Talia's Planet (Recycling Humanity Book 5)

by Heather Lee Dyer

  There's some murmuring between them. "It's all right, you can be open and honest here. I think I know what the reason is, anyway."

  A familiar voice answer for the group. "Most of us graduated with your parents, Miss Jade. Your father was ahead of his time with his ideas in designing bio star fuel engines. The advances he was making at the time of his–”

  I nod to Doc to keep going as he pauses.

  "Anyway, those discoveries he made right before his death were amazing. Several of us worked closely with him. It's a shame the Council sealed all of his notes and research. After that there wasn't as great of a need for bio star fuel engineers, as you know. The Council only allowed the two plants on the Tepic and the Aurora, so all there was for the rest of us to do was maintain the engines."

  I blink back tears and grip the podium. I hear someone move closer to the front, probably Zayn afraid I'm going to pass out again.

  But I'm fine now. Better even. I grin. "Doc Jones?" I address the voice speaking for the other bio star fuel engineers.

  "Yes, Miss Jade."

  "I'm putting you in charge of a bio star fuel plant project."

  "Ma'am?"

  I'm still grinning at how wonderful things come together at times. "Yes. So let me explain backwards. First, the Council was not the only one with access to my dad's files. I have a copy of everything he worked on, including his research on building a safe bio star fuel plant."

  The room erupts in exclamations and shouts. I'm half afraid I'm going to get arrested for admitting I have illegal documents.

  When they quiet enough for me to be heard, I continue. "And, we're going to use my father's designs and those I've been working on myself," I point above my head at the engine designs I've projected, "to build not one but two bio star fuel plants."

  I cut the vid so they have to focus on my next words. "You've seen that Planet 1 is not viable. We haven't told the Migration yet, but we will soon." I tilt my head at Destry. Since I don't hear an objection, I continue. "So we'll work on the advanced fuel plants for placing in both the Blue Ridge and the Resurrection. The Blue Ridge will need a small fuel plant in order to return to the Migration after recycling materials in the asteroid belt. And the Resurrection obviously needs one to continue on to Planet 2 in order to continue the research in that galaxy."

  Silence.

  "Good, while that sinks in I want to let you know kind of what the next few days will look like. We need to have complete plans for both ships ready in two days' time."

  Shouts of protest are heard from several areas of the auditorium.

  "I know that timeline seems impossible, but you’re already organized into efficient groups, and we should be getting the rest of the engineers and crew from the Midpoint project by tonight. The Commander has appointed Engineer Turashvili as the temporary Senior Engineer. The groups will answer to him. Once the designs are done and we start the Blue Ridge project, I’ll go back to head up the Resurrection project."

  I step in front of the podium. "Any questions now?"

  There are a few seconds of silence before questions pop up all over the room. I spend the next hour answering general questions and assuring them that when we gather into the smaller groups, that more detailed answers will be possible. I can't wait to actually get the work done instead of just talking about it.

  CHAPTER 13

  Explosion

  The next day and a half goes by in a blur. I don't find time to have dinner with the Mises. But I do make sure David has a good handle on scheduling shifts with all disciplines.

  I personally take over the bio star fuel plant group. It's not going well.

  "What do you mean you haven't done a spacewalk in years?" I argue with one of the engineers in my group.

  "We just haven't had any need," he says sheepishly.

  "But you're supposed to physically inspect the tank every time it's fueled up." I'm exasperated, but I remind myself it’s not at this poor engineer. "Sorry, but didn't the Aurora's crews insist you do this?

  "No?"

  Great, now I've got this poor guy too scared to answer me. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just shocked that none of the normal maintenance and diagnostics on the tanks were done the last few years." I growl inwardly. Even on her gas runs Kae managed to find ways to cut corners.

  I raise my voice above the din in the small alcove. "I want all of you to meet me in the engineering ready room in one hour with your space suits." I stomp off, listening to their exclamations behind me. I head to the former Senior Engineer's office, where I now store all of the tools I brought with me.

  I slam the door loudly against the wall as I heave it open. I make my way through the piles of crates until I find the one containing my suit. I grab it out and turn.

  "Oooof." I run right into someone. Again.

  "Woah, there. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

  Zayn. "Sorry. I'm just ticked off at Kae again."

  "Here in the storage room?" He chuckles, the sound relaxing my tightly wound nerves. He pulls me close, running his fingers up my arms.

  "I'm heading out on a spacewalk with our group. They haven't done one in years. Can you imagine? I should probably have our whole engineering group go." I take a deep breath and place my palms on his warm chest. "I'm glad I ran into you."

  Zayn has been on the opposite schedule from me for the last day. I figured he would learn best from David, rather than me. At least at first.

  "Literally." He chuckles again.

  "Yes. Ha-ha. Seeing you reminds me that I have a whole other shift of engineers that needs to go with us too. Can you get your team together and meet us at the ready room? With their space suits?" I give him a hopeful smile.

  "Of course." Zayn sounds excited. "You'll get a chance to see my home up close."

  I suppress a grimace. I know this is important for Zayn, so I don't say anything. I'm grateful he wants me to see this part of his life, even if “seeing” isn’t as important to me. Shared experiences are the most intimate way to create memories together.

