CROSS//Process, Part 10

CROSS//Process, Part 10 Hildred M. Billings Contents Copyright Series Order 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 CROSS//Rebirth Three Chapter Preview Free Stories! FB Group Copyright CROSS//Process Part 10 Copyright: Hildred M. BillingsPublished: May 15th, 2023Publisher: Barachou Press This is a work of fiction. Any and all similarities to any characters, settings, or situations are purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format. Series Order MAIN SERIES REBIRTH REVENGE REGRESS REPENT RELEASE PREQUELS PROCESS PROPHET one C erilyn, Federation Year 4539 Something sinister was in the air. Cairn couldn’t put her finger on it, but she also didn’t have much time to contemplate the dangers around every corner when the whole fortress wanted her time. “Right now, we’re spending half of our food budget on vegetables.” Sonall’s clipboard collapsed into his lap as he held back a yawn. The man took up both chairs in front of Cairn’s desk, yet he still couldn’t get comfortable enough—or brave enough—to take a full nap in front of her. “The fruit we source from the jungle is not yielding as much as usual. The woman in charge of the gatherers who go out twice a week has been blowing my ass up about it. We’ve tried importing some from Third Tribe’s way, but they’re also experiencing a shortage. Unless we want everyone getting scurvy…” “Leave the numbers with me and I’ll go over them by the end of the day.” Cairn couldn’t believe this was the highlight of her day. Fruit. Food budgets. Money. Sonall was the intermediary between the kitchens and the chief, but if he said there was trouble, then it was serious. Cairn certainly knew what it was like to go through fruit withdrawal. There was a bad crop two years after I came to Cerilyn. Ayna Aiya had no trouble getting fruit and vegetables for her table, but a simple melon became a hot commodity in the fortress. I’d rather not see that play out again. Sulim spoke up behind Cairn. “Reach out to Ms. d’Sara on Wayos. She still owes us for our help a few years ago.” “Was she the one with the orchards?” Sonall asked. “Yes, the million-dollar enterprise being vandalized by her competition.” “Did I kill that guy?” “Yes, which is why you should be the one to reach out to her. See what she’s willing to spare for half the price we usually pay. Might take a week or two for the fruit to reach us, but we’ll manage until—” She was interrupted by a violent tremor that hit the fortress like a comet from outer space. “Holy…” When the tremble turned into a righteous quake, Cairn ducked beneath her desk while Sulim leaped away from the windows. Sonall was the slowest one to react. He had to untangle himself from the chairs, and by then, the earth had stopped quaking. “Everyone all right?” Cairn called from beneath her desk. She poked out her head, pushing back her chair and ensuring nothing was about to fall upon her as she crawled out. Sulim brushed something off her sleeve before grunting in surprise. Sonall merely sat back down in his seat. “What was that? The second one this week?” “They’re definitely amping up,” Sulim said. Cairn smoothed her hair and cleared her throat. “Sulim, would you check what’s going on out there? Sonall can do a more thorough investigation when we finish our meeting.” “Sure.” Sulim shot her old partner a look that implied he was in charge of the chief’s safety while she was gone. The moment Sulim opened the office door, shouts of frustration and hoots of frightened laughter echoed in the hallway. “Are we even on a fault line here?” Sonall asked. “I thought they were near the coasts.” “They are.” Cairn checked her holographic clipboard’s connection. The last quake had brought down all electronic communication in the area, and it had taken twelve hours for some intrepid technician in the town to figure out how to fix it without anyone calling for professional help. “Never felt an earthquake in my life until this past month.” She was not a fan. “No idea what’s going on.” She had a small idea. That idea continued to pester her until long after Sonall departed and Sulim returned with a few stories on her lips. Apparently, one of the statues in the inner sanctum had toppled and cracked against the floor. When Cairn asked if it was the High Priestess, Sulim shook her head. It had been one of the niche idols from another planet. “Shut the door.” Cairn shoved aside the budget sheet that Sonall had left her with. There were more important things to discuss. “Have you heard back from your friend on Terra III?” Sulim shrugged. “That? You wanna talk about that now?” She lowered her voice when she sat in one of the chairs. “We’ve got earthquakes every week and sandstorms whipping through the desert. Word is a giant tsunami crashed against the coast near First Tribe and ripped open a new beach. The tide still hasn’t receded all the way. And you wanna talk about our honeymoon on Earth?” “We need to get out of here,” Cairn reminded her. “Before this whole planet implodes.” “It’s not gonna do that.” Sulim leaned forward, arms wrapping against the desk. “We took care of that problem a month ago.” All the more reason for us to get the hell out. Cairn had remained mum about Nerilis’s comings and goings from Cerilyn. Although she hadn’t seen her father since he came to her apartment almost a month ago, she knew he still