C3-G12 (Book 1, Terraform)

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"So you're telling me, that your request was denied almost immediately and then your Link stopped working correctly so you weren't able to contact anyone but Micah?" Astrid sits on one side of the couch, me on the other, just like when we would talk to each other back home. Only this time, there isn't a holographic glare over her.

            I tilt my head to the side and raise my brows. "Yeah, pretty much."

            "That's so weird! My messages to you were doing the same thing, where they would disappear. I thought for sure that the GTA was playing with me." This sparks an idea.

            "You might not be so far off." I tell her about my conversation with Shawn and her jaw drops.

            "Talk about a conspiracy."

            "No joke." I go to pull my feet under myself, but Astrid stands up suddenly. "What?"

            "We need to explore the cabin, see our rooms!"

            She sprints to the back of the room and down a hall. My God, she was a lot easier to handle when there was the span of space between us. Before I follow her, I scan the area I'm in.

            Once you walk through the door, you're standing in the den. To the right is a hearth for the winter, or what this planet has for a cold season, and a television set above it. To the left is a connected kitchen with an island separating it from the den.

            My feet carry me around the room as I find new things to inspect. I reach out to touch the stone of the hearth, but a small knock at the door halts my hand. Slightly confused, I retrieve my hand and walk to the door.

            "Serina, perfect!" Maggie's smiling face greets me when the door opens and I tilt my head to the side.

            "Maggie, what are you doing here?"

            "Right! Colonel Bartlett and the Majors asked us escorts to inform you that the planned meeting for tomorrow, has been moved up to today. In half an hour, actually." She smiles and my mouth drops.

            "You can't be serious."

            "Oh, I'm very serious. I'm also supposed to tell you that you both need to wear your occupational color. I'll be back with Lieutenant Rosewood in about twenty-five minutes to escort you and Ms. Jakeman to the main hall." Maggie salutes then bounds down the stairs. She's gone before I can even process what she meant.

            "Wait, Maggie!" I call out to her, but she's too far gone to hear me.

            I drop my head back and groan. This is great, though at least I'm already in my color. I shut the door and return to looking over the cabin. "Astrid, we have a meeting in thirty. We have to wear our occupational color."

            "Okay, but hey, Rina!" Astrid calls from a room in the back of the cabin and my eyes continue to scan the area.

            "What?"

            "Come check this out!" I frown, what could be so important that she needs me right at this very moment?

            "Coming," I follow in the direction that her voice came from and find her standing in a large room, most likely her bedroom. "I'm here now, what is it I need to check out?"

            "Watch this," She taps a button on the screen set in the wall that she stands next to and a slight hum of a motor kicks on. Shortly after the noise began, a door opens and out comes a rack of clothing. I watch as she fumbles through a few options and notice that the majority of the clothes there, are varying shades of purple and other colors to complement them.