To Marie Mercier. From Nesrin Khan.

[Enkidu]

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Sender ID: Nesrin Ezra Elhertani Khan.

Designation: Freelancer.

Transmission Source: Omicron Kappa.

Transmission Recipient: Marie Mercier.

Subject: No place to go.

Priority: Medium.

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Thanks. I’m not smart. As in, I’m stupid. I’m just literate, wordy and forward. Irritated Raven no end, and she’s famous for calling anybody who even slightly tilts her an idiot. No idea how that Jared man keeps conscious. He’s either got a nomad running his wires or he takes painkillers by the truckload.

*You see her steel fingers collapsing into fists. A ringlet of steel buckles amidst the mass of strained plasteel cords, the whites showing of her ceramic knuckles, like the skeleton of a pathologist’s dummy.*

God. Screw Raven.

*She suddenly remembers she’s still hooked into the neural interface.*

Alright. I’d happily fly back with you.

Wait, when did matching with me, or, more pressingly, not ev… Uh.

Alright. Certainties - yes, good, tangibles. Positive vibes. *She lacks conviction.*

It’s an H-fuel burner. Deuterium…. probably will work. Yes it will.

Sorry if I’ve weirded you out. You can back out and leave me floating if you want. Wait, no, sounds like I’m guilt tripping. Ugh.

….Look, I’m really in a bad place here. Thanks for doing this.

Oh, and um. I’m already asking a lot.

If at any point conversations start happening about certain elephants in the room, I’m just going to…. ignore them. As in, uh. I don’t want to know if I dated an incubi or not. Please?

*she indents her polymerised tongue.*

I’m sorry there isn’t anything I can do to make this less communique less awkward. It’ll be helped when we see each other. Power is basically off and I’ve been sitting her in a near vacuum squared between the walls, trying not to float anywhere. I’ll be more lucid when we’ve got the fuel. I promise.


If there's anything I can do to repay you, say it. I mean that without getting a stick up my arse. You're probably going to be saving my life.

Oh right. Nearly forgot.

The ship's marked Aeshma. The engines are bonafide, factory-setting, borderworlds. All the other systems are... wierd.

I don't want to talk about them, either.

Anyway - brain, running on, 0.12%, power. Optimistically.

Conserving so the time moves faster. That's why I'm only half lucid.

I'm being a prat, but you're... charming, fun. Next time - can I buy the meal?

I know a place on Cambridge. Give or take no apocalypses.

See you soon.