Leaving Eos was hard. As rough as the planet was, it was still a planet. Watching the brownish-red sphere fade out of sight - with my best friend buried on it - reminded me of just how very alone I was in this new galaxy. I felt utterly lost.

Back on the Hyperion, things were way different, but not much better. Grady was right about one thing - the Nexus was running dangerously low on food. They had been operating for a year and a half, and were expecting to have functional outposts producing locally-grown produce by now. Living space was limited, rations were limited… it was hardly an existence. Fortunately, it didn't last long.

Just over a month after we left Eos, we were called back. I don't know how, but Scott Ryder and the Pathfinder Team found a way to activate the same kind of alien tech there that they did on Habitat 7. They called it "Remnant" tech, some kind of super-advanced terraforming equipment that was hundreds of years old, apparently abandoned by an extinct creator. Whatever he did, the radiation was declining rapidly as the atmosphere thickened. Clouds started forming, the surface temperature extremes got milder, and O2 levels were just under livable limits for humans. It was a miracle.

The changed atmosphere on Eos made a permanent outpost possible, but it didn't do anything to change the deadly animals and alien presence on the surface. That's where I came in. Two more military-based cryo bays on the Hyperion were thawed out, and I was deployed alongside about 120 others, to serve as a militia and security force on the planet surface. It was our job to keep the geologists and farmers alive long enough for them to start cranking out local food.

I was amazed at the change when we landed the second time on Eos. The new settlement, "Prodromos," was settled in a valley, which buffered against the wind and kept the soil a little moister. Grey & white Initiative buildings were already clustered around a small lake, about 1/4 mile across, with material crates the size of semi-trucks extending nearly halfway around the north side, just waiting to be unpacked and put together. It was a much larger-scale production than I expected.

Combat came at a much slower pace the second time around on the planet. We made patrols daily, tackled the occasional pack of long-legged lizards - named "Adhi's," - and on a rare occasion, wrangled with a scout team of Kett. It wasn't a leisurely life, though. The slow pace of fighting left plenty of time for heavy-lifting, and our militia doubled as a construction team when not on patrol, systematically unpacking crates and assembling permanent structures for housing, scientific study, food storage… even recreation. The greenhouses came first, though - even before troop housing. I spent my first 2 and a half weeks on Eos sleeping between planter boxes, where imported oats and green beans grew in imported soil. I didn't mind it much - I was just happy to be part of the solution to the food shortage.

Living in Prodromos wasn't all work - everyone was allotted one half day off each week for rest & recreation. I convinced Keelan to put in a good word for me, and got my "weekend" to coincide with Josie's. With Grady gone, and Keelan busy managing the scout teams for the militia, she was the best shot I had at a real friend - you know, the kind you can go past small talk with, and hit the heavy topics. Josie's spare time was almost always spent doing the same thing: target practice. Even after 3 months, she was still driven to prove my accusations wrong - that she wasn't as experienced in combat as she claimed to be. At least, that was my theory.

"You know, there's a really nice pool table in the rec room," I said to her one Friday, as I casually strolled up from behind. "You could practice your aim, and actually have fun on your day off."

"This is fun," she said, without looking up from her prone stance. The gun thundered, and a cloud of dust in the distance signaled that she hit something, though I couldn't see whether it was the right something.

"Damn!" She loud-whispered, half to herself. "This wind is worse than it looks." She turned her head toward me, but stayed on the ground. "You're messing with my focus, Wade," she said through squinting eyes. Beautiful, lash-lined squinting eyes.

"Geez, Jo. Good to see you, too," I countered, obviously feigning offense.

She huffed, and lowered her trimmed eyebrows. "Would you please stop calling me that? 'Joe' is a man's name. I already shortened it from 'Temperance' to 'Josie.' Can't you just leave it at that?"

"First of all," I replied, folding my arms, "It's 'Jo,' just J-O, no E."

"Oh, that makes it all bet-"

"Second of all," I continued, interrupting her rebuttal, "'Temperance' and 'Josie' are two syllables, so you didn't really shorten anything for me."

She chuckled, shaking her head and shading her eyes from the sun. "You do know that 'Tem-per-ance' is three syllables, unless you're in hickville, Texas."

"That… is… irrelevant," I said, unable to hide the embarrassed smile on my face from being called out. "Jo's still easier."

"Well, it's not my name, so don't expect me to answer to it."

"Okaaaaaaaay, okay! Fine, Jo-SEEEE. You win. But name-shortening's a form of endearment. You should be honored that I tried."

"Um, thanks, then," she said with a playful roll of her eyes, returning to her rifle's scope. "I've got five or six more rocks to hit, and then I'll come kick your ass at pool."

I'm sure I would've had an awesome comeback of some kind, but our conversation was interrupted by captain protocol herself, Brooke Landingham. It was like her sole purpose in life was to prevent me from a moment's relaxation.

"There you are," she said, panting with audible frustration. It was also like she was always out of breath. She was too thin to be that out of shape - All I could figure was that she must've been having trouble adapting to the low-oxygen atmosphere outside Prodromos. It was thin, for sure - like doing everything on a mountaintop - but after the atmosphere improved enough to allow it, I went helmet-free as often as I could.

