Transformation

Tidings

Isaac grasped his wrists behind his back as he stared through the window. As the seconds ticked away, the pilot watched the individuals below meander about the courtyard. When footfalls thundered through the hallway, his eyes flicked up and his lips curled into a grin. "Quinn, if you called me down here to give me unpleasant tidings, things won't go well for you."

Laughter rang out as the vice-chairman gripped Isaac's shoulder. With a squeeze, he pointed at the structure in the distance. "Despite the construction equipment, Caitlin will stand on the dais in the center of that building and address this federation for the first time. However, given upcoming events, I'd like to have a good meal with my friend."

The pilot's smile softened as he tapped the glass and glanced over his shoulder. "Dragging me to a fancy establishment is a way to soften disappointing news." The pilot spun about and poked Quinn's chest. "You wouldn't be trying to set me up for that kind of unfortunate disclosure, would you?"

"You're a suspicious person."

Isaac turned around and gripped his friend's shoulders. He leaned forward and inhaled sharply. "Do you promise that you are not about to yank me from this assignment?"

"As soon as Caitlin finishes her speech, she'll dispatch you and your team to explore the surrounding cosmos."

Isaac clapped and vigorously rubbed his hands together.

"With our facts established, can we grab a bite to eat?"

"You seem awfully eager to drag me to a restaurant."

Quinn wrapped his arm around Isaac's shoulders and marched him down the hallway. "You're my friend, and you are about to leave on a mission that will keep you away from Aurora for the foreseeable future. With that said, I'd like to take you out for a nice dinner." Quinn shoved a pad against Isaac's chest. "And while we're eating, we can discuss which systems you'll visit first."

The pilot stopped and stared at the tablet pressing against his breast. "You know that Olyver and his puppet masters have already tried to manipulate my flight plan." He pushed the device toward Quinn as he shook his head. "I wasn't expecting you to follow in his footsteps."

With a groan, Quinn shoved the pad under Isaac's arm. With the device secured, Quinn flicked it and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Caitlin and I took those suggestions into consideration when we completed your agenda."

He pulled the tablet out and examined both sides of it. "You're here as my boss, aren't you?"

"There are a handful of things we need to discuss," Quinn said, patting Isaac's back.

Isaac's tongue ran across his lips as he scrutinized the contents of the pad. After skimming through the initial file, he tucked the device under his arm and grasped his hands behind him. "Are you expecting us to obey each of the inane steps listed here?"

With a halfhearted smile, Quinn pulled Isaac down a stairwell. When they reached the landing, the vice-chairman grabbed Isaac's shoulders, patted the pilot's cheek, and tapped his nose. "Did you follow every protocol when you flew the colonization ships?"

"I wasn't about to deal with Olyver's insanity." Isaac lifted the device and struck it with the back of his hand. "How much of this was you capitulating to Olyver's puppeteers?"

Quinn walked outside of the building, guiding his friend across the courtyard. "Since those individuals are not part of the federation's leadership, you shouldn't worry about following every protocol."

"If that's true," Isaac said, whacking Quinn's arm with the tablet, "then why did you agree with the crazier aspects of their demands?"

A sigh rushed past Quinn's lips as he closed his eyes. His fingers tapped against his thigh as he drew in a long breath. "Did you argue with Olyver when he tried to force you to deal with idiotic regulations? No, you didn't." He thrust a finger toward a nearby alley, licking his mouth. "Now, I'd love to discuss all the minutia with you. However, I would be happier having this conversation while we're eating an amazing meal. Can you stop arguing until we get our food?"

"There are more important things to consider." The pilot tapped his temple with the pad as his breath rushed past his lips. "You know how headstrong Olyver and his masters are."

Quinn shook his head as he grabbed Isaac's collar and pulled him into a nearby alley. As they walked halfway down the hidden street, Quinn clapped Isaac's shoulders and brushed the pad's edge. "Accepting these additions was easier than fighting with Olyver's puppeteers, especially when we had other points of contention."

"What else were you clashing over?"

The vice-chairman stopped and pointed at the sign hanging over a simple wooden door. He pushed it open, and the soft notes of a stringed instrument sliced through the silent night. He took a deep breath of the aromas emerging from the building and gestured Isaac to enter. "I didn't think you had a problem ignoring useless procedures, since that's what you did piloting the colonization ships."

Isaac slapped his thigh and wrapped his arms over the tablet. He tapped his thumbs against the pad as he licked his lips. "If you're giving me permission to ignore the insane portions of these protocols, then Jasmine and I will be fine dealing with these procedures."

"Excellent," Quinn said as he pointed inside the building. "However, since you'll be in a spaceship exploring the surrounding solar systems, how about we enter this establishment?" He waved the emerging scents toward his friend as his lips curled into a wicked smile. "I'd like to provide you with your last good meal before you probe the cosmos."

Isaac inhaled the exotic aromas and grinned as he walked through the doorway. "Now, detail the deliciousness that's inside this restaurant."