When Matt stepped through the hatch at Roesler station, perched atop the peak of one of Io's stable basaltic peaks, he found the bar filled with the usual assortment of workers, prospectors, engineers, and, unavoidably, one of JBI execs. JBI's great resources threatened the independents like Matt. Since they'd finished building the factories the conglomerate was expanding into prospecting.
He was still riled by the way JBI had underbid the Foundation for planetary studies of Io. That change had put him out of a job as a researcher and into the more practical role of prospector. But larger concerns about his future were not uppermost in his mind. Right now he just needed a drink to clear the stink out of his nose.
He and Sunil had just returned from working a new volcano outflow about thirty degrees around toward solside and fifty south. Despite a promising beginning they'd come up empty handed. This had been their second fruitless run in a row and their credit line was getting pretty low.
"Hey Matt," one of the JBI execs yelled. "Come on over and meet your new competition."
Matt looked toward the bar. Standing beside the executive was two new people, a young guy and a woman. The kid had the usual wrinkled nose and pained expression of a newcomer unfamiliar with Io's unique aroma. He looked no different than any of the other JBI crowd.
But it was the woman who really caught his attention. She had fine, chiseled features, a roman nose and high cheekbones. Her frame was slender, a mere wisp in comparison to most of the beefy junos who worked in the Jupiter complex. Willowy, that was the old-fashioned word; willowy. She looked so vulnerable and sweet that all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and shield her from the universe. She was the most gorgeous woman he'd seen in years.
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