"Commander Taylor needs to see you," she continued.

"Which one of us?" I asked.

"Both of you. And for the love of God, would you please leave your damned radio's on? You're not supposed to turn them off, even on R&R time. In case you forgot, this is a hostile alien world, and you're outside the valley. If something were to happen in Prodromos, we need to be able to count on you to get back quickly to assist the outpost."

I checked my hip - the radio wasn't off, it was just turned so low that I couldn't hear it. Josie's, on the other hand… well, let's just say she wasn't an ardent rule-follower either.

We followed Brooke back to Prodromos, but instead of the Militia HQ, we ended up in Mayor Bradley's office.

"Thanks for coming," the Mayor began, cordially. He was somewhere in his 40's, about my height, but leaner, with dark skin and a hardened, but kind face that looked like he had seen his share of combat duty. "I'm sorry this had to interrupt your time off, but I've got a situation that's become… well, urgent."

"We're at your service, sir," I replied.

He tapped on a datapad as Josie, Keelan and I huddled around to see what looked like a map of the area. "This is Prodromos," he began, tapping on the screen, "and our range extends to about here. Now, three weeks ago, satellite scans picked something up over here. We did a flyover to confirm, and it's exactly what it looks like…"

"Another settlement?" Josie guessed, as surprised as I was.

"Right," said Bradley. "Built with Initiative equipment, from the looks of it. It's a group of humans, but the Initiative didn't send 'em. We caught a straggler yesterday, wandering on the high plains out to the west. Said they're the 'sovereign nation of Advent.'"

"Uh… okay?" I said, scratching my head. "So, that's a thing now? Just call yourself a nation?"

"Word got back to the Nexus," Bradley continued, "and the brass there wants them gone, asap. Grouped them in with the exiles { Exiles: Initiative personnel banished from the Nexus after a failed mutiny attempt. }."

"So, you want us to what - kill 'em?" I asked, sick to my stomach over the thought of shooting our own people. Exiles or not, there were only so many humans in Andromeda.

"No," Bradley answered. "Not if there's any other way to handle the situation. Last time I checked, this planet was my responsibility, so we're gonna do things my way. Miss Walsh, I understand you were part of an infiltration unit back in the Milky Way…"

"Um… uh, yes sir," she answered awkwardly.

"Good. I need you to put those skills to use. I want you to travel to this settlement undercover, and bring back intel for me. How many are there, what's their military capability, are they allied with the Exiles on Kadara { Kadara - a wild, mountainous world where the Exiles had established a colony. }, and most importantly, what's their diplomatic stance toward Prodromos and the Initiative as a whole."

"You're gonna pose as an independent scavenger," Keelan added. "We've got a refurbished Kett land cruiser for you, stocked with some salvage. Offer to trade, and find a way to talk yourself inside their complex."

"And what's my role in this?" I asked.

Keelan answered. "You're gonna accompany her, because - no offense, Walsh - but if things go sideways, I need someone who can drop bodies in a hurry."

"We're hoping it doesn't come to that," Mayor Bradley added, "but we need to be prepared, in case they're hostile. We also need this done quickly. I'm going against a directive here, and it won't be long before the Nexus asks for an update. I'll take the heat for it, if it comes to that, but I'm hoping it won't." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, continuing after a deliberate, determined exhale. "I'm asking a lot from you. You're gonna be on your own - completely. The tension between the Exiles and the Initiative is so delicate right now, we can't afford to cause an incident. If you get found out, we'll deny you, and if you're not back by the time the Nexus gets wind of our plan, you could become an orbital strike casualty along with the rest of 'em. If I had a better option, I'd take it, but-"

"We'll do it," I interrupted. "We'll get in and out, we'll get your intel. When do we ship out?"

"I told you," Keelan said to Bradley, patting me on the shoulder. "Right man for the job." I felt 10 feet tall.

"Best we can tell, it's a two-day journey," Bradley said. "If you can ship out before nightfall, that would be best. That gives you…" he glanced at his watch, "four, five hours?"

"We'll be ready," I said confidently, looking at Josie. She had a concerned, 'are you sure about this?' expression.

"Great," Bradley replied, extending his hand to shake mine. "Good luck."

The Kett may have been a formidable enemy on the battlefield, but they sucked at vehicle design. Driving the bulbous, olive-drab land cruiser across the windy plains west of Prodromos made the Nomad seem like a Ferrari. With no climate control to speak of, and no windows to roll down, Josie and I were a sweaty mess within minutes. It was like driving an aluminum storage crate.

We left with a few hours of daylight left, and made better time crossing the featureless, rolling dirt hills than we had anticipated. Night brought much-needed relief from the heat, and though it didn't have air conditioning, our rolling sauna was insulated well enough to keep our teeth from chattering once the radiant heat from the day had worn off.

By midnight, Josie and I were both ready for a break, so we parked the cruiser, bundled up in our thermal "scavenger" cloaks, and stepped outside to stretch our legs. We were situated on the high point of a large plateau that extended for miles in every direction, and the view was incredible. I had only ever seen Eos nights from inside one of our outposts, and since security was such a concern, things were never dark. Now, hundreds of miles from any artificial light source, I got a taste of the night sky at its finest.

