It was many hours later that Remi finally emerged from his quarters. By all appearances, it seemed the crew had returned to their duties, but there was an anxious energy about them as they exchanged furtive glances, each of them on tenterhooks as they gauged his mood. Despite their efforts at nonchalance, the captain recognized their reactions for what they were, each of them walking on eggshells to avoid setting him off. It was a sobering experience.

With a grimace, he took his place in the captain’s chair, giving the various readouts a brief glance before turning his attention to the pilot. “Xuilan, what’s our ETA to Sivor Uq’ish?” he asked.

She jumped at the mention of her name, though she tried to hide it. “Er… we should arrive in orbit in approximately seventeen hours, Cap’n,” she reported, after checking her console.

“Very well,” he nodded, before pressing the intercom switch on his armrest. “Isi, please inform our guest that we will arrive at Sivor Uq’ish in about seventeen hours and that he should be ready to depart at that time.”

There was an almost palpable sigh of relief on the other end. “Aye Cap’n, I’ll let him know,” the purser replied.

That dealt with, he punched up engineering. “Mairead, status report,” he queried.

She responded almost immediately. “Showing a flutter on one of the plasma conduits, but I’m pretty sure it’s a false read,” she informed him. “Other than that, we’re showing green across the board.”

“Excellent,” he nodded. “Keep me posted if there are any changes. Hadad out.” He closed the circuit and looked towards the gunner. “Anything on sensors, Slavko?”

He shook his head. “Negative, Cap’n. Scope’s clear.”

Remi made a gesture of acknowledgment as he settled back in his chair. The past few hours had been an unpleasant experience for all involved, but the best way to deal with the situation was to put it behind them and fall back on their routine. The last thing he wanted was to have some big heart-to-heart talk where they shared their feelings or some such nonsense. Bad enough he’d spilled his guts to Isi about a dark moment in his past, but he was willing to chalk that up to circumstance. Likely the Knights would disagree with his solution, but what did you expect from a bunch of starry-eyed do-gooders?

“Have we heard anything from the good doctor?” he asked aloud.

Xui and Slavko both shook their heads. “Think he’s lying low, after what happened,” the gunner ventured.

“Now he does,” Remi grumbled. “I think another conversation is in order regarding the rules.” Rising from his seat, he nodded at the pilot. “Xui, the Bridge is yours.”

“Aye aye, Cap’n,” she confirmed, as he headed aft.

Making his way through the passenger section, the captain came to an abrupt halt when a hatch slid open. Genvass startled when he spotted the Corsair, his eyes wary as Remi faced him.

“Did Isi tell you our ETA?” he asked cordially.

“He did,” the Dharmist admitted. “I appreciate you keeping me informed, captain.”

“It’s the least we can do,” he replied, pausing for a moment as he wrestled with putting his concerns into words. “It would mean a great deal to my clan if you could keep what you’ve seen here to yourself,” he said at last. “Any success we might have against the Yīqún depends on your silence.”

“I understand,” he nodded, “and of course, I’ll keep your secret.” Taking a deep breath, he plunged forward. “I never intended otherwise.”

The two men regarded one another. “We come from very different worlds,” Remi said finally, “and trust is never easy. Especially when the stakes are this high.”

“Our clans may not always see eye to eye,” Genvass agreed, “but we’re both still Terrans. Now more than ever, that has to mean something. Besides,” he shrugged, “my clan knows a little something about cooperating with other species. The Troika ended the Yīqún threat last time, so maybe they can do it again.”

“It’s just a theory for now,” he shrugged.

“Be that as it may, I wish you luck with your mission, captain,” the Dharmist said formally. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should start packing before we arrive at Sivor Uq’ish.”

“Of course.” Remi gave him a nod before leaving the Dharmist to his own devices. With seventeen hours to go before their arrival, he was certain packing wasn’t the real reason Genvass had made his excuses. Far more likely was he not being entirely convinced an airlock wasn’t still in his future. It wasn’t but convincing him otherwise seemed an insurmountable goal. Once he disembarked the ship, he’d start breathing easier, but until then, his guard would remain up and fully charged.

Hard to blame him, considering.

Continuing aft, he arrived at Doctor Axchxairx’s cabin as he activated the door chime. The hatch slid open moments later. “Captain Hadad, it is agreeable to see you once again,” the Eleexx scientist gushed.

