"Really? d.a.m.n." Sara actually looked disappointed.

"Why?"

"Oh nothing. There was a really nice Briel doctor that I met tonight. Never mind."

Interesting. "Hey, I'm not entirely sure how it works. Don't give up on your doctor yet."

Sara waved Haylie's concerns away. "So you met up with the amba.s.sador? I leave you for a few hours and you develop a social life? What else did you do tonight?"

Images of Kamran devouring her b.r.e.a.s.t.s sent a tremor straight to her c.l.i.t.

Squirming where she sat only increased the sudden buildup of desire. If she didn't do something to relieve herself there was no way she'd get any sleep.

It took a minute for her head to clear, but she felt her face heat. Thank G.o.d, Sara was too busy getting changed to notice the blush. "I went for a short walk and ran into Administrator Donaldson. He told me to call him Sean," She tried to mimic Sara's earlier announcement and was rewarded with a giggle from her friend. "I then ate at a Briel restaurant and...ah...spent some time in the observation room before coming home."

"Wow, you're on a roll. An amba.s.sador and the colony's administrator in the same day. And you've only been here, what, seven hours? I'm thinking coming here was a good idea for your s.e.x life."

Haylie couldn't help but laugh. "You have no idea."

A now changed Sara collapsed on to her bed. "I don't think I'll move for a week."

Her voice was m.u.f.fled by the pillow.

Haylie shook her head. She'd been so wrapped up in her own affairs, she'd selfishly neglected her friend. "I'm sorry. How is your patient? I heard there was a problem with an environment suit."

Sara rolled onto her side and yawned widely. "The miner will be okay. Some sort of freak accident with the oxygen controls. I'm going to go back early tomorrow to check on him. Hopefully, I'll get to squeeze in a tour of the entertainment district once I'm done. This is quite the station."

"You've got that right. Get some sleep. We can chat at lunch tomorrow." As Haylie spoke, she swung her legs under her own sheets.

"Sounds good. Maybe you can take me to that Briel place you found tonight." Sara managed to say through a yawn.

"It's a date. Now get some sleep."

Haylie watched her friend pa.s.s out from exhaustion, before turning off the lights and closing her own eyes. Sleep conquered her quickly.

Despite what he said, her dreams didn't focus on Kamran. It was a strange sensation. She knew she was dreaming but couldn't quite force herself to wake up. It 57 was like seeing herself on one of the security vid screens. The dark halls in her mind mirrored the station. In her dream, Haylie watched as she walked down a narrow corridor, leading to a room at the end. That wasn't in the schematic. Was it?

The door was locked. She didn't have to try to open it to know. What was behind it?

Open it. Administrator Donaldson spoke in her ear. He stood behind her, causing goose b.u.mps to crawl across her skin. His nearness was familiar yet alien at the same time.

Haylie wanted to run away, but Donaldson prevented her by wrapping his arms around her body.

Go on. You have the key. I know you want to see what's inside.

She shook her head violently from side to side. Why was she so scared? Haylie wanted to tell him it was locked, but she knew he wouldn't believe her. She closed her eyes and found her back was being pushed against the corridor wall. Donaldson stared at her, expressionless.

Since you don't want to see what's behind the door, maybe you'd rather be with me.

Her mouth opened, but the words of protest didn't come. Donaldson slid his face close to hers with the steady persistence of an ant. She couldn't move. She hated not being able to do anything. She watched, trying to scream at her other self to get out of there, but with no success.

Donaldson kissed her. Haylie felt the contact of his skin. The cold methodical way in which he moved his lips against hers. There was no pa.s.sion in the press of skin against skin, no b.u.t.terflies in her stomach or pleasure humming from her core. It was like he wasn't really human, only a husk of a man.

When he pulled back, he smiled. It was then that Haylie saw that he was missing all of his teeth. She watched her own mouth open in surprise and quickly turn to horror as Donaldson morphed into some kind of monster.

She began to run then, the Donaldson monster only a few feet behind her.

Quickly turning a corner, Haylie found herself suddenly bathed in soft amber light.

The monster couldn't enter the room and it howled in rage at the loss of its prey.

Haylie couldn't quite make out the shapes in her dream room. They appeared tall, but shapeless. She tried to call out to them, but her voice still wouldn't work.

Haylie.

The voice that called her name was familiar and she struggled to place it.

Haylie.

Nearer now. The glow of the room dulled into a brown wash. It was then she felt the touch on her shoulder.

"Yo, Haylie. Wake up already."

Sara gave her one final shake before Haylie managed to pry her eyes open.

"What?" Her voice was gravelly, but she was relieved that she was able to use it.

58.

"What do you mean, what? Time to get up."

Sara stood in a crisp jumpsuit, her new uniform. Haylie gave her head a sharp shake, trying to clear the cobwebs.

