Verita

by Tracy Rozzlynn

  I hardly noticed the library last night; I had been too preoccupied. It’s not very large. I notice it’s arranged more for comfort than study. Unlike the town or school library back home, this library lacks little cubicle-like desks and tables scattered about. Instead, there is a collection of various ergonomic chairs, recliners, ottomans, and even a few bean-bag seats. I head to the main desk to ask where the fiction is. The librarian informs me that it’s almost all fiction; the few exceptions are self-help books. Taking pity on my bewildered look, she continues by telling me that the recreation library is for entertainment only, and any non-fiction data is accessible through all the computers on the base.

  She also offers me a reading pad, in case I prefer to download my selections. Seeing my hesitation, she adds that I can download any of the music I want right onto the pad as well. So I accept the pad, select Much Ado About Nothing and Thinner, and head back towards the lab.

  That’s when I notice Ryan. He’s walking out of a dining hall, hand-in-hand with a tall girl with a supermodel figure. I stare for a moment, unable to believe what I’m seeing. The girl wraps her arm around Ryan’s waist, and he runs his fingers through her ebony hair. My face suddenly feels hot with fury.

  “Well he certainly recovers quickly,” I mutter to myself. The hurt and embarrassment I feel churns my stomach. What did he do, leave me and ask out the very next girl he ran into? Or was I the one who totally misread his intentions last night?

  I take the long way back to the lab. I need time to calm down and think rationally. I wasn’t dating him, I hadn’t even kissed him, and I had no plans to either. I will be the bigger person and say nothing. We are simply colleagues, nothing more.

  I’ve managed to calm myself down by the time I re-enter the lab. Molly and Jake are still at lunch, so Ryan is the only one there.

  “So what are your plans for the afternoon?” he asks me.

  I resist snapping, ‘None of your business,’ and coolly reply, “Exploring the computer database. All the non-fiction is located there. I want to see how user-friendly it is.”

  “Good to know. I think I’ll do the same.” He walks over to his computer and turns it on.

  Copycat. With my back towards him, I roll my eyes. Well, maybe I haven’t calmed down entirely just yet, but I can still be the bigger person and not outwardly show my anger.

  The search engine is decent. I have no problem finding any information I search for. I’m sure it helps that the only information in the database is credible non-fiction and free of advertisements. Soon, Jake and Molly are back from lunch, and they join us exploring the database. It keeps us busy for the rest of the day.

  After work, I meet Andi, but I refrain from telling her about Ryan and his new girlfriend. It’s just too embarrassing, and I don’t want to make a big deal about it. He doesn’t actually mean anything to me, anyway.

  “Hey, guess what day today is?” Andi perkily asks, hardly able to contain herself.

  “I don’t know. What is today?” I ask, playing along with her guessing game.

  “Tuesday, April sixth,” she chirps excitedly.

  “Okay.” My response is flat; I’m underwhelmed by her announcement.

  Then she commands, “Now guess how many days are in April.” But she doesn’t wait for me to answer: “Thirty-five,” she proudly announces.

  “What?” I snap back in a tone that says she’s lost her frigging marbles.

  “We created a new calendar for this world. A bigger planet and larger orbit mean a longer year. There are 420 days in a year here. Our first assignment was to create a calendar that incorporated the extra days. We decided to keep the months and holidays the same as on Earth, and added extra days to the end of each month. We added the days on to keep the seasons relatively similar, too. We figured a bit of familiarity will help everyone adjust. We submitted it yesterday and just got word back this afternoon that it’s been approved.” Andi is beaming with satisfaction.

  “Not a bad idea. Congratulations,” I comment as I pat her on the back. In a whim, I add, “Are there still seven days a week and twenty-four hours in a day?”

  “Actually, no. There are seven days in a week still, but there are twenty-six hours in a day here; we’ve just been sleeping though them.” My face drops with her response. I had just been joking.

