“Here you go,” I said, putting down the last box. “Uncut fabric, plumbing supplies, and three cases with a fungus biohazard label. Do I even want to know what’s in those?” I cast a curious look at my fellow human as I handed over the signing pad. She was shorter and rounder than I was, dressed in a crisp uniform of a type I didn’t recognize. Big pockets everywhere.
She signed with a wry grin. “Those are dirt.”
“Dirt?” I repeated, looking around the admittedly spotless loading dock of this particular space station. “Dirt warrants a biohazard here?”
“Oh, you have no idea,” she said, handing the pad back. “Organic mulch that could contain anything from decomposed animals to fungus to poop? With uncountable amounts of bacterial life and potential germs? We’re lucky they only focused on the mold aspect!”
“Hm, good point,” I said.
Zhee, who was busy moving boxes off the hover sled, muttered something disparaging. I expected him to complain about how gross it all was, since he was always the first to point out when humans did something to offend his bug-alien sensibilities, but it sounded like he was griping about the strict station rules this time.
The human continued. “We have to keep a clean room between the greenhouse area and everything else. Even there, most things are in pots. We’ve got a great crop from Johnny Starseed right now!”
I’d heard that name before. “Oh, was he the one who sells little potted—”
“Apple trees, yeah,” she said. “Tiny and convenient, but they make an impressive number of apples as long as you feed ‘em quality dirt.” She bent down to pat a box.
Zhee finished freeing the sled. “Reasonable business plan,” he said, sounding almost complimentary.
“The guy named himself after Johnny Appleseed,” I told Zhee. “A human from centuries ago who got famous for traveling around and setting up apple orchards on Earth. Everybody likes a guy who brings food wherever he goes. And drink — I think some of those apples were supposed to be the cider variety.”
Zhee flicked his antennae. “Sounds like a very human thing to do,” he said drily.
“Have you tried the Starseed Reds?” the other human asked. “They’re very good.”
“No I haven’t, but I’d like to!” I said. “I’ve heard good things. I was kind of hoping to cross paths with him at some point. I wouldn’t mind a tiny apple tree in my quarters. Of course, the cat might get at it, and I’d probably have to find a grow lamp…”
She opened a boxy hip pocket, and pulled out the shiniest red apple I’d seen in a while. “Here you go.”
“Thank you!” I said, taking it eagerly. “That’s very generous!”
She waved it off. “Like I said, we’ve got a big crop. And I’ve got a different one that I’m saving for when I get off shift.” From another pocket, she produced a red apple with distinct orange stripes. “Which should be as soon as I get the supplies back to base.”
I laughed. “Is that the booze kind? I didn’t think those were real!”
“Oh yes,” she said with relish, putting it back in the pocket. “Starseed Cider Apples, no fermenting required!”
Zhee cocked his head, faceted eyes looking at both of us. “Poisonous apples?”
“Alcoholic apples,” I corrected, knowing full well that he considered that to be the same thing.
Zhee pushed the hover cart back toward the ship with a dramatic head tilt and antennae swirl. “Now that sounds like a human thing to do.”
“Well, you’re not wrong there,” I said with a smile. I thanked the other human and followed him, taking a bite of my non-alcoholic apple. It really was good.
The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come!
tangentwithtanner
titsay
stormborns
ellievsbear
blakekathryn
