Between three days running what was left of the Change Your Luck out to its creditors in the Burquel system, who were not happy about its condition, two days haggling with them over the final payout, three days back to Garlopin Station, three days convincing port security there that the Buzzmouth was legitimate salvage, and the monthlong trip back to Junktion on board a jerry-rigged ship that smelled exactly like the inside of its namesake, almost three months had passed since First last set foot in her apartment.
As soon as the door slid shut behind her, First dropped her bags on the floor and ran over to where Quarried Themselves sat on their reinforced couch. First threw her arms around one of Quarried’s legs and hugged them tight for long enough that even the Grenic would register the gesture, then grabbed a pillow and comforter from her bed and made herself a little nest among her roomie’s limbs. First watched maybe ten minutes of the third-season opener of Rocks in Hard Places at real speed before falling into a deep, unblemished sleep.
First woke some ten hours later with an incredibly stiff neck and her right arm still fast asleep. The episode had not yet concluded. Quarried hadn’t moved, except to gently hover a protective hand over her. It took some effort to maneuver around, especially with one dead arm.
She showered under genuine hot water for the first time since her cabin on the Luck, which went a long way toward sorting out the stiffness in her neck and brought her arm fully back to functionality. The raven roots of her hair had begun to reassert themselves against the aquamarine blue of her duchess disguise, but looking back at herself in the steamed mirror, First didn’t mind. The duality suited her. She’d pretended to be someone else for so long now that the different identities had all blended together. She may as well advertise the fact.
The ceiling chimed an incoming call while she toweled off. First groaned. “Accept.”
“Good morning, First,” Loritt said. “How did you sleep?”
“Like the dead,” she said. “Meaning I’m stiff as hell. I thought you gave us the week off.”
“I did indeed. Regardless, I’d like to invite you to join me down in Bay Ninety-Four.”
“Why?” First wrung out her towel into the sink. Water was still a valuable commodity on Junktion. “It’s empty. The Towed is a marked space-time anomaly, and the Buzzmouth just got auctioned and towed off for parts, thank god.”
“Can you just this once do something I ask you to without the interrogation of my motives, please?” Loritt asked. “I’d consider it a personal favor.”
“Fine,” First said. “See you in half a larim.”
She took her time drying her hair and getting dressed for the occasion, whatever it was. As a precaution, she aimed low with sweatpants and her torn Whitesnake T-shirt. She was on leave, after all. Office dress didn’t apply.
First grabbed a pod on autopilot, both herself and the pod, and somehow managed to get out at the right stop instead of taking the return trip right back to her tower’s station and crawling into her actual bed.
When she finally made it to Bay Ninety-Four, she found herself surrounded by friends.
Loritt spread his three arms in greeting. Still waiting to adopt another arm from one of the Nelihexu rescue shelters on board the station. “Welcome, First.”
First took everyone in as she walked past them. Unreadable but loyal Fenax, floating in their tank. Hesitant Sheer, still realizing the strength everyone else recognized in her. Enigmatic Hashin, always on the outside and at once at the center of things. Stoic Jrill, recovering from her wounds without comment or complaint, her strength unquestioned.
And finally, Loritt, the patchwork man who brought so many discarded pieces together that didn’t fit anywhere else and made them into a whole.
“What the hell is this?” she said at last.
“Your coworkers are here to help me present you with your bonus.” Loritt swept a hand over the deck and to the berth beyond. It was almost empty.
Almost.
Instead of the familiar silhouette of the now lost Goes Where I’m Towed, only a small cocoon of plastiwrap floated in a far corner of the slip, the sort of thing new aircars were sheathed in prior to delivery from the manufacturer. Except this was too big to be any production aircar, by half.
Without her even realizing it, First’s nose was pressed against the chilled glass of the gallery window in anticipation.
“Hashin,” Loritt said. “Don’t keep the poor girl waiting.”
“Aye.” Hashin pressed a button on his handheld, and a small dockside service drone sprang to life and dragged the cocoon free.
First’s eyes threatened to bulge right out of her head as the plastiwrap peeled back and coughed up its secret.
“Is that…” First’s voice cut off as the daggerlike prow of the tiny vessel came into view. She’d seen it before. Except its livery hadn’t featured a bright chrome 1st quite so prominently along the side before.
“Your sling-racer?” Loritt finished for her. “Yes, it is. It took almost the entire time we’ve been gone for a team of seasoned professionals to fix the damage you inflicted the last time you piloted it, but yes. It’s yours. And now”—he held out the activation stud—“it’s yours forever. Paid off, free and clear. It just needs a new name for the officially sanctioned race record before I transfer ownership.”
First threw up a hand to brace herself against the gallery window frame. “You didn’t sell it back to the bank?”
“We bought it from the bank at auction,” Loritt said. “We all voted on it, First. This came out of everyone’s share from the Change Your Luck, out of acknowledgment to your contributions to our broken little family since you turned up. It was a unanimous vote. So, what’s her name?”
“Well,” First considered. “The spine of it looks like a knife, so … how about the Razorback?”
“You can’t take the Razorback,” Hashin said, staring at his handheld.
“Why not?”
“Someone already used that name.”
“Oh, okay. How about Stiletto?”
Hashin looked at Loritt and gave a thumbs-up.
“Looks like we’re good here,” Loritt said.
“Yes.” First stared through the glass with avarice at her new obsession. “Yes, we are.”