  “So that’s why I feel so rested in the morning, I’ve been getting ten hours of sleep a night. It seems to get dark at the ‘normal’ hour here – or, the same hour as Earth, as least. But it’s bright and sunny when we wake up. Does that mean we’re sleeping through two hours of usable light in the morning?” I’m still trying to grasp the idea of missing two hours a day without knowing it.

  “Yeah. But I’m pretty sure that they’re going to gradually adjust us to the twenty-six hours,” Andi adds, seeing the look on my face, but I can’t help but feel a bit duped. After all, the clocks and watches don’t show the extra hours, but the time is accurate each morning – which meant they must be programmed for them.

  The next morning we start studying the DNA we extracted. I’m surprised when Dr. Brant drops in to visit us. I quickly explain what we’re doing, and I make it clear I should be the one who takes the blame and no one else. I also add that we’ve already finished everything that was asked of us.

  “Good initiative,” she nods as my mouth drops open. It takes me a moment to recover. She’s not mad. “It may take all of you some time to get used to being treated like adults. But you are, and you don’t need to ask permission for every step you take. I simply ask that you follow the rules in the handbook and practice good judgment. Now don’t get me wrong: you are not being given free rein to do whatever you wish; I expect regular reports on your work. If I have an issue with anything I read I will bring it to your team leader to address it accordingly.”

  “Our team leader?” Ryan speaks up. There is no mistaking the interest on his face. I’m not sure how I feel about Ryan being my boss.

  “Yes, I will get to that in a bit. Right now, I want to review what everyone has accomplished this week.”

  Dr. Brant walks over to Molly and begins asking her questions as they walk over to her computer. Out of politeness the rest of us busy ourselves with work – though, of course, we’re all still listening.

  But I soon forget Dr. Brant is even there. The DNA sample steals my attention. As I suspected, I didn’t have enough starting material for the sequencer computer to do very much with. Nevertheless, I start cataloging what I have on the twenty-four pairs of chromosomes my furry male friend has. I hope to add to it, one day, when I find my violet-eyed creature again.

  I review Molly’s and Jake’s results to see how they came up. Yup, they’re both human.

  I turn and look up. Dr. Brant is standing over my shoulder, smiling at me.

  “Sorry. I didn’t notice you,” I answer meekly.

  “Nothing to apologize for. Good concentration can’t be taught.” Dr. Brant has already spoken to everyone else, so there isn’t much for me to do but confirm what she already knows. “Touring the greenhouses today was your idea?”

  “Yes, that’s not a problem, is it?” Dang, I knew my good luck couldn’t last.

  “No, not a problem.” She smiles and turns to address all of us. “I have to say, I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far. You’re the first team to show real initiative and do more than just what was asked. Accordingly, I think you should be the first team out in the field. I’m taking each team on their first visit, starting next week. Monday will be your turn. You should all receive a new calendar in your email today. Today is Wednesday. You’ve got two work days of prep and time to enjoy the weekend.

  “The first visit will only be two days in length, but if you do well, you will be able to start working on your own in the field. I will get your assigned search grids to your team lead.” We stand, waiting for her to name the person, but instead she starts to leave.

  “Dr. Brant?” I call after her.

  “Yes
, Brett?” She turns back around and looks at me.

  “Who is the team lead?”

  “Sorry, I thought it was so apparent that I forgot to say it. You are, Brett.” Dr. Brant turns and walks out of the lab. I hear a grumble from Ryan’s direction. I give a sidelong glance to Ryan and note a sour look on his face. Molly and Jake start to congratulate me.

  “Excuse me for a minute.”

  I run out of the lab after Dr. Brant. I catch up to her as she’s about to enter the next lab.

  “Brett, how can I help you?” she asks, surprised to see me.

  “I think you made a mistake. I’m not a leader,” I stammer.

  “I will have to disagree with you on that point. You’ve shown your leadership skills already. Just look at what your team has done already under your leadership. There’s a detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of the team lead in the database. Take a look at it. I’m sure it’ll ease your worries.”

  “But I wasn’t trying to lead anyone,” I protest.

