Allie was making her final adjustments on the fitout for Seafood Supply, Sven's new fish shop, when she received an incoming message. Violet wanted to meet her for lunch at a café on the other side of Metropolis. Allie fired off a quick affirmative before she started to pack her tools.

"Are you finished already?" Sven echoed the response of almost every satisfied customer Allie had dealt with.

"I used to fix Ceyx' fish tanks on the ship. I could have done these ones in my sleep," she said.

"When do you want your fish? I can grab them from the cool room now, if you like. You forgot them last night."

Was it only last night that Sven had flirted with her and promised her fresh fish? It felt like so much longer.

"How about I swing by after work this evening, if that's all right? At the Aqua Dome, not here. I want to ask you something," Allie said.

A slow smile spread across Sven's face and he winked. "Whatever my lady wishes."

Allie almost corrected his mistaken assumption, but decided it didn't matter. Maybe she should bring Galen along tonight, just to stir things up a little. And if a siren truly had been messing with Galen's head, perhaps she'd give herself away with some spark of surprise – or Galen might recognise her.

She waved goodbye to Sven and took a skimmer to see Violet.

The moment Allie stepped off the skimmer, she had to take a deep breath. The most exquisite sweetness, wrapping a core of earthy bitterness assailed her nose. Chocolate. Fresh and hot and...

Violet waved to get Allie's attention. "I found you a chocolate shop. What do you think?"

It wasn't just a shop. It was a café whose menu consisted solely of cocoa-based products. It truly was a wonderful day, Allie said to herself as she followed Violet inside.

"We'll have two orders of the chocolate chili and...what would you like to drink?" Violet said, turning to Allie. "I hope you don't mind me ordering, but I heard from a dragon that their chocolate chili is the best he's ever tasted. One of the Watch fire mages swears by it, too."

Allie smiled. "Whatever you recommend. I'm still growing accustomed to Human food, and I like to try everything at least once."

Violet finished ordering for them and led the way to a secluded corner table. As she settled in her chair, she asked, "What do your kind normally eat? I mean, you all kept to yourselves so much on the ship. I never saw any of you in the messhall. I never really thought..."

Allie waited for the waiter to fill their water glasses, then drank deeply to give the Human waiter time to get out of earshot before she answered, "Fresh fish, when we can get it. Lately, it's been a mix of ration bars and a selection from eating houses as they open. The other Mer finally have the aquaculture farm up and running, so they'll be selling fresh seafood tomorrow, I believe. I'll get my order in advance, of course."

"Of course." Violet nodded. "How do you cook it? I mean, on land, you'd use a normal kitchen like the rest of us, but in the water..."

"We don't. Cooking removes many essential nutrients and destroys the fresh texture. I believe Humans do something similar, though they call it sashimi."

Violet looked horrified. "Raw fish? Remind me not to date a Mer. Present company excepted, of course."

Allie inclined her head, accepting the oblique apology. "Do you have any information for me?"

Violet nodded and pulled out her tablet. "My boss asked me to investigate the surveillance footage for a particular maintenance tunnel. It was all rather urgent, and he pulled me off another investigation so I could do this today. All I heard was that someone had planted a bomb, and they wanted to know who had the opportunity. I combed every surveillance camera for that corridor, the maintenance tunnels, everything. And all I found was two people. You, and this guy." She tapped the screen, then tilted it so Allie could see. "He looks familiar. I'm sure I know him from somewhere."

Allie watched Galen struggle with his toolbox and what looked like a residential water pump as he palmed the door open and disappeared inside. Her heart sank as she recognised the pump as identical to the casing that had housed the bomb. It couldn't be Galen. Or if it was, he had to be under someone else's control. He wasn't a killer. There was just no way he'd blow up the Colony. It was a suicide mission, and he was smart enough to know that. The Galen she knew didn't have a death wish.

Someone had definitely mind controlled him, she decided. That was the only explanation. And when she found out who...she'd tear the siren's tits off.