heavily loaded banquet tables.
Aaron thought those were bad enough, but when he arrived with Minu on his arm, she dressed in an elegant knee length red dress and he in a conservative tux, there by the far end of the hall was a three meter tall ice sculpture of Aaron.
“What the fuck...” he growled. “Whoever did that is fired, I swear.”
Minu pinched one butt cheek, making him jump slightly. “Go ahead and try. It was me, Mr. Grumblebutt.”
“Minu, why?” As they moved into the hall the room filled with applause and digital cameras began to flash, capturing the moment of his surprised look forever. The statue was accurate in facial detail, but the figure was much taller in proportion than Aaron's one hundred seventy-five centimeters. He was leaning back slightly, looking upwards with one hand outstretched towards the window and the stars outside.
He was still shaking his head and trying to speak when Gregg came toward them. Faye was just behind him, resplendent in a green floor length dress that set off her blonde hair perfectly. Gregg wore his Chosen dress uniform, blood red piping down arms and legs, three gleaming gold stars on his cuffs. Aaron shook off his annoyance to shake his friend’s hand. “So,” Gregg said and gestured towards the bigger-than-life size sculpture, “do we call you Zephram Cochran now?”
Aaron's face changed from smile to frown in a second. When he placed the old Earth origin of the name, a little anger flashed there. “It wasn't my idea,” he said and shot a couple daggers at his wife before detaching himself and heading for the bar.
“At least we're not going to have to shoot him with a phaser,” Minu quipped and shrugged.
“I knew the pose was too familiar,” Gregg laughed. Faye looked confused but grinned anyway. She always enjoyed the way the two men went at each other. So like kids, she often thought. “I guess the Cochran sculpture wasn't such a great idea.”
“I thought it was hilarious.” Minu turned and saw Pip standing there, a plate piled high with shrimp in one hand, a glass of mead in the other.
“You know those shrimp cost forty credits a kilo?” Pip shrugged as he munched and Minu laughed. “Feels like old home week.”
“How else would it feel?” Cherise asked. Minu hadn't seen her come up from behind. They both laughed and hugged.
“You know, I really miss the old days.” The friends all exchanged nods.
“You ever wish we could just take off out in the frontier for a little side trip?” Gregg asked. Faye looked away but Minu couldn't help but smile, and give a little sigh.
“I never liked field work until we didn't do it anymore,” Pip commented around a mouthful of expensive shrimp. Gregg shrugged, he was the only one among them that still got all the field work he wanted. “So now that you’re going to be stinking rich, what are you going to do with all that money?”
Minu shrugged. First she didn't know if all the work would convert to any real wealth. The intricacies of finance were a bit beyond her. And second, she'd never had a lot of use for money anyway. As Chosen most of her needs were taken care of. The only significant thing she'd ever bought was her aerocar; her cabin was something she'd inherited from her father. Stinking rich?
“Take a vacation, I guess.”
Chapter 8
February 11th, 534 AE
War College, University of Plateau, Tranquility, Plateau Tribe, Bellatrix
Minu Groves’ birthday came and went in Octember. According to the world's calendar, she turned thirty-four. But according to her body, she was only twenty-nine. To keep things simple, she continued to acknowledge her subjective age. It was easier than trying to explain that she'd leapfrogged over five years on her home planet.
It was mid-February and a new year before Minu saw any of her friends again. As luck would have it, Pip once again made an appearance. She'd finished a marathon lecture series, the same presentation to three
Aaron thought those were bad enough, but when he arrived with Minu on his arm, she dressed in an elegant knee length red dress and he in a conservative tux, there by the far end of the hall was a three meter tall ice sculpture of Aaron.
“What the fuck...” he growled. “Whoever did that is fired, I swear.”
Minu pinched one butt cheek, making him jump slightly. “Go ahead and try. It was me, Mr. Grumblebutt.”
“Minu, why?” As they moved into the hall the room filled with applause and digital cameras began to flash, capturing the moment of his surprised look forever. The statue was accurate in facial detail, but the figure was much taller in proportion than Aaron's one hundred seventy-five centimeters. He was leaning back slightly, looking upwards with one hand outstretched towards the window and the stars outside.
He was still shaking his head and trying to speak when Gregg came toward them. Faye was just behind him, resplendent in a green floor length dress that set off her blonde hair perfectly. Gregg wore his Chosen dress uniform, blood red piping down arms and legs, three gleaming gold stars on his cuffs. Aaron shook off his annoyance to shake his friend’s hand. “So,” Gregg said and gestured towards the bigger-than-life size sculpture, “do we call you Zephram Cochran now?”
Aaron's face changed from smile to frown in a second. When he placed the old Earth origin of the name, a little anger flashed there. “It wasn't my idea,” he said and shot a couple daggers at his wife before detaching himself and heading for the bar.
“At least we're not going to have to shoot him with a phaser,” Minu quipped and shrugged.
“I knew the pose was too familiar,” Gregg laughed. Faye looked confused but grinned anyway. She always enjoyed the way the two men went at each other. So like kids, she often thought. “I guess the Cochran sculpture wasn't such a great idea.”
“I thought it was hilarious.” Minu turned and saw Pip standing there, a plate piled high with shrimp in one hand, a glass of mead in the other.
“You know those shrimp cost forty credits a kilo?” Pip shrugged as he munched and Minu laughed. “Feels like old home week.”
“How else would it feel?” Cherise asked. Minu hadn't seen her come up from behind. They both laughed and hugged.
“You know, I really miss the old days.” The friends all exchanged nods.
“You ever wish we could just take off out in the frontier for a little side trip?” Gregg asked. Faye looked away but Minu couldn't help but smile, and give a little sigh.
“I never liked field work until we didn't do it anymore,” Pip commented around a mouthful of expensive shrimp. Gregg shrugged, he was the only one among them that still got all the field work he wanted. “So now that you’re going to be stinking rich, what are you going to do with all that money?”
Minu shrugged. First she didn't know if all the work would convert to any real wealth. The intricacies of finance were a bit beyond her. And second, she'd never had a lot of use for money anyway. As Chosen most of her needs were taken care of. The only significant thing she'd ever bought was her aerocar; her cabin was something she'd inherited from her father. Stinking rich?
“Take a vacation, I guess.”
Chapter 8
February 11th, 534 AE
War College, University of Plateau, Tranquility, Plateau Tribe, Bellatrix
Minu Groves’ birthday came and went in Octember. According to the world's calendar, she turned thirty-four. But according to her body, she was only twenty-nine. To keep things simple, she continued to acknowledge her subjective age. It was easier than trying to explain that she'd leapfrogged over five years on her home planet.
It was mid-February and a new year before Minu saw any of her friends again. As luck would have it, Pip once again made an appearance. She'd finished a marathon lecture series, the same presentation to three
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