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“ Good question. Okay , there has to be something in this bag of mixed-up tools you have over here. By the way, this building is looking really cool and it’s the first time I’ve seen what you’re working on this close up.

” Digging through the largest tool belt I’ve ever seen, I find a smaller tool with a blunt end, deciding worst-case scenario, it doesn’t work.

After all, he’s waiting for me to fail either way.

Taking my makeshift tools, I walk over to the rivet that he has beaten to crap and place the sharp tip in the center, then tap it quickly, merely to watch it fall out effortlessly.

Smiling , I look up at him only to see his mouth practically hanging open.

“ Ta -da, would you look at that? Not everything needs the living hell beat out of it in order for it to cooperate. Sometimes , you need a gentler touch.”

“ If I had not seen that with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. How do you possess this knowledge? I built this and still I could not get that out. Several of them have been installed incorrectly, and I cannot move forward until they are replaced. They are making the panel alignment crooked.”

“ My Papaw . He showed me … well, actually he taught me a lot of things, but he loved to tinker in his garage, and through the years, I’ve just picked up the most random knowledge, this being one of them. I’m free the rest of the day if you’d like some help?”

“ How would you help me?”

“ Well … I just did, or do you need me to show you again?” When his eyes flash brightly, I just throw the tools on the ground, and I swear he growls. “ Fine , you’ve made your point one too many times. Let me just get out of your way so you can proceed as you were.”

Just as I step away, he acts like he’s going to reach for me, but for some reason, his constant cold shoulder has finally sunk in, and I move away from him, only to trip over his hammer still lying on the ground.

Stumbling once again, I catch myself before I fall, maintaining as much dignity as I can.

I’m not two steps away when I hear him groan.

Without thought, I glance back, only to see him looking right at me.

“ If it is not too much trouble, I could use your assistance. There are several of these holding up production, and as much as this is killing me to admit, I am not equipped with the proper knowledge to get them out, and I could use an extra set of hands. Construction of these dwellings needs to be expedited, but numerous factors are hindering my progress.”

“ I bet those words tasted like ash in your mouth, didn’t they?

I told you I would help, and as much as I’d like to stomp off, I do owe you for saving my ass several times already.

However , I won’t stay if all I get from you are growls and your constant ‘better-than-everyone-else’ attitude.

No one likes to be talked down to, MeK .

I might be a girl, but I’m far from dumb. ”

“ I agree to your terms, and I apologize if I made you feel inferior as that was never my intention. If you are sure you do not mind working with me for the rest of this rising, let me show you where the next one is. As you take them out, I will try to realign the exterior panels so that the following ones will pop in and fit properly. If they do not seat correctly, they will not provide the adequate protection you will need from the extreme temperature changes this moon is subject to.”

“ Lead the way, big guy. I’m yours for the rising.”

His eyes flash silver, and I swear the runes covering his luscious frame pulse before I see him gripping his fist, taking a deep breath.

“ You know, I can’t believe they don’t issue you sunglasses.

Those peepers of yours are a light source all on their own.

That silver color was quite impressive …

how do you change them like that?” He looks down and then back up at me, and I actually step back as now they’re solid black.

“ Whoa , ok, I preferred the colors! You just went from beautiful to scary as hell.”

“ You do?”

“ Yeah , the solid black is kinda creepy.”

“ How odd, the females of my home planet prefer the black. The show of emotion is considered a weakness. When in their presence, I always darken my eyes.”

“ I mean to each their own, but honey, I hate to bring this to your attention, but your eyes are not the only sign of emotion you have on your body. Those dancing runes aren’t exactly unnoticeable.”

“ The runes my body displays are a mark of my father, and that is the only reason I am not required to keep them hidden at all times. Here , I have more freedoms than I would be granted on MeKurem . Even being a son of DaR , I am still restricted the same as all others.”

