Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci Read Free Book Online Page B

die.
    Heckleck rubbed his back wings together. When he did that and made a mournful sound, I had learned that it was the equivalent of a Human sigh. Whenever he talked about the politics and history of the known galaxy, he rubbed those wings a lot.
    “It’s so confusing. Humans aren’t Minor because Earth wants to be left alone, and because I became a colonist to try to make us Minor, now I can’t go home.”
    The rules of the galaxy had been made up long ago. The first worlds to travel and settle were the Major Species. Those Major Species fell in and out of power. They passed off power, keeping the center of the map rotating like a fiery ring of suns. They stretched their reach as far as they could. But new planets were always being discovered. New life. New civilizations.
    “If you ask me, any species that is capable of space travel should be called Major,” Heckleck said. “This Imperium will be the death of every Minor Species.”

 
    7
    Thado was pruning his plants and trees as I stared at Quint below.
    I stepped onto the gel floor and closed my eyes, imagining for a moment that I was on a planet. The thing about the gel floor is that you had to adjust your sense of balance. That’s what made it feel so real. Once balance was achieved, I stepped toward the window slowly, as though I were a ship on approach. I liked to trick my eyes and see the planet get larger. When I got close to the window, I slipped off my shoes and stepped right into the potted flower box, wiggling my toes in the dirt. Dirt. How it made memories of Earth rush back. My whole life had been made of dirt and now it was measured by the sheer lack of it. I was starving for dirt.
    I put my hands up to the window, pressing my palms flat against it. It was thick—too thick to feel either the coldness of space or the warmth of the weak sun. I put my forehead on the window and opened my eyes. If I squinted just right, I could trick myself into thinking that I was falling freely through space, that I was tumbling toward that planet. It was the only way that I could ever feel free, even for one small moment, from my circumstances. It was the only moment where I remembered—for a flash—what it was like to be Human and felt released from the anger that I had toward Brother Blue and what he’d done to me. He was out there. Somewhere. One day he would pay for it.
    It was hard to think of what course of action I could take. I could not go back to Earth for help. I had no currency or connection to hitch rides with the Humans who roamed. Sometimes, I thought that my best strategy would be to go to one of the Children of Earth colonies first. But all of my attempts to communicate to the other Children of Earth colonies had been futile. Something was always in the way. Transmissions were interrupted by solar flares, or the relay was out of range, or there was just white noise.
    I rested my head against the window, alone with my dark thoughts, trying to push them into space. As I entered my imaginary life, I heard a cough. At first I didn’t turn around.
    “I am supposed to arrest you,” Tournour said. “It’s forbidden to get so near the plants.”
    I said nothing. If he were going to arrest me, he would not have announced himself. I had been working mostly nights so I had not crossed paths with him in a while. Though we rarely spoke when we did meet, it always made me feel safer when I ran into Tournour on my errands. Often, he showed up at the end of a hallway or at the entrance to a hangar just when I was most scared. There he’d observe me, but not interfere.
    I heard him rustle and move closer. Then I heard him unsnap his boots, and in the next moment he was standing with me in the plants.
    “Interesting,” he said. “It does feel nice.”
    I didn’t have to answer. In my dealings with him, I’d learned that Tournour just liked to talk sometimes. Besides, if I said anything he might be obliged to haul me in. If I didn’t speak, it could be