Callisto 2.0, Susan English [i love reading .TXT] 📗

widened. “But I thought you were ….” I furrowed my brow, studying her face.

“A lesbian?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I don’t think I can call myself a lesbian, since I’ve only been with men.”

“I don’t even know why we still hang on to all these outdated labels. You would think we would be more evolved.”

“You know how we humans are, we like to categorize,” she said with a smirk.

“It’s true,” I said, laughing. “One of our specialties.” I waited a beat, then said, “Are you attracted to Andrea, um, physically?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you like her, as a person, I mean?”

“Yeah.”

“Then nothing else matters.”

She looked at me, her eyes half hidden under her lashes. “How did you know you wanted to be with women?”

“There was never even a question. Growing up, I never felt anything for boys. You know how some girls are, how they gush over boys, but I never could understand the attraction. Seeing how the other girls acted, it was like I was observing an alien species.”

I gave a little laugh. “But then, when I was around fourteen, my parents and I were watching a holomovie in our living room, starring Sofia Mendez.”

“Oh, I know her. She’s gorgeous.”

“Yeah, she is. In one scene, she kissed her best friend, another woman, and everything just snapped into focus. Finally, I understood what the girls in my high school were feeling, because I felt it, too, viscerally, though not for the boys. It was a good thing my dad had dimmed the lights for the movie, because I’m sure my face was beet red! After that, everything changed. I had my first crush, unrequited, but that’s part of the learning process, and finally, at seventeen, I kissed a girl for the first time.” I smiled, thinking of that first kiss.

“There must have been girls who swooned over other girls in your high school,” said Hadley.

“My high school was, how to I put it? They had a very conservative policy when it came to that sort of thing. If there were other queer kids, they kept it to themselves.”

“Mine was the polar opposite. Total rainbow. I had a few crushes on girls, but then I met my first boyfriend, and we were together until college.” She bit her lower lip.

“And until Andrea, I never felt a deep connection with another woman.”

“If you want my advice, take it slow. Neither of you are going anywhere.”

“Yeah, I think it’s a good plan.” She met my eyes and smiled. “Thanks for talking about this with me.”

“Always.” I looked at the time. “If I want to make it to the conference, I need to get 90

going. The shuttle is leaving in an hour.”

“Tell Professor Helgason hello for me!” said Hadley as I pushed my way out the door.

Making my way to my quarters, I touched my implant. “Annie?”

“Yes, Callisto? How may I help you?” said Annie’s voice in my head.

“Can you send a message to Diana, to let her know I’ll be on the Moon this weekend, attending a conference.”

“Certainly, Callisto.”

I packed my bag and hurried to the shuttle.

◆◆◆

When I arrived on the Moon, I headed straight to the University Sector for the opening reception. I hadn’t been to a conference in a long time and was eager to socialize with my peers. Even though there would be no talks about warp drives, it was still exciting to learn about the most recent achievements in the field of space travel.

Entering the conference hall, legs still wobbly from the gravity, I scanned the room, taking in the crowd, the small groups of people talking animatedly, and the electric atmosphere, charged with creativity and innovation. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly—I was in my element!

Marley was easy to recognize from her photo. She was standing alone next to the buffet table, drink in hand, a slight scowl on her face. I weaved my way through the crowd and stopped in front of her. “Are you Marley Helgason?” I asked.

Her mouth curved into a smile, but her eyes remained unchanged. “I am. And you are?”

I held my hand out, and she took it, her hand surprisingly limp in mine. “I’m Callisto Collins.” At the mention of my name, Marley did a double take, peering at me intently.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, feeling a little uncomfortable. “I work with a former student of yours.”

“And what is the name of that student?”

“Hadley Hansen. She was in one of your undergraduate seminars.”

Another forced smile. “Yes. Hadley. Very intelligent.” Her eyes darted away as she said the words, then she narrowed her eyes at me. “And you say you work with her?”

“That’s right.” Abrasive was the word Hadley had used to describe this woman, and it hadn’t been an understatement. I smiled warmly, despite the woman’s demeanor. “We work on an orbital lab. It’s a fundamental research station.”

“Yes, Shambhala, isn’t that the name?”

“Yes.” I was surprised she knew the name of the station. Its official title was “Portal al Porvenir Lunar Orbital Laboratory,” admittedly a mouthful, but people not involved with the Foundation called it the Lunar Orbital Lab.

“And Hadley, she’s still working on the warp drive?” Marley attempted a smile, more 91

like a grimace.

“That’s right, we both are.”

“Fascinating.” Her eyes gleamed with an almost maniacal light. I felt an overwhelming, primal urge to escape. “And where is my favorite student?”

“She couldn’t make it.”

“Ah, but you are here. You will come to my lecture tomorrow?”

“Looking forward to it,” I said, slowly backing away, then turned and lost myself in the crowd. What an odd woman.

For the rest of the evening, I chatted with scientists from all over the world. I may not have been much for parties back on Earth, but scientific conferences were a different story. There was never any need for small talk, and we were all eager to share ideas, to discuss new theories, and to relax in the company of like-minded people.

I mostly listened, not divulging any details of our new discovery. It was still early in the game, and we didn’t have a working prototype. Besides, whenever I mentioned my research interest, often my fellow scientists would treat me a little like a social pariah.

One of those crackpot warp-drive theorists, I could almost hear them say in their minds. I was used to their skepticism, but generally avoided bringing it on myself. Just wait till the scientific community saw what Hadley and I would accomplish! I smiled to myself at the thought.

Several times I caught Marley tracking me with her eyes, and on a couple of occasions it looked as if she was heading in my direction. When this happened, I would fade into the crowd, keeping a safe distance. As the evening wore down, I slipped out the main door and walked to the metro station, catching the train to Arcadia, happy at the thought of spending the night in the peaceful quiet of my lunar room.

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