Running Toward Home

by M B Panichi

  “I hope you and I will have a chance to sit and chat a bit before we do the interview. Then you’ll have a chance to ask any questions and get a little more comfortable.”

  “Sure, we can do that.”

  Garren asked, “Where do you want to set up for the interview?”

  One of the crew behind Kathryn spoke up, “Would it be all right to take a look around to find a good spot for filming? I want to get a feel for this place.”

  Garren nodded. “Absolutely.”

  Shaine said, “I can assign someone to show you around the public spaces. We set up a secure area here in the maintenance bay where you can store your gear.”

  The man nodded and held out a hand. “Rog Metlend, head videographer.”

  Shaine grasped it.

  Garren said, “We have guest quarters set aside for you, if you’d like me to show you where they are?”

  Kathryn Leer nodded. “That would be wonderful, thank you. I think we could all use some time to freshen up before we get started.”

  “We also have dinner set for six p.m. in the cafeteria, if that’s all right?”

  Kathryn Leer answered for her group. “That would be lovely.”

  Garren smiled. “Excellent. I’ll show you where you’re staying and where the cafeteria is as well.”

  He offered an arm, which Leer took with a smile, and led them off down the hall.

  Morgan and Shaine exchanged glances. “Well,” Shaine said, “he’s quite charming when he wants to be, isn’t he?”

  Morgan grinned. “He’s a guy, Shaine. And she’s a lovely woman and a celebrity. Of course he’s going to be all gallant and charming.”

  “Come on, let’s get some coffee before I have to go back to meetings.”

  “And before I bring Friday to work on a couple flatbed skimmers.”

  Shaine made a chivalrous gesture of offering Morgan her arm, which Morgan took with a flourish, and they followed the entourage down the hallway.

  * * *

  In the warehouse workshop, Morgan held a diagnostic comp pad over a skimmer with its engine cover off. Friday stood beside her. Morgan grabbed a couple tools from the workbench behind her, then leaned over the engine, tracing a hairline fracture in the housing.

  “See that? The housing is cracked.” She glanced at Friday, who nodded. “Gonna be full of sand and dust. That’s why it’s not firing. The contacts are either dirty or, depending on how long this has been cracked, they’re scratched beyond redemption.”

  Friday cocked her head. “How do you get the housing off? Do you have to remove the whole thing?”

  “We have to take the whole module out. We’ll have to replace the module housing, or at the very least, seal that crack. To clean the circuit board, we have to pull it out of the module. And hope we can get the housing open without having to use a laser cutter on it. Some of the older ones are built sealed, so there’s no other way to get them open.”

  Friday grinned. “When in doubt, use brute force?”

  “Sometimes it saves time,” Morgan admitted. She leaned in to loosen a couple of the bolts holding the starter module down, then straightened. “Gotta get the other two from underneath,” she explained. She folded herself onto the floor and shimmied on her back under the skimmer.

  Friday watched from above as Morgan twisted her hand into the engine to reach the first of the bolts, using a small ratchet to loosen it. Friday said, “Guess it helps to have small hands, huh?”

  Morgan swore as the nut popped off and skittered away across the floor. “Small hands help. And bendable tools.” She got the other bolt without losing the nut. “Okay, pull the module straight up and out.”

  “Sure.”

  Friday got her hands around the starter module and pulled gently, but it didn’t move.

  “Rock it just a little as you pull, and don’t worry about breaking anything.”

  “Oh!” The part came off in to Friday’s hands.

  Morgan caught the two bolts that fell loose and shimmied back out from under the skimmer. As she sat up on the floor, she saw Friday freeze in mid-movement. Morgan followed her gaze and saw Rog Metlend near the doorway with a camera focused on her and Friday. She pushed herself to her feet and faced him.

  “What’re you doing?” she asked. She tried to sound friendly, but the wariness in her voice was more than obvious.

  He dropped the camera off his shoulder and smiled. “Just getting some casual film—everyday work stuff, you know? Is that okay?”