  “It may not have been your intention, but from what your teammates tell me, you were the one who started familiarizing them with the lab equipment and the computer database. You arranged the DNA testing and the visit to the greenhouse. Every other team finished their reading and twiddled their thumbs. But thanks to you, your team has remained productive and is ahead of the others. I’m confident in my decision.” Her tone tells me the conversation is finished.

  “But—” I start to disagree, but she cuts me off.

  “Remember, Brett, the best leaders don’t lead; they’re followed.”

  She turns and enters the next lab, cutting any further protestations short.

  I can’t believe her decision. The one comfortable thing about high school was that you knew what exactly was expected of you, what you needed to do. Now there is no one giving us step-by-step directions. It’s up to us – no, up to me – to decide how to proceed. The idea is daunting. I never asked for this responsibility. Dr. Brant is so graceful, eloquent and confident. I’m none of those things. How could she expect me to lead a team on my own?

  I slowly make my way back to my lab, thinking about the team I am now expected to lead. Jake’s a bit of a clown, and thinks he is an authority on everything. There isn’t a topic that he doesn’t have an opinion on. This type of personality is a definite turn-off for most people, but it doesn’t bother me, and I can deal with it easily enough. I figure his know-it-all attitude is overcompensation for the baby face that must have earned him child-like treatment most of his life. As long as I keep him busy and respect him, he’ll be happy.

  Molly by nature is a little shy. She needs encouragement to trust her instincts and make her own decisions. Jake tends to take advantage of her nature, and I was already frequently coming to her aid to redirect his focus so she could work on her own, without Jake telling her the right way to do everything. She is sensitive, too – the type of person who would grieve over killing a fly. I guess it’s a good thing that she’ll be working with rocks.

  I haven’t figured out Ryan yet, but I know if he opposes my being team lead, he could make all our lives exceedingly difficult. I just hope he’ll choose to act like an adult, though his initial response is unpromising.

  I head back to our lab, and find Molly and Jake waiting to finish congratulating me. “Where is Ryan?” I ask, noticing his absence.

  “He headed out to lunch. He said he’ll meet us at the east gate.” Molly’s eyes dart to Jake and then back to me. Molly’s not a good liar. Apparently, omitting the fact that Ryan is pissed is enough of a lie to make her uncomfortable.

  “So Ryan’s mad that I’m the team lead.” It’s not a question, but my attempt to let them both off the hook.

  “A bit. I heard him mutter something about we’d all be running to pet any creature we meet. He wasn’t making much sense. He’s probably just disappointed that it’s not him and that he didn’t do more to stand out this week. If he knew we were in competition, he probably would have acted differently to get the job.”

  Good point. Jake’s insight surprises me.

  “Well I hope you both understand I didn’t want or ask for this,” I point out humbly.

  “We know. Boss,” Jake says, snickering. I roll my eyes. “Like it or not, you’re stuck with us now,” he smirks. I groan.

  “Come on; let’s get lunch.” I head towards the door and motion for them to follow.

  As promised, Ryan is waiting at the east gate after lunch. He looks like he’s in a better mood, at least. “Hey, Boss.” He greets me with a goofy smile.

  “You can still call me Brett,” I chide.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He salutes me. I scowl back at him, and he chuckles. I’m relieved. I can handle him being a goof, if that’s how he chooses to deal with it.

  Troy walks over to greet us. Both Jake and Ryan are pretty tall, but Troy is a full head taller. I hadn’t noticed how tall he was before. He runs a hand through his bright hair and nervously says hi to everyone. I smile back in encouragement, and tell him how excited we all are to see the domes.

  Troy gives us a full tour of the bio-domes. There are acres and acres of them. Any Earth-based plants or animals are contained in the bio-domes to prevent contamination until we know enough about what the effects of each will be on the planet and vice versa. It’s astonishing to see just how many plants can be crammed into a small space when grown vertically.

  Our last stop of the day is at the cattle bio-dome.

  “So all these cows were in cryogenic sleep?” I ask. He nods and I have to laugh; it just seems so absurd.

