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"Afraid that I'll lose you."
"Would that be so terrible? To lose me?"
"Oh God," he whispered.
"Would you miss me for an hour?" she insisted. "For a day? For a year?"
What did she want from him? Assurance that when she was gone she'd be remembered? That someone would yearn for her? Why would she doubt that? Didn't she know him yet?
Maybe she was human enough that she simply needed reassurance of things she already knew. "Forever," he said.
It was her turn to laugh. Playfully. "You won't live that long," she said.
"Now you tell me," he said.
This time when she fell silent, she didn't come back, and Miro was left alone with his thoughts.
Valentine, Jakt, and Plikt had remained together on the bridge, talking through the things they had learned, trying to decide what they might mean, what might happen. The only conclusion they reached was that while the future couldn't be known, it would probably be a good deal better than their worst fears and nowhere near as good as their best hopes. Wasn't that how the world always worked?
"Yes," said Plikt. "Except for the exceptions."
That was Plikt's way. Except when she was teaching, she said little, but when she did speak, it had a way of ending the conversation. Plikt got up to leave the bridge, headed for her miserably uncomfortable bed; as usual, Valentine tried to persuade her to go back to the other starship.
"Varsam and Ro don't want me in their room," said Plikt.
"They don't mind a bit."
"Valentine," said Jakt, "Plikt doesn't want to go back to the other ship because she doesn't want to miss anything."
"Oh," said Valentine.
Plikt grinned. "Good night."
Soon after, Jakt also left the bridge. His hand rested on Valentine's shoulder for a moment as he left. "I'll be there soon," she said. And she meant it at the moment, meant to follow him almost at