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Chelsa buries herself in her friends, and the warmth of the world that Harley isn't on anymore. She doesn't understand him. She never will. But there's Corona, sun-scorching and intense; there's Amdon, her oldest and closest; there's Anneia, sweet and smiling; there's Sandre, cuddly and fun; there's Tima, pretty-kindling and empathetic; there's Pacco, bright and deferent; there's Jony, hot as a kiln; Lionara hot as molten glass. And Aelise herself, who makes so many compromises but who does love Chelsa after all.
Harley wasn't like that one cold, cold girl, who - she wasn't even technically a sociopath. Sociopaths kindle like everyone else. She was just - cold. Like an airless environment in which no fire can burn.
But Aelise had her killed, and Chelsa made sure no one would miss her, and if anything like that ever happened again, Chelsa has every confidence that Aelise would make it right. Harley's one thing. He can just be - out of sight, out of mind. Aelise would never expect Chelsa to compromise on the existence of such a terrible cold.
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warmfeelings
salus-populi
"There are plenty of things," Aelise promises. "And it's always possible to get more."
"Okay. That's good. I don't want to actually die."
Mehitabel follows her, book clutched in her hand.
salus-populi
They enter the tower and take the elevator up.
It's a long way, but the elevator is fast.
It's a long way, but the elevator is fast.
"I wish there were windows," sighs Mehitabel.
"Will I be able to see the Earth from them?"
"I bet it's pretty," predicts Mehitabel. "Does anyone live where I'm going besides your aunt?"
salus-populi
"No one lives where you're going besides my aunt. Someone else does live in the orbital ring, but he's almost as big a secret as you are, and he doesn't know Kers is there."
"Do I get to meet him ever?"
"Why does he live up in it?"
"When is sometime?"
Mehitabel frowns.
salus-populi
"I'm going to tell you when you're older; I haven't decided how much older."
"Do you have a guess?" Mehitabel tries.
salus-populi
"I haven't had time to think about it properly. Not much more than ten years from now, I don't think."
"Okay," says Mehitabel.
She opens up a little file on her tablet, and writes this down, in plaintext.
She opens up a little file on her tablet, and writes this down, in plaintext.
salus-populi
The elevator stops. Aelise gets out and leads Mehitabel down a short hallway to a large, ring-shaped room that goes all the way around the crown of the orbital tower.
It has windows. Big ones, angled down so you can stand at the edge and lean over the railing and watch the world stay in exactly the same position relative to your feet.
It has windows. Big ones, angled down so you can stand at the edge and lean over the railing and watch the world stay in exactly the same position relative to your feet.
Mehitabel peers down at the planet with fascination.
"I'm gonna fix it," she announces, after she has had a good long look. "So Chelsa doesn't have to hurt it any more to keep it alive. She's the worst medicine."
"I'm gonna fix it," she announces, after she has had a good long look. "So Chelsa doesn't have to hurt it any more to keep it alive. She's the worst medicine."