The Refugee (The Korvali Chronicles Book 1) (42 page)
Read The Refugee (The Korvali Chronicles Book 1) Online
Authors: C. A. Hartman
Tags: #Science Fiction
“My sources,” he replied. And he turned and left.
April 3rd
Hi Dad,
I just started my training in the ETP. So far, so good. I’m as surprised as you are that I report to Yamamoto. After 22 months on this ship, I admit he still intimidates me. I’ve learned a few things from Tom about our weapons systems, including all the bioweapons, which has been really interesting. And if Steele’s angry about the decision to release me from some of my duties, I haven’t heard about it. Which is fine with me.
I just received a formal challenge for a rematch with the Calyyt I competed against in the CCFs. Eshel had warned me that my opponent would offer the challenge; it looks like he was right. The match, if I accept, will be several months from now. That gives me plenty of time to train, but we don’t know if we’ll still be encamped on Suna by then. If we are… I may take the challenge. I’ll let you know what I decide.
Get in some more skiing before the snow melts.
Love,
C
Catherine’s contactor chirped.
Poker. Tonight. 2100. Bring kala
. Catherine smiled. Tom’s request for kala—instead of beer—meant he was feeling festive and wanted to make it a long evening.
At 2100, Catherine arrived at Tom’s quarters. It was the usual suspects: Eshel, Snow, Middleton, Zander, and Shanti, each carrying enough kala for him- or herself, plus a little extra. They sat down and played, their pot of money spread among them and shifting from person to person over the evening, but never really settling upon one clear winner.
And after many hours, multiple games, and a several cups of kala, Tom stood up. “I want to make a toast,” he announced. Everyone quieted down. “You know the old saying in the Corps: choose carefully who you associate with during the first six months of a long-term space mission, as those people will become your closest friends for the next three years, if not for the rest of your life.” He looked around him. “For better or for worse,” he grinned, “I consider you people my closest friends, and I’m glad to know you.” He held out his metal cup. “To friendship.”
“To friendship,” everyone said, as they drank to the toast.
“And,” Tom went on, “To poker… the only game worth playing.”
“To poker!” they cried, putting up their cups.
He looked at Middleton. “I want to toast Middleton, who loves the Ace rag and gives me his money more often than he wants to.”
“Bullshit!” Middleton cried, but smiled and said “here, here” along with everyone else, and took a sip of his drink.
“Third—or is that fourth?” Tom shrugged. “To Zander, who managed to master the Sunai hand greeting and, recently, won enough money from me to buy himself a new girlfriend.”
Everybody laughed as Zander gave a sheepish grin. “Here, here!”
“And to Shanti,” he said, looking at her with a smile, “who finally learned to bluff an occasional hand without the entire table knowing it.”
There was more laughter, and Shanti, a grin on her dark face, gave Tom a smack.
“Here, here!”
“And to Snow, who managed to go where few human males have gone… with a Sunai woman!”
Snow shook his head and waved dismissively at them, but still raised his cup.
“Here, here!”
“And to Catherine, who’s the best woman I’ve never had sex with, and who’s finally taking my advice and cross-training with the soldiers.” He grinned and pointed at her.
Catherine shook her head, laughing.
“Here, here!”
“And last, but never least,” Tom said, “to Eshel.” He looked at Eshel. “You’re not a goddamn thing like me and I don’t understand you half the time, but I can say with all honesty that life on this ship wouldn’t be the same without you, man.”
Eshel raised his cup and gave a small smile. “Thank you, Tom.”
“Here, here!”
“To another fourteen months!” Tom said.
“To another fourteen months!” said the others, clinking their cups together one last time.
And they all sat down, and played another game.
Thank you for reading
The Refugee
! If you enjoyed it and want to know what happens next, check out
Books 2 and 3 of the
Korvali Chronicles
series. You can also visit
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C.A. Hartman specializes in writing science fiction. Recovering from her years as an academic scientist, she’s refocused her overactive, analytical mind on writing thought-provoking sci-fi with memorable characters. Her
Korvali Chronicles
trilogy tells the story of the fallout that occurs when an alien scientist escapes his oppressive, xenophobic planet and comes to live among humans on a starship. She is glad to report that she’s working on more sci-fi stories, some of which you could even call sinister…
A graduate of the University of Colorado (CU), Hartman earned her PhD in Behavioral Genetics and worked as a scientist at CU for 11 years. She lives in Denver with her husband and has a special fondness for good TV, the desert, aviator sunglasses, and dark roast coffee (decaf, of course, because you DON’T want to be around her when she’s caffeinated).
Doc Hartman is an introvert but she does like engaging with readers. Here’s how to find her:
Twitter (
@5280_SciFi
)