Embracing Refuge by Victoria Janssen

Author:Victoria Janssen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Lesbian science fiction utopia polyamory polycule, Lgbtqia+ space opera trauma recovery found family, Sapphic WLW FF lesbian scifi lgbtqia+ scifi lgbt, Science fiction space opera utopia lgbtqia+, lesbian sci fi speculative fiction specfic queer
Publisher: Victoria Janssen
Published: 2022-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

Six

Faigin and Kaliska ate tiny meat pies with carrot and drank dark beer without further discussion of Narvaez and his research. Faigin asked Kaliska to tell her more about the various neighborhoods in the immediate area. Afterwards, Kaliska asked Faigin if they could stop briefly at her apartment before returning to Port Liminal. She wanted to retrieve a few personal items to bring back to Port Liminal.

When Faigin assented, Kaliska led her through increasingly busier walkways to her own block, tucked into a narrow space next to a health center focused on people experiencing systemic illnesses. Some buildings were connected at different levels with clear tunnels. Faigin could look up and see feet, or the bottoms of float chairs, passing overhead.

Kaliska’s building was densely decorated on the outside, mycelial building material sculptured into giant mushrooms. “We don’t have our own green area for this building, but we can take advantage of the gardens next door, they’re very extensive,” she explained, as she and Faigin took the lift tube to her small apartment. Windows looked down on a courtyard that was clear of snow and occupied by enormous, sculptural fungus under a clear roof. “Those are edible,” she explained. “They need the sheltered conditions. My neighbors on the fifth floor tend to them, and supply them to some of the nearby eating establishments, and of course to dispensaries.”

Kaliska’s apartment was spare and open, featuring an expanse of exercise matting, a couple of formless couches, and six comfortable chairs around a table, near the minimal kitchen area. The sleeping area, curtained off from the rest of the space, was a narrow room, almost filled by a large bed and a small bedside cabinet. She showed Faigin to the toilet facilities, containing an unexpectedly luxurious long bathtub and a deep shelf of grooming products. Faigin eyed the array of cleaning supplies and lotions and unidentifiable items, amazed, but decided not to comment.

Refreshed, Faigin emerged a few minutes later to find Kaliska rummaging in a cabinet, her bag open on the table. Kaliska asked, “Do you need anything else to eat before we head back to Port Liminal? I have protein bars.”

They’d planned to return before dinner time, but Faigin was overcome by a sudden restlessness. “Let me ping Tallie and Mik,” she said. “Do you have the time to eat here in Axis?”

“I do,” Kaliska said, looking interested. “There’s no hurry. The trains never stop.”

“Good. I would appreciate a change of scenery,” Faigin said. “I’d like to see more of the city, as well, before we eat.”

In late afternoon, darkness was already falling, and streetlights, decorative globes on poles, were beginning to glow warm gold. Despite the cold, it felt oddly cozy to wander down sidewalks, while Kaliska pointed out more of her favorite places at street level: a gallery for abstract paintings, a glass-blowing workshop, a multi-use space that, she said, ended up being used almost exclusively for groups who played games together. The wide glass front of the last building was

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