The instant Darrd turned his back to Luci, she pinched the collar of her T-shirt and yanked it away from her throat. The damp fabric peeled off her skin like glue. Its hemline cut deep into the back of her neck, but that was slightly more tolerable than the smothering moist cloth clinging to her collarbones. She fanned her hand to get some air flowing under her collar. Cooling herself off before she exploded like an overheating engine.

Inside the hazy, muggy swamp of her brain, a thought popped up.

If he's walking away from me … isn't he getting closer to the fire?

From a dead stop, she spurted after him. The onrush of air made her damp bangs slap against her forehead. Wrung the sweat out of them. It ran down into her eyes and stung them, forcing her to blink three times a second just to see.

Past Darrd, black smoke drifted around the corner. He hadn't noticed it yet, but he was getting closer …

"Ah!" Luci cried. "Ah, wait!"

She darted around him in a tight circle, jumped to a stop right in his path, and tilted her head back to stare up into his face. She was very conscious of the fact that her short body made for a poor roadblock.

"Have you … ever … heard authentic Asilean music?!" she asked.

"Yes," he said simply.

Wheezing, Luci tried to stand up straight while a million gallons of sweat weighed her down like a savage rainfall.

"Allow me to sing you some!" she babbled.

"I'd rather continue the—"

After inhaling so deeply it made her lightheaded, Luci belted out the first Asilean song that came to mind. She clenched her fists at her sides and bent her stiff spine back to lift her head up high. Standing with the same nervous posture as a little kid being forced to perform onstage.

> Aunque neustro mundo es esteril

>

> Valientemente lo haremos muy fertil

>

> Con nuestras mentes de ingenieril

>

> Audazmente lo haremos—

The merry marching melody flowed out of her mouth till the point her memory abruptly dried up. The song ended mid-lyric, capped off by a grunt. Her eyelids snapped wide open. Her mouth hung ajar, an endless 'Uh …' issuing from it. The heavy layer of sweat crushed her like she'd sailed right into a black hole's event horizon.

They teach you that song in first grade, Luci!

Yeah, and I haven't sung it since I was a first-grader!

Frowning, Darrd strode past her and continued down the hall. But Luci did a tight twirl and darted in front of the much taller man, to make another feeble attempt to block his path.

"Sing it with me now!" she shouted. "Aunque neustro mundo es esteril …!"

She thrust her hands at Darrd, palms up. Passing the stage to him.

The mountain of a man gave her a stony stare from on high.

"… es esteril …!" she prodded.

The mountain of a man gave her a stony stare from on high.

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Wait … since I'm so short, he can see right over my head! If he looks up, he'll see the smoke coming around the corner!

Like a little girl, she skipped around him in a circle as she sang out loud, forcing him to turn and follow her.

"Aunque neustro mundo es esteril …!"

Her plan backfired when he did not turn to follow her. Now that the path was open, he strode down it. In a last ditch attempt to stop him, Luci grabbed his wrist with both hands and dug her heels into the floor.

"Wait, the song's not over yet!" she cried out.

He stopped, but his expression quickly iced over like a planet whose sun had gone dark.

"Look, Ms. Ramirex, I have a job to do here."

He yanked his hand out of hers. Her fingers broke apart easily.

What do I do, what do I do?!

Darrd spotted a door on the wall behind her and headed towards its intrapanel.

Oh, no! That's the door to the warehouse!

"Ah!" she shouted. "Before you go in there—"

She charged at the door on the other side of the hall. Her arms and legs pumped like pistons. A rapid pulse pounded through her skull, made the world throb against her mind. It knocked her thoughts off the shelves, scattered them on the floor of her brainpan, and — with a cruel smirk — left her to pick the pieces up and sort through them for a good idea while it breezed out the door. She jabbed the icon on the intrapanel with her thumb, crudely welded a smile onto her face, and spun around with a flourish aimed at the doorway. Meanwhile, her mind ran around in circles trying to come up with a way to buy them more time.

"Why don't we take a look in here first?!"

He stepped up to the doorway, a weary expression on his face.

It slid open …

… and vivid orange light poured out of it. It glowed all over Darrd and the wall behind him. A savage roar and a rush of hot air issued from the opening like fire from a dragon's mouth. His wearied face lifted into a wide-eyed gawk as he beheld the sight waiting for him through the doorway.

Oh, I got turned around. This is the warehouse door.

Luci, numb from shock, leaned around the doorframe and peered into the warehouse alongside Darrd. The hot wind streaming out baked the lukewarm sweat that drenched her face and hair, but a sense of morbid curiosity somehow made it more tolerable.

Inside, the massive fire laid waste to over half the room. Philomena stood in front of it, her upper body twisted so she could stare at the two observers, her eyes as big and round as two moons. Her knees and elbows were bent, but she didn't move a muscle. Like she'd been startled and gone rigid midway through leaping into action. Although she was frozen, behind her, the fire continued to dance vigorously, like it was celebrating just being alive. The awkward moment dragged out for an eternity, like time dilation had slowed everything except the fire to an absolute crawl.

Then, her rigid posture melted smoothly into a brisk stroll, and she crossed the warehouse. Putting a warm smile on her face, rubbing her palms together, she stepped up to the doorway. The fire's heat and light covered half of her face with blazing beads of sweat, but didn't burn away her winning grin. Standing in front of Darrd, she took a deep breath and held it, mouth open, gaze flitting across his face. But she was seemingly at a loss for words. The smile slipped, bit by bit … until a spark of inspiration brightened her expression and renewed it.

She stared directly into his eyes, her expression totally cool despite the searing fire behind her.

"This is our storeroom," she said, bringing her hand up and hooking her thumb over her shoulder, pointing it at the blaze. "This is where we store the fire."

She smiled widely, pushing her apple cheeks upward.

As Darrd took that in, his gaze drifted from her happy face to the inferno behind her. The dancing fire flickered in his eyeballs.

The doorway timed out and started to close. He thrust his hand up and blocked it. When the edge bumped his forearm, it stopped. His other hand reached for the intrapanel. He tapped its screen with a practiced, professional, businesslike efficiency. Within seconds, nozzles on the warehouse ceiling began spraying fire suppression foam all over the place. The white goo splashed on the floor and walls and coated the shelves, snuffing the raging flames out almost instantly.

Oh, right, Luci thought, her sinking spirits getting crushed like she had fallen into a gas giant. I guess I was so distracted keeping Philomena happy that I … I didn't think about that.

After the fire was — very easily — put out, Darrd looked down his nose at Philomena while he plucked an omnitablet out of his pocket and held it up. She continued to stare directly into his eyes, but with every word that passed through his lips, more of her melting smile dribbled off of her mouth and splattered messily on the floor along with her sweat.

"Pardon me. I need to get in touch with the station's fire safety division. Afterwards, while we wait for them to arrive, we can go over all the fines and fees you owe. And, of course, the increased rent for a mixed commercial/residential unit."

Philomena gulped so loud they probably heard it all the way at the top of the central shaft.