Kaelis’s eyes fluttered open. Daybreak’s first light was creeping through the windows; the muffled sounds of the bustling city streets hummed far below. Rustling under silken sheets, she lazily sat upright and ran her fingers through her matted hair, trying to remember where exactly she’d ended up. Yet another morning, yet another unfamiliar room.

  Blinking her vision into focus, Kaelis studied the space around her. It was very clearly an upscale apartment bedroom: posh and tidy, with stark white walls and a collection of blandly stylish decor. Judging from the sounds outside, she was in a highrise somewhere in the downtown ward. Gradually, it all came back to her—meeting the man at the bar, frolicking with him through the city streets, the electric tension of the elevator ride up to his apartment, and the delights that came after. But the previous night had been such a blur, she didn’t have any time to take in the sights. Now, seeing the room in the sober light of day, she could appreciate it a little more. It wasn’t the nicest place she’d woken up in, but it was definitely up there.

  A quiet snort grabbed her attention. Splayed out in the bed next to her, passed out in a deep slumber, was the handsome man. He lay on his side, facing away from Kaelis, oblivious to her company.

  Kaelis looked at the man distantly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It had been a good night, and she’d had her fun, but there was no point in staying. Sooner or later, she would be alone again anyway—best to just be done with it.

  Throwing off the sheets, exposing herself to the dawn, Kaelis heaved her legs over the mattress. She sat there for a long moment, clutching her gently throbbing head as the last lingering fancies of dream fading away into nothing. Quietly, she slipped out of bed, collected her scattered garments from the floor, and slunk out of the room.

  It was a perfect morning. Dez lazed at the galley table, hot mug of tea in hand, basking in the sunlight as it poured through the bay window. Beside him was Jira, sitting in comfortable silence and sipping a freshly brewed cup of black coffee. Together they listened to the relaxing sounds of light jazz which wafted from the tube-screen radio tucked beside the kitchenette. Dez tapped his foot in time with the music and watched the radio’s black-and-white display as it flipped through garbled slides of pleasant city B-roll. He took a deep sip of his tea, savoring the tranquility of the moment.

  Wham!—The starboard door suddenly flung open. Kaelis burst into the galley from the docks, vibrating the table with her entrance. “Good morning, team!” she announced, brimming with energy.

  Dez winced, bracing his mug as it rattled. After a moment he smirked to himself. The calm had passed, but so it goes.

  “Mornin’ Kaelis,” he cheerfully greeted.

  Kaelis walked to the table and leaned into Jira’s line of sight. “Good morning, Captain Sirroza,” she beamed.

  Jira stared straight ahead. “…Lega xelon.”

  Dez turned in his chair to face Kaelis. He grinned wryly upon seeing her disheveled appearance. Her short hair was sticking out wildly in all directions, and her dress, the same from the previous evening, was now lined with subtle creases, as if it had been crumpled on the floor for some time.

  “Late night?” he teased.

  Kaelis chuckled to herself. “Heh, yeah…” Suddenly her mouth snapped straight, her face growing flush. “Wait. Shut up!”

  Dez snickered. He looked down and noticed the ruby hat held in Kaelis’s fingers. “Oh, you get a new lid?”

  “Hm?” Kaelis followed Dez’s gaze toward her own hand. “Oh… Yeah! Check it out, check it out!” She threw her hat on her head with aplomb and performed a fashionable twirl, showing off her newest conquest. “Had my eye on this gorgeous number for a while. Finally decided to go for it.”

  Dez nodded agreeably. “Lookin’ good, Kaelis.”

  “Do you like it, Captain Sirroza?”

  Jira stared straight ahead. “…Very cute.”

  “You really think so?!” Kaelis beamed.

  The music faded as the radio chimed on the hour.

  “You didn’t spend your whole paycheck on that, did you?” asked Dez.

  “Ah—shshshsh, the show is on!” Kaelis threw her hat onto the table and scooted closer to the radio. Grabbing the pot of coffee simmering on the stovetop, she began filling a mug as the introduction to the next program crackled on. She excitedly turned towards Dez and Jira as she poured.

