Chapter 4
Four
Jada
The Labs are the fucking worst. Six hours into my shift, and I’ve had enough.
I place my miniature mallet down next to the asteroid I’ve cautiously been deconstructing and harshly tug my gloves off.
There is precious dust within the chunk of space rock.
Still, if you aren’t careful when cracking the asteroid open, the entire planetoid can crumble, making it impossible to compare the collectible dust from the external parts.
I lean back in my rolling chair, sighing with sweet relief as my aching back gets a break.
It still screams as I reach up to tap the orb light dangling above me, dimming the brightness, sick of the blaring spotlight beaming down on me.
I adjust my long ponytail, looking at others diligently at work around me.
This place gives me the creeps. Not only do we collect the weirdest shit, but it’s stored in these little jars or tanks on shelves along the outskirts of the room.
Tables are lined up in the middle as workstations, and we all file in to dissect, collect, and store like sedulous little workers.
It’s dark; the bottles on the walls cast eerie lighting into the room, and the work is so tedious.
Energy pulses within me, begging me to move, stretch—to do something.
I spin in my chair, my mind drifting to the explosive light that rocked our unit a few weeks ago.
What was it? It felt so… magical. Just as quickly as the light consumed Lunara, it disappeared, but the effects remained.
A strange warmth clung to me ever since—a light tingle I could not shake, like the whisper of something shifting on the horizon.
I can’t dismiss the feeling that something is coming.
Anytime I try to bring this up to Faye, she brushes it off, claiming it to be yet another one of my nonsensical dreams. Zellie would have believed me. Stars, where did she go?
I replay our last conversation in my head so often that I could recite it word for word.
It’s like she knew she was going to disappear.
She promised she would come back, so why hasn’t she?
A deep shame has lodged itself within my chest regarding the situation; a worthlessness that does not sit well with me.
After Zellie disappeared, one other girl from Lunara did as well.
We all lived in fear for weeks, terrified that we would be next.
But slowly, time crept on and no one else went missing.
Our unit collectively loosed the breaths we all were holding, and life went on as usual.
But I haven’t forgotten—I’ll never forget.
I think of her daily. What am I supposed to do?
We have no way of contacting the Kosmos regarding the disappearances.
There’s no way to leave Lunara… And even if I did, where would I go?
What is even out there? I’m embarrassed to feel like a bystander—in not doing more to find my best friend.
But I have to trust that she is okay; Zellie can do anything.
I refuse to believe something happened to her.
I’ll maintain my optimism as long as I need to.
I watch the Virgo working in the row in front of me.
He’s hunched over, meticulously extracting moondew droplet by droplet from a lunavine.
The mini heart-shaped petals sustain the powerful substance but are extremely delicate.
One touch too harshly and the entire petal—and its precious resource—dissolves into nothing.
The work is painstaking regardless of the substance you’re tasked with extracting in the Labs.
I know these resources go towards improving the lives of those across the galaxies; The Kosmos frequently provides messages of how critical our work is, but I would rather have any other assignment.
Give me Jarvis yelling at me in the Kitchen any day instead of this petrifying place.
I spin once more before sighing and grabbing my mallet reluctantly.
Here’s to supporting the greater good, or something like that, right?
Two hours later, and I’m officially free, thank the stars.
Craving interaction, I make my way to the Commons, the center point of our unit on Lunara.
I grin widely at others walking the lengthy, white hall and receive polite smiles or waves in response.
I love interacting with others. How special is it that you can make someone’s day infinitely better simply by giving them the attention they deserve?
Although not everyone extends the same courtesy, socializing with others brings me joy.
At the end of the spoke, a scan completes before granting me access to the Commons.
Scanning the crowds as the piano softly plays in the corner, I search for a familiar face.
I catch sight of a broad frame, a brown shirt stretched over his back, and his head down as he consumes the pages of a book.
I adjust the sleeves of my off-the-shoulder dress, the sage green billowing sleeves flowing with each movement.
Quietly, I creep up before flopping myself into the open, cushioned chair beside him.
“Hi Tor!” I cheerfully exclaim, successfully startling Torin from the contents of his novel.
“Stars, Jay, you scared the shit out of me,” he chuckles, brushing loose strands of his bun away from his eyes.
His ombre silver and forest green hair is gorgeous.
The hair combined with his thick frame—and I mean thick—and you have three-quarters of my entire unit drooling over the Taurus.
Lucky for me, his dreamy gray eyes have landed on me and decided I’m the one he wants.
I found him shortly after Zellie disappeared.
He pulled me out of the depths of my grief and breathed new life into my daily routine—something I’ll always be grateful for.
I’ve gotten myself into quite a pickle with both Torin and Faye pining after me.
I didn’t mean to—I was very clear with my intentions of not looking for anything steady when I became tangled up with each of them.
Faye will say she doesn’t care; we’ll have a few weeks or months of fun, but she’ll ultimately decide she wants something far more serious.
That’s where Torin comes in. I can’t help that I’m attracted to both.
Faye can be so serious, while Torin is entirely laid back.
They’re polar opposites, both in personality and in sex, obviously—but stars help me, I want them both.
These worlds are cold and cruel. Seeking companionship and warmth isn’t selfish; it’s survival.
“What are you reading?” I cross my legs and lean back, closing my eyes. The Commons are quiet tonight, and the peace of the evening engulfs me like a warm cocoon.
He slides his bookmark between the pages. “Some fantasy about a guy that visits the main character in her dreams.”
“Sometimes you visit mine. You wouldn’t believe the things we do.” I twirl the end of my ponytail around my finger, relishing the rest. I know if I opened my eyes, a telling twinkle would be present in Torin’s eyes.
Torin throws his head back and laughs. “Such a shameless flirt.” He stands, extending his palm to me, eyes indeed twinkling. “Let’s go get you fed before I show you something better than you’ve seen in your dreams.”
“Dinner and a date? The man you are, Tor, I swear.” His large hand envelops mine as he pulls me to my feet, placing a light kiss on my forehead.
“I like taking care of you,” his gravelly voice replies, tucking me into his side as we head to the food bar. Like I said, warm and comforting.