"That's what it's based on, fairness."

"So part of being fair required all the people who lived here being killed?" he asked. Krys tried to match the earlier intensity of her gaze as he stared at her. "And why haven't you killed me yet? Since I don't know anything about anybody else, what's stopping you?"

"We follow orders. We all have our place," she snapped. "As for you, you're young. Fourteen? That's the prime age for reeducation."

"What's that?" Krys asked, feigning ignorance. It didn't take much acting.

"We're loading up freight to send for transport off-world. We get you sorted out and you'll end up on that ship, bound for a reeducation center. They'll get you put into the system and teach you how things should be."

Krys nodded. "Is that what you did with my friends?"

"If your friends were children, yes."

Krys nodded. "They were."

"But first we have to know who you are."

"I told you that."

She frowned. "And I told you I already have someone with that name. The alternative is that you end up shot. With no name to track you by, I just have to account for the expenditure of ammunition."

Krys's eyes widened. "My father was the maintenance manager for this colony," he said. "He kept everything here running. That's how I knew how to do what I did with the picker. I used to work with him."

"His name?" she asked.

"Dunmer Evans."

She tapped her pad and nodded. "Son Krys, wife Anna."

"My mom," Krys breathed.

She stared at him a long moment. "I don't understand why anyone would pretend to be you. I do understand why you would pretend you're somebody else, though."

"I can't pretend to be someone else," Krys said. "I mean, I could, but I wouldn't know who. I only know what I know!"

She nodded. "I should probably shoot you and be done with you. You're already too much of a headache."

Krys stiffened and then glanced around. "Should have done that in the forest then."

Her eyes narrowed and she nibbled on her lip briefly before nodding. "Fine. Here's your one chance. Let's go find something to fix, something only Krys Evans would know how to do. Then we'll take it from there."

Krys swallowed against the dryness in his throat. "Okay. Let's do it."

"Whoever you are, you're brave. I'll give you that."

Krys tried to smile. "You've taken everything I have. There's nothing left for me to lose."

She smirked. "There's always something left to take. Be careful what you wish for."

She rose and motioned for him to follow. Krys climbed to his feet and felt the stab of pain in his swollen ankle. He grimaced and did his best to limp through the door and then follow her to whatever test she had planned for him.

Chapter 22.

Krys felt the eyes of everyone they passed on him as they walked through the village. He tried to ignore them and focused on the layout of the colony instead. He felt a nagging sense of familiarity mixed with confusion. The colors and, in many places, even the buildings were wrong. Yet they were all in the right place. Tomlin's house was where it should be, but it wasn't his house. Where the faded yellow structure had stood now a smaller building stood. Instead of being painted, it bore the dull gray color of the carbon fiber material used for nearly everything on the planet.

As Krys looked around he saw that many of the other buildings that had been replaced were identical. It was a modular design and one he could understand. Small and easy to build, he guessed there were only two or three rooms inside. A kitchen, a living area, and a bedroom, by the size of it. He'd read a word once that came to mind to describe the small homes. Spartan.

"So this is progress?" Krys asked.

She glanced at him and saw him studying the buildings. "Temporary housing."

"You mean you're going to knock them down and build better houses?"

She chuckled. "No, I mean the people stationed here aren't here permanently, so it's only their housing temporarily."

"Oh. How long are they here?"

She shrugged. "Depends."

"On what?"

"On a lot of things. You sure are curious."

Krys fell silent and let her lead him towards the parking area for the farming vehicles. He didn't want her thinking he was trying to learn as much as he could in case he could escape. Even though that was exactly what he was doing. He smirked and glanced over at her, worried she might have seen him.

"What now?" she asked when she caught him looking.

"Huh? Oh, um, nothing," he stammered. "I mean, I was just wondering who you are? Your name, I mean?"

"First Lieutenant Shelby Riggs," she said.

"You're an officer," Krys said before he realized it.

"Does that surprise you?"

He shook his head. "Sorry. I thought-I mean, I didn't think officers were in the field. Oh wait, you weren't with the tanks hunting me."

Shelby laughed as Krys fumbled his words. "I was in charge of a platoon when we landed. Earned a promotion after the colony was secured. Now I'm in charge here."

