We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker

Author:Sarah Pinsker [Pinsker, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781984802606
Google: KkHwDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1984802607
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2021-05-10T23:00:00+00:00

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On David’s first day of work, Sophie made sure to be waiting in the front room for him when he got home. She had a tablet in front of her, open to the anti-Pilot boards. It was work that needed to be done, whether or not she was setting a trap for her brother; meetings needed advertising, and the letter-writing campaign still needed more letters. She answered some messages, posted a template, hooked it to the local captains to spread.

When the door opened at six thirty, it took her by surprise. So much for her trap.

“Hey,” he said without looking in Sophie’s direction.

The old David would have kicked his shoes into the corner behind the door, but this one sat on the bottom stair to unlace his shoes and remove them. He placed them neatly beside the coatrack, in line to the millimeter, then headed for the kitchen.

Sophie locked her tablet and tossed it on the couch. She closed her eyes and listened. The fridge opened and closed, followed by the snap and hiss of a beer can. She counted a full minute before joining him.

When she came around the corner, David was already looking in her direction. Sometimes that was eerie. She remembered trying to sneak up on him when he’d first gotten his Pilot. It hadn’t worked then, and it certainly wouldn’t work now that he was so well trained.

“Do you want one?” he asked, indicating the beer.

“I’m nineteen, dummy,” she said.

“So?”

“So, my seizures are mostly under control these days, and I like to keep them that way. It’s not like I’ve never had a drink. I just don’t want one.”

He looked chastened, as if he’d forgotten about her seizures entirely. Good. One point for her. She pulled out the chair opposite his and reversed it so she could lean over the back.

David tipped his head and drained the entire beer. He tossed the can, and it made a perfect arc into the recycling bin. A few drops sprayed out as it went, but he acted like he didn’t notice. Sophie knew that was an act; he noticed everything. He opened the fridge, grabbed another can, and turned his chair to mimic hers.

“How was your day?” she asked.

He shrugged. “First day. All paperwork, then more paperwork.”

“As much as the Army?”

That one got a smile. “You remember me saying that, huh? Yeah, I guess today could give Army bureaucracy a run for its money. At least I think it’s temporary in this case.”

“Did they give you a badge? Are you official BNL?”

David reached in his shirt pocket and flashed an ID card at Sophie. “Official. Now people won’t stop me every two seconds to figure out if I belong there. That was a pain all morning ’til they hooked me up.”

Sophie mentally filed that information. She tried to get a look at the badge and whether it had a bar code or a chip alongside David’s face, but it was back in his pocket before she could gather any further details.

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