Ha sat up. Without even remembering she had done it, she must have unfolded the terminal the night before, placed it on the nightstand. Or had she set it to unfold on its own, on a timer?

It stood there, icosahedral on its origami leg stands, light flowing from its oculus. And in the light of the oculus was Kamran, standing at the foot of the bed, drinking a cup of what could only be coffee.

She could see the outline of the door through the collar of the shirt he was wearing. She could see the carpet’s ghost through his shoes.

“Yes. The same dream.”

“You have to let go of it, Ha. Let it be in the past. There was nothing you could have done.”

There were things she could have done, and she knew it. There were also things she could have not done. But Kamran would never allow her to take the blame for anything—would never even allow her to take responsibility. It wasn’t worth going over it with him again—it would all lead back to her having to “let go of it.”

Instead, she changed the subject.

“Where are you?”

“In the lab.”

“It’s after two in the morning there! What are you doing working?”

Kamran shrugged. “Please stop pestering me about my vampirism. How was your trip?”

“Long. And there was a storm when we were leaving the Ho Chi Minh Autonomous Trade Zone. The drone pilot was an insensitive bastard. I threw up making the crossing to Con Dao.”

“Did you have a chance to meet the woman herself?”

“Dr. Mínervudóttir-Chan? In Ho Chi Minh? No. She’s off in the SF-SD Axis, consolidating a buyout of coastal research institutions. That’s what her Sub-4 told me, anyway. That, and nothing else. Everything is mysterious. Either that, or people don’t know what is going on themselves. The Sub-4 told me the Team Lead on Con Dao would brief me when I got here.”

“Have they?”

“I haven’t met them yet.” Ha was up and moving now, digging through her bags for clean clothes. She stepped through Kamran’s leg.

“Sorry.”

“Barely felt it,” Kamran said.

“I have to tell you about the security officer who met me last night.”

“Yes. I can’t wait to hear about them,” Kamran said. “But not now. You are rushed. I can see it in your face. You need to get settled in there, find your bearings. And I need to exploit this coffee buzz.”

“What you need to do is go home and sleep. Are you avoiding the apartment?”

Kamran glanced away. “Perhaps.”

“Well, don’t get so sentimental that you start sleeping under the lab tables.”

“Go take a shower. You look dirty. Your hair is all greasy.”

“Thanks. Such a charmer.”

“Always.”

Kamran flickered out without saying goodbye, as was his habit.

Chapter 4