"Dear God," I exclaimed, taking it all in like a kid. "Look at all this!"

"It's… incredible," Josie agreed. The sky was filled to the brim with dots of light - more than I had ever seen on Earth. Without giving it a thought, I lay down flat on my back to take in the view better. The ground was cold and hard, just uneven enough to jab me in odd places, but I hardly noticed. After a moment, Josie joined me, groaning as she lowered her body onto the gravelly surface.

"Growing up in the city, we had planetariums, VR stuff…" she said, "but nothing like this. Even in orbit, it wasn't like this."

"See, ya'll city folks think you've got it so much better," I teased. "I used to go out all the time, take my bike past the tree line and just watch shooting stars for hours."

"By yourself?"

"Well, no… but…"

"Ah, I see. So, were you watching, or making out?"

"Watching!" I said, mock-defensively. "Watching… and, okay, maybe there was some smooching involved… but mostly watching. Point is, you could only get views like that out in the heartland, not in those composite skyscrapers."

"Yeah… well at least in the city I learned to say things properly, like 'Temperance."

"Are we still on that?"

She chuckled. "Oh, we can have fun with plenty of other words. Say, 'hundred.'"

"Hundred," I said, matter-of-factly.

"Say, antenna."

"I don't understand this game."

"Do it!"

"Antenna."

"You don't hear that?" She asked. I could hear the smile on her face. "You said 'anTANna.' And 'hunderd."

"No I didn't!"

"You really did."

"I happen to be proud of my heritage," I said. "You're just insecure because you say you're a Texan, but you don't sound like one."

She sighed. "Do you miss it? Home?"

"Every day," I said, melancholy at the thought that I'd never step foot on Earth again. "Several times a day, sometimes."

"Me too." There was silence for a while, as we both thought about that perfect blue & green orb, full of things we took for granted, like water and a magnetosphere, and cheese crackers.

"Think one of those dots is the Milky Way?" I asked eventually.

"I nominate… that one," she said, pointing at the sky.

"Works for me." I never mentioned to her what Grady told me about the Reapers - figured it wasn't gonna do anything positive for anyone to have that pressure on their shoulders - but I thought about it all the time. There was no 'home' in the Milky Way anymore. This was it.

"You never told me what made you leave Earth as a kid," I said after another long pause in the conversation. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. Josie was great to talk to, as long as I didn't mention her past. Usually that made her clam up in an instant, so I was pleasantly surprised when she actually talked this time.

"Parents divorced when I was twelve," she said. "Mom… didn't want to be a mom anymore. She left us, ran off with some big-wig from her job. Sent Christmas and birthday cards, and that was about it."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, it sucked. When I was fourteen, my brother graduated high school, and my dad and I moved to Beckenstein for his job."

"Beckenstein? Wow, fancy. Must've been a really good job."

"It was fancy… and pretentious, and snobby. A bunch of rich kids with no idea of how hard people had to work to make it in the rest of the world. But I was totally the outsider. Dad worked in carbon composites. Ran quality-assurance tests on materials for weapons. It was kinda bor-"

"Wait - your dad worked on human-made guns?" I interrupted. "That's… awesome."

"Glad you think so…"

"I grew up in a military family - I'm a total gun nerd, especially the human-made stuff. Which manufacturer did he work for?"

"It was a big lab that just made the materials. I don't know exactly… I remember they sold mostly to Kassa, but senior year, they got this new contract with the Alliance to work on parts for the N Seven line…"

"N Seven? Seriously? Oh, Jos, you just got a little cooler. My uncle was an N Seven. Saw a lot of combat duty. I remember, he used to let me my brother shoot his Eagle out in the yard."

"Wow - that's a pretty heavy pistol for a kid…"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I was eight, ten… I could barely lift it. Jonathan, though… he was a crack shot. We had this whole shooting gallery we set up with hay bales and random stuff from the garage… man, those were the days."

"I can't believe your parents were ok with a couple of kids playing with live rounds…"

"Well, it was just one kid. Jonathan was a high schooler. And my uncle was out there, too. But Jonathan was the one who really taught me to shoot. Uncle Cade got this big assignment out in the Traverse when I was eleven. Real secretive. Never saw or heard from him again. So, once Jonathan was in the Academy, he was the one who would come to visit and take me shooting. He was… he was the man."

"Must be nice to have a big brother who gave a crap about you…" She said wistfully.

"Yours didn't?"

"Nope. He graduated high school, then ditched, just like mom. Went off to Paris for school. Never looked back."

"Wow. That… stinks. I'm sorry."

"Just what it was. It's okay, really. Made leaving Earth easier."

"Did you ever go back?" I asked, turning to look at her. Even her profile was gorgeous. As nice as the star field above me was, I forgot about it for a moment and admired my fellow spy. There was no angle at which she looked anything short of breathtaking.

"What - to Earth?"

"Yeah."

"Nope. Didn't even visit. Which… I hate now. I wish I would've seen it one last time before coming all the way out here."

"Well… there's no going back now. Gotta make this place home."

"Gee, thanks for the positivity! Still… I could get used to this view," she said with a contented sigh.

We talked for a few minutes longer, but the cold was starting to get to us, so we retreated to the warmth of our vehicle, and curled up on opposite sides of the cargo bay for some sleep.

