Apollonia waited around the railing for another hour after Zef left. She was exhausted, wanted to get off her feet. But she couldn't make herself leave.

The door opened behind her, and Zey came out, heaving a heavy sigh. "That man," she said. "Is going to have a limp."

It sounded like a joke, but Apollonia knew she was just coping. 'That man' was the security officer for one of the teams, a guy named Jorge Holder, who had had a run-in with some kind of predator.

He'd been messed up when he came in. Dr. Y had barely been able to keep him alive in the field, and even then only because the man had called in for help before it happened. A few minutes slower - hell, maybe a few seconds, and he would have bled out.

"Is he gonna live?" Apollonia asked.

"I think so," Zey said. She had been covered in blood the last time Apple had seen her, as she had been in emergency surgery with Dr. Zyzus.

Now, she was clean, but Apollonia saw her examining her nails. It was a reflex; the skin-sheathe gloves protected you and your patient, but afterwards they left the feeling that something was under your fingernails.

Apollonia wondered about putting her feet in them. Would you get the same feeling under your toenails?

She snorted a moment at the thought, and Zey looked up. "I'm not kidding, though, that leg is messed up. We couldn't save it. He's gonna have to get it replaced."

"If I ever lose a leg," Apollonia said. "I think I just want a peg. A cyber-peg."

Zey shot her a look; it was too soon. And, Apple realized, it was literally moments after Zey had just come out of the surgery.

Apple cleared her throat. "What was it?"

"I dunno," Zey said with a shrug. "He said it was a . . . keko-something. Maybe it's what the locals call it."

"What zone was he in?" Apollonia asked. She tried to sound casual, but something in her tone got Zey's attention.

"Just a few hundred clicks inland," Zey said. "But look, don't worry about Alisher, I'm sure he's fine."

Apollonia smiled, appreciating the thought, but still not knowing how to tell Zey that she had broken up with Alisher. And only a day before he was sent out to relieve a security officer out in the field. The timing had been an unfortunate coincidence, but it still made Apollonia feel terrible.

Zey, ever-observant, saw it in her face. "Oh," she said. "What happened?"

"We . . . we decided to stop," Apollonia replied. She was surprised at her own word choice. Stop what? Stop pretending? Apollonia had found, after a few weeks, that she just had no idea what she should even be doing. Alisher seemed patient, and had often contacted her first, coming up with things they could do. But she just . . . she had never learned how these things worked. She was only left feeling like she was floating along on his affections, rather than growing her own.

"Did he act like a creep?" Zey asked. "Because if he did, I will give him hell when he comes back!"

Apple found herself laughing. "No, he was still a perfect gentleman," she said. "It's me. I'm a weirdo, Zey."

Zey came closer, hugging her. "Oh, you are," she said sweetly. "But you're a lovable weirdo."

Apollonia found she could only take that positively. "I'm not sad," she said. "I mean, I'm kind of glad. He was great, and I . . . I guess I dated and it didn't go horribly. We're still friends. I mean, I know people often say that, but I think it's true in this case. He really is a great guy. I guess I just . . . I don't know what I want."

Zey listened, and Apollonia felt acutely bad. Zey had just gone through a nasty surgery, trying to save a man's life, which had to take a lot out of you. Yet here she was, now comforting someone else.

"Just out of curiosity," Apollonia said. "What do you mean by a creep? I haven't seen anyone be creepy . . ."

"Honey," Zey said. "Men can always be creepy. But . . . You know, being too pushy, or expecting too much."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Oh," Apollonia said. Then she laughed, thinking of the insane perversions she had seen on Hellrock. "Trust me, I've seen way worse than that stuff, and people don't take advantage of me like that. I don't let them."

"What do you do?" Zey asked. Apollonia could tell she was expecting some spooky response.

Which wasn't wrong. When she was upset enough, people around her could feel it. Sometimes painfully so. But she didn't really want to lean into that side of herself right now.

"I kick 'em in the nuts," she said instead.

Zey laughed loudly. The nearby engineers glanced over at the sound, audible even over the wind.

Zey's eyes suddenly focused past her, turning serious, almost alarmed. Apollonia turned, and quickly saw why.

Jaya Yaepanaya was coming towards them.

