Hidden Empire - Kevin J. Anderson [43]
Jess took the vessel low over the melted and rehardened ground. Seeing the utter confidence on the engineer's face, he began to believe in the potential here. After all, Roamers had disproved the impossible time and again.
***
"Roamers have this belief they can do anything," Cesca had once said to Jess, "given the resources and time."
"An unconventional people do not need conventional wisdom," he said.
He and Cesca had been alone in her rock-walled office chamber in the Rendezvous cluster. It was an innocent meeting to discuss water and oxygen supplies clan Tamblyn would deliver from Plumas. They had kept their distance from each other, though their eyes remained locked. It seemed as if they were separated by an elastic barrier that both forced them apart and pulled them together.
"Even so, time can't solve all problems," Jess said. He had taken half a step forward, disguising his movement with a hand gesture, as if to emphasize what he was saying. Then he froze, remembering all the expectations that weighed him down.
Cesca understood what he was implying. Years before, she had betrothed herself to Ross Tamblyn, a long engagement that they had taken on faith. Ross diligently worked to meet the conditions he and Cesca had agreed upon. Everything had seemed acceptable in the joining of two strong clans, even if Ross was something of a black sheep. Most Roamers enthusiastically endorsed the union. The Blue Sky Mine would be a strong foundation for an expanding family, even without old Bram Tamblyn's support.
But that was before she had gotten to know Jess, and the spark between them went far beyond straightforward political and economic considerations. It wasn't something they could explain to anyone else, or even to themselves.
"If we follow the Guiding Star, some problems should never arise in the first place," Cesca said.
"Nevertheless"—Jess boldly took the last step to her, closing the distance, refusing to think about what he was doing—"it happens."
He kissed her then, surprising her, pleasing her...and terrifying them both. Cesca responded for just an instant, clinging to him as if they were teetering on the precarious edge of a precipice. Then, in unison, they broke away and took an awkward step apart.
"Jess, we shouldn't even—"
"I'm sorry." He blushed furiously, stumbling backward, gathering his notes and recordings. Jess shook his head, immensely ashamed and baffled by his own actions. He felt like a traitor to his brother. "What was I doing?" He could only picture Ross, an innocent bystander in their mutual attraction.
"Jess, we don't dare even think about this." Though deeply unsettled, Cesca wasn't angry with him. "It never happened."
He readily agreed. "We'll forget about it. That's what we should do."
But the memories only burned brighter for both of them, month after month. How could anyone ever forget?
As Jess's ship swept out of the planet's shadow and into the full blazing day of the roaring sun, the sudden glare and buffeting heat rocked them from side to side.
"We'll need to map out a recommended safe approach," Kotto said, noting Jess's difficulty piloting in the solar storm as if it were a mere detail to add to his proposal. "We can take advantage of the planet's shadow for bringing in most of the big supply haulers."
Jess increased the filter density on their viewing windows. "Your bigger problem is going to be shipping off the processed metals. They'll need to be taken far from here before we can market whatever we don't use for ourselves."
"Oh, of course," Kotto said. "The Big Goose would never even come within sensor range of the planet. They might get a blister on their delicate skin."
Though