AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do you remember when I said wars were not always started for resources? Spite is a reason to do things as well.” Kira said, pondering about his prior goal for galactic peace, when he’d not known what it was to care about another’s opinion. Resting her forearms on the hydroponics table, she seemed to tense when he’d said Watson’s name a moment ago.
“You think an entire planet can be motivated to war over spite?” Quinn continued to pick away at the tomatoes, dropping them into a tub nestled against the counter. They had elevated planters on long stainless tables.
Kira wasn’t helping, even if she’d volunteered, only keeping him company in a grumpy manner.
“No, I think one man can. If the leader of a people is charismatic, he can convince an entire population. There have been wars waged over one woman before, and that had no effect on the majority.” She knew he would find it ridiculous still, but she wanted to prove her earlier point. This was just the perfect moment to do so.
“Hrmph.” Turning one of the plump red ones in his hand, Quinn pulled it free from the stem.
“Of course, small slights have also sparked revolutions.” Kira lacked the capability to peer inside his mind, but following her own train of thought, from knowing him, she knew he wished to solve that issue as well. But you would have to take away emotion, want, everything that made the universe the way it was to get rid of the aspects that made up every soul.
“Well, I can agree with that.” Quinn pinched off a dead section of the vine.
Kira molded her words with sweet assurance because she was truthful, and there was power in that sometimes. Out of uniform she looked prepared to garden, a long apron with small flowers on it, her hair pulled into a loose violet ribbon halfway down her back, and that smudge of dirt over her brow she’d not noticed yet.
“I am glad that you agree.” She murmured, still lollygagging instead of helping nestled on a short chair.
Quinn had dirt under his fingernails instead of mechanical fluids. His bright white hair shot out in different directions, tousled ungracefully. He grabbed a plain blue apron to protect the long-sleeved black shirt he wore. The sleeves pushed up, out of the way.
Kira considered him still, her chin resting still on crossed forearms. A few days had passed since the quiet moments on the bridge. He’d spoken to more of the crew, Max, Alec, and even the ship’s cook, Hela, when he’d picked up trays for Kira. Everyone told her he spoke with them, nothing more than mentioning it in passing, a sign of approval as no one missed her looks other than her.
“Watson is going to apologize to you.” Kira popped off after the tick of quiet.
“Uh, okay?” The tomato in his hand bled around his fingers. He disposed of it in the waste bin, wiping his hands clean on the apron.
“I’m not sure it will be the most sincere thing you’re ever going to hear.” She picked at the dirt under her fingernails.
“Okay?”
“I told him it was necessary.” She capped it off with that one. “I told him he needs to apologize after what occurred.” She did not say that she had pressured Watson by saying that he was a guest of Toke and it had not been proper. Kira had wanted to say much more, but they had not yet achieved the delicate balance they had been working towards. Rocking the boat wouldn’t help anyone at the moment.
“Ah.” Quinn grasped a rag, wiping off the tomato juice. Semi clean again, he returned to his task. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
They’d not yet discussed the events on the bridge, either. She got up to help him again. It put a plant between them. “I assume your room is safeguarded for scanning as well?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
His inhale was audible. “Why did-“
“You know, sometimes in the projector room I watch the skies above Praetoria. I know the constellations and their stories. Even the star that leads due South from most of a land that I’ve never stepped on.”
He quieted, inviting her to go on despite her interrupting him.
“Toke dodges me about it when I ask. He always told me he rescued me during the Separate event, which I looked into. There was a small revolt the government did not catch early enough, and they marched on the capital. I’ve never served upon any ship close enough to interact with Preatoria if it could be helped and since this posting, if there is to be a possible boarding with crew scans, I’ve been informed to make myself absent.”
The stalk moved, pushed aside by him, and his eyes caught hers. “Do you want me to find out for you? The reason?”
Mulling over his offer, she had a chance. Was it exploiting him to ask? She decided it was. The things he would have to hack into and the databases he’d invade were dangerous. Not that he couldn’t hide his trail. It felt too far. She wouldn’t ask him to do anything that Paradigm might have pushed him for.
“No.” She finally decided, shifting to the side, taking refuge in the veil of the leaves. Partially because of the subject matter and partially because… he made it hard to concentrate. “Could I ask you to do something else instead? Hear Watson out. You don’t have to accept his apology, but it at least might make things smoother.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you.”
