Saltation by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

looked to the ceiling before hoisting the last of her drink and guzzling it. She was going to need to start walking soon . . . 
    "I don't much follow the news, Asu. Not politics, not finance, not even sports."
    That last was a bit of a cut, and she was exaggerating, anyway.
    Asu wrinkled her nose.
    "Look, what's going on is the local newsies—and I mean planetary, not continental!—they've got these great long distance vids, even a satellite shot or two, of you throwing the Slipper around like it's an aerobat while the military chases public menace number one in your direction. Two expert commentators following the chase say there's no possible place for you to land and right there you calmly slot the thing in with a half wing-span to spare, just in time for the public menace to get obliterated, kabloom!"
    Asu's sound effects and hand motions brought stares; Theo blushed and looked away. When she looked back, Asu's full attention was on her face.
    "Look," Theo insisted, "all I did was land the Slipper. That's all . They told me they wanted the sky empty. That's what I did. This other stuff—" Theo found herself looking at the ceiling and its suspended model aircraft, moons, and spacecraft. "This other stuff isn't really about me."
    Asu sighed slightly.
    "I know—and I'm glad you know. It isn't your fault that Chelly's old bestguy and mentor was idiot enough to get shot down."
    Theo looked up, eyes wide, and shook her head.
    But Asu was nodding, with a certain amount of grimness.
    "Chelly told me this morning. They were bestboys till Hap left and then didn't ever even answer a bit of comm . . . left him flat."
    Theo grimaced. Just what they needed in close quarters, a senior with a problem love life come back to haunt him.
    Asu sighed. She looked tired for a moment, then shook herself into businesslike.
    "So," she said briskly. "I caught news reports for you; they're filed in your shared inbox, if you want them."
    "Thanks," Theo said, not certain if she did want them. Still, it had been nice of Asu.
    "You're welcome," Asu said, rising, with a shapeless flap of her hand. "I'll see you later, Theo. I've got to get to class."
    Theo had class, too, and ran most of the way.
     
    Commerce and Transport 111 was usually a dry, quiz-heavy class. Long-retired full-Terran cargo master Therny Chibs was the professor. Theo saw his lanky form just ahead and sped up to get to the door of the classroom before he did, squeezing by as he turned to address a question from a student who stood outside waiting.
    Theo found classmates making room for her as she hurried to the back of the lecture room, still a bit unsettled by how many of the people acted like they knew who she was. Not likely, given the size of the class.
    She'd already memorized and been tested on thirteen common forms for the class, and expected a quiz today on two more. Professor Chibs had never met a form he didn't like, nor a reporting protocol he didn't admire. If she was lucky it would be two more and not three, because she hadn't quite caught up with—
    "We'll start," said Chibs in his twangy accent, "by requesting those of you who live by the syllabus or who are taking the class feed for catch-up to disconnect recording devices and save those pre-made form files for next class, when we'll return to boring you all with material that you'll only need to know if you graduate."
    He chuckled at the startled looks, the same way he chuckled when gleefully pointing out some overlooked tick-box on a paper-filed support form.
    "We have an object lesson to hand, and we shall use it. It comes to us in the shape of perhaps the most widely known pilot on the planet for the next two days, our own Theo Waitley."
    It felt like the whole room turned to stare at her, tucked away as she was in the back corner. She sat up, and watched the professor warily.
    "Oh no, you've all seen the news, I'm sure. Good landing, good landing, yes. Everyone knows what she did right, I'm sure. Now,