Free Children of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy

go home.”
    “Let’s hope that’s true. As for your role here, you’ve joined us at a critical moment in Ardra’s implementation phase. After your recent… excursions over the past year, I’m in two minds about giving you full access to the project. You will have no unsupervised access to the lab. You’ll begin with routine testing under the chief cypherteck, Caleb Chessell, until you prove yourself to me.”
    Edie knew the name. Chessell was an award-winning Crib cypherteck with three decades of experience, renowned for his innovative approach and a terraforming record that was probably second only to hers. He was also a notorious control freak and egomaniac. Edie had never met him, but she’d heard a few stories.
    “You have so much to offer CCU, and in particular this project,” Natesa continued with a bland smile. “More than anything, I want my faith in you restored. Now, rest today. Report to Chief Chessell in the labs, tomorrow morning at the start of the shift. He’ll explain your work.” She stood up and walked behind her desk, her attention on her holoviz, effectively dismissing Edie.
    “I don’t know why you think Ardra stands a chance,” Edie said. “Terraforming advanced ecosystems won’t work.”
    Natesa tilted her head, her eyes sly. “That’s not an attitude I appreciate, Edie. Chessell has developed somegroundbreaking code that’s helping us on Prisca. And we have an elite cypherteck team on board. Our new training program has been extremely successful—these tecks are the best in the Crib.”
    “Including the one in the coma?”
    Natesa’s expression stiffened. “She is a member of the team, yes.”
    “How is she?”
    “Her condition is unchanged.”
    Edie swallowed another unwelcome pang of guilt. It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault. She repeated the words to herself, but the mantra wasn’t working very well.
     
    From the moment Edie stepped into her quarters, she had the feeling Natesa was trying to win her over. A VIP state-room, better even than the officers got. A spacious, comfortable sitting area led to a tastefully furnished bedroom, the two rooms linked by a small hallway that led to a bathroom. After spending her life on ships where everything was built for functionality first, it might take some time to get used to the fine fixtures and decorative touches.
    Despite the accommodations, Edie would rather have spent the time with Finn, but her guard had made it quite clear she was to stay in her quarters for now. More than anything she wanted to explain to him what had happened. She could only hope he understood that she’d never have done it deliberately, that she’d never break the promise she’d made—what seemed like a lifetime ago—after that first terrible time when Haller had forced her to jolt him.
    Edie showered and changed and returned to the sitting room to open the shutters covering the viewport. Her eyes were drawn immediately to the planet floating below the ship, a white-and-blue beach ball on a sea of black velvet. The Learo Dochais was in high orbit.
    She lay on the backless couch and studied the streaked surface of the planet. Her brain was crowded with too many thoughts to really consider where she was or what wouldhappen next. Helpless frustration rose to the surface. She had felt this way before, after learning that the rovers had jacked Finn’s chip to force him to be her bodyguard. The Crib was no better than the rovers, just as willing to punish an innocent man in order to get what they really wanted. Her .
    Sleepy from the residual effects of cryosleep, Edie dozed.
    When her door chime woke her, it was hours later. She stumbled to the hatch and snapped it open, eager to see Finn again. And he was there, standing behind two milits. So was Natesa.
    “I’ve brought your friend for a visit,” Natesa said, walking uninvited into the room. “To reassure you of his good health.”
    Edie wouldn’t have described Finn as looking