“Come on, you’ll love it,” Reid said as he got ready for his night out.

“Reid,” Nim groaned. “I can’t show my face at The Heron after…what happened.”

He shrugged as he tugged on a flannel over his t-shirt. “That was almost a year, and it’s probably not even as bad as you remember it.”

“The fire department was called.”

“Right, well…it was a while ago-”

“I’m not going, but it’s fine. Enjoy your night out with your classmates; you deserve to celebrate.”

“I just wish you could come with me.”

She offered him a small smile. “Really, it’s alright. I’m tired anyway, so I’ll probably go to bed early. Maybe tomorrow the two of us can celebrate your graduation at the beach or something.”

He hesitated before nodding in agreement. “Alright, that’d be nice.”

“It’s a plan,” Nim said as she stepped out of his room and into the hallway.

She entered her own room and dropped onto her bed with a sigh. As Nim sprawled across her bed, she stared up at the water-damaged ceiling and listened to Reid’s distant sounds as he got ready.

Eventually, she heard the door to Reid’s room shut. He shouted out a quick goodbye before leaving the apartment. His departure left the small space in silence.

Nim hated silence.

She sat up in bed and reached for the box she kept on her nightstand. Gently, she cradled it in her hands as if she held something of deep value. For a long moment, Nim just stared at the box, contemplating if she had the courage to open the lid.

The box had once been a dark blue, but the paint had worn away with time. Woodgrain showed through along its well-worn edges. The little star decals around its edges were in similar condition. At the center of the lid was the image of a young girl trapped forever in a pirouette. Her hair was a soft, ashy blonde, not dissimilar to Nim’s own hair color.

Gently, she ran her fingers along the edges, debating if she should open it–if she should reread those words Agnes had written to her. With a deep, steadying breath, Nim opened the lid of the box. Inside was nothing but a handful of cheap jewelry from her childhood and a folded-up note.

Nim removed the note and set the box beside her. Slowly, she unfolded the note until she could see her mother’s familiar handwriting. For a moment, she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Just as Nim was about to reread the letter, a swift knock came to the door of the apartment. For a moment, she did nothing, assuming that Ethel would get the door.

The knock came again, this time louder.

Then she remembered that Ethel had gone out as well for the night. It was her weekly bingo night at a local bar, and she never missed bingo. With a sigh, Nim stood up and tucked the note into the pocket of her baggy cargo pants. She left her bedroom and walked to the door.

It’s got to be Reid, she thought to herself. He probably forgot his something.

Nim crossed the living room and opened the door, surprised to find that it wasn’t Reid but a man she had never seen before. He was tall but not in a particularly foreboding way, with a well-tailored suit and a practical, short cropped hairstyle. The military-style hair only made his sharp features look sharper. He had the distinct characteristics of a raven–intense black eyes and an aquiline nose.

“Umm, hi,” she muttered.

“Hello,” the man said. “I’m Agent Lawless with the ESA. I’m hoping to speak to someone named Wilhelmina Penzey. Is she around?”

Nim swallowed hard. “I…well, yes, she’s…around. Lawless? You said your name is Lawless? And you’re an officer?” Despite the intense anxiety she felt at that moment, she couldn’t escape the irony of the officer’s name.

“Agent,” he corrected, clearly agitated by the comment. “May I speak with Miss Penzey?”

“You already are,” she said with a small smile. “But I already have plans to pay for what happened at the warehouse. I don’t need an agent to come tell me what I-”

“I’m not here on behalf of any warehouse,” his tone was sharp. “There are sensitive matters that I would like to discuss with you. May I come inside?”

“Sure,” she said before she could stop herself.

Nim found herself sitting in the living room of Ethel’s apartment wishing she had never answered the door. Agent Lawless sat across from her, looking incredibly monochrome by comparison to the garish colors of the apartment. His intense eyes were fixed steadily on her as if he could see straight to her core.

“So,” Nim began. “Do you want some water or tea or-”

“No,” he replied. “I want to know if your mother, Agnes Penzey, ever spoke to you about something called Design 23.”

Suddenly, it felt as if cold water had been dumped on top of Nim’s head.

Design 23. She had not heard that name in a long time. The mere mention of it made her heart begin to beat rapidly. However, she did what she could to keep calm. This man was from ESA. Whatever he wanted with Design 23 wasn’t good.

“Hmm,” she faked a look of concentration. “I don’t know. My mom told me a lot of stories about space. Was that a ship or something?”

“You don’t remember ever hearing about it?”

“Nope, sorry.”

“Are you sure? You would have been very young when she…talked about it. I have reason to believe it was something she…was hiding.”

“Hiding from the ESA? She’d never do that, sir.”

Nim threw in the ‘sir’ for good measure, but the second she said it, it felt wrong. Her heart continued to pound in her chest. She could feel blood rushing to her face. The longer the conversation went on, the redder her face would become.

“I need you to think about it for a moment,” the agent said. “There are some who believe that Design 23 was stolen by your mother. There’s a chance she called it something else.”

She swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. “I’m sorry,” her voice was weak. “I don’t know.”

“According to the information I have, Design 23 was a life-like model. Meaning it likely looked very alive–just like you or I. Do you remember your mother hiding what would have looked like a woman?”

“No, I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“Any information is helpful.”

He won’t leave, she realized. He knows, a voice screamed in her head.

“You know,” Nim began. “When my mom passed, she left me a bunch of documents. I haven’t gone through them all yet, but maybe there’s some information in there that could be helpful. Would you want me to go grab them?”

“That could be helpful,” Agent Lawless nodded.

“Alright,” she tried to keep her voice calm.

Slowly, Nim stood and made her way towards her bedroom. She could only hope that Agent Lawless didn’t see her hands trembling. As she stepped into her room, she didn’t hesitate to open the window. As quietly as she could, she climbed out the window and onto the fire escape.

Outside, the air was cold against her flushed cheeks. Nim’s heart somersaulted in her chest, but she knew that she couldn’t stop now. She had to get away from the agent, and she had to do it fast. It would only be a few minutes until he began to suspect something.

Nim raced down the ladder. Her bare feet hit the pavement, but she didn’t flinch. There was no time to consider the fact that she should have grabbed shoes. Instead, her focus was on running. She took off into the familiar neighborhoods, cutting between buildings and down alleys. Buildings loomed above her, providing some protection from what would soon become a chase.

In the distance, a siren blared. Agent Lawless was quicker than she would have liked.

The windy streets of Old-Town soon opened up to a more popular part of Angel’s Landing. Both sides of the road were filled with bars, nightclubs, and cafes. For once, Nim felt relief at the sight of a crowd.

The streets were packed with celebrating college students. Large groups cheered and laughed, excited to be done with their studies. Most of them were already intoxicated. Therefore, they cared little about a barefoot woman running through the crowds.

Nim slipped through the crowds with ease. She refused to let herself think about the implications of running from an ESA agent. Her focus was on getting as far from him as possible.

Daring to look over her shoulder, Nim was shocked to see a black suit racing through the crowds. He had found her already.

Who is this guy? She wondered to herself as she slipped inside a well-packed bar. She almost instantly bumped into a guy, spilling his beer all over both of them.

“Hey!” He shouted at her, but Nim was already bolting towards the back door.

The alley behind the bar smelled like cigarettes and overfilled garbage bins. She tried not to think about the grime on the ground as her feet hit the pavement. She raced through alleys, buildings, and every crowded place she could think of. Somehow, Agent Lawless followed as skilled as a bloodhound.

