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I closed my eyes and thought about what I knew about this ship. There had to be knowledge of a weakness buried somewhere in my brain. I’d start looking once my foot stopped hurting so much.

Chapter 14

Tolreum

It took much longer to unload the fuel, mostly because the Marpers kept getting in our way. They were a friendly and talkative species, and the two other times we'd delivered to them I hadn't minded the extra time it took while they chatted, even after the work was done.

This time it was much harder to be patient with them when I knew Opal was waiting for me in the cabin.

“Can you lift one of the fuel boxes?” the Marper in charge of the off-loading asked for the fifth time. “I can lift one. I think I could lift two. No, I know I could lift two.”

I held back an annoyed rattle. Marpers enjoyed shows of strength. I didn't think either one of us could pick up even one of the boxes, but I didn't say it. Instead I said what I knew he wanted to hear.

“I think perhaps I could pick up one, but I'm sure you could pick up two. Of course, picking them up would be much too dangerous."

“Yes, you're right, we can't pick them up,” he agreed. “But as long as you know I could if I wanted to.”

We were almost done, and I couldn’t wait to be finished. Normally Narmuna would be here and trying to talk the clients into contracting with us again. Without him, I should've been the one talking to the Marper in charge of our exchange about another contract.

Not this time.

My patience was at an end, and Narmuna hadn't come back yet. He was trying to get the final forms approved so we could present Opal with ownership of herself.

The Marper was talking about the way he managed to lift and throw thirty other Marpers who were all bigger than him in the last strength competition. I let him drone on until I saw Narmuna striding across the bay.

“Please consider renewing our contract in the future,” I blurted, interrupting the Marper. The last of the crates was disappearing down the reinforced passageway to the fuel-storage area. Without waiting for his reply, I jumped onto the loading ramp from the side and rushed into the ship, slapping the display to close the ramp the moment I was inside. I didn't need the friendly Marper following me onboard to continue his one-sided conversation.

I wasn't the only one who saw Narmuna, because by the time I got to the entrance at the side of the ship, Mieshorum and Lexarit were already there. Narmuna walked in a micromark later.

“It worked,” he said, making the rest of us sound excited rattles.

“What about the Ident?” I asked.

“We'll be able to get it the next time we're at a Talin-owned space station or colony,” he said. “We need to do that anyway so we can get her registered. None of this will work if she's not registered correctly. The moment she's registered, the legalities will all become active. Our little human will own part of our company and all of herself.”

“Owning oneself is complicated,” I said with an amused rumble.

Lexarit didn't realize I was making a joke. “I'm sure she'll understand once we explain it all to her.”

“I agree,” I said. He was probably as tense and excited as I was. Our news was good, but I wasn't sure how Opal would react.

“Let me go get her,” I said. “We can meet in the control room.”

They all sounded rumbles of agreement. It was testament to how important Opal was to all of us that Narmuna didn't ask how the off-loading went and Lexarit and Mieshorum didn't ask me if we were going to get another contact.

There would always be more work. There was only one Opal.

I pressed on the door display, requesting entrance. Even though we'd been sharing the cabin for the last two rotations, it didn't feel right to simply barge in.

A bad feeling built in my chest when there was no response. She could be sleeping, but she didn't tend to sleep so deeply that a door chime wouldn't wake her.

I pressed it again. And again.

Sounding a worried rumble, I ordered the door open only to find the cabin empty. The door to the cleansing unit and elimination room were open. It was clear she wasn't here.

Maybe she got hungry. I hadn't thought to leave her food or drink.

I rushed from the room to the galley. She wasn't there.