Page 58 of Farborn

“Yeah, thanks.” I return to my cabin because, honestly, there’s nothing Icando right now. We’re stuck at sub-light until McMurtry clears the power-up cycle for the tachyon drive. Even then, the helmsmen on board are certified to run a tachyon drive. They won’t really need me unless or until they get the ether-jump drive back online.

Technically, this doesn’t fuck up my perfect record, either. Mechanical breakdowns aren’t my fault.

I should message Olarte.

Is that what’s behind my unease? That it’ll delay me returning to Pfahrn by possibly weeks, or longer?

Meaning it’ll delay me reuniting with Olarte?Anddelay me being able to end my commission on this vessel?

Perhaps.

I’ve never before had any kind of urgent desire to be anywhere except where I currently am, so this is also a new sensation for me.

I want to be reunited with Olarte.

I wish they were here, with me, right now.

Now, I’mreallywishing I’d asked them to marry me and come with me. My quarters are large enough for both of us. As the nav officer, since we’re a merchant vessel and not a military one, I could have requested Olarte be allowed to accompany me and paid their passage.

This… Frankly, thisscaresme, how much I find myself needing them.

Wanting them.

Missing them.

So many firsts in my life ever since Olarte entered it.

Right now, we’re much closer to Pfahrn than we are our destination. Especially if limited to sub-light and tachyon. I pull up my nav panel and run the courses and estimated times. At tachyon, we’re three weeks out from Pfahrn, and nearly ten from Plohrganzit Beta.

That’s when a thought hits me.

Dr. H’looder’s ship. I remember he told me it’s not uncommon for them to piggyback ships for ether-jumps.

They could come get us.

Or, rather, come getme.

I plot a jump course estimation using his ship’s stats, and it’s only three days here. They could jump out here, grab us, and carry us to our destination.

Well, damn. That’s hardly anything at all.

I think I’ve made my decision about what to do. Maybe this is just one of those kinds of silent nudges from the universe, you know?

Some sort of sign that Olarte really is my forever plan.

Excited now, I send a quick message to Olarte, scramble it for privacy, and bounce it off one of the hyper-com portal buoys, so they’ll receive it by tomorrow. Then I hurry to the bridge to tell the captain my plan.

I mean, part of it. About contacting H’looder and asking him to come get us.

I’m thinking for now I’ll keep to myself the part about me quitting his crew upon reaching port.

Captain Xhogrhan’s not on the bridge when I get there. It’s just Melba, one of the helmsmen.

“Where’s the captain?” I ask.

Melba’s a Chel’ldar and I can never tell what they’re thinking. It’s impossible to read their eyes, because they’re dark brown and deep-set under heavy, thick brow ridges, and they have a ton of wrinkles in their loose skin.

He shrugs. “Don’t know.”