We walked silently toward the Garden District. She tossed her coat on and rummaged through her pockets, finally offering me a mint and popping one in her mouth. I accepted the mint. Normally, I'm not so accepting of things that could poison me, but we were past that. Whomever I was dealing with could have killed me multiple times.

"I'm @wrench," I said at last, "but you probably knew that."

She smiled, a little dimple hitting her left cheek. "I did."

Knowing we weren't exactly on a date made me feel more comfortable. This was just work, just another part of my role as @wrench to infiltrate and locate the zombie lab.

"So what exactly is this?" I ventured to ask. "I have your note. I'm pretty sure I know where to go next. What are we doing here?"

She slapped me on the arm and chuckled. "I thought I was pretty clear. I like the look of you."

And just like that, I was tongue-tied and nervous again. She leaned against the hallway, still laughing, her skinny arms on her hips, then grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hallway after her.

"What about the whole mixing of business and pleasure kind of thing?" I asked. I still wasn't too sure what this was all about and what role she played in it. "That's a saying that goes back centuries. For a reason."

We turned to the right. I knew where I was going, but I wasn't sure who was leading at this point. The first of the violet lights of the plant-lined streets of the Garden District were starting to appear through the dim halls. We walked down an empty passage, one of the more remote, just on the edge of the district. It was a great place to stab someone.

"I just watched you and delivered a message," she said, lightly. "Do it all the time. That's just part of working at a bar, a store, a restaurant, a hair salon. Everyone on Itokawa has to pass on a message from time to time, or keep an eye out for someone."

I guess that made sense. Eyes and ears all over the place, and everyone willing to pay for information.

"I see." I slowed my pace, enjoying the light from the hydroponic planters. "So what's your name?"

"There you go," she exclaimed. "Are you finally here with me? Out of that head of yours?"

I laughed and let myself relax. "Yes, I guess I am."

"I'm @mirrorbird." She stuck her hand out, and I shook her slender hand firmly. She seemed full of energy for someone who just worked all night. "Come here! I love these."

She hurried away toward a row of yellow and white plants that looked vaguely like chamomile. "You can eat the flower petals on these, and the middle can be brewed for a tea or used as a bathing oil." She bent down. "Smell them. Mmmm."

I joined her. She was certainly lightening the mood. Here I was all full of anxiety, and I've got a woman from Itokawa showing me her favorite flowers. I bent down to smell them. They were nice indeed, such a different and comforting smell compared to the smoke, dirt, and oily metal smells that otherwise permeated Itokawa.

"No wonder you like them," I said. "They smell wonderful! Something bright and clean and fresh in this place must be hard to come by."

She nodded approvingly and stepped close to me. "Smell my neck," she said.

I stood quietly, making eye contact with her, holding her eyes with mine.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Smell my neck."

I approached slowly, looking at the slightly tanned skin of her neck as she tilted her head the other way. I smelled, slowly, and immediately picked up on the same scent from the flowers. For a moment, I thought of kissing that lovely neck, but I let the moment pass and leaned away from her.

"You smell lovely," I said, thinking about what to say. "Earlier today I had to lick someone's salty and oil stained hands. It was disgusting. Now, here I am with you. Total opposite. It's been a day of extremes."

"That's gross," she echoed. "I wouldn't even lick my own grimy hands. Who's hands exactly were you licking? And if you're expecting to lick mine, you've got another thing coming."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Shit, I admonished myself. Stupid brain. I shouldn't have mentioned that whole incident with @horsehead. I thought for a moment and took the opportunity to stall by smelling another flower, a purple one in the adjacent flower bed. "Business deal gone wrong, you could say. Hence, the happy bevvy at Void's Edge. I cleaned up as best I could, but ... here I am."

"Please tell me you brushed your teeth," @mirrorbird prompted. "I'm not kissing you, mint or no mint, if you didn't brush your teeth."

Well, of course I hadn't. I definitely wanted to, but it wasn't like I carried a toothbrush around with me. They needed to make little brush tablets or something for Vanquishers on the go.

I threw my arms to the sides in desperation. "Didn't have time. I know. Gross."

She shook her head and mumbled something I didn't quite hear that sounded like idiot. But she still had a smirk on her face, so not all was lost. She reached into her black jacket pocket and pulled out a small square, and then another. She handed one to me.

It was a tiny square cutout of bubble wrap.

