Leon watched Kurt retreat down the hall to his quarters. Would Kurt use the advice he was given? Leon didn’t have high hopes. Either way, the man’s well being was still a part of Leon’s responsibility. Well, for a little while, it was out of his hands. Once Kurt was out of earshot, Yulia spoke up.

“You’re letting him call you that? Mister Gomez?” She asked, and Leon chuckled. Valorie and Yulia were still next to him, likely for Yulia’s benefit.

“If it means he’ll listen to me, let him use it.” Leon turned to look at her again, his good mood restored. Yulia crossed her arms, her foot tapping on the floor.

“Seems like he’s a lot more polite with you,” Yulia said with a huff.

“A benefit of being first mate.”

“Wha, but the pilot’s important, too.”

“I know that.” Leon’s tone deepened a moment before lightening again, “But worth is funny like that. People make it up all on their own.” His smirk returned. Yulia frowned, looking up as she thought about it. Valorie spoke up first.

“Make it up?” Valorie’s gaze was downcast, as usual, but her voice was clear.

“Yeah, who do you think decides it?” Leon’s genuine curiosity slipped out covered in a light teasing tone.

“The collective.” Her answer was quick. And more than a little odd.

“You mean like society does?” Yulia asked, “That kinda makes sense.” She added without waiting for an answer. Valorie nodded, looking to her friend with those empty eyes. Was it relief she was feeling? Leon shook his head.

“Don’t worry so much about what others think – the majority of them are at least a thousand lightyears away anyway.” His confident tone lent his words weight. “In the end, you gotta decide what matters for yourself.” It was old advice, but Yulia nodded along, a smile forming on her face.

“Okay, I’m getting it,” Yulia said. Valorie appeared to have no reaction. Leon had seen her smile with understanding before, but she wasn’t now. Was she still debating it?

Yulia interrupted, “Should we get going?” She was looking at Valorie who nodded. With a quick goodbye to Leon, Yulia was on her way. Valorie followed, glancing over her shoulder with that blank look. He offered a friendly smile, but she looked away. Not before he saw the corner of her lip turn down. Had it really bothered her? He shrugged, continuing down the hall towards the docking bay. That mystery would have to wait.

Leon’s friendly persona melted away, returning to some default he didn’t care to think about. Alone with his thoughts, he returned to pondering the Captain’s instructions. Was there a plan behind the teams? The long hall echoed with his steps backed by the low hum of the ship around him. If he had a problem with the ship, it was that she was too quiet. He was used to cramped halls, either from a smaller ship or a larger crew. Emptiness like this echoed when exploring derelicts. The unsettling sense that something important is missing.

He poked at the PD ring on his left ring finger, opening it to start up a song. It connected to the Nanobud installed along his ear canal. Not great sound, but the quick beat and sharp notes washed over his thoughts. The sensation cleared away his irritation.

The kid was Leon’s clue. Quinns’ interest in salvage beyond the mission scope stuck out. Gareth had given Leon the mechanic and the strongman after all. With no specific direction on what to gather, did he mean any opportunity? Gareth had made a team that would be ready if they found something worthwhile. Yet, he left the ultimate decision of retrieval on Leon’s shoulders. The ideas had a smooth fit, except for one question. Why wouldn’t Gareth explain it himself?

Leon focused on his music for a moment, counting the beats, clearing his mind. The reason wasn’t important right now. Instead, Leon went over his prep plan for boarding and began factoring in new equipment his team may need. Accounting for safety and utility, he worked out a possible list of necessities. This puzzle carried him all the way to engineering.

***

The air cycled through the bridge was cooler than anywhere else on the Helianthus. Valorie wasn’t sure if it were by location or design. Either way, she found it refreshing after such a heated morning. She made her way to her seat, taking in the Bloor Station’s docking bay beyond the glass canopy. Knowing she would be the only one on her Captain’s boarding team left a strange tightness in her gut. If she ate, her body may not keep it down. She trusted him, so fear seemed unreasonable. Still, if she were not enough… Her stomach grew tighter still.

She sat down and began the connection procedure, hooking up wires as prompted. Long wires ran from connectors at the base of her skull. They were sealed, braided, and color-coded. Valorie only had the connections required by the SCT program. Her original clone body had many more connectors, but most were fake. A show put on to explain away her abilities. Few argued a solution they could see for themselves.

Not all of the connections were fake. The required ones, like Valorie’s, allowed organic processors to filter digital data. Evie could interact with the data firsthand, bypassing Valorie’s eyes and fingers. She didn’t know why the connection worked, and it faded the moment she unhooked. Without it, electricity remained an ethereal tickle. Like the heat from a small candle against Valorie’s fingertips. With the connection complete, she buckled in and closed her eyes.

None of her sisters were close enough to interact with. Bloor Station was a member of the Union, so the closest sister was a few systems away. In this quiet, Valorie could reach out to talk, but without a reason for doing it, she would be a hindrance.

She comforted herself by checking up on her crewmates. Two were drawing close to the bridge, she glanced up at the door before snapping back to her display. What a bad habit… The doors to the bridge slid open and Valorie resisted taking a glance. Conversation caught her ear, but it was mid-sentence.

“To me, cause of Serge, but I want to help. I want to be useful to you.” Yulia’s voice was serious, but Valorie could imagine how pink her cheeks were.

“You are. Precious little is more important to me than the Helianthus, Yulia. And I put her in your capable hands.” Gareth’s tone was friendly, but it matched Yulia’s in weight.

“I get that.”

“I’m not sure you do.”

“But, Captain, this is an easy one. If I can’t help more on something like this, I’m-” Yulia began her way down the stairs, pausing when she saw Valorie. “Oh, Valorie! You’re here already.” She leaned over Valorie’s seat, a twist of emotions radiated off her. Excitement tinged with both joy and fear, at what Valorie was not sure. “I bet you were a star student in school.” She grinned. She was dressed up, not in uniform and not exactly formal, but it did match her cobalt-colored hair.

“I don’t know about that,” Valorie responded. None of her kind had inhabited a child, so there was little knowledge to draw from about human childhood. Yulia leaned forward, scrutinizing her.

“I can’t picture you as a troublemaker,” She said.

“Perhaps she was the quiet one,” Gareth suggested. He was standing by the navigator’s station, working on the display. Yulia frowned at this, straightening up.

“Someone would’ve noticed her hard work though,” Yulia said, but hesitancy softened her tone.

“Oh, I often go unnoticed.” Valorie was excited to have an explanation. The look on Yulia’s face dampened Valorie’s excitement. “Sorry?” She offered, and Yulia bit her lip.

“Well, it won’t be like that here.” Yulia straightened and pat Valorie’s arm. “You get a gold star for today.” She grinned again, “Keep it up.”

“Yes, sir.” Valorie nodded as if accepting an order. Yulia laughed and turned away to settle into the pilot’s seat. Valorie sensed Leon nearing the bridge. With only 30 minutes until take-off, he was pushing the limits of punctuality.