functioning together to create a single entity.
So I was re-exposed to the
proper
kind of eyelash mites, the
appropriate
fingernail bacteria, and
right
sort of microscopic passengers. The disinfection protocol had been instigated during the plagues of the DarkTimes, and had never been restructured.
Once I was properly reinfected, I was directed to collect my clothing and proceed through the final doors – and welcome to the moonliner
Daedalus
.
My clothing had faded and shrunk and gotten considerably more worn as it had gone through its own sterilization process, but Jamal had warned me about this. I put it back on, and it still fit well enough. Ihad to sit and wait for the dizziness to pass before I could go through the final doors. I’d had to do that quite a bit through this whole antiseptic odyssey. Dizzy, still a bit ill, and already missing my family so much I felt as if I’d been torn in half, I stepped through the doors and into the
Daedalus
.
‘Hey,’ said Quin. ‘Took you long enough.’
chapter 7
I blinked in utter amazement.
‘Quin!’
I signed, making the flicking sign for ‘5’ that we signed as Quin’s name.
‘You recognized me. Good sign.’
‘But what are you doing here?’
I signed frantically.
‘I’m coming with you,’ Quin said, examining his fingernails. ‘What, didn’t I mention it?’
I glared at him.
‘No
.’
He grinned broadly, his teeth showing white against his blue skin. Weusually don’t smile like that, so I knew he was doing it to annoy me. ‘You need an interpreter,’ Quin said smugly. ‘Rose isn’t good enough at sign, and you can’t be expected to touch
everyone
on Europa.’
‘But Rose
…’
‘Is shy, you know that,’ Quin said, stopping me. ‘You’re not going to make her speak for you
all
the time, are you?’
I swallowed. Actually, even though Quin was an almost immediatelyannoying person, I was suddenly extremely glad he was going with me.
‘But you didn’t prepare. The antibiotics …’
‘Mr Zellwegger and I had this worked out days ago. I started the antibiotics when you did.’ He shook his head. ‘It was awful. It felt like something inside me died that day.’
I closed my eyes as I tried not to laugh. Laughing at Quin’s jokes was one of the worst things you could do.It only encouraged him. Fortunately, I sound odd when I laugh, so I’m quite used to suppressing it.
‘Did the girls know about this?’
I asked instead.
‘You’re not the only one who doesn’t talk,’ Quin said with a wink.
‘Where’s Rose?’
‘To your left at the passengers’ dining lounge. Munching on a pre-stass special of the day.’ He bowed dramatically. ‘This way, my liege.’
Quin’s royal sarcasmwas well founded. The room in which the passengers to Europa were waiting to be taken to their designated stass chambers was opulent in the extreme. Luna base was made mostly out of radiation-shielded mudbrick, formed out of the lunar dust, and actually felt quite homey – almost tribal. It was quite utilitarian in design, and didn’t add much in the way of frills or finery.
The moonliner, on theother hand, was luxurious. The light fixtures in this dining lounge appeared to be cut crystal. The ceiling held a detailed fresco depicting Daedalus with his mechanical wings soaring into the clouds away from the island of Minos. If you looked closely you could just see doomed Icarus, a tiny figure above him, flying too close to the sun. The walls were literally made of golden velvet. I touchedone as I entered the lounge – my handprint stayed on the wall. I ran my fingers down it and left ploughed furrows. I was almost tempted to draw on it with my finger, but I smoothed it with the edge of my hand and the marks flowed invisibly back into the gold shine. Even going to UniPrep, I wasn’t used to such luxury.
Rose laughed, and I realized she’d been watching me. I turned to look at her.I’d been too nervous this morning as we prepared to board the
So I was re-exposed to the
proper
kind of eyelash mites, the
appropriate
fingernail bacteria, and
right
sort of microscopic passengers. The disinfection protocol had been instigated during the plagues of the DarkTimes, and had never been restructured.
Once I was properly reinfected, I was directed to collect my clothing and proceed through the final doors – and welcome to the moonliner
Daedalus
.
My clothing had faded and shrunk and gotten considerably more worn as it had gone through its own sterilization process, but Jamal had warned me about this. I put it back on, and it still fit well enough. Ihad to sit and wait for the dizziness to pass before I could go through the final doors. I’d had to do that quite a bit through this whole antiseptic odyssey. Dizzy, still a bit ill, and already missing my family so much I felt as if I’d been torn in half, I stepped through the doors and into the
Daedalus
.
‘Hey,’ said Quin. ‘Took you long enough.’
chapter 7
I blinked in utter amazement.
‘Quin!’
I signed, making the flicking sign for ‘5’ that we signed as Quin’s name.
‘You recognized me. Good sign.’
‘But what are you doing here?’
I signed frantically.
‘I’m coming with you,’ Quin said, examining his fingernails. ‘What, didn’t I mention it?’
I glared at him.
‘No
.’
He grinned broadly, his teeth showing white against his blue skin. Weusually don’t smile like that, so I knew he was doing it to annoy me. ‘You need an interpreter,’ Quin said smugly. ‘Rose isn’t good enough at sign, and you can’t be expected to touch
everyone
on Europa.’
‘But Rose
…’
‘Is shy, you know that,’ Quin said, stopping me. ‘You’re not going to make her speak for you
all
the time, are you?’
I swallowed. Actually, even though Quin was an almost immediatelyannoying person, I was suddenly extremely glad he was going with me.
‘But you didn’t prepare. The antibiotics …’
‘Mr Zellwegger and I had this worked out days ago. I started the antibiotics when you did.’ He shook his head. ‘It was awful. It felt like something inside me died that day.’
I closed my eyes as I tried not to laugh. Laughing at Quin’s jokes was one of the worst things you could do.It only encouraged him. Fortunately, I sound odd when I laugh, so I’m quite used to suppressing it.
‘Did the girls know about this?’
I asked instead.
‘You’re not the only one who doesn’t talk,’ Quin said with a wink.
‘Where’s Rose?’
‘To your left at the passengers’ dining lounge. Munching on a pre-stass special of the day.’ He bowed dramatically. ‘This way, my liege.’
Quin’s royal sarcasmwas well founded. The room in which the passengers to Europa were waiting to be taken to their designated stass chambers was opulent in the extreme. Luna base was made mostly out of radiation-shielded mudbrick, formed out of the lunar dust, and actually felt quite homey – almost tribal. It was quite utilitarian in design, and didn’t add much in the way of frills or finery.
The moonliner, on theother hand, was luxurious. The light fixtures in this dining lounge appeared to be cut crystal. The ceiling held a detailed fresco depicting Daedalus with his mechanical wings soaring into the clouds away from the island of Minos. If you looked closely you could just see doomed Icarus, a tiny figure above him, flying too close to the sun. The walls were literally made of golden velvet. I touchedone as I entered the lounge – my handprint stayed on the wall. I ran my fingers down it and left ploughed furrows. I was almost tempted to draw on it with my finger, but I smoothed it with the edge of my hand and the marks flowed invisibly back into the gold shine. Even going to UniPrep, I wasn’t used to such luxury.
Rose laughed, and I realized she’d been watching me. I turned to look at her.I’d been too nervous this morning as we prepared to board the
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