Time, and other inconsequential things

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Anori Scout slid back into reality just above the atmosphere of Parson's World. Screens up, Radar and Ladar saw nothing. The Tachyon sweeps finding the return from an object no bigger than someone's head. Moving slowly into the atmosphere, there was no thermal trail, no hypersonic shockwave for Doppler to see. The hulls adaptive camouflage making the Thirty-meter-long arrowhead all but invisible as it drifted down. Even the blue glow of the drive repulsors was muted

Landing near a small stream, the Scout came to rest in a wooded field not far from her old Homestead, Hayley stood in the airlock, her eyes filled with tears. Borrowing the courage of her other selves, she tabbed to open the hatch. Stepping through, clad head to toe in the stealth suit, a pistol on either hip

The scents that filled her nose had been half forgotten. The rich black loam, the night blooming Helas flowers, even the scent of Sheep. All brought home crashing down on her.

< Home. Home has such an impact, sister. I called a hundred worlds 'home' but none ever felt truly like the one I had fled, oh so long before. >

< Yes, child. Home. We might have a hundred places we live and grow to call home. Yet, only one that fully reaches the soul. >

< Frivolous sentiments. Home is the tribe, the clan, always moving, always changing. >

Hayley smiled at the bickering. Walking in to the forest, she would see for herself how much of home was left.

Walking for about a quarter of an hour, across fields and copses, a path she had taken many times as a child here. The packed gravel road led her to the homestead's signpost in only a few more steps. Sighing, as the sky lightened towards dawn, she turned off the road and walked up the access road, to the distant cluster of buildings.

Seeing a mid-teen boy exit the house, head for the barn, a young girl on his heels heading to the garden. Hayley centered herself, then set the suit to switch from background matching, to a nicely tailored work coverall. The holsters at her hips would look like extra wide hips to the casual observer. Looking to the children, as they started their morning chores,

"Excuse me? Might I ask a few questions?" she called out loudly.

The girl startling, dropping her handful of freshly picked pea pods. The boy however, spun aggressively, giving a shrill whistle. Two Cy-dogs racing out of the barn, to skid to a stop, just three strides away.

"Peace!" Hayley called out, "I mean you no harm. I just seek information."

The door slammed open, and a man came out holding a shotgun, pointing it vaguely in her direction. For a split second, Hayley saw her father standing there.

< Sister, with the gloves and hood retracted, only your hands and head are vulnerable. It will hurt to be hit, but he couldn't penetrate the suit with that weapon, no matter how many shots he fires. >

M!Tekk stayed in the background, but a portion of their skills leaked through. The two children, the father, the dogs, all now seemed the only vivid things, the background going flat and dim. A new vivid point appeared at a window, as a pair of eyes peeked out from between the curtains. A second pair appeared much higher up in the window, then with a jerk, both pairs vanished.

"Who are you? What are you doing here at this ungodly hour?" the father asked.

"I am Amanda Stewart. I used to know the family that lived here. I am curious as to what happened to them."

"A Stewart brat, eh? Figures, you all are always sniffing around." Then in an angry tone, "I bought this ranch fair and square. I have the township bill of sale. You Stewarts never know when to leave good enough alone! The people here died, in a fire, no matter what you say! Now get off my property! MY property!" The gun now pointed directly at her.