The Aftermath

The other shook his head. “Just about everybody in the habitat is a newcomer. They didn’t see the massacre, like George did. It didn’t affect them personally.”

“I don’t know. I had a brother-in-law on the old Chrysalis. I voted to execute the bastard.”

Theo was about to tell them what he thought when a lithe, darkhaired young woman slid into the chair beside him.

“This seat isn’t taken, is it?” she asked, in a near-whisper.

Theo shook his head, immediately forgetting the other men’s conversation. She was really good-looking, he thought, with intriguing flecks of gold in her deep brown eyes. She wore a form-fitting dark zipsuit with insignias of rank on the cuffs and a stylized logo on her left breast. She must be a member of some ship’s crew, Theo guessed.

“Are you working on a ship?” he asked, knowing it sounded terribly awkward.

She nodded. “Hyades. Medical officer.”

“Oh.” Theo had run out of things to say.

One of the sushi chefs slid a small porcelain bottle of sake to the young woman, and a tiny cup.

“We make the run out to Jupiter station,” she said as she carefully poured some of the hot sake into the little cup.

“Jupiter station,” Theo muttered. “I wish I could go there.”

The young woman sipped at the sake, then said, “They’re looking for people.”

“Scientists. People with degrees.”

“Technicians, too. You don’t have to be a scientist.”

“You still need a degree.”

She focused those gold-flecked eyes on Theo, as if thinking over a problem. Then, “Their chief recruiter is here on the habitat. He’ll make the trip back with us on Hyades.”

Theo nodded glumly.

As if she’d made up her mind about the problem, she said, “I could introduce you to him. He’s looking for technicians.”

Theo didn’t know what to say.

“It couldn’t hurt,” coaxed the young woman, with a shy smile.

“I guess not,” Theo agreed.

She dug into a hip pocket and pulled out a communicator. “I… don’t know your name.”

“Oh! I’m Theo Zacharias.” He held out his hand.

“Zacharias?”

Theo nodded, wondering if he should spell it out for her.

She hesitated a moment, then took his hand in her own as she said softly, “Altai. Altai Madagascar.”

NEW LIVES

By the time Theo returned to the Shoo-Shoo restaurant from his meeting with the Jupiter station’s recruiter he was beaming with happiness. Until he saw his parents sitting at one of the restaurant’s tables, with Angela and Dorn.

Dad’s not going to like my news, he said to himself. Drawing in a deep breath, he headed for his family.

The restaurant was filling up. The customers at the other tables were casting uneasy glances toward the cyborg, but Theo ignored them as he hurried to join the group. He grabbed the empty chair between his father and sister, and started to say, “I’ve got news for—”

Victor Zacharias cut off his son’s words with a dark scowl. “Since when do you encourage your sister to drink wine? In the company of strangers, no less.”

Angela, across the table from Theo, tried to suppress a giggle. And failed.

Theo blinked at his father. “Dad, Angie’s an adult.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

Pauline laid a hand on her husband’s arm. “It’s all right, Victor. It’s nothing to get upset about.”

“I wasn’t drunk,” Angela said. Then she hiccupped.

Victor tried to frown at his daughter, but slowly a smile spread across his face. “Maybe I’m overly protective,” he admitted.

Angela nodded vigorously.

Turning to Theo, Pauline asked, “What’s your good news, Thee?”

He glanced at his father, then replied, “I’ve landed a position on the Jupiter station. It’s only—”

“Jupiter?” His father seemed startled.

“You’re going to leave us?” Pauline asked.

“I’m going to Jupiter, too,” said Dorn.

Ignoring the cyborg, Victor asked, “How in the world could you do this? Why didn’t you talk it over with your mother and me first?”

Because you’d say no, Theo replied silently. Their surprise and displeasure was about what he’d expected. “I met with their recruiter less than an hour ago. A girl I met here at the sushi bar introduced me. It’s only a menial position, really. I’ll be a junior-level technician. But I can take university courses electronically and work toward a science degree!”

“Jupiter,” Pauline murmured.

“The girl who introduced me is the medical officer on the ship that’ll take me to Jupiter,” Theo went on. “She’s really elegant.”

“They took you on?” Victor demanded, suspicious. “Just like that?”

“They need people, Dad. They’re having trouble getting qualified people.”

“I’m not surprised,” Victor grumbled. “That outpost is a long way from civilization.”

“They’ll train me on the job,” Theo went on enthusiastically. “It’s a great opportunity.”

“Jupiter,” Pauline repeated. “It’s such a long way off.”

Angela asked, “How long will you be there, Thee?”

“I’m contracted for two years.”

“You’ve signed a contract with them?” Victor asked darkly. “Without asking me? Without telling me?”

“I’m telling you now, Dad. The pay’s good, if that means anything to you.”

“Two years,” Pauline murmured.

“At least,” said Theo.

They fell silent, each thinking their own thoughts. Pauline looked at her husband. Victor knew what she was trying to tell him. Theo’s grown up. It’s time he went his own way. This was inevitable. But he saw the pain in his wife’s eyes. Leaving for Jupiter. Just like that. Spur of the moment. The boy has no common sense.

“I’m going to Jupiter, too,” Dorn said again.

“On the Hyades?” Theo asked.

“Yes.”

“We’ll be on the ship together, then.”

With the bare minimum of a nod, Dorn said, “Big George wants me off the habitat in two days.”

“But Hyades doesn’t shove off for a week,” said Theo.

“I’ve made arrangements to live on the ship, starting tomorrow. That will keep George’s blood pressure down to normal, almost.”

“What will you be doing at the Jupiter station?” Angela asked the cyborg.

Dorn made a one-shouldered shrug. “I think they want to study me. They’re making deep dives into the Jovian ocean, and a man who’s already half machine may be very useful to them.”

Pauline started to say, “You’ll be leaving in a—”

“So there you are!” called a voice from halfway across the quiet restaurant.