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Chapter Twelve

LACIE

Stretching , I smile as I realize I slept through the entire night like a baby. For the first time in days, I feel like myself when I wake up. The lights in the room begin to brighten slowly, and I hear Briar making her way toward the replicator.

Turning on my side, I smile when Briar peeks her head up over the edge of the bed. “ Well , good morning! Someone is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning, and here I was looking forward to yanking those blankets off you.”

“ It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for a person. I didn’t realize how badly I needed that. Yell at me when you get out of the bathroom. I’m going to see what names they all came up with while I was dreaming of nothing.”

Picking up my holo pad, I scroll to the section where everyone has submitted their name options, but one immediately stands out to me.

It seems that a girl named Amanda , who I haven’t met yet, rearranged the letters in Earth and came up with Ethra , and I think that’s absolutely brilliant.

I’m in the process of adding my vote to that one when Briar walks out of the bathroom.

“ Hey , have you seen these options for the moon’s name? ”

“ No Lace , and honestly, I haven’t even opened mine inthe last few days. Is there one you like better than the others?”

“ Yeah , this one.”

Briar grabs her holo pad and quickly adds her vote to Ethra as well.

“ You didn’t even look at the other ones.”

“ It has a nice ring to it, and I won’t be the one who holds up the beach celebration even if I would have preferred to have a tan beforehand. Have you looked at the bathing suits on the clothing app yet?”

“ No , I went straight to bed when we got back. I didn’t even hear you come in last night.”

“ Well , while I still have this thing in my hand and you’ve yet to go get dressed, I’ll just order you one like mine, but in a different color.”

“ Sounds good to me and all I ask is that you just make sure my ass is covered up.”

Our morning proceeds the same as it has for the last few but today seems different somehow.

Maybe it’s because I no longer feel like my mind is in a fog.

Once again, Carla pats the seat she always saves for me on the dropship, and I bump her shoulder with mine playfully as we wait for everyone else to board.

A few minutes later, we’re back on the moon, and I turn in a circle, looking up at the sky, enjoying the light show it is once again giving us.

In the back of my mind, I hope I always enjoy it just as much as I do right now.

I wave at Briar when I see her pink man is waiting for her to join him and head toward the fields, quickly catching up with James and Terence .

“ Good morning, guys. What’re our plans for today? ”

“ Morning , Lace . We need to put the last of the tomatoes and onions in the ground. After that, for the most part, it will mostly be maintenance. Keep the weeds out and ensure everything is watered well. SCOUT is working on a fertilizer that we can use on all the plants. It should arrive in a few days, but until then, you’d have a break. ”

Looking up, I realize that there are some dark clouds in the distance. “ James , do you think it’s going to rain?”

“ Not sure what those clouds mean. The first day we were here, I heard thunder in the distance, but nothing since. However , the water in these creeks must be replenished somehow. Tarence , if you want to start refilling the empty crates, Lace and I will finish the ones we didn’t get planted yesterday. ”

The tall, lanky kid walks off with a nod of his head. “ He’s super quiet.”

“ Just handling all of this in his own way. He’ll open up when the time is right. The kid’s a great worker even if he isn’t the best company right now.”

We both grab a tray and head toward the area where we stopped when I notice James is only a row over. “ Hey , just how did you know how to do all of this?”

“ You’re going to think this is a little crazy now, but Carla and I were both doomsday preppers, ‘end-of-the-world’ survivalists, if that’s what you want to call it.

We both spent years learning how to live off the land, what ways to prepare food, and survival techniques.

The only problem is my skills … well, not many apply on an alien moon.

Neither of us could have dreamed our paths would put us here.

Considering it further though, it’s likely our contributions are more valuable here than they would be on Earth .

Carla is a whiz in the kitchen. That woman can make a meal out of nothing.

Between her and Kira , who I was shocked to find out is actually our age, they’ll teach all of you how to feed yourselves.

Even amidst all this, I’m grateful that Carla and I have been granted a little more time together.

Hopefully , the skills I possess will help you kids build a life that you can thrive in. ”

“ We’re all standing here on shaky legs, scared to step forward without the means to go back, aren’t we, James .”

