Krys trudged up to his door and reached for the biometric sensor. He pressed his hand against it and sighed. He was exhausted after the day he'd had and the promises he'd made. He didn't even know if he could manage what he'd said. At least not with any regularity. Even if he could slip past Shelby, there were others who would notice. Soldiers, at least.

"Happy birthday!"

Krys jerked his head up and stared into his open door. A meal was laid out on his table but it was what sat behind it that left his already overloaded mind speechless. Shelby sat wearing a short dress that was dark blue in color. It was the first time he'd ever seen her in anything other than body armor or the blue and white uniform she wore from day to day. His eyes tracked up the long stretch of exposed leg, up to her thigh and where it disappeared beneath the dark color of the dress.

"Whoa!" Krys managed Shelby laughed. "That's all you've got to say?"

"I, um-" Krys stammered and then shrugged. "Yeah, that's it."

Shelby laughed. "Get in and shut the door. I don't need anyone seeing me and thinking anything inappropriate."

Krys twisted his head as her words tied together some random comments he'd heard from others. He nodded. "Too late."

"What?"

Krys blushed. "People are talking about you. Us, I mean."

Shelby groaned and shook her head. She sighed and looked up at Krys. "What do you think about that?"

"Um." Krys gulped and tried to figure out how to answer her question. "About people talking?"

She nodded and stood up. "And what they're saying. About me. About us."

"Whoa," Krys mumbled again. "I, uh, I don't know. I guess I haven't thought about it."

Shelby stared at him long enough for Krys to feel fresh sweat beading up on his back. She nodded. "I'm surprised," she admitted. "I thought young men thought about these sorts of things all the time."

Krys's eyes widened. He swallowed and saw her lips twitch in a smile. Sure, he'd thought about that. And she'd even figured heavily in some of his fantasies, but there was no way he could tell her. He coughed and glanced at the food and then up at her. "So, uh, the present?"

Shelby laughed. "No, it's not me."

"Oh! I didn't-I wouldn't think that!"

Shelby's laugh grew stronger. "You're so cute when you're flustered."

"Cute?"

"Not little boy cute," she reassured him. "I mean it in a good way."

Krys gulped again. Where had the easygoing and by-the-books Shelby gone? Sure, she'd loosened up around him and they'd had some good times together casually, but the woman in front of him now was somebody different. Somebody who seemed much more real. And scary.

Shelby sighed and turned to pick up an infopad. She checked it, briefly, and then cleared it out before setting it down. "The present didn't work out like I wanted it to," she warned. "But I've been working on trying to get you fully authorized as a citizen. You know, what with the identity issues you've had."

Krys frowned. It was one thing to joke about it but now didn't seem like the time. "I am Krys Evans."

"I know," she said. "And I believe you. It's straightening out the records and figuring out the best way to proceed that's taking so much time and work. Don't worry, I've got the support of the right people and they're working on this. Even though it's been over a year, we need people able to work and get things done. "

"I don't understand. Why do we need people?"

"Because so many were lost," Shelby said. "Almost half the human population is in education centers right now. But don't worry, exceptions have been made and I've been assured they will be made for you."

Krys nodded. "Um, thanks. I guess."

"You guess?"

Krys offered a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I don't really know what all that means. I've had a long and tiring day and I didn't realize there was any trouble with me being me."

Shelby smiled. "There's not, Krys. But I can see how tired you are. Eat your dinner and think about things."

"Things?"

She nodded. "Yes. Who do you want to be, Krys? What do you want? And the things other people have talked about."

"Wait. Um, are you saying that, uh-"

"What do you think?"

Krys winced and admitted, "I don't know?"

Shelby smiled at him. "You're a very clever man. Ask yourself why I'd ask these questions and be doing all that I am. Part of it is my job, but you can ask around to find out if anyone else received a personal visit on their birthday."

"I can?"

"No!" Shelby laughed. "You better not! Then the rumors will really start to fly and that's the last thing I need as the commander of this colony."

Krys laughed with her, but it was to hide the heat in his face. He was way out of his league. Shelby was twenty-one! Shelby stepped up to him and stared up into his eye. For the first time, Krys realized that she was shorter than he was. Not by much, but enough to be noticeable. She'd always been taller than him before-when had that changed?

She slipped her feet into some sandals that lifted her so she was even with him again. He grinned in spite of himself and got a smile back in response. Shelby nibbled her lip for a moment and then leaned over and pressed her lips against his cheek. "Happy birthday," she whispered into his ear. "I don't get in, or out, of this dress for just anyone."