They both came to attention, Apollonia far slower and sloppier.

"Captain," Zey said. "I didn't know you were down here!"

"By design," Jaya said. "At ease. I did not want to make a big deal out of a simple visit."

Ships were often lifting off or landing from orbit, and Apollonia had stopped paying much attention to them. But apparently, Jaya had come down in one.

Letting her salute drop, Apollonia saw Jaya smiling at her, and returned the favor, grinning. "Captain fits you," she said.

"I feel comfortable enough in it," Jaya admitted. She looked around, at the station, through the fencing that protected them from going overboard and then out to the sea itself, where the waves were rising high.

"I came down to see the base before it was too late," Jaya said. "I had not gotten the chance before now, so I made one." She frowned. "It is more challenging than I would have expected."

"What, the waves? They're not so bad, we barely get sprayed," Apollonia said. "And there's these cute lizard-fish things down there, they want us to come down so they can drown us." She laughed. "It's awesome."

Jaya arched an eyebrow. "It sounds that way," she said neutrally.

Her eyes went to the medical center. "I have heard you've been quite busy."

"I guess," Apollonia replied. "Zey's been doing the hard work, with Dr. Zyzus. He's a good guy." She realized how silly it sounded for her to be sounding her approval of the veteran doctor, and shut up.

But Jaya took her words with a serious nod. "Still, you've had multiple people to care for, for many hours. And from what I understand, you have been doing well."

Apollonia did not know what to say to that.

Zey spoke. "You heard true, Captain. Apple's been doing a good job. She actually cares about them - it's easy for people to sometimes look past that and just do the job. But not her."

Apollonia stared at Zey, not expecting that sort of praise.

When she looked back to Jaya, she saw pride on the woman's face.

Apollonia felt her cheeks burn, along with a feeling of . . . something in her chest.

"Thank you, nurse," Jaya said. "You've been doing excellent work, yourself, and you look like you need a rest. Go get off your feet."

"Thank you, Captain," Zey said. She touched Apollonia's shoulder as she left.

After she was gone, Apollonia did not know what to say, but Jaya started walking, inviting her along with a wave.

"I haven't done that great," Apollonia found herself saying. "I just did the stuff they told me to do."

"Not everyone is willing to do what you've been doing," Jaya said.

"Yeah, well . . . it's not complicated. Just kind of dirty."

"Not everyone is willing to do that," Jaya repeated. "And the caring part is the most challenging."

Apollonia found herself quiet again. A million different things to say came to her head, and she wanted to . . . what, attack herself? Say how she didn't deserve praise?

Not that she thought she did, but she couldn't quite tear herself down, either.

Jaya was watching her, a calm smile on her face, and Apollonia finally sighed.

"You win," she said.

Jaya laughed, and clapped her on the shoulder.

Her face turned serious again after a moment. "I wanted to tell you," she said. "Our estimates for Omen's final break-up have been revised. We are starting the pull-out in the morning."

"Oh," Apollonia replied. "I thought it was ten more days . . ."

"We've changed the estimate to four," Jaya said. "After that . . . well, the air will become too dangerous for ships to lift off."

"I appreciate you telling me," Apollonia said. "I . . . Ko has become kind of special to me."

"I thought this might be the case," Jaya said with a sad smile. "It's no secret you need keep, everyone will be told shortly."

"Could I stay until the last shuttle?" Apollonia asked. "Not anything stupid or crazy. I just want to watch the water . . . well, as long as I can."

Jaya thought about it for a few moments. "Very well. But if the situation changes and you are ordered onto an earlier shuttle, go along. It would only be ordered if Omen's fracturing changes unexpectedly."

Apollonia nodded solemnly. "I understand." Another thought came to her. "What about the teams with the !Xomyi?"

"Most have already pulled out," Jaya said.

"And their missions?" Apollonia asked.

"Some have succeeded. Some have not," Jaya said. "It's not always cut and dried. In many cases, groups fractured, with some leaving and some staying. At the last minute some were trying to leap off or onto ships." She sighed. "The reality is always so much more of a mess than what we imagine."

"What about Brooks? And Urle?"

"They are still with their groups," Jaya said.

The concern showed on her face; Jaya continued. "Do not worry about them," she said. "Only worry about the people they are trying to save."