The Red Glow, a massive cargo hauler, comes to an almost dainty stop at the topmost port of the primary docking tower. The long cylinder of its body extends over much of the exposed portions of the station infrastructure. It casts a sharp shadow over the young trees growing under surface level domes.

  Once docking procedures are complete, dock workers swarm back and forth from the station and the ship. Among other services offered by Kalibern's technicians, clean water is being hauled inside the Red Glow in exchange for their wastewater reserves. The various impurities will be put to good use by experts, once they've been extracted from the liquid.

  A manifest of goods is available, on the station network as a form of advertisement, though much of it is locked behind command level authorizations. My codes are sufficient to unluck all offerings. The file grants me access. The variety of goods on offer surprises me, and I close the file.

  No, this isn't the total contents of the Glow; this list only notes that which is currently for sale. I reopen the file, now ready for the enormity of the task before me. From refined ingots of elemental metals to tanks of purified gas compounds, nearly everything once so important to the construction of Kalibern is available. But the prices attached to these goods are much higher than I expect!

  After the raw materials are lists of seeds, spores, and frozen embryos. Interestingly, there's an offer to purchase live sba. I send a brief missive to a few farmers that I know could use the extra income.

  I look at the various offerings, giving each the consideration I think they deserve. I pass over those already found here, even those owned by individuals rather than the station itself. Plants and fungi unable to survive within the current biospheres I also ignore. While moss that grows only in the extreme cold sounds interesting, the amount of additional temperature regulation growing it would involve far outweighs the novelty.

  After eliminating nearly every option, only three selections remain. First is a fungus, called rockbread, whose fruiting body is rich in proteins and nutrients. They spring up in wet, shady places often quickly enough to push grass and other ground cover aside. The mature fruiting body is beige with charcoal speckling and takes the shape of an oblong dome. Its flesh is wet and tough, with a deep, smokey flavor.

  The second purchase is another root crop. This one is much denser than chew root, as well as sweeter. The best way to process this plant is to dry it, grind it to powder, and refine the result into sugar. Sweetroot should be popular as an export if nothing else.

  Finally, a bitter vegetable that has a thick red rind protecting a white meat. Crimson rind supposedly mellows in flavor after cooking. Larger than most sba, this round, heavy fruit grows from a thin stalk. Most of the plant exists underground as an interconnected root network or as short stems with huge spreading leaves. The best part is that these plants tend to flower constantly, ensuring a steady supply of produce.

  For completeness' sake, I decide to briefly look over the other items for sale.

  With the understanding that most equipment is more cheaply manufactured on site, much of the extensive list are schematics rather than completed machines. Rare devices, upgraded components, and even improvements to manufacturing technique are available. The swivel turret designs are tempting, but not what I'm looking for.

  They do carry an intoxicating beverage, but it is a crude example of the brewer's craft. The clear liquor has a descriptive field that claims the brew can double as a cleaning agent. They can keep it.

  I'm about to close the digital brochure for the final time when another security lock catches my attention. My own clearance level is barely enough to permit me to view this reserve section. There I find an incredibly expensive object.

  The station does not have the credit needed to purchase the power core. It would be of immense use restoring functionality to the alien artifact on Honus, though. This will require some thought.

  I place my order and the funds transfer from the station treasury. I also request a meeting with the Supply-Chief of the vessel. Acceptance comes back quickly, but I must wait some time before the officer will be able to speak with me.

  In order to stay occupied, I report my successful acquisition to the Ship-Mother. She can decide which crop will be planted first.

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  She sits at her usual place in her office. Dunc is there also, fully armored. He stands in front of Eva's desk, leaning over it somewhat.

  "If my rank is the issue, then demote me," demands the security chief. He waves his arms angrily about as he speaks.

  Eva frowns down at him from her raised platform. "I need you here, Dunc."

  "They're in danger! I've got more experience than the rest of them combined." Eva starts to protest but Dunc speaks over her. "And! And unlike Matron Bell's goons, I give a shit about this station and its people!"

  "They knew the risks," she explains tiredly. "And went anyway. Do you think they're too stupid to know that the mission was dangerous?"

  Dunc deflates somewhat but isn't yet ready to relent. "No. They knew the artifact could be dangerous and agreed to that. But they didn't know that they'd be guarded by people who profit more if the team never comes back. Did they?"

