Return to Earth

Chapter 18

The prototype drone wasn't perfect, but it did the job better than anything else they had. It was set to make slow circles around the Nostos and slowly press out. Any tunnels or caverns beneath them would be spotted along with any movement outside. None breathed easily until it passed the wall without drawing a single arrow.

Dembe had missed the launch and had to be updated by Commander Lita. The scarring to his cheek drew eyes of everyone, which he tried to ignore. Kierst avoided seeing him if it was at all possible; not due to the scarring on his face, but he was a reminder of what Kierst had almost done. To him, it was a weakness that almost got him killed.

Victor and Mrs. Dempsey had both used the showers, which was a pleasant surprise to Kierst. Their hair remained tangled, but the unpleasant scent was no longer there. Images of bugs crawling on his skin still happened when he neared them, but Kierst controlled them by not scratching at something that wasn't there.

He was walking with Victor to show how the Nostos had used its own outer shell to put the walls in place, which was how the ground had been made flat when the sound of buzzing got his ears. At first, Kierst didn't know what caught Victor's attention, since there had been many sounds that had nothing to do with trimmers. It was when Victor started walking towards whoever was trimming their head that he knew for certain.

Victor stopped to watch Win trimming the hairs close to her head and spoke a little too loud. "What's she doing, Kierst?"

Win stopped the buzzing and focused her green eyes on both of them in an unsettling way as she snapped out with anger. "I'm trimming my hair, Victor."

Victor missed what should've been obvious and pointed to the small machine with the sharp edge. "Trimming your hair. I like the way that sounds. Is that the only machine that does it, or are there others? How does it work, Win?"

She came close to snarling as her olive face twisted and contorted. "With a sharp edge and teeth. You want a demonstration, I'll give you a demonstration, Victor."

He took a step back in shock and Kierst believed she was going to bring harm to both of them, but Petrovitch arrived in time to stop her from doing anything and let loose with a controlled snap of his own. "What's the meaning of this, Win?"

Victor was the only one to jump as she turned her head towards Petrovitch with as much control as she could find. "I'm trying to trim my hair in peace, but these two act like it's some kind of show, Commander Petrovitch."

His tone sharpened. "Victor and Mrs. Dempsey are our guests. If Victor wants to see how the trimmers work, show him. That's an order, Win."

She glared at Kierst as the words sounded clear without snapping at anyone. "Yes, Commander Petrovitch."

Her body relaxed and took a step towards Victor as she lowered the trimmers. "I'm sorry. Commander Petrovitch is right. You are our guest. It's Kierst who should be the one showing you, not me, Victor."

Victor was hesitant in speech. "I'm the one who should apologize. I should've asked Kierst before wondering off. I've just never heard anything that sounded like trimmers. There's a lot here that I find amazing, Win."