twitched but he said nothing. In a rush of loneliness, I burst out, “I don’t want to be here, myself. It’s nothing to do with you.”
He raised his eyebrows but didn’t ask. I wasn’t sure if that was because he was being polite or because he didn’t want to know. But I pushed ahead. “I don’t belong here. I’m supposed to be at the IIC.”
“Isn’t this a more prestigious assignment than the IIC?”
“What do I care about prestige?” I countered. “I don’t know anyone here. My life and my work are at the IIC. I’d do better work there with Dr. Okoro than I will here all alone. I don’t belong here. I don’t want to be here.”
“I miss my family and my home as well, no matter how happy I am to be here.” His expression was sympathetic, but that made it worse.
“I’m tired,” I said. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself by snapping at him, when I’d already made myself look like a whiny baby. “I’m just going to go to sleep before long. You can go. You don’t need to wait around for me.”
He nodded, his expression neutral. “Goodnight, Mr. Dawes.”
I scowled at his back as he left the room.
-
I had only those two days at the palace before it came time to board the ship and embark on the year-long tour. Jonathan led me into a new area of the palace, in the Eastern Quarter. We emerged from the building onto a huge open lawn and there, on what must have been a temporary landing platform, was an enormous spaceship.
The ship was spectacular to look at, long and sleek and gleaming. Jonathan and I boarded in the belly of the ship and maneuvered through lifts and hallways. The room I’d been assigned was large and comfortable, not at all what I’d expected, and I felt guilty taking up so much space in a way I hadn’t at the massive palace. Once again, there were books in the sitting room, and I thought it was odd I should find that comforting.
It was an interior room, so no window, though I think I would have been embarrassed to have one. Where a window might have been there was a tall, thin glass piece, filled with liquids of different colors and viscosities floating up or down or streaming sideways, combining or separating in response to some stimuli.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“This is a replica of a piece of art that was designed for the emperor, when he commissioned the lab on the ship. The emperor asked for another to be made for you, as well.”
I was baffled. “Why?”
“He thought you would appreciate it even more than he could.”
I did, but that still didn’t explain why he’d commissioned one for me—why it had even occurred to him to do so.
The instructions came to secure ourselves for liftoff. Jonathan showed me how to activate the localized grav/anti-grav unit on each chair in the sitting area, so that the effect of liftoff and gravity changes on the passengers could be blunted. I was crestfallen. I don’t know what I’d expected but I wanted to be able to feel the liftoff, not the diluted-for-your-comfort experience. I stood there, disappointed and seriously considering not getting in the chair at all.
Jonathan was watching me and, after a moment he added, “As an alternative, or in case of unit failure, there are also safety restraints built into each chair,” Jonathan said.
I grinned at him and his expression softened just a bit into what I was beginning to think was his on-duty version of a smile. He showed me where to access them and how to strap myself in, and then started to leave the room.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“To my own quarters.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling foolish for asking.
“Unless you’d prefer company?”
“Not if you don’t want. I mean, I was just, I was just wondering.”
He hesitated a moment. “Mr. Dawes, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to stay.” I almost asked him if he really meant it or if he was just humoring me, but I didn’t. I was glad for the company.
We talked while we waited. I
He raised his eyebrows but didn’t ask. I wasn’t sure if that was because he was being polite or because he didn’t want to know. But I pushed ahead. “I don’t belong here. I’m supposed to be at the IIC.”
“Isn’t this a more prestigious assignment than the IIC?”
“What do I care about prestige?” I countered. “I don’t know anyone here. My life and my work are at the IIC. I’d do better work there with Dr. Okoro than I will here all alone. I don’t belong here. I don’t want to be here.”
“I miss my family and my home as well, no matter how happy I am to be here.” His expression was sympathetic, but that made it worse.
“I’m tired,” I said. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself by snapping at him, when I’d already made myself look like a whiny baby. “I’m just going to go to sleep before long. You can go. You don’t need to wait around for me.”
He nodded, his expression neutral. “Goodnight, Mr. Dawes.”
I scowled at his back as he left the room.
-
I had only those two days at the palace before it came time to board the ship and embark on the year-long tour. Jonathan led me into a new area of the palace, in the Eastern Quarter. We emerged from the building onto a huge open lawn and there, on what must have been a temporary landing platform, was an enormous spaceship.
The ship was spectacular to look at, long and sleek and gleaming. Jonathan and I boarded in the belly of the ship and maneuvered through lifts and hallways. The room I’d been assigned was large and comfortable, not at all what I’d expected, and I felt guilty taking up so much space in a way I hadn’t at the massive palace. Once again, there were books in the sitting room, and I thought it was odd I should find that comforting.
It was an interior room, so no window, though I think I would have been embarrassed to have one. Where a window might have been there was a tall, thin glass piece, filled with liquids of different colors and viscosities floating up or down or streaming sideways, combining or separating in response to some stimuli.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“This is a replica of a piece of art that was designed for the emperor, when he commissioned the lab on the ship. The emperor asked for another to be made for you, as well.”
I was baffled. “Why?”
“He thought you would appreciate it even more than he could.”
I did, but that still didn’t explain why he’d commissioned one for me—why it had even occurred to him to do so.
The instructions came to secure ourselves for liftoff. Jonathan showed me how to activate the localized grav/anti-grav unit on each chair in the sitting area, so that the effect of liftoff and gravity changes on the passengers could be blunted. I was crestfallen. I don’t know what I’d expected but I wanted to be able to feel the liftoff, not the diluted-for-your-comfort experience. I stood there, disappointed and seriously considering not getting in the chair at all.
Jonathan was watching me and, after a moment he added, “As an alternative, or in case of unit failure, there are also safety restraints built into each chair,” Jonathan said.
I grinned at him and his expression softened just a bit into what I was beginning to think was his on-duty version of a smile. He showed me where to access them and how to strap myself in, and then started to leave the room.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“To my own quarters.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling foolish for asking.
“Unless you’d prefer company?”
“Not if you don’t want. I mean, I was just, I was just wondering.”
He hesitated a moment. “Mr. Dawes, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to stay.” I almost asked him if he really meant it or if he was just humoring me, but I didn’t. I was glad for the company.
We talked while we waited. I
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