The next day was virtually nonstop driving. The terrain eventually changed, from desolate, wind-swept plains to wide, gradually deepening channels where water once cut paths through the striated rock. A variety of cacti and spindly bushes grew in thick patches in the deeper ravines, eventually giving way to sparse, tan grass stalks jutting up 6 or 8 feet high in clusters. I campaigned for a small detour to take samples of the plant life out there, but Josie talked me out of it. The mission had to come first. There was no time for for diversions.

Aside from the occasional, slightly awkward bathroom break, we kept the wheels running from the first hint of light until the horizon started turning pink and orange. We talked most of the morning, but as the day went on, Josie started coming down with a cold, or something like it. At first, it was just the occasional cough, but after a few hours, she started wheezing, especially when she was trying to talk over the grinding rumble of the cruiser's motor. She played it off as nothing, but I was a little concerned. Still, the mission was too urgent to turn back for a cold, so we pressed on until, with the last colors of light fading over the mountain ridge to our west, we reached Advent.

A perimeter guard fired a warning shot over the top of our vehicle, which quickly brought a half dozen other humans out there, all armed and intense-looking. It occurred to me that these guys probably thought there was a battalion of Kett in our cruiser. We pulled to a stop and opened the driver's side door, as the cluster of guards inched forward, yelling with guns at the ready. I slowly raised an empty, open hand through the doorway, hoping it would stay intact.

"We're human! Don't shoot!" I shouted.

"Step out slowly, with your hands up!" They demanded. Josie and I obeyed.

"Ease up, boys," she said, with a surprisingly nonchalant tone. "We're just here to trade."

They huddled to discuss something amongst themselves, then addressed us again. "We don't bring outsiders into the city. Stay here and we'll send someone to negotiate with you."

"At night? Out here in the open?" Josie retorted. "You might as well paint a target on us for the Kett. Might as well paint a target on whatever 'city' you're talking about, too."

"They don't know the city," I overheard one of them say. "Maybe a recruit…" another one added.

"How did you find us?" The tallest one asked.

"We've been driving all day," Josie answered, "ran into some Kett back east, so we pushed further out, hunting for Adhi."

Their spokesman looked conflicted, but something she said must've won him over. "The vehicle stays outside our perimeter. That's not negotiable… but you can bring it to the wall. Your quiet friend here stays with us, just in case you get any ideas."

"Nope," she said, stepping forward. "My husband stays with me, or the deal's off."

Husband, huh? Guess I could roll with that.

He let out a long, deliberate sigh. "Fine, whatever. Drive slowly. Park where we direct you."

We traveled another quarter mile or so, and came upon a redneck-special wall, made of mismatched shuttle doors, lashed-together tree trunks, and Kett storage crates. After coming from the anal-retentive, everything-must-match Initiative outpost, their 'wall' was just… sad. We parked the vehicle, and after waiting at gunpoint for about 10 tense minutes, a short, sandy-haired man came out to meet us.

"Gentlemen, please - stand down. Let's not negotiate at gunpoint, okay?" He extended his hand to shake ours. "Hi there, I'm Chadwick. Sorry about the, um, cold welcome. We don't get a lot of guests this far out. Have to be careful. I'm sure you can understand…"

"Of course," Josie replied, trying to stifle a cough that eventually got through anyway.

Chadwick's eyes narrowed in thought for a moment, before he continued with eyebrows raised. "Sorgi tells me you're traders… and hunters."

"We've got…" Josie started, slipping into another small coughing fit. It was getting worse. I jumped in to help out.

"We've got Adhi meat and hides… and talons, if you want. More stuff, too - guns, omni-gel…"

"And a Kett truck," Chadwick interjected. "That's… impressive."

"Handles like a drunk rhino," I said with a chuckle, "but it's home. That one's not for sale."

"Well, listen," he replied, somewhat effeminate in his body language and tone. "We don't trade for Alliance materials of any kind. Puts us in a bad light. We're not Exiles, and we don't want to be branded that way, either."

"What he means is, we don't trade with murderers and thieves," one of the armed guards said accusingly. Chadwick put him in his place. "That's enough, Brent. No one's accusing anyone. I'm sure - wait, I didn't get your names…"

"Tallmadge," Josie answered. "He's Grissom, I'm Josie."

"Nice to meet you," Chadwick continued. "I'm sure the Tallmadge's salvaged their initiative gear from poor souls who got overrun by Kett or Adhi's. Far be it from us to accuse. Still… we're not interested in anything from the Nexus or Prodromos. Show me your Kett supplies, though. We're much too short on weapons."

Chadwick seemed impressed with our selection, and we negotiated a deal to send a handful of Kett submachine guns to them in exchange for a box of circuitboards, a few solar panels, and 3 50-gallon barrels of filtered water. Along the way, Josie managed to mine for info under the radar. It was impressive. She may have been exaggerating about combat experience, but she clearly had a talent for this undercover stuff. We learned that they had about 200 residents, all human, but only a handful knew the first thing about handling firearms. They were firmly opposed to the leadership on the Nexus, but disliked the Exiles even more. Most of them ditched the Nexus once news got around about the atmosphere change on Eos, and they simply wanted to peacefully coexist in their little humans-only commune. In truth, they were deserters, but they seemed harmless, and willing to work out diplomatic relations with Prodromos.

