The waiting room managed to be boring and intimidating at the same time. Ashley paced around it, trying not to look too nervous. But what was the right amount? It was hard to guess when an alarm was blaring and she'd been ushered into this small room.

They can't know why I'm here, she told herself. It's impossible. This has to be a coincidence. If they knew, I wouldn't just be sitting here alone. But it wasn't easy to believe that, and Ashley couldn't help wondering if she'd failed before she'd even started.

In which case, what would happen to Michael? He was counting on her.

Trying to distract herself from that question she looked around the room again. It was comfortably furnished, she'd give it that, though most of the furniture was a touch too big for a human and had space for wings at the back. The walls were grown from the dragon's crystal technology, another wonder the aliens had brought with them that Earth needed badly. Remembering the leaking, half-collapsed building she'd grown up in, Ashley was torn between wonder and jealousy at the alien architecture.

At last, the alarms fell silent. For a moment Ashley thought that meant that her ordeal was over, but the oppressive silence that followed was no better for her peace of mind. It seemed to go on forever. Ashley sat down on a chair, trying not to look too nervous in case she was being watched, and pulled out her phone to check the news. No signal. That shouldn't have surprised her, this was a secure facility after all. If people could simply call out her job would be easy, or at least easier. As understandable as blocking net access was, it preyed on Ashley's nerves. Anything could be happening out there, and she wouldn't know.

There was one way she could find out more, though. It was supposed to be for emergencies only, but for all she knew this was one. Taking a deep breath, she tapped a code into the phone. A hum sounded in her ear as the implant in her skull activated. Her employers had insisted that the technology couldn't be detected, not even by the dragons, and she might as well test it out now.

"Hello, Ashley," Mr. Johnson's voice said, and it took all her concentration not to jump and look around. It sounded as though someone was speaking right into her ear, though with the magic of quantum communicators he could have been anywhere on Mars. "Are you inside?"

"There's a problem," she said under her breath. The briefing had told her she didn't need to speak aloud to be heard, and she had to hope that was true. "An alarm."

"Nothing to worry about," her handler said. Not for the first time she wished she knew who, exactly, she was talking to, but his voice was smooth and confident and lent her strength. "It's nothing to do with you, I assure you."

"So you know what's going on?"

A pause, and then a patient sigh. "Yes, Ashley. But I can't tell you. It would be too much of a risk. If you slip up and show that you know something, that'll give the dragons a reason to distrust you."

She had to admit he had a point, but it didn't help her curiosity. "I need to know something. Please."

A note of steel entered the man's voice. "You don't need to know anything, Ashley. You just need to do what you're told. Remember our agreement, and the consequences if you fuck up."

It was hard for Ashley to keep her reaction off her face, but she had to. There might be cameras watching, and the last thing she wanted was to be caught talking to... whoever it was on the other end of the quantum communications link. It might be impossible to intercept or eavesdrop on, but that would only help if no one noticed that she was talking to thin air.

Still, the words hit her like a slap. She felt her hands tighten into fists, her breathing speed up. Michael's gaunt face flashed in front of her eyes, her little brother hovering near death. Getting him the medical attention he needed was her first and only priority. Everything else was secondary.

"You don't have to remind me," she whispered back, trying not to let her emotions show in her voice. Michael's safety was in the stranger's hands and that meant she had to do as she was told.

"Good." The warmth and friendliness were back, as though the threat had never been. "We both want what's best for your little brother, don't we? Focus on your job, get in and get out with the information I need, and everything will be fine."

Ashley took a deep breath and held it, slowly letting her anger dissolve. Being trapped like this wasn't pleasant but Mr. Johnson was right, whoever the bastard was. He held all the cards.

"Good girl," he said, taking her silence for assent. If he'd been in the room, she'd have punched him in the nose. I'll never get the chance, and I've got enough trouble without holding out for something that will never happen, she thought. Letting out her held breath, she released the anger with it.

"I'll be back in touch when I have something more to report," she said. Her fingers brushed the screen of her phone, closing the connection before he had a chance to reply. It was rude, and maybe dangerous, to cut him off that way — but she didn't trust herself to keep quiet if he patronized her one more time. Better to be a bit short than to really insult him.