At last, Nim found herself far outside of town. At some point, she had taken a wrong turn and ended up in a dusty parking lot. All around her were run-down warehouses and dilapidated manufacturing plants.

Where am I? Nim wondered.

Before she could find the answer, a black suit appeared in the distance.

How the hell did he follow me this far? Sweat dripped down her back and along the sides of her face. Her body ached, and her feet were bloody and swollen. Nim wasn’t sure how long she could keep running for. But she also knew the horrors that awaited her should Agent Lawless catch up with her.

Despite the protests from her feet, Nim continued to run. She ran through a warehouse, jumped over a fence, and stumbled as she raced across an open tarmac. Her run was stopped suddenly.

With a loud bang, Nim fell to the ground. It felt as though she had run face-first into a brick wall. However, there was no wall in front of her. There was nothing. Her head ached from the impact, but her fear kept her moving.

Confused and slightly concussed, Nim reached out. Her hand felt something firm and cold. It felt like the hull of a ship–an invisible ship.

What the hell? She thought as she ran her hand along the smooth surface. Despite not being able to see it, Nim was certain that she was touching a ship of some kind. She could feel the rivets of metal sheeting.

And a door.

The realization struck her like another blow to the head. Whatever this invisible thing was, it had a door. She grabbed hold of the large circular handle and spun it until she heard a hiss of air. Slowly, the door opened, revealing a cargo bay.

“Holy shit,” she gasped under her breath.

Without a second thought, Nim stepped into the cargo bay and shut the door behind her. It sealed with a hiss and a lock.

For a long moment, Nim waited with bated breath. Every fibre of her being was tensed, waiting for Agent Lawless to find the invisible ship. However, he never reappeared.

I did it, she thought. He’s gone.

Finally, Nim relaxed, collapsing onto the ground with a hushed sob. Everything hurt. The world spun. All she wanted to do was go home, but the longer she sat in the cold cargo bay, the more she realized that she couldn’t go back. She knew the ESA better than most, and they would keep sending people after her if she had something they needed.

I hope Reid is alright…and Ethel, she thought.

After taking a moment to regain herself, Nim finally looked around herself, realizing how incredibly lucky she was to find it when she had. From the looks of it, she seemed to have opened the loading hatch of a ship. All around her were boxes and crates of supplies. There was no doubt that she was in the cargo bay of a schooner.

Crates were stacked high along the walls with the necessities for long-distance space travel–nutri-pacts, toiletries, and ship parts. However, it was the medical supplies that captured her interest. She stepped over to the crate and pulled out a small first-aid kit.

Maybe my bad luck is finally over, she thought as she took a seat and pulled out an alcohol wipe.

The second the wipe touched her skin, she felt otherwise about luck. Nim hissed as she cleaned the dirt, gravel, and blood from her bare feet. She wished she had thought about shoes before climbing down the fire escape. Fortunately, the cuts on her feet were small and mostly inconsequential. They would heal quickly; what mattered most was that she escaped Agent Lawless.

Eventually, Nim found a small space between two crates where she could stay hidden. She sat down on the ground and hugged her oversized sweater closer to her chest. She knew she had to figure out a plan, but her body was exhausted, and her mind felt sluggish.

With the temporary shield of safety the ship provided, Nim leaned back against the wall. Her eyes drifted shut without her knowing it. The disaster of a day left her so worn-out that she didn’t even hear the engines of the ship engage.

***

Reid returned to his grandmother’s apartment feeling a little more intoxicated than he would have liked. He was not a drinker, but he also wasn’t particularly social. When he had been invited to an end-of-the-year party at a local restaurant, he agreed without thinking it through. Without Nim there as a social buffer, he decided beer was his next-best option.

As he climbed the steps, Reid wished he had tried harder to get Nim to join him. It felt wrong abandoning her to celebrate while she was clearly struggling. When he finally made it to the top, he had come up with the perfect apology.

Upstairs, the apartment was quiet. Reid was rarely out late enough to return home to such utter and complete silence. It felt strange.

Reid made his way through the house. He would have gone straight to bed if it hadn’t been for Nim’s door. It was left wide open; her mess of a room was put on display for the whole world. He approached the room quietly, giving a gentle knock on the doorway as he stepped into Nim’s space.

Her bed was unmade, clothing was scattered around her floor, but strangest of all, her window was wide open. The curtains fluttered in the soft, summer breeze.

Reid approached the window, expecting to see her out on the fire escape. However, as he glanced outside, Nim was nowhere in sight.

“Nim?”

There was no reply.

Reid turned and assessed the room. Nim was messy, but this was beyond even her norm. Her wardrobe had been completely taken apart. Clothing and knick-knacks covered the ground. Reid felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. What happened to her? Where was she?

Reid woke Ethel to tell her what he found. She was worried, but she also reminded him that perhaps there was an explanation for everything.

“Let’s give her some time,” Ethel said as she put a kettle on the stove.

Reid sat with his hands dug deep into his hair. “I shouldn’t have left.”

“Oh, this has nothing to do with you. For all we know, Nim got a job, and she’s just busy. She used to work odd hours.”

“Then why does her room look like it was run through by a tornado?”

“Well,” Ethel paused. “Nim’s never been the…most organized.”

“And the window? Why was it open?”

“Reid,” his grandmother met his eyes. “Dear, we don’t know the full truth. Before you start spiraling, let’s give her some time. She’s not a child. She’s a twenty-two-year-old woman, and maybe she’s out someplace.”

Reid nodded. However, he couldn’t help but imagine the worst possible situations. Was she kidnapped? Was she being held against her will someplace terrible? Had she been hurt?

“I do wish that girl had a visi-screen,” Ethel sighed.

“She’s destroyed every one I’ve given her,” Reid groaned. “You know how she is with technology.”

Reid and Ethel stayed up until the early hours of the morning. Eventually, Reid saw how incredibly exhausted Ethel looked and told her that he’d stay up if she went to bed. She reluctantly agreed, and Reid found himself sitting alone on the living room couch.

At some point, he dozed off against his will.

Reid didn’t awake until a pound came to the door. He jumped awake, startled by the sudden noise.

“Nim,” he said under his breath. She must have locked herself out.

Reid walked to the door and opened it. He was about to say something smart but stopped abruptly when he was met with a face that wasn’t Nim’s. It was the man who had come into ‘Past Lives’ only a day ago, looking for Nim. Reid would have recognized those dead eyes anywhere.

“Hello again,” the man said. “Do you have a moment to talk about Wilhelmina Penzey?”

“I…what…what is this?” He stumbled over his words, tired and confused by what was happening.

The agent gave him a sharp look. “I’m Agent Lawless with the ESA. I want to inform you that running from an ESA agent is considered evading arrest, and it is punishable by-”

“I didn’t run from anyone.”

“Yes, but Miss Penzey did.”

He felt himself tense. “Where is she?”

Earth was a swirling ball of green and blue, accented with white clouds that made up its temperate atmosphere. Out of all of the planets in the universe, it was one of the most biodiverse. It was well-known for its flora and fauna–the latter of which included its leading species, known simply as Earthens.

Korro had no particular love for Earthens. They were no better than any other half-evolved life form, but they did have a certain charm to them. Their bodies were wildly unprepared for the climates of their own planet, yet they had risen to the top based on their superior brain power. At some point in the last hundred Galactic Cycles, Earthens had risen to the top of the universe’s most powerful beings.

If the universe played favorites, she certainly favored the soft-skinned mammals and their watery world.

