Page 28 of New World

“Are you alright?” The man’s voice was smooth, unshaken.

Yi stammered slightly before regaining himself. “Yes. Yes, sir.”

The man’s gaze flicked to the cart. “Where did this shipment come from?”

Yi pointed toward the freighter.

The man turned, his eyes narrowing into a thoughtful expression. Mei watched as the man studied the ship before he turned when a woman’s voice rang out. Mei had been so focused on him that she had missed two more individuals. She silently cursed her distraction.

You will not survive long in this world if you can’t keep your mind on what is happening around you, she silently admonished.

She returned her focus to the scene, studying the new arrivals. The two were obviously with the man. The first was a slender woman with calculating eyes, while the second was a thickly built man who radiated silent intimidation.

“Jammer, check the logs. Asta, I need you to follow those two men and find out where they are going and who they are reporting to,” he ordered.

“You know we are supposed to be protecting you, not running around doing?—”

The woman’s disgruntled reply ended abruptly when the man with the hazel eyes stared back at her in silence. She pursed her lips and muttered a long string of curse words in at least four different languages, but took off in the direction the two workers had disappeared. Mei blinked when she noticed the woman had a long tail, similar to a cat, when she turned.

“I’ll be at the docking bay office. Don’t leave without one of us. I hope you know Asta is going to be twitchy tonight,” the man named Jammer replied.

“She’ll get over it if you scratch her belly,” the man with the hazel eyes retorted.

“Smart-ass,” Jammer muttered before he turned and strode back the way they came.

Mei was surprised by the big man’s deep voice. It was surprisingly smooth and filled with wry humor. The man with the hazel eyes turned back toward the freighter. Mei watched him, drawn to the way he moved—effortless, precise. A man used to being obeyed.

When he paused near her hiding place, she stopped breathing and melted back into the shadows. His hazel eyes flickered across the crates, his sharp gaze searching.

Could he sense her watching him?

For a tense moment, he lingered—then, with a subtle shake of his head, he turned and continued forward.

Mei exhaled silently, a mix of disappointment and curiosity curling in her stomach as she moved along the back of the crates, tracking his movements.

Who was he?

There was a sensation of command around him—of power and reverence. He could either be an opponent she would need to be wary of, or an ally who could stand beside her. The question was—which one?

She would have to wait for Tiv to get off, which wouldn’t be for several more hours. Until then, she had a question to answer. Who was the man who had come to Yi’s aid? If she wanted to find out, she needed to move undetected among the residents of this alien world.

Her focus moved briefly to the man who was climbing the platform. Her lips curved in a slight, predatory smile when she realized that her next move had just become far more interesting.

7

As the artificial lights of Cryon II faded, the sprawling moon base was cloaked in twilight, the cold metallic surfaces gleaming faintly under the distant stars, a stark, haughty beauty. Mei’s footsteps were silent on the worn factory floor as she slipped into the flow of weary workers. As they left their shifts, the smell of filtered air couldn't quite mask the strong odor of sweat clinging to their clothes.

She adjusted her pilfered cloak’s hood, ensuring the shadows hid her features. She had matched the cloak with a pair of goggles she had found, a black neck gaiter, and a thick, protective pair of black work gloves from her bag. This outfit blended in perfectly with the unusual lunar residents.

Mei followed several paces behind Tiv. The other woman had covered her surprise when Mei bumped into her a few minutes before. She had shot Mei a confused, worried frown before she was pushed forward by the crowd of workers in a hurry to exit the area.

Mei noticed Yi hurrying toward his sister. Even with his insectoid features, she could tell he was frantic with worry as he spoke in a rapid clicking. When Tiv replied with her own gestures and clicks, Yi’s head jerked around and he stared at the crowd with a surprised expression before Tiv slid an arm through his and they continued walking toward the exit.

“Ancestors, Tiv!” he gasped, his voice hushed but urgent. “Your friend nearly gave me a heart attack! I opened that crate and she was gone! I thought?—”

Tiv held up a hand, a slight amused smile playing on her lips. “I told you she could take care of herself.”

“I apologize for worrying you. The situation became too dangerous. I’m glad that man came to your aid,” Mei murmured, drawing up next to Yi.

---