Void take it. Those barrels were unwieldy, even for me.

I stopped and stretched, counted what I’d loaded, what was left. Not enough, and too many was the short answer.

Nothing for it but to keep pushing.

“Hey, you.” Loree came into the warehouse, carrying a tray with two covered bowls. “I thought you said it was a bad idea to skip meals.”

She put the tray down on the corner of a workbench and waited for me to wrestle another of the barrels onto the back of the long bed of the freight hauler before sneaking in a kiss.

I grabbed her, let her lead me over to the enticing aroma coming from the bowls.

“Is it as good as Doc’s oatmeal?” I teased, sliding the cover off the closest dish to reveal rice with chopped veg and shredded protein mixed through with something golden and spicy sprinkled on the top. I grabbed it and dug in.

“Judging from how you’ve almost finished one and are eyeing mine, I’d say it’s a close race.” Loree pushed the second bowl my way. “There’s more, I promise.”

The first wild crush of hunger sated, I watched her examine the items on the workbench while I ate.

“Looks like someone had a chemistry project going. I’m not sure what all of these are for, but it’s interesting.” She ran her fingers through the grit, leaving marks on the surface. “Doesn’t look like its been touched recently, though.”

I should have heard Mills and Tilly come in, but I was too focused on the food to do more than register their presence in the back of my mind as a non-threat.

“Our son. Harten.” She ran a hand over the vials, eyes distant. “He was always looking for a way to increase the harvest, find other uses for the algae.” Tapped a finger against one bottle. “He figured out how to stabilize the dyes, as a side project for me. It was a birthday present.”

“I’m sorry.” Loree tidied the equipment she’d moved. “What happened to him?”

“Nothing happened to him.” Mills stomped past, hauling one of the algae barrels to the truck with an aged airlift. “Decided he wanted more than the farm, went off planet to look for a job last year. Never heard from him again.”

The tightness of Tilly’s mouth suggested she had a different take on things, but it wasn’t our place to get involved. With a pang I thought of Cintha’s missing brother. As soon as we got home, I’d have Nixie help me look. She deserved answers, and so did Mills and Tilly.

“Thank you for the food.” I finished the second bowl quickly. “But I better get moving again, if I’ve got a chance at winning that bet.”

“We’ll see about that,” Loree said.

I didn’t have time to figure her answer out. Mills might have been old, and unmodified, but anger spurred him on. His body knew just how to move those bulky vats, and experience could beat out sheer strength most days of the week.

We worked in silence for hours, the clink and clatter in the depths of the warehouse the only signs that Loree had found something to work on. Good. That, and our supplies from Outlander would be a fair trade, for their help and shelter.

“Mills, honey, mind moving to the side?”

Tilly towered above us, riding a massive loader. The faded yellow plates weren’t pretty, and parts looked like they might have been scavenged from a few other things, but the smooth whirr of the machinery told me what Loree had been up to.

Long padded pincer fingers came down from four hinged arms, clamping gently on a pair of barrel. She swung it to the back of the hauler in seconds, then positioned for another round.

“Why don’t you boys take a break for a bit,” she called down. “I think we’ve got it from here.”

Before lunch she had the entire harvest loaded. Mills and I moved the barrels closer to where the loader could more easily reach, but mostly out of sheer male pride. “That thing hasn’t worked properly in years,” he said, as we took a break to watch Tilly neatly arrange the barrels to leave a space in the bed for us to ride in. “Easier this way, that’s for sure.”

After a quick lunch, we were on the move.

“I’m going to ride in back with the kids,” Tillie offered.

“That can’t be a good idea,” I started, then skipped to the side at the sharp pain in my ankle.

Loree glared at me, then turned to Tilly. “Honestly, if you have some extra blankets, we wouldn’t mind a little quiet time on the ride.” She giggled. “He did get up a little early.”

Tilly patted her hand. “Newlyweds.” She opened one of the chests lining the wall, and started handing folded bundles to Mills. “That works out well. I’m meeting a friend who runs a shop in town, and she wants to see some samples of what I’ve done.” With a broad wink she pulled Mills out of the room with her. “So best keep them clean, alright?”

“What was that about?” I whispered to Loree.

“Don’t assume she can’t do something, just because of her legs,” was the fierce reply.

“I...” Void. She was right. “I’m sorry, babe. Wasn’t thinking.”

I folded her in my arms. “Though now she thinks I’m going to ravish you in the bed of a truck.”

“Only if you’re very neat about it.”

Ravishing wasn’t on the agenda. As soon as we took off, the gentle rocking and Loree curled on my chest pulled me into the dark.

“Xander, hon, I think we’re close.”

I scrambled to sit up, banging my head into one of the barrels that had shifted slightly during the trip.

“How long was I out?”

“Not more than an hour or so. I can’t see through these, but the sounds have changed. I think we’re in Bartrowe.”

The smell had changed, too. The baked scent of hot dust and the slight undertone of sepulcher from the algae had been replaced with the olfactory clamor of thousands of human bodies, their trash. And woven through it all, a ribbon of fresh, cold mountain air.

“Here we are!” Tilly called out from the window, just in time for the world to darken as we passed into a large building.

Machinery clanked all around, and I itched to get out, see what was happening.

In minutes we’d pulled into an unloading berth. Mills and a stranger dove into the current prices for crops while Loree and I hopped down. All around us other haulers, large and small, were being unloaded, their harvest weighed and tested. A giant screen running the length of the room scrolled information.

