Read Still Falling: Book 1: Solstice 31 Saga for Free Online

talked a lot. All the time. There was an awful time in her life when she swore she'd never let another man touch her again, ever. But that was before she met you. The fire needs another log.” She pointed and wrapped her cloak around her closer like it was cooler. Then he realized it was cooler.
    He got up and added more wood. It gave him time to think. And time to marvel at this AI. This was the first conversation he’d had like this in years. He wanted to tell her why he was in the outer rings as well.
    Barcus continued as he poked at the fire, “What happened to Chen? She never said. She was very shy when we met. We only really became friends because we were both heavies living in the 2G outer ring.”
    “Do you remember the night at Peck's Halfway, when that maintenance crew was trying to figure out why all you guys would choose to live on the outermost 2G ring?”
    Barcus smiled and said, “Oh yes. Chen stood on a chair, unzipped her pants and pulled her shirt up so high you could almost see her nipples saying 'for this!’ Her abs looked like they were cut from stone. She looked at me and raised her eyebrow like she used to, and I stood up and showed mine too. Rand was next, but she had been there at the bar longer, several drinks ahead, and was wearing a one piece jumpsuit that she unzipped all the way down, spreading it wide open to show her eight pack as well as the fine black lace bra she was wearing.”
    Barcus was laughing lost in the joy of the memory.
    “You never heard a bar get so quiet so fast. And Chen broke the silence by saying, 'Nice tits Nancy!'
    “I had never laughed so hard in my life,” Barcus said.
    Em continued, “Chen said that two more people moved to the outer ring the next day. She also said that she was really showing her abs to you. She didn't care about the rest. And even though Rand gave her shit about it from then on, they became friends.”
    The thought of the death of Rand was sobering. In a more serious tone he said, “We never knew her first name was Nancy before that night. Chen was...I miss her. She saved me.” He swallowed hard a few times in silence.
    They sat quietly, listening to the fire for a few minutes.
    “Do you think there is anything safe to drink in this tavern?”
    Both of Em’s eyebrows went up, and her eye went side to side like she was thinking. “I think we may be in luck.” She got up and began moving to the door, where she waited for him to open it. He followed down to the main level naturally.
    They went past the bar, which he noticed was suspiciously devoid of any bottles, casks or jars. They continued into the kitchen where she pointed at a trap door, which suddenly seemed so obviously visible. With considerable effort, Barcus opened it. Through a great cloud of dust appeared stairs that went into the darkness of the basement.
    There were many dusty shelves and wine racks with bottles.
    “Em. Can you scan these?”
    “Sure, just grab two and bring them outside. We can actually put them in the bio scanner I have on board.”
    He made his selection based on what looked like the finest glass bottles. The corks came free easily with his ever-handy multi-tool. He poured them both into his two liter Thermos and set it on the table inside the EM. The scan returned a safe score, and by the time he got back up to his fire, he knew the wine would be cold. Anything he put in his thermos was the perfect temp in about two minutes. Hot or cold. He just told it what he wanted.
    Sitting in front of the roaring fire, he drank right from the container.
    “How is it?” Em asked, looking as if she wished she could have a taste.
    “Oh my god... This is so good. This is by far the best wine I have ever tasted. And I have to drink alone, dammit.”
    “No, you don't.” He looked up, and Em was raising a glass in a toast. “To lost friends.”
    It wasn't long before the wine was gone. Em had left quietly at some point. Barcus put some more wood on the fire and