“And if it can’t be reproduced, if it’s one of a kind, the tech too far beyond us to reverse engineer successfully?” Callie whistled. “Whole other set of issues there. Whoever has it owns the universe, basically. It’s not like you have to decide right now, but you’ll have to eventually figure out what you want to do.”

Elena chewed her lower lip, and even though the situation was fraught, she looked so cute Callie wanted to pull her into her lap and kiss her and nip that lower lip between her own teeth. After a long moment Elena said, “I want to rescue my friends. Can you help me do that?”

Callie blinked. “Uh, I appreciate the whole leave-no-person-behind ethos, but you escaped an alien mind control space anthill and you want to go back?”

“Robin could still be alive, and… unaffected. It’s only been days, Callie. Her suit has sufficient reserves of water, and it can recycle her waste when that’s gone, to give her a bit more time. The atmosphere inside the station was breathable. Sebastien wasn’t fully transformed, either, he was fighting the changes, so he might be recoverable, too. And who knows what happened to Ibn and Hans? That thing might not have been an alien at all. It might have been a biological equivalent of a forklift, or a cargo truck. Maybe they weren’t digested; maybe they were just stored. Uzoma… well. Perhaps we can help them too. Maybe the change can be reversed.”

“I– That’s a big ask, Elena. We chase smugglers and murderers, and yeah, we’ve done search and rescue, but this is way beyond.”

Elena nodded once, conceding that particular point, but conceding nothing else. “Help me save my crew, and I’ll give you my bridge generator.”

Callie leaned back. “What?”

“As you said, it’s incredibly valuable. Perhaps the most valuable thing in the system, if not the galaxy. Giving you the generator seems like a fair trade.”

“It also takes a big problem out of your lap and drops it in mine.”

Elena shrugged. “I’m a primitive from the darker ages. You’re a modern sophisticate, better equipped to handle such complexities anyway. I’m over here with sticks and rocks and you’ve discovered fire and the forge.”

“This… isn’t something I can decide on my own. A mission like that, I’d need a crew. I’ll have to talk to my people.”

“By all means.” Elena yawned. “I’m going back to my quarters, if that’s all right. I’m still groggy from… well, cryosleep, I suppose.”

“Sure,” Callie said. “Sweet dreams.”

Elena gave her a blank look. “That seems very unlikely.”