As Veera got close to Winters’ pod, she couldn’t help the nervous feeling that welled up from her gut and pooled somewhere near her diaphragm. She came to a halt momentarily when he looked over at her. It was true he’d assented to her plan to deliver him some food during the day, but he’d also expressed a desire for solitude. Unfortunately, as with most of their conversations, the previous night had left her burning with questions, more questions than she’d ever thought she’d have. She wanted to know more about the fireball that was Seil’s manifestation in the world, as well as the twin moons. She wanted to know more about Earth, about humanity, and about the great void he’d shown her. Tamping down her inquisitiveness, she took a deep breath and continued her approach. Just a food delivery, you can wait a few days Veera. He needs space, just like you did. As she neared, Winters brought his hand to his head before standing up and leaping from the pod’s roof. It wasn’t that high of a fall, but the grace he was able to maintain in spite of the extra weight of his armor was impressive. He landed as though completely unburdened, allowing his legs to absorb the impact. Unbidden, her mind began considering what a body capable of that looked like. More than anything that was still her greatest question. She had been given a good example of human female physiology thanks to Io, but she wanted to see the real thing. It will have to wait. Now is truly not the time. She reminded herself as Winters walked up to her. Her throat felt dry as she looked into his eyes. They were clear, but still held great sorrow. She remembered a similar expression on the face of her father as the two of them had laid her mother to rest, his mournful eyes reflecting the light of the pyre against the darkness. Only Gentia and Thantis had been in attendance.

“Hey Veera.” Winters offered, waving to her softly.

“Hello Russell, selah.” She returned his greeting, clasping her hands together in front of her.

“And to you.” He waited for her to continue.

“I brought you a couple fish and boiled eggs.” She informed him, rummaging inside her satchel. She handed over the eggs one by one before handing him the fish, which she’d wrapped in the bread cloth from the other night. He took the food gently into his hands and nodded to her.

“Thanks Veera, really appreciate it.” He replied. It was pleasant enough, but there was something off, something mechanical about his speech. Veera took a step to close the gap between them, fighting her desire to actually touch the human, to offer him comfort.

“Russell…are you alright?” She looked up and held is gaze, unwilling to let him look away. He sighed, his warm breath flowing across her face in contrast to the cool autumn air. Oddly enough, he didn’t smell of their prior meals. She detected something herbal and crisp, but couldn’t place the scent. It was another question for another time. The one she’d just asked was the only one she cared for right now.

“No, I guess not.” He chuckled softly. “But you’re kind to ask. How are you holding up? I know I dropped a ton of bricks on you last night.” He scratched the back of his neck and looked off to the side, a habit that Veera was coming to find endearing.

“What are bricks?”

‘A building material used by humans; they were originally developed for use in areas with minimal timber resources. In this case, you can consider them to be the functional equivalent of rocks.’ Io informed them both. ‘Good day Veera, thank you for coming. I am glad he will not be going hungry tonight.’

Veera pressed a finger to her earpiece and stroked it once. “Hello to you too, Io. I’m happy to help. And yes Russell, to answer your query I am alright. It always seems like you leave me with more questions than answers, but it was a chance to understand the gods more intimately, a chance I believe most in my tribe would be envious of. I thank you for it, and I thank you for allowing me to share your burden.” She finished gently. “I’ll see you around?” She decided to offer him a way out, feeling that the situation called for it. Things seemed better than the night before, and they would be better tomorrow, Veera hoped.

“I uh…yeah. Thanks Veera. Selah.” Winters remained rooted to the spot as Veera turned and departed with a swish of her tail coming quite close to his face. She waved without turning back, a gesture that he was sure meant I’ll see you soon. “Seriously, thank you.” He whispered into the air around him. “It seems like I’m thanking her more than the other way around these days.”

‘She has been quite considerate of your wishes sir. And there’s nothing wrong with that I’ll add.’ Io remarked.

“I don’t deserve her.” Winters asserted grimly, turning to deposit the food at the relative safety of his pod.

