pte

fast of champions, but it was the only thing in her fridge and would be spoiled before she next came home. Once she finished

d she put Lisa's book in with the mail figuring it was more or less going to the same place. Spin jumped down from the seat and Elena closed and locked the doors.

Elena forgot to get gas and now had just a little more than ab

d about six foot eight and every bit of it seemed to be composed of dense muscle. He was blonde with blue eyes and when you first met him you expected him to be just dumb muscle. Elena knew he

m. She waited for him to catch up and then they both bega

es s

e. I want to say first off, I am happy to have you and you can stay if you want. But if you find that being a part of my H

Benjamin only laughed harder. He stopped in the middle of the pathway nearly bent double with laughter. Elena stopped

thout a family I was never fully trusted, always an outsider. I didn't really belong anywhere. Once word spread that I was a part of your House, all of that faded away. I had a place. I had respect. I apprecia

r really thought about the lives of the

ds the docks. When Elena came in sight of where her ship waited

d himself off of the door and stood straight. Elena noted the ba

ips will make it to your trade route. And you did say I could check on my

taxi service,

are of that,

ing with me and the same applies to you. You will not b

Elena frowned, not sure she had any othe

hat did not need to go with her, such as her cell phone which could actually be damaged by passing through the channel. Benjamin

ena glanced at his cell phone and realized that it was really shiny and didn't

" she asked, grinning,

we learned to

ps sailing out, Elena found it prudent to just keep an extra cache of locks around. Fully half of the lockers now spor

e high school." Elena noticed that in addition to his cell phone, Thompson stashed his watch and wallet in the locker. Apparently he didn't feel the need to

as well as all digital watches.' The only watches that did well were the kind that still needed to be wound up every mornin

g a pair of faded jeans with frayed cuffs and a t-shirt with a faded decal. T

air, " she said trying

had a freshly trimmed head of hair in what looked to her like someone's idea of a regulation, she couldn't argue. "And I brough

" Elena said gestur

is bag on the scale. "Do you know he wanted to file a complaint? He considered not being able to bring

ave a lot of his goodies behind. He was really not happy."

m boarded the Storm Chaser. "You didn't captain the sh

" she c

elf. "That does explain a few things." Elen

en it actually was. The Storm Chaser was a newer model, so most of the basics were already incorporated. Mateo made some additions and improvements that were far from factory standard,

limit the amount of time she dealt directly with him and treating Benjamin as though h

. There was amusement in his to

" Benjamin told him. Thompson headed

eresting, " Benjami

stow his gear. Elena merely tucked her bags off to the side

h Benjamin, she had plenty of chances to observe Thompson. He seemed...cheerful, which caused Elena's eyes to narrow i

ing and taking orders were a normal part of his day. What bothered her was the comfort level he seemed to have with her ship. She didn't kn

must be the same, " she thought, noticing that he didn't need that many terms explained to him. "Maybe he spent time on sailing ships as a

s something everyone appreciated. Elena grew up ship board and never had the fare approached this level. She was beginning to see the benefit of ha

ed you were trying to pull something." Elena smiled as she remembered making their meeting as unofficial in appearances as possible to keep Tho

r tracery that kept the ship's oxygen supply in a bubble around the ship failed. Both the galley and the pilot house feature

the sonar before shutting it off. It seemed the USS Maine, the base ship Thompson's crew was using, found other seas to sa

her ship to pass between them even though anyone who was not born a pilot couldn't see them at all. At this time of year the channel ought to be deep

ry. The ship slid into the channel and the world flashed into a million swirling rainbows, the faceted light almost blindingly bright and growing

jamin directed Thompson to start trimming the sails as standard procedure. Elena nodded her approval and let them work. There was only a

en she opened the channel she was able to get a sense of what lay on the other side, but weather was too transitory to registe

d for a weather report. The space between the Marta channel, where they left earth's waters and the new planet's channel was in a protected zone, so raiders were not

were drawing a curtain to the side before stepping through a doorway. It took a lot of energy

shed down into the calm ocean of the planet. The sky was a bowl of deep blue, marred only by the mid-day sun. There was no storm th

shing as much as Benjamin did and between the two of them, many fish were landed. The ones not previously identified were treated as specimens and th

icken for short. The Mermaid's Dream was docked a little further up the coast and Elena remembered

id's Dream after transfer. Rumor had it that a wedding between captain and cartographer was being planned for the end of the season. Elena made a mental note to ask her g

s an insult, while all books had to be in electronic format. Jeans were worn on a daily basis by most, but even minor celebrations often required a tux or a ball gown depending,

ies they carried. The supplies swiftly headed towards shore and once people stopped swarming her ship, Elena, Benjamin and Thompson follo

er and she heard birds in the distance and insects buzzing in the undergrowth. The growth over the old stone road was significantly erode

ach of the cardinal directions with one rising from the center. When she last visited the planet, very little had changed with these buildings, they were l

when they first set up camp. Elena was not joking when she told Smith that there were large predators on the

ing goods to the village. All of the growth was cleared away from the large buildings and she could see where repairs were made. The Librarians appeared to have made their repairs look distinctly

entire reason for existing was to gather knowledge and their ruling on a dispute was always the final word, which made them somewhat feared by the other members of the Guild.