The raid ship Makepeace orbited Earth’s atmosphere like a looming satellite. The ship had been placed on power reserve for the time being, and somehow Captain Mad-Dog was keeping it from being seen by the Earthens. If Korro cared to know how the captain did this, he would ask. But he had no such interest. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

As he waited on the observation deck of the ship, Korro felt a pulse of anxiety course through his blood. The ship had taken more damage than any of the crew would have liked. The little ESA patrol put up a larger fight than intended.

A vibration went off in his pocket, and he pulled out his visi-screen.

“Captain’s quarters, five minutes.”

Korro wasted no time. He walked through the familiar halls of the ship with a renewed sense of purpose. Mad-Dog had decided at last.

Upon arriving at the door that led into the ship’s bridge, Korro hesitated. He hoped that after some reflection, Mad-Dog’s anger had lessened. However, there was a chance that time only worsened his temper–he hadn’t received the nickname ‘Mad-Dog’ for nothing.

The doors opened before Korro could knock. Summoning his courage, he stepped into the familiar space and paused when he saw the captain standing in front of the helm. Apart from the two of them, the bridge was empty. The captain had his back towards Korro, his gaze focused out the large viewport. Ahead of him lay the vast expanse of Earth.

“Captain,” Korro said. “I suspect you’ve made your choice.”

“You say that like I have one,” his voice was gravelly. “Our systems are failing. We need supplies.”

“I can go down and-”

“Our dinghy was damaged. We’ll have to land.”

Korro didn’t like the sound of that. Of all the planets to have to land on, Earth was one of the least favorable. It was over-populated and well-secured. Even Mad-Dog’s powers couldn’t keep them from being tracked down.

“This isn’t what I want, either,” Mad-Dog commented. “But it’s our best option at the moment. Go ready the crew to leave orbit. We’ll be descending in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” he turned to leave the bridge.

“And Korro,” Mad-Dog said his name slowly. “What you did on Europa…that is the last time you will challenge my orders.”

Korro froze. He looked over at the silhouette of his captain. Slowly, Mad-Dog turned so that his strange, scarred face could be seen. His empty black eyes narrowed in on Korro.

“Do not disappoint me again.”

“I won’t.”

As Makepeace descended upon Earth’s airspace, Korro felt a wave of dread creep across his body. He didn’t like this planet. Not because of what it was, but because of what it represented. He knew the pilot beside him shared some of the same sentiments.

Tagren’s hands were tight on the helm of the vessel as they entered the atmosphere. Even without using Ari’Senel, Korro could feel the anxious energy coursing through the other man’s body.

“Why does it always have to be Earth?” Tagren asked as he navigated through the thick levels of clouds that now whipped past the windshield.

“Captain’s orders,” Korro replied. He fiddled with his visi-screen, attempting to find where the best place to resupply would be.

“Oh, so now you’re following Mad-Dog’s orders?”

“Do not question my loyalty.” He glanced over his shoulder to see if Mad-Dog could hear their hushed conversation.

The captain stood at the helm as still as a statue. His eyes were focused on the atmosphere outside. If he could hear them, he didn’t seem to care.

“Was it loyalty that caused those agents to nearly kill us?”

“It was…a mistake.” Korro could feel his anger beginning to take root.

Tagren had that effect on people. The careless pilot was one of the most aggravating people he had ever met.

“A mistake,” he scoffed. “I better alert the media–Korro made a mistake–I thought it was impossible. Especially by the way you bark orders like you’re the captain himself.”

“I am not the captain,” he replied with a deep sigh. “But I am the first officer and you will-”

A bird hit the windshield, causing Korro to flinch and Tagren to break out in a fit of laughter. The clouds were beginning to give way, and finally, the surface of the planet could be seen. The rocky soil was approaching far more rapidly than he would have liked.

“I’m not landing us directly in the city,” Tagren explained loud enough for the rest of the bridge to hear. A new sense of seriousness took over his tone.

“That’s fine,” Mad-Dog replied. “I’ll hide the ship as long as possible but put us down someplace that’s mostly undisturbed.”

“Yes sir,” Tagren replied. “I know the perfect spot. We’ll be totally unnoticeable.”

“Drew,” the captain addressed the bored-looking woman who sat in the engineer chair. “Start working on those engines as soon as we land. Korro, you’ll be sent a list of what we need. There’s a busy-enough town not far from here.”

“Yes, sir,” both Korro and Drew replied.

“And Tagren, go with Korro. He may need your assistance to deal with the locals on the planet.”

Tagren flashed Korro a wide grin. “See, even the captain finds me charming.”

Korro said nothing. His fingers itched to strangle the pilot. Being sent out on a supply run on Earth was bad enough. Being forced to bring Tagren was clear punishment.

The aforementioned unnoticeable place was located on a sun-bleached tarmac behind a run-down manufacturing factory. From the looks of it, the factory had been abandoned for some time. The tarmac was empty, save for a handful of personal transports–most of which were missing tires.

Korro walked down the ramp of the ship and out into the acrid air. There was no wind, only immeasurable heat coming off the black-top. He stepped off the ramp and looked around at the run-down buildings in the distance. The last time he visited Earth, it had not been so barren.

“Beautiful,” Korro said dryly as he took in the scene. Dead grass poked through the cracks in the cement beneath his feet.

“Welcome to Earth,” Tagren replied.

“You know I’ve been here before, right? Multiple times.”

The pilot just shrugged and brushed some of his dark hair out of his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go get the supplies so we can get off this fucking planet.”

For once, Korro felt no desire to argue with Tagren. As they left the ship, the ramp closed slowly behind them. Korro shot one last look behind his shoulder. Watching as the large vessel slowly faded into the landscape as if it had never been there before.

“It’s crazy to see, isn’t it?” Tagren commented.

Korro said nothing.

“Do you know how he does it? Like is the ship coated in something special or-”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

Tagren rolled his eyes. “This is going to be a fun trip.”

Between the sun and the thick atmosphere, Earth was far warmer than Korro remembered. However, it was a welcome break from the chill of space. Like all Lorrokians, he needed the combination of warmth and ultraviolet light that a close star provided. In space, all he had was a lamp.

Drew had bought the lamp for him with little understanding of Lorrokian anatomy. It had been a thoughtful gesture, he supposed. But it was hardly large enough to give him the long-term energy a real sun provided. Besides, lying on his bed under a lamp made him feel a bit like a pet lizard.

Earth’s sun was no joke. At least not in the dusty landscape of abandoned factories and cracked sidewalks he found himself in. For the first time in months, Korro began to feel his body awaken in ways it hadn’t before. As they walked, he made a mental note to buy–or steal–a much nicer sunlamp.

“I forgot how hot it could be.” Tagren had already shrugged off the top section of his jumpsuit and was wearing it tied around his waist. Sweat clung to the back of his undershirt.

Korro did not comment. Although he was secretly curious if sweating was painful. He ultimately decided it was best to keep this curiosity to himself–or at the very least, he would save the question for Drew.

“Do you think Drew will be able to fix the engines?” Tagren asked.

“She’s done it before; I don’t see why now would pose a problem,” Korro replied.

“We need a larger crew. How long can we go with just the five of us?”

At the mention of more people, Korro felt himself tense. They did not need a larger crew. They needed a good score. “More people means more mouths to feed and personalities to cater to. We don’t need that.”

“Makepeace is no skipper; things would run better if we at least had a couple deckhands.”

“We’re here for supplies, not crew. Besides, Odekara does a fine job of cleaning.”

