Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Maybe I don’t need Oz, but I want him.
The question is…will I get to keep him?
“I promise I don’t plan to go anywhere,” I answer, but we both know fate may have other plans.
With the threat of the Earth II attack looming, all I can do is hold on to Oz while I have him. Hold on to him and be thankful for what little time we have left. I don’t know if he sleeps, but I soon drift back into dreams, comforted by his warmth and closeness.
When I wake up again, brilliant red light trickling in through the filtered windowpane, he’s gone, and the space beside me has long since gone cold.
“You can use this room,” Aria says, guiding me into a somewhat empty section of the facility. Breccan officially cleared me to use any room that would serve our purpose of starting our own library. “It’s not much, but it’s clean. Relatively.”
With the growing mort population and the women from the prison, it would be imperative to have books. Books are life, in my humble opinion. They are a necessity for living. Maybe we won’t ever have the sprawling campus my old job boasted, but this will do just fine. The little mortlings will grow up knowing and loving the adventures contained between covers. I’ll make sure of it.
“It’s perfect,” I say, turning in a slow circle to survey the area. It had once been an office of some sort, I think. A large desk is covered by a thick cloth in the center of the room. An ancient computer is boxed and abandoned in a corner. Already my mind races with ideas for decorations, programs. “Breccan mentioned there are some spare shelving units and desks we can use?”
Aria nods and bounces little Sokko in her arms as he begins to fuss. He must be a few months old. Little Sokko has lighter skin than his mother, but more human-like than the morts. He sports a pair of fangs and dark black hair like his father also. Strange, but also strangely human. “I’ll have one of the guys deliver them as soon as I can tear them away from their war room.”
“There’s no rush, really. I’m going to have my hands full for a while sifting through the files Uvie gave me.” I lift the tablet for emphasis. “It’s definitely not a priority at the moment.”
“Don’t be silly. I think it’s a great idea what you have planned here. We have to think about life after the attack. It’s the only way we’re going to survive. If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that we can’t live without hope here. And things like this, planning for a future, these are the kinds of things that will give all of us the sense of hope we’ll need to make it through everything that’s to come.”
I can see why she and Breccan are mated. He is the authoritative figure, the one who makes you feel safe and secure because he has everything handled, and she is his perfect complement, there to reassure when you have doubts. It’s no wonder they’ve guided their people through these tumultuous times, and I’ve heard there have been some doozies. From the original arrival of all of us on the ship to the discovery of the prison and The Rades. These people need strong leaders and Aria and Breccan are exactly that.
“I’m happy to help in any way I can,” I tell her, thankful to have a place, any place, in their tight-knit family.
Sokko begins to wail and she grimaces. “Let me get this one down for a nap and find you some strong bodies to move that furniture. Have Uvie get in contact with me if you need anything else.”
“I will,” I assure her. With one last reassuring look, she leaves, and I take a moment to rest against the desk and breathe.
My world has changed completely, but somehow I feel right at home.
I get to work rearranging the desk to the side of the room. It’ll serve as my home base and reference section. The computer may be old and run on strange technology, but I manage to get it booted back up with Uvie updating the operating systems. I figure I can have her and Sayer, maybe, help me come up with some sort of catalog…when everything is over, that is.
While I work, Legolas investigates every nook and cranny in the room. He builds himself a web in a corner and dozes, only waking up to scuttle away and bring back lunch from the greenhouse. He must be partially vegetarian, because I recognize some of the green stuff from our meals the other day.
Sayer, Jareth, and Grace stop by late in the afternoon with a trolley full of bookshelves they’ve either built or had stashed around the facility. “Delivery,” Grace announces cheerfully. “Wow, this looks amazing already. I can’t wait to see what else you do with it. I’ve been dying to look into their textbooks, but haven’t had the chance.” She makes a face at the two morts lugging in the furniture. “Someone has kept me busy.”