  “I hope today’s episode has news on the Ehrlmann team. Do you think they ever found that Angelic vault—Ah, it’s starting!” Kaelis thrust her face in front of the radio’s screen.

  Dez glanced at Jira, who rolled her eyes at Kaelis’s zeal. He just smiled and shrugged back, turning his attention towards the screen as well.

  “Welcome to Word of the World,” a high pitched man’s voice greeted, backed by a romantic fanfare of trumpets. “Your source for all things expeditionary and beyond. This is Westen Weller, coming to you live from our station here in the Northern Wastes. Breaking news!—”

  The screen flickered, shifting to the image of a classically dashing man in his late twenties with a generous swoop of wavy hair and a well-groomed beard. He stood triumphantly posed, flashing a winning smile, standing in front of a majestic, ancient courthouse.

  “An exciting discovery as Farren Rhane does it again!” proclaimed the voice.

  “Oh, that guy. Huh,” mused Dez. He’d been hearing that name pop up more and more the past couple years, hand-in-hand with tales of some thrilling find or daring escape. The word on the street was that Farren Rhane was fast becoming Verloren Industries’ golden boy. Good for him.

  Kaelis stood there, frozen. Her eyes grew wide. With an unsteady hand, she placed her mug back on the counter and turned all of her attention towards the radio.

  “Ah tze…” Jira mumbled, pinching her brows together.

  “What?” asked Dez, his smile fading. All at once, Jira’s grimace jogged his memory. He suddenly remembered what had happened the last time this Rhane fellow had been mentioned on the news. “Oh…” he warily whispered, noticing a seething rancor gradually growing on Kaelis’s face.

  The radio program continued. “The up-and-coming Verloren adventurer has emerged victorious during the latest phase of the company’s Tannimahr Expedition, smashing expectations by unearthing the long-lost court of Imperator Artis Egaelles the Last. The young adventurer is now hard at work preparing to explore the courthouse in the coming days. This is yet another triumph in a long line of…”

  Dez tuned out the report and studied Kaelis. With every passing phrase, he saw her jaw and fists clench tighter and tighter. He and Jira exchanged looks. They braced themselves.

  “…WHAT?!” Kaelis finally snapped. Shoving her face against the screen, she glared at the image of the man, seemingly taunted by his charming grin. “Him! Again?!”

  “Uh, you alright there, Kaelis?” asked Dez delicately.

  Kaelis threw herself from the radio and flared her nostrils in disgust. “I’m fine! It’s nothing!” she insisted. She stormed off towards her quarters, muttering to herself along the way. “It’s nothing. It’s nothing! It’s nothing… I said I’m fine!!” She vanished into her room, slamming the door behind her.

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  Dez and Jira remained seated at the table, glancing at each other in moderately stunned silence.

  Not a second later did the starboard door crash open.

  “Lords above!” gasped Dez.

  “Ah, good, you are finally up,” Sheah declared, pushing into the galley back-first. She swiveled around to reveal a small crate cradled in her arms, filled to the brim with fuses, foodstuffs, and other items—telltale signs of an early morning supply run. “Do remain seated; I am calling a team conference.”

  As Sheah marched over to the table, Dez couldn’t help but note that she was looking slightly worse for wear. Dark rings ran underneath her crooked glasses, and her normally perfect, lustrous curls were frizzled and frayed. Her slumped posture and wandering gaze had all the markings of a poor night’s sleep and a mind weighed down by troubles. Still, Dez was just relieved to see her—she hadn’t been on the ship when he’d woken up, which was a rare event.

  Heaving the crate onto the table, Sheah began to unpack its contents. “As you can see, I've been busy at work securing supplies for a new—oh.” Glancing over, she suddenly trailed off, at last noticing the bemused looks dashed across her teammates’ faces. “Are… are you two alright?” she asked, adjusting her glasses. “You look unsettled. Did something happen?”

  Dez shrugged. “Kaelis did the thing with the radio again.”