Krys nodded as she backed away. She opened the door and slipped out, pausing only long enough to offer him a wave before she was gone. Krys stared at the door and then turned back to the table. The plate of food looked good, but he wasn't hungry.

"Whoa," he mumbled again. He looked down at himself and saw the grease and dirt on his hands and clothes. "Shower," he mumbled in an attempt to force his body into action. He made his way to his small washroom and stripped down before climbing into the stall.

Shelby's words about how the human race needed people to work came back to him. He hadn't realized how many lives had been lost. It made sense, though, if what happened on Venus was any example. But if that was the case, how were there so many soldiers? Shelby said they'd been massing for years and had risen up, but almost all of them were young, like her. Older than Krys, but not by much.

Krys shook his head as the warm water helped wash away his troubles. New ones rushed in to replace them. Troubles like Shelby and her sudden interest in him. He couldn't deny it now, not after the kiss and the way she'd looked. He blew out a deep breath at the memory of how the dark blue fabric had hugged her body and made her look outstanding.

But why him? She had all the other people in the colony without complicated pasts. They weren't young either. Why should he be different? She had so much more in common with the others. Even the workers were more like her than he was. Krys shook his head again. She didn't make sense. None of it did.

But wow did she look good in that dress. A dress that she didn't put on for just anyone. Krys's grin faded as he remembered her final words again. "I don't get in, or out, of this dress for just anyone." Out of the dress? Krys groaned and put his hand up to the wall to steady himself. Had she really meant to say that? And if she did, did she realize what that might imply?

Krys shook his head and glanced at the control panel for the shower. He needed it about ten degrees colder if he was going to even pretend to do what she asked and think about things. Otherwise he'd be thinking about other things. Things like how nice her dress looked-and how nice it would look on the floor.

Krys groaned again and reached for the controls. He wasn't sure if this had turned into his best or his worse birthday ever.

Chapter 33.

Lily heard noises in the distance. Down a hallway? Underwater? They were distorted as though they were muffled. Something beeped and she knew the shrill noise was muted. She tried to blink her eyes but all she could see was darkness.

Her chest squeezed as panic set in. Where was she? What happened to her? Was it an accident? Had the station's walls been breached? Had something happened in her training booth? She thought back, trying to piece things together. The last thing she could recall was Palla's warm smile filling her with confidence. Why was she smiling?

"You'll be okay," Palla had said.

She'd be okay. Okay from what? Or because of what? Did she ask for this to happen to her? She knew she was going to have the biomech interface implant installed tomorrow, but that was a day away. She'd called it a birthday present to herself and, as much as a joke people took it to be, it was true. There was nothing she wanted more.

All the training and education had filled her with one desire. One goal. To pilot a real biomech. Some of the other cadets in her classes understood her. The rest did it because they'd shown aptitude for it, not because they felt drawn towards it. For her, every practice run in the simulator fed the fire in her belly. Palla thought she was becoming obsessed, but her friend was also the first to boast that Lily was the best pilot in her class. In the history of the class, for that matter.

"Cadet Strain is awake."

Lily tried to open her mouth and talk. She felt some sort of mask or restraint on her. Feeling that made her aware of the tubes in her mouth and nose. She stiffened and gagged on them. Her body jerked as she choked, twisting her against her restraints.

"She's going to throw up!" someone shouted.

Hands grabbed her and pushed her down. Lily struggled. She had to get the tubes out! They were choking her and putting things in her body she wasn't in control of. Maybe poison or something that would prevent her from being able to pilot a biomech. She twisted and writhed some more.

The mask against her face loosened, letting cool air tease her cheeks and lips. A moment later, the tubes in her mouth and her nose were yanked out, burning her throat and leaving her lip feeling fat and unnatural. She gasped and coughed but still couldn't roll over and curl into a ball. She turned her head and hacked at the irritation in her throat.

"Cadet, relax. This is normal. Here, I have some frozen chips to help."

Lily coughed again and shook her head when she felt something cold against her lips. She managed to rasp out, "What happened?"

"You had your implant installed," the male voice said. "Memory loss up to a week is common-don't be alarmed."

A week! Lily jerked in the bed at his words. If she had her implant installed, that meant it was her birthday. She was seventeen. But her birthday was a day away still. Unless-had she forgotten an entire day?