“ Place is a little uptight, huh? Well , look at it this way, MeK . At least you still have a home to return to, no matter how ridiculous the rules are. Come on, we might as well get busy. Daylight is burning!”

He looks up at the sky and then back at me with a puzzled expression. “ It’s an Earth saying that soooo does not apply anymore since this moon has an extreme dislike for the dark.”

Walking away from him, I take a second to really look at the house he’s putting together by hand, instantly noticing several of the rivets are crooked.

“ So , this is gonna be our houses, huh? Kinda tiny and I’ve never lived in a round house before.

Where do you put the couch, in the middle of the floor? ”

“ If you are referring to the inner amenities, they are designed to fit the shape of the dwelling pods. The outer layer we are assembling will expand to a much larger aesthetic shape once secured to the primary foundation and the charging panels are activated. This model will feature a central living space that can comfortably accommodate up to eight people, a sustenance area, refreshing chamber, and sleeping quarters. From what I understand, your people voted for James and Carla to be the first to receive their permanent dwelling. I have adjusted the layout so that there are no stairs as Carla struggles with them.”

“ Wellll , would you look at that? You do know some of our names.”

“ I am aware of more than you think.”

“ You simply choose not to refer to us by our given names?”

“ A name can hold significant power in our world, and it is not typically used by anyone who has not been given direct permission to do so. I must admit, I was somewhat surprised to see and hear how familiar your kind is with one another. It is unheard of on my planet to even approach another person without a formal introduction, let alone use their given name so freely.”

“ Maybe at one time, our world was once the same as yours. I’m sure the history books, if there were any left to read, would confirm that.

But there are so few of us left that there’s no need for such formalities.

Even if you were sent here by one of the most influential families on Earth , that means nothing now.

We’re all peasants, working to better ourselves at this point.

If anyone is the rich overlord, it would be you all. ”

“ If I may ask, how did you end up in one of the pods, … Lacie ?”

“ Look at you being all sociable. Let’s get some work done while I tell you something I’ve not allowed myself to think much about this entire time.

” Grabbing my tools off the ground, I make my way over to the next rivet while MeK holds the entire panel still.

“ Lord , where to start this tale of woe? My grandfather loved the stars. We spent many evenings laying on the ground, passing an old telescope back and forth, looking at the heavens above. Like any other cool spring evening, we were sitting on the back porch when the ground suddenly started to shake. It was an earthquake, something I’d never experienced before.

I remember Papaw looking at me with the most serious face I had ever seen on him.

There was no warning, nothing on TV or on the internet about any upcoming storms or any other disturbances. So we were utterly unprepared.

Papaw was quick to smile and always knew when you needed that hug. He was my world, and as far as I was concerned, I would stay there with him until the good Lord took him home. He was my anchor in a world of chaos, but life had other plans for him and me, it seemed.

Anyway , this earthquake lasted for what felt like minutes to me, and it was odd because of the roaring sound that flowed along with it.

Papaw pulled me under a workbench that he used for his garden, covering me with his own body until the world stopped moving all around us.

I remember his knees were bad, and once things stopped, we both laughed at how long it took me to pull him up and out from underneath that bench. ”

I wipe a random tear off my face as I hit the rivet in front of me.

“ We , or maybe I should reword that … I didn’t realize how serious that quake was then, but Papaw seemed to know something was wrong.

He never was one to spend much time on his cell phone or the computer, but after that earthquake, I caught him watching the news more.

Several times, on my way home from my second year of college, I would catch him walking out of the library.

He always avoided revealing his purpose there, leading me to playfully suggest he liked the librarian.

He never let on to what he was doing until I started seeing stuff missing from the house.

I finally confronted him when things of my grandmother’s that he would have never parted with, like her fine China and some antique furniture she had cherished, were suddenly gone.

Since he wouldn’t come right out and tell me what was going on, I was convinced we’d been robbed.

When her silver music box was no longer on the mantel, I even picked up the phone to call the cops when he reached out and stopped me.