Alliances by S. Usher Evans

Author:S. Usher Evans [Evans, S. Usher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: S. Usher Evans

CHAPTER TEN

Lyssa came trotting up to the ship, panting and sweating something fierce. The fifteen miles went a bit slower than when she would run with Vel, who had a habit of goading her into running faster. But this planet was flat, the grasses low, and the temperature perfect—just as she had expected it to be. She personally felt in a much better mood than before, but she couldn't say the same for Lizbeth, who had barely said a word since they left her apartment on S-864. She just kept staring ahead in blank defeat that Lyssa knew all too well.

Lyssa knew better than to bother the girl; at least, she hated to be bothered when she was frustrated. So she'd extended her run to a couple of hours, even stopping to do a bit of excavation on a particularly interesting field with multi-colored flowers, hoping that Lizbeth would have cooled off enough to be ready to work again.

But when Lyssa saw her sullen compatriot, Lizbeth was anything but relaxed.

"Oh, so glad you decided to come back," she snapped cattily. "Thought you were going to leave me here."

"As you are sitting on my only mode of transportation off this planet, that's highly unlikely," Lyssa replied, trying not to rise to the bait.

Lizbeth angrily slapped the side of her face. "Goddamn bugs!"

"Oh, what's the matter?" Lyssa chuckled, walking by. "You can't handle a little camping?"

"I hate camping," Lizbeth seethed, slapping her arm. "I hate this planet and I hate you!"

Lyssa ignored her tirade and made her way onto the ship, and over to her silver cabinets. She dug around for a moment, tossing aside salves and aloe for sunburns, until she found the antihistamine and the bug spray in her first aid kid. She strolled back outside and tossed the tube to Lizbeth.

"What in Leveman's is this?" Lizbeth grumbled, carefully reading the tube.

"It'll help with the bites," Lyssa said, placing the can of bug spray next to her.

Lizbeth's face softened slightly and she carefully unscrewed the cap on the antihistamine. "Thanks…"

Lyssa sniffed in response and bent over to stretch out her sore hamstrings.

"So what in Leveman's are we even doing here anyways?" Lizbeth asked.

"I needed money," Lyssa grunted and popped back upright. "Since I'm not getting reimbursed for the enormous parking bill I racked up yesterday."

"Oh, great," Lizbeth snapped, holding her breath as she doused herself in bug spray. "So we're out in the middle of nowhere because you need money. Meanwhile, pirates are out hijacking ships filled with guns and taking them to the capital, and we have no idea why."

"Well, and I thought a run would be nice, but you didn't want to go," Lyssa said. "So I was giving you some space…"

"Yeah, space is all that I need," Lizbeth continued. "Everyone just wants me to relax and calm down and give my projects to other team members because that's the team spirit. I've been bringing in five times as many case reports as everyone else, but am I

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