‘Oh now you’re just being insufferable.’ Io chastised him. ‘Take as much time as you need to come to terms with the death of the Captain and your comrades, but don’t you dare start with this self-deprecation business! You think she doesn’t feel the same way? You think she doesn’t go to bed at night wondering what in the world she did to have become your companion? A literal white knight drops out of the sky on top of her, provides her with protection, food, and camaraderie, and likely has her running around in circles all day wondering if she can ever make it up to you…’ Io paused to take a dramatic breath. ‘…and you have the gall to sit here and feel sorry for yourself because she brought you some food and was willing to offer you a friendly ear, a shoulder to lean on, and companionship?! Du Narr!’ Winters could only rock back on his heels and gawk at her. He was, without a doubt, the first human to ever be reprimanded by a VI.

“Uh…sorry?” He finally managed as he regained his voice.

‘You can apologize by getting your ass in gear, getting to work on our next project, and realizing that you are very deserving of your scrawny girl. The final part should be completed by the way.’ Io informed him. Sure enough the green light on the fabricator’s panel was flashing. Claiming the final piece of plastic, Winters engaged Io again.

“How much raw material do you think we’ll need for the clothing? And how did you know that about Veera?”

‘If you begin gathering biomass I will inform you when the refiner has enough of the requisite materials. And what about Veera were you referring to, sir?’

“About…how she thinks about me.” Winters felt a creeping blush in spite of himself as he unsheathed his knife and began harvesting the long grasses at the stem. It felt good to be working again, or less bad, at any rate.

‘Female intuition and keen observation.’ Io informed his with an air of superiority.

“Female intuition huh?” Winters asked, wondering why he was even surprised at this point. Io was evolving into quite the woman. If they ever find us…I’ll have to protect her too. The thought caused him to hack at a particular blade of grass with unusual violence. “Well, whatever it is Io, thanks for kicking some sense into me.”

‘You are welcome sir. Having you focused on the mission benefits us both. The Captain was most insistent that we not perish, to give up would be an insult to her memory. I believe that is the term humans would use?’

“Indeed she was Io, and yes, that is the term. It was rough hearing her voice again. Glad we did though. I think in the end it will make things easier. Like ripping a bandage off all at once, right?”

‘I suppose that is an apt analogy sir. And I believe the refiner has enough biomass as well. Shall we head over and at least ask permission before you go catapulting her farm forward by a few technologies?’

“It would be polite I suppose…”

‘Sir, what is it?’ Io had immediately picked up on the change in his mood. She prodded for answers, unwilling to allow him to slip back into melancholy.

“Just worried, you know? Not sure what Veera and I had before this…if you could even call it something. But whatever it was, it was working. Now…now I don’t know what she thinks of me, where we go from here.”

‘Du Narr.’ Io spoke in exasperated German.

“What does that even mean?” Winters asked, bringing a hand to the back of his neck as he finished loading the resource hopper.

‘You fool. And you are being a fool right now sir. Her actions today should have already alleviated your fears. And if not, remember what you told her last night. You said you gave her too little credit. I don’t know if it is her appearance or the fact that you’ve taken on the role of provider in a way, but you seem to have forgotten that she is just as much a veteran of life as you are, perhaps more so. Did you abandon her after learning about her parents? Would you abandon her if she fell into your arms and finally allowed that sorrow to ebb from her?’

“Of course not!” Winters yelled, insulted that Io would even suggest such a thing.

‘Then why in the world would she do that to you?! When has she given any indication that she is that type of person? Mein gott you can be thick sometimes.’ A silence prevailed as Winters absorbed what Io had told him. She was too damn smart for her own good, and too damn good at kicking his ass. ‘And for the record, there is no other HEL Jumper I’d rather be paired with.’ Winters could practically hear her smile. He looked to the skies and gave thanks that she was on his side.

“The feeling is mutual Io.”

As Veera prepared to depart her field, she noticed Winters approaching the stone wall. He had a great many long, thin tubes bundled under each arm. Figuring that since he had come to her he was at least open to brief conversation, Veera left her satchel and strode over to him. He deposited his burden and waited for her, idly playing with his knife, testing its point against a fingertip. “Hello again Russell, I didn’t expect to see you so soon. What’s all of this?” She indicated the tubing, which she could now see had many small holes in straight lines along the sides and bottom.

