Page 20 of The Brightness Between Us

“It took centuries of humans improving their skills, generation by generation, to bring string instruments to their ultimate evolution. The selection of wood for the main body, the polish of that wood, the differing tree species for the wood used for the pegs and bridge, then the materials—gut or wire—for the strings themselves. Violins also have bows, which require precise engineering of the frog, honed wood for the arc, and synthetic or real hair for the bow.”

“So I take it that’s all too difficult for me to pull off?” I ask OS.

“That is a reasonable conclusion, yes.”

“Well, I’ll just have to work very hard at it,” I say, with a pointed look at the piece of alien wood. I heft it, slipping it through the carrying loop on my back, next to the spear.

“You will fail to make a violin,” OS says. “To begin with, that piece of wood is not nearly big enough. But Ambrose will be touched by the attempt.”

“That’s precisely what I’m counting on, OS.” I wink, like a character fromPink Lagoon. Or I try to. Winking is hard! I could use some practice.

“I could print a type of polycarbonate that is even more resonant than wood,” OS offers.

“Not the point.”

“I understand that. But perhaps you will let me print a violin anyway, and you could use the alien wood for the bow’s stick. That is more feasible. Now, let’s get moving. If we move at six-point-one kilometers per hour or faster, we can arrive at the settlement before the Scorch.”

An anniversary present for the dads! I’ve figured it out.

I stretch, lifting my sore arms up to the Sisters. The sky is so large out here, without even the merest hill to crowd the horizon. If I look forward and back, I can see places where I have been already. But if I step even one foot to either side, I’m on terrain that no human has ever trod. For that thrilling feeling alone, I could easily stay out here weeks longer, though I have been starting to miss the dads and Yarrow.

In a small act of acknowledgment (defiance?) I jog a couple meters to the left before following Rover on our course home. Charting my own path. A pathetically smalldeviation, but my own.

“I won’t ask what that was about,” OS says.

“Yeah, thanks, that’s probably for the best,” I reply.

I decide that once I arrive at the settlement I’ll seek Yarrow and Dad and Father out individually and share the news with them one by one, to eke out as much drama as possible.

But one of them finds me first.

Rover slows when a shape appears on the horizon, a good half a kilometer before the settlement fence. My first thought is that another alien tree has somehow sprouted, but that would make no sense, even by exoplanet rules. “What is that?” I ask.

“It appears to be your brother,” OS says.

“You can see that far off?” I ask, visoring my hand over my eyes.

“Yes, perfectly well. He has a little bit of his breakfast porridge still sticking to the hair above his lip.”

“Okay, then,” I say. I proceed toward the settlement. Rover slows down even more. “What?”

“He’s exhibiting unusual vital signs,” OS says.

I slow my pace to match Rover’s. I give Yarrow a hearty wave, but he doesn’t respond. Rover slows down even more, but I speed up. “Yarrow!” I yell.

Yarrow was staring at the ground, but he snaps to attention when he hears my voice. He stares at me. He doesn’tmake any attempt to wave back.

Unnerved, I stop a dozen paces short. “Yar! What’s going on? Are you okay?”

He stares back at me, dazed.

Now adrenaline is giving me a hot-cold feeling. “Is everyone okay? What’s happened?”

He doesn’t respond. He just holds up his hands. In them is a long piece of polycarb, shaped like a skinnier version of my spear. I sort of recognize what it is, but in the shock of the moment I can’t figure it out. “What is that?”

He holds it out, like he’s hoping I’ll take it from him. I close the space between us, staring into his barely-seeing eyes as I reach out and take the shard. Rover ticks and wheezes behind us, but OS keeps its voice silent.

I heft the weird spear-like thing. I recognize it now. It’s a fence post. From the perimeter.

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