Free Satellite: The Satellite Trilogy, Part I by Lee Davidson

first. “Tate, why is he so dirty?” he whispered, obviously not wanting me to hear.
    “Apparently no one told him it’s polite to shower before taking a girl to dinner,” Tate answered indiscreetly. “Do you think we should make him eat outside?”
    “No, I think he should eat with us,” Fischer whispered. I was starting to like this kid. I had no doubt Tate would have made me eat outside, though I can’t say that I would’ve blamed her.
    Fischer distanced himself from me as if I smelled bad (probably true), using Tate as a shield. I knelt down and peeked around Tate’s legs to talk to him. “How old are you?”
    “Six,” he answered shyly.
    Knowing nothing about kids, I took my best stab. “Do you like construction stuff?”
    He barely nodded, but from the size of his eyes, I knew I had him.
    “Yeah? What’s your favorite machine?” I asked.
    “I like the diggers.”
    The kid liked heavy machinery. I could work with that. “Do you like the ones with the big buckets on the front?”
    “Yeah,” he answered so quietly I almost missed it.
    “Ah, the skid loaders.” I nodded sagely. “My dad’s company has one of those. I’m sure I could work something out if you ever wanted to drive one.”
    “Really?” He was finally coming around from behind Tate’s legs.
    “Oh yeah, totally. We could even let your sister give it a try.”
    When I glanced up, Tate was giving me a speculative look.
    “But she’s a girl,” Fischer stated, perplexed.
    “I think she can hold her own,” I answered, still watching her.
    Just when I thought I was finally going to get a positive reaction out of her, Tate turned her attention to Fischer and the moment passed. “Watch it, Fish. This girl had you schooled back there.”
    “No way! I totally had you,” Fischer argued.
    I stood and asked Fischer a minute later: “You think Tatum will ever forgive me for being late?”
    “Sure. She acts tough, but she’s a real softy. That’s what Dad says. Why do you call her Tatum?”
    “What else would I call her?” I asked.
    “Tate, of course. She’s only Tatum when she’s in trouble.”
    “Oh?”
    “Yeah, everyone calls her Tate.”
    I leaned a few inches closer to her. “Tate it is,” I said emphatically, feeling victorious that I knew something else about her.
    She looked up at me briefly then, and I saw an uncertain optimism in her eyes. Her face turned cherry red before she placed our order.

.
    5. You live in a sad world of denial, kid
    “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.”
    The voice makes me jump. Not ready to return from memory lane yet, I drop my head to hide my disappointment and struggle to use my nicest voice. “Hey, Anna. What’s up?”
    “Not much. I’m exhausted.” She sinks beside me into the pew. “I just can’t get coding down. What are you doing in here?” she asks, looking around Alogan.
    “Just thinking.”
    She leans her head back. “Seems like a great place for that.”
    I rest my head against the hard pew as well. Being with Anna is easy, like being with Tate. Emptiness tears at my insides like cancer. I swallow and try to focus on the swarming birds.
    Rolling my head to the side to study Anna, she exhales dramatically. Her eyes are closed like she’s sleeping. She’s too tiny, too sweet, too unzombielike to be dead.
    As if sensing my gaze, she opens her eyes. “Wanna grab a bite in Benson?”
    “Sure,” I say, standing. I’m not hungry, but apparently I can always eat.
    “So, what else have you been up to?” she asks on our way.
    I think about my second attempt at coding and decide to lie. “Nothing. It’s been a pretty uneventful day.”
    We fill our trays and grab an empty table in the mostly deserted room. When Liam, who’s looking much better now, joins us, I’m surprised.
    “I thought you’d be at Viscal,” I say to him.
    “Nah. All my family and friends are alive and well.”
    “That’s good, right?” Anna asks.
    Liam grins. “Yeah,