They cleared the arrivals hall and were greeted by a man in suit. The Skygarden insignia stitched onto his breast and shoulders identified him as an employee.

"Miss Vasquez? Mr Chambers?"

"That's us," said Malachi.

"I've been asked to provide you with your passes and pass along Mr Yoshihiro's regret that he cannot meet with you yet. He has other urgent business to attend, and hopes to see you, Miss Vasquez, before the mission briefing tomorrow morning."

The man produced five datapads and wristbands from an envelope and handed them to Malachi.

"The wristbands will give you access to your quarters and all essential services during your stay. The data pads are connected to the private data network on Skygarden. Your personal devices won't work here, I'm afraid."

"You're not on the public data grid?" said Malachi. He snapped the wristband on.

"It's a security measure. We take every precaution we can for the safety of our visitors. No one comes in or out unless they have been deemed safe."

"That's amazing," said Jayce.

"Why?" said Tila.

"They still let you in."

It took only a moment for the datapads to be configured to each visitor, and linked with their individual wristbands, Malachi noted. After that they were free to explore.

"What do we do now?" said Ellie. "My ship leaves tomorrow morning. "

"Whatever you want," said Jayce.

"Let's go upstairs. We're standing in a corridor underneath a forest in space. Does that make sense to you?"

"Nothing makes sense to him," said Tila.

"Oh shush. Come on Jayce. Find the nearest elevator."

"I honestly don't know who got the better part of that deal," said Nina. She woke her pad and quickly tapped away.

"Stop trying to hack it already," said Malachi.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Nina, but she still put the data pad away.

"What are you looking at?" Malachi said to Tila. She was watching them both.

"You two are exactly the same. Did you know that? Only she hacks software the way you hack machines. You can't leave them alone."

"I have to know how things work so I can fix them," said Malachi.

"Pushing the limits of the code is the best way to learn," said Nina at the same time.

Tila regarded them both with amusement.

"Exactly the same. Come on, let's go and find our rooms and then explore. Tomorrow I'm leaving, Ellie's going to the academy, and you two are going home. This will be our last day together for a while."

"You still haven't told her?" Nina said as Tila walked ahead.

"Not yet. It hasn't come up."

"It won't unless you bring it up."

"Okay, okay, I'll tell her."

"Mal, are we the same?"

"I guess. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No, but you're lovely. Ellie and Jayce are similar too, don't you think?"

"I suppose. Their personalities match."

"So will Tila will end up with someone the same as her?"

"I'd rather not. One Tila is more than enough."

Tila's data pad guided them to their quarters on one of the upper levels. They were still below the surface of the dome, and internal rooms with no views, but each room had screens that showed the stars.

The layered displays replicated the parallax view they would if it was a real window.

That was only one reason why they were nothing like life on the Juggernaut.

Each room had a private bathroom and shower. Overhead panels simulated the light on any planet in the commonwealth, at any time of day. Malachi later reported that he even found the ambient light settings for a gas giant. The beds were huge and soft. The floors carpeted. The entertainment systems exhaustive, and the air sweet.

Even Tila liked it, and after checking Malachi and Nina were in their own rooms she shut her door and dived head first on to the bed. She flipped over and lay there for a moment spread eagled on the soft fabrics.

The data pad still in her hand chirped. Tila pushed herself up on her elbows to see what it wanted. It was a message from her mother.

"Oh, Tila. I've been told your shuttle arrived,' said her mother's unforgettable voice. 'I can't meet with you today. I'm so sorry. We have a last minute security issue to resolve and... you know what, it doesn't matter why. I'm sorry. Let's meet for dinner in the garden this evening. I have meetings all day now. We'll have more time together once we're underway, I promise. Okay? I'll see you tonight. Have fun exploring!'

Tila let the message play out and end automatically. She had been looking forward to seeing her mother again today, but Tila had spent the last twelve years thinking she was gone forever. She could be patient for a few more hours if she had to be. She was thinking about her reply when Malachi knocked on the door.

'T? It's Mal. You in there?'

Tila pushed herself from the bed and let Malachi in.

"Just you?"

'Nina's taking a shower.' No more explanation was needed. Proper bathrooms and privacy was a forgotten luxury on the Juggernaut. Nina could be in there for hours and Tila wouldn't blame her for a minute of it.

"What's wrong? You look like you've had bad news."

"My mother.' She pointed at the comm unit. 'She can't make it till tomorrow.' She shook her head. "It's not that bad. Only a few more hours."

'Oh, Tila, I'm sorry. I know you were looking forward to that. I guess you two still have a lot to talk about.'

Tila sat down on the bed again. 'It's only been a few months since I found her again. I have twelve years to catch up on, and we've only seen each other a few times.'

