Page 102 of The Last Hope

Court has shut his eyes. Sinking and sinking, and I ache toe to head to heave them up out of this grief, but I dunno how.

It’s a good thing Zimmer is here. He asks a question I think we’d all forgotten. “So humans know about lifebloods. It’s in the history books, but does theLucretziacrew know about Franny, Mykal, and Court?”

Have we been walking ’round all this time, trying to hide something that didn’t need to be hidden?

“The crew has no idea,” Stork says. “It’s above everyone’s clearance level.” He watches Franny wipe her cheeks. “To be safe, I wouldn’t tell anyone you’re lifebloods. Not until the op is over and we’re on Earth.”

“How come?” Franny asks.

He nearly smiles at this part. “Historians say that at their best, lifebloods were the veryessenceof humanity. What you three have together… there is no definition that can sum up the pure empathy and compassion. You know more than I do.” He pauses again, finding the right words. “But lifebloods are more vulnerable than a regular human. The crew would never hurt you, but they may distract you from the op. I have a feeling you’d be bloody paranoid if they found out beforehand.”

We already have been.But I suppose it’d be worse if we yammered about being lifebloods to the whole starcraft. I wouldn’t trust anybody afterward.

Court has opened his eyes. “Do other Saltarians know about lifebloods?”

“Saltare-1 does, yeah. I can’t be sure whether theRomulusknew about you three. They never mentioned lifebloods when we negotiated the trade to free you from the brig.”

That’s good.

Court feels uncertain.

“Let me sort this out,” Zimmer says, hopping back on the hover-boardie. Feet belong on the fucking ground.

Or mountainside.

“You two”—Zimmer skates to the middle of the room, halting beside Stork, but he motions to Court and me—“you canfeelwhatever Franny feels?”

Franny is on fire.

“Like it’s our own body,” I say. “Yeh.”

“My body is not their body,” Franny clarifies quickly. “We are all three bodies. Three minds. We just… feel.”

I nod, glad she’s better at speaking than I. That way someone can untangle the mess I make with words.

Court stares hard at Zimmer.

“So you knew Franny was straddling Stork then?” Zimmer realizes.

Franny’s eyes bulge. “It wasnotthat kind of straddling.”

Stork smirks into a laugh and turns toward the cabinet.

“We ignored it,” Court says smoothly.

Franny spins on him. “You ignorednothing.Because there was nothing to ignore.”

“She’s right,” Stork says casually from the cabinet. “It was nothing.”

My stomach sinks in disappointment, and immediately, I know it’s Franny. Maybe she wanted it to be more.

Zimmer glides on the board, closer to Franny. “I know what I saw, and it was textbook Fast-Tracker straddling.” Him yammering about Franny and Stork only puts more of Franny’s sinking feelings in my belly.

Zimmer begins to pass me, and I shove his shoulder. He trips off the silver board. Stumbling. “Every time.” He dusts off his slacks, not offended. “I’ll take that as a Grenpalish affirmative.”

I give him a ruder gesture. “This is more like it.”

Court rolls his eyes, but his lip aches to lift.