  "Yes, up close and personal with the fuel tank." I force a smile.

  "All right, I'll get the rest of my team down here." He places a quick kiss on my cheek and dashes out.

  I sigh deeply and head for the door. This time I hear the next person coming before I run into them. I stop and step to the side.

  "Actually, it’s you I'm looking for." David's familiar voice rumbles over the background noise.

  "Really? Is there a problem?" My stomach sinks. So far we've made excellent progress on our plans and scheduling of crews and supplies.

  "No, there's no problem. I heard you were taking your team for a spacewalk."

  "Yes. I can't believe they haven't been doing hands-on maintenance and inspections all these years. I can't even imagine how many problems we may find out there," I practically growl.

  David's deep baritone laugh cuts through my anger. "Easy. I was just going to ask if I could go out with you. Seeing I'm the temp senior engineer, and I haven't even seen our engines from the outside."

  I take a deep breath and clutch my suit tighter. "I'm sorry, I get riled up sometimes."

  "That's all right, sometimes it takes someone not accepting the norm in order to change things for the better."

  "True. I struggle sometimes between just plain stubbornness and positive persistence to get a job done."

  "You seem to have found a pretty good balance as far as I can see."

  "Thanks."

  "So, is it all right if I join you?"

  "Of course, that'll be great." I step toward the door. "I probably should warn the Commander that we're all just taking a spacewalk, not jumping ship." I grin at the thought of someone on the bridge watching a couple dozen space suits floating out of engineering.

  David laughs. "Yes, that could look mighty strange on sensors."

  A commotion outside makes me realize just how close I am to David right now. The sound of many footsteps coming toward us makes me st
ep around him and out the door. "Sounds like my team is ready. See you out there?" I walk away quickly.

  I'm not sure why I feel awkward around David. Is it because Zayn seems jealous of him? Or is it because David doesn't seem to have a sense of personal space?

  "That's not a regulation suit you have there." David catches up with me, his accent more pronounced as he hurries along.

  I keep walking. "Didn't you need to let your team know you were going with us?"

  "Already did on my comm. Did you already let the Commander know there would be many bodies floating around out there?" he teases.

  Good one. I hold up my cube. "Same." I grin in his direction. "And to answer your question, this is definitely not a regulation suit. It's a special one that I had engineered to give me sight."

  "Really? That's fascinating. How does it work? Is it similar to robot or nano tech?"

  I can feel others around us listening as we head toward the decompression hatch. I know everyone on this ship has heard the rumors of me being able to see with my suit, but it still fascinates new people.

  The humming of the bio star fuel drive greets us as we get to the far side of engineering. I pause to listen to the rhythm and place one hand on the thick wall that separates us from the potentially destructive bio star power.

  I point up at the three-story engine. "Just as we can hear the different sounds and variances of this engine, my suit can take the input from my eyes, re-route the signals past the damaged parts, and transmit the data through special receptors in my helmet."

  "That's amazing." David is so close I can feel his arm brush up against mine.

  I smile politely and step away. I briskly walk to the locker rooms outside the spacewalk bay. We'll have to cycle through a few groups at a time, since the room and the decomp chamber only holds a dozen or so. We pull our suits on, helmets in hand, and I lead the first group to the chamber. I hesitate as I hear another group file into the locker room. My heart skips a beat as I find myself hoping that it’s Zayn. He knows what a personal experience it is when I get connected to my helmet. Although I've done it in front of him before, it seems almost too personal to be doing it in front of this many people.

  "Talia."

  I grin. "Zayn you made it."

  "Wouldn't miss it." Even though I get frustrated sometimes when I think he puts too much priority on my sight, I love his enjoyment of being with me for this process. A delicious tingle goes up my spine.

  "We'll cycle through in six or seven groups. David's team is coming with us as well."

  "Great," Zayn mutters under his breath. Only I hear him since he's now right next to me.

  I use my helmet to point toward the outer hatch. "Will your team be all right with you coming with me and my first group?" I hope he understands my nervousness about doing this with so many other people here.

  "Of course. We actually have a few experienced spacewalkers in our group. I'll let them know I'm going out with you." He brushes his hand along my arm, a simple touch that conveys an intimate meaning.

  I'm not sure where David is, so I assume he's taken charge of one of the other groups. I breathe easier knowing I won't have to worry about him being so close. I respect him a lot as an engineer; it's just confusing how much attention he pays to me.

  I've just given instructions to the engineers in my group when Zayn squeezes back by my side. We've done our best to stay professional in front of everyone, but they all know there's something between us. No one says anything when I include Zayn in our group. The fact that he was a majorly popular scout pilot probably helps. I grin again at the situation I find myself in.

  We enter the decompression room and crowd in, Zayn and I pressed against each other on the far wall.

  "All right, let's helmet up and check your diagnostics before I decompress the room." There are no complaints, so I assume everyone at least knows how to do this part. Space walking is like learning to read and write for us now that we've lived two entire generations in space. Everyone is taught how to do it, and everyone has a suit in the event of an emergency. But some professions, like ours, need to periodically conduct spacewalks to keep sharp and ready for anything. Or we should be doing everything we can to stay sharp.