  Morgan frowned. “I guess it’s okay with me. But you’d have to ask Friday if she wants to be on film.”

  Friday frowned. “Everyone might see me?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “If we use the footage, anyone who watched the program would,” he said.

  “So, if you film me and I’m fine, and I’m happy, they’d see that, right?”

  “Sure.”

  Friday glanced at Morgan. “If everyone sees that I’m okay, then whatever my sister says, they’ll know it’s all lies.”

  Morgan thought about that. “It’s possible.” She looked to the cameraman. “Are we going to be able to see exactly what goes out in the final version? To okay it or not?”

  He nodded. “That’s my understanding. You’d need to ask Ms. Leer, though.”

  Friday said, “I don’t mind if you film me, then.”

  Morgan cautioned, “You’re sure?”

  “Yes. I’m sure.”

  The man walked over to join them. “So, what are you working on?” he asked.

  Morgan said, “Skimmer wouldn’t start. We have a lot of issues here with sand getting into things. I was showing Fri how to get the starter module out, and I’ll show her how to clean it and test it. Basic mechanics. She’s good at it, picks stuff up fast.”

  “So, you’re a mechanic?”

  “I am. Schooled for it. I was doing ship systems outer maintenance at the Moon Base docks before we came here. Now I’m kind of a jack-of-all-trades.”

  He looked at Friday. “You’re that kid they’re saying is being held against her will, right?”

  She straightened her shoulders. “I’m not a kid. And I’m not being held against my will. I will never go back to that place. I like it here, and I like the people here. They let me learn here—like what Morgan’s doing now. And I can do my artwork.”

  He nodded again. “Well, just do your thing. I’m going to be around, okay? If you see me filming something you don’t want, tell me, and I’ll trash it.”

  “Fair enough,” Morgan agreed, then added, to Friday, “Come on, this thing isn’t going to fix itself.”

  Metlend backed out of their space, wandering around the workshop a bit, shooting snippets of film. Morgan was aware of his presence in her peripheral vision, but as she started showing Friday how to clean the starter and the engine’s circuit board, she forgot about Metlend. When she looked for him a while later, he’d disappeared.

  It made her think of Andy Lenz, standing in the hangar bay a few days ago, and she frowned, wondering again what he’d been doing there. Friday asked a question, and she put on her game face, pushing the musings away.

  * * *

  Morgan leaned back a little from the table, feeling comfortably full. The cooks had put together a special meal in honor of their celebrity guests, so everyone had real meat and gravy over mashed potatoes, with cranberry sauce and vegetables. They even had apple pie. It wasn’t Jeannette’s pie, but Morgan was in heaven just the same, and she couldn’t help laughing at Friday who was all but swooning over hers.

  All in all, dinner with Kathryn and her crew went very smoothly. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Kathryn was gracious when any of the workers wandered over to say hello and ask for an autograph. Sitting across from her, Morgan was able to observe without being rude, and was impressed by Kathryn’s ability to deal so easily with her admirers. Rog Metlend sat beside Kathryn, but spent most of his time talking to Garren, who sat beside him. Shaine sat on Kathryn’s other si
de.

  Morgan could see the tension in Shaine’s shoulders. Her eyes didn’t stop moving the whole time they ate, watching the people around them, assessing, guarding. Morgan decided to grab some leftovers for Shaine to eat later, since she’d hardly touched her dinner. After dessert, Kathryn asked Morgan if she had time to sit down and chat.

  Since the cafeteria was still busy, Morgan suggested that they use the quarters she shared with Shaine and Friday. It was crowded, but at least it was quiet.

  Morgan led Kathryn down the halls. The reporter was dressed in comfortable but smart-looking black slacks and a turquoise silk tunic with a black leather jacket and low black boots. She walked with her hands in her jacket pockets, and Morgan noticed that she seemed to observe everything. Her eyes never stilled and her expression was interested and curious.

  Morgan palmed the lock and the door slid open. Morgan gestured for Kathryn to precede her. “It isn’t much,” she said, “but it’s home.” She crossed the room to pull out the chair at the built-in desk. “You can sit here. I’ll just pull up a spot on the bed.”

