Free Phoenix Rising (Book Two of The Icarus Trilogy) by Kevin Kauffmann

somewhat blessed with his premature adoptions.  He never had to suffer like that.
    The young soldier continued on past the mess hall and turned down the west hallway.  There wouldn’t be much longer to walk; the training rooms, library and common rooms were all in different areas of the complex.  He was thankful for that.  While he had less pain to experience, he still had to undergo a lot of the same processes.  He could feel his legs starting to give out from under him as he neared his room.
    He opened the door and flicked on the light, not noticing the shadow standing near the window.  He assumed there wouldn’t be anything different from when he had left it that afternoon.  When he looked up to see the nearly-bald individual across the room he almost fell back against the door.  Then the realization kicked in and he suddenly wanted to know why he wasn’t alone.
    “Goldstein, what the hell are you doing in my room in the darkness?  You can masturbate in your own room, you know.”  Jenkins let go of his hostility almost immediately after realizing who had been standing there.  Goldstein was one of the few men in the entire building who could appreciate a little humor, even if he was also newly-resurrected.
    “Oh, I plan to,” Goldstein said as he turned his back to the wall and leaned against it.  “But I wanted to talk to you,” the merchant stated before looking at his new fingernails.  Jenkins knew the black-haired man was the king of the black market, but the artificial soldier had yet to find anything he was missing on the asteroid.  The young soldier was content and that was not in the merchant’s vocabulary.
    “And what did you want to talk about?  Looking to expand your business?” Jenkins asked as he walked up to his desk and placed his weight on the top.  There was no reason to be stand-offish and uncomfortable during this conversation.  Jenkins looked at the merchant expectantly and gripped the curved edges of the desk absent-mindedly.  Goldstein tilted his head and scoffed at the thought.
    “Hardly, I’m doing just fine for myself and I’ve learned it’s hard to trust others with that kind of thing,” Goldstein said before making eye contact.  It seemed like he was determined to find something there.  Jenkins raised an eyebrow and gave him a puzzled look.
    “Then are you coming to appreciate my handsome features?  My pretty eyes?”  Goldstein laughed and shook his head.
    “Not so much, though I am looking for something.  Tell me,” Goldstein said before tilting his head the other way.  “Have you noticed how the others look at you?”  Jenkins looked at the merchant and realized this wasn’t a friendly call.  He might have been friendly about it, but Goldstein had his own motives to be here in Jenkins’ room at this time of night.  Jenkins felt apprehensive and gripped the edges of the desk with a little more force.
    “Have I noticed them looking at me?  Like how?”  Goldstein crossed his arms and gave a half-smile. 
    “Oh, I’m sure you’ve noticed.  It’s been a couple of weeks, now.  They all look at you strangely, don’t you agree?  It’s like something’s a bit…off.”  Goldstein continued that perverse little smile of his while thoughts bounced around in Jenkins’ brain.  The young Crow had noticed that these men who had been constant features in his life for the last two months had changed in their behaviors.  He had noticed how Dr. Kane didn’t seem the same as she was before.  Jenkins looked at the merchant and wondered what the man was getting at.
    “Yes, I have noticed this.  I assume you have something to say about it.”  Goldstein shrugged and looked back at him.
    “You know what they say about assuming?” the merchant asked with a slight smile.  Jenkins rolled his eyes; only now did he realize how corny it really was.
    “Yes, ass, you, me, I know the saying.  But you do have something to say,” Jenkins said, starting