Over the next weeks, I didn’t see much of Tau. My working hours were spent with Cufuthu, at first just getting to know its components, then cleaning them, then moving on to troubleshooting. On my off hours I read every manual Artie would give me, and when those ran out I started exploring on my own, discovering hidden ducts, compartments, and other deviations from the literature.

  My coworkers on the fusion thruster were invaluable at first, enduring my many questions with patience and grace. Even once they ran out of new information to give, they insisted on dragging me to the gym with them after our shifts, sparing me from Nova’s disapproval.

  I still hadn’t found the time or confidence to talk to Rollo about the credits in my drawer. Maybe I never would. It could be helpful to have some hard currency once my term of service was up.

  Little by little I watched my debt shrink. Not a day went by that I didn’t crave a salty snack from the commissary over the tasteless slop in the mess, but I shoved down the desires as best I could.

  I was largely left alone by Apollyon, though they had a habit of waiting just outside whatever room I happened to be in. Convinced that they’d deliberately set me up to get in trouble when dealing with my communicator, I didn’t spare them any more words.

  As the end of my first quarter aboard the Clover loomed, I began to dread my upcoming meeting with Unity. I was determined to have Cufuthu reassembled and ready for testing before my shady benefactor could question what I’d accomplished.

  It was the final hour of my my final shift before the big meeting; I bolted the last part into place. “Clear!” I shouted, taking my hands off the thruster and drifting back to the wall.

  “Fuel pellet loaded,” called Eric, one of the other engineers, with confidence. The tall, lanky terran joined me against the wall.

  “Charging capacitors.” Farim’s soft voice shook with nervous anticipation as she monitored the power feed from her comm. “Charged!”

  I surveyed the room to ensure that all metal items were either tethered or stowed. “Engaging magnetic compression,” I announced, activating the last system from my comm before switching over to a voice call with Nova on the bridge. “We’re ready back here,” I informed her. “I feel confident about this one!”

  “Roger that Rook,” Nova responded. “Firing at fifty hertz in three... two...”

  I watched through the crystal side panel as three strobing beams of ultraviolet light lit up the argon inside the chamber, converging on the reaction vessel suspended in its center.

  “Laser array is functional,” I reported, my heart racing.

  “One hundred fifty Hertz,” Nova’s voice was hazy with interference.

  The argon’s flashes became faster and faster, until it appeared to constantly glow. Particles of vaporized fuel sparkled brilliantly, twisting and dancing around the beams.

  The transmission went dead, and I briefly wondered whether it was a good idea to be in the same room as the thruster while it was firing. Soon, the room’s intercom crackled to life. “Attention all personnel,” drawled Harlyle’s disembodied voice. “The brilliant engineers working on the fusion reactor would like to interrupt our shift with yet another test. Please stand by for another expensive waste of time.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  As I glared at the speaker in the corner, considering making a rude gesture, I felt Eric’s hand on my shoulder. “It’s not worth the fine,” he warned. “Besides, look.”

  The reaction vessel began to glow, shining brighter and brighter until it hurt to look at, even as the crystal panels darkened to compensate. Then, suddenly, accompanied by a blinding flash, the ship lurched forward. I stared in slack-jawed amazement at our fully functional fusion thruster, operating at maximum efficiency thanks to our own hard work.

  “We did it,” I whispered, my heart soaring with pride. “We did it!” I pushed off the wall, launching myself at Eric, sending him spinning with a hug, then pulled myself towards Farim for a gentler handshake.

  “There’s hardly a ‘we’,” Farim admitted bashfully as she squeezed my palm. “You were the one who found that tiny crack in the plasma intake manifold. We would have kept slamming our faces into the wall without your help.”

  I shrugged self consciously. “You would have figured it out, I’m sure.”

  “Eventually, maybe,” Eric replied. “After frying half a dozen more components.”

  “I still don’t see how it could have happened,” I lamented. “There are no mechanical stresses on the manifold, so how could it have broken?”

  “Ask Medina,” Eric suggested.

  “Come on, Eric,” Farim pleaded. “You know he’s not a believer.”

  “Believer or not, nobody on this ship knows more about the void and what it can do than her,” he said with finality.

  “Alright, I’ll ask about it next time I see her, I promise,” I relented. “I have somewhere I have to be in a few minutes. Do you guys mind if I skip the gym today?”

  I said my goodbyes to my friends before heading back to the residential wing to shower and change into a fresh jumpsuit. I stopped to take a good look at myself in the mirror, noting the way my lean muscles filled out the once baggy uniform. It was still annoying, having to wear the same outfit every day, but at least I could pull it off.

  My hair was getting long again, the pale locks falling in my face while I tried to work. Maybe on my next visit to Laurie’s I would bargain for another use of their trimmer.

  My nails, thankfully, were no longer damaged stumps. Though it was technically against the rules, Eric and Farim kept quiet about me borrowing one of the heavy duty files we used for shaping metal. I kept it in my underwear drawer, beside my guilt-tainted poker winnings.

  I gripped the sides of the bathroom sink tightly as a wave of memories threatened to rear their ugly heads. I imagined, as I always did, installing a fresh new panel over the gap where they threatened to squeeze in. I mentally welded it in place, and sighed happily. “All better,” I announced confidently.

  I lingered for a few moments, fretting over imagined imperfections in my appearance as I remembered my last meeting with Unity. I was determined to keep my cool this time, to steer the conversation, maybe even to earn myself a raise. I’d managed to put a dent in my debt, but I still owed tens of thousands of credits.

  I glanced down at my communicator to see that I had a few minutes before it was time for my appointment. I didn’t have time to eat or exercise, and my fur wouldn’t have time to dry if I showered.

  I chewed the inside of my cheek idly as I sat on my bed. “I hate having unstructured time,” I grumbled before leaning forwards and grabbing my file from the drawer.

  I had tried keeping my nails long, as I preferred them, but between the work I was doing and the way the act of filing ate away at my stress, they always ended up painfully short. I tucked the tool into my pocket for later; I hoped that my meeting would go well, but just in case it didn’t, I’d have something to focus on besides a panic attack.

  I checked the clock again, rolled my eyes at the slow passage of time, and began making my way to Unity’s cabin.