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After one more cycle, they’d be close enough to run scans of their own. If they detected any Scozid presence on the planet, they would need to be very careful about where they landed and the areas they searched. It would make the mission more difficult, but not impossible.

If, however, the Scozid were heavily present in all regions of the planet, it would cause them to abort. Razili wouldn’t be happy, but he wouldn’t gamble with her safety. He hoped her logic would compel her compliance.

As the computer signaled the end of all known data concerning Dunia Prime, he heard her begin to wake.

He could take the coward’s path and sleep while she monitored the ship’s systems. Or he could face her head on and try to … what? Woo her? The concept was foreign. Sex was transactional or part of rhun . There was never a need to woo a partner, so he’d never learned how.

Lacking an education was never something that stopped him before, and it wouldn’t now. He would just have to learn. That meant he needed to know more about her. Who she was, her likes and dislikes. He needed information. And he would gather it as soon as she was fully awake.

Razili stretched and sat on the edge of the bunk. She wasn’t usually an instantly awake person, but she was fully aware of Calyx’s presence at the front of the ship. He was magnetic in the way he pulled her to him. She didn’t resist. She needed to test both of their limits.

She sat in the co-pilot’s seat and watched him for a minute. He was efficient but graceful as he checked the ship’s systems.

“We are on track to reach the planet in two cycles.”

“That’s good.” Her voice was stiff, and she took a moment to relax. She willed her shoulders away from her ears and tucked her feet next to her in the chair. She tilted her head as she studied him. “What’s it like, having nanites?”

His lips quirked in a smile. “Like having an annoying second voice in your head that won’t shut up.”

“You can’t turn them off?” The very idea of not being at peace in your own mind was horrifying.

“In a manner, yes, I can turn them off. They continue in the background, but we are taught to ignore them and send them to a lower level.” He paused and met her eyes. “What was life like before being thrown into Denchui space?”

She turned to stare out the viewscreen. It showed the vast nothing of space, but it was easier to look at than he was.

“There were only a few chemists on the Shangris . We worked on various experiments, trying to synthesize compounds in zero gravity, seeing how different things reacted to the vacuum of space.” She laughed.

“Remedial stuff now that I’ve been exposed to the advanced concepts being explored by Denchui scientists, but it was exciting at the time.

” She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“Now, I’ve been thrown into the bleeding edge of science.

It’s overwhelming, but putting an Earth perspective on what Denchui scientists are working on has been exciting.

The opportunities for exploration are vast.”

“You don’t look overjoyed by it, though.”

She chuckled. “You’re more perceptive than you let on, Calyx.

The opportunities are exciting, but the overwhelm is real.

So many Earth scientists want to travel to Denchui space, and for the chemists, that means swaying me to invite them.

I’m swamped with applications.” Razili sighed and shifted in her seat.

“I can’t bring myself to go through them.

Every time I think about reading another application, I just… freeze.”

Calyx considered her for a moment. “You fear making the wrong choice.”

“Exactly!” She threw her hands up. “What if I pick someone who’s brilliant but turns out to be awful to work with?

Or someone whose skills don’t complement mine?

Or someone who thinks being far from Earth is an adventure, but decides the reality is too much?

I’m not qualified to make decisions that could change someone’s entire life. ”

“And yet, you’re qualified to create a compound that could save the universe.”

She shot him a look. “That’s different. That’s chemistry. I understand chemistry.”

“People can be understood as well, just through different methods of observation.” He leaned forward slightly. “What would make your ideal lab partner?”

Razili’s brow furrowed as she considered the question.

“Someone who doesn’t talk incessantly but isn’t completely silent, either.

Someone who respects boundaries but isn’t afraid to challenge my hypotheses.

Someone whose area of study doesn’t overlap mine, so we aren’t duplicating work.

” She chewed her bottom lip. “Someone who’s methodical but not rigid. ”

“Someone like me?” There was no pride in his voice, just a simple observation.

She stared at him, startled. “I… I guess you fit that description. But you’re an engineer, not a chemist.”

He smiled, and her belly flipped. “I’m not applying for the job, Razili. Just trying to understand why you’ve been so bothered by my presence in your lab.”

She felt heat stretch from her face down her chest. “It’s partly because you kept interrupting. And partly because you’re a distraction.”

The admission hung between them. Before he could ask any follow-up questions, she cleared her throat and looked at the viewscreen. “My inability to pick a lab partner isn’t important right now. We need to focus on Dunia Prime.”

Calyx allowed her the change of subject. “I’ve reviewed all the data we have on the planet. It’s outdated, but better than nothing.”

Razili leaned forward. “What did you find?”

“The planet has been untouched by the Alliance for over fifty years. Scozid used it as a testing ground for early technology, which is why Uv’ex thought it might contain what you need.

” He pulled up a holo-display. “The atmosphere is breathable, but thinner than you’re used to.

The gravity is slightly higher than Corix 23. ”

“And the plant life?” Razili peered at the rotating image of the planet, with its swirling purple clouds.

“Abundant and diverse. Many species exhibit the carbon-silicate bonded structures you mentioned.” He showed her several images of peculiar flora—twisted trees with crystalline foliage, spreading vines with segmented, metallic-looking stems. “These should be our primary targets for collection.”

“They’re beautiful,” she murmured, reaching out as if to touch the hologram.

“Beauty and function often coexist,” Calyx said quietly, watching her face.

She glanced at him, catching something in his tone that made her heart skip. Their eyes held for a moment before she looked away.

“I should prepare my equipment,” she said, rising quickly from her seat. “I’ll be ready to gather samples when we land.”

“Of course.” His voice was controlled again, all business. “I’ll continue monitoring our approach and run scans for Scozid presence.”

As Razili retreated to retrieve her case of lab equipment, she paused, then turned back. “Calyx?”

He looked up from the controls. “Yes?”

“Thank you. For trying to make me… comfortable.”

A small smile touched his lips. “You’re welcome, Razili.”

She nodded once and continued to her equipment. Her hands shook slightly as she began organizing her collection of vials and tools. She told herself it was excitement about the mission, about being closer to solving the compound.

It had nothing to do with the way Calyx looked at her, or how his presence seemed to fill the small ship, or how her skin tingled whenever he was near.

Nothing at all.