Kira immediately went back to the command center after administering Jove's minor medical treatment, offering a passing suggestion that he settle in to the base.
"It looks as though it will snow tonight and through the morning," she'd said. "You might have to stay two nights instead of one if the weather hasn't calmed down by tomorrow afternoon."
The prospect didn't appeal to him much, but at least it would give him more time to pick out an opportunity to ask her for money. He felt grimy and diminished as he considered it, like a failure, but still with plenty of distance left to fall.
The dormitory corridor felt like a stark contrast to the high-tech gleam of the command center. Instead of sleek metal and blinking monitors, the walls were a muted gray, the lighting softer and warmer. A series of doors, each marked with a simple number, lined the passageway.
"Dormitories 3, 7, and 8 are still available," chimed Andi's voice, ever-present. "I've verified that they appear to be clean, though I don't have the capacity to clean or check closely myself."
Jove set his hand on the door of dormitory 3, gently sliding the door open. The room on the other side was about half the size of the other standard modules, with enough for a twin bed, a rather small desk, and a touch screen on one wall.
"How many researchers usually live here?" he asked.
"Between five and seven, though the facility's max capacity is nine or slightly higher, accounting for cohabitation," said Andi. "Director Faremont has a separate chamber attached to her private research lab. I hope you find your accommodations acceptable."
"It's fine," he said. "Not much different from my apartment back home. Are there other researchers here right now?"
"I monitor most of the experiments currently running, so the researchers in question aren't needed here in person," said Andi. "It's just been Director Faremont and Ryan for the past two months."
"Just the two of them? Is that normal?"
"They find it acceptable," said Andi.
Something about her answer made his eye twitch. Jove set his bag in the corner of the room and sat down on the bed. He'd brought his phone with him, but unsurprisingly, there was no cell service. Termina did have a Wi-Fi connection, however.
"Andi, what's the Wi-Fi password?" he asked.
"Ah. Unfortunately due to previous misuse of the station's Wi-Fi, all requests for internet access need to go through Director Faremont."
He sighed, put his phone to sleep, and tucked it into his pocket. Having to ask his mother was just enough of an annoyance for him to put it off until true boredom kicked in. He could coast by on the sheer novelty and surrealness of the place until then.
"What are the ambient noises I can hear right now?" he asked Andi.
He'd been wondering about them since he'd first arrived. It reminded him of videos he'd seen of astronauts on the space station, the constant hum of complicated machinery.
"I believe what you're referring to is the climate control system," said Andi, after a pause. "It handles the temperature and humidity control of the base. I'm sure you understand why the interior needs to be heated, but humidity within a nearly airtight environment is a factor which also needs to be mitigated."
"Interesting. What's going on outside right now?"
The touchscreen on the wall blinked to life, revealing what seemed to be a window directly outside the facility.
"Cool trick," he said.
"Thank you! Windows are far too difficult to insulate in an environment like the Antarctic. The sun also rises and sets in a manner which can be disconcerting to normal sleep schedules. Viewscreens connected to exterior cameras were the compromise the director settled on during the base's conception."
"My mother was involved with planning this research facility?" asked Jove.
"She was. I believe your father was, as well."
Jove sat up, memories of his father smarting like the sting of fresh paper cuts. He'd had a complicated relationship with his father. All of his family had. In some ways, Jove was a lot like his father, though Turner's talent for coasting through life had far outstripped his own.
It was hard to imagine what his father would have contributed to the planning of what amounted to his mother's pet project. He supposed Turner might have had a hand in securing some of the funding. Termina was a mostly privately funded research venture, though he was pretty sure that at least some of the papers resulting from the experiments had been openly published.
"Settling in well enough, darling?" Aster's voice came from the partially open crack of his door.
Jove smiled and beckoned her in. "I suppose I am. This place is interesting, but claustrophobic. Glad we're only staying one night. I think I'd start to go stir crazy if we were here any longer."
"Right there with you."
She came into his dorm, and the presence of a second person suddenly emphasized how small and utilitarian it really was. Jove was once more struck by his aunt's beauty, but he did his best to look at her with normal eyes. He could almost picture her as her TV counterpart, Rose, standing there within the research center, off on some dramatic quest which would reach its conclusion across the span of a single episode.
"What?" asked Aster.
"Nothing," he said. "Hey, do you know what this place's Wi-Fi password is?"
"You'd have to ask your mother. Do you have any facial moisturizer?"
"Ooh, sorry, but you would also have to ask my mother, unless Andi knows where to find some."
"Unfortunately, facial moisturizer is not among the regular supplies Termina is generally restocked with," said Andi. "I apologize for this inconvenience and will make certain to remedy it with the next supply run!"
Aster let out a dramatic sigh and plopped herself down next to Jove on his bed.
"Want to go make our requests of Termina's esteemed director together?" she asked.
"You want backup or something?"
"You and Eve aren't the only ones with something of a volatile sibling relationship," said Aster. "It's been years since Kira and I have really gotten along. You'd think time apart would help the old friction buff out, but it's just as rough as ever."
"What happened between the two of you?" he asked.
Aster hesitated, looking like she might give him a long answer, but ultimately waved a dismissive hand. "It's complicated. I suppose you could say we both grew up, but our way of treating each other never did."
"No time like the present," said Jove.
"Any time but the present. God, I can't wait to get back to LA. You should come visit me out there sometime!"
"Yeah, sure."
He smiled and nodded, but knew it would never happen unless she shoved the plane ticket into his hand, as had been the case with this trip. He was so tired of being broke.