Ninth Millennium Navigator

26

Matthias recovered on the lonely earth. 

He felt comfortable again inside his suit. Upon donning his Symbiosuit in the lome, he received messages from three clients. Two were recurring and one was new. He did not intend to contact any of them—not anytime soon. 

He needed recovery. He needed to find Katrina. He was willing to bet that Calissa was with her.

He presumed that if he waited at his lome, they would eventually come to him. 

He was correct. 

After several days of rest and solitude in his lome, Katrina presented herself. He sensed the brilliant intensity of her touse as she entered. She appeared ready to overwhelm him with her exploits upon seeing him.

She stopped short upon seeing his unruly and gaunt appearance.

"Oh, Matthias, you do not look well. " She endowed him with a look of absolute pity. "What... what happened to you?"

Matthias repressed his impulses. He gauged her reactions in silence with one partially fuzzy mind.

"Katrina. I have come upon very unfortunate circumstances." He whispered, "I have a cold."

"Matthias, you should not walk around naked so often. We have advanced to the suits for a reason." 

She came closer. The stark impact of seeing him in this state was already wearing off.

Matthias consciously remained still. His muscles still ached, but now from the flu rather than from soreness. He sensed mischievousness in her presence, appearance, and gestures, but she expressed genuine interest in what calamity had fallen upon him. Her touse confirmed her surprise in finding him in such a state as this.

She rested one hand upon his shoulder, yet stood askew as though about to point out something on the adjacent wall. "I need your help, Matthias."

Finding himself curious, Matthias inquired, "With...?"

"Calissa once told me that you were a great pilot of probes. " Of course, she was well aware of what Matthias did. This was her dramatic way of getting to her point.

Matthias now saw the general direction of this. Katrina had gone back to her parasitic notions. Matthias interrupted as firmly as he could muster and in his controlling tone rebuked, "Katrina?"

She seemed to be broken from her trance upon the adjacent wall. "Yes?"

"I find it interesting that you begin this by mentioning Calissa. Have you seen her since you have returned from your most recent escapades?"

"I have. Now, I want to know—"

"Katrina!" He fell into a fit of coughs as Katrina looked on sadly until he continued, "How can you make no mention of her looks? Have you seen her?"

"I have and it serves her right. Now—"

"Katrina! Aren't you the most insincere bitch!"

"Perhaps. All right. You want to discuss this. This is your home. We shall discuss this. It certainly seems to trouble you more than me."

"You show no regard for her."

"As if you do or ever have, for that matter. Yes, she is my sister—I know you were going to throw out that old argument—and yes, I care; but, you were her lover and you seem not to care except for these current little—oh, I don't know—fits? Is this line of questioning for my benefit or for yours?"

"I only—"

"Up! Up! Let me finish Matthias. You asked for my opinion and I'll provide it to you. Please listen, and listen twice. You both underestimated her sickness. She acted stupid. You acted stupid. She will suffer for the rest of her life. You have abandoned her—Hey, let me finish. She understands that now and wants nothing more to do with you."