Josie did great, and closed a convincing-enough deal, but by the end of nearly an hour of haggling and prodding, her health was really worrying me. The coughing fits were beginning to happen frequently, and would get so severe she would come out of them gasping for air, wheezing so loudly I could hear it a few feet away. Our host noticed, too, joined at that point by a small group of curious bystanders.

"Miss Tallmadge, you really look unwell," Chadwick said, after the deal-closing handshake. "Do you need to sit down?"

"I'm ok-" she tried to get out, but broke into another coughing fit.

He turned to me, with a concerned look. "How long has she been like this?"

"Most of the day," I answered. "Started off light, but-"

"And you drove here from due east?"

"Yes… why?"

"She's got the fever," one of the bystanders said ominously.

I felt her head - she was way too warm.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"We call it pine bush fever," Chadwick explained. "It's unfortunately common for us, here in Advent. We think it's some kind of reaction to the tall, spiky-looking bushes that grow in the old riverbeds."

"Crap. We drove right by those," I said. None of this was making me feel any better.

"Well, you'll have to stay the night here," he said, matter-of-factly. "Most people come through it okay, but you're going to need to sleep it off for a few days."

Crap, crap, crap! We don't have a few days… I looked Josie in the eyes. She was scared. Screw the mission. She needs help.

"I'll pay you for lodging," I offered. "I've got a sniper rifle, that's-"

"They can stay with me," a black-haired man said, stepping out of the small crowd. "I've got the space."

One of Chadwick's furrowed brows raised. "Hannick… do you really think that's a good idea? I mean-"

"It's not contagious," the man - Hannick - argued. He seemed oddly passionate about it. "Janna will be fine. Chad - of all people, I would know. They need help."

"It's your house," Chadwick said with a disapproving-but-relenting shrug. "We're gonna keep an armed guard at your door, though. No offense, mister Tallmadge. Can't be too careful these days…"

Armed guard or not, we didn't seem to have much of a choice, so we accepted. Our host for the night, Hannick, escorted us through an odd assortment of buildings and repurposed hunks of salvage to the mouth of a cave, dimly illuminated by cold white worklights. Inside, the small opening widened to a large dome, with dozens of mismatched doors.

"We dug most of these out ourselves," he explained proudly. "Keeps the temperature steady, protects us from whatever radiation is still out there. C'mon, my place is further down, where the temp is better."

We followed him down a sometimes-slippery decline and through a narrow tunnel into another, slightly smaller dome. Josie was struggling with the exertion, gasping for air at times. I picked her up and carried her the rest of the way down. Eventually, we arrived at a bent metal door, and stepped into Hannick's home.

I was surprised at the relative straightness of everything inside the apartment. Walls, floors, even ceilings were level and squared-off, with narrow, rectangular doorways cut through the solid-stone walls. Shiny metallic thermal tarps served as doors, reflecting the dim, yellowish light of a single lamp in patterns onto the reddish-brown walls. Hannick led me through one of these doorways, into a bedroom that couldn't have been more than 8' x 8', with one of the ubiquitous initiative-grey air mattress taking up the majority of the floor space. He hurriedly brushed a small pile of clothes off, and motioned for me to lower Josie onto it.

"Is this… your bed?" I asked, amazed at his hospitality.

"No, it's um…" he paused, continuing after a moment with a pained smile. "It was my sister's. She passed, about a month ago."

"Oh man, sorry to hear that," I replied, as Josie hacked a dry, unproductive-sounding cough.

"It's part of the frontier life," he said, brushing his moist eyes. "But we all knew the risks, getting into this. Especially in Advent. I mean - you two know that all too well, living totally on your own. To be honest… sometimes I wish things were different, that we could go back to the Nexus and wait it out while someone else did the hard work, but… well, that bridge is burned. If not for me, then certainly for Janna, and… and wherever she is, I'll be."

"Who's Janna?" Josie asked.

"My wife," Hannick answered. "Sorry, I thought I mentioned her already. She should be back anytime now." He glanced at his omni-tool. "Went up to get food rations for tomorrow. Don't worry - we should have enough to spare, at least for breakfast. I should let you rest for a bit. I'll introduce her when she gets here."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Josie and I talked strategy.

"Grissom, we can't stay here and sleep this off for three or four days-"

"I know, I know," I interrupted, "but you're in no shape to travel. How are you feeling?"

She winced as she tried to take a deep breath. "My lungs are burning - like, imagine the worst sore throat of your life, but in your whole chest. And if I try to breathe deep, I just cough, which makes it worse."

"They said it's common, and that it usually-"

"I know - I was there, remember," she said with an almost-smile. "These people are not a threat to Prodromos. We can't let them get bombed. I'll sleep tonight and we can get out in the morning."

"Josie," I replied, shaking my head, "you can hardly walk. Let's just see how the night goes."

"Fine. But if it comes down to it-"

"Mission, mission, I know. Now, try and rest."

About 15 minutes later, we heard the sound of the front door opening. There was a moment of contentious-sounding chit-chat, and then Hannick's voice on the other side of the curtain.

