Page 85 of Spark Transform

Eloquent words would never be his strength. He relied on the raw truth. “You. You’re my red angel.”

Her smile widened, reaching her eyes. “You never lie to me about important things. I love you, too.”

Renner kissed her, pouring deep reverence and absolute devotion into the contact. He stepped back, giving her the space she needed to dismantle her life. “Work your magic. I’ll find our team and tell them the news.”

Renner checked a wall display. One hour to go before the ship jumped to transit. He had just finished an exploration of the freighter, starting with the small storerooms in the cargo hold and ending the nav and engine pods where Soleil and her volunteer crew operated the ship. Old security habits died hard. His decision to scout reminded him of his first day with Arco at the Novo Granica building, but this time, no one treated him like an invisible tool or a hostile intruder.

The ship’s nine decks featured hasty, practical modifications for passenger transport. The join points on some of the interior walls gleamed with fresh sealant. Temporary corridor lighting hung from exposed overhead conduits.

During his sweep, he recognized several familiar faces from Soleil’s martial arts studio. They had greeted him warmly and introduced him to spouses, friends, families, toddlers, and pets. He also figured out where Fish, Mags, Davonner, and the other underage studio kids had stowed away. He left them alone so they could feel safe in their dark corners. They had good survival instincts.

The living conditions aboard the ship would need some cooperation and scheduling. About sixty people would have to share six community freshers. Passengers would have to use the stairs and deck ladders to keep the powered lifts clear for the on-duty ship’s crew. Once boredom set in, some tempers would probably fray. It was still a massive upgrade from the crumbling, moldy, insect-infested slum quarters in the Canals.

He returned to their assigned room to find Arco sitting cross-legged on one of the beds.

She smiled at him and powered down her pink tablet. “Did the team take the news of my death well?”

Renner twitched a smile. “Yes. They promised to contribute generously to your memorial fund.” He suspected they believed she was just changing her name, not changing her life.

Arco closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. “I missed you,” she murmured against his chest.

He let her welcome warmth soothe him. She fit in his embrace like they were made to be together, filling the hollow spaces inside him and sparking desire in his blood. He kissed her deeply, savoring the solid reality of their survival.

“Want to go see Nilsson?” he asked softly.

She let out a long sigh. “Yes, please.”

They stepped out into the narrow corridor. As they walked, Renner pointed out the locations of the auxiliary jump seats he had mapped. He told her that he hoped she liked mealpacks, because the freighter’s kitchen wasn’t much better than a cold box and a hot plate, and that the cavernous cargo load-out deck would serve as their shared dining hall and exercise studio.

The medical bay occupied a full quarter of a lower deck. Renner had walked past the sealed doors during his exploration, but hadn’t gone in. Stepping in now was a pleasant surprise. The space was meticulously clean and remarkably well-equipped.

A large, sleek autodoc dominated the far wall beneath a clear, heavy-duty canopy. Nilsson lay unconscious inside. Delicate medical filaments probed her flesh, concentrating heavily around the charred hole the CPS beamer had punched through her upper right chest. Someone had kindly put a thermal sheet on the rest of her for privacy.

Arco stepped up to the machine and patted the thick casing with surprising affection. “I like this unit. It takes care of my friends.”

Renner gave her a puzzled look.

“It came from Soleil’s studio,” Arco said. “I think you were its first patient. You know, after the spider mech.”

Renner frowned at the unfamiliar autodoc. He had entirely lost track of time. He remembered the fight, but was that two days ago, or three? His memories since then were a jumble of fragments. He sincerely hoped recovering more of them wouldn’t take being hit on the head again.

The door to a back room slid open. Haseem stepped out, his face breaking into a wide, luminous smile. “Arco! Brenner! You made it.”

The medic wore a standard-issue green medical smock over flowing, galaxy-patterned resilk pants and a pair of utterly ridiculous fuzzy slippers. He seemed both relaxed and energized, like he was exactly where he wanted to be.

Arco returned the bright smile. “So did you. How is Nilsson?”

“Improving,” Haseem said. “She’ll need some reconstruction and rehab after the nanos do their job. She should be awake in a few hours. I’ll tell her you stopped by.” He waved a hand to indicate the pristine room. “This is like having my own tiny medic center. I don’t know how they came by a Jumper-rated medic bay that’s only supposed to be in CPS facilities, much less got it installed in an old freighter.”

Arco nodded in amused agreement. “Some questions are better left unasked. By the way, if you didn’t already know, Nilsson is a healer. I know that minder talents can sometimes burn through standard painkiller meds.”

“Yes, N’Dwama already told me about Nilsson and herself,” Haseem said. “It’s nice that you look out for each other.”

Renner cleared his throat. “I’m glad to see you here. You look well.” The words felt stiff and clumsy, but he’d made a private promise to connect with people. Since he had somehow worked up the courage to tell Arco he loved her, he could damn well tell his friend he was happy to see him.

Haseem’s smile softened. “Thank you.” He darted a quick, perceptive glance at Arco, then let his void-black eyes settle warmly on Renner. “You look happy.”

“I am.” Old Renner would have died rather than admitting it. Actually, old Renner had died. New Renner wanted love in his life, even if it made him vulnerable.