There Never Need Be Longing In Your Eyes (short story)

There Never Need Be Longing In Your Eyes was the twelfth story in the Bernice Summerfield anthology A Life Worth Living. It was written by Ian Farrington.

Summary
Benny has a busy day ahead of her and drops Peter off with Elizabeth Monroe at Little Ones, the day care centre. She is nervous at leaving him there and a little concerned that Peter wants her to leave.

Benny asks Jason to fix the lights in her quarters. She then heads to Willand Hayer's office with a computer complaint. He seems to know what she's talking about, and loads the pornographic images of Benny that someone has uploaded. Benny is shocked, because her complaint had to do with the negative comments she received on her thesis when she posted it for others to read. Willand promises to take care of the images.

Benny drops by Little Ones to check on Peter.He is happily reading a book by himself and ignores her. Benny finds Elizabeth's husband, Bradley, to be a bit rude.

Benny's next errand is at the spacedock, where she waits with Tegor for a shipment from Oultram XII. It takes over three hours, and she didn't receive what she ordered.

Benny decides to pick up Peter a little early, but when she arrives at Little Ones, it is dark and empty. She hears voices behind a closed door. The Monroes are trying to do something quickly before the children's parents arrive. Benny breaks down the door and discovers a sleepy Peter hooked up to a drip. Bradley holds a gun on Benny, while Elizabeth tries to explain. She and Bradley are from another dimension, and they have come to this one to explore its greatest asset — its children. They are merely copying the brain patterns of the children, who they believe are the ones with all the intelligence. Elizabeth is apologetic, but Bradley still holds the gun on Benny.

Elizabeth offers to stop, and starts to unhook Peter. Benny uses this opportunity to tackle Bradley. She knocks him out with a toy train.

When Elizabeth and Bradley have been taken away, and the other children have been picked up by their parents, Benny turns off the machinery to which Peter was connected. Before she does so, she reads the display message: "high emotional connection with mother".

Back at her quarters, Jason has just finished fixing the lights. When he turns them on, all the lights in the building go out. Peter laughs.

Characters

 * Bernice Summerfield
 * Peter Summerfield
 * Jason Kane
 * Willand Hayer
 * Major Nryn
 * Sergeant Reysomris
 * Governor
 * Tegor
 * Captain

Worldbuilding

 * Benny awaits a ship bringing the Covenant of Oultram from Oultram XII.
 * Peter reads a book about a monkey.

Continuity

 * Benny mentions the Koteem (AUDIO: Creatures of Beauty) and Slithergee. (AUDIO: Flip-Flop)
 * Benny is facing an inquest over her recent actions. (PROSE: Buried Alive)