Orin had already turned his back to continue rummaging through the med supply panel. He shook his head distractedly. “Nah. I’m right as rain, myself. Just on the hunt for—ah!—these.”
He displayed the deluxe hypodermic injection kit Ari had purchased at the ship supply when he and Theo had first begun outfitting the ship for exploration.
Ari pushed his lips to the side in confusion. “Why do you need emergency jabs? You’re not up to date on yours? We could visit a physician when we make landfall.”
Orin shook his head, wrestling the package open. “Don’t you worry about me, sugar. I’m all up to date. Fit as a damned fiddle.” He inspected each syringe before dropping them into a soft leather bag attached to his hip.
He then held up four matching syringes with a triumphant grin, each one standing proudly from between his fingers as though displaying a clever card trick.
“Now these are what we’ll be needing, where we’re going.”
Ari squinted at the jabs, shock running through him at the label. “Those are for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.”
Orin dropped them in his bag and pointed both index fingers at Ari. “Bingo, professor!”
He turned and walked down the corridor, his off-tune whistling ringing against the metal panels.
Ari hurriedly shut the med supply cabinet panel and followed on his heels.
“Why do you think we would need… Wait, where are we going?”
*
The settlement was as different from Sally’s little town as it was from Britannia. Same artificial atmo sky and manufactured rust dirt roads, but there the resemblance ended.
The streets teemed with life, scores of people hurrying by or loudly haggling at the rust-dappled market stands crammed right on top of one another in the narrow space between buildings.
The buildings rose up to three stories high, their wooden siding and metal roofing lending an air of cohesiveness to the architecture. Large metal signs proclaimed a variety of shops and trades.
Ari squinted at a sign that was either painted with a coiled snake or a length of rope, trying to determine which it could be and what might be found inside.
“Keep up, Red! Slower than a cart with three busted wheels, I swear.”
Orin’s voice cut through the crowd ahead, and Ari scurried to catch up, bobbing his head at a passing lady who blew him a kiss in response, giggling and twirling her patchwork parasol.
He caught up to Orin quickly, suspecting the pilot had shortened his stride so he could do so. Ari resisted the urge to reach for his arm as though he were being escorted through the park back home.
Their arms bumped together, and Orin looked down, cocking his eyebrow and bending his elbow in Ari’s direction as if he’d read his mind. Ari studied the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets. Orin seemed to hesitate before dropping his arm and picking up the pace once again.
He cut through the crowded street effortlessly despite his size, smooth as a fish through a stream. Ari envied his ease, having felt wrong-footed from the moment they stepped out onto the busy dock.
Orin hopped up the steps of one of the taller buildings which bore no sign, Ari following at a more respectable climb. The corrugated roofing over the porch had rusted through in large enough spots that hints of green sky shone through.
Orin knocked on the door sharply three times before turning back to Ari.
“Almost guaranteed to hear a good song in this house, professor.”
A tightly corseted woman opened the door and scanned the pair of them suspiciously before her face lit with joy as she flung her naked arms around Orin’s neck. Orin responded in kind, lifting her off the ground with a booming laugh.
Ari attempted not to stare at the fact that the woman was standing on her porch in broad daylight wearing nothing but several layers of ruffled undergarments beneath her exposed blue corset.
She was still laughing as she backed into the house, throwing her elaborately braided black hair over her shoulder. “Come on in, boys! Can’t tell you how much we missed you round these parts, Orin Stone!”
Orin guided Ari inside with a firm hand against his lower back. “And I’m pleased as punch to see you, Miss Violet. Been too long. How’s your sister? Last I was here, she was feeling poorly as I recall.”
Miss Violet’s smile emphasized the cracking ruby paint on her mahogany cheeks. Flecks of gold glitter loosened and peeled away as she spoke. “She’s doing much better, thanks to you, darling.”
Orin nodded, keeping his hand pressed to Ari’s back. “Glad to hear it. Who’s on today?”
Miss Violet’s eyes cut to Ari and back up to Orin before she turned and led the way through heavily fringed crimson curtains into a large parlor. The room held an upright piano with a distinct leftward lean and various poly-brocade chaise longues. She gestured at the dozen half-naked people assembled on them.
“Got some new faces on today, like to give ’em the day shift ’til they get accustomed to the art of entertaining. You probably remember Gladys though.”
She pointed at a petite girl spilling out of her corset, with hair brighter than Ari’s but in a distinctly artificial hue, curled up and bored to tears on one of the lounges.
Orin’s lips kicked up at the corner. “Sure do, Miss Violet. Real nice girl, Gladys. Listen, any chance you heard a singer goes by the name of Hinge?”
Miss Violet stepped back, planting one hand on the curve of her hip. “You must need a song real bad if you’re willing to listen to that weasel. Jeanie’s got him upstairs, you’ll have to wait ’til he’s done with his appointment. Be done in a half hour, man’s real punctual.”
Orin smirked at that, taking his hand from Ari’s back to remove the leather pouch from his belt. “We sure would appreciate it if you could send him our way. I got something for you, courtesy of the professor here. I know times are hard.”
He held out the bag to Miss Violet who took it with a caution, both eyes and lips widening as she looked inside.
Her gaze shot back up to Orin, glittering to better effect that the flakes on her cheeks.
“Why, you’re an angel. An honest angel. My stars, but we needed these. Local sawbones cleared town near three weeks past. Some of my new faces been riding on a prayer.”
Orin cupped her shoulder with one big hand, squeezing affectionately. “Next time that happens, you buzz my com. I’ll get you fixed up soon as I can.”
Miss Violet placed her hand over Orin’s, multicolored bangles clinking musically. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Orin dropped his hand to his pocket and pulled out a paper-wrapped parcel.
“Brought something for the little ones too. Just a pack of fizzy pops. How many y’all got in the house now?”
Miss Violet took the parcel gladly, tucking it down the front of her corset as Ari stared resolutely at the wall over her head.
“Got four underfoot now that Eben is gone apprenticing. All but the baby are down at the schoolhouse.”
Orin’s face lit brighter than the electric candles flickering along the walls. “Good, that’s real good. Get all those books in their heads, give ’em all a fighting chance.”
Miss Violet’s answering smile had an edge to it. “I’m gonna make damn sure not one of ’em ends up working for me, darling. That’s a promise.”