In Search Of . . .
“ACT YOUR AGE, Tay!” Her father was managing (just) to keep his temper, but she knew that wouldn’t last. “You’ve got to learn there’s more to life than floating around with your friends!” Any minute now, and he’d start really yelling and then slam out of the air lock without sealing it properly. Which meant their pod would begin taking on water, which meant she and Mum would have to spend the rest of the morning mopping and pumping it out again. It was all so familiar. She could do entire arguments with her dad on automatic. Then her mum spoke.
“Tay, this isn’t helping. We have something to tell you. Now. Something you need to hear.”
Tay stared. This wasn’t part of the routine. Mum usually stayed right out of the quarrels with her dad.
Her mum took a deep breath, then let it go.
“We’re going to have another child, Tay,” she said. “When it’s born, you know there won’t be enough air in the pod for four. You’ll have to leave. I . . .
