TWO

“Wow, iced! Look at that! Yani, I want to ride on that!” Lexa tugged at Yani’s hand.

Yani turned her head and cast a worried look at Rita over her shoulder. “What is that?” she hissed.

“It’s called a roller-coaster. They were a very popular thrill ride on Old Earth.”

Yani pulled Lexa to a halt and stared at the small train of open cars careening around sharp corners over their heads. Screams filled the air as the train swooped down a sharp incline, jerked to the right, and swooped again.

Yani swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. “I-I don’t think I can ride that with you, Lexa,” she said weakly. “That looks far too scary for me.”

The five of them, Darwin in his favorite spot draped over Rita’s shoulders, stood watching as the train clacked slowly up a steep incline, then let loose on the downside. Screams of glee and terror rang out over the park.

Yani grabbed her stomach. “Nope. Definitely can’t go on that ride. How about that big wheel thingy over there. I could do that. What is that ride called, Rita?”

Rita craned her neck to look up at the top of the lighted giant wheel with its swinging seats. “It’s called a Ferris wheel. That one must be at least two hundred meters tall. You’ll get one heck of a view from up there, Yani. You’ll be able to see the entire park I imagine.”

“Healer, will you ride the roller coaster with me?” Lexa begged. She dropped Yani’s hand and tried to pull the healer forward. His eyes twinkled at Rita.

“I’d love to,” he said. “I have to admit that I’m curious as to how the sudden turns and drops affect a body. Seems the best way to find out is to try it myself. Unfortunately I have to decline.”

Rita dug into her waistpak, pulled out a handful of credits, and set them in the healer’s free hand. “Consider it an advance on your salary as ship’s medic,” she said before he could protest. “We don’t expect you to work for nothing.”

Healer opened his mouth to refuse, then closed his hand over the credits. It galled him to be flat broke, and he hated the thought of accepting Rita’s charity, but she had given him an honorable out and he felt grateful for her generosity.

“Thank you,” he said instead. He grabbed Lexa’s hand. “Let’s go, my little brave one, and see what the roller coaster is