“Odie,” Tagren corrected. “Has enough on her plate. Besides, she was hired as a medic, not a deckhand.”

Korro glared at the dusty landscape. Odie and Tagren were close. At some point during Odie’s stay on Makepeace, the crew had taken to calling her by a shortened name. Korro was a not-so-subtle advocate for not shortening names. If Earthens couldn’t say his name, or Odie’s, why the hell was it his problem to solve?

“We don’t need more deckhands,” was all Korro said.

Tagren let out a long sigh. “Sometimes I think you argue with me on purpose.”

“I don’t.”

“See? You’re proving my point.”

“If you ever said something intelligent, I would agree.”

“Oh, so it’s my intelligence that’s the problem,” Tagren turned to face him. “You know I would have graduated at the top of my class? ESA was practically begging me to join them. I could have been a captain within a few years–probably by now.”

“Too bad you chose delinquency, then.”

Tagren rolled his eyes. “You don’t get to judge me for my crimes when you’re wanted by ESA and the Lorrokian Federation.”

Korro couldn’t argue that, so instead he fell into an angry silence.

As they progressed further into the Earthen city called Angel’s Landing, Korro felt more and more uncomfortable. It was a busy city, filled with commerce, tourism, and a large population of university students. Unlike the place they had landed in, most of the city was fairly well-kempt. There were gardens and parks in the downtown area along with upscale dining and hotels so tall it was impossible to see their top floors.

Korro hated cities. Had he not fallen into a life of piracy, he would have been content to live out his days as a hermit on some uncivilized wasteland. Tagren, on the other hand, seemed enamored by the massive buildings and streets full of people. He moved through the crowds with the ease of someone who had been born to live among others.

It was due to Tagren’s charm that the two found the majority of the supplies almost immediately. He led them to a small parts shop sat on the corner of a busy intersection. The shop was strangely out-of-place for such a touristy destination. Unlike the buildings around it, it hadn’t been updated in centuries. A faded neon light above the front door read ‘Parts and Stuff’.

Korro would have walked right by the shop if it hadn’t been for Tagren. The Earthen stopped quickly, nearly causing Korro to run into him.

“This place,” he said with a smirk. “They’ll have what we need.”

Korro didn’t argue. He followed Tagren in through the front doors. An old school bell rang out as the door opened.

“We haven’t got any new visi-screens,” said a gruff voice from the back corner.

“Oh, no,” Tagren gasped in mock-anguish. “Whatever will we do?”

The owner, who was bent over a desk, working on what looked to be a drone, looked up. He was an old man with white hair and the longest beard Korro had ever seen. He wore strange spectacles that made his watery eyes look enormous.

“Tagren?” The old man took the glasses off and scurried around the desk. “You little monster, I thought you were off-planet.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Tagren said with an easy smile.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I came by to pick up some things. My ship’s engine is having some problems.”

“Ah,” the old man said. For the first time, his eyes drifted over to Korro. A wave of hesitation crossed his features. “I see ya brought a…friend.”

Tagren’s calm demeanor didn’t fade. He gave a nod and said, “This is Korro, an old friend of mine. He offered to help me repair the ship. Korro, this is Sky Osman; he’s been supplying half the city with parts for…how long?”

“Four decades,” Osman said. His eyes remained on Korro. “Not a lot of Lorrokians on this side of the planet.”

“There aren’t many on the whole planet,” Tagren said before Korro could respond. “Anyway, I’ve got a list; can I send it to your computer?”

Osman nodded.

Korro decided it was best to let Tagren use his underutilized social skills to gather the supplies they needed from Osman. He lingered in the shop, gazing around at the shelves of various supplies. Old and new parts lined the walls on sturdy shelves. Coils of wire covered the entirety of one wall while the rest were filled with disorganized clutter. Boxes of unopened tools were stacked up in each corner.

Korro wondered how Tagren knew Osman. He knew Tagren was originally from Angel’s Landing–it was why he had suggested that city. However, he hadn’t realized that people still remembered him here. He wondered if people back on Base Nok would remember him.

After about an hour of Tagren and Osman discussing supplies, a handful of tools, ship parts, and nutri-packs were sent back to the dinghy via a small drone. They paid and thanked Osman before stepping back out onto the street.

“Well,” Tagren said as he dug his hands into his pockets. “I’m starving, and it’d be nice to eat something that wasn’t a nutri-pack. Wanna grab some food before we go back to the ship?”

“We should get back.”

“Why? To watch Drew fix the engines? She’d prefer we didn’t.”

“I can aid her-”

“C’mon, I know a great place,” Tagren left no room to argue as he ventured back out into the busy sidewalk.

Like most cities with a star port, Angel’s Landing was not just home to Earthens. Xerites, Voth’Chelians, and even a handful of Orthepas wandered through the streets of the city. Korro was surprised to see two Lorrokian women leaving a restaurant with an Earthen.

Cafes, bars, and coffeeshops lined the street, and Korro realized that they were likely in proximity to the university. He followed Tagren, careful not to get too distracted and lose the pilot. It wasn’t that he feared he would be lost; Earth was easy to navigate. Instead, he knew Tagren’s knack for going places he shouldn’t.

Instead of a seedy bar, Tagren led Korro into a nice-looking restaurant with large windows. As he followed the pilot into the building, he noticed a strange little pond in the entryway. It was filled with fish, swimming in idle circles. At the bottom of the pond were hundreds of shiny coins. Surely, there had to be a cultural significance to the coins, but it was lost on Korro.

The second Tagren walked in, he was greeted by a kind but reserved woman. Her hair was clipped back into a tight knot at the base of her neck, and her eyes watched Korro with quiet curiosity. She led the two of them through the restaurant and into a booth in the corner.

Korro assessed the menu he had been given. He was no genius when it came to Earthen food, but this was not what he had expected. In his experience, most Earthen dishes were heavy in meat, breads, and far too greasy for his liking. These dishes didn’t appear to share the same qualities.

Tagren and the server knew each other. Or at least, that’s what Korro had gathered. Strangely, they both spoke a language that was not the typical Earthen tongue. They talked for an extensive amount of time. Korro simply gazed around at the neutral-toned decor and debated leaving the establishment entirely.

However, when the food arrived, he was thankful he waited.

“I mean, it’s like, how can you make an engine illegal? It’s an engine,” Tagren was halfway through a half-baked rant about street racing.

Korro wasn’t listening, mostly because Tagren insisted on talking with his mouth full of food.

“But I guess if it hadn’t happened like that, maybe I never would have left Earth. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine myself staying here.”

Korro said nothing.

“I think if I had, I’d be dead by now or maybe in jail.”

A vibration went off in Korro’s pocket. He pulled out his visi-screen to see a message displayed across the screen. It had been sent by Drew.

“Got your supplies and I should have the engines up and running in the next few minutes.”

“We should finish up,” Korro looked at Tagren. “The ship should be operational soon. The captain will want us back.”

“Fine, I’m done anyway,” the pilot pushed the plate away from himself.

Middle school wasn’t rough because of the classes or the strict teachers. It was rough because of the students. Old Town Middle School was located only a couple of blocks from Ethel’s apartment and held a rather rowdy group of students.

There were dozens of schools in Angel’s Landing, but Old Town often hosted the ‘overflow’ students. Everyone wanted their kids to go to the newest high schools so that they could learn on the newest equipment with the newest tech. Ethel didn’t share this sentiment, and who was Reid to fight her on the matter?

So, he attended school despite the fact that his peers were awful. He did it mostly for Ethel. She was the only family he had left, and for that, he wanted to make her proud.