'You've exchanged messages, though. At least you can talk to her.'

'It's not the same, Mal. They can't make up for talking face to face. I think Ellie has seen Jayce more than I've seen my mother.'

'What's the delay? More meetings?'

"Something about security. I don't know. I don't know what they have to keep talking about. I thought the mission was already planned. All they have to do it get some ships together and jump to Baru and rescue everyone.'

'It might not be quite as simple as that, Tila,' said the ever reasonable Malachi.

'Well it should be? Get some ships, get some doctors and soldiers and go. What else do they need?'

'I don't know, I'm not involved in the mission.'

'Well I'm glad your not really. I was told it could be dangerous. Ellie's going to learn to fly properly and that's really dangerous. I'm glad you'll be going home.'

'Uh,' said Malachi. I guess now is the time.' About that.'

'About what?'

'I'm not going back to the Juggernaut yet.'

'Mal? What's going on?'

He sat next to her on the bed before continuing.

'When Ellie got her offer to join the academy I was offered an engineering apprenticeship on a ship Conway owns. Not the whole thing, just a few months. I turned it down at first because I'm needed back home, but after talking it over with Nina I said yes. We'll be able to learn a lot from a programme like that. And the more we know the more we can apply in New Haven. It could be good for everyone."

"We?"

"Nina's coming too."

"Nina? She didn't do anything to deserve a reward."

"I asked Mr Yoshihiro if she could come. He said yes."

"Oh," said Tila. "What kind of ship?"

"An old warship. It's been decommissioned, but it's a great opportunity,' he added. "It needs work in comms, life support, power systems. All the same things we need back home. It's a great opportunity," he repeated.

Tila nodded. It sounded like it.

"You're okay with us going?" said Malachi.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm only surprised you're going at all, and that Nina's going with you. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I was going to, but you told me to kiss Nina."

"Ah," said Tila. "Priorities."

"Are you going to be okay in Baru? You won't be able to communicate with us until the beacons are secured. Even then the courier drones might be secured to stop any unauthorised transmissions."

"I'll be fine, Mal. You'll be fine too. Ellie is the only one I'm really worried about.

"You still worry about her too much. You told me Grace said you mother Ellie. She's right. But that means you have to let her grow up. Do her own thing. Go her own way.'

'She might go the wrong way.'

'No, she'll go her way. The only thing I know is that right or wrong, she'll get there fast,' said Malachi.

Tila smiled to herself.

'She will, won't she. No matter who gets in her way.'

Malachi gave Tila a look.

'Remind you of anybody? Ellie doesn't punch her way through problems but she doesn't let them stop her either. You showed her how to do that.'

'I'm sorry, Mal,' she said after a moment.

'Sorry about what?'

She looked up at him. 'For giving you a hard time when you didn't deserve it. For making things difficult between you and Theo. You know, everything.'

'Tila, stop it. You're sad when you should be happy. You'll see Grace tonight. You'll be out of here tomorrow and in a few days you'll be in Baru, on the rescue mission you've dreamed of. Don't talk like you'll never see me again. We're all going to have a great time doing things we really want to do. And then when it's over we'll get back to the Juggernaut and carry on like before only better.'

Tila nodded again, biding time until she was brave enough to speak again.

'I don't know if I'm going back.'

'What? Since when?'

'Since I started wondering what happens after this mission. I'll have my parents back, I hope, and their home isn't the Juggernaut. And if you and Ellie are moving on I don't have a reason to stay there.'

'Tila, you're being an idiot. So what if things change. Life is change. And so what if you leave. You'll always have a home there, and we'll always be your family. Don't be sad over things that aren't sad. There's enough problems in the world to be sad about. This is not one of them. This is a good change. Families grow up and move away but they never leave home. Not really. Go and find your dad and come back to us. I'll go and fix a warship and come back to us. Ellie will do whatever she's going to do and then she'll come back to us. Forget Nina. Forget Jayce. It's us forever, whether you like it or not. And If you have a problem with that I'm going to punch you in the face, okay?

Tila cleared her throat, stood and and stretched her shoulders back.

'For a moment there I believed every word, right up until the end.'

'I exaggerated that part.'

Tila hugged him. It was a rare gesture, a rare touch. That was what made it valuable.

'I don't always hit people, Mal.'

'Your secret is safe with me.'

She punched him in the arm.

'Ow!'

'You deserved that.'

"Knock, knock," said a voice from the doorway. Nina leaned around the corner. "Are you two ready to explore?"

Malachi stood up and offered Tila his hand. "You coming?"

Tila took it and joined them.

"I'm ready to go."