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Vaarn eyed him for a moment. "On another note, I've discovered something strange happening with the station's systems. We have TX-14s burning out all over the place, apart from in your offices."
"Curious." S'aad's eyebrow winged up. "What's different about our offices? "
"It appears the chips in the Mate Program offices are newer models of the TX-14. Other than that, I have no idea what the difference is. Any chance you can pull one so I can analyze it?"
S'aad nodded. "Of course, I'll grab one and bring it over later on. I have a full batch of samples to input, but I should be done about lunchtime. I'll bring it over then."
He nodded his thanks, but it was an absent gesture as he focused on his kinsman.
"Can I ask you something?" he said after a moment, changing the subject.
S'aad raised an eyebrow. "Of course, cousin. What is it?"
He hesitated, wondering if he was making a mistake bringing this up. But who better to ask than the med-tech in charge of matching human females to Latharian warriors?
"It's about Sadie. Sadie Keare..."
3
Sadie paused for a moment and took a deep breath before she entered the engineering bay, the sliding doors opening in front of her with a soft hiss. She resisted the urge to shrink in on herself and make herself smaller, instead forcing steel in her spine as she carried on. This section of the station was unknown to her, far from the safety of the human section, and she stood just inside the door, looking around.
The engineering bay was both not what she expected and somehow familiar at the same time. It was a hive of activity, the air filled with the hum of machinery and the murmur of deep voices. She looked around, eyes wide as they roamed over the multitude of consoles and equipment, gleaming metal panels, and the heavy-duty ladders to higher decks. She recognized some of it… like the power core in the center of the room and what must be the master control unit in front of it. Engineers clustered around it like bees around a hive, but a lot of the technology here was beyond her. She suspected it was beyond most humans.
Raised platforms around the perimeter gave access to upper levels and more systems, cables snaking across the ceiling high above. She caught glimpses of engineers working up there, their movements nimble and sure as they moved across catwalks and down ladders.
She winced a little as she realized that her arrival had caused a ripple, the engineers pausing in their tasks to stare at her with interest. She looked away, not wanting to be caught staring.
The smells, at least, were familiar. The ventilation system stirred the air, carrying the scents to her nose. They were oily and metallic with an acrid undertone… similar to every factory she'd ever worked in. The smell of her mother's overalls when she'd come home from a shift. A familiar mix of sweat and perfume that took her right back to being a little girl.
Refusing to be deterred, she fixed her gaze somewhere in mid-distance, not meeting anyone's eyes, and made her way further inside. Multiple sets of eyes tracked her progress, making the skin between her shoulder blades itch. She ignored it and focused on her mission. She needed to find the Chief Engineer and convince him to give her the job she'd seen on the station’s vacant positions board this morning; and he wasn't going to do that if she couldn't even walk through engineering.
Her jaw tightened. She needed this job. It was an opportunity to prove herself after managing to almost get her sister killed. But seeing the Latharians like this was an eye-opener. Back home, everyone competed for positions, food, and every resource there was. Getting ahead meant someone else lost out, but no one cared. You couldn't. If someone couldn't do a job, there were hundreds ready to take their place. Individuals were just cogs in a machine, valuable only for their labor. Easily replaced.
But as she glanced around, she saw something different. The engineers here moved with purpose, working in sync, but there was no underlying current of rivalry. They looked at her with curiosity, but not suspicion.
She knew they had no women thanks to some plague, and most of them would give their left arm to be accepted into the Mate Program, but the reverence in their eyes when they looked at her was... Odd. It freaked her out a little. Back on Earth she was just another single mom barely scraping by, invisible unless she caused problems. But to the Latharians, her simple existence was valuable.
She made it halfway across the bay before she spotted a familiar figure on the other side of the master systems unit. Even from a distance, Vaarn's tall figure was unmistakable, his silver hair a beacon. The other personnel gave him a wide berth as he spoke with another engineer, a mountain of a man with dark hair that fell almost to his waist. Vaarn faced away from her, deep in conversation. There was tension in his broad shoulders as he gestured with his hands.
What were they talking about? She'd never seen him so animated, so she took the opportunity to just look at him, drinking in the sight. He wore the same dark, close-fitting pants and open jacket as the other engineers, but they were molded to every hard-packed muscle on him. The fabric gleamed as it stretched across his back and hugged his thighs. She swallowed, heat rising in her cheeks as she traced the contours with her eyes. Holy hell, he should be the centerfold in one of those glossy holo-mags.
She tore her gaze away, cheeks burning. What the hell was she doing, ogling him in front of everyone like that? She didn't know him, and he had shown no interest in getting to know her. The least she could do was treat him with courtesy when their paths crossed. Steadying her breathing, she straightened her shoulders and made her way over. He at least was a friendly face, and he might be able to point her toward the Chief Engineer.
He glanced her way as she approached, his expression set in hard lines, jaw clenched and brows drawn together. For a moment, her steps slowed. Then he turned back to his companion and carried on his conversation.
"Check the sub-levels on the mall and under the Tev Corp tower. I don't think we'll have a problem, not with their level of tech, but let me know if their guys give you any trouble."
She hovered nearby, unsure whether or not to interrupt.
"Of course." The other Lathar inclined his head, giving her a curious look before walking off.
Vaarn turned back to her and folded his arms across his broad chest, biceps testing the seams of his sleeves. His eyes bored into hers, his expression hard and closed off. She resisted the urge to fidget. Or just outright run. Yeah, running might be good right about now.
"What are you doing in here?" His voice was a low bark of demand.
"I'm looking for the chief engineer…"
"I am the chief engineer.” His eyes narrowed. “What do you want?"
