Page 7 of Atlas: Colony: Nyx #5(Intergalactic Dating Agency)

SEVEN

"Right, let's go," the giant in the space suit said, releasing her hand and turning toward the door.

"Now?" Peri squeaked. Sure, she'd agreed to do...something for this man, though she didn't yet know what, but it couldn't be anything that bad, if he'd been publicly asking the bartender to do it. Maybe she could get it over and done with quickly, so she could get back to the bar before it closed and Hercules could put her in touch with Hera before he went home for the night. "Okay, now, sure, I guess." She stumbled after him, glad she'd worn boots and not heels tonight. She allowed herself one last, longing look at the selection of men at the Intergalactic Dating Agency meetup, and told herself if she got this task completed soon, she might even be back in time for a hookup with one of them. Maybe...

"Are you coming?" The giant was already out the door, and staring pointedly at her.

Well, she thought he was. It was hard to be certain, as all she could see of his face was the glitter of his eyes in the shadow of his hood. Which was kind of weird, because why wear a space suit without a face plate? Or willingly wear one at all? Space suits were so you could breathe air in a vacuum. She'd had to train in one as part of the FarmStars program back on Earth. It hadn't been so bad when they'd been loaded into the suits and strapped into one of the low gravity simulators, but in normal gravity and atmosphere, she'd lumbered around like a zombie in a b-grade horror movie. This guy...the suit didn't seem to slow him down at all. In fact, she had to run to catch up to him, and she was out of breath by the time they reached the aircar station.

"Where are we going?" she wheezed as they waited at the station.

"Nyx Dome," he replied, not sounding out of breath at all. The giant evidently had giant lungs, or was extremely fit, lugging a space suit around all day.

"And what am I supposed to do there?" she asked.

"You'll see when we get there."

Oh, it was like that, was it? No wonder Hercules hadn't wanted to do...whatever this was. Well, even if she was shovelling shit out of a septic tank, it would be worth it if it would get her on a shuttle to wing her way toward a planet with an atmosphere, where she could see the stars.

Peri shrugged and pulled out her tablet to tap out a message to Flora, telling her she was doing a job for Hercules and she might be late back to the farm. Then, if something happened to her like it had to Dani or Kalina or Iva, Flora would know how to find her.

"What did you say your name was?" she asked the giant. She thought Hercules had said it, but she hadn't been paying enough attention at the time. She couldn't have heard right.

"I'm Atlas," he said.

"Atlas? Like a map book?"

"Like the ancient deity of astronomy, who taught the first people about the stars."

Peri snorted. If ever there was a sign that this man or whatever he was would give her a way to see the stars again, then this was it. "Lovely to meet you, Atlas. I'm Hesperis, though you can call me Peri."

"Perry, like the cider made out of pears, when you don't have any apples?"

The giant had a sense of humour, she'd give him that. "Yes. I haven't had apples or cider since before we left Earth. You wouldn't happen to know anywhere in the Colony where I could get some, would you? All I've seen is that fake fruit alcoholic fizz at the pub, and while it's not bad, I'd give my eyeteeth for the real thing."

The aircar arrived then, and he ushered her inside. It wasn't until the door shut with only the two of them inside, and the car started moving away from the station that he spoke.

"Apples or cider?"

"Either," she admitted.

He considered her for a moment, his face still too deep in shadow for her to see any more than his eyes. "You do me this favour, and not only will I see to it that Hercules transfers the favour he owes me to you, but I will personally give you one of the best, freshest apples in the universe."

Stars and an apple? This job had to involve shovelling shit. She'd done worse on Star Farm, and for far less. The aircar slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open. "Sure. Lead the way." She gestured toward the darkness outside that definitely looked like a part of the Nyx Dome she hadn't visited before.