Behind her, the door to the waiting room slid open. A human man stepped in smiling apologetically, carrying two cups of coffee as he made his way over.

"Ashley Warren? I'm Dan Cooper, head of the human team here at the Imperial Research Center. Sorry for the delay."

His words were friendly enough, but his tone didn't quite match them. Or perhaps it was his eyes, which seemed to have trouble focusing above her neck. Calm, Ashley told herself, trying not to show her reaction. I need to make a good impression.

Cooper extended his hand as though to shake hers, and only then seemed to notice that he held a cup in it. A moment's confusion followed as he tried to take it in his other hand, only to find that he was carrying another cup there. The look of flustered confusion almost made Ashley laugh, and she took one of the cups from him.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip and grimacing. It wasn't very good, but then it was probably imported instant from Earth. She was going to miss decent coffee if this was the best Mars had to offer. "Yes, I'm Ashley. Pleased to meet you, Dr. Cooper, I'm a fan of your work."

He grinned, a smug expression spreading across his broad face. The look of an academic who expected everyone to know his work, and who was certain it was the most important thing in the universe. A pang of guilty amusement flashed through Ashley at that. The only reason she knew him was that she'd read everything she could find about the human scientists at the Center. Getting in good with the staff might be important for what she needed to do, and it surely couldn't hurt.

All she knew about Dr. Daniel Cooper was that he did a lot of work with hyperfield mathematics, none of which made the slightest bit of sense to her. He didn't need to know that, though.

"What's the alarm about?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual. "Does that happen a lot?"

Cooper grimaced. "More often than I'd like, certainly. It's the intruder alarm — this place has a lot of alien technology that would be worth a fortune on Earth. Some people can't resist the temptation to try and steal from us. Fortunately, that's pretty much impossible. The aliens are mostly just thugs, but they're good at keeping their secrets safe."

"That still sounds pretty inconvenient," Ashley said. It was certainly inconvenient for her if security was tight all the time. Perhaps, though, if the security team was all looking for outside threats she'd go unnoticed? It was a hope to cling to, anyway.

"It can be," Dr. Cooper said, apparently oblivious to her tension. "Shouldn't bother you too much, though. You're the one we're bringing in to figure out the stardrive, right? That's out in the spaceship, and no one's ever gotten that far in a break in. We'll be able to work in peace."

There was something creepy about how he said that. A combination of tone, the little smile that flickered across his face, the way his gaze dropped to her chest for a second. Ashley worked to keep her smile, not looking forward to working alone with this man.

"I doubt you'll be able to do much, anyway," he continued. "The best minds the Consortium could put together are working on unraveling the mysteries of the dragons' stardrive, and we've had no luck. Even the damned dragons have no idea how it works. I don't think a ruins scavenger is going to do much better, but I suppose it's worth a shot."

That stung. It didn't matter that Ashley had thought the same thing, coming from him it sounded different. The casual way he dismissed her skills made her want to prove him wrong. Don't get caught up in it. You're not here to solve the problem, you're here to steal what they've already got, she reminded herself. Let him think what he likes — at least I won't feel too guilty taking his research.

"Can I see it now?" she asked as sweetly as she could. "The stardrive sounds fascinating, and I've only seen pictures."

"I don't know," Cooper replied, pretending to weigh the question. But she'd judged him right, and the chance to show off to her was enough of a draw to overcome his reservations. "I suppose there's no harm in it, though. Come on, I'll show you what all the fuss is about."

Part one of the mission done, Ashley thought as she followed him into the complex. And it was easier than I expected, really. So why does it feel like I'm sticking my head in the lion's mouth?

The journey through the crystal spire of the Imperial Research Center was short but still gave Ashley a lot to think about. There were numerous doors, each needing a card to pass, and while Dr. Cooper assured her that she'd get her own soon enough, it was worrying that she would be tracked so closely. And, until she did get that card, she was reliant on someone else opening the doors for her. That didn't bode well for a thief.

On the other hand, the locks didn't look that secure. Back on Earth she'd faced worse on scavenging trips into the ruins of the old cities. By now most of the easy to access stuff had been recovered, so finding a way through security devices was part of any skilled scavenger's toolkit. Maybe if the Center thought that the locks would keep thieves out it would work to her advantage.

