From a quiet, empty room on the Rebellious Nature, Konstance stared through a large rectangular window into deep space. Fluorescent clouds made of yellow, orange, and green gases populated the otherwise desolate blackness. Even the smallest eddyamongst them was over a thousand kilometers in diameter. The Rebellious Nature- at only four kilometers from bow to stern - was practically a flea in comparison.


    One point two percent, sir, responded a bright voice in his head. Provided the data gathered from my scans is correct,it is unlikely that you were born anywhere within one billion kilometers of your current location.


    “I wasn’t aware that the Tropical System hadanything of value,” he said.


    Konstance frowned; her question unsettled him.


    What’s the latest news on Omalia, Thyme?he asked internally.


    Allow me to compile the latest research on the planet, Omalia, sir, said Thyme. One moment.


    Also please provide me something that’s currently in fashion on Talos, he said.


    I’ve finished gathering my research on Omalia, sir, said Thyme. Would you like to hear it?


    The elevator momentarily fell past an enormous hangar containing a long row of identical chrome-colored shuttles. A large Mech was currently fueling one of them. I wonder if Xenos finally finished that sim I requested, he thought.


    It appears that within the past century Omalia has become quite adept at genetic modification, said Thyme.As a result, they’ve managed to introduce many useful and unusualtraits into their populations’ genetic pool. Of course, as with all new enterprises, there are occasionally “mistakes”.


    How long have the others been awake?he asked.


    Crew memberawakenings have been staggered, said Thyme. The earliest was four months, twenty-seven days, and fourteen hours ago; the most recent - excluding yours - was one month, twenty-two days, and three hours ago.


    Play something calming until we get there, he voiced internally.


    Would you like for me to release the locks, sir?said Thyme.


    Yes, he said.


    Beginning initiation of the NCAP, replied Thyme.


    “Then please initiate the DeactivationProtocol,” said Konstance. “No anomalies or abnormalities detected.”


    Who was with me when the accident occurred?he said internally.


    ‘Accident’, sir? said Thyme.


    In the SEC, the explosion,he clarified.


    Natalya, Lubov, and the captain were with you.


    He stared closely at his left hand, opening and closing it repeatedly. And I would never have known, he thought.


    The room looked significantly different from how it had during his last visit. Which was three years ago, he thought. It was a disconcerting realization.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    “AKAto obliterate any hostile presence before it can even register its own obliteration,” added Natalya, walking over to them.


    While he acknowledged that cybernetic arms and legs significantly improved the wearer’s strength and speed, he had long resisted trading any of his healthy biological parts for mechanical ones. He knew that he would have to do it eventually, but, until his organic limbs weakened substantially, he would postpone it indefinitely. Konstance liked the vulnerability of his natural body. It was a reminder that he was in fact human, living- not some soulless robot.


    Xenos, the ship’s programmer, sat perfectly upright in the center of the room, simultaneously interacting with a thin translucent tablet and a floating hologram. He had yet to acknowledge Konstance, but Konstance was neither surprised nor offended by this. Someone had braided his light blue hair. He looks more gaunt than I remember, he thought. Xenos had always been thin, but now he was starting to look skeletal.


    Currently, Lubov held a brass Zippo lighter in his right hand. The device was a relic from a bygone era. Over and over again, he swung it open and swung it closed. This repetitive behavior, coupled with his distant gaze, made it clear that Lubov was somewhere other than the Command Chamber right now. Something’s different about him, Konstance mused. It was starting to become obvious that Konstance had missed a great deal while asleep.


    “We have one objective when we reach it,” continued Vylik, “and that is to safely retrieve a very valuable ‘Unfit’. She is a genetically modified female Omalian whose blood is remarkably unique. All who ingest it experience a prolonged period of unparalleled euphoria. Supposedly, it’s better than any drug that’s been invented to date. But while the high is unimaginably pleasurable, the aftereffects are extremely destructive. The blood gradually shuts down the pleasure center of whoever ingests it. Once this has been accomplished, it then modifies the center to only respond to more blood. In other words, its victims are no longer able to experience pleasure by any othermeans, and, therefore, become willing to do almost anything for just one more drop of blood. Realizing the danger she posed to their society, the Grand Council deemed her ‘Unfit’ four years ago and subsequently locked her away. A few months before we underwent cryosleep, I purchased her. Sheis our new mission. Once we have retrieved her from Omalia, we will be transporting her to a distant set of coordinates, coordinates which, for the duration of the mission, will be known only by me.”


