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have a choice."
"We might have a choice once we get the Lightwing through the barrier."
Kiondili glanced at Tior slyly. "If you get access for me, I'll let you watch the
fun."
The other Mu blew water bubbles out to her lips and sucked them back in.
"Give me a day to see about the access," she said finally. "I'll let you know what I
can do."
"Thanks." Kiondili turned back to the holotank.
Tior turned to go but paused at the door and looked back. "Kiwi, don't blame
yourself for Effi."
Kiondili flushed slowly, her gray skin darkening with the pink flush that fled
across her cheeks.
"Effi knew she might not be able to handle the strain, but she would not let
anyone take her place as sensor. She wanted to do it all." Tior paused. "What
was important was that we made it past the light barrier-not'who pushed the
Blob."
Kiondili nodded slowly, but as the door shimmered solid behind Tior, she sat
lost in thought for several minutes. Finally she rose, turned off the holotank, and
left the lab, dropping into the nearest boost-chute opening. She was hungry, but
it was to Chute 11, not the Hub, that she directed her momentum. She would see
the old woman now.
However, it was not Effi who met her at the lab door but Argon. The assistant
gave her a long look of disdain, and Kiondili stifled the slow burn of anger that
swept through her.
"If you have a message for Effi from Stilman," he stated rudely, "I'll take it to
her." Disdainfully, he brushed imaginary dust from his dull-colored tunic.
"I'm here to see Effi myself," she returned steadily.
"Why? You aren't happy enough that you kicked Effi out of her own
experiment? You're here to gloat, as well?"
She stared at him, damping her feelings automatically as he tried to read her
face.  I stepped in after she stepped out, yes," she said. "But no, I'm not here to
gloat. I'm here to apologize if what I did hurt her."
"Effi doesn't need any more of your meddling," he drawled slowly.
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"Argon, what is it with you?" she snapped finally. "Are you just prejudiced
against Mu that don't look like you, or is this all because I have your old job and
you want it back?"
He merely raised one eyebrow and mocked her with another look.
She stifled her own projections, furious that she had given in to his prodding
while he had kept his motivations hidden. Taking a step forward, she said flatly,
"I'd like to see Effi now."
"You could have apologized to her yesterday at the shakedown meeting.'' He
glanced over his shoulder and raised his voice subtly. "I think you just want into
this lab."
She bit back her rejoinder. "I came to apologize to Effi in private," she said
stiffly. "If she's not here, just say so."
"She's not here, but," he said, smiling unpleasantly, "I'll tell her you dropped
by."
Kiondili turned abruptly and retraced her steps to the free-boost chute. She no
longer felt hungry.
She did not try to see Effi again. At the end of the week, when the rest of the
launch team assignments were posted, she avoided the listings as she had
avoided Effi. Her name would not be on any of the launch teams: Effi would
certainly block anyone who tried to add Kiondili's ID.
She worked through that afternoon in a foul mood. She ignored even her
hunger until her stomach began to growl incessantly, and finally, swearing under
her breath, she threw her flashwriter in a corner of the table and got up. She was
in no better mood as she entered the Hub.
Jordan, the tall Mu, waved from her right. Put your drive on low, Kiondili, and
dive on in!"
She waved listlessly to him and turned away but then changed her mind and
crossed the crowded room instead. The lilting voice of a Moal cowering as it
moved out of her path caused her to pause for a moment, but even the beauty of
its greeting was lost on her mood. As she reached the table with the other
assistants, Tior shifted to give her a seat across from Poole.
"Did you hear the news?" Tior asked quickly. "They think they know why the
Blob dispersed as soon as it hit lightspeed. So we're dropping the Blobs and
going to manned ships-the Lightwings. And the launch team lists are already
out."
The Dhirrnu stroked his thick fur and watched her punch her dinner out on the
dispenser. "Did you see the lists, Kiondili Wae? You are on Team C as backup."
She waved him off. "Great joke, Poole. That's about as lame a trick as any
you've tried to pull."
But the Dhirrnu grinned, his teeth displayed in sharp, even
rows like a shark. "It is no joke. You are on the backup team."
She stared at them. "Stilman put in a recommendation for me?"
There was silence for a moment, and then one of the others answered. "No.
The posting came from Rae Arr, Lan-Lu, andWaon."
Jordan unfolded one of his long legs and stuck it out to the side of his chair.
Even after punching in his adjustment code for the Soft, he never seemed to get
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comfortable. "You should have seen the look on Effi's face when Lan-Lu put up
your ID," he said slyly at Kiondili's look of wonderment. "She was about to throw
a fit, and then Waon punched in his recommendation. There was not much she
could do about it then."
Tior agreed.  The Ruvian is the top sensor at the outpost. With his approval, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]