"Hey there - is it alright to come in?"

"Of course," I answered. The foil tarp crinkled loudly as he pulled it aside, and stepped in, followed by a young woman who must have been Janna. The moment I saw her, I understood why they felt the need to leave the Nexus. She was pregnant. Visibly so. From the looks of it, she must've been 4-5 months along. Josie and I were flabbergasted.

"Guys, this is Janna," Hannick began, before placing his hand on the young lady's abdomen, "and this is little Adirion."

"Or, Adiria," Janna added. "It's too early to tell yet, boy or girl."

Josie and I fumbled awkwardly for the words to say. Birth control was a huge concern to the Initiative - fertile women were on mandatory contraceptives until the region was stable enough to start procreating. It was a surgical implant - not the kind of thing that you could easily work around.

"Uh, congratulations," I eventually got the words out, scratching my head. "How…"

"Doctor Rochere removed the block," Janna answered. "Back on the Nexus. Thank God someone had some sense."

"That's… incredible," I replied, trying to work in more information-gathering. "Are there any others?"

"What - here in Advent?" She asked. "I'm not sure if we're supposed to-"

"It's ok," Hannick interjected, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "They're safe. We have ten others, besides Janna. Doctor Rochere is keeping a close eye on them. We've actually got a bet running for who's gonna be the first human born on Eos."

Janna looked at Josie, who seemed to be growing even more pale, though it was hard to tell in the underpowered light. "We have to start producing new humans, especially at the rate we've been losing them. I'll bring you some water, and then you really should let her sleep. She's going to need it."

I didn't like the sound of her warning, or the look of my spy partner. Janna and her husband stepped back outside, and Josie was whisper-shouting before the door-tarp had finished rustling behind them.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Are you, freaking, kidding me? Pregnant?!"

I was caught by surprise by how riled up she was.

"No wonder they don't support Nexus oversight," I said.

"Are they insane? Of all the selfish, stupid things…" she trailed off, lapsing into more wheezing coughs.

"Seriously, Jo, I know it's a little soon, but-"

"A little soon?" She hissed, rasping another cough and grimacing in pain. "You can't bring a child into a world like this! That poor baby doesn't stand a chance. Neither does the mother. Try running from an Adhi with a two-year-old in your arms. Unbelievable!"

I could tell this was a hot-button issue for her, and I didn't want to push it. The last thing she needed was to get all worked up and make the coughing and wheezing worse.

"Well, foolish or not, they're our hosts…"

"Oh, I know. I'm gonna be nice, but for the love…"

"Shh. Try not to talk. You need to relax."

"Yeah," she said, closing her eyes. "Well, I'll try."

I helped Josie sip some water, then left her to rest, and went out to what seemed like the living room, where my hosts were sharing a single cup of tea.

"Oh, hey there," Janna said, motioning for me to come and sit with them on a storage crate-turned seat. "This must be hard on you, seeing your wife like this. When we lost Alicia… it's just tough - watching, knowing there's nothing you can do to help. You should know, though, if she doesn't pull through, you'll be welcome here in Advent. We're always cutting new rooms, and with your skills as a-"

My heart started racing, as my mind caught up with something she said. "Whoa, whoa, whoa - what do you mean, 'if she doesn't pull through?'"

Janna was taken back by my question. "Well, the fever… of course. Hannick said she had pine brush fever."

"Yeah, but they said most people sleep it off in a few days…"

She looked at me with pity. "Oh my…"

"Those who survive usually rebound in a few days," Hannick said solemnly. "Alicia wasn't… wasn't one of the lucky ones.'
An icy cold dread swept through my body, as I took their words in. "There's nothing we can do?"

"Keep her comfortable," he said. "Pray a lot. We'll know in the next twelve hours or so. If she makes it through the night, she's got a good chance to recover.'

12 hours wasn't enough time to get her back to Prodromos. It wasn't even enough time to get back into long-range radio contact. Without a satellite network in orbit, planetary communication was limited to about 200 miles. We were gonna have to weather the storm in Advent.

"I should… I… I've gotta be with her," I stammered, reeling from their prognosis. I went back into the bedroom, and felt her forehead. She was burning up.

"Josie? Are you awake?"

Nothing.

My heart was ripping in two. I couldn't lose her like this. Not after Grady. I knew how to work through grief - I was the only one in the family that ever really recovered when we lost my brother - but I wasn't strong enough yet to lose someone else I cared about, and as I sat there watching her wheeze, I realized Josie was one of those people.

"God - I know you can hear me," I whispered, staring at the smooth rock ceiling. "I figure you're God everywhere, even here. I know we haven't talked in a while. That's… my fault. I'm sorry. You gotta help me though. Please… Josie's a good girl. She's too young to go like this. If you can just get her through the night… and these guys in Advent… help me to get outta here in time to save them, too."

People die. I knew that. Just 'cause God could step in and work some kinda magic doesn't mean that he would. Bigger plans for the universe, and all. I knew that, too. It was worth a shot, though. I couldn't just do nothing.