As Reid sat in his fourth period, he waited for the students around him to quiet down. The teacher waited too, looking both too-tired-to-care and thoroughly done with the day. Outside, Reid noticed a transport pull up to the curb. A girl climbed out of the front seat, smiling as she said ‘bye’ to whoever was dropping her off.

The girl was likely his own age–fourteen or fifteen–with an array of frizzy hair. She wore a baggy sweatshirt and a backpack full of pins. Reid watched as she walked into the school. He wondered absently what kind of student started school halfway through the day. However, he didn’t think too long or hard about it.

Class resumed, and Reid nearly forgot about the new student.

That was, until he found her sitting alone outside the school that afternoon.

She sat on the curb while students piled into the buses or found their transports in the parking lot. She hardly seemed to notice the other students around her. Instead, her focus was on something in her hands. As Reid drew closer, he realized she held a ladybug. It crawled across her palm while she watched it with genuine interest.

Reid considered ignoring the new girl and walking straight home. However, something about her fascinated him. Slowly, he approached her.

“You must be new here,” he said as he sat down beside her. “I’m Reid. I saw you walk in earlier today.”

She glanced over at him with a look of surprise. “Oh, hi,” she gave a smile. “I’m Wilhelmina, but no one calls me that.”

“What do they call you?”

“Nim.”

Reid wasn’t entirely sure how someone with a name like ‘Wilhelmina’ could shorten it to ‘Nim’, but he didn’t question her. He supposed anyone could go by whatever nickname they liked.

“Did you just start school today?”

She gave a small nod and looked back at the insect in her hands.

“Where were you before this?”

“Egart High; before that it was Northstar,” she said.

“Did your family move?”

Finally, she placed the ladybug on the grass beside her and turned towards him. “No, I was expelled.”

“Oh.” Another terror, just what this school needs.

Before Reid got his chance to leave the conversation with Nim, a boy named Arlen walked by. Whether it was on purpose or by accident, he stepped directly onto the ladybug Nim had been holding only seconds ago. Nim gasped.

“You stepped on my ladybug,” she glared at Arlen.

The boy turned and scoffed. “So?”

“So?” She mimicked as she stood up. “It didn’t do anything to you. Why’d you have to do that?”

“It’s a bug,” Arlen rolled his eyes. “Get over it.”

“You did it on purpose.” Her anger intensified.

“So what if I did?”

Nim looked like she was ready to fight. Her hands clenched at her side. “Then you’d be a fucking asshole.”

“Nim!” The science teacher, Miss Eileen, rushed between her and Arlen.

Instantly, Nim looked ashamed. She crossed her arms and looked down at the now-dead bug. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“That is not appropriate language to be using.”

Behind Miss Eileen, the students were already loading onto the bus. Arlen looked impossibly smug as he did so.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Reid interjected. “Arlen was being…rude.”

Miss Eileen spared him only the briefest look before focusing her attention back on Nim.

“I need you to know that acting up like that is not acceptable here at this school. I understand you’ve had problems in the past. You don’t want to repeat those problems here, do you?”

Nim dug her fingers deep into the pockets of her sweater. “No,” she replied.

“Good.”

When Miss Eileen finally left, Nim grabbed her bag off the ground and began to walk away from the school. She ignored Reid as she began to leave the schoolyard.

“Wait,” Reid ran after her.

Nim didn’t wait.

“I’ve never seen anyone talk back to Arlen before,” he said.

“I don’t think you should follow me,” she said at last.

“Where are you going?”

She stopped at the edge of the street and turned to look at him. “I don’t know…I didn’t see that teacher there…I…I shouldn’t have said that.”

Reid gave her a small smile. “I think Arlen got what he deserved. Just next time, watch for teachers.”

Slowly, Nim’s look of embarrassment faded. “Is he always mean like that?”

Reid laughed. “Yeah, he locked me in the janitor’s closet last year for hours.”

“That’s terrible.”

Reid shrugged. For a moment neither of them spoke. “Why were you expelled?”

“I accidentally started a fire at Northstar,” she said. “And then at Egart I ruined their security system.”

“A fire?”

“Not on purpose,” she added quickly. “Really, it was an accident. It’s always an accident. I love school.”

Reid contemplated that for a moment. No one he knew said they ‘loved school’. It was far from a cool thing to say. However, Nim didn’t appear to be the slightest bit concerned about what was cool.

“Do you have a favorite class?”

“Science,” she said quickly. “I especially love biology.”

“I like languages,” he said. “I’m taking four right now. In college I plan to study even more.”

​

Reid woke to soft golden light pouring in through the curtains of his bedroom. He rolled over, idly pulling the blanket over his head to hide from the light. In the distance, he heard the familiar sound of Ethel preparing breakfast. Something hot sizzled in a pan while the tea kettle screamed.

Ethel wasn’t a quiet woman. Pots clanked together. The kettle only grew louder. On top of it all, she was listening to orchestra music at max volume. As the song crescendoed into a loud symphony, Reid groaned and rolled onto his back.

The warm feeling from his dream lingered. Nim was his only friend from school. Despite their differing lifestyles, she was still his closest friend and confidant. She knew more about him than anyone else ever had. However, there was still so much that she never quite opened up about.

As Reid lay in bed, he thought about the day ahead of him. Two more days of classes, then he’d be free for the summer. He should have been excited to finally be ‘out in the real world,’ as Ethel put it. He just couldn’t bring himself to feel that excitement.

Reid liked school. He liked the organization. He liked the routine he had built over the last four years. Now, he was forced to face something he didn’t know if he was ready to face.

I can still get my doctorate, he told himself.

Despite this, Reid knew he had to get out into the field. If he ever wanted to be a xenoarcheologist, he had to leave Earth eventually. What good is studying alien customs if he spent his whole life on Earth?

​

With Nim off on a quest to find a new job and Ethel busy with her antique shop, Reid found himself sitting around the apartment like a ghost. He entertained himself by cleaning the kitchen, watching a rerun of a reality show called ‘Planet of Love’, and watering Ethel’s collection of plants.

The Elphan, whom Nim had begun to call Rice, served poorly as a distraction. For the most part, the creature was content to be curled up in the corner of the couch. Reid tried to take him for a walk, but all he wanted to do was sleep.

Eventually, it was time for him to leave for class. He left the apartment with the resounding sensation that this was all coming to an end. Sure, he’d get a job, but then what? Would he move out of his childhood home? Would he get roommates? The uncertainty felt like a hand wrapping around his neck.

Outside, the streets of Angel’s Landing were hot and crowded. However, Reid didn’t mind the commotion. It gave him something to think about. Something other than what he should do with his life.

Reid approached campus and walked to his first class of the day. He found his seat and the day went on. Time passed whether Reid wanted it to or not. It would not slow down for him no matter how unprepared he felt for what was coming next.

​

Between two of his classes, Reid met up with Nim at a beachside cafe. It was one of her favorite places because there was an outdoor patio. It was one of his least favorite places because of how damned windy it got. Considering what Nim had been through, he gave in and agreed to go to the cafe.

When he arrived, it was quiet. The patio was occupied by a group of older women, a couple on an awkward-looking date, and Nim. Nim sat alone at a two-person table with the umbrella up over her. Her wild curls sprang out in every direction as the wind gently tugged at them. She wore a pair of oversized sunglasses and a well-loved tie-dye shirt.

Reid took a seat across from her. Nim pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and gave him a tired smile.

“How was class?” She asked.

“Good, weird, but good.” He looked down at the menu on the table.

