Alpha Centauri

With the new windows installed, Fritz’s shop is truly ready to open again tomorrow. Even if he doesn’t win a spot on the board, just by participating in the election he’s likely to attract new customers. He’s going to be busy, either way. Over dinner, Cleve brings up the topic of needing yet another disguise … Read more

Fritz and I sit down at the kitchen table, two steaming mugs of tea and an untouched plate of crackers between us. “I wanted to, um… make you aware of some Stepdaughters of Chiron actions that took place a couple months ago,” I tell him heavily. He needs to know this—not just to know what … Read more

When I turn down the street to Fritz’s shop, I see him and Cleve out in front of it, looking at a pair of windows leaned against the exterior. The boards that had been nailed over the broken windows are in a pile nearby. Cleve glances up in my direction, and I hear him mutter, … Read more

My attacker is lanky and wan, and although I’m literally burning from the fungicide that must’ve been in that dye, I’m still in better shape than he is. When I catch up with him down a side alley, he turns and lobs another dye bomb in my direction. It misses my head by inches. The … Read more

As I make my way back to Fritz’s shop from the hospital, I pass through the giant central plaza outside the headquarters building. The jumbotron is all lit up with election results, and I pause to take a measure of things. It’s midday now, and all the candidates’ names are in, as well as quite … Read more

///With the fresh reminder that Damian might recognize him, Cleve decides to lay low for the rest of the day, staying out of the way at Fritz’s shop. There are many things to do there to make a man feel useful. In addition to repairing that laser rifle, there’s the shop itself. Between him, Fritz, … Read more

Paola gets us into the hospital to see Damian without any fuss, just a simple sign-in of the visitor’s log. She checks on Damian first before inviting me into the room, just to make sure he’s willing to receive another visitor. I hear her ask after his recovery and note that the IV is gone. … Read more

With Louisa taken care of, Cleve’s plans for the day are to hide out at Fritz’s shop, far away from any University initiate captains who would recognize him as an enemy given what went down with Louisa and Snacker. I give Fritz a quick summary of our meeting with Morgan, though of course he’s already … Read more

///Cleve keeps up the act of Louisa-as-prisoner as they pass through the dome’s vestibule and then out into the fresh air of Chiron. They continue on a little further, out of sight of anyone else potentially leaving or entering, and then he lets go of her arm. “Is there anything you need smuggled back in?” … Read more

I escort Louisa only as far as the main entrance to the dome, leaving the task of actually evicting her to Cleve. No way am I going through that fungicide spray if I don’t have to. As the minutes tick by, I begin to wonder what might have gone wrong outside that is making Cleve … Read more

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Morgan!” the receptionist who led us here cries out. The security guards seated along the walls immediately jump to their feet, and the one behind Morgan steps closer to him. I swivel around in my chair to see what the disturbance is. The receptionist isn’t the one who opened the door; … Read more

“Director Morgan,” I begin smoothly, “thank you for making the time to see us today. This is quite an impressive accomplishment you’ve built here.” “Ah,” he says with satisfaction, “it’s my own little piece of Earth.” I suppress a shudder at that, the memories of the pained landscape still fresh in my mind from showing … Read more

In the morning, Cleve presents me and Fritz with good news over a breakfast of tea and scones. He liked the last rolled up pile of papers so much that Bella has brought him another. This one is a report from Dr. Bingyi Khan on the efficacy of FungX and includes a whole section on … Read more