Chapter 16
brIAR
The sudden lightening of the room and someone banging on the outer door jerks me out of a deep sleep. “UGHH, someone turn the lights back off and hang a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door.”
BuK jumps up, and I pull the covers over my head. Before I can even move, I hear footsteps, and the blankets are being yanked back. “Damnit, Briar, I was worried out of my mind this entire time and here you are, laying around naked like you’re on vacation.”
Pulling the covers back up over my head, I mumble out, “Good morning to you too, Lacie.” Only for her to tug them back down, and that’s when I see the tears in her eyes.
Naked or not, I open my arms, and she falls into them.
“Hey, I’m alright. You know a little thing like sub-zero temperatures would not be tough enough to take me out. ”
“When MeK told me you guys were stuck here with no heat, I just knew I was going to find your corpse. My honeymoon has been nothing but tears and worrying. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you.”
“I won’t lie and say that it wasn’t close because it was, but it all worked out. Look at this … you’re not the only one with a new tattoo.”
Wiping the tears off her cheeks, Lacie runs her fingers over the marks on my throat. “Oh my God, it’s stunning, and it looks like a beautiful collar. Hmmm, so let me guess, you and BuK did the dirty?”
“Why do you think I’m naked, laying here in shame as my best friend and I’m sure her other half barged through the door unannounced? I feel like I just got caught necking by my mother.”
“Ummm, sorry about that. I kinda encouraged MeK into breaking the outer lock when you didn’t answer right away.”
“I talked to him earlier when he commed BuK, so you knew I was okay then.”
“I had to see you for myself. This storm scared me to death; so many of us were unprepared, and I never want to live through that again.”
“Now I thoroughly agree with that statement. We knew it would get cold at some point, but I never dreamed it would be so intense. Now mind you, I don’t regret a moment of it because of the things that occurred once our lives were no longer in danger.
But damn, I think we need to take off on MeK’s fancy ship when we know the next one’s coming and head for a sunny beach somewhere. ”
I no sooner finish speaking when four paws suddenly land on top of me, and I get a rough lick on the cheek.
“Kiki, damn, you must’ve gained ten pounds …
get off me, chunky butt!” Instead of leaving, he settles completely on top of me.
“Comfortable?” He gives one of his cute little twerps and I can’t help but laugh. “I need to get dressed, fur ball.”
Lacie pulls him into her arms, and I gather the blankets around me as I gather up my discarded clothes from all over the floor. “Let me get dressed, and I’ll be right back. We gotta talk about the Abominable Snowman.”
I can hear MeK and BuK talking as I pull on my pants. Grabbing the brush Lacie had sent me, I take a second to make myself presentable before heading back out. I’ve not made it two steps when BuK gently catches my arm, pulling me into his side.
“MeK, what do you mean he still is not answering?”
“The tic this mass cleared our airspace, ANDI sent out a signal to every comm unit, but KyT’s is still unresponsive.
We know he has a shuttle in the area, but because of its unique way of blending into the Timbers, we do not have an exact location due to its unique cloaking device.
We have probably walked past it several times without realizing it.
Because of the depth of the snow right now, we really have no way of looking for him. ”
“Is the snow melting?”
“Not really, but thankfully, the maintenance bots were able to start clearing paths a few tics ago. That is how we were able to get here so quickly.
BuK, I am going to need you to help me lift that cargo bot onto a hover sled.
I believe the hydraulics in it broke from the cold, and that is something I will have to reinforce on all the bots here since I did not account for such extreme temperature drops.
On a lighter note, I see congratulations are in order.
The rune mark of your mating is quite lovely, Briar. ”
“Thank you MeK, I’m quite happy with it myself. The big pink guy that comes with it isn’t so bad either.” BuK squeezes me affectionately.
“MeK, is father answering?”
“From my understanding, he is and I believe he will be here early next rising. Destiny is also heading back to rendezvous with ANDI in the next few rotations with more survivors, but the mass is still blocking her direct signal, so we are not sure of the number yet.”
BuK kisses the top of my head, “Briar, if you and Lacie gather up our mess, I will go to comm father and help MeK.”
“Yeah, I guess our little bubble of alone-time has busted and life has returned.” I watch him walk away, noticing how serious he’s suddenly gotten.
Lacie’s voice startles me. “You alright?”
“Yeah, life has just changed pretty quickly once again, and I’m running to catch up.”
“You know he’s perfect for you, right?”
“Oh, yeah … I know. I was just trying to figure out what’s next.”