The bit about the implant and blindness made sense, though. The interface was tied into the optic nerves as well as the central nervous system and other tertiary synapses. That way, she could see what the biomech saw. She didn't realize that without the implant being online she wouldn't be able to see. For that matter, she never knew the implants could be turned off.

Palla's face floated through the darkness, telling her that she'd be okay. She gasped again. Palla had been with her. She remembered that much. In the pre-op room. Lily relaxed into the bed. There were a lot of holes but she hoped she could put them together. She licked her lips but her tongue was just as dry as they were.

"Chips?"

She nodded. A moment later, she felt one of the frozen chips against her lips. She opened her lips and sucked on it. It had a faint cherry taste to it and melted quickly. She swallowed and winced, but already it made her throat feel better.

"Why can't I see?" she asked. Her voice was rough but she could do more than whisper now.

"The unit's turned off," the voice responded. "Don't worry, though; they'll activate it as soon as you're out of recovery."

Lily reached down to feel for a blanket. There was nothing on her but she did locate the tubes that were stuck in her arms. She reached for them and said, "Then get me out of here."

"Cadet, you need to relax and let us do our job," the man informed her. "I will tranq you and let you sleep it off otherwise."

Lily hesitated. It wasn't his threat that made her pause; it was his voice. "Karl?" she asked.

"No, not Karl. I'm Jax. Dr. Jax Kioch," he said. "Here, have another chip. It'll help."

Lily accepted the chip and considered his voice. He sounded like Karl, one of the cadets in her class. It couldn't be; there was no way Karl was qualified in biology and medicine, but the similarity was eerie.

He ran Lily through a series of tests, asking her questions and checking to make sure she could feel and react to everything. When he was finished, he grunted and said, "Congratulations, Cadet, you're in excellent shape. Healing nicely and I see no reason why you can't return to instruction after a couple more days of rest."

"I'm ready now," Lily said. "Just turn this on so I can see again."

"Relax, they'll do that soon," he said with a chuckle. "And don't worry, once it's activated there's no way to deactivate it, short of having it removed. And trust me, you don't want to have it removed."

Lily shook her head. "No, I don't."

He chuckled again and released the restraints holding her in bed. "Stay here. I see the technician coming now."

Lily fished another chip out of the cup he handed her and sucked on it. Seconds passed before she heard a single sound of metal against metal. She turned her head to the right towards the noise and was reproached for it.

"Look ahead, Cadet," Dr. Kioch said. "I'm going to remove the rest of the bandage."

Lily did as she was told and felt the tugging as he unwrapped a bandage around her head. As it came off, she could hear the sounds more clearly. She found herself focusing on every little noise she heard since she couldn't see anything.

"This was done a few hours ago?" a new, female voice asked. "Amazing."

"I was told it had to be perfect," Dr. Kioch said.

"Be careful," the woman advised. "They're going to expect this every time now."

Jax chuckled, reminding Lily all over again of Karl. She nibbled on her lip and waited while she felt some featherlight touches on the side of her head just behind her temple. It was sore but not painful enough to bother her. "Any headache?" the doctor asked.

"No, I feel fine."

"Amazing," the woman repeated. "Cadet, I'm going to activate your implant. There's no easy way to do this, but I want to warn you that it's going to be a bit of a shock at first."

Lily almost nodded but caught herself and held her head still. "I'm ready."

"No, you're not," she responded. "On three, two, one-activating."

Lily grunted as a searing white light slammed into her eyes. She squeezed her eyelids shut but it didn't help. She cried out and squeezed the arms of the bed while her feet kicked back and forth on top of the small cot. In seconds that felt like an eternity, the white light began to pixelate and grow colorful. It seemed like random patterns at first until Lily realized that every tiny dot in her vision was cycling through colors.

She watched, amazed, as her entire field of view shifted colors, one after another. Millions of colors, she guessed, for each microscopic pixel in her vision. It was overwhelming to think of just how many combinations were possible. The scope of the resolution of human vision left her reeling as she tried to guess just how capable the human eye was.

The colors faded, leaving an open bay in a large recovery room. Workers moved behind a central workstation and a man who bore a striking resemblance to Karl was leaning over her and staring at her face. Lily gasped again. She could see!

"I take it by the smile and reactions of your pupils you're seeing again?" Dr. Kioch asked.

"Yes," Lily whispered. "Everything looks the same."

"You're plugged into a diagnostic station, not a vehicle," the woman said from beside her.