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“No,” Holden said “No, I haven’t And I nor really hard not to find out”

Naory and concerned “Why?”

Holden pulled out his hand terminal and called up an orbital e? This is the Ring” He scrolled the display to the other edge of the solar system “And this is Uranus They are literally the two spots furthest from each other in the universe that have humans near them”

“And?” Naoe of the anxiety he always tried to deny leaping up in him, and he pushed it back down

“And I know I don’t talk about itwith a really high body count knows ”

“Miller,” Nao opened, and he knehen it happened It was the closest thing tosense he’s done since…”

Since he rose from the dead The words didn’t fit in his throat, and Naoh She understood In an act of legendary cowardice, he was running away to the other side of the solar syste that had to do with thes or sexbots or whatever was in those crates, he’d do it Because he was scared

Her eyes were unreadable After all this tihts out of her expression when she wanted to

“Okay,” Naomi said, and pushed the entry door open for hireatest, Holden alantries fed into the skin of the station like thick veins, waiting for the o Poorly patched scars marked the walls where accidents had marred them The air smelled of coolant and the kind of cheap air filters that reed on a set the job?”

“We did,” Naole frown line drew itself on his broad forehead

“We happy about that?” he asked

“We’re fine with it,” Naoo’s due in ten et it off station as quickly as we can without raising suspicion”

There was a beauty in the efficiency that ca as they had A fluidity and intiht minutes after Holden and Naoo Tenhappened Then twenty Then an hour Holden paced the gantry nearest the entry hatch with an unco up the back of his neck

“You sure we got this job?” Auys seemed really sketchy to me,” Naomi said over the comm from her station in ops “I’d think we’ve been scaiven anyone our account numbers”

“We’re on the clock here, boss,” Alex said froe by the minute”

Holden bit back his irritation and said, “I’ll call again”

He pulled out his terminal and connected to the export co system responded, as it had the last three times he’d requested a connection He waited for the beep that would let hie Before he could, his display lit up with an inco connection request from the same office He switched to it

“Holden here”