“My next project.” He informed her cryptically with a wink. His mood seemed to have improved dramatically.

“And what would that entail, exactly? I believe if my farm is somehow involved I have a right to know.” She insisted, bringing a hand to her hip.

“That you do Veera. I was just having a little fun. That said I would like it to be a surprise, if you don’t mind. I promise I will not uproot or trample any of your dato.”

“You’d better not, or that’s one less bit of food for the both of us you hear!” She waved a finger at him but soon relented with a grin. “I’m excited to see what all this will become. Thank you.”

“You can thank me when you see it tomorrow, ok?”

“Ok, you have a deal.” Veera looked to the eastern horizon where the star was beginning to touch the curvature of the planet. The clouds overhead had taken on beginnings of pink and orange. “I have to be getting back now. Would you like me to bring you some more food tomorrow?” She asked.

“How much do we have left?”

“Two days of fish and seven eggs.” Veera rattled off with precision, marking the tally with her fingers.

“As long as you aren’t cutting into your own meals, I’d appreciate that very much. I should have time to go fishing tomorrow.” Veera looked away, feathers fluttering.

“I suppose I am eating more…”

“As you should.” Winters insisted. “I think we both know you were starving yourself before. Get yourself back into peak condition Veera. Winter is only going to be harder and I’m sure your body is crying out for the necessary resources to rebuild itself.” He gave her a stern look, unwilling to broker any disagreement on the subject of Veera being well nourished.

“I suppose I won’t argue with someone who wants me to eat more. I think I’ll finish off our stew tonight…” A wistful look graced Veera’s eyes, one Winters couldn’t help but smile at. “What? It was really good!” She explained, smiling at him before turning to go.

I guess it really is the simple things. Winters thought. Just as Veera had begun walking away, she stopped abruptly and turned back to him.

“Uh…yes?” Winters asked, finding himself suddenly under the scrutinizing gaze of a curious Cauthan.

“Winters…” She muttered, as if pondering an intricate riddle.

“Yeeees?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“You said that word, and it translated to winter. But it’s also your name. You’ve been saying it since I met you.” Winters saw the moment it all clicked in Veera’s head. “You’re named for the season! Your name means winter!”

‘I like her. Can we keep her?’ Io joked into Winters’ headpiece.

“Yes, that’s my family’s name. Not sure where it came from to be honest, but there it is. Now get going, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Winters waved goodbye as streaks of purple and blue traced the sky above him. Satisfied that Veera would return home before dark, he gathered his pipes and began to lay them out carefully in between the rows of dato. “Hey Io, got anything good in there for working?”

‘You will have to be more specific sir. I have been reviewing some of the German music and literature I was given.’

“Anything from that list suit your fancy…or mine?” He asked. Io considered the question with an audible pondering noise.

‘Hmmm, perhaps this?’ She suggested as a sweeping set of notes and percussion assaulted him.

“Io, what is this? Sounds like I’m about to head off to war…a really epic war.” He remarked, banging a support strut into the ground with a rock from the river.

‘Sir, you’re beating infrastructure with a rock. You’d prefer the dulcet tones of a piano solo?’ She inquired sarcastically.

“I suppose I can’t argue with you there. How long is this song

anyway?”

‘Sixteen and a half minutes.’

“Now I understand.”

‘You know we could make or find you a more suitable tool, right sir?’

“I do, but sometimes Io you just have to smash some things with a rock.” Winters explained, hammering in another support a few meters away from the first. They came up to about his knees when fully secured in the soil.

‘You are thinking of her.’ Io stated.

“Both of them, yes.” He replied simply. “And when men get like this, we enjoy hitting things with rocks. How’s that for intuition?”

‘I am glad to see your sense of humor has returned. It is one of your finer points, and a much better coping mechanism than self-pity. Barbaren.’ She threw out the word with an unseen smirk.

“I know what that means.” He casually informed her.

