A hydroponic garden was expensive, in terms of both weight and space, but it also helped both the air and water scrubbers. And sometimes eating fresh vegetables in deep space made all the difference—along with sitting in the bright sun lights and admiring the greenery.
Thanks to Eli’s supply run, we had a lot of fresh vegetables already, so I harvested only some herbs. Tonight I would make a veggie paella, which would provide us with plenty of leftovers for lunch.
Kee was vegetarian, so most of our meals were made with synthetic, plant-based protein. Eli and I rarely bothered with meat now, even when we had the money to afford it. It’d taken a bit for me to dial in my recipes—I’d turned out some truly abhorrent meals in the early days—but now I was as comfortable cooking vegetarian as I had been cooking with meat.
I called Luna and she reluctantly emerged. She loved this room. After I’d made sure she wouldn’t mess with the plants, I’d put a sensor on the door so that it would open for her from either side. When she disappeared from the rest of the ship, the odds were good that I would find her asleep on her perch in the vines.
The galley was empty when I arrived. It was a large space, with seating for twenty around two big tables and a food prep area tucked away in the back. If the ship was running with a full crew, at least two full-time chefs would be aboard to cook for multiple shifts. With just the three of us, I usually cooked dinner, and everyone fended for themselves for breakfast and lunch. We ate a lot of leftovers and meal replacement bars.
I should probably hire a chef now that our numbers were going to more than double, but a mechanic was the more pressing need. If Torran and company didn’t like my food, they could cook for themselves. Or they could starve. Either way was fine with me. I ignored the twinge of sympathy I felt at the thought of someone suffering.
My heart was a damn nuisance.
Chapter Four
Both Kee and Eli showed up just as I was putting the large skillet of paella on the table. I laughed at their impeccable timing. Sometimes I thought they were part bloodhound.
“Oooh, smells good,” Kee said. “New recipe?”
“Veggie paella, but I tried some new spices this time. It was good when I tasted it, but you’ll have to let me know if I overseasoned it.”
She waved a hand at me. “I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”
Eli went to get plates and silverware while Kee filled glasses with water. We usually ate family style and the simple domesticity filled me with peace. Even Luna was curled into a content ball on her high platform, watching us with sleepy violet eyes.
But tomorrow, everything would change.
I slid into my usual seat and Kee and Eli sat across from me. Kee closed her eyes after the first bite and declared, “Divine!”
“Thank you. Did you get the new processing unit?”
She nodded. “And I persuaded the seller to throw in a few extras, since I was doing them a favor.”
“Weren’t you already getting a huge discount?” Eli asked between bites.
Kee smiled. “I’m an excellent negotiator.”
Eli huffed out a laugh and nudged her with his elbow. “Did you blackmail them?”
“Not everyone has to be blackmailed into being nice, you know.”
“That’s not a no,” I said.
Kee pointed her fork at me. “Quiet, you.”
Eli and I nodded at each other. “She totally blackmailed them,” we agreed.
Kee sniffed. “I merely pointed out that I was a good customer and that I hadn’t asked any inconvenient questions. A little kindness goes a long way.”
She managed to keep a straight face until Eli burst into gales of laughter. Then she smiled, winked at us, and kept eating.
Early the next morning, Anja waited just outside the range of the ship’s proximity warning. She stood next to a levcart piled with boxes. I wouldn’t have known she was there, except I did a visual sweep of our surroundings as part of my morning routine.
I remotely lowered the cargo ramp and spoke to her over the intercom. “Park your stuff in the cargo bay. I’ll meet you in five.”
I finished getting ready and then went to meet her. She stood at stiff attention next to the levcart. She didn’t look like she’d gotten much sleep.
“How long were you waiting?”
She glanced away. “Not long.” When I raised my eyebrows and waited, she conceded, “A while. I didn’t want you to leave without me.”
“I promised you a job. I wouldn’t leave you behind,” I said as gently as I could, then I clapped my hands and changed the subject. “Let me show you to your quarters and then you can decide what you want to keep with you and what you want to store here. Is the levcart a loaner?”
She nodded, and I waved for her to follow me into the ship. Once inside, I kept a sharp eye out for Luna. I’d left her sleeping on my bed, but there was no telling where she was now. I didn’t want Anja’s first meeting to involve claws.
I slid open the door to the cabin I’d mentally assigned to Anja and led her inside. “It’s not much, but you won’t have to share.”
She looked around, her face expressionless. Her voice, when it came, was very quiet. “It’s more than I was expecting.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll earn it. You saw the state of the ship. We haven’t had a mechanic in over a year. I’m pretty sure we’re running on hope and composite tape at this point.”
Finally, she laughed. “I’ve seen worse. Not much worse, mind, but some. Don’t worry. It’s nothing I can’t handle.” She looked around again. “Do you care if I stack a few things on the other bed?”
“Nope. It’s your space. You’ll have a woman across the hall once we arrive at Bastion, but the cabin next to yours is empty. The Valoffs will be on the other side of the bathrooms. No one should have to double up unless we have to take on rescues.”
She nodded. The one law that both the Valovian Empire and the FHP had easily agreed on was the obligation to pick up passengers from ships in distress. With the vast distances in space, no one could afford to ignore a distress call, no matter how far out of the way it was. Ships were required to carry extra rations for just such an emergency.
“I think everything will fit in here,” Anja said. “That way I won’t take up cargo room.”
I shrugged. “It’s up to you. We have plenty of cargo space. I’ll help you carry.”
Her eyes flew to mine, to see if I was serious. “You don’t have to—”
I waved her off. “I know. But it’ll go faster. First, I want to introduce you to Luna, our resident troublemaker. She’s a burbu.” I saw a flicker of recognition at the name and continued, “She likes to hang out on the walkways near the ceiling. She knows she’s not supposed to jump on people unless they’re wearing a shoulder guard,” I said, pointing at mine, “but sometimes she forgets.”
“Will she attack?”
“In play,” I said firmly. “If you’re quick, you can grab her out of the air before she lands on you. She doesn’t mean to hurt you, but she will claw you while she’s finding purchase. Catching her stops that.”
“She won’t bite?”
My smile had a wry edge. “Not usually. And never hard enough to draw blood.”