Shattered Bonds (continued)

Several meters ahead of her, several people rushed quickly across her path. At least two of them, she saw, were from the security force and another one carried a medical case. They were headed toward the northern section of the compound.

That could be anyone, she decided.

Lorelei gave the matter only a scant slice of her attention. Several families lived in that area of compound, very few of whom she associated with. There was one boy who she had half-heartedly tried to pursue. There was someone about his sister, though, that made Lorelei easy, almost as if she could read her thoughts. Lorelei had snared Sean and, with only mild reluctance, let the matter drop.

She continued walking slowly, in no hurry to be anywhere. Going home held little appeal. Her mother was not working a shift that day. Lorelei guessed that she had remained home, for her mother rarely left the house except for when they needed food or other household supplies. Lorelei considered heading for the dining hall, but there would be other people there and she was not feeling very social.

That’s the problem with this place, she considered irritably. There’s nowhere you can go to be alone.

There were, she knew, places outside the compound where solitude was possible. The aliens tended not to venture out much unless there were canvassing for fruit or roots. Getting out, though, would require clearance through one of the secured gates, along with an authorized justification—which she did not have—as well as a logged record of her departure and return.

Lorelei paused as she saw the ambulance cart move past, following the same path as the small group of people had a few minutes earlier.

Whatever it is, she thought, it must be serious.

Even when not in her present melancholy state, the activities of the colony’s emergency response team were of little interest to her. Other people’s problems were none of her business, as far as she was concerned, even if the sentiment was clearly not reciprocated by most of the families—especially the parents­—of the colony.