Page 65 of Consume
“Hi, Randolph,” I said as I rounded the corner.
A comforting brush of cold air feathered my cheek, and then Randolph appeared by the wall, as solid as I was, aiming a fatherly smile at Astra and me. A knot of emotion wedged in my throat, because other than his black eyes, he might as well have been real. He still wore his orange Smixton College vest, still had the same ruddy complexion and bulbous nose, same bushy eyebrows and dark hair. I wished he were alive so he could hold Astra and be a large part of her life, just as he had mine. Still was, and despite telling him that I could send him to the hereafter, he seemed completely uninterested. I couldn’t bring myself to force the issue.
He trailed after us as I stopped in the kitchen for breakfast. The ship had started to descend quickly, so I rushed through eating to have more time to explain to Astra the history of the ship. I pointed out the cargo room where the teralinguas and then the consumectalons had been stored, the sink in the bathroom on the lower level where all my iron had vanished, and the number of times I’d feared for my life at every bend in the hallways. But the memories weren’t all bad. I told her about the good things, too, and stopped inside the Vicious room once again.
“Look at this, baby girl.” I pressed my smile to the top of her head and pointed.
In the corner of the room, something green curved out from a crack where the floor met the wall. A fern leaf, like the ones on the Saelises’ ship. I had no idea what it was doing here. And how could it possibly growthroughtitanium?
Holding tighter to Astra, I bent to touch it, to coax it to keep growing. It swelled the hope in my chest even more at its tenacity to fight. With that kind of attitude, it belonged on this ship, had even earned a place at the gurney table with the rest of us, but it was a plant so...no.
“What do you think we should name it?” I turned to Randolph, but he’d disappeared. In his place stood Moon and Franco.
“I’ve been looking all over for you two,” she said, making grabby hands at Astra. She didn’t seem to notice the fern.
I unwrapped Astra and handed her over since I couldn’t very well take her outside with me. With most of the crew anxious to hold the ship’s babies, I sometimes wondered if Astra and Tannis would ever have a need to walk.
“I was just telling Astra about the ship.” I shrugged as the ship gently touched down. “Seemed appropriate now that we’re landing, and where we’re landing.”
“Are you ready for this?” Franco asked as we fell into step down the hallway. “Ten billion people?”
“I just have to remember I don’t have to do it all at once. We have time. I have to believe some of Earth’s billions didn’t hang around after death. As long as I remember all of these things, I think I’ll be fine.”
“You will be.” Moon caught my eye and winked. “No question.”
Moon did deep-space living well. Franco too. They seemed content discussing BioHound, BioWaves, and the waste treatment transport tubes they’d stolen. I’d bet someday soon they would start their own biosecurity company. She may have escaped what she’d once called her mother’s tyranny, but since her mom worked in biosecurity, I suspected they had a lot more in common than Moon would ever admit.
Most of the rest of the crew were waiting for us by the exit door—Captain Glenn, his beautiful wife, Toni, Mase, Poh, Pop, Josh, and Ellison. Minus Toni, Pop, and Ellison, all of them planned to come with me.
Mase turned, his hair still wet from his shower, and skipped his gaze appreciatively down my body, flushing my skin with memories of this morning. “I thought I was going to be fashionably late.”
“Some of us require more effort. We can’t all look as good as you.”
“Doubtful.” He grinned, the one that always made me forget how to breathe for a moment. “Moon, that kid you’re carrying requires constant kisses.”
“On it.” She laughed into the top of Astra’s head.
I chuckled but it petered out when Ellison released Josh from a death hold and turned to me. She gripped the sides of my face and pressed her forehead to mine. “Someday it will get easier to send you off to do something dangerous, but today is not that day. Please, Absidy, come back to me.”
“I will. And I’ll keep Josh safe.” I had to, not only for Ellison and Tannis but because he had firsthand knowledge of the Black. He used to deliver humans to the Saelises here in his space taxi. “You don’t have to worry.”
“Easier said than done.” She kissed my cheek and pulled away so Pop could take her place.
“Do you know how proud I am of you?” he asked, wrapping me in his arms.
I nodded, sagging into his comfort, unable to do much else. One of the most horrible things in my world was disappointing him, so to hear I was doing something right locked my throat up tight.
“Come back the second you get tired.” He pulled away. “The very second.”
Mentally and emotionally collecting myself, I stepped next to Mase, who reached for my hand and squeezed. Captain Glenn stood on the other side of him, his gaze, so full of love, aimed at his wife who sat in her wheelchair off to the side. Poh and Josh flanked my other side.
A blue furry head poked between my legs, a slow grin revealing Jezebel’s deadly teeth.
“Are you coming too?” I glanced behind me at Moon, who shrugged.
“She does what she wants,” Moon said. “Just bring her back safe.”
I nodded. “Consider it done.”