‘I know you do. You find it charming.’ She insisted cheerfully.

“Female intuition?”

‘Of course.’

The two of them worked as the sky above darkened to indigo and finally the deep blue-black carpet of stars, alternating between friendly conversation and comfortable silence. Winters was thankful for the undersuit of his armor as the cold fall night began to set in. The fibers were water resistant and prevented the metal of his armor from conducting his body heat out into the environment. The armor itself was a burden, but one he considered more than justified. It was protection, and the longer he spent in it, the stronger he would remain. Fishing all day, while necessary, wasn’t the best way to remain combat ready. As the two moons rose in the west, Winters put the finishing touches on the piping, connecting the vertical rows with a horizontal feed-pipe slightly larger in diameter. He had positioned that pipe along the edge of the farm closest to the river. After a quick snack of boiled egg, he began assembling the reservoir and the tube to connect it to the feeder pipe. He was thankful for Io’s design of interlocking parts that required minimal hammering. Around midnight he breathed a contented sigh and stepped back to assess his work. He had no bucket, so he’d have to wait for Veera to return for a demonstration, but overall he was pleased. A final lap around the field assured him that nothing was loose or out of place. He could check for leaks in the morning.

“Shall we call it a night Io?” He asked, his heart feeling a bit lighter after the hard work.

‘Yes sir, I believe that would be wise.’ With a last glance at the moons of Mara, Winters headed back to his pod, hoping that his sleep would prove more restful.

Sleep didn’t pan out the way Winters had hoped, but he was able to reach Veera’s farm before she arrived. He knew she understood his good intentions, but figured it was best if she didn’t have to figure everything out herself. While rest had not brought him peace, watching the sunrise over the rolling fields of grass had, to an extent. It was there that Veera found him, atop her wall, sitting and watching the wind sweep through the grass in the golden light of dawn. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to not walk up behind him and wrap her arms around his neck as she had the other night. There was no nervous fluttering of feathers, no tightening of her chest, just a desire to be close. I hope he’s feeling even a measure of that peace on the inside. She settled herself down on the wall beside him instead, knowing that the scaffolding around her land would be explained in due time.

“Good morning, you.” She whispered.

“Hey Veera.” Winters was hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his hands together. His skin was a light bronze in the early morning light. He turned to face her. “Sleep well?”

“Better than you from the looks of it. Is that why you have those dark patches under your eyes?”

“Moments like this I wish I had fur like you, might not be so obvious.” He joked. “But yes, if humans are sleep deprived, we start looking like this. It’s alright though, I don’t remember the dreams.” He hooked a small smile at her.

“I see.” Veera left it at that, knowing that this was an improvement from the day before. “I brought us breakfast!” She changed the subject cheerily, withdrawing more fish, eggs, and a few assorted vegetables from her satchel as well as her canteen. That drew a true smile from the human.

“I hope these are better raw than dato.” He gestured to one of the green oblong shapes. He supposed it looked enough like a cucumber. Veera indicated that he should give it a try. “Io?” He asked, lopping off a tiny chunk and placing it in the B-MASS.

‘You may proceed sir. If these readings are correct…’

“Woah, that’s awesome!” Winters exclaimed, cutting Io off. “That tastes like cayenne!”

‘Yes sir, it appears there is some amount of capsaicinoid compound in the skin. Mild, but present.’

“I had a feeling you’d enjoy that, thought I admit I was a bit worried too.” Veera looked pleased. “The men…or should I say boys in the village have contests where they see how many they can eat. Most of them can handle a half. I don’t think too many can eat more than two. It can become quite the spectacle!” She recounted with a smile, scratching her chin with an extended claw. “Seems I didn’t have to worry about you after all.”

“Wha-” Winters mumbled as he finished off the first space pepper cucumber hybrid. “They have a problem with that? I guess we have pretty different spice tolerance. That would be considered lite fare on my world. How do you prepare it then?”

“Well, for those who enjoy the feeling of setting their mouth ablaze they’ll just chop it up and cook it or eat it raw. Peeling it gets rid of almost all the spiciness so that’s what I tend to do.” Veera explained. “It’s called kina by the way.”