“I’m afraid this isn’t a social visit,” Remi answered, coming straight to the point. “I thought I had made myself clear why I needed you to remain in your cabin until our other passenger had departed. That you snuck out and risked exposure, compounded by the fact you neglected to relock the hatch which got you found out has created a colossal headache.”

The alien bobbed his head. “My deepest apologies, captain,” he answered. “I was in the midst of conducting some basic research when I realized there was a key component I required from my baggage. I had hoped to retrieve it quickly without being noticed, but in my haste, I neglected to reengage the cabin’s locking mechanism. I regret my lapse and assure you it will not happen again.”

“Had you simply contacted me directly, we could have avoided all this unpleasantness,” he informed him, making his point. “However,” he continued, “the damage is now done. Thankfully, the other individual appears willing to keep your involvement in this mission confidential.” I hope, he thought to himself.

“That is indeed gratifying to hear,” Axchxairx replied, bobbing his head once more.

“Let’s hope he’s as good as his word,” Remi said pointedly, though it was difficult to say whether the Eleexx could read between the lines. “By this time tomorrow, he will have disembarked. I would appreciate you remaining in your cabin until then, even though your presence is no longer a secret. I would prefer not to make an already unpleasant situation worse.”

“I understand completely,” the scientist agreed, “and I, of course, will abide by your wishes.”

“I appreciate that, doctor,” the captain said gratefully. At least he wasn’t digging in his heels or making this more difficult than it had to be.

“Once your other passenger has departed, how long will it take to reach our destination at 41 Ori A?” Axchxairx inquired.

“Assuming all goes well? A week and a half, give or take,” Remi shrugged. “Assuming we don’t run into the Yīqún, that is.”

“Indeed,” the alien said gravely. “I am most eager to begin my research, captain, but not at the expense of your ship’s safety.”

“We’ll get you there in one piece, doctor,” Remi assured him. “That much, I can assure you.”

A shuttle from Sivor Uq’ish docked with Gyrfalcon to offload Genvass early the next day. Remi saw no need to hand him off personally; not only was it unnecessary, but someone already on edge could see it as suspicious. Isi and Mairead made their farewells since they were both friendly with Genvass, which was probably for the best. Departing without fanfare, the shuttle dropped away, headed for the surface, even as he gave the order to break orbit and begin making their way toward their ultimate destination.

The next several days were strictly routine, though once Genvass departed, Doctor Axchxairx began cautiously stepping outside his cabin to explore and become acquainted with the crew. They were resistant at first, but as time went on, the scientist’s harmless demeanor eventually disarmed them. He even joined them for an evening meal, but his species’ digestive process thoroughly nauseated the Terrans. After the single attempt at communal meals, he went back to eating alone in his cabin.

Their course took them toward the outskirts of the Perseus Arm, which was a bit of a mixed blessing. While it left them unable to call for assistance, the scarcity of settled worlds also freed them from attacks by the Yīqún. But as they neared the Orion nebula, a dark sense of foreboding began percolating deep within their subconscious, which left each of them on edge. The swirling patterns of magenta, turquoise, and coral gave a spectral hue to everything around them as they entered a realm of shades and apparitions. Even the stars themselves seemed colder and more threatening, an impression that remained unchanged as they entered the system 41 Ori A.

Three blue-white suns burned bright and hot as they sought the abandoned research station, the massive orbs intertwined amidst the nebula in an intricate pirouette as they danced among the heavens. The system tested Xuilan’s skills to the limits as she fought the currents, the deadly solar wind buffeting Gyrfalcon. No habitable worlds could exist in such an inhospitable place, only broken chunks of rubble amid the filaments and tendrils of cosmic gases. It took time to locate the jagged asteroid that housed the facility, and once pinpointed, actually landing on its surface left their pilot shaking and soaked with sweat.

But once Mairead confirmed engine shutdown, the crew breathed a sigh of relief. “That was a brilliant piece of flying, Xui,” Remi said with pride. “Well done.”

She flashed him a weary smile as he punched up the intercom. “Bridge to Doctor Axchxairx. We have arrived on site and require your presence to access the research facility.”

An answer came back immediately. “Excellent! I shall join you shortly at the airlock.”

“All right, time to earn our pay,” he informed the crew as he signed off. “Xui, you have the bridge. The rest of you, suits and weapons. I’m not leaving anything to chance.”

“And the doctor?” Slavko inquired. “What do we do about him?”

“We keep a close watch, but no one does anything final unless you get the order from me. Understood?”