  Kathryn smiled her thanks and sat down as she looked around. “Will the permanent dome have larger quarters?” she asked.

  Morgan nodded. “I’m sure it will. Temporary workers will still stay in the communal barracks. Singles will have at least a small kitchen area, and for families there’ll be one or two bedrooms. It’s still cramped, but it’s better than this.”

  “A minimalist existence, then?”

  Morgan shrugged. “I guess. It’s all I’ve ever known. You value your friends and family more than any stuff you might collect. Even on Moon Base it’s like that. There just isn’t room for a lot of extras.”

  “Do you live with Shaine on Moon Base, too? How long have the two of you been a couple?”

  Morgan felt her face flush. “Actually, we’ve only been together a little while, just a few months, really. We both have our own apartments on Moon Base, but we’ll consolidate when we go back. There just wasn’t time before we ended up here.”

  Kathryn nodded thoughtfully. She gestured to the small cot against the far wall. “You have an extra bed?” she asked curiously.

  Morgan grinned and said, “That’s where Friday’s crashing. We didn’t want her in the barracks with everyone else or all alone, either. She’s our responsibility, so it seemed right to just keep her with us.”

  “Friday is okay with that?”

  Morgan sensed a certain amount of disbelief, as though Kathryn was looking for dirt and conflict. She felt her hackles go up and frowned. “We talked with her about it. She was pretty traumatized by what was going on in her life. She didn’t want to be alone, either. She needs to feel safe and to have people around her who care and who will protect her. Right now, that’s me and Shaine.”

  Kathryn smiled. “A lot of people wouldn’t go so far out of their way to help a stranger.”

  Morgan shrugged. “Friday’s a good kid. She’s family now.”

  “How does Tarm Maruchek feel about the situation?”

  “I’m sure he would prefer not to have the extra excitement.” Morgan chuckled. “But I think he’s glad to be able to help Friday out since she landed in our laps.”

  Kathryn smiled. “Off the record, how do you feel about your birth father? I don’t mean to be forward, but if I know where you stand, I can work around that in the interview. Nothing we say in this room goes beyond this room.”

  Morgan met Kathryn’s deep blue gaze for a few moments. Kathryn’s expression was comfortable and open. Morgan sensed sincerity and honesty and wondered if it was real, or just a façade. Her gut told her Kathryn was on the level. Finally, she said, “Maruchek seems to be a decent man. He’s been up front and fair with me. I think he’s gone out of his way to be very frank with me. He hasn’t pushed about anything. He’s my father, but he’ll never be my dad. I have a dad, Vinn Rahn. I’ve lived with him all my life, and I love him with all my heart.”

  Kathryn said, “This must be difficult for you.”

  Morgan shrugged. For the most part, she realized, she’d come to terms with it. “Sometimes it can be. I was happy the way my life was. But I don’t think I can go back to that same life again, and that’s hard. What pisses me off is everyone being so interested in my business and judging me when they don’t even know me. I don’t want fame and fortune. I just want to go to work and have my friends and play some grav-ball and have my life, you know? Still, the thing that’s been wonderful about this is that it brought Shaine into my life.”

  Kathryn smiled. “The two of you seem to be handling things well together.”

  “So far, yeah. I don’t think I could have done this without her.”

  “You and your brother seem to get on well from what I saw at dinner tonight.”

  Morgan grinned. “Garren’s a good guy. Sometimes I think he’s a little naive about the ugly realities of life. He hasn’t had to live them. I mean, there’s some pretty harsh stuff going on out there. I’ve seen it firsthand, and I don’t think Garren has. But he’s not one of those arrogant rich boy types. We have fun. I never had a brother or sister, so it’s great to have someone to tease.”

  “What about the money, Morgan? Will you be inheriting a great deal?”

