15

THE WAREHOUSE LEVEL was novel territory for me and probably most on Plexis, being the zone between pending and paid in full. Neither the curious nor lost were welcome.

Spacers didn’t belong here either, yet my Human, it turned out, did. The occasional worker paused to raise a limb in greeting. When an aircar swooped overhead, it being large enough here for their use, and his name rang out, I echoed it. “Jason?”

“Didn’t start out in a ship, chit,” came the intriguing reply. Then, tell you later.

I did know something of this level, it being part of my education as Hindmost to learn where our cargoes went. A maze of service tunnels connected docked ships, including the Silver Fox, to the vastness of this receiving area, curving the length of the station; others, less obvious, connected individual warehouses to the wholesale level and above. The air over our heads buzzed with servos as well as aircars, some carrying small urgent packages, all equipped with vids and sensors.

Theft—from inside or out—was an ever-present concern.

As was tripping, I quickly discovered. Plexis had installed enormous sealable doors at intervals, their rims coming to the midpoint of my shins. While I applauded any precaution aimed at containing explosions, escaping whatevers, or leaks, the need to continually step over such barriers—or trip—was a nuisance. For the staff here as well, since makeshift ramps cluttered every possible path, the majority suited only to a specific species—not all humanoid—and, to make it worse, all were painted dirty gray to match the floor.

Morgan moved through the cluttered open space as easily as on the deck of the Fox. Huido, on the other hand, appeared to delight in crushing ramps under his ponderous spongy feet. Wallace and his constables negotiated their way with the same irregular steps that I used, though the unfortunate Whirtle, having to hump over the rims, had begun to wheeze.

Ahead and behind, to either side, the floor curled inward like a drying leaf—a leaf larger than some cities, perspective playing its tricks. Looking so far made me dizzy—and risked tripping—so after that first glance, I kept my eyes down.

Until I heard Morgan’s soft, “Ah.”

I slowed and lifted my head, understanding at once.

The rest of Plexis was already here.