Broken Gods: The Dianian Chronicles: Book 2 by David J. Garrett

Author:David J. Garrett [Garrett, David J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: David J. Garrett
Published: 2018-05-06T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Pritchard’s long pale face reflected starkly in the reinforced glass of the external viewing screens.

The returning transport shuttles had emerged from the portal and hovered in the Nautilus superstructure. In sequence, they slewed towards the Nautilus docks. He only partly focused on them, however. Mostly, he watched the reflection of Astrid, who worked behind him. Her pale freckled face relaxed as her VI flickered. She had her mid-length copper hair pulled back in a band, as she always did in the lab, a hint of a frown on her lips as she concentrated on her latest results.

Pritchard forced a smile and turned. “Did it work?” he enquired casually.

Astrid delayed her reply, eventually answering with her focus inward. “The gene sequence took. Won’t know till they’ve grown up if it reduces the memory transfer problem.”

Pritchard wandered over and placed his hand on her shoulder. The flinch was tiny, but Pritchard felt it. She turned and smiled but Pritchard could see the change in her eyes. Sadness, distrust, fear. Only eight months this time. She was turning on him already.

“Everything OK?” he asked, trying hard to look concerned.

The adoration had faded. The trust was gone from her eyes. She smiled gamely. “I’m OK. A little tired, maybe.”

“We could go up to the viewing deck again. Get someone to bring up something to eat?”

He watched her carefully. Her answer came too slowly. She was searching for an excuse. It wouldn’t be long now before she turned away from him again. Like all the other times before. It had happened even quicker in her most recent incarnations.

Pritchard knew why. He had gotten lazy. He had repeated this cycle so many times, in so many ways in so many different places. Each time it was the same. He had tried to be what she wanted. Changing himself to try to please her, but inevitably, she would reject him.

“I’d like to get this finished.” She looked away to the left. A blatant lie.

Pritchard returned her smile and changed the subject. ”Brilliant work, darling.”

She smiled wanly and turned her back to him to work, returning to her VI. “What’s in the shuttles?” she asked suddenly. Pritchard felt the tension in her shoulders increase. What did she know? He had to be careful how he answered. He chose honesty. She was unlikely to ask unless she’d figured it out herself, anyway.

“Refugees from the Constellation. The portal’s not big enough yet to fly the whole ship through so they are being evacuated by shuttle.”

Her next question came too quickly. “What are you going to do with them?”

Pritchard’s smile dropped. His eyes went dead. Brown eyes, so dark they were almost black, the whites flecked with the electronics that connected him to his universe. Red blood vessels branched where the scleral tissue stretched and knitted with the hard, metallic edges of the components. He bent his lean, wiry frame over her and gripped her shoulder. Astrid winced as his fingers dug into her.

The hateful bitch. Pritchard bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood.

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