  Morgan frowned. “I don’t want the money. I don’t need it. I work for a living. And, honestly, we haven’t talked about it. Tarm’s tried, but I don’t want to get into it. He said there’s a trust fund for me. I don’t even know what’s in it.”

  “Aren’t you even curious?”

  “I lived my life taking care of myself. Working for a living. Like my dad and mom did. I live in a studio apartment on Moon Base. Money is just trouble. It makes you a target. I don’t want that. I don’t want to have to wonder if everyone I meet wants something from me.”

  Kathryn Leer raised a skeptical blond brow. “Don’t you expect that to be the case, with or without the money?”

  “Maybe. Probably.”

  Kathryn said, “I will do all I can to keep your privacy yours, Morgan. We don’t have to talk about anything you’d rather not share.” She smiled. “I have to say, it’s a pleasure to interview someone I respect and find to be an honest, decent person. You are one of the few.”

  Morgan returned the smile. “Thank you.”

  “One final question, and this one is a more difficult one.”

  Morgan frowned, but nodded. “Okay.”

  “There are a lot of rumors and accusations going around about how Friday got to be here, and why she’s not gone back to the Unified Martian Temple of God colony. The people from the colony are accusing you of keeping her against her will and turning her against her church. Meanwhile, Mann-Maru is providing legal support for Friday, and she has pressed charges against Abraham and two other Elders, accusing them of child abuse and molestation. Can you talk about what’s really happening?”

  Morgan ran a hand through her hair. Maruchek had cautioned them about what they said since there was a legal case pending, but at the same time, she knew Friday was anxious to have her side of the story told. Morgan chose her words carefully. “Friday’s here because she ran away. She wanted the freedom to live her life, and they weren’t allowing it. We’re not holding her here. She refuses to return to the colony. We won’t make her do something she feels so strongly about, especially if it potentially puts her in danger.”

  Kathryn nodded. “Are you comfortable talking about this?”

  “I know that Maruchek and his lawyers would probably prefer me not to.”

  “And Friday?”

  “What I was going to suggest was that I go and find Friday and we talk to her. She may want to make a statement, or join the interview.”

  “And your father would be okay with this?”

  “That I don’t know.”

  Kathryn laughed. “I like you, Morgan Rahn. Let’s find Friday and talk to her.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Kathryn and Rog Metlend decided to film the
interview in the main cafeteria. They liked the normalcy of people wandering in and out, showing the day-to-day workings of the site. Morgan wasn’t sure she liked the idea of an audience, but she didn’t have any say in the matter. Shaine insisted on a heavy security presence. Since it wasn’t a live taping, any belligerent audience members could be removed.

  They set up a stage area around one of the bench tables on the side of the room. Someone pulled in a more comfortable chair for Kathryn. The video techs set up lights and microphones around the stage area. There were two stationary cameras and one handheld.

  Metlend marked the floor to indicate where personnel should NOT be. Shaine decided not to put up a physical barrier. She had enough security in place that they wouldn’t need to worry about anyone crossing the line.

  Off to the left side of the stage, Kathryn’s hair and makeup artist had his station set up. On another table there was a video monitor for each camera and a soundboard for monitoring and tweaking the input from the microphones.

  Morgan stood out of the way, sipping a cup of coffee and watching the tech crew setting up. Friday leaned against the wall at her side, munching on a bag of baked vegetable chips from the dispenser. Morgan thought it was an awful lot of bother for one little interview. But at the same time she was fascinated by all the details.

  Friday said through a mouthful of chips, “You nervous?”

  Morgan shrugged. “Not so much about the interview. More about what it will bring about. Maruchek said that this will keep the media off my back in the long run, but I don’t know if I believe that.”

  Friday chewed thoughtfully. “I can kinda see his point. You’d be kind of answering their curiosity. Once you do that, they’ll know what they want to know and might leave you alone.”

  “Now you sound like Shaine,” Morgan commented.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “It’s annoying, Fri.”

  “Aw, you love me and you know it.” Friday laughed and shoved another chip in her mouth, crunching loudly. She hip-checked Morgan and Morgan hip-checked her back.