Rivers of Orion, Dana Kelly [best books to read for beginners .TXT] 📗

I mean is I can’t even tell how long we’ve been out here anymore. Not just on the spaceship, but the whole time we’ve been out here. Like, logically I know how long we’ve been on Fox Mendes, but in my heart, I can’t track it. The stars never move. It’s just constant nighttime outside every window.”

“The simulated day and night cycles aren’t helping, huh?”

“Not at all,” said Torsha. Tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. “What are we doing out here?” Looking up, she indicated the vents and the polished pipes spanning the bulkhead to her left. “What is that, and those?” Shaking her head, she dabbed at her eyes. “We shouldn’t be here.”

“We’ll be home soon, and things will get back to normal,” said Mike.

“Normal?” She regarded him icily. “I don’t know about you, but I’ll never feel normal ever again! We killed people. We killed people!”

“I know,” he said. “I know we did.”

“I just want to go home, but there’s always something getting in the way, and everything takes forever out here.” She regarded him with reddened eyes. “You know, I thought I could get into it, but I can’t. And every time I close my eyes, I see them, the people we killed—their empty eyes just staring back at me, into me. And that smell! It’s been almost a week, and I still can’t get it out of my nose.” She hunched forward and quietly wept. “I just want to go home.”

He folded his hands on the table. “Hey, we did what we had to. We took back the ship, and we saved hundreds of lives, not to mention our own.”

She glared at him. “Oh yeah, right. We saved so many lives. You know, there were a lot of people on the rest of those ships. Hundreds, maybe thousands. Do you know how many?” She wiped her nose. “Because I don’t.”

“I…” Mike stared forward. “I don’t think I want to know.”

“Yeah,” said Torsha. “And when we get home, you know what everyone’s going to be talking about—how one little Falcon spaceship took down all of Blacktusk’s fleet, never mind that they never stood a chance. And if they ever figure out you were here? Or Orin? I hope you like the paparazzi, that’s all I’m saying. No, Mike, there’s no more normal, not for any of us. Not ever again.”

Mike exhaled audibly. Nodding slowly, he got to his feet and quietly cleared his throat. “I’m going to top off my coffee. Do you want anything while I’m over there?”

“No,” said Torsha, and she sank against the table.

Mike crossed the deck and refilled his coffee. When he returned, he and Torsha sat awhile in silence.

“Got room for two more?” asked Orin. “Oh, wait. Are you guys okay?”

Torsha exhaled and nodded. “Yeah, we’re fine. Have a seat.”

“Are you sure?” asked April. “We can come back, if you’d prefer.”

Torsha’s expression flattened. “Yes, we’re sure. What the hell are you two so happy about?”

“Well, a couple things,” said Orin. “I’ll be able to stay off the grid, for one. Malmoradan got me an alternate ID, so from now on you guys have to call me Skyler—Skyler Stern. I’ve also been invited to join April’s company, and since I already lost my scholarship, I said yes. Don’t worry, Mike. I can always come back and finish my degree when I’m ready. I’ll probably have to start over since I’ll have a new name, but I should make more than enough money to afford tuition.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Torsha. She regarded April. “What is he talking about?”

April sat down, and Orin sat beside her. “Shona, Malmoradan and I have laid the groundwork for our own company,” said April.

At that moment, Shona crossed into the mess hall. She and April exchanged waves, and Shona hurried to join the others.

“Shona suggested skip tracing to start with, that we build up from there,” said April. “Personally, I think we can aim a little higher with Orin on the team.” She smiled Orin’s way. “Excuse me, Skyler.”

“Skylar’s a girl’s name,” said Torsha.

“If it’s spelled with an e, it’s a boy’s name,” said Orin.

“I’m not calling you Skyler.”

“Orin is fine when it’s just us. Calling him Skyler after we’re back on Rhyon will help minimize his risk of being discovered,” said April.

“I’m not calling him Skyler,” said Torsha.

“What if we use a callsign instead?” asked Mike.

“I already have a new identity,” said Orin. “Why would I need a callsign?”

“Whether it’s as Orin or Skyler, you’ll be using your powers, and that’s going to draw attention,” said Mike. “If you don’t have something catchy to answer with when people ask who you are, you’ll be known as whatever they come up with.”

“Besides, every famous binary has a callsign,” said Shona. She retrieved her phone and searched the t-net. “Mantis Mercury, Red Gunnar, Artemis Eclipse, Prime Fracture, the Human Tornado—”

“Shitty Meatball,” said Torsha.

Shona frowned at her. “Torsha, please.”

She smiled slightly. “Just trying to help.”

“How about Gravitonic?” asked Orin.

“Already taken,” said Shona.

“So? It’s just a name. I’m not the only Orinoco in the galaxy.”

“The agency trademarks all their callsigns,” said Shona. “If you use your powers under someone else’s name, you’re asking for a lawsuit.”

“Sure, I guess that makes sense. It’s annoying, but it makes sense,” said Orin. “How about Sunspot? Is that taken?”

“Definitely taken,” said Shona. “You can pretty much assume that all the names for constellations, celestial bodies, and cosmic events have been taken. Try to think a little more creatively. More poetically.”

“Gravity Hammer?”

“Too close to Gravity Glamour,” said Mike.

“Oh yeah, the clothing company.” Orin shrugged. “I could be Shield… er… man. Shielderman.”

“That’s available,” said Shona. “I don’t know if you should commit to it, but it’s available.”

“Shielderman? That sucks worse than Skyler,” said Torsha.

“No, it’s because I made those shields out of steel and stone when I wrestled Blacktusk! Come on, Shielderman’s not that bad.” Orin thought about it. “Okay, it’s terrible. I guess I’ll just be Shitty Meatball, then.”

“You really shouldn’t pick your own callsign,”