Page 11 of Legend of Scorpio
“What will you be doing?”
“Checking my messages from Cetus then extracting some glacier samples for analysis.”
With that said, she grabbed her cup of coffee and left for her work tent, noticing her chair had been moved. She pursed her lips as she eyed her computer. She’d not bothered putting a password on it because she worked alone. It also wasn’t as if she kept state secrets.
Sipping her coffee, she pulled up her email and found a new message from corp. Essentially, a demand for her to grab samples from a specific area of the glacier she’d only just started cataloguing. She printed out the coordinates and wondered who on the other end decided where she’d be poking. Did they have an image of all the glaciers in their office that they threw darts at to decide where she’d work next?
Whatever. They paid her well to do so, and when she returned, she’d write an article, which would hopefully bolster her prestige in the field.
While the printer spat out the sheet with the diagram showing where to dig next, she went and layered on her clothes. The tent heaters only barely kept occupants from freezing, and it had been quite some time since she’d been fully naked. Even the quick changes of clothing had her shivering and her skin pimpling from the cold. Yet Scorpio acted as if he were somewhere balmy.
Maybe he really was superhuman.
Shouldn’t she be more curious? He’d probably think she flirted if she asked questions. Still, if he truly was who he claimed—and it was beginning to seem that way—she might be missing out on a discovery of a lifetime.
That she could never tell anyone. She’d not forgotten what he’d claimed happened to those who spilled their secrets. Mind-wiping and discreditation were bad enough, but he’d also mentioned death. Would he really kill her?
She didn’t know him well enough to tell. Although she took the fact she woke uninjured as a good sign.
Still, given she’d not imagined his existence, she should be more cautious. To that end, she tucked a folding utility knife into her boot to go along with the one in her belt. Snowsuit, boots, hat, face mask, and goggles—because the forecast called for sharp winds—and finally her heated gloves.
She trudged outside to find Scorpio standing there, barefoot, stretching. One leg up, the foot resting on his thigh. His hands stretched to the sky. She couldn’t help but snort, “Someone’s watchedTheKarate Kidtoo much.”
“A cute movie, although I liked the TV show more,” he stated, putting his foot down.
“Zodiac Warriors watch television?”
“What else would we do in our downtime?”
“Go bowling in the sky? Race Martians in space?” She joked, but he shook his head.
“Aliens are more about enslaving and conquering than playing games, and we try to avoid Earth’s atmosphere, lest we launch an unexpected climate event. Pisces got in so much shit when he accidentally punched a hole in the ozone layer back in the eighties.”
She blinked.
He didn’t crack a smile.
“I’m going to work,” she stated. “Feel free to leave while I’m gone.” She entered her work tent to grab her equipment cases, lugging them out one at a time to load on a sled. He remained outside—still barefoot!—flinging spears at a mound of snow.
Wait, she recognized those metal rods.
“What did you do to my tripod!” she screeched.
“Made it useful.” He replied without turning to address her.
“It already had a use,” she grumbled. “And just so you know, you can’t kill the seals. Or anything else for that matter. The animals here are protected.”
“Not worried about the wildlife.”
“Expecting company?”
“According to Sage?—”
“Ah yes, the woman who sees the future. Did she see me walking away from you?” Rebecca grabbed the rope to her sled and began trudging toward the glacier west of her camp. According to the map given by her employer, she’d be tapping into the far side, which she’d not yet explored.
It shouldn’t have surprised that Scorpio kept pace with her. Actually, he ranged ahead, trotting as if this were a pleasant summer day in a grassy field. Her own toes curled at the sight of his bare feet running along the ice.
Definitely not human.