“Weird how?”

He shrugged. “I’ve only got a couple classes left and…then I’m done.”

Nim nodded and flashed him a smile–a real one this time. “You know, most students would be excited.”

“Yeah, well, I’m…”

“Cooler than them.”

Reid rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious,” she said. “You’re way cooler than them. By the way, I ordered for you. I got your usual.”

“Thanks.” Reid found himself gazing out at the water.

The beach was busy with the beginning of summer. Families, students, and couples littered the sand. A game of volleyball just started, and Reid couldn’t help but feel a ping of jealousy at how light-hearted the world seemed to be.

“I’ve put in a few applications,” Nim continued. She took a long sip from the soda in front of her. “But no responses yet.”

“Well, it’s still a bit early to hear from them,” he offered.

Nim shrugged and turned to look at the waves. “I think I’d make a good farmer.”

Reid raised an eyebrow. “A farmer?”

“Yeah, maybe I should go east. Way out there where there’s nothing but fields and farms, and I’ll grow…soybeans and never have to deal with tech again.”

“Not the soybean plan again,” he groaned. “I know you, you’d miss people too much.”

“How do you know? Maybe I’d be a great farmer.”

“And there’s still technology involved with farming. At least I think so.”

Nim frowned. “I met this girl once whose aunt was part of some old religion. Apparently, she lived in a convent where they had no tech at all. She spent her days cleaning and gardening and…praying. I could do that.”

“That kinda sounds like a cult.”

She groaned and dropped her head unceremoniously onto the table. The sound of her head hitting the patio table was loud enough to draw attention from the group of older women. Reid gently reached out and touched her arm.

“Nim, you’re going to figure this out, alright?”

“I’m about to owe tons of money to Ito Enterprises. Money I don’t have. And finding a job that doesn’t involve tech is…impossible.”

“What if you learned to control yourself a bit more?”

She raised her head and gave him an irritated look. “Don’t you think I’ve tried that? There’s no controlling it. There is only hiding it.”

Reid understood the sentiment more than he cared to share. He gave a nod, unwilling to argue with Nim any further. Only a second later, their food arrived.

“Enough about me,” Nim shoved a handful of fries into her mouth. “How’s your job-hunting going?”

“Not great.”

“Why?”

“I…haven’t started.”

Nim looked surprised, pausing before taking a bite of her sandwich. “Why not?”

He sighed. “I just feel…overwhelmed by it all, I guess. I don’t know what my next steps are.” It felt good to admit it out loud.

“You’ll figure it out,” she offered. “You’re the smartest person I know.”

Reid forced a smile, feeling anything but smart.

Above them, a ship soared over Angel’s Landing. It rose high up into the atmosphere. For a moment, both Nim and Reid watched it.

“I know you said there’s no controlling your…condition. But have you ever thought about contacting ESA? I mean, out of anyone-”

“Are you crazy?” Her fingers tightened on her sandwich, making a slice of tomato slip out and onto her plate.

“I just thought-”

“The one rule my mom had for me was never to get involved with ESA. They’re half the reason I’m like this.”

“That seems like the exact reason you should reach out. Maybe they could help you.”

“No one can help me.”

​

Reid sat in one of his last lectures of the year. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure why Professor Tiya insisted on having class at all. The final exam was done, reports were in, and the entire student body was restless with the desire for summer. Despite this, Tiya droned on about what they should expect if they were to continue her course.

While Reid prided himself on his academic achievements, even he was beginning to feel restless. Everything with Nim was weighing on his mind. Would it really be such a bad idea to reach out to ESA?

An entire warehouse, he thought to himself.

A simple calculation could easily give him an estimate as to how much she would owe. He was too afraid to do the math. No matter what the total was, he knew Nim couldn’t afford it.

It was hard for Reid to focus during the rest of his classes. His mind drifted to Nim and the warehouse. He thought about her expression as she sat on the fire escape. Once, she had told him, ‘I’m sure things will get easier for me’. But that was several jobs ago.

Things were not getting easier, and yet she still hadn’t addressed the root of the problem.

​

It was late afternoon when Reid returned to ‘Past Lives’. Ethel was still in her shop. A neon orange open sign flashed idly in the window. He let himself into the shop to find that it was empty.

It was almost always empty, but that didn’t seem to bother his grandmother. She puttered around the shop, dusting shelves, unboxing items she found elsewhere. If no one ever came in, it would be all the same to her.

Reid found himself gazing at the shelves lined with old tech, ornate decor, and things from another time and place. The shop was full but well organized. The afternoon sunlight pooled on the floor. In one of the spots of sunlight lay Rice. The half-feline, half-reptile creature dozed as an old orchestra song played a little too loudly through the speakers.

“Reid,” Ethel smiled. “I was hoping you’d be back soon. I’ve got to meet someone at the other end of town. Would you mind watching the shop for me while I’m gone?”

“I don’t mind. Where’s Nim?”

“Oh, she’s out on a walk. I think it’s best if we give her a little space. She seemed…upset when she got home.”

Reid nodded.

Ethel packed her bag and left the shop. A little bell on the door rang upon her departure. Reid stood in the familiar comforts of his grandmother’s shop and considered Nim.

“Whenever I get too close to technology, things happen. Bad things.” Nim had once told him.

She never truly elaborated on the matter. Whenever Reid attempted to ask questions about her so-called ‘condition’, she dodged them. Nim was skilled at dodging questions when she had to be.

​

Reid ran the little shop for about an hour without a single customer walking in through the door. He sat at the desk in the back of the shop, wondering if he ought to just close it down for the rest of the day. Before he had a chance to do so, the bell rang.

“Welcome to Past Lives,” Reid called out. “Let me know if I can help you find anything.”

The customer, a dark-haired man with dead, black eyes, approached Reid without a word. His face was grim and serious for a man who likely had not quite hit thirty.

“Can I help you?” Reid asked again.

“I am searching for a woman named Nim Penzey,” he began. “According to our information, she lived with her mother a couple of blocks from here. However, I appear to have the wrong information. I was led here by an older woman.”

“Oh, right. Well, Nim lives here with my grandma and me. She has for quite a while now.”

“I see. She never filed a change of address.”

“Her mother passed away,” Reid felt a pang of irritation. “I’m sure she’s been meaning to, but she’s been busy.”

The stranger nodded. “I understand. Is she here now?”

“No.”

“Then I will come back at a better time.” He turned and left before Reid could find the words to respond.

The warehouse was a disaster, and it was all Nim’s fault.

What should have been rows of neatly organized pallets of soft drinks was now a sticky mess of warped plastic and spilled liquid. The ground was slick with about an inch of soda, energy drinks, and flavored water. The colors blended together on the concrete floor like crayons melting together in an oven.

Nim stood at the center of the chaos, thinking about how pretty the mixed colors looked and how she would soon be fired from another job. In her hands, she held a terrified Elpan. The small cat-like creature stared at the mess as if he hadn’t been partially responsible for it all.

“Nim,” the serious tone sent a shiver down Nim’s spine. She turned slowly to face the source of the voice–Fran.

The Loading Manager stared at her with a look of utter shock.

“Fran, I-”

“Outside, now,” Fran said with a voice that barely contained her rage.

Outside of the warehouse was nothing but a vast tarmac covered with a collection of similar-sized warehouses and a handful of large freight ships. In the dim light of dusk, there was very little to see. Nim adjusted her hands around the small Elpan as she took a deep breath of the night air.

