a small sigh of relief.
“ Landing cycle completed,”
she announced while giving silent thanks.
The deck crew chatted freely and dispersed
in haste, leaving her and Grey alone.
Cidra gathered herself, stood up and
smoothed her jumpsuit trying to act as though nothing momentous had
just occurred. “Now what?”
Grey placed his hand on her back and ushered
her down the portside corridor.
“ I ordered a ground shuttle
to take us to my home. It should be waiting. Is Barrios
ready?”
Cidra slanted him a smile. “Are you kidding?
He can’t wait to visit the market. I don’t think he cared much for
Mora’s cooking.”
She wanted the words back as soon as they
slipped out and threw Grey a conciliatory glance. He said nothing,
but she sensed the sparkle slip away into foreboding darkness that
accompanied any reference to Mora. Cidra cursed the woman for
ruining yet another bright moment.
They exited Calíbre in silence and
were immediately assaulted with the blunt essence of Landing Bay
Number Sixty-two. As predicted, Barrios was busy loading bags into
the waiting ground shuttle amid the mass confusion and deafening
noise.
Cidra stopped, overwhelmed
by the chaos swarming around Calíbre and several other large ships
in the general vicinity. The walls reverberated in the deafening
clamor of massive surging engines, shipping containers being
unloaded, voices straining above the discord. The air hung thick
with the smell of fuel and lubricants.
The bay bustled with a strange assortment of
humans and aliens. Old acquaintances waved and embraced.
Information blared from speakers high above the bay, barely
discernible. Orders were shouted from every corner. Cidra caught
fragments of several languages, voices of various modulations, and
a few vulgarities mixed in.
She jumped when Grey touched her arm and
spoke directly into her ear over the noise level. “I’ll be back in
a minute. There’s someone I need to talk to.”
Cidra nodded, fighting the rush of awareness
the intimate gesture triggered.
He squeezed her arm. “By the way, nice
landing.”
She shot him a brilliant smile.
For a brief moment he
froze, his silver eyes intensifying as he stared at her. The smile
faltered. Air crackled between them. Without a word, he headed out
through the throng of activity. She breathed. What was that all about ?
Cidra followed his progress to a big man
standing under the belly of a massive, black ship. As he
approached, the man turned and greeted him sportingly.
“ Hey, are you going to help
or what?” Barrios yelled at Cidra over the pandemonium as he flung
another bag onto their waiting shuttle. She dismissed him with a
careless wave and set to work.
As soon as the gear was
loaded, the driver gestured in no uncertain terms that he was ready
to depart. Now .
Cidra surveyed the bay anxiously and found Grey still in deep
conversation with the other man. She hated to interrupt him, but
the driver was becoming downright belligerent. After persuading him
to wait a few more minutes, she hurried toward the
twosome.
As she slipped underneath the large ship and
approached them, Grey pinned her with a stern
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