I sat with Josie all through the night, fanning her and putting damp cloths on her forehead like they did in the old classic vids. Her fever got higher, her breathing got shallow and rapid… but she kept breathing. My hosts came to check on her when they woke up in the morning, and they seemed more optimistic about her chances, having made it through the night. Since Janna was pregnant, she was exempt from the manual labor the rest of the residents were obligated to do, so she sat with me as we waited for Josie to wake up.

I learned that Hannick was one of the 3 structural engineers responsible for building the living quarters for Advent. He and the other guys stole a couple of robotic excavators when they left the Nexus, which they used to form their symmetrical, perfectly straight rock walls. I also learned that the folks in Advent had been testing out the local plants as food sources, and figured out how to treat one of the large cactus varieties with saltwater to make it edible. It was still a tense, worrisome day for me, but at least something good came out of it.

Josie finally started to stir early in the afternoon, as her fever broke and her breathing slowed back to normal. Satisfied that she was out of the woods, Janna left me alone with her, and went to run some errands. The thought occurred to me that I might be able to drudge up some more useful intel by snooping through the apartment, but we had already learned as much as we needed to know, and I didn't want to leave Josie alone. It was a good thing I stayed.

Just after 4pm, she coughed a few times, and fluttered those long lashes.

"Hey - Josie, can you hear me?" I asked, so hopeful I was jittery.

"What time is it?" She croaked hoarsely, blinking and trying to focus on me.

"Four in the afternoon. Good Lord…I didn't know if you were gonna make it."

She groaned, repositioning herself in the bed. "I feel like death."

I brushed a few straggling hairs from her forehead and felt it with the back of my hand. "Feels like your fever is a lot better. Do you feel like eating?"

"Ugh. No way." She closed her eyes again for a moment - then, as if the details were finally catching up with her, she grabbed my arm with urgency and looked me in the eyes. "We've gotta get out of here, Grissom. Can you-" she coughed a dry, hoarse cough before continuing, "can you carry me? We need to leave."

"Sleep," I said softly, hand back on her forehead. "We can leave in the morning."

"But-"

"Sleep."

"You're annoying, you know that?"

"You're not going anywhere tonight, Josie Walsh."

"Okay. In the morning, then."

She was in and out of sleep the rest of the evening and into the night, and I finally caught a few hours myself, sitting on the narrow band of floor beside her bed. The next day, we thanked our hosts profusely, and slipped out before dawn - eager to get back to Prodromos in time to call off any military action against Advent.

The drive back was long and stressful. Josie slept most of the morning in the storage area, while I drove, pushing the cruiser as fast as it would go. I must've checked the time every ten minutes - or at least, it felt like it - and we kept rolling long after dark. Once we were within 300 miles of the outpost, Josie came back up to the cab and started trying to make radio contact. Finally, she had some luck, and we relayed the basics back to Mayor Bradley. Advent would be safe for the time being; we could relax, catch some sleep, and drive the final 4-5 hours of our trip in the morning.

We powered down the cruiser for the night, and lay down in the back to get some much-needed rest. Well, needed for me, at least. I really wanted to sleep, but Josie was finally feeling better enough to hold a regular conversation, so I stayed up to chat. We covered the highlights of our report, our impressions of the Advent people, our hosts, and Josie's sickness. She went quiet for a long time after that - so long that I thought she fell asleep. I was about to doze off myself, when she spoke up again.

"So, listen… Janna told me about how you were when I was out…"

"What do you mean?" I asked, still flat on my back next to her.

"She said you stayed up all night watching me breathe, said you wouldn't leave me, even to eat."

"Well, I mean… you were really sick."

"I guess I just… I dunno," she said, awkwardly meandering to some point I couldn't figure out. "You kinda took the 'husband and wife' role pretty seriously. She said she could tell how much you cared. So… good job."

"I just did what seemed right," I said cautiously, not sure from her tone if I should be apologizing or taking credit. "It wasn't that weird, was it?"

"She used the term, 'lost puppy.'"

I rolled to face her, leaning up on my elbow. "Sorry, I guess. I couldn't help it. You had me worried sick."

"Yeah," she said, trailing off into another moment of silence. "But, I mean… about the mission. I was worried, too. The longer I was laid up, the longer we took to get back-"

"Josie - I was worried about you. It had nothing to do with the mission."

"Really?" She asked, turning to face me, her eyes intense and searching. The emotion on her face drew me in, and I was lost for a moment. The dim natural light through the windshield highlighted and shaped her features in an oddly beautiful way, like I was looking at a breathing porcelain doll. The curves of her jaw and cheekbones, strong, but still faintly softened by youth… the tiny flecks of gold that glistened in the starlight against the backdrop of warm brown irises… she was captivating.

"Yeah, really," I said. I was confused - almost hurt - that it was so hard to imagine I cared about her well-being. I had never really been shy about my attempts to befriend her. "Is that… I mean, is it that hard to believe?"

"Sorry, it's just…"

"What?"

"I'm not used anybody caring about me. What they can get from me, sure, but… I guess I don't know how to feel about it. Sorry! Ugh - this is awkward, I just… I'm just not used to it."

Whoever hurt this girl, they deserved a punch in the face. She would be cared for, cared about, as long as I had anything to say about it.

"Hey-" I said, drawing her eyes up to mine. They wore a different expression than I had seen in her before. Vulnerable, uncertain, hopeful. "Get used to it."