rsions. While digital versions of the Librarians trove of knowledge were stored on the DF, the originals were stored on the larger ships which forever circled the

t every piece of construction was coated with a thick, syrupy looking resin that smelled like combination of onions

Evan. The small pot belly he carried all but disappeared and he had a healthy tan. His eyes twinkled

Senior Librarian, " Elena said

hink I spent too long in the archives. It's good to get out into the air every now an

this, " Elena told him as

Has she made it through the Od

said with a laugh. "I'll

terature. From the Lardane you know." Elena coul

na said, trying to head the lectu

while and of course it is odorless when it dries. It is applied to the shelving to keep the wood from leaching acids into anything plac

why, " Thom

we find i

said. "Evan, have

l bits around lunch time. Looked like a giant mechanized bee. He agreed to copy out his designs for my archives. M

th him and drop off the rest

me other aspect of the Librarians arrangements. "Don't forget, we will be ready for our

ed and turned his attention to a man wielding some strange tool. Elena happily moved away from the crossroads

or can I just not smell it

said. "So we've apparently both ha

re up wind, "

grateful for on a daily basis,

ra looked like she was glowing. Her hair, normally the color of dark honey, was st

age as the staff occupied the smaller houses. She knew that they managed to get an old style ba

t ready for you with all of the details." She turned and led the group

things ba

talks with Douglas and that we were officially through as a couple,

y to hear that. I think he was t

enough the thing he was working on looked like a bee that was the size of a football. Its mechanical guts were spread out over th

men, " Thompson said raisi

by radio if you want to check in." Mateo tilted his chin towards a square stone building with a large antenna placed on top of the ancient structure. "Over there.

adio operator,

he were torn between staying or seeking out Clay. Then, decisio

hing Thompson's retrea

ile, " El

ight?" Kiera said. Mat

re him without letting P

teo said

ow and that he will be denied access to any information other t

ded somewhat grumpy and Elena tried not to look su

wo of them had become an item. She knew that her cousin was interested in the paleo-biologist, but didn't realiz

n she said it so Elena was not too worried. Kiera w

with dealing with th

r weak point that gives me no

I won't give you your

your mother that you are dating a nice girl, " El

said. He tried to frown,

suit, " Benjamin

dfather?" Mateo asked. "How would t

d there is only one more requirement you need to be named as

" Mate

re no-one was within hearing distance. She noticed Benjamin's eyes scanning for eavesdroppers

e Italian Seat, no-one sane

shed, " Elena said. She recalled the wistful look in her grandfather's eyes an

nd by and let me take his sea

e was eligible for a seat, "

her duties with the family to Therese and make her heir apparent. It would take a few years to have her qualified for a seat

mise." Mateo added. Six months ago Elena would have been doubtful that Therese would turn

. "Each of you individually would be a target, but together would be formidable, even i

make a decision, " Elena told hi

was. "I'll think about it, " Mateo said. "I won't be ruled by Therese or Aunt Elizabeth. I am already a part of

able if you left them behind, " Benjamin asked.

aid. "I hadn't

et, " Elena reminded him. "You ar

d, running his han

rugged. "I wasn't raised in a family with a shot at any sea

or marriage. Single men are not viewed as stable enough to serve on their own. Family men have more to lose and are considered more sensible.

e to be married?"

responsible for the safety of everyone on their ships, so it is considered a tr

heir ships which are like their homes with their

d. "Although it is spelled out a lot

n asked with a flutter of lashes. "I coul

not help, " E

for a seat would,

id again. The three of them not

tching topics deliberately as Thompson arrived. "

more detail. The teams we have exploring the area send them out as sort of advance scouts to get an assessment of the area before they move in. This one got wet and needed to

ike, " Elena said.

sy to see why the curfew is in place, no one violates it. We all know exactly how far we are from a hospital. We have some great footage if you'd like to see. There are some big cats lurking

y had no real doctor with the group. It was something Elena found troubling, but they were thus f

nothing of the Guild, he was thinking of working out this way instead. The Guild has a system where it looks like his skyside work was really for one of the Doctors Without Borders type programs. His initial plans were to head out to Gare

for treating pretty much any sentient individual they came across regardless of species or galaxy of o

." Elena nodded, knowing that Mateo would not elaborate while Thompson was present. He had even managed to avoid saying his brother's name,

said. She turned towards

And having the time of their

dded somewhat grudgingly. "Useful skil

superiors though, " Thompson said with a grin. "Drill sergeants and COs all li

mstances were different Mateo and Thompson would have gotten along just fine. Mate

here will be complaints, " Elena said. "That m

at once, quoting Jessica Rabbit from the movie Who Framed

to my ship, "