"What do you mean, 'time to get up'? I just closed my eyes. This better not be one of your jokes, 'cause I'll flatten you."

Sara quietly walked over to the wall console. "Computer, time please."

"The time is zero eight hundred hours and fourteen minutes." The clipped sanitized voice promptly replied.

"Holy c.r.a.p." Haylie threw the covers back and bolted to her trunk.

"I think the travel and all your excitement yesterday, pardon the pun, did you in.

Want some breakfast from the food dispenser? It does a reasonable impersonation of bread. Oh, and they've perfected coffee!"

Haylie hardly heard as she ripped apart her clothing trunk. "What...oh yes. Bagel, please. With b.u.t.ter."

"Trying the fake dairy. Brave girl. You know the two of us are going to have to remember to unpack sooner or later. I'll never find a man if I'm dressing in my uniform all the time," Sara said as she slipped her medical coat on over her jumpsuit.

Ignoring her friend, Haylie quickly set to work cleaning up. The image in the mirror was nearly as scary as the monster in her dream. Mentally pushing those thoughts away, she tried to focus on preparing for the day.

In record time, Haylie slid into her new uniform. The sleek, composite body armor was still stiff and rubbed her in interesting places. If the thick coating wasn't so important in keeping her safe from laser blasts, she would have changed into something more comfortable. Now that she was officially on duty and people would recognize her, the chances of her being a target had increased. Next, she set about tackling the mess of hair and managed to force it into a thick braid.

Sara thrust a round, darkened blob that looked like bread under her nose. "Here, eat. You still have lots of time to make it."

"I hate being late. Especially on my first day."

"You're not late. Well," she fixed the collar on Haylie's uniform, "not yet anyway.

Eat, get a coffee. Give yourself a few minutes to wake up."

"I hva metn aa nin."

"And I'm supposed to know what you just said? I know your father told you not to talk with your mouth full." Sara smiled.

Haylie swallowed. "I said I have a meeting at nine. I have to haul a.s.s."

Haylie gave Sara a quick hug and shoved the rest of the bagel in her mouth.

Sara's voice chased her out of the apartment. "I'll come find you at lunch. You can take me to your spot."

59.

The echoes of her footfalls bounced around the corridor behind her as she moved in record time toward her office. She would have thought it would be an easy record to break, considering she'd walked it slowly the last time. Things were never that easy for her. The corridors were filled with people moving about doing their daily tasks. The halls that were dead a few hours earlier, now buzzed with life.

She heard h.e.l.los from some of the new arrivals and waved as she zipped past them.

The sun shone through the small windows in the hall of the living area, casting shadows on the floor. Haylie jogged in and out of the light and dark patches on the floor, wishing she'd had a few minutes to stop and take in the sights of her new home.

She pa.s.sed the hallway that led to the entertainment section and paused. There were two human guards flanking the entrance and neither looked impressed. It seemed a useless a.s.signment for a security team that was dangerously understaffed to begin with.

Haylie smiled. She couldn't pa.s.s an opportunity to introduce herself, and to see how her new crew would react. Spinning on her toes, she made her way to the guards.

"Gentlemen," she said briskly.

The first guard barely paid her any notice, but the second straightened immediately.

"Good morning, Chief."

"s.h.i.t," the first guard said and also straightened. "Morning, ma'am."

"Gentlemen. Why are you posted here?"

"Ma'am, Administrator Donaldson wanted the bar down the corridor closed for a twenty-eight-hour time period. We had an incident last night where a miner was killed in a fight."

What the h.e.l.l? "Killed? I was here last night and there was no indication of a death.

Did this happen inside the bar or where the suspect who was arrested?"

"I'm not sure, ma'am. We were only given our orders at the last minute this morning."

"Please, Chief is fine. Ma'am makes me sound like my mother or like I'm eighty."

The second guard smiled. "Yes, Chief."

She was going to have to look into this further to figure out what the h.e.l.l was going on.

"I believe there is a meeting scheduled for later today to introduce myself to the security staff. I will see you both later." She nodded, turned and left.

As Haylie was walking away, she heard the first security guard whisper, "A girl?

He'll be rid of her faster than the first one."

Something strange was definitely going on here. If she'd had a bit more time she would have gone back and asked the man what he meant. She'd remember to do that later.

60.

Haylie took a single breath before she stepped into the range of the door sensor and walked into her office. Donaldson was already inside and sitting at her desk.

"Good morning, sir. Haylie Bond reporting for duty," she smiled as she nodded a greeting.

"You're two minutes late, Bond. I hope this won't be repeated again."

Administrator Donaldson said, a clear edge in his voice.

She frowned when she realized he was serious. "I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

Donaldson rose and moved smoothly toward her. He showed no expression until he stood half a foot from her. Haylie couldn't stop herself from staring at his mouth.

Only then did he smile.