  “We were all in cryogenic sleep,” Troy responds defensively. Again I’ve forgotten how sensitive he is – but try as I might to stop laughing, I only giggle more.

  “I know. I just keep picturing the doctors trying to get the cows, pigs and chickens to cooperate as they were loaded onto the ship.” I try to look apologetic, but my smirk spoils it.

  Fortunately, Troy laughs back. “Yeah, that would have been something to see.”

  “I don’t see any bulls.” I look around to see if I had missed one.

  “You won’t – at least, not until the first calves are born,” Troy states matter-of-factly.

  “Artificial insemination?” I wonder.

  “Yup, as soon as the time is right.” He seems to be feeling more comfortable in his tour guide position now and adds, “We need them to have calves to get milk.”

  “And any bulls that are born?” Molly asks hesitantly. I cringe in anticipation of her reaction to what I already know the answer is.

  “We’ll keep one or two, but the rest will be dinner,” Troy answers bluntly.

  “Uh, the poor things.” Molly crosses her arms and pouts.

  “Are you a vegetarian?” Troy asks cautiously.

  “No,” she admits, but she’s still pouting.

  “Can you let us know when the calves are born? I’d love to come back and visit them.” I honestly do want to see them. Baby calves are so cute, but I also want to change the topic before Molly gets herself too worked up.

  We head back after seeing the cows. The tour took up the more of the day than I had expected. Now it’s so late that I won’t have time to shower before meeting Brody, and I’m all sweaty from walking between the domes. I figure I’ll meet him and politely ask for a rain check.

  Brody is waiting when I get to the dining hall. He looks a bit miffed. “I was beginning to think you stood me up,” he says sternly. I look at my watch. It’s 6:03.

  “I’m not that late. But, uh, I’m sorry. We got caught up at work, and I didn’t realize the time. I didn’t even get a chance to shower, and I’m all sweaty still. Do you mind if I cancel, and meet your friends another night?” I try to sound as apologetic as I can.

  He grabs me around the waist and pulls me to him, inhaling.

  “Actually, I think you smell kinda sexy.” He buries his face in my neck. I have to stop myself from saying, “Ewww.”

>   “But I’m a mess,” I protest.

  “You look fine to me. Come on, let’s eat.” He grabs me by the hand and pulls me towards the dining hall. He’s not going to allow me to postpone.

  Because I’m longing for a shower, I feel uncomfortable the entire meal. It doesn’t help any that most of Brody’s friends brought their girlfriends tonight. Even if the men don’t notice my lack of grooming, I’m sure the girls do.

  Most of dinner consisted of two conversations: one for the guys, one for the girls. I’m relieved when the first couple leaves. I use the moment to excuse myself, and Brody follows.

  “Why the rush to leave?” He sounds hurt.

  “I’m sorry, Brody, I just felt really uncomfortable without having a shower.” I mentally roll my eyes at having to re-explain myself.

  “I told you, you look fine.” He still doesn’t get the point.

  I walk towards my dorm, still intent on a shower, and annoyed that he doesn’t understand why. When I reach the door, Brody grabs my shoulder and turns me toward him. I look up as he leans his face down toward mine and tightens one arm around my waist. He runs his other hand through my ponytail, gently pushing my face closer to his. This time there is no lingering or hesitation. His lips meet mine, brushing gently across them for a moment, then pressing down. His tongue parts my lips and finds its way in. He kisses me hard. My lips start to hurt from the pressure, but I don’t care. I kiss him right back. Heat flows through every inch of my body, fueling my desire. My arms encircle him, pulling him closer to me. Nothing exists beyond this moment. I want it to last forever, but before I’m ready, he pulls away.

  He takes his time looking me up and down, like I’m a puzzle he’s trying to solve. He reaches out and brushes a stray hair from my face. “We’re going swimming tomorrow night if you want to come. We meet at seven o’clock.” It’s the first time he’s asked me instead of just assuming.

  “Swimming sounds fun, sure,” I say softly. I step closer, closing our distance, hoping to finish the kiss he ended too soon.