They then turned to David, who possessed a face of certainty and determination. Gahein looked up at his friends and smiled nervously.
“Perhaps we’ve overstayed our welcome,” said Gahein, calmly.
The rest nodded in agreement, and they pulled themselves into the first hall, gliding until they made their first right and headed back to the hatch. The humming grew louder until they got their hatch opened and climbed back in to the small shuttle. Roxanne climbed into the cock-pit and checked sensors, without a word she unlocked the clamps holding them to the outpost quickly, fired the engines, and took off.
“I don’t remember us usually having to depart so quickly,” Sam commented.
“Patrols,” replied Roxanne.
And so, as Thalia floated in zero-G in front of the hatch, she thought about the sound they had all heard, like a warning, like the outpost didn’t want the patrols to find them. That didn’t make any sense, she thought. But neither did this excursion to Saturn Orbiter. She already had a job, a life she enjoyed, she had more than enough reason not to get this map, but the hum had stayed with her, and it was as though it were an invitation to this auction. Inviting her to find something she didn’t fully understand yet. She had to do this, no matter how clandestine it felt.
---
Roxanne stood underneath the large circular hatch in the top of her ship. She was waiting for the familiar sound of the station to latch on to her ship, giving her the queue to open the door and climb up into the station. With a thud and a click she heard the connection and the light next to the hatch turned from red to green.
“Perhaps we’ve overstayed our welcome,” said Gahein, calmly.
The rest nodded in agreement, and they pulled themselves into the first hall, gliding until they made their first right and headed back to the hatch. The humming grew louder until they got their hatch opened and climbed back in to the small shuttle. Roxanne climbed into the cock-pit and checked sensors, without a word she unlocked the clamps holding them to the outpost quickly, fired the engines, and took off.
“I don’t remember us usually having to depart so quickly,” Sam commented.
“Patrols,” replied Roxanne.
And so, as Thalia floated in zero-G in front of the hatch, she thought about the sound they had all heard, like a warning, like the outpost didn’t want the patrols to find them. That didn’t make any sense, she thought. But neither did this excursion to Saturn Orbiter. She already had a job, a life she enjoyed, she had more than enough reason not to get this map, but the hum had stayed with her, and it was as though it were an invitation to this auction. Inviting her to find something she didn’t fully understand yet. She had to do this, no matter how clandestine it felt.
---
Roxanne stood underneath the large circular hatch in the top of her ship. She was waiting for the familiar sound of the station to latch on to her ship, giving her the queue to open the door and climb up into the station. With a thud and a click she heard the connection and the light next to the hatch turned from red to green.
