Eternity's End (88 page)
Tracy-Ace chuckled. "Yes, love. Not
now
. But when I'm there, in the intelnet. At certain times, you could say that I'm a significant component of his consciousness. Didn't you ever wonder why he understood your views so well?"
Legroeder flushed. "Do you mean to say—" he glanced around and lowered his voice "—that when we were making love—"
"No, dear, not then. He might have been
interested
—but no. I'm
me
, Legroeder, not some hybrid. YZ/I, now—he's a different story."
He stared at her. "I won't argue with that. What other tricks does he have for me? Or should I say, do
you
have for me?"
Tracy-Ace grinned. "Touché."
He raised his eyebrows.
"No tricks," she promised. "There's a lot I have to do here, though. When our returnees start arriving, there's going to be pressure on Carlotta to follow suit—especially if she thinks we're benefiting from relations with the Centrist Worlds. On the other hand, if she thinks we're betraying them, and convinces the Republic of that—anything could happen." She turned to peer out at the curved edge of the planet. "By God, though, Legroeder, I'm going to make it work. Damn if I'm not."
There was an adamance in her voice that he liked, and admired.
They walked arm in arm to the opposite end of the observation deck, away from the planet, where all they could see was the dark of deep space. They stood awhile, peering into the measureless infinity of stars. "There's a lot to do at Outpost Ivan, before the first fleets can leave for the Well of Stars," Tracy-Ace murmured. "I'll need to go back eventually to join them. But right now my work is here, I think." She gazed at Legroeder for several heartbeats. "You never answered my question. Do
you
want me here? Do you want me
with
you?"
He smiled out at the stars.
"Legroeder?"
He turned. "What exactly is it you want to do here with me, Trace? Besides making sure that I'm delivered in one piece to the Narseil?"
"Besides
be with
you? I'm not sure, I guess. Are you still in legal trouble?"
"I dunno yet. But I've got Harriet. I think we'll be able to handle it."
"But can
I
help you?"
Legroeder drew her close. "You helped me come back on the deck of
Impris
. I don't know what more you could possibly do."
Tracy-Ace's augments were gleaming like jewels. She closed her arms around his neck. "How about if I do this?" she whispered, and kissed him. It was a long, slow kiss that flickered between his lips, and seemed to stretch out time itself. He imagined his implants tickling themselves to life, joining with hers; imagined them all talking back and forth, like an echo in a canyon.
// ...love you... love you... love you... //
He held her close and thought,
Maybe you can, at that. Maybe you just can
.
"Are you going to answer me?"
He felt a foolish grin crack his face before the words came. "Sorry—I thought I already had..." And he kissed her again as, outside the viewport, the stars shone bright and beckoning.
About the Author
Jeffrey A. Carver
was a Nebula Award finalist for
Eternity's End
. He also recently authored
Battlestar Galactica,
a novelization of the critically acclaimed television miniseries. His novels combine thought-provoking characters with engaging storytelling and range from the adventures of the Star Rigger universe (
Star Rigger's Way, Dragons in the Stars
) to the character-driven hard SF of
The Chaos Chronicles
.
Sunborn,
published in 2008, is the fourth novel in the Chaos series, which begins with
Neptune Crossing
and continues with
Strange Attractors
and
The Infinite Sea
.
A native of Huron, Ohio, Carver lives with his family in the Boston area. He has taught writing in a variety of settings, from educational television to conferences for young writers. He has created a free web site for aspiring authors of all ages at
http://www.writesf.com
. Learn more about the author and his work at
http://www.starrigger.net
.
If you enjoyed this novel, please support the cause of continuing the author's work with a Paypal donation at:
http://www.starrigger.net/Downloads.htm
.
Thanks!
