“Definitely something to consider. If you like considering disgusting science abominations. Good night, Shall. I’m going to get some sleep.”

After a few hours of fitful slumber, she gave up on the effort and went to the infirmary. Robin was floating near the ceiling, chatting with Stephen: “No, my parents handled my transition pretty well. I think it helped that I kept my first name, Robin, and just changed my middle name. They messed up the pronouns sometimes, but at least they didn’t–” She looked up when Callie came in. “Captain! I haven’t had a chance to thank you for… all that. I fully expected a slow and miserable death. You’re amazing.”

“I just ran to and fro. Other people did all the work. Do you have a minute, Stephen?”

Robin excused herself to go in search of more coffee. The infirmary was otherwise quiet. Sebastien hadn’t awakened yet, though his vitals were good, and Ibn was hermiting away in Elena’s room, since Elena was happy enough to bunk with Callie.

“She’s going to drink all our coffee,” Stephen said. “Nice woman, but insatiable.”

“How are you?”

He shrugged. “I have too many patients, one of whom has a robot spider clamped to his head and might wake up and try to murder us all, which is why he’s strapped to his bed. My bigger problem is I missed the festival, which has thrown off decades of careful cultivation of my brain chemistry and my spiritual life, and I feel a yawning chasm of despair before me. I would like to fix that when I get home. Except my other big problem is: I am homeless.”

“I was thinking about that,” Callie said. “We need a home base. We can’t all stay here. Me and Elena doubled up, Robin in Ashok’s quarters, Ashok sleeping in the machine shop with Lantern, Uzoma just kind of floating around wherever… Even if the Anjou people decide to move on, the rest of us have to figure out something long-term.”

“What long-term are we talking about? Are you planning to rebuild the Trans-Neptunian Authority from scratch?”

“No, I’m thinking more of a freelance life. I don’t want to move to the Imperative, though. They have too many rules, and they won’t give me any decent security work, because they won’t trust me as a former TNA officer, even of the occasional contract variety.”

“Where else? The asteroid belt? Not the inner planets? Did you want to settle in a colony system?”

“None of the above. I have some thoughts.”

“Are they dangerous thoughts?”

“Usually.”

“Then you’re lucky you have a doctor on board.” He paused. “I mean me. No disrespect to Doctor Oh.”

“Ashok has a doctorate too, you know.”

Stephen made a face. “In engineering. From Lunar University.”