“ I do believe that’s an accurate assessment, youngin.”

I get caught up in my own thoughts, and before I know it, all my trays are empty.

Standing up, I gather my tools and stretch my back after bending over crawling along the ground for so long.

James has already finished and is walking toward the larger crate that holds the plants until we can get them in the ground.

Pushing my little cart around the end of the row, I head his way to see what he needs me to do next.

Sticking my head in the small container, I find Tarence and James both stacking their empty trays together. “ Ok , what now?”

“ Actually , Lace , I believe we’re done for today.

Tarence and I can finish gathering these up pretty quickly.

When we’re done, I’m going to go find Carla and see if she’d like to take a walk or if they might need a hand with anything in the kitchen.

So , both of you kids are free for the rest of the day.

I’ll let you know later this evening Lace , if I need you tomorrow to help water. ”

“ Awesome , I think I’ll go see if I can find Briar .

” Brushing off my jumpsuit as best I can as I walk back toward the main part of the compound, I hear that awful pounding again.

With curiosity getting the best of me, I turn toward the noise only to begin noticing little metal pieces scattered everywhere along the cleared area.

As I bend down to pick up the ones I see, I end up walking right up to MeK’s powerful form.

He is so consumed with beating the hell out of whatever has caused his extreme dislike that he hasn’t noticed me yet, and this gives me a moment to appreciate the view.

Approaching him from behind but safely out of that damn hammer’s range, I try to see what he’s doing, only to feel slightly confused.

“ Ugh … MeK , I don’t want to seem bossy here, but you’re doing that wrong. You can beat on those until you’re blue, and they will never come out like that.”

With a snarl on his lips, he turns aggressively, and I trip over my own feet as I try to escape him moving backward.

A strong hand latches onto my wrist before I can fall, but he pulls just a bit too hard, and I end up pressed right up against his damp, sweat-covered body.

My hands end up lying flat against his broad chest as I attempt to catch myself.

Even though all I want to do when I realize the predicament I’m in is trace the mesmerizing symbols that are pulsing under my fingertips.

I look up instead, and his eyes are flashing so brightly that I have to glance away.

“ What are you doing out here?”, he growls out in his normal ‘how dare you’ voice.

When I try to push away, he grips me tighter, and I swear it’s like a series of small shocks suddenly start buzzing along my skin where he’s touching me.

“ I’m sorry, MeK . I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.

But I think a herd of elephants could have been approaching, and you wouldn’t have noticed. You’re giving that poor rivet hell.”

“ Female , have you learned nothing in your stay here so far? You need to learn to announce yourself in a work zone. You could have been severely injured.”

“ Yes , yes, I get it … my knight in shining orange symbols, you’re always saving my ass. Now , let go of me, and let me help you for a change?”

“ I -do-not-require-your-assistance!” He practically snarls the words at me, punctuating them slowly like I’m a complete dumbass.

Squirming out of his embrace, I’m not letting myself think any further about how he has continued to hold me close this entire time.

“ Of course you don’t, o’wise one. You’ve made it plain and clear who the intelligent one is in this group, but with that being said, I do believe that Rivet has suffered enough of your abuse. Do you have something sharp?”

“ SHARP ?! You would be the last being in the known universe that I would ever hand something to that you could possibly damage yourself with.”

“ Lord , help me not to hit him over the head with something,” I mumble to myself as I ignore his massive frame looming over me.

Rummaging around, I find a small pick-like screwdriver that should be just the right size to do this.

Turning , I find him practically standing on top of me. “ Give me your hammer.”

“ You want my hammer?” He holds it up in front of me.

“ Yes .”

Nodding his head with a smirk on his face, he opens his palm, balancing the handle in his hand. What I wasn’t prepared for was the unexpected weight on the other end. When I pull it out of his hand, I promptly drop it on the ground and unless my ears are deceiving me, I swear I hear him chuckle.

“ Do you require some assistance?”

“ Okay , so the damn thing is too big for me. Do you have one smaller?”

“ Why would I own a tool that does not suit nor fit me?”