    A Wraith could, he thought. They’re also notoriously difficult to detect at long distances.A Lightstreaker was capable of reaching a top speed of one fifth the speed of light, but there had been - within the past century - the advent of a new ship, one which was able to reach a top speed of one thirdthe speed of light. This model of ship issued from Mithar - the richest and most powerful of the five Kyrothan Colonies; it was the brainchild of a brilliant collective of physicists and engineers, who ultimately gave it the portentous name, “Wraith”. Strangely, it could only maintain its top speed for a limited amount of time. While there was much speculation about the exact amount, the general consensus was that it was somewhere between two to three months.


    Natalya will probably want me to get something for her,thought Konstance. Some tool or weapon crafted by one of their most skilled artisans. It was Natalya’s belief that the most beautiful machines were ones which hid their complexity in the guise of simplicity. Her curiosity with anything was never satisfied until she had seen and fastidiously inspected its interior; perhaps this was part of the reason she had been the first crew member to talk to him all those many years ago.


    “A new synthesis I’m calling Quoris,” she said. “I created it two months ago after mating three different species of flora I collected from the Quoridian System. It does a few things but mainly it balances and revitalizes the central nervous system.”


    Konstance studied Irina’s profile as she took a sip from her thermos.“Of course there can always be a first time” is what you’re actually thinking, aren’t you? he thought. He wouldn’t have disagreed with her had she said that out loud. Being infinite, the universe contained infinite possibilities, but his trust in Vylik was firmly rooted. She was shrewd, capable, and alwaysprioritized the safety of her crew.


    Which only makes Vylik’s lack of transparency more confusing,he mused.


    “This will technically be the first time that we’re transporting a live human,” he said. “I know that she’s ... ‘different’, but, even still, some of her genes must trace back to Earth. It just feels like it’s one thing to transport dead criminals with bounties on their heads and another some unlucky genetic experiment. Obviously, I’m aware our reputations aren’t spotless, but we have maintained at least somewhatof a code.”


    “We’re not enslavingher, Konstance,” said Irina. “The only thing we’re doing is moving her from Point A to Point B. Personally, I don’t see the dilemma.”


    “I don’t know if we have a choice here, Konstance,” she finally said. “To me, it seems pretty clear that failing to complete this mission will put our lives in some sort of danger. And if that’sthe choice - saving your life or this Unfit’s - I’m choosing you every time.”


    “How was it while I was asleep?” he asked, handing back the thermos. His head grew pleasantly warm.


    He shook his head. It wasn’t, he thought.


    “I was very happy when I woke up from cryosleep,” he said. “After the twentieth or so repetition, the dream started to feel like it wasn’t a dream. Like ... it was a memory.”


    “I think,” said Irina, “the dream was just the universe punishing you for having once beena Peacemaker, Vice-Admiral.”


    Irina looked at him with empathy.


    The platform began to smoothly rise toward the ceiling. Natalya leaned backward and propped her elbows against the slim white guard rail behind her. Suddenly, the section of ceiling directly above them opened like an antique camera shutter, creating a mouth that seemed ready to gorge on them. Once they passed through it, the platform continued to rise for a few more seconds before slowing to a stop. Then - following a sequence of mechanical clicksand a long, sustained hiss- Konstance felt his feet gently separate from the ground.


    Konstance’s curiosity redoubled. What could they have possibly been discussing to cause Bernard to react this way?he wondered. As Konstance studied the two men’s faces, Natalya and Irina floated into their gaggle.


    “He''s more than just different, Natalya,” said Danek. “To me, he’s showing clear signs of being unstable.”


    “We don’t know,” said Danek. “We barely see him anymore! Some days, he spends hoursalone inside the SEC. And we have no idea what kind of sims he’s running in there because he encrypts his session history every time before he leaves.”


    “I can’t help my aversion to planets, Konstance,” he said. “Or my belief that those who choose to dwell on them may as well be bugs. I know I’ve said this many times - but there is a reason that humans took to space; there is majesty in space. There is no majesty in scrabbling around on the surface of some dirt-filled planet.”


    “Obviously I was surprised by Vylik’s opaqueness,” he said. “But, as always, I trust that she is acting with the safety of all of us in mind, and, therefore, I see no reason to protest.”


    “Remember, Konstance, that we aren’t the ones genetically modifying and experimenting on our people,” he said. “If there is a depraved party involved, it is the Omalians, not us.”


    Konstance made no reply. Perhaps we’re bothdepraved, he mused.


    “If it’s causing you anguish, then abortthe mission. We’ve done it before.”


    “But we can’twith this one. If we don’t deliver this Unfit, there will be consequences.”


    What has she done?he thought. Vylik’s chief concern had always been the safety of her crew; it was the first thing Konstance had noticed about her when they’d first met. But, now, it was beginning to feel like she had some other priority in mind. Something she couldn’t even share.


    Hey, Thyme? he voiced internally.


    That’s fine, Thyme. Just gi-