"Oh." Krys glanced at her a couple of times while he tried to collect his thoughts. The parking lot, as they called it, was fast approaching. "So you're in charge of all of Venus, or just this ag colony?"

She chuckled. "Just this colony. Commander Breslin is in charge of the planet."

He nodded.

"Disappointed?"

"No!" Krys blurted out. He studied the ground in front of him, searching for something to say. "I, um, you just seem kind of young, that's all. That's a good thing, though, right?"

"It's a new world, Krys. Ours for the shaping."

"Ours?"

"Yes. You, me, anyone young enough to dream of how things can be better than they were. People are recognized for their abilities and potential now, not for who they know or who their parents are."

Krys shrugged. His parents hadn't been anybody special. Special to him, maybe, but that was about it. He followed Shelby onto the grounds of the parking lot and saw her wave towards a man in a blue and white uniform.

"Lesk, how are you?" she greeted the man who had taken to standing stiffly beside the harvester.

"Lieutenant," he greeted her. His eyes flicked down to Krys. "Who's this?"

"I'm trying to find out. Says he knows how to handle just about any of the machinery you've got here. Is there anything giving you some trouble?"

He snorted. "Pick one."

She frowned and spared Krys a glance. "Really? That much trouble?"

"Half these rock-humping machines only work when they want to and the other half are breaking down almost faster than I can send 'em out!"

"Language, Mr. Vicker," the lieutenant warned. "Would you mind if my young friend took a look at one of them?"

He gestured at the harvester beside him. "Be my guest," he grumbled. "It can't seem to figure out what to do with the crops. One minute it's treating it like corn, the next beans and the following wheat. Damn sensors are just out of whack."

"Lesk, that's enough."

He mumbled an apology and stepped aside as Krys stepped up to the harvester and peered into the open access hatch. Krys pushed a few cables out of the way before crying out. He turned and looked back at Lesk. "There's a wire that's shorting. It needs some covering and tape to secure it."

"Why not replace it?" Shelby asked.

Krys and Lesk both looked her way. Krys noticed and glanced at Lesk before he grinned. Lesk ignored him and said, "The only thing we've got enough to spare is crap from those animals and all the food that these da-um, machines can't pick fast enough to keep from spoiling in the fields."

Krys nodded. "Some tape will do just fine. Keep it from getting corrupt signals and secure it so it doesn't rub itself raw again."

Shelby twisted her lips to the side and nodded.

"I'd have found it soon," Lesk assured her.

She offered him a smile and motioned for Krys. "Stick around and see what else you can help with."

Krys tilted his head and then saw Lesk looking equally confused.

"Keep an eye on him," she said. She paused before adding, "If you'd prefer, I can send some soldiers by instead?"

Krys thought back to how he'd been tracked with thermal imaging in the woods. He shook his head. "I'll stay put."

She nodded.

"Lieutenant, I-"

"You've got a lot of work to do, right?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Seems like having an assistant would come in handy."

"An assistant?" Krys and Lesk both asked.

"It's too late to send him to the starport," she said. "Maybe next day cycle we'll be able to do it."

Krys stared at her. "You're not-"

"I have to figure out who you are first," she snapped. "So make yourself useful so I can justify the loss of resources for feeding you."

Krys nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"

Lesk grunted and shook his head. He shrugged and looked around. "Most everything on this side needs work. Take your pick. Tools are-"

"In the shed, I know," Krys said with a grin. "I, uh, used to spend a lot of time here."

Lesk snorted and turned away.

Krys glanced at Shelby and saw her watching him before she turned and walked away too. He stood still a moment and then realized he needed to get to work. Maybe later he could try to make sense of things. Like why the strange woman had saved him twice now. But that would be later. For now, he needed to get busy.

Chapter 23.

Lily paused as Palla held the button to keep the door into the lift open. She stared at the group of boys walking down the hallway in the boys-only section of the habitat ring. Several of them looked to be her age but she didn't spot Krys.

"Lily, you're going to be late!"

Lily nodded and joined Palla in the lift. She offered her a smile but didn't explain herself. She'd buried herself in her studies for months now, learning everything she could and consistently outscoring her older peers on tests. Her instructors were catering to her needs, which didn't seem fair, but she used it to her advantage. Unfortunately, most of them were running out of things to teach her.

"Nervous?" Palla asked in a whisper so the other people in the lift wouldn't hear her.