Page 71 of The Explorer
“Let’s do a quick round of introductions,” Banni said when we reached our hangar. Placing a hand on his chest, he started, “I’m Banni Armel and I’m the leader of this team. I’ve been doing this work since I was seventeen and I’m good at it. This isMerle Noir, she’s our drone and an old lady that we take good care of. Val here doesn’t speak much, but if you complete six months in this job, you’ll get a brain implant so you can connect with us without words. Then you’ll see how funny he can be.”
Val raised a hand and gave a quick smile to the woman watching him.
“And then we have our newest members of the team, Aubri and Indiana. They are from the Northlands but joined our team six weeks ago. It’s a shame that they’ll leave us at the end of the year, because they are both superior Explorers.”
I raised my chin with pride and exchanged a smile with Banni.
“Why don’t you introduce yourself to the team,” Banni encouraged the woman.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and spoke in English. “I’m Britany Armel, and I’m scared of the thought of a person growing inside me.” She gave a theatrical shiver. “I’m happy that you all look so skilled because I have no idea how this all works.”
“That’s fine, we’ll train you,” Banni assured her. “We believe in learning by doing.”
Britany gave a short giggle and looked up at Indiana with another flirtatious gaze.
I pressed my lips together and looked the other way.
“All right, it’s getting late and we better get going. This time we’re going north to Paris.”
“Why does it have to be today?” Indiana frowned. “Why not leave tomorrow morning?”
“Orders from the A’s. It’s out of my control.” Banni turned to Britany. “Let me find you a uniform.”
When he walked away, Indiana asked Britany. “Are you an academic or a practical?”
“Practical. I worked in a store that sold lingerie. Academics aren’t given the choice of exploration work.”
I crossed my arms. “Then what happens when an academic refuses to carry children?”
“Then they’re demoted to an entry level job. I heard of a top scientist who was placed in a dark room doing boring data entry work.”
“That makes no sense. If she was able to do important work as a scientist, why not use her talent?” I thought of my conversation with Indiana earlier today about women’s lives in the Northlands and it hit me that in Old Europe women were still not in full control of their lives.
“Because if we women had a choice, many wouldn’t want to bear children. They make examples of those of us who refuse.”
Banni came back with a uniform and asked Britany to put it on. Unlike Indiana and me, who had gone to the restroom to change, Britany stripped out of her clothes and down to her sexy underwear as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She wasn’t toned and her stomach wasn’t flat like mine, but she oozed femininity with her soft shape. I hated the way she leaned forward to put on the uniform. She might as well have shoved her large tits into Indiana’s face.
Banni talked to Britany as if he hadn’t noticed her being half naked. Val walked around the drone, checking one last time that everything was secure.
Indiana and I on the other hand were frozen in place, with his neck growing redder by the minute.
“How do I look?” Britany spun around and spread her arms out.
“Ehh… fine,” Indiana said and broke out of his shock that a woman had just stripped in front of him. “You look fine.”
“The sleeves are a bit long. Would you mind helping me fold them?” Britany took two steps forward and held out her arms to him.
The need to make a snarky remark made me roll my eyes and walk away.
“Get on board,” Banni ordered.
I was the first to climb in and take a seat by the window. On every expedition we’d been on so far, Indiana had sat next to me, but this time, he waved his hand and told Britany, “Ladies first.”
She giggled and climbed in to take the seat next to me. With three seats in the front and three in the back, she was now literally between me and Indiana.
When he got in and took his seat, Indiana joked that it was a tight squeeze back here. The place I felt squeezed the most was my heart.
“It’s okay, I don’t mind being close to you,” Britany told him and put her hand on his thigh.