The shipping yard smelled faintly of fuel and the juice that leaked out from the trash bins. The night was warm–spring was approaching. However, Nim wasn’t thinking about the upcoming warm weather. Rather, she was thinking about how she had never seen Iya look so disappointed.

As far as managers go, Fran was one of the better ones. In fact, Nim should have been fired a few times over, but Fran was far too understanding for her own good.

“I just…can you explain to me how the hell that happened?” She let out a long breath as she assessed Nim.

Nim winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“An entire warehouse, Nim? Even someone trying to screw us over couldn’t manage this. How the hell did you destroy nearly…20,000 pallets?”

“I might not have destroyed them all,” she tried to offer.

Fran ran a hand over her face and took a deep breath. “You’re done.”

Nim gave a slow nod, looking down at the concrete beneath her feet. She had expected as much. In her arms, the Elphan moved restlessly.

“And what the hell is that thing?”

“Him? Oh, this is an Elpan. He snuck off one of the freight ships and into the warehouse. I was trying to capture him when I-”

Fran put up a hand. “I hope you realize that Ito Enterprises will expect you to pay.”

Nim felt her jaw drop. “Pay? Fran, I can’t-”

“You will.” The words were resolute.

Nim knew she was in no position to argue. All she could do was give a small nod and accept the fact that she would somehow have to buy an entire warehouse of broken soda bottles.

“Grab your things and go home. Upper management will contact you about a payment plan for this…mistake.”

“I’m sorry, Fran,” was all Nim could say.

Fran turned and walked back towards the warehouse.

Nim left the shipping yard feeling defeated. The warehouse had been her longest-standing job. Fran’s understanding nature had let her off the hook a few more times than she should have. Once again, Nim found herself jobless. This time was different, though, because now she was in debt. Likely more debt than she knew what to do with.

As she walked, Nim considered all the places she had worked in the last few years. Two custodial jobs, one of which ended in a literal explosion. Three restaurant jobs. A retail job. A dog-walking job. A shelf stocking job. She even got fired from a job at a theme park.

“She’s a bit of a renaissance woman,” her mother used to say to her friends.

Nim wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but she was fairly certain renaissance women were more employable than she was.

“Oh, a change of careers can be a good thing,” Agnes also used to say.

Nim tried to consider what the ‘good’ side of her current situation was. It wasn’t an easy task. No matter what she tried, it always ended in disaster. Chaos followed her like a well-trained dog.

“At least I’m not dead,” she said out loud.

The Elpan, who was now perched on her shoulder like a pirate’s parrot, gave a small ‘yip’ in response. Its long, snake-like tail wrapped around Nim’s shoulders.

“You know,” she continued. “This is kinda your fault. I hope you know that. I also hope that you secretly are in possession of like…a lot of money.”

The Elpan blinked at her.

“So, you’re as broke as me?” She frowned.

The city streets were busy with evening traffic. The roads were backed up with personal transport vehicles, bringing people back from their jobs. The sidewalks were crowded with people beginning their nights–walking between bars, clubs, and cafes. As the sun began to fade, street lights and neon took its place. It was never truly dark in Angel’s Landing.

Nim knew every inch of the city, but she had no real destination in mind. Instead, she let herself be led around like a leaf blowing in the wind. Her mother used to tell her that a good walk was the best medicine for a bad day.

She still wasn’t sure if she agreed with that sentiment or not. However, she couldn’t bear to return to Ethel’s apartment having been fired again. At this point, it went well past embarrassment. Embarrassment, Nim could handle. This was pathetic.

When the lights of the Earthen Space Agency’s headquarters caught her eye, Nim felt a small laugh begin to build in her chest. Of all places to end up, she found herself in front of the infamous institute. The very place where her problems began.

The ESA was not short on funding. The headquarters were a large concrete building with a multitude of windows and a well-lit garden near the front entrance. The green landscape in the front was decorated with ornate statues of former star captains and water fountains that changed colors.

The building was illuminated in severe white light. Large posters hung from poles near the front entrance. Each poster portrayed a smiling ESA Agent with quotes like “Be a Part of Something” or “Setting the Earth Apart”. Nim’s personal favorite was a poster of a smiling Voth’Chelian woman with the phrase “Embrace Your Uniqueness”. As if ‘uniqueness’ had ever been something that the ESA looked for.

For a long moment, Nim stood across the street from the large building. She wondered what had been done with her mother’s office. Likely it had been given to someone else ages ago–maybe when she first got sick. She wondered if there was any evidence of her mother left behind in the vast, cold building.

Nim wasn’t sure how long she stood in front of the steps, gazing at the building. However, a chilly breeze tugged at her hair, reminding her that it was getting late. Eventually, she forced herself to keep going.

Eventually, Nim finally made her way to Old Town–a district that had once been the city’s heart. The roads were messy and uneven. They weren’t labeled with numbers or letters but rather words and names. It was easier to get lost in Old Town, but she knew that part of Angel’s Landing better than most.

When she arrived in front of a little antique shop called ‘Past Lives’, Nim felt something warm in her chest.

An old woman was about to lock up when she spotted Nim across the street and yelled, “Nim, dear, what are you doing just standing there? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry I…”

“Shouldn’t you be at work, love?”

Nim sighed and gazed up at the starless skies. Her silence said enough.

“Again?” Ethel asked as she raised one eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest.

“Yeah,” Nim looked down at her well-worn sneakers. “Again.”

“What happened this time?” The older woman asked.

“More destruction,” she said with a small shrug.

“Well, come inside. Tell me all about what happened while I heat up some leftovers for dinner.”

“Is it alright if I bring my…Elpan?”

Ethel gave a small laugh. “Sure, but are you sure that getting a pet right after being fired is such a good idea? Pets take work, Nim.”

“I know, I…could use the company.” She wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell Ethel the full truth, but after her short walk, it didn’t feel right to part ways with the little creature.

Ethel’s apartment was located just above her antique shop, “Past Lives”. It was a quaint space filled with old books and knick-knacks. The walls were covered in art, and the shelves were full of miscellaneous items–most of which were from a time long-since passed.

Upon entering the apartment, Nim was met with the familiar scent of old books and dried tea leaves. Despite the ordeal of the day, she felt herself relax in the comfort of Ethel’s home.

Nim sat down at the little bar in the kitchen while Ethel prepared the tea. She found herself gazing out at the city. From the little apartment, the streetlights of Old Town looked more like a painting than a real thing. Below them, several people ventured out–exploring the city.

Nim felt a hint of confusion upon watching them go about their lives. Everyone seemed so much better at finding themselves than she ever was. There were people out there who wanted to be doctors, starship captains, artists, and musicians. Nim, on the other hand, just wanted a job that she couldn’t be fired from.

That’s pathetic, she thought to herself. When she was a child, the world felt limitless. She had truly believed that she could become anything. Now, she felt more like a driftless voyeur than an actual participant.

A mug of tea was placed in front of Nim, pulling her from her thoughts. She wrapped her hands around the mug, taking in its warmth. The smell of cinnamon and honey rose into the air.

The Elpan finally stepped off Nim’s shoulder and down the length of Nim’s arm. He sat down at the edge of the window, looking outside. Ethel sat across from her, holding a mug that didn’t match Nim’s in the slightest.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ethel asked.

“There’s not much to talk about. I was fired.”

“It happens to the best of us,” Ethel offered.

“Yeah, but I’m starting to think I’m cursed,” she said with a half-smile. “Do you believe in curses?”

“Sometimes,” Ethel said. “And sometimes things just aren’t meant for us, so they end.”

