substantial part of the land where Harlem had stood until the big earthquake in the mid twenty-third century. A wide split centered on the 125 th Street earthquake fault line created a new water connection between the Hudson River and the East River when a three-hundred-foot-wide swath of Manhattan sank below sea level. The result was six boroughs instead of just five.
The final leg of the twenty-four-hundred kilometer trip was completed via oh-gee cab. The ride to Park Central Towers added just five minutes to the trip once Sydnee was able to find an available taxi in the train station. A landing pad on the ninety-fourth floor of the towering building left only a short walk from the cab to the front door of the family's co-op.
Sydnee had left almost all of her personal possessions at home when she entered NHSA, so she didn't have her master key with her, and the door wasn't accepting her handprint. After five minutes of waiting for someone to open the door, she slumped down against the wall. She had no sooner reached the floor when the door opened and her sister Sheree peered out.
"What are you doing on the floor?"
"Waiting for someone to open the door."
"Sorry. I'm the only one home and I was in the shower. Where's your key?"
"I left it here when I went to the Academy. This is my first time home, and my palm print wouldn't open the door."
"The control unit burned out last year. We had a new one installed and had to reload our prints and voices."
"Voices?"
"Yeah, it's also voice activated now. Curtis wanted to set it up so it would only respond to an eye scan because he said it's the most secure, but Mom and I put our foot down. We told him we weren't going to stick our faces up against some sensor in the hallway when we got home. There's no telling who could have touched it while we were out, and God only knows what kind of germs they might have left on it."
"How do I set it up for my voice and handprint?"
"Come on inside. We can do it from in here. I'm half naked and I'm not coming out into the hallway dressed like this."
From her position, Sydnee had only been able to see Sheree's head. She stood up and entered the apartment, only then realizing Sheree was naked except for the large towel wrapped around her and knotted above her bosom. "You mean undressed like this. But what's the big deal? That's ten times more cloth than you wear when you go to the beach."
"It's a towel, not a swim suit."
"The last bikini I saw you wear had less cloth than it takes to cover my palm."
"On the beach everyone is almost naked, so I don't feel out of place. Standing next to you in your uniform and boots I feel naked even with this towel. Do you always have to wear so much clothing? I can see why your love life is so dismal."
"How do you know my love life is dismal?"
"It must be. Look at yourself in a mirror."
"I see myself like this every day."
"That's another thing. You not only dress like the boys, you're starting to look more like them every day. No wonder you can't find a guy."
"Who says I can't find a guy?" Sydnee said with feigned indignation.
"You've found somebody?"
"Maybe," she said coyly.
"Who is it?"
"Um, he's a shipmate."
"Why the 'um?' You only do that when you're nervous."
"I'm not nervous. It's just that— well— nothing is settled yet. We're still learning about one another."
"Have you had sex?"
"That's one of the things that's not settled yet."
"Don't you know?"
"Of course I know. The answer is no. And I don't know if we should. We have to work together— a lot. It could get awkward."
"Doesn't he want to?"
"He's sort of made a few minor overtures."
"Overtures? Are you talking about having sex or listening to Beethoven?"
"Having sex."
"The way you talk about it, listening to Beethoven sounds more exciting."
"Funny." Pointing to the control panel for the security system, Sydnee said, "Show me how to use this thing to record my voice and palm print."
"I wasn't kidding about germs before.
The final leg of the twenty-four-hundred kilometer trip was completed via oh-gee cab. The ride to Park Central Towers added just five minutes to the trip once Sydnee was able to find an available taxi in the train station. A landing pad on the ninety-fourth floor of the towering building left only a short walk from the cab to the front door of the family's co-op.
Sydnee had left almost all of her personal possessions at home when she entered NHSA, so she didn't have her master key with her, and the door wasn't accepting her handprint. After five minutes of waiting for someone to open the door, she slumped down against the wall. She had no sooner reached the floor when the door opened and her sister Sheree peered out.
"What are you doing on the floor?"
"Waiting for someone to open the door."
"Sorry. I'm the only one home and I was in the shower. Where's your key?"
"I left it here when I went to the Academy. This is my first time home, and my palm print wouldn't open the door."
"The control unit burned out last year. We had a new one installed and had to reload our prints and voices."
"Voices?"
"Yeah, it's also voice activated now. Curtis wanted to set it up so it would only respond to an eye scan because he said it's the most secure, but Mom and I put our foot down. We told him we weren't going to stick our faces up against some sensor in the hallway when we got home. There's no telling who could have touched it while we were out, and God only knows what kind of germs they might have left on it."
"How do I set it up for my voice and handprint?"
"Come on inside. We can do it from in here. I'm half naked and I'm not coming out into the hallway dressed like this."
From her position, Sydnee had only been able to see Sheree's head. She stood up and entered the apartment, only then realizing Sheree was naked except for the large towel wrapped around her and knotted above her bosom. "You mean undressed like this. But what's the big deal? That's ten times more cloth than you wear when you go to the beach."
"It's a towel, not a swim suit."
"The last bikini I saw you wear had less cloth than it takes to cover my palm."
"On the beach everyone is almost naked, so I don't feel out of place. Standing next to you in your uniform and boots I feel naked even with this towel. Do you always have to wear so much clothing? I can see why your love life is so dismal."
"How do you know my love life is dismal?"
"It must be. Look at yourself in a mirror."
"I see myself like this every day."
"That's another thing. You not only dress like the boys, you're starting to look more like them every day. No wonder you can't find a guy."
"Who says I can't find a guy?" Sydnee said with feigned indignation.
"You've found somebody?"
"Maybe," she said coyly.
"Who is it?"
"Um, he's a shipmate."
"Why the 'um?' You only do that when you're nervous."
"I'm not nervous. It's just that— well— nothing is settled yet. We're still learning about one another."
"Have you had sex?"
"That's one of the things that's not settled yet."
"Don't you know?"
"Of course I know. The answer is no. And I don't know if we should. We have to work together— a lot. It could get awkward."
"Doesn't he want to?"
"He's sort of made a few minor overtures."
"Overtures? Are you talking about having sex or listening to Beethoven?"
"Having sex."
"The way you talk about it, listening to Beethoven sounds more exciting."
"Funny." Pointing to the control panel for the security system, Sydnee said, "Show me how to use this thing to record my voice and palm print."
"I wasn't kidding about germs before.
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