Free Blighted Star by Tom Parkinson Page B

Grad would get rid of
Lana for the sake of her. He suddenly realised what he had done. He had kicked
her out! He had stood up to her and thrown her out! At last, he had put himself
forward, and whether he was right or wrong about her cheating, (and he still
thought he was right), he had won, had broken free. Now was the time to bask in
the power he felt. The pain was, he knew, due any time soon. He lifted his
uniform trousers off the back of the chair and sat on the bed. He had to face
his squad now, and he knew that they would soon be all too aware of the break
up. He wondered if there was any way of making it known to them that it was he
who had dumped her, and not the other way round…
     
    <><><> 
    The
initial assembly was complete, and Athena and the two techs were attaching
lifting A/G pads to the four corners. Athena looked at her creation, ruefully
remembering the lovely brushed steel machine which they had brought with them.
Oh well. if this monstrosity actually worked then, no doubt, it would become
beautiful in her eyes. They lifted it and attached the lines. The marines took up
the strain and began the long drag through the evening’s shadows to where they
would start the new quarry. This time it would have to be a lot closer, only
about five klicks away from Cassini, rather than the original quarry’s fifteen.
Well there was nothing she could do about that, even if it did go against the
plan, creating heavy industry so close to the planet’s future capitol.
    Tomorrow,
with Jim’s guidance over the link established by the drones, she would switch
on the machine and, she hoped, begin the shaft boring phase. She had now been
working without a significant break for two days, and she should have felt
washed out. But in fact she felt more alive than ever. Strange the resources
you can find within yourself she thought.
    She
looked at Jackson directing his men in the delicate task of manoeuvring the
machine past some low bushes. Jackson was keeping up the pressure and they were
moving well. He looked tired, and Athena reflected that it had been a long
couple of days for him too. He looked across to her and she gave him a
reassuring smile. He looked away. That, she thought, is the first time I’ve
ever smiled at Jackson. No wonder the poor guy’s embarrassed. Some of her old
guilt about the Jackson situation returned and she resolved to cultivate him a
little from now on. The men sweated and heaved on the lines and the heavy
burden glided through the still evening a short way above the ground. On the
horizon the first of the stars began to shine as the glowing sun left the sky.
     
     
     

Chapter 7
     
     
    Lana
took a break and looked out at the crowd of people who had gathered, as they
seemed to do on every fine evening, out in the landing compound. Farmbots had
transformed the area into a superb field of cut grass on which impromptu games
were endlessly starting. Baseball and Soccer mostly, Technicians vs. Miners,
Settlers vs. Marines, and Cooks vs. Support Staff… Sometimes, someone would
think of a joke and you would see its progress from group to group, jumping the
gaps between the knots gathered round the heaters brought out to cheer the
evening. Lana missed Grad. The conversations they had had via the probe were
too stilted. It was hard to talk to someone without using the internal comms.
Comms gave you so much more than just their voice in your ear and extra
privacy. They could show you things they had seen, and more importantly, you
got a vague sense of whatever emotion they were feeling. These old fashioned
telecoms could show you someone was alive, but that was about all. Grad seemed
strange to her, guarded, distant. She didn’t like it.
    Amy
Chan ran past, waving. They had spent quite a lot of time together, Both
feeling an initial connection at having a loved one in peril. This had quickly
grown into an enjoyment of each other’s company, and Lana had to admit she was
aware of the hero worship