There was a chorus of, “Aye aye, Cap’n,” as they acknowledged his orders. Arriving at the airlock, they began donning suits while Remi opened up the weapons locker and handed out their preferred hardware, with their engineer once again strapping on a sidearm despite her obvious distaste. It was during their preparations that the Eleexx scientist appeared beside them, looking on their efforts with obvious amusement.

“Captain, your preparations are unnecessary,” the alien assured him. “The facility is fully sealed and only requires a simple command to be reactivated. The atmosphere will be breathable, I promise you.” His large compound eyes took in the collection of firearms. “The premises are also quite free from hostile forces. There is certainly no need for weaponry.”

Remi gave him a gimlet stare. “And you are certain of this, despite the facility being abandoned for decades? Certain enough to stake your life on it?”

“Of course,” the doctor smiled. “It is quite safe.”

“I hope you’ll forgive my lack of optimism,” the captain said dryly. “We Terrans have learned by painful experience to assume the worst unless proven otherwise. We’ll keep the suits and guns, thank you.”

“As you wish,” Axchxairx replied, nonplussed.

“Once you send the signal, how long until the station is up and running?” Mairead asked him.

“A few minutes at most,” the scientist responded with confidence. “Despite the harsh environment, we constructed this facility using the most advanced techniques available. It was designed to remain fully functional at a minimum for several centuries. In fact…”

Axchxairx pointed towards the site’s main entrance as bright lights suddenly flashed into life, while overhead a set of massive doors began to close, enveloping Gyrfalcon and the landing zone. “As you can see, I have already taken the liberty of transmitting the authorization code to reactivate the station. By the time you finish your preparations, they will no longer be necessary.”

The crew turned to Remi for guidance. “We will continue as planned,” he ordered, “despite the good doctor’s assurances. If it turns out to be unnecessary, it costs us nothing.”

A collective shrug passed through the group as they finished suiting up. “Better safe than sorry,” Isi announced, speaking for the others.

“A quaint idiom,” the scientist said politely, “though if your technology were as reliable as ours, I doubt you would still give it as much weight.”

“Remind me to explain the concepts of ‘Hubris’ and “Murphy’s Law’ at some point, doctor,” Remi said sardonically, locking his helmet in place and checking his weapons. “Mairead, we have a reading outside the ship?” he asked the engineer.

Taking a brief glance at the airlock’s controls, she quirked an eyebrow. “According to the sensors, I’m showing a standard nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere, with trace amounts of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and helium.” She looked back at the captain. “Assuming this is correct, it’s breathable.”

“As promised,” Axchxairx chuckled.

“We’ll remain in suits until we’ve checked out the site,” he ordered, erring on the side of caution, before giving his gunner the nod. “Slavko, you’re on point.” The man moved into position as Remi looked over his shoulder. “Last chance to don a suit, doctor.”

“As I have already stated, it is entirely unnecessary,” the Eleexx replied. “I will be quite safe.”

“It’s your funeral,” the captain shrugged. “Mairead… crack the seal.”

The Tinker tapped the controls as the hatch slid open. There was a small buffet of wind as the pressure equalized, but it failed to affect even the unsuited doctor. Slavko stepped forward, his riot gun sweeping left and right as the group moved forward, assuming a V-formation as they made for the site’s entrance.

The sound of their footfalls echoed inside the enclosed space as they approached the facility proper, the portal irising open automatically as they drew near. Slavko glanced back for orders, continuing forward at Remi’s urging as they entered the building with the doctor trailing behind.

Once inside, they discovered a sterile-looking structure, with walls and floors clean enough to perform surgery, with strange machinery scattered almost haphazardly throughout the interior. “See? Just as I told you,” Axchxairx said triumphantly. “There is nothing here but the equipment necessary for my research.”

“Mairead?” Remi inquired.

The Tinker checked her readings and shrugged. “I’m not seeing anything on sensors, Cap’n,” she said at last. “There’s a couple more floors to check out if you want to be thorough, but being honest? I don’t think we’re going to find much.”

He had already come to that conclusion as well. With a sigh, he cracked his helmet, removing it and tucking it under his arm while giving the air a tentative sniff. It smelled musty and antiseptic. “Run a quick sweep just to be certain, but I agree, this place is deserted.” Tapping his communicator, he radioed the ship. “Xui, we’re secure at this end. Give us a few minutes to finish up, and then we’ll start planning for tomorrow.”

“What’s tomorrow?” the pilot asked him.

Glancing back at the Eleexx, already eagerly inspecting the various devices and consoles, he simply replied, “... moving day.”