Quit Read Online Free PDF Page B

again.
    It had been ten years, after all.
     
    The tingle in her limbs as she entered the shuttle for the location-scouting mission was nearly paralyzing.
    Imbolt had met with the U.N. the previous day and was waiting for her with his guards at a luxury hotel. She was making this pilgrimage on her own.
    She had kissed Alyla’s tank goodbye for now, and that is when she had been shown Imbolt’s gift to her. He had ordered a bot body for her and had it installed next to the tank. She could sit with her daughter anytime she wanted; she just had to occupy the bot.
    Minny wished that she had been able to express her joy to Imbolt, but instead, she was stuck planning their reunion after just over a day apart.
    The robes she was wearing on her journey made her nearly unrecognizable. At Imbolt’s suggestion, she had put on the makeup used by the Yimako women. She was wearing ranking stripes on her cheeks, her eyes were outlined, and her lips were blacked. She was definitely going to make an impression.
    She dragged in a deep breath and put a portion of her mind into the bot next to Alyla, reading a story to her in order to keep herself calm.
    It was almost like being there in the flesh, but her body was growing closer and closer to home.
    When she had signed away her rights, she had known she would never be able to go home, but today, a change in circumstances was letting her return as the wife of the ambassador. She was willing to take full advantage of that technicality.
    Splitting her consciousness was a lot easier than scattering it.
    The big blue marble of her home world grew larger, and she got excited. She was going to land thousands of miles from her home, but she didn’t care. Earth would be under her feet again. That was her goal.
    The shuttle approached with glacial slowness. Minerva focused on holding her hands together as the ship descended and remaining calm. At Lunar Base, she was calmly reading to Alyla.
    The shuttle got clearance and moved in on a landing vector. She remained seated until they were down and the engines had powered off.
    With a deep breath, she got to her feet, straightened her robes and headed for the exit. The guards, Yikm and Lio, were with her and at her sides.
    The bright sunlight made her wince. It was the taste of the airfield that caused her nose to wrinkle. Aviation fuel was not a pleasant aroma. Behind the fuel, she could smell the wind off the ocean and the ice on the mountains. It was beautiful. It was home.
    “Madam, your vehicle is waiting.” Yikm nodded and spoke in Alliance Common. “The ambassador will meet us at the hotel.”
    “Of course. Sorry. I have not been on this soil for a very long time.”
    Lio nodded. “We understand but not all humans have been in favour of an ambassador living on their world. There are territorial issues that are flaring and causing issues.”
    “So, there have been threats on my life.”
    “Yes, Madam. We would rather have you in a secure space.”
    She chuckled. “Then, lead on. I will follow where you go. You are my ride.”
    They smiled, and their trio walked toward the large SUV waiting for them. A small motorcade had been arranged, and in a few minutes of coordination, they were off.
    The drive through the city was strange. In her Norz bodies, she could do all kinds of things—taste, smell and see via her psychic senses. Being in her own body was definitely different.
    “I wonder if I could get my license back. I am checked out for a riot runner, but we don’t have them here.”
    She sat in the centre of the vehicle and watched the lights ahead flash as they cruised through the city. When they pulled up to the hotel rotunda, she sighed and rubbed her hands together, wondering if she could steal the soap without anyone noticing.
    When she was assisted from the vehicle, she was amused that the human security seemed obsessed with keeping her out.
    “Listen, lady. You are obviously human. I don’t know what kind of cosplay fantasies you