Page 23 of Atlas: Colony: Nyx #5(Intergalactic Dating Agency)

TWENTY-THREE

In the orchard, Atlas's tablet chimed with an incoming call. Miranda, her ears pricking up at the sound, dropped her fluffy toy and flew over to investigate.

Miranda chirped as the familiar face of Atlas's brother filled the screen. She liked Prometheus. Whenever he came to visit, he brought her fresh fish. He didn't throw it quite as high as Atlas did, and she had to angle them just right when she ate them, because the scales made them harder to swallow, but he gave good head scritches.

She pawed at his face, and the picture moved.

"Atlas? Are you there? Tell me you're seeing this, bro. There are reports of shooting stars in the sky on Delta. Some Titans have suggested it's those Humans First crazies, violating the peace in an attempt to start another war. Tell me it's a meteor shower, or something natural. Point your telescope at Delta and give me something, here. Anything but another war."

He looked distressed. Miranda patted his face. It wasn't a head scritch, but it was the best she could do.

A lumpy fish and a ball appeared on the screen, so she couldn't see his face. She pawed at it, and got boxes. More pawing at the boxes finally made them disappear, and Prometheus was back, his eyes wide.

"You mean it's a freaking comet? You finally found one? And you called it after your cat? Bro, you need to get out more. I need to put a segment together on your comet, to reassure everyone before mass panic takes over...that's okay, right? I can use these pictures, and anything else I find in the observatory drives? Nothing confidential I shouldn't share?"

He waited for a moment, as if expecting a reply.

Miranda purred.

That seemed to satisfy him.

"All right. Well, I know how you don't like your face to be front and centre, so I'll run with your shots of the comet. Your discovery will make this evening's news. A headline story, if I can get my producer to agree. We'll start with the mystery shooting stars over Delta, and solve the mystery before the segment ends. I'll head up for a visit tomorrow, or the next day. I'll even get fresh fish for you and your cat. Catch you later, bro."

Prometheus's face disappeared from the screen, leaving only the picture of the lumpy fish. Then that faded, too, and Miranda lost interest in the tablet. Something rustled in the leaves above.

Her ears pricked up. Prey? She launched into flight, as silent as her comet namesake in the stars above.