“Bids from other planets,” Loree murmured. “Or megacorps. Can’t tell. Looks like they’re bidding based on purity and protein.”

“Lineage history, too,” Mills added. “Some folks can’t stand certain strains, say they can taste the base no matter what’s been added in the replicator.” He chuckled. “You’re a quick study, girl. Sure I can’t convince you to stay?”

She fiddled with her braid, but shook her head. “I wish we could. But we’re going to need a job to get that ship hauled out of your way and fixed up.”

He gave a deep sigh. “If I can’t convince you to come back with us, then the best person to talk to is Dewitt over at Follet’s. He’s got a hand in everything, these days.”

“You like him any better than Vang?”

Mills laughed. “Void, they’re both my cousins. Liking doesn’t have anything to do with giving someone a hard time.”

“Hon, why don’t you take them instead of just waiting around here to see how the sales go? I’m going to be a while at the shop,” Tilly commented. “I’m looking forward to really stretching these things out,” she tapped the leg braces, “ and you can stand talking to family long enough for a quick introduction.”

Tilly and her bundle of textiles turned to the right and with a quick wave she disappeared around the corner. We crossed the street and went down another block.

The people on the streets looked hard, tired. As if living on Fentria had taken a toll. “Don’t particularly care for Bartrowe,” Mills said. “Never seems to be folks having a good time.”

As we approached the next corner, the sounds of laughter and shouting bled out from a plexi fronting building with the sign ’Follet’ hanging in front at an awkward angle.

“Except in places like this, and I’m not sure if that really counts.”

Men and women clumped in groups inside the darkened interior of the bar. A circle of players crowded a table, studying the cards in their hands. Loree looked up at me with a wink, and I squeezed her hand. Probably no time for a game, but I’d make it up to her.

Mills ignored them all, just headed straight to the far back corner. A thin man loomed over another sitting at a broad table, slapping it to emphasize his words.

We stopped, Mills obviously unwilling to interrupt, and I was happy to have a chance to observe.

“I told you, I need that job!”

The seated man rocked back in his chair, face a blank mask of unconcern beneath a gleaming, shaved head. “Can’t make a job out of nothing. You know that.”

“Dewitt, please.” the thin man’s shoulders slumped, his chest a hollow cave. “My kids.”

“Dammit.” Dewitt tapped his fingers, closed his eyes with a sigh. “Go talk to Stanis. Tell him I said to give you two days.” He opened his eyes. “Don’t screw it up this time.”

As soon as the man left, Mills pushed forward. Dewitt’s face grew wearier when at our approach..

“I haven’t heard anything.”

“Not here about him,” Mills cut him off. “Want to introduce you to these folks. Had a bit of a rough landing yesterday, looking to make some money for repairs. Boy’s strong as an Horvian ox, girl’s a genius with machines. Got anything that might suit?”

“Well,” the man flicked through his tablet. “There’s always a need for fighters at the ring. Pays good.”

“No, no fighting,” Loree said quickly. “We’re pacifists.”

I blinked. That was a first.

“Edison town is looking for a temporary mechanic. but it’s be her alone.”

“Not happening,” I snapped.

“A couple, huh. That might make it easier.” He pulled another screen. “Depending on your background check, they’re taking a last batch of workers up to Themis tonight before they seal up.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Anything in your files you don’t want to come up?”

Mills pulled me to the side. “I wouldn’t take it. Too many coming and goings from Imperial folks lately. It’s going to be dicey.”

“Dicey? We should be fine.”

He waggled his eyebrows, and with one snap I saw he hadn’t been fooled for a minute.

“Machines aren’t all she’s a wiz at,” I reassured him. “Thanks for worrying, though.”

A delighted grin crept across his face. “I’ll let Tilly know not to fuss.”

“It sounds a little scary, honey,” Loree said, wide green eyes flicking up from the tablet she’d taken from Dewitt. “But the contract looks like it would pay for most of the repairs.” The corner of her lips twitched. I’d have to teach her to hide that little tell of amusement. Maybe.

“Well, if you’re finished trying to scare off my new workers, maybe you’d let them step this way,” Dewitt said.

A quick retinal scan and palm scan, and we’d formally applied as maintenance workers.

“How long does the background check take?” Loree asked. I could tell her busy mind was counting down the hours. “I’ve never had to do this.”

“Depends on the connection and how much data it needs to pull and how many of your records are over at SysSec anyway and- “

Ding!

“Aha.” he flicked to a new screen, then laughed. “Toad racing? You got busted for Savian Toad racing?”

Loree gave a tiny shrug and nod. Apparently, I had.

“Well, everybody makes mistakes when they’re kids, right?” Please, let her have at least left me enough dignity that it was in my juvenile record. “Is it enough to keep us from the job?”

“Nah, background checks are mostly to make sure you don’t have anything big.” He shook his head. “Toad racing doesn’t quite cut it.”

“All right, the funicular heads out in three hours. Directions are easy. Look for the cables coming down from the mountain into town. Get to the base.”

As we exited the bar I let my spine relax. “Toad racing?” I muttered to Loree.

“Sorry,” she said but she didn’t look apologetic in the slightest. “If there’s nothing on your record, that looks even more suspicious.”

“So what did you have on yours?”

Her eyes sparkled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”