Dr. Cooper talked the whole way through, but she couldn't follow most of it. Too technical, too complicated, and the strange alien architecture they were walking through was far too distracting as well. It was one thing to read about the dragons' designs, but to be standing inside one of their crystal towers was entirely different. Ashley couldn't keep her mind on what the doctor was telling her. Hopefully there'd be a briefing manual or something, and she could catch up on what she was missing.

Or perhaps it wasn't even relevant and he was just showing off. That sounded just as likely.

The spaces here were huge, big enough for a full-sized dragon to move through, and the central chamber of the tower was wide enough that she wondered if one could fly up to the top. It was an amazing bit of architecture, and a terrifying one. Ashley couldn't even imagine what it would be like to look down from the top of the tower but her heart raced at the thought of the drop.

Fortunately, Dr. Cooper didn't take her far up the ramp that spiraled up the tower. Instead, he led her off one level up and through another set of secure doors. Laboratories on either side of them were full of human scientists working alongside towering dragons. The sight made Ashley's curiosity itch, and she wished she could see what they were up to. There was so much knowledge being uncovered here.

And I'm here to steal some of it. She tugged at her collar, throat feeling tight. Come on, this isn't the time to feel guilty.

"— here we are," Dr. Cooper said, and Ashley realized she'd stopped paying attention to him a while ago. He'd stopped outside a forbidding doorway. This one actually did look tough to crack, and Ashely managed to bring her mind back on task. It was an exterior door, an airlock, though neither she nor Cooper were wearing spacesuits.

"You've not heard a word I've said, have you?" Dr. Cooper asked, an artificial smile giving away his annoyance. He took a breath, held it for a second, and then continued. "Never mind, I know it's rather distracting in here. But do try to pay attention in future."

Ashley nodded, a little embarrassed that he'd caught her out. Not that she expected Cooper to have anything important to say: what little she'd heard had been about how important his work on the stardrive was. It must be frustrating for him when his audience doesn't get how wonderful he is.

Still wearing his pinched expression Cooper turned to the door and Ashley paid close attention to how he opened it. It didn't make her feel very confident — there were three locks, one opened with a keycard (she could spoof that), one with a fingerprint (tricky, but doable) and the last with voice print (crap).

Let's hope I don't have to break in here because that's going to be trouble, she thought. On the plus side, she was supposed to be working in here. As long as that was true, the security would keep anyone else from disturbing her. Try to see the silver lining, Ashley.

The great door slid aside silently, letting out a breath of cold air. On the far side was a short corridor that connected to the Grace of Herendar. Ashley's heart skipped a beat as she followed the scientist across and into the spaceship. The ancient ship seemed to creak under her boots, though she knew that was all in her mind. The deck was solid, but the place was so old that she felt it should creak.

Cooper led her through the ship's broad corridors, lit by hanging bulbs rather than the ship's own lights. "We keep the systems we're not testing off so that they don't interfere with each other. Most of them still work, but if we powered up the lights—"

"It would mess up experiments on all the linked systems," Ashley interrupted. Cooper blinked at her and she grinned. "Hey, I salvage abandoned tech for a living. Don't be surprised when I know how these things work."

His eyes narrowed and she could have kicked herself. Pissing him off wouldn't do her any good, and if he was angry with her he might be less helpful. But still, it rankled that he didn't think she'd understand what they were doing.

After a moment he shook his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to imply..."

She let him trail off, then held up a hand. "Hey, it's okay. I know I'm not a scientist, but you brought me here for a reason, right? If I didn't get this I wouldn't be much use."

"Fair," he said, though there was still a hint of resentment in his tone. He'd been showing off for her, and it looked like he was one of those smart guys. The guys who didn't like it when a woman didn't need everything explained to them. Ashley sighed, trying to make her smile look genuine.

That might have been a mistake. Cooper's eyes lit up and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. Ashley suppressed a shudder and looked away, trying to hide her revulsion. There wasn't time for a romance in her life, especially not with one of the scientists here, and even if there had been Dr. Cooper wouldn't be her first choice. Or her hundredth. Her mysterious employer would almost certainly tell her she should seduce Cooper to help her mission, but ew!

That didn't mean that getting him angry would help. She needed the job and that meant putting up with him. Within limits, anyway. So she resigned herself to not telling him to fuck off.

