Transition by Vonda N. McIntyre

Author:Vonda N. McIntyre [McIntyre, Vonda N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ftl, MOBI, alien contact, sci-fi, Metaphase, Transition, ebook, Vonda N. McIntyre, Nook, science fiction, nautilus, Book View Cafe, Kindle, sf, EPUB, Starfarers Quartet
ISBN: 9781611380934
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Published: 2009-12-08T10:18:16+00:00

Chapter 8

J.D. could hardly believe it.

“We won,” she said to Zev.

Victoria sprinted up the terrace and joined her.

“We won,” J.D. said again.

“We sure did.”

Satoshi joined them, and they walked around the curve toward Stephen Thomas.

“It’s almost morning,” Satoshi said. “By the clock, anyway. Why don’t we all have breakfast together? Maybe we can even get Feral to cook.”

Victoria hurried toward the group of graduate students standing around Stephen Thomas. Concerned, Satoshi jogged after her.

Stephen Thomas sat leaning forward, his forearms on his knees, his head drooping, his hair falling down loose around his face. Feral had his arm around his shoulders.

“Take it easy,” Feral said.

“Stephen Thomas —” Victoria said. She sat on his other side.

“It hit me all of a sudden,” Stephen Thomas said. “Maybe it’s just the heat.”

He straightened up, taking a deep breath; he wrapped his arms across his chest and squeezed his eyes closed.

“Turn off the damned lights, okay?”

Whoever was controlling the sun tubes paid him no attention.

J.D. stood nearby, feeling helpless. Zev passed her and moved toward Stephen Thomas, watching him closely.

Stephen Thomas opened his eyes again and looked straight at Zev.

“Zev,” he said, “why do you keep looking at me like that? What do you want?”

The diver drew back, startled, scared.

“Take it easy, Stephen Thomas,” Victoria said. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

o0o

Infinity sprinted across the field, ignoring the path, feeling the grass and the ground yield beneath his feet. Exultation overcame apprehension: the expedition would continue. No matter what, the expedition would continue.

Sweat poured down his face and his sides. It was years since he had spent time in a tropical zone; he was accustomed to the temperate climate of Starfarer. At the moment it was not temperate. In the middle of the night, light blazed down and the temperature continued to increase.

The windows of Alzena’s house were shut and curtained, the door closed.

Infinity crossed the porch and knocked on the door. He received no answer.

“Alzena!”

He was worried. He was worried about Starfarer and he was worried about Alzena, too. He tried the doorknob.

It opened. He hesitated on the threshold, squinting into the darkness. The brightness outside could not penetrate the shelter of the wide porch roof.

“Lights.”

Nothing happened. The house was not set to his voice. He fumbled for the manual control.

One light glowed in the corner, as if all the others had been taken out or broken. Infinity could barely see.

“Alzena, are you in here?” Finally he made out that she was hunched in the window-seat, huddled up against the dark curtain.

“Did you change the sun tubes? You’ve got to put them back to normal. I can’t get through.”

She remained motionless, never looking at him, never answering. He sat on his heels beside her.

“The whole place is going to be cooked if you don’t do something,” he said.

“I did nothing before,” she said. “I’ll do nothing now.”

Infinity stood. Alzena flinched away, as if she expected him to hit her, then straightened again as if acceding to any violence he might do her. He backed up, too appalled by her reaction to be insulted.

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