hand over Spence’s.
“Listen. I worked with children on Mars who’d been treated like that.”
“You did?”
She nodded. “For ten years, before hooking up with these morons.” She smiled at Denver to take the sting out of her words. “When things like that happen to kids her age, one of two things usually happens: either they withdraw, or they act up. They feel dirty, and ashamed, but they can’t quite formulate why, and so they either lash out, or they sort of curl in on themselves and try to nurse their own wounds. But this?” She pointed at the monitor. There was no sound, but it was clear that Treesa was laughing in delight at something Gru was saying. “She’s doing exactly the opposite. She’s opening up. I feel like she’s blossoming right before our eyes. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
“So, you think I should quit worrying? That I should trust him?” Spence didn’t sound skeptical. On the contrary, he sounded like he was desperate for reassurance.
Marit shrugged and leaned back in her seat. “Every case is different. I’m not saying you should make him her godfather or anything. And I’m not saying to quit watching him altogether. But right now, all indications are that he’s good for her.” She shrugged, offering a smile. “Maybe he’s not as creepy as we all think.”
Spence pursed his lips, eyeing his monitor thoughtfully. “Maybe. I just don’t want—”
Laramie’s voice in Denver’s head was tight with alarm, drowning out the last part of Spence’s sentence.
“Laramie needs us,” Denver said.
“How do you know?” Spence asked, but Denver was already halfway down the short hallway to the cockpit.
“What’s up?” he asked as he and Marit crowded into the tight space. Spence had followed as well, although he hung back in the doorway.
Laramie’s already haggard features were drawn with tension. “We’re receiving a long-range communication request.” The comm beeped, even as he said it. “It’s not a signature I recognize, but it’s coded as urgent.”
“Is it an SOS?” Marit asked.
“No way to be sure, but given the frequency they’re broadcasting on? My gut says no.” He met Denver’s eyes.
“I guess we may as well know what we’re dealing with,” Denver said.
Laramie hit a switch, and the empty screen in front of them flared to life.
Denver’s first thought, upon seeing the woman who’d contacted them, was “Pirate!” But pirates weren’t known for hailing their victims in advance.
Denver shook his head in response, sizing her up as quickly as he could. He guessed her to be early thirties. Her skin was pale, her pitch-black hair pulled into a long, thick braid that trailed down over her right shoulder. Her rigid posture and poise screamed military, but her mismatched, somewhat eccentric choice of clothing—a fitted jacket with large, brass buttons and a skirt that wouldn’t have been out of place in Victorian England—said “outlaw.”
“Captain Clayborne,” she said. Her voice was all perfect vowels and tight consonants, which told him she was highly educated. “My name is Moondust Fleming.” She stopped, momentarily closing her eyes and giving a quick shake of her head as if she were trying to erase what she’d just said. “Dusty,” she said, meeting his gaze again. “People call me Dusty. I’ve been asked to make contact with you.”
Denver chose to ignore that. “Who asked you to make contact, and why?”
A slow stain began to spread up Dusty’s pale cheeks, and yet she still faced him with her shoulders back and her head held high. Whoever had chosen her as their leader, Denver could see why. “I’m sure you’re aware of the rumors that began flying around Titan X, the minute you docked there. And certain parties—well, certain groups of people, that is—have been waiting years for this kind of opportunity. As soon as we heard the rumors, we boarded our ships and left Titan X. We knew if the rumors were true, it was only matter of time before the docks were locked down, and we didn’t want to be left behind.”
“Escapists,” Marit mumbled under her breath. They were a lot like Old Earth’s survivalists, known for hoarding supplies so they’d be ready to run to a new outpost or planet at a moment’s notice. Needless to say, their kind weren’t popular