“I can tell you what’s next … we’re going to have to sanitize your blankets and fumigate the pheromones in this entire area. This place smells like sex and good times.”
I pick a pillow up off the bed and hit her with it.
“Ewww, sex germs, get them off me!”
“I swear Lacie, I’m going to kick your ass.”
Laughter surrounds us as we work together to clean up the mess BuK and I had made of this brand-new pod. Once we’ve gotten all the blankets and tarps folded, I gather the crates, moving them to the door that leads downstairs.
“You’re right Lace, this place really needs a good cleaning. Who would have thought two people could create such a mess?”
“Well, you were fighting for your lives before you screwed each other’s brains out.”
“And you call me the brat!”
“Hey, I had a great teacher. Here, hand me that pile and I’ll start carrying them down the steps. I’ve become spoiled with the lifts in ours.”
“Me too. I didn’t realize how much nicer, or should I say how many more features our pods have that some of these others do not.”
“MeK said they are all pre-wired for the same installations. He said he designed them that way so that people would have the option to upgrade theirs later on if they wanted to.”
The sight of BuK and MeK trying to maneuver the cargo bot outside the viewer makes me grab a crate and follow Lacie.
“So, did you scream like a girl when the Yeti showed up?”
“No, but MeK needed to push my jaw up when I stood there in awe. He was enormous. Can you imagine meeting something like that in the woods?
I can’t believe you didn’t hear me screaming all the way from here. Somehow, he stuck his face right up against the viewer, and I was already in a compromised position. Once BuK told me who he was, I don’t think I’ve ever been that embarrassed, but he was nice about it. Is he still on the planet?”
“I think so, I know he’s commed MeK a few times this morning. I’m already sick of this damn snow, though. I’m ready to get back to our nice seventy-five degrees and sunshine daily.”
“Lace, I agree with that statement. I was not built for the cold, and even with two layers on, I can still feel the cold seeping into my bones. Have you talked to James? Did they lose many of the crops?”
“The new cultivators MeK designed were able to pull most of the plants up for replanting later, but the entire new field they just plowed is a loss. There’s no way those seeds lived through that.”
“Life is constantly throwing a wrench in our plans, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but at least we have BuK and MeK to lean on in the tough times. So, how long have you had your extra accessories?”
“You mean my new swirls? They showed up yesterday.”
“Do you feel any different?”
“Different how?”
“That’s what I am asking you.”
“No, I mean I wonder what might be different now, but I still feel like me, just with a new tattoo.”
“You do realize that this ties you to him for life? If it’s anything like mine and MeK’s, your lifespans are now linked. As time has passed, I’ve noticed we’ve started to feel each other’s emotions stronger. I wonder what you will gain besides him?”
Her words have me so deep in thought that I don’t hear BuK calling my name at first. “Hey, where did you go?”
“Sorry, good looking. I was tied up in my own brain there for a minute. Are you guys done? I only have a few more crates to pack up.”
“Leave them and we will come back and clean it all up when the weather clears. I wanted to know if you would come with me to my tent. I am curious to see if it’s still standing.”
MeK is in the process of pulling up the hood on the heavy jacket Lacie wore over here when she turns toward me. “Now that I know you’re okay, we’ll yell at each other in the morning. Briar, I’m assuming you guys are going to your pod once you’ve stopped by BuK’s shelter?”
“As far as I know, that’s the plan.”
Lacie hugs me quickly before following MeK out. The cold air suddenly surrounds us as they open the door, making me shiver. “Here, MeK brought you a coat to match Lacie’s. He said he knew you would hate the cold as much as she does.”
“Well, he got that part right.” BuK holds the coat out and I quickly put it on, smiling when he bends down to seal up the central seam on the front for me. “What about you? Aren’t you cold? What’s the temperature now?”
“It is in the thirties now and rising quickly, and it is chilly, but I am not cold. Are you ready to head out?”
“Not really! As far as I’m concerned, if I never set foot in or even see snow again, that would be fine with me. One life-or-death moment is enough to last me a lifetime, and I’m already over my limit.”
He gently grabs my hand in his much larger, warmer one, and the contrast is extreme. “Just think, the quicker we grab my things, the sooner we can be snuggled up on that huge couch of yours.”
“Are we going to snuggle naked?”
BuK is pulling me out the door before I can say another word, practically dragging me behind him with a huge smile on his face. “Slow down, you’re gonna pull my arm off, you brute.”
The next second, I’m in his arms, cradled against his chest. “Your legs are too short, and I want to get to the naked part.”
“I have created a monster.”