Lana's Comet (Outer Settlement Agency) by Lyn Brittan Page A
Authors: Lyn Brittan
Tags: Espionage, Military, Sci-Fi, Interracial, African American, bwwm, workplace, doctor, Outer Space, Comedy, soldier
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his wife?”
Vin took a half step up and cocked his head to the side. “That is his wife.”
“Everywhere I turn, standards are slipping.”
“And here we go. It’s his retirement, oh never mind. Have fun or not. Whatever,” Vin said and slipped away into the crowd of revelers. He waved to Yoshisumi, but knew the man wouldn’t remember in the morning. Someone shoved a drink in his hand, but Cyprus did not intend to down it without doing a quick lap around the room. If there were any subordinates around, he wouldn’t touch the stuff. Unlike those fools at the bar, he would represent the Outer Settlement Agency well, in uniform or out, day or night.
Chapter Two
“I ’m too old to start over.”
“You’re twenty-nine.”
“Which is like a hundred out here.”
“Isn’t your older, hotter sister an agent?”
“Yes, but she went in right at eighteen like a normal person.” Lana hung up her trainee uniform and fell back on the too small bed in the circular room. It was a hive, like most training facilities. Stacks of apartments built one on the other, the same outward facing wall, one gigantic window. Little privacy. All meant to strip you of individuality. Everything was the same. Two white beds facing a white wall, below a white ceiling on white heated floors. “This is like one of my labs. I shouldn’t have to be here. My living quarters from Meash Two were bigger than three of these cages.”
“You’re the one who wanted to transfer from private to public. Meash does good work. Without them, Titan would still be some wasted Saturn moon raining sulfuric acid. Don’t be mad. This is your fault. Now you have to start all over again. More training, more being yelled at. No offense, but it’s kinda stupid.”
Lana turned to her roommate. That she even had one was a peculiarity she had to work through. That said roommate was nineteen with boobs to heaven and a waist too slender for her own good, didn’t help in the ego department. “I need a drink.”
“Now you’re starting to make some sense, Lana. Get up and get dressed. My uncle’s retirement party is tonight. You’re coming with me. It’s in the 22 nd .”
“Are you even old enough to do anything in the 22 nd ?”
“Stop it. You know you want to go. They’ll be plenty of old men—”
She threw her pillow across the room at the laughing Michi, who caught it one handed. “You can’t beat these youthful reflexes.”
“I’m not that old.”
“Exactly.” Michi slid up behind her and forced her toward the mirror. “Great skin and a body built for action. Now you listen to me. You’re going to slip on something sexy, get in a cruiser and we’re going to enjoy our last night of freedom before training starts. Don’t look at me like that. I’m very wise for my age.”
An hour later and Lana had to agree. They’d walked into a dim room with walls programmed to a faint purple. The 22 nd was the place on Titan for partying, and all the latest songs poured down from the undulating ceiling. The walls moved too, at least, that was the effect the lights gave. It turned her brown dress a dark black and it glinted off the florescent sparkles she’d poured on her legs before stepping into the cruiser.
“This isn’t exactly my crowd but...oh, there’s my uncle. Catch up with you later.”
“Wait!” But Lana didn’t bother calling for her a second time. One, she wouldn’t be heard above the music. Two, the ‘not my crowd,’ totally made sense. Michi was a kid looking for boys. These were grown men, no recruits or wannabes here.
Every face bore an easy smile or split in infectious laughter. Good. She needed this. Maybe she wasn’t always the life of the party, but she loved to see people grinning and happy. Tiny pangs of homesickness set in and she imagined how much her sister would have loved to dive in this pool of hotness. Every step closer to the bar filled her with want of equal parts home, family and fun.
Oh, why
Vin took a half step up and cocked his head to the side. “That is his wife.”
“Everywhere I turn, standards are slipping.”
“And here we go. It’s his retirement, oh never mind. Have fun or not. Whatever,” Vin said and slipped away into the crowd of revelers. He waved to Yoshisumi, but knew the man wouldn’t remember in the morning. Someone shoved a drink in his hand, but Cyprus did not intend to down it without doing a quick lap around the room. If there were any subordinates around, he wouldn’t touch the stuff. Unlike those fools at the bar, he would represent the Outer Settlement Agency well, in uniform or out, day or night.
Chapter Two
“I ’m too old to start over.”
“You’re twenty-nine.”
“Which is like a hundred out here.”
“Isn’t your older, hotter sister an agent?”
“Yes, but she went in right at eighteen like a normal person.” Lana hung up her trainee uniform and fell back on the too small bed in the circular room. It was a hive, like most training facilities. Stacks of apartments built one on the other, the same outward facing wall, one gigantic window. Little privacy. All meant to strip you of individuality. Everything was the same. Two white beds facing a white wall, below a white ceiling on white heated floors. “This is like one of my labs. I shouldn’t have to be here. My living quarters from Meash Two were bigger than three of these cages.”
“You’re the one who wanted to transfer from private to public. Meash does good work. Without them, Titan would still be some wasted Saturn moon raining sulfuric acid. Don’t be mad. This is your fault. Now you have to start all over again. More training, more being yelled at. No offense, but it’s kinda stupid.”
Lana turned to her roommate. That she even had one was a peculiarity she had to work through. That said roommate was nineteen with boobs to heaven and a waist too slender for her own good, didn’t help in the ego department. “I need a drink.”
“Now you’re starting to make some sense, Lana. Get up and get dressed. My uncle’s retirement party is tonight. You’re coming with me. It’s in the 22 nd .”
“Are you even old enough to do anything in the 22 nd ?”
“Stop it. You know you want to go. They’ll be plenty of old men—”
She threw her pillow across the room at the laughing Michi, who caught it one handed. “You can’t beat these youthful reflexes.”
“I’m not that old.”
“Exactly.” Michi slid up behind her and forced her toward the mirror. “Great skin and a body built for action. Now you listen to me. You’re going to slip on something sexy, get in a cruiser and we’re going to enjoy our last night of freedom before training starts. Don’t look at me like that. I’m very wise for my age.”
An hour later and Lana had to agree. They’d walked into a dim room with walls programmed to a faint purple. The 22 nd was the place on Titan for partying, and all the latest songs poured down from the undulating ceiling. The walls moved too, at least, that was the effect the lights gave. It turned her brown dress a dark black and it glinted off the florescent sparkles she’d poured on her legs before stepping into the cruiser.
“This isn’t exactly my crowd but...oh, there’s my uncle. Catch up with you later.”
“Wait!” But Lana didn’t bother calling for her a second time. One, she wouldn’t be heard above the music. Two, the ‘not my crowd,’ totally made sense. Michi was a kid looking for boys. These were grown men, no recruits or wannabes here.
Every face bore an easy smile or split in infectious laughter. Good. She needed this. Maybe she wasn’t always the life of the party, but she loved to see people grinning and happy. Tiny pangs of homesickness set in and she imagined how much her sister would have loved to dive in this pool of hotness. Every step closer to the bar filled her with want of equal parts home, family and fun.
Oh, why