Though he wondered if it would be uncomfortable to share the cabin, after Helix washed up, he slept better with Qalu nearby. Aevi spent the night elsewhere and came bounding in to report on her doings. Qalu was already gone, and the unpleasant sensation returned, the same as he’d had when he tried to tell her how important she was. Absently he scratched Aevi’s back and listened to her chatter.

Why does everything feel so wrong? So off-center.

“You’ve eaten?” he asked the little one, though it seemed unlikely she would deny herself sustenance, even amid a flurry of fascinated exploration.

“I did! Bojak let me work the dispenser and showed me how to make whatever I want. Carow asked if that was such a good idea, and Maglan said it was because otherwise, I would never stop asking. And that’s right—I won’t stop asking until the answers make sense or I learn what I want.”

“I admire your persistence,” Helix said.

He had that hollow feeling again, and it was probably hunger. They’d run out of rations as they traveled, and he hadn’t thought about provisions since they left Tiralan. I should feel better after I eat.

“That’s a compliment, yes? Qalu says I should be polite. Thank you! I am persistent.”

“Would you mind showing me where the dispenser is located?” Helix knew, but he’d learned early on that Aevi enjoyed performing tasks that made her feel necessary and helpful.

“Definitely not! It’s this way, let’s go.” Aevi scampered ahead, moving with such eagerness that she circled back twice before they reached their destination.

This space appeared to be a lounge, similar to the one in Zylar’s habitat where the dispenser had been located. Everything was more compressed, of course, with the furnishings all bolted to the floor or wall. The resistance ship was designed for sudden accelerations and sharp maneuvers. He wondered if that meant the crew had significant experience being chased by bounty hunters.

Still getting used to free access of information, Helix pulled for data to retrieve the name of the dish Qalu first offered him on Tiralan—roasted nornroot—and it was available in microseconds. I missed this so much. Instantaneously, he had a full history of the cuisine to peruse as he programmed the dispenser remotely. When the device began preparing his food, Aevi scrambled up to stare between him and the dispenser.

“You didn’t touch it. I had to touch it. That’s not right. That’s not how it works.”

Helix wouldn’t have chosen to share his breakthrough with Aevi first, but the Pherzul wouldn’t stop asking until she had a satisfactory account of why this was possible. First, he had to outline how the connectivity feature was supposed to work in his neural network; Aevi seemed to be with him so far.