27. Chapter 27
Two and half years later
Mika
“Goodbyes!” Nadia said, waving at a pile of wood we’d never gotten around to burning in the little firepit Maz had built for us. She turned to look up at me. “Everything is sads.”
I picked her up and popped her onto my hip. “I know it’s sad to say goodbye, but think of all the things we’ll get to say hello to when we get to our new home.”
Her eyes welled up with tears. “I don’t wanna go.”
I hugged her tight. “I know, baby. But it’s time. I promise our stump and everything will be fine without us.”
My parents were forced to move so much when I was growing up that I couldn't remember ever staying in one place long enough to get attached. Unlike me, Nadia had never known any other home but this place. I felt horrible that she had to experience this traumatic change, but we’d done our best to prepare her.
For the last few months we’d been showing her images of the next planet we were going to.
We talked about what an adventure it would be.
Maz even created a little game for Nadia to play on an information square.
She could explore an image from the planet and look for little "treasures" Maz had skillfully hidden in bushes, a wave, or half buried in sand.
We were both a little shocked at how good Nadia was at the game, and Maz had taken an entire day to create many more of them.
Without all our prep, today would probably have been much worse, but it was still difficult.
“Nadia? Mika?” I turned to watch Maz walk to us.
“Da!” Nadia cried out, holding out her arms. Maz purred loudly and took her from me.
“Are you finished saying goodbye to everything?” he asked.
She gave a solemn shake of her head. “No. Can we stay? I have to say goodbyes or they will be sad. So sad and cry and cry and cry!”
“Will they cry or are you going to cry?” Maz asked, rubbing her back.
“No, they cry!” she insisted.
“Then we’ll say a last goodbye to everyone,” Maz said. “We’re going to shout really loud so everything hears.”
“Fine,” she grumbled and pulled in a deep breath. “Goodbye!”
Her shrill scream made me wince, but Maz wasn’t fazed. “Good job, Nadia! That was such a big goodbye I bet every single tree heard it.”
“You think?” she asked, a small smile forming on her face.
“I know it,” I said.
Nadia talked all about her favorite tree and why it was her favorite as we all walked onto the ship. The stump was bare except for a pile of rocks, a pile of wood, and a few depressions we’d made over the years. Other than that, there’d be no evidence we’d even been here once we took off.
I’d never tell Nadia this, but it made me a little sad too.
By the time I secured Nadia in her special seat to play her treasure hunt game, Maz had finished securing the ship and we were ready to leave. I took the seat next to him and watched the display detailing our route and our stops.
We’d be spending a few days at a Talin space station on the way to our next assignment so the ship that was our home could be serviced and a few things renovated.
Maz had picked the station with care and made all the arrangements in advance, including hiring security personnel to go with us everywhere so we wouldn't be mobbed.
The second stop was at a Veli pleasure planet with many activities and tours. We’d spend days doing nothing but having fun before settling into our next survey assignment.
“I can’t wait to get the new bots,” I commented as we lifted off. I needed a distraction or I might start crying also.
Eager to be helpful, I learned a lot about the flying survey bots over the last few years.
Now I worked with them instead of Maz. He’d been reluctant at first because he didn’t want to burden me, but when he realized I enjoyed programming and tinkering with them, he’d happily handed the responsibility over.
Talking about bots seemed like a great distraction.
“We’ll be coming back here,” Maz said, confusing me.
“Huh?”
“I can tell you’re almost as sad as Nadia about leaving, but you don’t have to be,” he said. “The investment group is dumping their shares of this planet. I bought most of them for almost nothing.”
“But why would they do that?” I asked.
“The ecosystem here isn’t conducive to doing anything profitable,” he said.
“That means we own this place?” I asked, hardly able to believe we controlled an entire planet!
“Along with Iris and Damascus,” he said. “I thought we could build some houses on some of the stumps and even create some housing in one of the trees. It would be similar to the way the Doringo live on their homeworld.”
I couldn’t believe what he was saying. “But that will be so expensive to set up.”
“Iris and Damascus will be helping,” he said. “We are already collecting bids from builders. They have amazing resources, so they can set up a lot of the infrastructure themselves. Remember, they build space stations for a living.”
“That’s true,” I said with a chuckle. “Would we be the only ones living here?”
“I thought we could invite your family to move here after the building is done. A few of Damascus and Iris’s crew have commented about wanting to retire, and they would like to live on the planet also.
It’s far enough from Talarian that official oversight would be rare, but close enough to get supplies without too much trouble. ”
“The timing couldn’t be better,” I said.
“Iris said the company Mom and Dad are working for isn’t doing well.
It’ll probably go under soon,” I said, feeling an immense sense of relief.
“I’m glad we’ll have a place for them soon, but I never thought that would happen.
Maybe living with them wouldn’t be so bad if we all had our own stumps. ”
“I thought that might be acceptable,” Maz said with an amused rumble.
Damascus and Iris had brought my parents to visit last year. It was good to see them, but I’d worried about how worn out they both looked. We’d been gentle about talking them into staying inside the Talin Empire. By the time they left, I was sure they were half convinced.
The last message I got from them had indicated they were ready when there was a place for them to move to. They didn’t want to go to Kalor Colony because it was too close to Talarian, but now they had a place far from there to settle safely.
“I’ve already arranged to spend a year back here after the next assignment," Maz said.
“I love you so much,” I murmured.
He looked up from the display. “I love you as well.”