Isaac Asimov's Chimera by Mark W. Tiedemann
Author:Mark W. Tiedemann [Tiedemann, Mark W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction
ISBN: 158824590X
Publisher: ibooks, Inc.
Published: 2001-04-01T05:00:00+00:00
FIFTEEN
âYouâre late.â
Ariel nodded curtly to Corenâs escort, who bowed formally and left. Ariel stood to one side, waving Coren in.
âYour tailor took his time,â Coren said, entering the apartment.
Ariel Burgess wore a gown of graphite-gray material that contained motes of color which sparkled delicately. The cut had no sharp edges and, rather than encase her body, seemed to travel along with her. Coren kept expecting to see thigh or hip or breast or belly through the mist, but, though the fabric covered her reluctantly, it never failed to hide.
She wore no jewelry. Her black hair was braided thickly into a helix laced with silver, blue, and gold ribbons. She appeared to be barefoot. Coren could not stop watching her, thoroughly caught by what he saw.
âNo matter,â she said. âFashionably late is better than being too early. Have you ever been to one of these before?â
âNo,â Coren said. âRega has never been invited.â
She frowned. âOh, I doubt that. Setaris is always trying to persuade detractors to come see for themselves.â She shrugged, then gave him an open appraisal. She nodded. âThat will do.â
Coren bristled briefly at the inspection. The Auroran tailor complained that he was unused to working for Terrans because they were so short and thick, all the while his lasers measured him and his robot did the cutting. The suit, a midnight blue formal affair, fit beautifullyâCoren enjoyed fine clothes, especially new ones, and he had never owned an Auroran outfit before. The sleeves seemed a bit too loose, but nothing was too tight, and after the trip from the tailorâs to Arielâs apartment it felt as natural as skin.
Then he felt foolish for resenting her. He had been studying her, after all.
âIâm glad I meet your standards,â he said.
She cocked an eyebrow. âFor tonight, at least.â She crossed the room to a comm console, dragging his gaze with her. She retrieved a disk and brought it to him. âTake this now, just in case.â
âWhat is it?â
âThe subject of our eveningâs discussion. But later. We have to go.â
In the corridor, she frowned. âHow well do you handle the open?â
âAs inâ¦?â
âUnroofed space, free air, stars in the sky.â
âI can manage well enough.â
Ariel looked dubious. They reached a wide area lined with elevator doors. She tapped a code into one.
âWell,â she said, âif it becomes too much, there are plenty of enclosed spaces in Setarisâs residence.â
The door opened on a comfortable car with a plush bench mounted in a semicircle. Coren barely felt it begin to move and after a few moments there was no discernable motion.
Ariel slid briefly against him, thighs touching. His nostrils filled with a subdued odor and he became instantly affected by her presence.
âAll right, we have a minute,â Ariel said. âDo you have any questions about protocol? Have you been to any Spacer functions?â
Coren set aside his growing distraction. âUmâ¦when I worked for Special Service, there were occasions, but Iâve never been a guest.â
Ariel nodded. âI have no idea yet what the occasion for this dinner is, but I have no doubt several guests will be recording it.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Fantasy | Gaming |
Science Fiction | Writing |
Sita - Warrior of Mithila (Book 2 of the Ram Chandra Series) by Amish(51068)
The Crystal Crypt by Dick Philip K(35651)
Cat's cradle by Kurt Vonnegut(13827)
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han(13594)
Ready Player One by Cline Ernest(12797)
The Last by Hanna Jameson(9207)
Year One by Nora Roberts(8443)
Persepolis Rising by James S. A. Corey(8244)
The remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro(7519)
Dark Space: The Second Trilogy (Books 4-6) (Dark Space Trilogies Book 2) by Jasper T. Scott(7345)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown(7297)
Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro(7094)
The handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood(6814)
The Circle by Dave Eggers(6230)
Legacy by Ellery Kane(5939)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood(5761)
Pandemic (The Extinction Files Book 1) by A.G. Riddle(5569)
Frank Herbert's Dune Saga Collection: Books 1 - 6 by Frank Herbert(5273)
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty(5171)