Daughter of Nox

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Freya was on the lookout for Hela as they dropped off their things in Freya's room, but she was nowhere to be seen. It was disappointing in a way. Despite deciding not to confront Hela for her skulking about the house there was still some tiny part of her that hoped she'd catch Hela at the act, whatever the act was. Freya suspected it was the same part that still felt bitter about how she'd been treated during the reception.

With their bags stowed in Freya's room the thought of going and actually looking for Hela stirred in the back of her mind, but it was short-lived when Etta had an idea.

"Want to go work on the Firefly?"

Freya threw her head up and groaned. Firefly had been their project for the past five years, and they still hadn't gotten it any closer to flying than when Etta's Father had towed out of orbit as their pet project.

"We just got out of school," Freya said. "Haven't you had enough of ships for a while?"

One of Etta's first term classes had been Starship Mechanics. It was open to all the Ascending, but it was usually the lower ranking Novices who took it. That was, unless you were Etta and you were open to any class that let you practice writing scripts the entire time.

"Flying them, yes. But working on them is different." He eyes took on a distant, knowing look. "Working on Firefly gives me this mellow kind of serenity."

Freya couldn't help the smirk forming on her lips. "Very poetic, but I'd rather stay right here in the house."

"Come on," Etta said. "What else are we going to do?"

It took a good amount of additional coaxing on the part of Etta, but eventually Freya decided to give in.

"This is it?" Etta asked as they entered the bay. "You sure you were even working on this thing?"

Freya picked up a soldering gun from a nearby table and shoved it into Etta's hands.

"I've been waiting for you to get here to tell me everything I've done wrong, Master Serene Ship Builder."

The two of them went to work, Freya twisting a wrench near the nose of the ship and Etta inside typing out new lengths of script for the computer.

"I just remembered something weird I meant to tell you about," Etta said from inside.

"Yeah?" Freya said as she wiggled her way under the ship. "What was that?"

"There were these Esque in our dorms the other day. A cleaning crew I think."

Freya smiled. "That is weird. Thanks for filling me in."

She flinched as Etta banged on the floor of the ship above her. Bits of dust rained down on her face.

Freya grimaced as she tried to wipe them away. "You got some of it in my mouth!"

Etta's laughing carried through the thick bulkhead.

"External sensors are back up, Fray Fray. I can see you."

Freya held her hands up in surrender. "All right, no more jokes."

"Good," Etta said, satisfied. "So anyways, as I was saying–and don't think this is weird–"

"Too late."

Etta kept on as if Freya hadn't spoken. "I think I might have heard some Esque speaking Standard in the dorms the other day."

The wrench stopped ratcheting in Freya's hand. "You mean it sounded like they were speaking?"

"I mean they were speaking it. Like actually talking."

Freya pointed a grin toward the sensors. "You know, people generally avoid sharing the fact that they hear voices."