Page 302 of Commander’s Mate

We did.

She wanted the clan name.

Also the nickname another captive had given her.

Both went in.

The process became uglier, more human—or alien. Whatever.

By the end, Tivid had stopped trying to simplify the map.

I considered that a major institutional victory.

Zared looked at the final version.

“This will be difficult to scale.”

“Yes.”

“We expect thousands at Julconi.”

“Yes.”

“We may not have enough trained people.”

“Then train more.”

“From where?”

I looked through the glass.

At survivors helping survivors.

“Here.”

His eyes followed mine.

That was the next system: not Farseek doing recovery to rescued people, but rescued people becoming the people who knew how recovery should work.

The thought changed the room.

We added:

SURVIVOR PEER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.

Tivid groaned.

I smiled.

Freedom had administrative overhead.

Apparently it also recruited.

Chapter Forty-Three

Zared

Harper surprised me before the door to our quarters had fully sealed. I had expected exhaustion to claim her the moment we were alone. Instead she caught my uniform in both hands, pulled me down, and kissed me with the same fierce certainty she brought to every argument I lost.