"I'm sorry, but let's - this - time thing." She stumbled over her words and had to start over. "Let's do this another time."

She walked slowly down the passage back toward the main hallways, popping her bubble wrap as she ambled. "When we're both a little more prepared. I'm coming off a long shift. You need a brushing and a bath. I know everything is rather filthy on Itokawa, but ..."

I laughed and caught up with her, stepping up to her side. "No, you're right. There's dirty, and there's dirty."

She stopped and made a scrunchy face at me, popping another bubble. The dimple appeared again in the corner of her cheek. "Thank you for understanding. I'm cool with your person stink, but not with someone else's."

I popped a bubble back at her in response.

Her face lit up. "It's fun, isn't it?"

She continued walking, motioning for me to follow her. "I like to pop bubble wrap as I walk. It helps me relax." We popped a few more as we took in another row of flower beds. This one had blue flowers that smelled strong and pungent.

I was frustrated, but I also considered it a stroke of luck that our date would be cut short. I needed to get out of here. I had the perfect excuse now, without being too rude. But, of course, I wanted to stay. @mirrorbird was a fresh scent in an asteroid full of muck.

"You're right, by the way," I said, rubbing some of the blue flower's petal and smelling my fingers. I gestured to her, and she did the same, carefully working some of the flower onto her skin and smelling it. "We should pick this up another time. I'm also pressed for work and need to get going. I don't want to, but that's life, right?"

She nodded. We were both disappointed, but happy nonetheless it seemed. "The timing is just off," I added.

@mirrorbird smiled back. "The timing wasn't off. The timing was just right, or we wouldn't have met at all."

She was right, and I suppose we had the anticipation of seeing each other again to look forward to. When that would be, sadly, I had no idea. "That's a beautiful way to put it," I said.

Time to go back to being a Vanquisher, I told myself. I took a deep breath. "I need to head back off world ..."

"I figured," she said, flinging her limbs childishly as she walked down the hall. I noticed that she had picked one of the blue flowers. "That's life on Itokawa. People come, people go."

"I will come back to see you," I said, hoping it wasn't a lie and hoping she actually cared if I did. "Assuming you don't have, like, a dozen people on your list who've said the same thing. Do you?"

She laughed, which helped me relax. "None of your business."

"Fair play," I laughed back.

She lifted her left hand. "You go lick some more hands." She lifted her right hand. "I'll wait for my list of suitors to show up." She smashed her hands together. "And then maybe we'll talk."

I nodded, stupid grin making my face hurt. "It was brief, but the most fun I've had in decades."

I realized I meant it when I said it. I hadn't done much relaxing with other people. I hadn't just existed in space with someone, being playful. Sure, we played games on The Pharaoh, the crew and I, but it was different with @mirrorbird.

"You need to get out more, then," she said, grabbing my arm and stepping closer. I looked into her brown eyes, the smell of the flowers rising through the filth to touch my nose. I popped a bubble.

"I'm keeping this," I said, raising the bubble wrap.

"You better!" She replied, and then she placed the blue flower in her hair. Or, at least she tried to. The flower fell. I managed to catch it without damaging it too badly. "Oops!" she exclaimed. "I was trying to be cute."

I tucked the flower over her left ear. "You were being cute," I replied, and we smiled stupidly at each other.

Then @mirrorbird grimaced at me awkwardly, tilting her head sideways and back, considering what to do. Awkward good-byes, I thought to myself.

She leaned in close and kissed my cheek. The feeling of her lips ran all the way down to my toes, a zap of energy, like I had just been reanimated.

"Not bad," she said. "Your face tastes okay."

"You approve?" I joked.

"I approve." She nodded, and then she kissed my cheek again, longer this time. She wrapped her arm around my waist. I didn't dare step closer. I kept my distance, reluctant to close the small gap between us. I would be too tempted to kiss her.

"Stupid teeth," I said.

She brushed ever so slightly against me as she pulled away. I reached out and took her hand, holding it, solidly and softly. I gave it a slow squeeze and let go.

She smiled back. "Stupid teeth," she repeated. "You know where to find me."

And that was my favorite memory of Itokawa.

She walked away with a little skip in her step, knowing full well that I watched her move along the passage and out into the growing morning crowds, where she disappeared. She would pop her bubble wrap on her way home, wherever that was, to sleep before working another night shift at Void's Edge.

And I would run like hell.