“I wonder what my mom would think if she knew,” Nim glanced outside once more.

“Your mom loved you. I don’t think she’d care.”

“But Ethel, this time…this time it was bad,” she tried to explain. “I messed up…worse than usual. I’m going to owe the company a lot of money.”

Ethel considered this for a moment. “How much do you owe?”

“I don’t know,” she looked down at her mug. “As much as a warehouse of soda is worth.”

“An entire warehouse?”

“An entire warehouse.”

“Ouch.”

“I know,” she groaned.

“How’d you manage that?” Despite the surprise, Ethel seemed almost impressed by Nim’s ability to destroy.

It hurt a bit to think of how foolish she had been. Slowly, Nim gestured to the little Elpan.

“He stuck in during a delivery–probably from one of the freight ships. It happens all of the time, and I should have just ignored him. But Elpans love sugar, and I was worried that if one of the soda bottles had broken, he might get into it and cause a mess. Truly, I was just trying to catch him.”

“Alright, but how’d you destroy an entire warehouse?”

“I followed him into the rafters; there’s a catwalk there–a really narrow one. I dove to catch him, and I bumped the remote in my pocket. You know how I am with tech.”

Ethel gave a solemn nod. Of course she knew about Nim’s little ‘problem’. “I thought you said you didn’t need to use tech at this job–no computers and whatnot.”

“That’s what I thought, but sometimes I have to use this remote and…it wasn’t a problem until today. I was worried about the Elphan, and so I wasn’t focused.”

“And then?” Ethel pressed.

“The remote controls this big arm-android that’s used for unloading. When it turned on, it ran into one of the stacks of soda pallets and…you know the game dominoes?”

“Oh, Nim.”

“I’ve never seen my manager so upset.”

“Nim, I…” Ethel seemed to be at a loss for words, and she was someone who always knew what to say.

“I know,” she let out a long breath and then took a sip of the cinnamon tea. “I always find a way to ruin things.”

For a moment, Ethel said nothing.

She glanced back outside at the cityscape. High above the clouds were the flashing lights of starships ascending and descending. Many of them likely belonged to ESA. For most of Nim’s life she had been told stories of what life was like aboard those ships.

“Oh, Ron, you wouldn’t believe all the places I’ve seen,” Agnes had once said.

“Nim,” Ethel’s voice brought her back to the current moment.

Nim looked over at the woman sitting across from her. “Sorry, I…I’ll try and find something tomorrow.”

Ethel heated up some leftover curry and rice from the previous night as she told her own stories from her days as a cook aboard a ship called Capricorn. Nim appreciated the lack of silence. However, Nim was fairly certain that jumping aboard the nearest ship wouldn’t solve her problems. There was tech aboard ships; therefore, it was a bad idea. She was much better equipped to work on a farm, or a mine, or someplace where she couldn’t ruin things with a simple touch to a screen.

The two ate, and Nim offered to clean up. Ethel accepted happily before disappearing down the hall to get ready for bed.

Nim washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, humming along to a song that had been stuck in her head for days. As she cleaned, she contemplated her mistakes.

“Mom,” she said as she scrubbed a particularly greasy pan. “I wish you were still here. I wish…I wish I knew what I was supposed to do.”

Only seconds after her quiet prayer, the door to the apartment opened.

“Nim?”

“In the kitchen,” she called back. “There’s still some curry if you’re hungry.”

Footsteps approached, and Reid stepped into the kitchen looking just as tired as Nim felt. He removed his thick glasses to rub at his eyes before yawning.

“I’m surprised you beat me home,” he said as he began to rummage through the cupboard.

“Yeah,” Nim pulled the drain after rinsing the last dish. “I sorta…left early.”

Reid shot her a knowing look. “You weren’t fired, were you?”

She said nothing as she watched the sudsy water spiral down the drain. Despite all the advancements in technology, Ethel refused to let technology do her cleaning. Ever since moving in with the Gideons, Nim had been forced to get used to doing things the old way.

“Nim,” Reid stared at her with a worried expression. “What happened?”

The fire escape on the backside of the building provided a makeshift balcony for Nim and Reid. She had been using it as a secret spot for years, even before moving in. As kids, she and Reid used to cover it in blankets and claim it as a ‘treehouse’. Now, it held a collection of hanging plants, two fold-out chairs, and a secret stash where Reid hid his nicotine pens. Despite its change, the fire escape remained a refuge.

After telling Reid what happened at work, the two sat in silence. Nim wanted to fill the quiet. She wanted to say something.

“It’s not so bad,” she said at last. “Maybe I’ll disappear into the farmlands out east and become a soybean farmer or something. I’ll live far away from everyone with no tech, no screens…nothing but…soybeans.”

Reid gave her a skeptical look before pushing his dark curls out of his eyes. “A soybean farmer?”

She groaned. “Well, I don’t know. What else can I do?”

“I get it. I have no idea what I should do after school ends.”

Nim rolled her eyes. “You’re a super-genius; I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Reid laughed. He struggled for a moment to find the right words. Then he said, “I think you’ll figure it out, too. But do you really want to be a luddite? You used to be excited about space travel and everything.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I like people. I like being around things. I just don’t really know of people and things like me so much.

For a long moment the two sat in silence, gazing out at the city. Personal transport vehicles whizzed by while crowds of people gathered in front of bars, theaters, and restaurants. Despite being born and raised in Angel’s Landing, Nim felt strangely distant from those she watched.

“Hey, did you hear about Makepeace?” Reid interrupted her thoughts.

Nim looked over towards the man beside her. “Makepeace? Like the raid ship?”

“Yeah, apparently it’s been spotted near one of Jupiter’s moons.”

“Weird,” Nim looked up at the starless sky above her. “Do you think it’s heading towards Earth?”

“Why else would it be in our solar system? There’s nothing else here, really.”

She contemplated that for a moment. It had been a while since she thought about the infamous ship, Makepeace, that had once haunted her dreams. After her mother passed away, Nim had attempted to become more ‘practical’. Following the whereabouts of a deadly raid ship was not high on her priorities.

Despite all this, it was impossible for her not to feel a tickle in her chest. As a little girl, she had been enamored by raiders, like most children were. There was a strange thrill in thinking about what a ship like Makepeace might be doing so close to Earth.

“Do you think it’s going to attack a ship?” Nim asked. “ESA headquarters are so close that would be suicide to-”

“Nah, I’ll bet they’re stalking someone or something. Maybe an old enemy ship or something.”

Nim watched the lights of a starship enter the atmosphere. They blinked idly, signaling something she didn’t understand.

“Do you actually believe it?”

“Believe what?”

“All those things we used to talk about as kids? That Makepeace is…magic.”

“Well, no,” he frowned and took a sip of his peppermint tea. “Obviously it’s not magic, but I believe Makepeace is a real ship. And I believe it’s a raider. Tons of people have recorded accounts of strange interactions with the ship.”

“But you don’t actually believe it’s a ghost ship?”

“No, of course not,” he grinned. “But wouldn’t it be cool if it was?”

Nim thought for a moment; a smile spread across her lips. “It would be cool.”

For the briefest of minutes, she allowed herself to be taken away by the fantasy of a ghost ship, floating through space. In her mind, its crew was specters, floating through the ship. They had no need for doors or floors, so they slid through walls and floorboards like fog in a harbor.

Nim leaned back in the fold-out chair and watched the city, imagining what it would be like to be aboard a ghostly ship like Makepeace. The fantasy was enough to pull her temporarily out of her reality.

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