Rovender moved his hand over the piles of odd accoutrements and opened a pouch—out of which rolled a handful of vocal transcoders. “How about these?” Rovender plucked up one of the spherical devices. “See if our new arrival would be receptive to using one. I am sure he would feel more comfortable if he could understand what I am saying.” He rolled the transcoder over to her.

“Okay, you’re right—as usual.” Eva rose and held up a voxfruit. “I’ll see if he’s up for trying some of the local food too.”

Through the scattered rubble of a desert plain Eva arrived at a sandy plot where a round airship rested on heavy landing gear.

In the late morning sun she could see that the ship had once been painted in a brilliant black and gold check, but years of neglect had taken their toll. As though the ship were an enormous insect shedding its skin, a corroded metal carapace was visible beneath the flaked-off patches of old enamel. Along the many rows of small hover-thrusters lining the ship’s body, dried grime and exhaust ran down to the patinated chrome underbelly.

Next to one of the headlights, just below the cockpit window, a name was painted in decorative lettering: Bijou. Underneath the lettering were rows of decals, each in the cutout shape of a human. As Eva counted the decals, wondering what they represented, the entry ramp hissed open from the belly of the ship. Eva caught a glimpse of her reflection in the lens of a headlight before she entered. The girl looking back at her was a dirty disheveled mess.

Wriggling about, Eva pulled and tugged her rumpled tunic in an attempt to straighten it. To further smooth it she ran her bandaged hand down the front—but all that accomplished was to smear the dust that had invaded every wrinkle of her clothing. Shifting her focus from her outfit, Eva unwrapped one of the long braids that held her hair up off of her neck. Now loose, the wad of dirty-blond hair drooped down over her shoulders. Eva combed through the mop with her thin fingers trying to style it, but the effort was fruitless. Already her neck was sweating under the thick tresses. “Ugh!” Eva said with a frustrated sigh. “Whatever.” She pulled her hair back up and wrapped it tight with a braid.

Nearing the open entry ramp that led into the ship, Eva heard the pulse of electronic music thumping from within. She stood at the foot of the ramp and called up, “Good morning, Hailey. Are you hungry? Hellooooo in there!”