Echo

25. Pink Cart

After work, I go to Cru N. There are suppra's everywhere. I guess they're doing some kind of training. That makes sense. I think they are the ones going through school. They must have started the program. Voyager landed as well. Some of the suppras are unloading that stuff. I get a cart. They are working on too much stuff at the same time.

I check where the main office will be. It's a circle of tiny flags stuck in the ground. That's fine for now.

I get to the outdoor stage and Malax jumps in my cart. I slam on the brakes and Rye falls on the back seat. "We are not married. We do not have to share."

Rye loses it and nearly falls out.

Malax shakes his head. "I want to see where the houses are going, woman. You designed them. I figure you will want to see it too."

"Fine. But this is my cart." I put the pedal to the ground and someone jumps out of the way.

"SHIT."

"Watch where you are going."

"I AM. DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE?"

"Yes. At least we'll get there in one piece."

"YOU ARE BEING DRAMATIC. THIS IS FINE."

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING."

"AHHHHHH"

"DON'T START."

"FINE." I slam on the brakes and switch him spots. "It's still my cart. Gonna write Kinnik on it and block your seat."

He takes off and drives so slowly.

"Will you go already?"

"There are people walking around, woman. We will get there. I promise."

"Yea, with an extra 20-minute drive time."

"I'm about to make you walk."

"Well, I would get there faster."

"You can't make me walk."

"Why?"

"IT'S MY CART."

"No. Yours is pink. I made it separate for you."

I hug him so tightly. "Thank you. I love pink."

He puts his arm around me. "I know you do. Here we are."

Rye hops out. "Damn. They already got the floor done."

"This is a 2-bedroom house." Malax flips through papers. "With an outdoor patio and garden in the back."

Most of the frame is up. How they did this in 1 day, I'll never know. But it's easy to see where everything will go. 2 bedrooms. 1 and a half baths. The kitchen, living, and dining rooms are 1 room. It's nice. The backyard is going to be fenced. It'll have some raised garden beds and an enclosed area for a table and chairs. There's enough room for some tanning chairs too. The front of the house will have a covered patio with 2 chairs.

I glance down the path. I think they're all going to have that. Several of them are being built now.

"Why are you starting with the houses, Malax?"

"The wall is nearly up. They did that first. I'll keep reinforcing it, but they need to finish it for now. We ended up with 3 gates."

"You can see through the walls? That means the lizards can see us."

"Yes, but we need to see out. The entire wall will be reinforced with metal and wired. It'll be safe. I promise."

I lift my arms and he picks me up. I wrap around him and shake my head. "How many houses are they building?"

"50 to start. But you see how fast they go up. If we need more, we'll add more. We have plenty of room. You have to remember, suppra's don't need houses. They have their box for charging and that's it. We're making the storage room they are in, the suppra room. Only actual people need beds."

"You might want to build some offices too."

"Why is that?"

"Cause all we're going to have is boxes and I don't want an office in the girls' showers."

Rye nods. "And teams. Say Kagona buys 4 suppra's from Kinnik and uses them as a team here, they'll need an office too. She has a point."

I lay my head on his shoulder.

"Why am I carrying you?"

"There is a lizard over there." Rye points.

"He's a nice one. He won't bite your butt." He pinches my butt and I wiggle. "You want to see if we can find the pink cart?"

"OK."

He drives so slowly back to the voyager. Then I see pink. I jump out and run to it. "IT'S MINE."

"Yep. It's yours. Let's go see the team houses."

I jump in and slam the pedal down. He tries to get in front of me, but I go around him. I drive as fast as I can to the team cabins. I don't hit anyone or anything.

It's a big circle. There are 6 bedrooms on the outer wall. Each with a small private bath. The center of the circle is the living area. Airflow should be amazing with windows all around it.

"Woman, people should not be diving out of your way."

Rye is trying to stop laughing. "We're going to have to put some pink lights on that thing. Maybe a siren."

I roll my eyes. "Do the teams have any yard area?"

"No. They're going to have a garage area if they order carts. That's it. Now, apparently, an office area or lab. We have options. Suppras aren't even going to need a cabin like this. It'll be customizable for what they want. We're working on pricing."

"I want a house."

"Your suppra doesn't need a house. It would be a waste."

"I'll tell daddy to buy me 1. And my own lab and office. And I need a garage for my cart."

"I don't think he will go for it."

I give him the stupidest look. "You think Kinnik and Zircon won't be here? Daddy's going to try to build a bigger office than yours."

"She has a point, Malax. You had better bring the plans up to Braxtin, or he'll get pissed."

"Where do I put my cart?"

"Wherever you want for now. We don't have any garages built."

"Ok. I'm going for a ride."

"Careful if you leave the gates. The paths aren't laid out. You could get the cart stuck. We're going back to work on offices."

"Have fun. Come for dinner if you want to tell daddy about... this. I can try, but I don't know what the hell's going on."

"Yea, we'll come over there. He will get pissed not knowing and with the trainees here, rumors are going to fly quickly."

I gun it. I drive around so many paths. The place is huge. More than half of it isn't even used.

I get bored and park in front of the storage room door. I hook myself up to charge and wake up in the hospital bed. They unhook me and I go to dinner.

Rye and Malax are sitting down. Daddy has Azo and a couple of other guys here. I sit by Malax.

Daddy glances at me. "Are you 2 getting along again?"

"He bought me a pink cart, daddy."

"That does fix a lot. What do you want on Cru N, sweetheart?"

"2-bedroom house. Lab. Office. Garage for my pink cart."

"Why do you need a 2-bedroom house?"

"I need a room for my charging box."

"Can you put your office in your lab?"

"Can it be a big lab?"

"Sure. We'll put it right by Zircon."

"That's not a good idea, daddy. If I blow up my lab, I'll blow up Zircon too."

"Good point. Your lab will not be by Zircon. But I'll get you the biggest lab. Have him build your office in it."

"Fair enough. And I need a garage at my house and lab."

"Why?"

"Science vehicles. I'm going to acquire a lot of stuff, very quickly."

"Make your list of the equipment you want sent over on the next voyager."

"Thank you, daddy."

"You're welcome. That will take care of Echo. JAYDA."

"What?"

"What do you need on Cru N?"

"4-bedroom house. Large garden area. Best kitchen."

"Tell him you want a cart, momma."

"And a cart."

"Thank you."

She nods and leaves.

"Now what does Zircon need?"

"Do you want to be able to build suppra's on Cru N, sir?"

"I'm thinking it would be a good idea for replacements. They are going to get damaged. Some are going to be eaten."

"Maybe a small area for that. Able to build 1 or 2 at a time."

"Let's do the biggest lab and biggest office." He looks at Malax all seriously. "Keep my lab away from hers."

"Of course."

I lean and whisper, "Keep my house away from his."

He laughs. "Of course." He pats my knee and rubs his thumb on it. I love the tingles.

I hug his arm and lay my head on his shoulder.

"We'll figure out the layouts and what will be in the lab tomorrow. This gives us a start. I will take 4 additional 2-bedroom houses. 5 additional carts."

"Are you going over there?"

"The suppras need to be comfortable." I elbow Malax.

Daddy nods. "I am not arguing with a bunch of angry wives. I'll get another house for Eriska. But you're dealing with an office for her."

"Fair enough. We'll keep her as a secretary."

I must fall asleep on Malax. I wake up with momma yelling about sleeping at the table. I stretch and he rubs my thigh.

We eat dinner, then I go to bed. I'm tired, and the boys keep talking.