“What did Imiss?” Trisha wrinkled her nose up at her husband.
“I was beingsilly,” he explained, “andthe Universe must have noticed.”
A last creature madeits way past the town and then there was no further sign of them,except for the quickly fading calls from down the valley.
Frank leaned down towhisper in Trisha’s ear. “Should I go see if our container hasbeen emptied?”
“Mmm,” she tiltedher head so his lips brushed her ear. “Are you in a rush to gethome?”
“A mad rush,”he assured her.
“Me too,” sheadmitted, “but we need to wait until Vikram is settled in hisroom.” She looked up at him. “I don’t want him walking past ourdoor.”
She giggled at the lookon his face. “Now you know why I was so anxious for him to unpack!”
Movie Night
The Mouse, In Path
“Why is the mightyHercules wearing a bathmat?” a silhouette at the bottom of theprojection asked.
The crowd in the hangarlaughed and, fortunately, they were laughing at the right spots inthe movie. Gabriella had been nervous about showing them Earthentertainment.
She’d seen some ofHack’s favorite holo-dramas and they were mind-blowinglyimpressive. The crew had been clamoring for a taste of wildentertainment and so she’d figured it would be best to start outwith something they were supposed to laugh at.
One of her favoritesinvolved silhouette characters poking fun at cheesy old movies.
A character walked intoa discussion holding a sheet of paper. “Hey guys, I was justreading the script and I think I’m supposed to be in this scene!”
Another burst oflaughter. She looked over at Hack. He was enjoying himself and healso seemed curious about whether Tien was enjoying it as well. Hekept glancing over at her.
Gabriella smiled. Hewas being furtive about it, as if he was afraid of being found outand ridiculed. I know that story well enough. Still,it’s cute to watch from this perspective.
She found himattractive. Hell,pretty much every one of these genetically enhanced males wasgood lookingbut she had no interest in him beyond friendship. These people werejust so different from everything she knew.
Tien, however, had alot more in common with Hack. He seemed to agree because he’dbrought her along to help introduce Gabriella to holo entertainment.
The first holohad, at Hack’s insistence, been one of Tien’s picks. It was aromance involving astrange-looking alien species.
The Earthmovie ended and the lightscame back on. She watched Tien get up and moveover to a spot near the exitwith a group of women, all of them laughing as they discussed themovie.
And poor Hack satthere, cute as a lost puppy, watching Tien leave. I wonderif someone will ever look at me like that.
She leaned over andbumped his shoulder with hers. “You gotta do something about that,”she told him.
“What?” he asked,alarmed. “Do something about what?”
“Come on,” shechided. “It’s pretty obvious you like her. I thought you guyswere a lot more forward about this stuff.”
“Not all of us.The combat specialists are more like that. They get really…” Hedarted her a guilty look. “They get a little crazy, after amission. I’m a support tech.”
“So you’venever…” She trailed off significantly.
“Never…?” Helooked at her. “Well, I have. Most of us have. Just not as much asyou might have been led to believe.”
“So, you’venever just had a random, no-consequence roll in the hay withsomeone?”
“Roll in the… Ah.Well, yes, I have but not often and folks are starting to frown onthat now. Should we be having this conversation?”
She rolled her eyes.“Look, in my country, the laws vary by state. I can get in my mom’scar – which I can legally drive, by the way – travel threehundred miles and suddenly the age of consent is only sixteen.”
She held up her hands.“I happen to think that age is too young, by the way, but that’swhat happens when some gross old politician is in charge of pickingthe number. The point is…”
She frowned. Whatis my point here? She shook herhead. “We’re talking about you here, not me. You like Tien. Doyou have any kind of history with her?”
“We’ve servedtogether for three…” He stopped abruptly, pulling his face backfrom her waggling fingers.
“No, Hack. I meanhave you had sex with her?”
“Oh.” Hefidgeted on his seat. “No. I suppose it would have helped, right?”
“Maybe,” shegrimaced. “But I think you like her a little more than that,right?”
“History wouldn’thelp?”
“Do you remember thatfirst holo you guys had me watch? The one she picked?”
“AdditionalHeartrending Tale of Seletica? Sure, why?”
“Aside from thestupid title, do you recall what happens to the young woman… youngfemale, I suppose?”
“Yeah, she died.”
“Ugh! Is that all youremember?”
“It seemed prettyimportant.”
“Really? In thecontext of our conversation, that’s what you think applies?” Shepinched the bridge of her nose. “Why was she executed?”
“She married acommoner and her father, the lord of the system, had to make anexample of them both.”
“Good Lord!No matter where you are in the Universe, it has one truth,”Gabriella said loudly. “Men are dense!”
“That’s whathappened,” Hack protested.
“She was anoblewoman, kept on her metaphorical pedestal in the palace whereeveryone could see her but that one commoner noticedher. Do you understand? He couldn’t help himself. That’s whathappened in Tien’s favorite holo.”
“So…” Hefurrowed his brows.
Gabriellaresisted the urge to shake him. This is new for thesepeople, she reminded herself.“Look, she wants to be noticed. She wants a guy who can’t helpbut take a second glance when he bumps into her on the ship.
“But don’tstart following her around like a love-sick puppy,” she warned.“Just be yourself. Regular,confident broad-shouldered Hack. If you happen to see her somewhere,maybe do a double-take or something; let her see you noticing her.”
“Um. Okay,” he saidcarefully. “So I just look but don’t say anything? I’m justnoticing, right?”
“What? No, you cansay ‘hi’ or something. You might even let your voice go up alittle in tone. That signals interest, or so my friends tell me.”
“Where did they learnthis stuff?”
“I’m kind of theodd woman out in my group of friends,” she admitted. “They’veall had boyfriends, so they’re always trying to ‘coach’ me.”
“And you’repassing it forward, as they say on Irth?”
“Paying it forward,”she corrected. “But, yes. Try it out. If you think you’re makingprogress, ask her if she’d like to see another movie from Earth.I’ve got a ton of them. I’m sure there’s