Something changed in those pretty brown eyes, as they stayed locked into mine. The air left the room in weightless anticipation, until at last, she leaned up, closing the 12" of space between us and brushing her warm lips against mine. It was soft, unsure, even hesitant - but it didn't need to be. The electricity between us was almost unbearable.

She pulled back just enough to make eye contact again, but I didn't let her stay there for long. Our lips met the second time, but with a totally different intensity level this time. My heart was racing as I slid my hand through her hair, keeping her head pressed to mine, as lips and teeth and tongues danced together in passionate symmetry. She pulled my shirt toward her, I grabbed her hips, and in one swift movement, I was on top of her, legs and arms as entangled as our lips. It had been so long since I'd been romantically attached, I had forgotten what it felt like to have a woman's body next to mine. Neither of us had showered in days, and it didn't matter. This was primal, and I knew exactly where it was headed.

The church-going boy inside me was desperately trying to pump the breaks, to remind me that sex without commitment always makes a mess of things, and I didn't want that. I really liked this girl - I wanted to get it right… but in truth, I knew it was a losing battle. As my hands caressed the deliciously smooth skin of her back, and hers moved to start unzipping and unbuttoning everything between us, I knew I was too far into this nosedive to pull out. There was nothing that could stop this train.

That is, until we heard the sound.

It was a low rumble at first - easy enough to ignore or explain away, and for a few seconds, that's exactly what we did. She kept fumbling in the dark for buttons to undo, I kept exploring her back, her waist… but the sound only grew louder, and we had to give it the attention it deserved.

"What's that?" She asked, freezing. We listened more intently.

"It's a motor," I figured out. "Sounds like another cruiser."

"Crap."

We untangled and crept to the windshield, peering out slowly - and dropping back down in a flash. It was another Kett vehicle, and it was headed right at us.

"Get the guns!" I whispered, moving stealthily to the back of the cargo hold as I redid the buttons Josie had been working so hard to undo.

Really? Now? I thought, shaking my head. Freaking right now, of all times?

We geared up as the vehicle came to a stop, and crept toward the rear hatch. Suddenly, a beam of blinding light poured through the windshield, moving back and forth for a brief moment. Next came the sound of doors opening, feet on the ground, and Kett language being spoken in hushed tones.

I looked at Josie, heart pounding so violently it was hard to keep still. "As soon as they open the door…" I breathed, barely audible. She nodded.

We watched the front doors, but had to change plans fast, as a rattling sound came from the large hatch right behind us. Silently, we turned and readied our weapons. The hatch opened slowly, and as soon as it cleared their torsos, we unleashed a barrage of ammo, dropping two of them instantly. They scattered in confusion, and we took the opportunity to strike. I charged forward, swinging my omni-blade so hard I took the head completely off of one guy, then Josie popped out of the cargo bay just long enough to catch another one through the neck with a perfect shot. The motor on the other cruiser roared to life, but before it could get anywhere, I was at the door, narrowly missing a stomach full of plasma as the driver fired blindly at me. I slipped a grenade through the open doorway, then dropped, rolling out of the way of the blast, as pieces of Kett came flying out of the cab, along with the door. Crisis averted.

We looted what we could from the other vehicle, and decided it was in our best interest to drive through the night and get back to Prodromos as soon as possible. Josie offered to drive, and I had every intention of keeping her company, but as soon as the adrenaline of the fight wore off, I was out cold. I didn't wake until we pulled to a stop at the western security checkpoint.

"Walsh, Wade - welcome back," the guard addressed us, reading something from her omni-tool. "I've been instructed to direct you to Commander Taylor's office at once."

"Seriously? Right now?" Josie asked, surprised and a little concerned.

"Yes ma'am. He said it's urgent."

My stomach turned, as I imagined the worst. Poor Hannick and Janna, and little unborn baby what's-his-face, burned to a crisp in an orbital strike. We rushed into Keelan's office to find him pouring over 3D images of a planetscape I didn't recognize.

"Taylor - about Advent," I started. He cut me off sharply.

"Never mind about Advent," he said. "We've got a bigger issue. The whole militia's been called up. Ryder needs us for a joint strike against the Kett. We ship out in eight hours, and I need you with me." He nodded at Josie. "Both of you. Have you slept?"

"A little," I replied, "but whatever you need-"

"I need you at your best," he answered. "Go get some sleep, Wade. 'Cause tomorrow, we're gonna kick some Kett ass."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, and by the way," he said, walking over to hug me first, then offer a handshake to Josie, "damn good to see you two back in one piece. You can brief me on the shuttle ride tomorrow. Now, go get your butt in bed."

I walked out of the building side by side with Josie, head still reeling from this new assignment, the Kett fight on the plains… and what it interrupted.

"Well… good night, then," she said awkwardly. "Or, I guess it's more like good morning at this point."

I knew I wasn't likely to sleep a wink in my bunk, but I had to try. My mind may have been sprinting, but my body was hard-tired - the achy, exhausted kind. There was a conversation with Josie that really needed to happen, but it would have to wait just a little bit longer.

I sighed, and cracked a tired smile. "Goodnight, Josie."