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When I arrived, Gamon greeted me with a big smile. “You will be the first to receive the implant!”
“You mean you haven’t done yours yet?” I settled into the chair beside her desk.
“Okay, the second, then. I wasn’t counting myself. Naomi and Rika are stopping by later this afternoon. I’m so happy it’s finally happening,” she added, glancing at her upper arm, then back at me. “Those pills are horrible!”
I arched my eyebrow. “I seem to recall a rather stern, shall I say, diatribe, on the importance of taking those pills every day.” I rubbed my chin with my thumb and index finger and furrowed my brow. “Now, who was the one admonishing us about that?”
Gamon laughed. “I never said I liked those pills, only that they were important!”
“But they are pretty horrible.”
“No argument here. Listen, I tried everything—grinding one into a powder and taking it with juice, and I definitely don’t recommend that. Injecting the powder into an energy bar,” she shook her head, “also not one of my recommendations. Breaking a pill in half so it would be easier to swallow,” she made a gagging sound, “truly disgusting.
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You think the taste is bad, but when you break one open …. Anyway, those days are over!”
“I couldn’t be happier.”
“But first, it’s been almost six months, so let’s take this opportunity to put you in the bioscanner.”
I followed her over to the scanner and stepped inside. She shut the door, then tapped her computer keypad a few times.
“All set. You’re in perfect health.”
“And now?” I looked at her eagerly as I exited the scanner.
“Yes, the implant.” She picked up a syringe. “The best location is the upper arm.” I held out my left arm, and Gamon put the syringe against my skin. “It might sting a little.” She depressed the plunger, and I winced. “Sorry,” said Gamon.
“No, it’s fine. Totally worth it!” I rubbed my upper arm, where I felt a dull ache.
“You might be sore for a few days, but then you won’t even know the implant is there.”
“Thanks, Doc, you’re the best!”
On my way back to work, I stopped by Naomi’s lab, and saw she was on a holochat call. I waved and started to back out of the doorway when she motioned me over.
“Calli! Come meet my brother, Monty!”
Pushing myself over to her console, I grabbed the back of her chair to stop my momentum. A male version of Naomi looked back at me: same symmetric features, same dark skin, same piercing blue-green eyes, sparkling with humor and tenderness.
“Hi Calli!”
“Hi Monty. Wow, there’s no question you two are related.”
Monty laughed heartily.
“Except he’s about twenty-five centimeters taller,” said Naomi. “So not fair!”
“At least that way I can get away with calling you my little sister!”
“Monty, respect your elders!” Naomi shook a finger at his holographic image.
Monty held up both hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, you’re right. That year and two months really makes a difference.”
Naomi laughed. “Don’t ever think otherwise.”
Monty’s expression grew serious. “Hey, Naomi, I heard something in the news about the Foundation the other day.”
“Oh? What?”
“Something about, what was it? Some advanced technology, possibly a weapon? I don’t know, I just caught the tail end of the newsfeed. I was focused on something else, but when they said Portal al Porvenir, it caught my attention, because of you.”
“If it was about a weapon, it most certainly had nothing to do with us,” said Naomi.
“Yeah, I probably misheard. I figured it was easier to just ask you about it. Like I said, I wasn’t paying attention.”
Naomi smiled at her brother’s image, then turned her eyes to me. “Monty was just 149
about to tell me about his brand new hovercar.”
“Wow, congratulations!” Even though the hydrogen-powered hovercar had been available for fifty years, it was still a big deal to own one. Before the technological breakthrough for clean hydrogen fuel, thanks to the Nakamura Corporation, the personal vehicle was prohibited by the World Government in an ongoing effort to eliminate pollution and carbon emissions. The government restrictions were so stringent they didn’t even allow photovoltaic-powered cars, because the manufacturing process was too contaminating. But with hydrogen fuel, people could once again own their own vehicles, and the company made billions of yen the first month their hovercars went on the market. I looked at Monty’s face—he was beaming. “I’ll let you two talk, then. I’m on my way to work.”
“Nice to meet you, Calli. Keep an eye on my little sister for me.”
“Will do!” I gave myself a push off the back of her chair and floated toward the door, glancing over at the mice. They were all watching me intently.
