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Spinward Arcade and Dorms
Crew Caf


“Hey, Deels.”

Tolly slid into a chair across from her, cup of ’toot in hand.

“Outta work?”

“Figured to see if there’s anything I can help with.” She raised her own cup and gave him wide-eyed innocence, for practice. “I can do what I want on my off-shift.”

Tolly tipped his head, lips pursed, considering, and produced a judicious nod.

“Haz an’ me were just talkin’ about the concept of time off. Maybe we could all get together on our sometime-offs. Play cards.”

“You cheat?”

“Only if I hafta.”

She snorted. Had some ’toot. Had some more. Put the cup down.

“So, you come special lookin’ for me?”

“I did. Thought you might wanna know Formyne’s on-station.”

“Yeah, I talked to her. Hasn’t changed any.”

“How’d it go with the command line?”

“She gave it out. Had a twinge—nerves is what I’m thinking—and a bit of feeling too fine, but if that’s what I gotta put up with for not caring about the command line, I can do it.”

“Does the Healer know about Formyne?”

“She knows. The researcher told her. Also said Formyne was part of her long Balance that the Healer talked her into, and bargained a hands-off.”

Tolly eyed her.

“I’m not liking the sound of this. What’s the researcher want with Formyne?”

“The coords and codes for the pattern-safe and gene-bank.”

“Formyne got all that?”

Delia shrugged.

“Good chance she’s got at least some of it. And if Seignur Veeoni gets a little—”

“She’ll get the rest.” Tolly sighed.

“Up to me, I’m willing to let her eat Formyne alive. But she don’t have much sense in terms of collateral damage.”

“Traven and me went over the planning with her. It goes good, there’s never a bobble, and not even the light keeper knows.”

“It goes bad?”

“It goes bad, we could lose her. Traven told her that, but she don’t seem worried.”

“Anybody let the light keeper know? Just in case?”

“I’m guessing Anthora told ’im.”

Tolly frowned.

“Word from a friend is that Eltoro—that’s Formyne’s ship—was Free, old and sick.”

“’Splains why Formyne has him.”

“Yeah, but she don’t. Friend says she pinged him an’ no answer. No timonium spill, either.”

Delia sighed and picked up her cup.

“Then she can’t hurt him.”

“True. But she can still hurt us. Chances she’s got one o’those arrays the researcher left for her onboard?”

“Pretty good,” Delia said. “But here’s what—station don’t run on rack-and-tile, anymore, now does it?”

Tolly blinked. Picked up his cup and knocked back what was left.

“Now that you mention it—no. The station don’t run on rack-and-tile. Tocohl locked down all the old systems tight, and there’s the Scouts stripping out the old core for good an’ all.”

“So you came all the way over here for nothing?”

“Not for nothing.” He rose and gave her a jaunty bow. “Always nice to spend time with family.”


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Framed