Free Forsaken by Cyndi Friberg

shouldn’t be surprising. She’d always been this way. She imagined herself standing up for herself, staring adversity right in the face. But when it came time for the actual conflict, she tucked her tail between her legs and scurried away.
    Without waiting for her answer, he crossed to a device inset in the wall on the other side of the table. She’d wondered about its purpose, but like the wall display, she’d been unable to activate it. He spoke several phrases and the device came to life. A small panel illuminated, displaying symbols Raina presumed were a Rodyte language. The front panel slid up, revealing a compartment and two tall glasses. One contained a pale green beverage, the other yellowish gold.
    “Did that just dispense the beverages or did it actually produce what you requested?”
    “Think of it as a highly sophisticated 3-D printer. It can ‘print’ almost anything as long as it has the pattern. This one only generates edible items.”
    “Why?”
    “Would you like to eat something generated by the same system that creates ammunition or cleaning supplies?”
    “Probably not.”
    He joined her at the table and set the two glasses in front of her. “This is a mild wine made from mountain berries.” He pointed to the green beverage. “And this is similar to apple juice, though you’ll find it less sweet.” He indicated the yellowish liquid.
    “Aren’t you having anything?”
    “Choose the one you prefer and I’ll drink the other.”
    He’d worn her down with isolation. Now he was going to kill her with kindness. She was tempted to refuse them both or toss one in his face. The rebellious thought made her smile. She’d never have the nerve to openly provoke him. Still, the image was amusing.
    She tried the juice first. It started off crisp and refreshing, but it had a sour aftertaste that reminded her of bad lemonade.
    “Too tart?” he asked in response to her grimace.
    She nodded and reached for the other glass. If this was horrible as well, there was still some water left in the decanter. But the wine was light and mild as he’d described. The flavor was unlike anything she’d tasted before. He’d said it was distilled from berries, yet it tasted nothing like any berry found on Earth. “This is much better.”
    “I’m glad you like it.” He picked up the other glass and leaned against the back of his chair. “I can’t show you the outpost unless you sign the contract, but I assure you it’s real.”
    “Is that where hydroponics is utilized?” He nodded. That made more sense than on a ship with special limitations. But there was no water on the moon. Moisture would need to be carefully recycled or she could use a combination of… Already her mind had moved from if to how . Damn his calculative hide. “How long have your people been spying on Earth?”
    “I’ve told you much more than I should have already and your grandmother’s journals give you a serious advantage over other humans. You know our history, or at least our history from a Bilarrian’s perspective.”
    “Mimi wasn’t Bilarrian.” Maybe if she was less argumentative, he’d open up as well.
    His voice remained calm, yet his gaze sharpened, becoming more intense. “She passed beyond when you were a child. How can you be sure?”
    “Mimi met Jinnel of Hautell while they were both captives. Jinnel was the true historian, the Bilarrian.”
    He leaned forward, resting both forearms on the tabletop. “They were captives of the same man? That’s really unusual.”
    She shook her head. “Their captors were assigned to the same ship, so the two females were allowed to spend time together. They became good friends. When Mimi was released, Jinnel begged her to smuggle the journals off the ship and continue her work on Earth.”
    “That was bold.”
    “Bold, but tragic. When Jinnel’s captor learned what she’d done, he killed her.”
    His brows drew together and his lips thinned. Obviously, he didn’t believe