“I don’t know. You tell me.” I braced my hands on my hips.
“I see. You think I’m one of them.”
“And you’re not?”
“Well, I am. It’s just…I need to hide until my sister comes back. I promise I won’t tell anyone you helped me.”
And there it was again, that blind trust. “Fine. Come on. It’s the one at the end. First one out, last one in.”
“What?” She darted across the wooden planks, shadowing my lead soundlessly—the way I’d seen other highly trained uniforms do. Catita might not be lying about being a first-year, but she was still one of them. I had to remember that.
“I stay out on the water longer so I can be the first one to leave in the morning.” I ushered her in front of me. “One hiding spot as requested.”
She stepped onto my boat with sure footing, but after turning in place for a couple of rounds, she met my gaze. “We’re out in the open here.”
“Right through there. I pointed at the glass pane on the floor.” A flutter of sorts prickled at the pit of my stomach. I had to admit, in a good way.
When her head disappeared below deck, I pulled on the rope and let the sails glide us out of the marina. Luck was on our side tonight, if I could call it that. A full bright moon and a steady breeze was all we needed for a clean getaway. My heart raced, but I kept my hands on the wheel and my eyes on the horizon. Out running the uniforms was part of life in Wharf District.
With the marina lights behind us, I let out a breath and relaxed my stance. Catita only needed to kill some time, so I figured we could do a tour around the bay. I took another minute to secure the sails, then went and knocked on the plexiglass leading to my private cabin. Catita opened the latch immediately and poked her head out. Had she stayed on the stepladder, or had she taken the time to look around my things, sit on my bed?
“It’s safe now,” I said.
“Thank you. I know I’m asking for a lot.” She rubbed her arm against the cool ocean breeze, then ran her tongue over her lips. “What is that?”
Her bright smile made me shuffle away. I cleared my throat. “What is what?”
“The air. It tastes like…”
“It’s the ocean breeze. It’s salty, a little fishy, this time of night.” I did a double take when she leaned over the rail to catch more of the water spray on her face and in her open mouth. “Right. No oceans on Mars.”
“I didn’t know it’d be like this.” She beamed at me, and I had to take another step back.
“It must be nice to have a boat and go sailing anytime you want.”
What was it about the Martians thinking we were swimming in riches and abundance? Nothing came easy here. We had to work hard for the food we put on our table.
“Not everyone has a boat. For the most part, people starve most days until they can’t go anymore or the uniforms decide they’re no longer useful.”
The creases on Catita’s forehead got deeper, as if my words were incomprehensible to her. When she met my gaze, the usual anger that boiled beneath the surface dissipated. “I’m sorry. I don’t know much about the Old Planet.”
“Earth. We call it Earth. Why are you here?”
Her eyes went wide, and her cheeks turned pink at the question. “I wanted to see…Earth. If I didn’t download today, I knew it would be two more years before I got another chance. If not more.”
“Why two years?”
“That’s how long it takes to spin back around from Mars to Earth.” The pause she took told me she’d made an extra effort not to call it the Old Planet. “The trek is only twelve weeks, but there’s a lot of prep that has to happen before then.”
“Ah, so that’s why you went rogue?”
“Right. What? No. I just don’t have authorization to be here is all.”
“Same difference.” I glanced away and kept my gaze straight ahead on the slivers of gray painting the horizon.
We couldn’t stay out here long without calling attention to ourselves. I might lose my boat. If I had a fishing permit, I’d be worried about losing that too.
“I was supposed to wait for my sister at Alexa’s bar. But with all those uniforms searching the area, I couldn’t stay and risk them seeing me. Ry asked me to give her until sunrise.”
“What happens if the uniforms find you?”
She swallowed. “Solitary confinement. It’s not a place you want to be.”
I nodded in agreement. I’d been on the receiving end of the uniforms’ punitive ways more than I cared to admit. Though I couldn’t imagine they’d be as vicious with one of their own.
Catita closed her eyes against the breeze. Strands of hair loosened from her ponytail and grazed her face. I’d never had the chance to look at a Martian this close or for this long. I had no idea.
“What?” I asked when she glanced at my arms, shaking her head.
“Men on Mars are much leaner than you.”
“Leaner?” I swallowed and the ocean spray went the wrong way. I coughed a few times while she eyed me curiously. I pressed my palm on my flat stomach and flexed my abs just to make sure. Why was I explaining myself to her? “This isn’t fat. Most women wouldn’t say I’m on the heavy side.”
“I don’t mind it.” She grinned.
“Mind?” Not that I needed her approval, but I’d never had anyone minding or not minding me. Whatever the hell that was.
“I think it’s the gravity.” She placed a hand on my bicep.
“It’s