  I take a deep breath and turn away from the crowd to face Zayn. I hear the click of his helmet and the hum of his suit running diagnostics.

  "May I?" Zayn touches my helmet.

  I hesitate, the request feeling very intimate. But I nod and hand it to him. No one else knows what this moment means to us.

  I pull a section of hair away from the implant at the base of my skull. Zayn lowers my helmet and I feel the satisfying click as it connects. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

  The hum of my suit has a different frequency than the others. I open my eyes. Zayn's hand is warm on my arm. I listen to the sounds of helmets clicking in place all around me. I focus on the darkness as it lightens, and soon a fuzzy image comes into focus. The explosion of colors and textures are almost overwhelming each time I do this. I take shallow breaths.

  Zayn's face comes into focus, his grin big and his light blue eyes sparkling inside his helmet. I smile back, a little dizzy from the new sensory input. I stare at Zayn's handsome face as I wait for the steadiness to return in my head. Again I wonder how someone so handsome and popular ever decided to like me.

  "How are you doing?" he asks, still grinning like an idiot.

  "Awesome. Can everyone see you looking at me like that?" I whisper.

  His eyes flick behind me, but his smile only changes enough to show me he's not done teasing. "Like what?"

  I can feel my face warming, and not from the fresh oxygen circulating in my suit. Being able to see his expression as he looks at me like this might just be worth losing the edge on my other senses.

  I clear my throat and open the comm link with the others. "Everyone ready?"

  After everyone responds, I start the room decompressing. It gives me a few more minutes to study Zayn's features. I try memorizing every part of him that I can see through his helmet. Especially his wolfish grin as he studies me in return.

  I get the green light and open the outer hatch. I look back quickly to make sure my team is ready and then pull myself into the blackness.

  The engineering level is not at the very bottom of the habitat like most. In fact, it's toward the top of the ship. So I have to look "down" to see the scout ships coming and going to the docking levels. I look the length of the habitat to see its form glittering in the starlight. It truly is a beautiful ship. I've seen it from the sensors in my cube, but up close like this it's amazing. I turn to Zayn and match his grin.

  Bringing my attention back to the group, I point to the railing that runs the circumference of the ship. We pull ourselves forward to give the others behind us room to cycle out.

  At the edge of the bio star fuel tank, I pause and fasten my harness to clips along the railing, motioning the others to do the same. Zayn clips right next to me. While the others are fumbling with their clips, he pulls me to him so our helmets are touching.

  "I love knowing you can see me." His voice is husky, even over the speakers.

  My eyes flit to my display to check to see if everyone heard that. Zayn chuckles at me as I realize that he has his comm switched to connect with only mine. I let out an exaggerated breath and give him a half grin.

  "I do love looking into those famous baby blue eyes," I tease.

  He lowers his long lashes, his eyes looking at my lips. "I don't care about my past fame."

  "I know. But I'm glad I can't see how the girls we meet in the corridors look at you." I bite my lip. That comment was tinged with more jealousy than I thought I was capable of. Or capable of admitting out loud, anyway.

  He looks back up into my eyes, frowning. "Talia–”

  An emergency alert scrolls across our faceplates, interrupting him. I desperately want to know what he was about to say, but I force myself to answer the call.

 
"Talia, here."

  "It's Destry." I can see by Zayn's expression he's patched into the conversation as well. "I need you two back to the bridge."

  "What's wrong, Commander?" My stomach twists.

  "It's Commander Kae. They've taken her into custody."

  I frown. "And that’s a good thing, right?"

  "They took her into custody last night. Then transferred her to the Resurrection."

  I look at Zayn who's staring at me, his eyes wide. "And?"

  "She must've had someone inside working for her. She's escaped already."

  I suck in a breath as my whole body goes numb. They couldn't even hold her for twenty-four hours? "Where is she now?"

  "She's somehow made it back to the Aurora. But that's not the only problem."

  Zayn has the same horrified look on his face that I feel. What could be worse than this? My heart races madly, causing my suit to throw up bio alerts on my faceplate.

  I hear Destry’s intake of air. Then, "Talia, she blew up part of engineering in order to escape the prison ship. We've shut down all engines to prevent total failure, but it's dead in the water."

  And so is my project.

  Scarp it all to hades.

  CHAPTER 14

  Collision Course

  I leave David in charge of showing the engineers around the bio tank. He's at least done this once before, even if it was years ago. I send all engineering groups a meeting request for tonight. I have a feeling our timetable to present to the Council just got moved up. I send a message to Captain Reyes, but he doesn’t reply back. I bet he’s helping the Resurrection.

  Zayn and I head back inside as the others are moving out. I'm surprised to see a few anxious faces as they wait their turn. I guess if you don't do it on a regular basis it can be kind of intimidating. It's just been part of my life for so long, I didn't even think about others not being comfortable with it. I make a mental note to put more spacewalks on the schedule. And, definitely more training to make sure they all know how to do it safely. After we take care of the newest emergency, of course.