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Lisa

T here is a lot to prepare for. I will give the Celetans credit for wanting to be prepared for all scenarios. I want to complain about it taking too long; I want to demand that we leave today, that there is little time that can be spared, that we must get to the others now . But I cannot. The Celetans work tirelessly to get everything ready.

Everyone pitches in. And I mean everybody . The elders rip long strips out of leather for bandages, and the young children help roll them up. The healer and her daughter prepare various salves and elixirs, packaging them in skin pouches and carved bone jars. Two other women pack dried meat into hide bags, stuffing them as full as possible. The hunters then go out to catch fresh kills to replenish the caches that we are emptying for our journey.

Katie and I are outfitted in new gear. Katie more so than myself. Evie’s blue coveralls provide little warmth, and her original miner’s outfit was destroyed when Evie was attacked. Now, Katie wears a pair of leather leggings, and a tunic with long sleeves. We both have new boots lined and trimmed with fur, but I still don my miner’s suit. The material is thin but weather resistant, and will keep me warm enough. I refuse to let it go, likening the action as to giving up. Katie had no choice given her suit was wrecked, but I will not assimilate into the pack. We are getting off this planet.

We help out everywhere we can. We take rolled up furs from the storage hollow and pass them down to Juk and Kalpa who are packing the sleds. We help melt snow over the fire and fill the leather pouches they use as canteens with water for the first day of the journey. We pack extras for those in the cargo hold.

I try to think of who I know is resourceful in the group there. I know my four are. Allison is fierce. I know she will be eager to find us, to find Katie. But she won’t leave the others behind to do it. She’ll want them to stick together, and with Gabby’s busted leg, they’re likely staying put. They should each still have their issued flints and can start a fire. If not, I’m sure that the fighter—Raegan—is resourceful. Anyone who has been a captive of the Skulchers and stuck on their planet has to be a survivor. Maybe one day I’ll learn her story.

Beyond that, I don’t know much about the other two women there. We were only with them for three days before our escape and crash onto the planet. Jade was very timid, I remember that. She stuck to Evie like glue, which is why the alpha’s new mate wants to come with us to find everyone else. And I don’t remember anything about the last woman.

It’s a long day. Even as the sun starts to set, and the bright glow of the giant moon takes over the sky, everyone is still working. It’s a quieter hush now, with the children put to sleep. Katie, Evie, and I sit close to the large central fire, sifting through a small pile of clothing that the female Celetans have given to us for those in the cargo hold.

“I think these will fit Jade,” Evie says as she holds up a pair of leggings. They’re a pair donated by the healer’s daughter, who is about the same height as me. Jade is short too, I remember that.

Evie folds up the leggings and puts them on top of a smaller tunic she’s picked out for the timid human. She then reaches for a pair of boots, shakes her head and puts them back into the pile. Nobody will get a perfect fit of anything until they can be brought back here and tailored. It’s another nail in the coffin that this is where we’re trapped, possibly for the end of our days, that I try to ignore. I don’t appreciate my mind pointing these things out to me, when I’m so clearly determined to get off the planet.

We have an outfit for Allison already picked out, easy as she’s the same size as Katie, and another for Chelsea. Katie and I work on finding something that will fit Gabby’s curves, while Evie finishes Jade’s pile and moves onto Raegan or Navi.

Melanie sits off to the side, not helping. She hasn’t done much of anything today except either stay in our hollow or follow us around like a shadow, her only other movement the incessant twisting of the delicate silver chain around her neck. The motion is familiar to me, as she did the same thing the entire time we were in the bridge. I want to slap her hands away and tell her there are more important things than her stupid necklace, but I can recognize a nervous habit. Chunhua used to do something similar, and the reminder makes my heart squeeze.

Katie stifles a yawn as she holds up a pair of leggings. They are a bit short for Gabby, I think, but they’ll fit her curves. I reach out and take them from her, folding them neatly. We can wrap the exposed part of her legs with bits of fur and tuck it into her boots.

“You should get some rest,” I say as Katie stretches her arms over her head, another yawn escaping. “It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

“We should all get some sleep,” Evie says as she finishes her clothing bundles. She stacks the piles all together and stands. “I’ll bring these to Axyll. I think he’s doing a final check over the sleds, and then I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

As Evie walks towards the den’s entrance, Brex comes striding in. He spots us over by the fire, two large rabbit-looking creatures strung over his shoulders. Tails waggling like a happy dog, he waves over at us—at Melanie specifically—as he comes over.

Melanie shifts uncomfortably, her lips in a thin line. She pulls the pale beige sweater she refuses to give up tighter around her.

“Are you sure you’re going to be here OK by yourself?” Katie whispers as Brex makes his way over. The guy is clearly enamoured. I glance from him to Melanie, and need to suppress a groan. What is with all the human women falling for these guys? First Evie, and now Melanie? Maybe she actually is uncomfortable, but even with the glow of the fire trying to hide it, I can spot the blush colouring her cheeks.

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” she snaps back quietly.

“You could come with us,” I point out.

Melanie stands as Brex sits down. He’s on the other side of the fire, giving us space. Manners aren’t completely lost on these people, I’ll give them that. The two dead critters land with a thud on the floor, and he brings out a bone knife to start slicing them up.

“I’m not going out there again,” Melanie says. We stand with her and start to head back to our hollow. My limbs suddenly feel tired, the day’s working catching up with me. But the rest of me feels wired. I’m ready to go and find my missing people. To find the rest of my crew and make sure they’re OK—to be the leader I am supposed to be.

“You’re just going to end up back here anyway,” Melanie continues, the spite and sadness thick in her voice. “If you survive. No point in going out if this is the end game.”

I open my mouth to argue, but Katie shoots me a look. It’s one I’m familiar with, one she used often when the three of us were in the bridge. We all process things differently , I can hear Katie’s soft voice say. Some better than others. We’re all stranded here, in a situation that is not ideal. Once the dust settles, I’m sure Melanie will become more pleasant .

Somehow, I doubt it.