Chapter 5Evening light filtered through the thin curtains drawn halfway across the large window facing Kaire’s rear garden. He never tired of the view, flowers and trees a joy to one raised in the artificial environment of a space station, but Pia had asked him to shade the table near the window, concerned sunlight would spoil their meal. Tonight he had prepared a simple dish made from the produce of his garden, vegetables he had not encountered during his brief stay in the Brown Zone. Unfamiliar with the concept of preparing and cooking food, he had earlier welcomed Pia’s offer of lessons after his initial attempts proved almost inedible.
They sat side-by-side on a worn but comfortable sofa, empty wine glasses cradled in their hands. On a nearby table, smudges of tomato sauce congealed o
