“We will venture forth where no others dared; for I believe, in the heart of our galaxy, this Nova Rim, is…something. Something worth finding, some will ask; I admit I do not have the faintest idea what is on the other side of the storm. But we will go anyway to see for ourselves. The unknown cannot hide from our intrepid spirit forever, nor can we turn our heads to hide from its depths. Some think it is the abyss calling, but that is not so; we are beckoned by something beyond the abyss, ‘We are here. Come and see. We are waiting.’”

—Kol Vau Sonnem, explorer who discovered Vylensus and founded the Synatorium

Zaina sat atop a stranded cargo container next to the landing platform upon which Gir’s ship rested. From the outside it appeared to be brand new—all the damaged parts were repaired or replaced. Even the paint was redone.

Hobst really went all out.

She had yet to see the inside. Maybe she hadn’t gone in yet because she didn’t want to wake up Gizmo—or maybe she wanted to spend a little more time out in the open before getting back into that cramped metal box.

Sorrow plucked at her heart. I wonder what Gir would’ve said about all this—what he’d think of me.

Zaina frowned and adjusted her knapsack, which was sagging. Sister Tyza insisted on sending her off with plenty of food, blankets, hygienic supplies, and spare clothing. Zaina smiled—she was lucky to have found people like Sister Tyza and Hobst on a world like Otmonzas. Without them, she’d have starved, or worse.

Poor Sister Tyza hadn’t known what had happened—she broke down immediately when Zaina walked through the doors. When Zaina told her the good news, she cried even more; not many people who went through her doors got their second chances, so when they did, she couldn’t hold back tears of happiness.

Hobst’s goodbye was little more than a handshake, a nod, and a gruff, “You take care, now.” That was all it needed to be.

The sky was clearing of smoke, revealing the layer of smog blanketing the world. Zaina sighed, reflecting on her time here. Otmonzas wasn’t a friendly place—even if she was allowed back, she was sure she’d never return. There were bright spots—people doing their best in spite of a system that broke them—but everything else was compromised.

Welcome to the Nova Rim, I guess.

The beacon around her neck hummed—the promised cargo was arriving. She still wasn’t comfortable with this, but if it got her offworld, so be it.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

She turned her head—a ground transport, long and sleek, was winding its way through the myriad ships and empty platforms. It rolled on four ball-shaped wheels beneath its body, allowing it to change direction at will. The vehicle came to a stop at the edge of the platform.

A human man stepped out of the transport. “Are you Zaina Quin?”

She nodded and hopped off the container. “That’s me.”

Nose buried in a vis-screen, he walked toward her. “All right. I have some documents for you to sign, and then you’ll be on your way. Mind opening the cargo bay?”

Zaina frowned. “I don’t know how to do that.”

The man sighed and said, “The androids should be familiar with the model. Okay, this first one’s a camera—there you are, your vis-sig. Tap there to confirm that image is of you, Zaina Quin. Perfect. And this next one here…”

She tapped the screen to sign a string of legal agreements between herself and the Otmonzas government. All the while, four androids popped open a side compartment on Gir’s ship and stowed a cylindrical coffin. Zaina glanced over toward the box—her eyes lingered. That was her fault.

Reida wouldn’t have been able to kill him if not for what I did. But he would’ve killed Reida and me—

“Hey! Hey!” the man said, snapping his fingers.

Zaina startled. “What?”

“You spaced out for a minute there. Come on, I got other deliveries to make. Can you please sign the last three waivers so I can get on with my day? There’s a big goreball match tonight.”

She went along with it. Once it was done the androids returned to his transport. The man waited outside, staring at her—waiting for her to leave.

The moment was surreal. That morning she was sure she’d die on this world, and now she was climbing the outer ladder of Gir’s ship. The hatch opened, and she hopped down and took it in.

The interior was completely polished, looking like new. She marveled at how shiny the metal walls were. Other than that, nothing had changed—it was Gir’s ship exactly as she remembered it.

Zaina walked toward the control panel. “Gizmo?”

The glyph popped out of its charging port, zipping back and forth in midair. “Giz—zzz—mo Giz—zzz—mo Giz—zzz—zzz—zzz—mo online! Hello, Giramodo. How can I help you today?”

“It’s Zaina,” she said, “not Gir—remember me, buddy?”

“Oh yes—zzz, it’s—zzz my good friend Z—zzz—Zaina! How can I help you today?”

Her lips curled into a smile. “It’s good to see you, Gizmo. How are you feeling?”

“I feel like I’ve woken from a very res—zzz—tful s—zzz—leep. How about you, Z—zzz—Zaina?”

The smile faded from her face. “Tired, little buddy. Come on—I think we should get out of here.”

“Oh,” the glyph replied. “Very well, Z—zzz—Zaina. Would you like me to engage autopilot s—zzz—ys—zzz—tems—zzz? After all, you do not know how to pilot a ship.”

“Yes,” she said, collapsing into the seat closest to the front, “do the honors, if you would.”

“Very well. Is—zzz our des—zzz—tination s—zzz—till the Order of Riiva?”

Zaina took a deep breath. “Yeah. Let’s go to Kaado.”

The engines roared to life, then died down to a dim hum. A moment of weightlessness overtook Zaina as the ship lifted off from Otmonzas. Pulling away from a horrible place that she had never wanted to visit—and to which she could never return—it struck her one last time how pretty the planetwide city’s lights were. A twinge of sorrow and guilt stung at her heart, knowing it was only beautiful from far away.