Finding Refuge by Victoria Janssen & Kalikoi Books

Author:Victoria Janssen & Kalikoi Books
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Telepath trauma recovery lesbian feel good found family, Sapphic WLW FF lesbian scifi lgbtqia scifi lgbt scifi utopia, Sweet romance friends to lovers science fiction future, Feel good safe place found family trauma recovery, Science fiction telepathy space opera utopia lgbtqia
Publisher: Victoria Janssen
Published: 2021-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Five

Faigin’s reminder, that they could still be in danger, haunted Talia in the next hours. She did not open her mind to her overwhelming new environment again, despite how much she longed to feel the life and peace. Looking back, she was astonished at herself for having let down her guard so swiftly and completely, before they had even touched Refuge’s surface.

Perhaps she should not be surprised. She’d had so little peace in her life, for such a long time. Just a hint of it was like food to the hungry hollow inside of her. At the same time, she was afraid. Damarae communion meant one was never alone, but she had forgotten how to be someone who was never alone. Her life had depended upon keeping herself silent and apart; the thought of reaching out to her people once more seemed dangerous, and she shied away from it.

Regitze led them along a clear, paved path to the transient housing facility belonging to the port she managed. Lights along the sides of the path flared to life as they approached, and faded after they’d passed. “What happened to the snow on the path?” Talia asked.

“The path’s surface is made from a material that holds in heat; the snow melts and passes into the dirt below, rather than sticking. The lights are also powered that way.”

“Useful technology,” Faigin commented.

“Very subtle, I like it,” Miki said. “Is it bioengineered?”

“I believe a layer or two of the path is some sort of bioengineered fungus,” Regitze said. “I’m afraid materials science is far from my area of expertise.”

Their temporary quarters were situated on the ground floor of a dramatically spiky building that soon came into view. The entrance was lit up, appearing warm and inviting despite the odd shape. Talia thought it could not have been more different than the Federated worker building they had recently departed.

Regitze showed them the facility’s kitchen area, where different types of food were stored; they were shown how to note down when a supply was running low, but otherwise were free to eat what they wanted. Talia noted a good supply of teas and tisanes, as well as coffee; she would have been happy to shove her head into that cabinet, just to breathe in the delicious scents.

There were fresh vegetables, frozen meat, dairy products from both goats and cows. There was a cabinet of jarred and bagged spices, at which Talia tried desperately not to gape. She had not seen whole peppercorns since her childhood on Damar, and would have been happy to inhale that cabinet as well.

There was even some prepared food in containers in a cooling unit; not processed sludge, but rice and noodle dishes someone had cooked, fresh, and left here for them while their scouter was still descending through the atmosphere. Portable meal packets and electrolyte drinks were stuffed into a side cabinet, mostly for pilots in a hurry, Regitze said, but they were free to eat those as well if they liked. Talia resolved to avoid anything in a foil packet for a year, at least.

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