“I see. It’s invigorating actually. Spicy on the outside, plenty crisp and refreshing on the inside. Good stuff Veera, thank you.” Winters accepted a helping of fish next and the two finished their meal.

“So, you want to tell me what all this is about?” Veera gestured to the tubing that was suspended in neat rows above her farm.

“Sure thing, it’s pretty simple really. So that over there,” He indicated the water reservoir in the direction of the river. “Holds water. Flip that lever over there and it’ll flow into the pipes. The pipes are perforated to allow an even distribution of water across the whole plot of land.” Veera’s mouth was open slightly.

“Wait a minute…wouldn’t plants near the reservoir get more water than those at the other end?” She asked.

‘They would, but we took that into account. Good morning by the way Veera, and thank you for expanding his diet. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to begin monitoring him for vitamin deficiency.’ Io activated the B-MASS and threw Veera a cordial wave that the Cauthan eagerly returned.

“Wait, you can’t already do that?” Winters asked, surprised that Io might have trouble with such a thing.

‘Would you prefer I draw blood every morning, sir?’

“Nope!” Winters replied emphatically, swiping another kina and devouring it. Veera smiled, enjoying the banter of her companion…or was it companions?

“What’s up Veera?” Winters asked, noticing her shaking her head.

“Oh nothing much, I was just reflecting a bit is all. You and Io have changed…well…everything. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll wake up one day, come out here, and find you both gone.” She said dejectedly.

‘You’re stuck with us I’m afraid, at least for the foreseeable future.’ Io reassured her with a wink. ‘As to your question regarding water flow through the system you see before you, the holes near the water source are slightly smaller than those at the far end. Over the course of a full watering, assuming sufficient water pressure, that should make up for the difference. Shall we try it?’

“Absolutely, sounds wonderful!” Veera agreed. “Even if I need to fill it every day it’ll save plenty of time wandering around, not to mention I’m pretty sure this will ensure a more even distribution than I could ever hope to achieve with this.” She held up her trusty bucket.

“Tag team?” Winters asked. He wanted to keep working, keep his focus on the tasks at hand. To allow his mind to wander wouldn’t end well. So far the morning had been peaceful and jovial. He wanted to hold onto that. “I’ll go once then you go?”

“Sure!” Veera offered him a high five before walking off to the river. Winters watched her until the tips of her ears disappeared over the ridge.

‘You alright sir?’

“Getting better Io. She makes it hard to dwell on the awful things in this world. I don’t know how she does it.”

‘She is remarkably resilient, I agree.’

“Your turn!” Veera called to him as she returned and unloaded the bucket into the reservoir with a satisfying splash. Winters took the bucket from her, feeling just a bit lighter.

By the time they managed to fill the reservoir, Veera was on the balls of her feet with excitement. Io had been explaining the properties of the plastic material and how the apparatus would be weather and freeze resistant but Winters could tell there was only one thing on the Cauthan’s mind. He leaned close to the ear with her translator.

“Go for it.” He whispered conspiratorially.

“Ok!” Veera shouted as she yanked the lever and listened closely to the sound of water rushing through the pipe and into the system. When a light sprinkling of water began to envelop her crop, Veera’s expression changed to one of pure elation. Winters noticed a tear forming in her eye as she brought a hand to her mouth.

“It’s wonderful. Thank you both. I never thought-” She managed to say before sniffling and catching the words in her throat. When her father had passed and Vash denied her lands next to the village, she had set up her farm as something of an act of defiance. The land was rich, but distant; on the border of the two worlds that made up her whole. She couldn’t help but admit the situation had become untenable over the years. But like so many other things in her life, the human had upended everything. “Thank you.”

Winters said nothing, simply raising his left arm in invitation. Without another word, Veera walked to his side and leaned in against the cool armored plating. As the comforting weight of his arm draped over her shoulder, she felt well and truly at peace. Winters glanced down at his companion, enjoying the subtle rise and fall of her shoulders with each breath and the look of contentment as she closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun.

Totally, one hundred percent worth it.