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“Come to your nana,” Avasarala said

“What’s a nana?” Mei asked

“I’ the child to her Her body wanted to put the girl against her hip, to feel the weight bearing down on her Ina child felt odd Good, but odd Mei set so around in here”

“Soon as Alex and Naomi finish maintenance on the drive computers, we’re out of here,” Amos said

“Where’s ot a schedule to keep, and I’ lessons Your daddy’s talking to the captain, Mei-Mei”

“Where?” the girl deet you back to hi out a ood for about five minutes, then it’s ‘Where’s Daddy?’”

“Good,” Avasarala said “They deserve each other”

“Yeah,” the big ravity and launched up toward the galley No handhold for hio, then turned to Bobbie

Bobbie floated, her hair sprayed softly out around her Her face and body wereseen them It should have irl looked drowned

“Hey,” Bobbie said “Did you hear back frouys on Earth?”

“I did,” Avasarala said “There was another energy spike Bigger than the last ones Prax was right They are networked, and worse than that, they don’t suffer lag Venus reacted before the information about the battle could have reached it”

“Okay,” Bobbie said “That’s bad, right?”

“It’s weird as tits on a bishop, but who knows if it lement webs, whatever the hell those are The best theory we’ve got is that it’s like a little adrenaline rush for the protomolecule Sooes on alert until it’s clear the danger’s passed”

“Well, then it’s scared of soht have a vulnerability somewhere”

They were silent for a ed and Mei shrieked Bobbie tensed, but Avasarala didn’t It was interesting to see people who hadn’t been around a child react to Mei They couldn’t tell the difference between pleasure and alarm Avasarala found that on this ship, she and Prax were the only experts in children’s screa for you,” Avasarala said

“I’

“Is that a problem?”

“I don’t follow Is what a problem?”

“That you’re here?”

She looked away, her expression closing down It hat Avasarala had expected

“You were going down there to die, only the universe fked you over again You won You’re alive None of the probleo away”

“Some of theah to set her spinning slightly She reached out to the wall and steadied her drift

“That’s the gaht? He lost Soren Nguyen I took theoing to retire with extreiven his job”