Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Nessa watched through her hologram as the Conner pod made impact on the landing lot. Jamison’s door opened. He slid out and scurried past Nessa’s invisibility-paneled ship. On his way, he woke his implant.

“One last time, this is Maz,” he spoke into it. “If any elder race members are around, please come. I’m about to be stuck in a mental hospital. Coordinates are 37.2431° N, -115.7930° W. Location name is Carson’s Cafe.”

Nessa woke her implant. There was an application there. She hadn’t used it in weeks. She stopped scrolling at the distance signal application. Ah, yes. That was the name. She tapped and minimized it. Then she opened her holo-feed records. Her chat with the nestmates was in Recent.

It’s only a matter of time, she thought at Jamison. You’ll see the codes in range.

All the same, she distance signaled it, and she smiled through her hologram.

“Yes,” she said at zero decibels. “Open your alerts so you can see.”

He stared into his implant. He squealed, but clapped his hand over his mouth before Trevon exited the pod cockpit.

“Sorry, Jamison,” he said. “Work called.”

His face was emotionally icy and devoid of expression. Tension increased with every step he took toward Carson’s Cafe.

“THEY’RE HERE,” Jamison said, but he’d muted his voice.

Trevon glared at the door. He nudged Jamison and asked, “You coming?”

“Yeah,” Jamison said through gritted teeth.

But he hung back while, inside her ship, Nessa stared down the control log-drive--and said:

“Deactivate,” she told it.

The invisibility panels faded out, and she waved at Jamison.

“Whoa,” he muttered.

“Run along now,” she urged.

And he went to meet his dad beyond the cafe doorway.