Mars Time: 21:02, February 18, 2295

  Corner of North Kilrney and Alfalfa Street, Dragon District, Xing Hong

  Sigrun arrived first.

  The reinforced case felt heavier than it should, High-Grade Zephyrium inside worth more than most people earned in a year. She set it down against the shop window, checking her reflection in the gss, one hand reaching to the back of her hair.

  [+ Engaged: Hamr, Programmable Hair Clip, Nordling variant. Configuration: 'Civilian' → 'Valkyrie']

  Combat-ready. That's what she'd aimed for. Half-up ponytail, tactical configuration from her PHC's settings. A light dusting of makeup—enough to look pretty, not enough to suggest she'd tried. The beige trench coat hung properly now, Emmanuel's repairs with the ballistic weave was always fast and affordable. Unlike his weapon-modding services.

  But that was a problem for ter.

  A holographic advertisement cycled on the building across the street: 'COVENANT RECRUITMENT - SERVE THE FAITH, SERVE HUMANITY.' White-orange star ships converging on Jupiter's massive form, dramatic music she couldn't hear through the gss. Her hand moved unconsciously to her Nucleus Watch.

  [CURRENT BALANCE: 847,100 AD]

  Thirty thousand from the Zephyrium bounty. She'd send Xin his share, keep hers. Still over eight hundred thousands short of Europa.

  Still so far from answers.

  Movement caught her eye. Xin, walking toward her through the night market crowd.

  He'd changed a little, hair actually styled instead of the earlier windswept mess. The beige puffer jacket hung open over his green hoodie, and he carried something: two paper bags, the smell of fresh bread cutting through the night market's mix of exhaust and cooking oil.

  He'd made an effort.

  That bothered her more than it should.

  "Sorry I'm te." Xin adjusted his gsses nervously. "Had to make sure H?kon was actually asleep. He talked about you."

  "About me?"

  "Yeah. Asked when he'd see Sky Lady again." A small smile. "I said maybe soon."

  Something twisted in Sigrun's chest. She picked up the case—

  "Wait!" Xin held out one of the bags. "I, uh... bought two pork floss bread. And electrolyte beverages. Thought you might need it after such a long day."

  The bag was warm in her hands. Through the translucent paper, she could see the golden-brown buns, steam still rising faintly. A drink bottle pressed against the side, condensation beading on its surface.

  "I ate earlier." The words came out automatic, defensive.

  "You can keep it for ter then." He shifted his weight, looking anywhere but directly at her. "Or... we could eat now. If you want. Before we go to Dilinur's office."

  The rational part of her brain tried to work. The part that had spent eleven years alone on Mars, that had forgotten what it felt like when someone thought to buy you dinner, won out.

  "Fine." She set the case down again. "Just for a minute."

  They stood there on the corner, night market noises flowing in the background. Sigrun opened the bag and pulled out the bun. The pork floss was savory, the bread still soft and warm. She took a bite, and for a moment, her mind was somewhere else. Somewhere that wasn't Mars. Somewhere that didn't require counting every Atomic Dolr.

  "Good?" Xin asked.

  "Yeah." She swallowed, reaching for the drink. "Thanks."

  They ate in silence. The electrolyte beverage was cold, slightly sweet, with that metallic tang that came from proper Mars-formuted supplements. It cut through the richness of the pork floss, making her more alert somehow.

  When she finished, she crumpled the bag and dropped it in a nearby recycler. Xin did the same, his movements careful.

  "Better?" he asked.

  "Yep." She picked up the case. "Let's go. Dilinur's office is in Phoenix District."

  They walked. Dragon District's night market sprawled around them: vendors selling steam buns and synthetic meat skewers, more holographic ads for oxygen subscriptions—though these seemed more affordable than the ones in Eagle Dist—cycling overhead. The crowd noise provided convenient distraction.

  Xin kept gncing at her.

  "What?" Sigrun finally asked.

  "Nothing. Just..." He adjusted his gsses again. "Thank you. For the supplement. H?kon's scales are already brighter after taking the Catalyst-U. You know, that Uranus-made prescription Doctor Nikki gave?"

  "You already thanked me. Multiple times."

  "I know. But I still don't understand why you paid."

  Neither did she. The words stuck in her throat like shrapnel. She'd been counting every Atomic Dolr for eleven years. Every client, every bounty, every degradation suffered through for that shuttle ticket.

  And she'd thrown away 3,400 watching an Imperial freencer treat a Diabolisk with gentleness she'd forgotten existed.

  "I saw." The admission came out rougher than intended. "You and H?kon. The way you…it reminded me of…"

  Ivar and Ov. But surely those names would be the st thing to mention here.

  "...he needed medicine. Felt right." She said instead.

  "But you needed that money, right? For Europa. For..." Xin's voice softened. "For whoever you're trying to find."

  How did he know? She hadn't told him. Nikki, maybe? Or just obvious—anyone saving that much had a reason. Or perhaps she'd told him in the Warren then forgotten doing so.

  They passed another recruitment poster, this one also Covenant: space ships, dramatic lighting, 'JOIN ZORI'S CRUSADE AGAINST DARKNESS. BELIEVE IN THE TRUE MOTHER.' Sigrun's reflection ghosted across the hologram.

  Her hand went to her watch again. Old habit. Checking bank account bances whenever she felt uncertain.

  "After we turn this in." She stopped walking, then turned to face him as she put down the case holding the High-Grade Zephyrium. The words stuck. Business. Make it business. Frame it as transaction and maybe it won't hurt. "I want... I'm offering..."

  Fuck.

  "You're offering?" Xin scratched his head.

  "One night. Together." The words came out so clinical. So detached and familiar. "Sixty-forty split of the bounty in my favor. You can do whatever you want. Except—" She caught herself. "Except kissing on the lips. And blowjobs."

  Xin's expression shifted, something complicated behind his gsses. Confusion? Shock?

  "You want me to pay you? Is this about you doing more in the Warrens—you did handle most of the battle—would be fair to let you have payment of some sorts—"

  "No. I just thought, you've checked my advertisement. So you have…the need…" That first night when they'd met at the Slumbering Mantis Inn came crawling back in her memory. She knew he'd looked. Assumed he wanted—why would he look otherwise? "It's a transaction I thought you'd be interested in. Simple!"

  But nothing about the way he was looking at her felt simple.

  "Sigrun." His voice was careful. Gentle in a way that made her want to run. "I mean, it's been twelve years since I've done it with anyone. And I don't know how to just...have sex without feelings involved. Never did."

  Their Nucleus Watches, her silver blue and his emerald green, chimed simultaneously.

  [SOCIAL TRANSACTION INITIATED - LEASED LILY CONTRACT?]

  [AWAITING COMPLETION PARAMETERS]

  The Nucleus system had heard "one night" and "payment" and logged it. Great. Now it was official awkwardness.

  "You'll think about it, though?" She probed, breaking silence.

  "Yeah. I will." He replied. The blush on his olive cheeks was unmistakable.

  "Okay. We should keep moving." Sigrun picked up the case again. "Dilinur's waiting."