  "I trust Matron Bell," objects Eva.

  "And Spen? Do you trust him and his new friends?"

  Her frown deepens but she makes no immediate reply.

  "I don't either," Dunc continues. "I trust you and Donna and her team to all do what's best for Kalibern. I know Spen better than anyone, or I used to. Let me join Donna's team, please. I can keep them safe."

  "You're too close to the problem, too emotionally invested," Eva retorts. "I trust you, too, Dunc. But where Spen is concerned? I just don't know."

  Dunc turns and walks three steps from the desk. Tablets rattle at his heavy footfalls. "He's why I have to go down there. You think he was mad when you voided his contract, you should have seen him once he got home." The security chief turns back to face the Ship-Mother. "Look, I know what you're thinking. My da traded me and Spen for a single pilot. We're then left behind first chance Tollek got. Now you got rid of him again. Do you really think I'd throw away the first permanent home I've found to go chasing him?"

  Eva sighs before answering, wiping one hand across her face. "No," she admits. "I don't." It looks like it physically hurts her to say those words.

  "I might have a compromise, if you two are willing to listen?"

  They both look up at the sound of my voice. Dunc glowers, no doubt anticipating something unsavory, but Eva raises one hand and waves it permissively.

  "Send Howan down, but have Dunc be its operator."

  "Howan?" They both ask at once.

  "The, er, robot?" Eva figures it out first. "You named it? That's swee-"

  "Please stop insulting me," I interrupt. "And besides, Glia named it, not me."

  Dunc laughs loudly, rudely. When Eva glares at him he shrugs, armor whirring at the motion. Her eyes narrow and she raises one slender hand to rub her chin while she thinks.

  "There's still the problem of rank," she finally says. "Sending the ro-, er, Howan down to assist might be acceptable, however. Alright, here's how we'll do this. Dunc? Have Glian teach you how to remotely operate Howan. Once you can control it let me know. I'll register some alcove somewhere as a communications installation and you can operate out of there."

  Dunc takes a step closer to Eva's tablet covered desk. "And I assume you want me to keep my involvement in this plan secret?" His eagerness to assist is evident by the way his fists clench.

  Eva nods, a small smile blooming on her face. "You're smarter than you act, sometimes, Dunc."

  "Heh. Yeah, don't spread it around." He turns serious for a moment. "And it would make Donna look bad if anyone found out."

  "Right. Get out of here. I need to talk to the 'great spirit' and would like a bit of privacy."

  The security chief makes a rude noise and smirks. He shrugs and walks out with a final wave over one shoulder. When the door closes behind him Eva looks at the camera and frowns. Her expression shifts rapidly as she silently debates with herself.

  "Do you have access to the security detail's suit cameras, Mos?"

  "While it is possible to connect remotely to any suit built following standard specifications, the authorization codes are different between those we use and those of Matron Bell's retainers."

  "I was afraid you'd say something like that," grumbles Eva. She grabs one of the tablets from her desk and activates it. "Alright. Just like your little trick locking down the office, we can only do this once."

  I feel that this is a warning, subtle though it may be. I must prove worthy of the trust she chooses to show me.

  Eva taps commands into the tablet with nimble fingers. When she finishes, the tablet connects to the station's comm network.

  "These are the command codes and frequencies for the various members of our little club."

  I won't ask how she has these; she's entitled to her secrets. If this kind of behavior is normal, that means that our access codes are also secreted away in many locations. The implication is that every one of the members of this particular cabal trusts the others to stop them if they become a threat to the rest.

  With these codes I can access data packages stored on any vacuum armor anywhere near a network I can connect to. Most are useless, locations unknown or too far away to be accessible. I copy the files before she can rescind my access. She notices immediately and powers down the tablet with a wry grin.

  "As soon as the Grand Matron knows I gave these to you, she'll change her codes. I assume the others will as well, once they find out."

  "Then we'd best make the best possible use of them," I answer her.

  With Tikov Yon's overrides, I can lower the price of the power core currently sitting in the Red Glow's hold to a more affordable rate. It'll drain the station of funds for the foreseeable future, but it is also the only way I can be sure to secure the core. I find it amusing that a small but significant portion of the credits currently sitting in the digital treasury are from the crew of the Glow.

  We'll have to start thinking of ways to generate additional income. No doubt Ship-Father Tikov will eventually notice the discrepancy.