Page 41 of Alien's Love Child

I take three random turns, double back twice. The routines Dad drilled into my head as a kid come flooding back. Check your six, vary your pattern, look for the gaps in the crowd.

The station's security cameras sweep across the corridor. I count the seconds between rotations – four, three, two... There. I slip through a maintenance hatch, into the service tunnels that run parallel to the main corridors.

The sensation follows.

My steps barely make a sound on the metal grating. Another turn, another backtrack. Still nothing visible, but...

The market's bustle fades to a distant hum. Just me and the pipes and that crawling feeling between my shoulder blades.

Time to get Leo and put this station in our rear-view mirror.

The door slides open to my small apartment, and Leo barrels into my arms. "Mama!"

"Hey, spacer." I scoop him up, breathing in the scent of finger paint and that generic station-issue shampoo. "Had fun with Ms. Petra?"

"We made rockets!" He squirms down and races to show me a collection of paper constructions on the kitchen counter.

Petra rises from the couch, her dark eyes studying me. "Everything alright? You're home early."

"Just fine." I dig out her payment chip. "Family thing came up. We'll be gone a couple weeks."

She takes the chip but doesn't pocket it. "Jesse... if you need help-"

"Really, it's nothing." I force a smile. "Thanks for watching him today. And all the other days."

"Mama, can I show Sera my rockets before we go?" Leo tugs at my sleeve. "Please?"

My throat tightens. "Not this time, buddy. We need to pack."

"But why not? She's just down the hall!"

"Because..." I kneel down, meeting those green eyes that mirror my own. "Remember how we talked about adventures? This is going to be a special one, just you and me."

"Can Sera come on the adventure?"

Petra's hand squeezes my shoulder. "I'll see myself out. Be safe, okay?"

I manage a nod as she leaves. Leo's lower lip trembles.

"What about my school? And my rockets?"

"Everything will be right here when we get back." I brush a strand of hair from his face. "Your rockets, your school, Sera – they're not going anywhere."

Leo's fingers twist in the hem of his shirt. "Promise?"

"Cross my heart." I make the gesture, just like Mom used to do for me. "Think of it like... remember when we watched that documentary about space explorers? Sometimes they'd go away for a while, but they always came back home."

"With cool stories?"

"The coolest." I tap his nose. "Now, what do you think an explorer needs to pack?"

His face scrunches in thought. "Um... socks?"

"Definitely socks. What else?"

"My star projector!" He dashes to his room, returning with the battered device that turns his ceiling into a galaxy every night. "And Rex!"

"Rex is a must." I help him tuck the stuffed dinosaur into his backpack. "How about we play a game? First one to pack five things wins."

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