The Cold Minds by Kristin Landon

Author:Kristin Landon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2010-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

STATION SIX

Iain found Linnea leaning against the bulkhead in the dark passageway outside the traffic control center. Her arms were folded, her head down. He went to her and set his hands gently on her shoulders. She did not look up.

“Come and rest,” he said. “It’s been twenty hours now, Linnea. They’ll notify us if—when there’s any signal.

She didn’t move. “I can’t believe she did it,” she said hoarsely. “Tried the long jump. There’s so much she hadn’t learned yet. She wasn’t ready.”

Iain steadied himself. “The risk is—not as bad as you think,” he said. “People in training, they become too confident, they overreach.” Iain tightened his grip on her shoulders. “But they make it. They find their way back. Most of the time.”

“Some of the time,” Linnea said remotely. “I know the statistics. . . . And if they never come out of otherspace? They just go flying on until they starve, or freeze—”

“There’s no way to know what happened until she comes back,” Iain said. Her shoulders were rigid under his hands, and he tightened his hold. “All we can do is trust Zhen. She’s bright. She’s gifted. She’ll find her way home.”

“I’m not good at this,” Linnea said. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe the Line should take over.”

Iain suppressed a sigh. He had begun to wonder, in recent weeks, whether a vital attribute of jump piloting was complete, supreme confidence—whether in fact it was the arrogance of the Line that made its pilots succeed. And if so, could that arrogance ever be taught to people like Linnea? “Of course you will continue to teach,” he said quietly. “We need you. This happens to every teacher, sooner or later. Trainees—misjudge. They always have.”

“But this is Zhen.” Linnea’s voice shook. “Our friend. How am I going to tell Torin what happened?” She closed her eyes, and the tears spilled over.

Iain pulled her into an embrace. “We’ll tell him together, ” he said, cold with dread.

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