  “…Oh,” said Sheah with a frown. “I see…”

  Kaelis huddled against the headboard of her small cot, her face buried in her arms. The usually cramped walls of her quarters felt almost comforting to her now—a snug space decorated with her most treasured historical finds, all glinting in the rays of sun let in by a small porthole. She sat in a heap, unmoving, breathing uneasy, a fire sweeping through her brain.

  Flashes of memory passed before her. Memories of betrayal, of the partner who had left her in the night—the companion who cast her aside to climb the corporate ladder. Memories of a team, the home she’d dreamed of for so long, that splintered and drifted apart once the man had gone. She felt it all again: the resentment, the loss, all of it boiling over, filling her mind, until slowly it settled back into that old, familiar pain.

  …Farren…

  “…Kaelis?” Sheah squeaked, sliding open the door a crack. “Kaelis, are you alright?”

  Clenching herself tighter, Kaelis stayed silent, opting to stare blankly at the wall. There was nothing to say.

  Sheah softly pushed the door open wider. “May I come in?” she asked.

  Kaelis sighed. “…Sure,” she said flatly.

  Sheah slipped into the room and gently latched the door behind her. “Oh, I brought you your hat,” she said, waving around the bright red garment in her hand. Tottering across the heaps of apparel scattered on the floor, Sheah made her way over to a large wardrobe overflowing with clothing and headwear. After searching in vain for a spot to place it, she chose to hang Kaelis’s newest accessory from the doorknob. “I heard what happened,” she said, trying repeatedly to keep the hat from slipping off its perch. “Is something the matter? Would you like to discuss it?”

  Kaelis averted her eyes. “I don’t know what Dez told you, but it’s nothing. I’m fine. Really.”

  “Are you certain?” said Sheah, happily taking her word for it. “Wonderful, I am glad to hear it. Anyhow—there is a team conference in a few minutes. I need you in attendance.”

  “Okay. Gotcha…”

  Her job apparently done there, Sheah blundered back across the room towards the door, a look of unwarranted accomplishment splashed across her face.

  As Sheah reached for the doorknob, Kaelis finally lifted her head. “Hey, Sheah…” she said.

  “Hm?” Sheah paused. Turning back towards Kaelis, she clasped her hands and cocked her head receptively.

  “I, uh… I was just wonderin’…” Kaelis took a breath, mustering up a morsel of courage, searching for the right words to say. “You…You think I’m part of the team, right?”

  “How’s that?” said Sheah, seemingly thrown by the question. “...Oh, yes, of course you are a member of the team. You are included in the team conference, are you not?”

  “No, that’s not—I mean…” Kaelis rubbed her eyes. “You guys wouldn’t… actually, nevermind. Just forget I said anything.”

  “Is this about your employment history?” asked Sheah, studying Kaelis with a perplexed look on her face. She put on a comforting tone. “Well, you needn’t worry. Simply because you have been through a few ships these past years does not mean I doubt your abilities. Quite the contrary, really. And yes, I know you are still fairly new to us, but I am certain we will develop a strong rapport in time.”

  “Right…” said Kaelis, unconvinced. Every ship since the New Tradition was the same—a tepid welcome, and a few months later she would be gone, left behind, back to where she started again.

  Sheah reached for the doorknob once more, only to catch herself at the last moment. “Oh, and you should know I have an open door policy, should you ever be in need of additional consolation.” She walked over to Kaelis and placed an awkward hand on her shoulder. The two women exchange unsure glances for a moment too long. “Well, I shall see you out there. Do try and hurry.” Abruptly, Sheah exited the room, closing the door behind her.

  Kaelis bowed her head and sighed.

  Kaelis emerged from her quarters after some time, comforted by a pair of loose pants and knit sweater. She wandered over to the galley table, joining her crewmates who were politely pretending not to be waiting on her.

  “And that is everybody!” Sheah noted as Kaelis finally took her seat.

  “Welcome back,” Dez said to Kaelis with a genuine smile. “Ya get it all outta yer system?”

  Kaelis glanced down, preferring to just forget the entire ordeal. “Yeah. Sorry ‘bout that,” she whispered. “It was nothing, really. I just had… cramps…”

  “Okay, team conference: commence!” exclaimed Sheah, visibly impatient. “Alright crew, we—”

  “How’d it go?” asked Dez.