"There's a lot I don't understand, though," she said, hoping that she could get him talking again. "Like, what's the ship made of? I don't recognize the material."

Cooper nodded enthusiastically at the question. Just as she'd thought, he'd leap at any excuse to lecture.

"It's a fascinating substance," he said, turning to lead her deeper into the ship. "The dragon name for it simply translates as hullmetal, and the dragons here on Mars don't know how it's made. It's tougher and lighter than anything we've been able to manufacture..."

Ashley nodded along, though she didn't follow the details he went into. The one thing she did get from it was that the hull was very hard to cut through. It would take a plasma lance to get through even the interior walls, and those weren't subtle tools. I can cross off any plan to cut my way out, she thought.

They reached the drive room before Cooper had run out of things to say about hullmetal. Inside was a large space which focused on just one thing. A chunk of crystal in a rough cube, about six foot on each side, floated a foot off the floor. It glowed softly, different colors pulsing through it as Ashley stepped inside. Human-made sensors were attached to each of its surfaces and holographic displays floated all around it, but she ignored them. The crystal itself was what she was here to see. It was beautiful, awe-inspiring.

It was the bridge from Earth's solar system to the stars.

Moving forward, she stretched out a hand and then froze before she touched it. Looking back guiltily for permission, she saw Dr. Cooper watching her, eyes alight with interest. Whatever else he might be, Ashley could see that he genuinely wanted the mystery solved.

"Go ahead," he urged. "The Baby doesn't mind being touched."

Ashley raised an eyebrow at that, and the doctor's face reddened. "It's my nickname for the thing," he explained. "It's delicate, irreplaceable, and temperamental. But formally it’s called Hyperdrive Sample One (Semi-Functional)."

"I can see why you needed a better name," Ashley said, pressing her fingers to the crystal structure. It felt weird, cold but not unpleasant. Something shifted under her fingers, as though the crystal was moving subtly, but the change was too small to see.

"Oh, that's odd," she muttered, more to herself than to Cooper. He stayed quiet and she leaned in closer to the crystal machine, wonder filling her. This had carried dragons, and other aliens, across countless light years.

It was damaged, that much was obvious. Some of the crystal had sheared off, and there were dull patches where the glow dimmed. But her instincts told her that it worked. This was a machine that still wanted to do its job. All it needed was some help, and that's what the Center had brought her in for.

I just need to find out what they already know about it, she reminded herself, and her elation faded. Finding something like this buried in wreckage was one thing — a valuable piece of technology that needed repair was exactly what she'd spent most of her life digging through ruins on Earth for. Finding them, fixing them, and selling them. This was different. She wasn't here to repair anything.

She was here to steal whatever Dr. Cooper and his men had already discovered.

It wasn't a pleasant thought, but Ashley couldn't afford to forget it. There was too much on the line, both for her and for Michael.

Before she could take that thought any further, an angry snarl filled the room from the doorway. Ashley jumped at the sound, spinning to look, her face flushing with guilt.

In the doorway stood a dragon shifter, his face dark with rage. The man towered over Dr. Cooper, at least eight foot tall, and his wings made him look even taller. Despite herself, Ashley couldn't keep her eyes off his body. She wasn't usually one to be distracted by a guy, no matter how good he looked, but damn.

His upper body was bare, and the deep red of his alien skin stretched over taut, powerful muscles. Scales gleamed in the light and Ashley's gaze roamed across the alien as he moved into the room, watching the flexing of those muscles as he moved. His perfectly defined six-pack, his broad chest, his strong, stern face framed by a mane of dark hair...

She caught herself chewing on her lower lip as she stared.

The first shifter she'd seen had looked strong and dangerous, but this man was so much more. She found herself wondering what those muscles would feel like as they moved under his protective scales. Just the thought made her fingers tingle with a desire to find out, and she gripped her hands behind her back, hoping that her feelings weren't showing.

Stop that, she told herself. This is no time to get distracted, no matter how—

The thought cut off as his eyes met hers with an almost physical force, rocking her back and driving the breath from her in a gasp. There was something in that look, a sense of recognition. For a moment, it was as though the two of them were alone in an empty room. An empty universe, just for them.