thers used their physical strength to dig. Pax looked down at them, hoping nobody noticed her moment.

Once they arrived, she learned the orders hadn't come through, and neither did any administration payments and logistics. Fortunately, she carried a copy of the orders on the computer, so that helped. As part of the spirit of cooperation, the local government decided they could pay all the costs back with communal work. As strange as it was, the problem with communication with the League was to be expected. Space anomalies would happen.

Before they left Prometheus, Pax made sure to send messages out to the admiral, Protau, and her friends. But, not everything was as simple. She couldn't start investigating until the communal work was done, meaning Jason and Caelius needed to finish, and then she and Thalia needed to make their way to the local hospital to help.

Pax was also told that the monorail that led to where she lived had been shut down after the bombing for security reasons. At this point, she was stuck and had to think of solutions before acting.

Jason waved his hands to get her attention again. For the men working on the construction, it was warm enough to drop their tops and shirts. Jason was one of them, standing out among others because of his olive skin and a head full of uncontrollable long, black hair covered in black stains from the oil and grease of the machinery. He was skinny but extremely well-built, something that wouldn't show under his clothes. Somebody spoke to him, and he turned his sight away from her. The longer she looked at him, the more her cheeks flushed.

"We need more men with the digging," he shouted.

Pax smirked. "Just grab the shovel yourself and help them."

"Was it an order or a suggestion?"

"If it was a suggestion," she propped her hands on her waist and smiled, "then you'd get hit with the shovel first."

The man shook his head with a slight grin and carefully slid down the side of the riverbed to help others clear the rubble so the dam could be set to work. She was glad when he joined the other men, laughed together, and had conversations about things only men would talk about. His sharp look and carefully combed hair disappeared somewhere long ago without him even noticing.

"So, you do like him after all." Pax heard the gentle, slightly tired voice of her aunt. There was a question and an answer that hung in the air. But it wasn't her. It was Thalia.

"Something wrong?" Pax just shook her head in response.

"I'm sorry. This place brings back a lot of memories. For a minute there... I thought you were my aunt." Thalia gave out a slight laugh and raised her eyebrow.

"Do I look that old?" She extended her hand toward Pax, inviting her to take it.

Pax hesitated only for a second. Welcoming the company in the cold, she took her arm, and they wandered on the edge of the valley above the riverbed, listening to the workers. The men carried a fresh log of wood, and Jason was yelling something to them from where he was standing. The construction and repair jobs were moving forward slowly.

She turned around, admiring Thalia's beautiful hair, and after a while, the words she said reached her mind, and she understood their meaning.

"I'm not sure if I do. I'm also not very good at this," Pax replied to the earlier question.

"Jason seems to like it here. I'm shocked to admit that even Caelius seems less... like himself." Thalia's words had a note of a joke in them, but they were also very true. Within those few short days she spent with them, the bond grew quickly, feeling quite comfortable, friendly. Especially around Thalia. She was warm in an odd way and much more mature than she wanted others to see.

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A few metres below, another group of workers in wet overalls, covered in mud stains, tried to place another log of wood. Jason was there, standing by them, giving erratic commands and drawing a line in the mud with his shovel. All this changed quickly when the repairs failed, and a stream of water shot from the damaged dam, knocking them off their feet into the mud.

"I'm wondering how on earth they are fixing this dam," Pax tipped her head slightly, looking curiously at the whole scene.

"Does it matter?" Thalia remarked joyfully, amused with the sight. "They are men; let them have some fun."

"This place has a remarkable effect on you, Pax," Thalia added after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem more approachable," the woman said. But before Pax could think of an answer, they were interrupted by an explosion of laughter and cheering. It seemed the men found a way to fix the damage. It was no one else than Caelius sitting on top of the dam cheering the loudest.

"That's something I didn't expect," Pax voiced surprised.

"He has his moments, the old man," Thalia smiled warmly. She was distant for a moment. In a way, Pax could only think there must have been something between those two in the past, and she still cared about him.

With a shadow of envy, Pax looked at Thalia's face only to turn away when two beaming voices reached her ears. Caelius and Jason walked up the path slowly toward them, both men soaking wet, covered in mud and dirt up to their faces. Both looking so similar right now, like two boys after a day out. You could only identify the bright eyes and brighter smiles.

"That went better than expected," Jason said to the women when they finally reached them. He propped his hand on his waist, showing his pride.

"You only fixed that piece of junk. I did all of the hard work," Caelius taunted him with a lighter tone.

"I did dig too. Eventually." Jason turned his face with a cheeky smile and a wink toward Pax. She pursed her lips to hold a smile, but that didn't stop her cheek muscles from playing the game.

"You did good, kid," Caelius added suddenly, patting Jason's shoulder with his dirty hands.

"What?" The man shook his head when he turned to Thalia, who was measuring him with her eyes.

"Nothing. It's good to see you get along with people." Thalia pursed her lips innocently. She and Pax still held hands, sharing the body warmth.

"I like challenges I have control over. And when nobody is holding a gun," Jason jumped in. He started rubbing his shoulders as the cold started to get to him. It just made it worse as he rubbed the protective layer of drying mud, leaving bare skin.

"I second that," Caelius followed. "While you two have been wandering, we sorted out some important problems."

"Oh, and what are those?" Pax asked with a note of sarcasm in her voice.

"Caelius here made some friends while digging. One of them was the governor's son who knows some people and promised to help us out."

Thalia slowly turned her face with a surprise painted on it toward Pax, who could not help her jaw muscles which became very loose suddenly.

"The kid was so grateful for the help and everything he extended an official invitation for us to come to the ball that's happening tomorrow night and moved your communal works in the hospital to the next day. You can do your investigation after that," Caelius continued after Jason.

"That's fantastic. But I'm confused. I understand the ball is a huge thing because of the winter celebration and the one year King, but how does that help us?" Pax was confused and tried to follow the way the men were thinking this would help them.

"Pax!" Thalia gasped in a sudden revelation, pulling her hand. "The king! The king will be at the ball with his security force. They may know where to find your aunt."

It took a few minutes for Pax to gather her thoughts, clarify the mind, and think logically, as she stood there shocked, turning her gaze From one face to another, a few times. There was a mix of emotions that blazed through her eyes. Finally, she composed herself and put up a faint smile. Oddly, none of her new friends seemed to pay too much attention to her momentary phase. Even Caelius, who seemed to despise everyone from the moment she laid her eyes on him, showed a shadow of a smile. Slightly mocking, slightly teasing, but honest. At this moment, he reminded her very much of Protau, and she realised why his behaviour seemed familiar in a way.

"Thank you," Pax said finally. Both Caelius and Jason only nodded. "Who knew men can do espionage?" She added, looking at Thalia, somehow feeling as if she had to break the seriousness.

"Gods, I know! That would be the first." The woman laughed. "Come on, you two. You are filthy. Don't you dare touch me!" She warned Caelius, but it was too late as the man stretched his hand and tousled her hair.

Thalia's shocked yet angry face was so amusing they all laughed for a long time till they reached the Prometheus.