substitute for Luna. Besides, she wasn’t supposed to be having feelings for him anyway. She’d agreed to keep far away.
“Sure. You can tell me old war stories about my dad.”
He scratched his head and rolled his eyes. “Where do I start?”
“Start at the beginning, we’ll have all day.” As Gemme stuck her boot on the indents leading to the hatch, Brentwood caught her hand. She turned around, thinking she’d forgotten her backpack or done something wrong.
“I’m glad to have you with us, Ms. Reiner.” His eyes gleamed like jewels from Old Earth. She wanted to hold his hand forever, to never face the cold world outside. His grip remained firm, giving her strength. Blood flowed into her cheeks.
Tech watched with a curious eye behind Brentwood. She kept her answer professional. “I’m glad to be of service, Lieutenant.”
She thought he’d let go, but his eyes remained steady, staring into hers as if something special existed between them and he only needed to delve a little deeper to find it. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Gemme’s heart beat fast against her rib cage. Like a comforting embrace, a passionate kiss, or you.
She blinked her emotions away. “Will do, Lieutenant.”
He released her and her heart tugged as if it had attached itself to him.
“Need a minute?” The corner of Tech’s mouth curved.
“No, I’m fine.” Gemme climbed into the landrover wondering how her heart would ever survive this mission, never mind the cold.
Chapter Ten
Snowdrifts
The portal opened, walls parting into two halves. The metal screeched as it dug into the crevice in the hull for the first time in hundreds of years. This wasn’t a chamber lock with dematerialized particles. Gemme watched the ship open entirely, exposing its bowels to the harsh reality of wind and ice.
The brightness blinded her and she raised her arm to block the sheer white. The engines sputtered on and she pitched forward as the wheels turned underneath her. Bracing herself against the back of Brentwood’s seat, she prepared herself for the unknown. No one spoke as the landrover crept into the light.
The cold seeped in quickly, settling in the marrow of her bones. Gemme shivered, hugging her shoulders and sticking her fingers underneath her arms. Brentwood flipped a switch and a current of warmer air blew by her face, providing a meager hint of warmth.
Solaris Prime blinded her with unbridled light, reflected off the snow. As her eyes adjusted, the shape of mountains formed in the distance, poking up from slabs of pure, unbroken ice. Brentwood turned the wheel and the landrover skidded right, raining flecks of snow on the windshield. In moments, a brutal wind blew the flakes away. Out of the left sight panel, Gemme saw the outer hull of the Expedition for the first time.
Her heart plummeted. All those years she’d drawn the mighty ship in art class in perfect geometric circles and squares. Now her home amounted to a heap of broken metal with chipped paint spelling out x..pedi..on .
“Man, we really wrecked it, didn’t we?” Tech muttered from behind her. He peered over her shoulder and Gemme sat back, allowing him room to catch the view. She’d seen enough.
“Remember, Tundra 37 is our new home. The Expedition is only a temporary shelter. We’ll construct new buildings,” Brentwood called to Tech and Gemme over his shoulder.
Although he meant to comfort them, deflation spread through Gemme’s spirits, as if she found her hero masquerading as an illusion. They rode on an artificial substitute, a dream of the first Lifers of the Expedition . The precariousness of life overwhelmed her, and she slumped in her seat wondering if they could build a home out of ice and snow.
“You sure the atmosphere is breathable?” Luna covered her mouth with her hand.
“You’re breathing it now.” Brentwood’s head turned and Gemme saw him smile in profile. “We’ve breathed it for hours. The Seers pumped it in to run
“Sure. You can tell me old war stories about my dad.”
He scratched his head and rolled his eyes. “Where do I start?”
“Start at the beginning, we’ll have all day.” As Gemme stuck her boot on the indents leading to the hatch, Brentwood caught her hand. She turned around, thinking she’d forgotten her backpack or done something wrong.
“I’m glad to have you with us, Ms. Reiner.” His eyes gleamed like jewels from Old Earth. She wanted to hold his hand forever, to never face the cold world outside. His grip remained firm, giving her strength. Blood flowed into her cheeks.
Tech watched with a curious eye behind Brentwood. She kept her answer professional. “I’m glad to be of service, Lieutenant.”
She thought he’d let go, but his eyes remained steady, staring into hers as if something special existed between them and he only needed to delve a little deeper to find it. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Gemme’s heart beat fast against her rib cage. Like a comforting embrace, a passionate kiss, or you.
She blinked her emotions away. “Will do, Lieutenant.”
He released her and her heart tugged as if it had attached itself to him.
“Need a minute?” The corner of Tech’s mouth curved.
“No, I’m fine.” Gemme climbed into the landrover wondering how her heart would ever survive this mission, never mind the cold.
Chapter Ten
Snowdrifts
The portal opened, walls parting into two halves. The metal screeched as it dug into the crevice in the hull for the first time in hundreds of years. This wasn’t a chamber lock with dematerialized particles. Gemme watched the ship open entirely, exposing its bowels to the harsh reality of wind and ice.
The brightness blinded her and she raised her arm to block the sheer white. The engines sputtered on and she pitched forward as the wheels turned underneath her. Bracing herself against the back of Brentwood’s seat, she prepared herself for the unknown. No one spoke as the landrover crept into the light.
The cold seeped in quickly, settling in the marrow of her bones. Gemme shivered, hugging her shoulders and sticking her fingers underneath her arms. Brentwood flipped a switch and a current of warmer air blew by her face, providing a meager hint of warmth.
Solaris Prime blinded her with unbridled light, reflected off the snow. As her eyes adjusted, the shape of mountains formed in the distance, poking up from slabs of pure, unbroken ice. Brentwood turned the wheel and the landrover skidded right, raining flecks of snow on the windshield. In moments, a brutal wind blew the flakes away. Out of the left sight panel, Gemme saw the outer hull of the Expedition for the first time.
Her heart plummeted. All those years she’d drawn the mighty ship in art class in perfect geometric circles and squares. Now her home amounted to a heap of broken metal with chipped paint spelling out x..pedi..on .
“Man, we really wrecked it, didn’t we?” Tech muttered from behind her. He peered over her shoulder and Gemme sat back, allowing him room to catch the view. She’d seen enough.
“Remember, Tundra 37 is our new home. The Expedition is only a temporary shelter. We’ll construct new buildings,” Brentwood called to Tech and Gemme over his shoulder.
Although he meant to comfort them, deflation spread through Gemme’s spirits, as if she found her hero masquerading as an illusion. They rode on an artificial substitute, a dream of the first Lifers of the Expedition . The precariousness of life overwhelmed her, and she slumped in her seat wondering if they could build a home out of ice and snow.
“You sure the atmosphere is breathable?” Luna covered her mouth with her hand.
“You’re breathing it now.” Brentwood’s head turned and Gemme saw him smile in profile. “We’ve breathed it for hours. The Seers pumped it in to run
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