If Jove Stray

Chapter 30: caught on video

I came home for dinner as early I could to Levi sitting on the couch watching his holo-rib. I didn't have to ask him about his day, his blank face said it all. I had heard all the reasoning from both sides, but at the end of the day, Levi hadn't wanted to do this. I suspected that Dashiell had threatened me or others, but Levi wouldn't say.

"What are you watching?" I asked.

"Video logs from Earth," he said, pausing the image. "It's not as exciting as you'd think. I'm just writing it down the bare facts right now. Most of this just...doesn't seem relevant. It's disturbing how many wars and disasters happened in couple years but it's not anything we need to know. I was hoping they would talk about scientific breakthroughs, but so far, they've only had a couple of note and we know how to do all of them."

"Oh?"

"We can 3-D print nearly anything," he pointed out. "And we have quantum tekcom. I haven't heard anything about quantum anything yet. Admittedly, this woman does a one to two minute update for every month that passes. We're missing a couple months, but it means that time seems to pass very slowly. It reminds me of my father's logs."

I sat next to Levi and rubbed his shoulders. He leaned into my touch and sighed.

"Homesick?" I questioned.

"Seasons no. I don't miss being on the Aeneid. I do miss my parents. My father was so good at getting his way and my mother knew how to talk to people in a way that I could never replicate. They were kind, but authoritative. I just wish I would have inherited more of that from them."

"I'm sure you did," I told him.

There was a knock at the door that surprised both of us. I squeezed Levi's shoulders once more and rose to get the door. Lully was standing there with a large box, shaking his head at me.

"I have no idea how you managed it," he said. "But Vertov cleared your holo and Ford programmed it and here you are."

He set it on the living room table and stretched his arms.

"You're welcome."

"Merci, Lully," I grinned. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I told Dashiell I needed a holo at home and Vertov wouldn't print yours," Levi said from the couch with a dour expression. "I assumed correctly that Dashiell would insist and Vertov wouldn't refuse."

"Levi, you didn't need to do that," I complained. "You don't want to owe that man any favors."

"I don't. I'm not working in that office. I'll check on the others at lunch and work here. Oh, Matisse and Laurier are coming by in the morning to move our bookshelves."

"What? Why?" Lully demanded.

"Because I was accused of hoarding knowledge and the sooner I shed that accusation the better," Levi replied, rising from the couch to pull the protective wrap off the holo.

"But most of those were from your father," I protested.

"They're just books, Dylan. I can walk down the hall and borrow one at any time."

I shot Lully a look, hoping he could say something to persuade Levi. Lully just looked shocked.

"Did O'Keefe destroy all my discs?" Levi continued. "Or do you think he still had them? Taylor would have given them back if they were in the captain's office."

"Probably there or in personnel," I offered. "But Levi..."

"And we'll need a converter," he mused, grabbing his holo-rib and messaging someone. "Merci, Lully for bringing the holo over. I wouldn't want to keep you."