Closing the door behind me, I heard laughter, and felt a twinge of, not exactly jealousy, but sadness, for what I would never have: a family like Naomi’s. Then I mentally kicked myself. I had that, here, on the station—my colleagues were my family.
I sighed. Vestiges of a lonely childhood.
150
Olivia finally arrived to check out Shambhala. I was waiting for her at the dock when the shuttle from the Moon arrived.
“Little Bear,” she said softly as she propelled herself through the airlock and into my arms.
It felt so good, her physical presence, her body pressed against mine. It had been far too long. We held each other for a long time. I suspected she, like me, was reluctant to end the embrace. Finally, we released each other, and I pushed myself back, searching her eyes. Hers were full of love, with a flicker of, what was it? Insecurity? Uncertainty?
“So great to see you,” I said.
“You, too.” The look of uncertainty vanished, and she smiled her mocking smile I loved so much. “Are you going to give me the grand tour?”
“That’s me, your official spacelab tour guide.” Diana had suggested I show Olivia around, and I had jumped at the chance. I took her to the farm, the labs and the park, ops and engineering, and the dining room and observation deck. We ended up in the living quarters, and I invited her into my cabin. We sat cross-legged on my bed, using the straps to keep us in place. Neither of us could stop smiling.
“So,” I said, “what do you think?” Everyone had been so gracious with Olivia, and I had felt proud of my adopted community.
“It’s so cool! Is this a dream?”
“I know, it all feels surreal.”
“It’s unbelievable something like this exists.”
“How did you like the Moon facility?” I asked.
“Beautiful, what they’ve done there. And all women, too.”
“Yeah, I know.” I studied her face, the face I knew so well five years ago. A few more lines around the eyes, a few creases around her mouth, laugh lines, but here she was, Olivia, my first true love, in the flesh. I felt a surge of emotion.
“Aw, don’t go all mushy on me.” Olivia glared at me with feigned severity and shook her index finger at me.
I burst out laughing. “I’ve missed you,” I admitted.
“Ditto.”
“Holochatting and texting just isn’t the same, is it?”
“Nope,” said Olivia, “because I can’t do this.” She reached out and started tickling me in the ribs.
“Hey, no fair,” I managed, laughing. I caught her hands in mine. We looked at each other, and I felt hot and a little confused. The memory of our first kiss in the library so many years ago flashed into my mind. I laughed again, to cover my bewilderment, and squeezed her hands. “What do you think about working here?”
“How could I possibly say no? Complete scientific freedom to pursue my interests, 151
an all-woman team, great facilities, unlimited funding, and with you here, it’s a no-brainer.”
I released her hands. Mine felt clammy.
“It’ll be a dream come true.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.
◆◆◆
For the next few days, while Olivia was on the station, we spent almost all our time together. We went to the social, where Olivia met the entire crew. We laughed, ate lots of food, popped blobs of beer, even sang karaoke, me badly, but Olivia, with her sweet, clear, mezzo-soprano voice, was the hit of the party. The next morning, we had an early breakfast, both bleary-eyed from the night before, and then to the gym, the last thing either of us was in the mood for. After our workout and showers, we spent the day in my quarters, talking, reminiscing, and laughing, emerging for lunch and then dinner, but always returning to my cabin, making up for lost time. Those five years slipped away, and it was as if we had never been apart. Being with Olivia felt so comfortable, so natural. It was nice, simply being with her. It felt like home.
◆◆◆
Olivia returned to the Moon on Sunday, on her way back to Earth. “See you at the end of September!” she had called out as the airlock door closed.
I stood staring at the closed door, reminded of the little things I loved about Olivia: her quirky sense of humor, her eyes when she laughed, the way her voice softened when she called me “Little Bear,” how our minds were so similar, how often we could finish each other’s thoughts. I was looking forward to September.
Naomi caught me on my way back to my quarters. “Calli!” she called.
“Hey, Naomi.” I stopped my forward momentum by grabbing the railing along the corridor.
“Come with me to my cabin. Let’s chat.”
We hadn’t had a moment of alone time during Olivia’s visit. We sat on her couch, facing each other.
“So?” Naomi said, raising her eyebrows.
“So what?” I raised an eyebrow in return.
She laughed and hit me lightly on the
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