Tales of the Citadel # 32 - Core Charge Read Online Free
Author: Viola Grace
Tags: Science-Fiction, Romance, Space Opera
understand.” Surprisingly, she really did. Getting arrangements to take her off world had been months in the planning. Getting a message in had to be worse.
Stop put his hand out to her. “If you are up to it, we will go and have a proper meal in the dining hall, and then, I will show you to your quarters.”
Fixer smiled. “First, I am going to record the fit of the suit for future manufacture. I will make a body blank and reinforce a battle suit for you with non-conducting armour plates. The suit you currently have on will be good for most situations where your safety is not a factor. Training is one of those situations.”
“When can I do this again?” She rose to her feet.
Fixer waved her arm to encompass the hangar. “It is at your disposal, day or night. You can access it from the tarmac side. It will open for you and authorized personnel only.”
“How will it know?”
“The locks are keyed to bio-signatures. We have plenty of yours to go by now. You can fire off lightning itself. I have never seen that before. The initial estimates were far beneath this power signature. The station was only running on a portion of your possible output. You are a powerful woman, Gwiette.”
Gwiette chuckled and turned toward the door, walking slowly. “That is what got me into all this.”
Chapter Four
Eating from colour-coded selections was going to take some getting used to, but the food was nourishing and plentiful, so Gwiette settled in to eat while an entire trolley was brought for Fixer.
“Why so much?” Gwiette forked up more salad.
Stop settled next to her with a tray of his own.
Fixer made a face. “The price I pay for using my talent. I work at transforming matter with energy, so I have to replenish. The more I use my talent, the hungrier I become. When I work off world, my husband wears a bandolier covered with food bars. It detracts from his dignity, but he doesn’t care.”
The image made Gwiette smile. She was still smiling when a stampeded of children came in and made a direct line for their table.
She ate while the children gathered around their mother, and when she was introduced, she met the small, serious gazes with her own. The girls nodded and shook her hand, the young boy was barely walking, but he put out his hands and giggled.
Fixer grinned. “Watch him. He likes to push things into other things.”
Gwiette shook the little hands carefully and smiled at the sparsely toothed grin that he sported.
When she let him go, she sighed in relief that nothing peculiar had happened. She wasn’t thinking straight by that point. Fatigue was pushing her under.
She finished her meal and Stop looked at her, his tray long gone. “Can I show you to your quarters?”
She smiled and nodded. “Please.”
Fixer laughed. “We will all be here in the morning.”
It seemed more of a threat than a promise, but Gwiette staggered to her feet and bumped into Stop a few times before he took her arm to stabilize her.
“Why are you helping me?” She felt it was necessary to ask once they were alone in the hall.
“Every now and then in life you recognise those whose paths will merge with yours. The moment I saw you, I knew that we would be linked together by situations and events. Together, we will be greater than we could ever be apart.”
“You sound very sure of that.”
“I have lived long enough to recognise the reality when it looks me in the eye.” He chuckled.
“Will you tell me how you came to be here?”
“That is a tale for another day. Today, these are your quarters and mine are next door if you need anything. Rest. Recover. Become comfortable in your own skin. Once you are up tomorrow, we can go for a meal and you can exercise your control.”
She nodded and stumbled into the open doorway. A desk, bed, doorway that probably led to a bathing room and a relaxation space with a vid screen were all in front of her. She turned and Stop bowed low before
Stop put his hand out to her. “If you are up to it, we will go and have a proper meal in the dining hall, and then, I will show you to your quarters.”
Fixer smiled. “First, I am going to record the fit of the suit for future manufacture. I will make a body blank and reinforce a battle suit for you with non-conducting armour plates. The suit you currently have on will be good for most situations where your safety is not a factor. Training is one of those situations.”
“When can I do this again?” She rose to her feet.
Fixer waved her arm to encompass the hangar. “It is at your disposal, day or night. You can access it from the tarmac side. It will open for you and authorized personnel only.”
“How will it know?”
“The locks are keyed to bio-signatures. We have plenty of yours to go by now. You can fire off lightning itself. I have never seen that before. The initial estimates were far beneath this power signature. The station was only running on a portion of your possible output. You are a powerful woman, Gwiette.”
Gwiette chuckled and turned toward the door, walking slowly. “That is what got me into all this.”
Chapter Four
Eating from colour-coded selections was going to take some getting used to, but the food was nourishing and plentiful, so Gwiette settled in to eat while an entire trolley was brought for Fixer.
“Why so much?” Gwiette forked up more salad.
Stop settled next to her with a tray of his own.
Fixer made a face. “The price I pay for using my talent. I work at transforming matter with energy, so I have to replenish. The more I use my talent, the hungrier I become. When I work off world, my husband wears a bandolier covered with food bars. It detracts from his dignity, but he doesn’t care.”
The image made Gwiette smile. She was still smiling when a stampeded of children came in and made a direct line for their table.
She ate while the children gathered around their mother, and when she was introduced, she met the small, serious gazes with her own. The girls nodded and shook her hand, the young boy was barely walking, but he put out his hands and giggled.
Fixer grinned. “Watch him. He likes to push things into other things.”
Gwiette shook the little hands carefully and smiled at the sparsely toothed grin that he sported.
When she let him go, she sighed in relief that nothing peculiar had happened. She wasn’t thinking straight by that point. Fatigue was pushing her under.
She finished her meal and Stop looked at her, his tray long gone. “Can I show you to your quarters?”
She smiled and nodded. “Please.”
Fixer laughed. “We will all be here in the morning.”
It seemed more of a threat than a promise, but Gwiette staggered to her feet and bumped into Stop a few times before he took her arm to stabilize her.
“Why are you helping me?” She felt it was necessary to ask once they were alone in the hall.
“Every now and then in life you recognise those whose paths will merge with yours. The moment I saw you, I knew that we would be linked together by situations and events. Together, we will be greater than we could ever be apart.”
“You sound very sure of that.”
“I have lived long enough to recognise the reality when it looks me in the eye.” He chuckled.
“Will you tell me how you came to be here?”
“That is a tale for another day. Today, these are your quarters and mine are next door if you need anything. Rest. Recover. Become comfortable in your own skin. Once you are up tomorrow, we can go for a meal and you can exercise your control.”
She nodded and stumbled into the open doorway. A desk, bed, doorway that probably led to a bathing room and a relaxation space with a vid screen were all in front of her. She turned and Stop bowed low before
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