Emerald

Mil

Mil turns off her screen. Carlos was right, the story was worth reading. And like life, some stories haven't a perfect, happy ending. She rubs her tired eyes. Since they lost the shuttle and with it Koshi and Dray, she hardly found any sleep. As soon as she closes her eyes, she sees the faces of her former colleagues, hears Dray's hoarse voice and Andrej's contagious laughter. When she awakes, she feels crushed and depressed. At least the book gave her some respite.

She calls up her report to check it one last time before sending it off to Spacecorp. When it reaches the headquarter, she'll probably be long gone. It's a strange kind of legacy to leave for posterity.

Carlos enters the lab, Mil's preferred hiding place for the last two days. He carries a tray loaded with food. It smells delicious. Mil never suspected the technician could cook.

"I hope you are hungry, I plundered the ships provisions. How do you like Peruvian cuisine?"

"If this tastes as good as it smells, I'm a dedicated fan already."

With a smile, the technician scoops two large portions of the dish into bowls. Suddenly, Mil feels famished and delves her spoon into the spicy dish. Carlos even bothered to bake fresh bread— it's still warm. With a flourish, he opens one of the few, expensive bottles of wine pilfered from Koshi's private stock. The technician raises his glass with a genuine smile.

"To Emerald and the future. Have you finished your duties?"

"Yes, I did, not only the book but my report as well. I'll just have to post it. It would be really interesting to see how they react back home at Spacecorp."

"Spacecorp? They'll accidentally lose it while at the same time sending an expedition to harvest this forest and turn it into luxury furniture. You know how precious real wood is back on earth, they won't let slip the opportunity to make big money. Why don't you send the report to someone you trust? I'm sure you know somebody, at the academy for example."

Mil sips her wine, suddenly pensive. The red tastes good, it's been a long time since she got to try something as exquisite. She already feels the alcohol. Carlos might be right with his assessment.

"I don't know. Spacecorp is our principal. Doesn't this give them first right to the report?"

"Maybe, if you look at it form the legal side. On the other hand, you know about their business practices as well as I do. No one at Spacecorp will shed a tear about losing us all, except of the ship, of course. Your report is the last thing humanity will hear from us. I'd like to know it ends in the right hands. Maybe this forest is going to kill us, but it was here first. Emerald is its planet."

After all this time, Carlos still manages to surprise Mil. The technician might lack an advanced education, but his sense for right and wrong is flawless. This is not their first discussion along this lines since they resigned themselves to the fact their ship is never going to take off again. Mil considers her options. Should she send the report elsewhere? Koshi would be strictly against it. He always was a stickler for the rules. She almost sees his disappointed frown and his refusing gesture. He was a good captain, nonetheless. Suddenly, she remembers the name of a young professor she met on a conference of xenobiologists. The woman gave a remarkable speech about ethics in the space program. Mil's doubts are replaced by certainty. She sets down her bowl to change the recipient address on her report and writes a quick message to accompany it, wineglass in her left hand.

A shiver runs through the ship and lets her look up in panic. Carlos catches her bowl before it slips to the floor. Frowning, he checks some controls on a side panel.

"It starts. One of the trees laid a root over the aft side support. The material is strong, but I'm afraid it won't take the strain for a long time. And I'm sure others will follow."

He hands Mil her bowl and refills her glass with the last of the wine. She takes both hesitantly.

"What do you think? How long do we have?"

The shaking of her voice annoys her. She'd like to meet her destiny as calm as Dray and Andrej did. Carlos smiles at her comfortingly above the rim of his glass.

"Some hours maybe, days at most. Who knows how strong they built the hull of the ship. This might be the perfect moment for an after-dinner walk. What do you think? The sun is about to set and the forest is always beautiful in this orange and golden light."

Mil's throat feels dry. She empties her glass before she spontaneously adds the word 'confidential' to the address and sends her report. Then she smiles at Carlos, relaxed and ready for adventure.

"That's it, I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Shall we go?"

Carlos takes her hand, and together they leave the ship to enter the mysterious forest. They don't bother with suits or masks, or even with sealing the hatch behind them.