Free Chasm by Voila Grace Page A

destroying the old.
    This world had been reshaping itself for a thousand years and its transformation was the reason that the Oefric had left. The origin of their species was a past fogged in time. This was the last opportunity to see the dim remains of a fantastic evolution.
    She looked over at the other shuttle, so sleek and elegant compared to the serviceable lines of her own, and smiled. The origin of their civilization was all around them and they were sleeping through it.
    Razi was done and watching her scanning bots work their way through the site by the time their shuttle opened and they wandered out with breakfast in their hands. They had trousers on this morning that was a nice yet depressing change.
    “Morning, Ailan, Eckhar. The scanners are doing their work and the bots are taking measurements.” She brushed crumbs off her suit as they admired the sunrise.
    Ailan finally took in the bots that were quietly chortling and moving around the site. “How long have you been up, Razi?”
    “A few hours. I just couldn’t sleep, so I got to work.” Razi smiled at him.
    “You should have woken us.” Eckhar held his beverage in one hand while scrubbing his face with the other.
    She chuckled. “Why should you lose sleep just because I am an insomniac?”
    “The ruins won’t last long. We need to examine every inch of it before the planet takes it back.” Ailan leaned against her ship and sipped at his tea.
    “That is why I started the exam bots and the recorders.” She lifted her data pad and tried to ignore the naked torso within arm’s reach.
    The Oefric bred for intelligence and skill as well as beauty, but their stunning looks tended to be the overwhelmingly noticeable trait. By Terran standards, they were too good looking for any human woman’s hormones. She had no idea what Terran men thought of Oefric women, but the few females she had seen were definite stunners.
    Eckhar nodded. “We will get to work then. May I add that you are looking lovely this morning?” His bright green eyes twinkled with mischief.
    Ailan cleared his throat. “I concur. Your hair gleams in the light of dawn.”
    Razi smiled, fighting a laugh. “You are both prettier than I am and you are aware of it. Just let me put this dish away and we can start decoding the remains of the signage.”
    She stood and returned to the interior of her shuttle, setting the dish cycle to clean. The data was already streaming into her devices and her early start was paying off.
    Basic training in the Alliance had given her the basics of interspecies mating habits, but even with the reproductive clause in her contract, she had never expected to be on the receiving end of a courtship. It had never occurred to her that the Alliance would enforce the requirement that Terrans find matches in the handful of compatible species.
    The Oefric that were here with her were prospects, chosen from over a hundred candidates, several of whom were of the Oefric species. They were just the best matches out of the bunch.
    Eckhar was a historian, Ailan an anthropologist, both of which were complementary to her Alliance training as an archaeologist. It was a good match on paper, but she still wasn’t keen on the idea of taking two men as spouses.
    The day before yesterday they had met for the first time when they landed. Yesterday had been a planning and settling-in day, she was staying in her shuttle, they in theirs. Today would be their first day working together.
    Razi smiled and when all was set and put away, she returned to her companions.
    “Okay, shall we get what we came for and preserve what we can?”
    “You might be able to get what you came for…” Eckhar started, but Ailan covered his mouth with one hand.
    Ailan grinned. “Yes, let’s get to work.”
    Eyeing them suspiciously, Razi grabbed her equipment and entered the ruins, starting near the great crevice that was threatening the structure.
    She was into her notes for two hours before she looked