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Vanessa shrugged

"A third pair of hands," Pablo said, "could be useful"

Skyler looked at all of them, exasperated Then he turned to Tania "You’ll be cooped up in here for days Weeks, maybe"

"Skyler, I’ve lived on a space station for almost my entire life"

"Okay, okay What about when the tiet out? How much help can you be in one of those environht of that, too," Tania said "I won’t need one"

"Coly "Remember those spacesuits ore over to the Builder ship?"

"Yes I won’t soon forget those"

"Well, I brought them They’ll work just as well in atmosphere They’re sealed, and they have excellent reement The suits were undeniably superior to any environht both? Why?"

Tania shrugged "I thought you ht want some help on yourat Nachu and Colton The two young lanced at each other, then back at Skyler

He knew he’d lost the argument, probably before Tania had even stepped off her cli out details, supply requireroup had split up for the evening to tell Colton and Nachu that he thought they should stay in Bele needs while the ih either of the young men would be a welcome addition, Skyler had a different sort of help in mind

Two days later the Helios took off Skyler watched the aircraft arch across the cloudy sky until it disappeared behind the city’s dark don skyline The Toh-rises The bleak structures moaned when the wind cah their broken s Usually rain would drown that sound Today the thunderous roar of the Helios’s engines did the job, though that noise dwindled with each passing second

"Everything’s green here" Vanessa’s voice, over the coos"

"Godspeed," Tim said He stood within the comm rooa tear ahen the aircraft lifted off He’d seen the way the man looked at Tania before that moment, too

A cool sprinkle of rain whipped about hione fronored the playful spray of water He tried to i hiave way to the wide river, then rainforest, then the unknown Nothing but a path carved aluide the way And Tania, huddled in back, isolated, one sh him as he recalled the final words he’d said to Vanessa before she climbed into the cockpit: "Don’t let her out until you know it’s safe"

Vanessa had agreed, but her eyes held a hint of so that said otherwise She’d been impressed by Tania, he saw the evidence of it in that look, and he couldn’t bla, despite the fact that Tania would probably slap hiain if she knew

She’ll do worse when she finds out what I’ next

"Keep an eye on them?" he asked Ti as they’ll put up with me"

"Good" He shook the water frouess it’s the Magpie’s turn, before this becomes a real storm"

Tim nodded "Good luck out there, Skyler"

"Thanks We’ll be off within the hour"

Skyler entered the di on the floor beside hiaze darted to it for a split second, only the slightest hint of fear on his face Then he glanced up, past Skyler at the woain," Russell Blackfield said "Who’s the tart?"

His words tumbled out with no real emotion behind them, as if some part of his mind had forced hiard Dark lines marred the skin under his bloodshot eyes He had an uneven beard and his hair was matted There were bruises around his wrists, likely frohtly His lips were cracked frolanced away from him and focused on Ana, who stood in the doorway of the colony’s only holding cell, arms folded

"Well?" Skyler asked her

She pursed her lips slightly, then gave a s "Yeah, I could do it"

"Do what?" Russell asked, a slight amusement in his voice

"Kick your ass from here back to Darwin," Skyler said

"Ah No need for violence, young lady I’ivesthe prisoner "But I’venod, Skyler went to Blackfield and set a canteen on the floor in front of hiht," he said over his shoulder Then he waited until he heard the outer door click closed

Russell picked up the canteen, re His eyes closed ecstatically as he sed

"The water has a price," Skyler said

Russell took another sip "Put it on ra ditches, my dream job"

"I want information"

The man paused His eyes flicked to Skyler, then back to the canteen "Is this going to be more bullshit about how my presence here is some kind of ruse? I’ll let you in on a secret, Skyler The only secret here: I ahed once, raised the canteen in cheers, and took another sip

"I want to know about Nightcliff"

Thehis face Then the bemused smirk returned "What about it? No offense,the show there any on I can’t believe I’ this Still, if he could kill two birds with one stone … "Maybe not, but you know its secrets"

Blackfield gave a slight shrug "Maybe Soaze went to the black duffel bag again "Darwin’s a lost cause, or hadn’t you heard?"