  “Pardon me? How did what go?”

  “With the broker. How’d it go?”

  “Oh, right. Uh, it went fabulously!” said Sheah, an odd trepidation in her voice, as though she’d already forgotten somehow. “It was a good haul, we got a fine price for the mask. Better than fine. A real bounty! We are now restocked and ready for what comes next.”

  Dez nodded. “Good to hear.”

  “Yes, it is, isn’t it? Well, the reason for this conference is—”

  “We fixed the icebox?” said Kaelis, her face slumped in her hand.

  “What? No. That is hardly a reason for a meeting. I was going to sa—”

  “Ms. Ziedler got a new batch of fuses this mornin’,” said Dez. “I’ll get the electrics restored in a jiff.”

  Jira grunted. “Hm. Good.”

  “Would you all please,” said Sheah, her brow furrowing in frustration. She took a calming breath and threw on an enthusiastic face. “The reason is: we have just received an exciting new assignment!”

  “Oh, a job?” said Dez, brows raising.

  Kaelis’s dourness softened. “Wait, are you serious?”

  “Yes!” Sheah proudly announced. “The Expeditioners Union must have gotten wind of our little score, and one of their top clients is sending us on a freelance run to a newly discovered settlement out near Dremaseah.”

  A great grin crept onto Kaelis’s face. “You’re kiddin’ me,” she said, wide eyed, barely able to contain her excitement.

  “I am not,” said Sheah.

  Kaelis threw her arms into the air. “Huzzah!” she cheered. “Finally, a real job!”

  “Indeed,” said Sheah. “This marks the end of our long dry spell. If we perform with precision, then we shall be handsomely rewarded for our efforts.”

  “See?” Dez lobbed a glance at Jira. “Told ya we’d have a commission soon.”

  Jira crossed her arms and nodded approvingly. “Hm. Dremaseah?”

  “Correct,” said Sheah. “The settlement is supposedly tucked away in the hills, just a few days drive northeast of here.”

  “Hey, that’s not bad at all,” chirped Kaelis.

  “Quite. So—” Sheah looked away from the team evasively. “Finish your breakfasts. We set out first thing.”

  The order sent a wave of silent surprise over the crew. Kaelis looked Dez and Jira in the eye, their bemused expressions indicating that she had, indeed, heard Sheah correctly.

  “Right now?!” Kaelis blurted out.

  Sheah nodded. “There is no time like the present.”

  “Hmm…” grunted Jira.

  “But—but what about shore leave? My weekend?” said Kaelis, growing more upset with every word. “I had big plans! The city library just got the newest volume of Twilight of Tannimahr. If I don’t pick it up today it’s gonna be months before I’ll get another chance!”

  “Surely literary knowledge matters little when compared to the prospect of actual discovery?” retorted Sheah.

  Kaelis thought about it—Sheah wasn’t completely wrong. “Well… I guess… But—but can’t the job wait a bit? Even just a day?”

  Sheah shook her head. “I understand it is less than convenient, but it cannot be helped. The client was very specific—one trip, in and out, find what we can and return. And they were quite insistent that we depart right away.”

  “Who is this client?” pried Jira, squinting suspiciously.

  “‘Tisn’t important. I mean, they were quite secretive, I can only guess.”

  “Ain’t this an awful fast turn around for a Union gig?” said Dez, stroking his mustache curiously. “Usually we got rules against this sorta thing.”

  “Look, we do not have time to discuss this,” Sheah snapped, standing assertively. “I am in charge here, and I say we leave within the hour. Yes?”

  Jira folded her arms. “Hm,” she grumbled in tepid agreement.

  “The Captain’s right,” said Kaelis, following Jira’s lead. “A job’s a job.”

  Dez finished off the last of his tea. “I’ll go get the engines ready.”

  Sheah clapped her hands together ardently. “Great. Then let us ship ou—”

  Before she could even finish her sentence, the crew rapidly dispersed from the table, leaving her standing alone in the galley.